Poll: How Do You Feel About The Last of Us Part 2, 5 Years Later?

personally never played it, not a fan of survival horror

A game that ultimately says nothing. Like if you asked a very complicated question about morals, revenge, trolley problems etc and got an answer that boils down to “dunno, it depends”.

Great gameplay and graphics, but really disliked almost all the characters and the overall story. I replayed part 1 I believe 3 times. I don’t have any desire to replay part 2. That said, it was very well made, just didn’t enjoy the narrative.

Masterpiece then, still is now.

The hate the game gets is largely overblown due to sad and hateful crybabies. With any genuine criticisms often drowned out.

I’d argue it’s better than the first game which is some feat in itself.

Great graphics, good gameplay and a terrible story. The original ended perfectly imo no need for this

It's a fine game, but narratively there was no one to root for as all the main characters were just out for murderous revenge. It also dragged on way too long. I wanted to answer that my opinion hadn't changed over the years but weirdly that was not an option in the question about whether your opinion had changed.

There wasn't an option for this but in some ways I do consider it a Masterpiece but with some clear flaws. My main issues lie with the story and characters. I think it's executed really well overall in terms of polish. Gameplay is great.

Story and character issues aside, the thing I feel like holds it back for me is the pacing. Druckman did the same thing with Uncharted 4. It doesn't have to be as drawn out as it is.

@Jacko11 or maybe people don't like stories from both sides. Why then 2nd part has sold like 2-3 times less? I played part 2, got till part where I need to play Abby, turned on my CryBaby mood and switched it off. God forbid to have different opinion from you

@epicurean My thoughts exactly. Gameplay and graphics are impeccable. Story, characters and pacing, not so.

A very thoughtful fart.

I liked it when I played it at launch and I like it now. Solid 9 for me, I like being challenged by the media I consume.

I absolutely loved it from start to finish. One of those games I wish I could play again for the first time.

I've not played it, I put it on the back burner after seeing spoilers and didn't get around to it. I've only seen the show.

I get what they were going for and I like that they had the balls to do it. But my big problem with the show is that when you have a core duo that relies on each other so much for character development and you kill one of them off, you also kill off half of the other character and they don't have the same growth any more.

The show has made me interested to play the game and see if I've got the same issues with it.

You reap what you sow. Ellie deserves her ending.

I am not really a Naughty Dog fan, I find the uncharted games to be too lightweight in story and the traditional discrete level structure too retrograde.

The last of us was a big step up though and the sequel was definitely even more to my taste. I've always been a fan of the "broken people making terrible decisions" style of story telling as I just find it so human and so relatable. The game might be about 5 hours too long though.

I plan on replaying again soon and I suspect I might like it even more the second time.

The gameplay itself was excellent but the story wasn't great. Even if you did enjoy that aspect, it dragged on by the end.

Only just played part 1 on my Pro a few months ago. Looking forward to this one.

I think the game is wonderful. The gameplay is fantastic. My complaint is that by telling the stories in blocks it reduced the tension and reduced the impact of the end story. A better structure would be a chapter or two of Ellie and then cut to Abby. Shows the inevitable showdown between them and really builds the excitement for the explosion. A solid 9/10.

Great performances, great writing, great gameplay, great graphics. Way too long and too emotionally draining for multiple playthroughs. Definitely doesn't deserve the hate it gets, but I wouldn't consider it a "masterpiece" either.

10/10 game for me, timeless story, emotion I've never felt in a game before/since, and fantastic combat. No notes.

@REALAIS you obviously didn’t read my comment properly. Your reply tells everyone exactly which form of hater you are.

Congrats 👏🏻

@wildcat_kickz this is true lol, I guess my one note then would be that it was very emotionally draining and I've only recently built up the desire to give it a second playthrough.

It's in my top 3 games of all time. Absolute masterpiece. Not afraid to go as dark as it needed to and didn't shy away from anything. Turned two protagonists into antagonists for me and it was such a brilliant, thought-provoking story. #TeamAbby

I would hope Part 3 follows both Abby and Ellie on their separate journeys, they address the Firefly resurgence and I think a perfect ending would be Ellie finally giving her life for a vaccine. It would turn her back from antagonist to protagonist and would be a full circle moment. But that's just me.

I love this game mainly because naughty dog decided to challenge the players rather than just do another big standard storyline

I love the game. I have always felt the online hate to be extremely immature and nonsensical. As if Joel Miller's life must continue because they demand it. Like, how do you get through life with this kind of mindset? The game clearly illustrates the human cost for seeking revenge. In that sense the game is terrific. It's depressing as hell, but it is rock solid.

That being said, I will not be watching season 2 of the HBO series because I don't need it. From what I've been hearing it's a downgrade from the source material and that is one of my greatest pet peeves when it comes to respecting and following the source material.

SPOILER

I thought that after the thing that happened, the series lost its central hook - the father-daughter relationship.

Part II for me was insanely repetitious, and I just hated the vibe. just creep around, slit some throats, for so many hours. It just felt empty and with very little to balance out the dread and the hate.

It looked good, but just left me cold, and I will never play it again.

It's one of the best games ever. People might not like where they went with the story, which I understand but don't necessarily agree with, but as a game it is incredible

Even on PushIncel only 12% didn’t like it. Yet I can guarantee people are still going to keep pretending that the vocal minority is actually the majority on this.

It was relentlessly miserable and dour. I finished it because it played very well but I was glad when it was over. If a Part 3 ever emerges, I hope there’s some more optimism in it.

@Jacko11 cool that you know which form of hater I am. But in general, Zyou are throwing heavy words "hater". I disliked it, and I stopped playing. I don't hate TLOU, but seemingly you just showed that you can't even differentiate what is "hate" from anything else. If I dont like what I am playing, I am hater? Yeah, alright. You just showed how you think about anybody who disagress with you )

The gameolay is really good and always has been. It just has one of the worst stories I've ever seen in a video game.

@Cornpop76

I'd suggest the problem here are the fringe social media circles you've been hanging out in. They don't represent the mainstream and majority criticism of this mediocre game

Didn't the game win the majority of fan voted game of the year awards in 2020?

1.This is a very good game that did not deserve the hate it received. However, It is not as good as the first one or Left Behind.

2.The game tells a very compelling story about the cycle of violence. That story needed editing, and dragged on a little too long. The gameplay is great.

3. At the end of the day, as good as the game was, I think Naughty Dog made a mistake not making a game focused on the bond between Joel and Ellie and continuing their journey together. There was a lot more interesting story to tell there after the end of the first game, and it is what fans wanted in a sequel. Again: TLOU2 is no doubt a good game. But they could have made a good sequel that pleased their fans a lot more. There was story to tell that they veered away from.

@Cornpop76 you must be new here, because clearly you’ve not read any TLOU articles before.

My point is still valid, thanks though.

I still think its a brilliant game with a great story for the most part, my only real complaint is that it doesn't know when to end and should have done so with Abby and Lev out exploring together.

