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Video games have always been about pandering. About what the player wants, about what will make it a success, about what will make the most money (except for maybe some indie games). The Last of Us II breaks the mold for video games as an art form. I didn’t like the game when I first played it. I thought I understood it, but I didn’t. After watching the spoilercast interviews with the cast and writers, reviewing old scenes and Ellie’s journal, I realized that the reason I didn’t understand it is because I was expecting the same kind of story as the first game. Not an Ellie&Joel story, but a blatant and straightforward one. One that was incredibly impactful, but also incredibly simple. This second game is so complicated and nuanced. So many details, and so many more lessons than “revenge is bad”. To paraphrase Troy Baker “You can’t love it selfishly, and so you have to love it selflessly”. The first game was a YA novel. This one was a classic