the last of us part ii is brutally beautiful, violently messy, and viscerally human. i love every aspect of this video game and it has been my #1 favorite since i originally played it about a year and a half ago. this game hits all the right notes for me in themes, gameplay, story, presentation, and so much more. it’s hard for me to put into words the impact that this game had on me then, and still has on me today on a second playthrough. but i’d like to try!

i gotta warn you though, this is an incredibly verbose, exhaustive write-up here so buckle in for an unrestrained yap session !!

—————
visual & technical marvel + gameplay
—————-

to start, the game is absolutely stunning. i think the original on ps4 is tied with red dead redemption 2 for having the most jaw-dropping naturalistic environmental & character art + animation in any game ever, and the remaster is somehow that much slightly better. the crumbling seattle cityscapes being reclaimed by the earth glisten from the rain and it makes you feel the humidity. the dense, cluttered interiors are so lovingly and thoughtfully crafted in ways that make sense while still serving gameplay well. the windswept fields soaked in gold outside jackson in the prologue and farm chapters leave me awestruck. and the dry, overgrown santa barbara suburbs evoke heat and ocean spray.

the little details are one of the biggest strengths of this game. there is an apartment adorned with a d&d game left underway, with a miniature painting station just in the other room. there is a book store stacked with books never to be read, thats connected to a cafe with its own personal atmosphere. there are several unique and distinct bars, coffee shops, gyms, hospital rooms, even a martial art studio, and more that all have iconography and interiors that are all one of a kind or if they share assets, its in a smart and cohesive way. i just love it.

the player character locomotion is so dynamic and satisfying, whether youre crouched down to open a cabinet and grab supplies, or throwing yourself prone before reloading your rifle to pop an enemy’s head, the performance capture and fluidity is excellent. this extends to the cinematics as well with fantastic facial animation and beautiful cinematography. some of the best game acting and cinematics you will ever see.

one aspect of the presentation that i feel like ties it all together is the sound. absolutely fantastic foley, wether its slimey sewers or wet concrete, its all captured so well and is incredibly immersive. the screams of enemies, the slashes of knives and thuds from a solid punch are so well executed. every single gun has satisfying and unique sound effects that make every shot and every reload feel important. and the little clicky sound that shows up when you are able to craft a new item is the perfect kind of little reward that feels great. in environments where you will go long stretches before finding enough ammo or materials to make it through another encounter, it is very vital to make it feel important, and sound is a greatly utilized tool for that.

thats all without getting to the music either. the wonderful gentle guitar and banjo of gustavo santaolalla are the absolutely perfect backdrop to this world being reclaimed by earth. i am a sucker for post-apocalyptic settings and stories, as well as finger-picked acoustic guitar. they just so happen to be the perfect combination as i adore pretty much every track here. it feels grounded and authentic, as something that could still be made without access to all the music tools we have now. which you can in fact do in game! the interactive guitar playing is so unique and well-implemented i cant imagine another game doing it better, and the narrative ties it creates is incredible. the final playable moment in the game ties to the guitar playing and to me is one of the most poignant experiences ive had in a game and proves how the interactivity of this medium is what makes it so powerful.

speaking of, moving to the gameplay, i have hard time thinking of another game that has combat that feels as intense, in your face, and scrappy as this. i love the way you are forced to plan your encounters carefully and use stealth to knock out who you can before running head first into the remaining enemies using your limited resources. as someone who normally doesnt like stealth games, the mix of stealth and the options to rush down enemies works super well and i enjoy it a lot! the melee system is super satisfying with excellent animations, and the added dodge and prone mechanics makes it feel even more tense. i love the different guns and the way they handle, and the variety of melee weapons is also a lot of fun.

having to scrounge every arena for additional ammo, ingredients, and weapons is such an addicting loop. the enemey AI in this game is next-level. they search for you, fan out, can pull you out from under trucks, they feel real and terrifying in a way i have never seen a game do before. another genuinely crazy feature that i love is enemies shouting out names of fallen allies. it makes it all feel incredibly personal, and the screams of a guy who you now know is named andrew piercing the building as he bleeds out and his allies mourn him is really something no other game can offer. the dismemberment and destruction systems are really well done and add a lot. this, alongside the dynamic dialogue from enemies calling out your position, them flanking you, and the different techniques that different factions you come up against employ make every encounter blood pumping and exciting.

