Last of Us 2: Is it as bad as they say?..

Is it as bad as they say?..

Introduction

Man! This is one difficult post to write, in a way that won't spark controversy and trigger the fans of a true Naughtydog classic. So many emotions have been flying across the keyboards into forums, comment sections, and video manuscripts trying to argue how good or bad this sequel truly is. 

The number of people I have read saying "The game is shit" or posting the same spoiler jokes/memes as so many others since the leaks, makes me sad. I feel like it was unfair, a way too simple reaction to a complicated piece of storytelling doing something different from the beaten path. 

Just remember this is my personal opinions and theories, based on my time beating the game.

SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING

Rough story concepts and narative perspectives are revealed in this post

no plot details are mentioned, leaving experiences to discover as you play.

The Last of Us Part 2 is an exercise in unconventional storytelling setting up a philosophical scenario of ethics for players to judge, which i have never seen done in this way before in interactive media. 

An action game giving the player a totally unbiased view of a conflict, where terms like "right and wrong" and "good and evil" is put to the test. This is NOT a game where they perfect traditional storytelling and plot structure, however, it does things in a way that is quite interesting and unique. We are not meant to have a certain feeling or thought at the end of this, we are given the gift of insight, and we are free to judge the people in this world as we want. Obviously, in an action game, we do not get mechanical freedom, but we get the freedom to judge the actions without being chained to one perspective. We naturally look for a hero and villain in a story so we can pick a side and try to make the actions during the game justified, but actually, there are no wrong answers here. No right person to cheer for, no villain to 100% rightfully prosecute. I understand that this isn't the sequel some of you wanted, but as consumers, we have to accept we are not the writers of the art we consume. Our expectations do not have to be met for it to be a good piece. The Last of Us Part 2 has been very thought-provoking to me, and hopefully eventually to the people that closed their eyes and ears after feeling mistreated by the writers after the leaks. 

Actually I think the fact we are discussing this game so intensely and will be discussing it for years when brought up, means it has done something right. I hope more people will get to see that, as the plot grows on them and we talk about it together in a respectful way.

Story

The moral choices of Joel in the first game were obviously questionable, and we all know Joel has done questionable things post-outbreak. The results of these actions start an avalanche of vengeful events, that we as players are asked to experience to inform our final judgment of these darks characters' morality. Naughtydog brings a balance of two rivaling moral perspectives throughout the game, to bring a complicated case at the end of it to the judgment of the player's own morality and point of view. It could have been told in a shorter tighter fashion, and pacing could use a tweak for sure. Still I think the story concept adds more to the game than pacing detracts if you get to the finishing line.

Worldbuilding

 The world is fantastic, it feels lived in and the factions are so cool I kept wanting to learn more about them. The small notes, letters, and diaries you find, the skeletons, everything takes part in telling the story of a world falling apart or already broken. I can't tell you a time where I felt this awed by the level of detail, love, and care put into every little microcosm that was the lives lived in this unforgiving world. They brought life to those we never met, and never will meet, and I applaud them for it! 

Gamedesign

The core gamedesign was mostly similar to "Part 1" with small additions like going prone, and dogs tracking you. The level design felt a bit off to me sometimes though as clear design language guiding players forward through areas had occasionally taken a backseat to realism. The darkness in some levels added a lot to the atmosphere, an atmosphere I haven't even felt in most horror games
I have played. I loved the tense feeling of walking down a dark hallway, dimly lit by a questionable flashlight. I love the times when I successfully snuck around enemies or did a cludge stealth takedown. When these things worked it was amazing, but in scenes meant to be action-oriented, it was pretty problematic. I became so frustrated by long wave-based action encounters, where I often got hit in the back by clickers while I was fighting some other enemy. The darkness made me depend on the barely useful listening mechanic which mixed with one-hit killers could be infuriating. A few times areas would feel forced like I had to engage in a fight no matter what. This was great in some cases, but a few times, this became so infuriatingly frustrating I went checkpoint hunting. I would run till I hit a checkpoint and let myself die. This was rare but I would feel dishonest if I didn't mention it. 

Final Thoughts

This game was not the 10/10 the gaming media promised us in my opinion,  however, I can't bring myself to give it less than an 8 or 9 either. Even though I felt like the gameplay was frustrating at points, and I think it could be shorter, I feel like the game is a unique piece of videogame storytelling. The way it does things with the story, demands to be finished and talked about.
I sure did feel tired, beaten, and then relieved as the game ended, but I felt like it was all worth it in the end.
This game was meant to be an unpleasant, unforgiving beatdown of emotions and hardship. A trek like no other. When I finished Last of Us Part 2 I finally understood what Playstation meant when they said they wanted to make "experiences" rather than "games".