Understanding The Last of Us Part II | Girlfriend Reviews
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- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2020
- We have a very special, very different video for you all today. This isn't a review of The Last of Us Part II. This is an understanding of The Last of Us Part II. #tlou2 #TheLastOfUs #NaughtyDog
Special thanks to this talented man for his cover of Future Days by Pearl Jam. It's so beautiful: • The Last of Us Part 2 ...
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Last of Us 2 has a cool minigame where it turns social media into minesweeper.
social media is and always has been a minesweeper.
I don't even know what this means. I'm too young.
Made me laugh. TY ^^
THEHIGHLANDPARKDAD hard pass
This is a god teir comment
This game got me in the final flashback, when I realised Ellie wasn’t just after Abby for killing Joel, but for taking away her chance to forgive him.
Exactly...now we won't know if she forgives him or not. Life aint fair 😑
NICE
Yes! Well say!
@Aidan Welsh life is unfair, deal with it. And in the game they portrait this quite well. It's just about the story you want to tell, they wanted this cruel emotional sad story. Just accept it.
and yet she didn’t kill her. what was the point
Just replayed this game. When it first came out, I was going through a breakup, ACL surgery, A friend passing, Covid, amongst other things. This game made me start playing guitar and taught me when it’s ok to let go of things. This game did more for me then any other story ever has.
I can imagine. This game is a powerful allegory on the concept of undertaking trauma and grief. It was intensively illuminating. And though I haven’t played it in a while I still think about it.
I was going through a breakup as well when I first played it. It was about 3 months after the breakup but emotions were very much still there. This game prevented me from becoming more bitter and although forgiveness took a lot longer than I thought it would, Ellie’s final action is what pushed me. 2 years after this game and this breakup I’m still following the light.
Wow first song I learned and the reason I picked up the guitar was also the theme
That's so weird bro... I was going through similar shit, game came out at exactly the right time, Ellie is one of the most relatable fictional characters of all time
Just beat this game on the heels of a friend passing. I must say this has been the one of the most impactful stories in my life. Dealing with grief and loss, and what is is to truly be human and human.
I think the story is told so that you feel how Ellie feels. Angry, sad... destroyed about Joel. But in the end... you feel empty. All that time, and you were chasing something that Joel would never have wanted you to chase.
I agree. This is why in the Premier intro of this game, Joel’s ghost said to Ellie, “What are you doing, Kiddo. Are you sure you going to go through with this?”
@@pfang100 IT ALLL MAKES SENSE NOW . THANK SO MUCH FOR POINTING THIS OUT. no really that’s a an astronomical point everyone missed.
are you seriously suggesting that joel wouldn't want ellie to kill abby? after living and surviving with joel for plenty of years, and witnessing all the people abby hurt around ellie, there's no way joel would have said, "don't do it kiddo. it's not worth it."
@@majinta0_0 I don’t think you understand, Joel is not some hero fighting for justice, Joel always wanted what was best for himself and now that Ellie is someone he cares about, his goals align with her best interest as well. Joel saved Ellie from getting her brain cut open to save the whole world, I don’t think he’d want her to risk her life for the sake of giving Abby what she deserves. Joel’s also wise enough to understand that revenge is only going to drive Ellie crazy, like it does in the game. That is the last thing Joel would want. The truth is, this is a very selfish revenge mission, it always has been. We tell ourselves we do it for Joel’s good name, which is definitely true to an extent, but we’re also doing it because we’re angry. This is not something Joel would want Ellie to go through with and as the player you start to see it from Joel’s perspective, past a certain point you want Ellie to just turn back and go home, try to just live her life. And if Joel were there, that’s exactly what he’d suggest they do, for Ellie’s sake
@@majinta0_0 Joel knew he wasnt a good person he never wanted Ellie to go on the revenge plot because whats next after that is another revenge plot, Joel knew he would die as a villain in someone elses story so he just accepted his fate, Ellie wasnt supposed to learn to take revenge but to learn that Joel wasnt a good person but just did what was selfish.
Shelby: "As Abby learns to empathise with members of an enemy faction known as Scars"
Me: "Seraphites!"
I guess some people don't respect lev, 1 star, >:(
To be fair she said "known as".
@@Kendorable OP's comment is like snapping after a poet delivers a profound verse. OP's saying "Yeah, and it worked on me!"
TrumpKingsly it’s a joke.
In Italy, i read that person was walking and whistling and random person said:Seraphities
Oh my god that brilliant cut of "If I ever were to lose you I'd surely lose myself." from Joel to Ellie made me cry thanks for that 😢
That song is the biggest recurring theme throughout the game. The game even beginsa and ends on a shot of the same guitar
@@Methos_ yes but they didn't cut it like this hearing it side by side hurts more 😅
@@Methos_ the moths on the guitar he gave her inspired her to get them tattooed on her arm :).
But many other games have done something but better look at war hammer 40k no one is the good guy in the story. It was a good game I guess but it does not work. I have made my own story and it is nothing to write home about. But if feels killing joe was done to fast. They should have done more with Abby before killing joe. My friends who are content creators and I sat through at least 3 play throughs of the game. The pacing is all off. More over I still down know Abby like we got to know joe. What I am saying is that they may have had good ideas but they executed very poorly.
Ps this is not about the game but naughty dog miss treated their programmers. There is A lawsuit coming against Sony about it. I don’t know how true this is but I feel like people know.
Thanks
@@calebcoleman2800 I think if you're upset about the death of a character you should learn their name first.
The point about crunch is a valid one though. I hope that improves at naughty dog.
I literally got in a long argument about this game with someone because he said it was dumpster fire, only to find out that he’s never played either TLOU game. And I think that’s emblematic of a lot of the controversy with this game. People heard the story and didn’t even wanna give the game a chance and experience it for themselves. They just let other internet weirdos decide for them.
Honestly, I'd love to see what the public reaction would've looked like had it not been leaked.
I mean I played the game in its entirety multiple times and I still think it was kind of bad, but okay.
@@whythehellnot6502 and that’s perfectly fine. A lot of people are acting like the game kidnapped their child even though they never even finished it, which is what annoys me.
@@naturalbridge5330 True, I just feel like the way they split up the story was a bad idea. Too much jumping back and forth both cuts into immersion and stunts some of the mechanical progression of the game. I don't really know how I'd "fix" it besides maybe bringing the flashbacks back into the main p.o.v for each character and just having one hard split in perspective.
@@whythehellnot6502 Then he clearly wasn't talking about you lol nothing wrong with not liking the game my guy
“Bad things happen to everyone. It’s hard to keep being yourself after they do”
- Lee Everett (2012)
The scene of Ellie in the dinosaur museum when she's flying to the moon made me cry so much. This series really made you feel the connection between the two characters unlike any other game I've played. I'll be sad for a while over Joel's passing ☹️.
Kratos and his son.
Shiv Vohra idk i feel tlou is more grounded in reality therefore a bit of a closer connection. Also i was the same age as ellie during both games which also helped
@@Red3yeX nah, they didnt have that much hard times together so you cant really connect with both of them, also you get to play as both in in both games (not much in 2 but still)
It was one of the most touching scenes I’ve ever seen on screen- movie, game, etc
I cried when Joel sang to Ellie
But if Ellie goes to downtown Seattle to find Abby, why not call the game Downtown Abby? That's kept me thinking...
Cause it sounds like Ellie gave Abby her tongue.
@@adarshp.daniel3758 If you reread your reply replacing 'tongue' by 'fingers' you may reach the depth of my question
Omg downtown. lolol takes me back
Is that the worst joke i have ever heard or is that me
See... that just irresponsible. And definitely a PLOT HOLE!!!!!!
I love this essay so much. You’ve captured so much of what I think was missing from the conversation surrounding this game since release especially the distinction between plot and story. Personally I’m convinced that the game isn’t about revenge at all. It’s about forgiveness.
For me it's about perspective and guilt, honestly never felt like it focused on revenge, that was more of a goal to justify the gameplay than anything else
It doesn’t need to be about one particular thing and it’s not. It’s about a lot of things, dealing with grief, the cycle of violence, trauma, friendship, love, empathy, forgiveness etc and it’s most definitely about revenge as well. Revenge is literally the only motive moving the plot forward at multiple points in the game. To say it’s not about revenge is just being dishonest.
