The Last Of Us 2 | A Passionate Critique

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Come join the fun! Twitter: twitter.com/Zendrecdus Discord: discord.gg/HTM5htc2 Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=9691848

[@C1umsyJester]

Something that’s so massive that people always seem to leave out… WHERE THE FUCK WAS THE FUNERAL OF JOEL?? Hearing Ellie talk about what he meant to her, hearing tommy, or Dina and Jesse and all the towns people, random stories of what he meant to all of them after the years of him being with them. It is so fucked we didn’t get this and there’s so much you can cut out of this game if you needed to make time for it. Such a waste and really disrespectful to the character

[@Zenny-YouTube]

HOLY FUCK. I'm just realising that now wtf

[@C1umsyJester]

@@Zenny-KZbin I’m shocked more people don’t talk about it ngl

[@thefinalboss2403]

We can't have people talking about what a great person some straight white male was... Sounds racist to me.

[@silashurd3597]

You have got to be kidding me. ND really decided to hate on Joel

[@thefinalboss2403]

@@silashurd3597 he's a straight white man. There is no place for him in the woke apocalypse.

[@Natycik]

I kind of dissagre that Abby learnt to forgive. She NEVER acknowledges how much shit she's done, the trauma she caused to Ellie and everyone else. Fuck, she killed Joel right infront of Ellie who begged her to stop and passes it off like nothing. And when she Ellie at the theater, she says how Ellie wasted her mercy. She NEVER thinks that what happened to her friends were the consequences of her actions, she just sees that Ellie is the one in the wrong. Like, "I forgive you for being angry at me and my friends for torturing and killing you father-figure." Well, there were 2 moment, when she does, kind of, acknowledges this: with Owen and with Mel. But, then again, in both cases, she brushes it off and never thinks it through. To be honest, I think she's just too stupid to acknowledge it. Like, she act more on her feelings then thinking it through. Just for example, she starts to care for Mel and Lev only after she sees a DREAM with them hanged. A FUCKING DREAM. She left them alone, unguarded, with no propper medical care in a middle of town populated by the infected and Seraphites. Best guardian ever! She sure did learn how to forgive. Too bad she never learnt the weight of her actions. Or just how to think.

[@mravg79]

I agree also there is so many things just to be plot tools which makes little sense. In dog eat dog world if you cross someone you do not leave any witnesses. Period. So we see Abby who lost her daddy (which was only explained in part two and in part one you could just put an arrow to the knee of the doctor) and she goes psycho. Come on even with eye for an eye this violence seems be to unjustified. The whole group is just watching it? No one said anything? She is done and she in the name of “being better than Joel” not knowing why he did what he did, leaves Ellie and Tommy alive even though the group suggest this will end badly? This to me does not make sense, but sure they could not killed all the characters in two hours so they came with this lazy plot device. I do not see any redeeming quality for Abby. In the fight later on she would have slit Dina’s throat if not for Lev but what for? Her friends dying? but they die due to Abby’s actions. So she should blame herself for it. She show no remorse. On top of this Abby goes with Lev at the end of the game and Ellie is left with nothing she lost everything. So what is the message here? Circle or violence does not resolve anything and on top of it is unfair? One might loose everything while the other also suffer loss but to less extend? The first game was good due to writing: simple story complex characters. This principle was lost in part 2.

[@silashurd3597]

Finally, someone is being logical with this f*cking character

[@Foreseer117]

I have argued this for years. Abby is not driven to change in the slightest and gets rewarded for her psychotic behavior every time.

[@Crensler]

My main problem, besides wondering how the heck Abby got enough protein to become so jacked, is that they tried to humanize her WAY TOO FUCKING LATE. I don't give a shit about her dad or her dogs or her friends halfway through the goddamn narrative. And then the ending just... shits the bed. But that's me :P

[@tymonsulimastalman1727]

I think I have a suspicion as to why they did it. Presumably, if they had tried to make it so that they 'humanised' Abby from the start, after Joel was murdered ALL players would have hated Abby completely, feeling cheated. Bridges would be burned and people play out the rest of story only in a desire for revenge. With the current structure, players simply calmed down after the huge shock, making it easier for people to accept Abby's plot. Especially with the flashbacks playing on the emotions. In my opinion, this is a brilliant emotional manipulation. Of course, not everyone fell for it.

[@izzanirfan2534]

​@@tymonsulimastalman1727yeah i get that too. But because ALL tlou fan including me was expecting to see Ellie and Joel as main character because thts what TLOU all about. Imagine if the walking dead game, Clementine just died in the start of s2,not even see her grow up. Or uncharted,if drake died, No point continue playing. Its like seeing your child/dad get murdered and now you have to take care of the murderer. It will never work

[@tymonsulimastalman1727]

​@@izzanirfan2534 it will work if you make players rationalise it. To make them grab Bait and Switch. After all, there's a whole narrative about Joel being evil because because of his decision to save Ellie they don't have cure. How it was important to the world. After all, there was also the one plot with 2 kids who left a note saying they ran away because they saw people suffering, because they don't have cure. Obviously a typical ‘say don't show’. As far as I'm concerned it was reason that the surgeon became Abby's parent. Why couldn't it be someone other than him? Because he was the most important person to the creation of cure. Plus they made Abby additionally an analogy to Joel and Ellie, which was even more to convince people to ‘sympathise’ with her. It was also for this that they defiled Ellie to make Abby look like a better person.

