The Last of Us II: Special Edition Review (PS4)
Ok, so before I begin to review this amazing title, I would like to give a fair warning that this review does contain some "major" plot spoilers. So if you haven't played the game yet, you may want to quit reading immediately.
Well, now that that's outta the way, I will begin. As we all likely are aware of already, The Last of Us broke records and is still acclaimed by many to hold the title of Best Game Ever. And for good reason, it is a heartwarming tale of 2 complete strangers bonding through their shared circumstances trying to survive in the carnage of a post apocalyptic world that has ended due to a virus that has infected 90% of the human population and is threatening to make humans extinct. Naughty Dog moved everyone with their unique sense of storytelling and emotional dialogue. The main characters of Joel & Ellie were very believable characters, thanks in part to the actors behind the voices actually acting out the scenes and providing face recognition. It was a beautifully orchestrated game, top to bottom, and was probably the closest thing to reality any game has attempted with a post apocalyptic setting. So, does this sequel live up to it's roots?
Well, in a sense, yes and no, if that makes any sense. As far as scope, the game is much larger and more detailed in the environments. The graphics are so realistic and beautiful to gaze at. There are more enemies, more lush settings to take in the scenery at, and some new characters being introduced. BUT, there is one major plot event that will never be forgiven by many fans. And its a big one alright. SPOILER WARNING. The death of the first game's main character, Joel, is a hard pill to swallow. After the confusing ending to part one, this story takes place pretty soon after the events in the predecessor. Joel & Ellie are at a tough point in their relationship, Ellie initially blaming Joel for ruining her chance at curing the rest of mankind with her antibody resistance to the spore fungus. Joel continues to look after Ellie from the shadows and ensures the routes she goes on (for the home base camp of Jackson that Ellie & Joel now reside at) are the routes with the least known threat. Ellie does not look at Joel's guidance as anything but an interference in her life and a bother. There are some very touching moments present in this sequel as well, however, such as Joel gifting Ellie with a guitar as he promised he would do in the events of Part One, and the 2 touring a museum for Ellie's birthday. These heartwarming moments make the sudden, brutal death of Joel that much harder to get over. But, in a nutshell, this is the prelude to what is The Last Of Us Part II.
The first half of the game follows Ellie and gives players a look at what she has been up to and her new acquaintances. Staying in Jackson, a well protected and fortified community, they actively send units out to patrol the area to scrounge supplies and eliminate any infected or bandits. We are introduced to Ellie's new love interest, a pretty black haired gal by the name of Dina. Jessie, Dina's recent ex-boyfriend, is also a new face. Ellie & Joel's new life at Jackson begins uneventful until Joel & Tommy head out on a patrol by themselves and run across a lone girl who appears to need their help. They help the stranger and later introduce themselves and have no idea that by giving their names away that it will spell certain doom for Joel. This girl is the daughter of the doctor who Joel murdered in the events of the first game, and that doctor just so happened to be the ONLY doctor with the know how to perform the surgery on Ellie and develop a vaccine to the mold virus. Abby is the name of the mysterious girl, and apparently she looks at Joel with the utmost hatred for killing her only father. She later ambushes Joel & Tommy with her unit of friends she brought along to help capture Joel. Ellie barges in just in time to witness the horrific & brutal murder of Joel by Abby as she beats him over and over with a baseball bat. Swearing revenge, Ellie is plagued by her sweet memories of Joel as they traveled the country in pursuit of the Fireflies. It doesn't take long for Ellie to begin her pursuit as she finds a clue that may lead to their home base. The letters WLF or Washington Liberation Front. Ellie & her newfound lover, Dina head to Seattle to deliver justice to Abby and all her accomplices. And thats the basic starting point for this tale.