the player and weapon upgrades are also all handled very well. deciding which upgrade paths are important to you helps you craft a mini build and focus on the aspects of combat and stealth you enjoy most. i also have to say, one of the BEST things in this game are the weapon upgrade animations. i know they arent 100% realistic but ill be damned if this wasn’t the only kind of ASMR that works on me. seeing them file down a grip, unscrew components, or loosen a drawn bowstring are all so unbelievably satisfying and really help to sell the upgrade you are about to receive. another small but impactful aspect of this game that i adore.

as far as the “remaster” features and contents go, for $10 its really great. the texture and performance enhancements are honestly negligible, but im sure some techies out there are real happy with the boost. i also love the dual-sense implementation here. you can feel the rain pitter pattering, the different trigger resistance on different guns an the feeing of holding a drawn bow is awesome. i also turned on the feature where the dialogue has a slight rumble as well and it is incredibly immersive.

the lost levels were a really great insight into the way the game was put together, and finally getting to see the jackson festivals and boar hunt sequences is a real treat. they add a lot to the experience for me and the commentary was excellent! the guitar free play mode also is a lot of fun, messing around with the banjo and electric guitar is really cool, and getting to see the composer himself in this mode is super special!

maybe the biggest draw of this upgrade though is the no return mode, a randomized roguelike game that is a blast to run through. i really enjoyed this mode because being able to focus on the combat really helps me appreciate the excellently crafted arenas and super fun AI when im itching for a fix. i would often during the course of the story pop out and do a new run of no return just to get another fun burst of combat. it comes with tons of variety in the arenas, mods on yourself and enemies, different objectives, and also playable characters. there are a lot of fun challenges do work towards, and the skins and new characters are all really fun to experiment with. i would swap outfits all the time for ellie and abby throughout the main story, it definitely adds to the experience for me!

so yeah, well worth the upgrade for me. i also went for the platinum trophy this time around! fully upgrading every gun and skill tree on NG+ was very satisfying and hunting for the collectibles i missed the first time around was a lot of fun too.

————
storytalk time, spoilers ahead!!
————

i think thats most of the praise i can give just the technical and mechanical side of the game, i havent even touched on the narrative, which is arguably the most important part of the whole package! getting into the story of the last of us part ii can feel a little overwhelming. with all of the gnarly multi-layered characters and story beats, it is definitely daunting to start to dissect it all. this world and these characters mean so much to me, and every part of the bright, the dark, and the in-between have something meaningful to say in my eyes.

i think the story in this game is truly great. it is written and paced very well in my opinion, and while i understand a lot of folks have a lot of gripes, id like to explain why it resonates with me and why i think it works so well

to begin with, our two leads abby and ellie are some of the best written, well-rounded characters i think in any game ever. we get to see their confidence or lack thereof, the way their romantic feelings and relationships are developed and subsequently harmed by their obsession and pursuit of justice. we also get to see their quiet moments reflecting, and the deepest parts of who they are surface over the course of the story.

ellie is a character i see a lot of myself in. she is a bit of a comic book and trading card geek who likes old action movies, she’s nervous to talk to the girl she likes, and she has a really strong bond with those she cares for. even if sometimes those relationships can be strained by miscommunication or mistake. in a game that i view as having a heavy theme of empathy and specifically forgiveness, it hits really close to home to have someone i can see so much of myself in. obviously ive never seen loved ones killed or gone on a murder spree, but her strong personality, trauma, and complex strong bonds are something that i and i think a lot of people can empathize with.

the journey ellie goes on in this game is truly unlike any other, she starts out with this righteous rage but loses herself to obsession. she comes as low and arguably lower than the one that put her on this path, and it can be hard to see happen as she neglects and mistreats the ones that care for her and have her back. once it seems she’s on the brink of letting go, that PTSD and anger come crashing back into her peaceful life and it all barrels towards a soul-crushing and painful end. the way that this all develops and culminates is so well realized and even if you dont agree with her actions its all painfully understandable.

