The Last of Us Part II

 PlayStation 4
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 161975 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 84,950 out of 161975
  2. Mixed: 8,550 out of 161975
  3. Negative: 68,475 out of 161975
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  1. SANTIACO
    Jun 19, 2023
    6
    Un excelente videojuego en calidad gráfica, jugabilidad, mecánicas, y duración. Aún así se queda corto en la narrativa de su historia donde el manejo, de sus personajes no fue el correcto. Provocando el disgusto de las personas
  2. felix121
    Jul 23, 2023
    6
    Pros
    - Gameplay is fun
    - Environments are beautiful and highly detailed - Dialogue and storytelling are well executed Cons - The quality of the story is questionable and noticeably went downhill in the second half of the game. - Parts of the story also felt preachy in a way the first game didn't, which broke immersion for me somewhat. - Certain sections really amplified the    Pros
    - Gameplay is fun
    - Environments are beautiful and highly detailed
    - Dialogue and storytelling are well executed
    Cons
    - The quality of the story is questionable and noticeably went downhill in the second half of the game.
    - Parts of the story also felt preachy in a way the first game didn't, which broke immersion for me somewhat.
    - Certain sections really amplified the suffering to a level I would consider to be torture porn, which I found unpleasant rather than compelling.
    - The ending was not satisfying.    … Expand
  3. BrenerMF
    Jun 21, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dei uma segunda chance pro The Last of Us 2 e zerei o jogo

    Meu ponto de vista
    História da Ellie nota 1
    História da Abby nota 9
    História do jogo nota 5
    Gráficos nota 10
    Jogabilidade nota 8
    NOTA FINAL DO JOGO 6,6

    Explicando meu ponto de vista
    A história da Ellie é ruim, personagem mimada que sempre toma as piores decisões possíveis e que por conta disso consequências ruins acontecem.
    A história da Abby é excelente, vingou a morte do pai e poupou as pessoas que não tinham nada com isso, também agiu corretamente com as crianças que salvaram a vida dela.
    A história do jogo seria melhor se terminasse após a Abby encontrar a Ellie no teatro e se enfrentarem com cada uma seguindo seu rumo.
    Os gráficos são excelentes e muito bem trabalhado. O nível de detalhes gráficos no jogo é impecável.
    Jogabilidade poderia ser melhor, a troca de armas é lenta e a mobilidade é meio travada tendo momentos que o personagem precisa contornar um obstáculo da altura do joelho dele pra poder chegar a determinado lugar, mas teve uma evolução da jogabilidade em relação ao primeiro jogo.
    Nota final ficou a média de todas as notas.    … Expand
  4. Ghanishahmir
    Jul 6, 2023
    7
    There are aspects of this game that are 10/10, but aspects of the narrative that are frustratingly half-baked. 7/10.
  5. NeverCasual
    Jul 19, 2023
    7
    Unfortunately the game has become heavily review-bombed (on both ends), diminishing the value of user scores significantly. In my opinion this is a shame as user scores used to be something I always payed attention to when buying games.

    The story of the game is very good. The creative direction it took is absolutely justified considering the ending of "Last of Us I", where the    Unfortunately the game has become heavily review-bombed (on both ends), diminishing the value of user scores significantly. In my opinion this is a shame as user scores used to be something I always payed attention to when buying games.

    The story of the game is very good. The creative direction it took is absolutely justified considering the ending of "Last of Us I", where the protagonist effectively becomes the antagonist of the story pretty much wiping out an entire faction/hospital dedicated to helping humanity fight the virus. Creating a sequel around the consequences of Joel's actions there is a really good starting point. Playing characters from both sides adds depth to the story and you'll start questioning the actions of your previously favourite characters soon enough - without either side acting out of character.

