The Last of Us: Part One vs Part Two
This is a blog many months in the making. Everyone can agree the Last of Us was a phenomenal experience while the fanbase remains divided about the Last of Us Part II even after 3 years. I've written theses on both, and now it's time for the ultimate 1v1: Part 1 vs Part 2.
Please please please check out my blogs on both games. I worked relentlessly hard on them.
the Last of Us
the Last of Us Part II
Gameplay
Part I took what Uncharted combat did and made it better. I'm a Nathan Drake stan for sure, but I wasn't exactly a fan of only having two weapons and a few grenades. I blame Part I for this disdain as the inventory system is upgraded tenfold. You can carry so many weapons and have many tools at your arsenal - not just for combat but exploration as well.
And if that's not enough - Part II took what part I did and made that better. A whole level up for the inventory and upgrade systems, prone changing the stealth game entirely, and even improved party members. Seattle was also such a hot spot for exploration on a level Part I never came close to achieve. And even if you hate Abby, she has different weapons and skills, which definitely brings variety to gameplay.
WINNER - Part II
Story
Well this is a no brainer. Like, how is this even a debate?
I know people will defend Part II's story. I just refuse. (read blog for more details) It was done so poorly. Honestly, it frustrates me thinking of what Part II's story could've been if it was done correctly. Joel dies. Abby sucks. But it goes even deeper than that. The only thing evening out the playing field is the arc of Seattle's Civil War. Learning about the WLFs & the Seraphites was the best part of the game for me as I caught a very intimate glimpse of yet another post-apocalyptic society in this amazing world.
But nothing.... nothing beats Part I in terms of story. Joel & Ellie are at the heart of it all as they travel across the country together. The story of Joel losing his daughter and Ellie becoming his new family is an iconic tale. And his controversial rescue in the end is indeed controversial and has been an amazing topic of conversation for a whole decade now. I'd say I'd write a thesis about the story... but I already did. Go read it.
WINNER - Part I
Visuals
Honestly, technological advancements hands the winner of this round over by default. However, even after a decade, Part I still holds up in terms of graphics. I can hardly tell the difference between the original PS3 and the unwanted PS5 remake versions. Part II was made for "next gen" and looks the part. The improvement to details in environments and character models is an apparent one. Next gen graphics are just where it's at.
WINNER - Part II
Characters
There are 2 reasons one might say they hate Part II. Here I am with a third - I don't care about literally any of characters. This is unfortunate to admit, but it's the truth. Ellie & Lev are about it for me. I don't really count Joel since he's really not there. Tommy is cool, of course. But meh. Obviously I hate Abby. I respect Mel & Owen but I didn't cry when they died. I loved Jesse but I didn't cry when he died. Dina was cool, but her story ended up not being all that, and I wouldn't have cried if she died.
Part I had the opposite effect. We saw Sarah for 5 minutes. She died, everyone was like 😠Tess was literally the best. When she died, we were like 😠The brothers... Henry & Sam.... I've seen their death scene so many times. And I'm still like 😠and have to take a few moments to recover from that heavy scene. Bill....... omg dude is a legend. And he was so well written. I even had interest in Marlene who I solely saw as a moral opposite to Joel. And Riley.... bruh she had 10 minutes in a DLC and I still was like 😠Part I had this incredible way of introducing us to these character, had us get to know them on a deep level, and we attached to them like glue. Part II did something wrong with this, as not a single person mattered to me.
I will applaud the Last of Us franchise as a whole for providing us with gray characters. Neither is white nor black. "I've been on both sides." Both games demonstrated this perfectly as every single character could easily play the hero or villain in anyone's point of view. As seen through David. As seen through Abby. As seen through Ellie. As seen through Lev. So it really boiled down to which game had the best set of characters, and in the end, it's Part I for me.
WINNER - Part I
Level Design
Honestly, it's a tie. I don't know what it is, but the urban decay aesthetic is so pleasing. And wondering around abandoned cities is just haunting, especially when there are corpses and letters lying around immortalizing the dead past. Both games do such a phenomenal job with this. I love the Aquarium. I love Bill's town. The over grown park where Ellie first encounters the Scars is terrifying yet well designed on many different levels. And it's such a joy exploring Ish's sewer and discovering what happened to him & his community.
WINNER - Naughty Dog
So objectively, based on how I just reviewed them, both games are equally good and have admirable qualities. You can read my opinions in full for Part 1 & Part 2. I do see why people may prefer the sequel, but I'll be a Part 1 stan for life & it will remain to be my favorite game of all time.
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