THE DEAD TIMES

RATING:

ZOMBIE RATING:

DESCRIPTION:

Five years after the events of The Last of Us, Ellie and Joel have settled into a survivor camp in Jackson, Wyoming. The infected still batter the gates and rogue bands of outlaws persistently roam the land, but, amongst the other refugees, life is relatively peaceful. However, when a violent event shockingly destroys that peace, Ellie sets out on a mission of justice and vengeance. As she hunts those who so grievously wronged her, the further she gets along her path of revenge, the more she realises the physical and emotional toll of her actions.

MY VERDICT:

The Last of Us Part II is very much The Last of Us with a Part II on the end; it is almost identical to its predecessor, with a few minor additions which, for the most part, just dilute the experience. First of all, the jaw-dropping graphics and incredible animation hit you right in the face - this game pushes the PS4 to the limit with some amazing detail in environments and on character models (which can be viewed up-close thanks to a separate "Model Viewer" on the Main Menu). Clumps of snow fall from leaves as you brush past them and sheets of paper flop around realistically when you pick them up - it is fantastic. The 'run, hide and kill' gameplay is also on point; everything just feels natural and smooth, as it did in the first game, but movement this time around has been tightened so combat seems a lot more immediate and deadly. You also get a computer-controlled partner following you for nearly all of the game which is a nice touch but, to be honest, it can make the action feel tame as your team-mate is always on point to get you out of trouble. In addition, like the first game, this sequel relies on the same 'challenge room' structure; a hemmed-in area where enemies lurk or patrol, waiting for you to despatch them, followed by an area of calm, followed by another combat area and so on. This worked really well in the original but here, with your computer partner having some sort of sixth sense and being able to tell you exactly when all the enemies in a particular location are dead, it removes all tension from the situation abruptly; if you know everyone is dead, there is no need for caution which can make combat seem like padding to fill out a story. That narrative is just not very cool either; it is not unique for anyone who has seen episodes of The Walking Dead and does not really have the emotional baggage that was expected. The 'weak' story is very heavy at the start of the game which can make things feel confusing and slow; it is just long cutscene followed by a short section of gameplay - usually travel from A to B, often while playing as a completely new character - followed by another long cutscene. It also rests almost entirely on you having played through the whole of The Last of Us - try jumping in straight from Part II and you simply will not know why certain events are happening (or why you should care). The final negative point I'd like to mention is about the touted 'larger environments' the sequel offers as this was a massive criticism I had with the first game. The problem with the outdoor, expansive gameplay areas is that the sequel tries to maintain the same 'challenge room' system which just leaves large sections of empty, boring gameplay area that are completely devoid of threat-producing enemies. You could argue that this gives you ample time to explore but there is never any temptation to go beyond the beaten track; nothing stands-out as being cool or housing potential bonuses, everywhere is just the same drab interiors with occasional worthless loot or grass covered exteriors where no excitement is waiting. So, in summary, The Last of Us Part II is inconsistent in terms of quality; when it is good, it is really good but, sometimes, especially in the early game, finding those areas of greatness can seem more effort than it is worth.