The Last of Us Part II – PlayStation 4

Llego rapido y en buenas condiciones.
Todo en orden

Um dos melhores jogos, consegui terminar… quase nunca o faço porque desgosto. esse não.

It’s been two weeks since The Last Of Us 2 was released after a 7 year wait. A continuation of the story that captivated the gaming world. Many video games attempt to tell a story and include humor and some degree of character development that makes you care about the side you are on and the person you are playing through, to feel involved and elicit an invested emotional response. The Last of Us takes those components and develops them to a level and degree beyond any other game I’ve ever played. Most of you reading the reviews know the story since you most likely played the first game. If not, you do need to start there. A post apocalyptic world exists after a mass infection, not by a virus or bacteria, but by a spore producing fungus. Anyone who breathes the spores becomes one of “the infected” as they are referred to. A gradual transformation rapidly happens making the victims lose their minds. But far worse it transforms their bodies into any one of a variety of hideous semi-human creatures. The longer the infected have lived, the greater their metamorphosis into some truly horrifying creatures. An early iteration is the “runners”. They still have most of their senses though in a state of insanity. They will attack you on sight and their scratch or bite infects you as well to become one of them and perpetuate the fungus life cycle. Or worse you become their meal. This might sound completely far fetched, but the inspiration for the story is based in a kind of reality in the insect word which the game designer was fascinated by in school. There is a fungal spore that is eaten by ants and then enters the ant’s nervous system and completely controls the insect by directing its actions. It directs the ground based ants to find a tree and climb to the highest extremity. The ant then dies and a post horrifically sprouts out of its head. Birds flying over the trees see the appendage and swoop down to eat it which infects them as a vector. They later excrete their bird droppings that lands on the forrest floor which is eaten by an ant again and the life cycle is perpetuated.

In the first game of Last of Us, the story centers around the relationship of a man who loses his teenage daughter but is given the job as a smuggler to deliver another teenage girl to a survivalist group called the Fireflies, who are trying to preserve civil society and provide hope. The girl is the only known case of someone bitten but who has a natural immunity. The two travel cross country in the first game as you first play the part of the smuggler caretaker named Joel. Later you switch, due to a development and play the game as the 14 year old girl who has become a formidable force herself. The character development, relationships and final outcome are both heart warming but also force you to consider a huge moral question regarding love, loyalty and the greater good.

This part 2, after giving a small reminder of what brought you to this point moves the story forward after a lapse of around 5 years. You can’t escape the controversy and often acidic reviews lambasting the continuation and development. Many expressed that they wanted to see the further development of the relationship between Joel, the now protector and father figure and Ellie the now young woman. The story writer had other plans, thankfully to create a story line that becomes one gut punch after another, and is far from a neat little package of white verses black. Don’t worry, no spoilers will appear here though it’s difficult to tip toe around. The story isn’t a clear cut, good guys verses the infected. In a world severely depleted of humans and resources, who have reverted back to an age largely before even electricity, except of a few small generators, you might imagine the universal survivors attitude would be cooperation and shared values. Instead you see the same age old divisions and factions that divide societies, producing hate, wars and division. There’s the initial seeming good guys, who have formed a community in Jackson Wyoming. There’s a periphery religious sect called the Seraphites that have morphed into a disturbingly violent society structure who feel no hesitation to hang anyone who they consider an apostate, or punishing even a minor offense by clipping your wings, that is holding a sinner down and having someone smash the bones in their arms making them useless or in need of amputation. The Fireflys have disbanded and many have formed a new group called the WLF, or Wolves for short. Various other groups like the Rattlers are just a crazed criminal band.

