Playstation 5 Reveal, EA Play 2020, and The Last of Us 2 spoiler impressions - Renegade Arcade #4
Tony, Josh, Kristal, and Keona discuss Sony's Playstation 5 reveal event, Electronic Arts' Play 2020 show, and share some spoiler-filled thoughts on the Last of Us 2 in the latest episode of the Renegade Arcade!
Once again, SPOILERS AHEAD FOR LAST OF US 2, so please do not listen to the back half of the podcast if you don’t want to know anything about the game.
Here are the timestamps for the podcast, before I jump on my soapbox about the Last of Us 2:
00:12:25 - Our Playstation 5 event chat begins with the first mention of the phenomenon known as Bugsnax.
00:51:12 - EA Play discourse begins with a mighty title known as Star Wars: Squadrons.
01:06:12 - Last of Us 2 spoiler-y discussion (STOP HERE if you don’t want to know anything about the game, seriously)!
Also, my apologies for the audio issues. We’re all still hard at work trying to make our podcast better. Sometimes our internet connections aren’t ideal, or our gear needs upgrading. Suffice it to say, we’re working on it.
Alright, here are my spoiler-free Last of Us 2 thoughts:
I won’t go into too much detail here, since we will have more coverage of the game in the ensuing days, but I will say that the Last of Us 2 does not reach the lofty heights of its predecessor, in my opinion. Though the game has a solid narrative and can be a thrilling gameplay experience, I didn’t feel the same connection with the characters in TLOU2 that I had with Joel and Ellie in the first game. Some of that boils down to the way the story is structured and paced in this game, while some of it is due to one-note characterization. Gameplay and combat also feels secondary to the narrative, which is not all that surprising with this franchise. I sometimes felt exhausted performing the same combat maneuvers over and over, and the exploration elements are exactly the same as the previous game.
However, when developer Naughty Dog focuses more on the emotional arcs of its characters in the Last of Us games, they typically do a masterful job. Even when they stumble a bit, as they do here, the results are still far above many other development teams. I grew attached to Ellie and Joel over the course of the first game, and while the second game goes out of its way to challenge that feeling, I still came away from it with my affinity for both characters intact. These are two of the most painfully human protagonists we’ve ever seen in video games, and Naughty Dog is to be commended for creating them.
Here’s where things get a bit more complicated, though. You see, Naughty Dog as a company has come under fire for their practices as an employer in the recent past. Many of the individuals who worked on the Last of Us 2 have been faced with extremely stressful crunch time during the development of the game, and some have even reported health issues due to their intense workload. I greatly sympathize with those employees and their families, and hope that they will somehow receive the care and compensation they deserve. Their work speaks for itself, as the Last of Us 2 is the most beautiful game I have ever laid eyes upon, and that’s saying a lot, considering the fact that we have seen some visually stunning games in the past few months.
I also want to address some of the criticisms I’ve seen about the game. Obviously, there is an extremely tragic event in the game that sets off the main plot, and it is upsetting and horrifying and haunting. There are those who feel that it could have been handled in a different (or better) way, I think that’s a valid opinion. Still, I want to encourage those who are willing to see the game through to continue on. There’s more to the game than one major event, and while the end result may not change your opinion, I do feel that it’s worth giving it a shot if you are willing to try.
On the other hand, if you’re criticizing the game because you’ve heard Naughty Dog inserts an “agenda” into the game, all I can say is that I think you’re missing out. Yes, the cast of characters in this game is diverse, and while some of them aren’t written all that well, throwing the game away simply because of their appearance or how a character’s gender identity is handled is not a very thoughtful response. If you wish to refrain from playing the game or just want to spend the rest of your days hating it, that’s okay. Just be kind to those who want to experience it for themselves.
Finally, I’ve read a lot of reviews and seen many rants and raves about this game since its release, and I believe the majority of them are honest and critically sound. Many people love this game, and some despise it. It’s a divisive title, with a very dark theme and a message that can come across as preachy. All that said, I was just happy to spend a few fleeting moments with two of my favorite characters in video games. And I was intrigued to see a game take on subject matter which is normally relegated to books or TV series or movies. Perhaps it was too much darkness during these times in which we live. Maybe the ending was unsatisfying or rage-inducing or just rang hollow for some.
For me, however, he journey was worth it. Was it worthwhile for you? Why not comment and let us know?