Reviewed in Canada on February 1, 2021
So much to offer gamers from the amount of visual detail in its environments, the sheer brilliant visuals, its excellent stealth, action, survival gameplay & mechanics, dynamic enemy A.I. & encounters, fantastic soundtrack, exceptional performances from its cast, a unique, thoughtful & meaningful story, with high production values as triple A game, a tremendous amount of world class craftsmanship put into the final product, it is truly one of the greatest games in the last 10 years. The best stealth, action & survival gameplay ever created. Every scenario here can be replayed a thousand different ways, never taking place the same way. Absolutely the best & most immersive Cat & Mouse style gameplay through its open areas with fantastic dynamic A. I.
As for the story, If you are expecting "The Adventures Of Super Joel & Ellie" you will be sorely disappointed. That wouldn't even make sense in such a dark, tragic & hostile world. The game is a grimdark revenge tale, this isn't comfort fiction here folks. If you want that, go play Uncharted instead. The game picks up 4 years after the events of the first game. What nobody realizes is that some one, some where, is brooding over the events that took place in the firefly hospital from the ending to the original game. Joel & Ellie are far from the people they were, now living in a civilized community. They gather supplies, kill off the infected, take in new survivors, patrol the areas, & in general, contribute to the camp any way they can.
Through some unforeseen events, on the eve of a great snow storm, with a horde of infected making its ways through forest, Joel finds himself in a unavoidable situation. What happens here is hard to watch as the past Joel thought was behind him, catches up with him. From here the story truly begins. The game puts you into the shoes of two characters, one being Ellie, the other being Abby. Through this we get context & a deep understanding of who these people are, their motivations, & psychological demons.
The story may be a revenge tale but one that isn't afraid to ask us to ponder on our own nature. I would never have thought that i would empathize with the antagonist (Abby), or see the protagonist (Ellie) as just as much a villain. What kind of story can do that? Who is the hero, the villain, the protagonist, the antagonist? Both characters are all these things, it just depends on your perspective. That is the key thing here, to show perspective.
The game itself is about hate, violence, spitefulness, revenge & forgiveness. We see the psychological problems humans have, our nature towards hate & violence, which only continues the cycle. We see the consequences of our actions & where that leaves us, in a very bitter, empty place, losing apart of ourselves & potentially the people we love, in order to satisfy these demons.
We also find forgiveness to be something we choose not to give into, even though it leaves us in a better place. Forgiveness, hate, revenge, being the big themes here. The lessons in which this story & game taught me i find very valuable. This isn't John Wick, giving into meaningless spectacle for the sake of entertainment. Its was something so much more. There is many philosophical questions about the right & wrong, our humanity, our tragic nature as human beings at play here.
This is why a lot of people see the intelligence behind the story. For many it is the most impactful & meaningful game of the year. The ending is very bittersweet, depressing, yet hopeful. Both characters have emerged with deep revelations about their selves & their existence, but ultimately come out better for it. All in all, its not the game i was expecting, but one that i am thankful for having experienced. If you are open to the kind of game it is trying to be, then you should find something that is very memorable. The game is very divisive, it took some big risks, & it is far from your typical comfort fiction. This a grimdark style revenge tale, one that is very much worth your time. Don't let the negative reviews influence you, open yourself to the experience, & make your own opinion.
This game is one of the best experiences i have ever had in gaming. The balance between a cinematic narrative & creative, stealth, action, survival gameplay, is exceptional here. This game is the reason why i play games. Play it for yourself, be open to where it leads you. If you love tragic stories as i do, this one is not to be missed.
