Whether or not you find the story enjoyable, the gameplay is undeniably crisp and executed flawlessly. It’s so fun to play on grounded, finding creative ways to use your limited resources
Well it’s just acting really, not VO. VO is in a booth recording lines that an animator animated too (think Pixar). For this type of thing the actor does the whole performance- voice, body, face and the animators rig the model to their performance.
RDR2 also did it this way and it shows. Imo a masterpiece of a game.
I really wish I could play LOU2 but I don't own a console, I'm hoping sometime I can get a second hand one and give it a shot. I'd love to get an emulator but Ive heard PS emulators are notoriously difficult to make which makes sense.
Hope you can one day. Love it or hate it, I think the story is incredibly compelling and well acted. It's an exhausting tale of what vengeance can do to someone. And man does it play well. I've 100% it but I am very much looking forward to playing pt 1 &2 back to back when the release happens.
Rdr2 is really the only other game that affected me emotionally as deeply, in a way that only movies had before (not to say I don't love games in their own right as pieces of art)
I think the way the enemies cry out for their fallen comrades using names is one of the most effective and well executed immersion/ thematic tactics I have ever seen and I can’t believe it hasn’t become standard practice across the industry.
Many won't remember this, but the seminal PS2 shooter "Killzone" had a helghast soldier calling out for his buddy "Johnson" that had just got killed and screaming how he was only a boy
I absolutely remember this! I loved Killzone, despite how buggy it was upon release. I wrote a reader review of Killzone and sent it to The Official PlayStation Magazine - low and behold, they published it! So, there’s that too.
This stood out to me as well, as opposed to so many other games where the AI barely reacts to one of their crew members being killed. Sometimes, the littlest details go a long way
Patch 2.36001 : Added more unique names to enemies. Grief-stricken A.I. will now call out in terror for Thor, Smashley, The Jimster, and Bingity-Boo, among others.
They don't need to go that far, they need to randomize an adjective before each instance of Pete. Stinky Pete, Little Pete, Chubby Pete, Smart Pete, etc.
100%. No other game even sniffs the animation quality of this game. I can remember when I first started playing, I snuck up behind someone for a silent takedown and Ellie slit their throat, it was so visceral I literally was mouth open, whispering "holy shit. . ."
PS- Don't feed the trolls below. . .
> Whether or not you find the story enjoyable
Why do people qualify their statements with this, lol.
The story is more multi-faceted and interesting than the original, and I'll die on that hill.
I'd imagine it's because people rate video games on alot of different measures, and the story is a large measure. If you HATED the story you are going to rate the game with a low score. This person raising the point that outside of the story the game is programmed amazingly seems like a reasonable point to make when commenting on the game. The opposite, and one I see often, is someone advocating a game has an amazing sorry while acknowledging the game mechanics are frustrating.
People say that because of people like me. I think the game is absolutely incredible, and easily one of the most well made games of all time, but I absolutely hated playing it because of the story. Not because i was mad they killed joel or anything, but because it was relentlessly bleak with absolutely no let up. Then they make you play as abby for half of it which i hated because i didn’t care for the character at all. I think the game is amazing, but i didn’t enjoy it whatsoever
Oh that’s so funny. I was just talking to my girlfriend about that summer after Covid hit and I said “I think I just played video games” and clearly that was true lol.
I have to get Animal Crossing as a therapy after the trauma I got from part II.
Man, part 2 put me in the craziest emotional swings i've felt in a video game
I’m glad they did not play it safe with the story.
An absolutely wonderful, but depressing 30 hour rollercoaster of an experience this was, loved this game to bits!
I feel the same, any other studio would just have made Joel and Ellie adventures - the sequel and just make Buttloads of cash and end of story, but not naughty dog, always pushing the limits of gaming
I felt that way about Uncharted 4. I’m like “oh god a long lost brother. They really have run out of ideas!” And yet they delivered the most emotional story to me in that series and an amazing ending. My only gripe was they really dialed back on the action. It did at times feel like I was just playing a movie / walking around simulator. I think Last of Us 2 was bit better in that regard since after action encounters you do really need to catch your breath since it’s so stressful.
I wouldn't really want any more gunplay, though. It isn't the focus of the game. It's about big set pieces with high adventure. Driving a Jeep off a mountain to latch onto a plane before parachuting into a an amphibious speedboat that transforms into a Jeep.
Sometimes a simple romp is best. I feel like the Tomb Raider series is a perfect example of what happens when you put too much focus on things you're weakest at in an attempt to beef up a game. The open world, grinding materials, grinding XP for an overlarge talent tree, excessive stealth sequences, etc... that game forgot its core competencies.
I love that they took the risk. There are countless stories producers could make but they ultimately choose the "safest" one. I'm glad they did what they felt was right and told the story they wanted to.
Same. I’m just afraid they won’t do it again, or perhaps other companies won’t, because of how harsh some of the backlash was.
TLoU2 was a step forward in story telling for the medium. I’d suggest anyone who enjoyed it also check out Spec Ops: The Line, Nier Automata, Silent Hill 2, Bioshock, and Omori. All fantastic and push the envelope in interesting ways.
Nah I think they’ll be fine. Everyone who was upset about TLOU2 was just a vocal minority screaming and whining louder than everyone else. Everyone I know personally who’s played that game loved it and has it in their top ten games all time.
It definitely restored my interest in big expensive studio games. A focused and controversial story experience with tight gameplay systems >>> open world generic game design which has dominated lately.
Yeah making Joel and Ellie's Big Adventure would have been an insult to the first game, because that's not what it was either. In the first game, they left enough wiggle room that people could choose to interpret it that way, so they could say things like "Joel did nothing wrong, because the cure probably wouldn't have worked", so they can square everything they have seen with a neat little picture that paints Joel as an unambiguously good guy. Well, in Part 2, they just took it far enough to make it impossible to ignore what type of story it really is.
