The Last Of Us Part 2 Review: 10 Ups And 2 Downs

4. Combat Has Been Refined And The Scope Increased

In general, combat itself is a huge step up from the previous instalment mechanically speaking, and there's way more choice over how you approach fights this time around. The arenas are large, giving you the ability to sneak through undetected, go in guns blazing, or mix and match on the fly. An impressive list of accessibility and difficulty options are welcome as well, allowing players thoroughly tweak the experience to fit their own abilities.

The newfound agility the player has at their disposal adds to the options in combat also. The sheer act of going prone to crawl through tall grass is a godsend, while the added verticality in jumping to high ground increases tactical options, but also the amount of threats, considerably. You're not quite Nathan Drake, but Ellie is far more dexterous than TLOU's tankier Joel.

What's thankfully not lost from this expanded scope is the scrappy nature of the combat. There are going to be times where things go t*ts up, and you'll resort to throwing bricks and taking wild melee swings. The intense game of cat and mouse present in The Last of Us' combat has always been its biggest strength, and that's back better than ever.

Sadly, most weapons and gadgets are simply holdovers from the original, along with the crafting system, but Naughty Dog has tightened each element up considerably. Character upgrades actually feel worthwhile, while the weapon upgrade system dramatically alters the effectiveness of your arsenal via workbench animations that are strangely satisfying to watch in motion.