While a lot of mechanicsThe Last of Us Part 2features are excellent for how they enhance movement, there is arguably no mechanic more foundational than the ability to dodge. Dodging is instrumental as players can land a hit before ducking out of the way of an enemy’s counter or grapple, allowing an enemy to whiff several attacks while players whittle them down or decide to draw a gun during the enemy’s recovery. Plus, dodging is mechanically distinct inThe Last of Us Part 2between Ellie and Abby since each character has her own animations and strengths in combat.
Ellie has a switchblade equipped at all times and is technically never unarmed, which is why she’s able to naturally stealth-kill clickers without a shiv or a melee weapon, yet she cannot use the switchblade to escape grapples. Meanwhile, Abby does require shivs and is much more melee-inclined. These playstyles make for dynamic gameplay during Ellie and Abby’s respective chapters, and how their animations are disseminated betweenall 12 characters inThe Last of Us Part 2’s roguelike mode, No Return, is inspired by their builds and kits. It’s also in No Return where dodging’s significance is made exceptionally obvious via Tommy, Joel, and Bill.
Tommy, Joel, and Bill All Have an Arm Tied Behind Their Backs in The Last of Us Part 2’s No Return
Every character in No Return has a unique playstyle, base kit inventory, perks/traits, and upgrade branches that make someone like Mel completely different from someone like Manny. However, characters either have Ellie’s or Abby’s animations and all share a dodge mechanic besides Tommy, Joel, and now Bill, each of whom cannot dodge.
It’s possible this decision was made due to their popularity as characters and Naughty Dog wanting to subvert that by making them the most challenging to play as—a strategy that was seemingly employed viaMarvel Rivalsmaking Spider-Man hard to play.
Not being able to dodge means players can’t rely on a lot of their ordinary tactics when selecting Tommy, Joel, or Bill. For example, no-dodging characters can’t plant a trap mine and hastily dodge backward to avoid a potentially imminent explosion, and neither can they go toe-to-toe with strikes exchanged without getting hit, even if they do have the Sturdier Against Melee effect that cuts grappling from enemies’ movesets.
Tommy’s custom hunting rifle makes up for the lack of a dodge if players can maintain their distance, such as in Capture. That said, Tommy is good for little else as it can be tremendously tough to earn high encounter scores without any well-rounded traits and a Marksman upgrade branch that only truly benefits the bolt-action rifle, let alone sustain a healthy amount of ammo during a run.
Joel’s shivs, upgraded melee weapon, and custom revolver at least allow him to be fairly competent in Assault or Hunted encounters against infected. Not dodging with him may feel natural sinceJoel can’t dodge inThe Last of Us Part 1, and yet it is made abundantly clear how perilous any melee encounter is inThe Last of Us Part 2if players aren’t capable of dodging individual strikes and are swiftly overwhelmed.
Bill starts out with his trusty machete but is denied a shotgun until players deposit Dead Drops, leaving him without a long gun that was a staple for him inPart 1. Otherwise, like how Marlene incentivizes gambits, Bill incentivizes securing Dead Drops whenever they decide to spawn for twice the rewards players then retrieve at the theater hideout between encounters.
On Grounded in No Return, bricks, bottles, stun bombs, pipe bombs, and trap mines are essential.
Even without the ability to dodge,Bill is no worse than No Return’s Tommy or Joel, and Yara arguably takes the cake when it comes to horrible run potential since she’s stuck with an ally who can and will ruin any bonus score ambitions players have. Together, Tommy, Joel, and Bill are evidence thatPart 2’s gameplay can be mastered without dodging, but it’s purposefully more grating to do so as such characters are literally at a disadvantage.