[@davidpeirce5945]

I can't in good conscience, agree that this game is a masterpiece. The main reason is because it is a The Last of Us game. If the game was a completely different series with a different cast but everything else was the same, sure this would be a decent game, maybe even a good one if you have "Ellie" kill "Abby" and end it with the kid "Abby" was with hunting down "Ellie" to show that the cycle of vengeance never stops or something. That's not important. The problem is that none of the characters from the original game were kept consistent. Joel and Tommy go from being wary of "outsiders" due to their history of dealing with people who would gladly kill them for what they've done (Joel's "I've been on both sides") to being willing to stand in the middle of a room of strangers and give out their names without any kind of security. I get that time has passed and maybe if they were in the middle of their own camp that would make sense but being surrounded by people you don't know should have made them tense enough to know better. It's like Blackbeard walking into a bar by himself and announcing who he is. Next is how they killed Joel, by having the death scene so close to the beginning of the game, you make it an almost impossible sell that the murderer isn't evil. What they should have done is started by following Abby. Don't reveal who she is exactly just that she is hunting down the murderer of her father, then just after the player finds out she's hunting Joel and just before she fights Joel, you switch to Ellie and Joel's POV. Then after the two meet and Abby kills Joel have the rest of it play through Ellie's POV and maybe have Abby yell something about how Joel and Ellie have taken away everything from her and Ellie maybe realizes the Abby and Ellie are the same or something. Now let's talk about the actual death scene. It is incredibly disrespectful. Ignoring how Joel and Tommy act out of character, the actual death is done in the worst way possible. It's the equivalent of clubbing a kid's dog to death in front of them to make them sad. It would have been so much better and so much more in character to have Joel and Abby fight one on one, maybe in the conflict have both of them lose their guns and have to resort to knives, have Ellie and Tommy pre-occupied with Abby's friends and unable to intervein, then show that Joel is getting slower with age earlier in the game so that when this scene plays out it clearly shows that Abby is able to get the upper hand and kill Joel. At this point Abby would be surprised either that she managed to accomplish her goals or that she actually killed someone, either way you could then have Abby's group run off, either having been repelled by Tommy and Ellie or leaving because Abby got what she wanted and doesn't want anyone else to get hurt. After this you would have Abby slowly realize that killing Joel didn't help the empty feeling inside, maybe she drives out her friends because of her rage that nothing has changed and at the end believes they have nothing to live for and is willing to let Ellie kill her. TLDR: The main problem is the presentation. They had old characters act in ways they wouldn't, then killed the most beloved in a way that would have been better if it happened off-screen. Then they took Abby, made her unlikable (more like hate-able), THEN tried to make her relatable and reasonable. It's harder to take a hated character and make them likeable than it is to take a likable character and make them do something awful.

[@theworldbreaker]

All I needed was an auto tuned recording of someone spewing insults to like the video...

[@deadchanneldontwatch7347]

when Fat Geralt punched Lev´s lights outs 2 years later and still laugh

[@krasmasov6852]

Why?

[@majormaxor7592]

39:10 When I saw Tommy, I screamed at the screen for him to just back away and shoot her, but instead, he went in and fought her like a moron. It's when I knew that the game would never punish Abby for her crimes the same way it punished Joel for his. Also, I never hated Tommy or Ellie at any point in this game. All the arguments in Abby's favor fall flat simply because there is no going back from how she killed Joel.

[@frogglen6350]

23:48 I feel like clickers we're upgraded and downgraded. On one hand, staying perfectly still in front of them isn't as safe as it was in the first game because now they have echo location. But at the same time, they're way easier to kill

[@Spideyman.w]

The game might not be a 10/10 masterpiece, but this video was! 👍🏾

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Oh stop it you, you're going to make me blush

[@nedmccann5381]

both games are 10/10

[@TheREALSimagination]

Yeah - how DID they get away with false advertising? I thought that was illegal.

[@ZaLewdWarudo]

It isn't. Learn how the law actually works.

[@TheREALSimagination]

@@ZaLewdWarudo According to the FTC, yes, it is.

[@MasterEth]

The fact that you went so deep into comparing footage from the trailer and the game is astounding, which clearly shows naughty dog really did bamboozle everyone. Dang.

[@-obamium5320]

Reading the story of The Last of Us 2 was a bad experience, the best way to describe it is like reading those terrible young adult novels that take up self space

[@MrHammers]

Bro wtf this is so good. One of the deeper dives into the game I've seen and yet the most entertaining in the editing and narration. My guy this is 11/10, I don't usually watch videos as long as this, but I couldn't look away. Amazing

[@AstralPhnx]

Also holy shit this backstory you've got going for your character is something else holy shit I'm loving it. You're a REALLY FUCKING GOOD WRITER dude. Both review writing and fiction writing. You're REALLY talented at this

[@doplextv]

jesus christ, this video was absolute perfection. ngl, i got stinky big boy tears a few times from your recaps of pivotal moments and that god damn museum flashback. seriously such a good video on probably the most divisive video games in history. good job zenbo

[@Zenny-YouTube]

i think after making this video the way i talk about games has changed forever, we shall see in the next month or 2!

[@1HuntingShark]

I was definitely one of the players who was hooked on Ellie’s story so being forced to play as Abby I just zoned out. Definitely agree about Abby and Lev’s story being a parallel with Joel and Ellie but I couldn’t bring myself to care about it. Some of it was the false advertisement but also I feel it was just re doing the similar narrative beats as the first

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Yeah I can understand if some players couldn't vibe with abby. Naughty dog underestimated everyone's love for Joel and OVER estimated thier ability to write abbys story to make audiences love her

[@C1umsyJester]

21:30 “this isn’t a story where someone jumps in and saves the day” man on the first day of Seattle look at how many times they done the death fake out and then someone pops out to save Ellie last minute. Even in abbys story; it happens over and over again. You know your character isn’t in any danger, you don’t care when you’re in those situations and even if it’s a side character that’s at risk who fucking cares all the side characters are done terribly I did not care when watching this stuff. Only time I cared was with everything to do with Joel at the start, after that I didn’t care because they done the takeout over and over and over again

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Bruh i literally make this exact point in the video! The games makes you THINK that it'll have stakes, but then everyone just gets lucky non stop

[@derrickdiggs8612]

@@Zenny-KZbinI mean…I didn’t get that at all. But everyone else has their own interpretation. I saw the story as being told through Ellie’s psyche and how self-destructive and self-sabotaging she is. At the end she loses finger and can no longer play guitar. The last thing she had connected her to Joel. Abby gave her multiple chances to live. Overall I enjoyed the game but I found Ellie to be very unlikable.

