The Last of Us Part II

THOUGHTS

There's an inevitable sense of disappointment that comes with the type of landmark release The Last of Us Part II is. There's the let-down from finishing such an intensely hyped product; the let-down from any lingering story elements that didn't land subjectively. In this case, the biggest let-down is from the greater community of those that play video games; the torrent of abuse, infantile readings of the story and snivelling, sad, immaturity are a stark reminder that this is a young medium, plagued with people who simply do not want to - and on the evidence, cannot - handle being challenged through the text. 

With the (it should be said, mostly out of context and poorly interpreted) leaks dropping weeks before the game's release, as well as the accusations of nasty crunch culture at Naughty Dog itself, it was going to take something pretty special to draw the spectacle of the game itself out of the mire of the fireworks surrounding it. This is something special though. It's a remarkable work. It might be unsurprising for many to hear that, but the way in which Naughty Dog accomplishes the feat is unparalleled in presentation quality and sheer audacity. 

This is not a nice game. It's actively unpleasant at times and the mood of it often permeated my actual life after play sessions. It's a gruelling, lengthy meditation on empathy and forgiveness, the kind that can only be reached after plunging into the darkest reaches of the soul. It uses the medium to spectacular effect, connecting gameplay with the story in interwoven ways that essentially serve as a response to the happy-go-lucky gunplay of Nathan Drake. 

But there's simple stuff here to enjoy. The stealth and gunplay are vastly improved on the first game. This is a genuinely good stealth action game at its core, with all the joy of resource management from the first game combined with a far more reactive and tight combat engine. The story is a real hard to put down page-turner, and the character work is fantastic - some of the scenes almost achieve a cinéma vérité feel of realistic dialogue and facial expression. No small feat in a world struck by a fungal zombie outbreak.

I get why Naughty Dog and Sony had such strict embargo rules on reviews about The Last of Us Part II, but I do feel that reading the story in no way compares or even effectively tells it. You need to be holding the controller. 

This is the kind of game that we're only lucky enough to get a few times a generation. It lacks the laser focus and structure of the first Last of Us game and will fall short for some because of it. It's a more interesting game though; structurally and narratively. It's divisive, understandably so (and will continue to be), but it achieves a mood and impact that few other videogames in recent memory can claim to. In the words of Tony Soprano: "You ain't gotta love me. But you will respect me".

Plus/Minus

+ Technically masterful

+ Irreproachable voice acting performances

+ Atmospheric, well-realised world with unique factions

+ Daring narrative structure

+ Excellent stealth-action gameplay

- Pacing can be wonky

- Last few hours are a little indulgent and oddly implemented 

Overall

9.5/10

Technical Stuff: Copy purchased by me. One full playthrough and some fiddling. Approximately 35 hours played.