This is what happens when adults with emotional maturity and intelligence experience the game. A true masterpiece! You guys are a breath of fresh air :)
Definetly not a masterpiece but a great game nonetheless, obviously everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. But it seems everyone’s on complete opposite ends of the spectrum, one side either completely blindly hates this game and the other side are a little to uneducated in the medium of good story telling and call this game a masterpiece. It’s great game with many flaws, seems I’ve only met a few people who are in the middle.
@@michaelscarn8608 agreed. The game is definitely not horrible and it does have some genuinely impactful moments at times. However, I feel like it was a risky and bold move to structure the story in the way that they did, especially when people were looking to see how Joel and Ellie’s relationship would recover, hence the division among the fan base.
@@michaelscarn8608 I play these types of games a lot and I think it's a masterpiece. To say anyone who loves this game is uneducated is also such a dumn blanket statement to make. I'm a fan of games trying new, bold things. I loved how they turned my hate for Abby into love, and the way they did it I thought was really well done. And that's my opinion, doesn't make me uneducated in the medium. Especially since I've been gaming since I was a kid.
The thing that hit me so hard...across both games, you only see Joel cry twice. The loss of his daughter, and the hope of regaining Ellie as one. Before his death, he got a hint of the one thing most important to him back...and man, that hurts.
i’m honestly really happy for joel, because he lived twenty years in pain, not being able to get over losing his daughter, until ellie taught him how to love again. he got four years living in peace, he had hobbies, coffee, people looked up to him and saw him as a good man, and even though he committed an awful act because he loved ellie and being rejected by her deeply hurt him, he had the hope of getting that back when he died. he had a good life. and when you read all the notes from people throughout this game, maybe he was luckier than most in that world.
@@sgtmian I still can't wrap my head around the awful act part. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at what Joel did at the end of part 1 as a bad thing. Yes he's done lots of other bad things to other people but to me that wasn't one of them. Fireflies got what was coming to them. "I would do it all over again"
@@babyfood9537 he literally condemened the entirity of humanity to live in an apocalyptic world where they will most likely never be able to live a normal life. I can totally understand it (and who knows, maybe I would even do the same), but it was still a horrible and selfish act. Imagine that to save your daughter you need to pres a button that will nuke the the whole of the US. There is no way to classify that as nothing but a terrible act, and that's pretty much what Joel did.
But then Ellie would have never learnt they had died. Therefore, remaining unsettled. She needed the revenge in order to encounter the absurdity within.
@@nihlify facts. But they were out of thier minds. Thats the point. Pain, rage, grief. It can drive you nearly crazy. Imagine if we had no jails systems and could go after ppl who did things like that to us
@@nihlify In a society where we have a court system to bring justice to ones who have wronged us, it makes no sense to go on a harrowing journey to exact your righteous indignation. But in the fucking apocalypse, how do you find justice? Someone murders your love one and the world does nothing about it, but you have the physical capability and skill to exact your own justice, you're telling me you're not going to go through with it? You're just going to mope around and suffer from the constant ptsd knowing someone you loved was brutally murdered? Okay, good luck with that.
I agree with Steven: no good people and bad people in this game. Each character has his/her own truth and they go towards that no matter what. And we witness what happens when a truth clashes with another. In the world we have today, it's a brilliant and ballsy move for a videogame.
Ballsy, but still too much of a gamble to make as we can see a lot of people have some issues or disapprovals with the game. I am not saying they hate it for the sake of it, even though there are such people, but some parts of it can definitely be disliked by gamers for various reasons. For some it'll be 'divisive', for some it'll be just another experience where you 'stick to your guns' from start to finish
@@FERKILL377 i think they succeeded. more people like it than hate it. i wish more developers would gamble instead of making the same videogame over and over with a slightly different story.
After hollow knight I was searching for another heavily emotion driven tale and honestly in rankings it goes TLOU2 and then hollow knight and way in 3rd MGS1.
Five, maybe six years from now, people will look back and realize the fucking masterpiece this game is. It doesn't get enough credit now, and that pisses me off.
it's called helplessly hoping by crosby, stills and nash. some of the lyrics: Helplessly hoping her harlequin hovers Nearby awaiting a word Gasping at glimpses of gentle true spirit He runs wishing he could fly Only to trip at the sound of goodbye Wordlessly watching he waits by the window And wonders at the empty place inside Heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreams He worries did he hear a goodbye? Or even hello?
@@sgtmian wow, thx for mentioning this - I didn't realize. It kills me how thoughtfully they chose the music to fit with the lyrics so well. Man, this even increases the pain this game left me in.
Thank you so much for being real, open, and allowing yourself to emotional. That's why I watch Nikki and Steven. What a pleasure it's been experiencing this game with you.
In TLOU1 when Joel picks up Ellie to carry her out of hospital, he says "I got you, I got you." Abby says same thing to Lev when picking him up. Abby was like Joel in first game, and Lev like Ellie.
Most stories end in the average way. With Ellie killing Abby, Ellie saying "I forgive you", even Dina seeing Ellie come home. But Last of Us has always found a way to realistically not give us that ending.
StateOfMortality you should either read enough books or have an open mind to not hold grudge against story. Storytelling is like telling what actually happens in a world the writer(s) create. Sometimes there’s no perfect way of explaining it in the way the writer wants you to feel or think. That’s why this game has diverse reactions.
StateOfMortality although this game was hated mostly by those who haven’t and won’t play the game because they know some key moments. The other group who hate it are those who hated the game even before playing it leading to negative and stubbornness through the whole experience.
Gamers keep saying they want video games to evolve narratively and when ND finally gives them a truly remarkable storytelling with real maturity (not just sex and violence) they cry about it. Obviously these gamers just want the tried and true "video game" tradition of the good guys being the good guys and the bad guys being the bad guys. I'm glad we didn't get that.
@@Evoldog it's truly heart breaking if i may say all you see is ppl taking a giant dump on the game for dumb reasons (i'm not saying it's wrong to dislike the game) it is a truely a shame that a gem like this is so hated almost no body seems to like the game or at the very least understand it and that i have a hard time understanding.
Still cracks me up how some people will say the game is disrespectful to Joel when it’s essentially based entirely on his memory. Great game and great play through. As soon as C19 wraps up I’m planning a trip to Santa Barbara and telling them who sent me.
People just wanted the adventures of Joel and Ellie part 2, naughty dog went for something differently and risky. You can tell even with uncharted 4 they wanted to tell deeper stories.
I recently noticed that the porch on which the final conversation took place was the first thing we saw when we set out as Ellie. She was living in a garage in Joel's backyard. Also at the beginning, she had pictures of Dina, Jesse, and Cat above her bed, but no picture of Joel. Instead, there was a drawing of a moth. But Joel had a framed photo of Ellie and him in his house. So many details that don't reveal their complete meaning until you learn the full story.
One more thing: Look at the new menu screen. That's Catalina island, which shows us that Abby and Lev made it to the Fireflies. I think what the Rattlers do is monitor frequencies, so they knew where to find Abby and Lev in order to abduct them, once they intercepted the call.
There’s some theories about this. I think you’re right but I hope not. I’d like to think they were going to the fireflies in that boat and it sets it up for a story for the third game. There may be fireflies left and Ellie should find them.
Stefan Scripca maybe she would hope they would have another doctor that could develop a vaccine. I don’t really see many other options for a story for the third game.
@@xMAXPROOFX Oh, I think there are Fireflies, and that's where Abby and Lev are. It'd be interesting to have Ellie hook up with them, and have Elly and Abby develop some sort of uneasy alliance (if not bond) after time has passed. It's hard to see them ever being friends, but when we see how they were before all these atrocities went down, I could see they would have had some things in common. Both are bookworms, for starters: Ellie loves Science, Abby loves literature.
Seeing Joel hold back tears at the idea of Ellie finally forgiving him for what happened. At the possibility that they could have possibly had a shot at a less strained relationship.... That was hard to watch. Like I feel some type of way every time I see that scene.
It makes some of the earlier in game comments that Ellie made have more of an impact too when you think about them. She was planning on spending time watching movies with him that night. She really was trying to forgive him and move on.
@@ElTigreDelNorte_ true, i never played one game two times, but this, everytime you play this you understand more and more from the history, every single detail of the beginning become more powerfull every time you replay this, every single comments or interactions, what a game they made.