[@derrickdiggs8612]

@@Zenny-KZbin You said that things happened to move the narrative forward. Is that literally how every story ever told, works? No one wants to listen to a story where nothing ever happens. I agree that the writing is very messing, especially with two characters. The time jumps were very jarring.

[@derrickdiggs8612]

@@Zenny-KZbinI wonder if the dual narrative would have worked better with two separate campaigns playing as two different characters. First with Abby as the protagonist and Ellie as antagonist. That would have been interesting. There would have been a lot of backlash and interesting nonetheless.

[@seomber960]

Whats so frustrating was that the game would have been so good if it had been arranged properly.. The jumping around is so jarring.

[@Zenny-YouTube]

A games timeline is always important. This was a massive fumble

[@danielhorrocks9633]

This video is a 10/10, however the whole time I played as Abby, I would purposely see how many ways she could die. The two hour fetch quest for the medical bag did not help.

[@thefinalboss2403]

More like Last of Us Part Poo... Am I right guys?

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Such insight is truly rare these days. Keep it up

[@thefinalboss2403]

@@Zenny-KZbin It's nice to finally get recognition.

[@Hepheat75]

Bro is giving me Hbomberguy and Dumbsville vibes, and I love it.

[@mravg79]

What baffles me is how is it possible that writers and directors of games create and agree on a story which many can clearly point is not a good writing (too much of plot devices combined with deus ex machina). And at the same time some of gamers in the YT comments take the same story keep the main point of it reorder it a bit change it a bit and we get a better script? How? Here shout out to you @Zenny as you did a good job in this regard with Forspoken. Well I have not seen this video past the first section.

[@nolsee1176]

Excellent work. This is one of the best and (most importantly) honest reviews of this game. You articulate and provide evidence for both your praises and criticisms, unlike almost everyone else. You should be very proud of this piece. 10/10.

[@jess9545]

10/10/10/10

[@survive678]

Yessir

[@colder8741]

CONTRADICTION ALERT! Excellent effort is a determined attempt! You know that effort is a determined attempt, the same word you associate with fail, failed suicide, failed murder, failed rape, failed kidnapping, failed theft, failed crimes, doing something stupid, doing something effortless, etc. Attempt is uncertain to work. That's reality. Attempt is typically unsuccessful, guess what that's the opposite of? Succeed! What does succeed mean? It means when a living or non-living thing achieves its purpose! How can attempt be succeed when it is uncertain to succeed? The action is not the result. Attempt is done with the intent of causing objects and people to succeed (including yourself) it only work when it achieves its purpose, not when it attempt to cause a purpose to succeed. The fact that you don't want to say attempt proves that you don't know that effort is a determined attempt. Stop contradicting yourself, it's failing your mind. Synonyms can't be antonyms. Attempt is not guaranteed to cause purposes to be achieved.

[@BiodegradableYTP]

Given everything you were able to highlight in regards to the strength of the writing from Abby's perspective, I am very much convinced Naughty Dog's original idea for this sequel was to be about her story alone and that they needlessly shoe-horned in Ellie's path because they were too chicken to commit to the idea, afraid of backlash from fanboys, so instead you get this ridiculous compromise that undermines the strength of its narrative. But hey, that's just a theory... a game theo-[GUNSHOT]

[@NotoriousTopHat]

Holy shit, Biodegradable! Whats up

[@lucascoval828]

Efap did it better.

[@TheSpiritsLease]

Maybe killing Joel, having Neil Cuckman's character spit on the corpse and pretending he was a terrible person wasn't necessary, and bringing Abby in only to glorify her and convey everything she did as justified is part of the problem.

[@superspinmove]

My man.... jesus. I can't even begin to fathom the amount of work this must've taken, amazing video

[@curseddragonninja22]

Going to the Joel saving Ellie from the hospital at the end of part 1 was the right move(Though Joel did it for a selfish reason). They needed to replicate the immunity, not make a cure. An taking the thing out of Ellie's head would just be killing her for no reason. They weren't scientists, it was a radical group of people with no proper idea on how to help people. They were gonna take the thing out, killing Ellie, and how things will work out. Which is dumb

[@curseddragonninja22]

'and hope things will work out'

[@BioMatic2]

while my opinions about the end my differ and there things that annoy me that werent mentioned, for example i detest how blatant the game is in trying to manipulating us into liking Abbies father by using a zebra or how a vaccine as a solution has a whole bunch problems regarding creation, production and distribution that the story never acknowledges. Despite all that i really like this video because is really well done and being able to express your honest thoughts about the game (both positive and negative) withouth disregarding the feelings of dissapointed fans

[@thefirefades2265]

So here’s my question jerry is a surgeon right. How in the hell would he have any knowledge on how to make a vaccine. Surgeons study and operate on human anatomy. Making vaccinations, treatments, and antibiotics is the job of a biochemist. Plus as a surgeon he would know multiple ways on how to retrieve infected tissue. Perform a brain biopsy if you really need a sample from Ellie’s brain. Also if this vaccine worked ( P.S vaccines don’t work on fungal infections. Vaccines are primarily used for bacteria) how would the world just magically turn around. Sure you can’t get infected but the infected will still try and kill you. People have dissolved into survival mode, having a vaccine wouldn’t change much. And how would they mass produce this vaccine it takes billions of dollars, time, and RESOURCES to make anything for a harmful parasite. Unless the fireflies had some biochemist on their team it’s no wonder they kept failing to make a vaccine, the surgeon doesn’t know what he’s doing. But i don’t know why I’m applying real world medical knowledge to a video game, just something to think about that’s all.

[@Zenny-YouTube]

That's a valid point, it feels like the first game kind of just left that one up for interpretation. Which isn't good but I wouldn't say it takes away from the first game either

[@mikethered4864]

What a fantastically well done and in-depth review. Subbing because I know you're going places and I wanna get my hipster "before he was cool" cred.

[@MetaITurtle]

I figured it out, its because the game was really all about Abby, shes actually the main character and they made Ellie and Joel the side characters. If it was just about Abby the game would of been great. She wouldnt have done what she did for us to not like her. I'll admit , playing as a buffed up chick was different but I ended up liking it

[@dylana.9057]

That is such a false statement , it made me laugh a good bit .

