When Tommy and Jesse find Ellie in the aquarium you don't see Tommy's face at first, but you see him say "Ellie, Ellie! You ok?" Or something like that, that isn't Tommy's voice actor though, it's Troy Baker, the voice of Joel, Ellie's so far gone and delusional that she started to hear Joel's voice in Tommy's, just a cool detail not a lot of people noticed.
Yeah!, I also thought I weirdly heard joel back in that scene when I first played it, thought I was the one going insane (I was still mourning joel back then haha)
I *literally* thought to myself “what’s the point of watching this, I’ve spent dozens of hours reading and watching video essays and Let’s Plays and every other possible critique of this game - is there anything left I don’t know?” And then I scroll down and read this. Gotta go back and hear it for myself. Great catch!
I think it will be appreciated over time! I personally think they should make a trilogy. It would round everything up IMO! I hope the third game will have Ellie and Abby work together to cure the world! Would be a perfect ending!
@@sambradley2370 i would definitely like to see Ellie somehow find a way to utilize her immunity in a meaningful way to her. A third game theoretically would make sense to do.
@@respect_zy I really hope that doesn't happen, if they wrote some shit like that then it would just signify that the writers have no talent, that's an overdone and garbage story trope.
@@DsgSleazy So gettin revenge in part 2 for someone that killed a love one isn’t cliche, mostly everything has been done already it’s really hard to be original nowadays because their is so many stories! It’s about the execution of how they do it! Everybody hating on last of us for being different and wanted the cliche revenge story, but when it comes to bringing them together and saving the world it’s too cliche! Idk but I already think last of us and last of us 2 is original because of how the construction of their world! Most unique world imo! I just want a happy ending for the game now! The first two wasn’t! 🤷♂️
Am i correct in saying that when you take a Scar as a human shield, the other Scars will just kill them, whereas the WLF will never kill one of their own. Another cool detail.
@@kthebarbarian8223 He's not being an edgelord, I fuckin love this game but the AI on the hardest difficulty is nothing like this guy describes, he's probably just ass.
@@DsgSleazy Is the A.I. not some of the most realistic and smartest in gaming? 🤔 That's all the OP said. Pretending that every game is "way too easy", when by most common gaming standards it's a pretty hard game or difficulty is edgelord behavior. I see it all the time in the SoulsBorne and now in the RETURNAL forums. It's about as annoying as a millionaire telling other people, "it's so easy to make a million dollars!"... We get it, you're good at the game. Lol. Reminds me of something a 12 year old would do
Was far easier just to take out their owner with the silenced pistol and leave the dog there to mourn. I'd figure throwing a Molotov would draw unnecessary attention and break ones stealth? lol
this is truly one of the most emotional experiences ive ever had playing a video game. whether you love it or hate it you cant deny that this game reaches down into your soul and makes you feel sadness, anger, grief, guilt all at the same time. the direction they took for this game was a huge risk and it completely payed off for me
@@guidopasquetto911 sounds like you're a boring genZ kid who is too used to marvel movies and seeing your heroes always win. That's not how life works, kid.
I just came here to say that I REALLY enjoyed the fact that when it came to opening safes you did not need to go and hunt for the combinations. After unlocking my 2nd safe I found that I could just listen to the clicks and the correct number made a different sound. An interesting detail I though id share
Yes, I remember after unlocking a safe, the next time I came across one, I wondered if I could hear the clicks. Naughty Dog are amazing with their detail, it's crazy there's so much stuff that they don't teach you
This is so satisfying to do! This game is a masterpiece, I thought they couldn't top the first one but they made it better. Part III will be something else, naughty dog are exceptional
couldn't you do this since the first game? I mean the original one. Because I played the Part 1 remake this year and I realized this on the first safe. In part 1 is harder to get the codes, part 2 usually has them close to the safe
I was watching my brother play once and saw him do this and I was dumbfounded. He was surprised at my reaction and asked how the hell did I open the safes then. He was dumbfounded back when I said the codes were almost always nearby
Life long Xbox player here. Saw a Last of Us 1 playthrough years ago so I knew the story. Bought a PS4 solely to play this game. One of my favorites of all time. You absolutely nailed this video, bruv!
So heartwarming to hear so many people playing this game and affecting them deeply, just like it did when I first played through both games. At the end of the first game, I just sat there for a second and said “Damn.” At the end of the second one, I had that feeling in my throat when it feels like you’re going to cry. Awesome experience to share with so many other people!
I also loved how Abby was basically if Sarah was the one to live through the beginning of the outbreak instead of Joel. Wide-eyed, and optimistic in the beginning, but grew to have all the same hatred that Joel did at the world for taking a loved one away from him, and decided to make them pay it back in blood. I also like how Abby and Joel are given keepsakes from Jerry and Sarah, who later died during their flashbacks, that symbolize a significant theme of their respective games, the broken watch represents how Joel will never move on from his trauma, while coins represent concrete memories that Abby must hold on to in order to realize and remember who she can truly be.
When I finished this game while Ellie fades away in the distance and the music kicks in, I felt an enormous sadness it was unbearable, I sobbed like I did when my father died, this story brought up buried feelings on how life is for someone that doesn't forgive that easily, I don't know If someone will read this, but I loved this video and the game. It couldn't have been better.🍃
It was REALLY close to home. I know what you mean. I think it might have been too close to home for some, OR that is was too far away from their world to understand some of the actions. I've seen a lot of people say that there's "major plot holes throughout the game" based on character actions. Those aren't plot holes. That's humanity you're seeing more than anything. There's convenient moments like in any story, but overall, it's so relentlessly human. I really hope Naughty Dog and other companies continue to push really interesting narratives that challenge people (for a reason, not for the sake of it). This is without a doubt a 10/10 for me. But so is something like God Of War, which is closer to a regular action game. But the story matters and is executed perfectly. I think both of these games show what the future holds, in two different seses. And I'm sorry for your loss, of course. I know the exact emotion you're talking about.
@@Official_KC I definitely agree with you. This story does not feel like a game, that is why i felt heartaches, guilt and sadness. It feels too real, and for people who haven't experienced that (not even for a moment) nothing makes sense, the more you progress through the story the more it loses its sense of rationality. That same lack of rationality Is what you would expect for someone too broken to eat. See you around, Take care!🌑
"I'd like that" When Joel says that and you can see the night glowing on his light trail of tears, that broke me more than anything in the game. Not the violence or deaths. And I still hate Abby. Always will hate Abby. But.... The game did something very unique and amazing to me. It really did explore the idea that forgiveness is much harder and more fragile than revenge.
Well it's kinda what last of us is. There's no heroes like Rick Grimes or Daryl Dixon, there are people, sad, hungry, lonely people in a world that really wants all of them dead. So yeah, it is depressing like hell
@@warlorddk2070 I argue it didn’t. Yes it told a bold story that resonated with some people, but it was so hilariously full of plot holes, contrivances, and characters acting very out of character, that I would say the story while bold is a mess. The rest is all quite good tho, graphics, acting etc...
I was so invested into Ellie’s story that when it cut and put me into Abby’s POV I wasn’t interested. I felt myself rushing her part with the expectation off it being short but it kept going and the more time I spent with Abby I became more invested in her story. It opened my eyes into the world of the last of us and even our own world. When we play video games we are presented with a black and white world but TLOU2 is the first time the world I was playing in was truly grey. It wasn’t just a “We are the bad guys actually” that a lot of games go for but a “Neither is wrong” and it’s something people don’t want to accept.
New Vegas came out 10 years prior and had a far more nuanced and morally gray world than TLOU ever did. People still viciously argue to this day which ending was the right one. Dark Souls also had a very morally grey story its just that you actually had to figure out you were being duped. "B-but it makes you feel bad for killing peepul!!1!" So did MGS3 in 2004 and that game gave you non lethal options so that any deaths in it were actually your fault. TLOU2 did not invent the concept of moral ambiguity, I will never understand why people praise this game so much for half assing shit other games did better years ago.
@@billcipher3946 agreed, personally i actually dont think TLOU1 was that good. Joel and Ellie's character dynamic and respective arcs were well done but truthfully it was the only thing that made the game notable. The concept of fungus zombies was genuinely really clever but painfully underutilised. Stealth is a simplistic facsimile of games like MGS or Thief, the survival horror aspects are a pale imitation of what resident evil offers. TLOU1 was a not very good game that had its charm. TLOU2 is that same game but instead of the charm its just high on its own pretentiousness.
@@MrPyroCrab I don't think moral ambiguity is the main point of TLOU2. Just because a revenge story doesn't end with revenge doesn't means it's about "revenge is bad".
The Ai continues to amaze me, the apartments full of stalkers are some of the best moments in a game for me. The inability to see them w the eagle vision, and seeing them peek from behind dark corners and then run the other way laughing when your flashlight hits their face is terrifying. One of the coolest enemies ever.
This is a really great video. Even though I don't agree with all of your opinions, you presented them in a clear and respectful way, without trying to offend people who think differently. Really good work man.
That's one thing from this vid that I completely appreciate. It wasn't like angry joe, tyler1, or xqc where they just shit on the game and will call you out for liking it. I mean, everyone thought dunkey liked the game for money when he just wanted to talk about why he liked the game and didn't shame anyone who didn't.
This game is just pure genius in the way it teaches the lesson that there are always 2 sides to every story. Joel wasn’t as innocent as he seemed. He was very flawed and did many horrible things as likeable as he was. What Joel did was indeed extremely selfish and screwed over all humanity. I love and respect how ND is not afraid to take risks and make its audience feel uncomfortable. We realize Abby was just as human as Ellie too. This game reminds us of just how quick society is to judge others and believe rumors without knowing all the details. And I love the way it wraps with every main character finally finding peace and closure within themselves.
When I first played this game, I enjoyed everything up till the moment I was playing as Abby. I definitely believe this is a game that's hard to play through in one sitting because it's mentally and emotionally exhausting, so upon the Abby switch, I put my controller down and went to bed. I played the next day as Abby thinking "Woah, it's kinda weird I'm walking through their base like I did with Ellie in the beginning." Then I started thinking "Woah. Kinda weird Abby is getting her own inventory system..." Then it really struck me that I'd be playing as her for just as long, if not longer than I did with Ellie. But by the time I dealt with the Rat King in the hospital, I was coming around to Abby. I even felt a little pride in her when she tried to cross the crane to get the tools Yara needed. She was willing to face that fear. Long story short, and unpopular opinion I know, but by the time Abby was heading to the theatre, I was ready to kill EVERYBODY in there. I loved all the characters on Ellie's side and I loved the first game; I really do, but after playing through Abby, and seeing what her 3 days had been like compared to Ellie's, I feel like with a 1 to 1 ratio, Abby had a MUCH harder 3 days than Ellie did. There's deeper context to my earlier thought of being ready to kill everyone on Ellie's side as Abby, but I'll leave my comment as this for now.
Thank you. I didn't believe or imagine or I couldn't get the idea that someone could reach that thought, for a while I thought it possible because millions of players went through this heartbreaking story and it always came to mind, "and what if someone supported more to abby" and I always thought that there could be a very, very tiny minority like 5 people kind of minority who would think that way, but more than that I don't think so, it's impossible it doesn't enter my head... but with your comment now I think it's possible that there are more than 5 or even more than a hundred people who felt that way and I thank you, I thank you for showing me how divisive this game is once again, and in a way that I had never thought of before , because as you yourself say, it is an unpopular opinion, but you are not the only person in the world who thinks that way, you are just the only one who got to write in a comment that few can read and see or even conceive of that possibility of opinion. Thanks for blowing my mind about how meaningful this franchise is to me and showing me that the game went above and beyond and made at least a handful of people feel that way. I don't know why but it's something that when I read it was a before and after, because I didn't think it was even possible. but now i know it is. thanks
I really would love to see a DLC about Tommy sides of this... playing through Seattle, scars, some dialogues about the last minutes of Joel with Abby, a good play with Sniper, a little bit about all of TLOU can delivery.
@@jingleballs9935 I don’t know. They said there wouldn’t be any dlc. I would have love it as well but i imagine they put so much detail in their games that it may just not be cost effective
Well it's a beauty. I am a person who can easily affected by motion sickness even in this game but i tried every way to reduce my motion sickness and it helped. So, really enjoyed this game. P.S - I completed this game mostly in stealth mode. Hardly used guns.
@Parveen Kumar - did you play it after the 60fps update by chance? I would think it would be a lot easier for you now. I felt similar after replaying TLOU in 60fps prior to the sequel coming out, and then TLOU2 being 30fps. It just felt jarring and turning the camera too quickly caused the occasional wooziness. But now it’s smooth as hell, so definitely worth another look in case you get the itch to go back!
TLOU2 left me fucked for days... I felt the heartbreak of every moment within this game. Something about how everything is presented leaves you thinking and thinking and thinking. This review covered it all. Fucking fantastic. Keep it up. EASY SUB
Y would u like to feel heartbroken Bc they ruined 2 of the characters we loved in the first game? This sequel didn’t need to be made it’s fucking pitful
@@billcipher3946 no... the first game was basic but it was heartfelt seeing these characters become so important to eachother over the course of the game the 2nd game just wants to be edgy and sad and so it’s laughably bad and pathetic
Naughty dog wanted you to feel empty at the end and I know this because the end song is titled beyond desolation. What a good game very effective at making you feel
I sat in stunned silence when the credits rolled. For several minutes (and then Ellie and Joel sang to me and made it better). It always blows my mind when I watch a Let’s Play of someone beating the game and they just back out of the credits right away. Not that they’re particularly interesting or anything, I just feel like I had so much to think about when I played. Maybe that’s the difference though when you’re playing it for an audience, who would be bored if you sat there with your jaw hanging on the floor while credits rolled.
