[Spoiler-filled pre-release review! Survival action with a grown-up Ellie's epic revenge story in "The Last of Us Part II" for PS4!

The Last of Us, a survival action game for PS3 released in 2013, was named "Game of the Year" in over 200 media outlets, representing the best game title of the year. Seven years later, the world's long-awaited sequel, "The Last of Us Part II," will be released on Friday, June 19, 2020. This time, I had the opportunity to play the full version of the game in advance and was able to complete it, so I would like to review it while keeping spoilers to a minimum.

Please note that this article contains spoilers.

The story takes place five years after the previous game, with Ellie as the main character.

In "The Last of Us," the world has collapsed: a mysterious fungus spread throughout the world 20 years ago, causing infected humans to lose their rationality and indiscriminately attacking survivors. With humanity on the brink of extinction, civilization is in a state of daily decline, and the survivors are either forming communities or living small, solitary lives. In the previous film, the protagonist Joel crossed the American continent with Ellie, a young girl who is immune to fungus. At first, the two are at odds, but as they continue their journey, they grow closer. When faced with the decision to produce a vaccine in exchange for Ellie's life, Joel chooses Ellie over the human race. After a long journey, killing and robbing to survive, the two finally make it to Jackson, Wyoming, where they finally find a quiet life.

The film depicts the five years that follow. The protagonist is replaced by Ellie from Joel. She was 14 years old at the time and is now 19. As stated on the official website, the story begins with an event that happened to her while she was living in Jackson. Ellie leaves Jackson behind and decides to take revenge.

Survival unfolds in a severe game balance.

Ellie travels all the way from Jackson, Wyoming to Seattle, Washington (a distance of approximately 1,390 kilometers) to seek revenge. (That's about 1,390 kilometers) to find someone named "Nora". This is where the story really begins.

The visual presentation is more polished than in the previous film, with a more realistic world in which nature and manmade objects are mixed together. It is truly a "movie to play.

On the other hand, the game thoroughly omits elements that would unconditionally help the player, such as icons indicating direction and a mini-map that constantly displays the player's current location. While a map is available, it only shows the player's current location and does not describe the terrain or the structure of buildings. Obstacles such as abandoned cars and debris are arranged as part of the landscape, making it almost impossible to distinguish between the field where you can move and the dead end, even though the game is basically a straight road.

However, if you know where you are going, it is no fun to go on an adventure. It is the wonder of what is out there that makes you want to go. Personally, I prefer to recover from a disadvantageous situation, and the more concise the user interface (UI) and the less information displayed on the screen, the more emotionally involved the player becomes with the characters and the more immersed he or she becomes in the world. Incidentally, there are also scenes where you have to solve riddles as you progress through the story, but you will receive hints when you are stuck, so you will almost never get stuck without solving a riddle.

Exploration is the charm and the heart of this work. The reason for this is that there are very few items, such as bullets, available in the field. I played on NORMAL difficulty, and I had trouble managing items from start to finish. The number of ammunition and materials for crafting are very limited, so you will run out of them in no time when you are fighting against enemies. In addition to materials, some weapons such as shotguns and bowguns, as well as books necessary for learning skills, can be found in the field. When you arrive at a new location, you should be prepared to do some exhaustive research.

While exploring, you will naturally encounter enemies. In this work, you will face not only the infected, but also the "Washington Liberation Front (WLF)," an armed group, and the "Therafite," a cult that cuts open the stomachs of its opponents and shouts "Liberation.

The "WLF" is like an army, attacking with firearms in controlled movements. The "Therafite" are not as powerful as the "WLF," but they mainly use primitive weapons such as bows and axes, and they do not raise their voices, whistling to announce their position and give directions. They are basically solidly composed of several people, which puts them at a disadvantage in terms of numbers from Ellie's point of view. Since the comrade who fights alongside Ellie is basically alone, he will first be turned back when he tries to break through head-on against a large number of enemies.

Therefore, the key is to use stealth skills to sneak up on the enemy and attack, or to make noise to induce the enemy to attack, in order to gain the upper hand. The game offers more ways to use stealth skills than in the previous game, such as "Hofuku" and "Silencer," which suppresses gunfire, allowing for a variety of fighting styles, as well as "Kikimimi," which, when pressed and held, causes surrounding enemies to appear as a white haze, allowing the player to determine their position and make the first move.

