Woodward shines in the smaller moments - a joking jab at Ellie here or an amusing aside about their Jackson homestead, there - offering so much dimension to the character. Shannon Woodward is instantly charming as Dina, bringing a joy and kindness to a world where it’s otherwise so tough to find. “Part 2 also introduces a great cast of supporting characters. She delivers some of the most human moments that Part 2 serves up. Watching her grow up and wrestle with her past while still learning who she is as a 19-year-old (with all the usual desires and shortfalls 19-year-olds generally possess) is riveting at every step. Ellie is, without a doubt, the protagonist of Part 2, and Johnson brings nuance to every facet of Ellie’s character. Actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson once again bring so much heart and honesty in their performances as Joel and Ellie, respectively. Uncovering what she knows and where she stands with Joel and his brother Tommy, is, at different times painful, amusing, and cathartic, but always in ways that are true to what I knew of these characters. Ellie has had time to both find herself in the Jackson, Wyoming settlement she and her flawed father figure Joel call home and to reflect on the formative moments of her childhood. I Am Not Alone, Dear LonelinessAt the heart of it all is Ellie and her relationships. This dance between interactivity and an unalterable story made for a much more affecting experience than if I’d watched it all unfold in a movie. I was asked to execute those actions or watch them happen without a chance to intercede, and to understand the reasoning behind them from their perspective. Even if I disagreed with an action, I didn’t have a choice in the matter.
Play Part 2 is peppered with brutal, tragic, and poignant moments that hit harder because you take part in them, like it or not. But doing so would strip away layers of the act of playing through Part 2 yourself, so I’ll speak about its story in largely general terms. But with The Last of Us Part 2, developer Naughty Dog rises to that challenge with not only a complex, profound story that gives it a reason to exist, but also deep and satisfying evolutions to the original’s third-person action/stealth gameplay.I can’t tell you much about some of Part 2’s best aspects, but not because I don’t want to – I’m bursting to talk with anyone about all the moving, uplifting, and heart-wrenching moments that have been replaying in my mind for days since I first beat this adventure. Its story is largely poignant because of how self-contained it is: not knowing what happened between Joel and Ellie after his fateful, final decision burned a mark into the brains of many who played it, and that open-ended question has lingered for years. The Last of Us is one of the rare beloved games of the past decade that not only didn’t demand a sequel, but actively seemed to resist the idea of one.
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