The Last of Us Part II review | An absolute masterpiece (No Spoilers)

10/10 yet has some negatives.

The combat physics are fantastic souroundings you name it it's got it

This game is amazing and could be better than the first but the flaws it has really stands out and the only reason people hated it was because of disappointment from the hype and how good the first game was

The greatest game ever made, fantastic review! 🙌🏼

I’m glad someone else agrees with my review of this game. This game was absolutely perfect. At least that’s how I feel about it. I invite you to check out my review @god is a geek, mine does include spoilers but… I felt it was necessary to make the case

Absolute masterpiece, 9.8/10.

Don't listen to the numpties and the naysayers, this game is the best of this generation

This game hit me right in the feels. It's stunning. Absolutely stunning. There has to be TLOU part 3

the best game i have ever played

I'm gonna have to whole-heartedly disagree with this review.. Justifiably so.. Gonna do my best to remain spoiler free.. But in all seriousness anybody that doesn't know this trainwreck by now should be spoiled, I'll refrain the best I can though. So there's a spoiler section at the end. For those that think I'm just a full blown hater: Shhhhh.. I loved the first game and tried my absolute best to like this one, but throughout the entire thing I felt like it wasn't playing a sequel. "You didn't understand it then" no… I did, but the delivery was absolutely terrible.

The game took risks and if it wasn't for the literal amazing visuals distracting so many they'd actually pay attention to the piss poor execution of one of my favorite narrative tools which is the villain's perspective. Look at Joker for example (Spoilers but face it, everyone saw this movie) of proper perspective.. You feel for him up until you notice he's off his meds and has been hallucinating a good portion of his interactions.. Makes you think what if every interaction he both had good or bad, was all imagined? Prime example of how to play on the mind using the narrative tool of the villain's perspective. Even earlier than that with "Most Dangerous Game" (the book lol 😓) you understood what the Hunter's goals were but he's still trying to kill people.

And yes, I'm going to hold the title of villain to Abby because she is.. It isn't a morally gray area.. She is the villain, there's a ton of eye for an eye behavior which you don't see in a hero style character, she is understandable but not redeemable.

It's Naughty Dog.. They make amazing visuals by default.. As you should expect from a Triple-A company, what you shouldn't expect from a Triple-A game developer (especially one that focuses on story based games) is a jumbled up story.. Character motives are horribly inconsistent, the pacing is dreadful.. I read someone copy paste the same comment saying the jumping story was intentional, yeh.. As if the story was being told by someone who breaks into tangents to start another story.. Then another story.. Finish that story to go back and then forward because you forgot one thing on your second tangent.. Go back to the first story just to break into another story before continuing the main story. It isn't difficult to follow but it's padding the run-time just because it can. It's like.. It tried it's best to be a Quinten Taurentino movie but fucked up the attempt by revealing the climax at the start of the movie. Everything between that point to the end.. Is just dribble.
If that example felt annoying and pointless to read, congrats. That's how the story goes in here.

Not saying "oh game is too long it's bad" no lol saying the game revealed the climax at the start and it baby steps it's way to the finale.. You're searching for someone, the game should feel like a lot of time passed because of that.. But it doesn't, in fact it feels rushed. The game's plot pretty much takes place within what? 4? 5 days? But adding in flashbacks upon flashbacks you legit feel like it's been months.

I won't even get into the agenda driving aspect.. I stand by my point in the first game that it should never be a defining characteristic of a character, it's trait NOT a defining factor on what drives them. Remember how Bill from the first gane was revealed to be gay? Exactly, came off as natural and wasn't forced. This? Just felt preachy which isn't good in any instance, regardless what side of the aisle you're on.

Getting back to the story, the dialogue flat out is not as good as the first.. Feels like a high school soap opera.. Which makes sense because we're following teens but the original had legitimate wit and charisma.. And that was mostly following Joel playing the transporter role for a 13-14 yr old Ellie.

If your story lacks.. The game lacks.. If you skip all cutscenes, the game is great because the gameplay is engaging, dynamic and visually stunning. That's a fact.. But if you take away the story you have a generic stealth shooter with survival aspects.. With zombies.. So many games do that better. They story is what made the first stand out more, the second should follow substance over a message.
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I'll give y'all who're defending the game a point that the writing was legitimately bold and technically it's one of my favorite narrative tools.. BUT there's a right and wrong way to do that, if you're gonna play that angle you HAVE to be meticulous otherwise the character is hated, justifiably so.

The way this was executed? Was the epitome of the wrong way.

