I spent five days to complete The Last of Us Part 2. The only thing that angered me after finishing it, is all the hate it's been getting. After actually experiencing the whole thing, this whole circus surrounding Part 2 comes off as ridiculous and completely unwarranted and is why you shouldn't let the internet dictate your opinion. The Last of Us Part 2 is an incredible experience from beginning to end, the settings are gorgeous, the gameplay is incredibly immersive, the story is bold, powerful and heart-wrenching and personally sucked me into every moment of it.
Does Part 2 have flaws? Sure it does. I also thought the pacing was off at moments and, while I never encountered any myself, heard some people speak of the occasional glitches. The switch to Abby is jarring at first, and I found myself hoping I didn't play her for too long. Then she meets Yara and Lev and everything takes off. They introduce all these various and thrilling settings you traverse as Abby, from climbing the top of skyscrapers to stealthing through a horror-esque hospital floor, to galloping through an all-out war on the Seraphite island. I very quickly became engrossed in Abby and Lev's relationship, which is also what made me begin to sympathize with Abby. When the cutscene of her finding Owen dead came along, I surprised myself by crying. Crying, for Abby's sake of all people. That's what made me realize this game is truly something special.
I also struggle to see that anyone who's played through the whole game will be pissed that Ellie spares Abby in the end. I could tell Ellie wouldn't go through with it the moment she sees Abby up on that spike. Both women are so pitiful and broken in the final fight, I didn't see what good Ellie would get out of of killing her anymore, and sure enough she doesn't, and I actually felt relief. On all three characters', including Lev's, behalf. It was either Neil or Halley who described that Ellie going after Abby in the end wasn't so much against Abby personally anymore, it was Ellie going mad from her PTSD and looking for any way to end how she was feeling, her vengeance is like a drug addiction at this point, and she nearly lost herself completely by threatening to kill Lev just to make Abby fight her. Playing through the ending with this in mind makes a lot of sense, and affirmed what I was feeling. I'm sure there are people who played the whole game and is disappointed she doesn't kill her, but I don't see how anyone will be pissed and say they didn't see it coming at all, or genuinely think it would be the best for Ellie had she gone through with it.
In conclusion, am I saying the game doesn't warrant to be disliked? Nope, I’m not saying that either. The game is a divisive for a reason and I totally get behind those who are disappointed and give valid criticism, as long as they do so after actually playing the game themselves and not just watch a snarky playthrough on YT or the cutscenes alone. Let me tell you that watching a playthrough, and playing the game yourself, really can't be compared. What I do say is that while the game is divisive and can be critiqued just like any other game can, it does not warrant the overblown hate it's been getting, at all. It's an incredible experience that blew me away and made me cry from both joy and sadness several times and I'm already itching for the New Game+ shortly after finishing it. As I write this the game has been out no more than two weeks, and I’m apparently late to the party as I’ve heard multiple people say they already finished their second playthrough, and I understand them very well for that.
A flawed masterpiece
I spent five days to complete The Last of Us Part 2. The only thing that angered me after finishing it, is all the hate it's been getting. After actually experiencing the whole thing, this whole circus surrounding Part 2 comes off as ridiculous and completely unwarranted and is why you shouldn't let the internet dictate your opinion. The Last of Us Part 2 is an incredible experience from beginning to end, the settings are gorgeous, the gameplay is incredibly immersive, the story is bold, powerful and heart-wrenching and personally sucked me into every moment of it.
Does Part 2 have flaws? Sure it does. I also thought the pacing was off at moments and, while I never encountered any myself, heard some people speak of the occasional glitches. The switch to Abby is jarring at first, and I found myself hoping I didn't play her for too long. Then she meets Yara and Lev and everything takes off. They introduce all these various and thrilling settings you traverse as Abby, from climbing the top of skyscrapers to stealthing through a horror-esque hospital floor, to galloping through an all-out war on the Seraphite island. I very quickly became engrossed in Abby and Lev's relationship, which is also what made me begin to sympathize with Abby. When the cutscene of her finding Owen dead came along, I surprised myself by crying. Crying, for Abby's sake of all people. That's what made me realize this game is truly something special. I also struggle to see that anyone who's played through the whole game will be pissed that Ellie spares Abby in the end. I could tell Ellie wouldn't go through with it the moment she sees Abby up on that spike. Both women are so pitiful and broken in the final fight, I didn't see what good Ellie would get out of of killing her anymore, and sure enough she doesn't, and I actually felt relief. On all three characters', including Lev's, behalf. It was either Neil or Halley who described that Ellie going after Abby in the end wasn't so much against Abby personally anymore, it was Ellie going mad from her PTSD and looking for any way to end how she was feeling, her vengeance is like a drug addiction at this point, and she nearly lost herself completely by threatening to kill Lev just to make Abby fight her. Playing through the ending with this in mind makes a lot of sense, and affirmed what I was feeling. I'm sure there are people who played the whole game and is disappointed she doesn't kill her, but I don't see how anyone will be pissed and say they didn't see it coming at all, or genuinely think it would be the best for Ellie had she gone through with it.
In conclusion, am I saying the game doesn't warrant to be disliked? Nope, I’m not saying that either. The game is a divisive for a reason and I totally get behind those who are disappointed and give valid criticism, as long as they do so after actually playing the game themselves and not just watch a snarky playthrough on YT or the cutscenes alone. Let me tell you that watching a playthrough, and playing the game yourself, really can't be compared. What I do say is that while the game is divisive and can be critiqued just like any other game can, it does not warrant the overblown hate it's been getting, at all. It's an incredible experience that blew me away and made me cry from both joy and sadness several times and I'm already itching for the New Game+ shortly after finishing it. As I write this the game has been out no more than two weeks, and I’m apparently late to the party as I’ve heard multiple people say they already finished their second playthrough, and I understand them very well for that.
The Last of Us Part 2 gets a strong 8/10 from me.