The Last of Us has ruined gaming for me
- Thread starter bananafactory
- Start date
Shadow_FFVI
Member
Depends on who you ask.
Final Fantasy VII has been my favorite game of all time since 1997.
As for the OP. I too have played the game to conmpletion a total of 4 times. Twot on PS3 and two on PS4. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the game even on the fourth time through it.
I came to realize just how great a character Ellie is.
family_guy
Member
Guess I need to get back to playing it for the second time. The first quarter of the game isn't that interesting in my opinion but it gets alot better.
blankempathy
Member
Understandable. Same reason why I don't think TLOU is the best game ever. I've played games with a better story, narrative and characters before so the impact of some of the moments in TLOU didn't really affect me. I mean i've read statements about people crying in the prologue or at some point in the game and I was not even remotely close to feeling any type of sadness during the game.
bananafactory
Banned
Yep, I cried during the prologue too. But I don't expect the game to have the same effect on everyone.
I was trying to focus my post and the narrative of this thread on about how the game affected me and my view on story driven games rather than trying to initiate a conversation about its quality.
But it seems it has gone that way.
Exploratory
Banned
I hate to break this to you as it might ruin your favorite game but TLoU has one of the best multiplayers on console.
bananafactory
Banned
Oh I know, TLOU is one of those shooters
I completed the Firefly campaign on PS3 and played a good amount of hours on PS4. It's fantastic stuff, unexpected too.LouisaFerre
Member
I don't mean to sound belligerent but can someone explain to me why the writing in TLoU is so highly regarded? I played the game, I enjoyed it overall, but I don't really get it. I like Ellie, I like Tess, I like Joel, but the story as a whole didn't seem that amazing to me other than the acting and animations, which I'm not sure I'd consider part of the writing? The story didn't surprise me, make me think, or question myself. It just didn't strike me as being that clever, and while I felt some emotion going through it, it's far from the only game to do that, or the most effective. I was also generally just bothered by how most of the story that I enjoyed seemed very separate from the gameplay and confined to cutscenes.
Even if I can't get that much out of it I really want to understand why most others seem to.
Even if I can't get that much out of it I really want to understand why most others seem to.
My all time favourite game, and i totally see what you mean. I didn't play any game for 6 months after i finished it for the first time, felt that i didn't need to play any more games and got sick of other story driven games because they where so far away from what Naughty Dog made. After a while i started playing other genres and now i love playing other type of games that have other strengths like RPG, Sport, Fighting.
bananafactory
Banned
The writing just felt natural to me. That's the best way I can describe it. Whether it was the script or the performances, I felt like I was hearing real conversations between real people in a real world. That's very rare in video games
Ganondorfo
Junior Member
You just like games where the characters ment something for you after you finished this game. I had that also with Silent Hill 2 back then, but it didn't ruin games for me. I just dont compare games to each other. An experience like Metroid Prime is very different than an experience with Knights of the Old Republic or Persona 4. These are all great games, but there is never that syndrome for me that says "I loved this game so much, that I cannot love any other game anymore".
Why fuxk up the thread? He or she shared their experience and asked if there's a game that one of us had similar experiences with. Tired of you children feeling like we should be honored your on GAF and can post.
I'm still playing the last of us but I've felt that way about FF8 for a long time. Everyone experiences are at times similar or vastly different. I do get where you're coming from op.
Version 3.0
Member
Can I get a "Notto Disu Shitto Agen.jpg"? Geez.
It's ruined gaming for you? So quit playing games, then. And good riddance to anyone who evangelizes one game to that degree.
It's ruined gaming for you? So quit playing games, then. And good riddance to anyone who evangelizes one game to that degree.
I felt like this for a bit. Even thought the Walking Dead sucked balls when I started it a week afterwards (loved it when I picked it up half a year later though).
It is of exceptional quality and does many things right that other games only partially do well. It is not a survival horror, it is not a stealth game, it is not a tps and also not a cinematic setpiece title. But it blends all of these type of games seamlessly in a way that feels really natural and believable. And the cast of characters and dialouges are stellar. Really set the bar for the industry in some ways.