[@meekmaan1996]

You’re probably not gonna see this but…. Pouring my heart out and getting laughed at here I come, I found your Rick & morty vid earlier. Then I saw this, best believe I’m watching til the end. I’m loving your stuff so far, keep it up x

[@MJGianesello]

The video was pretty nice, however i have to say that i disagree on the idea that ellie's section is the weakest and that having her kill the people that you see developed only in retrospect doesn't work, I think that it does make a lot of sense to contrast ellie's section as very different from abby's because both setup structure and scope of the two journeys need to feel different, in particular i always felt that the way ellie's section is told, including dialogue and character dynamics works really well in the sense that it plays perfectly into the player's mindset, you really don't care at that point, you really don't care about anything that is going on around you, you don't want to linger on dialogue and characters, you wanna go through the place like a knife, you don't care what the characters you kill have to say, or what's going on around them, I think that ellie's story while being more "hollow" and singleminded works perfectly as a vehicle to launch the player into that shooting rampage you montaged, I suppose it's disputable whether the section itself has enough meat narratively wise to hold up, but i don't think anyone can debate that the setup with joel's death filled every player with enough fucking anger to sustain the whole piece, in a sense it willingly goes against what is the heart and soul of the previous game, character relations and their humanity among the apocalypse, by tempting you with a series of woneerfully designed levels and encounters which just beg you to push forward and kill, kill kill until you find your target, the level design mirrors that perfectly, hence why abby's section feels like a journey with crazy locations and sprawling exploration while ellie's feels like a singular, narrow chase down a structural and metaphorical rabbithole, so as far as the player's connection with the character as a vehicle for intention, which is what videogame protagonists are ultimately all meant to be, the first and last section are the finest in the game, abby's part is my favourite for other reasons but unfortunately the balance of player agency and character's intention is at the weakest there because you don't want to hurt ellie despite knowing perfectly why abby wants to, that should have been the moment when you switch between the two during the fight gameplay wise, so it communicates the internal struggle,that way you don't feel strongarmed by the game and you don't really know who is gonna come out on top as you do when it's a literal boss fight, to my mind developing the characters after they're dead gives you perspective not because you feel bad for having killed them but because you know you wanted to kill them and didn't give a shit to their possible reasons, even though you might guess it was about the cure, they are npcs to you, and npcs in videogames are there as a checkpoint, to be murdered, nothing more, exactly like both manny and jessie die, uncerimoniously shot in the head; when it comes to ellie's boss fight however you already have it so it feels gratuitous, there lays a disconnect in a game that is otherwise brilliant in using character as a vehicle for player intention up until then, abby's premise and ultimately the point of the gane hit home for me because I wanted to kill abby's dad at the end of the first game, i laughed, i fucking laughed when i put a bullet through his head because I did not give a shit about any of their motives despite knowing them justifiable, ulltimately this game is about how the artifice of videogame narrative mirrors the narrow mentality of someone on a classic revenge quest or in a war, shooting videogames are catharthic, murdering assholes is cathartic, so to use unbridled player agency to drive the point home for both player and characters is really really good, at the end of the game i was just sick of all the violence and the final fight was miserable, the most miserable i ever felt hacking away at a video game boss, and that's why this game is great. I think the main problem and the inconsistencies lie in how this narrative is extremely videogame specific in how its constructed but cinematic in its presentation, it has the player switching from passive contemplation of the character's development and interaction to first hand personal agency and involvement,but it went beyond what naughty dog has done so far, which is transcend the format of playing a movie they had so far in both tlou and uncharted into something that could only work this way because you have agency and because your agency is a fundamental part of the journey, there lays the problem, if you make me kill people in cutscenes then the videogame-story identity is kind of lost because the point is told to you, if as aabby you had to kill jesse tgrough gameplay it would be more impactful because you see the disconnect between perspectives videogames inherently require of you, however despite the fact that changing section after a cliffhanger was really dumb it hits home realy really well, and there is a reason why the structure is the way it is

[@Someone-lg6di]

Bit late but my fav comentary on this game is from the closer look

[@Kostadin_Arolski]

Jesus dude, tldr

[@lonelyshepard2722]

dude this was amazing im so proud of you and how far you've come with everything honestly 100/10 your amazing

[@frogglen6350]

I just hate all the forced walking segments throughout the game

[@deadchanneldontwatch7347]

thats a modern trend in games nowadays that needs to stop just make it a cutscene you cucks!

[@AstralPhnx]

Jesus you are REALLY good at dissecting media like this. This videos are really fucking good

[@moisetibasima1354]

Very fair review. You made me consider some criticism that I haven't thought about I disagree on one or two points but mostly I agree. Especially when you talked about how stake where set up but plot armour was too much in certain parts and pointed out that where coincidences were used correctly. Love your interpretation of the ending, mine is inline with your as well with slight variation. Game is still pretty great though it really could've been made better. I think an argument for a flawed masterpiece can be made though it's not perfect it did tell it's story mostly well. Great video.

[@bigboiariel]

thank you zenny, very cool! Imma finish this video later because holy hell is it long

[@lucascoval828]

When CW does post-apocalypse.

[@AstralPhnx]

In a way, this is like a story about a character learning empathy in an environment where they seemingly completely lack it. And having had to go through the process of learning empathy myself due to being on the autism spectrum and having difficultly with it... Yeah... I know how hard it can be... But yeah jesus christ

[@sumoshi5752]

Kinda a bit tilted about Rick and Morty Thumbnail but my God you're Vids are so good

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Thank you! I've been making these longer videos for a while now and i get barely any traction sadly... so the click bait videos will help bring people in!

[@alekpo2000]

thanx god i didnt play the original game cuz i would be pissed if my favorite franchize was killed just to pass a void message, in 5 years they will remember this game as a part of a fad that costed millons and not as they wanted

[@DJGHOSH]

I love this video, but i cannot agree that abby was a good character. She's a late 90s kid's idea of what a brooding violent try hard hero who isnt is 🤣 Even tho I didnt like the first game, i acknowledged what an important game it was, and how well put togethwr it was, whereas this game, they were trying so hard to make it full of shock value that the narrative that they taped around thr shocking moments struggled to make sense or be engaging.

