Uno Venova
Banned
Well that is part of the package of 'story' that people love about the game.
Aside from the story, is 'The Last Of Us' really that special?
- Thread starter sploatee
- Start date
Thread needs less aggression.
I can't agree with anyone arguing TLoU is an objectively bad game, but I'll tell you the problem I had with it.
I only played it back in April, so I had months of reading how revered it was on GAF. A masterpiece, GOTG, soooooogooood.gif etc. Over 200 GOTY awards and universal praise from the press. I was really looking forward to playing a game that had made such an impact. But apart from the visuals, animation and voice-acting, I personally never saw anything that would elevate it to such a status.
I played on Hard, listen mode off. It was an enjoyable challenge. In encounters with infected , I barely used guns against them going full stealth as much as possible. It felt very similar to Splinter Cell - observe enemy patterns, trial and error your way through. Yes there were different options in you arsenal, but at no time did it feel significantly different to what we haven't seen in other games.
Against the humans and where you're forced to use guns, it played similar to Uncharted to me, whose TPS mechanics are average imo.
TLoU is a good game, I enjoyed it a lot. But for me I can't see how a great story and visuals were enough to lead this game to such great acclaim and elevate so far ahead of the pack. And that's fine. Story is the least important part of a game to me, so that might not come as a great surprise, but I can see the 'greatness' others see in many games I didn't particularly enjoy (if that makes sense) like Persona 4 Golden and Valkyria Chronicles. I was never able to see that with TLoU.
Hence I think it's a perfectly valid question for the OP to pose - it's one I may have well asked myself prior to playing - and we should be able to express our opinions on it to other like-minded Gaffers without being accused of trolling or having an agenda.
(This goes both ways obv. People who are just popping in to say the game is a borefest with no reasons given are just shitting up the thread and creating hostility).
I can't agree with anyone arguing TLoU is an objectively bad game, but I'll tell you the problem I had with it.
I only played it back in April, so I had months of reading how revered it was on GAF. A masterpiece, GOTG, soooooogooood.gif etc. Over 200 GOTY awards and universal praise from the press. I was really looking forward to playing a game that had made such an impact. But apart from the visuals, animation and voice-acting, I personally never saw anything that would elevate it to such a status.
I played on Hard, listen mode off. It was an enjoyable challenge. In encounters with infected , I barely used guns against them going full stealth as much as possible. It felt very similar to Splinter Cell - observe enemy patterns, trial and error your way through. Yes there were different options in you arsenal, but at no time did it feel significantly different to what we haven't seen in other games.
Against the humans and where you're forced to use guns, it played similar to Uncharted to me, whose TPS mechanics are average imo.
TLoU is a good game, I enjoyed it a lot. But for me I can't see how a great story and visuals were enough to lead this game to such great acclaim and elevate so far ahead of the pack. And that's fine. Story is the least important part of a game to me, so that might not come as a great surprise, but I can see the 'greatness' others see in many games I didn't particularly enjoy (if that makes sense) like Persona 4 Golden and Valkyria Chronicles. I was never able to see that with TLoU.
Hence I think it's a perfectly valid question for the OP to pose - it's one I may have well asked myself prior to playing - and we should be able to express our opinions on it to other like-minded Gaffers without being accused of trolling or having an agenda.
(This goes both ways obv. People who are just popping in to say the game is a borefest with no reasons given are just shitting up the thread and creating hostility).
LookAtMeGo
Member
I think people are just getting confused over what version people are talking about.
Oh yeah, it was really hard to notice I meant TPS.
Pretty much my point. It is really polished and everything but it isn't special.
Then just that first post was enough.
I think he/she might have been joking...
LookAtMeGo
Member
OrlanisWorks
Banned
The mechanics, gunply, and stealth are janky as hell. It exhausts me.
Accusing Ellie of being half-arsed and then praising Resident Evil 4 and BioShock Infinite?
I even switched the themes twice to see if the posts was just a bizarro world glitch but it's still there.
Ico has a great companion for what it sets out to do, which is not at all compatible with what The Last of Us sets out to do. Shadow of Colossus also has better horse riding than The Last of Us, not that matters given the relative emphasis on the mechanic.
-MD-
Member
Lollipop Chainsaw is janky, TLOU isn't janky.