I know I'm 2 years late on this, but I've gotta say that this is one of the best reviews for anything that I've ever seen. It's so thoughtful and fair to the source material. It's abundantly clear that you didn't just play the game, but you let the game play you (in a way). I think a lot of people have an issue with that, but this review embodies exactly why letting your guard down and letting a story be told that isn't exactly what you want is one of the best things storytelling experiences can offer. Thank you. Excellent work.
I came down here to say the exact same thing. I almost cry while watching this video. I really, really like the way this was approached.
A lot of people see this channel as "that girl who says "pee pee poo poo", but... they have no idea.
Completely agree
Yeah this channel and videogamedunkey gave me a better understanding of the story and meaning
Yeah, with this game in particular, you have to be willing to meet it on its terms. You have to engage with the feelings it wants you to feel, sit with the uncomfortable ones for hours at a time, and trust it until it brings it all to an emotional catharsis unmatched in gaming. At least for me, it really worked.
“I guess no matter how hard you try, you can’t escape your past” - Joel
"After all we've been through, everything i've done, it can't be for nothing." - Ellie
*Ellie spares Abby at the end which makes it all for nothing.*
@@SunlightGwyn did you even watch the video? and most importantly play the game? killing abby would make it all for nothing...
@@spirosgiatietci And did you consider that those 100 or so people Ellie and Abby killed all died for nothing. You say it's all for nothing if Ellie kills Abby but what about those 100 people they killed? :'D
@@yiangaruga4928 those people didnt mean anything to ellie or us. They were simply an obstacle we need to overcome. The only thing they do is extenuate the fact that ellie gets tired of killing people which further proves my point
@@SunlightGwyn I mean, you did see that fight at the end right? It was a literally pointless fight fought by two people barely able to stand. Ellie had already lost before she started it, killing Abby would have changed absolutely nothing. Just took right up until the end for Ellie to realise it and at that point it was too late.
0:03 "We ask that you be patient, listen carefully, and most of all, be kind to one another in the comment section..."
Oh, you sweet summer child.
dng2usb and what is wrong with wanting that
Jordan Thomsen because people act like shit no matter what. 🙃
Because this video may fuel the war between the haters and the supporters lol
@@jordanthomsen2556 Nothing is wrong with it at all, my friend. I want it more than anything, but I know the face of anonymous humanity on the internet... I know it all too well.
The request is a beautiful wish made by an innocent soul while standing in the middle of raging, rancid sewage.
@@dng2usb If only you were wrong friend... but this wish of peaceful debate is still needed
I played both number 1 and 2 back to back during the pandemic and i still don’t know how to feel about myself. It feels like I just went through a break up with a video game because i invested so much of emotional energy into it. But at the end I’m glad Abby lived, I’m glad Elli lived. What an amazing work of art, and I cannot wait to lose myself like this again if the 3rd one comes out.
Exactly how I felt. They're both broken human beings in a broken world. It's a sad story that overall left me with a sense of dread, which is fine. Not every story needs a happy ending. I quite enjoyed the world they built and the story they told.
I really hope they dont make another, at least not with the same characters. These games are too heavy to just keep on with this shit and characters themselves can only handle so much before it becomes genuinely unbelievable and a bit ridiculous. Ellie's story, at least as a main character, has to be done. Abby's story maybe has some room for more storytelling but I also feel her character arc was largely completed enough to where there's not much else to explore in terms of development. And Dina has a baby now, so she's not going anywhere.
@@maynardburger I actually think the opposite - I now want there to be a game where Abby and Lev take over as the main duo, in some regards similar to the first game (albeit they at least appear to like each other more than Joel and Ellie did). In my opinion, since I loved Part 2, if the game series is till good please keep making more.
Unfortunately I cannot see Naughty Dog creating a game like this ever again. I see them playing it safe for their next property. Maybe some remaster or remake, or some basic-story game. Because gamers have shown these extremely talented people that they cannot handle being told such a mature and complex story. They got so upset and refuse to take the time to look in between the lines at something that took risks. All they see is hate, so they do hate. The story is "about hate", the vocal minority hates it, so all there is is hate.
I seriously hope ND continues to make stories in video games like this, it's games like this that are undeniable proof that video games are art, but the backlash is so intense, is it even worth it?
@@Dorraj Yessssss! I feel the same way, ND took a chance making this game how they did, I loved every minute of it, cried, as shocked, smiling in some parts, jaw on the ground, screaming running from stalkers or the rat king, it was an experience, one that I will never forget, and I'm playing on grounded for my 2nd play through as we speak, I can only hope that they make a part 3, because this story deserves a proper conclusion, they can't let critic's put their dream of a proper trilogy away, I know they wanted to finish it off, but will we see that thanks to the world wide hate of the story, to this day, idk. 😞
Joel always knew he had it coming. In both games, they rattle off a laundry list of reasons why various people who would want to see him dead because before Ellie, Joel really was a terrible person. Joel accepted his death but Ellie could not see that, she was too guilted by all the lost time she spent being mad at him.
“Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me” - Ellie
Ouch, the feels...
Scandicraft haha it’s true for Ellie though😂
Ellie I mean.
Now she’s the one leaving people
"Everyone I have cared for in TLOU was either killed or ruined by Naughty Dog."
*"Please be nice to be each other in comments"*
Comment Section: 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
Sadly, I wonder if the game developers wanted it that way.
@@mdredheadguy1979 of course not, lol
@@mdredheadguy1979 they knew there would be a little conflict, but not the crazy Fight Club that is the comment section
@@user-dg7iz5cy4k Honestly, I don't think the developers really thought through the possible out come of what they were doing. They were too focused on pushing a political agenda through this game.
@@mdredheadguy1979 and here we go again
This still has to be one of the best reviews online, hat off to you 🤘🏻
"I know how it feels to be lost, alone, and in the fog."
My mom died of cancer when I was 16. I'm 41. The tone in your voice got me. I hear ya, lady. I've felt that way too.
The last of us part II is one of those few games where the multiplayer is not in the game, but online in the reviews.
Largest pvp ever made.
I agree but factions 2 would be pretty dope too lol
RUclips comments can feel like a post apocalyptic nightmare at times. Naughty Dog went over and above with their immersion levels here.
@@nathanfisk4054 This IS Factions 2!
@@thenostalgiabusiness The realisticism is over the top. Kudos to ND.
As someone with PTSD, I really liked the ending of this game. This is just my opinion, but for me - At the end Ellie was suffering with PTSD, obviously
- not sleeping, not eating, the flashbacks, the going off by herself into the woods, and the feeling she HAD to go after abby - is realistic to me. it's difficult to describe anyone without it, but PTSD can often feel like you are physically trapped with no way out of your own reality. That your whole life is closing on you. That the past is forever there, suffocating you. Obviously you relive it through flashbacks, but it's more than that.
When Ellie said she had to go after abby, it was because she felt she had to not because she wanted to - She wanted to stay with her new family, but she had to stop her brain reliving the traumatic past again and again. She had to escape the trap, and she felt the only way was to kill abby - the person who really made her feel trapped to begin with. but I think she knew, deep down, it wouldn't help her escape. but hey, desperate times, amiright?
When ellie finally confronted abby, what were her words? "I cant let you leave" She could have said anything else "I won't let you leave" or "I'm going to kill you". Those would be words from someone confident, someone making the rules. but she didn't. those words "I can't let you leave" were very specific. they're words from someone not in control - someone who feels they didnt make the decision. A soldier following orders would say "I can't let you leave" or someone feeling like they had no choice in the matter, someone trapped -
like ellie.
At the very end ellie didnt have to kill Abby. When she was on the verge of killing abby, when abby couldnt fight back and was about to drown, Ellie had basically won at that point. it didnt even matter if abby lived or died past that point, as there was nothing abby could have done to change the outcome, and ellie realized that she probably has "won". And it didn't help. There was no opening of the trap, it didnt fix anything so she let abby go and she wept. still trapped.
It wasnt until she came back, sat alone with guitar she could no longer play, and thought about joel and forgiveness that, maybe, she realized that the only way out of the trap was to forgive the mistakes of the past. forgive yourself for not being able to change the past. forgive others for being human.
I dunno. maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see, see what makes sense to me. But still, I like the ending. People complain about the ending, saying ellie didn't get her revenge against abby. but they miss the fact that everything after the farmhouse - Ellie isnt going for revenge. Shes going because she feels like she has to, to try to fix herself.
