Last of Us 2 is a Bread Sandwich

Warning: There will be some spoilers below

The Last of Us is one of my favorite games of all time. So when Last of Us 2 was coming, I was excited. 

Unfortunately for it (and me) and landed just 2 months into complete lockdown for the Covid 19 pandemic. 

So I'm depressed, because the global pandemic has me locked in my house like everyone else. And this game about a global pandemic that is also incredibly depressing arrives in the mail... and I don't know if I've ever hit a level of despair holding a PlayStation controller as I did playing through LOU2.

I played through it again now that we're out the other side of lockdown (and I've had 3 years of therapy). 

I never minded the "linearity" of a Naughty Dog game because I trust that they will tell an amazing story. They typically know how to balance levity with strong emotional beats. I don't need to make a decision as Nathan Drake because I know the character will make the best decision for the adventure and story they are telling. 

The LOU2 is the first time I've ever wanted decision making skills in a Naughty Dog game. The bloodlust for revenge of the two main protagonist is uncomfortable. I don't know that it's unbelievable, as I've never lost the only thing I have, but I just wanted them to walk away. I just wanted the bloodshed to end. I wanted them to do what I would've done, a rational human not surviving the end of the world. (Although, that is squishy)

It was execution of people who's only crime was being a good friend. Children died or were orphaned. All because the two protagonist don't have access to therapy. 

I wanted the choice to walk away. To end the game 10 hours before it does. To get on with my life on a quiet farm with the love of my life. To move to Santa Monica with the only guy I've ever been interested in. 

To have an adventure with meaning. 

The Last of Us 2 overstays it's welcome. It seems like a bunch of ideas were written on a board and the writers strung them together with a story. 

We don't need a rival militant faction, a cult, and slavers in the same game. Hold back some of these for the inevitable third chapter. 

The game forces you into areas rigged with explosives or exposed to gun fire. In real life, these survivalists would find another way. 

The Last of Us 2 doesn't have enough happiness to balance things out. It's a despair sandwich, where the upbeat moments are the meat. And baby, this sandwich is mostly bread.