LookAtMeGo
Member
You crack me up sometimes.
Rimon-hanit
Member
Why is this thread 14 pages I thought someone took a screencap of his porn folder,
anyway no but a good story/narrative is a massive achievement in a video game ND dog set to create a storytelling medium out of gaming and they did just that for the first time in the history of gaming as far as i'm concerned and for that alone the game deserved all the praise it gets. [not to mention the fantastic art displayed in it]
anyway no but a good story/narrative is a massive achievement in a video game ND dog set to create a storytelling medium out of gaming and they did just that for the first time in the history of gaming as far as i'm concerned and for that alone the game deserved all the praise it gets. [not to mention the fantastic art displayed in it]
ibun
Member
I can't see how people played it on hard. I wanted to throw away the TV two hours into the game. To me it was unreasonably hard and it didn't match my style of playing at all. I prefer to stealth my way or shoot but The last of Us expects you to do both. The scripted stuff killed the game for me. Story and narrative are great, visually it's ok, gameplay is .....absolutely unbearable. So I admire you people who rushed through it in normal and you who played it on hard.
GoofsterStud
Member
When you decide you don't like a game... Your going to be jaded and won't fully enjoy it. Just pass! I do the same to a lot of FPS as I easily get burned out on the genre.
Don't buy one of the best games of the last generation because of your pre conceived perception.
Whatever.
Wreck-It Ralph
Member
Nope.
Story's not that special either. Pretty generic zombie apocalypse stuff.
Story's not that special either. Pretty generic zombie apocalypse stuff.
TLOU drop kicked Bioshock Infinite into the trash can. TLOU is better than it in every conceivable way.
Conciliator
Banned
I think TLOU is basically best in category on all fronts for setpiece third-person shooters. Now, in general I don't like setpiece shooters that much and those kinds of games are never going to be my favorites, but for the genre I don't really think you can reasonably expect to get anything better The Last of Us to do anything it does better without just like making a different game entirely.
EDIT: To expand on this I think a lot of people don't like setpiece action games that much but they end up playing stuff like this because the narrative around it gets to be like 'This is the best thing that's ever happened and everyone who plays it will agree unanimously unless there's something wrong with their brain.' So they play it, and they don't like it that much, not because it's bad but just because it's not their thing. I think we should be a little more cool about the fact that no game is for everyone. This medium is so varied that different people get lots of different stuff from it.
EDIT: To expand on this I think a lot of people don't like setpiece action games that much but they end up playing stuff like this because the narrative around it gets to be like 'This is the best thing that's ever happened and everyone who plays it will agree unanimously unless there's something wrong with their brain.' So they play it, and they don't like it that much, not because it's bad but just because it's not their thing. I think we should be a little more cool about the fact that no game is for everyone. This medium is so varied that different people get lots of different stuff from it.
MoonsaultSlayer
Member
Then don't force yourself to play it. You can't have it both ways. "Oh I'll play this thing that everyone likes that I know I won't like AND talk shit about it because I like other things better." That is a sign of something being wrong in the brain. No one asked you to like it, so why get defensive when you don't but get mad t others who oppose your opinion? THAT is odd.
I'll be honest with you guys, I did not think the story was that special. It was basically a ripoff of The Road. Very typical zombie apocalypse stuff; saw every twist and character death coming a mile away. I guess it was alright by video game standards, but that says more about the quality of video game storytelling as a whole than it does about TLOU's.
Cthulhu_Steev
Member
I had a bunch of other reviews in this post that heap praise onto the gameplay, but it turns out that the forum does have a character limit.
Oh yeah, SolidSnakex dropped a NAILBOMB.
That post got me more hyped than I was already, and I WAS HYPED.
She just does it sometimes, it's great. Not as great as the joke book, but what is?
And cheers for the GDC Vault link, StuBurns I forgot all about those and never watched them.
And fuck that to the people trying to choose between RE4 and TLoU - they are both fucking awesome.
Why don't you explain in what way it's a ripoff of The Road, because besides being set after an apocalyptic event, and featuring an adult with a child, I really don't see it.
Cthulhu_Steev
Member
Oh for fuck's sake. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt, but seriously you are just plain trolling. You don't want to play this game, find something else to waste your time on.
