The Last Of Us 2 review - a stunning and incredibly dark game
By Jordan Middler // 大象传媒 The Social contributor
After years of anticipation, and several delays, The Last of Us Part II is finally here. The sequel to 2013’s Game of the Year, The Last of Us Part II this time follows Ellie as she travels across Seattle in search of the original protagonist; Joel’s brother, Tommy.
Set four years after the original, players take control of a much more mature Ellie and have to deal with not only the threat of the infected that permeate the land, but Ellie’s personal relationships and a mysterious cult that haunts Seattle.
The Last Of Us Part II Review
Jordan Middler delves into the story, themes, relationships and the gameplay.
Originally announced in 2016, the game was delayed several times, most recently due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Not only that, but several weeks before release, large portions of the game leaked online, which according to Sony were the work of a rogue QA tester.
Regardless of their origin, spoilers for the game sprung up across the internet causing fans to proceed with caution whenever the game was discussed pre-release. But now with only a week to go before the game is available around the world, I’ve spent a couple of weeks playing through it to see if all of the anticipation was merited.
You can check out our full review above, but if you’re looking for a short answer ; yes, and then some.
The Last of Us Part II is one of the most incredible games I’ve ever played.
It’s taken the survival horror gameplay from the first game and expanded it by making encounters more challenging and giving players a wider arsenal with which to manoeuvre them. From a narrative perspective, writers Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross have crafted a story that’s gripping and emotionally exhausting.
Ashley Johnson’s performance as Ellie is incredible and the trials the character faces will have fans of the original and new players glued to their screens.
It’s also an incredibly dark game. The theme’s The Last Of Us Part II explores are not for the faint of heart and plenty of the violence in the game is extremely uncomfortable.
However, where ultra-violence in other games is used as a comic tool or simply for shock, The Last Of Us Part II uses it to further reinforce its themes and sense of realism. This is helped by graphics that are unlikely to be surpassed this generation.
It’s a stunning game that’ll have players talking for years to come.
