Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us Part 2.
Naughty Dog's latest project pushes video game storytelling boundaries with a (somewhat flawed) critique of in-game violence, but The Last of Us 2 also hearkens back to dated, PS3-era game design with a horrible, Uncharted 2-like boss fight. The Last of Us 2's difficult Rat King infected boss torments players with one-hit instakills, a confusing arena, and an invincible Stalker lackey, causing frustration and marking a major low point in its 20-plus-hour campaign.
While Uncharted 2's memorable set pieces and cinematic storytelling cemented Naughty Dog as one of gaming's most prestigious developers, its final boss fight against Zoran Lazarević is infamous for its disproportionately high difficulty level. Lazarević, commander of a treasure-hunting private army, drinks a mysterious tree sap that turns him super-powered. The only way to take him down is to blow up large chunks of explosive resin throughout the arena, which is difficult to do as he chases players around with a powerful shotgun and lobbed grenade clusters.
As players delve into the depths of The Last of Us 2's WLF hospital base, protagonist Abby eventually comes across a massive, Resident Evil-esque creature called the Rat King. What follows is by far the game's worst moment, as the giant infected's terrible boss fight channels Lazarević in all the wrong ways.
Why The Last Of Us 2's Rat King Boss Fight Is So Bad
The biggest problem with the Rat King fight is the area it takes place in. The hospital's basement is incredibly dark, meaning players can barely see what's ahead of them, even with Abby's flashlight on. It's also twisted and full of dead ends, potentially leading players to being cornered by the pursuing creature, which always knows exactly where the player is and can break through walls to get there. The Last of Us 2's Listen Mode allows players to know the Rat King's location, in turn, but the fight is so frantic that players are hardly ever safe enough to crouch down and listen.
Halfway through the battle, a smaller Stalker zombie falls off the Rat King's mass of bodies. While players' first instinct may be to take down this additional threat to focus on the boss, the game doesn't tell them it's actually invincible until the main enemy is downed, meaning it's possible to waste tons of resources on the Stalker, effectively soft-locking the fight. Abby at one point proclaims aloud, "This thing just won't die," but it's not at all clear which of the infected she's talking about (or that she's being literal).
Together, these two enemies put constant pressure on the player, and the Rat King's fairly long reach makes its one-hit kills difficulty to dodge, between the Stalker and the arena's tight hallways. Of course, each player's experience with the fight will be different, but these factors make for a fight that will be incredibly frustrating for some. Luckily, The Last of Us 2's accessibility options give players plenty of ways to tone down the difficulty. But even if the entire game is put in slow motion, one mistake still means death, so the Rat King is likely to remain a major annoyance.
The Last Of Us Part 2 released for PlayStation 4 on June 19, 2020.