My Personal Notes on The Last of Us Part II

I could not talk about this game without spoiling the story and major plot. Even though, I don't think spoiler alert has any effect anymore since the game was leaked before the release. But, I assume some people didn't know anything about this game and for the sake of decency (yeah, I still care about being decent even though I keep failing), I will put a spoiler alert here... Feel free to leave this post if you do not want to see any spoiler before you play the game yourself after this notice below. Proceed with caution.

Now let us continue. I'm writing this post spontaneously––like most of my blog posts––so bear with me, and let me know in the comment section below if I miss any point I should mention. I will try my best to not miss any major issue with this game though. And as a friendly reminder, keep the comment section civil (as if people will be commenting on my unpopular post anyway). Thank you.

I have to admit, I used to hate this game and I disagree with most of the creative direction that Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog are going with the story. No, it's not because Ellie is gay, I played The Last of Us: Left Behind back on my Playstation 3, I know that she's gay already. I don't know why some people are surprised, probably no one really noticed that DLC, which is.... weird at this point. If people really enjoy The Last of Us, I assume they also played Left Behind, since in that DLC we get to play Ellie more. 

I hated this game because my friend told me about the leak before the game release, that we are going to play half of the game as Abby, someone who killed Joel and going to beat up Ellie somehow. I had no idea about it, and all I can imagine was the worst thing possible; THE LAST OF US PART II IS NOT GOING TO BE FUN. I really love Ellie, she's my numero uno favorite game character. The last thing I want for Ellie is to play as someone who's going to kill her or hurt her. I am being Joel for a second here. I mean, I love her lame jokes and nerdy introverted personality. 

So yeah, I don't care if Joel dies or not, I care only for Ellie. The only intention I have in mind to play The Last of Us Part II is to play Ellie and Ellie alone. I'm not expecting to play Abby. Let alone play as a character who's going to hurt my most favorite character by killing his father figure (emotionally) and beating her up (physically). I was already disappointed by both things that I was expecting and not expecting before playing the game. So, I thought I won't play this game, and I wanted to wait for someone, like PewDiePie, play this game and watch them. That's just one thing I hated about this game that I don't particularly agree with the choices that the creator makes––even now, I don't think I agree with them completely. I don't know about you but I saw people (including me) expressed their feelings to Naughty Dog to make The Last of Us Part II because they are hoping to play as Ellie as much as we play as Joel in the first game.

The second thing that makes me disliked this game, came after I play the game myself. THE PACING OF THIS STORY IS A MESS. I don't know for sure what they were thinking when they wrote the scripts, the pacing makes the story does not come as powerful. Even though I don't mind if Joel has to die in this game, I assume they try to make us feel what Ellie feels, but I think there are better ways to kill Joel without making him acting out of character. Joel was always cautious towards strangers, but maybe he is slowly changing because he lives in Jackson, and people in Jackson are basically learning to gain their humanity back (you can find it written on a note when you play the game). If that really needs to happen, I think it's better if they show us how Joel is changed first, how he got to be who he was before he got killed by a stranger he trusted.

The third reason, although it's just my observation, the way Naughty Dog and Neil Druckmann lied about this game. How this game was marketed was very misleading. People followed every news, every update about The Last of Us Part II before it came out, and that's because they really care and attached with the characters. There are already some expectations, and things they do not expect to see. Like it or not, we must admit that those lies and expectations get in the way of seeing what this game actually is.

I wanted to play this game simply to witness and tried to be "open-minded" about it. I gave this game the benefit of the doubt. So I bought it, played it. After a while though, I started to see there are only 2 reasons left for me to dislike from this game; (1) the pacing is a mess, and (2) they still lied about this game. I don't hate Abby as much as I thought I would hate her. I'm starting to see where she is coming from and how she's changed in the end. I want them to continue with Abby and Ellie's story somehow, maybe not a game format, but with the HBO series. I still love Ellie nevertheless. I understand that sometimes it's hard to forgive someone, especially when you trust them so much and you look up to them.

I didn't hate this game as much as I used to. I like it, I love it even. The gameplay is great. It's NOT perfect, this game is flawed. I just think they should have not made this story in a game format at all, or if they do, they could make 2 parts of the story for part 2 and call it a trilogy. There is too much to digest. If I can write this story I would make Part II focused on Ellie's life in Jackson, bonding with Dina and Jesse, also her journey to discover the truth that Joel hides. On Abby's side, also the same, her life with WLF and the war with Seraphites/Scars... (suddenly it sound boring and weird to me) I don't know... just fix the time jump. Maybe just tell the story in chronological order, just like the first game. After all, we know that's how we know where Joel was coming from; a father who lost his daughter. 

What I like about this game is... weirdly enough, the story. I feel like Joel, Ellie, Abby, and even Abby's father, they all just try to do what they THINK they have to do to FIND peace within themselves––which currently is the journey I'm in. If Abby thought she was going to get closure from his father's death by killing Joel, Joel also selfishly lied to Ellie and doomed humanity along with it because he couldn't overcome his grief and trauma over his daughter's death. Ellie however, thought she could move one from Joel's death by killing Abby, and I'm glad she didn't kill Abby at the end, instead try to forgive her just like how she tries to forgive Joel too.

What about Joel's death? So, I changed my mind about how he died. I think Jackson makes him change somehow. Because many survivors coming to Jackson, just like in the note you found in the game:

Letter from Seth

This note was written by Seth, he is the one who gives Ellie a sandwich as a peace offering before she and Dina heading out. Surely, after many strangers come to town to seek refuge, people in Jackson starting to ease their guard. Tommy introduced himself after Mel (Abby's friend) kindly/harmlessly told him her name, and then Joel followed. I think the way Mel trusted them, makes Tommy and Joel trusted Abby and her friends, even offered them to go to Jackson to get supplies.

Also, when people say they feel the need to give Joel a redemption arc, I want them to ask why the first game happens in the first place instead. I think he's unredeemable in the first place. He lives long enough to see himself become the villain to Ellie. I remember what he said to Ellie, "if somehow the Lord give me a second chance, I will do it ALL OVER AGAIN." Something like that... 

My take on what Joel said is this; he doesn't feel remorse, nor he feels the need to reevaluate his life and what he has selfishly done to the people he loves. Joel does what he does because he cannot move one, his biggest flaws from the first game. Ellie also has flaws, she's unable to forgive. Ellie witnessing Joel's death is somehow as an insight of what she's going to be when she could not overcome her biggest flaw; her inability to forgive. Joel's downfall almost becomes Ellie's downfall if she kills Abby at the end of the story. If not Lev, maybe someone else will make Ellie pays for what she has done.

Anyway, this is shorter than I thought it would be. I think they shouldn't talk about anything regarding this game in the beginning. Let people speculate all they want, no need to deny anything from any fans anyway, and stop the misleading marketing bullshit. I don't see trailers nor follow updates about the game I'm waiting because the game news and fandom can be toxic at some point. If you don't like the game, I get it. This game is not for everybody. If you like the game, I get you too. I've been on both sides, but I choose to be in the middle. I want to enjoy things I like and have no personal issues with and use my pitchfork where it's supposed to be; the barn and when the zombie apocalypse really happens.

I have the right to translate this story that makes sense to me, you might agree if you also believe that Video Game is art. Fortunately for me, I can rationalize why this game is the one we get. I disagree with the misleading marketing though, they clearly lied a lot about this game. Maybe because I have no expectation on this game other than I could play Ellie, I also didn't follow any news or updates about this game, I can easily let things be where most people cannot.