Why the hate and controversy about this game then? First there is the initial sexual preference ambiguity of a main character Ellie. This innocent young girl we all grew to love and want to protect, might be exhibiting a lifestyle choice many who play the game feel uncomfortable with or even be repulsed by. A main character you also grew to love in the first game has something unthinkable happen to them, which you might be shocked by but which sets up the basis of the story development and theme. Much of the game centers around an unexpected character that you initially hate. Then suddenly you are forced, like in the first game, to switch playing as the main character and now are playing as this hated character! I felt outrage and confusion as well. Whats happening here? This must be a mistake. The genius, in my opinion, is that the game forces you to consider the possibility that even the worst terrorist or seemingly evil character also has a life and a family and a history and loves and a perspective. Being forced to live in their shoes and then see what made them have the degree of their hate and in turn made them into your arch enemy, is perhaps, not so evil as you imagined with your superficial or at least incomplete world view. But that’s far from all the moral questioning and dilemmas you’re forced to consider. Even within the group you have adopted as your peers and seemingly have given total loyalty to, changes can happen that make you take actions you might have considered impossible. Allies become mortal enemies you begin to kill even to your own surprise. Final there’s the final outcome between the story’s two main characters, who you now have intimate and confusing insights into. Frankly, I was also deeply torn as to how I wanted this to all end. Even with a consideration of “fairness” and big picture morality, you will still be deeply torn and perhaps unsatisfied.

I just finished the game for a second time since its release two weeks ago. The first go through took me 48 hours. The second about 10 hours less. Like any richly detailed book or story, you’ll always see and appreciate more a second time through. Even knowing all the story with no surprises the second go round, I still felt the same division, sympathies, hate and fears. I found myself mentally debating my own values and asking, what I would do. I completely understand the offense and discomfort some players might feel. First because this game takes you far outside most people’s comfort zone. But whether you initially are repulsed by some things or plot developments, consider that a truly educated and hopefully wise person takes the time to evaluate and reconsider based on new perspectives and the reality that our way, at least the “way” you were indoctrinated to believe is real and true and ultimately “good” is just that. A small subset of a big picture and a world where very few things are truly black and white but almost always a broad blur or gray.

A few further thoughts about the game play. You feel little remorse about the need to kill “the infected”. They are no longer human and devolve into life forms that can make you feel repulsed but has the potential to feel real terror. The fungus even seems to partially digest some former humans into a lattice of mycelium that’s seemingly cemented to walls inside buildings, only to have them break loose when you least suspect it and viciously attack you. I guarantee you, you will feel the terror, especially when it first happens. The degree of violence and brutality in this game is not for the faint of heart. When playing as Ellie, for example, you can make “stealth” attacks both on the infected and on your enemies by sneaking up behind them quietly, putting them in a chokehold and then plunging a switchblade into their temple. When using some weapons like high powered rifles, a shot often blows an arm or a leg off as the victim survives several seconds screaming. It’s thrilling since you are playing for your survival but it can be exhausting from the tension, gore and violence you inflict and receive.

My second play through, I opted to experiment with some of the Optional settings. Be aware they exist. As you forage through the game be sure to explore every building and corner because ammunition and supplies are very scarce. There are times I had almost no ammo left at all and saw I had multiple enemies very close. It’s a near hopeless feeling. Just remember to do as many stealth kills as possible to preserve your resources. Quiet is often the key since a single shot can rally the infected to come racing and overwhelming you. Make use of the bow, crossbow, and silenced pistol and machine gun as they offer effective and quiet kills. Don’t be afraid to run away at times to regroup, fashion materials and weapons or get a better position. In a few sections where multiple factions are fighting each other, there’s noting wrong with just allowing them to kill each other off, thus preserving your own ammo. Believe me, you’ll need it. I did experiment with putting a few options on an easier setting, for example making resources and ammo more plentiful. It will make the game move more quickly since you won’t get killed nearly as much having the supplies you need. But for your first run through, if you have some experience gaming, I’d keep it at moderate. After your first play through, allow all the credits to play through and you’ll be offered the option to play again, but this time keeping all the modifications and upgrades it took the whole first game to accomplish. These can be hugely helpful and again make the game go more quickly with you more secure.

