My Tlou2 opinion (Spoilers)
Honestly, as much as I hate to admit it, I kind of liked TLOU II. I actually really liked it. Going into the game, I was super fucking cautious because I’d read about all of the leaks, and from the leaks it just seemed like Naughty Dog set the series on fire and then threw it in a dumpster, and then threw that dumpster in the ocean. I was thankfully wrong.
Admittedly, the game is far from perfect. It was a bit lengthy, I personally felt like at times there were too many cutscenes, and the constant companion switch also took me out of it a little bit. It also felt as though Naughty Dog was trying to force feed us the “Abby is just like Ellie!” bit, and it was not going down. I hated all of Abby’s friends (Except Nora), and having us walk around with them AFTER knowing they died, just felt useless. Abby did end up growing on me, especially when Lev and Yara come along, because I loved their dynamic.
I will say, I absolutely fucking loved the Theatre Fight. I remember seeing the leaks and thinking to myself, “They really screwed the pooch with this one, huh?”, but man oh man was I wrong. I fucking loved fighting Ellie. It felt completely surreal, to fight the person I was supposed to be, to fight her as an NPC. I had so much fun, listening to Ellie sneak around and set traps. Personally, I think this should’ve been the ending. A fitting conclusion, Ellie and Dina get to live and go to their farm, and Abby and Lev get to go search for the fireflies. I grew to love both duos, and I was okay with that ending.
Santa Barbara was...something. Wasn’t a big fan of it, Ellie leaving Dina and JJ behind just felt profoundly stupid. At this point, I kind of just wanted to get it over with. I thought the conclusion was alright, though I didn’t think it was as powerful as the game ending at the Theatre Fight, with Ellie having her forgiveness flashback then, would’ve been. Santa Barbara felt completely unnecessary, and honestly, now what?
My final thoughts: FUCK Abby’s friends, Fuck Santa Barbara, I’m so sorry Alice and Bear, Fuck Farm Tommy coming in like a homewrecker, Ellie can’t play :(, Where are Dina and JJ? I miss Joel, Jesse and Yara already. And last but not least, What happens now? Ellie’s alone and Abby and Lev are gone, so What’s Next?
Tune in for The Last of Us Part III to find out, coming on consoles near you in 2027 !