I will get to the 2nd half of the games events in a minute. First, let me briefly touch on the gameplay elements. The locations are beautifully done and you can really see just how much of the surrounding areas have withered and how much nature has taken over. The abandoned cities are all covered in roots and trees gouging through the center of them, the dilapidated buildings containing holes and shrubs. This is what would happen our hometowns were people to disappear and were nature allowed to take its course. The environments as beautiful as they are, provide many hiding places and Ellie can crawl or lay face down and slither across the ground and under many surfaces or objects. She is going to need all the hidey holes she can find too, as the enemies are alot smarter this time around. The infected, of course make a return, the runners who can see and will give chase at breakneck speed, as well as the blind but extremely dangerous Clickers. Bloaters also have a few spots and there are even Stalkers, which were first seen in the Left Behind DLC after the first games release. They will ambush and jump out at you from the shadows and can give a jump scare or two if you aren't paying attention. There are also a few gnarly surprises whose surprises I won't spoil here. But even a bigger threat than the infected this time around are the human enemy forces. Much smarter this time around, the WLF (Abby's soldiers) usually come grouped in large squads, with dogs following. The dogs can sniff your location out and the people will react very realistically as they call out each other's names and often check each other's status. They act much more like real people would and the AI is very much improved over the last game's easy to fool setup. That's not to say they are perfectly done as I did catch a few human troops doing some very dumb things. Also being thrown into the mix are the very creepy group of cultists known as the Seraphites. They wear brown shawls and whistle to each other and usually carry bow and arrows & very devastating axes & mauls around. The Seraphites & WLF each require different strategies to overcome as well as the infected and the combat is always thrilling & brutal. The gore is intensely grotesque and befitting of this type of brutal story of sweet sweet revenge. There are many shootouts and OH SHIT moments throughout the game, and the Infected in some areas are sure to spook you. However, the game's pacing could use some work. The game constantly jumps back and forth in time and between Ellie & Abby that it's hard to gain any forward momentum. For instance, just when you are arriving at the climax of Ellie's journey, the game immediately swaps to Abby and leaves you on a cliffhanger unaware of what takes place in that pivotal moment. All intensity leading up to that moment are gone as we start back over with a different character with a much slower pace than what we were just experiencing with Ellie. I will say this though, Abby's side of the story is filled with new characters who are likeable and relatable in their own sense. The game shows that these are pretty good people who are just surviving exactly like their counterparts in Jackson are. A few noteworthy mentions of some great characters are Owen, Abby's love interest and a guy who hates violence and wants the war over land to stop, and Manny, a WLF soldier and Abby's roommate. He is a great soldier and he has Abby's back through the thick and thin and the game displays this admirably. It goes to show that there are always two sides to a coin, and that these people who did a horrible thing to our beloved Joel may not necessarily be bad people. That is the theme I took away most from this story. However, good as they may be, this still does not eliminate the hazards that this world presents in their everyday lives.
The 2nd of half of this game see's players controlling Abby, the murderer of Joel. While she may not be everyone's favorite protagonist at this point, there is no doubt her side of the story is thrilling and exciting. She encounters her fair share of struggles and loss. She also makes an unlikely bond that is moving in its own right. Her physique being bigger than that of Ellies allows for some crucial melee skills. Her knowledge and background of a soldier also gives her access to more crafting options than Ellie possesses. Abby, as it turns out, has a terrible fear of heights. Naughty Dog has such a clever way of presenting this. Any time you get near a high ledge with Abby, she will immediately become distressed and her vision "tunnels in". You can grasp just how terrifying this phobia of hers is and this also adds to the realism the game brings to the table. The games weapons aren't far off from the first games. You have access to pistols, shotguns, rifles, bow, crossbows, machine guns and a few high powered handguns. There are also smoke bombs and trap mines. You have to explore the big open areas to find safes & hidden items which give access to better weapons, collectibles offering up lore on the events surrounding the area, and some history of what went down post-outbreak. Searching for these extra morsels of lore are fun in their own right. And there is a lot of them to find. Not to mention, this is the largest open areas of any game Naughty Dog has crafted yet. The early section with Ellie and Dina scouting for gas is a memorable highlight.
So, with the combat being so gritty & exciting, and the beautiful open areas being such a marvel to behold, the game is a must-play for anyone. The characters don't have quite as many memorable moments as say the first game's Bill character did, but the new fresh faces each justify their inclusion. This sequel just doesn't "QUITE" have the emotional and moving impact as it's predecessor and that is why the point got docked. Still, it's one unforgettable journey that won't soon be forgotten. And yes, a death scene that may never be forgotten or forgiven. A classic all the same!!