So I finally finished this game and I gotta say, this is one of the most beautiful stories in a game that I have played. Now I accept, that everyone will have a differing opinion on the games story but personally I loved it. There some really strong messages about people, revenge, love and forgiveness. It's essentially a character study. I grew to love the characters and understand what motivates the, and keeps them going.
Graphically, the game is one of the best things i've ever seen. Sound design is top notch. The voice acting and animation, top notch.
Gameplay wise it was a vast improvement over the first one. movement was smoother, combat was visceral. It was fun to sneak around, or just start tossing everything when things got crazy. I loved finding the notes and listening to your companions which fleshed out the story and characters even more.
I did have issues with the pacing at times but overall it kept me wanting to keep playing, just to see what happens next.
I will say this, while I did play the Last of Us 1, i don't have the same attachment to the characters that i know some people, including my friends had. I had no "headcanon" of what I wanted out of the story for part 2 and was just excited to experience the story that the developers wanted to tell. I understand that this story, is not going to be popular with everyone, Some may even hate it, and that is fine. Everything I wrote is my personal opinion.