Forgive my wordy review, if anyone has even read it. The bottom line is that this is perhaps the deepest, most layered, most morally gut wrenching video game I have ever played. It has perhaps the best voice acting, dialogue, animation and options as well. Releasing it and playing it during the pandemic we are all experiencing gives it perhaps an additional edge. It’s a reminder that far from some impossible science fiction narrative, nature, which we mistakenly believe mankind has mostly tamed, is in the end in charge. Fifty million people died during the influenza of 1917 – 1919. Up to half the population of Europe died a horrible death in the 14th century Black Plague. There have been 5 mass extinctions in the millions of years life has existed on earth. Each caused by nature or some natural disaster. The last destroying the dominant life form on earth, dinosaurs, and allowing mammals to have their day, including us. So the best apocalyptic stories and speculations are ones that indeed are possible. Don’t hesitate to buy and play this game. My hat is off to the hundreds of designers, programmers, artists writers and Naughty Dog Studio. You have again produced something so well designed and executed, that can be truly called Great. It raises the bar. Thank you.

UPDATE: 18JULY2020: Finished the game again for a third time! Yes, it’s that good. Have the advantage of keeping all the weapon upgrades and skills it takes most of the first play through to acquire, so even though the difficulty level is bumped up, it’s still a huge advantage. It’s incredible that even after you know all the details and there are no surprises, it still elicits the same emotions, outrage, uncomfortableness, and moral dilemmas. There are a few characters on both sides of the struggle that I like even more and so feel shredded when they meet with sudden ends that are morally unfair and that they also resisted. My new Artis Pro Wireless headset just arrived today and actually am considering a fourth run through to see if the enhanced sound makes it more visceral. A few words of advise during play…. When you enter a building or area you suspect of having infect in, utilize the listening skills to locate them often instead of just rushing in. There’s a provision I missed completely at first where, while you’re listening and holding down the F1 key, you can also touch the red square key and it does a cool “scan”. All enemies in proximity will elicit a blimp sound and a momentary circle showing their positiin. As you collect scavenged items and have opportunities to upgrade hardware and skills, maximize that listening ability to the max. Save your ammo since it can be extremely scarce and work on your stealth kill proficiency. When you pass an item but can’t collect it because you already have the maximum amount allowed to be carried, it’s often best to stop and “craft” more ammo or a bomb or arrows to deplete that maximum raw material limit so you can still collect the item near you. There’s an “option” you can choose that allows you to be invisible to enemies even very close to you, once you drop to the prone position. Rather than opt for an easier setting of play if you keep getting killed, that one setting can help keep you concealed so is worth experimenting with. Don’t be afraid to just turn and run in overwhelming attacks. It isn’t cowardice, it just gives you a chance to establish better or more strategic positioning. There’s a circular graphic that indicates your health. It’s a good idea to top that off with a medical kit rather than allowing it to drop below half so you’re killed more easily and then have to repeat a whole scene several times. You will also encounter food vending machines that have one or two objects still in there. I felt like an idiot not realizing you can break the glass with a melee weapon and grab those occasional items which will boost your health also. Not to insult anyone’s intelligence, but you can waste lots of time and resource opportunities without adhering to those few suggestions.

UPDATE: 22NOV2020: Yes, I went through TLOU and then TLOU 2 another time. It goes much faster since you can’t un-remember the best ways to navigate through it. Did it get old or stale? Just the opposite. This story, characters, outrage and moral dilemmas are even more deeply wrenching. Emotion is the biggest lever that moves someone. Intellect can be a distant second. But the overlap of the two is what some people call morality. This storyline could easily be required reading, or playing, for every adult. The fact that there are still so many haters calling it the worst Video Game ever produced while others like myself consider it perhaps the best, by a wide margin, is a testament to the moral issues it forces you to face. The take away, without spoilers, is this: Don’t ever allow your initial impressions, ideas and values to be set in stone. Quiet your rage long enough to look through your enemies eyes and through the perceptions of people with “weird” and maybe repulsive values and customs. You may not ultimately embrace them, but you might understand that nothing is as simple as it first seems.