The Last of Us Part II: Spoiler-Free Review
*Spoiler-Free Disclaimer*: This review is free of any story spoilers. While I do discuss broad themes of the narrative and delve into the gameplay mechanics, if you want to avoid knowing anything about the game, save this review until after you have played the early sections of the game.
To give some context about my gaming background with The Last of Us, I was first in line at my local gamestop to pick up my copy of The Last of Us on PS3 on launch day in June of 2013. As a huge fan of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted Series, I couldn’t wait to see what the talented Sony 1st party studio had created in this new IP. In short, I was not disappointed. The Last of Us wove a brilliant story about the relationship of Joel and Ellie as they fought and traversed their way across the country. Their story explored the complex themes of love and the lengths to which someone will go to protect those that they love. The Last of Us has remained my favorite game of all time since 2013, so you can imagine my anticipation for The Last of Us Part II.
As someone who truly loved The Last of Us, I didn’t think it needed a sequel. The story felt self-contained and had what I believe to be a satisfying ending. Did I have unanswered questions? Sure, but the mystery of not knowing exactly what lay ahead for Joel and Ellie felt powerful to me. Fast forward to this week, as I have completed The Last of Us Part II, I can safely say that this sequel improves on its predecessor in every way. The story connects so many themes established in the first game and expands upon them in a really interesting way. While the original game focused on Joel and Ellie, Part II expands the cast of characters with an amazing supporting cast. Each new character brings unique elements that help flesh out who Joel and Ellie are within this fully realized world. The nuance of performances by the cast in The Last of Us Part II set a new industry standard for what is possible to convey in video game story-telling. Not only do the facial animations look stunning during cinematic moments, but when out of cutscenes the characters continue to show insane levels of detail in their expressions. The entire cast is absolutely stellar, but special shout-outs to Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey for their performances.
The story in short is brutally dark, but threads the line of darkness with some of the most tender human moments I have experienced in games. As I said, I will not delve into spoilers in this review, but rest assured if you have seen the extremely unfortunate story leaks for this game online, you ain’t seen nothing yet. I managed to avoid the leaks going into launch, but after looking at the leaks after completing the game it is clear that they don’t scratch the surface of what this game has to offer. The Last of Us Part II explores mature themes such as human nature, the cycle of violence and the idea of empathy being a fluid and uncertain emotion. There is so much to unpack within the story and it has been so exciting to discuss with friends and family as they experience the game for themselves. I have never had more fun debating the meaning and symbolism behind a game’s narrative than with The Last of Us Part II. The story takes so many amazing twists and turns while it subverts player expectations. It is an experience unlike any other in the medium of video games and deserves its praise.
Additionally, the attention to detail within the environments of The Last of Us Part II is unlike anything I have seen before. Each room, building, street or landmark offers unique visual styles and environmental storytelling. From a downtown Seattle department store to a dark and rainy forest, the game constantly changes the environments that the player is exploring. The light effects are absolutely stunning and add to the sense of realism within the world. The photo mode that allows you to take in-game screen-shots is a wonderful feature within this title as I found myself constantly snapping pictures to capture the jaw-dropping vistas, lush greenery and stunning interior designs of buildings.
Within this sequel, Nauughty Dog took a solid suite of stealth gameplay from Part I and turned it into one of the most robust gameplay systems in the action genre. Every encounter feels so varied and the player is encouraged to always be on their toes for what is to come. The combat is fluid as the enemy AI is incredibly reactive, forcing the player to be constantly moving and using every weapon in your inventory. The design of combat forces players into tense encounters, where you always make it to the end of each fight with just a few bullets left at most.
Additionally, the game introduces a refined skill point and weapon upgrading system that allows players to customize their experiences. The weapon upgrades are particularly cool as Ellie installs your upgrades as you unlock them and you can see the differences cosmetically on your weapon in-game. In a game where ammo is extremely precious I appreciated seeing extended capacity and other modification added to my weapons. Skills points can also be upgraded as Ellie finds pills throughout the game that allow the player to improve survival, crafting and combat abilities. Each upgrade changes the tricks and tools that Ellie has at her disposal significantly and keeps the pace of combat encounters interesting as you learn new skills and upgrade your weapons.
The Last of Us Part II is a masterpiece in all of its forms. Its gameplay, graphical fidelity and narrative set a new bar for what is possible in this medium. This is a game that promotes discussion unlike any other and will be talked about for years to come. If you are a fan of the first game or you are looking for a compelling narrative in a game, I cannot recommend The Last of Us series enough. Both of these games are truly special and deserve to be experienced. Hats off to developer Naughty Dog. I know I speak for all fans when I say that I can’t wait to see what your next project will be.
There is so much to talk about with this game after you complete it. If you would like to hear my spoiler filled review of the game, I will be talking about it on the first episode of the LukeWarmGames Podcast, releasing this week on all major podcast streaming platforms! As always, cheers and happy gaming!
