![]() ![]() In recent years, gamers have called upon developers to make games more accessible and inclusive. Among the many Naughty Dog included are options to tweak difficulty a full suite of combat accessibility options the ability to remap buttons, adjust HUD, enhance Listen mode optional navigation cues skip cutscenes replay cutscenes while they're happening and many more to create a custom experience tailor-made for each gamer. It is impressive in this regard that there are more than 60 options in the settings to tweak the experience for each person's comfort level. ![]() One awesome option available in the accessibility menu prevents the player from falling off ledges that will kill the player, which is something more games could benefit from since it's usually silly when a player unknowingly falls to their demise when they couldn't see because of the camera. It can sometimes be difficult to nail the exact timing for a leap, so unless the player selects the assist option for cues with leaps and jumps, there will likely be some mistimed sequences. Naughty Dog did a good job making sure Ellie controls differently than Joel did in the original. When jumping across platforms, Ellie still isn't as nimble as Nathan Drake in the Uncharted games since The Last of Us is more "grounded" and "heavy" with its gameplay. There's also an option to switch the controls for driving the boat. Navigating by boat will likely feel unnatural compared to how smooth and effortless it is to navigate Ellie, but it makes more sense because of the chaotic water, so this may have been by design. The only potential slights with movement will be when controlling the boat and jumping across platforms. The inputs overall are accurate and don't feel like they're about to do something you didn't want to have happen during your gameplay. Whether it is on foot or horseback, the movement usually feels perfect. This is important to constantly illustrate what the characters are experiencing and convey the ramifications of their decisions on the rest of the world. This is the equivalent of Batman's cape and suit showcasing damage in the Arkham games, but it's taken to another level as NPCs experience the same. For example, scars and blemishes from one scene carry over to future scenes as you would expect. These scenes represent the culmination of everything the people in this world fought to build to survive and live a life resembling the normalcy they experienced or were told about before the outbreak.įrom a gameplay perspective, the tutorials are woven into the opening act to make sure they don't feel like a slog or burden. Controlling your character feels incredibly smooth, responsive and nearly flawless courtesy of arguably the best character designs and animations in gaming.Ĭharacters have realistic facial animations and muscle definition that you can see throughout the game. The opening scenes provide a sense of serenity that is necessary for fans after the way Part I ended. There's plenty of sequences like this throughout Part II, and it helps the pacing of this lengthy game, which is even more expansive than Uncharted 4 was in 2016. The musical tones are carefully constructed and enhance the experience, while other scenes are left with silence so the player can feel the gravity of the moment. Naughty Dog is excellent at allowing moments and revelations to resonate instead of pushing too quickly to the next story beat. Physics and animations appear natural, such as seeing snow fall off tree branches as your character brushes by or the way the lighting crosses the screen, whether it's from the sun or a flashlight. This is all coupled with environments that feel lived-in thanks to the immense detail throughout each area. Naughty Dog leads the way with impeccable character models, animations, voice acting and lip-syncing that feels lifelike. It's presented in a compelling way that will likely force a rush of emotions for those returning from Part I to prepare for the continuation of what was an emotionally taxing journey.Įvery year, the medium continues to push forward across different aspects of gaming. Immediately, the introduction scene does an excellent job settling the gamer back into the world of The Last of Us.
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