After finishing the game Last of Us, I was thrilled to hear that the sequel had come out. However, I didn’t expect the sequel to be a masterpiece that I would hate.

The game Last of Us II takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that is brimming with zombies. The game starts off peacefully where players can see the slow building of a new society after the pandemic, but this is quickly changed to the same grim atmosphere as the first game. As the intro plays out, we soon find our main protagonist, Ellie, captured and forced to watch a group of people kill her mentor and father figure. The rest of the game follows Ellie on her journey of seeking revenge. 

While I was playing the game, I started to feel the same as Ellie and started to build a hatred towards the group of people the closer I got to them. As my grudge against the group grew, the game did a whole 180 and made me play the previous parts as one of the members of the group. This made me hate the game, and I wanted to stop right then and there, yet my friend kept pushing me to finish what I’d started, so I forced myself to play it. 

The game begins to humanize these characters that I once saw as beasts and horrific people. Every time I had to get off the game, I would spend my time torn between deciding who was in the right because both had their own valid motives for doing what they did. The best way to describe this is like having to decide between two of your friends who are arguing and both bring up their own excellent points.

I believe the dilemma throughout the game is one of the key factors that make it such a gem, nonetheless, that isn’t to say the gameplay itself doesn’t play a role. The game is very immersive with the use of lighting, sound, and the overall atmosphere. As you continue to play the game, you will fight in all different types of terrains, such as mud, forests, cities, and villages, making each battle unique and giving you a better sense of the world. The game seeks to make it feel more realistic by providing players with an arsenal of weapons and a variety of paths to take.

Last of Us II had me screaming at the characters throughout the game because I thought that they were all idiots; however, I slowly realized that these are decisions any human would make. It’s easy to sit back while playing a game and think that these characters are fools or making unrealistic decisions, but if you take a few seconds to think about it, these characters are more real than we would think. There was a scene where Ellie had to decide whether to keep pursuing the soldiers or go help one of her friends that was possibly in danger, and she decided to keep pursuing the soldiers. I couldn’t believe what I was watching, but then I thought back to times where I was so determined to complete something that I didn’t care for the consequences or the well-being of others. It’s these realistic character decisions that make the game feel so authentic. 

I definitely did not enjoy the game while playing it because of the characters I thought were impractical, but upon completing the game I was able to see just how much of a treasure this game was.  I would definitely recommend this game to people; however, I am sure that they will hit the same stump that I hit.

When people give this game a chance, I am sure they will soon see just how much of a gem Last of Us II is.