The Last of Us (PS3 & PS4)

[ElectricAngel]

Okay, so I was gonna make a status update about this, but I felt as if I had a few things to say about this game that wouldn't fit in a status update.

 

I finally played the game today. And yes, it did take me long enough considering it came with my console that I got on Black Friday. So, I played around 2 hours of the game. My thoughts? I don't like it.

 

I honestly tried my best to get into it, but I just couldn't. Mind you, I didn't know anything about this game other than hearing it was good until I played it today, so I suppose I was expecting something different. The gameplay is almost non-existent so far. This might change throughout the game but so far all I'm seeing is a lonngggg movie in video game format. When there is gameplay, it's so simple and so.... boring. Like, all I've done is run around, shoot a few people, gotten a ladder or two, and that's it. That's very little gameplay considering how much time was spent playing. Again, maybe it does change later on, but as of now I'm not impressed.

 

The story on the other hand, is alright. So, it's a zombie apocalypse. Okay, I expected something else, but you know fine. It's been done to death this generation, but it's interesting enough to keep me playing a bit. The only thing I really don't like is how it feels like they throw swear words just for the sake of swearing and to make the game mature rated and what not. It really feels out of place, and when they were dropping the f-bomb every 5 freakin' seconds in the prologue, it just really felt forced. I mean, I don't have a problem with characters swearing, but they do it so often, it just doesn't feel... natural I guess I'd say.

 

I honestly wish I could get into this game, but I can't. Maybe it gets better, but if after 2 hours, the game failed to do what other games have done in 20 minutes or less (which is, make me interested in what I'm playing, as well as being fun to actually play), then that's a bad sign to me. Also, the game took forever to load up. Seriously, this game has the longest load times I've ever experienced on a console game. At least there are little to no load screens afterwards, so I guess that's nice. The only positives I did find were that the graphics looked nice, even if the framerate did drop at times. 

 

Now, if anyone actually saw a status update I made a while ago, you know that I was never interested in this game. And honestly, I would have sold my copy if it didn't come in a cardboard sleeve. But, since I had the game just lying around, I decided to pop it in and see what all the fuss is about. But I just can't get into this game. I mean, it's fine if you guys like it, but I'm just putting out my own thoughts out there. This game just isn't my cup of tea. 

 

TL;DR: I played the game and I don't see the appeal. 

[Badnik Mechanic]

 It really feels out of place, and when they were dropping the f-bomb every 5 freakin' seconds in the prologue, it just really felt forced. I mean, I don't have a problem with characters swearing, but they do it so often, it just doesn't feel... natural I guess I'd say.

 

Ok I know I'm nitpicking with this but... What are you talking about? 

 

I just watched the prologue because this really stuck out and I couldn't remember any swearing at all, let alone F-bombs every 5 seconds... So I watched the prologue again, and even checked the game script.

 

This doesn't happen. Here is the prologue.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76bkBcnbteQ

 

Here is a copy of the game script.

 

The prologue lasts for just over 16min. In that time there are a total of 3 cases where a character says fuck and they are as follows.

 

Frustrated Motorist: Hey, what the fuck, man? Let's go! (This is where they get to the highway and it's completely blocked)

 

Joel: What the fuck just happened? Did you see that? (This occurs immediately after the infected rush out of the hospital and kill the motorist in front of them).

 

Tommy: I can't fuckin' drive through 'em, Joel! (This is where they are stuck with the infected behind them and the mass of people running towards them and Joel yells at Tommy to drive).

 

That is hardly F-Bombs every 5 seconds. Nor is it just done for the sake of it. To me it seems like it would be the kind of reaction people in that situation would say.

[JezMM]

Okay, so I was gonna make a status update about this, but I felt as if I had a few things to say about this game that wouldn't fit in a status update.

 

I finally played the game today. And yes, it did take me long enough considering it came with my console that I got on Black Friday. So, I played around 2 hours of the game. My thoughts? I don't like it.

