Man, what a ride.
I'm still trying to work out exactly what the issues are that people have been having with the content of this game. Sure, it's brutal at various points, but...it's the apocalypse. It's pretty grim at time, but I didn't have any issues with the game tonally and I loved the overall story that this game told.
First off, the introduction for this game is gorgeous. Graphically, this is such a beautiful game and Naughty Dog should feel insanely proud at the technical brilliance of this. It's a marvel to look at and there were numerous points where I just had to stop to look around, even in some of the not-so-pretty areas. My favourite overall location was the farm at the end of the game, particularly with that gorgeous sunset.
I had no problem whatsoever with Joel's death, because it was essential to the plot and there was absolutely no way that his actions in the first game could not lead to anything but severe consequences later down the line. It made sense and I thought the game did a fantastic job of making you empathise with Abby's decisions throughout. Obviously, you've got the parallel with Abby and Lev compared to Joel and Ellie in the first game, which I think the game just about got the balance right with in terms of how often those parallels were drawn, without it being too much like a flashing sign.
Loved the openness of Seattle in various areas. Generally, I thought this game took the various ideas from the first game and built upon them in this. The areas felt bigger and more alive in places. I particularly loved the initial stages of Seattle where you were able to roam freely, as it seemed like there were tons of things to spot and see. There were a nice variation of locations despite the subject matter so that it didn't become too repetitive to look at. That hospital section was great, except for that fecking bossfight as Abby! Only bit of the game that I didn't really enjoy, but the rest of the area was fantastic.
There's a lot that can be said regarding the structure of the game. It's a fairly meaty game. I wouldn't personally consider it bloated or too drawn out, because I would consider the Abby sections essential so that the gamer can empathise with her decision making and it makes some of the events of Ellie's story a bit more meaningful. For example, I now look back on the Mel and Owen death scenes and feel much more guilty than I did before. It's a grim scene to begin with, but it has much more impact after Abby's story.
After completing it, I wonder if something could have been done with alternating the story, so Ellie Day 1, Ellie Day 2, Abby Day 1, Abby Day 2, or something along the lines. Thinking back, I'm not so sure if that would have been any better, and it maybe would have fragmented the game too much.
I really like the numerous characters that we see within this game, particularly the addition of Abby, who is very well fleshed out. Lev and Yara were good additions in Abby's storyline and I did enjoy that whole stretch of game where Abby and Lev tackle that descent, which I found pretty daunting at the time. Loved that skybridge bit beforehand, too!
The bit at the island when the shit starts to go down is brilliant. Loved riding the horse through that "battle" and I thought the game captured those moments really well. That island section could have been a drag and a non-entity, but Naughty Dog handled it well enough to make it interesting and quite exciting in various places.
Quite enjoyed the ending at Santa Barbara, too. Again, had the potential to feel useless, but I thought it was handled well enough to make it a satisfying conclusion to the game. Throughout the fight with Abby, I was just muttering to myself about Ellie, thinking "What are you actually doing?!" Glad to see that in the end, she decided to spare Abby and it showed development for her character.
The ending at the desolate farmhouse was great. Obviously parallels can be drawn about the farmhouse and Ellie both being desolate and empty and the part where she was unable to play the guitar as well due to her missing her fingers was great and, again, well handled. It's the type of ending where you just want to curl up into a ball at the end and weep, which I imagine is what Naughty Dog were aiming for.
Overall, I love this just as much, if not more than the first game. It felt meatier, had a great story and built upon the foundations that made the first game so well received. I do think that if Part 2 is about revenge or vengeance, then Part 3 will be about Redemption for Ellie, in order to bring her story around full circle. It's open enough where Naughty Dog can go in numerous different directions with it.
I will definitely be replaying this at some point, maybe in a year's time, which is what I did with the first game. I'm happy that I've played and experienced it and feel honestly drained after completing it, but in a good way.