Not my favourite of all time (always MGS3!), but one of those rare games that left me blown away completely by the time I was done. Others titles that did this include RE:4, MGS1/2/3, GoW2, Dark Souls, FFVII, Shadow of the Colossus, Uncharted 2, Fallout: New Vegas etc. But each of these games did it in a different way. And that is why TLOU or any game for that matter will never ruin gaming for me.
It is of exceptional quality and does many things right that other games only partially do well. It is not a survival horror, it is not a stealth game, it is not a tps and also not a cinematic setpiece title. But it blends all of these type of games seamlessly in a way that feels really natural and believable. And the cast of characters and dialouges are stellar. Really set the bar for the industry in some ways.
Not my favourite of all time (always MGS3!), but one of those rare games that left me blown away completely by the time I was done. Others titles that did this include RE:4, MGS1/2/3, GoW2, Dark Souls, FFVII, Shadow of the Colossus, Uncharted 2, Fallout: New Vegas etc. But each of these games did it in a different way. And that is why TLOU or any game for that matter will never ruin gaming for me.
viveks86
Member
bananafactory
Banned
Did you even actually read my post?
I'm sorry that one game struck a strong chord with me. I guess you're right, I should just quit.
Byron Bluth
Banned
Games have had characters and acting just as good. People need to stop acting this is the first game to do so.
bananafactory
Banned
Oh I do. I play Driveclub, and Counter-Strike, and Mario 3D World and OlliOlli and Resogun and all those games.
It's just that the things I get MOST excited about are story-focused games with a strong narrative, and I've been continually let down as of late.
This is about the game in my eyes and how it resonated with me. Not saying it factually has the best characters or performances, I guess I am bad at getting my point across.
John Bender
Banned
cartman414
Member
What made them famous in the mainstream, perhaps. Doesn't mean they didn't have gameplay identities/high points before they did though. The so called weak in the storyline department Final Fantasy V trumps damn near everything else in gameplay to the point where it sits comfortably in the top 3 at a bare minimum.
Could you be any more of a fanboy?
Nah, dark souls sorta did the same for me for a bit. No game, especially RPGs were engaging to me. Funnily enough, I think TLOU was the first game I enjoyed after dark souls.
The only thing TLOU has ruined in gaming for me is lip synching, it's virtually flawless and makes other games' seem clunky.
Nah, dark souls sorta did the same for me for a bit. No game, especially RPGs were engaging to me. Funnily enough, I think TLOU was the first game I enjoyed after dark souls.
The only thing TLOU has ruined in gaming for me is lip synching, it's virtually flawless and makes other games' seem clunky.
I don't get people saying things like: "every game since then was a disappointment". If you think you've played a good game, it's a good game. I don't see how comparing it to TLOU could make it a disappointment if you still enjoyed it. I took this as being disappointed that you'd find it unlikely that you'd ever enjoy a game to the level you enjoyed TLOU. Truly, this doesn't matter, think whatever you want here.
John Bender
Banned
Damn right!
Just started playing Last of Us and took the advice this time about playing on Hard with Listen Mode off, and I was a bit worried about playing with Listen Mode off since I used it so much when I first played the game on normal back during PS3 release. My goodness this game feels completely different with Listen Mode off and Hard is decent with the amount of supplies (I'm still overloaded on supplies alot of the time though). I'm loving this though and I just hit Winter earlier this morning, hoping to maybe finish either tonight or tomorrow.
John Bender
Banned
It really is a different game without "Listen Mode".
Grounded Mode is next, baby.
Do it!
Marcovaldo
Member
i don't have a single game that meets this criteria but baldur's gate ii would be the closest. the sheer amount of content, the characters, writing, locations, gameplay, just everything about it come together so well. alas, i came to terms with the fact that no rpg, western or otherwise, will top it
edit: wait, what is this thread about now?
supernormal
Member
I was thinking about TLOU recently while playing The Order. I remember when the game came out and along with all the praise there was criticism about it's sole focus on being a guided, controlled, story driven experience with some people(extremist) even comparing it to Heavy Rain.
While playing The Order I realized how great TLOU was at actually bringing the whole experience altogether and actually takes the cinematic "stigma" and flips it on its head. I mean this game crushes other "cinematic" games in all of their strong points (story, writing, voice acting, music, etc) and the game is actually not closed at all. You can really make different choices in how to approach combat, what weapons to upgrade to fit your play style, also what items to craft with many items overlapping the pieces needed to create them. You can choose to explore the world even deeper and take in the stories left behind by many others, and learn about the places you visit all while keeping a strong story arc and character development intact. It's also a pretty long game that gets stronger with every chapter.
