Positives
- Beautiful environments/characters
- Well written dialogue
- Interesting plot at first

Negatives
- This is a very very slow paced game, to a fault in my opinion

A game heavily inspired by max payne that punishes the player when you dive (shootdodge).
I only played the first 4 or 5 levels, but it became clear that the easiest way to kill your enemies is to simply tap slow mo and pop them in head.
Trying to be flashier and diving while using slow mo is uneffective because it actually makes it harder to hit your enemies. Not to mention that the levels are quite small and if you dive, you will often hit a wall.
The enemies seem to lack attack animations, they just get close to you and you lose health.
The voice acting, soundtrack and mood of the game seemed quite interesting but the gameplay is highly disappointing for me
If you're looking for max payne 4, this is not it

One of the most divisive games ever made

Gameplay

Combat is improved upon from the first game, your character is more agile and has more tools to deal with situations
New enemies spice up what was already a great combat system
Stealth is as tense and enjoyable as ever
Combat arenas are bigger and far more complex, giving the player more ways to approach them
If you liked the combat in TLOU 1, you will like it here

Outside of combat, Naughty Dog reveals a staggering lack of imagination of what to do with its game outside of shooting.
TLOU2 has less puzzles than its predecessor, something that I would consider a positive given how lackluster and simple they were in the first game.

In its absence, I would like to have seen something replace it.
Some mechanic to go in between the combat sections

What you will spend most of the time doing outside of combat, is reading notes and opening safes
These "notes" which contain backstory are laughable, it is painfully clear to see the developers spouting lore directly to the player

Story

The story is a roller coaster of questionable decisions by the protagonist and side characters combining in one of the most questionable/challenging decisions ever in the finale

Conveniences run rampant in this story, characters conveniently bump into each other at just the right moment to progress the plot

If I went into specifics, it would require going into spoiler territory
Something that would be unfair, as everyone deserves to play this game with as little knowledge about its plot as possible


Graphics

Graphics, atmosphere, animations, performances by the actors are all top notch.
In a way its Naughty Dog at its absolute finest.

Conclusion

TLOU2 is not as "good" as TLOU1
As a whole TLOU1 is a "better" game, it is a more complete and harmonious experience
I would also say that it is far less ambitious than TLOU2
You cannot question the courage it took to make and release a game like TLOU2, it would have been far easier to play it safe and just make TLOU1 again

TLOU2's high points hit way harder than TLOU1
TLOU2's low points never go as low as TLOU1

- Pretty art style and nice soundtrack
- Okayish puzzles involving the orbs (worlds)
- Unimaginative "boss fights"

Would recommended giving it a try on game pass or buying on a deep discount