On June 20 2013 17:55 Thereisnosaurus wrote: It says a lot about the industry that a story as trite and manipulative as this is regarded as 'the citizen kane moment'
I won't lie, it's a lot better than the average game, but this game is to the greatest films and novels of all time as far as duke nukem forever is from it.
Like, they said it was inspired by The Road. Even the road, which is great but unexceptional in the grand scheme of literature, beats the everliving shit out of it as a narrative. With a poleaxe.
Just because a game is far and away better than what you are usually playing, this does not make it 'good' in an objective sense. It just makes it better than what you are usually playing.
If what you are usually playing is the usual buggy, trite, derivative, uninspired, often misogynistic or racist tripe, congratulations, welcome to the realm of a game that is worthy of the amount of money spent on it. Something that enhanced your life in a meaningful way by its consumption, rather than just killing time.
If a game is not this good, it is a BAD GAME.
I agree with this 100% (haven't played the game but the idea of modern games sucking so any above average game seems legendary).
People who have played this... is The last of Us really as good as, or better than these games: - Portal 2 - Baldurs Gate 2 - GTA Vice City - Bioshock 1 (or Infinite for that matter) - Zelda Ocarina of Time - TES Skyrim/Oblivion - Star Wars KOTOR - Final Fantasy 7/10 etc - Diablo1/2 - Deus Ex - Thief 1/2
etc. etc. All games equal to or surpassed by TloU on Metacritic? With the obvious conflicts of interests we are seeing over and over with game reviewers it is clear to me that review scores have been inflated over time. Very very few modern games come close to the depth or polish of older games like those on the list (though some are more recent). I hope TLoU isn't just some scripted movie essentially, since in my book that should never be rated above games that have story AND gameplay,, but in general I think my point about inflated scores still stands. There are some terrible games getting respectable scores (DA2 are you fucking kidding me?!).
DA2 is a shame when it comes to critic score. The fact that player score is at like 4 says a lot for a game that didn't suffer from connection issues etc.
As for the game you listed, its pretty hard to compare it like that. Like how am I supposed to compare diablo and the last of us ??? Did I had more fun from 10h of diablo or 10h of tLoU ? Probably tLoU. Will I have more fun playing 100h of diablo or doing 10 times tLoU; probably Diablo. Is being scripted good or not ? Is being ugly matters or not ? etc.
You see ? You cannot put every game on the same scale. It makes absolutely no sense. You have to first indicate the scale (or scales) you are comparing them on. A great game is a game that does great in what its trying to do and for me tLoU achieved that mission so far (haven't finished it yet). The same way BG2 went to be the best cRpg or Skyrim the best open world RPG. But could you say whether Skyrim or BG2 is the best ? Non-sense. But all those games, being great for what they are deserve to be recognized as such and I feel tLoU as a third person shooter with on rail story really deserves the praise; its just one of the best at what it does.
Anyway I'll agree that metacritic in itself means nothing. I don't even know why people follow it. Pick a few reviewer that seems to have the same tastes and follow that.
On June 20 2013 17:55 Thereisnosaurus wrote: It says a lot about the industry that a story as trite and manipulative as this is regarded as 'the citizen kane moment'
I won't lie, it's a lot better than the average game, but this game is to the greatest films and novels of all time as far as duke nukem forever is from it.
Like, they said it was inspired by The Road. Even the road, which is great but unexceptional in the grand scheme of literature, beats the everliving shit out of it as a narrative. With a poleaxe.
Just because a game is far and away better than what you are usually playing, this does not make it 'good' in an objective sense. It just makes it better than what you are usually playing.
If what you are usually playing is the usual buggy, trite, derivative, uninspired, often misogynistic or racist tripe, congratulations, welcome to the realm of a game that is worthy of the amount of money spent on it. Something that enhanced your life in a meaningful way by its consumption, rather than just killing time.
If a game is not this good, it is a BAD GAME.
Artistic taste varies wildly from person to person, and especially among gamers who are a diverse public. Some find Bioshock profound, but to most academics, Ayn Rand is a joke. Xenogears references Nietzsche, Freud, and Lacan, but is essentially an overambitious manga than literature. I completely trust that the Last of Us's story is trite and manipulative, and I cringe every time I hear reviewers speak of "emotional involvement" like it's a golden standard. But despite all that, I don't think video games should ever be judged for their literary worth. In fact, making aesthetic judgements about literary worth is rarely ever a good idea in popular culture simply because there's no end. The guy who enjoys Tarantino will say comic book movies are unsophisticated. The guy who worships Cassavetes will call Tarantino an idiot.