@@fringeboi also, I have all the love in the world for Gustavo Santaolalla and his work on the score for both games, but can we talk about how excellent Mac Quayle’s contribution to it was? He scored all four seasons of Mr. Robot and is **amazing**. In this game, he did all the combat music and all the heavy synth sounds. If it made you feel dread, anxiety, or made you uncomfortable, it was his doing. It’s nothing I would want to listen to in the car in my free time or whatever but man did it ever contribute to the game in a perfect way.
Making u feel like shit and like they destroyed 2 amazing characters and a bond between them that we loved from the first game? Oh most definitely 10/10 game headass this is the worst fucking story I’ve every played
the reason like tlou part 2 so much is because it's not a generic kill the person that hurt you kinda story it's so unexpected which makes it one of the best games i've played
I didn't play the game until the PS5 patch came out. After all the months of criticism I heard, I couldn't help but wonder how I would feel about it. I thought the game was a masterpiece. The Storytelling, pacing, mechanics. Absolutely loved it
I remember when me and my girlfriend finished the game and we were speechless. It was the most emotionally draining experience I’ve even been through. This game is a classic
Everything about the game is pretty amazing, but Abby is just a hateable character, it’s her face that pisses me off. Plus I don’t like that they tried to make me like her, I understand it but the thing is you don’t kill one of my favourite characters in all of gaming then just expect me to be manipulated in to like Abby, I respect the effort but they went the wrong way about it with me. I’m attached to Joel so much because they did such a good job with him in the first game, so to try and make me like Abby more by essentially trying to break the illusion I already have of Joel from the first game just was never gonna work, and that’s really a compliment of the first game.
Well put. Very well done essay. One thing that you missed though. In the final moment when Elle plays Joel song, she is unable to play it because of the fingers she has lost in her quest for revenge. Her desire for vengeance consumed so much of her, she is even unable to play the song Joel taught her.
@@goavs7438 ellie lost nothing. Everyone in Jackson is OK, Tommy is still alive, she patched things up with Dina, she only killed people in cutscenes in self defense. I mean what did she actually lose besides her two fingers? She can learn to play with her other hand ffs. The games narrative is a fucking mess.
@@modernmobster she patched things up with dina? dina leaves her at the end we don’t see dina again she’s gone, tommy is resentful towards ellie at the end because she declines to not go after abby, therefore she probably can’t return to jackson. and even if she can who does she have there? she also loses jesse who’s now dead. how does ellie lose no one the game makes it very clear ellie is left with nothing by the end
@@goavs7438 there's absolutely no reason she can't patch things up, the tommy being resentful was just a contradiction of his actions from the beginning but is still something that can be patched up, no one gives a fuck about Jesse and he's never even brought up again after his death, and Jackson would definitely welcome her back. Where do you think she was headed at the end? It's not like she killed Abby anyway so the whole point of her leaving is made moot. And do you honestly believe even if ellie did kill abby that she wouldn't be able to convince Dina to take her back anyway? It was all a contrivance to fit with the revenge theme.
And rightfully so. Don’t listen to this guy above me commenting, there’s more to the story telling that make people upset. Neil did good by himself but Bruce and Neil make magic. Part 1 and Uncharted 4 are proof.
I loved part 1. Hated hearing about the story in part 2 before I played it. When I did end up playing it, I didn’t love everything about the story, but I thought the game overall was great.
It's still by far the one video game I replay the most and I still tear up everytime. I had a mental breakdown after playing it the first time - never hated it, though. It was a story so powerful that it impacted me deeply. It feels cathartic to play it now. So I don't care what anyone else says, it is THAT good for me.
I didn't know about the hate at all until after I played and beat it then I started reading about the game and everyone disliking it! I thought it was pretty amazing
@@sillkthashocker it's a great game and story (not perfect, has its flaws), but to understand it, the gamer needs certain level of IQ and maturity, which a high % of the gaming community doesn't have. The average gamer is a toxic rat kid, who of course doesn't understand why Joel had to pay for his actions or Ellie would let Abby go and loses their mind and calls the story dogshit because of it.
While I still have my misgivings with how the story plays out along with Naughty Dog’s reaction to the criticisms. However, this video has given me a new insight in how things played out in TLoU2. It makes me want to give it a shot with a fresh perspective.
@kshamwhizzle oh I did, I actually enjoyed my time with the game more than I thought I would. I may have hastily misjudged TLOU2 for all the wrong reasons, while yeah there’s some really odd story decisions that were included mainly for the need of shock value. I still had a good time with the game
@@thepowerofthegodhand7003 well yeah, i feel likebif it had a better order where you start off as Abby and it's not his constant flash backs the story would be better. Still one of my favorites games combat wise
I finally got to play this and part 1 this month and binged part 1 straight into part 2. By the end as the credits were rolling and that phenomenal score and song is playing. I had to sit there and ponder about a lot of things about myself, about life, about living through 2020 and right now everything going on in America as the pandemic is still going on and not getting better in certain places. And it occurred to me that The Last of Us refers as much to that last spark of humanity to be a good person as the last of us survivors because going’s through this world you see Joel and Abby regain their humanity while Ellie’s is burnt out of her
After finishing part 2 I pondered it what I just experienced in the same way I pondered how much a dumpster fire Game of Thrones Season 8 was. Or the Disney Star Wars trilogy.
The point you made that killing off a character we just got to know in the start and making it a point of plot is sooo true. I never get attached to such themes even though I try my hardest, same thing happened to me with Cyberpunk's narrative with Jackie. But with TLOU2 I was so much loved (hated with my heart at that moment) this.
I loved the way it moved me too. In fact, my initial reaction to Abby sparing Ellie in the theater was disappointment-- I wanted to see how far Naughty Dog would go to hurt the player lol. But I'm glad Abby did let Ellie go because we were then given a fantastic story about forgiving yourself and offering yourself compassion.
TLOU2 is probably my favorite PS4 game of the generation, but only after playing the game a 2nd time. My initial opinions were pretty mixed; I thought the Santa Barbara chapter felt tacked on, and kept questioning why Ellie would go such lengths to avenge Joel after cutting ties with him. There are so many intricate details in Ellie's and Abby's storylines, and foreshadowing instances which are easy to miss in a first playthrough. In terms of gameplay, I didn't really care much for TLOU1's gameplay, but TLOU2 improved it in almost every way.
i think what i felt most about santa barbara was that i was tired, and didn't want to do it anymore, like "again? let's go home, ellie", so i couldn't really enjoy the gameplay then. i love it now though, it's really fun.
Ellie went to Santa Barbara because she thought that she HAD to kill Abby to make her PTSD stop. Which it wouldn't of course and she accepts that in the end.
The fact is, in the last cutscene, when they talk while Joël drinks a coffee. Ellie says that she is ready to forgive Joël, AND, the movie Ellie was talking about to see with Joël at the very begining of the game was the first step of forgiveness. Even if she was mad of the lie she lived by, she still loved Joël, it is just a conflict in her mind. She knows how much he loves her and that he decided to save her because she is so important to him. As a stupid example, that's not because one of your parents prevented you to do something that you will hate them for the rest of your life. At the end of the day you still love them and pretty much always end up forgiving them.
The gameplay definitely improved from TLOU 1 but I think that wasn't really a high bar to beat. Shooting is still kinda wonky to me, similar to the first game and very similar to Days Gone which shooting I did not enjoy. They added prone and dodging which are welcoming additions but imo it feels the same as the first. It is noticably different with the visuals and better animation but overall it feels the same if that makes sense. So I wasn't that impressed with the gameplay, I think people are overrating it. Most of the gameplay is just you walking around and mindlessly looting for supplies and that's it. Gets very boring a lot of the times. But that may just be me
This a type of game where certain people will love the story and other will not, if you are willing to see it from a different point of view it may change your insight.
Exactly, this is why a lot of people hate it. People can’t get over the fact that Joel is a ‘bad guy’ to Abby just like Abby is the ‘bad guy’ to Ellie. They have their separate stories and reasons.
@@Petdub no, not for me. I knew Joel was a morally ambiguous character from the conclusion of the first game. That was why his choice at the end felt so impactful. was this the right thing to do or was he only satisfying his own selfish desires? The whole buildup throughout the story paints a picture of Joel that is not always kind, that his time in this broken world stained him, that he has had to kill and hurt innocent people to survive. This was already all contained in my image of Joel and for the second game to throw what I already knew about him in my face as if it was some kind of revelation felt degrading and cheap. This isn’t my first revenge story. There are many tales about the dichotomy of man, it is one of storytelling’s oldest tropes and I wasn’t impressed by it. However, I don’t think this game is awful. It still is a pretty good story and that it got far too much hate. Just nowhere near a masterpiece, and nowhere near as excellent as the first game.
@@dickhanson957 Joel did the right thing saving her, it was not selfish at all. No way she would rather be dead to find a cure that may never be found. Abby should know this and know why, Abby did not learn to forgive. She killed Joel didn't forgive him. Imo Joel deserved a better ways to go out not like that. 10 hours of gameplay with Abby wasn't needed, all we needed was to know how she relates to someone Joel killed. In ways the game is very good gameplay especially, but could of been done way better with the story direction.
Having dodged spoilers for a year and a half of Joel's demise. I understood the rage that divided the fanbase had with this entry. However, I decided to play the game after having bought it two months after its release, I held myself from September 2020 until March 2022 when I decided I had the time to focus on the game, and the hate discourse in the gaming community toned down. Man, I wish I would have played this sooner rather than later. What an emotional journey that made me sympathize and feel regret in my actions when Ellie and Abby had to fight each other in end. I was scared, nervous, and someway nauseated because killing at this moment felt unnecessary and inhumane. Thanks to this review and a few others on RUclips (Dunkey and Girlfriends Reviews), they managed to express what I felt and made me feel humane when it came to not wanting to fight or kill Abby in the end.
@@mister-pinkman gameplay was great honesty but story just didn't hit with me like the first one cuz in games we kill so many people that trying to make us feel bad for someone and telling there story after killing joel didnt work for me
@@vishavsra1116 Yep, ND had a chance to create something truly amazing after TLOU1 and they blew it, badly. Everything about this game is amazing,...except for the story. I'm glad some people liked it, but the fact that many didn't is telling. ND killed off a beloved character and expect you to care about and play as his killer. I couldn't give 2shits about whats her face. Is TLOU3 going to be about the son of someone Abby killed, seeking revenge. LMAO.
19:30 a band aid solution to this problem that I've found is using the accessibility options in the game their is an option you can enable that means when you click the left stick an arrow appears pointing you towards the next story objective. I used this so I knew where not to go, untill I had explored every other spot in the environment.
What a phenomenal video. Really appreciate what you did with this and truly enjoyed how it was handled. This game is, for me, the highest level of art the medium of video game has ever reached. If I could only hand down one example of this art form down to posterity, it would be this. Even film cannot force the viewer to feel the way this game forces the player to feel, because film is passive. Only video games can put the individual into the narrative as an active participant and no other game so effectively makes the player go through emotions that so closely resemble what the characters do, which is why this medium can surpass other forms of art if more artists make bold decisions like Naughty Dog has.
Please tell me why Ellie doesn't kill abbie in the end. And not anything to do with the theme of the game but why logically or even emotionally would she not just kill abbie
@@jacobcasey5202 Because Ellie wasn't out for revenge to kill Abbie from pure hate. She has a guilt for never forgiving Joel after what happened in the 1st game. She felt guilt and for that reason they thought going out to kill would bring her some sort of comfort and forgiveness she seeks from Joel which she never had. That;s why at the end she says to herself, " I forgive you Joel" and leaves the guitar.
@@javierlandaverde4108 I'm sorry but I just don't see that. It's pretty clear that she had the intention to kill abbie because abbie killed Joel and that throughout the whole game Ellie is trying to avenge him.
The last of us 2 had such a huge impact on my taste in games. After playing it, I couldn't take any other games serious really. The facial expressions, emotions, combat and the gameplay overall... It's a definite 10/10 from me. Haven't played anything else than TLOU 2 for pretty much half a year now.
I thought the ending was great. After, playing for the 3rd or 4th. I think Ellie's choice at the end made perfect sense. I don't think Ellie and Abby really even think about each other much and even on some kind of hateful level. It seems like the fanbase wants to turn into some kind of shonen anime rivalry when it isn't really. That's why the discussion about Abby has become a ''Team Ellie'' and '' Team Abby'' when it isn't really. Abby didn't even notice Ellie much until the theater. Even then when she told Abby about her immunity, Abby was flabbergasted. She figured it was just Tommy going after them. Abby never gave much thought to Ellie. It is similar for Ellie. Who is and why Abby did doesn't really matter to Ellie. Her rage to kill Abby seemed more like it was about unconscious guilt dealing with the fallout of their relationship after he told her the truth about what he did at the hospital. Ellie probably felt like she played a hand in his death by alienating him by keeping her distance from him. She destroyed a chance to connect with him and create so many great memories. That's why all of the flashbacks during Ellie's section deal with the points as Ellie and Joel's relationship keep deteriorating. Chasing after Abby was an outlet to deal with that frustration. So, that is what fuels her psyche Abby isn't even on her mind when she's trying to drown her. So, Last of Us part 2 is more about than revenge based on grief than retribution. She realized that killing Abby wouldn't have to get over the guilt and regret of alienating Joel so she let Abby go.