    The gameplay does not differ much from "Last of Us Part I". Stealth is still massively rewarded on high difficulties as you can get heavily punished for little mistakes in open combat. Lower difficulties do not punish you for brute forcing your way through the encounters as much. Open areas are almost always accompanied by dialog making them less monotonous while exploring or searching for collectibles.
    The upgrade system has not changed much

    My biggest problem with the game is the actual length of the game and replay value. You can finish the game within 15 hours and since it is heavily carried by the story and character development a second playtrough (needed for platinum) felt really boring. It probably gets replay value after putting it away for a year tho'.    … Expand
  6. TheBigTicket
    Jun 28, 2023
    6
    I really didn't like the story. It seemed so generic and bland to me. I get the message they are trying to send but I don't know if its that groundbreaking.

    The graphics, setting, voice acting and soundtrack are all phenomenal and among the best gaming has seen. Unfortunately this is a narrative driven game and the narrative didnt click with me at all. The characters also didn't    I really didn't like the story. It seemed so generic and bland to me. I get the message they are trying to send but I don't know if its that groundbreaking.

    The graphics, setting, voice acting and soundtrack are all phenomenal and among the best gaming has seen. Unfortunately this is a narrative driven game and the narrative didnt click with me at all.

    The characters also didn't really do it for me. Most side characters were very bland and forgettable.
    Abby I did like alot but the order in which the story was told really didn't do her any favours.    … Expand
  7. YakusokuNoJi
    Jul 20, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is neither as good nor as bad as people think. A bad narration with some accidentally made good scenes and a dishonorable death of a character. Certain scenes feel very shoehorned and one revelation even suffers from trying to be super politically correct so the prancing around it with the dialogue by the oh so tolerant characters makes it very hard to watch the scene and properly deduce what they want to say because they expect you in the first place to have the same view towards it so it becomes very confusing with its presentation. Normally I am against the "this game is too long" argument but I have to agree. It is not terribly long but it does not fit the game to be as long as it is.… Expand
  8. jackbones92
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    As someone who is normally a fan of Naughty Dog games and of the original Last of Us, I feel this game is a slap in the face. If you enjoyed the first game because of the story, characters and relationships, this game is not for you. Due to some questionable story-line choices, the game feels like a slog to get through and tries to force its players into a middle school ethics class ratherAs someone who is normally a fan of Naughty Dog games and of the original Last of Us, I feel this game is a slap in the face. If you enjoyed the first game because of the story, characters and relationships, this game is not for you. Due to some questionable story-line choices, the game feels like a slog to get through and tries to force its players into a middle school ethics class rather than engross us in an enthralling story. The graphics are some of the best this generation, but the game-play rarely features anything innovative and feels like more of the same as the first game. Overall, averaging everything out I would give this game a 5/10 and similar to Game of Thrones season 8 and Star Wars - Rise of Skywalker, this is one sequel that will sorely disappoint even its most loyal fans.

    Graphics - 9/10
    Gameplay - 5/10
    Story - 1/10

    Overall - 5/10    … Expand
  9. Morder
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    Graphics are the best I've seen for years. Gameplay is almost the same as the first one except they improved melee combat and weapon management. Story is very linear, dull and contains a lot of plot holes. Abby's retrospective narrative is very much uncompelling and doesn't add that much to her character development. Lev and Yara doesn't provide that much momentum to fuel the whole revengeGraphics are the best I've seen for years. Gameplay is almost the same as the first one except they improved melee combat and weapon management. Story is very linear, dull and contains a lot of plot holes. Abby's retrospective narrative is very much uncompelling and doesn't add that much to her character development. Lev and Yara doesn't provide that much momentum to fuel the whole revenge plot. Tommy got a plot armor while Joel's death seems rushed and anticlimatic.In the end, it will leave everyone with nothing but emptiness and makes you asked so many questions about the life choices of every character in the game that lead them to that pointless finale.… Expand
  10. Jayofakina
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    The game spends its entirety destroying the characters you knew from the first game. The only thing about Joel that even slightly resembles the character we love is his character model.

