The sequence where joel and elli are on an outing is pretty touching. Joel essentially teaches the player how to swim which is a wonderful call back. But its this sequence that highlights why the game just doesnt really work.
We are invested in this father daughter duo. Its the bond between them that makes the first game so special. We love her through the eyes of a father. And while avenging joel should motivate the player without that bond the game lacks the heart of its forebearer.
I get what they were going for here but its the wrong choice. This is the choice you make late in a game (or even series) not at the top of the first act. A vengeance story is a fine archetype but its so far from what the last of us was; this it all feels emotionally empty and the scenes that harken back to the tone of the original inadvertently highlight that.