"How am i supposed to play another video game after this" is exactly the same thought that im still struggling to answer. So far, i've been led to "Life is Strange" for another heart riveting experience, but still not starting it due to PTSD with this game. This is an amazing example of how the means of which you tell a story can go beyond the story itself. If you think about it, the story in this game is quite mediocre, but the subtle things that happen to build character development and ESPECIALLY the arc that you get to play Abby leave you in such a mind f*k in that closing sequence. It's one thing to be told that another person/character is a certain way, but to play through it yourself and have complete understanding of how and why they are that way and then to put that into contrast versus your experiences playing with Ellie is something untouched by anything else that I can think of whether it be a video game or not.
yup 100%. The game, and understandably so as an entry title with tons of constraints, couldn't be as bold in writing. The first game was amazing, the second game was something out of this world. Probably the most intricate writing I have ever seen in any fictional media. Such an amazing game that did much of what the first game did good and did a ton of it better.
@@hectortorres8188 Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault. PTSD has been known by many names in the past, such as “shell shock” during the years of World War I and “combat fatigue” after World War II. But PTSD does not just happen to combat veterans. PTSD can occur in all people, in people of any ethnicity, nationality or culture, and any age. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults, and an estimated one in 11 people will be diagnosed PTSD in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD. People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or an accidental touch.
@@hectortorres8188 of course..this take years and even then most likely you learn to live with it...but she releasing Abby was like her starting point to a healing process ,
Héctor Torres There have been many cases where even whole families have confronted a family members murderer and have forgiven them. There have been parents confronting their son’s murderer this way. There have also been parents who want to kill the murderer. Both are totally possible of happening. And Abby looked like she suffered a great deal at the end, not to mention the fact that Abby couldn’t put up a big fight due to her weakened state, maybe Ellie found the whole ordeal unsatisfactory and therefore gave up and let her go
@@hectortorres8188 You're generalising too much. There have been families wishing death on the murderer and there have also been families (mostly of the religious kind) who forgive. Both are possible because both have happened, and that's the point. It may be more likely for a family to condemn than to forgive but that's not what we're talking about. It may be unrealistic to you because you can't see why a family member would forgive, but trust me there are people out there who forgive, usually the type of people who have a strong belief in the universe, karma, religion and the 'everything happens for a reason' type
GOTY for sure, glad you guys liked it. As Gandhi said, "An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind." Sad that Ellie never got to rekindle her relationship with her adoptive father, there last conversation ever was a start to that, the next time she saw him, he lay dying. Ending showed she finally left the past in the past and went back to Jackson to try and reunite with Dina. And the new main screen you two left out showed that Abby made it to Catalina island, hopefully with Lev alive. I sided so much with her when they switched to the other side of the coin and had us play her, a life dedicated to revenge, strength training etc, rejecting relationship with Owen to continue her search for Joel....Revenge truly destroyed everything they loved.....
I love how Abby essentially became Joel. She started out broken and full of hate and through a younger “sibling” figure she changed and found a way to hope again. I hated the game the first time I beat it, but after a few days of reflection I came to love the story they told. It’s bold of them to create a game that’s really not meant to be fun, but in the end the story left me with days of deep thoughts and how to let things go.
"10/10 and better than the first one..." yep, that was my thoughts as well - and the first one is the most perfect narrative I've ever played up until this one.
The interview the cast had with “Kinda funny games” explains everything. A lot can change people in 5 years. Just how everyone thinks Joel would never trust a group of strangers. Him being around those people in Jackson probably changed his perspective on things. That’s just a life lesson and human mistake which we all live. Yeah we all loved Joel for a fact. But you know he had it coming when Ellie asked him if he ever wrong, ambush or tortured good/bad people in the first game. Two perspectives in this game just showed that everyone has a story to tell.
Maybe Part 3 should have a different protagonist and be set during the years Joel was attacking inocent people to steal their stuff and have him be one of or the villain of that game. Then maybe people would understand that he's not the saint they think he is and only suffered the consequences of his actions.
Troy Baker did say in an interview that the years had made him more trusting of people and a better person in general... And perhaps his last regret or thought while dying is this what i get for being complacent and letting my guard down
My thoughts on Abby is that her story is a sort of parallel to Joel's own story. Between the events of outbreak day and the loss of his daughter and the 20 year span before he first meets Ellie; we generally have no idea what kind of deeds Joel might have committed (good or bad). Abby's story starts in a place that would be equivalent to Joel's 20 year time jump. Then we get to see her grow as a person with Lev and Yara similar to Joel and Ellie. We get to see her give up everything and do anything to protect these kids - just like Joel and Ellie.
It occurs to me now, after Ellie decided to pursue revenge that second time, everything she lost was due to her own actions. Even if her story would have ended with killing Abby, she still would have lost so much. She still would have lost Dina, JJ, and her idyllic life on the ranch. She still would have lost her fingers and therefore her only remaining link to Joel through playing guitar. She made her decision to keep hunting and that was her downfall. Fortunately, she was granted the mercy of being capable of forgiveness. This is what makes Ellie's arc work, and what kept her from becoming a basic thug. Great thoughts, from both of you. Take care!
I think she would've lost Dina wether she stayed or not. The PTSD was consuming her and without the release that the final confrontation gave her, she likely would've ended up as bitter as Tommy.
She didn't lose dina. She had her bracelet back in the final scene, which she didn't have fighting abby.. And she was healed. Implying she went back to jackson already. And she went back to the house for Joel's guitar, but left it.
That's very possible. But one detail that nags at me about that theory is, why then did she also leave behind all her art supplies, her records, and other personal items that had no connection to Joel's memory? And while I see that it's possible Ellie get the bracelet back after reconciling with Dina, I think it could also be possible she always had it with her but just wasn't wearing it all the time. If you look back at the cutscene where Tommy visits the farm, Ellie isn't wearing the bracelet them either.
I really appreciate Nikki yelling at Ellie to stop, I was doing the same, I think it was right then when I so desperately wanted Ellie to stop and keep a part of her humanity. I was so emotionally shattered after, realizing Ellie's journey, and thinking of similar situations in real life.
The radio call was legitimate. The new title screen shows Abby's boat outside the domed building on Catalina Island.... confirmed by Neil Druckmann. I think if there is a 3rd game that Fireflys will will have a doctor that can create that cure and you'll play a firefly, maybe Abby (though I think they'd use the opportunity to unravel a new character you don't know yet), looking for Ellie. Who knows where it goes from there.
It took me a year to finally play this. And Agree with Steve 100%. Best game i ever played. We play games and slaughter endless people and this game makes you actually rethink that whole thing. Abby never wanted to kill Ellie and she had several chances to.
Ellie had survivor's guilt because her friend and first love died and she didn't. That's why she hated Joe's decision (deep inside she didn't truly hated him). And when she had decided to be in good terms with it, Abby "stole" her the opportunity to really forgive Joe. That's why she was so driven, not really because of Abby but because she couldn't bring herself to let go of Joe and the pain. But Ultimately Joe saved her again even after his death. I read somewhere that TLoUS2 is the "Empire Strikes Back" of this saga. Ends in a dark tone, but full of possibilities
It’s really nice you shared this experience, not just with us but each other. It was very sweet when you checked in on each other at emotional moments...I did the exact same thing with my wife and was so happy to have someone to talk with as I went. The couples that play together, stay together!
Ghost of Tsushima will hold you over after this if you haven't started it already. That game, honestly, has a few brutal and somber moments too. PS4 really ended strong with these 2 games.
After you finish the game, the title screen is now a boat landed on an island with a dome off in the distance insinuating that Abby and lev made it to the fireflies
Only video games have the ability to tell stories this way and make you feel these emotions. This game tears you down and makes you feel things even movies cant make you feel. Great game!
This is an amazing story. The flash Ellie has when Abby is almost gone is the single most important moment in the story, for me: everything turned upside down - and for the good. At the very edge of the abyss, she was able to save the last shred of soul she still had. And it paid all the effort mad to get to that point. It's gonna be a while until another game such as this comes up.
I just don't understand how people can finish this game, and hate it because Ellie didn't kill Abby. Just to have the whole point of the story *whiff* like that. I'm not saying that to imply that the people who do love the game are somehow smarter, it's just that there almost seems to be two completely different psychic organisms that we collectively call "humans" because they otherwise resemble each other. This game seems to be something of a social experiment to determine levels of human empathy. "If Ellie didn't kill Abby, then it was all for nothing," they say, as if life is always about achieving the goal you set out for, regardless of whether it is the right thing to do. What we see here is Ellie learning a lesson moments *before* an act of vengeance that Abby learned moments *after* (literally...go watch the part where we see Abby's perspective on the "golf club" scene....she's empty after the act, and realizes too late that it didn't solve anything). Just such a beautiful, haunting work, and I home Druckmann et al take the backlash in stride and continue to make games that they want to make. They have earned my trust with this game especially.