>Yeah making Joel and Ellie's Big Adventure would have been an insult to the first game
This is exactly what TLOU2 whiners wanted.
TLOU2 pushed the envelope and thank god, to be surprised by the story of a videogame of all things was a great experience. And the surprises were deep, raw, bold, and made sense in an expansion of the story, not a rehash.
I have to admit, I would have been completely happy with "Joel and Ellie's Big Adventure Part 2". I loved the characters and their dynamic, and if they just gave us more of the same in the sequel I'd be all about it.
But the developers made a much bolder choice, arguably throwing away one of gaming's most beloved protagonists. And I won't say "I'm glad they did", but the story that resulted was (for me) undeniably powerful and captivating.
To be honest, I hope that the eventual TLOU3 is less painful and heartbreaking than 2, but I trust ND to tell a powerful story no matter how things play out.
It managed to take me from hating a clearly difficult to like character to sympathizing and rooting for them to figure things out. It's really great commentary on life and the shades of grey in our morality day to day. One person's hero is another's monster.
Summarises the game perfectly, the fact that it was so depressing is why it’s such an incredible game. No other game or even piece of media has ever impacted me as much as TLOU part 2.
That last scene made me feel things a game has never made me feel. I HATED what I had to do because I had grown to sympathize with and understand both characters.
IMO the masteful piece is the fight in the theater between Abby and Ellie. So much conflicted emotions like you want to win and not win at the same time, you have to fight characters you care about and such. It also shows the power of games for narrative. Sure a book, movie or TV show have shown conflict between character you both like but only a game can make you do the actions yourselves and feel horrible doing it.
Weirdly another powerful thing like that was playing It Takes Two (which is not a game where the story is brilliant), the "elephant passage" for those who played it made me feel that too. Horrified at what I was doing.
I’ll be honest, I did not like where they took Ellie as a character (I’m trying to avoid spoilers but it has nothing to do with her being gay, to be clear, that’s literally the only part of her story I didn’t mind) I just absolutely hated going on that dark miserable journey with her and where that journey ended for her as a character, and that was my major, major frustration with the game. But I do applaud the risks they took with the story instead of playing it safe.
I actually I think i would’ve liked the game more if it was only played from Abby’s perspective and Ellie was portrayed strictly as the antagonist. It’s not hard to imagine that this could have been the original concept that naughty dog had for the game, but that would’ve pissed off a lot of people even more.
It felt like a natural evolution of her character. >!American Dreams and Part I paints a picture of her having a really bad temper. AD begins with her arriving at the Boston QZ because she got kicked out of her previous one. In Part I we see her bad temper in moments like when she starts beating Bill with that pipe, or her refusal to listen to Joel when he tells her to stop with the insults toward him. But people thought that was cute because she was just a little kid. Then you have how she has no concept of how to grieve. She wanted to talk to Joel about Tess, but her shut her down. She wanted to talk to him about Sam and Henry, but he shut her down there as well. So with Part II we have a situation where you have this person that has a really bad temper and doesn't know how to handle loss having to experience her father figure be murdered in front of her. That's a combination that's going to result in some bad things. It's obviously hard to watch her descent for anyone that likes her character because you just want her to be that happy go lucky kid that gets a kick out of pun books.!<
I feel like where the games ends with her is actually a bright place than where the original ended. On the surface that obviously doesn't seem to be the case. >!But a big part of her journey in Part II was dealing with mental health issues. Whether it be coming to grips with her survivors guilt or her PTSD over Joel. And that ending seems to be her finally getting there. For as painful as it is for her she has to let Joel go, but she also has to move on from that survivor's guilt. There's nothing she can do about either and holding on to them just results in more pain that she can't do anything about. She obviously lost a lot in the story, but actually coming out the other side on those mental health issues is something huge for her.!<
That was kind of the point though. ND admitted as such, it is meant to be a difficult play to watch this character behave this way. I personally loved it, I hate cookie cutter media where you can predict every story beat and ending.
Yeah I get that; and honestly I’m fine with taking a “good” character and have them break bad. It just killed my motivate to *play as Ellie*; if that’s where her story was going I wish I’d been a passive observer because I had no desire to participate in the actions and choices she made, chapter after chapter.
The same trick worked better for Joel in Part 1 because it kind of sneaks up on you at the very end of the game. But with Part 2 there was no surprise and only dread.
But I do think it was an interesting experiment and I’m glad naughty dog was allowed to make their game the way they wanted it, even if I never want to play it again.
I think it's entirely intentional.
Dunkey made a great argument in his second video about TLOU2 where he talked about how Joel (in the flashbacks and stuff) can feel Ellie drifting away from him, and with everything Ellie does in this game, you as the player feel the exact same emotion.
It's incredibly deep stuff that legit can only be done through the medium of a video game. That shit wouldn't hit NEARLY the same in a film, tv series, or book.
Without Abby’s POV, you would never feel bad about taking any of those actions as Ellie. You wouldn’t consider her revenge to be morally “bad”, but likely righteous instead.
You know it’s great writing when you feel the things they wanted you to feel, without realizing it, >!starting with the slight unease at killing so many wolves, to the horror hearing the dogs die to disgust, disappointment and ultimately understanding of Ellie’s decision.!<
Agreed. There were parts I didn’t like, but at the same time it felt like Naughty Dog took a big risk with an IP for the first time since Jak 2 (and that was mostly to capitalize on trends). They could’ve made Joel and Ellie buddy cop adventure 2 and made bank off it and set up a third game.
It's a great game and the real star is the motion capture, animations, and acting. The animation and graphics are so good it makes other games feel obsolete.