Spot on perfect assessment. Felt the same way playing the game my first run through. Just in general there were stats about how many people stop playing the game after Joel died or when Abby’s Seattle day 1 gameplay started so mostly the people who didn’t like the game didn’t finish it.
But that’s the problem… Abby isn’t more important than all of the other side characters that Ellie killed… she should have killed her without any hesitation or afterthought. Killing Abby shouldn’t have been any different than killing any of the dozens of other characters she killed in cold blood… because this isn’t a Shonen where the main character suddenly spares the life of an enemy.
@@ramigilneas9274 Abby was the outlet to deal with her trauma. Not Abby the person, but Abby as the target. People are pushing it as a not killing Abby equals going soft or forgiving her. Which I don't see in how the game presented it.
@@ash9280 It's again people confusing Ellie was killing everyone for revenge or on a revenge conquest but it wasn't. She felt guilt for never getting back to Joel after there huge argument from the first game.
Incredible video and review of such a magnificent game. This entire video covered every last detail of the game in a brilliant fashion, expressing the true raw feeling any gamer felt playing this video. I'm glad I watched it
Dude….. I have watched hours upon hours of analysis on this game. I am floored. The observations you made around 39:00 with the whole process of Abby and how she slowly learned that even killing Joel did not bring her peace. And only forgiveness in the end would achieve that. How the dreams and everything seemed to clearly point that out? Yeah, I have never heard ANYONE else make that observation, or at least lay it out as well as you have here. I have never been fond of this game but I am absolutely stoked to play it with a renewed perspective!! I have questioned the pacing and design decisions of this game. From why it chose to start you over as Abby to replay three days, to why did the game keep Joel killing Abby’s dad a secret for so long?? It just seemed kinda pretentious… but you have seriously made me understand what they have tried to do here. Even watching your video, I was immersed into a new experienced that caused me intense discomfort. In the best way lol. Thank you so much for sharing this perspective with us. And I am extremely excited to give this game a chance with an all new perspective!!! Fixed auto correct
Wow this is such an extremely kind comment :) And even if you end up not enjoying the game a second time I'm happy this resonated with you! Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to write this comment
The thing that kept me going with Ellie’s revenge was the fact that joel actually saved Abby’s life and she STILL killed him, that was the reasoning I kept recurring to to keep playing, even as Abby, to fulfill that revenge
@@l.b.r2134 yeah, like him helping her randomly as he was passing should make some kind of difference for her. "Oh this man who slit my dad's throat and destroyed my life saved me...at random....without knowing who I was! Hes not a bad guy! Joel would have killed Abby in one second had he figured out who she was before she did.
You review is excellent. Thank you for articulating the motivations, the mindset, the emotion, the consequences, the quandaries. I subscribed and I'm excited to watch more.
I mean it improved the gameplay and the graphics were really good. I just wasn't a fan of the story direction or any of the characters that got introduced in this one. But I was really hoping that the sequel would have went more into the outbreak and what not.
Then you are in for the wrong game, The Last Of Us its not about the outbreak or the infection, its about the characters on that theme. Also, Besides, if you are talking about the lore behind the world of TLOU, Abby´s side adds so much more content there that It does part of the outbreak better than the first one IMO. (The Hospital,Scars and their religion,The factions, Santa Barbara)
It is about the characters, and when you play as one of the worst characters in video game history for half the game, your game and its story are fucked
@@harveyhodgson8782 If u really think they're the same character then get your head examined. Joel loses his daughter, and we feel immediately feel for him. He takes on Ellie like she's his new daughter and wants to protect her. The story works. Abby lost her dad but too bad nobody cares, because Joel did it. And we root for Joel. Then she kills him early in the game, we don't know she is because she wasnt properly introduced in the story, we hate her, and then we play as her 12 hours later. That story doesn't work. Most absurd plot I've ever played through
Even the soundtrack was disappointing to me, most of the ost was just kinda meh compared to the original with the exception of like 2 or 3 tracks. Unlike the original I don't find myself casually istening to the ost at all. And I just finished playing FF7 Remake which has an outstanding and super memorable soundtrack that I could just listen to all the time.
In a time where emotional intelligence is so often challenging, this game is very powerful. Whether people enjoyed it or not, you felt something. Great video and recap of a triumph of a different kind of game. It was hard to play emotionally, but I’m so glad I completed it.
@sshuina it tells a lil cheap ass “revenge is bad” story it’s fucking funny tbh she literally kills half of the population in Seattle and the rest of the group is the THE OBES WHO DIDNT ACTUALLY KILL HIM mind u and she doesn’t kill her Bc y? That would end the cycle of violence right there lev would’ve died without Abby so she wouldn’t have came back there’s that and then they completely destroy Ellie’s relationship between Joel and tommy the only 2 characters we gave af about besides Ellie in the first game nobody gets a good ending what so ever this game was pointless it could’ve been done in such a better way give Joel a better death make Abby a half fucking decent human being and give her a better motive as well as more a story instead of saving a trans kid that they awkwardly force in our face the relationship we saw in the first game that grew was destroyed by this shitty game we all knew they would have a falling out Bc it’s Ellie she would’ve found out the truth but they could’ve done so much more if they kept Joel alive or atleast a lot longer then they did. On top of all of that ion understand how these little minded ppl can actually like abbys character just Bc they tried to make those gang characters “likeable” bro manny fucks teachers like lol ok? Good for him I still hate that mf tho Abby was saved BY FUCKING JOEL and she tortured him?fuck that bitch for life she couldve just taken his leg so he can never walk again bc her bitch ass dad even said he wouldnt let his daughter die like ellie wouodve died and then he gave joel no choice he didnt move so we were forced to kill him, his fault he should've understood Joel's motive. that being said theres a million other things but ill give those few the spotlight, they couldve done better way better instead of shitting on the players who love these characters and not just senseless violence and the feeling of emptiness
First time after finishing it I thought this game was absolute masterpiece. Now I can see some big flaws in the story but it's still far above 99% most videogame stories.
@@datiger39 Well, thats possible but I played some. All three Witchers, Cyberpunk, Uncharted 4, RDR2, all From Softwere games and Death Stranding. They are all great but the problem is that today most of aaa games stories are very similar to each other. Meanwhile tlou2 tries to challenge the player with difficult questions while other games are just trying to be as safe as possible. In 2021 being a good game or having a good story is no longer impressive because all of them are. Today non-indie games are so similar to each other that it is more important to be "diffrent" than being "good".
@@Sevren_ the mere fact that so many people misunderestood the story or not even tried to underestand it, shows that the story DID challanged the players Some of them failed.
It has really grown on me, first time I played the game I was okay with the story! After my fourth playthrough though... it's now one of my favorite games! 🤩
i really loved tlou2, and its probably one of my favorite games. the story and pacing definitely could have been better but i do think it wasnt awful, a couple bold choices that could have been executed differently, but overall pretty solid with some pretty powerful themes that kept the game in my brain weeks after finishing it. gameplay was fun, with some awesome tense encounters. a little difficult at times, but to a level that motivated me instead of frustrating me. graphics are also stunning and made it really fun to look at, the last segment in california had some absolutely jaw-dropping scenery for me, though it was all very well done. haven’t replayed it in a year though, and this video has inspired me to go back and play once my ps5 finally arrives (booo fedex shipping), will probably edit this with more of my thoughts whenever i finish it. awesome video man!! will be watching more of your vids in the future for sure
Finally got around to playing this one when it went on sale. What a crazy ride. Top tier gameplay and a story that invokes emotion. Not many games can do this.
@@mac4118 not you replying to almost every comment... Its funny how the people who hate the game are literally just as obsessed with the people who love it, just in a different way.
@@dinosaurruler7964 yk y? Bc it’s fucking god awful and the ppl who hate it actually loved Joel and Ellie the ppl who liked the game are weak minded and think they told a “deep story” just Bc it was depressing and dark😂 oouuu so edgy
This is my all time favourite game but I don't think people who disliked it have "surface level understanding". There are a lot of people who didn't agree with Druckman's pov. They understood the story, but didn't connect with it the same way others did. For those who connected with it, the experience is surreal. I didn't expect to be blown away to this extent by two video games. First it was TLOU and now TLOU pt. 2. Truly the best two I've ever played.
@@alexbain87 isn't it weird that the people that like the game are way more mature and open minded and nicer than the people that hate it and are vile, annoying and horrible? The irony of a game that teaches about acceptance and forgiveness and remembering your humanity, is being trashed by immature people that are horrible. Lmao, you remind me of the Seraphites, close minded and annoying.
@@crazybabuskaman3923 You guys aren't exactly innocent either, we all have different opinions, the story was a huge let down for me, that doesn't mean i'm stupid for "not understanding it" I did understand, I just didn't enjoy it, but there are people who liked the game giving crap to those who didn't and viceversa, no good sides here, haha the funny part is that, in the story, there are no good sides either.
This was an exquisite review. It was very thoughtful, had attention to detail, and put things into words, for feelings that I couldn't articulate myself. Sincerely, thank you!
Abby's section not only mirrors Ellie's arc and the whole story of TLOU but it is also a continuation of Ellie's development. Abby starts out where Ellie is at when the screen fades to black. She has had her revenge, she pulled trough. And now we see what that did to her. It didn't make her feel better, it didn't bring her dad back. And it wouldn't bring back Joel for Ellie If she went down the same path. The last section is so heart wrenching because we got to see what really made Abby have purpose again. It was Lev. Someone she found to care for. Someone to give her hope. Ellie is having the same with Dina and JJ but she didn't get her closure like Abby. It is frustrating and saddening but Ellie just has to see it trough to get to the same realization. What kept me glued to the screen was the uncertainty If she would. I played the whole Santa Barbara section in one go because I just had to see how Ellie would close off her story. I almost threw up, felt nauseous when she battled with Abby in the water. And I was so glad when she stopped at the last moment. I had seen that this wouldn't bring her peace, and now, she finally saw it too. The last flashback with Joel is the last and most poignant twist of TLOU2 story. Ellie didn't want revenge for Joel, she wanted revenge for another chance of redemption that someone took away from her. Joel took her chance of saving the world. And she couldn't forgive him, before Abby took that chance away from her too. In the end she learns to forgive, she tries what is harder than going halfway across the country to kill someone; she learns to forgive Joel. She learns to forgive someone she loved and trusted the most, someone who took agency from her and made her feel powerless. In the end, Ellie doesn't have to forgive Abby, because she never was angry at her. She was projecting her Anger at Joel and at herself that she couldn't forgive him in time, on to her. She learns to let go. "I don't know If I can forgive you for that. But I would like to try". And she tries.
I loved the choice they made that the only reason Abby is alive at the end... Is Ellie wanted to kill her right up until she was going to die. It was hard to watch them fight they made it so brutal and by that point you just want them to move on, especially Ellie for her own sake.
Amazing review! It took me sometime to stumble upon one addressing the fact that as a player you only find out far down the road whether Ellie actually knew about Joel's actions, which made the flashbacks functional to the progression and the story even more engaging
Technically it really was that good… but linear games that play more like a movie where you don’t make any decisions simply aren’t that impressive anymore.
The story was pretty bad and the gameplay is boring. The only thing this game has going for is how pretty it is. The story of the first game was brilliant but the gameplay was just as boring. The second is just revenge bad with characters i dont care about and the same gameplay. Also i dont get how people love these game so much bloodborne has better gameplay and a better story than both last of us games.
@@sugs0377 it’s 60fps on PS5 and yeah the way it looked running at a near locked 30fps on PS4 and still being one of the best looking games of all time running on 8 year old outdated hardware.
Abby is still a villain. Her actions are worse than Ellies, she kills lots of her own people in search for her revenge. Her father made the crazy choice to kill the only know immune person. What could he possibly learn by killing her in a matter of hours after meeting her that he wouldn't learn by studing her while keeping her alive for some time?
42:14 Your criticism of the scar island/Abby day 3 section feels like they stem more from the issue that Abby's section is a bit too long as a whole and less from the actual contents of that section. That's how I felt at least. There is only so long you can pull me away from the exciting climax we had reached in the plot.
Now that some time has passed, I'm really happy to see people reevaluating the game. I really do think the reception of this game is going to evolve into something more positive over time.
Nah this game has major plot holes like how tommy gets a arrow to the knee and then is shot in the head and we are expected to believe that he survived it
those are not plotholes actually.... incredibly lucky but far from plotholes. besides even the greatest movies and videogames have plotholes and conveniences.
I felt exactly the same when I played it at launch. I felt so 'wtf' as you take over as Abby, and I DREADED their inevitable conflict down the road. In the end, I realized Abby was more right, but understood great character development made both of their journeys feel real and believable. At the 1yr later mark i literally finished playing it again last night. I dont often replay games, but tlou stories are so good I make an exception. I was worried knowing the path of the narrative would dilute the experience. This time, knowing the story actually just allowed me to fully soak in the emotional struggle and actor performances in a way I was too overwhelmed by the game to fully appreciate it first time. The 2nd time, its Abby im 100% rooting for. She takes the similar path but finds maturity to get out of the revenge cycle of violence. Twice she spared Ellie, when her motivations were just as justified arguably moreso. I love Ellie's character but that dissolved by the end of pt2. Her choices were justified but by the end did not deserve to be happy. Abby did th flipside. She grew during her (horrific) journey and turned out to be the character I liked the most in the end. Freaking masterpiece. Great video, it was a wonderful take on the experience an open minded mature person can have playing such a unique game.