Really happy I found your channel. So nice to see youtubers who actually made an effort to accept this story on its own terms and think critically about the message and the point of it all. I cried playing this, and I cried along with you watching your reactions. Looking forward to checking out your other content. Great to find thoughtful players.
I'm really glad you 2 loved this game. I admit, when I finished it the first time I wasn't sure if I loved it or hated it, but after taking some time to calm down and really think it over, I think it's one of the greatest games that's ever been made.
I literally beat this game for like the 6th time just yesterday cause I like it a lot and it’s fun. The ending is still hard for me, and seeing Joel die I cried.
This game is so amazing I loved the hell out of it. I love the depth it goes to and the amount of butterfly effects I can go through is also very cool. You can go all the way back and see what would happen lets say if Abby had not spared Ellies life twice.....she would have been stuck on that damn pillar at the end. Compassion and forgivness saved her and Lev. If Tommy had not of shot his mouth off about revenge Ellie would not have gone and Abby would have died slowly. I cant wait for the next one...I gotta see these two meet up again as fireflies.
Just like the first game, you understand it more deeply on each rewatch. This one you can see the story's themes about the cycle of revenge and forgiveness, and how everything around those falls perfectly into place. Like I just now realize Ellie wasn't really looking for revenge against Abby, she was on a mission to forgive Joel. Also, you can extend that to can Dina forgive Ellie for leaving?
Refreshing to hear some thoughtful reflection. I've never had a game - and rarely, if ever, a story - reach me as much as this, delving so deep into the darkness it finds the light buried beneath it. The narrative is driven by hate fueled by pain, set in a fractured yet brokenly beautiful post-apocalyptic world closer to ruin than recovery. The player is put in positions where violence is regrettable but unavoidable; no act of violence is committed for its own sick sake, but in service of the story. It's the most violent anti-violence game I've ever played. At certain pivotal moments it is emotionally challenging to hold the controller in your hands - not by accident but by design. Not because the violence is gratuitously and sadistically traumatic, but because it's so viscerally and vicariously tragic. To experience first hand from opposing perspectives the futility of the same fight...never before has fiction inspired empathy in a way that has you simultaneously feeling the pain of two conflicting sides, to the point where each legitimate grievance cancels out the other, and you realise there are no sides, only the shared struggle to survive. And have your soul survive along with your life. It shows how destructive and self-perpetuating hate, anger, and violence can be, how insatiable the ego's appetite. The brutal manner in which Ellie tears her way through enemies in pursuit of revenge, shows the cost of hate, not just on those she kills, but herself. The game doesn't want you to be entirely comfortable with killing, or witnessing Ellie trade-off her humanity as she becomes increasingly consumed by vengence. Then there's the conflict from the opposing perspective; Abbey eventually learns that conflict just for the sake of "us and them" is hollow, and realises that the only real reason to kill in this kill-or-be-killed world is to protect those you love, not seek payback on those who hurt them. In most cases she is forced to resort to violence not because she wants to, but because her enemies give her no choice; it is their refusal to sympathise with her motives, their inability to see beyond the artificial borders of tribe, that sealed their deaths. In this way the gameplay not only upholds but also reinforces the narrative. Immersing myself in a story that involves sympathetically flawed characters in conflict who find themselves compelled down paths they might not wish to tread, dealing with the consequences of morally ambiguous choices, at a point in my life where I'm questioning my own goodness, certainly makes me more emotionally responsive. But the hate towards the game saddens me, because the people who need to 'get it' the most, clearly aren't getting it at all. Or maybe they are, and are angry because it's easier to condemn than understand; maybe their resistance is a sign that something is sinking in. I dont know. Some people seem unable or unwilling to accept that there is no story if a character never changes, or even has their journey come to an end. With the final choice in your hands, a shocking motif is suddenly flipped and softened, and all accumulated anguish turns to sorrowful acceptance. A healing hurt; pain not on the way in but on the way out, and all that remains is a bloodied, battered heart that was hidden beneath hate all along. If an eye for an eye doesn't make the whole world blind, then two eyes for an eye certainly does.
There was a point where Joel died and Ellie couldn't forgive Joel because he obviously is dead, so she forgave Abby at the end for killing Joel, at the end that short clip where Ellie and Joel had a convo, it was about forgiveness. idk that's just my point
Loved the way you "felt" the game, its ending, the whole drama of the story, Ellie's loneliness , devastation and that bitter feeling the plot left after the game ended You are one of the few people who understood everything right. The irony thought that there is no "right" in this game...
"I honestly never thought a game could do that to me" - That's EXACTLY what i felt. Welcome to the club. Edit - Okay sorry, "How am i supposed to play another game after that" - That's EXACTLY what i felt (part II)
Loved watching your reactions & thoughts to this. I’m a huge fan of when stories aren’t afraid to get unapologetic and daring and emotional and show different viewpoints. No good guys or bad guys; just people.
I think Ellie actually went back to Jackson first after getting back from Santa Barbara. She's wearing Dina's bracelet (which she wasn't wearing in Santa Barbara). So I think she and Dina reunited in Jackson and she went back to the house to retrieve Joel's guitar. But she decided to leave it all behind her and move on to a new future. Finding forgiveness. Free from guilt, hatred, and anger.
i would like to believe that too, but i'm wondering why would she go back to jackson instead of going back to the farmhouse first? there's no way she could have known dina went back to jackson. she simply could have been not wearing the bracelet before, and put it on at the end
@@jamesliggins891 I'm thinking she may have gone to tell Tommy first, figuring that Dina wouldn't have stayed at the house all by herself with no one else to help her with the baby. So it's reasonable to think that Dina would have gone back to Jackson as well since she had a support system there (Jesse's parents said in the letter that she was always welcome and had a home there in Jackson). Also, if you notice her fingers, they seem to have been operated on and properly closed up (especially if you view her post-Santa Barbara character model) so it appears she had medical attention at some point prior to going back to the farmhouse.
I have already seen your story review video, but I was curious to see your initial reactions right after finishing it. Your "How am I ever to be able to play a game after this" was basically my own reaction. This game was so much more than your average game, that one is set up for dissapointment if one asks for a similar experience from other games in the future. Even though "Ghost of Tsushima" comes pretty close when it comes to telling a story in a compelling and true to its own logic way.
Thank you both for this playthrough. This game, is damn near perfect. By the time the game gets to California I cared about both Ellie and Abby. It was a helluva journey!
Thank you.. for sharing your play through. I am still processing after I finished it a few weeks ago. I really can't think of any other game that hit me as hard as this one did.
Loved that Smile Ellie gives at 53:27 about the bite. And that last scene with Joel will always give me The feels, It’s that cry in his Voice when he spoke. I will miss these moments between them. Hopefully they don’t completely write her off if the make more TLOU, I know there’s is no ‘Main Character’ only survivors, I love this World that Amy Hennig and Bruce Straley created, I love Joel, and Ellie, Tommy, everyone. Even Abby, we went through her journey with her, And many of us are changed because of this amazing story.
Thank you. Thank you for letting me know I wasn’t alone in how I felt about this ending. I subscribed for this alone and I want to say I appreciate the honesty you approached this intricate story with.
The end looks worse than it is. Elli is still with Dina and only says goodbye to Joel on the farm. Since her first visit to the farm and later in Santa Babara, she no longer wore Dina's bracelet and did not have it in her backpack. In the end she wore it again. In addition, she was wearing new clothes and was unarmed. In her room there were only memorabilia and no clothes and there was also no farewell letter in case you returned. That means between Santa Babara and the farm she was already with Dina in Jackson. What you could have read in the diary if you had read it. There are also thoughts of suicide because she is still struggling with it. That's why Elli is back to the farm ... to finish off with Joel and her old life. Furthermore, Dina never ended her relationship with Elli. She just said she couldn't do that AGAIN. AGAIN means walking with her. In the beginning she said "you go, i go". AGAIN, this is not possible. She has a child and responsibility. Even with baby and without Elli, she cannot farm any farm. That's why she's back to Jackson. They only lived on the farm anyway because Elli couldn't stand a lot of people around her due to her health. Druckman also said that he wanted a hopeful end for Elli and we got it. You just have to look closely, as with many things in the game.
@@aaronatkinson177 I didn’t see it as selfish revenge. I think she needed to go after Abby again for closure and peace of mind. She was still experiencing PTSD despite living peacefully in the farm, and because she didn’t know how else to cope and process these emotions she thought that killing Abby would be the right decision
I think it is a real masterpiece. The story is so deep and meaningful - about hate, emptiness, loosing loved ones.. and hope for recovery.. by breaking the killing circle. The fact that people are so passionate about characters as real live persons just brings this game on top level. First time got emotional on videogame... Thanks, NaughtyDog.