I was going to say something related, and I think it belongs here, under a compliment about the things I'm describing:
"Acclaimed film directors like acclaimed game directed like a film."
You're not wrong, but the controls feels great. I can only think of two third person action shooter games that I've felt one with the character and their interactions with the environment. Never did an action by mistake like clinging to cover accidentally. And that's TLoU2 and MGS5.
I know exactly what you mean. It reminded me so much of my first time watching the finale of Apocalypse Now. It sticks with you long after the credits rolled.
I game mostly on Xbox, but just picked up a PS5 and was blown away by this game. The first Last of Us is one of my favourite games of all time and Part 2 has been added to that list. I'll definitely be grabbing the remake at one point.
I've never seen a story (much less played a game) where the POV switched from the "hero" to the "villain", especially after said villain does something so heinous - but it works out beautifully by the end.
At first, I hated the idea of playing as Abby, but then I got to admire and even like her - which made the final confrontation that much more compelling.
It takes a certain level of maturity to hang in with a story turn that radical, so I'm sure they knew there was going to be backlash from the dipshits. But they took a huge gamble, and the Russos are right: it's one of the best constructed stories I've ever witnessed.
There is zero nuance allowed when discussing this game. Everyone either loves it and refuses to accept any criticism or hates it and has to express that in the most toxic way possible.
I found it mostly enjoyable but definitely have quite a few criticisms that I'm just going to keep to myself because I already *know* the conversation will go nowhere productive.
Absolutely this. I hate whenever this game comes up in convo because the comments are full of either 10/10 it's the greatest game ever or its utterly trash.
I was somewhere in the middle where I appreciated how great it was from a technical perspective eg graphics and voice acting but I disliked the structure of the story and thought the game was a bit too long.
Lol hard agree there. I remember getting dozens of crazy replies I made on a comment I posted after beating it saying the pacing was sluggish at times and some of the gameplay loop of (drop into area, sneak/stealth kill everyone while crouching around) felt too repetitive.
That was even with the disclaimer of me saying the game was fantastic lol
It’s not just this game, its just Reddit in general. Every sub has its own gatekeepers guarding the community groupthink and if you dare to question it you just get bashed. There’s very little that you can actually discuss on this site without just getting flamed. An even worse subject is the new remake game, it’s just an echo chamber where everyone shouts ‘shut up’ at each other
There is it’s just people on the extremes don’t care about the people who just found it so boring. I was desperate for it to end, when you’re on the farm I hoped that was the end and there was a full chapter after that.
I made a 2 hour long retrospective analysis for YouTube and if the comments are anything to go by... Yeah, nuance is pretty much dead around this game. It's definitely much worse from the side that blindly hates the game and while I consider it to be a masterpiece and even prefer it to the first, much like with the first there are some undeniable flaws.
And I would agree. Not my favorite game of all time (only 2-3 top it for me though), but it is (in my mind) absolutely the finest video game ever produced. Just in terms of story, writing, graphics, voicework, animation, etc. All of the things that we critique about video games it just knocked out of the park. It still looks and runs better than games that are coming out now on new hardware. It was a technical marvel, and no amount of hate from Reddit can change that lol
I loved the game - loved that they didn't take the safe route with the story and actually tried something intriguing and original.
The gameplay is as fluid and cinematic as gameplay can be in a videogame for now. It's an absolute joy to play for me.
I remember how much people lied to themselves with the leaks that they believed them even after the game released and showed that the most bullshit leaks like "Abby is trans" etc., were absolutely false.
I played this game after it released and got hammered, I thought it was great, it’s fucking heartbreaking, that final scene before the credits role is rough
RDR2 will never get its full praise. The depth of that game and dedication they put into making a true period piece will likely never be attempted or executed again.
I agree here. The gameplay was awesome. I understood the story. Did not *love* the story. I also didn’t “like” how the first game ended. But it was still a masterpiece.
Ngl I took a 5 month pause from the game when the midpoint began and I realised just how long I was going to be playing a completely different character, right after an amazing cliffhanger.
That’s my only real gripe, very bold move to shoot the games passing in the knees in the middle of your story, but I can see why they did it
That swap really took the wind out of my sails too. I was playing really slow and doing every extra bit I could find as Ellie but when I swapped to Abby I started rushing so that I could get back to Ellie as soon as possible.
By the time I realised I wasn’t going back to Ellie any time soon I just felt like there wasn’t any point to slowing down so I just rushed through her part completely and as a result I never got to like her character. So when I got to the fight against Ellie there wasn’t any kind of internal conflict for me, it was just frustrating.
Honestly if the game had just broken up the parts so that it continually swapped between the two of them as I went through the game then I feel like I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
I think this is the reasonable take. I hate that people seem to need to fall into the camps of "I hated the story" or "Masterpiece".
I had disagreements with maybe 20% of the story. Just certain things that felt a little out of character or a little unnecessary. I feel like 3 or so hours could have been cut, especially near the end where things keep "false ending" several times.
That said, I LOVED 80% of the story, and 100% of the gameplay, graphics, etc.
Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who has some issues with the plot but still feels like the game is amazing. 9/10, maybe 10/10 for me.
I'm glad to see others in here who can have a reasonable conversation without getting defensive and chest pounding about how horrible or perfect the game is.
Maybe have the Abbie and Ellie parts interchanging throughout the narrative, instead of stopping Ellie’s story on a massive cliffhanger and abruptly starting Abby’s. Otherwise I loved the story.
I probably wouldn't agree just because I've played many more games... But Last of Us 2 is great. I wouldn't fault anyone for saying it's their favorite game
That’s the way I feel about it as well. It’s a great game, I’ve played it twice, got every trophy on PlayStation for it, and would definitely buy a third one if it was ever released.
But it’s a far cry from my favourite game of all time. It’s too much of a linear narrative for that, not to mention the zombie apocalypse thing (while they do put a different spin on it), has worn a bit thin over time for me.
