Like Christmas Morning...but with Zombies

**CONTAINS SPOILERS!**

FINALLY! Midnight rolled around and the long awaited The Last of Us Part 2 is ready to play. Caffeine tablet consumed, snacks gathered, and controller charged, I settle in for a long night of gaming. It's a lot like Christmas morning but with zombies. Okay, not zombies. They're actually infected living humans, not resurrected dead humans. But they look very zombie-esque. Whatever, you get my meaning.

As soon as I clicked the game icon, Ellie's dirty, blood spattered face greeted me with a grimace. This would be a dark journey but one I couldn't wait to embark upon.

I adjusted my brightness and gameplay options, selecting moderate because that's usually the level of my abilities. And honestly, I was tempted to go with light but my pride wouldn't allow it.

Joel recounting to Tommy the end of part one opens the action. Surround sound stereo and solid voice acting draws me in. They open a garage door, mount their horses and we're off.

The visuals are beautiful and the next scene with Joel singing to Ellie is downright poignant. And when he hands Ellie the guitar and promises to give her the first lesson tomorrow, I get the overwhelming sense that the rumors will turn out true: Joel will be Goosed. No, not pinched on the buttocks. Goosed as in Goose from Top Gun. A beloved character killed to foment change in and/or serve as a call to action for our main character.

We skip to four years later and Ellie seems to have settled in to a routine, dare I say a rut? Joel is off somewhere on patrol fighting infected. It's implied that there's some rift between her and Joel. I'm sure we'll find out more about that later.

Well, without spoiling too much, let's just say apparently even in post-apocalyptic times, people bring a person in mourning food. As I eat my way through the last of the grief-lasagna still lurking in my own understocked fridge, I envy Ellie. She, at least, has an enemy to take all her anger and sadness out on.

I think about how she must have felt, planning to watch a movie that night with Joel and never getting the opportunity. The emotional accuracy of the game thus far has been it's greatest triumph. It's hitting a little close to home, but it's also providing much needed distraction. I'm three hours into the game and I have no doubt the sun will rise and my eyes will burn before I put my PS4 in rest mode and seek rest myself.