I loved the game. I'm glad you did too. It should be game of the year. I already beat The Ghost of Tsushima and it's a great beautiful game. But it lacks the emotion and suspense that this game has.
If Ellie killed abby she’d be leaving lev vulnerable. Remember Lev’s fear of oceans…well, Ellie would’ve left him stranded next to one. And she would’ve killed the only person who could comfort him if he had a panic attack. Or Ellie would have to kill him and I know Joel wouldn’t want her to kill a child let alone a pregnant women, even if it was on accident. In fact I think he wouldn’t even want Ellie to be doing all this. Especially when it stemmed from a choice he made. And think about how easily Tommy could’ve wrapped this up if Dina, Ellie and Jesse didn’t interfere. Revenge would’ve been had and Ellie wouldn’t lose anything else. Ellie’s deep push back at forgiving Joel is as the crux of her decision making.
I don't think Ellie gave a shit about Lev though. She only stopped choking Abby because she saw Joel in her head. Plus she held a knife to Lev's neck unless Abby fought her.
Wow, it's SO great to see intelligent and emotionally mature people react ti this game. It makes a change from all the whingeing "IHATEABBYSHESABITCHWHYDIDNTELLIEKILLHER" children you usually get.
I too put it as better than the first. And I also put the two parts played together as arguably one of the best stories ever told in media and certainly in video games. I do think the game has its flaws, but even after a month and a half I think the story is great. I imagine she does go back to Dina. Idk what comes from that but inevitably I do feel like Dina can find a way to forgive her and move forward. Also love how open minded and understanding you guys are when it comes to stories
We all feel bad at the end when Ellie decide to fight Abby and want to kill her. it was everyone's deciscion at first but then when we played the whole game knew her past, her story, what all she have been through... we finish to understand Abby is not a bad person, we judged her too easily (something people do even real life) she did bad things it's true but for some good reasons we can try to understand. Like Joel saving Ellie but killing Abby's father. Of course there will always have bad people in an apocalypse world but Naughty Dog tried to make us understand it's not because we make bad choices or bad things that means we are bad people. Like the Fireflies we could consider they are bad people because they want kill a child to find a curse. killing a innocent child no matter the reason it's always horrible but humanity sometimes have to do horrible things to survive and unfortunately those things happen in real life too like in war countries... This game makes us understand revenge is never a good solution and it's always the cause of loosing everything you care Abby lost her community, her friends, her boyfriend... Ellie lost exactly the same. Those are things humans need to meditate on these subjects ! The whole game is making us asking what is good or not and that's brilliant. Honestly I'm so PISSED OFF about this community who only hate the game because the story is basing on deep important messages and not on a story people wanted to play, they rather to do ignorants instead to see the real masterpiece beyond this incredible game. At least I'm glad to see there are still people like Steven and Nikkie who are open-minded and try to understand the reasonings instead criticize the game like fools.That's the reason why it was a pleasure to share this experience with their reactions in the game. THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS LOVE YOU
Just watched your whole series for TLOU2... absolutely loved it. I really loved how you both seemed to empathise with Abby....because as soon as I saw her backstory I felt for her too. Thanks for a great reaction guys! x
The outstanding story is why both 1 and 2 won game of the year. Same feeling i had after finishing it. I couldn't play any other games after. This is the magic of Sony's studios especially Naughty Dog. Can't wait to see the HBO series. Perfect stream and reaction guys. 👏
when elie ruturened to the barn from santa barbara she didnt have any guns or melee weapons so maybe she traveled to jackson first and the she returned to the barn for the guitar so it wasnt a bad ending I hope we see elie and dina and her child together in part 3
I think Ellie always carries the switchblade from her mother Anna in the back pocket of her pants , and the gun she got from Joel in The Last of Us in her backpack.
@@unknown-udknowme8408 You're right. But if we think that the switchblade together with the letter are the only items that Ellie has from her late mother Anna, maybe Ellie has found the switchblade after the fight with Abby.
@@Nesho1 based on the ending i doubt so, Ellie never goes anywhere without her switchblade i mean it fell in the water and they moved around a lot too... my guess it's gone forever.
Ive never played a game so dividing, depressing, thougtful, and beautiful.. everything about this game is just 👌 some story bits are not needed but i feel like they made the game what it is.
Thanks for letting us watch you play this game. What an experience aye? P.s the credits nearly broke me. At the end Ellie starts singing, and then Joel does too.
hey guys, great job on another playthrough! I believe this game is a masterpeice! No game in history creates this much emotion! but boy is it decisive!
@@christhames22 from my understanding of the ending, ellie went back to jackson before returning to the farmhouse, which is why she has Dina's bracelet on. which would mean she reconciled with dina in some way. she also, of course, has everyone else in Jackson, and i'm sure she will reconcile with tommy too
James Liggins I noticed that to but we don’t know for sure how it really went down. For all we know Dina didn’t forgive her and gave it to her like as something to remember her by
Most likely Ellie did not lose everything. Look at the final farm scene again at the end. She is wearing Dina's bracelet which she was not while fighting Abby, plus her fingers we healed. That implies she already went back to Jackson, got medical attention, and reconciled with Dina before that scene. She only went back to get the guitar, which she decided to leave to move on. It was VERY show, don't tell.
This is what happens when adults with emotional maturity and intelligence experience the game. A true masterpiece! You guys are a breath of fresh air :)
Maturity is the key
Definetly not a masterpiece but a great game nonetheless, obviously everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. But it seems everyone’s on complete opposite ends of the spectrum, one side either completely blindly hates this game and the other side are a little to uneducated in the medium of good story telling and call this game a masterpiece. It’s great game with many flaws, seems I’ve only met a few people who are in the middle.
@@michaelscarn8608 agreed. The game is definitely not horrible and it does have some genuinely impactful moments at times. However, I feel like it was a risky and bold move to structure the story in the way that they did, especially when people were looking to see how Joel and Ellie’s relationship would recover, hence the division among the fan base.
I think you were born with fetal alcohol syndrome
@@michaelscarn8608 I play these types of games a lot and I think it's a masterpiece. To say anyone who loves this game is uneducated is also such a dumn blanket statement to make. I'm a fan of games trying new, bold things. I loved how they turned my hate for Abby into love, and the way they did it I thought was really well done. And that's my opinion, doesn't make me uneducated in the medium. Especially since I've been gaming since I was a kid.
The thing that hit me so hard...across both games, you only see Joel cry twice. The loss of his daughter, and the hope of regaining Ellie as one. Before his death, he got a hint of the one thing most important to him back...and man, that hurts.
i’m honestly really happy for joel, because he lived twenty years in pain, not being able to get over losing his daughter, until ellie taught him how to love again. he got four years living in peace, he had hobbies, coffee, people looked up to him and saw him as a good man, and even though he committed an awful act because he loved ellie and being rejected by her deeply hurt him, he had the hope of getting that back when he died. he had a good life. and when you read all the notes from people throughout this game, maybe he was luckier than most in that world.
@@sgtmian I still can't wrap my head around the awful act part. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at what Joel did at the end of part 1 as a bad thing. Yes he's done lots of other bad things to other people but to me that wasn't one of them. Fireflies got what was coming to them. "I would do it all over again"
@@babyfood9537 The fireflies didn't do anything wrong
@@babyfood9537 he literally condemened the entirity of humanity to live in an apocalyptic world where they will most likely never be able to live a normal life. I can totally understand it (and who knows, maybe I would even do the same), but it was still a horrible and selfish act. Imagine that to save your daughter you need to pres a button that will nuke the the whole of the US. There is no way to classify that as nothing but a terrible act, and that's pretty much what Joel did.
@@robbieomahony2437 yo no la odio y entiendo porque lo mato a joel
The irony: if Ellie had listened to Dina and abandoned the idea of revenge, Abby and Lev would have died at the hands of the Rattlers.
But then Ellie would have never learnt they had died. Therefore, remaining unsettled. She needed the revenge in order to encounter the absurdity within.
@@riva2003 she had to go through that revenge to get out of the other side of it
If both Abby and Ellie had been fucking sane and not have gone out on suicide missions for revenge, no one would have died either.
@@nihlify facts. But they were out of thier minds. Thats the point. Pain, rage, grief. It can drive you nearly crazy. Imagine if we had no jails systems and could go after ppl who did things like that to us
@@nihlify In a society where we have a court system to bring justice to ones who have wronged us, it makes no sense to go on a harrowing journey to exact your righteous indignation. But in the fucking apocalypse, how do you find justice? Someone murders your love one and the world does nothing about it, but you have the physical capability and skill to exact your own justice, you're telling me you're not going to go through with it? You're just going to mope around and suffer from the constant ptsd knowing someone you loved was brutally murdered? Okay, good luck with that.
