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[DidntKnowJack]

Is there any way to make the game more enjoyable to play, though? I mean the story so far is pretty dry (I'm up to the point shortly after

Spoiler

the main character's female friend supposedly dies and we're looking for some car parts

), but it's hard to find incentive to keep playing. The stealth mechanics are pretty frustrating and the combat in general feels really awkward. I've died in this same section about 10 times so far, with a bunch of zombies surrounding my group and the clickers constantly killing me. When I do pass a section, it feels more like luck rather than skill or I am just relieved that the extremely slow creeping is over for now.

I think I know what part you're talking about. Keep in mind that sometimes killing everything isn't always the best option. If you're in a situation where there's one or more clickers closing in on you, you're probably going to die. Sometimes its a good idea to just RUN.

 

[bananafactory]

Guys, this thread isn't about The Last of Us. It's about a game that's become so ingrained in your thoughts that it's hard to enjoy other games. Read the last sentence.

"I'm wondering if anyone else here has a game that stands so tall above everything else that it sometimes makes it difficult to enjoy games you normally would have, if that game didn't exist?"

So can we please not turn this into a TLOU is or is not good/mediocre/bad thread please?

Thank you. I was wondering if anyone had actually read to the end of my post

 

[WheelHoss1]

Playing it now for the 1st time on PS4. Haven't been this immersed since first play through of Dark Souls.

 

[murgo]

While it hasn't ruined gaming for me, it has become my favorite game of all times after playing it 4 times. 3 times in 2 weeks after the Remastered version came out.

 

[bananafactory]

Have you played Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver, silent hill 2, or Metal Gear Solid 1? They all have superior story lines imo

Played all 3. Fantastic and all were certainly in my top 5 at one point.

 

[entremet]

You never really hear this line of thinking in other mediums. Glad you enjoyed it. It's one of my favs, but there is so much great stuff out there.

 

[akidnamededdy]

Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 ruined gaming for me on the same way but those were actual games so.

Spoiler

I liked TLoU but I can't help but roll my eyes at this topic. Tell me what you've got in your collection for sale since you don't need it anymore OP.

 

[Alienous]

Played all 3. Fantastic and all were certainly in my top 5 at one point.

Have you played Ico?

If not, play Ico.

 

[QisTopTier]

Thank you. I was wondering if anyone had actually read to the end of my post

I read it hence my sorta sarcastic post

 

[baphomet]

In a few years when you look back and realize how corny the story is and how lacking the game play is, you'll think it was silly to ever think this.

The Last of Us is a game that time will not be kind to.

 

[Halph n Halph]

I feel the same way op. I've been gaming for 30 yrs and TLoU is quite simply the best sp experience that I've had.
Each of the elements just worked perfectly together and no game has matched it since,and no game has ever had me so emotionally involved.

 

[MormaPope]

Nope. No game has made me deappreciate or find other games lacking because of that one game's quality. I've enjoyed and love a lot of games, but they don't ruin gaming for me.

 

[73V3N]

who cares about gameplay? story is what sets games apart. That's why Final Fantasy and MGS are famous.

I really hope this is a joke

 

[Akronis]

Escape Velocity or Freelancer. I've been waiting for a non-sim space game for soooo long.

Freelancer is fucking awesome.

 

[joecanada]

I let my gf play these types of games and help her out from time to time, but what has ruined me from gaming is MP FPS, which I did not play at all until COD 4... I know other users have made threads/ discussed this but nothing in any game can compare to the experience of matching my wits against other real people.... battlefield 3 is possibly the best experience ever. so many ways to get people , get revenge, win, troll, etc....

so TLOU while a good game, is not one I would replay. but what it does it does really, really good.

 

[zenosparadox]

I play games for the story, to get immersed and lost in a unique and exciting world. I play games to fall in love with characters and become invested in who they are and where they go.

I think this is a perfectly valid way to experience games, and I, nor anyone else, can tell you otherwise.

However, I am almost the complete opposite of you. The thing that separates video games from other forms of art or entertainment is the nature of interaction. When I was growing up, I put a greater emphasis on characters and story because I was looking for some kind of emotional attachment.

At some point in my life, I became less interested in video games and more drawn to social experiences with people around me. I also sought to find deep, emotional relationships with people, music, books and film.

After having been away from video games since the N64 to the end of the PS360 era, I realized that the gaming landscape had changed significantly. There has been such an emphasis on immersion, open worlds and cinematic experiences, and I cannot get into it at all. I much prefer an emphasis on gameplay, and the less-is-more approach is more interesting to me.

I started playing TLOU on PS4 a few months ago. The opening scenes were interesting and the drama unfolds naturally. The voice acting is some of the best I have heard in a video game, but ultimately the game feels hollow to me. Granted, I do not like stealth mechanics very much, so the gameplay is uninteresting right out of the gate for me. I played several chapters and the story is painfully average (which means it is high quality for a video game, sadly).

Gaming is what you get from it. You know what you like, and I hope you are able to find more experiences like it. As for me, something like Demon's Souls is analogous to TLOU. I love the challenge, and I find honing your skills to be the ultimate reward in (most) video games.