Excellent comment and insight.
I don’t have ptsd, but I have gone through a lot of shit having a child with an ex who doesn’t have control of her emotions and does a lot of shit to hurt people around her.
Therapy have taught me something valuable, to see someone else’s perspective, not to forgive them, but to help yourself move on and focus on the important things like yourself and people you love instead of getting trapped in a mindset dictated with hate and lust for revenge.
So for me it was pretty obvious early on how much layers the game had. That what some people called bad writing was actually insanely good writing, because it mimics desperation, it mimics people flaws and emotions like no other game. It shows that people who we perceive as evil will still act from some sense of logic in their mind.
Your perspective just gives even more perspective of why the characters acted like they did.
There is no requirement to like the game, and there will be different reasons. But I definitely understand why so many had a hard time liking it, because millions of people have a hard time seeing the world from any other perspective than their own. And if they are hurt, that must mean someone else was wrong regardless of the situation.
Wrong. The Last of Us universe lacks morals. You're trying to comprehend your own experiences in real world to a post apocalyptic, it's survival of the fittest, dog eat dog world where the weak are killed and thr strong live. All of this is completely out of character of the universe and characters. Abby has no remorse for anything she does, but Ellie is a complete Train Wreck who went on a killing spree, but draws the line at Abby or her PSTD will erupt? Lol
This makes perfect sense
@@mistere3501 all the ppl Ellie killed are side characters, Not a main character 🤷🏽♂️ sorry but Abby is not a heartless person and if you played the game you would see that. People still have morals, it just adapted to the new way of living
@stealthyxghost i am sorry for what you are going through every day i hope there is a end to it. Thanks for giving this beautiful breakdown.
still the best review on this game 2 years later, brilliant writing and explanation
Recommend TheAlmightyloli video on it
i rewatch this every once in a while, such an amazing video
Same here! An amazing essay.
That rocket ship cutscene was one of the most beautiful & emotional cutscenes I’ve ever seen in video games. I’m so glad you ended on it. Thanks for this review!
I seldom cry comsuming any media whatsoever but i‘ll be damned if i wasnt bawling my eyes out during that part. Anyone who denies that the storytelling of this game on an emotional level is everything but outright miraculous just does not want to see it!
It does say a lot how most people's favourite scene is one that belongs in the first game.
the only good part
@@stefanlindner2048 Making the audience cry is easy. Even the most low budget indie films with new writers can do that.
I agree! I teared up when I was that scene in the game! Especially with all the rocket launches with SpaceX recently, what man can do when we work together is so beautiful. I love space 🚀
Also can people stop sending death threats to laura bailey??
Voice actors are NOT characters, they are real people with feelings.
Guess the game was well written after all. The game got on many peoples nerves the whole Company is being criticise by people who do not like that Joel died or how he died. SMH
There has to be a lot of forgiveness since there is so many stupid people in the world. I wouldn't be surprised if these people are the same one's that set businesses on fire in retaliation of racism!
@@hernandogarcia8920 Hate the writer, not an actor. In the end, she does that for a living, and is not responsible for the script or creative decisions about the game. She deserves no hate, because she just did her job, and did it well.
@@hernandogarcia8920 wow your so dark and edgy
Hernando Garcia what a horrible thing to say. She doesn’t deserve death threats. I hope you sort out what ever internal turmoil is causing you to be so hateful & angry.
Aaaah the video that brought Roger Ebert back to life hahahaha
Holy f. This cemented my belief that this channel is not only way waaay smarter than the gags and memes it sometimes puts in, but one of the smartest gaming-related channels. Period. I’m very late to the party, but thank you for this.
Shelby: Abby learns to empathize with memebers of an enemy faction known as scars...
Lev: SERAPHITES!!!
i think druckmann said something like: there is no intended massage in this game but if there was, it wouldn't be "revenge is bad" but more like "obsession ruins everything".
the prestige
@@michaelmirabella420 Is funny how The Prestige and this game have so many things in common, Revenge, obsession and a non linear narrative.
Doesn't feature cloning so we all know which medium is the best
@@neoperol and failed bullet catching
Its spelled “Cuckmann”.
Anyone else here to see if we have some new r/TheLastofUs2 posters coping and seething in the comments?
it’s been 7 months since this video came out and this game is still on my mind, people got mad over the death of joel and hated the game for it. That means they won captivating your emotions and make you feel the emotions meant and how hatred literally blinds some of you to see the full picture.
but what do i know i’m a depressed guy who eats chicken nuggies on wednesday
Wednesday is the perfect day for nuggets. Keep at it!
@@middieptb yes
I don’t hate the game because they killed off Joel, I just hate the fact that they tried to make me sympathize with Abby in the worst way possible. It’s written worse than the first game and I felt like I was playing a worse game but paid more money. But if you don’t like the game simply because Joel died, then you have no right to criticize the game. I can understand why people liked the game, it’s just not for me.
I don’t see how you can like that game, I was so annoyed playing it around the end I didn’t know why I was still going.
@@ogvamp2 Have some chocolate chocolate chip 🍦
Every time I hear Joel call Ellie Kiddo, I can feel my eyes starting to well up.
When he talked to her about her guitar in flashback one and how she needs time for her callouses to develop, I had an immediate flashback to Callous the horse from part 1. Idk if it was intentional but it had me leaning that direction before the dinosaurs and spaceships knocked me over the edge
I'm not alone!
I get a lump in my throat too
@KSTopNotch Stop it... :'(
Or baby girl
Me watching the review: this is fine.
Me hearing shelby talk about her dad: *immediately cries*
same
Probably the worst, most painful part of this tragic story for me, was the fact that they included an entire section of Ellie and Dina living a somewhat normal, happy life on the farm that they'd been fantasizing about since day one.
To me, this shows that Ellie had been given a very rare and special chance to let it all go, put the past behind her and focus on the life she had made with Dina and JJ... But she just couldn't take it. It was just too difficult to move on, even though she had a family that needed her and depended on her.
This shows the extent of Ellie's obsession, and how much it derailed her life. Absolutely heartbreaking.
10/10 this game really makes you FEEL like you're a parent watching their daughter make all the wrong decisions in life
Ellie was obviously suffering trauma and Dina seemed to care more about herself. Horrible character.
3/10 this game really makes you FEEL like you're a writing teacher watching their most promising student make all the wrong decisions in a sequel.
Well said, not often do you see people make a realistic world filled with realistic characters that actually make choices you’d see in our world, even if that means it’ll leave you feeling unsatisfying, bravo Naughty Dog
@@PatrickOMulligan I wouldnt say Dina cares more for herself. I mean, Ellie had to travel miles in a zombie apocalypse through dangerous cults and hordes to kill a single person, that too alone. If I was Dina, I wouldve tried to stop her too. In fact, I see Tommy as the bad character here. He was the one trying to protect Ellie at the beginning, and in the end, he just ends up provoking her to leave her life in a goose chase alone which might even cause her death. I probably would not say Tommy is 'bad' coz he was personally affected by Abby, I understand what made him do that, but Dina is definitely not a horrible character.
@@tishyo77 Tommy is pretty terrible throughout the game. Out of character and one of the many reasons to hate the writing.
Dina's horribleness goes much farther then this.
@@PatrickOMulligan Well, believe whatever you want to believe lol
This is the greatest game review I've ever watched. Hands down, I've never had someone tell me straight to my face that my ability to enjoy a game is related to my ability to cope with difficult emotions. I've never seen so clearly how a piece of art not only depicts life, but lives through it in everyone's responses. How incredible. Thank you for this.
I think one of the saddest things about the ending of this game is the realization that in her pursuit to avenge Joel, she lost one of the biggest things she left her with, being the ability to express herself through music. Him teaching her guitar was very clearly important to her, as she clearly cherishes the song he sang to her, and now because she couldn't let it go, she lost everything, including the ability to play that song.
notice how til the end she is never able to successfully play the song properly? during the game, she finds guitars and tries to play it and is emotionally unable to sing the lyrics. then, in the end, she finally has the right mindset and is probably ready to sing it, but now she can't physically play it.
@@isadora6092 Just one more thing Abby took from her...
@@Palpad100 or one more thing here quest for revenge took from here the two perspectives come through in how we each see the story, pretty amazing.
