As disappointed as I am to admit, unfortunately, TheGamer wasn’t lucky enough to snag an advance copy of The Last of Us: Part II. So, I - much like you (I assume) - am eagerly awaiting the long-awaited, pre-ordered, and downloaded title to unlock on my PlayStation 4 so I can get my (presumably incredible) weekend started.
As such, with only two days left until The Last of Us: Part II releases, I decided to jump back in and replay The Last of Us: Left Behind in anticipation of Friday’s launch. And, honestly? I am super glad that I did. First, though, allow me to provide a bit of context.
(Non)Spoiler Alert!
As with any major release these days, there is bound to be controversy - which in The Last of Us: Part II’s case, came in the form of confusing delays, crunch accusations, and leaks - along with criticism surrounding the reviews of the game itself, which, again, has already come in the form of “paid review” accusations, not to mention a certain Twitter feud that everyone in the gaming industry seemed to have a hot take on.
I’m not here to elaborate on any of that, though. In fact, while my role at TheGamer often results in me having more insight into an unreleased title than a video game player who doesn’t also work in the industry, I generally do my best to avoid any news that may result in my gameplay experience being spoiled in the slightest. This is especially true for any major games that I will personally be reviewing.
Sure, I’ve seen a handful of the scores that have already gone up for The Last of Us: Part II. That accolade infographic is a bit hard to miss for someone who spends as much time on Twitter as I do. However, that’s where it ends for me. No specifics. Not even reading the quick-hit blurbs pulled from the reviews. Just a simple scroll past with a quick tinge of Christmas Eve-like excitement for the game’s release.
Back In Action
Which brings me to last night, when I decided to replay Left Behind. Given the number of games that I’ve played recently (all of which have been for my job), I figured a replay of Left Behind would be a good idea for diving back into the apocalyptic world that I spent countless hours in years ago, while refamiliarizing myself with Ellie, Riley, and their relationship that will likely play some kind of role in The Last of Us: Part II - whether it be in the form of flashbacks or a continuing attribution to Ellie’s survivor’s guilt. That heavy, emotional weight, which played out through the entirety of its narrative, is arguably what made the original The Last of Us so powerful. There is little doubt in my mind that that changes in Part II.
I also wanted to refamiliarize myself with the overall control scheme and strategy of The Last of Us. Crafting bandages, Molotov cocktails, and shrapnel bombs resulted in my mouth brandishing a nostalgic grin as I thought, “Oh yea, now I remember how this works.” Encounters with bandits also led to some pulse-elevating situations, in which every arrow or bullet counted. Finally, encountering the infected (and especially the “Clickers”) instilled a feeling of dread that I haven’t felt while playing a game in a long time.
While in some instances, I would wait out each zombie’s pattern movement to stealthy take each one out one-by-one, other times, I found myself running from a horde of infected, just hoping that I would make it to my next objective before they got to me. It was an awesome reminder that The Last of Us allowed players to take on pretty much every encounter however they saw fit; a mechanic that I imagine will be honed to near-perfection in The Last of Us: Part II.
Not only did my two-hour playthrough of The Last of Us: Left Behind remind me just how much I love this franchise, it also has me primed and ready to take on whatever lies ahead for me in The Last of Us: Part II. Do you need to play (or replay) Left Behind to enjoy or appreciate everything that The Last of Us: Part II will offer up when it releases this Friday, June 19th? No, probably not. But you probably should.
NEXT: Someday You’ll Return Devs Have Already Used Post-Launch Feedback To Improve Gameplay
