80%PlayStation 4

The internet discussion when this game was released was totally overblown; as a stand alone game, it's very good. Unfortunately, it is a very bad sequel to the first game, undercutting the original ending and themes quite badly in my opinion.
Overall the story is undercooked. Not enough time is spent developing characters and establishing background. Characters go through major changes in their mindset and outlook at a blisteringly fast pace, without establishing the groundwork first. Why is Abby betraying the wolves to support Yara and Lev? Why has Dina completely turned around on supporting Ellie? Why has Mel completely turned around on Abby when they were bonding literally one day ago? The game needed more time to flesh these things out, either by being twice as long or half as complex. The first game is quite simple when you break it down, and had an incredible amount of detail in fleshing out story beats as a result. This game is much more complex, and loses that attention to detail as a result.
I think that this game could have been perfect if it had just focused on Abby and completely left out the characters from the first game. Some changes would need to be made to the story, but the 'cycle of revenge' narrative could be told just as easily without involving Joel or Ellie. The original ending could be left open ended and intact, and more time could have been spent world building and story telling without backtracking on all the themes and character development from the first game.

70%PlayStation 5

Gameplay, sound, graphics are absolutely great. Story is too woke to be good.

100%PlayStation 4

It's not really a conventional stealth action game. If I had to describe the gameplay, it would be a game of cat and mouse where the roles change constantly in a single encounter. On higher difficulties you really feel the franticness, how kinetic it is, how kills flow together, etc. In the third person shooter space, Part 2 is among the very best when it comes to level design. So open and sprawling, with verticality and tons of branching paths. The enemy AI at is incredible, it's by far the best seen in a stealth game really. They flank and corner you and the game is at its most fun when you are scrambling and making split second decisions to survive. You could play the same encounter 100 times and get a different result each time. There is depth in its enemy interactions due to the AI. One thing I'll say is that the commitment to this brand of stealth is amazing. It de-emphasizes or simply doesn't have the more passive elements of a stealth game (being able to hide bodies, etc). It completely pushes the player to a more aggressive playstyle. The gunplay is really amazing as well. I would describe it as visceral more than anything else. I do have criticism with Abby's section. While Ellie's portion was almost flawless (the Downtown Seattle section isn't great on replays), the encounter design in Abby's section felt like it needed more enemy variety to differentiate itself. The dodge mechanic feels overpowered as well.

Regarding the story, I wouldn't say it's better than the first one but it's definitely more ambitious, creative, impactful. I'm pretty sure I felt every emotion imaginable playing through this game. The worst thing I can say about it is that it's not paced very well. Also it does present the story in a more effective way than the first game. For example, one huge improvement this time around is that a lot of the story is told through gameplay instead of cutscene (ex. sniper fight). I would even say that it's very meta. It intentionally creates dissonance between player/character similar to Shadow of the Colossus. This specific design created criticism that the player should get to decide for Ellie at the final fight of the game and that to me is misguided. The game focused so hard on Ellie's agency. This whole game is happening because someone else decided something for her. Is it not taking Ellie's agency away by letting you decide? As for the epilogue, It very intentionally tries to exhaust you, it makes the ending hit harder by trying to drain you emotionally. It definitely worked on me.

100%PlayStation 4

Perfection

90%PlayStation 5

2020 GOTY

100%PlayStation 4

The best.

95%PlayStation 4

Fucked me up real good.

100%PlayStation 4

A very emotional game.