 

I honestly tried my best to get into it, but I just couldn't. Mind you, I didn't know anything about this game other than hearing it was good until I played it today, so I suppose I was expecting something different. The gameplay is almost non-existent so far. This might change throughout the game but so far all I'm seeing is a lonngggg movie in video game format. When there is gameplay, it's so simple and so.... boring. Like, all I've done is run around, shoot a few people, gotten a ladder or two, and that's it. That's very little gameplay considering how much time was spent playing. Again, maybe it does change later on, but as of now I'm not impressed.

It is a game that is heavy on narrative. The gameplay is very simple and sparse at the start as they teach you all the mechanics of the game. Later on the times between cinematic story moments lengthens considerably and the environments open up way more and give you a lot of freedom in how to tackle them once you understand all the tools/tactics at your disposal. Have you got as far as meeting Ellie yet? In terms of the wider scope of the game, if you haven't got that far yet, you're basically quitting before entering the Deku Tree in Ocarina of Time, for a point of comparison.

 

The story on the other hand, is alright. So, it's a zombie apocalypse. Okay, I expected something else, but you know fine. It's been done to death this generation, but it's interesting enough to keep me playing a bit. The only thing I really don't like is how it feels like they throw swear words just for the sake of swearing and to make the game mature rated and what not. It really feels out of place, and when they were dropping the f-bomb every 5 freakin' seconds in the prologue, it just really felt forced. I mean, I don't have a problem with characters swearing, but they do it so often, it just doesn't feel... natural I guess I'd say.

The apocalypse is merely a setting, the story is a lot more personal and character-focused than that once you're into it. It's very much a game that is not about a situation but rather how the situation affects the people in it.

 

I honestly wish I could get into this game, but I can't. Maybe it gets better, but if after 2 hours, the game failed to do what other games have done in 20 minutes or less (which is, make me interested in what I'm playing, as well as being fun to actually play), then that's a bad sign to me. Also, the game took forever to load up. Seriously, this game has the longest load times I've ever experienced on a console game. At least there are little to no load screens afterwards, so I guess that's nice. The only positives I did find were that the graphics looked nice, even if the framerate did drop at times.

Yeah there's one long load at the start so the rest of the game doesn't ever take you out of the moment with loading screens. As a tip - if you play again on the same file without changing disc or playing another game inbetween, the PS3 will retain most of the data and the game will do the initial load much faster.

I hope you give it a bit longer, though you definitely need to embrace that this is a game that considers the overall experience above all else. The gameplay at the start is straightforward because it serves the story they want to tell and the pacing for learning mechanics better. Once you've met Ellie, the gameplay settles into a groove that it remains in for most of the rest of the game.

Regarding the swearing, I have to agree with Hogfather, I understand if you dislike swearing and are therefore more sensitive to it, but personally I thought the characters were swearing pretty much about as much as I'd expect them to from their character, situation, and the fact that living in an apocalypse would be pretttty stressful.

 

 

 

For what it's worth, I considered quitting around the museum section near the start because I was finding the horror/stealth segments too stressful (this wasn't the case later on once I fully understood all the game mechanics).  I'm so so glad I soldiered through it personally, because it ended up one of my favourite narrative-focused games of all time, pretty much joint 1st place with BioShock and the Half-Life 2 games.

[ElectricAngel]

Now, I wouldn't say I'm sensitive to swearing, but I just felt that this part:

 

Frustrated Motorist: Hey, what the fuck, man? Let's go! (This is where they get to the highway and it's completely blocked)

 

Joel: What the fuck just happened? Did you see that? (This occurs immediately after the infected rush out of the hospital and kill the motorist in front of them).