 

[MaximusPayne]

You should really try the multiplayer. I wrote it off when I played it on PS3, but when I got TLOU:R I tried it again and omg....it is a really great game all around. SP and MP!

 

[Stormhammer]

the only thing i hate about the last of us is that it's almost too good

 

[phanphare]

Alright thanks, I'll try to persevere. It's just pretty frustrating considering it was a big reason than I got a PS4 in the first place and yet it's some of the least fun I've had in a game in years.

playing the game is a chore but it is absolutely worth it (in my opinion) for the character moments between ellie and joel. I'd just keep trudging along. if it continues to frustrate you though I'd recommend watching someone else's play-through. don't just quit playing and not experience the rest of the game.

 

[Tidus_Great]

Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 ruined gaming for me on the same way but those were actual games so.

Spoiler

I liked TLoU but I can't help but roll my eyes at this topic. Tell me what you've got in your collection for sale since you don't need it anymore OP.

those games have bad stories though. how do people stay interested for more than a few hours?

 

[Nameless]

I'm right there with you OP. TLOU is one the most complete gaming experiences I've ever encountered, hitting homerun with the Story, Characters, Production Values, and Gameplay. It's the best recent example of games as art, highlighting all the virtues and potential in single player gaming inparticular.

Top 5 dead or alive.

 

[bananafactory]

Have you played Ico?

If not, play Ico.

Have not. I have the HD collection in my backlog, I just really don't want to turn on my PS3 again. Was hoping I'd get a PS4 version along with TLG

 

[Shrike_Priest]

Had the exact same experience. Think that's why I got so caught up in Destiny. It's like the anti-TLOU. Other TPS/FPS with single-player stories just didn't hit me as hard anymore, and I'm generally not a big multiplayer guy, but after TLOU I think it was just what I needed.

 

[Blackquill]

I try, I try my best, but I cannot find what makes this game as great as the OP says. Even for a story driven game, I find it good without being utterly amazing (the ending was great though). Guess I'm tired of zombies and post apocalyptic worlds.

Not to mention the gameplay could be way better.

Still a good game but this is not even one of my favorite PS3 exclusive. I even loved Uncharted 2 more.

 

[shockdude]

Anyways, The Last of Us is simply my favourite game of all time, and has set the bar so high for me in terms of story, characters, and performances that everything I have played since feels hollow.

Try playing games of other genres, where story isn't a key part of the experience. Something like an arcade racer, a stylish action game, or maybe a shmup.

Edit: You addressed this point on the first page. Whoops.
To be fair a lot of story-centric games don't have a lot to stand on when you remove the story, so when a game like TLOU comes around there's nothing left to look forward to. In cases like these, just fall back to gameplay and come back to story-driven games later.

 

[Askherserenity]

those games have bad stories though. how do people stay interested for more than a few hours?

A+

 

[CrispyGoomba]

who cares about gameplay? story is what sets games apart. That's why Final Fantasy and MGS are famous.

I hear something ringing. Please tell me it's my sarcastic meter.

 

[Manu]

Dude, no.

That's like saying you only eat your favorite food, or watch your favorite movie, or listen to your favorite album.

Variety is the spice of life.

And TLoU is one of the two games from last gen that entered my all time top 10.

 

[QisTopTier]

those games have bad stories though. how do people stay interested for more than a few hours?

Idk your Gaf name and avatar suggest you are a fan of FFX so you should know how

 

[Alienous]

Have not. I have the HD collection in my backlog, I just really don't want to turn on my PS3 again. Was hoping I'd get a PS4 version along with TLG

Right. That right there is your problem.

Nobody who has played Ico would having gaming 'ruined' for them by any other game.

 

[MormaPope]

those games have bad stories though. how do people stay interested for more than a few hours?

Because they're videogames. Interacting with something can be engaging in tons of ways. Why do people play multiplayer shooters, fighting games, racing games?

 

[ProvenDeadly]

No joking. I was thinking about making a thread with this exact same title a while back. Games like this make every other game suck in comparison.

 

[Gambit1977]

Just completed it and Left Behind again this week. Still a pure joy to play. Have just started RE R2 and the difference in enjoyment and quality is night and day.

 

[JDSN]

Its been a few months since one of those threads of people that had no gaming PC on 1999.

 

[Manu]

Right. That right there is your problem.

Nobody who has played Ico would having gaming 'ruined' for them by any other game.

Ico bored me tbh.

 

[KorrZ]

I tend to feel this way a lot of the time as well. The Last of Us was the perfect package.

10/10 gameplay
10/10 art
10/10 sound design
10/10 story and characters

It made everything else seem kind of...pedestrian in comparison. Which really wasn't hard with so many broken, garbage AAA games releasing in 2014.

 

[LegalEagleMike]

Whenever i feel like I am not enjoying gaming as much I turn to Mario and Zelda. To me it is like going on a gameplay pilgrimage lol.

 

[HeelPower]

Somewhat boring gameplay that can be found in many other games done to better degrees.