I completed The Last of Us 1 like 5 or 6 years ago. I didn't read any news, leaks, or comments about the sequel going in. So my perspective is completely untainted.
At first, I was very shocked and upset about what the devs decided to do to Joel. I didn't have a problem with him dying. He did kill a bunch of innocent people in the first game, so I wasn't surprised karma would bite him eventually. I have a problem with him dying so soon. It's an enormous waste of a character, that was built up so meticulously from the first game. To me, he was the main character. The back bone to the story. I felt they could have done so much more with Joel, before killing him off. Maybe he gets captured, or something like that. Anything to build on his character more, and it could have increased Ellie's desperation and urgency. I felt it was a missed opportunity, story-wise.
After his death, I had a lot of doubts for what they could possibly do to keep me interested. Just like how I can't watch Simpsons without Homer, or Family Guy without Peter. Last of Us without Joel? How? As I progressed, the flashbacks Ellie had of Joel felt absolutely endearing. Bittersweet. A large part of that feeling stems from knowing Joel's gone. It was sad, but in a good way. Kind of like Game of Thrones, minus the ending. People died. It was a tragedy, but it made me love it more. Ellie's flashbacks heightened my need to pursue the killers, and find out why they did it. When I finally got to Abby, I honestly felt a bit sorry for her, after what Ellie did to her friends. At this point, she honestly had nothing. Killing her would have felt empty. I was ready for some answers. Then the game throws me in the shoes of Abby. Instead of a dramatic cutscene, the game put me directly in her shoes so I could see her side. And after seeing it, I completely understand where she's coming from. She went to kill Joel, to avenge her father. A logical reason. Not ethical. But reasonable. I didn't hate Abby anymore. Suddenly, I didn't know whose side I was on. And in the final chapter of the story. The showdown. I was shocked to see the condition Abby was in. I was extremely curious to see how this would affect Ellie's actions. The way it played out was perfect. Heartbreaking. So much emotion evoked in that fight. A fitting climax to the amount of shit that has transpired. By the end, I didn't like Ellie or Abby. They both were flawed. But yet, so human.
And now on to the more technical review...
Good
- hand-to-hand combat is good. The enemies attack animation slows down so that I could react with an input in time. This added a reflex test. Unlike a lot of other games where the hand-to-hand combat window was so small that it was usually not possible to react to, and I have to just pre-emptive block, or attack.
- clickers are so well designed. They make the stealth gameplay so much more tense because you have to walk extra slow behind them, but at the same time you have to make an action quickly when you are within their close proximity or else they will notice you even if you stay still. So it kind of forces you to plan ahead a bit, and when I decide to strike I must go through with it. And if things turn south I have to quickly adapt, either with a stun object, shoot, or run away. In areas with regular infected and clickers, it really adds diversity to the stealth. Infected could see but clickers couldn't, which forced me to use cover cleverly, and choose my targets wisely based on enemy position.
- the stun and strike combo feel satisfying to land especially when I got it in a tight situation.
- the distraction to molotov combo is a great alternative to the stealth strats. Since I had to try and gather the infected into a close proximity before I can pull off the group kill. But when I do manage to bait them all together, then Molotov them all, it's a satisfying feeling.
- the narrative, and voice acting is impeccable. The beginning where Abby and the dude found a city, the story didn't tell me who they were looking for or who Mel was, and what was the history behind these two. It's a mystery that drew me into the story, making me want to find out what what's going on.
- the balance between defense an offense is perfect. Clickers are one hit KO, and the infected do a decent chunk of damage. So the game does encourage stealth. But if things go south the game also gives ample offensive abilities for me to survive.
- checkpoints are really well placed. It doesn't bring me back all the way to the beginning but rather the last major encounter which is perfect, because it doesn't forced me to backtrack unnecessary gameplay.
- I like how for most objects that interact with, my partner automatically chimes in.

60%PlayStation 4

Too long and too woke garbage

85%PlayStation 4

amazing gameplay
But the story mmm.. I would say 50-50

50%PlayStation 4

It's obvious and acceptable that Joel got killed but wtf think of something more creative than adding a daughter to a character you didn't care about during the time of the original game to add some kind of revenge plot.

If you play around with her for 10-15 hours "so you understand her", make something interesting out of her story line.

After the already too long game comes the epilogue, which drags everything out just to tell you "revenge is not good".

Will be there for Part 3, but please Neil should be back down to earth.

100%PlayStation 4

Um dos melhores jogos de todos os tempos GOTY

80%PlayStation 4

8.5

65%PlayStation 4

This game is divisive. Pretty much everything can be considered as spoiler, so I'll tag the whole review to be safe.

I think that they can be pretty proud of what they achieve overall, with some reservations on the story. That is a game without compromise, that just goes to the very end of its ideas, but the biggest grope I have with the game is its central idea (Ellie on a vengeance quest, which is the size of a postal stamp), is bad to begin with. Whichever way the developers went, it would always end up polarising with what they wanted to tell as a story.