I agree with Steven: no good people and bad people in this game. Each character has his/her own truth and they go towards that no matter what. And we witness what happens when a truth clashes with another. In the world we have today, it's a brilliant and ballsy move for a videogame.
It's no difference in our world. If you could see the causes of a "bad" act someone does you would have a different view of it.
Ballsy, but still too much of a gamble to make as we can see a lot of people have some issues or disapprovals with the game. I am not saying they hate it for the sake of it, even though there are such people, but some parts of it can definitely be disliked by gamers for various reasons. For some it'll be 'divisive', for some it'll be just another experience where you 'stick to your guns' from start to finish
@@FERKILL377 i think they succeeded. more people like it than hate it. i wish more developers would gamble instead of making the same videogame over and over with a slightly different story.
I slightly disagree. People who enslave others to have a relatively comfy life for themselves are bad.
A lot of people don’t give this game enough credit
The right ppl do, don’t let the vocal minority fool you into thinking it hasn’t had a positive reception.
omar Morcy the story was damn near perfect imo, it was supposed to make you angry and feel conflicted
Those people are not mature enough to play this kind of game.for me is a 10/10 masterpiece even better than the 1st one like he said.
Shadow Knight Whether you like it or not, nobody can deny that this game is a victim of mob mentality
Because they're too simple to understand the complex character and story. So the caveman gets angry.
My emotions have never been tested so intensely in a video game before. I absolutely loved this game
After hollow knight I was searching for another heavily emotion driven tale and honestly in rankings it goes TLOU2 and then hollow knight and way in 3rd MGS1.
Five, maybe six years from now, people will look back and realize the fucking masterpiece this game is. It doesn't get enough credit now, and that pisses me off.
Something about the little tune Joel plays when the screen cuts to black it hits me right in the heart
Yep
it's called helplessly hoping by crosby, stills and nash. some of the lyrics:
Helplessly hoping her harlequin hovers
Nearby awaiting a word
Gasping at glimpses of gentle true spirit
He runs wishing he could fly
Only to trip at the sound of goodbye
Wordlessly watching he waits by the window
And wonders at the empty place inside
Heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreams
He worries did he hear a goodbye?
Or even hello?
sgtmian why didn’t I catch that *facepalm* one of my favourite songs lol
Because he's just a gentle old soul by that time and Abby basically just murdered a peaceful old man.
@@sgtmian wow, thx for mentioning this - I didn't realize. It kills me how thoughtfully they chose the music to fit with the lyrics so well. Man, this even increases the pain this game left me in.
Thank you so much for being real, open, and allowing yourself to emotional. That's why I watch Nikki and Steven. What a pleasure it's been experiencing this game with you.
It was an amazing game. Thank you for the comment!! Appreciate it.
"how am I supposed to play a game after that" my thoughts exactly, this game is depressing af
mine too, but because it's so outstanding. To me it's kinda mirroring reality.
The same for me, since 7 months finished. My PS4 is still switched off and i miss all the emotions i lived in this game.
It is everyone's dilemma..how can we play any other game after this.
Yeah... I played the first one again and then replayed this one... So basically I haven't played anything since
In TLOU1 when Joel picks up Ellie to carry her out of hospital, he says "I got you, I got you." Abby says same thing to Lev when picking him up. Abby was like Joel in first game, and Lev like Ellie.
Oh shit your right I never thought about it that way
Most stories end in the average way. With Ellie killing Abby, Ellie saying "I forgive you", even Dina seeing Ellie come home. But Last of Us has always found a way to realistically not give us that ending.
Its honestly rage inducing that people don't see it the way we see it. I completely agree with you.
StateOfMortality you should either read enough books or have an open mind to not hold grudge against story. Storytelling is like telling what actually happens in a world the writer(s) create. Sometimes there’s no perfect way of explaining it in the way the writer wants you to feel or think. That’s why this game has diverse reactions.
StateOfMortality although this game was hated mostly by those who haven’t and won’t play the game because they know some key moments. The other group who hate it are those who hated the game even before playing it leading to negative and stubbornness through the whole experience.
Gamers keep saying they want video games to evolve narratively and when ND finally gives them a truly remarkable storytelling with real maturity (not just sex and violence) they cry about it. Obviously these gamers just want the tried and true "video game" tradition of the good guys being the good guys and the bad guys being the bad guys. I'm glad we didn't get that.
@@Evoldog it's truly heart breaking if i may say all you see is ppl taking a giant dump on the game for dumb reasons (i'm not saying it's wrong to dislike the game) it is a truely a shame that a gem like this is so hated almost no body seems to like the game or at the very least understand it and that i have a hard time understanding.
Still cracks me up how some people will say the game is disrespectful to Joel when it’s essentially based entirely on his memory.
Great game and great play through. As soon as C19 wraps up I’m planning a trip to Santa Barbara and telling them who sent me.
People just want Joel as a 'badass' playable character, not as a humanized survivor. This pisses me off
People just wanted the adventures of Joel and Ellie part 2, naughty dog went for something differently and risky. You can tell even with uncharted 4 they wanted to tell deeper stories.
@@ahugegorilla1575 People should cancel their expectations.
This is the butterfly effect. It was a good decision by naughty dog to go to this direction, making consequences for Joel's decision to doom humanity.
I recently noticed that the porch on which the final conversation took place was the first thing we saw when we set out as Ellie. She was living in a garage in Joel's backyard.
Also at the beginning, she had pictures of Dina, Jesse, and Cat above her bed, but no picture of Joel. Instead, there was a drawing of a moth. But Joel had a framed photo of Ellie and him in his house. So many details that don't reveal their complete meaning until you learn the full story.
One more thing: Look at the new menu screen. That's Catalina island, which shows us that Abby and Lev made it to the Fireflies. I think what the Rattlers do is monitor frequencies, so they knew where to find Abby and Lev in order to abduct them, once they intercepted the call.
There’s some theories about this. I think you’re right but I hope not. I’d like to think they were going to the fireflies in that boat and it sets it up for a story for the third game. There may be fireflies left and Ellie should find them.
@@xMAXPROOFX why would Ellie go look for the Fireflies?
Stefan Scripca maybe she would hope they would have another doctor that could develop a vaccine. I don’t really see many other options for a story for the third game.
@@xMAXPROOFX Oh, I think there are Fireflies, and that's where Abby and Lev are. It'd be interesting to have Ellie hook up with them, and have Elly and Abby develop some sort of uneasy alliance (if not bond) after time has passed. It's hard to see them ever being friends, but when we see how they were before all these atrocities went down, I could see they would have had some things in common. Both are bookworms, for starters: Ellie loves Science, Abby loves literature.
@@xMAXPROOFX it was confirmed by some people at Naughty Dog, abby and lev have joined the fireflies
Its funny because Neil said that originally Ellie kills Abby cuz it worked thematically. But then it left Ellie without her soul. So they changed it
Seeing Joel hold back tears at the idea of Ellie finally forgiving him for what happened. At the possibility that they could have possibly had a shot at a less strained relationship.... That was hard to watch. Like I feel some type of way every time I see that scene.
It makes some of the earlier in game comments that Ellie made have more of an impact too when you think about them. She was planning on spending time watching movies with him that night. She really was trying to forgive him and move on.
@@ElTigreDelNorte_ true, i never played one game two times, but this, everytime you play this you understand more and more from the history, every single detail of the beginning become more powerfull every time you replay this, every single comments or interactions, what a game they made.
"How am i supposed to play another video game after this" is exactly the same thought that im still struggling to answer. So far, i've been led to "Life is Strange" for another heart riveting experience, but still not starting it due to PTSD with this game.
This is an amazing example of how the means of which you tell a story can go beyond the story itself. If you think about it, the story in this game is quite mediocre, but the subtle things that happen to build character development and ESPECIALLY the arc that you get to play Abby leave you in such a mind f*k in that closing sequence. It's one thing to be told that another person/character is a certain way, but to play through it yourself and have complete understanding of how and why they are that way and then to put that into contrast versus your experiences playing with Ellie is something untouched by anything else that I can think of whether it be a video game or not.
"10/10 and better than the first one..." ABSOLUTELY AGREE!
yea….no
Me too
Based
Definitely better than the first one
yup 100%. The game, and understandably so as an entry title with tons of constraints, couldn't be as bold in writing. The first game was amazing, the second game was something out of this world. Probably the most intricate writing I have ever seen in any fictional media. Such an amazing game that did much of what the first game did good and did a ton of it better.