[@drgraphix2912]

God this is amazing, it's just straight up one of the best videos about this game that I've seen

[@AlexAndriy1995]

Game is trash, hopefully S2 of tv gonna retell it, but this time actually write it well

[@AC-hj9tv]

4:10 Full song when

[@laupolygon]

Aside from being a quality review this video is really funny and must have taken a lot of time to edit. And you're a great voice actor, thank you for articulating for us ESL peasants. Instant subscribe.

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Cheer mate! Got alot of great stuff in the worlds so stay posted 😎

[@Solar-Blade]

The sheer quality of this video is amazing, it doesn't reflect your subscriber count at all. You deserve a lot more, keep up the good work!

[@SingleServed]

A fun video to watch, goes over thoughts I had myself as I was playing through the game. Those mixed feelings coming to the final realization that it was actually a very good and deep game despite those flaws. I am just surprised you and apparently many people didn’t know Tommy was the sniper at the arena. That is setup from the get go. During the whole play through as Ellie you are chasing the ghost of a lone sniper killing off WLFs knowing it has to be Tommy. Ok, first you think he is at Hillcrest to find out that one was Jessie. But then on day 3 Jessie hears WLFs talking about a sniper at the Marina, which is when your ways split and he goes after that lead knowing it’s Tommy. Another example of how the players are not capable of paying attention because they are still somewhat pissed at the story choice? Dunno. Still, even knowing that it is Tommy you are confronting as Abby all the time at the Marina was cool as well. It’s like, f... you Tommy, you are good! Give me a break! Very funny ... In my game I actually had a glitch. Apparently I ran through the bridge too fast; andTommy didn’t move and just stood behind a column, I ran up to him and tried beating him and nothing happened, he would just stand there and take no damage. Had to restart the game for the glitch to go away, lol.

[@Zenny-YouTube]

I genuinely forgot the set up and thought that it was the scars! Either way I feel like with people that haven't played the game building up that set up and crossing over of story lines helps convey the video. Kinda dropped the ball there 😂

[@taeminislove]

I honestly despise the argument that Abby and Lev are the new Ellie and Joel. They're nothing alike besides the fact that it's a pair with one older person and one younger. Joel was never indebted to Ellie and their relationship grew as the months went by. Abby and Lev are only together for a few days and yet Abby's already doing all sorts of shit for Lev and Yara because she wanted to "lighten the load". It feels ingenuine to me in comparison to Joel and Ellie's relationship. Buuuuut, if we go with that idea, then wouldn't abby deserve to be tortured as well for killing a bunch of her own people (WLFs)? I also don't agree that Abby learned to forgive. She pretty much told Ellie to never show her face again and I don't think that's forgiveness. She merely heeded Lev's words cause she can't lose him bc of her killing someone pregnant. I sincerely love your interpretation of the game's ending but sadly I feel like that wasn't ND's vision/intention. I hope you don't take offense to my comments btw, just sharing my thoughts as well.

[@Zenny-YouTube]

No offence taken at all, i do enjoy comments that push back on my videos. Helps me become a better creator. Now that ive had time to re think this video i think a better way to word how i feel about the abby and lev relationship is that there are small parallels to Joel and ellie. For me to say they are the new Joel and ellie was a pushing it. I think by the end of the game where abby and lev have been together for over a year i could argue that the parallels are strongest, but even then they are their own thing, no real comparable traits to Joel and ellie. I will say though that Joel doesn't become indebted to ellie like abby was to let, however ellie does save joels life just like how let saves abby early in the first game. Both story lines share small story beats, but i agree that me arguing that abby and lev are the new Joel and ellie was a massive reach.

[@deadchanneldontwatch7347]

Lev is basically Kratos' son with identity issues

[@AndrewMillerYT]

ZENNYYYYYYY. It’s about goddamn time brother.

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Took me long enough!

[@afraidsari]

I love your interpretations of the ending. Parts of this story still make me kinda mad, but i still tear up at those key moments and realizations about Joel and their relationship how things unfold and idk why. Game not perfect but damn did it cut deep ;-;

[@deadchanneldontwatch7347]

30:49 Ellie going Rambo

[@kurtadams9740]

I don't say this very often but I'm surprised you don't have more subs, good work

[@Zenny-YouTube]

These comments always make my day, cheers mate. This was the first time I tried a long form video essay and it really changed the channel for the better

[@dragonborn2718]

Abby is not an enjoyable character, there is barely any depth and she has no redemption. The only depth she is given is one scene with owen where she talks about being insecure, everything else is just forced "oh she loves dogs, she isnt so bad" Elie also has a dog she pets while in the town, and no one thought less of Ellie for killing dogs because it was self defense not just shooting them to be a bitch. "Oh she is scared of heights" cool so is the majority of the human population, that doesn't make her a sympathetic character. There are so many ways they could have just made her a sympathetic villain rather than a sympathetic villainous protagonist, like if we as Ellie heard some of her back story through audio logs, notes, videos or literally anything but making us play as her because even if she had been a good character not a lot of people would have noticed because we are now looking at her in the lens of the lady who just murdered one of our favorite characters. Now thats not to say sympathetic villainous protagonists cant be good, but it just completely fails when you make them barely likeable and have the hieght of evil they could do be done in the first hour and a half into your story

[@ryanharlowbass]

I can’t believe this video is so underrated

[@daisydreams4503]

I loved this video! You are so talented! ❤️☺️

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Thank you! That's wholesome as hell

[@derekdrake8706]

I'm just amazed nobody in that world realized you can't create a cure to a fungal infection. All the drama was basically pointless to begin with lol.