    The visuals are by far the best i've seen on any console game, and the level design/locations are built very well. The AI feels like it belongs in a game from 2014, and the secondary main character    The game spends its entirety destroying the characters you knew from the first game. The only thing about Joel that even slightly resembles the character we love is his character model.

    The visuals are by far the best i've seen on any console game, and the level design/locations are built very well.
    The AI feels like it belongs in a game from 2014, and the secondary main character moves like a GTA IV character.
    The gameplay feels like its half a decade old, disappointingly the moments you find yourself actually feeling challenged and enjoying an encounter usually turn out to be entirely scripted, meaning you spend 20 minutes fighting a "mini boss" just to realize the only reason the encounter was difficult at all is because you are meant to lose regardless of how you perform. doesn't exactly feel rewarding to find out you would've gotten the same ending to a fight if you didnt touch your controller and let the monster beat you in 3 seconds.

    All in all this game is a massive disappointment to anyone expecting a true attempt to continue the beloved story, this game shouldn't even be considered TLOU2, its essentially a new IP that reuses assets, names and voice actors.    … Expand
  11. Xiolon
    Jun 24, 2020
    7
    All I'm going to say is, what were they thinking with this game.
    The way Sony and ND handled the backlash against the spoilers made it even worse.
    If you wanna push your politics into the game, at least don't shove it in our faces or make a joke out of the characters people loved. Neil, you're not a good director. I'm editing this after seeing the full game, and i think, i still don't    All I'm going to say is, what were they thinking with this game.
    The way Sony and ND handled the backlash against the spoilers made it even worse.
    If you wanna push your politics into the game, at least don't shove it in our faces or make a joke out of the characters people loved. Neil, you're not a good director.
    I'm editing this after seeing the full game, and i think, i still don't like how the developers did, ND in general, and some of the issues with the story, but overall, i can't say i felt goosebumps in some parts, and that it made me think a lot. I felt like Abby was the best part of the game, even if some interactions are made in a way to kind of force you to see her as a good person, i still think it woks.
    I just hope ND learns how to treat their employees and in the future, maybe people will be less hateful about the game they haven't even experienced.    … Expand
  12. RADIggwp
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    We wanted a sequel to The Last of Us and got a great game in terms of graphics and gameplay and disgusting in terms of plot
  13. aeroaviation
    Jun 19, 2020
    6
    One of the most disappointing sequels in video game history, if you enjoyed the original game for its characters and story then this game will not be for you, if you disliked the nonsense plot of Star Wars The Last Jedi or the lazy writing of game of thrones season 8 then once again, you will be disappointed playing a game that takes the story in narrative directions that should never haveOne of the most disappointing sequels in video game history, if you enjoyed the original game for its characters and story then this game will not be for you, if you disliked the nonsense plot of Star Wars The Last Jedi or the lazy writing of game of thrones season 8 then once again, you will be disappointed playing a game that takes the story in narrative directions that should never have left the writers room, the game is FILLED with unlikable petty characters who are forced down your throat as the game tries make you sympathize with them while also spitting on the beloved characters of the original in the name of SUBVERSION. The game is simply just substanceless misery porn that employs cheap shock tactics to make the player feel sad and angry although it will probably just leave you disappointed and confused in the end because it is one of the most anti-climactic stories I have ever witnessed in any medium.… Expand
  14. muffinpro25
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    There's no downplaying what Naughty Dog has achieved on a technical level. The graphics and gameplay are absolutely stunning and incredible. The customization on the way you want to play your playthrough is far ahead of anything Naughty Dog has put out before. If you're simply looking to play this game for the gameplay then you will thoroughly enjoy the experience.

    Unfortunately that's    There's no downplaying what Naughty Dog has achieved on a technical level. The graphics and gameplay are absolutely stunning and incredible. The customization on the way you want to play your playthrough is far ahead of anything Naughty Dog has put out before. If you're simply looking to play this game for the gameplay then you will thoroughly enjoy the experience.

    Unfortunately that's not what most people are looking for in this game. Unlike the gameplay and visuals I can not give the storytelling the same level of praise.