All of this, however, depends on how many supplies you gather in your search. If you want to, you can fight with your bare hands without guns or melee weapons, and stealth kills themselves are also possible with bare hands, but defeating all enemies with stealth kills is also not realistic. During my play, I promised to use stealth skills to get rid of the enemies at first, but they would find out halfway through and we would eventually end up in a firefight.

Once the enemy found Ellie, they would take a variety of actions, such as calling for reinforcements or instructing their friends to go around her. If you try to attack while your gun is out of ammunition, you will hear a "click" sound. The way the game is designed is amazing, with the enemy shouting, "I'm out of ammo! The level of detail in the design is astonishing.

The new "evade" action is also very useful in close combat. By pressing the L1 button in time with your opponent's movement, you can avoid their attacks. In the extreme, if you master this action, you can defeat most enemies unharmed and without consuming any items. It is also an effective strategy against some infected, such as "runners" and "stalkers. However, it is powerless against long-range attacks. It is best to use it in a one-on-one situation so as not to be sidetracked.

Although I have written about various ways to fight, most battles can be avoided. You can choose to defeat only the enemies that get in the way of reaching your destination, or you can proceed without touching a single one. It is up to the player to decide how much time to spend on exploration and combat.

In addition to NORMAL, there are "VERYEASY," "EASY," "HARD," and "SURVIVOR" difficulty levels, with five items that change according to the difficulty level: player and friends, enemy strength, ease of hiding, and amount of supplies. Additionally, the five items can be set individually. This allows the player to fight stronger enemies but also get more supplies, to make the player and friends stronger, and to kick the crap out of weaker enemies. The game is designed not only for those who are good at games, but also for light gamers who want to concentrate on the story.

Revenge Begets New Revenge

The sense of uneasiness of searching with little information and the tension of fighting enemies with limited resources are inherited from the previous game. While the severe survival elements are one of the most enjoyable aspects of "The Last of Us," the essence of this title lies in the story that builds on the previous title. The previous work depicted themes such as the bond between parents and children and love that transcends bloodlines.

In this film, revenge is added to love. I cannot divulge the details, but it is a good deal more than that, as they decide to take revenge by abandoning their peaceful lives in Jackson. While the previous film, in which the characters fought various forces, including the military and the resistance group "Firefly," for their own survival, beliefs, and justice, the story of this film, in which revenge for love is played out, is even heavier.

The story of this film, however, is even heavier. She will finish them off without regard to their pleas for her life. The weight of the story is evident in each of Ellie's actions against her enemies in battle. According to Neil Druckman, the director of the film, every enemy in the game has a name. Perhaps this is why it is so hard to listen to the allies shout the names of those killed by Ellie. The reaction varies from enemy to enemy, whether it is rage, crying, or cursing. But Ellie, too, has to fight such opponents in order to achieve revenge.

As you progress through the story, you will find notes throughout the field that give you a glimpse into the memories and pasts of the "WLF" members and other residents of the city. The "WLF" is a group that kills anyone they don't like without mercy, but the people who belong to the "WLF" are human beings with the same blood as Ellie, so it is not a simple showdown between right and wrong, which is the heart and soul of this work, and also the hardest part of it. Unlike games that emphasize the exhilaration of defeating enemies, this game is more like a documentary that captures the lives of the characters.

It took me about 28 hours to complete the game. The harsh and relentless battles and profound character portrayals seen in the first game are still present, but have been brushed up rather than down. I thought the story was complete with the first game, but now that I have finished playing this game, it seems to me that the two games together form a single story called "The Last of Us. Without the first film, there would be no this film. How will Ellie's journey, which involves various elements such as revenge, justice, and love, end? There is only one week left until the release of the film. I hope you will witness it with your own eyes.

(Text: Natsuyoshi Natsuyashirauchi)

Movie Information

The Last of Us Part II

Genre: Survival action

Compatibility: Playstation 4

Player: 1 player

Release date: June 19, 2020 (Friday)

Price: 7,590 yen (including tax) *for both packaged and downloadable versions

CERO: Z (for ages 18 and up)

(C) Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. Created and developed by Naughty Dog, LLC.

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