 

Tommy: I can't fuckin' drive through 'em, Joel! (This is where they are stuck with the infected behind them and the mass of people running towards them and Joel yells at Tommy to drive).

was a little... unnecessary? I should have been more clear in my original post, but by "every 5 seconds" I had this scene in my head where they just used it back to back. I notice afterwards they don't use as much strong language.  Or rather, as often. Now like I said, it doesn't bother me, it just at times feels out of place at times. Anyways, JezMM, I notice you compared this game to Half-Life 2. I myself love the Half-Life series and if you found TLoU as good as Half-Life 2, that says a lot. I will try and give this game another chance, maybe during the weekend when I have a lot of time to really marathon it in hopes that it gets better. Like I mentioned before, the one thing that got me playing a whole 2 hours was the story. 

[Lamor]

Now, I wouldn't say I'm sensitive to swearing, but I just felt that this part was a little... unnecessary?

 

If you found the swearing in the prologue unnecessary then you are going to hate Ellie.

[ElectricAngel]

If you found the swearing in the prologue unnecessary then you are going to hate Ellie.

If the situation calls for it, then I have no problem. However, in the prologue they were running away from what seemed like one or two zombies. Compare that to Left 4 Dead where there are hoards of zombies, it does feel like they are stretching it. Actually, now I have a question about the game. Does the difficulty affect how many zombies appear in the game? If so, I may as well consider playing it on the hardest difficulty. 

[Mollfie]

I think that swearing upon seeing even just one zombie makes perfect sense considering it's scary, not something you see everyday and it's trying to kill you.

 

The difficulty effects how many items you'll find, how much damage you take and how quickly enemies notice you. I'm not sure if there's more enemies on higher difficulties. In survivor mode you don't have the ability to listen. One easy you can use lock-on aiming if you want to.

 

I find it odd how you seem to dislike this game because it's story heavy, because that's the exact reason why I love it. What sorts of games do you normally play?

[ElectricAngel]

I find it odd how you seem to dislike this game because it's story heavy, because that's the exact reason why I love it. What sorts of games do you normally play?

Normally, I play action adventure games, platformer, puzzle, and RPG games. Occasionally I play shooters. I'm sure TLoU falls under one of these categories, since I play mostly any kind of game. And it's just that in TLoU, the story seems to be overflowing the game, almost as if there's too much of it. What I'm saying is, I was expecting more gameplay, since people seem to praise it as one of the best games of this generation. 

[JezMM]

Normally, I play action adventure games, platformer, puzzle, and RPG games. Occasionally I play shooters. I'm sure TLoU falls under one of these categories, since I play mostly any kind of game. And it's just that in TLoU, the story seems to be overflowing the game, almost as if there's too much of it. What I'm saying is, I was expecting more gameplay, since people seem to praise it as one of the best games of this generation. 

 

It is what I'd call a "cinematic" game, where the story is treated as equally important to the gameplay, and often each element takes turns being more important at key points in the game where it makes sense to do so (for example, story in the prologue while setting the main narrative in motion, and gameplay at points where you have a long stretch to travel between A to B story-wise and they want you to experience that distance and danger first-hand with no interruptions or skips - much like a Half-Life 2 tends to do actually).

 

Regarding difficulty, do NOT play on Survivor difficulty first.  I assume you've learned how to listen through walls by how far you've played?  You can't do that on Survivor, and it makes the game exceptionally tough.

 

On Easy, a few enemies are removed - when I played a second time I was very unpleasantly surprised to find a Bloater - the toughest and scariest zombie type, in an area that I already found tense and scary enough the first time.

 

It's the sort of game where you do not get supplies handed out to you and must survive off what little you have.  I wouldn't recommend playing above Normal on your first playthrough unless you're very confident.

 

But yeah, you can't really compare swearing between this and Left 4 Dead.  Not only is Left 4 Dead a much more casual and unrealistic portrayal of the zombie apocalypse (when it comes to gameplay anyway), but it is set several weeks into the apocalypse.  TLoU's prologue literally shows us the very first outbreak and portrays it as being as scary as shit as it would be.  Valve also have a thing about never using swearing stronger than "shit" anyway actually which... I don't disagree with but it can be unrealistic at times.  I really can't imagine Francis or Nick being afraid of stronger words lol.