What I really loathe about modern console games more than anything is the dumbed down gameplay at the cost of trying to play like a movie instead of an actual video game. I actually enjoyed Uncharted's plot but fighting the same dumb AI using the same methods in the same settings while getting dragged from level to level with nothing but cutscenes in between was not fun, at all. I'm still on the fence about getting this game because of how painful Uncharted 3 was for me.
On June 20 2013 17:55 Thereisnosaurus wrote: It says a lot about the industry that a story as trite and manipulative as this is regarded as 'the citizen kane moment'
I won't lie, it's a lot better than the average game, but this game is to the greatest films and novels of all time as far as duke nukem forever is from it.
Like, they said it was inspired by The Road. Even the road, which is great but unexceptional in the grand scheme of literature, beats the everliving shit out of it as a narrative. With a poleaxe.
Just because a game is far and away better than what you are usually playing, this does not make it 'good' in an objective sense. It just makes it better than what you are usually playing.
If what you are usually playing is the usual buggy, trite, derivative, uninspired, often misogynistic or racist tripe, congratulations, welcome to the realm of a game that is worthy of the amount of money spent on it. Something that enhanced your life in a meaningful way by its consumption, rather than just killing time.
If a game is not this good, it is a BAD GAME.
Artistic taste varies wildly from person to person, and especially among gamers who are a diverse public. Some find Bioshock profound, but to most academics, Ayn Rand is a joke. Xenogears references Nietzsche, Freud, and Lacan, but is essentially an overambitious manga than literature. I completely trust that the Last of Us's story is trite and manipulative, and I cringe every time I hear reviewers speak of "emotional involvement" like it's a golden standard. But despite all that, I don't think video games should ever be judged for their literary worth. In fact, making aesthetic judgements about literary worth is rarely ever a good idea in popular culture simply because there's no end. The guy who enjoys Tarantino will say comic book movies are unsophisticated. The guy who worships Cassavetes will call Tarantino an idiot.
What I really loathe about modern console games more than anything is the dumbed down gameplay at the cost of trying to play like a movie instead of an actual video game. I actually enjoyed Uncharted's plot but fighting the same dumb AI using the same methods in the same settings while getting dragged from level to level with nothing but cutscenes in between was not fun, at all. I'm still on the fence about getting this game because of how painful Uncharted 3 was for me.
Your "literary worth" reminds me of that film, The Dead Poets Society.
On June 20 2013 17:55 Thereisnosaurus wrote: It says a lot about the industry that a story as trite and manipulative as this is regarded as 'the citizen kane moment'
I won't lie, it's a lot better than the average game, but this game is to the greatest films and novels of all time as far as duke nukem forever is from it.
Like, they said it was inspired by The Road. Even the road, which is great but unexceptional in the grand scheme of literature, beats the everliving shit out of it as a narrative. With a poleaxe.
Just because a game is far and away better than what you are usually playing, this does not make it 'good' in an objective sense. It just makes it better than what you are usually playing.
If what you are usually playing is the usual buggy, trite, derivative, uninspired, often misogynistic or racist tripe, congratulations, welcome to the realm of a game that is worthy of the amount of money spent on it. Something that enhanced your life in a meaningful way by its consumption, rather than just killing time.
If a game is not this good, it is a BAD GAME.
Artistic taste varies wildly from person to person, and especially among gamers who are a diverse public. Some find Bioshock profound, but to most academics, Ayn Rand is a joke. Xenogears references Nietzsche, Freud, and Lacan, but is essentially an overambitious manga than literature. I completely trust that the Last of Us's story is trite and manipulative, and I cringe every time I hear reviewers speak of "emotional involvement" like it's a golden standard. But despite all that, I don't think video games should ever be judged for their literary worth. In fact, making aesthetic judgements about literary worth is rarely ever a good idea in popular culture simply because there's no end. The guy who enjoys Tarantino will say comic book movies are unsophisticated. The guy who worships Cassavetes will call Tarantino an idiot.
What I really loathe about modern console games more than anything is the dumbed down gameplay at the cost of trying to play like a movie instead of an actual video game. I actually enjoyed Uncharted's plot but fighting the same dumb AI using the same methods in the same settings while getting dragged from level to level with nothing but cutscenes in between was not fun, at all. I'm still on the fence about getting this game because of how painful Uncharted 3 was for me.