abby on the other hand, acts as the inverse of ellie’s arc. instead of descending deeper into pain and obsession, we see her rising out of the obsession, systems, and mental blocks that have been holding her down. she is just as dynamic and interesting to see develop. in all honesty, seeing ellie lose her humanity while abby gains it back makes abby a lot more likable, and you feel distant and hurt with ellie by the end. i love how abby is absolutely ripped, as she spent years training in order to enact her revenge. it says a lot about her as a character that she is so committed. i also love that we see what could easily be a stock “bad-ass” female character have huge emotional range, we see her scared, full of rage, and absolutely wrecked. such a fantastic character.

——————
a big and unnecessary breakdown of the games events:
——————

i love the prologue with joel taking with tommy. seeing their brotherly relationship is so nice to see, and the brief ride back to jackson as joel is a nice touch since you wont get control of him again for the rest of the story. meeting up with ellie to follow up on his promise to teacher her guitar is great, and it sets the tone right away. hearing him play future days here is a great setup for a bookending as you’ll find by the end. the opening sequence in jackson is also a good way to gently ease you into the story and introduce new characters before shit hits the fan and the story really gets moving.

the inciting incident if you will, is an incredibly powerful, stomach turning scene that fills you with all the dread and hatred you need to rocket off to seattle and serve justice

seattle day 1 begins slowly as to let you take in all that just happened. its filled with a fantastic open explorable section. i absolutely love how much you get to see of ellie’s relationship with dina here. dina is a loving and caring partner that will wants to help and remain by ellie’s side. they have such great chemistry and the open section in downtown seattle is one of my favorite because of its open design, but also because you get to spend it learning more about their history and hear their fun banter together. i loved using the fold-out map rather than a minimap to mark interesting spots and scour the area. i’ll take in universe stuff like that rather than UI any day. if last of us 3 ever gets made, i dont want it open world, but i would love to see more areas like this where you have an objective but can explore a lot more. having different connected open zones would be a lot of fun. in the making of documentary they mention being inspired by bloodborne. i would LOVE to see some interconnected levels like that. also, the rope physics are also BONKERS so much fun to use! i also love the visuals here, its absolutely breathtaking.

eastbrook elementary is a great set piece and a fun combat encounter, it starts ratcheting up the tension really fast. capitol hill is another fun encounter, and channel 13 is a personal favorite setting. discovering the gruesome scene and finding another clue before having to battle your way out against the WLF is really fun. the cadence they set of big encounters and set pieces interspersed with slower exploration and resource gathering feels great. the escape through the tunnels is super claustrophobic and terrifying, and the red lighting from the flares is super atmospheric. ending at the theater feels like a great release from tension. dina and ellie both share big secrets too. dina learns of ellie’s immunity, and dina shares she is pregnant and not feeling so hot. we start to immediately see ellie’s distancing from dina here and it is a little tough. they both need some time to cool off.

we’re then treated to the first flashback sequence, which i absolutely adore. it gives us that glimpse of what we miss between joel and ellie, but it ends on a stinger where you have a feeling their good relationship wont last forever. the small pokemon reference joel makes here put a big smile on my face.

on to day 2, hillcrest is an all timer great level for me. the level design and enemy placement is excellent, i love running through this sequence. its also a level where i feel i can smell the humid rotting homes and feel the damp grass, its just a very immersive environment. then meeting up with jesse and racing back to the theater in the truck is just a rush of adrenaline. jesse as a character is a great addition who feels like the most reliable and gentle guy you could ever find. the art book i have describes him as a classic rugged dependable cowboy, and i honestly think thats really apt.

the next flashback here is great, i love ellies interactions with tommy and getting to do a full combat with joel is really fun! but that nagging feeling of the withheld truth taints the whole thing, and they do start to argue about it. then we arrive at another one of my favorite sequences in the game, meeting the seraphites for the first time. the moon-soaked park with huge wet leaves fickering with nearby fire is such a crazy strong atmosphere, and seeing their cult shenanigans from a distance before getting struck with an arrow and hearing their freaky ass scary whistling is an incredible moment.