I'd say any Sony-related threads are basically unreadable. It's a haven for some posters who wanna vent out baseless frustrations against Sony, imo.
Kinda generalizing, but you get the point.
Nicktendo86
Member
Didn't feel it at all. Story was great and actually made me emotional, which it should be applauded for, but thought the game itself was boring. Fell into the same trap as uncharted for me of a formula of exploration - coming across a group of enemies to kill with poor mechanics - and repeat.
TitusGroan
Banned
The point was that both those games managed to incorporate their NPC characters in a way that they at least felt as if they were part of the gameplay mechanics. It's not supposed to be a direct point of comparison of "Make the companion AI exactly like Ico" or what-have-you, but simply a point that if developers found a way to make NPC-based gameplay work in those games, there's no reason Naughty Dog couldn't have found a way to make it work in TLOU. Especially given the context of what the story itself is trying to present regarding the dynamic between the two characters. Having Ellie drift invisibly past enemies goes against what the story is trying to present, and so Naughty Dog would have benefited in trying to find a way to make sure that disconnect didn't happen.
Conciliator
Banned
I have no idea what you are talking about. I think The Last of Us is great and I'm glad I played it. I'ts just not my favorite game of all time.
Mauricio_Magus
Banned
I liked the world Naughty Dog created, and how it didn't waste a lot of time with narrative that didn't matter.
Anyways, the game is great but it didn't make me go OMG GOTY, it didn't even get into my top 10 games of the year, and yet I know it's a great title and I fully understand why everyone loves it so much.
The world, characters, and gameplay simply work together in a great way. I love the "Winter" part of the game the most, that part was insanely good.
Anyways, the game is great but it didn't make me go OMG GOTY, it didn't even get into my top 10 games of the year, and yet I know it's a great title and I fully understand why everyone loves it so much.
The world, characters, and gameplay simply work together in a great way. I love the "Winter" part of the game the most, that part was insanely good.
Liberty4all
Banned
I said it earlier in this thread I'll say it again. The Last of Us set the bar for me how soundstage should be done in a game. That is a big part of what makes the game special to me.
Play it with a good set of headphones (I used the Sony wireless ones which are decent). A special experience.
Play it with a good set of headphones (I used the Sony wireless ones which are decent). A special experience.
Insane Metal
Member
Guys I don't like Pepsi, should I drink it?
Cthulhu_Steev
Member
Game needs more Cranky Kong, I guess.
Save your money and just watch a Youtube video of somebody drinking a can, you should get the full flavour from that.
You don't like Pepsi? HEATHEN!!
Nah, I'm joking. You're entitled to your tastes after all.
The Pulse Elite preset for TLoU is amazing. Felt like I had a high end sound system. I really hope that comes out on the PS4 app once the game is released.
Nicktendo86
Member
Everything needs more cranky Kong
Not trolling. Can only say it so many times. And seriously, for fuck's sake - I've been reading some of the more constructive responses and thinking about picking the game up regardless and giving it a fair shot.
I'm rather tired of the amount of aggression in this thread, the presumption of agendas and of trolling and the hyper-seriousness of it all. I guess it's just a place for frustrated people to argue. I've been patronised, accused of deliberate shit-stirring and trying to push some kind of bizarre agenda.
Simply put, I was curious about people's experiences. So I posted a thread to ask about the game in good faith. Lots of kind, sensible people responded articulately and it made for an interesting read and has made me quite likely to pick it up now. I think there are a good few posters in this thread who operate in some kind of bizarre netherworld where everything is love or hate and everything simply has to be an argument. It's actually kind of sad. I love video games and thanks to this forum I've actually met some really cool people who I can talk about games to, too. But there's definitely a contingent who are just plain bonkers and need some fresh air once in a while. I've probably posted some inaccurate things (yep, pull up my post history, do whatever you want) but I have a life, you know? I don't cross-check every reference when posting etc etc - I do enough of that at work. I'm happy to admit I'm wrong...I was just hoping for some interesting discussion and to learn a bit more about the game.
Anyway, you'll probably accuse me of trolling for making this post or probably come back (or someone else will) with some other aggressive comment. It's pretty toxic tbh and discourages people who probably want to have a more civilised discussion.