So two things I've noticed that I'd to being up. 1: This isn't 100% true, but for the most part, I feel like those who disliked the Last of Us Part 2 on youtube are those with big profile channels while those who have few subscribers are the ones who defend it. I think someone needs to do a census of this. 2: There is an episode of Avatar The Last Air Bender that mirrors Ellie's story arc in this game called, The Southern Raiders, where Katara teams up with Zuko to find the man who killed her mother. Both Ellie and Katara spare the killer in the end but for different reasons. In Katara's case, the killer has become a pathetic old man whose willing to sacrifice his own family just so Katara will spare him.
The big channels like Tyrone Magnus did this and then cried foul when people took that affirmation and attacked the VAs, as if they didn’t egg on this kind of behavior
Big youtubers complied with the general reaction of the audience to appeal to them, they go bias from the start to circlejerk their fans, wich makes their reviews very insincere. Small youtubers, or youtubers that really don´t live from youtube or can do polemic videos on the other hand express a more sincere opinion. thats it.
I'll never forget how I felt during the final flashback, when we find out that the night before Joel's death Ellie was finally going to try to forgive Joel. It makes the entire story that much more tragic. They never even had the chance to rekindle what they once had.
I just finished playing The Last Of Us Part 2 for the first time last night. I agree with your comments. This game is a masterpiece. I didn’t realise that the Abby at the end until they started fighting. She looked so different.
Just finished the game for the second tine, and I agree with everything you said. Thank you for this incredible, in-depth analysis of the masterpiece that is this game.
Because most people are bad writers but have the balls to try and criticise the writing. Meanwhile they're writing shitty fanfic where Joel lives and everything is peachy on paradise.
Last Of Us 2 is, by far, the best game ever. And this one year review its amazing. Thank you for bring back the memories. I love Ellie and i loved to play as Abby.
One of the biggest problems was the Pacing IMO, you are in a highpoint in the cinema, your Friend gets shot, tommy is hurt and then Abby holds you at gunpoint, then suddenly A FLASHBACK....
The Last of Us Part II truly is a masterpiece. I understand the story is polarizing, but it completely worked for me. Joel needed to die. His story arc was complete by the end of the first game. Abby's lust for revenge made perfect sense. From her perspective, this madman murdered her father and everyone in the hospital and prevented the small possible chance for a cure. If this game legitimately didn't work for you, that is perfectly fine and don't let anybody tell you any different, but don't shit on others for enjoying an experience that you didn't like.
@@BaranLordofLight Nobody...except me...and my friend... and a few hundred thousend other people who got the trophy. If you don't like the game then don't play it and don't say that no one likes it.
I played the first one when I was still a kid and didn’t understand many things but I had the opportunity to play the second one as a more mature person and can say that it resonated more with me
Even though I disagree with you on several aspects of the game, I wholeheartedly appreciate the approach you took to defending it rather than calling out others for disliking it. I think if more people had this level of civility when it came to criticism we'd be in a much better place as a society.
The last of us 2 reminds me a lot of the Jaws franchise. The first installment was really good, but future sequels just feel like a way to make money off the iconic name alone.
If they wanted to make money then they would give us another Joel and Ellie adventure without any controversial decisions. I think you are wrong about this. And they also wouldnt spend over 100 million dollars to make a cashgrab game with the visual quality it had.
@@indefenso2124 well that didn't work well for them because the sales flopped after a few days when the game came out and now even Sony and NaughtyDog refuses to share the sales of the game
@@gregwxst that was in the first days you idiot and besides that's because of the dishonest marketing that NaughtyDog use to make people believe that this was still a Joel and Ellie adventure, why do you think Sony hasn't say anything about sales?
I found it amazing. Even if story had some strange choices the ending was just perfect. The violence made it 100 times better and just gameplay in general is just amazing
I feel the exact same way, this game has the best graphics, level design, boss fights, enemy ai, etc etc I have ever seen in any game, and yet for me the game didn't 'feel' enjoyable overall, because of the pacing, story decisions etc in my opinion.
Amazing video. You perfectly described my thoughts on the game. So many people were immediately blinded by the fact that Joel died, then they didn't want to experience the game further and labeled the game as bad just because of his death even when the game had so much to offer. I also experienced all the emotional roller coasters, from not accepting the fact that Joel really died, hating Abby and the fact we had to play as her for so long, but after finishing the game and watched so many analysis videos about the game I feel like the storytelling in the game is great. This is the first game that actually shook me to the core and I absolutely enjoyed it. I wish more games in the future would be able to take this path, making the players question the morality and play as morally grey characters
when it came out I hated it with a burning passion, now after replaying it twice it isn't as bad as I thought, it's a graphical powerhouse and the gameplay is fun, but the story is bad(not because Joel died, I would've been surprised if he didn't), in the first game the story served the characters and vice versa whereas in the sequel there were coincidences and characters made stupid mistakes just so the story could happen case in point (abby finding joel and ellie dropping a map conveniently listing her location after killing mel) and to me that isn't competent writing, I respect naughty dog's ambition for taking the sequel in an unexpected direction but the execution could've been a lot better, I love the last of us 1 and it was the first game that made me feel real strong emotions and it's still my favorite game of all time
I personally never had as much passion as others do for either game in this franchise. They are by no means bad games but neither game really got to me emotionally except for the opening intro of the first game where Joel looses his daughter. And like you said the direction they wanted to take the sequel is awesome but it’s terrible execution ruins the ideas. I honestly feel each game sits near the middle in terms of greatest to worst games because as I said both are great but they don’t do much in terms of innovation aside from graphics and some gameplay elements. If I would have to put a best or favorite video game it would have to be Bloodborne. No game I have ever played has given me a change in perspective, ideas, emotions, and writing as much as that game has.
The Last of Us was a simple and personal story about a broken man and a little girl with a lot of hope for humanity but it was so well made this game tries to be expand on a bigger conflict but most of the time so finish halfway through and it's execution it's very poor
@@smoker5989 Very bad interpretation of the second game. Because the second game is all about humanity too. But not in a wider way, just in a very individual way. The conflict of the first game is huge, the conflict in the second game is very restricted...
@@sandrobsnake humanition yeah the story is so human that we have old guys dying by torture, babies getting killed, pregnat women doing parkour, cheating it's like a shitty teen drama
@@smoker5989 I said humanity... and with humanity comes all the good, but also all the bad... This game is about going to hell and coming out of it a different person... That goes for both girls...
I personally enjoyed II a LOT. It is an amazing game with wonderful story and gameplay. Definetely worth of awards. Sure I havw few complaints but to me personally it is an 9/10
@@lowsodiumgamer6805 I think that stopping the story at the climax only to tell me a new "story" kills all narrative structure and dissipates all manner of narrative tension. I think the game constantly trying villanize Ellie while putting Abby on a pedestal is disingenuous and it left me feeling like the game was trying to tell me "revenge bad!! but only if you're ellie". also many people being this up but joel wouldn't have died that time if him and tommy acted consistently with their characters and many, many other similar sorts of criticisms.
When Tommy and Jesse find Ellie in the aquarium you don't see Tommy's face at first, but you see him say "Ellie, Ellie! You ok?" Or something like that, that isn't Tommy's voice actor though, it's Troy Baker, the voice of Joel, Ellie's so far gone and delusional that she started to hear Joel's voice in Tommy's, just a cool detail not a lot of people noticed.
Oh wow. I’ll have to play that again. I noticed also Owen says “she… pregnant..” very softly that is not subtitled.
Yeah!, I also thought I weirdly heard joel back in that scene when I first played it, thought I was the one going insane (I was still mourning joel back then haha)
@@ThatFuckinGame still mourning I think …
Wow i never noticed that it was Joel's voice thanks
I *literally* thought to myself “what’s the point of watching this, I’ve spent dozens of hours reading and watching video essays and Let’s Plays and every other possible critique of this game - is there anything left I don’t know?” And then I scroll down and read this. Gotta go back and hear it for myself. Great catch!
"Was it really that good?" lol the fanbase was so divided they fought a civil war over it
I think it will be appreciated over time! I personally think they should make a trilogy. It would round everything up IMO! I hope the third game will have Ellie and Abby work together to cure the world! Would be a perfect ending!
@@respect_zy that sounds too clichè...
@@sambradley2370 i would definitely like to see Ellie somehow find a way to utilize her immunity in a meaningful way to her. A third game theoretically would make sense to do.
@@respect_zy I really hope that doesn't happen, if they wrote some shit like that then it would just signify that the writers have no talent, that's an overdone and garbage story trope.
@@DsgSleazy So gettin revenge in part 2 for someone that killed a love one isn’t cliche, mostly everything has been done already it’s really hard to be original nowadays because their is so many stories! It’s about the execution of how they do it! Everybody hating on last of us for being different and wanted the cliche revenge story, but when it comes to bringing them together and saving the world it’s too cliche! Idk but I already think last of us and last of us 2 is original because of how the construction of their world! Most unique world imo! I just want a happy ending for the game now! The first two wasn’t! 🤷♂️
Am i correct in saying that when you take a Scar as a human shield, the other Scars will just kill them, whereas the WLF will never kill one of their own. Another cool detail.
And then theres aby
kill who ? you make no sense
@@berimar5675 the hostage/human shield
@@berimar5675 he makes perfect sense your just slow
@@holdentudiks9390 It was a simple, polite question that has already been answered ....... no need to be rude about that
The enemy AI is on another level on the highest difficulties. And it was more realistic and smarter than anything I've ever seen in a game.
I’m stuck fighting these scars o. The hardest difficulty.. it’s brutal but so realistic I’m addicted
@Green Grugach
Ok edgelord 🙄😂
@@kthebarbarian8223 He's not being an edgelord, I fuckin love this game but the AI on the hardest difficulty is nothing like this guy describes, he's probably just ass.
@@DsgSleazy
Is the A.I. not some of the most realistic and smartest in gaming? 🤔
That's all the OP said.
Pretending that every game is "way too easy", when by most common gaming standards it's a pretty hard game or difficulty is edgelord behavior. I see it all the time in the SoulsBorne and now in the RETURNAL forums.
It's about as annoying as a millionaire telling other people, "it's so easy to make a million dollars!"... We get it, you're good at the game. Lol. Reminds me of something a 12 year old would do
@@kthebarbarian8223 No.
sound design in this game is really good, something that is rarely mentioned
People hate the story so they focus on that hate and don’t acknowledge any of the objective strengths the game has, like sound design
You're right I played through the game with headphones
it’s so immersive and very easy to get lost in
it's mentioned at literally every corner what u talking about lmao.
Oh absolutely tlou 2 is a technical masterpiece that's why it's so depressing that the plot sucked so much
Sentences you don't hear every day: "Molotov'ing the dog"
I used to setup claymores for the dogs when they were sniffing out my trail 🤦🏽♂️ Lol
Molotov ing the dogs is ok but im more fond of landmining the dogs
Was far easier just to take out their owner with the silenced pistol and leave the dog there to mourn. I'd figure throwing a Molotov would draw unnecessary attention and break ones stealth? lol
land mining the dogs was satisfying. so annoying
It's funny how i can kill hundreds of humans in this game and feel nothing but even offending a dog hits me hard
this is truly one of the most emotional experiences ive ever had playing a video game. whether you love it or hate it you cant deny that this game reaches down into your soul and makes you feel sadness, anger, grief, guilt all at the same time. the direction they took for this game was a huge risk and it completely payed off for me
Not really. After Joel died the only thing i felt was the need to play a better game
@@guidopasquetto911 well thats ur experience and thats fine
@@guidopasquetto911 sounds like you're a boring genZ kid who is too used to marvel movies and seeing your heroes always win. That's not how life works, kid.
@@smellypatel5272 wtf
@@guidopasquetto911 really? quitting because joel died? joel was a good character but... really?
I just came here to say that I REALLY enjoyed the fact that when it came to opening safes you did not need to go and hunt for the combinations. After unlocking my 2nd safe I found that I could just listen to the clicks and the correct number made a different sound. An interesting detail I though id share
Yes, I remember after unlocking a safe, the next time I came across one, I wondered if I could hear the clicks. Naughty Dog are amazing with their detail, it's crazy there's so much stuff that they don't teach you
This is so satisfying to do! This game is a masterpiece, I thought they couldn't top the first one but they made it better. Part III will be something else, naughty dog are exceptional
couldn't you do this since the first game? I mean the original one. Because I played the Part 1 remake this year and I realized this on the first safe. In part 1 is harder to get the codes, part 2 usually has them close to the safe
I was watching my brother play once and saw him do this and I was dumbfounded. He was surprised at my reaction and asked how the hell did I open the safes then. He was dumbfounded back when I said the codes were almost always nearby
Life long Xbox player here. Saw a Last of Us 1 playthrough years ago so I knew the story. Bought a PS4 solely to play this game. One of my favorites of all time. You absolutely nailed this video, bruv!
So heartwarming to hear so many people playing this game and affecting them deeply, just like it did when I first played through both games. At the end of the first game, I just sat there for a second and said “Damn.” At the end of the second one, I had that feeling in my throat when it feels like you’re going to cry. Awesome experience to share with so many other people!
They are soooo good
@King Freak ps fanboy
@@Hasbulla761 you're a troll. Get out of here
@King Freak FACT most of the bad reviews came from Xbox players that never played the game!!!
