Video game review: The Last of Us Part II a barrier-breaking piece of art

Justin Herold
Wed, 24 Jun 2020 01:38:39 +0000
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The action-adventure game, The Last of Us Part II, developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 4 was released Friday and places players back into the sneakers of a now 19-year-old Ellie. Credit: Sony via TNS

Questionable character moments push players to analyze their morals paired with a range of combat situations to make The Last of Us Part II a real game-changer.

The action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 4 was released Friday and is set five years after its predecessor, The Last of Us.?

The sequel places players back into the muddied Converse sneakers of a now 19-year-old Ellie — a protagonist from The Last of Us —? for the majority of the game. While the game is set in a post-apocalyptic world with infected human monsters, Ellie lives happily in a safe haven until her world changes, and she swears revenge on those who brutally changed it.??

For me, playing this game came as a shock not only because of the emotions I felt during most parts of the game but because of the indifference I felt toward some of the game’s plot. The Last Of Us Part II is not a perfect game, but like art imitating life, I still found beauty behind what was tried in one of the most ambitious games I’ve ever seen.?

I felt the strongest emotions and struggled the most with how I would feel if I were in Ellie’s position. Unfortunately, the game is not all about Ellie. The game made a bold choice by incorporating and switching roles to a character named Abby. But during her section, I felt the least emotion. I was forced into a section of the game I didn’t want to be in, and I never got over the feelings I had for it.?

However, The Last of Us Part II still has aspects outside of the story to take part in, and boy howdy are they some of the most enjoyable.?

Top-notch gameplay aspects such as travel and combat make for some of the best mechanics in video games. Being able to navigate my character through the open world felt authentic and made me question why every game is not made like this. The game took the combat system from the original and improved it by allowing players to change how they navigate the terrain to fight or avoid enemies. The best combat moments in the game came from unique situations where human enemies and infected human monsters were in the same area. When these situations arose, the optimal — and most fun — choice was to pit the two against each other and take advantage of the chaos.?

The rock-solid gameplay mixed with the storyline of The Last of Us Part II makes for an intriguing discussion. All things considered, I don’t know if there is anything currently out that matches it. That is why I have moved beyond trying to compare it to games, books and movies altogether and just accepted it as its own, unique entity in the facet of art and gaming altogether. This game will be studied and examined for future references in how to take bold, new chances and not just stick to the status quo.

Rating: 9/10