The Last of Us Part IIs best moments have nothing to do with its revenge story

There isn’t much downtime in The Last of Us Part II. As Ellie, driven by loss and trauma, players will spend hours shooting, stabbing, and strangling their way to vengeance. Ellie is a swift and capable killer in a game that rarely has a feel-good moment to spare. It’s a breath of fresh air, then, to have some downtime for one of the game’s more calming aspects of play expressed through Ellie practicing guitar.

Scattered throughout The Last of Us Part II are cast-off instruments for Ellie to take a break with. Naughty Dog has finally discovered the best use for the PlayStation 4 controller’s touchpad: swipe for a satisfying strum. By using the controller’s joysticks, swapping between notes, and brushing the touchpad, you’re free to play...

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