    The Last of Us Part II makes incredibly strange choices in storytelling that constantly made me want to quit and put my controller down. The majority of new additional characters are incredibly unlikeable and/or flat out boring yet the game wants to try and force them down your throats when you'd rather they just get killed off. That added on by the fact that they feel like replacements for characters you'd already grown to love from the first game.

    This is coming from somebody who thoroughly loved the first game, if you've come to experience another incredibly emotional journey and the continuation of Ellie and Joel's story then I'm sorry to say that you'll be incredibly disappointed.    … Expand
  15. abis11
    Jun 20, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Only good part is the museum scene
    Ellie's birthday part
    Story 0/10
    So sad so sad    … Expand
  16. Killroy128
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    As a game the last of us 2 is solid the shooting and the game mechanics feel very polished, however the story really brings down the score the blatant disrespect to established characters really hurts this game.
  17. MrMicrochip
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    Trying not to spoil anything, but do not buy this game if you are attached to the characters from the first game. There are things that I can't wrap my head around it, there is a strange agenda that prevents making a good story, like the developer is trying to prove something. I don't know, the game isn't bad, but you can't escape the feeling that they are trying to feed you something andTrying not to spoil anything, but do not buy this game if you are attached to the characters from the first game. There are things that I can't wrap my head around it, there is a strange agenda that prevents making a good story, like the developer is trying to prove something. I don't know, the game isn't bad, but you can't escape the feeling that they are trying to feed you something and it is really preventing you to to enjoy the game.… Expand
  18. death12123
    Jun 22, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I got to play the game early and I'm not impressed. Gameplay is improved, soundtrack and graphics are great but the story and characters? Two hours in and was deeply disappointed already. I got to the ending and It's crap. Stupid decisions made by smart characters and shoehorning characters into the story that didn't even matter in the first game. Too many things feel forced and it ruins the enjoyment. 7 years for a let down.

    You expect me to play as some random girl put into the story because of some random NPC after doing what she did? Also in TLOU1 it was a completely different NPC looking guy. No thanks. You also expect me to fight a main character of the last game and leave her in a pool of blood? Are you insane? Terrible writing. Abby gets kidnapped and weakened. Ellie doesn't even get her revenge correctly and it's completely out of character. She helps them escape. The last thing she could've done to even make a TINY redemption to the game is kill Lev and Abby. No we don't even get that. We get something out of character. They escape.

    This is at best a fanfiction. Will be returning this title. The leaks saved people money. I'm telling you to save your money too. In short, a poor story of constant revenge that has NO meaning and insults the whole fanbase. Biggest let down of the GENERATION. At least on the brightside the moments of Ellie and Joel are good and the gameplay but anything with Abby isn't worth jack.    … Expand
  19. Gamercritic_00
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    Great gameplay. Story executed poorly. Be prepared to be disappointed if your main focus is on the story.
  20. Kyle92
    Sep 11, 2020
    7
    10/10 gameplay 10/10 graphics n environments 6/10 storyline and Joel deserved much better in the beginning.
  21. CaptainMug
    Jun 19, 2020
    6
    Stupid story -
    Gameplay from 2013 -
    beautiful graphics +

    general. 6 points
  22. TLOUFollowers
    Sep 5, 2020
    7
    I’ve played this game 3 times so far and now i felt that i’m able to score it:

    Story: 6/10 (Reasons: Abby’s part of the game is poorly written, boring from times to times and has lot’s of flaws) Gameplay: 9/10 (Reasons: You’ll find rare glitches/bugs here and there but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s top notch) Graphics: 10/10 (Reasons: Their attention to every single detail is    I’ve played this game 3 times so far and now i felt that i’m able to score it:

    Story: 6/10 (Reasons: Abby’s part of the game is poorly written, boring from times to times and has lot’s of flaws)

    Gameplay: 9/10 (Reasons: You’ll find rare glitches/bugs here and there but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s top notch)