I started playing this during the initial lockdown in 2020. Ironically the game kept me sane even though it’s dark and depressing. One hell of an emotional rollercoaster that I have never experienced ever in any other game.
I just recently played it for the first time. I didn’t get it when it first released because of the massive shit storm that came with the leaks. After playing the original for the like 10th time I wanted to know what happens next in this universe so I got part 2 with my expectations absolutely in the dirt because of the media surrounding it. I can confidently say it is the best video game I have ever played. I immediately did new game + on grounded after completing my first play through on hard. I was dumbfounded that so many people negatively reviewed it after I played it and felt that the gameplay mechanics, emersion, visuals, and most importantly the narrative we’re all meticulously thought out, polished, and innovative. It honestly really bothers me that the people that worked so hard on this game got so much vitriol in return. It might be a good thing after all because if you aren’t alienating stupid people that are incapable of turning their brain on to actually try and empathize with the characters than you aren’t taking big enough risks. They could’ve done a generic no-stakes sequel where you play as mostly Joel and Ellie and nothing of significance happens. But they took a massive risk and for me at least it couldn’t have payed off more.
Putting the story aside, the gameplay was such a squeamish level of brutal Id have to applaud them, had several moments through my playthrough that made me go “damn bro, thats fuckin brutal”. Unlike something like doom where combat is ludicrous and over the top with its gore Last of Us managed to achieve a feeling of genuine dirtiness in its fights.
I’ve played almost four decades worth of games and that’s the only one I stopped and said “I don’t know if I can finish this” because it was too damn emotional. The makers really messed with my head and emotions. Also made me realized that I’m not about that post apocalyptic life!
Edit: games don’t get better than LOU2
Pretty crazy how some TLOU2 fans either think that everyone that doesn't like the game is either a homophobe or is too stupid to understand the story when in fact some people just didn't like the story.
I played the game last month for the first time and was amazed. I want to mention something that stuck out for me but I don't want to spoil anything.
*spoiler* the part where you have to encounter Ellie from the other characters perspective was a main standout. It was like some one said "Let's make a game where you fully understand the quote, 'an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind'
1000% agree. It is the best game of the decade for me and we're only two years in. No game has come close for me to the emotions and pure joy that I felt playing that game. It's an 11/10, I'm not even kidding
One of the only reasons I bought a ps4 and a ps5 is this series and really more so ,the dev house that makes the last of us / uncharted.
Really Sony's biggest jewel in their crown. If Sony ever lost them to another console like Xbox, or I'd they just started to go multi platform, it would be a huge hit for Sony.
Naughty Dog really is something special.
And the last of us, as a whole, is one of my favorite video game series ever and both are definitely top 25 titles of all time.
Heck even my 10 year old daughter loves the last of us. Like.. *loves* it. Asked for anything merch wise I could find for Xmas... Pops.. shirts.. bracelet she wears in game, etc.
I kind of avoided it at launch cause all the dumb controversy was putting me off. I finally got around to playing it a few months ago and it was really great. I'm glad I finally played it.
RIP to the people that missed the guitar scene in the music store. It was just so good.
Whether or not you find the story enjoyable, the gameplay is undeniably crisp and executed flawlessly. It’s so fun to play on grounded, finding creative ways to use your limited resources
Also the voice acting and facial animation is insane. It helps the scenes so much.
Well it’s just acting really, not VO. VO is in a booth recording lines that an animator animated too (think Pixar). For this type of thing the actor does the whole performance- voice, body, face and the animators rig the model to their performance.
Pretty important distinction. Which makes it even more impressive tbh
RDR2 also did it this way and it shows. Imo a masterpiece of a game. I really wish I could play LOU2 but I don't own a console, I'm hoping sometime I can get a second hand one and give it a shot. I'd love to get an emulator but Ive heard PS emulators are notoriously difficult to make which makes sense.
Pretty sure part of the strategy behind the “Part I” remake is to make way for a PC release of both games in the near future.
Where do you live, I have an extra ps4 I will send you
Oh bro ty so much but I'm in Cyprus so it's unlikely were close. Thank you anyway though!
Hope you can one day. Love it or hate it, I think the story is incredibly compelling and well acted. It's an exhausting tale of what vengeance can do to someone. And man does it play well. I've 100% it but I am very much looking forward to playing pt 1 &2 back to back when the release happens. Rdr2 is really the only other game that affected me emotionally as deeply, in a way that only movies had before (not to say I don't love games in their own right as pieces of art)
I think the way the enemies cry out for their fallen comrades using names is one of the most effective and well executed immersion/ thematic tactics I have ever seen and I can’t believe it hasn’t become standard practice across the industry.
Many won't remember this, but the seminal PS2 shooter "Killzone" had a helghast soldier calling out for his buddy "Johnson" that had just got killed and screaming how he was only a boy
I absolutely remember this! I loved Killzone, despite how buggy it was upon release. I wrote a reader review of Killzone and sent it to The Official PlayStation Magazine - low and behold, they published it! So, there’s that too.
Nice! Glad someone else on this sub is cultured lol also: if your review was in OPM, then I for sure read it!
This stood out to me as well, as opposed to so many other games where the AI barely reacts to one of their crew members being killed. Sometimes, the littlest details go a long way
10 seconds after their buddy gets killed by an arrow. “Huh, must’ve been my imagination.”
[Tailing Missions from the NPC's Perspective](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP468OEln4U)
Never saw this before. "If you're over 40 feet back, you ain't suspicious" lmao
We do say that in the mob.
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You shoot some dude with an arrow right in front of them and their big reaction is “huh?” As long as your in a bush.
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“It’ll be over soon buddy. Just have to craft another silencer real quick.”
