The Last of Us Part II

If you can tolerate virtual violence, and have been through your fair share of turmoil in the real world, you owe it to yourself to play the game. It will make you think, it will make you squeamish, and it will make you depressed, all the while you’ll be enjoying some of the best gameplay ever created. The Last of Us Part II is a masterpiece, and being able to finally play it on PC means that’s even more true than it was when the title was only available on PlayStation consoles.

All told, I can appreciate The Last of Us Part 2 for its topshelf storytelling and audiovisual splendor, but its story is cliched at best and objectionable at worst. Combat encounters, set pieces, and performances sing, but exploration and dialog exchanges stumble and bore, leaving me fundamentally polarized. With this port giving me the regular troubles that it does, that clever No Return mode is the only aspect I see myself returning for.

At times, the pain you inflict feels so senseless that it can leave you numb. It's all messy and bleak and made me profoundly sad for myriad reasons, but the more I reflect on it, the more I appreciate the story and characters at its core. I wanted almost none of it to happen the way it did, and that's what's both beautiful and devastating about it.