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[Papercuts]

Wait a minute. I haven't played Last of Us yet, but you're citing Batman as an example of serious, intense, brutal battles? Every thug in Batman is as dumb as a brick, and has the eyesight and hearing of my deceased grandma.

Don't get me wrong, I admire the unique gameplay of the Arkham games. But let's not pretend that you ever feel in danger in those games. From what I've read, Last of Us makes you frequently feel like you may be on your last limbs. It's the opposite of feeling like Batman.

The poster he was referring to originally cited it as the best melee combat, even if he meant it as more the animation impact vs. actual gameplay complexity. The melee itself is pretty close to the dragon age 2 A to Awesome gifs, there is no nuance to it at all.

The animations are certainly appropriately brutal, though.

 

[Moussuki]

Gamecritics' @gc_danny is tweeting pretty mixed things about the game

 

[Eusis]

I'm not really surprised, it's clearly in the mold of the type of game we've seen plenty of this generation, it just executes that type of design VERY WELL. For anyone who either isn't a huge fan of that type of design or simply grew tired of it, yet still let themselves get hyped to hell on it, it's going to be massively disappointing. Me, I kinda figured it was that, tried it, and so far think it's pretty good, but not the kind of game I'd blow more than $30 on and would rather just clear in a rental. Though given how tense/bad I am with the sneaking stuff I may just phone it in and spoil myself on how it goes.

EDIT: And it's ahead of Bioshock Infinite there for me simply because of where they came from: Bioshock Infinite is the descendent of a hardcore, exploratory shooter RPG, which got less hardcore but retained the same basic framework for the first followup, had a samey followup to THAT from a different team, then for Infinite replaced some of that framework with design choices excessively prolific amongst modern games. In contrast Last of Us is from a developer KNOWN for those kinds of modern games and so coming from that (and not being a fan of how much shooting went on in them) the biggest disappointment here is... uhhh, I can't jump, maybe? It's actually a relief there's at least some upgrade and crafting systems, even if they have to be made relatively simple given the kind of game it is, had it been more open and less linear than it probably could've made them more sophisticated, but the game design's clearly serving a story so understanding that I don't mind.

 

[nib95]

These are all the impressions from the last 3 pages of the Official Thread. OP is way off on this one. Read one or two outlier negative impressions and jumped the gun. The reality is that the feedback and impressions for this game have been unbelievably positive. A rarity for GAF.

The gunplay is so satisfying in this game. You have very little ammo, but when you get a headshot its the greatest thing ever. And because the gore and blood splatter effects are ridic for a 7 year old console.

I just bought the game and put in 4 hours. So far its very much the 10/10 game everyone says it is.

About 10 hours in and i'm having a real good time. Won't get to play again till Monday night though.


Starting to get the feeling its not going to open up the way I was hoping it would though

My save says 8 hours and 50% complete. So far its been an amazing ride and I cant believe i'm ONLY halfway through the game when this is about the time most campaigns come to an end. Gonna continue on tomorrow so I can savor the flavor.

Just got to the

Spoiler

Museum

. Had to stop

What a fucking amazing game. The tension and atmosphere is unfreakingbelieveable. Navigating a room full of clickers is so nerve wracking, jesus.

I just played this with a friend for about 5 hours nonstop. This game is incredible! The pacing is so good.

Okay so as much as I read and kept up with a lot of the news about this game since its announcement, I only saw the E3 demo last year and a few seconds of footage from trailers.

This game lives up to every bit of hype I think it was given. I had to force myself to stop playing. The combat is sublime. I love the new melee system they've used, it's very fun to pull off and yet challenging and not "easy mode" like Uncharted's melee system which just let you run up and snap people's necks. If you try that here, you will get taken the fuck out.

Also worth noting is the weapon and crafting system. Just wow. It was overwhelming at first but now that it clicks and makes sense it is SO seamless and intuitive. Very fun element and adds a lot to the tension.

So far the game's been great, I like everything about it, except, it's starting to become a little bit too trial and errory for my taste. Maybe I just suck or cause I'm playing on hard with listen mode off, but whenever there's an encounter with multiple infected and clickers, I have to restart several times to figure out the path I need to sneak therough or the order I need to kill all the enemies in. Atleast human encounters haven't been as bad. Should I be using my guns more? If I shoot, I'm usually instantly surrounded and getting my neck chomped on by a clicker.