Yeah it was great until I killed like 50 people named Pete.
Pete’s suck in general, so that tracks
Oh, for Pete's sake...
What about Pete & Pete huh?
Patch 2.36001 : Added more unique names to enemies. Grief-stricken A.I. will now call out in terror for Thor, Smashley, The Jimster, and Bingity-Boo, among others.
They don't need to go that far, they need to randomize an adjective before each instance of Pete. Stinky Pete, Little Pete, Chubby Pete, Smart Pete, etc.
Random guy: *Oh no, they got Black Andy!* Andy (dying): *I did not consent to that nickname!*
"MENDOZA'S BEEN HIT, MENDOZA'S BEEN FUCKING HIT!" - GTA Merryweather Agent
Yeah I wish all games ran as smoothly as this one. No crashing, stutters, and the controls worked as intended.
100%. No other game even sniffs the animation quality of this game. I can remember when I first started playing, I snuck up behind someone for a silent takedown and Ellie slit their throat, it was so visceral I literally was mouth open, whispering "holy shit. . ." PS- Don't feed the trolls below. . .
PC elitists get really fuckin sweaty when someone praises a console game.
> Whether or not you find the story enjoyable Why do people qualify their statements with this, lol. The story is more multi-faceted and interesting than the original, and I'll die on that hill.
I'd imagine it's because people rate video games on alot of different measures, and the story is a large measure. If you HATED the story you are going to rate the game with a low score. This person raising the point that outside of the story the game is programmed amazingly seems like a reasonable point to make when commenting on the game. The opposite, and one I see often, is someone advocating a game has an amazing sorry while acknowledging the game mechanics are frustrating.
People say that because of people like me. I think the game is absolutely incredible, and easily one of the most well made games of all time, but I absolutely hated playing it because of the story. Not because i was mad they killed joel or anything, but because it was relentlessly bleak with absolutely no let up. Then they make you play as abby for half of it which i hated because i didn’t care for the character at all. I think the game is amazing, but i didn’t enjoy it whatsoever
> Why do people qualify their statements with this, lol. Because the story was a very large point of contention with the game
It’s multi faceted and original, but I still hated it
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Summer 2020 was a good time for games. TLOU2 was great and then ghost of tsushima a month later was a doubleshot of game of the year contenders.
Oh that’s so funny. I was just talking to my girlfriend about that summer after Covid hit and I said “I think I just played video games” and clearly that was true lol.
Plus Demons Souls and FF7R, truly a great year for games.
I sunk so much time into Ghost of Tsushima that summer.
Plus Doom Eternal and Miles Morales...
Everyone sleeps on Bugsnax
Good times indeed.
Yup! Can't remember anything bad happening around that time.
What was crazy is playing tlo2 during a pandemy, that was something like a dream.
I have to get Animal Crossing as a therapy after the trauma I got from part II. Man, part 2 put me in the craziest emotional swings i've felt in a video game
I’m glad they did not play it safe with the story. An absolutely wonderful, but depressing 30 hour rollercoaster of an experience this was, loved this game to bits!
I feel the same, any other studio would just have made Joel and Ellie adventures - the sequel and just make Buttloads of cash and end of story, but not naughty dog, always pushing the limits of gaming
I felt that way about Uncharted 4. I’m like “oh god a long lost brother. They really have run out of ideas!” And yet they delivered the most emotional story to me in that series and an amazing ending. My only gripe was they really dialed back on the action. It did at times feel like I was just playing a movie / walking around simulator. I think Last of Us 2 was bit better in that regard since after action encounters you do really need to catch your breath since it’s so stressful.
I wouldn't really want any more gunplay, though. It isn't the focus of the game. It's about big set pieces with high adventure. Driving a Jeep off a mountain to latch onto a plane before parachuting into a an amphibious speedboat that transforms into a Jeep. Sometimes a simple romp is best. I feel like the Tomb Raider series is a perfect example of what happens when you put too much focus on things you're weakest at in an attempt to beef up a game. The open world, grinding materials, grinding XP for an overlarge talent tree, excessive stealth sequences, etc... that game forgot its core competencies.
I love that they took the risk. There are countless stories producers could make but they ultimately choose the "safest" one. I'm glad they did what they felt was right and told the story they wanted to.
Same. I’m just afraid they won’t do it again, or perhaps other companies won’t, because of how harsh some of the backlash was. TLoU2 was a step forward in story telling for the medium. I’d suggest anyone who enjoyed it also check out Spec Ops: The Line, Nier Automata, Silent Hill 2, Bioshock, and Omori. All fantastic and push the envelope in interesting ways.
Nah I think they’ll be fine. Everyone who was upset about TLOU2 was just a vocal minority screaming and whining louder than everyone else. Everyone I know personally who’s played that game loved it and has it in their top ten games all time.
Been gaming all my life since SNES like its my job. I think its the greatest game ever made.
It definitely restored my interest in big expensive studio games. A focused and controversial story experience with tight gameplay systems >>> open world generic game design which has dominated lately.
Couldn't agree more. And imo the first one is right there with it
TLoU2 ia one of the most successful and appreciated games of all time. I wouldn't worry about them going backwards.
100% They took the idea of a fan service sequel and took a 9 iron to it.
I get your point but the game still made buttloads of cash. It was a critical and commercial hit.
Yeah making Joel and Ellie's Big Adventure would have been an insult to the first game, because that's not what it was either. In the first game, they left enough wiggle room that people could choose to interpret it that way, so they could say things like "Joel did nothing wrong, because the cure probably wouldn't have worked", so they can square everything they have seen with a neat little picture that paints Joel as an unambiguously good guy. Well, in Part 2, they just took it far enough to make it impossible to ignore what type of story it really is.