I get what your saying about the dumbed down gameplay, its becoming quite common and repetitive in a lot of modern games. However regarding uncharted,I didn't mind as much since i'm a big fan. I can safely say though that the last of us is nothing like the uncharted series in terms of gameplay and repetition. The gameplay is unique and just when you feel that things are becoming too similar, the game throws in a new element to approaching enemies/encounters. It is a bit like Uncharted 3 in terms of placing such high emphasis on the story and the emotions it makes you experience, but I wouldn't say it is just the story that makes the game good. The combination of the narrative and the innovative gameplay is what makes this game unique and amazing in every way. When playing you don't feel like your mowing down hordes of mindless AI's just to get from point A to B; you really feel that your trying to survive against equally determined and intelligent people. There's also many different ways to deal with encounters instead of shooting your way through uncharted style. Trust me when I say this game is incredibly made, from start to finish, it is definitely worth buying, especially if you are a fan of the uncharted stories. In fact I would say it has a better narrative than uncharted and this is coming from an uncharted fan boy.
I read an interview with a designer from the game who said "ellie and joel's story is complete, but there are more stories to tell in the universe" which I think implies that story DLC or a sequel would revolve around the story of different characters. Which I'm totally cool with. I don't think there is anything left to add to the story.
I'm the sort of player that doesn't really care about story at all. It's great for justifying gameplay scenarios but other than that I would say that there are no meaningful stories that are better told through games than other media. Bioshock games have cool stories but every time they would probably be better told as a novel.
The Last of Us is for me a really really good gameplay experience, maybe the best linear single-player game since HL2. The narrative works really well sure but for me it was the gameplay that makes the game so great. The game offers probably the best blend of survival and action ever created (IE endlessly weaving between feelings of vulnerability when low on supplies to feelings of power when overcoming the odds).
The zombies in the game are the most interesting zombies I've seen in a game from a gameplay perspective: dumb yet powerful and allow the player multiple ways to deal with them. Instead of just being boring shooting galleries, the zombie levels offer thrilling stealth levels AND tense shooting sequences(depending on how you chose to play).The shooting segments are fantastic: really terrific open level design (the linear levels of the TLoU are more open-ended than the story missions in most open-world games) with really good AI and a great sense of tension and encouraging of improvised strategy that you rarely see in shooters. The AI may not be the smartest AI ever but I think it's definitely top-tier, they do pretty much everything you could ask of them (they are aggressive without be overly-so, they react to most things going on in the environment (seeing dead bodies, hearing gunshots, etc), and are very mobile (will retreat and flank you, chase you up multiple floors in buildings, etc). I can't think of the last shooter I played where I could replay a gun-battle and have it pan out so differently so many different times. + Show Spoiler +
I think that last level where you fight soldiers with assault rifles shows just how good the AI is: if you try to play it as a normal shooter you get your ass kicked becuase the soldiers have great LoS (unless you are hiding), flank well and have very accurate shots.
Even the more "boring" gameplay segments are pretty good. Exploring/scavenging the environment works great because every supply you find is so useful (and the environments are large and interesting to explore as well). The puzzles are probably the "weakest" part becuase they are incredibly easy, but even they aren't intrusive or too long and are usually filled with some good story quips to keep you interested.
Lastly the game has incredible pacing because it weaves the 5 main gameplay loops (exploring/scavenging, puzzle-solving, zombie-shooting, human-shooting, story-telling) together so well that you never feel burned out or bored. It's funny becuase you can compare it to the Uncharted games in how well it paces the game, but TLoU does it so much better because it has more gameplay loops to mix it up with (and even the similar ones are better in TLoU).
It really sort of bums me out that everyone is just talking about the narrative in this game, becuase I think it offers the best evolution/take on the cover-based shooter gameplay since Vanquish, maybe even best yet.
I read an interview with a designer from the game who said "ellie and joel's story is complete, but there are more stories to tell in the universe" which I think implies that story DLC or a sequel would revolve around the story of different characters. Which I'm totally cool with. I don't think there is anything left to add to the story.
Source? I recall an interview that said that the story is complete in of itself, which has does not rule out a prequel or sequel if they choose to make one.
I read an interview with a designer from the game who said "ellie and joel's story is complete, but there are more stories to tell in the universe" which I think implies that story DLC or a sequel would revolve around the story of different characters. Which I'm totally cool with. I don't think there is anything left to add to the story.
Source? I recall an interview that said that the story is complete in of itself, which has does not rule out a prequel or sequel if they choose to make one.
I think the world is ripe for more stories, but as far as the journey Joel and Ellie goes on [sic] it ends with this game. We were very conscious that we didn’t want to leave this story dangling. If we never do a sequel we’re OK with it, because we told the story we needed to tell.
Not exactly clear-cut in regards to other journeys. We'll see in a decade.
