Review: The Last of Us: Part II
A review code was supplied by Sony Interactive Entertainment Australia
Game was completed on medium difficulty with a play time of 20 hours
There’s no denying the artistry on display. The sheer brilliance of how this game looks, combined with the technical mastery that presents some of the largest play areas for encounters I’ve ever experienced, was enough to leave me deeply impressed. You move through enemy patrol zones that are so tightly perfected and so vast in their real estate, that you can’t help but be in awe of what has been achieved here. Despite the constant weight of violence, dread and pressure (this is one of the darkest videogames you'll play), there is a sense of balance in the almost-open-world sections you'll explore and many flashbacks that help to offer breathing space.
Writing, dialogue and characterisation are all great, presenting each flawed character as they are, without cutting away from the awful things they do. You’ll start to question the very things the game forces you to participate in, which is a brave road for Naughty Dog to take. They must be commended for sticking to the story they wish to tell, for there will be those who do not wish to follow.
The moment-to-moment gameplay is familiar. You’ll explore streets, forests, highways and suburbs, both on horseback and on foot. You’ll enter buildings and scrounge for ingredients to craft health kits, bombs and upgrades. You’ll come across infected and human factions and for the first time you can set these against each other. A well-timed bottle throw can set off enough chaos that you’ll be able to sneak past the ensuing conflict between human groups and infected, saving you both time and ammunition. Whenever I came across two factions already in heated combat, it was a pleasure to sit back and watch the whole thing unfold, maybe pop a head or two with a silenced shot to even the odds a bit and then whittle the survivors down enough for me to either sneak past or mop up.
Also new are dogs, which are a real pain to deal with because they can follow your scent, which forces you to either keep moving, potentially blowing cover, or somehow prepare yourself to deal with a dog and its handler. Patrolling enemies rarely follow set paths, or if they do they are so meandering and long that it's not worth waiting to have them wander through specific areas. Combat is instead forced upon you as your position is almost constantly encroached upon. At times, I almost felt like the enemy was psychic as they slowly approached my position and my stress levels increased as I had to decide whether to ambush them or move away to find another hiding spot. This creates moments of panicked combat and attempts to escape and re-establish stealth. I also had some luck with setting trap mines and sneaking away, only to bolt for the level's exit once an unfortunate guard had been blown to pieces and there was ensuing rush of enemies converging on that location.
There are also heaps of customisation options to help build your experience. I’ll be writing a feature about these options over at Player 2, but let me say that Naughty Dog is leading the pack here. There’s everything from colour blind and text-to-speech options, through to settings that tweak the AI of both your companions and enemies. It really is a fascinating look into the kinds of options possible if a developer takes the time to make them available to players.
There are also heaps of customisation options to help build your experience. I’ll be writing a feature about these options over at Player 2, but let me say that Naughty Dog is leading the pack here. There’s everything from colour blind and text-to-speech options, through to settings that tweak the AI of both your companions and enemies. It really is a fascinating look into the kinds of options possible if a developer takes the time to make them available to players.
What's not so good?
The structure of The Last of Us: Part II is messy. There’s an overall shape, but within that the player is swept along a path that stops, changes and pauses for flashbacks a lot. There’s character swapping (though we cannot discuss this more without spoiling), time shifts and long breaks between story resolutions. It’s a structure that constantly surprises and keeps the player guessing. However, I must say that I much prefer the linear storytelling displayed in the first game.
Spoilers are a looming thing with this game, so much so that although there is a photo mode, I did not take a single snap. There’s simply no way I can share them without the images being spoilers, and so the incentive to document the experience in this way is effectively removed.
The avoidance of spoilers also means that reviewers cannot critique a huge part of this game. In my discussions with other reviewers behind the scenes, we had some great conversations about systems, loops and experiences that, alas, we just can’t bring to light because to do so lifts the veil too much. There are valid criticisms that must be replaced with vagueness.
I also miss the first game’s simple objective of survival and overall theme of hope. It’s focus on the relationship between Joel & Ellie was simple and affecting. Part II's constant changes, combined with a distasteful revenge focus, left me emotionally removed from this sequel. This is not the story I was wanting or expecting. It's an amazing journey, but I personally wanted something different. This is going to take a few replays to settle for me (I am already into New Game+ on Survival difficulty).
Who is this game for?
I think that having an emotional connection with Joel and Ellie's journey is essential going into this sequel. This is not a pleasant game, nor can it be described as fun. This is a dive into violence, hatred, fear and desperation. You should take care to make sure you are in the correct frame of mind before you play, as this is not the kind of escape that many will desire from current world events.
Score
8/10
