'The Last Of Us Part II' is a masterclass in attention to detail. Here are 15 tiny design elements that amazed me as I played one of the best video games of the year.
Dave Smith
- I'm only about 10 hours into "The Last Of Us Part II," but I feel confident saying that it's one of the best video games of the year.
- In many ways, it represents the pinnacle of what's possible in the current generation of video game systems.
- While there's much to be said about the game's story, I wanted to highlight something everyone can appreciate: the game's visuals and attention to tiny details, which are second to none.
The PlayStation 4 is on its way out, as Sony is getting ready to release the PlayStation 5 later this year.
I can think of no better send-off for the PlayStation 4 than "The Last Of Us Part II," which is a major achievement in storytelling, gameplay, and visuals.
The first game — "The Last Of Us" — was released to universal acclaim back in 2013. Critics and fans alike hailed the game's characters, action, and emotional storytelling. Many people consider it one of the best video games ever made. That put a lot of pressure on the sequel.
Thankfully, "The Last Of Us Part II" delivers in all the ways it counts: The story and gameplay variety, which includes puzzles and action and horror with elements, is incredibly polished.
It's important to note that the game has seen some backlash for its narrative this time around, as well as its violence — this game is a story about revenge, after all — but I'm unable to comment on those things since I'm only about 10 hours into the game. All I can say is that everything I've experienced so far has been extremely thoughtful. I'll let others judge for themselves.
There's much to be said about the story, but what I really wanted to focus on here was the game's visuals, because that's something everyone can appreciate. From the moment the game started, I started instinctively screenshotting the game whenever I saw something that impressed me. Lots of these details just go to show why Naughty Dog is considered one of the very best developers in the games industry.
Here's a small sample of some of the incredible tiny details I've discovered inside "The Last Of Us Part II."
1. You could spend hours examining all of the game's fine details. For instance, this might just look like some shabby living room, but if you look more closely you'll see that you're actually inside a garage that was converted into a living room.
2. Of course there's plenty of Sony and Naughty Dog paraphernalia in the game, some of it more obvious than others — like this PlayStation 3 with a copy of "Jak and Daxter," another popular series from Naughty Dog.
3. This is one of my favorite details: You can explore a small town early on in the game, and when you look through windows of buildings you can actually see entire scenes playing out.
In most other video games, windows are usually opaque or feature 2D images to give the illusion of a scene inside. But in this game, the extra effort is really noticeable.
4. Many video games ask you to follow someone, but in most of those games, the character you're following will wait in a static location until you reach a certain marker that lets you both continue moving forward. In "The Last Of Us Part II," characters will actually backtrack for you and if you wander off. It's a small thing but it makes the characters feel more realistic.
5. If you look closely, you can see snowflakes in Dina's hair — that's the girl on the left. It's such a small thing, but it makes the game feel that much more polished.
6. You can easily walk right past them throughout the game but chalkboards, bulletin boards, and walls you come across are littered with all sorts of signs, messages, and tiny details, which add to the game's immersion.
7. The game features a comprehensive Photo Mode, which lets you pause at any point in the game — and I mean any point — to line up the perfect shot.
You can even activate Photo Mode in the middle of the action, whether it's a cinematic (a non-playable scene) or during a big fight.
8. You can apply all sorts of filters and effects to your photos. This is the "noir" filter taken on a random person I found while walking through a farm.
Seriously you can play the entire game just making Gap ads out of people, that's your choice!
9. Snow physics are truly excellent in this game — the best I've experienced. If you walk in super long circles and zigzags, you can see every one of your hundreds of footprints. The crunch of the snow is perfect from an audio standpoint. And snow falls off in satisfying clumps if you walk too close to trees covered in the stuff.
10. If it's actively snowing hard, your character will actually squint if you turn the camera to look at her.
11. Similarly, ice will break beneath your feet if you walk on it, including when you're on a horse. Too many other video games just have you float or skid on top of the ice, but this actually feels right.
12. The game itself is seamless. You transition in and out of cutscenes, and into action scenes, in a completely fluid way. In that way, it's kind of like "God of War" from 2018.
13. This is a small thing, but collectible items — like those two pills on sitting on that nightstand over there — actually look like the items you're supposed to be picking up. In many video games, items you can pick up are sometimes marked by other symbols, or look like a flashing light on the ground. This change makes picking up weapons, ammo, and tools feel that much more realistic.
14. The game features lots of letters you can pick up and read. While you have the option to read the text more clearly, it's awesome that every single letter in this game features actual handwriting that appears different from note to note. Sometimes the handwriting conveys the person was in a hurry, or about to die.
15. Even though you can't physically play the game during its cinematics, those scenes are second to none in the visuals department. They perfectly capture lighting, movement, and emotion.
I honestly can't stop taking screenshots within the game. Here are a few in-game pictures that I'm still impressed with.
The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II
From a visual and technical perspective, Naughty Dog really knocked it out of the park. On those two merits alone I would highly recommend anyone play this game, especially if you want to know what one of the best gaming companies is capable of in the year 2020.
"The Last Of Us Part II" is available exclusively for the PlayStation 4. Read our full review of the game here.
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