I did think the characters were special,particularly Ellie.

This game would actually be pretty bad without Ellie.If it were just Joel,I don't think I would've been able to finish it.

 

[Tidus_Great]

Because they're videogames. Interacting with something can be engaging in tons of ways. Why do people play multiplayer shooters, fighting games, racing games?

mindless fun to kill an hour.
those genres will never have a meaningful experience like the last of us or MGS3

 

[pastrami]

You never really hear this line of thinking in other mediums. Glad you enjoyed it. It's one of my favs, but there is so much great stuff out there.

I think you do. For example: http://www.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/16feya/is_there_a_name_for_this_feeling_after_finishing/

"You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend." ~Paul Sweeney (lifted from that reddit link)

I think the same can apply to games and film/tv, and I think what bananafactory is feeling is just an extended version of this.

 

[Blackquill]

who cares about gameplay? story is what sets games apart. That's why Final Fantasy and MGS are famous.

I found FF10's story to be garbage and I still loved it though

 

[WickedLaharl]

those games have bad stories though. how do people stay interested for more than a few hours?

Well based on your avvy and name i assume you love FFX so why don't you tell me?

 

[NinjamicWZ]

Guys, this thread isn't about The Last of Us. It's about a game that's become so ingrained in your thoughts that it's hard to enjoy other games. Read the last sentence.

"I'm wondering if anyone else here has a game that stands so tall above everything else that it sometimes makes it difficult to enjoy games you normally would have, if that game didn't exist?"

So can we please not turn this into a TLOU is or is not good/mediocre/bad thread please?

Which is invariably going to turn into discussion and opinions about any games mentioned ITT. ie:

The Last of Us was definitely a great game

 

[bananafactory]

I think this is a perfectly valid way to experience games, I cannot tell you otherwise.

However, I am almost the complete opposite of you. The thing that separates video games from other forms of art or entertainment is the nature of interaction. When I was growing, I would put a greater emphasis on characters and story because I was looking for some kind of emotional attachment.

At some point in my life, I became less involved in video games and more drawn to social experiences with people around me. I also sought to find deep, emotional relationships with people, music, books and film.

After having been away from video games since the N64 to the end of the PS360 era, I realized that the gaming landscape had changed significantly. There has been such an emphasis on immersion, open worlds and cinematic experiences, and I cannot get into it at all. I much prefer an emphasis on gameplay, and the less-is-more approach is more interesting to me.

I started playing TLOU on PS4 a few months ago. The opening scenes were interesting and the drama unfolds naturally. The voice acting is some of the best I have heard in a video game, but ultimately the game feels hollow to me. Granted, I do not like stealth mechanics very much, so the gameplay is uninteresting right out of the gate for me. I played several chapters and the story is painfully average (which means it is high quality for a video game, sadly).

Gaming is what you get from it. You know what you like, and I hope you are able to find more experiences like it. As for me, something like Demon's Souls is analogous to TLOU. I love the challenge, and I find honing your skills to be the ultimate reward in (most) video games.

I get what you're saying and I do play some of those games too. I completed Demon's Souls and it was of an extremely high quality. In terms of pure gameplay, it's certainly in my top 10 of all time. But I think stories will always stick with me more than mechanics, it's just what appeals to me the most. And the thing I like about games over movies is that, whether or not I have a ton of control or influence over how things play out, the fact I am controlling the character and performing those actions myself, really ups my emotional investment.

In TWD Season 1, I wasn't watching Lee. I WAS Lee. Which made the emotional moments in that game resonate so much more. I did those things.

 

[Wolfgunblood Garopa]

Its a different game on the very hard survivor mode, not knowing where enemies are, it just plays so much differently.

Simple levels become sweaty. tactics change, everything changes.

It is one of the best games I have played, but to each there own.

You might think oh yeah, very hard mode, its just less health, no, you loose your radar and it becomes more a horror survival,

Not ruined gaming, but it puts story and character on a different level.

I felt the stealth crouch/combat was a pain in the ass as it is, I can't fathom playing it on survivor.

 

[phanphare]

In a few years when you look back and realize how corny the story is and how lacking the game play is, you'll think it was silly to ever think this.

The Last of Us is a game that time will not be kind to.

I agree for sure, but it's a necessary game for the industry I feel. it's a stepping stone and it's impact won't be forgotten even if the actual game doesn't age very well.

 

[BennyBlanco]

It's still sitting in my backlog. I should give it a try.

I feel the same way as OP about Dark Souls.

 

[Doctor Ninja]

The sniper part of TLOU was a badly designed mess of level and I am not sure why it is getting a free pass.

 

[PAULINK]

Awesome game, but this quote right here is why it can't be in my top 10 and it hasn't ruined games for me. You left out gameplay! If you remove the graphics and story, you're left with a pretty average playing game.

Yeah, i'm not a huge fan because of this, it is boring mechanically.

 

[Askherserenity]

Well based on your avvy and name i assume you love FFX so why don't you tell me?

I think that's supposed to be the joke.

I hope.