once you make it through a very fun and tense encounter, you then make your way through a comic convention building starring the SCARIEST freaks ever, the stalkers. not being able to use listen mode on them is so spooky😭. after crashing into and crawling out of the sewers, you make it to the hospital where you then chase down and corner one of abby’s friends nora to get abby’s location. making the player hit square to beat information out of her is a really powerful narrative moment that hilights how far ellie really is willing to go.

seeing ellie’s reaction to the day she had and the torture she just committed is something that helps us stay with her and reminds us she DOES in fact have a conscience. we are then treated to the last joel and ellie flashback for a while, where she finds out the truth of what happened in salt lake. their relationship is over. also shoutout to the grey depression hoodie, great outfit choice.

day 3 you leave with jesse to go find tommy, but ellie is still on the hunt and wants to go to the aquarium for abby instead. jesse is understandably upset and leaves to find tommy, even further hilighting ellie’s selfishness and how her obsession drives her away from those who care about her. the boat sequence is a ton of fun with some great exploration and combat encounters. the arcade bloater fight is definitely a hilight. when you finally get to the aquarium and break in, ellie tries to mimick joel’s interrogation tactics in a heartbreakingly amateur way, and when it goes wrong you are forced to kill a dog, a pregant woman, and abby’s best friend. the sound design here calling back to the lodge in jackson is incredibly effective and again just makes you feel so much dread and guilt. ellie is even more shaken and its a relief that tommy and jesse were close behind and able to take her back to the theater.

i absolutely loved ellie’s campaign. each day is filled with something unexpected and new, both in setting and gameplay. and seeing her fall deeper and deeper into obsession and hatred is very harrowing to witness and enact.

relief doesnt last long though. after finally deciding they will leave abby behind to go back for dina’s health, they are halted as abby breaks in, attacks, and you know it’s time for a confrontation.

only that doesnt happen.

you are treated to a flashback as abby, where we finally learn her motivation, her father is the scientist the player killed as joel in the first game. the cut between abby sobbing holding her dead father to then putting us in her shoes at the foot of ellie’s dead father is an incredibly powerful moment. we then proceed to play through all 3 days again, but from abby’s perspective. seeing the text of seattle day 1 slowly fade in is such a crazy feeling, and seeing upgrade paths and new guns to upgrade really lets you know you are getting ready for the second half of this ride.

introduced as the killer as our beloved hero, it was probably the ballsiest move possible to put us in her shoes and get us to empathize with her. i understand some people will never get on board with this concept, but for me this is wildly effective, and seeing how joel and ellie’s actions eventually come around makes so much sense and leads to a fantastic story.
some people complain about the pacing, and while it does feel like it comes to a small reset at the halfway point, honestly as far as it comes to combat difficulty + complexity, and the development of themes in the story, it carries right along the natural progression. so while not traditional at all, i think it works really well for me. they also fastrack parts and supplements you collect as abby so you can feel up to speed quicker.

abby’s seattle day 1 starts in the WLF stadium. i absolutely love this setting, such a unique concept to turn a stadium into a farm and huge living complex. but it absolutely works! seeing where such a huge military presence can come from is really interesting and adds some great world building.

the supporting cast for abby is also excellent. owen and mel are childhood friends that add an important way to ground abby and they try their best to talk her down and help her out. i also really enjoy manny, he is funny and a great help.

a mission heading to another base goes wrong, and abby has to make it back on foot with two of her companions. you also meet the big boss isaac who you’ve been reading so much about and learn the WLF are planning on attacking the cult guys in a few days.

getting to talk to and spend time with the people (and dogs) that you have already murdered as ellie is an insane experience, it makes you sit there and really consider all the actions you have taken so far. we are also treated to abby’s flashbacks, where we can see her fun relationship with owen. however, similar to ellie, there is something driving them apart, only this time it is her obsession with finding joel. i find this to be an interesting mirror to ellie and dina’s relationship. ellie goes through all the same beats that abby did in the leadup to her super murder moment.

