Going in, I had the game's pivotal moment spoiled for me. I was fed the reactionary news that blew up in the days following the leaks. I got angry, and unnecessarily so.
But after taking the time to think about it, I decided to buy the deluxe version anyway and give it a shot. Since finishing it, it has made it into my top ten games of all time.
The Last of Us Part II is a visceral, brutal, and highly emotional journey. Its central theme is the idea of a cycle of revenge. Following the central characters through this cycle gives you a profound look at how far hatred will make you stray from your true self.
The tragedy that strikes at the beginning of the game makes you learn to hate Abby with a passion. You want to make her suffer. The rest of the story carries out, and at this point there's been so much violence, anguish, and hatred that you just want it all to stop.
This game does a phenomenal job at making you look inward. What would you do in each of their situations? What if you had played through Abby's story before Ellie and Joel's? What does your reaction to the events in the game say about you?
This taught me something about myself much like Undertale did, but in a much darker context. And, like Undertale, I found myself extremely invested in the characters and deeply caring for them. There hasn't been a game that has done that to me like this since Undertale.
Phenomenal is the word I'd use to describe this game. In addition to the narrative and themes, the gameplay itself is really engaging. It's very similar to the first game, but with some added functionality and new skills, specific to the character you're playing. The level design is incredible, the graphics are mind-blowingly good. There's new infected, too. The soundtrack is still composed by the genius that is Gustavo Santaolalla. There's intricate detail in nearly every part in this game, even down to where Ellie places her fingers on the guitar when you play it.
It runs a little long, but other than that, if you want to invest yourself in an incredible journey, play this game. Just also be prepared for the fact that it's emotionally draining and very uncomfortable, but it will likely teach you something about yourself if you let it.
But after taking the time to think about it, I decided to buy the deluxe version anyway and give it a shot. Since finishing it, it has made it into my top ten games of all time.
The Last of Us Part II is a visceral, brutal, and highly emotional journey. Its central theme is the idea of a cycle of revenge. Following the central characters through this cycle gives you a profound look at how far hatred will make you stray from your true self.
The tragedy that strikes at the beginning of the game makes you learn to hate Abby with a passion. You want to make her suffer. The rest of the story carries out, and at this point there's been so much violence, anguish, and hatred that you just want it all to stop.
This game does a phenomenal job at making you look inward. What would you do in each of their situations? What if you had played through Abby's story before Ellie and Joel's? What does your reaction to the events in the game say about you?
This taught me something about myself much like Undertale did, but in a much darker context. And, like Undertale, I found myself extremely invested in the characters and deeply caring for them. There hasn't been a game that has done that to me like this since Undertale.
Phenomenal is the word I'd use to describe this game. In addition to the narrative and themes, the gameplay itself is really engaging. It's very similar to the first game, but with some added functionality and new skills, specific to the character you're playing. The level design is incredible, the graphics are mind-blowingly good. There's new infected, too. The soundtrack is still composed by the genius that is Gustavo Santaolalla. There's intricate detail in nearly every part in this game, even down to where Ellie places her fingers on the guitar when you play it.
It runs a little long, but other than that, if you want to invest yourself in an incredible journey, play this game. Just also be prepared for the fact that it's emotionally draining and very uncomfortable, but it will likely teach you something about yourself if you let it.