Not sure if anyone cares about my thoughts on The Last of Us Part II now that we& #39;re a month from release, but I finally finished it last night and this website is built for thoughts no one cares about so here we go. #TLOU2 https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> (thread)

#TLOU2 https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> felt like a playable HBO drama, which is fitting since it is being adapted into an HBO drama. But whereas TLOU1 was like an incredible season 1 of that show, TLOU2 felt like seasons 2-5 that you binged all at once – and I think that hurt it a bit. It did feel too long 2/x

I got really, really tired of looting buildings for materials. Combat was also frustrating at times in how it controlled. I know it& #39;s SUPPOSED to be brutal and punishing, but the combat gameplay suffered a bit in service of the stealth gameplay. 3/x

I adored the storytelling, even if a few character motivations made me https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Gesicht mit rollenden Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit rollenden Augen">. The way the narrative threads weaved back and forth was really compelling (after initially being a bit frustrating). It was also great to see a AAA game normalize gay characters and a gay relationship. 4/x

#TLOU2 https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> is also a technical and artistic achievement (I played on PS4 Pro). It& #39;s stunning to look at and listen to, with music (and silence!) that amped up tension, incredible sound design, and gorgeous locations in a post-apocalyptic world. 5/x

#TLOU2 https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> also has absolutely incredible performances. As I& #39;d previously tweeted, this is hands-down @TroyBakerVA& #39;s best-ever performance IMO; Naughty Dog gets more out of him than any other developer, for whatever reason. Joel was the emotional ground-wire of this game. 6/x

In the end, #TLOU2 https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> is excellent, IMO; for people that like numbers it& #39;s an 8 or 9 from me. It won& #39;t get my GOTY vote (anti-fanboy shields up, Captain! Red alert!) – Half-Life: Alyx is my vote for now – but its cast deserves a LOT of recognition on this year& #39;s awards circuit. /end