Just finished. I am at awe that experiences like this exist. Never would have thought when I started gaming on a n64 that this is what games could be. And they should be.

The reviews were spot on and the people overtly complaining are yelling at clouds. Its not perfect, but probably one of the few that have approached perfection.

Game of the generation right here.

Wow. Just tried the game tonight. Amazing.
Nothing short of what I expected. Beautiful, plays well, looks incredible.
Its also one of the best freaking intro I've ever seen in a videogame.

Naughty Gods.

Oh my god. This fucking game. Its scary as hell. I swear to god... I am taking my sweet time in these encouters but at least I died only once. This is one of those games where you can breath easily only after you completely clear a room or escape these fuckers. Its amazing so far for me.

The MP is seriously awesome. I've gotten pretty decent at it, or I was just hammering noobs. Either way, nothing beats being in a fire fighting, ducking away for a ev seconds to craft a molotov, throwing it at said enemy then following up with a few shots from the weighty revolver. Amazing mechanics in this game.

+1 It's neat at first, but it can quickly turn into trial and error gameplay. It's not all that bad since reloads are quick.

Pretty much loving the game so far. Reminds me of golden age survival horror.

I only got to play this for an hour or so before going to work. This game is great, that intro was pretty intense. I'm really having to adjust my play-style to slow down and have patience. I'm really loving the stealth elements and how the enemies are reacting. Hopefully the game continues to exceed my expectations.

It's funny. This might not have been made without the proven traction of the Walking Dead/zombie craze. In some way, though, I feel the aforementioned dampens TLoU's novelty factor. I understand that speaks more to the game's timing than it does its quality, but still... Anyway, I felt the same about Uncharted. Excellent. Gorgeous. Fun. Yet, there was always this...disconnect between myself and the notion that it was a groundbreaking experience. Perhaps, unfairly, I dock Naughty Dog for what I perceive to be a lack of originality. Certainly, you can get all esoteric with this and argue that no idea is truly original...but, that's beside the point. I just feel like I've been on a similar ride before. And, that's fine, as this is obviously as good as it gets for this type of ride.

I haven't finished the game yet, so the verdict is still out for me. We'll see.

Played it for 4 hours straight tonight. Pretty amazing game. I think I love everything about it.

If you play it for story and characters. BUY THIS GAME NOW.

Some of the best writing in the industry in this game. Dialogue is fantastic, and I haven't ran into anything corny or cheesy at all yet.

The Uncharted series had plenty of eye roll worthy moments, nothing like that here.

Just got to

Spoiler

fall

and am now calling it quits. Its been awhile since I played a game this long non-stop. GUUD STUFFS!

This game is fucking amazing. I'm hopelessly addicted to it.

For the last couple of months I've attempted to be on complete media blackout for The Last Of Us, and I have mostly achieved my goal, thank God. I've had it since Tuesday, just finished it. Took my time with it, played it mostly at nighttime. I explored, scavenged and absorbed the world Druckmann and Stapley have created as much as I could. This game is really something special. You know, I could write about how marvelous the level design, or how the combat mechanics and gunplay feel are pitch point perfect, or how every corner of the game is jam-packed with unique detailing. Or the emotionally affecting and draining story, how the characters will stick with you, how you'll actually feel for these people. But there's not much point in describing any of this, really. Fact of the matter is TLoU is simply one of the best games of this generation, and it's everything I could've hoped for from the Straley/Druckmann duo. ND should be proud of what they have accomplished, and Sony should give these two free reign. Neil Druckmann has got to be the best writer currently working in this industry.

 

[ComputerMKII]

There's 'negativity' because reviews aren't critical anymore so anyone willing to express a realistic opinion will be labeled as a troll or a contrarian.

 

[Eusis]

There's 'negativity' because reviews aren't critical anymore so anyone willing to express a realistic opinion will be labeled as a troll or a contrarian.

I really do think it's more that this is the kind of game that hits all the right buttons for some critics. If we see some people gushing insanely about the game for the rest of the year I think that will be proven, nevermind that those people are probably the most likely to volunteer to review this.