I'm really looking forward to how they adapt this for the tv show. Great reaction!
kinda feels like Ellie was saying to Abby to take her PTSD Memories of Joel out of her when she says "just take him"....
Damn this is a good interpretation! Sheds a new meaning for me
@@hectortorres8188 Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault.
PTSD has been known by many names in the past, such as “shell shock” during the years of World War I and “combat fatigue” after World War II. But PTSD does not just happen to combat veterans. PTSD can occur in all people, in people of any ethnicity, nationality or culture, and any age. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults, and an estimated one in 11 people will be diagnosed PTSD in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD.
People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or an accidental touch.
@@hectortorres8188 of course..this take years and even then most likely you learn to live with it...but she releasing Abby was like her starting point to a healing process ,
Héctor Torres There have been many cases where even whole families have confronted a family members murderer and have forgiven them. There have been parents confronting their son’s murderer this way. There have also been parents who want to kill the murderer. Both are totally possible of happening. And Abby looked like she suffered a great deal at the end, not to mention the fact that Abby couldn’t put up a big fight due to her weakened state, maybe Ellie found the whole ordeal unsatisfactory and therefore gave up and let her go
@@hectortorres8188 You're generalising too much. There have been families wishing death on the murderer and there have also been families (mostly of the religious kind) who forgive. Both are possible because both have happened, and that's the point. It may be more likely for a family to condemn than to forgive but that's not what we're talking about. It may be unrealistic to you because you can't see why a family member would forgive, but trust me there are people out there who forgive, usually the type of people who have a strong belief in the universe, karma, religion and the 'everything happens for a reason' type
GOTY for sure, glad you guys liked it. As Gandhi said, "An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind." Sad that Ellie never got to rekindle her relationship with her adoptive father, there last conversation ever was a start to that, the next time she saw him, he lay dying. Ending showed she finally left the past in the past and went back to Jackson to try and reunite with Dina. And the new main screen you two left out showed that Abby made it to Catalina island, hopefully with Lev alive. I sided so much with her when they switched to the other side of the coin and had us play her, a life dedicated to revenge, strength training etc, rejecting relationship with Owen to continue her search for Joel....Revenge truly destroyed everything they loved.....
I love how Abby essentially became Joel. She started out broken and full of hate and through a younger “sibling” figure she changed and found a way to hope again. I hated the game the first time I beat it, but after a few days of reflection I came to love the story they told. It’s bold of them to create a game that’s really not meant to be fun, but in the end the story left me with days of deep thoughts and how to let things go.
"10/10 and better than the first one..." yep, that was my thoughts as well - and the first one is the most perfect narrative I've ever played up until this one.
The entire santa barbara part is a rescue mission, ellie rescuses herself as well as rescuse abby and lev by single handedly wiping out the rattlers
17:28 that is so sweet, probably the first genuinely smile we see from Lev and it is because Abby was really happy.
The interview the cast had with “Kinda funny games” explains everything. A lot can change people in 5 years. Just how everyone thinks Joel would never trust a group of strangers. Him being around those people in Jackson probably changed his perspective on things. That’s just a life lesson and human mistake which we all live. Yeah we all loved Joel for a fact. But you know he had it coming when Ellie asked him if he ever wrong, ambush or tortured good/bad people in the first game. Two perspectives in this game just showed that everyone has a story to tell.
Maybe Part 3 should have a different protagonist and be set during the years Joel was attacking inocent people to steal their stuff and have him be one of or the villain of that game. Then maybe people would understand that he's not the saint they think he is and only suffered the consequences of his actions.
Troy Baker did say in an interview that the years had made him more trusting of people and a better person in general... And perhaps his last regret or thought while dying is this what i get for being complacent and letting my guard down
My thoughts on Abby is that her story is a sort of parallel to Joel's own story. Between the events of outbreak day and the loss of his daughter and the 20 year span before he first meets Ellie; we generally have no idea what kind of deeds Joel might have committed (good or bad). Abby's story starts in a place that would be equivalent to Joel's 20 year time jump. Then we get to see her grow as a person with Lev and Yara similar to Joel and Ellie. We get to see her give up everything and do anything to protect these kids - just like Joel and Ellie.
It occurs to me now, after Ellie decided to pursue revenge that second time, everything she lost was due to her own actions. Even if her story would have ended with killing Abby, she still would have lost so much. She still would have lost Dina, JJ, and her idyllic life on the ranch. She still would have lost her fingers and therefore her only remaining link to Joel through playing guitar. She made her decision to keep hunting and that was her downfall. Fortunately, she was granted the mercy of being capable of forgiveness. This is what makes Ellie's arc work, and what kept her from becoming a basic thug. Great thoughts, from both of you. Take care!
I think she would've lost Dina wether she stayed or not. The PTSD was consuming her and without the release that the final confrontation gave her, she likely would've ended up as bitter as Tommy.
She didn't lose dina. She had her bracelet back in the final scene, which she didn't have fighting abby.. And she was healed. Implying she went back to jackson already. And she went back to the house for Joel's guitar, but left it.
That's very possible. But one detail that nags at me about that theory is, why then did she also leave behind all her art supplies, her records, and other personal items that had no connection to Joel's memory? And while I see that it's possible Ellie get the bracelet back after reconciling with Dina, I think it could also be possible she always had it with her but just wasn't wearing it all the time. If you look back at the cutscene where Tommy visits the farm, Ellie isn't wearing the bracelet them either.
I really appreciate Nikki yelling at Ellie to stop, I was doing the same, I think it was right then when I so desperately wanted Ellie to stop and keep a part of her humanity. I was so emotionally shattered after, realizing Ellie's journey, and thinking of similar situations in real life.
Both the Last of Us 1 and part 2 made me cry several times, I’m not ashamed to admit it.
The radio call was legitimate. The new title screen shows Abby's boat outside the domed building on Catalina Island.... confirmed by Neil Druckmann.
I think if there is a 3rd game that Fireflys will will have a doctor that can create that cure and you'll play a firefly, maybe Abby (though I think they'd use the opportunity to unravel a new character you don't know yet), looking for Ellie. Who knows where it goes from there.
I like this comment section it has people who understand the game and apreciate it for what it Is i love to see that
It took me a year to finally play this. And Agree with Steve 100%. Best game i ever played. We play games and slaughter endless people and this game makes you actually rethink that whole thing. Abby never wanted to kill Ellie and she had several chances to.
Ellie had survivor's guilt because her friend and first love died and she didn't. That's why she hated Joe's decision (deep inside she didn't truly hated him). And when she had decided to be in good terms with it, Abby "stole" her the opportunity to really forgive Joe. That's why she was so driven, not really because of Abby but because she couldn't bring herself to let go of Joe and the pain. But Ultimately Joe saved her again even after his death. I read somewhere that TLoUS2 is the "Empire Strikes Back" of this saga. Ends in a dark tone, but full of possibilities
you know his name is Joel, right?
The truly ironic thing is if Elle didn’t go for revenge Abbie would of died. due to Ellie going for revenge again she saves her
It’s really nice you shared this experience, not just with us but each other. It was very sweet when you checked in on each other at emotional moments...I did the exact same thing with my wife and was so happy to have someone to talk with as I went. The couples that play together, stay together!
I'm glad I wasn't the only one confused by the woman with the ponytail at the pillars!
Ghost of Tsushima will hold you over after this if you haven't started it already. That game, honestly, has a few brutal and somber moments too. PS4 really ended strong with these 2 games.
After you finish the game, the title screen is now a boat landed on an island with a dome off in the distance insinuating that Abby and lev made it to the fireflies
When fighting the Rattlers I released the infected and watched the mayhem that ensued... so much fun!
I did the same. Hilarious lol
Only video games have the ability to tell stories this way and make you feel these emotions. This game tears you down and makes you feel things even movies cant make you feel. Great game!
This is an amazing story. The flash Ellie has when Abby is almost gone is the single most important moment in the story, for me: everything turned upside down - and for the good. At the very edge of the abyss, she was able to save the last shred of soul she still had. And it paid all the effort mad to get to that point. It's gonna be a while until another game such as this comes up.
I just don't understand how people can finish this game, and hate it because Ellie didn't kill Abby. Just to have the whole point of the story *whiff* like that. I'm not saying that to imply that the people who do love the game are somehow smarter, it's just that there almost seems to be two completely different psychic organisms that we collectively call "humans" because they otherwise resemble each other. This game seems to be something of a social experiment to determine levels of human empathy. "If Ellie didn't kill Abby, then it was all for nothing," they say, as if life is always about achieving the goal you set out for, regardless of whether it is the right thing to do. What we see here is Ellie learning a lesson moments *before* an act of vengeance that Abby learned moments *after* (literally...go watch the part where we see Abby's perspective on the "golf club" scene....she's empty after the act, and realizes too late that it didn't solve anything). Just such a beautiful, haunting work, and I home Druckmann et al take the backlash in stride and continue to make games that they want to make. They have earned my trust with this game especially.
