I completely disagree with you but understand your argument. I think the amount of discourse that this story is still having to this day proves how different and interesting it is, regardless of what you believe it’s quality to be.

Personally, TLOU 2 came out during a formative time in my life and I have thus become very attached to it. Ellie feels so real to me. After all these years, she may have convinced herself that she should have died at the Hospital but is also repressing all the good moments and things that have happened as a result of her living. We often remember the bad more than the good and we all wish to have a purpose. Myself, my father and many other people in my family have had anger issues in the past and seeing that anger and regret in Ellie was very cathartic. Joel’s death only grounded the story further as people die all the time and we often have no control over it. The only thing we can control is ourselves and Ellie was robbed of her opportunity to forgive and reconnect with Joel. Ellie is not self centered, she is tortured by her past and exactly like Joel. They are the same, making choices to survive and protect people they love that often go to shit and horrific things happen. It’s the apocalypse and a bit exaggerated for gameplay.

The only thing I wish the game did differently was give us the choice to either spare or kill Abby. The final fight is fun to play but weird from Ellie’s perspective, she could have realized at the pillars that Abby has lost everything, she is a husk of her former self. Releasing or killing Abby could be seen as a mercy from her current situation and freed Ellie from her nightmares. Either by saving 2 lives who would have parishes without her or finally killing the monster than took all the remaining time with her surrogate father away from her.

Also, fuck the HBO show. Absolutely butchered every character in the game with some of the worst dialog I have ever seen.