@@isadora6092 great analysis, totally captures the meaning of the story
Zee Duubs She can still play guitar even if shes missing fingers lol
I will never forgive abby for killing joel...But i'd like to try
😏touché
Top tier comment 11/10 Im honestly mad I didnt think of it
Well said my friend, well said.
Well said
i think i started liking her when she took care of lev like how joel did with ellie and told lev "you are my people" i was like oke i love her
Honestly I wasn't ever mad that they killed off Joel. I actually expected the moment the game was announced. The fact that his death still hurt me as much as it did, even though I knew it was coming, is a testament to how well this game was written.
I've been under the same opinion and understanding as the reviewer since I first played this game, but even while watching this review, I couldn't look at the screen when it shows the footage of Joel dying. I didn't even like Joel! Lol. It's just such a profound moment and a catalyst for so much emotional difficulty that I physically didn't want to experience it again.
This is truly one of the highest heights games have ever reached.
It is the same thing I am saying about Sarah's actress in the new HBO serie. I knew she was going to die in the first half hour, but still i needed a towel to wipe my tears, and if that's not good acting/narrative I don't know what it is
I think its a testament to how well written the first game is, considering he was barely in the second.
Well written and TLoU 2 go together like water and oil.
I'm binge watching all your videos and finally came across this one for the first time.. And I just have to say: This has to be the best video essay of TLoU2 on the internet. You hit every note and articulated every story point beautifully. Gamers praise games that challenge their skill. But they aren't used to having a game challenge their morality/instinct. This game did that just perfectly. Like you said.. BRAVO!
"30 hour revenge plot doesn't end in revenge"
Vinland saga fans: *laughs*
Because what happened later was..... Legendary
Vinland Saga had an amazing and possibly one of the best "coming to acceptance with reality" arc aka farmland saga. All TLOU2 had was Ellie crying by the sea, losing 2 fingers and her girlfriend+adopted child
A true masterpiece
@@asheqabeer1798 So you're only able to observe what is happening on the screen at face value, but not able to interperet any meaning from 30 hours of story that lead up to that moment and what it meant? Wow.
@@fiskeleif wha? Im talking about the similarity of the revenge plot
The other song in the game, "Through the Valley," has a lyric that says, "I can't walk the path of the right because I'm wrong." Which essentially it's Ellie and Abby with both their vengeful desires and wanting to hurt others even if they've been hurt the same way.
Honestly I've seen many, but this is the best review yet of this game
Their take on the plot was great. I wonder if there will be a full review of it. They didn't talk about the gameplay, which I loved
Was this actually in the game? I didn't see it
In the reveal trailer back in 2016. And in the game it’s the song Ellie is listening in her room in the beginning.
@@federico520 finally!!! People keep referencing "Through the Valley" being in the game and I just couldnt find it. But nobody could tell me where it was either.
Yeah and Joel was alive in that trailer, and a ton of the other trailers. Because false advertising is cool.
Thank you for convincing me to play this game. Easily in my top three favorites ever now. I think it’s a game that gets criticized a lot for its ideas, without taking into account the execution of said ideas and how they meld together into a heart-wrenching, but ultimately somewhat uplifting experience once it’s all over.
This is ur top 3? U gotta play some better games
let people like games
This is my first time watching GFR and you just blew me away! Such a touching and intelligent review!
"Revenge is a fool's game"
-Arthur Morgan, 1899
he will be remembered ..
“And the cow poke die, on the lone prairie”
It’s like falling dominoes except the last one doesn’t fall
"I have a plan" - Dutch
Imagine playing micah and the game made you kill arthur, then at the end marston did not avenge arthur.. Dang that might get rdr2 goty of 2018..
Did anyone else feel like they might need a counseling session after finishing the game? lol
Yup. Been days and still feel empty and sad. I really enjoyed the game unlike others.
Completely, stayed with me for days 😂
Game was a masterpiece
I needed a hug, strawberry cheesecake, and bourbon. I hate bourbon.
An unforgettable work of art :)
I got really mad at this game and almost quit. I persevered and finished the game and it turned out to be one of the best games I ever played.
As someone who played the game 6 months after it's release, I literally cannot comprehend how anyone could call this game a bad game.
Because the writing and Joel's character doesn't line up from what happened from the first game.
Joel not explaining why he saved her and what the fireflies did to him and made him try to save ellie, when Ellie never had the choice to begin with. Yet Ellie cries because she couldn't die, when she never made the choice in the first place.
@@ChairyCrasher Exactly this. Many feel that Joel was, for a lack of a better term, "written out" of the story in order to fit in an entirely new narrative. This was supposed to be the conclusion to Ellie and Joel's story (in my and many others opinion), and we simply weren't interested in the story the developers chose to tell.
@@nicke7350 those are just your expectations for the game, the fact that it didn't do what you wanted doesn't make it a bad game
@@thedude1947 "Bad" or "good" is entirely subjective.
Do I think that it is a bad game from a technical standpoint; absolutely not. It is the best preforming and best looking game on the base ps4 to date.
Do I think it is a bad game narratively speaking; yes. The story relies heavily on the fact that you've either played the last game or at least know about the characters and their relationships. By pushing the focus away from those relationships and instead introduce completely new and unknown characters and relationships you are taking away from the narrative build-up from the last game.
By shifting the focus away almost completely from Joel and Ellies relationship they severely lessen the impact of the events and decisions in tlou2.
I'm not even going to get in to the fact that Naughty Dog intentionally tried to keep the info about Abby being a playable character out of any promitional material until the game's release.
@@nicke7350 of course it's subjective, I'm saying that just because something narratively didn't fit my expectations of a story that doesn't sway my opinion into saying it's a bad story. I think judging stories that way is inadequate.
Also you're talking like tlou2 is a completely different story from the original game, abby is a direct consequence of Joel's actions at the end of the last game , joel and ellie's relationship was explored through the flashbacks and narrative clues ,yes the flashbacks could've been integrated better into the story but I think they're fine. I think the game being exclusively about their relationship would've looked like a rehash of the last game with slightly different story beats , the game is way more interesting the way it came out.
I completely agree with the fact that naughty dogs advertising and the way they portrayed the game in public was dog shit.
that dark knight "hiiiiii" moment may be one of the funniest things I've seen in RUclips in a long time XD I love you guys lmfao
I get why you titled this video "Understanding tlou2". I watched every episode of PewDiePie's Let's Play through this game and have ever since been trying to figure out how I feel about this game.
The way I see it, you can analyse the game on 3 different levels: the product, the story and the art.
1. The Game as a Product (or: the Player as the Consumer):
Every player spent 60$ on a copy of this game. They went into it hoping for a similary satisfying emotional rollecoaster as TLOU. They wanted to see more of the characters they learned to love, of tactical combat against zombies and of gorgeous graphics, scenery and music. However, 2-3 hours into the game, it utterly denies the Player this experience by brutally killing off a cherished "console mascot". As a player you feel ripped off. You think: "This is not what I paid for! I wanted to feel good! "
2. The Game as a Story:
I tried to imagine reading a large book with about a 1000 pages, where the story goes something like this: For the first 500 pages, you get introduced and emotionally attached to a protagonist. He's a sophisticated, conflicted character with some ideals and some bad sides about him. A bit like an archetypal man. As a reader I can totally get on board with that. Then, halfway through the story, this character get murdered, and very brutally so, with every bit of gore described in detail over the pages, by a character that was barely introduced, like 15 pages before. The next half of the book is about this murderer and their past. I'd throw that book in the trash. I cannot muster the motivation to go on reading. This is a bad story. A good story usually hooks you, gives you a sense of purpose to the characters actions and brings closure. It shouldn't make us force ourselves to continue reading.
3. The Game as Art:
This is where your video comes in. This game forces the player to consider in great detail the two sides of multiple intricate revenge plots. It forces you to question why you feel sympathy for one, but not for the other character. Here, the game transcends the cliché of the industry and assumes the roll of art. You hit the nail on the head when you said: "[... ] the developers presented their audience with a challange they couldn't overcome with their controller." As a player, you get the task of answering the questions "Who is right? What should we do? Who are we? Why? " I personally like this level of analysis the most, because it's the most sophisticated and gives the game a sense of purpose.
However, the question one has to ask now, is: What should a game be?
- I copied this from TapIntoEssen, because I thought this was the best comment I had read, going trough them all. I'm posting it here again, so that more people see it. I think the conversation about what we want from videogames is more interesting than how good or bad the game is.
