[Warning: Spoilers for The Last of Us: Part 2]
Considering how nail-biting and captivating the storyline was in the original The Last of Us: Part 2. It cannot be denied that the reception to the game's story is part of the reason the sequel was met with such controversial reviews by critics and players alike.
On one hand, The Last of Us: Part 2 tried to create parallels between the characters of Abby and Ellie, but only in the most blatant ways. This was seemingly part of the developer’s desire to teach a moral lesson about violence to players, leading up to and culminating in a divisive ending where both the main characters learn how to forgive each other.
Often it felt like The Last of Us: Part 2's writers forced characters to make unrealistic decisions while skipping over important details that would’ve added to the overall story, leaving various plot holes and unbelievable moments in their wake. Needless to say, there’s a lot that could’ve (and likely should’ve) been improved upon.
What Made The Story In TLOU2 So Bad
One of the major issues is the obvious similarities drawn between the two main playable characters, time Ellie spends with Joel at the museum parallels Abby and Owen’s time at the aquarium. It’s all a bit too much
Despite Ellie being the protagonist in the game, players are forced to do despicable things as her to show that she’s not perfect. Then while playing as Abby, on the other hand, players do many of the same things as her that they did with Ellie, except she’s portrayed in a positive light. While Ellie had to kill a dog, Abby gets to pet and play with the pup. Whereas Ellie killed a pregnant woman, Abby spared Dina’s life upon realizing she was pregnant. Again, it felt as though the game was shoving some sort of lesson about morality at players, without being totally clear about what is supposed to be the takeaway.
Finally, another reason some players feel the storytelling in The Last of Us 2 is nothing short of shallow is the myriad of stupid decisions characters made simply in order to progress the story. Take, for example, Joel. He had survived in a post-apocalyptic society for over two decades and managed to successfully take Ellie across the United States in the first game. Out of everyone, he should know the most about survival and safety. But as soon as he meets Abby, he agrees out of nowhere to go back to her camp. He even offers up his name without thinking twice, proving to be a fatal mistake. The Joel in the first game would never have made such a simple mistake. Sure, it needed to happen for the storyline to progress, and some could argue Joel has softened in his older years, but with a bit more effort, the story writers could’ve come up with a more believable way to lead up to Abby killing Joel. The Last of Us 2’s story felt rushed, shallow, and in the end, was a major disappointment for many.