On the positive:
+ A much better level design than the 1 (more verticality is always good) and more options (both strategically and movements).
+ Amazing mastery of the support (it is really bluffing for a PS4) and very good realisation overall (animation are amazing), even if they are a few bugs to note (expl: some animation bugs on very specific patterns, script that fails to launch or to shutdown, OoB)
+ What was achieved in term of atmosphere in the scenes is really great (lights, details, volumes, set composition). Expl: the gunfights in red light or the final sequence on Haven are visually very impressive.
+ It can create very tense moment (not in a hard or difficult way, but more on the "I feel tired playing because the situation is rather tense")
+ The relationship to violence that the game wants you to feel is both a blessing and a curse. At it's best, you can really feel uneasy (even disgusted, think Nora torture scene or the final battle, you can not help but feel something at those points) at some situations, at other times, it's just rather gore just for the sake of it (game over scenes).

On the negative:
- Even with a better gameplay, it stays a very classic game. I have the feeling at this point that Sony has as an editorial line to "deliver cinematic games for 30 y.o. or so people that wants to play videogames as in their childhood, but don't have the time to play nor invest in mechanics anymore and prefer watching Netflix anyway". It's not something that speaks to much as much as when I was a teenager, but objectively, they really are the masters at this style of game. For this, congratulations Naughty Dogs!
- Rhythm is completely broken. Way too many sequences (especially in 2nd act and epilogue) feels way too long (too many times told I myself "this is too long").
- The game (even on hard) is too generous on resources.
- Raze the walls spamming triangle not to miss dialogues or resources is boring after the 2nd time. I know it's a perk of the game to make you look for resources and engage with the environmental narration, but it's just a bore, all things considered.
- Everything related to the story or the writing is a pure disaster. It's just plain bad. The idea of this vengeance quest only leads to predictable places, and characters are just stupid and make stupid decisions. How many times did I just laugh at the stupideness of what I was witnessing. Expl: Abby saving her sworn ennemies in a cliché way to make her look like "I was bad but I am human", in a poor attempt to justify her position to kill Joel (and I don't care that Joel died, I would say he deserved it after fucking the whole human race :D), or Ellie that goes on vengeance again (see the starting point of the epilogue with 1st farm scene) for, nothing? -> No, it was the decision of what they wanted to say, I know, but yeah, rather predictable and poor.
- The structure in 2 half is predictable from the start, and does not really bring much (except more gameplay, closer to uncharted in its abondance of gunfights than TLOU (with the too long gunfights too), which was a bit boring). The epilogue is just a worse ending that the previous situation, where Abby is just able to forgive at a stage where she has changed as a character (even if how she changed is stupid). But Ellie is just a damned idiot. Creative intention, I get it, but again, this bad story is due to the very poor core idea: vengeance.

However, even after all those flaws, the game just let himself be played. I came back nearlly everyday to advance and finish it. So I guess they succeeded something there.

Without the epilogue (really, it was really too much and makes the game arguably worse), I would have rated it at 70-75 (less impact than the 1st, but different times and a much worse story), but here, I can not go higher than 65. To recommend only to people that really liked TLOU1.

100%PlayStation 4

I had a few small issues with things like the dodge button, but the story was so amazing that it overshadows those things

75%PlayStation 4

gameplay is great
story goes in a very good direction, but is put together poorly/messy
pacing is off
visuals/sound is great
tough on me mentally, but super interesting to think/talk about
I think it goes on for too long for the gameplay loop to stay interesting. Overall not as great as the first game but also not the train wreck people make it out to be

60%PlayStation 4

Way too long.

90%PlayStation 4

better then the first one love the theme and how it ends

90%PlayStation 4

I felt iffy about the ending, but the game's control, atmosphere, and world is one of my faves.

90%PlayStation 5

Loved every bit of it, even better than the first one

100%PlayStation 4

A game that needs no introduction, immensely divisive and yet so poignant.

90%PlayStation 4

9/10

100%PlayStation 4

Wow. What a wild ride. The Last of Us Part II was a phenomenal game. After experiencing Ellie's story in The Last of Us Part I, I went into this game ready to root for her and Joel yet again. The chance to experience both Ellie and Abby's stories created such emotional turmoil within me and made me realize how much I disagreed with Ellie's decision to continue the cycle of violence. I felt for both Ellie and Abby - two characters who lost so much in their quest for revenge. It reminded me of Joel singing "If I Ever Were To Lose You" and the fact that both characters experienced physical and emotional repercussions on their journey. Every story has two sides and in the quest for revenge - everyone loses something.

The gameplay was improved from the original game. The soundtrack was great.

Overall, this game has cemented itself as one of my favorite games of all time and I can't wait to see what NaughtyDog does next!

I lost a piece of myself after completing this game because the story moved me so much that it left a void after 30 hours.

