THE LAST OF US PART II

From the opening moments of Part II it’s clear why this deserves to be designated Part II, rather than numbered as a simple sequel. The Last Of Us ended with a devastatingly large secret for Joel to keep, and that hangs large over the events of Part II. He ponders his decision without any regret, but even so it’s a heavy weight.

Avoiding spoilers for the first game? Then you need to look away now.

Ellie’s immunity to the zombie-creating cordyceps fungus ravaging humankind was the source of a potential cure, resistance group The Fireflies realised. However, formulating the cure would lead to Ellie’s death. The group planned to do so for the greater good, keeping her unconscious as they operated on her. Joel, however, disagreed. Bursting into the operating room, he took them out, grabbed Ellie, and blazed a bloody escape, killing the one surgeon skilled enough to synthesise a cure and forcing the group to disband in the process. When Ellie woke up, he told her they ran some conclusive tests and there was nothing they could do.

“THEIR GREAT CROSS-COUNTRY MISSION BEHIND THEM, THE PAIR HAVE HAD TO FOCUS ON MOVING ON.”

SNOW PATROL

So, their great cross-country mission behind them, the pair have had to focus on moving on. We see a sweet awkwardness between them as they begin to get used to their new life. As we properly catch up with the pair and see how the intervening years have changed them, there are even signs of strain in their relationship.

While in the first game we briefly played as Ellie, here she’s the main focus. It feels like a distance has grown between us as players and Joel – he’s slightly more of a stranger now we’re no longer in his boots.

We properly get to grips with the game as Ellie is awoken after a community party (as seen in the E3 2018 trailer) by patrol leader Jesse, and it’s immediately clear how much denser Part II is going to be. This is Naughty Dog in its prime, working with full mastery of current-gen tech. As you wander through to the stables, the settlement of Jackson is a sight to behold, bustling and filled with people. You almost forget the world’s been ravaged by infection.

For this patrol Ellie has