Something I appreciated was how Abby controlled very similarly to Joel in the first game: very powerful and weighty, she even uses shivs too
That and she uses planks and ladders, i don't think ellie does
Not to mention the flamethrower and fists of justice.
I also loved how Abby was basically if Sarah was the one to live through the beginning of the outbreak instead of Joel. Wide-eyed, and optimistic in the beginning, but grew to have all the same hatred that Joel did at the world for taking a loved one away from him, and decided to make them pay it back in blood. I also like how Abby and Joel are given keepsakes from Jerry and Sarah, who later died during their flashbacks, that symbolize a significant theme of their respective games, the broken watch represents how Joel will never move on from his trauma, while coins represent concrete memories that Abby must hold on to in order to realize and remember who she can truly be.
When I finished this game while Ellie fades away in the distance and the music kicks in, I felt an enormous sadness it was unbearable, I sobbed like I did when my father died, this story brought up buried feelings on how life is for someone that doesn't forgive that easily, I don't know If someone will read this, but I loved this video and the game. It couldn't have been better.🍃
I read this and may your father Rest in peace 🙏
It was REALLY close to home. I know what you mean. I think it might have been too close to home for some, OR that is was too far away from their world to understand some of the actions. I've seen a lot of people say that there's "major plot holes throughout the game" based on character actions. Those aren't plot holes. That's humanity you're seeing more than anything. There's convenient moments like in any story, but overall, it's so relentlessly human. I really hope Naughty Dog and other companies continue to push really interesting narratives that challenge people (for a reason, not for the sake of it). This is without a doubt a 10/10 for me. But so is something like God Of War, which is closer to a regular action game. But the story matters and is executed perfectly. I think both of these games show what the future holds, in two different seses.
And I'm sorry for your loss, of course. I know the exact emotion you're talking about.
@@Zeegoku1007 thank you so much⭐
@@Official_KC I definitely agree with you. This story does not feel like a game, that is why i felt heartaches, guilt and sadness. It feels too real, and for people who haven't experienced that (not even for a moment) nothing makes sense, the more you progress through the story the more it loses its sense of rationality. That same lack of rationality Is what you would expect for someone too broken to eat.
See you around, Take care!🌑
It’s because of this that I’m still too scared to play this game myself
"I'd like that"
When Joel says that and you can see the night glowing on his light trail of tears, that broke me more than anything in the game. Not the violence or deaths. And I still hate Abby. Always will hate Abby.
But.... The game did something very unique and amazing to me. It really did explore the idea that forgiveness is much harder and more fragile than revenge.
Yeah it is amazing in that respect. I, too, find that I can only forgive others after I've slaughtered hundreds of other human beings.
Abby is Levs Joel.
This game was so f*cking depressing.
Love the game but no arguments here
Well it's kinda what last of us is. There's no heroes like Rick Grimes or Daryl Dixon, there are people, sad, hungry, lonely people in a world that really wants all of them dead. So yeah, it is depressing like hell
It gets exhausting after a while, the game needs to get over itself
And that is why it fuckin succeeded 🤣
@@warlorddk2070 I argue it didn’t. Yes it told a bold story that resonated with some people, but it was so hilariously full of plot holes, contrivances, and characters acting very out of character, that I would say the story while bold is a mess. The rest is all quite good tho, graphics, acting etc...
I was so invested into Ellie’s story that when it cut and put me into Abby’s POV I wasn’t interested. I felt myself rushing her part with the expectation off it being short but it kept going and the more time I spent with Abby I became more invested in her story. It opened my eyes into the world of the last of us and even our own world. When we play video games we are presented with a black and white world but TLOU2 is the first time the world I was playing in was truly grey. It wasn’t just a “We are the bad guys actually” that a lot of games go for but a “Neither is wrong” and it’s something people don’t want to accept.
New Vegas came out 10 years prior and had a far more nuanced and morally gray world than TLOU ever did. People still viciously argue to this day which ending was the right one.
Dark Souls also had a very morally grey story its just that you actually had to figure out you were being duped.
"B-but it makes you feel bad for killing peepul!!1!"
So did MGS3 in 2004 and that game gave you non lethal options so that any deaths in it were actually your fault.
TLOU2 did not invent the concept of moral ambiguity, I will never understand why people praise this game so much for half assing shit other games did better years ago.
@@MrPyroCrab Same can be said about the original last of us. Children of men, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, and other classic post apocalyptic stories.
@@billcipher3946 agreed, personally i actually dont think TLOU1 was that good. Joel and Ellie's character dynamic and respective arcs were well done but truthfully it was the only thing that made the game notable. The concept of fungus zombies was genuinely really clever but painfully underutilised. Stealth is a simplistic facsimile of games like MGS or Thief, the survival horror aspects are a pale imitation of what resident evil offers.
TLOU1 was a not very good game that had its charm. TLOU2 is that same game but instead of the charm its just high on its own pretentiousness.
@@MrPyroCrab I agree to be honest i feel like gamers have never read any dark books/comics or dark and grey films.
@@MrPyroCrab I don't think moral ambiguity is the main point of TLOU2. Just because a revenge story doesn't end with revenge doesn't means it's about "revenge is bad".
Scar island is my favorite chapter of all time. What a feeling I'll never forget.
OMG like it went from 10 to 1000 so quick
*Ahem* Seraphites lol
you mean the pointless side quest trying to help a gender confused girl kill her mom cause she's triggered?
@@KidAstronavt lol i will never not mistake seraphites as scars
@@BarkerVancity wow you managed to be transphobic and disrespect others opinions at the same time
The Ai continues to amaze me, the apartments full of stalkers are some of the best moments in a game for me. The inability to see them w the eagle vision, and seeing them peek from behind dark corners and then run the other way laughing when your flashlight hits their face is terrifying. One of the coolest enemies ever.
This is a really great video. Even though I don't agree with all of your opinions, you presented them in a clear and respectful way, without trying to offend people who think differently. Really good work man.
Thank you so freaking much! Comments like these make my day, hell my week. I appreciate that
Well said.
@@jayveeeee i found your video very insightful. Thanks for that.
That's one thing from this vid that I completely appreciate. It wasn't like angry joe, tyler1, or xqc where they just shit on the game and will call you out for liking it. I mean, everyone thought dunkey liked the game for money when he just wanted to talk about why he liked the game and didn't shame anyone who didn't.
This game is just pure genius in the way it teaches the lesson that there are always 2 sides to every story. Joel wasn’t as innocent as he seemed. He was very flawed and did many horrible things as likeable as he was. What Joel did was indeed extremely selfish and screwed over all humanity. I love and respect how ND is not afraid to take risks and make its audience feel uncomfortable. We realize Abby was just as human as Ellie too. This game reminds us of just how quick society is to judge others and believe rumors without knowing all the details. And I love the way it wraps with every main character finally finding peace and closure within themselves.
When I first played this game, I enjoyed everything up till the moment I was playing as Abby. I definitely believe this is a game that's hard to play through in one sitting because it's mentally and emotionally exhausting, so upon the Abby switch, I put my controller down and went to bed. I played the next day as Abby thinking "Woah, it's kinda weird I'm walking through their base like I did with Ellie in the beginning." Then I started thinking "Woah. Kinda weird Abby is getting her own inventory system..." Then it really struck me that I'd be playing as her for just as long, if not longer than I did with Ellie. But by the time I dealt with the Rat King in the hospital, I was coming around to Abby. I even felt a little pride in her when she tried to cross the crane to get the tools Yara needed. She was willing to face that fear. Long story short, and unpopular opinion I know, but by the time Abby was heading to the theatre, I was ready to kill EVERYBODY in there. I loved all the characters on Ellie's side and I loved the first game; I really do, but after playing through Abby, and seeing what her 3 days had been like compared to Ellie's, I feel like with a 1 to 1 ratio, Abby had a MUCH harder 3 days than Ellie did. There's deeper context to my earlier thought of being ready to kill everyone on Ellie's side as Abby, but I'll leave my comment as this for now.
Thank you.
I didn't believe or imagine or I couldn't get the idea that someone could reach that thought, for a while I thought it possible because millions of players went through this heartbreaking story and it always came to mind, "and what if someone supported more to abby" and I always thought that there could be a very, very tiny minority like 5 people kind of minority who would think that way, but more than that I don't think so, it's impossible it doesn't enter my head... but with your comment now I think it's possible that there are more than 5 or even more than a hundred people who felt that way and I thank you, I thank you for showing me how divisive this game is once again, and in a way that I had never thought of before , because as you yourself say, it is an unpopular opinion, but you are not the only person in the world who thinks that way, you are just the only one who got to write in a comment that few can read and see or even conceive of that possibility of opinion.
Thanks for blowing my mind about how meaningful this franchise is to me and showing me that the game went above and beyond and made at least a handful of people feel that way.
I don't know why but it's something that when I read it was a before and after, because I didn't think it was even possible. but now i know it is.
thanks
@@sebasnm3560 oh trust me, there are ...
18:58 I've played this game 4 times and I didn't know that loot was up there lmao
Same
Found that on my first play through, while looking for a way to get to the safe.
You ain’t the only one
Me too
Same, but I only played twice
I really would love to see a DLC about Tommy sides of this... playing through Seattle, scars, some dialogues about the last minutes of Joel with Abby, a good play with Sniper, a little bit about all of TLOU can delivery.
ugh, DLC with Tommy would have been amazing
Why didn't they do that
@@jingleballs9935 I don’t know. They said there wouldn’t be any dlc. I would have love it as well but i imagine they put so much detail in their games that it may just not be cost effective
@@EJD339 well.. They have lied about much when it comes to this game so let's hope they're lying about not making a DLC about Tommy
@@D.O.R.E.I I’m sorry you feel that way, man. That sucks.
Well it's a beauty. I am a person who can easily affected by motion sickness even in this game but i tried every way to reduce my motion sickness and it helped. So, really enjoyed this game.
P.S - I completed this game mostly in stealth mode. Hardly used guns.
Did you get a reward because I feel like that’s a accomplishment?
I blasted through everything lol
@@thetriborg9588 just a trophy 🏆
This game also has tones of accessibility options, it’s simply amazing
There’s a accessibility setting for motion sickness in options I think
@Parveen Kumar - did you play it after the 60fps update by chance? I would think it would be a lot easier for you now. I felt similar after replaying TLOU in 60fps prior to the sequel coming out, and then TLOU2 being 30fps. It just felt jarring and turning the camera too quickly caused the occasional wooziness. But now it’s smooth as hell, so definitely worth another look in case you get the itch to go back!
TLOU2 left me fucked for days... I felt the heartbreak of every moment within this game. Something about how everything is presented leaves you thinking and thinking and thinking.
This review covered it all. Fucking fantastic. Keep it up. EASY SUB
Y would u like to feel heartbroken Bc they ruined 2 of the characters we loved in the first game? This sequel didn’t need to be made it’s fucking pitful
Agreed the story was so good
@@mac4118 Be honest fans wanted a fan service cookie cutter story.
@@billcipher3946 no... the first game was basic but it was heartfelt seeing these characters become so important to eachother over the course of the game the 2nd game just wants to be edgy and sad and so it’s laughably bad and pathetic
@@mac4118 The first game's story was way too predictable though. lol
Naughty dog wanted you to feel empty at the end and I know this because the end song is titled beyond desolation. What a good game very effective at making you feel
I sat in stunned silence when the credits rolled. For several minutes (and then Ellie and Joel sang to me and made it better). It always blows my mind when I watch a Let’s Play of someone beating the game and they just back out of the credits right away. Not that they’re particularly interesting or anything, I just feel like I had so much to think about when I played. Maybe that’s the difference though when you’re playing it for an audience, who would be bored if you sat there with your jaw hanging on the floor while credits rolled.
It also enforces it since the song before is "all gone (the promise)" which made my body crumble in sadness
@@MrJagermeister as
@@fringeboi also, I have all the love in the world for Gustavo Santaolalla and his work on the score for both games, but can we talk about how excellent Mac Quayle’s contribution to it was? He scored all four seasons of Mr. Robot and is **amazing**. In this game, he did all the combat music and all the heavy synth sounds. If it made you feel dread, anxiety, or made you uncomfortable, it was his doing. It’s nothing I would want to listen to in the car in my free time or whatever but man did it ever contribute to the game in a perfect way.
Making u feel like shit and like they destroyed 2 amazing characters and a bond between them that we loved from the first game? Oh most definitely 10/10 game headass this is the worst fucking story I’ve every played
the reason like tlou part 2 so much is because it's not a generic kill the person that hurt you kinda story it's so unexpected which makes it one of the best games i've played
I didn't play the game until the PS5 patch came out. After all the months of criticism I heard, I couldn't help but wonder how I would feel about it. I thought the game was a masterpiece. The Storytelling, pacing, mechanics.
Absolutely loved it
same!!! just finished part II very recently for the first time. Played the two games back to back... just blown away, I'm replaying already.
No matter what this will always be one of my favorite game series of all time both the first one and the second
It was a hard experience, it’s painful when you loose someone you love
*L O O S E*
Just tighten them then
I remember when me and my girlfriend finished the game and we were speechless. It was the most emotionally draining experience I’ve even been through. This game is a classic
Yeah a classic disappointment.