Other than that, it looks stunning, has much improved gameplay over the original and I really enjoyed both sides of the story

10/10 gameplay, 2/10 story; a grim tedious slog. Not a fan of Neil. Absolutely unbelieveable that we never got multiplayer.

On a technical level this game is still a marvel. The amount of work that went into all the small details and animations is still unmatched by most games to this day. The gameplay was also extremely tense yet fun, and that lower-level hospital part still haunts my nightmares 🥲 if you know, you know. Also really liked Ellie. Just didn't like the ending. Completely f**ked the story for me, but everything else was incredible 👌🏻

I played at launch. It was an incredible piece of art: graphics, music, gameplay all fantastic, but it’s not an experience I want to re-live. Far too grimdark for my tastes these days.

Depends which version we’re talking about.

If it’s the original PS4 version with the perfect trophy list and no extraneous game modes like that horrendously awful roguelite slop they shoehorned into the Remaster, I’d put it at a solid 9. If it’s the butchered, anti-trophy hunter version they try to force feed everyone on PS5, it’s unplayable. I’m not staining my account with potentially unattainable trophies attached to a mode based on random chance that has no business being bolted on to something that was already finished and perfectly fine as-is.

I just played it for the first time. It was an 8/10 for me.

Positives: Very solid stealth gameplay. An unbelievable amount of highly detailed art. Seattle landmarks are amazing - ferry building, pioneer square, chinatown gate, aquarium, 99 highway. Story kept the tension for the most part. Some cool sequences like descending the building, crossing the sky bridges, boating over rapids, etc. Well acted. Ending was interesting.

Negatives: Too many forced linear cut scene sequences and too much extreme linearity. Story kinda drags and is overlong. Too much dialogue during gameplay. Felt like the second story could've just been Ellie's story but adapted to work. Some plot motivations are far fetched. I do agree that the story felt unnecessary and a bit empty after the first game.

Is the only game that i beat more that i can count. The first one i beat 47 times lo g the years. This second title i already beat 8 times. Its a masterpiece really! The best history in a campaign game.

@REALAIS The only updated sales figure for Part II we have was from two years (24 months) after it released, when it had sold 10.3 million copies. Nothing since then.

A fair comparison would be the sales figure for the first game at 24 months? That we don't have.

We do know the first was up to 8 million copies sold at 14 months, and then 17 million at 58 months. That averages out to the first game selling 205,000 copies per month between those first two figures (14mths/58mths).

So at 24 months the first one would've sold around 10.05 million copies compared to the second game at 10.3 million. Essentially on par.

I found the second game better than the first - better level design, graphics, much more risk taking, deeper themes and richer characters. But it's brutal and far less a safe or familiar narrative like the first, so I get some not clicking with it.

When playing initially, it is probably most disappointing game I have ever played in my life, and that probably encompasses other media like Films/series.

My opinion hasn't changed because their is no incentive for me to go back and try it again.

I personally thought the first game never needed a sequel, and preferred the Uncharted series anyway, so never bothered to get the second game or either remake.

Didn't like the first one, so never played the second and have no interest in doing it.

The Last of Us Part II remains a true masterpiece. From its storytelling and character development to its gameplay and emotional depth, every aspect is meticulously crafted. This game takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, suspense, and intense action. It truly deserves all the praise it receives and then some. Neil Druckmann is without a doubt one of the greatest creators of our time. I can’t wait to see what he has in store next with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet!

I still find the game good but flawed. I think that is down to the story being poorly edited. Playing Ellie then Abby really didn't flow well to me. Should have been reversed in several instances. Gameplay was good but found enemies saying someone was dead was hilarious as I kept thinking about how south park used to kill kenny all the time and it felt the same way in the game.

Maybe a tad too long, but a fantastic achievement on a base PS4.

@Cornpop76 so you're acknowledging that the majority of people actually like the game then? You're previous statement implied you believed there was "majority criticism"

@get2sammyb The gameplay is great but absolutely undermines the entire story. You just cannot seriously tell a story about the themes it covers while ignoring the hundreds of people you gun down during the gameplay as both characters. Like the whole Nathan Drake murders hundreds of people is one thing as their stories are fairly pulpy anyway but gameplay and story need to work in tandem for a game like The Last of Us 2. Ironically it worked better in the first one solely due to Joel’s actions at the end lining up with the fact you kill almost everyone you come across outside of cutscenes anyway.

Great game with an important message about how violence breeds violence, and how vengeance is a poison that ultimately leads to self-destruction when indulged.

It's an absolute gem. I loved it in 2020 and again in 2024 on PS5.

I prefer the story In part 1 but think 2 improves the moment to moment gameplay but has less impact overall than the original

I feel the same as I did 5 years ago. The last of us games are great but they just don't tickle my pickle. I fully appreciate what people see in them and I can recognise they are very impressive to look at but I just can't get into them.

Replayed it after the garbage part 2 tv adaptation finished.
It remains one of the greatest games I've ever played.

The combat is pure Egyptian cotton. Such silky varied gunplay, setting traps, Melee, stealth and cunning.
The acting from baker, Johnson and Bailey is exceptional. The story remains compelling and grim, the traversal is simple but fun as well as the crafting.
And of course the sound and visuals are tier 1.
Masterpiece

I remember when I played it and took a real dislike to older Ellie and was actually rooting for Abby to smash her skull in.

One of the best games ever made in my opinion.

@nessisonett agreed, loved the first game and not so much the second. Felt constantly bleak and depressing to play. Stopped after about 14 hours and never went back. Although I will say the actual gameplay was top tier.

It's just sad what became of a studio who made Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter.

Perfect game. Perfect ending. Realistic characters being flawed. No heroes or villains and posed questions at our own morals and sanity as a population in the real world. The gameplay is so original feeling too. Not just generic third person action. Gritty, desperate and visceral.
I’ll keep playing this game, and the first, back to back every other year for a long long time.
It’s wild to me how many people hate media that isn’t simple good vs bad and not tied up with a neat happy bow at the end. That’s life.

The gameplay was phenomenal and the story was atrocious. Not just the broad strokes, either--it was bad down to the smaller moments and little bits of interstitial dialogue.

For example: Ellie's cynical mockery of random dead bodies during her travels (since it's implied that they're "chuds," so naturally they don't deserve to live). On one level, it's horrific because of how obviously she's a self-insert for the annoying writers, but it's even more idiotic since you'd think someone would place a bit more value on people's lives when the whole human race is fighting for survival.

Another example: The absolutely ham-fisted attempts to humanize Abby and her crew after they've already been shown to be callous and bloodthirsty, to put it mildly. Even if I accept Abby's motivations for murder, it doesn't explain why all of her friends exult in a man being beaten to death and happily participate. Regardless, when we next meet them we're expected to find them lovable based on their unfunny banter and enthusiasm for burritos. It was nauseating.

