The following contains HEAVY spoilers

I don’t even know where to begin...

I played The Last of Us Part I on PC three months ago after binging the HBO show like an absolute fiend. So when The Last of Us Part II finally got announced on Steam, I was so excited I practically aged in anticipation.

An unapologetic gut-punch masterpiece. The kind of story that makes you question your morals, your decisions, and whether you even deserve happiness. Which, apparently, some people weren’t ready for. Listen — if you're here scrolling through reviews trying to figure out if this game is as bad as the digital man-cave of fragile egos claimed, let me save you some time. People were big mad because they saw a woman with muscles, people kissing people they didn’t personally approve of, and the narrative didn’t spoon-feed them a power fantasy where the gruff sad dad saves the world again.

The characters are flawed, complex, and painfully real. Ellie is a force of nature, Abby could bench-press both me and my 6'3 giraffe cosplaying cousin. We don't talk about Dina.

And here is that segment where I have take a moment to simp about Troy Baker’s performance as Joel, because holy hell — that man didn’t just voice a character in a video game. Every little moment, every line delivery, every pained breath felt so authentic it was like watching a real person come apart at the seams. From the very start, when Joel awkwardly tries to talk to Ellie — you can feel the fear, the regret, the guilt he’s carrying. The way his voice cracks, how he hesitates, stumbling over his own emotions because he doesn’t know how to face the person he hurt.

The story? Oh, it hurts. This is narrative storytelling at its absolute peak, even with its pacing issues — which, personally, I had no problem with. It absolutely over-delivered, with breathtaking visuals, hauntingly beautiful sound design, and performances so raw and human you’ll forget you’re playing a game.

I managed to stay strong through many of the heart-shattering moments, but then I saw Joel crying and started sobbing like a little ♥♥♥♥♥. No shame if you didn’t, you might be the kind of person who willingly pays for a root canal without anesthesia just for the ‘experience.

The combat was deliciously brutal. I stabbed a man and his dog, heard another one of his friends scream his name, and for a split second, felt bad. Then I did it again.

Every fight feels like a last stand, every explosive arrow you craft feels like a big ‘♥♥♥♥ you’ to whoever’s unlucky enough to find himself down your path (preferably claustrophobic hallway), every dog you reluctantly take out makes you feel like a monster (shoutout to Naughty Dog for making me apologize to my screen multiple times). It’s violent, messy, and horrifying in the best possible way.

This might be controversial, but when Ellie finally let Abby live — it just felt right. As much as my brain screamed “MURDER” while chasing her like a rabid dog, I understand that the revenge cycle had chewed through too many lives already. Ellie had to be the one to break it, because no one else was going to. That final scene hit like an avalanche of both release and agony, and honestly, it was perfect.

In short: I loved it. It hurt me. I hurt back. Felt empty inside. And I’ll probably play it again just to emotionally devastate myself on purpose. 10/10 would ugly cry again.