NickSchaden

Prestige TV lost its way with The Last of Us Part II

05.28.25 | Gaming | ∞

After experiencing two seasons of TV and thirty hours of gameplay, it’s clear The Last of Us delivers an uneven, hit-or-miss experience. Characters are a strong suit, thanks to impeccable casting by HBO and Naughty Dog plus universally solid acting. However, part II of TLOU — The Last of Us Part II (TLOU2) game and the show after season one — suffers from serious flaws. It feels overstuffed, flattens characterization, and struggles with its darker thematic elements. What begins as an engrossing two-hander with a smart moral dilemma devolves into cruel, anonymous “cycle of violence” genre fodder. (Major spoilers for TLOU ahead.)

Part II’s biggest problem lies in how its main characters — Ellie, Dina, and Abby — feel severely underwritten compared to Joel and Ellie in part I. Character arcs are practically nonexistent. The story skips over reflection and introspection about the impact of these characters’ revenge-fueled warpaths. When such moments do appear, they feel merely perfunctory.

Price shocks will force the gaming industry to adapt

05.08.25 | Gaming | ∞

Gaming consoles and games have seen unprecedented price increases over the last month. Xboxes and PlayStations now cost between ten to twenty percent more than they did at their launch five years ago. Anticipated games like Mario Kart World and the next Call of Duty will sell for $80, breaking through the existing $70 price ceiling.

Gaming markets shouldn’t work this way. Consoles have always dropped in price over time. Game prices eventually increase, but never this aggressively; the last jump from $60 to $70 occurred only three years ago. These price shocks make an already pricey hobby even more expensive and will damage the console gaming market irrevocably.

Let’s examine how we got here. Two forces, one sudden and one gradual, arrived simultaneously in mid 2025. One followed textbook economics. The other was a progressive reaction to a slowing console market.