@@williammontgomery9254 ratio
A classic disaster indeed
This is the best review, I had so many mixed feelings throughout the game but as it settled after I finished it, it’s become my favorite game
this is exactly how i feel i went up and down on my first play through but the overall impact overpowers any issues i may have with it
Everything about the game is pretty amazing, but Abby is just a hateable character, it’s her face that pisses me off. Plus I don’t like that they tried to make me like her, I understand it but the thing is you don’t kill one of my favourite characters in all of gaming then just expect me to be manipulated in to like Abby, I respect the effort but they went the wrong way about it with me. I’m attached to Joel so much because they did such a good job with him in the first game, so to try and make me like Abby more by essentially trying to break the illusion I already have of Joel from the first game just was never gonna work, and that’s really a compliment of the first game.
@@thewu6252 dont cry it just was a depressing and sad game but it was amazing one of best games ever
Same! It took me a while to appreciate but it did what it set out to do, which was make me feel emotions. Brilliant game.
@@thewu6252 well said
Well put. Very well done essay. One thing that you missed though. In the final moment when Elle plays Joel song, she is unable to play it because of the fingers she has lost in her quest for revenge. Her desire for vengeance consumed so much of her, she is even unable to play the song Joel taught her.
Even though she could learn to play with her other hand.
she lost everything because of it
@@goavs7438 ellie lost nothing. Everyone in Jackson is OK, Tommy is still alive, she patched things up with Dina, she only killed people in cutscenes in self defense. I mean what did she actually lose besides her two fingers? She can learn to play with her other hand ffs. The games narrative is a fucking mess.
@@modernmobster she patched things up with dina? dina leaves her at the end we don’t see dina again she’s gone, tommy is resentful towards ellie at the end because she declines to not go after abby, therefore she probably can’t return to jackson. and even if she can who does she have there? she also loses jesse who’s now dead. how does ellie lose no one the game makes it very clear ellie is left with nothing by the end
@@goavs7438 there's absolutely no reason she can't patch things up, the tommy being resentful was just a contradiction of his actions from the beginning but is still something that can be patched up, no one gives a fuck about Jesse and he's never even brought up again after his death, and Jackson would definitely welcome her back. Where do you think she was headed at the end? It's not like she killed Abby anyway so the whole point of her leaving is made moot. And do you honestly believe even if ellie did kill abby that she wouldn't be able to convince Dina to take her back anyway? It was all a contrivance to fit with the revenge theme.
I never played part 2. People seem to hate it or love it. Part 1 was universally loved.
People only hate it coz according to them, they shouldn’t have killed Joel. Thats basically that of the negative reviews.
And rightfully so. Don’t listen to this guy above me commenting, there’s more to the story telling that make people upset. Neil did good by himself but Bruce and Neil make magic. Part 1 and Uncharted 4 are proof.
I loved part 1. Hated hearing about the story in part 2 before I played it. When I did end up playing it, I didn’t love everything about the story, but I thought the game overall was great.
It’s the most awarded game in history
@@G0DLIKE92 Bruce only worked on the gameplay in part 1, the story was all Neil.
It's still by far the one video game I replay the most and I still tear up everytime. I had a mental breakdown after playing it the first time - never hated it, though. It was a story so powerful that it impacted me deeply. It feels cathartic to play it now. So I don't care what anyone else says, it is THAT good for me.
I didn't know about the hate at all until after I played and beat it then I started reading about the game and everyone disliking it! I thought it was pretty amazing
You’re corny it’s a video game I loved it but damn seeking attention much
@@sillkthashocker obviously never played the first one beforehand and jumped on the bandwagon
@@sillkthashocker it's a great game and story (not perfect, has its flaws), but to understand it, the gamer needs certain level of IQ and maturity, which a high % of the gaming community doesn't have. The average gamer is a toxic rat kid, who of course doesn't understand why Joel had to pay for his actions or Ellie would let Abby go and loses their mind and calls the story dogshit because of it.
While I still have my misgivings with how the story plays out along with Naughty Dog’s reaction to the criticisms. However, this video has given me a new insight in how things played out in TLoU2. It makes me want to give it a shot with a fresh perspective.
hey, that's the best I can hope for. I'm really glad that's what you got out of it :)
I feel the exact same way
@kshamwhizzle oh I did, I actually enjoyed my time with the game more than I thought I would. I may have hastily misjudged TLOU2 for all the wrong reasons, while yeah there’s some really odd story decisions that were included mainly for the need of shock value. I still had a good time with the game
@kshamwhizzle What were some weird decisions?
Personally I love the gameplay, I’m still kinda eh on the story but I still enjoy the story
That's y I take g.o.t by a slight edge but both games r really good
Same here, alot of people are just being nit picky
Same. I love it but it would have been so much better if the ending didnt shit on Ellie and Abby so much.
@@Imjustkidding12346 no this story was all over the place
@@thepowerofthegodhand7003 well yeah, i feel likebif it had a better order where you start off as Abby and it's not his constant flash backs the story would be better. Still one of my favorites games combat wise
I finally got to play this and part 1 this month and binged part 1 straight into part 2. By the end as the credits were rolling and that phenomenal score and song is playing. I had to sit there and ponder about a lot of things about myself, about life, about living through 2020 and right now everything going on in America as the pandemic is still going on and not getting better in certain places. And it occurred to me that The Last of Us refers as much to that last spark of humanity to be a good person as the last of us survivors because going’s through this world you see Joel and Abby regain their humanity while Ellie’s is burnt out of her
After finishing part 2 I pondered it what I just experienced in the same way I pondered how much a dumpster fire Game of Thrones Season 8 was. Or the Disney Star Wars trilogy.
One thing I will say about the game is I will never forget the experience of playing it. Whether it’s for the better or the worst.
The point you made that killing off a character we just got to know in the start and making it a point of plot is sooo true. I never get attached to such themes even though I try my hardest, same thing happened to me with Cyberpunk's narrative with Jackie. But with TLOU2 I was so much loved (hated with my heart at that moment) this.
I loved the way it moved me too. In fact, my initial reaction to Abby sparing Ellie in the theater was disappointment-- I wanted to see how far Naughty Dog would go to hurt the player lol. But I'm glad Abby did let Ellie go because we were then given a fantastic story about forgiving yourself and offering yourself compassion.
TLOU2 is probably my favorite PS4 game of the generation, but only after playing the game a 2nd time. My initial opinions were pretty mixed; I thought the Santa Barbara chapter felt tacked on, and kept questioning why Ellie would go such lengths to avenge Joel after cutting ties with him.
There are so many intricate details in Ellie's and Abby's storylines, and foreshadowing instances which are easy to miss in a first playthrough.
In terms of gameplay, I didn't really care much for TLOU1's gameplay, but TLOU2 improved it in almost every way.
i think what i felt most about santa barbara was that i was tired, and didn't want to do it anymore, like "again? let's go home, ellie", so i couldn't really enjoy the gameplay then. i love it now though, it's really fun.
Ellie went to Santa Barbara because she thought that she HAD to kill Abby to make her PTSD stop. Which it wouldn't of course and she accepts that in the end.
The fact is, in the last cutscene, when they talk while Joël drinks a coffee. Ellie says that she is ready to forgive Joël, AND, the movie Ellie was talking about to see with Joël at the very begining of the game was the first step of forgiveness.
Even if she was mad of the lie she lived by, she still loved Joël, it is just a conflict in her mind. She knows how much he loves her and that he decided to save her because she is so important to him.
As a stupid example, that's not because one of your parents prevented you to do something that you will hate them for the rest of your life. At the end of the day you still love them and pretty much always end up forgiving them.
The gameplay definitely improved from TLOU 1 but I think that wasn't really a high bar to beat. Shooting is still kinda wonky to me, similar to the first game and very similar to Days Gone which shooting I did not enjoy. They added prone and dodging which are welcoming additions but imo it feels the same as the first. It is noticably different with the visuals and better animation but overall it feels the same if that makes sense. So I wasn't that impressed with the gameplay, I think people are overrating it. Most of the gameplay is just you walking around and mindlessly looting for supplies and that's it. Gets very boring a lot of the times. But that may just be me
My God.
I can't imagine people playing through this piece of garbage twice
This a type of game where certain people will love the story and other will not, if you are willing to see it from a different point of view it may change your insight.
Exactly, this is why a lot of people hate it. People can’t get over the fact that Joel is a ‘bad guy’ to Abby just like Abby is the ‘bad guy’ to Ellie. They have their separate stories and reasons.
@@Petdub no, not for me. I knew Joel was a morally ambiguous character from the conclusion of the first game. That was why his choice at the end felt so impactful. was this the right thing to do or was he only satisfying his own selfish desires? The whole buildup throughout the story paints a picture of Joel that is not always kind, that his time in this broken world stained him, that he has had to kill and hurt innocent people to survive. This was already all contained in my image of Joel and for the second game to throw what I already knew about him in my face as if it was some kind of revelation felt degrading and cheap. This isn’t my first revenge story. There are many tales about the dichotomy of man, it is one of storytelling’s oldest tropes and I wasn’t impressed by it. However, I don’t think this game is awful. It still is a pretty good story and that it got far too much hate. Just nowhere near a masterpiece, and nowhere near as excellent as the first game.
@@dickhanson957 right.
@@dickhanson957 Good summary! I'm glad there are people like you in the comments section, lol :)
@@dickhanson957 Joel did the right thing saving her, it was not selfish at all. No way she would rather be dead to find a cure that may never be found. Abby should know this and know why, Abby did not learn to forgive. She killed Joel didn't forgive him. Imo Joel deserved a better ways to go out not like that. 10 hours of gameplay with Abby wasn't needed, all we needed was to know how she relates to someone Joel killed. In ways the game is very good gameplay especially, but could of been done way better with the story direction.
Having dodged spoilers for a year and a half of Joel's demise. I understood the rage that divided the fanbase had with this entry. However, I decided to play the game after having bought it two months after its release, I held myself from September 2020 until March 2022 when I decided I had the time to focus on the game, and the hate discourse in the gaming community toned down. Man, I wish I would have played this sooner rather than later. What an emotional journey that made me sympathize and feel regret in my actions when Ellie and Abby had to fight each other in end. I was scared, nervous, and someway nauseated because killing at this moment felt unnecessary and inhumane.
Thanks to this review and a few others on RUclips (Dunkey and Girlfriends Reviews), they managed to express what I felt and made me feel humane when it came to not wanting to fight or kill Abby in the end.
I’m glad the controversy finally died down so I can actually talk about this game without people arguing!
dont go to twitter lol game is still "trash" or "the worst story ever made" but its twitter so what was I expecting
@@ShadowExile89 I don’t *ever* go on Twitter, that place is a cesspool of negativity
@@mister-pinkman gameplay was great honesty but story just didn't hit with me like the first one cuz in games we kill so many people that trying to make us feel bad for someone and telling there story after killing joel didnt work for me
@@ShadowExile89 the game is mediocre tbh.
@@vishavsra1116 Yep, ND had a chance to create something truly amazing after TLOU1 and they blew it, badly. Everything about this game is amazing,...except for the story. I'm glad some people liked it, but the fact that many didn't is telling. ND killed off a beloved character and expect you to care about and play as his killer. I couldn't give 2shits about whats her face. Is TLOU3 going to be about the son of someone Abby killed, seeking revenge. LMAO.
19:30 a band aid solution to this problem that I've found is using the accessibility options in the game their is an option you can enable that means when you click the left stick an arrow appears pointing you towards the next story objective. I used this so I knew where not to go, untill I had explored every other spot in the environment.
What a phenomenal video. Really appreciate what you did with this and truly enjoyed how it was handled. This game is, for me, the highest level of art the medium of video game has ever reached. If I could only hand down one example of this art form down to posterity, it would be this. Even film cannot force the viewer to feel the way this game forces the player to feel, because film is passive. Only video games can put the individual into the narrative as an active participant and no other game so effectively makes the player go through emotions that so closely resemble what the characters do, which is why this medium can surpass other forms of art if more artists make bold decisions like Naughty Dog has.
Ahh thank you so much for this extremely kind comment! You're bang on with how this game makes you feel. Few games are able to "trick me" into caring.
Especially when it comes down to the villain 😂
Please tell me why Ellie doesn't kill abbie in the end. And not anything to do with the theme of the game but why logically or even emotionally would she not just kill abbie
@@jacobcasey5202 Because Ellie wasn't out for revenge to kill Abbie from pure hate. She has a guilt for never forgiving Joel after what happened in the 1st game. She felt guilt and for that reason they thought going out to kill would bring her some sort of comfort and forgiveness she seeks from Joel which she never had. That;s why at the end she says to herself, " I forgive you Joel" and leaves the guitar.
@@javierlandaverde4108 I'm sorry but I just don't see that. It's pretty clear that she had the intention to kill abbie because abbie killed Joel and that throughout the whole game Ellie is trying to avenge him.
The last of us 2 had such a huge impact on my taste in games. After playing it, I couldn't take any other games serious really. The facial expressions, emotions, combat and the gameplay overall... It's a definite 10/10 from me. Haven't played anything else than TLOU 2 for pretty much half a year now.
I went back to finish RE3 Remake after this and it just wasn’t hitting the same
Same!
Same besides online multiplayers I haven’t played a single player experience since then
I thought the ending was great. After, playing for the 3rd or 4th. I think Ellie's choice at the end made perfect sense.
I don't think Ellie and Abby really even think about each other much and even on some kind of hateful level. It seems like the fanbase wants to turn into some kind of shonen anime rivalry when it isn't really. That's why the discussion about Abby has become a ''Team Ellie'' and '' Team Abby'' when it isn't really.
Abby didn't even notice Ellie much until the theater. Even then when she told Abby about her immunity, Abby was flabbergasted. She figured it was just Tommy going after them. Abby never gave much thought to Ellie.