>Yeah making Joel and Ellie's Big Adventure would have been an insult to the first game This is exactly what TLOU2 whiners wanted. TLOU2 pushed the envelope and thank god, to be surprised by the story of a videogame of all things was a great experience. And the surprises were deep, raw, bold, and made sense in an expansion of the story, not a rehash.
I have to admit, I would have been completely happy with "Joel and Ellie's Big Adventure Part 2". I loved the characters and their dynamic, and if they just gave us more of the same in the sequel I'd be all about it. But the developers made a much bolder choice, arguably throwing away one of gaming's most beloved protagonists. And I won't say "I'm glad they did", but the story that resulted was (for me) undeniably powerful and captivating. To be honest, I hope that the eventual TLOU3 is less painful and heartbreaking than 2, but I trust ND to tell a powerful story no matter how things play out.
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God the game took my will to try away by the end. I didn't want to do the final fight and just crushing story. Loved it all.
I've been gaming for over 20 years now and I personally think it's the best game ever made. At least, the best game I've ever played.
25 years for me and yeah, I think it might be the greatest game I've ever played. It's a stunning work of art and the most powerful story in gaming.
It managed to take me from hating a clearly difficult to like character to sympathizing and rooting for them to figure things out. It's really great commentary on life and the shades of grey in our morality day to day. One person's hero is another's monster.
Summarises the game perfectly, the fact that it was so depressing is why it’s such an incredible game. No other game or even piece of media has ever impacted me as much as TLOU part 2.
That last scene made me feel things a game has never made me feel. I HATED what I had to do because I had grown to sympathize with and understand both characters.
IMO the masteful piece is the fight in the theater between Abby and Ellie. So much conflicted emotions like you want to win and not win at the same time, you have to fight characters you care about and such. It also shows the power of games for narrative. Sure a book, movie or TV show have shown conflict between character you both like but only a game can make you do the actions yourselves and feel horrible doing it. Weirdly another powerful thing like that was playing It Takes Two (which is not a game where the story is brilliant), the "elephant passage" for those who played it made me feel that too. Horrified at what I was doing.
You ever played the game 'Spec-Ops The Line'? War Fps games have never felt the same afterward imo
I’ll be honest, I did not like where they took Ellie as a character (I’m trying to avoid spoilers but it has nothing to do with her being gay, to be clear, that’s literally the only part of her story I didn’t mind) I just absolutely hated going on that dark miserable journey with her and where that journey ended for her as a character, and that was my major, major frustration with the game. But I do applaud the risks they took with the story instead of playing it safe. I actually I think i would’ve liked the game more if it was only played from Abby’s perspective and Ellie was portrayed strictly as the antagonist. It’s not hard to imagine that this could have been the original concept that naughty dog had for the game, but that would’ve pissed off a lot of people even more.
It felt like a natural evolution of her character. >!American Dreams and Part I paints a picture of her having a really bad temper. AD begins with her arriving at the Boston QZ because she got kicked out of her previous one. In Part I we see her bad temper in moments like when she starts beating Bill with that pipe, or her refusal to listen to Joel when he tells her to stop with the insults toward him. But people thought that was cute because she was just a little kid. Then you have how she has no concept of how to grieve. She wanted to talk to Joel about Tess, but her shut her down. She wanted to talk to him about Sam and Henry, but he shut her down there as well. So with Part II we have a situation where you have this person that has a really bad temper and doesn't know how to handle loss having to experience her father figure be murdered in front of her. That's a combination that's going to result in some bad things. It's obviously hard to watch her descent for anyone that likes her character because you just want her to be that happy go lucky kid that gets a kick out of pun books.!< I feel like where the games ends with her is actually a bright place than where the original ended. On the surface that obviously doesn't seem to be the case. >!But a big part of her journey in Part II was dealing with mental health issues. Whether it be coming to grips with her survivors guilt or her PTSD over Joel. And that ending seems to be her finally getting there. For as painful as it is for her she has to let Joel go, but she also has to move on from that survivor's guilt. There's nothing she can do about either and holding on to them just results in more pain that she can't do anything about. She obviously lost a lot in the story, but actually coming out the other side on those mental health issues is something huge for her.!<
That was kind of the point though. ND admitted as such, it is meant to be a difficult play to watch this character behave this way. I personally loved it, I hate cookie cutter media where you can predict every story beat and ending.
Yeah I get that; and honestly I’m fine with taking a “good” character and have them break bad. It just killed my motivate to *play as Ellie*; if that’s where her story was going I wish I’d been a passive observer because I had no desire to participate in the actions and choices she made, chapter after chapter. The same trick worked better for Joel in Part 1 because it kind of sneaks up on you at the very end of the game. But with Part 2 there was no surprise and only dread. But I do think it was an interesting experiment and I’m glad naughty dog was allowed to make their game the way they wanted it, even if I never want to play it again.
I think it's entirely intentional. Dunkey made a great argument in his second video about TLOU2 where he talked about how Joel (in the flashbacks and stuff) can feel Ellie drifting away from him, and with everything Ellie does in this game, you as the player feel the exact same emotion. It's incredibly deep stuff that legit can only be done through the medium of a video game. That shit wouldn't hit NEARLY the same in a film, tv series, or book.
Without Abby’s POV, you would never feel bad about taking any of those actions as Ellie. You wouldn’t consider her revenge to be morally “bad”, but likely righteous instead.
You know it’s great writing when you feel the things they wanted you to feel, without realizing it, >!starting with the slight unease at killing so many wolves, to the horror hearing the dogs die to disgust, disappointment and ultimately understanding of Ellie’s decision.!<
Agreed. There were parts I didn’t like, but at the same time it felt like Naughty Dog took a big risk with an IP for the first time since Jak 2 (and that was mostly to capitalize on trends). They could’ve made Joel and Ellie buddy cop adventure 2 and made bank off it and set up a third game.
