![]() ![]() The personal journeys of the protagonists were complimented by the silent stories demonstrated by the environments you were free to explore. The best aspect for me was that, outside of a novel, the enforced action of controlling characters through such extreme emotions and actions stimulated empathy or at least an understanding of their motives. I do think that the gameplay was top notch however, with better artificial intelligence than most enemies in games. There is an awful lot of exposition and scrounging for resources between action scenes. I do agree that if someone was looking for a straightforward action game then this game would not be worthwhile. This environmental storytelling was amazing yet not forced upon a player and I feel another reason why it works better than a forced 30 minute, spelled out excursion in a television or movie. Further investigations would show how this attempt failed so tragically. Highlights were the traces of a family who lived in an aquarium which had stencil drawings on the walls by the children who lived there.Īs a father it was really affecting to imagine how this family had tried to make a safe environment for their children while surrounded by the horrors of this new world. Outside of this morality tale I feel the environments in the game told so many tales that could be uncovered through documents and, more subtly, by the traces left behind by the individuals who lived and died within them. PlayStation Showcase was Sony at its worst and a major disappointment for PS5 This may simply due to one trauma being older than another's rather than just cliched switch of 'who is the real villain of the piece'. If there is a fundamental difference to the two character's journeys, then I would say Ellie certainly becomes more self-destructive and irrational as her story continues whereas the other character becomes much more nuanced and questioning of her actions. I am sure there may be some who will fundamentally disagree with me, but I feel that if I had also been through the same traumas as these two protagonists then I would likely also be capable of similar atrocities in the name of revenge. Both of the main protagonists in The Last Of Us 2 are fundamentally scarred by a perceived injustice and I have sympathy with both perspectives. I disagreed with Janus who thought Naughty Dog were more sympathetic with Ellie. These concepts were shown to be as fictional as with most complex human emotions. I feel that although we can all take the moral high ground when it comes to the actions of others, one must also weigh up that person's perspective.Īt the beginning of The Last Of Us Part 2 I would have described a certain person as fundamentally evil and another fundamentally good. The feeling of being 'forced' as the controlling player to commit violent retribution eventually did make me consider revenge as an outsider looking in. The feeling of guilty compliance with actions you do not necessarily agree with is something that cannot be replicated in other mediums. By the time I was back playing Ellie I was revisited by the same feeling of unease in taking over this character as I had done with the 'villain'. This physical connection of control seemed to subtly compel empathy almost as much as the excellent plot and fantastic writing. I feel that by being a video game that literally compels you to inhabit and control the protagonist's actions you do 'live' their lives in a way that cannot be mirrored by other media platforms. This is so much easier to do from a complete outsider's perspective. The genius of this was having a whole new set of perspectives forced on me until you realise that tragedies that force people down certain paths are almost impossible to moralise on. This person was vile and 'my' enemy alongside Ellie's. I am not sure how spoilery I can be but at one point you take control of another character, in many ways the main villain for want of a better word. Interestingly they both involved your character unable to prevent an atrocity committed before your/their eyes. Only once have I felt similarly engaged in following a protagonist's quest for vengeance and that was in The Darkness. You are generally the goodie vs the baddie and killing digitally is about as morally disturbing as making a cup of tea. The majority of video games these days are very black and white in their storytelling. ![]() I was psyched up for 'helping' Ellie take revenge and, in my experience, I have never felt a genuine desire to 'kill' another set of characters in a video game. After a certain, horrific tragedy occurs In The Last Of Us Part 2, which sets the tone of the game and sees Ellie set out on a quest for vengeance, I was finally fully invested. ![]()
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