The release of The Last of Us Part 1 for the PS5 has got everyone talking about whether it’s worth the full $70 price tag, mostly. And in the chaos of the debates, I decided to go back and finish the game that Naughty Dog used as the graphical and technical benchmark for the TLOU1: The Last of Us Part 2 remake.
(Photo: Imgur)
the last of us part 2
To say that this game is one of the most polarizing games ever made is a huge understatement. ND had a lot of pressure on them to continue the success of their first masterpiece, and many people thought they were dropping the ball with the sequel. A quick Google search will tell you what I’m talking about.
But even if there were several instances where Naughty Dog dropped the ball, The Last of Us Part 2 is still a harrowing, human, thoughtful video game experience. I’m not here to try and convince you to like the game if you didn’t get it the first time, but with the recent release of the remade The Last of Us Part 1, I feel like it still it’s not too late to share my thoughts on TLOU2 in my 2022 review.
The price of revenge
TLOU2 was not created to revolutionize gameplay. It’s not even close. I’d even go so far as to say that ND’s gameplay mechanics should go back to 2013, right where it belongs. But it’s the story, despite its flaws, that captivated me in a way few games have. And there were several moments (many of them, really) that triggered a physical reaction in me, to the point where those moments made me squeamish.
The main core of this game’s story to me is how far you’re willing to go for revenge. Revenge is a figure of speech used so much in storytelling that it’s not even funny. But so many stories miss the core of this desire: is it really worth it? How far are you willing to go into the pit of madness and despair that comes with the sense of loss and the desire to earn some money back? Are you really willing to become a monster to defeat the monster you always had in mind?
(Photo: Imgur)
the last of us part 2
Aside from that, there’s also the fact that, despite the game being designed to make you feel for them (Ellie and Abby in this case), the hero performs actions that ALWAYS have consequences. There were several times when I felt good about Ellie’s murders, but a few hours later I saw the repercussions of the act. The same goes for Abby. I’ve always said throughout my playthrough that The Last of Us Part 2 played with my emotions so much that I felt exhausted afterward.
All in all, this just goes to show that the world of The Last of Us 2 has no happy endings. You choose this path of darkness that comes with revenge, and you will face the consequences. And that’s what eventually happened to Ellie. She often said she was afraid of being alone. And at the end of this game, the price of revenge rears its ugly head. No winners, only losers. This is the horror of a devastating global pandemic that has not only unraveled society in this game, but also exposed the bloody, disgusting face of people when pushed over the edge.
When I finally finished the game, I just felt empty. I may never have achieved my primary goal as Ellie. You could say she failed. I don’t know if this ending was the best for all the characters involved, but if Naughty Dog wanted me to feel real human emotions, I would have. With a mile.
(Photo: Imgur)
the last of us part 2
Scrounging for leftovers
As far as gameplay goes, this review of The Last of Us Part 2 isn’t going to be that nice. I mentioned earlier that this gameplay mechanics is already so old at this point, and ND has done almost nothing to redesign the wheel. There are definitely some aspects that I liked, but overall the gameplay loop feels dated and stale, and I often found myself wanting to get to the story pieces as quickly as possible because I never cared much about anything else.
Combat in this game, as I would say it, is better than the original game. But it’s still way below what I’d expect from a sequel released seven years after the first game. You could never say that Naughty Dog “didn’t have enough time” to innovate and make things that much more interesting. They had plenty of time, and they still didn’t deliver. It’s a disappointment, that’s for sure.
The only notable additions to the combat are the fact that Abby and Ellie’s gear is vastly different from each other. This ensures that the two don’t play and “feel” the same, even more so during the intense firefights against humans and the infected. Apart from that, the addition of the new faction called the Seraphites/Scars encounters gives a refreshing feeling. When these guys are out, you really feel like you’re the one being hounded. Their whistles and silent bows are threatening in their own right, and the fact that they’re a fanatic cult that could die at any moment gives their attacks that much more gravitas.