Another: An old man briefly speaks to Ellie in a bigoted manner. A lot of people would probably flip them the bird and move on, but this is a huge point of emphasis for some reason. Probably because these are the issues the writers are obsessed with on a personal level, and they couldn't see past their own noses.

I could go on listing examples of why I found the writing cringe-worthy, but there's a segment of the audience who found all this crap palatable, and beyond them, there's no one left who needs these things explained.

It's one of my favorite games but it's hard for me to play again because the game is too depressing

I'll keep it simple.
It's a boring game.
No remastered remake of a HD port remix is going to change that.

An incredible game I just couldn’t handle when it came out, though I plan to go back to it soon.

I’ve never played a game that’s been so profoundly disturbing to play, the way ‘enemies’ react to finding others dead was horrific.

Only a truly special game can put you off playing because it feels too real, too bleak.

Great game, one of the best I've played. Revenge was bitter sweet. Top notch game engine, motion capture is a cut above. Stars of the shows for me were the infected, hospital level was awesome.

Last of us 1 is wayyy better enough say. Word up son

Loved the first and still yet to play the second dont ask me why. Maybe I just couldn’t take what happened to Joel as I had it jimmy spoilered for me lol

@Cornpop76

I have absolutely no idea how many of those who purchased the game liked or disliked it.

It's got 90% positive reviews on Steam from all verified purchasers, so that's probably a good idea.

I don't give two hoots what that ratio would be as I'm not a sheep. I'm an adult and will form my own independent opinion of the title, unlike what teenagers do which is to carefully gauge what the majority think before revealing my view, due to a need to fit in and feel accepted by peers.

And yet earlier you went on at length about specific videos posted by people you name checked, gave references to the comments of said videos(along with estimated percentages which sounded entirely made up) and talked at length about the "majority opinion".

Divisive game & deliberately designed to be. Personally find the Disney & Hollywood style story trope to bring back a popular character only to make them "broken", just overdone,.

Just my opinion,but think its too easy to forget the other half of Uncharted 2,4 & TLOU 1 appeal was the presence of Bruce Straley & his departure from Naughty Dog was a real loss.

It's a game that I never really bothered with for the sole reason that I didn't really think the original required a sequel. I liked the open-ended nature of the ending in the first.

Which is funny, because I actually own the game.

Loved it then, love it now. There are some things I didn’t really care for in there (a few overlong story parts which aren’t much fun to play through again), but the combat was superb and the story was excellent. Performances were likewise great.

One of the best games ever made in the history of gaming!

The Game is undoubtedly great on every level. As for the plot, for me nothing changed, while TLOU 1 was clearly inspired by The Road by Cormac McCarthy, part 2 was unfortunately inspired by MTV Reality shows, teens loving teens that love other teens, and that’s a huge disappointment.

When I played the game upon release, I thought it was truly one of the best games I’ve ever played. Now watching, and being completely bored by, the HBO series, it does have me re thinking my original thoughts. Maybe the story and characters just wasn’t as compelling as I thought? I don’t know, but the game itself is incredibly well made. One thing I do know is I do not have any desire for a part 3.

@Cornpop76 so, in short, you don’t care about other people’s opinions apart from those by YouTubers that share your opinions and the comment section of said YouTube videos as long as the agree with you?

If you don’t care about other people’s opinions then having a discussion about the merits of criticism made by other people seems strange. Just state your own opinion and move on.

Were the majority of criticisms posted online legitimate and valid? Absolutely not according to what I saw, and on basic sites like Metacritic and Reddit.The metacritic reviews were an absolute clown fest of barely legible bile. You’d have to be wilfully ignorant to think otherwise.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t legitimate criticisms though, I think the game is too long and it’s nowhere near my favourite games of all time. The criticism at the time absolutely didn’t reflect these legitimate criticisms though. The comment section of a Reddit video viewed by maybe 100k people is not going to change that when the review section of metacritic, a website visited by 2m unique visitors a day, told an entirely different story.

It had it's moments for certain, I think Ashley's Johnson's performance was an all timer, especially the scene in the theatre where Ellie was shook and trying to hide it. Never had I felt such realism from a video game character.
And ye, that scene early on with Joel was emotional as all hell, for what it's worth if taken in isolation the scene was a masterpiece.
However I felt when I looked at the bigger picture it didn't hold up, especially in the second half as in my opinion, characters started acting unrealistically, and they fell into a bit of a problem where they wanted every character to feel sympathetic, but by the end they all felt a bit irredeemable (in my eyes) so I lost interest.

I think history will look back on the 2010s and 2020s as an era of deconstruction in the West. By both political sides. By media. By artists. By society.
Deconstructing of heroes, of myths, of role models. Deconstructing of norms, values, traditions. Deconstructing of universities, institutions, truths. Perhaps some of that was needed, but a lot of it has just left us hollow, angry, divided. We ourselves are deconstructed.
The Last of Us 2 is a brilliant game, but a perfect example of this era. It didn’t challenge the values of this deconstruction as much as brilliantly executed them. As such, it’ll likely be seen in the future as a picture perfect example of all that was wrong during this time in our history.
Hopefully things will change. I’ve been watching Frieren on Crunchy Roll, which is the most quietly radical, subversive show I’ve seen in decades. It completely ignores the whole deconstruction agenda and says that loyalty, love, and time all matter. Much more than we think.
So thanks Last of Us 2. But I hope we never meet again.

Im probably in the minority side but i love the game i even upgrade recently to the ps5 version

The game is absolute garbage and always has been , the crap poor writing is utterly embarrassing and shames the original excellent game. No wonder Druckmann has abandoned it...
IMO.
I spent half the game killing Abby in as many different ways as possible to get some enjoyment for my money.

One of my top 3 games of all time. Completely refined everything that was in need of more polish in the first game imo. It plays and looks beautiful, and I loved the story regardless of the hate.

@UncleByron That isn’t what I said at all. All of Lynch’s movies have something to say. The Last of Us 2 doesn’t. It flirts around concepts but chickens out of anything profound.

Gameplay wise it's one of my favorite games ever.

On the narrative side, while I do understand the decision to hole-in-one Joel I feel they didn't execute it right. I didnt´t like the seraphites, it was too heavy-handed lecturing for my taste.

Factions 2 being promised as a multiplayer then turning into a standalone F2P and then cancelling, all without us ever since more than one concept art piece really soured it in general for me.

I see now why some people say the first last of us as good in spite of Druckmann's involvement because there were people that could reign in his dumber ideas, like the cross-country lesbo revenge odyssey that part 2 devolved into. In general the plot of part 2 went nowhere, it dint' advance anything, the world isn't closer to a cure, all it did was kill Joel so there was a reason for Ellie to lose her *****.

Aw, man. I hadn't realized how bad Druckmann ***** up until right now XD.

How should I feel? It was always a great game.
The only thing I don't like is, that its way longer than Part 1. For another playtrough a bit too long.

I replayed it recently and some of the story choices are still, shall we say, ‘not great’. But I didn’t completely hate it like I did five years ago.