Fredrik Pedersen
Games can and should be art, and to judge it sorely on the basis of “enjoyability” is wildly dismissive.
Fredrik Pedersen A+ comment. However I don’t think i agree with your second point.
I think it’s a pretty remarkable yet naturally unsatisfying story.
Do you think the unsatisfaction it presents is bad storytelling or were you referring to what people in general expect a “good” story to be?
The fart sound from "gamers" got me rollin 😂🤣🤣
@@federico520 that isn't hes point its another persons comment.
Also, how you mentioned when ellie smells Joel's jacket was heart breaking. I've lost both my parents and know what that feels like, this game hit too close to home.
Sending love from here
I wish you the best in life, I hope your doing well
@@edenstern7875 thank you, same to you and everyone in this chat. Stay safe guys.
Neil Cuckmann -
“OK GUYS WE HAVE 7 YEARS TO MAKE A SEQUEL HOW ABOUT WE MAKE A SHE HULK CHARACTER TO THEN KILL OFF THE MAIN CHARACTER AND FORCE THEM TO PLAY AS HER FOR HALF THE GAME AND GIVE HER A PURPOSE IN HER ENDING WHILE ELLIE GETS TO BE ALL ALONE AND MISERABLE” YEEEAH BANGER STORY NEIL 💀💀👏🏻👏🏻😂😂
Just seen the video about what all of this lead to. I'm so sorry Matt and Shelby had to put up with criminal assault in the form of online bullying and harassment.
Hope they both realise how much so many of their fans genuinely care for them both ♥️
Facts
they were bullied and harassed, but neither of which is "assault". they were never "assaulted"
@@Kevinschart you're thinking of battery. By definition they were assaulted
As someone who has dealt with grief, I can strongly relate the the emotions Naughty Dogg try and make you experience. Naughty Dogg truly made me feel grief in this game. They trully did make me feel like i was reliving the period of grief I had experienced. At first I hated it. But the more I thought of it, it was fuckin perfect. They toyed my emotions so well it's downright scary. How little time you had to spend with Joel, how violent unpredictable and undeserving his death was and how little time you had to mourne left me feeling sad for days after playing it. It took me back instantly. And Naughty knows this. THESE ARE common things we all have experienced. All they had to do was execute it properly and then trigger emotions. Because emotions is what causes true immersion and true immersion is the sole purpose of games. It doesn't always have to be good emotions
Naught doggy dogg
I think they pretty much have to do a girlfriend review of bug snacks at this point. Lol
Bugsnax is clearly gonna be game of the year so they sorta have to
🎵BUGSNAX🎶
Bugsnax is the true GOTY
You talkin' 'bout Bugsnax?!
bugsnax is clearly the girlfriendreview version of knack at this point
I don’t think you’re supposed to forgive Abby, you’re just supposed to understand why she did it. I think her redemption is when she lets Ellie live after she killed all her friends, at that point you’ve realized she’s changed, and when Ellie let’s her live you realized she’s changed too. Their plots are mirrors of each other and that’s what I like about the game.
Damn, preach man. I sweart I can't believe people wanted to off Abby at the end. Like dude? Have you been paying attention? It's okay that ellie let her live, now she knows that the cycle of violence is over, and maybe she can forgive Joel and herself. The ending is so bitter, it's difficult to even go through, but it's an amazing game and ending. Cried four times while playing it hahahaha
Alejo Tomas Ortega Exactly! After playing the game you realize that Abby isn’t evil. Ellie has 0 moral high ground over her. She beat to death a woman just like Abby beat Joel to death. I think people are stuck on the fact that she killed a character they loved and not look at her actions more objectively. Most people who hate on this game do not understand the message of it. Many people thought Abby was the villain that the developers wanted you to like but that’s not it. And some people thought the game was trying to make us view Ellie as the villain, but they knew we can’t hate Ellie because we know her and know she’s good at heart. Same with Abby, she’s a good person at heart. There is so much I can explain to defend this game.
Sure, thats why she almost killed ellies pregnant girlfriend at the end. You people need to stop defending this shit games writing.
@@Ape8658 You are forgetting the time Ellie killed Mel who was also pregnant. You need to stop you're blind hating.
@This Channel is abandoned I think that could have been good too, but imo, that limits what you can think about the ending. As it is right now, it's very open, and I like that
One word: AMAZING!
You guys did an amazing job at this.. I have followed you for a couple of months, and you have become one of my favorite channels. Keep up the good work, and I wish to both of you a blessed new year!
When this game first came out, I thought some of the story choices were silly.
But you see, I hadn't actually played the game. Who am I to judge a narrative when I haven't fully experienced it? I think a lot of people hating on this game probably also dropped it while playing, or just never played it at all.
I dropped it … the game wasnt doing anything for me after 6 hours. With so may great games out there why waste my time
@@omarnavarro9690 Do you really want a answer? Especially if we take in consideration you are writing a reply in a TLOU2 video...
Metacritic users: Get a load of this guy.
@@sandrobsnake p
This is still one of the best video game essays on the entire internet.
AGGGGGRRRREEEEEEEED No one else did it like you !!!
How do you like a comment 1.3k times?
Edit: found it
Well said bro.
too true
There is a better one actually..
"they wanna make you feel like a girl who just watched their father get murdered with a golf club" now thats a sentance i never thought i'd ever hear
ngl i felt it
Is it a sentence you thought you'd hear though?
Even if it made no sense
"It makes you feel like a person who just watched GoT Season 8 sprinkled with Last Jedi and a side of Rise of Skywalker."
@@stealthy9599 so how to make this made sense?
Her: "Be kind to one another in the comments."
Me: "I know you wish things were different - I wish things were different - but they ain't."
Honestly, if this game HADN'T been polarizing, that would have been evidence that they didn't effectively pull off the story they were trying to tell. I feel bad for people who refused to give it a chance, because it's genuinely one of the most brilliant games ever made. Really great essay, I agree 100%.
I watched them stream this, and when you first take control of Joel at the very beginning he ducks under the garage door and Shelby says "Don't bonk your noggin." and I thought "But he does. He does bonk his noggin :( "
:Turns head slow::eyes closed::fist on mouth:
Probably this comment will be lost and never reach you Girlfriend Reviews, since the video was released 1 month ago, but I just finished the game and I needed to write this. I've been watching, reading and thinking about the reviews of my favorite content creators for the past 2 hours and... I think I've found the best one in this video. The video is short but dense. I've rewatched it already like 3 times, and in each one you guys pointed at something that snapped in my mind and got me like "Wow, that's right, they did that and I felt that". So, congratulations on the review guys! I love this "more serious, game-journalist-like" vids, I encourage you to do more, and if possible, 15-20 min length for this format I think it would be appreciated. Nevertheless, you're hilarious, keep also the other comedy format :)
Indeed. This review summed up what I was thinking but couldn't say
:)
I second this!
Third!
Fourth! Excellent analysis of the complex narrative. Thank you!
People who think the game sucks because you don’t kill Abby have smol brain energy
No people think the game sucks because...the game sucks
@@user-yw2ud8ec4r smooooooooooooool brain alert, go cry somewhere else 🤡 LOOOOOOOOL
@@user-yw2ud8ec4r the game itself its 10/10, the story its 10/10 too, y'all dick riding Joel too much
As someone who just recently beat this game, I could not agree more. A small detail, but mentioning the loss of your dad while showing the scene where Ellie smells Joel's coat really hit my heart. I lost my dad to cancer two years ago and still have some of his clothes because they smell like him. It's such a small thing but when someone special is gone forever, you hold on to any piece of them left on this earth. Just one of many bittersweet, beautiful moments in this game.
I also understood Abby’s relationship with lev as her understanding what Joel did and why, as she murdered her own people to save a kid who was under her care. Same as Joel murdered people to save ellie
Seconded. Truth be told, that was my main gripe with the game (I loved it, but it wasn't perfect IMO). I didn't really like Abby's arc at the beginning - not because I disliked Abby, I wanted to understand her - I just didn't really like her story at first, or buddies that I was going along with... except Alice. When Lev and Yara came in... man, THAT'S what I was waiting for. That's when I was invested in her story. I loved their characters, learning about the Seraphites and their lifestyles, and truth be told, their scenes were probably my favorite ones in the whole game.