I don't think any other game had done both gameplay and story so well before, with so much attention to detail in all aspects. When I first played it I fell in love with the story and the characters but I was a little hesitant to call it my favorite game ever. After replaying it on PS4 on survivor, enjoying the also brilliant DLC, I can say that in my opinion it's pretty much the best overall experience gaming has to offer to date.
While playing The Order I realized how great TLOU was at actually bringing the whole experience altogether and actually takes the cinematic "stigma" and flips it on its head. I mean this game crushes other "cinematic" games in all of their strong points (story, writing, voice acting, music, etc) and the game is actually not closed at all. You can really make different choices in how to approach combat, what weapons to upgrade to fit your play style, also what items to craft with many items overlapping the pieces needed to create them. You can choose to explore the world even deeper and take in the stories left behind by many others, and learn about the places you visit all while keeping a strong story arc and character development intact. It's also a pretty long game that gets stronger with every chapter.
I don't think any other game had done both gameplay and story so well before, with so much attention to detail in all aspects. When I first played it I fell in love with the story and the characters but I was a little hesitant to call it my favorite game ever. After replaying it on PS4 on survivor, enjoying the also brilliant DLC, I can say that in my opinion it's pretty much the best overall experience gaming has to offer to date.
DarthWalden
Banned
Your joking right? Every game you've played since TLOU feels mediocre by comparison?
What have you been playing?
Mr. Nice_Guy
Member
It's times like these where I'm glad I found the Last of Us to be a great, but very imperfect game. That, and that I'm able to enjoy all sorts of games without any of them "ruining" other games for me.
Except SMT titles. It's HARD to go back to those early ones.
Except SMT titles. It's HARD to go back to those early ones.
The Order
wanderingprostheyltite
Member
This is certainly how it made me feel playing other games for the first few months after completing it. There's just never been a better marriage between gameplay and story that I've played. The best pacing of any story in a game too imo. It's a small detail but one of my favorite aspects of TLOU was how Joel and Ellie would have banter when walking to new areas, it brought such a feeling of life to "the journey" that you're on alongside them. I wish more games would use this kind of character commentary, though I realize not many have AI companions to talk to. It works for internal monologues though especially with hard boiled detective stories, but maybe not for other genres in storytelling.
I do feel like there's been a hole in gaming since TLOU, that for most AAA titles I'm just going through the motions and not really feeling a significant connection to the world or characters. Games with superb mechanics are an obvious exception, though usually in the current landscape of action oriented titles it's Nintendo games that usually fill that role for me. I just can't get into the realistic style anymore unless there's a great story and characters to go with it, or a very well realized atmosphere.
I remember during my first playthrough of TLOU that the excellent pacing and world building was done so well and let me slip into the world and immerse myself so easily that I realized the last game that gave me that kind of feeling was the original Half-Life. That feeling of interconnectedness with the "levels" and the seamless transition with story segments is a rarity, or at least a rarity when it's executed so well.
Some decry the rise of cinematic experiences in games, but frankly I welcome them as long as the gameplay is fun and time devoted to story doesn't heavily outweigh the gameplay. Games like The Order or Cage's titles have their place too, but striking that balance between both is an art unto itself and something that should be championed. I just hope ND is able to recapture that same magic going forwards, cause they've set a very high bar for themselves.
My hope is Valve will come back with another amazing single player campaign like Portal 2's, because as I see it ND and them are really the only players in town that seem to know how to tell a story well without it gunking up the gameplay too much.
Yes, I have that same problem.
I have a hard time enjoying any strategy game after EUIV. Previously, I'd not put more than 150ish hours into any single Strategy title, and that was reserved for the rare few that really gripped me or brought me back (Civ, Crusader Kings II, etc). Now though, when I load one up, I'm just underwhelmed and invariably go back to EUIV.
I'm also the same way with FPS games. I'll sit through and play a bit of games I don't really enjoy cause it's bro time. But honestly the only two games I've even enjoyed in the competitive FPS scene in the last 5+ years are Tribes: Ascend and Dirty Bomb. After last beta weekend on Dirty Bomb, I have zero desire to open anything else. It's all just so bleh.