[@survive678]

Great video dude! 🔥 Balanced critique of this game as well. I liked this game despite of all its flaws. My only issue with Abby is her motivations. Like I still don't know why she went all the way back to save Lev and his sister from the trailer. It's literally my 4th playthrough rn and It still makes zero sense to me

[@Zenny-YouTube]

I see it like this: Abbys while mindset since being a child is kill joel. It's all she wanted. Once she got what she wanted she finally started facing the reality of her life, what did she have to live for? Constantly having to fight and kill? Her saving the kids is her learning to be human and realising she doesn't want to just be a mindless killer anymore. After killing joel she lost purpose, so she found new purpose, in taking care of lev

[@StrengthScholar0]

As an incredibly jaded individual I was pleasantly surprised I audibly laughed over 10 times in this video. You have a gift for video making man. Keep up the great work.

[@DarthVaizard]

I didn't think it was possible to get me to laugh at that scene but holy shit 16:02

[@cyphinmas]

you knocked my expectations out of the ballpark this time zenny

[@frogglen6350]

41:00 OMG this is becoming ridiculously agreeable. Yes. Why would I care if Abby's friends die when most of them have no development?

[@krasmasov6852]

Owen gets more development than Tess, Sam, Henry, Riley, and even Tommy from the first game.

[@frogglen6350]

@@krasmasov6852 But Owen fails to be likeable. He's boring. And he cheated on his pregnant girlfriend. Who cares?

[@krasmasov6852]

@@frogglen6350 He's very likeable. What are you talking about? He's the only reason Ellie is alive. He's also one of the most sympathetic characters in the entire series.

[@frogglen6350]

@@krasmasov6852 Amd he's also the reason why ellie killed his friends and him. This is a zombie apocalypse. Only stupid people spare lives. *This is why last of us 1 did it better*

[@krasmasov6852]

@@frogglen6350 Wait, so you're criticizing Owen now for wanting to NOT murder Ellie?

[@raymondl9320]

Jesus H Christ how did this vid only get 18k views

[@Zenny-YouTube]

@@raymondl9320 very old and honestly out dated. I hold many of the same feelings towards this game, however I'm much better at conveying points now. Fuck now I wanna play this game again

[@raymondl9320]

@@Zenny-KZbin Bro your Starfield and DD2 critique vids sent me digging through your old vids. And this one is honestly just as good to me. Also why the hell aren't you using more of your autotuned swearing in your recent vids that shit had me wheezing like a fucking seal😂

[@frogglen6350]

30:45. oh yeah. The game definitely has those avoidable kills stealth sections....but like, why would I not kill any WLF? One, it's fun. And two, that gives Ellie an advantage. One less wlf to deal with. So the game tries to make us feel bad about killing, but it makes murder fun. Epic fail

[@drgonzo123]

I commented on another video of yours about how many F bombs you use, but fuck that! I'm hooked on your videos man! I really enjoy them and now I have a treasure trove of your back catalogue to enjoy! You just got another sub, and I hope to see your channel grow. As for TLOU2, it's one of my favorite games of all time. I've never cried so much in a video game, and I'm a glutton for punishment. Just wanted to comment so the algorithm puts your shit out there. Cheers man! (BTW I wrote that before I knew you made merch and Fuck was your tag line. lmao what the hell do I know, right? I get it now and I'M the asshole)

[@fortnitepro2892]

Jesus christ it hurts to see this video not even surpass 2k views with so much effort and honestly the best points I've ever heard about this game. There was only like 1 point where I disagreed with you. Just wanted to say thanks for creating this amazing video.

[@Zenny-YouTube]

It's comments like this that keep me going 😊 I'm new to the whole video essay thing but honestly 1k views is a big deal for me so I'm super happy with the results

[@jess9545]

who even let you this video is too good, thank you for this blessing!!¡

[@Zenny-YouTube]

DONT MELT MY HEART LIKE THIS WTF

[@kukkukuttu]

5 mins in already loving the video. Also commenting for the youtube algo

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Thank you so much! This was a serious passion project for me. I have a strange relationship with this game. Hope you enjoy the video!

[@RIGARRUS]

I've waited months for this! Time to binge.

[@benjaminstiles]

I think you’ve just convinced me to actually like this came.

[@ToonGrin]

I honestly felt continuing Joel and Ellie's story was a boring route to take. With a name like "The Last of Us" the series could have switched protagonist and settings entirely. I think back to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and how it's the same world (albeit different points in time) and how it remains fresh because the protagonist is never the same Joestar. It's always somebody different with varying personalities: Jonathan, Joseph, Jotaro, Josuke, Giorno or Jolene. Yes, there is returning characters but they are often at different points in their lives making them feel entirely different. Such as Joseph in series 2 being the young impulsive fool, to series 3 were he's a wise mentor and veteran, to series 4 we're Alzheimer's has taken his mind. Because of the rotating cast it felt fresh. With TLOU 2 it felt more like Dragon Ball Super to me. A bit of "been there, done that". When we could've had an entire paradigm shift. It's entirely possible that the idea to make a "The Last of Us" without Ellie and Joel was a concept that frightened the studio. Studios are businesses first and sticking to "what worked" is often the route taken. Though strangely enough this game kind of does both with sort of being new but also sort of being old. Sort of feels like a TV dinner in a way. It fills the hunger hole but don't got much sustenance. I just found it a shame since with a title like "The Last of Us" it lends itself so perfectly to put us in the shoes of anybody at any point anywhere in the new world of the infected. For my money the writers not embracing that concept feels unfortunate to me. Imagine going to a different country and see how they are handling this new world order. I had a thought about being in Japan and wonder what if the new world order knocked Japan back to something similar to the feudal age. We got lords, daimyos, the outbreak has almost yokai-like infected. Your protagonist is like a samurai so it's almost like Ghost of Tsushima cross with The Last of Us. Sadly tis the road not taken. Hopefully fans got an enjoyable experience All the same. Nice work on the video. ☺️

[@Zenny-YouTube]

I couldn't agree more! Having each game be a different player character would of been ideal! Can't wait to see what route the show takes Glad you liked the video mate ☺ more is on the way!