@@TassadarBJ dude the Abby story had so many great stuff! My favorite was the hospital, I almost pooped my pants
Alright. So by your logic, someone now has permission to kill Abby, slowly, painfully, and brutally in front of Lev, just because the writers decide to retcon some familial relation to someone Abby kills. Maybe fat hammer woman's boyfriend lol.
I'd pay to see it, not gonna lie.
@@FrankMcFuzz1 dont you get it? the person who was going to do that WAS Ellie and she chose not to, she ended a cycle soaked with blood even though all it did was cost her
@@MrAlienated option 2: kill all witnesses, and burn the evidence. End of cycle.
One little detail I would like to share that I haven’t seen anywhere else yet: Ellie’s knife.
Ellie had two ways of remembering her maternal and paternal figures, both of which she loses at the end of the story. For her mother, she loses the single most valuable item on the Ellie gameplay, her knife. This knife is revealed in the comics to be the only item she has to connect and remember her mother and I find awesome how Naughty Dog gave this item such a pivotal role on her mechanics. In between all of the emotions of the last fight, I immediately thought that after her knife gets thrown to the water by Abby, that it was lost for ever. Then her guitar playing skills, the connection with her paternal figure, is lost as well. The way you are unable to play the chords at the last part of the game and how the strings sound muted because of her recently shortened fingers was pure emotion, truly heartbreaking.
There are many things to praise and criticize about this piece of art and because of this, Naughty Dog met and exceeded my personal expectations. What a time to be alive and experience such a bold way of storytelling.
Wow, just wow
Yes exactly... the storyline is masterfully crafted though not perfect
@@Ackshai the storyline sucked. Joel's death made no sense they did it horribly with very lazy writing. Everything we loved about Ellie was not n this game she was written terribly. I didnt care to much at all when Jesse got killed and Tommy tells Ellie to leave her family to go revenge Joel even though Joel would never want that.. and Ellie was living on a farm during a zombie apocalypse and not inside the walls of Jackson? A phuckin farm n the middle of no where n that much danger? That is laughable it's so bad
@@JGriffin5150 Joel's death made perfect sense. It was visceral, troubling, perfect for inspiring a bloody revenge plot (I wanted to kill all of them), and warranted considering what Abby went through. Though I think it would have been more powerful if you'd had a chance to see Joel and Ellie happy first - like putting the Museum scene first in the game while teaching players mechanics and whatnot. Maybe Ellie could have woken up in Jackson after that scene, like Jacksepticeye suggested. With everything that has happened to Ellie, with everyone hat she has lost, it makes sense that Ellie would turn into a vessel of revenge after such a traumatic event. Neil literally marketed the game as being a game about revenge. I liked Jesse fine, but I also wasn't too fazed when he was shot. Tommy.... man, Tommy had almost more taken from him than Ellie did. He lost his niece, his brother, his family, his f*cking eye and leg. He relied on Ellie for his revenge after he could no longer do it. It was all that he had too, and she wouldn't follow through. Everyone loses a lot by the end of the game.
Though I also feel like the farm was alittle too much, as well as the sheep. Where did they get those??
Dude you are making me cry :c
Almost one year later I finally found this essay, and I'm so glad I did. The more I think about this game, again almost a year later, more layers of complexity in its script I find. I still remember how mentally exhausted I was by the end of the game, just wishing Ellie would let Abby live and put an end to this dark path they both took. The Last of Us 2 is one of the best games ever made, but I will never play it again. I'm just not strong enough
Had they changed the order of things and less new characters, it could have been the best of the two, sadly it didn’t even meet expectations. The ratings by fans speak for that. But, Druckman basically wanted it to be a depressing and sad story. He got what he wanted. I’ll be interested to see if people buy anything from Druckman again. There’s a lot of anger there.
Honestly, I still don’t like and will never like this game. But thank you for helping me understand why you and many others do. Its okay for some to not like things that others like. I’ve met people who hate citizen Kane or Lord of the flies. Again, thank you for being mature and being clear about why you like this game.
This gives me hope in humanity
Nah only morons liked this game, same people who think Liquorice is a good and change their oil every 3 thousand miles.
@@CaBdosdos and the vibes are ruined
@@CaBdosdos Thank you for showing the true colours of the haters. Unfortunately the OP is an oasis in the desert...
@@CaBdosdos great thanks dude. Here I am trying to say my piece and you just come in here and ruin it. Everyone just needs to calm down, this is just a video game.
*hops into hazmat suit*
"I'm ready for the comments section."
edit: surprisingly civil, nice.
I think you should keep the suit on. I have a slight amount of hope since this is a later review, and it’s quite measured. Much like what ACG posted a couple days ago. I still expect the ratio to get a little rough in the next day or so
Either way good for the algorithm
Wait till the haters come here lol
Well....Angry Joe's fanbase are full of mad virgins...so expect a war around here
@@victorg.2816 you say that while using "virgin" as an insult and reducing people who did not enjoy the game to it. I just dont understand the reasoning behind hating or insulting people based on how they felt about the game. From anyone. Why cast the first stone?
It breaks my heart how revenge made ellie really lose everything. Joel’s song was such a foreshadowing.
It was more on guilt. Guilt that when she was about to forgive joel abby robbed her the chance to do so.
@@KuehneZoneify wow i didnt see it this way, you are right its not just about killing joel, its about a chance she think abby stole from her.
@@KuehneZoneify Ellie spent years hating Joel for no reason
Abby spent seconds deciding to kill Joel for what, those scientists were immediately trying to kill the worlds hope for survival after only 24 hours of trying. Genius move.
Ellie is more of an idiot than ever and then she didnt care in all her turmoil that her finger was bit off. Im sorry but if Im fighting to the death and my finger gets bitten off Im not just gonna go "oh well, leave, go save your dude"
@@10thletter40 It wasn't you fighting to the death. It was Ellie. It's not about having a fulfilling experience, it's about experiencing choices you didn't want to make through another person's point of view. The goal is trying to make you understand someone else's feelings even though you can't readily do it.
@@10thletter40 you're not Ellie so you can't put yourself in her shoes also, her hate wasn't for no reason and you know that
Did 18K people dislike the analysis or the game itself and therefore anything that may be shining a positive light on it? I heard that there were issues with Part 2 and waited to play it. I just finished it two weeks ago and I was blown away. I have been gaming since the 80s and NOTHING has ever pushed a player's experience like this. I am going to watch this video and another but I still struggle to understand what has everyone so upset
Some people just didn’t like the game my dude
@@daddymyres4067 That's not the point that they brought up. They asked why the dislike count it so high. Like was it people who didn't like the review of it? Or was it simply people who disliked the game so dislike anything that talks positively about it?
@@connorhugen4410 the latter
I feel like there is a very specific community online that will hate on anyone who likes this game just because of that... Sad to see where humanity's empathy and critical thinking is headed
I disliked both. If you do not understand why people do not like the game or at least the story check out some critiques of it. This analysis is almost as shallow as the games story itself.
This is such an amazing piece of game journalism. You all are awesome
What I hate about all of this is now, we can't even be civilized when talking about the game. People who liked it got shut down by people who hates it, and people who hates it got shut down by people who liked it.
Always wanted to have games considered as a legit artform. One that WE as gamers can disect and discuss properly within the community. The fact that we can't even have that makes me kinda sad.
kpafuca Kpafuco i agree. maybe once the initial flames die down in a few months we can all chat about It.
@@murderousrooster1914 the gaming community wasnt ready for something so challenging as part 2. thats why its so rare to see great reviews like this on the game, great discussions less so.
I see the problem in how we mostly discuss games. Like products, with empirical pro's and con's. But games, as a form of art, a more than just "good" or "bad". They deserve to be discussed on what they are and what they do. Not If they are worth 60$ (or at least not only that).
Agreed, so sad to see all the ridiculous stuff like death threats to Laura Bailey. Makes me embarrassed to be a gamer when I see such behaviour. Sadly that's the internet all over. You cant have a discussion with opposing views these days..
the fact its a game is irrelevant though, go spouting that you loved the new star wars and watch the backlash. Its sadly just our society now days, cancel culture, bandwagoning, twitter rage. We live in a generation that cannot accept opinions that are different from our own, i worry for our future tbh. I love this game, i think its a masterpiece. But if you dont thats fine, i can understand why you might feel that way. Thats the point of opinions
8:30 That image hit me hard...
