The Last of Us 2 has finally come, and it has been met with extremely mixed reception. Some are absolutely in love with the game, as it brings back the first entry's grippingly tense combat, scavenging, and heart-wrenching story moments. On the other hand, many aren't happy with the direction the story went, causing them to denounce the game, with many even review bombing The Last of Us' highly anticipated sequel. While this is certainly a divisive topic, most would agree that the gameplay itself is brilliant, and no where does that show more clearly than with its cable physics and the guitar minigame. Please note that there may MINOR SPOILERS ahead.
Throughout the first game, Joel and Ellie would bring up the guitar and Joel's dream of being a famous singer, and at one point, he even promises to teach her how to play the guitar. By the time The Last of Us 2 gets into full swing, it is clear that he's kept his promise and that Ellie has kept up with her practicing, as she's very skilled at it. Players have the chance to play some songs throughout the game as a minigame, but also can play freely at certain points. This attention to detail is noticeable all throughout the game, but stand out here as well as with the game's cords.
The Last of Us 2 Guitar Minigame
The first time fans get to play the guitar in The Last of Us 2 is actually as Joel before he begins teaching Ellie. After this point, Ellie will stumble across a guitar on her adventure and take a moment to play it. Fans have begun recreating real songs in The Last of Us 2 using the guitar minigame, and music enthusiasts can't help but notice how incredibly accurate Ellie's hand motions are. Her hands move swiftly as the player changes between chords, and her fingers pick specific strings depending on which region of the touch pad is used.
Beyond this, the game also doesn't treat its players like children when it comes to guitar playing. Though the cutscene songs understandably have guides to help the player, the free play sequences provide an intuitive UI which is grounded in music theory. This allows musicians to get the most out of Ellie's guitar, and many are finding themselves getting lost in this minigame rather than playing the actual game. What makes this all so great is that Naughty Dog didn't have to include this feature, and the game would have likely still been amazing without it, but the extra step was taken.
The Last of Us 2 Cords and Ropes
Similarly bizarre is the game's attention to detail with the physics of ropes, cords, and cables. By all accounts, the accuracy and realism put into this one feature is absolutely insane and must have taken a ton of time and resources to code. Particularly among coders, many are just losing their mind over how detailed this mechanic is. The cord can interact with objects, has a specific length, interacts with Ellie in similar ways, and is all around fun to play with. Very few other games go to this length to make something which is seemingly miniscule so detailed.
What these two things share in common is that neither of them have any right to be half as good as they are. When most fans bought The Last of Us 2, they weren't expecting a better guitar simulator than any smartphone app out there. They also weren't expecting to spend time looping chords around walls and through windows just for the fun of it. This kind of attention to detail is what Naughty Dog is known for, however, and it helps justify the number of delays the game had to go through.
The Last of Us 2Â is available now exclusively on PS4.
