Just like its predecessor in 2013, The Last of Us Part II serves as a swansong for its platform. This time it’s also an undisputed victory lap, showing us just how Sony won the war. Fostering the types of games that actually mean something. Games that matter just that little bit more than others.
Naughty Dog‘s ability to weave a cinematic tale around tight gameplay is now legendary and The Last of Us Part II is another example of that most-coveted of skillsets. Throw in TLoU‘s depth of character and effortless storytelling and it adds up to another era-defining title for PS4.
A Spoiler-Free Scene-Setter
The Last of Us paid a lot of attention to how players learned the motivations of its characters. Establishing the nature of its cast in an organic and realistic way rather than foisting assumptions upon the player.
It also avoided of the nuance-less ‘good vs. evil’ storytelling that games for grown-ups somehow still frequently use. With this ambiguity of the grander moral compasses of the actors and agents of the story, TLoU did something that games rarely do and action-oriented games NEVER do – made players feel a bit bad for killing some of its killable stuff.
The Last of Us Part II starts a few months after Part I ends. Ellie and Joel’s lives now have some semblance of normality in the safe-ish haven of Jackson. It then fast-forwards several years with a more mature and smarter-mouthed Ellie having seemingly become more independent of Joel. Their relationship is under strain and the townsfolk know it.
The uncertainty around their bond during the opening stages is well-played. As are the interactions with the various characters that Ellie now spends more of her time with. The various tiffs, rows and squabbles create tension and/or distance as those involved speak around their walled-community.
But on routine patrol, it’s definitely less of a heart-to-heart. A nice way of getting players to experience the privilege of self-reflection that comes with physical safety. And then hammering home how unsafe it is outside the walls.
Pacing a Story (Also Spoiler-Free)
As mentioned above, the contrast of tones and topics emanating from the game’s main characters sets the scene well. From there it proceeds at a stuttering pace – but in a good way.
The Last of Us Part II drops in on what seems a regular day. It’s nigh-on boring. The other major players in the game are revealed slowly throughout the introduction.
Once players are suitably intrigued and tutored, the game’s plot is busted wide-open and the pace takes off. But the player doesn’t get to linger on the game’s first major plot point. The player doesn’t get to ask questions and reflect until the game says so.
That breakneck pace from an almost-standing start was a huge shock to me. It also serves as an intro for a device that director Neil Druckmann will use throughout TLoU2‘s 20+ hour playthrough. Giving players time to drink in an atmosphere, a moment or a conversation before whisking them somewhere for some swift pathos and then not letting the dust settle for a while.
The devs use every trick in the book to deliver the emotion they want at the intensity they want. Chase scenes, the feeling of being predator or prey, shock treatment, chaos, contrasting viewpoints. Each is used sparingly and with respect for the player’s intelligence.
“What a Twist!”
TLoU Part II‘s story takes many turns but doesn’t overdo it. The writers seem to have the knack of seamlessly carrying each twist along the game’s run. Some reveals are foreshadowed, some come out of the blue but none break the game’s flow.
In pre-release statements, Druckmann had emphasised that The Last of Us Part II was not simply a tale of revenge but one of tribalism. He is right in that there is more to the game than simple revenge but it must be said there is a lot of revenge involved.
Even if the player isn’t the one serving the sweet, floral taste of revenge for a lot of The Last of Us Part II, the undercurrent of unending retribution is always there.
And of course, not all of the game’s many arcs and sub-plots centre on the time-honoured tradition of vengeance. The Last of Us Part II contrasts hope and goodness against the intense bleakness of its world. The trace of humanity that was left in 2013’s TLoU has blossomed into something that is definitely worth living for. And that’s what makes the excess hardship and cruelty that still remains all the more heartbreaking.
Game-World and Environmental Mastery
The story would not have the same impact were it not set in a world that supported its narrative richness. From the relative normality of Jackson to the overgrown empty city to the scarred complexes of the factions, The Last of Us Part II has incredible scenery that gives much context to each piece of the story. Each of the game’s areas fills in blanks that lesser developers would either leave empty or fill with endless dialogue.
The choice of mostly linear areas with some open-world echoes Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a favourite of mine. I loved how the story slowed down enough to let me decide if exploration was worth the detour while still balancing danger with reward in these sections.
TLoU2‘s biggest open section offers players the linear path to complete the open city area but hints at more if you observe the impeccably designed urban landscape. The dead are willing to give up their secrets if you read a few letters etc. and this only adds intrigue, inviting players off the trail.
As the stakes increase and the story needs to tighten up, the game’s areas become more linear and drive the game at a pace that fits that particular scene. But even in the linear sections there are often soft alternatives that breaking a pane of glass or crawling under something might offer.
Mostly Uncompromised Gameplay
The expanded scope and detail of TLoU2 is joined by a host of new mechanics and refinements to existing systems.
For a start, the game features more a little more platforming but doesn’t ask for more precision than its third-person survival nature can provide. It does this by adding some new moves while on foot.
The puzzle sections feature fewer moving ladders etc., replacing them with more throwable puzzle pieces so they are quicker but not necessarily easier than the previous entry.
It must be said The Last of Us Part II knows its not a puzzle or platform game. While the game is happy to offer some of each genre’s mechanics, it doesn’t make a player think too much about them or spend too long lingering on them. Traversal and puzzles are mostly a means to move or stop the game respectively and it works within the confines of the story.
Similarly, the expanded stealth mechanics don’t exist to make this a stealth game but create tension and danger without more bluster. A player will be forced to run or forced to hide and this gives much to the survival aspect of the game. Some enemies use sight and sound, some use sound only and at least one can smell you.
…Mostly
In a previous job, I had complained about the compromises that narrative-driven games often make for the sake of story. Red Dead Redemption II was a classic example of a game that yearned to be taken seriously as a cinematic experience to the point where it was less fun to play.
The Last of Us Part II avoids most of those pitfalls. Animations are balanced between realistic-looking and responsive. Melee combat is weighty and meaty but sharp. Even playing as our fresh, non-upgraded Ellie, you feel like you have a fighting chance in a 1v1.
It’s a bit different with guns though. Guns handle poorly until serious upgrades are acquired – both for Ellie and the weaponry. This would make more sense if the apocalypse was fresh but Ellie should be well able to shoot by now. This may seem trivial to you but it may bother some players.
I reviewed the game on PS4 Pro and it struggled to output to 4K HDR and at supersampled 1080p HDR. Both modes caused the console to whirr at a volume I could hear over my game audio via headphones. The framerate had some burps and chugs, although it was nothing to ruin the experience.
Stylish, Brutal, Emotive
What Naughty Dog have achieved with The Last of Us Part II is nothing short of stunning. Creating a game with heart, set on a rollercoaster of emotion with visceral violence that can still shock.
Its level-design and presentation are probably better than all of its competitors yet TLoU2 doesn’t rely on either to stand out. Instead it uses both to support a story it has the confidence to tell on its own terms.
Review code provided by Sony
