#disliked it

Last of Us 2 from a game watcher review.

Yes, I didn't get to play the original or sequel. I watched play-throughs and really liked the first, really disliked the second.

My problem with the sequel is mainly because I think reviewers and the game itself are failing to understand this story undermines the first game in a big way. The theme of revenge does not correlate to the first's theme of finding someone to live/and die for.

Simply, NO, Joel's decision at the end of the first game is nowhere near as morally or personally as unrelatable or cruel as Abby's decision to murder him. I hate the equation of revenge killing, hunting someone and killing multiple people, as Abby and Ellie do, consuming yourself in the desire to kill as if it will fix your psyche or avenge a loss, to what Joel did at the end of game one, which was choose in a specific moment to kill and then lie to Ellie for her and his personal and emotional survival.

Joel is definitely hinted as a character in game one to have become a hardened killer. It's debatable to what extent this is necessary and inline with survival in this apocalypse, as all characters have alliances and kill others, but Joel is hinted to have crossed into a ruthless or uncaring territory above others.

Except this isn't Abby's problem with him. In fact, Abby carries this forward. And this isn't or has ever been Ellie's problem with him, so Ellie loses her natural motivation, her struggle with her survival vs everyone else.

When you accept the argument of the second game, that Joel was inherently wrong to want Ellie to survive, which is saying the whole game that was keeping Joel and Ellie alive and bonding with Ellie emotionally, loving Ellie, is pointless, if someone seeks death or suicide, respect that, a direct contrast to every message in the game and conversely Ellie is wrong to be traumatized or connected to him in his brutal death, while instead Abby is right to express the same with her father and Lev, game two has forced you to break the immersion and connection to the survival aspect of the world, the message to survive of the first game, and to love or any love between the continuing characters of Joel and Ellie. Gee, wonder why that's a problem?!

It's a poor and trite story and sequel.

Also a note about this story, disconnected from the firsts re it's messaging and agenda. Jerks and bigots and the unsavory ilk who latch onto the homophobic or anti SJW or anti feminist arguments to suit their dislike suck. Problem is they are right in that this game is messaged directly and pointedly to be against them and to have LBGT and feminist themes, and it backfires because the story undermines the positives.

Abby being buff is cool but not in a story where this means she would have to do so by hoarding resources, and that is not likable in context to this world or shown to have impact.

Ellie being in an open relationship with Dina, or Lev's transgenderness. We accept this, the game says, you are bigoted to not accept, see the pride flag and acknowledge, dislike Joel and Tommy and destructive male violence and patriarchy. But have the two women leads engage and want the most violence. And in characters being gay, bi, or transgender have no real conflict in the character's themselves or in the story that doesn't implicitly moralize their rightness. These are people living in a apocalypse! Born after. It'd be an entirely different worldview and morality on being in non-traditional m/f relationships, on pregnancy, and on identity. But that’s not explored. And the old heralds like Joel who inexplicably goes from you dating/interested in Jesse to content she loves Dina, leading you the viewer to be, "Ok message there?", or the bigot you punch, or the WLF would have perspectives beyond a one-note that's the bad view that exist in current life. This isn't honest characterization, it's propped. That rankles me who wants to see more because it's not done with care or well, it's using LGBT or feminism, just contrary to exclusion but for inclusive points. It's like the opposite of ass shots, vapid females and gay jokes to signal belonging to a subset of acceptable gamer or story.

I'm pissed off. Really fucking pissed off.