PROS
- Gameplay. It is some of the best Naughtydog has ever created. Whether you're walking, running, going prone, climbing, jumping, swimming, aiming, swinging melee weapons, dodging or performing brutal executions, it is all so satisfying. Their motion match technology really paid off in a big way.
- Violence. In a game where you're constantly shooting and stabbing people and infected it's amazing to see so much detail in the NPC models. For example, when you swing your switchblade across their cheeks a visible cut appears that actively bleeds or if you shoot someone in the head it causes an entry wound and disgusting exit wound with bits of skull and brain fragments that splash on the environment. It's all gruesome and may make some people squeamish but I really appreciate the detail. It makes every combat scenario end differently instead of enemies just falling over with no damage or blood looking like they had a heartattack on the battlefield, we actually get to see the destruction each of our weapons cause to the human body. You feel each shot & each stab & it's GOREgeous.
- Graphics/Visuals. The graphics in this game are the best you'll find on any console hands down. A lot of times I would just stop and stare at the world, taking in the beautiful scenery before heading to the next area to slit some throats. This is the most visually impressive game I've ever placed my eyes upon & I also game on PC. It's hard to believe they were able to make a game look this good on 7 year old hardware. That's the upside of being a first party studio I guess. They were able to push every ounce of power the PS4 has left in it & it is beyond impressive.
- Sound design. Every sound effect in the game adds so much ambiance to each level and makes it really feel like you're in a living, breathing world. There is a sound effect for everything. You'll hear birds chirping, water flowing, wind blowing, insects buzzing, enemies whistling, enemies gurgling on blood after a throat stab, enemies screaming in pain after removing their limbs & some of the most terrifying moments came from, not seeing infected enemies but hearing their screech off in the distance before they even appeared. I've never felt more on edge in a video game just from the sounds like I was in this game.
- Soundtrack. Gustavo made his triumphant return from part 1s soundtrack to take it to the next level in part 2. Everyone of his beautiful composed eargasms in the game will send tingles through your body.
- Acting/performances. Just like the first game, the acting in Part 2 is hollywood quality. Ashley Johnson will most certainly win another Bafta after her performance as Ellie in this game. You hear and see the raw emotion in her performance in every cutscene & even just walking around conversating with your companions in gameplay. The supporting cast are all amazing as well. Every actor/actress in Part 2 did an astounding job bringing their characters to life. They all felt so real & none of them were cheesy or videogamey.
- Parts of the story. A good chunk of the story is really good & I was emotionally invested throughout. The way they let you see things from another perspective was creative & while most didn't like it, I did.
- Violence. In a game where you're constantly shooting and stabbing people and infected it's amazing to see so much detail in the NPC models. For example, when you swing your switchblade across their cheeks a visible cut appears that actively bleeds or if you shoot someone in the head it causes an entry wound and disgusting exit wound with bits of skull and brain fragments that splash on the environment. It's all gruesome and may make some people squeamish but I really appreciate the detail. It makes every combat scenario end differently instead of enemies just falling over with no damage or blood looking like they had a heartattack on the battlefield, we actually get to see the destruction each of our weapons cause to the human body. You feel each shot & each stab & it's GOREgeous.
- Graphics/Visuals. The graphics in this game are the best you'll find on any console hands down. A lot of times I would just stop and stare at the world, taking in the beautiful scenery before heading to the next area to slit some throats. This is the most visually impressive game I've ever placed my eyes upon & I also game on PC. It's hard to believe they were able to make a game look this good on 7 year old hardware. That's the upside of being a first party studio I guess. They were able to push every ounce of power the PS4 has left in it & it is beyond impressive.
- Sound design. Every sound effect in the game adds so much ambiance to each level and makes it really feel like you're in a living, breathing world. There is a sound effect for everything. You'll hear birds chirping, water flowing, wind blowing, insects buzzing, enemies whistling, enemies gurgling on blood after a throat stab, enemies screaming in pain after removing their limbs & some of the most terrifying moments came from, not seeing infected enemies but hearing their screech off in the distance before they even appeared. I've never felt more on edge in a video game just from the sounds like I was in this game.
- Soundtrack. Gustavo made his triumphant return from part 1s soundtrack to take it to the next level in part 2. Everyone of his beautiful composed eargasms in the game will send tingles through your body.
- Acting/performances. Just like the first game, the acting in Part 2 is hollywood quality. Ashley Johnson will most certainly win another Bafta after her performance as Ellie in this game. You hear and see the raw emotion in her performance in every cutscene & even just walking around conversating with your companions in gameplay. The supporting cast are all amazing as well. Every actor/actress in Part 2 did an astounding job bringing their characters to life. They all felt so real & none of them were cheesy or videogamey.
- Parts of the story. A good chunk of the story is really good & I was emotionally invested throughout. The way they let you see things from another perspective was creative & while most didn't like it, I did.
CONS
- Parts of the story. Now in the pros I put part of the story is good which is true but there are a few gripes I have with the story overall. First, they kill off a major character way too early in the game. We only got to play as them in the prologue and were glued to a horse during the section. I feel like they should have allowed us to play as them for a level or two before killing them off. We end up seeing said character in flashbacks but we still don't get to play as them there either. Also, the way that character is killed doesn't make sense. They've been surviving for 25 years in the apocalypse and all of the sudden they decide to give out their real names and trust abuncha strangers? I call BS on that. Would have much rather it been an abush while we played as the character that dies. Another gripe I have is the ending. The game starts off depressing as hell and ends depressing as hell. I wasn't expecting a happy ending but damn. The whole plot is centered around revenge and in the end it just doesn't pay off. On top of that, there's a fight between 2 characters at the very end that makes no sense because both characters are badly injured and weak yet you have a full on 10 min UFC fight. I actually enjoyed the fight but in a grounded story like this, I feel both of those characters would have been dead from their injuries before they even met up :P.
- Some pacing issues. There are a couple of parts during the second half that drag a little longer than they should.
- No unlockable outfits. First game had unlockable outfits which made replaying the game on different difficulties rewarding. Like getting the Kill Bill jumpsuit, the Jak goggles or the Daxter backpack for Ellie. In Part 2 all we get is model viewers and concept art, which are cool but can't compare to being able to replay a game in a completely different outfit. I guess they figured since this game was more serious than the first, adding goofy outfits wouldn't fit the tone but the first game was pretty serious too with a lot of death and misery, so that's not a great argument.
- Some pacing issues. There are a couple of parts during the second half that drag a little longer than they should.
- No unlockable outfits. First game had unlockable outfits which made replaying the game on different difficulties rewarding. Like getting the Kill Bill jumpsuit, the Jak goggles or the Daxter backpack for Ellie. In Part 2 all we get is model viewers and concept art, which are cool but can't compare to being able to replay a game in a completely different outfit. I guess they figured since this game was more serious than the first, adding goofy outfits wouldn't fit the tone but the first game was pretty serious too with a lot of death and misery, so that's not a great argument.
SCORE
8.5/10
VIDEO REVIEW BELOW: