I have a bit of an unorthodox take on this game as I think they shouldn't have made a sequel but rather just a continuation with another set of characters. I was pretty hesitant about them making a sequel but I was willing to give ND the benefit of the doubt since they've never let me down before. Upon playing this game, my reservations were proven correct. In essence, I think they should have just left Joel and Ellie's story alone and made a game solely about Abby and Lev. Making it about Abby and Ellie just leaves it so bloated and meandering. Pick a lane and stick with it, people.
When this game is good, it's one of the best pieces of media you'll ever hope to come across but when it's bad, it fucking sucks. There has to have been a way to smooth the ride out some and in my personal opinion, that probably should have just been to focus on Abby. I don't mind the character as much as most but I think she would have been a lot less Unintentionally Sympathetic if you just played as her. Have someone else kill her dad and then her go chase after them only to realize it's not worth it. We got to understand why Joel did the incredibly selfish thing he did, she didn't and that's why I think people have a hard time sympathizing with her. Maybe a Seraphite killed her dad and that's how she comes into contact with Yara and Lev.
I also think her friends would have come off as more sympathetic if you'd played as her from the beginning because as is, you just pick up with them at the 2/3 mark. It would have also fleshed out the love triangle she's in with Owen and Mel. She and Lev don't really meet until halfway through her story which is over halfway through the full story which doesn't give their relationship time to really develop. We loved Joel and Ellie so much because there was more time with them to develop their relationship.
The moments of brilliance also largely come in Abby's part of the story. The WLF vs Seraphites war is super interesting and the level where she and Lev escape is one of the best I've ever played. But the thing is, as cool as the Seraphites are, there's just not enough room for them to be developed since you play as Ellie for so much of the time. The battle with the Rat King is one of the best boss fights I've ever played. There is so much amazing stuff in this section that's dragged out by unnecessary filler and flashbacks. The jumping around also stops the game from smoothing itself out.
All that being said, taking the game for what it is, I think you should have been given the choice to kill Abby or not. I probably wouldn't have done it but it's a way for ND to have its cake and eat it too.
All in all, I give this game probably a 7/10. It's way too long and bloated but when it's good, it's one hell of a ride.
Edit: The more I think about this game and the more I’ve stewed on it, the more I like it. I might move it into more of the 7.5 ballpark.
Overstuffed with moments of brilliance
I have a bit of an unorthodox take on this game as I think they shouldn't have made a sequel but rather just a continuation with another set of characters. I was pretty hesitant about them making a sequel but I was willing to give ND the benefit of the doubt since they've never let me down before. Upon playing this game, my reservations were proven correct. In essence, I think they should have just left Joel and Ellie's story alone and made a game solely about Abby and Lev. Making it about Abby and Ellie just leaves it so bloated and meandering. Pick a lane and stick with it, people.
When this game is good, it's one of the best pieces of media you'll ever hope to come across but when it's bad, it fucking sucks. There has to have been a way to smooth the ride out some and in my personal opinion, that probably should have just been to focus on Abby. I don't mind the character as much as most but I think she would have been a lot less Unintentionally Sympathetic if you just played as her. Have someone else kill her dad and then her go chase after them only to realize it's not worth it. We got to understand why Joel did the incredibly selfish thing he did, she didn't and that's why I think people have a hard time sympathizing with her. Maybe a Seraphite killed her dad and that's how she comes into contact with Yara and Lev.
I also think her friends would have come off as more sympathetic if you'd played as her from the beginning because as is, you just pick up with them at the 2/3 mark. It would have also fleshed out the love triangle she's in with Owen and Mel. She and Lev don't really meet until halfway through her story which is over halfway through the full story which doesn't give their relationship time to really develop. We loved Joel and Ellie so much because there was more time with them to develop their relationship.
The moments of brilliance also largely come in Abby's part of the story. The WLF vs Seraphites war is super interesting and the level where she and Lev escape is one of the best I've ever played. But the thing is, as cool as the Seraphites are, there's just not enough room for them to be developed since you play as Ellie for so much of the time. The battle with the Rat King is one of the best boss fights I've ever played. There is so much amazing stuff in this section that's dragged out by unnecessary filler and flashbacks. The jumping around also stops the game from smoothing itself out.
All that being said, taking the game for what it is, I think you should have been given the choice to kill Abby or not. I probably wouldn't have done it but it's a way for ND to have its cake and eat it too.
All in all, I give this game probably a 7/10. It's way too long and bloated but when it's good, it's one hell of a ride.
Edit: The more I think about this game and the more I’ve stewed on it, the more I like it. I might move it into more of the 7.5 ballpark.