Not read anything you have put Amiga as I’m still playing.

Shocked that Joel was killed so early on. Maybe there will be some back story somewhere allowing you to play as him but it won’t be the same
His death was brutal

Will read your review when i am finished.

Yes Joel's death has caused a lot of controversy, and is what people are complaining about.

Literally just finished the game 10 mins ago. That is probably the longest storyline I’ve played in a video game. It gives LOTR films a run for its money.

On to the game, Joel’s death absolutely floored me. I knew it was gonna happen but didn’t expect it to be so early on. It actually pissssed me off so much, the way he was easily killed like a dog. I just don’t understand why he had to die. It was needless.

I mentioned on my thread that I absolutely hated playing Abby, why the fack are we being put inside the mind of Joel’s killer? I could not give two shiiits about her or her life, this woman took the life of the best video game character of all time. It’s a stupid move from Naughty Dog frankly.

I had a big problem defeating that beast in the hospital too, I must have died about 10 times before I managed to take him down. Literally emptied my entire inventory on the priiick. No idea what the point of that was tbh.

The storyline doesn’t match up to the first game at all, there were special moments in that one. The giraffe scene with Joel and Ellie is one that springs to mind. The last 40% of the game was an absolute drag though, the ending was so mundane and the fact Abby was let go in the end just rendered the entire storyline pointless. Wtf was the revenge motive for then?

Also another huge pet hate in this game is the amount of cut scenes there are, they outweigh the gameplay far too much. Sometimes felt like I was literally watching a film, and not playing a video game.

I have actually come to really appreciate this game, Since finishing it I have actually been able to see how other people have reacted to it, and some hate it, Joel was just too much for them, others have absolutely loved it, even though when Joel died they were so angry, They came to realise what the game was trying to portray.

I have changed my mind a little, this is a ten out of ten game, but you have to let go of the first game to see that. It wasn't the story I wanted, but this isn't my story, it is Joel and Ellie's, and life is not tied up in a bow. the cut scenes were needed for the story.

I'm glad I played it, but it has certainly divided gaming, which just goes to show how powerful gaming can be.

Do you think there will be a part 3 Amiga, or is that the end of the TLOU franchise?

Personally I think that is the end. Abbey has not endeared herself to anyone, and there doesn't seem much point on carrying on Ellies journey without Joel, and I can't imagine too many people are craving a third after playing this.

So yeah I think it's the end.

I don't think they would bother with a part 3 because of the backlash, however a prequel to the original might be something they could pursue. Explore Joel and Tommy's history after the outbreak, Tess also.

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Finished it over the weekend. Definitely didn’t feel as if there were as many light moments compared to the first one, and the light moments were mostly in the flashbacks rather than part of the main story.

I think relative to others I thought after TLOU1 that Joel was a feckingarsehole for what he did at the end, so didn’t have the grief others may have had for him.

I also thought the reaction to folk thinking the game was “woke” was utterly bizarre. I guess it had something to do with people’s own insecurities.

Just finished it now. Got to say I liked abbey as a character. Yes she killed Joel but let’s face it, she had good reason too. Kind of wanted her to off Ellie towards the end (Before the Santa Barbara chapter) as she was starting to become a little too bloodthirsty

I finished the game last night and in my opinion it is an absolute masterpiece.
I don't think anybody saw this happening to Joel, certainly not in the early stages of the game. I was in shock but was not worried that this would spoil the game. Initially I was annoyed by having to play Abby as I just wanted to continue the game with Ellie and get my revenge. The more I played with Abby the more and more I liked her. She had every right to do what she did to Joel, and the more her story unfolded the more and more sense it made.

The graphics are the best I have seen from the PS4 and that includes The Order 1886 which after 5 years still looks stunning. If they could improve on the gameplay imagine what a sequel of that game will be like on the PS5!
The combat was an improvement on 1, and I really liked the ability to crawl laying down, hiding amongst the long grass and stealthily taking out enemies.

I played this on Hard which I found a little to easy so will play it again on Survivor. Screw Grounded , as Amiga said the hospital boss was a bit of an overkill so imagine that on the hardest difficulty.

Those 'sneaky sons of biatches' that Amiga talks of were a royal pain in the arris They were a great enemy and scary as fack as they would jump out on you if you were not careful. That section of the game in the office block where there are about 8-10 of them, I soon realised after a couple of deaths that you couldn't go in gung-ho as they would surround you. Once you had 3 of em on you it was almost certain death.

I loved the first one but I love this one even more and will no doubt do another play through in a couple of days time. There was nothing I disliked about it. My only small criticism was not being able to play a bit more of Joel, and perhaps ND could have delayed his death a little longer. You have to hand it to them though in making such a polished sequel without the protagonist from the first game.

Do I think there will TLOU3, yes I do. Ellie sparing Abby at the end suggests this imo. I think the 3rd in the franchise will be based more around Abby, but will include Ellie to an extent.
Just hope I dont have to wait as long as I did for this one.

Also, was anybody surprised to see Tommy appear at the end? I could have sworn Abby shot him in the head in the cinema!
A prequel with him and Joel may work but the story cannot continue with him at the helm. Imagine him in a room full of runners

It is like I was saying Raptor. If you let go of the first game there is a lot to enjoy.

The polish on this game is top notch, and it is one of the stand out games this gen. Too many people just can't handle losing Joel.

That section of the game in the office block where there are about 8-10 of them, I soon realised after a couple of deaths that you couldn't go in gung-ho as they would surround you. Once you had 3 of em on you it was almost certain death.
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I threw bottles to lure them out one or two at a time as I was too scared to go charging in

I think the manner of which Joel was killed is the part which annoys a lot of people.

Most people accepted Joel would probably pay for what he did in the last game, but the writing which lead to his death didn't match his character at all.

Instantly trusting a bunch of sinister looking strangers, sharing information which identify's him. It took a long time for even Ellie to earn his trust last time round.

Some people cite that the years in Jackson will have eroded his survival instincts somewhat, but they still dealt with infected and bandit raids so that doesn't sit well with me.

Having said that, i'm glad a decent amount of the community have enjoyed the game. Seven years is a long wait.

I think people are reading too much into it all. Joels death was meant to well up strong feelings, and people will try to justify their opinion, with any argument they feel works.

Naughty Dog certainly gambled big. Personally I wish they hadn't. Not because TLOU2 is a bad game, it isn't.

But they took a beautiful story and turned it into ugly. But that was the game, it was trying to show you revenge is not pretty. to me they succeeded.

That does not mean it was the game I wanted, but I can accept it for what it is.

comment by BraveheartTyke (U6173)
posted 2 days, 1 hour ago
I think the manner of which Joel was killed is the part which annoys a lot of people.

Most people accepted Joel would probably pay for what he did in the last game, but the writing which lead to his death didn't match his character at all.

Instantly trusting a bunch of sinister looking strangers, sharing information which identify's him. It took a long time for even Ellie to earn his trust last time round.

Some people cite that the years in Jackson will have eroded his survival instincts somewhat, but they still dealt with infected and bandit raids so that doesn't sit well with me.

Having said that, i'm glad a decent amount of the community have enjoyed the game. Seven years is a long wait.
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Im with you There 100% Tyke it doesnt make sense, it felt like they wanted him out of the game as brutally and as quickly as possible.

I also found the pacing off, not many light or humorous or even real special moments for me and even have to question Abbys decision to tell the voice on the phone exactly where she was? It was a bit of a Joel moment.

I also found the whole forced theme of revenge vs redemption a bit pretentious.

But saying that I did enjoy some moments, I did enjoy the gameplay and some of the battles.

7/10 for me