I don’t know if it’s because the HBO show was just so terribly written and comically miscast, that it somehow made me appreciate the game more.

Can I go with 'its a great game that deserved the hate'?

Fun gameplay, Horrible story, characters & television show.

From a technical standpoint, it was brilliant. Great gunplay, good exploration and crafting mechanics. Graphically, it was also well-done. Everything looked fantastic. Sound and enemy design were on point.

The narrative was trying too hard. It has an edgy, pretentious, fan-fiction-quality design masquerading as an avantgarde art house flick. I like games with progression. Halting my progression to play a section that I just played as a different character is frustrating. The pacing could have benefited greatly from taking a page out of the Resident Evil 2 manual of excellence - play one perspective through one campaign, then play through the other one as a "B" scenario. Oh man, what that could have done for the narrative.

The first game built toward a sequel and formed a promise. The sequel failed miserably in the payoff. I'm glad I played it and enjoyed the gameplay aspect, but I gave it to a friend right after and have no desire to play it again.

I tried many times but I always fall off both games..... I cant put my finger on it why exactly.but they just dont hold my attention

5 years? Damn!

Goes to show how terrible ND's output has been of late. Am I right in thinking all they've released in the last 5 years is TLOU remaster?

Cleverly toyed with the players sympathy/antipathy through perspectives, which ultimately sheds light on how quick we form judgment on what we perceive as our truth...
That is of course if you got a brain that goes beyond "oooh no, the unattractive big armed girl killed ma boy Joel, yadayadayadda".

Despite thinking tlou 1&2 are great, I don't want any more of it, just too drab and serious. Looking forward to intergalactic and keeping my fingers crossed for many more Uncharted games (doesn't have to be Nathan Drake however).

I think it’s time for a remake.

Never finished it since I refuse to play after the change in the middle. Interglactic will be hot garbage so ND is mostly dead to me. An Uncharted with Chloe would be cool though but Neil will never allow it with his massive ego.

People’s complaints are valid, and there’s no accounting for taste and preference. Nevertheless for my money, the game is a masterpiece which has only grown in my mind over the years. The TV show only elevated my opinion of the game and its narrative impact.

But I realize it’s not for everyone (no game is). However, I love the open ended philosophical questions and exploration into the human psyche and tragic cultural trends. If you don’t want a game to make you feel uncomfortable, then definitely avoid it. It is the most visceral game experience I’ve had, and there’s many moments that made me feel really uneasy, but I feel like I came out of it with a lot to think about and probably came out a better person, to be honest.

A game isn’t likely to change the ills of humanity, but I definitely think that art has a way of pecking away at the fiber of thinking and can often make us see the world through different eyes. Eventually, those changes can make a difference.

It's one of the few games that people try to convince you that your opinion is wrong.

Didn't like Red Dead 2 or Persona 5? Well you know, different strokes, not every game appeals to everybody etc
Didn't like Last of Us 2? You're wrong and let me tell you all the ways why this game is a masterpiece and you just don't get it, brah.

It's like we get it, you like this game but this evangelizing of that entire franchise is tiresome.

Neil has unfortunately destroyed naughty dog

Great game but I can't believe naughty dog havnt released a new game this generation at all yet

Loved the gameplay, atmosphere and world. In my opinion the story sucked, I disliked both Ellie and Abby so much by the end of it I don't really care what happens to them if they ever make part 3.

The first game is in my top 10 of all time.

@Th3solution only bit that made me uncomfortable was abbeys sex scene 🤮🤢

It's not that they killed Joel that bothered me. They could have made his death the endgame and not in the first 20 minutes.

@Deljo Lol, that’s definitely one of the moments.
I think the themes are uncomfortable, but also lots of little moments are awkward or disturbing in their own way, in little microcosms of the greater message.

After five years I feel like where's the Part 3 god dammit!

Nah always hated and always will, I only consider TLOU a one and done game

Tied with Part I for greatest game of all time

The problem with The Last of Us Part II is that Naughty Dog tried to present the idea that Joel killing Abby's father, Abby killing Joel, and Ellie hunting Abby are seen as morally equivalent. They are not.

Joel killed Abby’s father in the heat of the moment while trying to save Ellie, the girl he had come to see as his daughter. Ellie went after Abby immediately after witnessing Joel’s brutal murder. Abby, on the other hand, spent five years planning Joel’s torture and execution. These events are not comparable, and shame on Neil Druckmann for pretending they are.

And that's ultimately where the game falls flat. Trying to make us like a person who is fundamentally unlikable just doesn't work. Nor does trying to forge a narrative that revenge is bad whilst having us mow down 100s of people just trying to survive.

The mechanics were fantastic. The graphics were brilliant. Technically it's a masterpiece but, from a storytelling perspective, it's amateurish. Druckmann really struggles without Hennig.

It was a masterpiece, nothing more needs to be said.

Really hope we get a part 3

It's a masterpiece and always has been. It has flaws in it's storytelling, which can appear heavy-handed or forced (the killing of a pregnant woman, for example). It's not as perfectly told as it's prequel, but it has the more ambitious narrative and manages to deliver it's story and with it it's themes in a way that, while perhaps not unique to the medium, would probably not be working as it does outside of videogames.
And for all the haters: Ignore the story and you still have a brillant survival-horror action-game, with some of the best level design and combat out there. You have to play it on hard or higher, though. Trust me.

Sometimes I forget this is purely a Playstation site, until a poll like this drops and 93% of people have played Last of Us II.

@Deljo Couldn't have said it better myself.

Honestly story was great and I appreciate it for what they did.

But everyone saying how people dont like it because of what happened or the story.

No its just a pretty boring game for the most of it. Its just big for the sake of being big, so much filler and honestly it could of been cut down by a few hours if they took out the filler parts.

Honestly I couldn't finish it. I got really bored and ended up just watching a cut scene YouTube video to know the story.

The first was alot more tight and to the point compared to part 2.

Genuinely a fantastic game, the gameplay was so freaking good, the story was so gritty, emotional, and just heartbreaking, no other game or movie has left me feeling as empty as the ending to this one did. I hope we get a part 3, and I hope it has a bit of happiness in it.

I played the first one as the remastered version, thought it was fine but the performances really sold it. I enjoyed the gameplay of part 2 more and it looks incredible - the story was just fine for what it was doing, but not executed particularly well. I felt a bit of a disconnect with the established universe in that it fell into post apocalyptic tropes more. To me it seemed like Abby's character arc is really dependant on the final act and that felt added on as a heavy handed way to bring sympathy to her. Played it once and never had the urge to go back.

@RS1 If that’s what you got from the story, then I think you missed the point, in my opinion at least. It’s not at all about its being equivalent; it’s about hate and revenge being pointless.

The game started out as a 10/10 but ended up being a 6/10 for me. The quality drop was insane (especially in Abby's campaign).
From open zones with lots of exploring and scavenging to straight paths from A to B with very little side content.