100%PlayStation 4

The complaints about The Last of Us: Part II don't really make much sense to me. Naughty Dog's latest project, a sequel to the 2013 hit The Last Of Us, is an experience defined by actions and revenge.

The gameplay was improved on immensely from the original in my opinion. Stealth felt much more necessary and the combat felt a lot less clunky. The setting, focusing on only a couple locations rather than the ever-changing environment of the original, was more than engaging. Many moments in the game created a sense of community that I deemed was lacking in the first game. The prominent location of TLOU2, Seattle, Washington, stood out to me immensely. It was amazing to see CenturyLink Field turned into the WLF headquarters and essentially a self-contained bubble. I loved the open-world section when Ellie and Dina first arrived in Seattle and I wish there were more opportunities like that in the game.

Ellie and Abby's stories reflect each other intensely while crossing parallel paths and allowing the gamer to create a relationship with both and understand both sides of the story. Joel's actions at the end of The Last Of Us created the same sense of revenge for Abby that Ellie felt in the beginning of The Last of Us: Part II. There were many hard hitting moments in TLOU2 and I attribute that as a direct result of the crossing perspectives of Ellie and Abby. Killing Owen and Mel as Ellie gave me no regret because I didn't know about either personally and just viewed them as more of the "bad guys". After Abby killed Jesse and the perspectives flipped, I was so angry that I didn't even want to play as Abby. But after getting to know Abby and her friends' stories, I felt a lot of regret for what happened playing as Ellie. I can remember sailing back on the boat with Lev slowly realizing that Abby was going to go back to the aquarium only to find her best friends dead. Moments like that really tugged at me emotionally and would not have been possible without the conflicting perspectives. I didn't know who to like or who to root for because the game made me understand both perspective's stories. And I think that says a lot about the way Naughty Dog approached this game: actions result in consequences. There is no good side or bad side because each side reacted how anybody would to major, tragic events. It makes me think back to other games I've played in the past and made me question, if I saw the other side of the story would I feel the same way? This element shows me how important the lessons TLOU2 teaches are.

I found the ending a bit unneeded but it wasn't a BAD ending. It would've been okay for the game to end before the Santa Barbara expedition, but on the other hand I was glad to see it realized after it being mentioned so many times in the story. I do wish more of the developments Owen talked about with the Fireflies getting together in Santa Barbara were realized, rather than just Abby and Ellie running into a crazy slave gang. I was glad with the result of the final fight as both characters realized there were things more significant than revenge. It was satisfying to see Ellie and Abby go their own ways with their own paths in life, putting their past problems behind themselves.

Overall, The Last Of Us: Part II was an amazing experience and a true work of art in gaming. I can't wait to see what Naughty Dog has up its sleeves next.

100%PlayStation 4

Simply breathtaking

85%PlayStation 4

This game did so much right and so much wrong. I'll give it credit to the fact that this game is all about perspective and the human condition. It shows the selfishness of revenge and I think the moral of it is to rise above and be a better person. All of Ellies poor decisions are driven by a severe level of ptsd causing a lack of sleep that clearly effects her decision making skills and overall mental health. She's nearly entering an uncontrollable psychosis multiple times. The game should of ended at the farmhouse and been left open ended after Tommy left, still leaving ample room for a proper part 3 that could end the series.

As far as mechanics and gameplay Naughty dog didn't disappoint. It's greatly improved over the last game and the controls are tight.

I did have 2 deaths due to freezing but the overall experience wasn't taken away from.

100%PlayStation 4

The Last of Us Part 2" was by far the best game I've ever played in my life. It has the deepest and most profound story in the world of gaming. The journeys of Ellie and Abby, initially portrayed as quests for revenge, ultimately reveal themselves as paths toward forgiveness, making it a masterpiece.

Every aspect of this game deeply affects the player—emotionally and immersion-wise. The way the game presents its universe, where every NPC has a name and engages in conversations, allows players to truly feel what Ellie and Abby are going through.

The final scene with Joel saying, "If God gave me a second chance, I'd do it all over again," is a heart-wrenching blow that brought me to tears, many, many tears.

90%PlayStation 4

I understand the critics this game received but can't relate to them.
It's true that the *spoiler thing* at the beginning of the game is pretty bothering, however the continuation from that point on of the story went pretty uphill.
Scenaries, story and characters top-notch as usual.
88%

85%PlayStation 4

Pretty good and incredible attention to detail.

