Solid pacing, distribution of rewards, and fulfilling combat. Sadly, I feel like it overstays its welcome towards the end, and the plot becomes gradually more nonsensical. Yes, I know this is a game about fourth graders playing super heroes, so a lot of the humour stems from randomness and arbitrary play rules. But it could’ve easily been five hours shorter and just as good. It’s like they freaked out towards the end and tried to pack in as many tangential show references as they could.

This game is completely stunning - masterfully crafted. The game has total confidence in allowing you to experience every moment of this world, from the exhilarating to the serene and even mundane. It’s slow-paced as a result, but it’s as much of an experience as it is a game. Ultimately, the stagnating gameplay of the later acts wasn’t able to sustain the remaining 20-30 hours of gameplay, but I still had a fantastic time.

Brutal. Distressing. Arduous. Naughty Dog doesn’t make it easy to play The Last of Us for The Fun of It. But overall, it’s a compelling story about the dangers of revenge, even if it meanders, pads itself out unnecessarily, and commits the sequel sin of “more is better.“