It is similar for Ellie. Who is and why Abby did doesn't really matter to Ellie. Her rage to kill Abby seemed more like it was about unconscious guilt dealing with the fallout of their relationship after he told her the truth about what he did at the hospital. Ellie probably felt like she played a hand in his death by alienating him by keeping her distance from him. She destroyed a chance to connect with him and create so many great memories. That's why all of the flashbacks during Ellie's section deal with the points as Ellie and Joel's relationship keep deteriorating. Chasing after Abby was an outlet to deal with that frustration. So, that is what fuels her psyche Abby isn't even on her mind when she's trying to drown her. So, Last of Us part 2 is more about than revenge based on grief than retribution. She realized that killing Abby wouldn't have to get over the guilt and regret of alienating Joel so she let Abby go.
Spot on perfect assessment. Felt the same way playing the game my first run through. Just in general there were stats about how many people stop playing the game after Joel died or when Abby’s Seattle day 1 gameplay started so mostly the people who didn’t like the game didn’t finish it.
That doesn't make it a satisfying ending
But that’s the problem… Abby isn’t more important than all of the other side characters that Ellie killed… she should have killed her without any hesitation or afterthought.
Killing Abby shouldn’t have been any different than killing any of the dozens of other characters she killed in cold blood… because this isn’t a Shonen where the main character suddenly spares the life of an enemy.
@@ramigilneas9274 Abby was the outlet to deal with her trauma. Not Abby the person, but Abby as the target. People are pushing it as a not killing Abby equals going soft or forgiving her. Which I don't see in how the game presented it.
@@ash9280 It's again people confusing Ellie was killing everyone for revenge or on a revenge conquest but it wasn't. She felt guilt for never getting back to Joel after there huge argument from the first game.
Wow. I can't believe it's already been a year since this game has came out
You're not alone. I feel exactly about this game and story. Amazing way of seeing things. A story unlike anything out there.
I can name like 12 books, games and movies that have done this plot, and better off the top of my head
@@datiger39 name all 12 please
@@connorveach5986 oof, got a big feeling he wont
@@lilhades9484 ahah definitely a tall order coming up with 12. Could have just picked like two or three, but no. 12 it is
@@datiger39 name them please.
Incredible video and review of such a magnificent game. This entire video covered every last detail of the game in a brilliant fashion, expressing the true raw feeling any gamer felt playing this video. I'm glad I watched it
The production quality is fantastic!! you deserve more views
Dude….. I have watched hours upon hours of analysis on this game. I am floored. The observations you made around 39:00 with the whole process of Abby and how she slowly learned that even killing Joel did not bring her peace. And only forgiveness in the end would achieve that. How the dreams and everything seemed to clearly point that out? Yeah, I have never heard ANYONE else make that observation, or at least lay it out as well as you have here. I have never been fond of this game but I am absolutely stoked to play it with a renewed perspective!! I have questioned the pacing and design decisions of this game. From why it chose to start you over as Abby to replay three days, to why did the game keep Joel killing Abby’s dad a secret for so long?? It just seemed kinda pretentious… but you have seriously made me understand what they have tried to do here. Even watching your video, I was immersed into a new experienced that caused me intense discomfort. In the best way lol. Thank you so much for sharing this perspective with us. And I am extremely excited to give this game a chance with an all new perspective!!!
Fixed auto correct
Wow this is such an extremely kind comment :) And even if you end up not enjoying the game a second time I'm happy this resonated with you! Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to write this comment
The thing that kept me going with Ellie’s revenge was the fact that joel actually saved Abby’s life and she STILL killed him, that was the reasoning I kept recurring to to keep playing, even as Abby, to fulfill that revenge
It was quite ironic.
bruh she spent years thinking about killing the man who murdered her dad, i don’t think him saving her out of nowhere would effect what she came to do
I don’t know what to tell you if you got to the end of the game and still wanted to see them kill each other.
@@l.b.r2134 yeah, like him helping her randomly as he was passing should make some kind of difference for her.
"Oh this man who slit my dad's throat and destroyed my life saved me...at random....without knowing who I was! Hes not a bad guy!
Joel would have killed Abby in one second had he figured out who she was before she did.
@@l.b.r2134 rly? it wouldn't effect her because why exactly?
You review is excellent. Thank you for articulating the motivations, the mindset, the emotion, the consequences, the quandaries. I subscribed and I'm excited to watch more.
Very glad you enjoyed this so much! Thanks for the sub :)
I mean it improved the gameplay and the graphics were really good. I just wasn't a fan of the story direction or any of the characters that got introduced in this one. But I was really hoping that the sequel would have went more into the outbreak and what not.
Then you are in for the wrong game, The Last Of Us its not about the outbreak or the infection, its about the characters on that theme.
Also, Besides, if you are talking about the lore behind the world of TLOU, Abby´s side adds so much more content there that It does part of the outbreak better than the first one IMO. (The Hospital,Scars and their religion,The factions, Santa Barbara)
It is about the characters, and when you play as one of the worst characters in video game history for half the game, your game and its story are fucked
@@Rynos8771 how are they the worst? Abby is literally joel but a woman. You’re not making much sense pal
@@harveyhodgson8782 If u really think they're the same character then get your head examined. Joel loses his daughter, and we feel immediately feel for him. He takes on Ellie like she's his new daughter and wants to protect her. The story works. Abby lost her dad but too bad nobody cares, because Joel did it. And we root for Joel. Then she kills him early in the game, we don't know she is because she wasnt properly introduced in the story, we hate her, and then we play as her 12 hours later. That story doesn't work. Most absurd plot I've ever played through
@@harveyhodgson8782 Abby isn’t any where near as Joel. Don’t even compare them
Story was super disappointing for me after the 6 year wait but the gamplay? Soundtrack? Graphics? Sound design? All phenomenal
Literally everything was amazing except the story.
@@travismason2609 yes this is true
Even the soundtrack was disappointing to me, most of the ost was just kinda meh compared to the original with the exception of like 2 or 3 tracks. Unlike the original I don't find myself casually istening to the ost at all.
And I just finished playing FF7 Remake which has an outstanding and super memorable soundtrack that I could just listen to all the time.
@@cynicalidealist11 yeah 2 didint have a as good soundtrack but it's one was still alright
The story was actually the best thing about TLOU2.... i can see why TLOU2 won 307 GOTY awards beating Witcher 3
In a time where emotional intelligence is so often challenging, this game is very powerful. Whether people enjoyed it or not, you felt something. Great video and recap of a triumph of a different kind of game. It was hard to play emotionally, but I’m so glad I completed it.
Felt like shit Bc they ruined the lives of characters I loved from the first game
@@mac4118 It was an amazing game🤷🏽♂️ can’t wait for the 3rd one
@@basketballbeast755 it wasn’t story wise it was hilariously bad anyways
@sshuina it tells a lil cheap ass “revenge is bad” story it’s fucking funny tbh she literally kills half of the population in Seattle and the rest of the group is the THE OBES WHO DIDNT ACTUALLY KILL HIM mind u and she doesn’t kill her Bc y? That would end the cycle of violence right there lev would’ve died without Abby so she wouldn’t have came back there’s that and then they completely destroy Ellie’s relationship between Joel and tommy the only 2 characters we gave af about besides Ellie in the first game nobody gets a good ending what so ever this game was pointless it could’ve been done in such a better way give Joel a better death make Abby a half fucking decent human being and give her a better motive as well as more a story instead of saving a trans kid that they awkwardly force in our face the relationship we saw in the first game that grew was destroyed by this shitty game we all knew they would have a falling out Bc it’s Ellie she would’ve found out the truth but they could’ve done so much more if they kept Joel alive or atleast a lot longer then they did. On top of all of that ion understand how these little minded ppl can actually like abbys character just Bc they tried to make those gang characters “likeable” bro manny fucks teachers like lol ok? Good for him I still hate that mf tho Abby was saved BY FUCKING JOEL and she tortured him?fuck that bitch for life she couldve just taken his leg so he can never walk again bc her bitch ass dad even said he wouldnt let his daughter die like ellie wouodve died and then he gave joel no choice he didnt move so we were forced to kill him, his fault he should've understood Joel's motive. that being said theres a million other things but ill give those few the spotlight, they couldve done better way better instead of shitting on the players who love these characters and not just senseless violence and the feeling of emptiness
If you consider emotions ranging from indifference to annoyance powerful then sure it was powerful. This game has the intelligence of an edgy teen.
The Rat King fight gave me anxiety. In the dark. On your own. Very uncomfortable situation.
First time after finishing it I thought this game was absolute masterpiece. Now I can see some big flaws in the story but it's still far above 99% most videogame stories.
There is a lot more narratives in video games better than part 2, just saying you must not have played a lot of games maybe
@@datiger39 Well, thats possible but I played some. All three Witchers, Cyberpunk, Uncharted 4, RDR2, all From Softwere games and Death Stranding. They are all great but the problem is that today most of aaa games stories are very similar to each other. Meanwhile tlou2 tries to challenge the player with difficult questions while other games are just trying to be as safe as possible. In 2021 being a good game or having a good story is no longer impressive because all of them are. Today non-indie games are so similar to each other that it is more important to be "diffrent" than being "good".
@@mtszkrk They didn’t challenge anybody with their story
@@Sevren_ the mere fact that so many people misunderestood the story or not even tried to underestand it, shows that the story DID challanged the players
Some of them failed.
@@mtszkrk people who didn’t try to understand the story weren’t interested in it. You can’t use those people for your defense
It has really grown on me, first time I played the game I was okay with the story! After my fourth playthrough though... it's now one of my favorite games! 🤩
i really loved tlou2, and its probably one of my favorite games. the story and pacing definitely could have been better but i do think it wasnt awful, a couple bold choices that could have been executed differently, but overall pretty solid with some pretty powerful themes that kept the game in my brain weeks after finishing it. gameplay was fun, with some awesome tense encounters. a little difficult at times, but to a level that motivated me instead of frustrating me. graphics are also stunning and made it really fun to look at, the last segment in california had some absolutely jaw-dropping scenery for me, though it was all very well done.
haven’t replayed it in a year though, and this video has inspired me to go back and play once my ps5 finally arrives (booo fedex shipping), will probably edit this with more of my thoughts whenever i finish it. awesome video man!! will be watching more of your vids in the future for sure
Finally got around to playing this one when it went on sale. What a crazy ride. Top tier gameplay and a story that invokes emotion. Not many games can do this.
Man u put into words how this game made me feel, fantastic vid
For real !!! My thoughts exactly
This game is dog shit the graphics and gameplay carry tf out of it
@@mac4118 not you replying to almost every comment... Its funny how the people who hate the game are literally just as obsessed with the people who love it, just in a different way.
@@dinosaurruler7964 yk y? Bc it’s fucking god awful and the ppl who hate it actually loved Joel and Ellie the ppl who liked the game are weak minded and think they told a “deep story” just Bc it was depressing and dark😂 oouuu so edgy
@@mac4118 Chill out G.
LOU2 is still haunting me. I'll take some (potent) happy pills before replaying it on the PS5. In my opinion: it's one of the best games ever made.
Naughty Dog is the best at making games but the story is 50/50 for me.
How tf.... the story is literally the worse thing I’ve seen in a video game it’s so bad it’s hilarious
@@mac4118 ok
@@gurizao268 ok bud
@@mac4118 bruh- why are you even in these comments? Just say you hate the game with an obsession and leave lol
@@dinosaurruler7964 Bc this game deserves unbridled hate for all of eternity for how dog shit this game is😂
This game is absolutely amazing, and so is the story, people who have surface level understanding will say the story is bad.
This is my all time favourite game but I don't think people who disliked it have "surface level understanding". There are a lot of people who didn't agree with Druckman's pov. They understood the story, but didn't connect with it the same way others did.
For those who connected with it, the experience is surreal. I didn't expect to be blown away to this extent by two video games. First it was TLOU and now TLOU pt. 2. Truly the best two I've ever played.
Lmfao. Typical “you have to be smart to like this garbage” shit. Bite me, Roy.
@@alexbain87 isn't it weird that the people that like the game are way more mature and open minded and nicer than the people that hate it and are vile, annoying and horrible? The irony of a game that teaches about acceptance and forgiveness and remembering your humanity, is being trashed by immature people that are horrible. Lmao, you remind me of the Seraphites, close minded and annoying.
@@crazybabuskaman3923 You guys aren't exactly innocent either, we all have different opinions, the story was a huge let down for me, that doesn't mean i'm stupid for "not understanding it" I did understand, I just didn't enjoy it, but there are people who liked the game giving crap to those who didn't and viceversa, no good sides here, haha the funny part is that, in the story, there are no good sides either.
@@george-xcx Can you explain how the structure and pacing is bad?
"two scars who fled the seraphites" subscribed
This was an exquisite review. It was very thoughtful, had attention to detail, and put things into words, for feelings that I couldn't articulate myself.
Sincerely, thank you!
Abby's section not only mirrors Ellie's arc and the whole story of TLOU but it is also a continuation of Ellie's development. Abby starts out where Ellie is at when the screen fades to black. She has had her revenge, she pulled trough. And now we see what that did to her. It didn't make her feel better, it didn't bring her dad back. And it wouldn't bring back Joel for Ellie If she went down the same path.