90%PlayStation 5

Cara, o que dizer desse jogo, que até hoje gera discussão. Eu particularmente achei foda os dois pontos de vista. Não existe certo, ou errado. Ali o que conta é a sobrevivência e é olho por olho em muito dos casos. Mas a narrativa desse jogo é espetacularmente foda. Os gráficos são belíssimos até hoje, mesmo jogando a versão de PS4 só com os 60fps, me deixou boquiaberto. Uma experiência única.

90%PlayStation 4

The Last of US, simplesmente, não tem como errar. Gameplay é muito melhor que o primeiro, mas a historia do primeiro é impecavel.

95%PlayStation 4

Esse é com certeza absoluta o jogo mais corajoso já feito, as decisões tomadas são muito mas muito corajosas mesmo, porém elas são todas úteis e necessárias pra contar a história que eles queriam contar. A dualidade das protagonistas, as decisões, você se sente mal em alguns momentos e não sabe o que quer que aconteça, fora que os gráficos levaram o ps4 ao limite, além da gameplay ser muito boa, eu prefiro o primeiro, porém o segundo não deixa a desejar, infelizmente leva muito hate pelas decisões corajosas que tomaram, vale muito a pena jogar esse jogo! É uma experiência única nos videogames.

100%PlayStation 4

My second favourite game of all time....

100%PlayStation 4

People shit on it cause they don't know how to cope

70%PlayStation 4

The game is beautiful and mindblowing to how detailed it is. But it is way too lengthy and explores some storylines too deeply, that it hurted the overall pacing and made me rush to the end just to get it finished

100%PlayStation 4

Totally goated

90%PlayStation 4

EXTREMELY overhated game. It has such a compelling and heart-shattering story. Sure the ending falls a tiny bit flat, but it was absolutely intentional.

80%PlayStation 4

The Last of Us Part II

Let me start by addressing the elephant in the room - this game has been highly controversial, sparking intense debates. However, I'll strive to provide an objective critique focused on the game's merits and flaws without fueling flames. If you disagree, feel free to respectfully share your perspective.

The story picks up several years after the first game, with Joel and Ellie settling in Jackson. When a vengeful newcomer Abby arrives, it sets off a chain of events that drives the narrative forward. While I won't delve into spoilers, the storytelling approach has garnered mixed reactions.

From a gameplay standpoint, it doesn't reinvent the wheel from the previous installment. There are some refinements, but the core experience remains largely familiar for returning fans.

One indisputable high point is the phenomenal music and sound design. The original score is hauntingly beautiful, blending seamlessly with fantastic licensed tracks like "It Was a Good Day" by Ice Cube.

My main gripe lies in the narrative pacing and structure. Constant flashbacks disrupt the flow, while an unconventional perspective shift at the climax feels jarring and ill-timed. Additionally, the game's length of 24-28 hours felt unnecessarily drawn out for the story being told.

Overall, it's a very good game when judged solely on gameplay and presentation. However, the ambitious yet flawed storytelling choices prevented it from reaching true excellence in my view. I'd rate it an 8 out of 10.

As of now, it remains exclusive to PlayStation consoles with no word on potential other platform releases.

While divisive, I believe The Last of Us Part II is still an experience worth having for those who can look past the narrative issues and simply enjoy the stellar gameplay and production values.

90%PlayStation 4

pros: encounter a bug

75%PlayStation 5

Despite the brain-dead revenge plot, the curveball story idea is a masterpiece, constantly testing the player’s own emotions and objectivity. There just wasn’t enough narrative depth to justify dragging it out for so long.

Just like the first game, the world is superbly immersive due to the visuals and audio. The game is still linear but the world is now much larger and less confined.

My only real gameplay issue is the Human enemies. The AI is goofy and trivial when you’re stealth but obnoxiously persistent and skilled when you’re spotted. These encounters are too frequent and become a repetitive chore as you’re always nudged into using the same stealth approach.

Thankfully the difficulty has granular adjustment and there are a ton of visual and accessibility tweaks you can use to tailor the game for yourself. Naughty Dog deserve a lot of praise here.

Overall, the unwarranted length made this a hard slog for me.

55%PlayStation 4

Of course the Part 1 is better...A LOT...

100%PlayStation 4

Nunca mais vou jogar isso na vida... que experiencia fudida que esse jogo te passa, não sei como alguém fala mal disso aqui. Uns dos jogos mais fodas já criados, a história é algo simplesmente incrível, da pra escrever uma bíblia falando como esse jogo é bom.