    Graphics: 10/10 (Reasons: Their attention to every single detail is never before seen in a video game)

    Music & Atmosphere: 10/10 (No Comments)

    Overall, if i personally was a game journalist/reviewer i wouldn’t give this sequel a 10/10 nor a 0/10 because in both cases i would be lying on myself & on the gamers!! In my PERSONAL OPINION and as a long time TLOU Follower this sequel should be scored by a solid 7/10 (Reasons: Such game is built on it’s narrative and character's and Naughty Dog failed to delivers)    … Expand
  23. WhatHappened
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    "The Last Of Us was about Joel, who suffered a terrible loss, finding the will to love and have compassion, through Ellie, in a cruel uncaring world. It's about someone who falls in the depth of despair finding the light at the end of the tunnel." (words from a comment i read and couldn't said better)

    The Last Of Us Part II, grabs this concept, especially in the trailers selling the    "The Last Of Us was about Joel, who suffered a terrible loss, finding the will to love and have compassion, through Ellie, in a cruel uncaring world. It's about someone who falls in the depth of despair finding the light at the end of the tunnel." (words from a comment i read and couldn't said better)

    The Last Of Us Part II, grabs this concept, especially in the trailers selling the game that we will see the continuation of this premise, but in the end was all a manipulation from the marketing team, and probably in the future will have some legal repercussions.

    It's true that every human being has different points of view, but for me it's unthinkable what they did to the story of this sequel. Some people are defending it was bold and risky, but for me was a simple act of butchering one of the most acclaimed franchises of the Playstation family.

    In the end this game could be a 9 or a 10 if it wasn’t a sequel, but that not being the case, I think it’s the first big disappointment from Naughty Dog, for that my score only reflects the hard work and crunching from everyone involved and actors, because they don’t deserve the hate of the choices that were made by the story board department.    … Expand
  24. Kamarc_
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. O jogo em relação aos aspectos técnicos é quase perfeito e um exemplo para a indústria. Poucos bugs no seu lançamento, jogabilidade excelente e fluída, modelagem de personagens e expressões faciais incríveis, cenários incrivelmente bem feitos e trabalhados com um nível de detalhamento espetacular, dublagem excelente. Graficamente o jogo é praticamente impecável e muito bonito, com um adendo a sua ótima jogabilidade. Apesar de acertar bastante e com méritos em sua parte técnica, The Last Of Us Part 2 desliza e erra bastante em relação a sua narrativa, não parecendo nem de perto com a excelente história do primeiro jogo. A Começar com o principal acontecimento inicial do jogo que, além de irritar profundamente a maior parte dos fãs da franquia, mostra um total descaso de roteiro para uma construção descente para o ocorrido, ignorando totalmente a personalidade e experiência dos personagens envolvidos além de forçar bastante para que determinada situação aconteça. Mesmo a morte de Joel sendo o pilar fundamental para o desenvolvimento da trama e talvez o único motivo que desencadearia uma sequência, poderia ter sido muito melhor trabalhada e tardia, dando mais tempo em tela para o personagem ao lado de Ellie. A tentativa de humanizar a antagonista e fazer o jogador entender seu ponto de vista através de gameplay com a própria, não funciona, além de aumentar mais ainda a a fúria dos fãs e sua frustração em ter que jogar com a assina de Joel. O final do jogo não faz jus nem sentido ao propósito de toda a jornada, ignorando completamente o intuito de vingança e sentimento de ódio de Ellie durante a jornada em vingar Joel. Em suma, The Last Of Us part 2 é um jogo incrível tecnicamente, usando tudo que o console pode oferecer, mas que infelizmente, tem uma narrativa muito medíocre se comparado ao seu antecessor. The Last of Us part 2 esnobou seu principal aspecto, uma historia incrível e bem contada. Matou um dos protagonistas, um dos personagens mais amados da história do video game de forma forçada e mal trabalhada. The Last of Us part 2 evoluiu bastante tecnicamente e retrocedeu 2x mais no seu principal aspecto, a história.… Expand
  25. Guedesmate
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A game that was handcrafted so you can fell bad about yourself. The game go out of its way to tell a story of how you the player is a terrible person, while making you feel bed about yourself.… Expand
  26. mave15951
    Jun 22, 2020
    5
    to be fair, the gameplay is decent and it's satisfactory to get a headshot in this game, the animations are nice, the character models i didn't like that much. The jump button is useless and the dodge is kinda clunky