[@panicinyharnam627]

I’ll say this because they weren’t known now but I blame sweet baby inc. for this because this story literally sounds like something they would convince naughty dog to do

[@ArtParlor]

dude you didn't make a videeo, you made a fuckin MOVIE!!! YOu madlad

[@Mister_W.T.F]

The most interesting thing about the way this divided the fan base is how both sides simplifies the arguments of their opponents - those who liked it were just "simping up" and those who hated it jus couldn't get past female empowerment and "boo-hoong" over Joel. When the truth is both sides had a point. The game is unbelievably courageous - and EFFECTIVE- as a personal journey story simulator- but it PAYS for that by being FAR LESS of a *GAME*. The GENIUS - maybe ACCIDENTAL genius- of TLOU was that it fell EXACTLY between character journey and GAME. It was BOTH par excellance! YOU'RE motivation as a player and Joel's were in PERFECT harmony- and any moral qualms you had were supersceded by a completely justifiable need to protect a 14 year old girl. Never had a game got the balance of sociopathy and expediancy so Right! And the setting- the "Mad Max" meets "Dawn of the Dead" opponents, the "against the odds"/"skin of our teeth" pseudo realism, the "Clint Eastwood" protagonist, and the best love story of all- the blooming of parental love for a child- man they hit EVERY NOTE. But either deliberately or clumsily they subverted all this in TLOU#2, and the PROBLEM IS- is it a game? It's not is it any GOOD. Or even- is it any Fun? DOES this QUALIFY as a GAMING experience? Because if in the FIRST one you are in ALIGNMENT with your protagonist, in the second you are REPULSED. If in the first you are PROTECTING- in THIS one you don't even react well to DINA's pregnancy reveal, and yes, Abbey helps the scars kids, but Lev kind of helps and morally guides Abby as much as vice a versa. The second game is an INVERSION of the first, but for the order of events, which starts at a QUARANTINE ZONE and ends with a base massacre. So to my first point. People denied their opponents of a voice. And THAT is the real revelation of TLOU#2. Because THAT'S what the game is about. I WISH it was more fun. I do. Because even now, I don't know how I feel about it's heart breaking effect do my passionate love of this franchise. But. It IS something. It might not be a GAME. It might be interactive media. But I think it might have over stretched the criteria of what constitutes a GAME. (Good video. And very entertainingly done.)

bro this was so good

[@andrewdrakehallfr5406]

Sianide is not that bad. Great if you want to make almond cake but a short on ingredients. Not so good in coffee though.

[@dankpingu4056]

Never thought this was how I’d get a face reveal

[@HistoryMonarch1999]

I think the game should’ve started with abbey and focused on her own story. Instead of sprinkling the flashbacks have us play them in order at the start. Maybe it would’ve had a better reception cause I think the marketing and how it starts is the bigger problem

[@frogglen6350]

I'm like, 20 minutes in. I feel like you deserve more subs die to your good analytical skills and funny use of edits.

[@Katelynnnnnnnnnnnnnn]

Wow you uploaded this on the same day Dunkey uploaded a Last Of Us 2 video that must mean your a copy cat and that I must unsubscribe, goodbye

[@Zenny-YouTube]

I UPLOADED FIRST! DUNKEY KNOWS HOW POWERFUL I AM!

[@truetape666]

The last shot of the windows in the animation at the end look like Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015). Sponsored?

[@Zenny-YouTube]

You mean the end credit animation? Never played black ops 3 so not sure what you are on about, so no not sponsored haha, I didn't even have 1k subs when I uploaded this haha

[@truetape666]

@@Zenny-KZbin yeah, in the final shot, since there's three windows, it looks like the 3 that's used for bo3. Thank God you aren't sponsored, it would've been illegal since you didn't verbally* confirm said hypothetical sponsorship. Loved your review though, and excited for whenever the Far Cry 6 DLC video comes out.

[@Zenny-YouTube]

@@truetape666 oooooohhh okay okay so the 3 windows was just a reference to the (spoiler) room where Joel gets killed in. The room had 3 glass windows

[@henrysewell1727]

Holy shit this video was fucking awesome!

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Thanks my dude! Got alot of big stuff on the way

[@timothybrannum7548]