100%PlayStation 4

Absolute masterpiece. The gameplay is best in class. Beautiful world. Some questionable narrative choices but still one of the most compelling stories of all time.

100%PlayStation 4

Finalmente, tentando evitar todos os spoilers possíveis... Mas não conseguindo, eu conclui esse jogão.
Last of us 2 me fez chorar nos primeiros minutos e nos minutos finais tbem. A história do jogo evoluiu de uma forma tão grande e complexa que deixa a gente de boca aberta em muitos momentos. Mesmo os personagens secundários são tão bem trabalhados, que vc cria vínculos e se importa com eles. Os vilões existem claro, mas não são o foco. Até por que você joga e enxerga aquele mundo pelos dois lados. Temos os sobreviventes com a Ellie e o Joel e o que seria a grande vilã da história a Abby. O jogo te faz se importar até mesmo com eles pois nesse mundo apocalíptico, todo mundo quer sobreviver. As histórias contadas com cada personagem, as histórias ramificadas em cada ponto de vista deixa tudo tão bem desenvolvido, que vc torce pras duas e ama as duas. E entende seus pontos de vista. Some isso as expressões faciais, os modelos e a forma como essa história é contada, que eu fico imaginando como a seria vai ter q se esforçar pra entregar o que o jogo entregou.
O mundo do jogo é lindo. Até agora os raficoa mais bonitos que já vi nessa geração. Cada cenários parece ser tão realista e tão vivo mesmo sendo só folha e árvore por boa parte do jogo.
A trilha tambem me deixou de queijo caído muitas vezes e elas encaixam muito bem na trama.
O único problema é o final que me pareceu muito corrido depois que as duas histórias se conectam.
Mas mesmo assim, não tiram o brilho da história de duas garotas que estão lindando com o mundo de seu jeito.

+ cenários e gráficos impecáveis.
+a animação e modelo dos personagens impressiona.
+ sistema de luta e criação de itens evoluiu muito desde o primeiro jogo.
+ Historia envolvente e pesa
+ Jogabilidade muito mais fluida e inteligente

- muito drama em algumas partes.
- final corrido

95%PlayStation 4

Masterpiece

90%PlayStation 5

Outstanding game , the writing is unbelievable. World class studio making a world class game.

85%PlayStation 5

In short, the game doesn't do the greatest job at evoking certain emotions from me.

I think the narrative is a pretty good tragedy. Characters from the previous game are just as amazing with most of the new cast being solid. Though the way they told the story by changing your perspective mid way through, while innovative, absolutely halted the progression of the overall narrative. In a vacuum, I can argue that Abby's story is probably better overall, and is more similar thematically to the first game. While there are similar themes and messages between the two halves of the game, I think the paths should've been better intertwined and more cohesive rather than having two side stories that crash into each other.

The gameplay is a lot better than the first but overall it's still kind of boring. The combat is absolutely refined but by the end of the game, the amount of encounters you face becomes a slog. The level design for some later encounters are actually very good though, but there's just a bit too many that are mediocre. Also the graphics are great.

Serviceable gameplay and an overall decent story that's told poorly give this game around a 7.5/10. This game wasn't necessary but I think the story it's trying to tell is decent enough. The story alone is a solid 8.5 or 9. I can agree that there are are some writing decisions that just weren't cohesive, things like the story trying to say one thing but the gameplay doing the absolute opposite. The leak before the game's launch gave this game way too much hate from crowds who were never going to play the game. Most of which focused on the wrong things that aren't even problematic. Play it for yourself and make your own opinions.