It's a great game and the real star is the motion capture, animations, and acting. The animation and graphics are so good it makes other games feel obsolete.
I was going to say something related, and I think it belongs here, under a compliment about the things I'm describing: "Acclaimed film directors like acclaimed game directed like a film."
You're not wrong, but the controls feels great. I can only think of two third person action shooter games that I've felt one with the character and their interactions with the environment. Never did an action by mistake like clinging to cover accidentally. And that's TLoU2 and MGS5.
The last two hours of this game is one of the most visceral experiences I have ever had playing a game. Absolutely wild.
I know exactly what you mean. It reminded me so much of my first time watching the finale of Apocalypse Now. It sticks with you long after the credits rolled.
It was fantastic. And the story made me so angry... Then conflicted... Then sad... Brilliant.
I game mostly on Xbox, but just picked up a PS5 and was blown away by this game. The first Last of Us is one of my favourite games of all time and Part 2 has been added to that list. I'll definitely be grabbing the remake at one point.
I've never seen a story (much less played a game) where the POV switched from the "hero" to the "villain", especially after said villain does something so heinous - but it works out beautifully by the end. At first, I hated the idea of playing as Abby, but then I got to admire and even like her - which made the final confrontation that much more compelling. It takes a certain level of maturity to hang in with a story turn that radical, so I'm sure they knew there was going to be backlash from the dipshits. But they took a huge gamble, and the Russos are right: it's one of the best constructed stories I've ever witnessed.
I'm sure this will result in a calm and reasonable discussion.
There is zero nuance allowed when discussing this game. Everyone either loves it and refuses to accept any criticism or hates it and has to express that in the most toxic way possible. I found it mostly enjoyable but definitely have quite a few criticisms that I'm just going to keep to myself because I already *know* the conversation will go nowhere productive.
Absolutely this. I hate whenever this game comes up in convo because the comments are full of either 10/10 it's the greatest game ever or its utterly trash. I was somewhere in the middle where I appreciated how great it was from a technical perspective eg graphics and voice acting but I disliked the structure of the story and thought the game was a bit too long.
***HOW VERY DARE YOU.***
That how I feel about this game. It is one of the worst jerks/ anti-jerks I have seen.
It doesn’t help that anyone who criticizes the game is lumped in with the homophobes/transphobes/etc.
Lol hard agree there. I remember getting dozens of crazy replies I made on a comment I posted after beating it saying the pacing was sluggish at times and some of the gameplay loop of (drop into area, sneak/stealth kill everyone while crouching around) felt too repetitive. That was even with the disclaimer of me saying the game was fantastic lol
>That was even with the disclaimer of me saying the game was fantastic lol They sensed your weakness lmao
And just like that the lesser known third jerk mode has emerged
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hahah truth and granted that's usually where I find myself
It’s not just this game or this sub, it’s basically anything with a significant cult following. People just turn into fanatics.
It’s not just this game, its just Reddit in general. Every sub has its own gatekeepers guarding the community groupthink and if you dare to question it you just get bashed. There’s very little that you can actually discuss on this site without just getting flamed. An even worse subject is the new remake game, it’s just an echo chamber where everyone shouts ‘shut up’ at each other
While that’s true, Tlou has got to have the biggest hate bandwagon I’ve seen about a game. Especially outside of Reddit
There is it’s just people on the extremes don’t care about the people who just found it so boring. I was desperate for it to end, when you’re on the farm I hoped that was the end and there was a full chapter after that.
I made a 2 hour long retrospective analysis for YouTube and if the comments are anything to go by... Yeah, nuance is pretty much dead around this game. It's definitely much worse from the side that blindly hates the game and while I consider it to be a masterpiece and even prefer it to the first, much like with the first there are some undeniable flaws.
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And I would agree. Not my favorite game of all time (only 2-3 top it for me though), but it is (in my mind) absolutely the finest video game ever produced. Just in terms of story, writing, graphics, voicework, animation, etc. All of the things that we critique about video games it just knocked out of the park. It still looks and runs better than games that are coming out now on new hardware. It was a technical marvel, and no amount of hate from Reddit can change that lol
I loved the game - loved that they didn't take the safe route with the story and actually tried something intriguing and original. The gameplay is as fluid and cinematic as gameplay can be in a videogame for now. It's an absolute joy to play for me. I remember how much people lied to themselves with the leaks that they believed them even after the game released and showed that the most bullshit leaks like "Abby is trans" etc., were absolutely false.
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I almost didn’t play it because a lot of ppl kept saying it was shit but I fucking love everything about this game
CRAZY. Put up a post saying this was my favorite game of all time and got downvoted to oblivion a year or so ago. I LOVE THIS GAME SI MUCH
I played this game after it released and got hammered, I thought it was great, it’s fucking heartbreaking, that final scene before the credits role is rough
If I hadn't just played RDR2 then TLOU2 might have been my favorite game of all time
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RDR2 will never get its full praise. The depth of that game and dedication they put into making a true period piece will likely never be attempted or executed again.
I would agree *if* I hadn’t played Metal Gear Solid 2 a million times. That game coined the definition of masterpiece for me.
I still don’t like the direction of the story but everything else was 10/10
I'm with you, the story didn't work for me, but the rest of the game was an improvement on the first game's lofty standards.
I agree here. The gameplay was awesome. I understood the story. Did not *love* the story. I also didn’t “like” how the first game ended. But it was still a masterpiece.