The game made me really feel like I was playing checkpoint to checkpoint instead of being immersive. It's really cheap in blocking off paths by putting a chair and a bkx in front of it, I guess that door is unusable now xD

And don't get me started about how the game tries to gaslight you at every opportunity.

I really don't get how people perceive this game as a masterpiece, but guess that's just me.

I thought it was a drag. Loved the 1st one. I thought the game was coming to a close then had to do it all over with abby. Went on far far too long with not enough variety. Annoys me as well they've been milking remasters for years too

A really great game with some flaws and it didn't deserved the hate.

Gameplay is ok-ish
Never liked the story and the overall feel.
Terrible sequel to a 10/10 TLoU1.

Opinion didnt change a bit after the abysmal show.

Defo a hot take, but i dont care.

I paid £10 for it, I don't think I will ever play it. Episode 1 of season 2 on tv has made up my mind.

It's a masterpiece but I can still get the criticism about story since 1st game was leagues better in terms of that. I loved the experince still, it was really affecting me in a way games rarely does. That last memory at the terrace still hurts like a *****.

Can't wait for Part 3!

And yeah, best action/adventure game ever in its genre and it's not even close even though 5 years has passed.

RDR2 and Part 2 are still the pinnacle of the endustry. I wonder when we will get something on the same level. GTA 6 and Intergalactic I guess...

@nessisonett, "Dunno, it depends," is probably the most shallow take on the game and its story you could probably gather from it and suggests you're not making an honest effort to actually engage with its themes.

TLOU2 is about more than revenge or cycles or tribalism or morals, or perspective, etc. It is definitely all of those things. But on a deeper meta-analysis, it is about simulation by making the player act out a revenge, making the player question the brutal actions they're justifying in the game world, and making the player question their own moral motivations from various perspectives that the game forces them to embody.

It is not just about Ellie's and Abby's tribalism. It is about the player's tribal relationship with them.

It is not just about Ellie and Abby's moral decisions. It is about the player's moral outlook on how we relate to them.

It is not just about Ellie and Abby's perspectives. It is about the players perspective.

What makes this game genius is that it uses the distinct advantages of video game medium, ie simulation, and it tells a story about morals and the like that we don't just read but we participate in.

Take for example the key moment where you have to beat Nora to death in the hospital. This moment isn't just about the lengths someone will go to achieve revenge.

This moment is about forcing the player to do something so simple and menial yet abhorrent to progress the game. All you have to do is simply press square to beat someone to death and progress the game. It's meant to actively involve the player in the dehumanization of Nora with the simple press of a button to push forward both in revenge but also in game progression.

It ties the need for game progression to the act of revenge and dehumanization. And it makes us as the player feel and embody how easy it is to slip in the mental state of someone who can so easily dehumanize another human being.

And this aspect of simulation extends into almost every aspect of the game from various angles as they relate to the various themes above.

I can't point to any other piece of media that achieves this same effect and makes the player feel so deeply that they are an active participant.

Never understood either last of us games. Ive tried so hard to get into them but they are so slow and dull(to me) Just cant get hooked. TV show was the same, 3 episodes and I couldnt take anymore.

I know so many absolutely adore the game so understand it obviously resonates with people. Just not this person.

I am not a fan of TLOU. I played the first game. It was fine, but i wasn't interested in more.
I do understand the pain of fans when they killed off Joel. Cheap shot.

@RS1 The game is in no way shape or form saying that Joel killing Abby's father and Abby killing Joel are morally equivalent.

The game does want you to understand how a human being can be pushed to blindly wanting revenge after an act of violence is committed against a family member, regardless if they deserved it or not.

The game is not trying to convince you that Abby is totally justified or as justified as Joel was to save Ellie. It simply wants you sympathize with understanding why Abby is doing what she is doing as she justifies it from her perspective.

The game doesn't want you to see it just from your perspective. The game wants to limit you and narrow your perspective to just what Abby is perceiving and feeling.

I always liked it. The gameplay is top tier, graphics stunning, the acting amazing, and I like the story. My main issues are with the way the story is presented. Owen feels underbaked as a character so it’s hard to see why Abby would risk her life just to see if he’s okay, then she goes back for Lev and his sister to check on them because she had a bad dream about them, after having only known them for like 30 minutes? (And yes I get that they are a metaphor for her guilt, but it still comes across as poor writing).
Ellie’s story is tight, well-told and heartbreaking (if you can get past “I’ve murdered hundreds of people today but now I can’t bring myself to kill Joel’s killer”), but Abby’s motivations post-Joel are a bit all over the place.

I feel like the aquarium made it really happen. Location, location location that place was brilliantly conceived

@UncleByron It's good to hear other people get what the game is going for because some of these takes are just baffling and suggest a severe lacking in media literacy.

It's kind of like how people criticize the game for its split narrative and how it ruins the pacing.

Like, that's kind of the point. It's supposed to jarringly mess with the pacing.

The game is trying to trick you into thinking that this is a revenge fantasy where we're solely rooting for Ellie and that is no more complex than that and we're driving toward that goal.

Then the game slowly starts making us commit abhorrent acts to make us question what we're doing as Ellie.

And Jesse gets unceremoniously shot in the face and we're supposed to feel like this isn't worth! What have we committed ourselves to?

Then the game pulls the switcheroo, and it's supposed to put us on our back feet, it's supposed to make us want to object to walking in the same shoes of the person who killed member of our tribe, Joel and Jesse.

And then the game dares us to live out the life of this murderous member of another tribe that we hate. And it dares us to try to understand where she's coming from and the horrors she's endured to push her to do the things she does.

It's a depressing story but I ultimately walk away with a positive message of trying to see the way the other side sees events, to try to understand where someone is coming from in a conflict regardless of whether they're justified or not, to realize that people in both sides of a fight have grievances that may seem revenge worthy from their perspective. And in these situations, it's worth stepping back and taking a breath and trying to be clear-eyed and sympathetic before letting situations spiral out of control.

In any case, a split narrative that doubles back from another perspective typically doesn't work well . . . unless it's done for a specific thematic reason. In this case it was.

It's a classic example of breaking rules in storytelling when you have a distinct reason to break that rule.

@Jacko11 yeah I find it a masterpieces the story and vibe adds so much. I got it early 2021 and then stopped, just continued 2 weeks ago and I'm still playing. It's so good. I'm almost at the half point, I know there is a switch coming up in characters. Really curious for the other side of the story

Part 2 is an absolute masterpiece. Incredible story of loss, grief, and revenge. Yes Joel was also a great character but his death made the story that much more impactful and playing through the emotional fallout of Joel’s death as Ellie was on another level. After all Joel has done to survive and all the people he has killed it eventually caught up with him. I don’t know how anyone could dislike the narrative tbh other than “I like Joel but he died so game bad”.