    however, when you take away the story of TLOU, this becomes just another generic zombie game that anyone can call it TWD rip off. the story was the main base, the soul of    to be fair, the gameplay is decent and it's satisfactory to get a headshot in this game, the animations are nice, the character models i didn't like that much. The jump button is useless and the dodge is kinda clunky

    however, when you take away the story of TLOU, this becomes just another generic zombie game that anyone can call it TWD rip off. the story was the main base, the soul of the franchise. And having it done so poorly like that is a major disappointment and i can really see why so many people are angry. So in one side you have people fanboying over ND and in the other you have haters who don't even know what happened and jumps on the wagon.

    as for me, this game is just a big and fat "meh." It's not the worst thing in the world but it's far from being a so called "masterpiece." The story is the main reason anyone preffers TLOU over other games, and now TLOU had become just "another game"    … Expand
  27. FloorGang
    Jun 20, 2020
    5
    It seems like the story writers didn't really take the main characters personality from the first game into account.

    Here, in the sequel, the main characters feel "out of character" because their decisions in don't line up with the prequel. Character conversations feel forced and cringey. After a certain point you just want to put down the controller and stop playing. The graphics and    It seems like the story writers didn't really take the main characters personality from the first game into account.

    Here, in the sequel, the main characters feel "out of character" because their decisions in don't line up with the prequel. Character conversations feel forced and cringey.
    After a certain point you just want to put down the controller and stop playing. The graphics and technical details are amazing but you just want to skip the whole story and dialoges.

    This is coming from someone who loved the story of the first game.
    It's sad to see naughty dog in a state like this. I've always had high regards for older naughty dog titles but the way the company has chosen makes me rethink ever supporting them in future games.
    I feel let down.
    The story as a whole feels cheap and the ending makes things pointless.

    If you don't care game stories and want to play a game with great graphics and gameplay ported over from the last of us 1, this game is perfect for you.
    If you were looking for an experience with the story like the first game, stay away from this game.
    Try to forget that it ever existed, for it will only dissapoint.    … Expand
  28. cooldriver
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    Yo gameplay of this game is amazing, I really enjoyed the gameplay part. Story is extremely polarizing, either you like it or you don't. I completely understand people that gives the game 10/10, but in my opinion it isn't. Story was unfortunately not something for me, but again gameplay amazing should be the standard in the video game industry going forward
  29. Beatensloth
    Jun 19, 2020
    5
    If you asked the giraffe from the first game to write the sequel, it would've probably written better story than this. I'm giving 5 just for the artists/devs efforts who made this horrible thing somewhat bearable
  30. tdunity
    Jun 26, 2020
    5
    Edited and reposted to reflect current changes.

    An opening note about "review bombing": take a look at the positive reviews. See how many of the reviews don't go beyond a paragraph, or even a sentence? And in addition, that ten is the only review on that account? This is my first review, but I've tried to be as fair as possible, since I feel something needs to be said about how rhis all    Edited and reposted to reflect current changes.

    An opening note about "review bombing": take a look at the positive reviews. See how many of the reviews don't go beyond a paragraph, or even a sentence? And in addition, that ten is the only review on that account? This is my first review, but I've tried to be as fair as possible, since I feel something needs to be said about how rhis all was handled. A large portion of the negative or mixed reviews are well-written criticisms of the game by fans of the series, while many of the 10s don't even mention a thing about the game itself. Don't review the game until you've finished it? I highly doubt all the positive reviewers have played the game through, either. Is "review bombing" justified when it's positive? Even if it's being done to counteract the backlash, it's still highly disingenuous and doesn't help the cause in the long run. With gaming journalists constantly being strong-armed into giving AAA titles high scores, honesty is becoming a precious commodity. The score disparity means something is wrong. The game has its good points, but it is definitely not flawless. Neither side is innocent. Look for yourself and think critically before blindly pushing your own narrative.