Man-is-Obsolete
Member
Just answer this, are you convinced yet it is worth a purchase?
Raonak
Banned
A lot of TLOU's strengths are indeed the presentation (graphics, story, characters, music)
I thought it had very solid gameplay, it's resource focused, so conserving ammo/resources is a large focus of the game. The combat encounters are really intense, and by midway through the game, you have so many options when in combat. It's really damn fun. There've been so many times where you perfectly pull off a crazy plan. It's very intense.
One of the games where share functionality would really benefit it to record the encounters. especially when it all goes to shit, and you manage to barely make it.
Plus the MP is great.
I thought it had very solid gameplay, it's resource focused, so conserving ammo/resources is a large focus of the game. The combat encounters are really intense, and by midway through the game, you have so many options when in combat. It's really damn fun. There've been so many times where you perfectly pull off a crazy plan. It's very intense.
One of the games where share functionality would really benefit it to record the encounters. especially when it all goes to shit, and you manage to barely make it.
Plus the MP is great.
Honestly the basic story isn't that special either.
What is great about the story is the characters and the presentation. Joel and Ellie are really well done and the writing is great. You genuinely do care for them. The atmosphere is also excellent.
That said the basic plot line is basic and pretty uninteresting and the twists pretty obvious. Had this been a movie/book it would most likely have been pretty average.
However in comparison to other games it's pretty good.
On the gameplay side of things it's pretty good. It's by no means fantastic but it's enjoyable. It's an average tps with some pretty tense stealth and quite creepy moments.
I personally can't really see where the massive praise for the game came from. I played a couple of hours at a friend's and watched the full game on YouTube so I have a pretty good feeling of what the game is like. From that I would give it a solid 8.
What is great about the story is the characters and the presentation. Joel and Ellie are really well done and the writing is great. You genuinely do care for them. The atmosphere is also excellent.
That said the basic plot line is basic and pretty uninteresting and the twists pretty obvious. Had this been a movie/book it would most likely have been pretty average.
However in comparison to other games it's pretty good.
On the gameplay side of things it's pretty good. It's by no means fantastic but it's enjoyable. It's an average tps with some pretty tense stealth and quite creepy moments.
I personally can't really see where the massive praise for the game came from. I played a couple of hours at a friend's and watched the full game on YouTube so I have a pretty good feeling of what the game is like. From that I would give it a solid 8.
See above. Do I need to justify it to you? Do I need to prove that I'm not a troll? It's getting so boring. Do you just love arguing all of the time...?
Best way is to experience it for yourself and form your own opinion.
I think you'll definitely find something to appreciate in this game.Be it story , music, stealth ,straight up shooting or beautiful art design, all these are arguably very good.
Get the game particularly if you have access to the PS4 version.
shinobi602
Member
What's the point? You already know your tastes:
Check.
Double check.
Seems fairly obvious The Last of Us is not the game for you.
NOPE
Nopenopenopenopenopenopenope
Riposte
Member
Even with the story, which isn't even the best part, it is not special or transcendent (lol). It's a pretty good third person shooter (although not among the best) that leans heavily to stealth with Naughty Dog's deft touch on animation (in and out of cutscenes), visuals, and dialogue. The whole hoopla last year was just a reminder that you can't trust most people to keep their feet on the ground when it comes to hype.
I guess my point is whether the gameplay is that good that it transcends the genre. There's been some pretty good explanations of why and why not, I think. Enough for me to chew on (in between all of the craziness).
shinobi602
Member
I don't think there's any game that's 'transcended its genre' in my opinion, whatever that means anyway. It's a solid game. All the characters are likeable, making you really care about them, the environment and level layout is excellent, allowing for multiple ways of attacking encounters with lots of verticality, crafting weapons on the fly, searching for items etc all lead to tense moments, lots of avenues to approach things stealthily...the reason why many (including myself) think it's so special is because it does all of the above so well and with a ton of quality. That's all there is to it.
I could never understand someone believing that is a adequate substitue for playing the game. The journey of the characters, the tense gameplay, the emotional rollercoaster that is the final third of the game, etc. Its completely necessary to the narrative to really take the journey with them, beginning to end.
Not my #1 all time game, but I will NEVER forget that first playthrough.
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