Let’s not mince words, 2020 was an awful year. Outside of the super rich people who gained billions more while normal people were forced to deal the full brunt of a deadly pandemic anyone would agree. The one thing 2020 was good for was consuming media. Yes if it weren’t for Television shows, video games, and movies we all probably would have gone stir crazy, well stir crazier than most of us have already gone. So over the next few days I’ll be chronicling the media that got me through 2020. First Up Video Games.
Video Games: The Last of Us Franchise
I started my journey through the fascinating but morbid world created by Naughty Dog years ago on the PS3. However in the middle of my playthrough I noticed a deal at Gamestop offering $200 off a PS4 if you trade in a PS3. So I went to my local Gamestop, which is no longer open in present day of course, and traded my PS3 in for a PS4 with a The Last of Us digital copy included. I rushed home, downloaded the game and for some reason just never played it. Instead I listened to my friends and family implore me to finish the game, but having to play through what I already played through seemed like such a large task that it formed a mental block.
Well with the Last of Us Part II coming out in 2020 I decided now was the time to actually play. In March the world began to lockdown and I joked that playing the Last of Us was good practice for the impending apocalypse. Something that feels less like a joke as cases of covid continue to surge, but hey at least there’s a vaccine that at the current rate of distribution will take 10 years to reach the 80% immunity needed for herd immunity. Regardless the game itself is amazing, a 10/10 perfect game. The action is intense and visceral, while the story is somber but hopeful. The world of the Last of Us isn’t black and white, the lines blur and the protagonists exist within that grey area. Something that many games are afraid to do, Joel makes choices that you can relate to in the moment while knowing the implications are far reaching and horrifying.
The Last of Us Part II continues the storyline after a five year gap. I feel like my opinion on this game gets misconstrued. When I originally reviewed it I gave it a 7/10, and I stand by my critiques. The storyline takes center stage and as such really affects the overall rating for me. While the gameplay, art direction, and world building is amazing. However the poor pacing for an otherwise compelling story knocks it down a bit. One phrase I muttered to myself and heard others say during their playthrough was “this game refuses to end” this feeling is compounded by the fact that the world of the game is oppressively bleak. Something that you can handle for a while but existing in it for too long wears on the player. With all that said there isn’t a better game I played this year and having not played for months I feel excited to revisit it, in a manner where I don’t feel like I need to push through to find out the ending to the story. I understand it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and controversy continues to swirl around the title thanks to end of the year lists like this one, but I do feel like it is unfairly maligned.
So what video games helped you through 2020? Did you play the Last of Us Part II? What are your thoughts if so?
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