I was a few years younger than Ellie when I suddenly lost my dad. I even had the name of the guy eyewitnesses at the car crash said was responsible for it all (yet wasn't held accountable). You bet your ass I wanted revenge. It's pretty scary to think of what I wanted to do. I'm luckily over it now. Still, watching a cinematic cut of the TLOU2 on Father's Day without a father, but with his guitar in my hands, was an experience like no other.
I'm sorry for your loss, my friend
literally everyones father dies. its not a unique experience
sending you a bro hug
@@nullakjg767 well aren't you the happy helper....
When people pointed out that Abby was too buff and I was like in that world that’s that terrible, these people grew up in that world, not ours where we get to order McDonald’s from our couch and get to chill. Not only that, feeling intense rage and vengeance is enough to put someone on a path to preparing their mind and body for war. Bruh the game was dope.
well put!
also she had access to an olympic level gym, i cant believe the people who trash the game for that
People act like they’re mad because it’s not “realistic” but really that’s just not their idea of what makes a woman beautiful.
Whenever someone complains about Abby not being realistic, my first thought is always those posts that compare Zarya and Stefania Ferrario
i love tlou2 but a woman can not get that big without the use of steroids, which i doubt exist in the world of last of us
I cannot get over how well this video distilled my feelings (and, IMO of course, the reaction the creators were going for) so succinctly. An amazing summary of an incredibly emotional experience. Honestly, bravo.
Thank you so much!
@@GirlfriendReviews I'm starstruck!!
In the last two Flashbacks, we learn two very important things.
1. Ellie cut Joel out of her life for the last years of his life.
2. She never got the chance to forgive him for what he did to her. She tried to the last night they talked but she never had the time to do it because the day after he was brutally murdered in front of her eyes.
She tried to live on the farm with Dina but was unable to move on from Joel's past. She believes the reason is that she has to revenge his death and the only way for her to move forward is to kill Abby.
While she drowns Abby she is both full of hate and in control for the very first time. But then she thinks of that last night with Joel. It's at that moment that she realizes revenge won't satisfy her need for closure and the only way for her to move on is to forgive Joel for what he did. I'm not sure if she forgives Abby. I believe she realizes killing Abby will lead to the suffering of Lev, and innocent, just like Abby's actions led to the suffering of Ellie, an innocent.
I made a whole video about my thoughts on the game because I saw no other way to deal with all the emotions I went through because of it.
There has been so much negative output on the game on RUclips I somewhat felt the need to contrast it by sharing my views.
I saw it as when she’s drowning Abby she has that flashback and yes realizes she’s gotta let go of Joel to move on, but also she thinks what Joel did was the worst thing anyone could ever do to her so can kind of imagine how Abby feels and if she could try and forgive Joel for what he did, maybe she can forgive Abby. If anything, maybe by forgiving Abby she can forgive Joel.
@@GrandioseOtiose yup, what a bad man, saves his adopted daughter over a world. yup, very bad
@@unnamed3257 He's a sympathetic monster. That's kinda the point.
@@unnamed3257 I loved the game and but next time I play part 1 I'm going to shoot that doctor and save ellie.. and just like Joel I won't have any regrets about it.
This game doesn't condemn Joel. He's only the villain in abby's story.
Another thing i found interesting, is that the arc that Abby go through is similar to Joel's arc in the first game. They are both exceptional fighters and survivors with a tragic past, and they reconnect with their humanity thanks to the innocence of a child companion. Both Joel and Abby did what they wanted to survive, and honestly, even tho Abby killing Joel is heartbreaking it has no comparison to what Joel did at then end of the first game. So if Ellie not killing Abby was a way for her to forgive Joel, if she can't at least try to forgive Abby, what chances did Joel ha to be forgiven?
Idk i think i'm saying bullshit here but i think it's one of the reasons of the decision of killing Abby.
Anyone notice the metaphor in the game that Abby found her peace when she walked down the hospital hallway in her dream, after saving Lev and Yara, and opened the door to see her father alive and smiling at her, and the parallel to that when Ellie was drowning Abby and she got a quick flash of Joel playing his guitar and looking up and smiling at her, it was after that flashback that Ellie let Abby go, symbolizing that Ellie finally found her peace. There are so many parallels in this game like that, i absolutely love it!
Yep, so many people fail to see that!
Haha yes, that small scene with Joel during the fight I found it so beautiful too.... gut wrecking.
This game was fantastic. Too bad many failed to see the complexity of the story and easily dismissed it
Thanks for this small detail - I didn't notice this parallel.
Such a beautiful game.
They do a LOT with hallways and doors having multiple meanings depending on time and who’s walking down them. We’ve played as Joel running down that hall, then Ellie. My gut dropped the first time they showed St. Mary’s Hospital from Abby’s POV, how it was a hopeful place where her Dad was a hero. Then Abby’s two dreams.
Likewise, the hall in the aquarium with the painting on the door became a nexus for the characters, too. And the stage curtain. Their use and reuse of these elements was masterful.
The was the first of any media where I felt physically ill while while enjoying it. Ellie's flashback in the barn with Joel yelling her name instead of screams of pain made me stop playing. I needed a break from the intense emotions, and it was wonderful. That has never happened before, and it likely never will. When it came to the fight with Abby at the end, I was hesitant to strike her, I even stopped doing it altogether because I didn't want either of the characters to do this to each other (Abby just smashed my head in but you know). When Ellie let Abby go, I felt an enormous sense of relief. The Last of Us Part 2 is, and probably forever will be, one of the greatest experiences I've ever had in any form of media.
I felt a similar reluctance heading back to the aquarium as Abby. I knew what she was going to find and how she would react and I just didn't want to make that character go through it. She got her primary revenge with Joel, lived with the emptiness that followed, and then - because she got nothing from killing Joel - learned forgiveness with Lev... and she was about to be rewarded for that growth by learning Ellie killed her friends. I put the controller down before getting into the aquarium for a good 10 minutes, just unable to make that scene happen.
@@keeng On the topic of the aquarium, I went the WHOLE GAME without killing a single dog and then I have to kill one anyway! I was so sad :[ But yeah that game hit so many heartstrings, I have no idea how they set out to do something and accomplished it over and over again throughout the whole game.
@@TheeImagined lmao same here with the dog.
I love your guys’ videos. Game journalism in general benefits from these beautifully edited and thoughtful/thought provoking pieces. Keep them coming!
“Revenge is a fools game”- Arthur Morgan
But its sometimes justified.
@@AnakinSkywakka sometimes, but this game is all about how it isn't how you deal with grief. You deal with grief by embracing those closest to you and letting them help you heal from those wounds. Abby didn't let Owen help her with her grief, she went ahead with her revenge and that cost her all of her friends. Ellie put all her friends and family on the line, and that costs her his friend Jesse and causes her to suffer from severe PTSD, then after she's forced to let go she doesn't allow Dina to help her either, she lets go of her and that costs her everything. Abby learned her lesson and didn't kill Dina even though she was justified in doing so, and thus was allowed to live a happy year and then a happy life with Lev.
@@AnakinSkywakka literally never
@LikeNobodii you need to play again... You've missed basically everything...
@@ongobongo8333 bruh Batman
I wouldn't call Mario a "fat plumber" considering the level of agility he has and all the physical activities he does on the daily.
He's a little fat... And he is a plumber :v
You try seeing Sammo Hung in action and tell me that he's not fat
But he *is* a fat plumber. Look at him.
Fat people can be athletic wow, shocker
He is agile. And also fat.
The first game is some of the best pieces of art i have ever experienced in my life, and when playing this second game i can say i was full of mixed emotions. I think i never felt so into a story as when i played it, really fcking engaged, but ngl, it felt weird. When i finished it and saw the reviews i jumped into the train of hating the game, but always felt it wasnt really my opinion and emotions i felt while playing it. Since everyone is hating, i might as well hate it too. But time has passed and i couldnt stop thinking about this story, and i think now, a year later i first played it i can appreciate what a wonderful story this is. Cant put it into words better than you did in the video. Thank you for capturing my feelings and putting them into words.
Agree, my initial thoughts on TLOU2 were pretty mixed; I thought the Santa Barbara chapter felt tacked on for example. But after playing it a 2nd time, my opinion improved as I really understood both sides of the story and how they interconnect, as well as the weight of Ellie's decision to leave for SB (as she had constant PTSD as evidenced by her journal, not just one episode). It's probably my favorite PS4 game along with RDR2.