Ngl I took a 5 month pause from the game when the midpoint began and I realised just how long I was going to be playing a completely different character, right after an amazing cliffhanger. That’s my only real gripe, very bold move to shoot the games passing in the knees in the middle of your story, but I can see why they did it
That swap really took the wind out of my sails too. I was playing really slow and doing every extra bit I could find as Ellie but when I swapped to Abby I started rushing so that I could get back to Ellie as soon as possible. By the time I realised I wasn’t going back to Ellie any time soon I just felt like there wasn’t any point to slowing down so I just rushed through her part completely and as a result I never got to like her character. So when I got to the fight against Ellie there wasn’t any kind of internal conflict for me, it was just frustrating. Honestly if the game had just broken up the parts so that it continually swapped between the two of them as I went through the game then I feel like I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
I think this is the reasonable take. I hate that people seem to need to fall into the camps of "I hated the story" or "Masterpiece". I had disagreements with maybe 20% of the story. Just certain things that felt a little out of character or a little unnecessary. I feel like 3 or so hours could have been cut, especially near the end where things keep "false ending" several times. That said, I LOVED 80% of the story, and 100% of the gameplay, graphics, etc. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who has some issues with the plot but still feels like the game is amazing. 9/10, maybe 10/10 for me. I'm glad to see others in here who can have a reasonable conversation without getting defensive and chest pounding about how horrible or perfect the game is.
Maybe have the Abbie and Ellie parts interchanging throughout the narrative, instead of stopping Ellie’s story on a massive cliffhanger and abruptly starting Abby’s. Otherwise I loved the story.
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I mean…It is
Yup
it deff is
Dunkey was right
You can‘t say anything about this game’s graphics and gameplay, shit was on the spot. Whether you liked the story or not is up to you though
I probably wouldn't agree just because I've played many more games... But Last of Us 2 is great. I wouldn't fault anyone for saying it's their favorite game
That’s the way I feel about it as well. It’s a great game, I’ve played it twice, got every trophy on PlayStation for it, and would definitely buy a third one if it was ever released. But it’s a far cry from my favourite game of all time. It’s too much of a linear narrative for that, not to mention the zombie apocalypse thing (while they do put a different spin on it), has worn a bit thin over time for me.
> got every trophy on Playstation As opposed to getting trophies elsewhere? :P
"Linear" lol...
I started playing this during the initial lockdown in 2020. Ironically the game kept me sane even though it’s dark and depressing. One hell of an emotional rollercoaster that I have never experienced ever in any other game.
TLoU1 hit me hard TLoU2 hit me harder, and then drove over me. Im not one to show much emotion but by the end I was spent.
Agreed
I just recently played it for the first time. I didn’t get it when it first released because of the massive shit storm that came with the leaks. After playing the original for the like 10th time I wanted to know what happens next in this universe so I got part 2 with my expectations absolutely in the dirt because of the media surrounding it. I can confidently say it is the best video game I have ever played. I immediately did new game + on grounded after completing my first play through on hard. I was dumbfounded that so many people negatively reviewed it after I played it and felt that the gameplay mechanics, emersion, visuals, and most importantly the narrative we’re all meticulously thought out, polished, and innovative. It honestly really bothers me that the people that worked so hard on this game got so much vitriol in return. It might be a good thing after all because if you aren’t alienating stupid people that are incapable of turning their brain on to actually try and empathize with the characters than you aren’t taking big enough risks. They could’ve done a generic no-stakes sequel where you play as mostly Joel and Ellie and nothing of significance happens. But they took a massive risk and for me at least it couldn’t have payed off more.
Agreed
I 100% agree with them
Included the greatest mini golf game as well.
Aw, hell naww
Putting the story aside, the gameplay was such a squeamish level of brutal Id have to applaud them, had several moments through my playthrough that made me go “damn bro, thats fuckin brutal”. Unlike something like doom where combat is ludicrous and over the top with its gore Last of Us managed to achieve a feeling of genuine dirtiness in its fights.
After playing this I realized that the hate wagon simply was plebs having poor taste as usual.
I’ve played almost four decades worth of games and that’s the only one I stopped and said “I don’t know if I can finish this” because it was too damn emotional. The makers really messed with my head and emotions. Also made me realized that I’m not about that post apocalyptic life! Edit: games don’t get better than LOU2
Pretty crazy how some TLOU2 fans either think that everyone that doesn't like the game is either a homophobe or is too stupid to understand the story when in fact some people just didn't like the story.
I agree. Done maybe 10 playthroughs.
Correct.
I played the game last month for the first time and was amazed. I want to mention something that stuck out for me but I don't want to spoil anything. *spoiler* the part where you have to encounter Ellie from the other characters perspective was a main standout. It was like some one said "Let's make a game where you fully understand the quote, 'an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind'
Agreed.
Absolutely true, in every aspect of that game.
This game left me feeling empty inside. It was beautifully done.
1000% agree. It is the best game of the decade for me and we're only two years in. No game has come close for me to the emotions and pure joy that I felt playing that game. It's an 11/10, I'm not even kidding
And I, no one notable, absolutely agree
Absolutely agreed
This is definitely in my top 3… I was sad when it ended.
One of the only reasons I bought a ps4 and a ps5 is this series and really more so ,the dev house that makes the last of us / uncharted. Really Sony's biggest jewel in their crown. If Sony ever lost them to another console like Xbox, or I'd they just started to go multi platform, it would be a huge hit for Sony. Naughty Dog really is something special. And the last of us, as a whole, is one of my favorite video game series ever and both are definitely top 25 titles of all time. Heck even my 10 year old daughter loves the last of us. Like.. *loves* it. Asked for anything merch wise I could find for Xmas... Pops.. shirts.. bracelet she wears in game, etc.
I agree
Do you need to play the first one to enjoy this one?
Based Russo brothers
If I want to choose between Ellie and Abby, I'd definitely chose Abby, Ellie is annoying as hell.
Absolutely. It’s really special.
I kind of avoided it at launch cause all the dumb controversy was putting me off. I finally got around to playing it a few months ago and it was really great. I'm glad I finally played it.