Absolutely brilliant in every way, very brutal and honest. If you have any intelligence you will understand it, if you have any empathy/sympathy you will cry. This is not a repeat of the first so if you're winging about not playing Joel, play the first game over again! This is a natural progression in the story. Characters are well developed, game play is faultless, AI and fighting is better than the first. I've read some other reviews and find them ridiculous and very wrong but hey, each to their own I suppose