Joel and Ellie have settled down after escaping the Fireflies but all is not well after Ellie learned the truth Joel hid from her. They have a home. Ellie is beginning to thrive, even finding love, until the unthinkable happens when Joel is viscously murdered in front of her. Traumatized and enraged, Ellie ventures off to find the young woman named Abby and her crew responsible, journeying deeper into terror and bloodshed for revenge. But why was Abby out to kill Joel in the first place? Who are the Wolves and the Scars at war? How far are the two willing to go to settle their disturbing blood feud?
So controversies aside, I can understand some of the hate for the game. The Last of Us was a storytelling masterpiece. Last of Us 2 is a sequel that takes a lot of risks and goes to some truly depraved places as a revenge story. Personally, I loved most of what the game had to offer but I can understand why someone wouldn’t. The story, while way darker than the first (which really says something) balances it out with some pretty heartfelt and beautiful moments as did its predecessors. I was incredibly captivated by Ellie and Abby’s journeys. The beginning is much slower so you do have to stick around but once Ellie starts her revenge quest, the game not only opens up but you’re treated to some really tense gameplay. The infected take a back seat this time, though the new types combined with the vastly smarter enemy AI make some good horror- the Rat King towards the end genuinely scared the shit out of me and was one of my favorite horror bosses in a while. I love that the game adds some disturbingly realistic touches to the enemies so you feel dirty killing them. I appreciate the differences between Ellie’s and Abby’s weapons and passive abilities that add a bit in clinches. I do have have to say the game overall is way harder than the first and much less forgiving. I’ve gotten more frustrated on certain sections of this game than I have on a lot of Souls games and Alien: Isolation o give you an idea, so patience is a must. Also the slower pace does make the game feel much longer, even without the humongous death count, than I’m sure it really is. In the end, I love the game just as much as the first as a truly horrific revenge tale bordering into the waters of depravity as Blood Meridan but this game is absolutely not for everyone but well worth your time. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Savior Gaming 