eventually abby is kidnapped, and we are treated to an absolutely brutal cutscene introducing lev and yara, two young on the run seraphite siblings. i love the rainey forest and the burning car, it creates an intense and terrifying atmosphere that i love. this is followed by an absolutely exhilarating combat and escape sequence with the infected. oh yeah have i mentioned this is a zombie game? the zombies are really scary dude. in this game though they serve as part of the backdrop and mythology, and serve the themes very well for this ruthless world.

yara is a great character, her love for her family and struggle with her faith is another aspect that hits close to home. for me though the obvious hilight in abby’s crew is lev. such a funny, sweet, and strong individual. i am not trans myself but i have a few trans people i am close to, and am someone who has personal experience with gender strangeness, so having a trans person included in the story where their identity is an important factor of the story, but does not define them, is a really important thing to me. the queer characters and storylines in this game in general are handled really well.

abby doesnt want to help them too much though because their two teams are not cool with each other. after a horrible nightmare though, abby decides to start going against her programming and help the two stranded kids.

day 2 we go and collect them before mel diagnoses poor yara’s arm with “its gotta go” syndrome and sending us off to find medical supplies. this segment with lev is one of the best in the game, crossing the skybridge and confronting abby’s fear if heights is a fantastic set piece. i love seeing the different ways the seraphites live within the city. lev even passing on some teachings from the religion thats abandoned him is a really strong moment that is a very realistic part of deconstruction. we also start to learn more about lev’s story as we confront some seraphites, and getting to murder some culty assholes who deadname him is a very cathartic experience. making your way down through the hotel is such a fun sequence too, as you have to navigate crazy falling apart rooms and and confront loads of nasty infected freaks. the level design and verticality here are a real standout to me.

this keeps ramping up as you explore the ground zero of the city in the base of the hospital. this is peak survival horror gameplay and environment storytelling. one of few real boss fights takes place here, and it is with the RAT KING. i absolutely love this fight, as you scramble around the arena picking up ammo and craftables as you desperately try to not get mowed over by this behemoth of a beast. i love just unloading every gun and bomb you have until eventually its over. such a terrifying concept to have bodies meld together over decades but it makes so much sense and makes for a fantastic fight.

on day 3, after yara’s surgery, you head out because lev is going back to cult island to try and convince their mom to leave with owen and abby and get out of seattle. this is a move that filled me with a lot of heartache because you can pretty much guess how well something like that would go for poor lev after already getting kicked out. on your way to pick out a boat, you meet up with manny again and you do the super fun sniper sequence and it really is a shock to see it was tommy on the other end! afterwards you are able to make it to the island but it seems the WLF attack is already underway. seeing more of the seraphite village as you sneak through is another great world building moment, getting insight on their different way of life is fascinating. it’s devastating to find a broken and sobbing lev having accidentally killed their mom in a scuffle. not being able to fully make up with a parent is the same trauma that ellie has to endure, and my heart breaks for them both.

on your way to escaping the island, abby is forced to choose between her own people, and the ones that have stuck with her. she makes her choice, and hearing the incredibly powerful line of “youre my people” in response to lev’s shock at her betrayal to her own people is one of the most emotional moments in the game for me. seeing the WLF and seraphite war fully unfold around you as the island goes up in flames is visually stunning and the horseback ride through the village and fields all ending in a knockdown dragout fight with this humungous seraphite is a fantastic end to this segment. when i first experienced this part, I was absolutely devastated when abby had to leave her backpack behind with all her upgrades and materials!! but that made me realize we were on our way to the aquarium to have the horror of walking in on such a gruesome scene push us all the way to the theater where we finally get to see the confrontation play out.

i wasnt sure what could possibly come next back at the theater, but they do the coolest and most wild choice they could, which is dueling ellie AS abby. being at the mercy of ellie’s familiar arsenal of traps, dodges, and shit talking is an unreal experience, and one that i think is fantastic. gaining the upper hand as abby is satisfying but also terrifying, because you dont want to hurt ellie! but if abby’s section of the game has won you over at all, honestly maybe you do. at this point i just wanted both girls to let it go. abby rocks her shit, and is about to kill dina before lev steps in. seeing abby have the strength to spare them both is something that i did not expect. ellie just killed mel, so telling abby dina is pregnant rings so hollow. leaving them both bleeding out on the floor she says she better not see them again. truthfully, i fully believe abby is done with it all here. obviously she is full of rage and grief, but after realizing killing joel brought her no kind of relief, she really does know theres nothing more in it to gain.