@nessisonett Wait, how does the gameplay not match the thematics? Again, this is a completely shallow take and misunderstanding of the material. The game is asking the player to take part in a fantasy revenge mission. The game pushes the player to participate in the killing and justify it up until the point where it makes you start questioning your actions. And, yet, it still convinces you as the player and participant in the game world to push forward despite knowing what you're doing in world is abhorrent. This is the game showing you how easy it is to devolve into a mode where you justify dehumanizing people. And that is exactly what we do as we play the game and kill a whole bunch of people in a singular focus to get revenge, or, in other words, to finish the game.

I plan to play them both someday, but as someone completely spoiled on the story, I think there was potential for 2 to be something really special, but the writing and characterization just wasn't quite there. It will probably remain a divisive story that will resonate with some people and not others unfortunately. It just didn't really do it for me.

Story wise, everything zig-zags so much plot wise that it's really hard to say if it's good or bad. I'm sure that's point on the morality end, but I do feel like it's a game with some serious sharp turns. Practically U-turns really lol

I think they absolutely nailed the atmosphere! The weather adds so much! Rain and forests feel perfect and being able to go prone to hide under cars or through grass in these conditions or zones made things tense. Same for the zones with excellent lighting-- even from just your flashlight and seeing the spores. Being able to do so much on the run adds even more tension too. This is the most memorable stuff about the game to me.

I really think they should have added Factions to lighten the hate and take full advantage of the extremely good gameplay. It would have been smarter to make that a priority to patch in instead of adding bonus mode back on PS4. And that feeling doesn't get any better after the rereleases(even part 1's) not having it. I totally get why people feel robbed of it. Was free and in packed into their games before-- even with Uncharted. It's hard not to feel a bit owed in that regard. I do appreciate that there's was a cheap upgrade to Part 2 though.

I loved 1 and 2. Best game writing/story that I've ever experienced

One of the absolute worst games I have ever played

Franchise fatigue is all my issue consists of, that and the horrific attitude from some of the fans regarding casting, Abby etc. Otherwise I’m indifferent, cool world and stuff but not my kind of game to play.

@Ultimapunch pushsquare.com faking the results /s

The comments section here are the biggest negative Nancy's on the site and don't represent the majority 70% of the time on polls.

@kcarnes9051 yup it pushes and widens the gap between Ellie and the player. You slowly start to disagree and later become a involuntary participant as the game keeps widening the gap. Reminding you that you the player are a seperate entity from the character you control who's motivations are different.

I never played it, but I enjoyed the first game.

I actually did turn it on at a friend's house, but turned it off before I got to the gameplay. I think I just wanted to see what the gameplay was like, but the cutscenes at the beginning were taking ages that I ended up turning it off. Not only that I felt like it was taking ages, I was getting bored from watching it. I would have skipped it, but there was no skip button or I didn't know how to skip it.

Brilliant game, really enjoyed it but if anything it was a touch long for me as it was pretty intense but I liked getting both perspectives of Ellie and Abby.

The first was a master piece not this one for me, didn't need a second but it was a superb game.

I prefer the original, but mostly just because it was a shorter and tighter experience, which is what I want from these types of games. I found TLoU2 to be a gorgeous game with a well told nuanced story with compelling characters and a few tragic moments that gives you a real emotional gut-punch.

The hate it got during release was overblown, undeserved and frankly extremely immature and stupid. I particularly hope the people who started harassing Abby's voice-actress have grown up a little at this point and feel some actual god damn shame over who they were back then...

... but I wouldn't bet any money on it.

I'm actually replaying it at the moment right off the back of the Part 1 remaster. Always loved it. I understand why some people might have been uncomfortable or unhappy with the direction Part 2 went in, but I think it's fantastic.

I really enjoyed it to be honest, replayed it a while ago and I've been watching season 2 of the show with my dad.

@themightyant it doesnt show nothing really in this. Pushsquare consists more of Playstation fans than anything else. In general you will get lower dislikes towards Playstation games because this is fan site.

Almost 200 posts for a five year old game. This game was an absolute goldmine for discussion sites if nothing else. Most games would love to have 10% of the impact this game managed to have.

@REALAIS if the definition of playstation fan is someone who owns a PlayStation, then wouldn't the opinion PlayStation fans be the only relevant opinions considering it was only playable on PlayStation 5 years ago?

@epicurean The only reason I replayed it is because the gameplay is top notch. The story is strange and the kindest thing I can say about it is that it doesn't stick the landing.

Hated it then, hate it now, will hate it in the future. And now thanks to this game hate all the future NaughtyDog projects.
I waited it so much, loved the first game so much and it was such a catastrophe. Games like these make you think gaming was a mistake. It's good there's not so many atrocious games like these.
At the same time, it's a technical marvel on par with Red Dead Redemption 2. Still to this date no one came even close to this game in terms of animation, visual fidelity, sound design. It's a true technical masterpiece from PS4 era.

@SeaDaVie how many people voted in this poll? Couple thousands? How many active playstations are there? More than 120 million? Very small active minority of playstation players are here in Pushsquare actively. Pulling from these polls out numbers and then stating that it applies for all of playstation is absurd imo

Still hate it! The actual combat is much improved from the first game but the absolute misery and despair in the game made it too depressing for me. Making Ellie such an unlikable character was difficult to take. Having to play as Abby was horrible and the fact that “the revenge plot” had you kill everyone except for the person that deserved it was moronic.

@REALAIS it's not absurd, it's a relavent sample size. The size is actually not the biggest issue with the poll, it is the potential self selection bias and the lack or protection from spam accounts.

Polls for Elections will have sample sizes of under 1000 for an entire country, and most polls are within 1-2% point of the actual outcome.

@SeaDaVie what are you talking about? Part II at best has 50% of Part1 sales, but in this poll only 6-7% voted that they havent played it. It already shows that this vote is bias, because Pushsquare has more dedicated fans in here which more likely will buy any 1st party game.

I thought it was fantastic. The parallels between Ellie and Abby and how Joel affected both their lives was really well done. The way it made you realise Ellie was just as much a monster as anyone else and Abby just as much a victim. Violence begets violence and nobody wins.

Can't say the second series of the show gave me any of that. I wanted to like it at the start but they really messed up the pacing and general tone.

@REALAIS what in the world are you taking about? Why would the opinions of people that didn't play the game be important?

@SeaDaVie good one. Does it not tell something when people buy 1st game, but avoids 2nd? There could be reason in it, no? Lot of TLOU 2 negativity in online maybe is from players who saw what happened and made them to not buy game. Or you want to say, you can dislike game only if you have bought it and played it? Atleast 50% of game maybe?

@Boxmonkey moronic? It's the entire point that this revenge quest is a fruitless endeavour. The whole thing came from Abby getting revenge and she looses everyone because of it, she gets a shot at a new life with Lev and takes it. Ellie looses everyone and herself to revenge, culminating in her killing a pregnant woman her unborn child. She gets a shot at a new life too but she throws it away and looses everything because she cant let the revenge go.

