The Last of Us Part II | PS4 Review

When I was a younger soul, I remember watching a James Bond film. It changed my life forever, not because of the cool gadgets and suave swagger of Pierce Brosnan, but because of a line of dialogue. “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” It was the first time I had come across the expression, and it latched onto my developing brain. It put into perspective for me, forever, that there are two sides to every story. And in every person’s story, they’re the hero. Such is the lesson The Last of Us Part II wishes to impart.

I Hurt Myself Again

It’s been four years since the events of The Last of Us, and our protagonists Joel and Ellie are living in the relatively safe town of Jackson. The secret brewing between the two from the first game’s ending has only seemingly pushed them apart. Tragedy strikes in Jackson, however, and the story brings these two characters together again. Ellie, raised in a world of violence and lacking a true sense of purpose, declares vengeance on those that have wronged this peaceful town.

What follows is a tale that’s hard to describe considering how secretive the marketing has kept everything. At the risk of revealing spoilers, I’ll keep things light. The Last of Us Part II is a game that wants to make you think. At the core it’s about the cycles of revenge, hate, and empathy. It’s the rare game (especially at the AAA level) that wants to say something about the nature of our world. It challenged my perception of the story and its characters regularly, and I appreciated that to the very end.

 

To See if I Still Bleed

The performances are astounding, and so much is said without even a word. Naughty Dog has upped their storytelling craft yet again, and I was enthralled by every line of dialogue. Despite its nearly 30 hour runtime, none of it feels wasted. Even long stretches of gameplay are interspersed with compelling conversations.

When it comes to that gameplay, The Last of Us Part II is one hell of a redemption story. Stealth in the first game was rudimentary at best, but here it’s been completely overhauled. The enemies are smarter, frequently checking behind themselves while on patrol or setting up a lookout when they detect an intruder in the area. Ellie has far more agility than Joel did in the original, with the ability to go prone and a dedicated jump button.

I Focus on the Pain

The amount of versatility in these encounters is more than welcome. I’ve managed to go several hours without even killing a single enemy. Other times, I hunted people down one at a time like a jungle predator. On occasion, I would go loud utilizing my last known position to flank enemies and blow them away. More so than any other Naughty Dog game, it gave me choices and allowed me to play my way.

A specific small touch adds up to a lot in these combat arenas. Enemies have names in The Last of Us Part II, and they call out to each other as such. Pick off someone mid-conversation and their friend might sound off, “Hey Emily? You okay?” It sounds like such a minor addition, and maybe even gimmicky, but in practice it absolutely works. Combined with the very visceral violence and dog enemies that whimper sadly upon death, and it becomes pretty apparent you are not supposed to feel like a good person in this game. These people had friends, families, relationships, ambitions. You are ending lives, there’s no two ways about it. It’s certainly not “fun,” but it is engaging. Likely, the effect will wear off on you as you play, but then again, isn’t that the point?

 

It’s the Only Thing That’s Real

Puzzles in The Last of Us were abysmal. I can’t think of another game that so clearly established “This is the puzzle room, go solve the puzzle.” It was annoying as hell, doubly so that there were only ever three types of puzzles. The sequel fixes this so well, it took me several hours to even realize I was doing puzzles. It feels like a natural progression to get around. They make sense in the environments, and your various companion characters never give you the answers in the obnoxious way a lot of games do. These characters make exploration all the more appealing.

That exploration is an intoxicating loop. Opening drawers for crafting supplies, scrounging for ammo, and finding pills to pop for upgrades. It lends itself to a pattern I never once tired from, and really helps cement you as a survivor in an apocalypse. Many other games do similar looting, but with the incredible animations and pace, it’s better here than those other games.

The Last of Us Part II is not like other blockbusters. It’s not here to give you a good time. You won’t get a sense of accomplishment from finishing it. It challenges the player to engage in its themes more than most games, and I was more than happy to oblige. Even with its lengthy runtime, I never once wanted to put my controller down. I was thinking of the game when I wasn’t playing it, and still am several days after rolling credits. The Last of Us had one of the best endings in video games. So powerful, in fact, that I was upset at the very announcement of a sequel. Now I can’t imagine a world without it.

To hear me discuss The Last of Us Part II in more detail, be sure to listen to Episode 300 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 42:50 time stamp.

This review is based on a purchased copy of The Last of Us Part II, and it is currently exclusive to that platform.