I had a feeling that The Last of Us was going to be a great game when I first saw the debut trailer. Naughty Dog has created a lot of great games in their company's history. I was really excited when I found out that Naughty Dog was developing this game because it was so different compared to their previous games. I was curious to see what they will do in a post-apocalyptic setting. This game was a lot more violent, grittier, and darker too.
Story
The story wasn't anything amazing, but it was great nonetheless. I liked that they didn't make the story too complicated that will take you away from the game. It was enough to keep you questioning and wondering what happened before and after the outbreak. It was cool of Naughty Dog to have journals or diaries around the world. It was scary and saddening when you read a journal about the initial outbreak and the writer's demise. An example would be the scene near the end of the game where you can go into a RV and you find a note that says "Forgive us" and you see multiple bodies in the RV with blankets over there. It didn't help that the front of the note was a picture of a family.
Characters
I will admit that I did not like Ellie at all in the beginning, but she definitely grew on me over time. I loved Joel since the beginning despite him making some decisions that I did not agree with throughout the game. Regardless, I understood why he did since living in this world can make almost anyone like Joel. I appreciate Naughty Dog letting us play Sarah during the outbreak since very few games let us play during the initial outbreak of a virus. It was well structured and it had an eerie vibe because you knew what was about to happen.
Supporting characters such as Marlene, Bill, Sam, Henry,etc were great also. I would like to see more of Tommy in the future and to see Joel and Tommy's relationship expanded. Anyone else wish Tess was still alive? We didn't get a lot of time with Tess, but I thought the developers did a great job making a short lived character so impactful. She was the driving force in the beginning that convinced Joel to transport and protect Ellie. It was brave of her to hold off the soldiers and to sacrificed herself.
The acting from the majority of the characters are well done. You can see the emotion in the character's faces during cut scenes. A lot of games use mocap suits when it comes to cutscenes and gameplay, but Naughty Dog did an amazing job. You can really feel what the characters were going through especially Joel and Ellie halfway through the game. The way they handled the Sam and Henry scene was superb especially the transition.
Designs and Visuals
I was really impressed by the graphics of this game especially on an older hardware. Naughty Dog did a great job showing that the PS3 is still pretty powerful. The art team did a fantastic job creating a believable world where humanity is crippled and elegant cities are now in ruins and covered by mother nature. I loved that a house is an actual house. Whenever I entered a home, it felt like a legit home with a kitchen, living room, two or three bedrooms, and a backyard. Each home felt different too such as size and how it looked. When it came to the infected, they were pretty creepy at times. The first encounter with an infected reminded me of "I Am Legend" since you were in a dark room and you know you're not alone. The game's lighting is great since it had different depth depending on the angle. The dusk scenes were nicely done since it definitely made things a little harder to see while being paranoid whether or not to use your flashlight. The part that stuck out to me when it came to sound was in the beginning of the game where you were in an office building. It is raining hard at night and you can see the ran splatter on the windows. You can tell how hard it was raining just by the sound alone. It was really convincing and realistic.
Gameplay
The game is using the same engine that the Uncharted series used, but with tweaks here and there. The gun play is the same as the Uncharted games, but the melee combat is really cool. I liked how the camera would zoom in when you engage in a fist fight. It is definitely more creepy when you fight an infected person since you can see a closeup of their face. Some of the finishing moves are pretty crazy too such as Joel slamming someone's face into the wall and shoving a knife into a neck.
The crafting system is nice and simple. Anyone else in love with the bomb that Bill showed us? Because I know I was when I was playing the game. The game can get repetitive and frustrating at times, but it is rewarding and satisfying when you clear out a room silently. A room of infected is challenging though since they are more sensitive to you.
I found the AI to be quite wonky at times. There are times that the AI is smart while sometimes the AI is really dumb. I know that if the AI was too smart, then you would get spotted and caught much easier since there were times that Ellie would crouch in front of an enemy and there would be no reaction.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack is superb especially near the end during the hospital escape. The song used and the execution during the game was beautiful. It was somber, yet frantic trying to rescue Ellie and escape. During the halfway mark of the game, I thought Joel was going to die for a second because of how well the song was used and how desperate the two were trying to get out of the school. The composers did a great job putting this soundtrack together.
Conclusion
The Last of Us and BioShock Infinite are great games to end the current generation and they are goth Game of the Year contenders. Speaking of BioShock Infinite, the voice actor for Joel is the voice actor of BioShock Infinite's Booker DeWitt and the Joker in the upcoming Batman Arkham Origins. I cannot wait for what Naughty Dog has in store for this universe and whatever they are working on. I am confident to be apart of the 5/5 and 10/10 team because this has to be my favorite game this generation.