Reorganize the story and tweak it a bit would've made it what it could've.. How?
Firstly, by introducing Abby first in her flashbacks so you learn about her and why you should even attempt to care. Actual bold writing shoulda been that, advertisements themselves shoulda told you it would start with someone else and maybe even surprise you into thinking it's a different story before revealing it DOES follow Joel n Ellie.. That woulda been a great surprise.

(Actual first point should be getting rid of Abby's unrealistic bulk and make her just legit female tone, there's no way a female in a post-apocalyptic world can achieve squared off shoulders like that.. And the reasoning behind "they look like that because she worked out to take on Joel" is stupid.. She has guns, why the fuck does she NEED to work out if she can use guns.. Which she did btw lol it's stupid.)

Secondly, there is never.. I mean NEVER.. a scene where Ellie even engages in conversation with Abby. Why was this needed…? To justify why Abby lets her live twice AND gives a tiny bit more reasoning why Ellie freed her.
A scene where they actually talk creates real conflict and drama rather than unexplained plot armor being activated.

Death of Joel shoulda been the climax rather than the driving factor for the game.. Why? Because if you build up to Abby maybe befriending them before the realization of who Joel was.. Better impact and actual weight behind the moment of killing Joel (I swear the puns aren't intended lol) why is that good? Because it removes the generic revenge story and follows Joel's personality from the first game.

The dialogue shoulda pulled back from painting Joel as the villain since the ending was meant to end on a morally ambiguous note. The dialogue shoulda been pulled back from "the cure was guaranteed" …it wasn't. The characters shoulda been built up like Jesse was, dynamic yet you knew there was always a chance characters wouldn't make it anyways because it's a reminder to Sam n Henry from the first game.

Where is Ellie's spunky attitude? Ruined by a generic revenge plot.

Where is Joel's cautious nature? Ruined by convenience.

Where is Tommy's intelligence? Ruined to allow Abby sections to happen.

What happened to complex characters? Ruined by introducing them at the death of Joel which makes you give zero fucks about them even when they're trying to give them stories.. could be the intention to make you not care about prego Mel but obvious Anita influence puts her in situations she shouldn't even be in: Mel being allowed in combat even though there's a base-full of capable options, Mel being tossed onto ledges ON her dam baby.. She knowingly puts her kid at risk, makes it harder to care about her.

Why can't Lev hunt yet Yara can? Because we need a trans character for no reason.. Seraphites have women of power.. Where do women stand in their society? Are the wedding handouts or are they capable of anything? If that's the case why isn't Lev allowed to do shit that pushed her into being a him? Superficially btw.. I doubt she went through a sex change to be called a he.. So Lev is legit pretending, or are they really playing the gender identity bullshit..? Why is there ANY agenda bullshit in a game? In fact.. Why would anybody care in a post-apocalyptic world? "That's transphobic..!" No.. That's actually thinking.. Lev has no reason to be trans if women can do anything in this hilariously quickly established cult.
Remember how Bill was revealed to be gay? Had an actual personality and back story before the "why are the pages stuck together" reveal? Ah.. The good ole days of sexuality not being a defining feature of a character.. Now it's just autistically screaming in your face.

Why is Abby ok with killing Joel after being rescued from being infected (which if it is fully based on the real-life cordaceps infection, the host is aware and conscious, meaning she woulda been a conscious staving fungi host) but once the Scars runners show up to save her, she doesn't kill them.. Did people forget she hunts Seraphites? Or at least that's what's implied if she's referred to as "the best Scars killer" by Mel a little later on? It's a huge base and she holds the title? That.. Is a story in itself.. Means her body count is hilariously huge even with Owen added onto it (HA.. Ew). The more you think about it the worst it truly gets..

The story is everything in this type of game.. If one thing makes no sense it stands out like a cancerous sore thumb.

It was an emotional masterpiece for sure.

wow one of the few outlets that are not just talking hate. Like it seems to be the trend to just hate game for views nowadays. Thanks for the review, gameplay wise you can dive from buildings to stab enemies, push runners to protect you from a clicker bite, evade multiple enemies and classic hack and slash … thats a lot for a game that supposed to be stealth. I dont know what people wanted when they criticized the gameplay, maybe some thing like mortal kombat combo system …10/10 this game maybe sad, angry , desperate, vicious, understanding, everything… that is what art does conveys those emotions from players.

Hands down the best game I have ever played… pure masterpiece. You got the nail on the head. Can't believe how many people slaying it! Shocking. I don't think I'll ever play another game that'll come close to this!!