90%PlayStation 4

Overhated game but better than the first, i really loved it. Super engaging

100%PlayStation 4

Uma das maiores análises sobre jogos que já fiz (contém spoilers)
A vingança é realmente a solução para se livrar perante a tanta dor causada por alguém? Toda ação gera uma reação. É o que diz a Lei de Newton e o ditado popular. Seja por algum tipo de esperança diante da sensação de impunidade ou simplesmente pela vontade de ver o malfeito desfeito, a ideia sempre é de que a fatura, em algum momento, vai chegar. E será pesada ou não, de acordo com a gravidade dos atos cometidos. Este jogo é sobre o ódio, TLOU 2 não é uma experiência comum. É uma jornada intensa e auto reflexiva, que não é divertida o tempo inteiro e nos faz questionar não só as decisões da protagonista, mas também como nos sentimos sendo cúmplices de tudo o que acontece, na verdade não existe vilão, você mesmo é o vilão dessa história tomando decisões que elas nunca tomaria. Isso é aprofundado ainda mais, quando vemos os dois lados da moeda, tanto quanto pela Ellie e a Abby que acredito mesmo depois de anos, ainda vai ser um debate imenso de quem está certo, ou quem está errado.
Nas primeiras 15 ou 18 horas, vemos a "degradação" de Ellie. Ela vai até o fundo do poço, cega pelo ódio, deixando um rastro de corpos para trás. Ellie é implacável, tortura pessoas para conseguir informações e, ainda que se sinta mal por isso, não para. Não ouve os amigos, ignora aqueles que a respeitam, e não vê outro caminho que não aquele que decidiu tomar. Ela iria parar até estarem todos mortos. Na outra metade da história, acompanhamos alguns dias na vida de Abby, imediatamente após ela conseguir sua vingança contra Joel. E a vida dela continuou. Ela não está se deleitando com a morte de Joel, nem caçando ninguém… está seguindo sua rotina, contribuindo com sua comunidade e com seus amigos. (O que deixa claro como um é muito o oposto do outro)
As diferenças entre as personalidades de Ellie e Abby também afetam a jogabilidade com cada personagem. Enquanto Ellie tem mais vantagem em combates furtivos com sua faca e arco e flecha, Abby pode carregar armas mais pesadas, como um rifle automático e um lança chamas. Mas, calma, pois isso não significa estar limitado a somente um estilo de jogo. É possível escolher diferentes caminhos na árvore de habilidades e jogar de outras formas. Isso fica ainda mais claro quando o próprio jogador, vivência isso.
Ellie não via mais sentido na vida, depois da cena do hospital, ela queria ter um propósito, salvar a humanidade, ela seria reconhecida, ela queria ter um mérito alcançado, mas será que tudo isso ia realmente acontecer? Será que Joel realmente deixaria? Ele deixou sempre claro que nunca faria diferente, e vendo que ela não foi capaz de perdoar ele foi impactante e um peso de culpa carregado de decepção e uma mágoa que nunca irá sair. A construção de personagem pelo ponto de vista dela, é incrível como conseguem deixar tudo emocionante
Eu como jogador, não queria nem saber do lado da Abby, depois de ter matado um dos personagens mais carismáticos do jogo e sendo a figura principal para a construção do enredo cativando e entendendo o sofrimento de um relacionamento até que esquisito e bem confuso, no momento que "expulsam" ela pois ela só trazia desgraça aos outros me deu um peso na consciência de odiar essa personagem, perceber que ela também é ser humano e que não é carregada de maldade como qualquer um poderia imaginar de um "rival". Além disso entender toda a sua história, fez entender tudo o que ela passou no fatídico dia do hospital que é recorrente com um trauma que foi superado pois um foi capaz de se vingar já o outro lado a história é diferente. (O que o efeito borboleta é capaz de fazer...)
Ellie poderia ter colocado um ponto final na história, e dado cabo de Abby. Mas, no último momento, ela hesita. Talvez por arrependimento, talvez por saber que não era isso que Joel iria querer, talvez por não ter, afinal, se deixado corromper por completo pelo “lado sombrio”. Agora, Ellie estava fisicamente fraca, perdeu todos aqueles que amavam, está mentalmente e emocionalmente quebrada, e a solidão sendo mostrada na última cena é uma bela (e triste) metáfora do estado de espírito da protagonista o que me fez emocionar ainda mais tendo em vista que abordou um dos medos constantes e fortes que não só eu, mas qualquer ser humano pode ter.
A sensação de terminar esse jogo é muito reconfortante, tirar um peso nas costas é inexplicável. Muitos momentos de angústia, desespero e tristeza, por mais que seu final não tenha tido o mais feliz, para quem termina (no meu caso) foi uma paz , e dificilmente eu passarei por isso de novo com um jogo.
Eu chorei, e muito e ainda mais digo leve, que a jornada emocional e intelectual proporcionada por "TLOU 2" é verdadeiramente inesquecível, não é a toa que ganhou o GOTY. Sem dúvidas é o meu jogo favorito. a forma como ele aborda temas complexos e desafia os jogadores a refletirem sobre moralidade, vingança e redenção é um testemunho da maturidade da indústria de jogos.