 

[enzo_gt]

There's 'negativity' because reviews aren't critical anymore so anyone willing to express a realistic opinion will be labeled as a troll or a contrarian.

Pretty much.

The first page of this thread has a lot of posts attributing the existence of criticism as being something only specific to well reviewed games. In reality people express themselves about shit they don't like for any game. This could easily just be misplaced expectations for some rather than "PEOPLE ONLY HATE IT BECUZ DAT METACRITIC IS 2 DOPE."

 

[Orayn]

Someone needs to develop some metacritic curve where you punch in a few variables to calculate how many points you subtract to get the real score.

I discussed this with a friend; we agreed that scores between 80 and 90 are usually fair, scores between 60 and 80 are 10-20 points lower than the game deserves, and scores 90 and above are usually 20+ points too high. Works great when applied to Dark Souls and some of my other recent favorite, and it categorizes BioShock Infinite as merely "pretty good." Nothing scientific, just our way of reconciling our tastes with those of the press.

Adding to the "high scores are suspect" train of thought: My friend Sueil, who has very high standards in games, recently got TLOU voiced some of the complaints in the OP in the OT and was accused of trolling, not playing the game, etc.

 

[ZombiePlatypus]

I like to call this the FFVII phenomenon.

 

[Eusis]

I like to call this the FFVII phenomenon.

That's a pretty terrible game to pick, I don't think most people were even really aware of FFVII until the marketting blitz hit, then they checked it out and were blown away, especially as it may have been unlike anything they ever played before.

No, if I had to pick ONE game for this it'd probably be GTAIV. Immensely anticipated, lavished with high scores, but many were just let down or unimpressed by it.

 

[JWong]

Not sure what the complaint about the gunplay is about when I can get 5 headshots in a row in high tension combat.

 

[childplease]

The gunplay isn't clunky, it just isn't fake as fucking hell like 90 percent of the shitty shooters people play.

So now if a game has smooth shooting controls its considered fake huh.

 

[20cent]

Well I am unimpressed, because I played I Am Alive, Alan Wake, most RE and of course the Uncharted series (like a lot of people and reviewers I hope).
After few hours into TLOU, I like it but I still don't get the massive praise and perfect 10/10 score.

 

[timmaysmittay]

These are all the impressions from the last 3 pages of the Official Thread. OP is way off on this one. Read one or two outlier negative impressions and jumped the gun. The reality is that the feedback and impressions for this game have been unbelievably positive. A rarity for GAF.

No kidding, don't make this into something it's not. I just beat the game an hour ago and it is my GOTG hands down without a second thought.

Because those scores were given after playing the whole game.

This. This. So much this.

Not sure what the complaint about the gunplay is about when I can get 5 headshots in a row in high tension combat.

Had it not been for the save glitch I would have taken a picture of my stat screen, 82% shots hit.

 

[Not]

Why can't there be negativity? Why is this a thread? Why can't people have their own opinions? Are you so threatened by other people's disapproval towards a video game you enjoy that you have to make a forum post that incites others to reassure you of its quality?

Pathetic.

 

[SirIgbyCeaser]

I think even though this is an exceptional game. Just because its exclusive to one platform I expect it to never be fully appreciated how it should.

It is so much better than Infinite. Like hundreds of better little gameplay tricks and things to find that make it an experience you enjoy while this story plays out with scene after scene that makes you say oh shit.

Infinite maybe had 2 scenes with me being into the game and the story. This has that every chapter. Yet that's the game most people will have played. And it had a good story well acted and with a great world. But the game of it was horrible and not something I would play again.

Re4 vibes all up in the last of us.

 

[pharmboy044]

Well I am unimpressed, because I played I Am Alive, Alan Wake, most RE and of course the Uncharted series (like a lot of people and reviewers I hope).
After few hours into TLOU, I like it but I still don't get the massive praise and perfect 10/10 score.

Because those scores were given after playing the whole game.

 

[Donos]

Tlou and infinite will lead gafs GOT voting. That some overhype themself and others just want to hate it was expected.

 

[JimmyRustler]

After 3 full nights of playing this game I' can say that this isn't only GOTY for sure but maybe indeed Citizen Kanze of gaming. Haters gonna hate.

