The Last Of Us Part II Review

I have a habit of writing down some notes when I'm playing. That way I will remember, not just my final impressions but also my first. The very first thing I wrote down in my notebook about The Last Of Us Part II was this" I had almost forgotten what it feels like to play a really great game". 

Like any game nowadays, The Last of Us Part II has received its fair share of both praise and hate. Although it took home a lot of awards at The Game Awards including Game of the Year, not all are happy with how the game turned out. I'm guessing the ones who haven't even played it.

Because if you have played the game you know that it is not bad. Let's look at what The Last of Us Part II has to offer and why it deserves to be called Game of the Year.

Immersion

Many games don't value the player's time and have a huge urgency problem. You know you should be doing the main quest but hey, what do we have here? A side quest! Better do this first. TLOU Part II doesn't have that problem, there are no "side quests". Everything you do feels meaningful, deliberate and most importantly, organic. 

The flow of the game is amazing and you can totally immerse yourself for hours. You almost feel bad when you have to stop playing. Although it is fine to take a break once in a while. The game can be intense.

Gameplay and Combat

Similar to the original game but more advanced, the gameplay consists of both stealth and open combat as well as some puzzle solving. Stealth is much improved and you can hide in tall grass, crawl under cars and so on. Combat feels even more brutal and killing enemies up close is almost painful to experience. 

Scavenging is important for crafting supplies and surviving, but there are also other neat collectibles like superhero cards and artifacts to find. The way you find combinations to unlock safes is cleverly executed too. It wasn't always as straightforward as finding a note with the code jotted down and it made you feel smart (thank you, game).

Like in the first game, the infected are not your only enemy. There are also human enemies and this time, even dogs. Dogs are particularly dangerous because they can find you based on your scent, even in hiding. They're also the hardest to put down, because you know... dogs.

When it comes to the infected there are some new and dangerous ones as well. Still, a dark room full of clickers might be the most terrifying thing in the game.

Story and Characters

As a heavily story driven game, TLOU Part II wouldn't be anything without its characters. There are a few familiar characters, Ellie and Joel first and foremost, but also many new faces. The new characters you get to know are very well written and get a lot of screen time. Out of the new characters, Dinah was the best in my opinion.

The game can be pretty dark, story wise, and most of the game might feel like "misery porn" but don't worry, there are some funny and lighthearted moments too.

I guess that it is not much of a spoiler anymore and I'm not going to go into any specific details but anyway here it is SPOILER ALERT! You have been warned!

You're going to play a a big chunk of the game as Abby, a new character to the series. I guess it's from here much of the controversy of the game comes from. People have a hard time accepting that there are two sides to every story and Abby is that other side. I admit it felt weird and sometimes uneasy to play as her but ultimately this is the thing that sets the game and story apart from other games. Like I said I'm not going to go into details, it's best to play yourself.

Environment and Visuals

As you would expect from Naughty Dog, visually the game looks great. Both characters and the world looks real and alive. There is something so beautiful about nature reclaiming whole cities, houses and roads.  Similar to Uncharted: A Thief's End the game features open areas that you get to explore on your own. Exploration is hugely encouraged because you never really know what you're going to stumble upon. 

Like I said before the game can be brutal, also visually. The game doesn't glorify violence of course, but it almost tries a little too much to prove the point that violence is wrong and it should feel wrong.

Music

The instrument that is associated with TLOU is of course the acoustic guitar. It's featured not only in the soundtrack but also in the game, as a gameplay element. Joel is a guitar man and has taught Ellie to play as well. There are moments where even you, the player, gets to strum along with Ellie. I thought this was a nice appreciated touch. Apart from the songs played by Ellie and Joel the soundtrack is more subtle and atmospheric.

Verdict

The Last of Us Part II is truly a great game in may opinion. My only caveat (and it seems like I'm always saying this) is that it felt a bit too long. There were a couple of these false endings, when I thought, "okay, this is where it ends", and then it just kept going for hours and hours. I didn't expect that. 

Still, compared to many other games who prioritizes quantity over quality, The Last of Us Part II is all quality.

PS. the game has an awesome photo mode where you can take really cool in game photographs.