Never played either game (blasphemous I know) but someone on Instagram absolutely sold me on these figures so I had to pick up Ellie and Joel to go with her. Ellie is mostly the Master Team version (beautiful sculpts) with some parts and pieces from the CCToys and Joel is pieces together with CC parts. Joel pretty much stays like the first picture, but Ellie gets switched up from time to time.
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Definitely pick up the first game if you can, the second one is really divisive but even if you don't like the story the gameplay, combat and everything else is top notch, if you don't have the time to play them then as
@Asta suggested you can watch some of the several movie edits people have posted on youtube.
The figures pair up nicely, imo the Master Team Ellie is the perfect one to go with this Joel, the CCToys one lacks in the likeness department, it's interesting to see Joel displayed in action, I think everyone who's played the game always has him playing the guitar, this is one of the reasons I love figures, the ability to create these images that otherwise only exist in our imagination and crushed hopes.
This reminds me, Dark Horse announced new 9' statues of Joel and Abby earlier this year, both retail for around $60, if you're on a budget and didn't grab the bigger statues then they are worth picking up, especially since I don't think we'll see an actual Abby figure for a long time if ever so at least this gives an option to people who liked her.
There's one of Ellie as well that was put out around the time the second game was released.