Was it worth the wait?
In 2013, Popular game developer Naughty Dog released a game that changed the way we view games completely with the well renowned game ‘The Last of Us’. Through its story we were introduced to the characters of Joel and Ellie (Played by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson respectively), as they made their way across an infectious America.
It’s safe to say that for many, the game has a close place in our hearts and we are very attached to these characters. So to find out they were doing a sequel, everyone was nervous. Would it be as good? Would it be better? Last Friday we found out as ‘The Last of Us Part II’ was released.
This is my spoiler free review.
Before we go ahead, I have to stress, although this review will be as spoiler free as possible, if you wish to know absolutely nothing about the game, then turn away now, play the game and then come back.
Still here? Cool!
Let's get into it!
The Game Picks up 4 years after the end of the first game, Joel and Ellie are now living in the town of Jackson, and they have grown apart for reasons unknown to the player. In the game we play as Ellie, now 19 years old and much more mature than when we last saw her. After a devastation rocks Ellie’s world, she sets out on a mission filled with Revenge and Hate. This vengeance takes Ellie to Seattle, where it showcases to the player how vengeance and violence can be just as devastating as the infected in this world. Where the first game was about Love and building the relationship between these two characters, this game is the opposite. This game is about revenge and the lengths we would go to get justice.
To get into more of the story would be too spoilery for this review, what i will say is for me, Naughty Dog once again knocks it out of the park with this story. Whilst some decisions will be seen as divisive for years to come, the choices throughout the game seem justified for Ellie, however that wont stop you from questioning how far she is willing to go to exact revenge, even at points questioning this character we have loved for years. Yet throughout all of this we still emphasise for Ellie and what she is going through, and that's why this game is so great, because you truly don't know what to expect.
As for Joel, everything about him in this game I truly loved. His love for Ellie is as strong as ever and it's nice to see how far he has come in terms of his development since the first game. He will truly do anything to keep Ellie safe and happy and to see this compared to how he starts in Part 1 is so nice to see. Naughty Dog are not afraid to present a story that can be seen as both challenging and devastating and yet they still sprinkle the story with pieces of genuine humanity that reminds us why we fell in love with this story and these characters in the first place.
When it comes to the performances in this game, a special mention has to go too Ashley Johnson. She absolutely dominates this game as Ellie, bringing back the characteristics we loved about Ellie in Part 1 whilst also bringing a new sense of maturity and also vengeance to the character. I have never seen a performance like it in any medium, having her portray devastation and heartbreak one moment to then completely switching into hate and vengeance is spine chilling.
Another shoutout is Troy Baker once again portraying Joel. Troy once again plays with a sense of grief for his daughter whilst trying to rebuild his own life with Ellie, he can be heartbreaking and yet uplifting in the same scene, and the moments that he and Ashley have together are a welcome breather in this heavy game. There is no-one ‘Bad’ in this cast, everyone pulls out a performance of a lifetime, but for me Ashely Johnson and Troy Baker are standouts bringing heart and honesty to the roles, as well as Laura Bailey as new character Abby. Abby is portrayed as a complex character whose choices are divisive and even shocking at points, but that's all I will say about her for now.
In terms of game design, it’s safe to say Naughty Dog always aims to go above and beyond to make the game as realistic as possible, letting us be able to explore as much as we can, this game is no exception. The amount of detail that has gone into this is outstanding and this is easily Naughty Dog’s most ambitious game to date. I spent hours exploring the different buildings and landscapes that the game has to offer, even to points I spent more time exploring than I did playing the main story. From letting us explore the smaller town of Jackson to then exploring the complete devastation of Seattle, in which you need to go on horseback to get around, the scope that they have achieved in this game truly sets a high bar for future games, not just for Naughty Dog, but for games in general to beat. Alongside this, the motion capture they have used for this game is unparalleled to anything i have seen before, the transition between gameplay and cinematic is effortless. There were points where i had no idea if i was watching an in game cinematic cutscene or if it was part of the gameplay it was that seamless. It really is stunning.
Part II has some of the most Blunt and Brutal violence i have seen in a game before, no matter if you choose to stealth your way through or go in guns blazing, you will be shocked at how Ellie does every kill with precision and hate. The violence completely fits with the darker tone of the game, yet it can make it hard to play and harder to watch, but that's why it works, as it fits perfectly within this world. Major enemies in this game include the Washington Liberation Front and a Group known as the ‘Scars’. Each group conducts themselves in different ways. Yet one thing they have in common is all NPC’s now have names and even personalities, so as you stealth your way through this world taking them out, you hear their friends and comrades cry out in pain and grief for the loss of their friend. As a player you start to almost feel bad at the horror you're inflicting and I questioned whether I could go through anymore, yet it doesn't stop Ellie, if anything it fuels the character and that's truly shocking to see the lengths she’s willing to go to see justice.
The infected also take a step up from Part 1. In this game you still have the same types of infected from the previous game such as clickers & runners, however the game also adds new types, such as the Shamblers. Shamblers throw Spore Bombs that affect the characters health and ability whilst they are in the spores, this makes them very hard to defeat and quite frightening. There are also the stalkers. They are perhaps some of the most frightening creatures in the game, as soon as one attacks you know more are on the way, they are even invisible to Ellie’s Listening mode which make them impossible to spot, so watch out for that!
When it comes to some of the choices the game makes, especially with its ending, the game is going to be seen as quite decisive for years to come, and that's okay. The fact Naughty Dog has created a story that is worth discussing and debating shows how in depth this game truly is. For me, I was happy with the twists and turns this game took, whilst some decisions and actions from Ellie may have shocked me and sometimes even made it hard to watch, overall i feel that the story goes in the right direction for the characters involved, but i can see how people may disagree once playing the game, and that's okay.
Overall The Last Of Us Part II, is a marvel in modern-day gaming and storytelling. No matter if you liked the game or not, it is hard to deny the sheer scope and potential this game offers for future games. For me, this game blew me away. It made me emotional, scared, devastated and happy all in one sitting, whilst i can see how the game will be divisive for some, Which i will get into in my spoiler filled post on friday, for me this game is my Game of the Year contender by far. This game and story took me to emotional levels I haven't felt since Part 1 and that’s why I love it so much. This game truly needs to be played to be experienced properly. It was so good to see these characters and this world again, even if it was more scary and shocking than the last time. I truly cannot recommend this game enough.
5/5.
So there you have it, the first review on ‘The Review Lab!’. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog of mine, I hope you enjoyed it. Have you played the game? What were your opinions? Let me know!
Come back very soon where i will be discussing the story in depth (With full spoilers), and breaking it down!
Until then,
Have a great day!
Harry