 

 

 

It's hard to give a good idea of a "if you've got this far and still aren't into it then you PROBABLY won't change your mind as much as I want you to continue playing to experience the story" point without spoiling stuff...  But I guess it would be the first major "scene change" where they skip over a portion of the journey to get to the point.  There'll be a point where Joel and Ellie leave a large pipe into the open and then the game cuts to them leaving a small foresty area later that afternoon to find a friend of Joel's.  That's kind of the end of the first major chapter of the story and by that point you'll have had your first taste of most of the gameplay styles the game utilises and combines in different ways later on in terms of puzzles, stealth, combat and exploration.  And it's a good hour or so after the game has started giving a lot more "gameplay" compared to story, so yeah, first major scene change that implies both time and distance have been passed, if you're still not enjoying it by then you have my begrudged permission to stop playing.  >8P

[Dejimon11]

I love the Last of Us.  The idea of a movie fills me with dread.

Why the game pretty much feels like a movie plus the people who worked on the game are involved with this and writing the script

[ElectricAngel]

Well, now I'm playing through it on Easy mode just because that's how I play any game I have no experience with and honestly after reading about the differences in difficulty, I'm glad I did.

 

Now, looking back at my initial thoughts, even though I had seen nothing about the game before playing, I think what made me feel a bit unsatisfied was the fact that it was a Naughty Dog game. Previously I had played Crash Bandicoot and the first Uncharted, so I guess it felt odd seeing as how the game had a different formula from those games. And by that I mean how you're introduced to the game and the gameplay mechanics. In both of those games, once you first get control of the character, you're free to do whatever the character can do (i.e. run, shoot, jump, etc). In TLoU, it really takes a while until you get the ability to use your gun, hear for zombies, sprint, etc. I also noticed this was the first M rated game Naughty Dog made, and I think the swearing felt unnatural because in other Naughty Dog games the swearing wouldn't be so frequent.

 

So, really, looking back I was probably disappointed because I was expecting a different kind of game. And it's my fault for not doing any research whatsoever before playing the game. But like I said, the story is nice. I like it. I'll definitely continue playing the game for the story. It's just that the gameplay was unsatisfying for me. But hey, if you say the game opens up later on, then I guess I have something to look forward to. 

[TheOcelot]

Naughty Dog have confirmed that TLOU has sold over six million copies worldwide. Whilst it's not been made clear if this figure represents units sold to retailers or sold to consumers, it's still pretty damn impressive.

 

TLOU has won five Bafta awards in the categories:

 

• Best action and adventure
• Best story
• Audio achievement
• Best game
• Best performer: Ashley Johnson as Ellie

[Badnik Mechanic]

Guys....

 

 

IT'S HAPPENING!

 

Maybe...

 

He's a Sony VP, and when asked as to a sequel to TLOU he said ""No, sequel is not coming right now as far as I know but I can say that first game will be released this summer for PS4 as a physical and digital copy, with enhanced graphics."

 

Double Dip anyone.

[Sami]

I'd totally buy it twice, no second thoughts.

[PSI Wind]

There is seriously no reason to re-release it yet. I could understand if it was a year or 2 later from here, but, not even a year old? Really?

[TheOcelot]

I'd totally buy it twice, no second thoughts.

 

Me too. TLOU looks and plays incredible on PS3. I would buy it on PS4 in a heartbeat. Here's hoping we get a TLOU 2 at some point.

 

There is seriously no reason to re-release it yet. I could understand if it was a year or 2 later from here, but, not even a year old? Really?

 

TLOU is incredibly popular and has sold over six millions copies. So an enhanced version of the game on PS4 which includes the 'Left Behind' dlc seems like a no brainer.

[Sami]

There is seriously no reason to re-release it yet. I could understand if it was a year or 2 later from here, but, not even a year old? Really?

Yeah really. Two pretty huge reasons - "1080p" and "60fps".