————
ending
————

alright, if you’re still here with me, we are entering into what i think is the most impactful section of the game. we cut to maybe a year later, and dina and ellie are living an idyllic life on a beautiful farm outside of jackson, with dina’s baby having been born! the view from the tractor out onto the sunset is one that i think will stay with me forever. we also see a flashback to dina and ellie’s first kiss, the night before it all went down. i love the jackson atmosphere, and the music and lights are so fun and lively. we also see though ellie yelling at joel for coming to her defense after a jerk yells a slur at her. she still doesnt want his help. but this possibly being their last ever interaction is so tough to think about.

this glimpse into their wonderful life fills me with so much joy, but also heartache, because it too cant last forever.

its absolutely heartbreaking to see tommy come limping to the farm, saying he heard of where abby is now and begging ellie to finish the job, as she’s the only one that can. i absolutely adore tommy. his story is just as tragic and id say he lost just as much as ellie.

and she has to do it. its another moment where as a player holding the controller you beg ellie to stay, just as dina does. but she is haunted by the death if joel and knowing abby is still out there keeps here from coming close to peace. ellie leaving in the night is absolutely heartbreaking and i feel the raw heavy emotions that dina pours out begging her to stay. they have a family and a good life, and she pleads that she cant let abby be more important than that. but ellie’s made her choice and leaves dina alone crying in yhe kitchen. its just another moment that affected me so deeply.

the santa barbara portion of the game is a great final encapsulation of everything the game has been giving to the players throughout the whole runtime. a beautiful environment filled with interesting history and factions that we are just now stumbling into. the environment here is beautiful and a really nice change of scenery from all the blues and greens weve gotten so much of up until now. the small playable section as abby shows again how much brighter and hopeful her side of the story is as she and lev pick up a clue and are planning to meet up with the fireflies. on their way though they are ambushed by a new faction, the rattlers. they are bunch of nasty shit heads that chain up living and dead alike. we see more of them as ellie arrives in santa barbara looking for clues on abbys whereabouts. she gets trapped and heavily wounded but is able to outsmart the rattlers that found her and is directed towards their base.

raiding their compound and seeing the chained up clickers is inhumane and terrifying, and it leads to some really dynamic and exciting encounters where you can sneak around and unchain them and use the clickers against them. it feels great to do as while the clickers dont have their humanity left, giving them a chance to get back at their captors is a great mini arc for them. finally you let the prisoners go and learn abby is down at whats called the pillars, essentially sent there and left to die.

ellie struggles to even walk down to the beach, where she finds and emaciated and tortured abby. this is such a sad and terrifying moment, and the visual design of this area really freaks me out. in shock, she lets her down and abby immediately goes to free lev before waving ellie further down the beach where there are boats they can use to escape. ellie trails behind abby, hand on her side until they make it to the waves. and then joel’s bloodied smashed head flash in her mind and ellie cant stop herself. she says abby has to fight her and threatens lev’s life if she doesnt.

what proceeds is the most grueling, agonizing duel i think ive ever witnessed. abby could easily take on ellie as she has in the past, but because of her months of imprisonment and ellie’s large wound in her side, its honestly just a painful, brutal and slow duel. both girls are kicking and screaming, and breathing hard as they try and land a slice or a punch on the other, each faltering more with the effort it takes to make a single blow. as an interactive experience, you really want to put the controller down. this fight doesnt need to happen. and if you do abby wins! but thats a fail state. you have to keep getting back up. the two girls fight and scrap until abbys arm is cut up and bleeding to hell, and abby ripped off two of ellies fingers with her teeth and cast her knife away into the ocean. eventually ellie has abby pinned down with her face under the water. she holds her there, stepping on her flailing legs and it really feels like this is it.