So. One thing I think people miss all the time with this game, and I am willing to defend as being good save for the final 2 minutes of it with Dinna leaving Ellie, is that the game is a certain genre. And that genre is tragedy. The tragedy of what seeking revenge will do and follows two different characters going through the cycle at different points. Its kicked off when Joel kills the doctor at the end of part 1, turning Abby onto a legitimate oath for revenge. There is no denying that what Joel did was wrong (as was what the fireflies were doing by not getting Ellie's consent) and him killing the surgeon was the final garuntee for Abby. Part 2 then begins with Abby on the end of that journey, finding and killing Joel (a death that I think would have been an amazing scene and character death if it hadnt been leaked and spoiled) and doing so in front of Ellie. Now, before I go further, I will say that by having this game play the first half as Ellie then go back for Abby definetly screwed any ability to like Abby hard. And her segment of the game has a LOT of work to make you like her. I think it fumbled that, but that's not the point of this essay. Now we have Abby has ended her journey and Ellie goes off on hers. At which point, you kill all these people that you have no reason to like, creating part og tragedy side in Abby's story as you go back and meet all the people she will loose. Ellie's tragedy is the loss of not just Joel but everyone around her. Abby's is the loss of her whole world and her friends. And on this front the game does a phenomenal job. During Ellie's run we see how her single minded focus is causing her relationships to fracture and fray left and right and it will cost her them in the end. For Abby, she is not just loosing her friends, but also her entire world as she looses conviction in the Wolve's fight for Seatle against the Seraphites. Ellies path for vengeance began by Abby getting g her revenge, and her own revenge would lead to the added tragedy of loosing her friends on top of the cause she thought she could stand with. Now: there is one ESSENTIAL component to the tragedy genre that must be there for it to work, keeping in mind that a Greek tragedy or one of Shakespear's works does not have a happy ending. This is the element of catharsis. The one good thing that occured in the story that allows there to be some light at the end of the otherwise bleak tunnel. The villian who orchestrated the plot dies or fails even though they killed all the characters we like. The feuding families make peace with each other after their children kill themselves from the feud keeping them apart. The horrible person doing their dark deeds but constantly considering trying to make up for them gets their just punishment when they ignore that call. Catharsis is the difference between tragedy and misery porn. Abby's story has catharsis. Ellie's does not. Abby finds a new cause to fight for with Lev. She has a new lease on life and a brighter future in spite of the bleak world. Ellie's catharsis was written to be the tired trope of vengeance is bad and therefore I will stop the cycle by realizing this and walking away. She then returns to her wife having left her along with the son they were raising, Tommy hates her and he is the only family she might have had left, Jessie was her best friend and is dead. She has no one and nothing but an empty house, a missing finger the trauma she endured, and knowing it was because she couldn't walk away. A realistic ending? Sure, that can certainly happen. IRL tragedies don't always have catharsis. Somethings, things just suck with no way out. But a literary tragedy needs the catharsis. Especially when it is for a character we like as much as Ellie. Abby getting a good ending is well and good, but we spent half the game hating her even if you may have guessed she was a former fire fly. We had 1.5 games with Ellie: getting to know her and seeing her grow and coming to like her. Most players start the game with a bias towards Ellie and may be won over to Abby's side if they are willing to care about her. In the end, all the little coincidences didn't bother me. Nor did the exploring of the world with less dialouge because for me Seatle was interesting enough with all the things you discover in it. The game play is a grand improvement from part one and the stories are written rather well in the grand scheme of things, and as I stated the smaller details didn't bother me. Ellie's tragedy having no catharsis did. I think if Ellie could have at least returned to Dinna promising she was done and there to stay, that would have made a stronger ending as both of these characters found a new future after they endured so much hell. But only half of the characters did, and for me it wasn't the character I was rooting for more. Abby's story is great, but there a few moments (which admittedly may be piling on top of my wanting to get revenge for Joel) that made me ultimately feel like she didn't deserve the catharsis over Ellie. Lev deserved a chance at happiness, as did Yanna. But for me, not Abby. That's my essay on why the game is actually a good story and a good game. Feel free to disagree or rebutal. I'd actually be interested to hear other opinions but I really do feel the game's genre gets missed. I'll admit that the false advertisement never bothered me. I took it as a way to make the shock of Joel's death an even bigger hit. That maybe my anger at having had it spoiled for me two months before release cause one particular ass hole was calling Naughty Dog out and the decided to explain what the leaks were with zero warning, so my anger was always towards the people that were mad at the game and company and decided to ruin it for others that may have been excited for it. I digress.

[@scorchyv2]

holy shit this edit AND critiscism is great I got recommended somehow

[@scorchyv2]

New Pyrocynical

[@subaie3]

i just met this guy on carson's discord and im wondering how does this have 2k views

[@mercifulduck2867]

sheeeesh you got merch now??????

[@Zenny-YouTube]

I did that for more of a meme lol, but people asked! So they shall receive 😎

[@frogglen6350]

I have no idea why this game is so detailed but the writing is so stupid. I never even considered how odd it was that Jesse didn't assume Joel and Tommy just took shelter like di a and Ellie did.

[@ty3547]

lol he really just called uncharted 4 “small and insignificant” when it’s sony’s most sold ps4 exclusive and is beloved by many

[@Zenny-YouTube]

It's almost like thats the joke 😂

[@ty3547]

@@Zenny-KZbin 😂😂

[@lucasbelhumeur4440]

its so crazy but after all these years the Last of Us 2 is a game I never need to play again. Naughty Dog might of created one of the most creative and interactive enemy ai systems and nothing could get me to play that terrible story again. Its become more clear to me over the years that they needed to tell this story without Joel & Ellie. I just realized though after watching this video that your probably right Naughty Dog knew for years that Joel wasn't going to be in the story and falsely advertised that he would be. In a similar fashion they lied and said they were working on a Last of Us 2 Online. Only last year they announced they would no longer be working on the game because they realized internally that the game they were trying to make with the Last of Us 2 Online would be a game as a service, similar to Destiny 2. There is no way in hell it took them 6 fucking years to come to the realization, oh you know what we don't want to do that.

[@champi5625]

I have to disagree in the joel is missing part, they say early in the game that Joel and tommy go out for patrol way befour ellie wakes up in the morning and way befour the storm.

[@Zenny-YouTube]

I wouldn't say my critique was about when, it was more that jessie looking for them in a place he should logically know they wouldn't be. But cheers pointing that out! Probably should of addressed the time of the patrols aside from just the locations

[@Joshuazx]

Good analysis of an inference of a game.

[@nolsee1176]

Congrats on 2k views. Not even 1% of what it deserves, but it’s on it’s way. 😎

[@AC-hj9tv]

The dumbest thing is you don't need a brain biopsy to study immunity. Do a spinal tap or blood draw lol

[@dylankacam]

After this game I still didn’t and still don’t like Abby so when I watched my friend play the game yeah I didn’t buy the game and thank god I didn’t also all I really felt was empty and my friend felt the same way I heard of the leaks but I didn’t hear the specifics by the way we returned. There is no sequel all I got were broken characters

[@Zenny-YouTube]

It's a rough situation... on one hand I enjoyed the game, but on the other I just wanted what was promised to us. More Joel and ellie

[@Flipitmixit]

Never thought one of the best reviews would come from chip skylark

[@JamesMiller69]

Perfection.

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Look James I'm flattered but stop looking at my ass and tell me what you think about the video

[@rogersawyers4329]

The Tommy reveal wasn’t a shock at least to me or am I alone on that?

[@Zenny-YouTube]

Nah i realise now that i was just oblivious because i was really into abbys story, i was just being forgetful

[@rogersawyers4329]

@@Zenny-KZbin oh ok that makes sense and yea I liked her storyline but still didn’t like her or the kids idk why lol but I love the video man it was amazing

[@randomuser3555]

All I know for sure is this. There are a lot, I mean a LOT of starving kids in Abby's camp. It's obvious that she-beast be juicing up and taking all the protein left!!