Humanity is at the core of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘖𝘧 𝘜𝘴. It's what drives the entire plot, it's what it's thematically concerned with, and most of all, it's why players have come to love this game as much as they do. To say 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘖𝘧 𝘜𝘴 is fun is a massive understatement. It's not mereley a game where one picks it up, enjoys it, and carries on with their day. This game is more than that, it's a drug. The most emotionally rich, raw, and honest drug the video game format could provide. And for the longest time, I couldn't figure out why that was. What is it about 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘖𝘧 𝘜𝘴 that is so addiciting? Well like I said, it's because of the humanity at the core of it all. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a better duo that show what it's like to be human, than Joel Miller and Ellie Williams. 2 very flawed, very engaging, and very human characters. I sound like a parrot, repeating the same phrase over and over again, but there's a reason for that. I'm not sure if there's been a better depiction of flawed humanity than 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘖𝘧 𝘜𝘴 since 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘴. When we first meet Joel, it is very clear he is not exactly what one would describe as a clear cut, morally just protagonist. Even in his opening scene with Sarah before the outbreak is established, I would say it is clear that there is an agression under the surface of Joel. It's only through Sarah that his composure is kept, and once he loses that part of his life, the broken fiend that is Joel Miller is shown. Not a full villain by any means, but certaintly not the world's Superman. And it's through this thin shield that the underbelly of his character is shown, and it could not be more fascinating. Joel is an enigma, a hypocritical, often plain wrong enigma. It's only through those he learns to know that he develops any sort of care for those around him. His warped perception of the world is one that is very much intelligble, but also is, from a moral standpoint, disohonrable. Scenes such as him berating the emotionally torn apart Ellie by not providing her fathership when she needs it most, and most obviously, the absolutely bonkers ending, which is still one of the most talked about endings of any media in the past decade. So much time has been spent, for better or worse, discussing the morale of Joel's final decision. Those appauled by his actions take note of what his inner concious was thinking as a motivator for his ultimate choice, and those siding with him look at the clear cut morale of saving Ellie's life. I don't want to spend this entire review discussing my personal take on the ethics of the ending, as it's still one I'm trying to make up mind on, but to summarize; For a mainstream big budget video game to have an ending so up in the air from a moral perspective of its protagonist, that is absoluetly insane.

And then there's Ellie, the heart and soul of the game's story. Ellie's harder to dissect as for one, we don't see her throughout the entire game, and two, the room for understanding Ellie was more so saved for Part 2, and so the thematic weight is more concerned with Joel here. But to put it the best I can, Ellie is not only a very compelling character with lots of depth, but an essential part of what makes Joel one of the all time great characters. As I mentioned earlier, part of Joel's character is that he needs someone in his life to give himself purpose and motivation to keep on going, that's what defines a lot of his character. He's a broken guardian. And after the murders of Sarah and Tess, and Tommy running off half way across the country, there is no one for Joel.....except for Ellie. Ellie's chemistry with Joel is so naturally investing, it is astonishing. The two aren't your typical two sides of the same coin duo, but rather two lost souls who get along and form a bond not because they get along, but because of the desperation they have for comfort in knowing at least someone is there with them. And what we get is one of the most subtletly brillaint duos in history. Often quiet and reserved, yet blooming with personality, they two go together like bread and butter. Still, even without Joel, Ellie is an amaing character. Determined and brave, yet scared and confused, she's someone who the audience can relate to and admire throughout gameplay. Ashley Johnson sells her very well, turning in a character that everyone love.

There's still more to talk about that a single review cannot properly summarize. There's so much else to talk about. The simple yet effective gameplay, the amazing side characters such as Tess, Henry And Sam, and Bill, the insane tension built, the haunting score, etc. But to summarize, this game is the prototypcical example of how to effictivley use the video game medium to create a multi layered masterpiece. I admire this so much for allowing be the chancee to be more open with takign games seriously, and just as a work of art. This is a perfect game, and that's the double truth, Ruth.