But I thought this thread was about video games? Why do you bring up stuff like TLOU?
I have a hard time enjoying any strategy game after EUIV. Previously, I'd not put more than 150ish hours into any single Strategy title, and that was reserved for the rare few that really gripped me or brought me back (Civ, Crusader Kings II, etc). Now though, when I load one up, I'm just underwhelmed and invariably go back to EUIV.
I'm also the same way with FPS games. I'll sit through and play a bit of games I don't really enjoy cause it's bro time. But honestly the only two games I've even enjoyed in the competitive FPS scene in the last 5+ years are Tribes: Ascend and Dirty Bomb. After last beta weekend on Dirty Bomb, I have zero desire to open anything else. It's all just so bleh.
But I thought this thread was about video games? Why do you bring up stuff like TLOU?
I couldn't help myself
viveks86
Member
Fox_Mulder
Rockefellers. Skull and Bones. Microsoft. Al Qaeda. A Cabal of Bankers. The melting point of steel. What do these things have in common? Wake up sheeple, the landfill wasn't even REAL!
MCtalkfunny
Member
It really is a amazing game. One of the way ever made. Perfect from start to finish. That said it wasn't even the best game from that year. Bioshock Infinte was better.
John Bender
Banned
Since TLOU? A lot. For example, everybodys darling "Bayonetta 2".
supernormal
Member
When people praise the writing of the game, it's mostly about how well the dialog works and how it can elevate the interactions between characters in the game. It's also about the characters themselves and their different traits and personalities and how the present themselves through the writing.
It's not necessarily about having "complex" story about something that'll make you question your existence with a crazy plot twist at the end. In that sense the story elements are really simple, nothing out of the ordinary actually happens. The things that do happen though, have a really strong impact on the characters and their development. The writers have said it themselves they want a simple easy to follow story with "complex" characters and in that sense they have succeeded.
I think The Last of Us is a really good, cohesive game that sets a high water mark for dialogue and voice acting, but I can't say that it (or any game for that matter) has ever "ruined" the medium for me. You'd have to have a pretty small imagination and narrow tastes to think that you've somehow already experienced the pinnacle of what video games have to offer.
Now, I have become fixated on certain games and started wanting more like them as a result, but that's something entirely different from this completely over the top obsessive adoration that people apply to certain games.
Now, I have become fixated on certain games and started wanting more like them as a result, but that's something entirely different from this completely over the top obsessive adoration that people apply to certain games.
I just started playing it a few weeks ago. I even made an "advice for a first time player" thread.
I've not been back to it after getting a few hours in though. I've wanted to play other games with my time since. I'm not far in, so it may grow on me, but neither the story or the gameplay intrigued me so far. I may change my mind of course, as I will play through it eventually.
I've not been back to it after getting a few hours in though. I've wanted to play other games with my time since. I'm not far in, so it may grow on me, but neither the story or the gameplay intrigued me so far. I may change my mind of course, as I will play through it eventually.
Freeman
Banned
I get it.
It took me years to get over HL² and I'm still recovering, never felt the same after that. It felt like playing a game from years in the future and even when I replay it I get the same feeling.
Playing an FPS is just not the same thing after HL.
bananafactory
Banned
For an overall game? No. I do think I've experienced the pinnacle of dialogue and voice acting, though. I cannot for the life of me think of a game I played that rivals it.
Version 3.0
Member
Yes, you absolutely should quit...unless your sensationalist title is just hyperbole, which we both know it is. And yes, I read your post. Quite frankly, it makes the problem even worse from my point of view, because you barely even acknowledge the "game" portion of the game. Don't get me started on the quality of game stories vs. other mediums. It makes me sad that someone could fixate on such shallow fare, it truly does.
I understand what you mean. I do. I feel a surge of that feeling of "what do I do now", whenever I finish a really great book, movie, or game. Heck, I even get a twinge at the end of football season. And yet, I'm still able to enjoy the next one. Yes, even if it's inferior.
If it's resonated with you, then play it again and again. I've played my favorites countless times over 35+ years of gaming. But if it really "ruined" other games, then yeah, get the fuck out.
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