    With that said, the review.

    The game looks, feels, and sounds amazing. There's no denying that. The graphics are breathtaking, and I'd say that aesthetically speaking, the game is unlike anything else on the console, pushing the PS4 to its absolute limits. A fitting sendoff, in light of the PS5's approaching release. The sound design is haunting, the musical score, environment, and enemies all sound incredible. This all ties together to paint possibly the most realistic and immersive picture of post-apocalyptic America I’ve ever seen. Play it on the biggest screen you have, wear headphones, and enjoy.

    In terms of gameplay, it's good. It builds upon the established formula, refining it into a smooth and enjoyable stealth-action gameplay loop, tried and true. However, I wouldn't say it's game-changing, especially in comparison to its predecessor. TLOU brought us an entirely new experience, heart-pounding and suspenseful in a way that transformed the zombie genre. TLOU2 is equally exhilarating, but I wouldn't say it breaks any significant ground that its predecessor hadn't already. As a standalone game, it's excellent. As a sequel to the first game, which made me fall in love with the genre, it's just a tad disappointing.

    Now, the story and characters. What the vast majority of reviews, me included, find issue with. I won’t get into detail about major plot points in order to keep this review friendly to those who haven’t played the game yet.

    The way the story unfolds is confusing, forgettable, and downright infuriating at points. I think the idea was great; however, the order that it’s presented to you only made me less invested as the game went on. It retcons beloved characters, doing complete 180s on their personalities in ways that go beyond subversion into alien-skinsuit territory. The new characters that the game attempted to make me emphasize with were unlikable for multiple reasons, even to the point where I would take more risks in combat, not valuing their lives as highly. felt detached from the characters and uninvested in the story; so, why play the game?

    All in all, TLOU2 would have been a great game, were it not a sequel. However, it is a sequel. It can’t be judged purely on its own merit. The graphics are incredible, the gameplay is great, but the story falls short. And that’s the issue. TLOU established itself as a narratively-driven game, a story about forging bonds and finding the good in a brutally unforgiving world. TLOU2 is a revenge story that beats you while you’re down and leaves you empty by its conclusion. Perhaps that was the point. Subversion isn’t a bad thing in itself. It can be a powerful tool, where betraying established expectations can create an experience more powerful than before. However, there’s a difference between subversion and indiscriminately breaking down aspects of a beloved series for the shock factor. The marketing seemed to double down on this idea, the trailers promising an entirely different game than what you ultimately buy. It’s shocking, but not in a good way.

    The Last of Us should have been the last entry in the series. Go play that, wait for this to go on sale or pre-owned, and save yourself some cash.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PS4 Game of 2020
1
#1 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020
3
#3 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 121 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 113 out of 121
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 121
  3. Negative: 0 out of 121
  1. GameMAG
    Sep 13, 2020
    90
    The Last of Us Part II is the high point of the PlayStation 4. The plot is controversial, but the game is the incredibly addictive adventure of Ellie, from which it is impossible to pull away from the opening and to the very end.
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  2. PLAY! Zine
    Sep 5, 2020
    93
    Not everyone is going to enjoy the motives of The Last of Us Part II. But if you try and manage to accept the subliminal and not so subtle messages as a fact that the world has gone awry and that people have the need to have somewhere or someone to belong to as their own way out, then... You will witness the boundaries of gaming expand. You will witness a true masterpiece.
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  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Sep 3, 2020
    75
    If you loved the original for its great characters and well-paced story – stay away from this game. However, if you’re aching to sink into the depths of depression, or just want to cut some throats and burn some zombies – Part II will deliver. [Issue#247, p.72]
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