Really happy I found your channel. So nice to see youtubers who actually made an effort to accept this story on its own terms and think critically about the message and the point of it all. I cried playing this, and I cried along with you watching your reactions. Looking forward to checking out your other content. Great to find thoughtful players.
I'm really glad you 2 loved this game. I admit, when I finished it the first time I wasn't sure if I loved it or hated it, but after taking some time to calm down and really think it over, I think it's one of the greatest games that's ever been made.
If somehow the lord gave me a second chance at that moment I would do it all over again. Im.not crying you are.🥺
Joel's a Dad. He became one again. That means a lot.
I literally beat this game for like the 6th time just yesterday cause I like it a lot and it’s fun. The ending is still hard for me, and seeing Joel die I cried.
This game is so amazing I loved the hell out of it. I love the depth it goes to and the amount of butterfly effects I can go through is also very cool. You can go all the way back and see what would happen lets say if Abby had not spared Ellies life twice.....she would have been stuck on that damn pillar at the end. Compassion and forgivness saved her and Lev. If Tommy had not of shot his mouth off about revenge Ellie would not have gone and Abby would have died slowly. I cant wait for the next one...I gotta see these two meet up again as fireflies.
I’m so happy you guys loved it as much as I did!! The Last of Us has a special place in my heart.. Definitely a game of the year contender, amirite?!
Would have loved to see Ellie and Joel just hug it out at the end..
Just like the first game, you understand it more deeply on each rewatch. This one you can see the story's themes about the cycle of revenge and forgiveness, and how everything around those falls perfectly into place. Like I just now realize Ellie wasn't really looking for revenge against Abby, she was on a mission to forgive Joel. Also, you can extend that to can Dina forgive Ellie for leaving?
this game changed something within, its absolutely amazing and i cant play games the same way again.
Her leaving the guitar behind is such a powerful and often overlooked final goodbye to Joel for Ellie, now she has to tell her own story
Joel: “If the lord gave me a second chance at that moment. I would do it all over again.”
Me: Played part 1 over 10x.
Refreshing to hear some thoughtful reflection. I've never had a game - and rarely, if ever, a story - reach me as much as this, delving so deep into the darkness it finds the light buried beneath it.
The narrative is driven by hate fueled by pain, set in a fractured yet brokenly beautiful post-apocalyptic world closer to ruin than recovery. The player is put in positions where violence is regrettable but unavoidable; no act of violence is committed for its own sick sake, but in service of the story. It's the most violent anti-violence game I've ever played.
At certain pivotal moments it is emotionally challenging to hold the controller in your hands - not by accident but by design. Not because the violence is gratuitously and sadistically traumatic, but because it's so viscerally and vicariously tragic. To experience first hand from opposing perspectives the futility of the same fight...never before has fiction inspired empathy in a way that has you simultaneously feeling the pain of two conflicting sides, to the point where each legitimate grievance cancels out the other, and you realise there are no sides, only the shared struggle to survive. And have your soul survive along with your life.
It shows how destructive and self-perpetuating hate, anger, and violence can be, how insatiable the ego's appetite. The brutal manner in which Ellie tears her way through enemies in pursuit of revenge, shows the cost of hate, not just on those she kills, but herself. The game doesn't want you to be entirely comfortable with killing, or witnessing Ellie trade-off her humanity as she becomes increasingly consumed by vengence. Then there's the conflict from the opposing perspective; Abbey eventually learns that conflict just for the sake of "us and them" is hollow, and realises that the only real reason to kill in this kill-or-be-killed world is to protect those you love, not seek payback on those who hurt them. In most cases she is forced to resort to violence not because she wants to, but because her enemies give her no choice; it is their refusal to sympathise with her motives, their inability to see beyond the artificial borders of tribe, that sealed their deaths. In this way the gameplay not only upholds but also reinforces the narrative.
Immersing myself in a story that involves sympathetically flawed characters in conflict who find themselves compelled down paths they might not wish to tread, dealing with the consequences of morally ambiguous choices, at a point in my life where I'm questioning my own goodness, certainly makes me more emotionally responsive. But the hate towards the game saddens me, because the people who need to 'get it' the most, clearly aren't getting it at all. Or maybe they are, and are angry because it's easier to condemn than understand; maybe their resistance is a sign that something is sinking in. I dont know. Some people seem unable or unwilling to accept that there is no story if a character never changes, or even has their journey come to an end.
With the final choice in your hands, a shocking motif is suddenly flipped and softened, and all accumulated anguish turns to sorrowful acceptance. A healing hurt; pain not on the way in but on the way out, and all that remains is a bloodied, battered heart that was hidden beneath hate all along.
If an eye for an eye doesn't make the whole world blind, then two eyes for an eye certainly does.
There was a point where Joel died and Ellie couldn't forgive Joel because he obviously is dead, so she forgave Abby at the end for killing Joel, at the end that short clip where Ellie and Joel had a convo, it was about forgiveness. idk that's just my point
Loved the way you "felt" the game, its ending, the whole drama of the story, Ellie's loneliness , devastation and that bitter feeling the plot left after the game ended
You are one of the few people who understood everything right.
The irony thought that there is no "right" in this game...
The analysis at the end is spot on, very level headed, appreciate it!
"I honestly never thought a game could do that to me" - That's EXACTLY what i felt. Welcome to the club.
Edit - Okay sorry, "How am i supposed to play another game after that" - That's EXACTLY what i felt (part II)
Loved watching your reactions & thoughts to this. I’m a huge fan of when stories aren’t afraid to get unapologetic and daring and emotional and show different viewpoints. No good guys or bad guys; just people.
They wanted to originally have Ellie kill Abby but I’m glad they stuck with this ending.
Agree. This second part is even better than the first one (wich was awesome)
I think Ellie actually went back to Jackson first after getting back from Santa Barbara. She's wearing Dina's bracelet (which she wasn't wearing in Santa Barbara). So I think she and Dina reunited in Jackson and she went back to the house to retrieve Joel's guitar. But she decided to leave it all behind her and move on to a new future. Finding forgiveness. Free from guilt, hatred, and anger.
i would like to believe that too, but i'm wondering why would she go back to jackson instead of going back to the farmhouse first? there's no way she could have known dina went back to jackson. she simply could have been not wearing the bracelet before, and put it on at the end
@@jamesliggins891 I'm thinking she may have gone to tell Tommy first, figuring that Dina wouldn't have stayed at the house all by herself with no one else to help her with the baby. So it's reasonable to think that Dina would have gone back to Jackson as well since she had a support system there (Jesse's parents said in the letter that she was always welcome and had a home there in Jackson). Also, if you notice her fingers, they seem to have been operated on and properly closed up (especially if you view her post-Santa Barbara character model) so it appears she had medical attention at some point prior to going back to the farmhouse.
Yes. So many people missed that.
Dont know if thats the case, i mean is possible but we dont know about it
@@mpetrie from what i understand, if you read ellie's journal at the end it points to her not going back to jackson and being alone
I have already seen your story review video, but I was curious to see your initial reactions right after finishing it.
Your "How am I ever to be able to play a game after this" was basically my own reaction. This game was so much more than your average game, that one is set up for dissapointment if one asks for a similar experience from other games in the future.
Even though "Ghost of Tsushima" comes pretty close when it comes to telling a story in a compelling and true to its own logic way.
that scene of Ellie reminiscing about Joel at the end is the night before he died
What an amazing video game. This really raised the bar. Unreal.
I’ve played FF7 remake and now playing Ghost of Tsushima and the fact I still reflect on LOU2 says a lot about a game’s story. Excellent game.
Thank you both for this playthrough. This game, is damn near perfect. By the time the game gets to California I cared about both Ellie and Abby. It was a helluva journey!
Joel cried tears of sadness at the beginning of this series, and cried tears of happiness at the end. 😭
Thank you.. for sharing your play through. I am still processing after I finished it a few weeks ago. I really can't think of any other game that hit me as hard as this one did.
Loved that Smile Ellie gives at 53:27 about the bite. And that last scene with Joel will always give me The feels, It’s that cry in his Voice when he spoke. I will miss these moments between them. Hopefully they don’t completely write her off if the make more TLOU, I know there’s is no ‘Main Character’ only survivors, I love this World that Amy Hennig and Bruce Straley created, I love Joel, and Ellie, Tommy, everyone. Even Abby, we went through her journey with her, And many of us are changed because of this amazing story.
