Violence in games tends to be easier to justify than violence in films. If the protagonist of a summer blockbuster set in the post-apocalypse murdered thirty men in cold blood only to hesitate to take out a single character a room over, we would all collectively roll our eyes. Still, when Nathan Drake does it, we’re forced to contend with the puckish rogue being a mass murder between cut scenes. If not, gameplay could get pretty dull.
Drake’s psychopath syndrome is something Naughty Dog set out to cure when they made the original The Last of Us. By setting things in a world where monsters, literal and figurative, surrounded people, they would do what they had to to survive. Joel and Ellie were killers, yes, but everyone was a threat, and even if it was still there in some form, the disconnect from killing machine to hero that took place between cut scenes and gameplay felt smaller. The Sequel tries to double down on that idea. For the most part, it works. There is still the occasional moment where I felt the Developers were grabbing my head and yelling, “FEEL SOMETHING.”
Despite all that, I still did feel something. A game seven years in the making has garnered a ton of hate from angry fans. People that sense they were cheated, but I think that sort of guttural reaction tells you that Naughty Dog succeeded in a lot of ways. They felt something, The Last of Us Part II is an unconventional sequel. It does things you don’t except, and at times those things feel like they’re being played for shock value, but for the most part, if you’re willing to let it take you on the ride, it has planned you’re in for something unique.
The Last of Us Part II (PS4)
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
Released: June 19, 2020
MSRP: $59.99
Except for a few flashbacks, The Last of Us II is set about five years after the events of the original game. Ellie and Joel have settled in Jackson, and have built lives for themselves. Going on patrols to keep their community safe from the threat of infected and hunters alike. Though they’ve now found time in their more settled living situation to form deeper relationships with the residents of Jackson,
Females take the lead in The Last of Us II; it is, after all, a game about women. Women in roles that films and games tend to reserve for men. Ellie is far more capable than plenty of the men in this world, and she’s far from the only one. An LGBTQ romance takes place between the game’s core characters and is handled the way I wish more media would. It isn’t pointed at as some strange abnormality. It merely is, and the story doesn’t try to pat itself on the back for being inclusive.
From a gameplay perspective, things remain mostly the same as the original game. You pick up and upgrade an arsenal of weapons from pistols to hunting rifles and make use of objects like pipes or crowbars to bolster your melee attacks. Stealth is key to survival whether you’re squaring off against infected or other humans. In most sections, you can sneak right past extensive enemy patrols if you don’t wish to engage, but the completionist in me demanded I search every building and take down anything in my path.
Crafting and skill trees are slightly expanded though never feel overwhelming. You can pick up pills in the world that you’ll use to upgrade abilities like health or how far you can see enemy silhouettes when using your listen ability. You can also find scrap to upgrade weapons or items like rags and alcohol to craft health kits and certain types of ammunition or explosives. I found the combat to be far more engaging than I remembered the original game being. Shooting is messy and doesn’t feel particularly good, but when shit hits the fan, the messy combat feels appropriate for the type of story Naughty Dog is trying to tell. Melee dodges feel far better than the first game, which makes smashing some infected with a machete feel like a more viable option if things go south. And shooting from your back after an enemy charges and knocks you down feels satisfying. You might walk away with less ammo than you had hoped, but even encounters that go off without much a hitch can feel like a satisfying struggle, especially on harder difficulties.
Visually The Last of Us II is the best the PS4 has to offer. Character faces have surpassed any sense of uncanny valley. You might find some horrid looking stuff if you go poking in every nook and cranny, but the main cast and environments are made with beautiful detail, It’s a game worth playing in 4K if you have the means.
The story is a tougher thing to discuss. I promised myself I’d remain spoiler-free, but there’s one thing that’s hard to avoid if you want to talk about what works and doesn’t work here. Still here? Good! Most people probably know by now, but Ellie isn’t the only playable character. You also play as Abby, the daughter of the Firefly surgeon, set to perform Ellie’s surgery at the end of the original game. Telling Abby’s story is where the game takes some of its boldest choices. Fans of this franchise have a lot of love for Ellie and Joel. Abby does not. She’s hell-bent on getting revenge for her father getting caught in Joel’s crosshairs years ago. Whether you like Abby or not ( I think her character shines as the game progresses), you have to admit it’s bold to make one of your protagonists in direct opposition to the heroes returning fans are already familiar with.
I ended up loving the tale The Last of Us II opted to tell. At times it’s predictable, and some moments even feel tough to stomach, but I found myself unable to put it down, and while it leads into a somewhat ambiguous ending just like the game that came before it, it’s a beautiful ride. The biggest issue is pacing and how Naughty Dog chose to tell Ellie and Abby’s separate stories. Rather than swapping between each character after each section as the opening of the game suggests, You play through Ellie’s journey right to the dramatic climax and then swap back to Abby three days earlier. The result makes each section feel like a separate game, and some of that adrenaline wears off as you now play another thirteen hours as Abby waiting to see how things shake out. This choice also lowers the stakes when you know how the story ends for a lot of the surrounding cast.
Even when the story is messy, it’s carried by phenomenal character moments. Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey give stunning performances as Ellie and Abby respectfully, and if you don’t tear up just a little bit when she strums Joel’s guitar, then you might not be human.
This tale of revenge can feel at times like it’s making exhausting efforts to drive the point home. It’s because of all this that the smaller character moments outshine the main narrative. Things could’ve benefited from less doom and gloom and more time spent With Ellie and Dina exploring the chilling ruins of downtown Seattle.
Verdict: The Last of Us II isn’t without fault. Revenge tales can seem tiresome at points, but stunning character work makes every moment feel impactful and earned. The gameplay is a noticeable improvement of the original, and love or hate Abby; this is one that you would be foolish to skip.
Buy it