Bought it for $60 the first time, I'll be happy to buy it again. Every great PS3 game deserves a port. Spec bump's a big deal.

I sincerely hope this trend continues. I'm holding off on Uncharted in case I can play a definitive version later down the road.

[Brad]

This game already looks like it belongs on next gen platforms, so seeing how they'll upgrade it to PS4 should be very interesting. Or they just won't upgrade it at all and stick a full price tag on it again

[Sami]

This game already looks like it belongs on next gen platforms, so seeing how they'll upgrade it to PS4 should be very interesting. Or they just won't upgrade it at all and stick a full price tag on it again

 

... "Again"?

 

Edit - Oh I just realized what you meant to say.

 

Eh. Honestly a spec/framerate bump is all it needs, but I'm sure it'll get more than that.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Since I don't plan on getting a PS3, a PS4 version shall suffice. Still, what exactly is so amazing about this game?

[Lamor]

Since I don't plan on getting a PS3, a PS4 version shall suffice. Still, what exactly is so amazing about this game?

 

Story of course! This game is a huge love letter to all the post-apocalyptic stories out there because of that it's not exactly fresh or super original but that kind of story was never put in a video game format so well before. All characters are interesting and human - Ellie and Joel relationship is great and it's my favourite part of the game.

 

I loved exploring the world too. It's just so beautiful... it's like New York in I Am Legend movie taken to the extreme. There are lots of notes, diaries and things like that and all of them tell you different stories about inhabitants of this world. I found that to be really interesting.

 

There's also combat and this is where people tend to split into different camps. Some love it, some don't. I found it to be really fun. Guns are heavy and pack a hell of a punch. Melee combat is just as satisfying and brutal as the gunplay. It's matter of preference really. If you're bored with third person shooters the gameplay is not going to blow you away or anything.

[Sami]

Since I don't plan on getting a PS3, a PS4 version shall suffice. Still, what exactly is so amazing about this game?

Everything. It's just an expertly crafted work of art. Gameplay is incredibly solid and engaging, with a lot of emphasis being placed on exploration and looting different environments for supplies, giving the core gameplay relevant context within the story by giving the player the responsibility to find his/her own supplies and use them sparingly. Every fight, no matter what the enemy type, is tactical and engaging due to the ever-present need to conserve your scarce supplies. Every single shot counts.

Visually, it's a beauty. Partly due to the impressive graphical fidelity, but also as a result of the gorgeous art direction. Seeing the results of humanity's downfall is actually quite profound, with lush, green wildlife conquering the lifeless wreckage of once proud cities. It's beautiful in a thoughtful and interesting way.

The story is every bit as brilliant as it's said to be; I've read pages and pages worth of thoughtful, intelligent discussion on the game's characters, morality, and world. You follow the journey of two characters traveling across the United States and... that's all I'll say. The story really is best experienced blind. The environments are very atmospheric, and the two main characters are the best written I've seen in a game. Hell, I'd go so far as to say the game had the best writing of any game, and it really drives the medium forward in a narrative sense. Make no mistake, The Last of Us really is, if not the best game of the seventh generation, one of the strongest contenders. Like Persona 4, it's a game I have no qualms buying twice for different systems (I was ready for the PS4 version the moment I beat the game). It's just that good.

[Gabz Girl]

I don't see any point in releasing the game for PS4 when it's not even a year old but eh, if that's the way to get more moneyz then fine.

 

Besides, if the game sells well on PS4 too then there's more reason to make a sequel or successor to the Last of Us! I'm all for it. =]

[The Kid]

Eh, pass. Besides the fact I found TLOU rather underwhelming, I'm really not a fan of the practice of rereleasing games on Next Gen with graphical improvements for $60. No doubt it's going to be that expensive too.

[SuperBrandon]

Man this game makes me wish that I had a PS3, but with the news that it'll be coming out on the PS4. I'll pick it up when I get one which will be sometime this year or next year.