Really loved this game man and your guys commentary is awesome as always
Thank you. Thank you for letting me know I wasn’t alone in how I felt about this ending. I subscribed for this alone and I want to say I appreciate the honesty you approached this intricate story with.
The end looks worse than it is. Elli is still with Dina and only says goodbye to Joel on the farm. Since her first visit to the farm and later in Santa Babara, she no longer wore Dina's bracelet and did not have it in her backpack. In the end she wore it again. In addition, she was wearing new clothes and was unarmed. In her room there were only memorabilia and no clothes and there was also no farewell letter in case you returned. That means between Santa Babara and the farm she was already with Dina in Jackson. What you could have read in the diary if you had read it. There are also thoughts of suicide because she is still struggling with it. That's why Elli is back to the farm ... to finish off with Joel and her old life.
Furthermore, Dina never ended her relationship with Elli. She just said she couldn't do that AGAIN. AGAIN means walking with her. In the beginning she said "you go, i go". AGAIN, this is not possible. She has a child and responsibility. Even with baby and without Elli, she cannot farm any farm. That's why she's back to Jackson. They only lived on the farm anyway because Elli couldn't stand a lot of people around her due to her health.
Druckman also said that he wanted a hopeful end for Elli and we got it. You just have to look closely, as with many things in the game.
I’m scared of ending up alone
-ellie
And in the end her fear became a reality because she chose selfish revenge over being with the ones she loves ❤ 🥵
@@aaronatkinson177 I didn’t see it as selfish revenge. I think she needed to go after Abby again for closure and peace of mind. She was still experiencing PTSD despite living peacefully in the farm, and because she didn’t know how else to cope and process these emotions she thought that killing Abby would be the right decision
@@aaronatkinson177 still consider her leaving as revenge just proved you don’t understand her part of story and her character as well
I think it is a real masterpiece. The story is so deep and meaningful - about hate, emptiness, loosing loved ones.. and hope for recovery.. by breaking the killing circle. The fact that people are so passionate about characters as real live persons just brings this game on top level. First time got emotional on videogame... Thanks, NaughtyDog.
I loved the game. I'm glad you did too. It should be game of the year. I already beat The Ghost of Tsushima and it's a great beautiful game. But it lacks the emotion and suspense that this game has.
This game had some of the most intense heart wrenching scenes ive ever seen.
If Ellie killed abby she’d be leaving lev vulnerable. Remember Lev’s fear of oceans…well, Ellie would’ve left him stranded next to one. And she would’ve killed the only person who could comfort him if he had a panic attack. Or Ellie would have to kill him and I know Joel wouldn’t want her to kill a child let alone a pregnant women, even if it was on accident.
In fact I think he wouldn’t even want Ellie to be doing all this. Especially when it stemmed from a choice he made. And think about how easily Tommy could’ve wrapped this up if Dina, Ellie and Jesse didn’t interfere. Revenge would’ve been had and Ellie wouldn’t lose anything else. Ellie’s deep push back at forgiving Joel is as the crux of her decision making.
I don't think Ellie gave a shit about Lev though. She only stopped choking Abby because she saw Joel in her head.
Plus she held a knife to Lev's neck unless Abby fought her.
One of the best walkthrough i saw, im 44 and i feel exactly the same. Thanks for the ride 👍
At the end of the credits there is a very soulful and touching song that also touches the soul.
Wow, it's SO great to see intelligent and emotionally mature people react ti this game. It makes a change from all the whingeing "IHATEABBYSHESABITCHWHYDIDNTELLIEKILLHER" children you usually get.
I too put it as better than the first. And I also put the two parts played together as arguably one of the best stories ever told in media and certainly in video games. I do think the game has its flaws, but even after a month and a half I think the story is great. I imagine she does go back to Dina. Idk what comes from that but inevitably I do feel like Dina can find a way to forgive her and move forward. Also love how open minded and understanding you guys are when it comes to stories
I enjoyed watching this. I've played this 5 times and every time it destroys me. This is a MASTERPIECE !! THANK YOU GUYS.
nikki obsessing over how nice the houses are is me. walking around wasteland seattle like "wow, i'd live here."
Finally, 3 days watching ur journey of this game.. i enjoy it.. thanks.. i cried too..
We all feel bad at the end when Ellie decide to fight Abby and want to kill her. it was everyone's deciscion at first but then when we played the whole game knew her past, her story, what all she have been through... we finish to understand Abby is not a bad person, we judged her too easily (something people do even real life) she did bad things it's true but for some good reasons we can try to understand. Like Joel saving Ellie but killing Abby's father. Of course there will always have bad people in an apocalypse world but Naughty Dog tried to make us understand it's not because we make bad choices or bad things that means we are bad people. Like the Fireflies we could consider they are bad people because they want kill a child to find a curse. killing a innocent child no matter the reason it's always horrible but humanity sometimes have to do horrible things to survive and unfortunately those things happen in real life too like in war countries...
This game makes us understand revenge is never a good solution and it's always the cause of loosing everything you care Abby lost her community, her friends, her boyfriend... Ellie lost exactly the same. Those are things humans need to meditate on these subjects ! The whole game is making us asking what is good or not and that's brilliant.
Honestly I'm so PISSED OFF about this community who only hate the game because the story is basing on deep important messages and not on a story people wanted to play, they rather to do ignorants instead to see the real masterpiece beyond this incredible game. At least I'm glad to see there are still people like Steven and Nikkie who are open-minded and try to understand the reasonings instead criticize the game like fools.That's the reason why it was a pleasure to share this experience with their reactions in the game. THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS LOVE YOU
Just watched your whole series for TLOU2... absolutely loved it. I really loved how you both seemed to empathise with Abby....because as soon as I saw her backstory I felt for her too. Thanks for a great reaction guys! x
you guys are now officially my all time favorite streaming duo! ❤️
The outstanding story is why both 1 and 2 won game of the year.
Same feeling i had after finishing it. I couldn't play any other games after. This is the magic of Sony's studios especially Naughty Dog. Can't wait to see the HBO series.
Perfect stream and reaction guys. 👏
when elie ruturened to the barn from santa barbara she didnt have any guns or melee weapons so maybe she traveled to jackson first and the she returned to the barn for the guitar so it wasnt a bad ending I hope we see elie and dina and her child together in part 3
I think Ellie always carries the switchblade from her mother Anna in the back pocket of her pants , and the gun she got from Joel in The Last of Us in her backpack.
That's what I believe.
@@Nesho1 actually Ellie loses her switchblade in the fight you see abby smack it out of her hand and it falling in the water that blade is gone.
@@unknown-udknowme8408 You're right. But if we think that the switchblade together with the letter are the only items that Ellie has from her late mother Anna, maybe Ellie has found the switchblade after the fight with Abby.
@@Nesho1 based on the ending i doubt so, Ellie never goes anywhere without her switchblade i mean it fell in the water and they moved around a lot too... my guess it's gone forever.
Ive never played a game so dividing, depressing, thougtful, and beautiful.. everything about this game is just 👌 some story bits are not needed but i feel like they made the game what it is.
Thanks for letting us watch you play this game. What an experience aye? P.s the credits nearly broke me. At the end Ellie starts singing, and then Joel does too.
Totally with you. I loved it. Masterpiece
I'm so glad you understand the game
And you're not one of those people who hate it only because joel dies .
hey guys, great job on another playthrough! I believe this game is a masterpeice! No game in history creates this much emotion! but boy is it decisive!
Excellent playthrough loved you and your wife's commentary
Sam - What are you scared of? Ellie - I’m scared of ending up alone. TLOU2 - 🤔🤔
It’s crazy how we go back on our word sometimes when certain events happen in life.
well i mean...she's not alone
James Liggins She kinda is....Jesse n Joel dead, Dina gone, Tommy pissed at her......
@@christhames22 from my understanding of the ending, ellie went back to jackson before returning to the farmhouse, which is why she has Dina's bracelet on. which would mean she reconciled with dina in some way. she also, of course, has everyone else in Jackson, and i'm sure she will reconcile with tommy too
James Liggins I noticed that to but we don’t know for sure how it really went down. For all we know Dina didn’t forgive her and gave it to her like as something to remember her by
Most likely Ellie did not lose everything. Look at the final farm scene again at the end. She is wearing Dina's bracelet which she was not while fighting Abby, plus her fingers we healed. That implies she already went back to Jackson, got medical attention, and reconciled with Dina before that scene. She only went back to get the guitar, which she decided to leave to move on. It was VERY show, don't tell.