I bought it after watching some muppet pro-gamer try to play the game and play it badly.
I also wanted it because, well, I think we all know how much time I spent playing The Last of Us part one on the PS3 and PS4.
I wanted to hate it, I really did, having the WOKE LGBQT subject rammed down your throat made me cancel my pre-order, but in all honesty, that's the haters. The antagonist (Abby) is trans, and that's it, that's as far as that goes, it's discussed but only just. Abby teams up with a young girl (Lev) trying to pass as a boy, and again, no big deal is made of it, in fact when you discover why Lev is changing her identity, you really empathise with her.
These are the only three non binary characters (not forgetting Ellie is gay), and absolutely no big deal is made of it and it DOES NOT detract from the game or story.
Yes the story could have been binary characters fighting binary characters, and that would have been the end of it. But Neil Druckman wanted different tropes and threw these into the main mix. It works because no big deal is made about their sexual identity.
The only people making a fuss... The narrow minded gay bashers. Like I said, I wanted to hate it because I believed the message was being forced on us, forced down our throats until we choke. But really... it's not.
I will say it could have been a shorter game, less going backwards and forwards in time, but it's still enjoyable. I happy that there's no "hard mode" trophy though... that was a nightmare to finish to get the platinum in part 1.
I love what Naughty Dog did with the story and characters, the antagonist (Abby) becomes the protagonist, and vice versa with Ellie (the protagonist), she becomes the antagonist. You really really feel both sides, both viewpoints, both sides of the story. It really works, and at first you want to really HATE Abby, but eventually, you become to love her and get angry with Ellie. You empathise with Ellie because she lost Joel.
It's a hell of a thing to pull off, but ND did it and did it really well.
FUCK the HATERS and love the game.
https://thelastofus.fandom.com/wiki/Lev