The Last of Us Part II Review (Bearsonal)
A Technical and Storytelling Marvel
The Last of Us Part II is one of the best games I’ve ever played. The story is amazingly told, the gameplay is phenomenal, and the graphics are insane. Naughty Dog put so much effort into every part of this game, and it's incredible. Not everyone liked this story, but a courageous story like The Last of Us Part II is what's missing in this industry so it was definitely for me. It left a huge impact on me since I first played it in December 2024.
I played the game on PlayStation before. You can view my The Last of Us Part II gameplay details at the top comment below.
Crazy Attention to Detail
The level of detail in this game is simply amazing. An example of that is when Ellie plays the guitar, her fingers press the right strings for each key. Which is something you never see in games. There are countless things like this in the game that are too long to talk about in a limited review. Every little thing in this game is carefully made, and it’s honestly crazy.
Peak Storytelling
The storytelling in The Last of Us Part II is one of the most well-told I’ve ever seen in a game. You never see a story told this masterfully, with this high of a budget. The cinematics are directed perfectly, the acting is great, and the dialogue, and cinematography are all outstanding. Many people didn't like the story of this sequel after the great story of the first one, but I liked this even more. I don't think many people understood the story Naughty Dog was going for here. You mostly don't see stories this courageous in gaming, and as someone who is bored as hell of generic and predictable scenarios and storytelling, I loved this game's narrative. The game really makes you think about revenge and violence, and it forces you to see different sides of the story.
The Gameplay is Phenomenal
The gameplay is simply the best in the genre, even to this day in 2025. It even tops Red Dead Redemption II in the gameplay side in combining action-stealth gameplay in my opinion. The enemy AI is smart, something you mostly never see if you aren't playing a Hideo Kojima game. They communicate with each other, react to you accordingly, and don’t just stand there like dumb NPCs, which adds to the combat quality immensely. The game also allows you to play in different playstyles, the levels and combat are designed that way. Naughty Dog didn't just create game mechanics and leave it there, they carefully tailored the game bit by bit to complement the gameplay. It's so good I still didn't have enough of it at my first playthrough but wanted to wait for the PC release for a second playthrough.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3377945598
One of the Best Looking Games Ever
Visually, this game is absolutely stunning. The graphics are still one of the best in 2025. The art direction is phenomenal. The character animations are some of the best I’ve ever seen, both in-game and in cinematics. The cutscene quality is on par with Death Stranding, both are the top standards in 2025 for photorealistic
cutscenes with amazing direction.
The Flaws
Even though I love the game, it does have some minor issues. The pacing can feel slow at times, where in some parts you just loot and loot for minutes. Another issue for me is how overly dark and negative the experience is most of the time. It feels like nothing good ever happens, and the game keeps pushing the pain and suffering to an extreme level. There’s almost no balance to it, it’s just non-stop depression. Another issue is the exaggerated woke elements. I have no problem with diverse characters, but sometimes it feels forced like with Lev. It doesn’t ruin the game, I still like the characters and think they are presented really well, but it’s noticeable.
Music and Sound Design - Exceptional
Gustavo Santaollalla nailed it once again with music. The game has a beautiful soundtrack that I listen to in my free time. The sound design is shockingly, exceptional.
Optimization
I will edit this part later on.
Conclusion
The Last of Us Part II is one of the best games ever made. The insane attention to detail, the emotional story, and the incredible gameplay make it an unforgettable experience. Naughty Dog once again proves they are one of the best studios out there, and PlayStation deserves a lot of credit for top-of-the-industry games like this. Whether you love or hate some of the choices in the story, you can’t deny how well-made this game is. The Last of Us Part II is a masterpiece.
PLATINUM MEDAL
Follow My Curator Page For More Reviews ⚜️