The last section is so heart wrenching because we got to see what really made Abby have purpose again. It was Lev. Someone she found to care for. Someone to give her hope. Ellie is having the same with Dina and JJ but she didn't get her closure like Abby. It is frustrating and saddening but Ellie just has to see it trough to get to the same realization. What kept me glued to the screen was the uncertainty If she would. I played the whole Santa Barbara section in one go because I just had to see how Ellie would close off her story. I almost threw up, felt nauseous when she battled with Abby in the water. And I was so glad when she stopped at the last moment. I had seen that this wouldn't bring her peace, and now, she finally saw it too.
The last flashback with Joel is the last and most poignant twist of TLOU2 story. Ellie didn't want revenge for Joel, she wanted revenge for another chance of redemption that someone took away from her. Joel took her chance of saving the world. And she couldn't forgive him, before Abby took that chance away from her too. In the end she learns to forgive, she tries what is harder than going halfway across the country to kill someone; she learns to forgive Joel. She learns to forgive someone she loved and trusted the most, someone who took agency from her and made her feel powerless. In the end, Ellie doesn't have to forgive Abby, because she never was angry at her. She was projecting her Anger at Joel and at herself that she couldn't forgive him in time, on to her. She learns to let go. "I don't know If I can forgive you for that. But I would like to try". And she tries.
I loved the choice they made that the only reason Abby is alive at the end... Is Ellie wanted to kill her right up until she was going to die. It was hard to watch them fight they made it so brutal and by that point you just want them to move on, especially Ellie for her own sake.
Amazing review! It took me sometime to stumble upon one addressing the fact that as a player you only find out far down the road whether Ellie actually knew about Joel's actions, which made the flashbacks functional to the progression and the story even more engaging
The Last of Us Part II was really that good. It made all other games seem last gen. Even new games that are coming out today, a year later.
Technically it really was that good… but linear games that play more like a movie where you don’t make any decisions simply aren’t that impressive anymore.
@@ramigilneas9274 the last of us 2 was VERY impressive. It ruined all other games for me. It literally makes every other game look and feel last gen.
Don’t know about THAT but to his is own 👍🏽
The story was pretty bad and the gameplay is boring. The only thing this game has going for is how pretty it is. The story of the first game was brilliant but the gameplay was just as boring. The second is just revenge bad with characters i dont care about and the same gameplay. Also i dont get how people love these game so much bloodborne has better gameplay and a better story than both last of us games.
@@sugs0377 it’s 60fps on PS5 and yeah the way it looked running at a near locked 30fps on PS4 and still being one of the best looking games of all time running on 8 year old outdated hardware.
The number of times i got chills watching this...just confirms to me that this is my favorite game of all time.
Abby is still a villain. Her actions are worse than Ellies, she kills lots of her own people in search for her revenge. Her father made the crazy choice to kill the only know immune person. What could he possibly learn by killing her in a matter of hours after meeting her that he wouldn't learn by studing her while keeping her alive for some time?
42:14 Your criticism of the scar island/Abby day 3 section feels like they stem more from the issue that Abby's section is a bit too long as a whole and less from the actual contents of that section. That's how I felt at least. There is only so long you can pull me away from the exciting climax we had reached in the plot.
Now that some time has passed, I'm really happy to see people reevaluating the game. I really do think the reception of this game is going to evolve into something more positive over time.
Nope
i couldn’t agree more i’ve seen the same thing happen with the prequels and Zack snyder’s DC movies
Loved it, cant wait for the GoT review
Will he do one?
@@msaad8053 he says he is planning one at the end of the vid
Nah this game has major plot holes like how tommy gets a arrow to the knee and then is shot in the head and we are expected to believe that he survived it
those are not plotholes actually.... incredibly lucky but far from plotholes. besides even the greatest movies and videogames have plotholes and conveniences.
"Was really that good ?" No, it is much better than only "that good", this game is a masterpiece
I felt exactly the same when I played it at launch. I felt so 'wtf' as you take over as Abby, and I DREADED their inevitable conflict down the road. In the end, I realized Abby was more right, but understood great character development made both of their journeys feel real and believable.
At the 1yr later mark i literally finished playing it again last night. I dont often replay games, but tlou stories are so good I make an exception. I was worried knowing the path of the narrative would dilute the experience.
This time, knowing the story actually just allowed me to fully soak in the emotional struggle and actor performances in a way I was too overwhelmed by the game to fully appreciate it first time.
The 2nd time, its Abby im 100% rooting for. She takes the similar path but finds maturity to get out of the revenge cycle of violence.
Twice she spared Ellie, when her motivations were just as justified arguably moreso.
I love Ellie's character but that dissolved by the end of pt2. Her choices were justified but by the end did not deserve to be happy. Abby did th flipside. She grew during her (horrific) journey and turned out to be the character I liked the most in the end.
Freaking masterpiece. Great video, it was a wonderful take on the experience an open minded mature person can have playing such a unique game.
Oh man, thank you for the amazingly kind words!! And for sharing your experience! You’re making me want to go back and play it again :)
Honestly I completely agree. I’ve been replaying the game currently and Abby is definitely one of my favourite characters
So two things I've noticed that I'd to being up. 1: This isn't 100% true, but for the most part, I feel like those who disliked the Last of Us Part 2 on youtube are those with big profile channels while those who have few subscribers are the ones who defend it. I think someone needs to do a census of this. 2: There is an episode of Avatar The Last Air Bender that mirrors Ellie's story arc in this game called, The Southern Raiders, where Katara teams up with Zuko to find the man who killed her mother. Both Ellie and Katara spare the killer in the end but for different reasons. In Katara's case, the killer has become a pathetic old man whose willing to sacrifice his own family just so Katara will spare him.
That's a good observation actually, about the reviews. And yeah I enjoyed that episode too.
Not every big youtube channel hate this game, Dunkey and Girlfriend reviews defend this game
Good Reference. And you’re right.
The big channels like Tyrone Magnus did this and then cried foul when people took that affirmation and attacked the VAs, as if they didn’t egg on this kind of behavior
Big youtubers complied with the general reaction of the audience to appeal to them, they go bias from the start to circlejerk their fans, wich makes their reviews very insincere.
Small youtubers, or youtubers that really don´t live from youtube or can do polemic videos on the other hand express a more sincere opinion. thats it.
I'll never forget how I felt during the final flashback, when we find out that the night before Joel's death Ellie was finally going to try to forgive Joel. It makes the entire story that much more tragic. They never even had the chance to rekindle what they once had.
I just finished playing The Last Of Us Part 2 for the first time last night. I agree with your comments. This game is a masterpiece. I didn’t realise that the Abby at the end until they started fighting. She looked so different.
No game will ever beat rdr2 in my first place, but this game was close. I know a lot of people didn’t like it but in my opinion it was amazing
Prey is also up there with those two games in my opinion
Rdr2 was great. TLOU2 wasn't.
@@ChurlzVA that’s your opinion, I respect it
Just finished the game for the second tine, and I agree with everything you said. Thank you for this incredible, in-depth analysis of the masterpiece that is this game.
i fell in love with it like i did with the first. phenomenal
It’s worse than most gaming journalists think it was but better than most people think it was imo
Because most people are bad writers but have the balls to try and criticise the writing. Meanwhile they're writing shitty fanfic where Joel lives and everything is peachy on paradise.
Last Of Us 2 is, by far, the best game ever. And this one year review its amazing. Thank you for bring back the memories. I love Ellie and i loved to play as Abby.
I have played through the series about 3 times, and I still want to play them all. I love everything about them.
It’s only 2 Games wym 💀
One of the biggest problems was the Pacing IMO, you are in a highpoint in the cinema, your Friend gets shot, tommy is hurt and then Abby holds you at gunpoint, then suddenly A FLASHBACK....
The Last of Us Part II truly is a masterpiece. I understand the story is polarizing, but it completely worked for me. Joel needed to die. His story arc was complete by the end of the first game. Abby's lust for revenge made perfect sense. From her perspective, this madman murdered her father and everyone in the hospital and prevented the small possible chance for a cure. If this game legitimately didn't work for you, that is perfectly fine and don't let anybody tell you any different, but don't shit on others for enjoying an experience that you didn't like.
Simp
Have you ever played this game on grounded? On grounded, nothing is as easy as you describe it.
Yes thats different he is on about how the game came out not additional content
Nobody is willing to finish the game to unlock grounded mode.
@@BaranLordofLight exactly that's my point lol
@@DaUnboxerPS Obviously he is not, since this is a review in 2021
@@BaranLordofLight Nobody...except me...and my friend... and a few hundred thousend other people who got the trophy.
If you don't like the game then don't play it and don't say that no one likes it.
I played the first one when I was still a kid and didn’t understand many things but I had the opportunity to play the second one as a more mature person and can say that it resonated more with me
Even though I disagree with you on several aspects of the game, I wholeheartedly appreciate the approach you took to defending it rather than calling out others for disliking it. I think if more people had this level of civility when it came to criticism we'd be in a much better place as a society.
The last of us 2 reminds me a lot of the Jaws franchise. The first installment was really good, but future sequels just feel like a way to make money off the iconic name alone.
If they wanted to make money then they would give us another Joel and Ellie adventure without any controversial decisions. I think you are wrong about this. And they also wouldnt spend over 100 million dollars to make a cashgrab game with the visual quality it had.
@@indefenso2124 well that didn't work well for them because the sales flopped after a few days when the game came out and now even Sony and NaughtyDog refuses to share the sales of the game
You'd be hard pressed to find a more shallow analysis than that! Pun intended 😏
@@smoker5989 highest selling PS4 game and this sheep says it flopped, continue living in your delusional world lmfaooooo
@@gregwxst that was in the first days you idiot and besides that's because of the dishonest marketing that NaughtyDog use to make people believe that this was still a Joel and Ellie adventure, why do you think Sony hasn't say anything about sales?
I found it amazing. Even if story had some strange choices the ending was just perfect. The violence made it 100 times better and just gameplay in general is just amazing
This is the worst and the best game ever created makes me feel sick to my stomach but I love it
I feel the exact same way, this game has the best graphics, level design, boss fights, enemy ai, etc etc I have ever seen in any game, and yet for me the game didn't 'feel' enjoyable overall, because of the pacing, story decisions etc in my opinion.
Conclusion?
Amazing video. You perfectly described my thoughts on the game. So many people were immediately blinded by the fact that Joel died, then they didn't want to experience the game further and labeled the game as bad just because of his death even when the game had so much to offer. I also experienced all the emotional roller coasters, from not accepting the fact that Joel really died, hating Abby and the fact we had to play as her for so long, but after finishing the game and watched so many analysis videos about the game I feel like the storytelling in the game is great. This is the first game that actually shook me to the core and I absolutely enjoyed it. I wish more games in the future would be able to take this path, making the players question the morality and play as morally grey characters
when it came out I hated it with a burning passion, now after replaying it twice it isn't as bad as I thought, it's a graphical powerhouse and the gameplay is fun, but the story is bad(not because Joel died, I would've been surprised if he didn't), in the first game the story served the characters and vice versa whereas in the sequel there were coincidences and characters made stupid mistakes just so the story could happen case in point (abby finding joel and ellie dropping a map conveniently listing her location after killing mel) and to me that isn't competent writing, I respect naughty dog's ambition for taking the sequel in an unexpected direction but the execution could've been a lot better, I love the last of us 1 and it was the first game that made me feel real strong emotions and it's still my favorite game of all time
I personally never had as much passion as others do for either game in this franchise. They are by no means bad games but neither game really got to me emotionally except for the opening intro of the first game where Joel looses his daughter. And like you said the direction they wanted to take the sequel is awesome but it’s terrible execution ruins the ideas. I honestly feel each game sits near the middle in terms of greatest to worst games because as I said both are great but they don’t do much in terms of innovation aside from graphics and some gameplay elements. If I would have to put a best or favorite video game it would have to be Bloodborne. No game I have ever played has given me a change in perspective, ideas, emotions, and writing as much as that game has.
The Last of Us was a simple and personal story about a broken man and a little girl with a lot of hope for humanity but it was so well made this game tries to be expand on a bigger conflict but most of the time so finish halfway through and it's execution it's very poor
@@smoker5989 Very bad interpretation of the second game. Because the second game is all about humanity too. But not in a wider way, just in a very individual way. The conflict of the first game is huge, the conflict in the second game is very restricted...
@@sandrobsnake humanition yeah the story is so human that we have old guys dying by torture, babies getting killed, pregnat women doing parkour, cheating it's like a shitty teen drama
@@smoker5989 I said humanity... and with humanity comes all the good, but also all the bad...
This game is about going to hell and coming out of it a different person... That goes for both girls...
I personally enjoyed II a LOT. It is an amazing game with wonderful story and gameplay. Definetely worth of awards. Sure I havw few complaints but to me personally it is an 9/10
It felt like buying a golden steak just to find out it was spray-painted yellow
And peed on
This was the most perfect video game I have every played. Even though It absolutely destroyed me for the next month, I have no regrets.
fuck no
since beating this game like 5-6 months ago i have been destroyed and I constantly think about the game, a masterpiece
While I disagree with most of your story-related points, I think this is a pretty good video essay. 😊
I’d love to hear your Side and understanding of it then?☺️
@@lowsodiumgamer6805 I think that stopping the story at the climax only to tell me a new "story" kills all narrative structure and dissipates all manner of narrative tension. I think the game constantly trying villanize Ellie while putting Abby on a pedestal is disingenuous and it left me feeling like the game was trying to tell me "revenge bad!! but only if you're ellie". also many people being this up but joel wouldn't have died that time if him and tommy acted consistently with their characters and many, many other similar sorts of criticisms.