The Last of Us Part II remains one of the most divisive titles in Sony’s last-gen catalogue. The sequel to one of the best games of all time, Part II took many chances when it came out – and for some fans, it completely missed the mark. However, for many, replaying The Last of Us Part II after watching the HBO show has changed their thoughts about the game.
One of the main reasons why everyone loved The Last of Us – and we think many fans can relate here – was the dynamic between Joel and Ellie. The idea of an adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic cityscape inhabited by “non-zombies” has been done to undeath – but that wasn’t what made The Last of Us special.
At the centre of it all was Joel – a troubled character that the player learns to sympathize with through every hardship. The opening scenes – with Joel losing his daughter – felt brutal. The game’s ending, where Joel sacrifices what’s left of his moral compass to save Ellie, feels like a kick straight to the gut. Many felt that all of that was undone by Part II.
Beyond Abby unceremoniously dispatching Joel, it felt like The Last of Us Part II just wanted to be edgier than Part I. It didn’t matter if characters made decisions that didn’t fit their character arcs – as long as it was “dark,” it was fair play. That would explain why Neil Druckmann swears Abby is as much of a hero as Ellie – even though the game itself paints her (and every decision she makes) in an increasingly negative light.
Now that The Last of Us (the show, not the game) has wowed the world with a demonstration of how to adequately adapt a video game to live-action, our love for The Last of Us as a series has been reignited – and that includes a newfound appreciation for the plot of Part II.
As much as we still find some aspects of the game’s design and the overall plot disappointing, there’s a sense that many “missed” something the first time they played the game. For many, Part II came out years after they had last played the first game, but
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