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alediantonio
Reviews
The Last of Us: Part II (2020)
Such a great story - I went in blind and came out emotionally confused
I started the game as a massive fan of the first game and with zero information for the second one, I only knew the game was somewhat divisive (there is no hiding review titles in YouTube) but managed to stay away from any type of hint on the why.
I wasn't shocked by Joel's death, rather I felt the game gently held my hand to the event. It was clear Abbie et co. Were looking for him and with no good intentions and there was definitely a 'someone is going to die' vibe initially - combined with the fact that after playing the first game it just makes sense that he would face consequences for his past.
I do enjoy twists and surprises but really what matters for me is how those events shape characters . And I think they have done a brilliant job on that.
Joel's death scene didn't hit me immediately, but it shaped pretty much every following cut-scene. I loved ever scene with Ellie and Joel, I really felt Ellie's pain as she goes killing half a city on a rampage and I found almost every dialogue between the 2 was adding more context on her suffering (until the big final reveal).
What I was not expecting at all was the halfway switch to Abbie. I actually found it annoying initially as I wanted to know if/how Ellie was going to come out survive.
I saw what they were trying to do, but I was hoping it was going to be a quick one so I could go back to Ellie. I couldn't be bothered to build up a new character and I was speeding up in the first few segments - but eventually had to slow down and take my time to build the character (I was playing on the hard difficulty so had to invest on skills). After the few 'please find me relatable' cut scenes I started to see her as grey character but ultimately still a villain, as I felt she did very little to go past her deep and corrosive desire for revenge.
But I'll have to admit by the end I was really invested in her, Naughty Dog's tricks worked wonderfully on me. I was totally sold on the story with Owen and the redemption quest with the kid. I actually had to let Ellie die a few times cause I didn't want to press the button to kill Abbie
It's a dark and emotional distressing story so I understand is not for everyone, but for me it's storytelling in video games at its best.