The Last of Us, part 2

The Last of Us Part Two is an interesting gaming series, not because of how good it is but, the opposite. Both games brought about controversy, support for gays in gaming, pushing strong women in gaming, etc ... If you ask anyone around they’ll tell you how the second one is a complete mess, an incoherent story, with too many flashbacks and not worth the time to defend this game or even like it. It holds a dubious honor of killing off a fan favorite. These are all points you will hear about. However, ; you won’t hear how both games are the same and are equally below average.

The story for both games is simple; a rough around the edges murderer and sleaze befriends an innocent idealist younger child. Now, the fact that trailers lied to gamers. You won’t find too many people that will prefer the second game over the first. While the first one focuses on Joel the main character and what led him down his dark days and zombies, the second splits this between two contraindicating heroes or villains depending on your outlook. Many fans like to forget how low down, vile, and terrible Joel was and is as a character. It's easy to see why; we play as Joel, we go through his shock and his loss of a child.

All of this is true yet, that doesn’t change who or what Joel is. Let's face it, he would be the main mustache twirling cackling thug or enemy in any other game. Sympathetic? Yes. A heartless bastard? Also yes. Let’s get this out of the way; I agree with Joel’s choice at the end. Did he do it for selfish reasons? Yes. But he saved a little girl from a cruel fate. That never bothered me, nor did I see it as complex. I liked that part about him. He sees this young girl as his replacement daughter. The problem with Joel, is everything else, he admits he is just as bad as the people you fight. A scam is being run on you too. Well, Joel did it before. You’re about to be robbed and murdered? Joel did that as well.

It quickly becomes established that his own brother couldn’t stand his creepy ways, and they split because of it. Joel represents the dark side of the end of the rule stories. He’s the answer to; why can’t we all get along? The man’s whole reasoning behind this is that his child died on the eve of the zombie attack. The issues? Zombies didn’t kill her. The army did. Worse, this happens to people every day in war torn or gangland countries/ cities. Yet, these people do not start becoming horrible murderers and soul-less. He uses this as confirmation and authority to be a loser and horrible human being. The whole point is, for you to bond with him and his new daughter, and that’s when the problems start to pop up.

You start asking yourself, what is the point of zombies in this game, they add little to the world. My reasoning comes from the game pushing how humans are the real monsters. Not a bad concept if done well, and it's not. This game version of zombies is some of the most unrealistic ones you’ll ever encounter. See they are infected by fungi, so they are semi alive. Not a bad thought, except humans can’t survive months without food and water. This series goes with the notion of the first blow from Zombies nearly wiped us out, but, how? Twenty years later, we have less resources and are more prepared. Huh? This makes no sense. So your zombies are only a threat when you want action?

That’s the problem with The Last of us. It's like Bioshock with And Ryan. They never really followed it through well. Because Bio shock combined that with the narrative of the game. Now, people love Bio shock but, the point still stands. They are combining two things that don’t mix and appear halfway deep. Back to last of us; the first game became a hit. But they had a problem on their hands. Joel is a villain. He isn’t Ellie, but he did doom the world. The point being no one escapes their crimes. A great message. There is a great game in there somewhere. I know it! I love Crash, Uncharted, and Jack and Daxter; but Naughty Dog is a piss poor effort. Do better, and Joel is a hero. He isn’t good. He is a mercenary, a hit man. Do you bond with him? I didn’t, but most people did. But, gamers forget that most companies, especially this company, hate having villains or anti-heroes as leads.

They could not have people bond with a murderer, which is why he died suddenly in the next game. He dies brutally but, that’s the point, only they did it wrong. Yes, you are supposed to hate Abby and be uneasy as you play as Ellie. They were trying to show you all three were the same at one point, and it took trauma and loss to alter this. That is why the game seems so miserable. Who can you root for? Ellie, the hopeful girl turned teen who became a vengeful killer? Abby, who killed Joel? Joel, who doomed humanity? The point is revenge is bad and nobody should try it.

Again, the game does a bad job at explaining this. See, the reason why people side with Joel is that the FF(A.K.A. fire flies our remaining government) are bad at their job. There is no proof they’ll get the cure to work. They are mess-ups. But, that just makes the game pointless. The developers went way too far in the gray morality. Why do I say that? There are not any sure things in The Last of Us, only when the writer says so. Medicine. Doesn’t work. Peace? Can’t have it. Surgery? Only if the writer says so.

See, if nothing is certain, then no one is wrong and no one is right. They tried to explain that Joel was going to die no matter what, because of his past. But, they made him the hero, so people are confused. Abby ends up following the same path; Ellie and Tommy killed all her friends, and she loses all her muscles. But you ask yourself after two games, did I just play the same story? What does any of this have to do with Zombies? So Joel destroyed any chance of a cure. Check. So the world is doom. Who cares what happens. Take Zombies out. Put these characters in a war zone, or gang areas, and the story becomes better. Now Joel’s loss is more powerful and understandable. Ellie’s search for a cure because she lives in a poor area with no doctors. Abby would have the same story. An army chick out for revenge and justice.

They also did not change the gameplay for some reason. Hear me out: fans hate the puzzles and the crappy weapons. At least the graphics are amazing, and the gore is great, and that’s it. Okay ... the weapons don’t sound like toys anymore, but it’s the same. Fans loved the story of Joel and his new daughter. The problem? IT’S BEEN SEVEN YEARS! They did add a guy who wants to be a girl or something like that. See, here’s why it's dumb. The gay plot, a waste. No, it’s not groundbreaking. They’re not building a way for gays and minorities, All the minorities die or have little agency.

Why didn’t they use this earlier? They waited until people were more accepting. Naughty Dogs developers are not pro anything, at least when it comes to gaming. Outside it, I have no clue. But this is taking it backwards. I’M SORRY TO TELL THEM THIS, BUT YOU CAN’T BE GAY OR ASEXUAL DURING THE END OF THE WORLD. No, I didn’t make the rules. Go look at history. The fewer we are, the more children we have. In today’s world, a grown man can be asexual, can live alone and think nothing of it. But, if we are all dying out, we would all have to be breeders. So no one would care. We would lose our individuality to survive.

In closing, I actually love Abby as a character. I love the first part of both games. I love how Tess has feelings for Joel, but he is to harden to care. They never come out and say it, but, the actors pull it off. This is in the first game if you are confused. When it comes to gays or being a minority, they beat you over the head with it. I actually enjoy how Abby represents people like me who know Joel is right for saving Ellie from being operated on and from dying from the operation. Stop pandering