The Last of Us Part II
Most streamers rate The Last of Us Part II a mixed bag.
10 streamer verdicts· Released 2020-06-19Streamer Verdicts
10 of 10
Technically refined with stunning visuals but story feels disconnected from original.
Heavily criticized for deceptive marketing and narrative designed to upset fans. Tears down beloved characters.
Masterpiece in narrative and graphics but gameplay progression hindered by excessive looting.
A weaker follow-up whose stealth-loot-shoot loop feels tired and outdated, with too few new enemies, anemic environmental puzzles, and stubbornly dumb AI despite excellent difficulty options. The world design, level layouts, and visuals are stunning and arguably best-in-class, and combat systems combine well, but the bleak, drawn-out revenge story and unbelievable character decisions undercut everything that made the first game beloved.
A small but worthwhile $10 upgrade for existing owners rather than a dramatic overhaul, since the PS4 original already looked great and even had a 60fps patch. The visual gains are subtle, but faster loading, DualSense support, lost levels, developer commentary, and a fun guitar mode add value. The standout is the new roguelike No Return survival mode, which makes the excellent core combat a blast in short bites. The divisive story is unchanged and drags toward its end.
Beautifully acted and visually impressive but undermined by fragmented pacing and poor narrative structure.
AJ discussion: critical of narrative pacing and characters but praises gameplay and tech achievement.
Essential, emotionally devastating sequel with breathtaking world, tense combat and incredible storytelling; combat slightly forgiving.
Yahtzee condemns TLOU2 for its excessive length, muddled narrative about revenge, and lack of meaningful character development despite its emotional premise.
Tragic, heartbreaking exploration of the consequences of the first game. Abby is fantastic; Ellie/Abby dynamic powerful. Some actions lack real consequences.
About
- Released
- 2020-06-19
- Genre
- Shooter, Adventure
Creator Mentions · 6
The Completionist😐 mixed
“The Last of Us 2 improves upon the original with refined stealth, combat, and exploration mechanics, but stumbles significantly in its narrative structure and character development. While the gameplay is excellent and worth completing, the story attempts to do too much with too many underdeveloped characters and poorly executed thematic parallels.”
Watch- GGrayKiddo😐 mixed
“A technically polished game with strong animations and some compelling story moments, but undermined by controversial plot decisions, weak character development in the main narrative, and thematic execution that the reviewer finds problematic. The game's strength lies in its flashback sequences and detailed world-building for secondary characters.”
Watch - PPlano de Juego😐 mixed
“An ambitious narrative subversion that deliberately generates conflicting emotions in the player to explore themes of revenge, meaning-making, and moral ambiguity. While the game's design is intentional and thematically coherent, it prioritizes emotional discomfort and narrative risk over traditional player satisfaction.”
Watch - ぐぐう実況ゲーム紹介ch😐 mixed
“The creator finds the game to be a profoundly ambitious and emotionally impactful narrative work that successfully challenges storytelling conventions, but marred by significant execution flaws—particularly poor pacing of Abby's storyline, questionable handling of Joel's death, and unnecessary LGBTQ+ elements that undermine rather than enhance the game's themes.”
Watch - HHyperBitHero👍 positive
“The Last of Us Part II successfully fulfills many promises made for the original game through significantly improved combat AI, expanded mechanics, and detailed enemy interactions. Despite narrative pacing criticisms and some remaining issues, the creator considers it one of the standout games of the generation.”
Watch - TTierraGamer👍 positive
“A technically masterful PlayStation 4 experience with high production values and polished gameplay, though its narrative treatment was controversial.”
Watch
DLC & Expansions
From Naughty Dog
