Nishikanta Elangbam

Gameplay: They have greatly refined the mechanics in this game. Simple things like prone, having enemy groups attack each other (also in Left Behind DLC), new gadgets have been added that gives the player more control. In TLOU I found myself sneaking around on survivor/grounded but in this game the AI is so much more difficult. They'll change their patrols if they spot you, they're more aware of each other, dogs have been added, the infected are tougher to get past. There were many times where I'd find myself in a 5-15 minute stretch to sneaking, getting spotted, taking one out, running away, hiding from new patrol, catching a straggler and running back into the tall grass. These experiences were exhilarating and I often couldn't believe they had just happened. Visuals: Nothing to say here, ND has once again outdone themselves. The small animations, the cut scenes, the acting are all top notch. Just play it to find out. Audio: The screams. The screams of leading a clicker group into a nearby WLF/Scar group, running away and hearing them get torn into pieces linger in my mind. The audio cues of enemy combatants yelling out for their dead dog or friend all just adds to the immersion. That familiar acoustic twang resonates here and provides a great backdrop for the music. Plus, there are some fantastic song covers and musical experiences I'll leave you guys to discover. Story: This is where the divisiveness is. It was a tough story to swallow I'll admit, but I've learned to accept and love it. SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! Unfortunately, many people are stuck on how Joel is presented in this game and what happens to him. Joel knew he had done enough atrocities and throughout TLOU 2 Ellie even comments on how she knew vaguely that Joel had done these things. Joel made a choice at the end of TLOU and he sticks with it. Whether or not we as the audience supported that choice meant nothing to the fact that Joel had to face the consequences. Despite that, his death led to Ellie and I's need for revenge. After seeing Joel die I wanted to kill every WLF until I could meet Abby and kill her too. I was done slinking around and being stealthy. I made sure every area was rid of the WLF thoroughly. When the switch happened I felt a gut punch and when I realized that I'd be playing with Abby for a while I didn't know how to feel. It felt like it dragged on, but somewhere along that journey I got to understand Abby and her life more. She had lost her dad, her group and in some ways meaning for life. She had a close friend group and their interactions showed they weren't black and white. By the time it came to confront Abby I realized that my feelings as to who was good or bad was unclear. END SPOILER It seems some people wanted a superhero ending or black and white story and that's not what they got. The characters in this game are human and their decisions and personality developed overtime. People didn't die the "right way" and people didn't get punished the "right way." Perhaps this felt too real to people and it's easier to label this as a "plot hole" or "bad writing." The first game forced us into an uneasy feeling at the end. Part II forced us through an entire game of uneasiness and for some that was too much to handle. For me it captured just how bleak and brutal the game's world is. Fun is subjective along with good and bad, but I can thoroughly say that I found this fun and great and hope others do too.