Jacob Liechti

Just like every other higher-star reviewer, gotta tip the scales back on a game that doesn’t deserve the hate. Spoilers throughout. Joel’s death seems to spark the most controversy that doesn’t stem from discomfort with playing someone of a different sexual orientation. Honestly, it feels like most people who disapproved would also be the type to give GoT a one-star review based solely on character death. I read through a dozen or so top reviews criticizing Joel’s death at the hands of a random new character and 75% of them had only minor nitpicks with the game aside. Ellie is the audience surrogate in this game. She’s the one whose emotions we are supposed to feel. That anger you’re feeling, that hatred, WAS the point. And now you’re taking it out on the writers’ instead of dealing with it in context. Ellie didn’t know who Abby was and neither should you have. I don’t understand the criticism that Abby should have been more fleshed out at the beginning. My personal criticism lies more in the fact that we PLAY Abby. She never entered a point where she felt as much an audience-surrogate as Ellie (aka less fun to play as in general) and I chalk that up to mediocre revenge-plot with little emotional build-up from her end. Ellie has an entire game to build up her emotional MO. Abby’s never would’ve come close no matter how they spun it. I don’t think “parallel revenge plot” was the right move. That said, everything else was grand and you’ll see others gushing around me. 4/5 for a decent sequel that’s trying desperately to live up to one of THE most beloved games in recent memory. Cut it some slack since nothing is actually wrong with the game. Definitely worth a play through.