Part II received acclaim for its gameplay, audio design, score, performances, characters, and visual fidelity, though its narrative and themes divided critics.

The player can use firearms, improvised weapons, and stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus.

[2] "Listen Mode" allows the player to locate enemies through a heightened sense of hearing and spatial awareness, indicated as outlines visible through walls and objects.

[2] Joel (Troy Baker) confesses to his brother, Tommy (Jeffrey Pierce), his responsibility in preventing the Fireflies attempting to develop a cure for the Cordyceps fungus pandemic by saving Ellie (Ashley Johnson) from a non-survivable surgical procedure.

While searching for Abby's friend Nora (Chelsea Tavares), Ellie encounters the Seraphites, a religious cult locked in a battle with the WLF over control of Seattle.

Though Yara suffers a broken arm, Abby leaves them to find Owen who, disillusioned with the war, plans to sail to Santa Barbara, California, where Fireflies may be regrouping.

Abby and Lev arrive in Santa Barbara searching for the Fireflies, who they discover are regrouping at Catalina Island, California, but are captured, tortured, and left to die by the slave-keeping Rattlers.

[25][26] Anthony Newman and Kurt Margenau were selected to be co-game directors for Part II,[27] overseeing gameplay elements such as level design and mechanics.

[24] He recalled watching footage of the 2000 Ramallah lynching, and how, after hearing the cheering crowds, his mind turned to violent thoughts about bringing the perpetrators to justice.

[43] Naughty Dog wanted to increase the accessibility options introduced in Uncharted 4 to ensure that all players could complete the story, and the developers attended conferences and worked with advocates.

[48] Druckmann felt that he had failed to find the correct balance for employees on Part II, and said the studio would receive external assistance for future projects.

[86] IGN's Jonathon Dornbush called it "a masterpiece worthy of its predecessor", noting, atop its improved gameplay, it "still makes time for a stunning, nuanced exploration of the strength and fragility of the human spirit".

[8][87] Sammy Barker of Push Square particularly praised the use of flashback and overlapping stories;[90] The Guardian's Keza MacDonald concurred, describing the narrative as "emotionally effective".

[9] Polygon's Maddy Myers and Kotaku's Riley MacLeod wrote that the game repeatedly delivered its themes without allowing the player any agency in their decisions.

[93] Also writing for Vice, Emanuel Maiberg drew parallels between the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the WLF and Seraphites, and argued this was poorly considered for its allegorical representation of two equal sides.

[95] GameSpot's Plagge wrote that Abby's characterization led to a deeper connection to her than to Ellie, but found her character development incongruous with her "onslaught of combat against human enemies".

[91] Push Square's Barker wrote that the supporting characters "establish themselves extremely swiftly",[90] and Game Informer's McNamara found their occasional absence alarming, having grown close to them.

[97] GamesRadar+'s Avard considered Johnson's portrayal of suffering "nothing short of awards worthy", and found that Baker "steals some of Part 2's best scenes as Joel" by adding complexities that enrich the character and relationships.

[15] Zacny of Vice found Seattle too similar to Boston and Pittsburgh from the first game,[93] and Christopher Byrd of The Washington Post wondered if the detail was worth the "human cost" of Naughty Dog's crunch culture.

[115] Several reviewers found the mode addictive and felt it added value and replayability,[103][108][112] demonstrating the quality of the game's combat elements;[111][105][116] Push Square's Bayne lauded its pacing and length.

[122] Some players criticized Joel's death in the opening hours, perceiving a discrepancy between his cautious nature in the first game and his more trustful and protective attitude in Part II.

[123][124] Den of Geek's Matthew Byrd wrote that Joel had protected young women in the past, so his trusting of Abby in Part II was not "entirely unreasonable".

[126] Some players felt the marketing, which had altered and replaced characters in trailers to conceal Joel's death and Abby's role, constituted false advertising;[121][123][125] Druckmann responded that Naughty Dog had intended to preserve the game experience, "not to bamboozle anyone or get their $60".

[123][127][128] Collider's Dave Trumbore felt Abby's killing of Joel led to her being unfairly maligned by audiences who had failed to understand the story's message.

[133][134] Stacey Henley of VG247 responded that Lev's deadname is used sparingly and that Ian Alexander, a transgender actor, provides the character's voice and motion capture.

[133] Writing for Paste, Waverly praised the choice to have Lev played by a transgender actor, but felt there was too much emphasis on his gender identity and the suffering he experienced for it.

[136] Alexander acknowledged the writers "might have missed the mark a little bit" regarding the use of Lev's deadname but felt Abby's response[d] reflected the importance of allowing trans individuals the agency to discuss their gender on their own terms.

[140][141] Polygon's Hernandez observed that the discourse surrounding The Last of Us Part II had become adversarial, with "bigots" attacking the game for its diverse cast and Naughty Dog becoming defensive.

[65] The Last of Us Part II won more than 320 Game of the Year awards,[145] which several outlets claimed broke the record set by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015);[146][147][148] it was later surpassed by Elden Ring (2022).

[213] Druckmann later clarified the outline was for a "small story" focused on Tommy, rather than a full sequel to Part II ; he felt it would eventually be released, possibly as a game or television series.