‘An experience unlike any other’ – Japanese gamers heap praise on The Last of Us

Is there an equivalent to a texas accent in Japan? Or when something is done in another language is there ever an attempt to try to retain a certain dialect from the original source?
 
Is this game good in that it's actually really good, or good like uncharted is good but actually isn't very good for people who don't like 'super next gen' game design of epic set pieces and form over function? Or is the story itself at least good, which uncharted also didn't have, the game looks appealing but after the amount of GOTY etc hype the UC series has, i'm a bit uncertain if it's for me.
Did you like Spec Ops? It's 10 for presentation. 7-8 for gameplay. Uncharted is a 6.
 
Is this game good in that it's actually really good, or good like uncharted is good but actually isn't very good for people who don't like 'super next gen' game design of epic set pieces and form over function? Or is the story itself at least good, which uncharted also didn't have, the game looks appealing but after the amount of GOTY etc hype the UC series has, i'm a bit uncertain if it's for me.
The gameplay is EXCELLENT in The Last of Us. It's far more restrained, nuanced, thoughtful and tightly designed than Uncharted.

First off, the controls immediately feel good. Joel moves in a very firm and deliberate way. When walking around while crouching, you move swiftly but silently, organically pressing up against and sliding around walls and furniture, keeping your profile low and out of sight as your enemies look for you. It doesn't feel like "hiding behind cover" -- it feels like you're truly hiding. Sometimes, your enemies are cunningly intelligent humans; other times, they're infected individuals, tracking you by sound. In both cases, you can distract your enemies by throwing a bottle or brick to the opposite side of the room, drawing them away from your location. You can sneak up on them and plunge a shiv into their jugular, provided you scavenged enough blades and bindings to craft one in real-time -- resources are scarce, but they strike a perfect balance with when and where they appear, and in what quantities. Even if you're out of supplies, silent chokeholds and melee are always at your disposal... and oftentimes, you can evade enemies altogether, if you wish. No matter your approach, it's richly rewarding.

Each encounter is set in an area with multiple ways in and out -- tons of rooms, windows, doors, moving between floors, inside and outside of buildings. Each area is tightly-designed, and the enemies are smartly placed, and their search routines are telegraphed well, so the game feels fair and never frustrating. The controls have none of the "fiddly" oversensitivity of, say, MGS -- you're unlikely to blow your cover by accident. And if you do, sprinting away, shaking your enemies off your tail, diving into a dark storage closet and hiding in the shadows is a perfectly viable strategy... as is unloading what weapons you have before beating a retreat. Each encounter plays out like a brilliant clockwork construct, a puzzle brimming with possible solutions. No two approaches will be exactly the same. And that's just the encounters. For every encounter, there are like 10-15 minutes of quiet, peaceful exploration -- taking in the sights, scavenging for supplies, crafting items and upgrading weapons, solving environmental puzzles, etc. And they mix in a lot of varied mechanics I don't want to spoil here.

Just an excellent, excellent GAME, even if you set aside the AAA production values and breathtaking art, inspired story, impeccable acting, and every other gushing adjective you can throw at it. This game is absolutely worth a PS3. If nothing else, it's well-worth renting the system and the game, although you'll want to own it.
 
Well deserved!

The Japanese dub sound solid from the trailer, Megumi Han as Ellie is awesome. (She played Takeru in Digimon Adventure PSP ).

Joels VA has done... a lot. (Shun Akiyama FTW)
 
The game as a whole really is great, but I felt hindered by the controls when the shit hit the fan. It was clearly never intended to be a twitch shooter, but my lord the swimmy aiming and slow cover system made me rage a few times.

Still very fun though.
I think the controls are perfect, and I'm really finicky about controls in games. There -is- a bit of wavering to Joel's aim, but that's intentional -- this isn't meant to be played like a shooter, and in most cases, you can avoid shooting altogether. But even then, you can reduce the wavering by using the in-game supplements to improve Joel's aiming ability.

Really, though, I didn't find that necessary. Drawing a bead on an enemy felt quick and precise. My favorite weapon is the bow -- the way the trajectory arc levels out as you draw the string taut, and then the swiftness of releasing the arrow and watching it plunge into an enemy, the target careening into a wall... So satisfying. There's this tremendous sense of impact, yet the arrow is still silent compared to the gunfire alternative, avoiding unwanted attention from the enemies in the next room over. I always felt like I was able to hit my mark, but when I missed, my arrows broke and I couldn't retrieve them -- even more incentive to always hit your mark, since arrows (like all ammo) are scarce, and I usually only had three on me at a time.

Another comment on the gunplay -- when Joel gets hit, it HURTS. He literally gets knocked on his ass when shot, blood splatters all over the screen, and usually the enemy gets in a couple free hits while you're staggering to your feet trying to escape. Then your best option is to RUN. I love the intensity, how neither you nor your enemies are bullet sponges. You can each take some hits, but compared to other games, everyone goes down in a fraction of the time when shot.

Such a raw, brutal game. Truly refreshing in that regard.
 
Is there an equivalent to a texas accent in Japan? Or when something is done in another language is there ever an attempt to try to retain a certain dialect from the original source?

Sort of, yeah. Tends to be linked more to the "uncultured"/comical connotations of Southern accents, though, which is why it also gets adapted as a Brooklyn or New Jersey accent as well.
 
The enthusiasm shared by those who played this game is really refreshing. What can I contribute that hasn't already been said? This is one of the best games I have ever played.
 
I hope Kojima plays this game and takes note how TLoU says more in a wordless exchange of looks than any character managed to say in any MGS cutscene, ever. I can't help but compare them when Kojima strives so hard for the "feels" but falls so flat compared to this game.
 
I hope Kojima plays this game and takes note how TLoU says more in a wordless exchange of looks than any character managed to say in any MGS cutscene, ever. I can't help but compare them when Kojima strives so hard for the "feels" but falls so flat compared to this game.
I think ND invited Kojima to the studio to see TLoU.
 
Well deserved!

The Japanese dub sound solid from the trailer, Megumi Han as Ellie is awesome. (She played Takeru in Digimon Adventure PSP ).

Joels VA has done... a lot. (Shun Akiyama FTW)
He did Vincent from Catherine right? Just like Troy Baker, I don't think it was coincidence.

Edit: Sorry for double posting.
 
Agree with that japanese guy, the consistent intensity in the game makes it feel at least a few hours longer.

yeah, 12-15 hours? For me? On hard? heh... game time might say that, but the number of retries will probably STRONGLY disagree with that figure. I can probably count the number of sequences I HAVEN'T died in on one hand.. :(
 
I think ND invited Kojima to the studio to see TLoU.
Really? I really hope Kojima takes the subtlety of this game to heart. The most powerful and affecting scene in MGS4 was Big Boss simply lighting up a cigar and saying, "This... is good." That's masterful. But it's dragged down by literal PowerPoint presentations regurgitating the same nonsense endlessly in the 15 minutes leading up to that point. :-\
 
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