and then we see a flash of joel on the porch. ellie’s rage and anger fade to nothing as she lets go and abby comes gasping up for air. she launches the boat with lev after ellie delivers the absolutely crushing line of “just take him”. in my eyes, this line is less about lev and more joel. ellie is giving her either permission or forgiveness, whatever she can find in her cold broken heart to say that joel was already gone. and killing abby could never bring that back. the shot of ellie cross legged on the beach, completely alone is one of the most harrowing visuals i have ever witnessed and is another point that i think will stick with me forever. the song that plays at the beginning of the credits is called “beyond desolation” and i cant think of a better descriptor for what you are left with here.

before the credits though, we follow ellie back to the farm house where it is completely empty with all of ellie’s art and belongings being shoved into one room. dina followed through on her promise to leave because she couldn’t be a part of ellie’s obsession any more. she picks up the guitar and in maybe the most impactful and tragic moment of the entire game, you try and play future days, to call back memories of joel. only because of the fingers she lost in the fight with abby, she cant hold the chords and it sounds thin, incomplete, and broken. what an unbelievably effective moment. it ties back to what i was saying in that, because of interactive moments like this i feel like video games have a certain power that no other type of media can hold.

the final flashback we see gives the full context to the night before in jackson. joel is playing guitar on the porch and ellie approaches. she grills him about giving jesse a hard time and coming to her defense at the dance when she didnt need it. then ellie gets to the core of their divide.

“i should have died in that hospital. my life would have fucking. mattered.”

“if somehow the lord gave me another chance at that moment, i would do it, all over again.”

“i dont think i can ever forgive you for that.
but i’d like to try…”

“i’d like that”

“okay”

no embrace, no i love you. just a promise to attempt reconciliation. and that was the last they saw of each other. it gives everything she just went through even more weight behind it. her seeing a glimpse of this memory and letting abby go i think speaks to the strong themes of forgiveness in the story. she cant forgive joel, that was taken from her. but she can forgive abby. that means something completely different but its worth a try.

as we return to ellie and the guitar, you see the strong reflection, regret, but eventual acceptance on her face. she props the guitar up and leaves the farm.

—————
conclusion
—————

when i originally finished the story, i sat with it for about a week, just stewing and contemplating on every single thing that i had experienced and what it all meant. this time ive been doing the same for already several days. i cant think of another piece of media that sits with me the same as this. coming around a second time also has helped me i think have a fuller grasp on things, since i knew all the beats i could spend longer looking at foreshadowing and subtext and it is just a very rich and cohesive package.

there are many things that that this game touches on. religious trauma, martyrdom, and identity are all here. obsession, power, rage, and justice. grief, loss, pain, and emptiness. there is war, violence, and suffering. and there is of course the powerful commentary and reflection on the cycle of violence and how destructive it can be, and the great power needed to end it. the darkest parts of humanity bear themselves out in this game.

but we also see all the goodness there is in the world. care, passion, and hope. parenthood, family, and friendship. community, hard work, and perseverance. there are so many moments where we see people working together and putting others first. we also see love in many of its forms: romantic love, familial love, platonic love, and love for nature and the world. the lowest of lows is interspersed with the brightest spots that we as humans are capable of.

this game presents of such a wide and deep exploration of the full spectrum of humanity and it is such an astonishing achievement.

but as ive said before, i think what i take away as the main theme of the game is forgiveness. forgiving ourselves, forgiving others, and finding empathy within yourself where you might not even want to. as abby, we are searching for the forgiveness of our close friends. as ellie, you are devastated to have lost the chance to forgive joel, but maybe forgiving abby might bring some sense of closure. and as a player, do we forgive abby? do we forgive ellie? are we sided with dina in a way where it feels like she went past the point of no return? or is there a small part of ellie that can come back and rebuild a relationship and those good parts of herself.

this game leaves me with so many questions and so much to consider. i know for a fact that i will continue to reflect on the experience this game has given me, and i know when i come back to it in the future it will probably have new questions and answers that arise.

what a devastating, beautiful, soul-crushing, thought provoking experience. thats also super satisfying and fun to play!

thank you for reading this all the way if you have!
and thank you naughty dog for all of your long years of hard work. i cant wait to see what you make next!!

-jakey