The game starts pretty slow but gets better with every minute. Combat is sooo much better where I am then when you start the game. Once you stock up your supplies combat is so fucking awesome. I hardly do a stealthy approach any more because the other way is much more fun and intense in every way.

Already can'T wait to start my second walkthrough on the highest possible difficulty. What an amazing game.

 

[Rehynn]

After 3 full nights of playing this game I' can say that this isn't only GOTY for sure but maybe indeed Citizen Kanze of gaming. Haters gonna hate.

What an elegant way of brushing aside all criticism. Almost as elegant as if someone were to say that your Kaz avatar means you are positively biased toward the game because it's a PS-exclusive.

 

[driver116]

It's worth 10/10 just for the fucking story alone.

 

[MMaRsu]

So the gaming press was being their usual hyperbolic self and the game isn't that great?

The Last of anUs tbh

Nope, game is totally amazing up there with re4 imo.

 

[MYE]

Shocking news!

Also remember, every big game without exception gets backlash here. Every single one.

Super Mario Galaxy got a backlash?

 

[iNvid02]

the narrative, the characters, the voice acting, the animation, the visuals, the lighting and shadows, the attention to detail, the incredibly satisfying combat, the intensity of the gameplay, the sound design, the atmosphere, gustavo's beautiful soundtrack, the exceptional pacing...

it just all comes together better than i could have hoped for. tlou is easily one of the greatest games of this generation. everyone at naughty dog should be incredibly proud of this.

being primarily a PC gamer you guys are one of the main reasons im even getting a PS4, i know the playstation is the only place to find the naughty dog experience, cannot wait to see what you guys craft with PS4.

 

[panda21]

for the people who don't like it, how long have you played?

I thought it was just a more stealthy uncharted until I got a few hours in, now its awesome.

If you are talking about the combat (being like batman?!) or it playing like a shooter i'm pretty sure you are doing it wrong, and its going to become nigh on impossible once you get further in if you try to play it that way.

I also really like listen mode. it would be really frustrating without it.

 

[NIN90]

This thread is Uncharted 3 Review thread all over again. The best part are the guys who keep saying that you could only be disappointed if you expected CoD. Also, complaining about gunplay is totally missing the point because the game's supposed to be that boring.
The stealth is also supposed to be this mindnumbingly barebones.

 

[Lucid07]

I'm just gutted I lost 6 hours of play and have to start at the start.

 

[stressboy]

Just put a few hours into this game and I am loving it.

 

[JimmyRustler]

What an elegant way of brushing aside all criticism. Almost as elegant as if someone were to say that your Kaz avatar means you are positively biased toward the game because it's a PS-exclusive.

I was bascially an Xbox only player throughout the entire gen - the avatar was only made in anticipation for E³....

That said, I don't brush away anything. I myself have some issues with the game (bugs mostly). I was just commenting to the people imputing the gaming media a hyperbole for this game. IMO it's totally justified. That doesn't mean however everyone will like the game. Then again, not everyone likes Citizen Kane either.

 

[nib95]

I like to call this the FFVII phenomenon.

But FFVII is the best game ever made...

 

[dab0ne]

The game is emersive as hell but when I'm being all stealthy Ellie and Tess just run around being loud and actually bumping into clickers and stuff. The game is wonderful but stuff like that pulls me out of it.

 

[Fewr]

Also remember, every big game without exception gets backlash here. Every single one.

It's exclusive? Even more backlash. You gotta realize there's thousands of posters, so by law of probability there will always be those with completely different opinions, and sometimes even shocking opinions.

There are people who think Mario Kart was the best looking game at E3, that MGS4 was GOTY, that Bioshock Infinite sucks, that DRM and weak specs + paywal for 499$ is a steal, that high end PC gaming is cheap... etc

You're going to get everything here. Best to keep it in perspective.

I don't remember backlash for Mario Galaxy.

 

[JimmyRustler]

The game is emersive as hell but when I'm being all stealthy Ellie and Tess just run around being loud and actually bumping into clickers and stuff. The game is wonderful but stuff like that pulls me out of it.