(Photo: Imgur)
the last of us part 2
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Other additions to the combat are the new types of infected enemies, which are still the same old stuff in every way. Clickers are still Clickers, Runners, and so on. While it can be quite challenging on its own, the Shambler enemy type is still far from innovative as it feels like a downgraded Bloater. As for the infamous Rat King? Well, the design is terrifying, but it also doesn’t really add anything substantial to the combat, except you just want to run away, reposition, gather resources to craft bombs and ammunition, and blow this thing up to death. I’ve seen that gameplay loop so many times.
However, I’d be squeamish not to recommend the game’s huge list of accessibility options. There’s a lot to unpack in just one paragraph, but the most important thing is this: these options allow you to customize the game to make the gameplay the way you want it. Tired of puzzles? Enable the “skip puzzle” option. Annoyed by how to save the allies from enemies grabbing them every ten seconds? There is also a switch for that. To me, the fact that ND even made it possible for people of all walks of life, of all skill levels and of devotion to play this game in their own way is nothing short of amazing. And really, you have to see these accessibility options to believe it.
Other than these things, I can’t recommend anything else about The Last of Us Part 2’s combat. There’s just nothing spectacular happening here.
(Photo: Imgur)
the last of us part 2
A paradise under destruction
To say The Last of Us Part 2 looks great is an understatement. Again, Naughty dog’s team delivers the aspects of world building and environmental design. Few game worlds, even those with huge open cards, are a candlestick in detail to the world of TLOU2.
In my previous reviews I was always talking about how the beauty of video games would make me stop and just marvel at the beautiful view in front of me. While The Last of Us Part 2 didn’t want me to “stop and smell the roses,” so to speak, it was still one of the best looking games I’ve seen. The main reason I never stopped to look at the view is that the nature of the game never lets you slow down. You’re in a zombie apocalypse, duh. Though I would still say that the ruined shell of human society, despite its obvious ugliness, still hides a beauty within.
Character models are also among the most detailed (if not THE most detailed) I’ve ever seen. This can be seen even more clearly in the model viewer menu, which you can only access after completing the main story for the first time. The sheer detail in every detail of the characters’ designs is mind boggling to me. You don’t see this much during the moment-to-moment gameplay, but in this mode you get to see the kind of work that Naughty Dog’s character artists put into each person in the game. They’re the most believable looking digital people I’ve seen yet, and not many games can hold a candle to them right now.
But since TLOU2 was made with last-gen hardware in mind, I imagine what this game would look like if it got a special next-gen version for the PS5. I’ve played it on the PS5, and while the 60 FPS update is nice, the game still looks decidedly last-gen and doesn’t come close to what the visuals of a true next-gen game have to offer . Admittedly, the game was released at the end of the PS4 generation (with the PS5 unreleased at the time), so I have no right to complain.
But maybe, JUST maybe: release a next-gen upgrade with new-gen features like ray-traced shadows, reflections and lighting? That would be great. But I’m not holding my breath for it.
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the last of us part 2
Do with what you have
I’d say Naughty Dog has managed to squeeze just that little bit more out of the PS4’s outdated hardware to make this game look its best. I started playing The Last of Us Part 2 on the PS4 until I managed to get my own PS5 console, and the experience there was pretty smooth, all things considered. But the 60 FPS upgrade on the newer console makes all the difference, especially during the hand-to-hand combat scenes where the smoother frame rate makes it easier to dodge and move.
That’s basically it on the technical side. My next and final comment is a nitpick, but even on the PS5 you could tell that TLOU2 was a game made for last-generation hardware. I doubt Sony’s new console will even break a sweat with this game at resolutions above 1080p at 60 FPS. I feel like a lot of energy is wasted by not having a special next-gen upgrade, but I digress.
(Photo: Imgur)
the last of us part 2
Final verdict
I went to see The Last of Us Part 2 and was well aware of the bad press about it. But instead I found a game that was still pretty good despite the presence of flaws and outdated gameplay mechanics. Still, it would have been a mediocre game if it didn’t have a story worth sitting through – at least in my opinion. But on the subject of The Last of Us Part 1 already out, it certainly won’t be too much of a hassle to switch to this game now.
SCORE: 7 out of 10
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