Thank you kanye
You just joined a minuscule list of people on the internet who have ever admitted they were wrong and changed their mind. For that, you get major props.
@MisAnthro Pony Well congrats on having your own opinion, however why feel the need to insult others simply because they disagree on a certain topic?
@MisAnthro Pony I hated the game too but you have no reason to be a dick over it. It’s just a video game you weirdo.
If you pay attention, if you really pay attention during this game, it will continually reward you
oh I did, and I was punished for noticing all the bad writing.
@@PatrickOMulligan Based.
"Why are there so many comments with quotes"
-Me I guess, 2020
LOL
Actually made me laugh
can we immortalize this quote please!
@@jacksondurant7131 lol
Yoooo
The worst part about this review is how you said elephant instead of Ellie- phant...
Edit: Pls don't reply after the 69th comment...
Edit 2: thank you internet... I wanted one thing!
Had us in the first half
Lmao
Maybe if this was lord of the rings?
why are u so funy
@@LetsGetHighOnMorris look mr frodo . Its an oliphant
This is the best review about the last of us 2 i have seen to date. Very smart and insightfull. I am thankfull for anyone who makes me think about a new approach. Thats why i love stand up comedy as well.
What a really nice and well thought out retrospective!
" Be kind to one another in the comment section" one of the world's most difficult things
Love your neighboor as yourself
@@elflaco1392 you dont have to spend your routine with people in comments section😅..
@@elflaco1392 But I don't love myself though
Check the new video, the reviewers got so much hate and death threats.
That's like wearing a 400 lbs suit and trying to get past a laser grid.
It's funny that you mention Gone Girl (my favorite movie btw) because the man who plays Owen is the guy who says the quote at 2:57, who is the officer assisting the detective in the film.
We did not know that. That is really freaking cool!! Thanks for this info!
That's some happy little accidents 👌
That’s cool, it’s the dude form almost famous.
avg_person best movie ever.
I get very annoyed at many surface-level criticisms of this game. It's OK not to like it; my philosophy is that you at least understand what the game was doing, what the game was trying to say, and if it STILL didn't work for you, then, by all means, evaluate. Every time someone narrows the game's message down to simply be "ReVEngE iS bAd" and nothing else, I swear to God, my blood boils. At that point it's like, "say you didn't understand the game without saying you didn't understand the game."
It's almost as bad, just saying "You just bad that they killed Joel". it's like you saying. "I don't want to hear anything bad about thing I like."
And what was the game's message? Was one of the messages "Revenge is bad"? People didn't like Abby, they didn't like to spend side questing as her hours and hours, until her story picked up again. And finally, didn't get to make the choice to kill character they don't like.
Since people think you can't give opinions about game if you haven't play it yet, how about The Closer Look? He has video essay about this game and tries to give a better alternate story
@@emilia2895 I'm not really a fan of the kind of criticism that basically amounts to "I can write a better story than whatever the professionals came up with." In some cases, it's possible, but I prefer when people look at the story as it is, give it the benefit of the doubt by actually thinking about how it all came together and then judging it for themselves once they've thoroughly thought it all through. I'm not saying you can't say ANYTHING bad about it. But at the very least the game asks more of you than for you to just say "eh I didn't like it cause the story wasn't what I built it up to be in my head and what I think of as an alternative will be instantly better than what we got." That's not good criticism when talking about something like the last of us 2 IMO. Some people have also said it sucked because Joel was killed, which also isn't good criticism. I don't want to police people on their thoughts and opinions over something, it's just a personal thing to me. I'm willing to debate with someone over the meaning of the story even if they didn't like it's direction, as long as they knew what it was trying to do and judged it on the merits it asks to be judged on rather than just saying "it's just about 'ReVEnGe iS bAd' it's so lazy". It just irks me when people refuse to dig any deeper into all the game offered on a narrative front and then act like they know better about it than anyone else when they don't.
I personally think this is the best video you guys have made. Thank you.
"The big dead elephant in the room"
Girl that's true but still... I'm dead xD
Wait, Joel isn't an elephant....... is he??
A big dead elephant with a golf driver size hole on its head :(
I mean, he probably put a bit on around the middle as he got older but still....a bit harsh.
So is Joel.
No pun intended?
This is the only game I've ever finished and actually sat through all the credits still trying to process what I just experienced.
DuckDuckBananas That’s because you haven’t played SOMA.
Even I stayed on the new main menu for 5-10 minutes watching the waves.
It was this and the last gow game for me
I assume u would do the same after GOT season 8
DuckDuckBananas have you played rdr2
i decided to play the game because of this review, all i can say is thank you
I suggest that you play Hades as well, then think about which of the two deserved to be Game of The Year 2020
@@MrKostaspapagalos Still The Last of Us Part II.
@@LeMaqnifique Let us agree, that we disagree.
Got my PS5 some days ago. Never owned an PS . Played Last of us first and where deeply amazed by it. Just finished part 2 , I loved this game! What a way to tell a story, I’m in shock
@@MrKostaspapagalos Hades GOTY 2020? vs TLOU2? Not a chance.
I completed this game a couple of years ago, soon after its release, and spent a long, long time thinking about everything it had to offer and say. Probably one of the most emotionally intense and heartfelt games I've ever played, easily one of my top-3 favorites ever. Now I'm playing through it again with my girlfriend, who is aware of major plot points but not the finer points of the story. It's been a real rollercoaster for her and we're nearing the end. I can't wait to see what she thinks of it.
I find it sad how she never got to finish singing Joel's song. Just like she never got to forgive Joel when he was alive.
But she did forgive Joel. She just never got to tell him properly. That's what amplifies her feelings. And why she doesn't get to end the song.
I felt like her sparing and forgiving Abby was in part her also forgiving Joel, hence why they flashback starts before almost killing Abby
pop corn I don’t know if she forgave him. But I think Ellie’s journey helps her understand Joel’s actions. She sees what she did in the name of love so she understands how Joel could do what he did. I think that’s one of the main themes of the game, perspective along with understanding.
And that's a lesson that should apply for us all. Talk now or regret not saying anything when we lose that person.
What I think was very beautiful (and maybe I’m wrong in this) is that throughout the game she couldn’t finish the song just like she couldn’t forgive Joel. Forgiving him would be letting him go and she wasn’t ready to, but by the end when she finally was ready she couldn’t play the song because she lost her fingers in her blind revenge.
"Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace." Thank you for this incredible review. It's so nice to see a reviewer who genuinely appreciated the game for what it was (or, at least, what I found it to be) - a harrowing, meaningful, challenging and tragically exquisite story. When I first started playing Abby's section I was angry, almost resentful - I didn't want to be there, I wanted her to pay! I didn't want to wait to see the climax with Ellie. After a while, I started thinking "I would have really liked Abby if it weren't for Joel" and this stuck with me for a while... by day 3 I genuinely liked her. If it weren't for Joel's death at her hands, I would've downright loved her. By the end of the game I truly just wanted Ellie and Abby to stop suffering. Neither of them were truly good or bad, they were just people and they acted no differently to how I would have in the same situations. I wept with Ellie as she let Abby go, first with a bitter sense of grief, and then with a heartbroken sense of relief as we relived the last conversation Ellie had with Joel and she opened her heart to accepting the loss and letting go of her regret and hatred. This game was amazing for me, but emotionally I struggled. I don't know if I'll ever play it again, but I'm so glad I played it once.
This comment is a testament of you being a person with abundance of feelings, and empathy, which is exactly the kind of player this game and its creators deserve. I urge you to play it again, Jane Taylor.
I like Abby more than Ellie.
@Conner B Abby got justice for Joel killing her dad. You don't really understand the concept of perspective, do you Conner?
You explained it perfectly. I think a lot of people missed the point.
Conner B so let's hold grudges forever. Never forgive. Never let go. I wouldn't be worried about people Jane cares about. I'm worried about how you were raised.
This is one of the best well crafted video’s on RUclips. Well done Girlfriend Reviews!
For the players who weren't okay with the ending. If you truly cared about Ellie. You would've been okay with the ending. Ellie herself is the tormented one while seeking for revenge
Actually i hated Ellie as much as i hated Abby.
Druckmann somehow managed to write Ellie in a way to make her unlikable.
Shes left with nothing even she doesnt kill her the best she has is time to get better i guess but her support network is for the most part dead or hate her for was she has done