I really liked this game. Some times I wanted to move somewhere the game blocked due to being a linear game. That was my major complaint. That is how good the game is.
I would recommend playing on hard the first time. It was fun, it also connects well with how deadly and uncaring the world is. I died 181 times in my play-through. I played mostly in melee combat since I never could get used to the gamepad and guns, making a few sections where one had to use guns a bit of a drag.
What makes the game stand out for me is choosing not to heal since I only had one medpack and I might reach the next chapter of the story without having to use it. Then dying 8 times before finally completing the section. Or seeing 6 enemies and moving through them without them noticing me and thus saving that ammo and hp.
It really is a game of sparse resources, at least on hard. I'll look forward to playing the game again when I can find some time. Instead of any of the 50 games I own but havn't played yet on steam. I'll try it on survivor next time, but I think that might be too much sneaking for me.
Fininshed the game in 16 something hours with ~80 deaths on Hard and besides some flaws i really like it . I originally wanted to wait until it gets cheaper but then didn't . Oh well no regrets at least it also has 30 days of PS+ in it to give me other games for free as well .
was when you rescue Ellie from the Fireflies you can chose not to kill any Firefly besides the Doctor. I shot him in the foot and he apparently had a Vital Organ in there Maybe i could've tried a warning shot anybody tried that ? Worked in Spec Ops the Line with the angry Civis .
On June 23 2013 21:38 s3rp wrote: Fininshed the game in 16 something hours with ~80 deaths on Hard and besides some flaws i really like it . I originally wanted to wait until it gets cheaper but then didn't . Oh well no regrets at least it also has 30 days of PS+ in it to give me other games for free as well .
was when you rescue Ellie from the Fireflies you can chose not to kill any Firefly besides the Doctor. I shot him in the foot and he apparently had a Vital Organ in there Maybe i could've tried a warning shot anybody tried that ? Worked in Spec Ops the Line with the angry Civis .
I killed him as well after trying a lot of different stuff. I read you could unequip your weapon to change your options. Didn't try if it would work though.
On June 23 2013 21:38 s3rp wrote: Fininshed the game in 16 something hours with ~80 deaths on Hard and besides some flaws i really like it . I originally wanted to wait until it gets cheaper but then didn't . Oh well no regrets at least it also has 30 days of PS+ in it to give me other games for free as well .
was when you rescue Ellie from the Fireflies you can chose not to kill any Firefly besides the Doctor. I shot him in the foot and he apparently had a Vital Organ in there Maybe i could've tried a warning shot anybody tried that ? Worked in Spec Ops the Line with the angry Civis .
I killed him as well after trying a lot of different stuff. I read you could unequip your weapon to change your options. Didn't try if it would work though.
I straight up headshotted him and the other doctor standing next to him, was about to spare the one cowering in the corner but then she called me a monster or something and that was it for her. Figured if their doctors are dead they're less likely to come after Ellie as well.
Is the multiplayer worth checking our or is it just the usual deathmatch that gets forced in every new single-player story game these days?
On June 23 2013 21:38 s3rp wrote: Fininshed the game in 16 something hours with ~80 deaths on Hard and besides some flaws i really like it . I originally wanted to wait until it gets cheaper but then didn't . Oh well no regrets at least it also has 30 days of PS+ in it to give me other games for free as well .
was when you rescue Ellie from the Fireflies you can chose not to kill any Firefly besides the Doctor. I shot him in the foot and he apparently had a Vital Organ in there Maybe i could've tried a warning shot anybody tried that ? Worked in Spec Ops the Line with the angry Civis .
I did not want to kill anyone, but then I found out I had to, so I thought I had to kill every one. I hated myself the whole time I was doing it, but that it was the only way. On the last nurse I took my time, got as close to her as I could and gave her a execution style head shot so she wouldn't suffer. Then I get online and read that I just needed to kill the doctor, I feel terrible every day when I think about it.
could anyone tell me what the "Weapon Sway" upgrade does (or is supposed to do)? I upgraded it to 1/2 but couldnt really feel a difference while shooting
On June 26 2013 00:51 Enox wrote: could anyone tell me what the "Weapon Sway" upgrade does (or is supposed to do)? I upgraded it to 1/2 but couldnt really feel a difference while shooting
Crosshair sways less, with 2/2 it doesn't sway at all, at least this is how it seemed like to me.
EPT
I'll try it on survivor next time, but I think that might be too much sneaking for me.
Maybe i could've tried a warning shot anybody tried that ? Worked in Spec Ops the Line with the angry Civis .