Having either one get their revenge and kill the other would be moronic. It's the entire point of the story that neither do.

@REALAIS Yes, the opinion of people that didn't play the game is 100% not relevant to this discussion.

It might be relavent to other discussions about the game and the effect of certain choice but that's a different discussion for a different day.

A sign of the time these days. Everybody wants to hear their opinions out of someone els’s mouth. I LOVE The Last of Us. But i don’t care If someone doesn’t. I got my own reasons for it and nobody has to convince me otherwise. You hate it / you love it…..fine to me.

Terrible story. Like...I was okay with what they did in first part of game. But if you getting rid of one of the main reasons why first game was so great, you need to be damn sure you will replace it with something as interesting. And they failed spectacularly.

Game was just too damn long. Gameplay wasn't nearly as complex or interesting to warrant 25+ hours playthrough. They could throw away half of characters and half of levels and game would be way better.

Some parts of the game was just terrible because of lack of pace. Mainly those "open-ended semi-linear" parts like Seattle. That ties to gameplay mechanics, but pace during those parts was just awful.

Visuals are top notch and are holding pretty nicely even after 5 years.

Overall? It was "okay" game. But bitterly disappointing after first game and probably weakest ND game since first Uncharted.

I HATE that they retroactively renamed the first game to "part 1", making it harder to just have that game as a stand alone experience.
I haven't played the second game, but I've watched the show, and season 2 takes an enormous plunge. The first game ended perfectly, there was no need to keep going after that.

The problem is Druckman, when a third game comes they should do themselves a favour and lose him as he's just become the Rachel Zegler of games. The OTT box ticking of the second part almost derailed it although granted the gameplay was superb. Still played it over and over and will reluctantly pick up the 4K second season. What can I say I liked the first game and first season up to a point will buy anything TLOU I guess.

@Hypoman “Everybody wants to hear their opinions out of someone els’s mouth”

awesome statement, well said

I had and still have my issues with the game's opening, which I feel involves too many characters acting out of character so that the instigating event of the plot can happen.
Once you get past that, then there's a tonne of convenient happenstances to allow the plot to keep progressing.
In the latter half, I thought that the stuff with Lev was poorly handled. Anyone with half a brain realised what Lev's situation was ages before they just came out and said it, leaving the impression that the writers thought we might be too stupid to get there ourselves.
But overall, I think it was an effective story. I emphasised with the characters during their respective journeys and felt the feelings the writers wanted me to feel at the right beats.
Not as good as TLoU, but a solid 7/10.

Always enjoyed it and for me it is superior to Part 1.

I haven't played it since around launch and it remains as a 2 timed played game that I have no interest in re-playing again.

Part 1 is superior for me when it comes to the story and characters. Part 2 has a superior gameplay but when you come to THAT part, it went downhill for me that pretty much ruined the IP for a game.

My second playthrough was more enjoyable than the first play but I could never love the game like I did for the first game. Part 2 is fine for movies or the series but for a game, it became something I no longer care for and don't want a Part 3.

It's excellent. It's brutal. Abbie is ace.

@Palolo I think anything from naughty dog this gen would be a start

@REALAIS not only have you still not understood my initial comment, but you’re also answering your own questions about who you are as a person in this conversation.

What an interesting path you’ve chosen to go down, but thanks for further solidifying my points. It’s always nice to have support

The poll results just demonstrates what we all knew, it is an amazing game that very well deserved the GOTY even over Ghost of Tsushima.
But the haters just always scream the loudest and that is why you always hear them above the rest of the fans.
Amazing game, finished it 3 times already.

In my subjective opinion. I couldn’t get on with the first , nor this, but tried my best . I know there was hate cause of a main character dying , and then the player controlling the killer. I can understand why people don’t like it when they have an attachment to a character , but not many seem to understand the reasoning behind it (or just a bunch of Wet wipes). I didn't like it as much cause it’s just not my thing , and that’s all there is to it . Good gameplay though in some sections , but there are an abundance of games that have good gameplay. As for story , in the history of gaming , not many games have hit a home run with storytelling. And if they did , it’s subjective to the viewer. Sad the arguments that go on hear . Go outside and touch grass or something

@kcarnes9051 I dont think do "The game is trying to trick you into thinking that this is a revenge fantasy where we're solely rooting for Ellie ....." The game is very clear from the first hour that Ellie is no more sane or rational then Abbie. Not sure where you are coming from.
I think its a simple telling of "people do terrible things in terrible times" - been told many many times, often enjoyably.

An all-time classic, but also utterly exhausting. Finished TLoU 1 nine times in nine years, only rolled the credits on Part 2 once.

The very definition of an incredible experience that at the same time isn't a particularly fun one.

Amused by all those disappointed to discover the End of the World was 'depressing'.

The best and most emotionally impactful end sequence to a game ever.

Nah, game is beautiful but the characters aren't likeable and its just not a fun experience in my opinion. The opposite of Uncharted series with super likeable characters and just fun adventures.

I've always maintained that it's one of the best games I've ever played, but I have absolutely no desire to ever do it again. Superb but so, so bleak. The original I find easier to go back to, which is why I would label that one a masterpiece and this one just shy of that. I'll be absolutely on board if they ever do a third and would be fascinated to see where they go with it, but also a little nervous. I can't imagine how it could get any more depressing and I'm not sure I have the resilience for it if it does!

Never played it because I was never able to finish the first game (PS3 and PS4 versions). Every time I tried it, I always lose interest about a few hours into it.

@lindos what irrational behavior is Ellie engaged in in the first hour? Ellie’s revenge mission hasn’t even begun at that point. You-know-who isn’t even dead yet. Lol. Regardless, Ellie hasn’t committed horrendous acts yet one hour into her revenge quest either. It’s not that Ellie is being irrational that is solely the issue. It’s when she kills a defenseless person (Nora) when she really crosses the line. Everyone else up until that point was also trying to kill her, as far as I remember.

I think its a simple telling of "people do terrible things in terrible times"

This is the most rudimentary take you can have on the game. The fact that you’re measuring this game on a level of enjoyability against other games suggests also that you have a poor understanding of what this game is doing.

It seeks to be entertaining, yes, but it absolutely does not want you to be enjoying what’s going on. This is intended to be a painful, uncomfortable experience for the player and it’s intended for you to question and regret what you’ve done both as Ellie and as Abby. Those take aways are intended to be difficult. Not enjoyable.

This isn’t a game just about Ellie and Abby’s revenge spiral and doing bad stuff is wrong. This is a game that distinctly wants the player participant to commit themselves to the revenge, as well, for the loss of someone of tribal affiliation. Think of all of the players who have a hard time coping with the death of you-know-who. This coping problem is distinctly because of the player’s tribal affiliation with this person.

Consider never beginning the games with Joel and Ellie. Consider starting the games solely with Abby and her father. Yes, the father is engaged in ethically and morally dubious experiments. But we’d be far more likely to associate with Abby, to be of her tribe, if we started the games framed from her perspective. Just like how we accept Joel even though the first game frames his past dubiously and glazes over the horrors he was all but assuredly involved in.

