Naughty Dog’s ambition to lead the game industry in the realm of cinematic storytelling has not gone unnoticed in recent years with each and every game since the original Uncharted breaking new ground in the showcase of video games as a cinematic medium. Their games continue to grow in narrative complexity with character arcs developed with the same degree of depth expected from a feature film or even an entire season of a TV show. Although they have never been perfectly executed, these games have worked well enough to keep me emotionally invested in a characters journey to an extent that has seemed groundbreaking for narrative driven video games. The Last Of Us Part 2 is another step forward in Naughty Dog’s ambitiously grand test of gaming’s cinematic capabilities, successfully creating an emotionally investing and atmospherically alluring experience with a surprising amount of depth below the surface. That is not to say this is a perfect game, or even remotely close to that. It faces difficulties it reaching the same level of craft that the first installment reached, but its immense ambition and desirability to create an unforgettable cinematic experience makes for a powerful new chapter that left me satisfied in a way I’ve never quite felt before.
Tonally this gets as dark unabashedly grim as any AAA game can get, making for a uniquely somber experience that never holds back, even in the cases where it probably should. Some of the story’s directions can feel forced for the sake of shock value, but in most cases it serves as a thoughtful examination on the unfulfilling nature of enacting revenge and what it ultimately achieves. It also serves as an avenue to expand its examination of many characters morally questionable viewpoints present in the first game from multiple perspectives. This approach humanizes its characters in a way that leaves us with no true hero or antagonist, but just very flawed human beings trying to do what they can to survive while still being able to live with themselves.
There are points where it feels a tad to ambitious for its own good, specifically the final act where I was at first questioning why it even needed to be there. Once it concludes, I understood and even respected its existence, but that didn’t diminish the overall effect it had on the pacing. It left me questioning whether a different approach to get to that ending could have smoothed out the pacing, as it all just feels a bit to dragged out towards the end. Everything on reflection feels necessary, but when bundled together is a bit to much for one cohesive experience, leading to a slightly muddled outcome.
Overall I do truly love this game for the experience it strives to be. It may not be as good as it thinks it is, but it still delivers an experience unlike anything I’ve seen before. That’s what a quality piece of media does.
Cinema Impact 