Human beings tend to form tribal attachments with communities they’re born into.

This isn’t just about the affiliations that Ellie and Abby have with their people, their tribes. It’s also about the tribal attachments that the player has. This is the point of putting you in Abby’s shoes, even if you’re unable to understand her point of view and sympathize with her. The game is challenging your tribal viewpoint as a player. This is the point of the switcheroo.

Nora’s death scene is the key to unlocking the game.

All you as the player has to do is push square to mortally beat Nora. So simple. So dehumanizing. Ellie is already committed in that scene to beating Nora. But the game is requiring you, asking you the player, to agree to this commitment in pushing forward, to the dehumanization of this character not in your tribe. To commit to seeing it through. The prompt to push forward is asking you as the player for permission to continue with this game, for this reason, to draw you into the decision making.

This is a game that is intentionally using simulation on a high level in an attempt to plumb the emotions felt by the player due to decisions made at greater depths, and that’s what makes it unique and so divisive.

@UncleByron No, I do get it. I perfectly understood what Naughty Dog were trying to do with the character motivations, I just don’t personally feel they executed it well. Definitely don’t need to be getting into prolonged debates about TLOU2 in 2025 lol. I’m happy for you that you enjoyed it!

I still think it's the best game on PS5. Love the gameplay, especially at 60fps. So much detail in every area. I love the rogue like no return mode. Yeah, the story is divisive and shocking but it made me more determined to finish it. Each to their own but I can't understand people stopping after the 'big event' . Love the whole nature taking back the city atmosphere. A solid 10 for me I guess.

@RS1 the game is not asking you to agree with Abby’s actions. Sympathizing with a person does not mean agreeing with everything they’ve done. This is exposing a maturity issue on your part.

The first game highly insinuated that Joel has also committed immoral acts. But the first game conveniently frames the story to allow you to sympathize with him. And you learn to sympathize with him as he comes to love Ellie and eventually save her.

The second game does this exactly with Abby and Lev.

Abby does something immoral. But then the game forces you into her perspective as she comes to love Lev and saves him.

As much as Ellie and Abby are analogous in ways. So are a Joel and Abby. But you only sympathize with Joel because you started the games framing him as the hero despite the terrible things he did in his past.

But that you can’t see similarities and between these characters and you can’t dissect and view your tribalism from a bird’s eye view and have sympathy for someone you disagree with or for someone you see as having moral failings suggests a maturity issue.

More simply put, you don’t have to agree with someone to sympathize with them. It’s not a matter of taking sides.

It’s more a matter of viewing people as three dimensional and having both good and bad in them, and being able to view them more tragically for the terrible things their emotions drive them toward committing.

It's absolute crap and yes this is from me watching my girlfriend playing it, it just dragged on and on and when you thought it was going to end your Abby again doing something else. It came to a point I was omg when it finally just stop

A great game that was uncomfortable at times, so I partially understand the resentment - it hurt to lose Joel, and to see Ellie reap the results of her choices. But some of it is just bizarre hate for what was a tense and thrilling game. People who only want happy endings should perhaps stick to PEGI ratings for children.

Nothing against it. Gameplay pacings and styles are not to my tastes. Creating builds in RPGs or faster passes action oriented gameplay are my preferences over 3rd person psuedo stealth games.

Doesn't help that the original tlou gameplay was in my opinion just too sluggish and kind of put me off the franchise going forward.

I do think the central story premise is one of the best I've seen though.
I do love a good 'end the cycle of revenge' story and this one took it to the dark conclusion unlike many others

@MathiasBS I'm well aware of the circle of revenge and I reference it in my post when I specifically state it's a hollow message against a backdrop of both Ellie and Abby killing hundreds of people.

I just felt Abby's side of the story, culminating in us having to fight with Ellie, was heavy handed and pretentious.

A great game. Was exhausted by the end of it, though, but I guess that was the point.

Originally played it on PS4. Recently I picked up the remaster for my PC which is a far better experience performance wise.

That TLoU series has the ability to send the incels into an absolute rage is an added bonus.

It still dosnt hold a patch on the first game in pretty much anyway, pacing is poor, overall game is to long and Abbeys part is still mid. I still don't care about her or most of her friends and the writeing is fine but very in your face with everything

I did get the platinum twice though

@UncleByron @RS1 I would add that the game is putting you through this story of dueling perspectives and violent rationalizations to kind of train you with the ability to see conflict in real life from varying viewpoints rather than just your own. And it especially is training you to view the perspective of people you hate and to see their humanity and their pain. To make you a more empathetic person toward those you view as bad people or even your enemy. If more people were able to do this there would surely be less violence in the world. And that, especially, is not hollow.

I just thought it was to daamn long

I never played it because someone on this site maybe it his mission to ruin the story drop massive spoilers. And yes F### is still on this. And no it wasnt in articles about the Last of Us 2 he went to all random articles to spoil it.

@nessisonett What do you mean, says nothing???
(SPOILER!!!!) Ellie went on a unrelenting mission for revenge for Joel, and it cost her the one thing that Joel passed down to her....Which was how to play guitar, which she loved and enjoyed.

When Abby bit off two fingers from Ellie's fretting hand, Ellie lost Joel all over again.
Abby did not take that from Ellie, Ellie took it from herself.

The game is about how revenge can take more from you, than what you will get from performing it.

@Medic_alert - Late to the conversation, but feel almost exactly like my sentiments about the game.

I don't really care either way about the controversial story elements either - but after around 15 hours the game just devolves into a miserable slog with unlikeable characters who overstay their welcome; and tired of the unimaginative writing (we all get people do bad things/are *****, and its a cycle, etc...)

I never actually finished it, got to about 20hrs or so (probably 75-80% through) - just didn't play for a few days and had no desire to go back to it. Technically brilliant (it looks fantastic, and the gameplay elements fit really well) but just couldn't make up for the drudgery, and bleakness for me.

@UncleByron We can agree to disagree.
Story where main character murders hundreds of people and then spare her archnemesis for no reason at all and suddenly is just dumb to me.

Not to mention fact that story of the first game was unique to the Ellie and Joel. Story in second game is dumb revenge story that could happen to anybody in that world.

@epicurean This was my experience exactly as well, I also personally thought that forcing political or religious narratives into the story no matter someone's political or religious viewpoint was irrelevant to the story.

Very late to this but just played the game for the first time and beat it last night. Thought it was brilliant, bit too gruesome in some scenes for me personally but overall really excellent game. I didn't love the first one to be honest, so maybe I'm not the best person to ask, but loved the ending especially.

For a while i thought i wanted a part 3, but after a recent replay, i think having it as a two parter is just perfect. I worry a 3rd part would ruin the others

It was a masterpiece for its time, betrayed only by mediocre writing, that is to say, the story is as if written by a high schooler with very little life experience.