Yeah, it's a bit lame at first but by now it doesn't bother me any more. I see why they did it. As for my impression the enemy-AI doesn't seem to be scripted all the way, which makes their approach vary. But it seems essential to the gameplay that Ellie helps you out when you are being attacked so she has to stick with you. That means ND would have had to progamm Ellie's and Tess' AI so they react accordingly to enemies behavior. Has a stealth game very done that before? I can't think of one. ND did the right thing.

 

[Dr Dogg]

There's 'negativity' because reviews aren't critical anymore so anyone willing to express a realistic opinion will be labeled as a troll or a contrarian.

This is a very fair sentiment. Though from my understanding the NDA stipulations Sony sent out with review copies gave a laundry list of what reviews could and couldn't contain. Couldn't talk about the beginning, the end, certain characters and so on. We've got to the point where the review process has become such a restricted environment that realistically any reviews are now unreliable due to people having their hands tied.

Couple that with people forming their opinions on a game solely by a score and you get a pretty warped sense of what a game is actually like. I wonder if the universal score was 8/10 there would people actively defending a game they had yet to get their hands on? Now I'm not talking about GAF but in general. I went into TLoU completely dark and asides from character names and the E3 demo avoided everything I could except for the GOW:A demo. After finishing it this morning a friend saw that I had by my trophies and asked me how it was. I told him what I though and that I didn't quiet get the same impression as the reviews were giving it and he immediately jumped on me for it. This was from someone who hadn't even played the game let alone finished it.

I don't know. It's funny times that we're in for critique and analysis of gaming.

 

[JimmyRustler]

I don't remember backlash for Mario Galaxy.

Because with Mario everyone knows exactly what they're getting before even reading reviews.

 

[dragonelite]

There's 'negativity' because reviews aren't critical anymore so anyone willing to express a realistic opinion will be labeled as a troll or a contrarian.

Reviews sold a 12/10(hyperbole) people got a 9/10.
And the press seems to be on the story telling and cinematic train something Naughty dog does extremely well.
Naughty dogs are not for me but i like their tech and graphics presentations.

 

[Jondoyle123]

People back lash to be kool

There is nothing wrong with this game or most people get in a piss over

Bunch of hyped up schoolgirls at Times

 

[PrimaNocta]

I only played for 2 hours but I love it. Atmosphere & story are great so far. No save issues at all.

 

[fastford58]

My only negative point about the game is that I can't find it because it is sold out all over the place.

 

[giapel]

Gamers backlash after the press circlejerk. Happens all the time. The problem is, the press needs them AAA "perfect" games as much as the publishers do because it generates interest in their previews, reviews etc. The real verdict for this game (and any other really) will come after 2 years, in the retrospect.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Looking through this thread, I think I'm in a much better situation to set my expectations. I can parse these threads pretty well, I think. i can pinpoint the posters that I'm familiar with that I think I can trust not to be overly hyperbolic in either direction. I still want to play it for sure, but I'm ready for mechanical deficiencies.

 

[dab0ne]

Yeah, it's a bit lame at first but by now it doesn't bother me any more. I see why they did it. As for my impression the enemy-AI doesn't seem to be scripted all the way, which makes their approach vary. But it seems essential to the gameplay that Ellie helps you out when you are being attacked so she has to stick with you. That means ND would have had to progamm Ellie's and Tess' AI so they react accordingly to enemies behavior. Has a stealth game very done that before? I can't think of one. ND did the right thing.

I see why they did it too but the following characters could have at least followed the same path as Joel. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but its not as tight as I thought it would be either. With so many 10s I was literally expecting perfection in this aspect of the game.

 

[Zia]

So the gaming press was being their usual hyperbolic self and the game isn't that great?

The Last of anUs tbh

Quoting to highlight this post, and give it the attention it deserves.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

With a game like this, people looking to be negative tend to be, initially, more vocal. The game has been out officially for like 1 day, the people who love it are either playing it or (like me) wishing I was playing it, but I need to go outside (and it's raining...).

 

[ThisWreckage]

Every time a big game is released there will be a minority of very loud and very vocal people on GAF shouting from the mountaintops about their niggles and nitpicks. It's a vicious cycle. I think it's safe to say that most people are immensely pleased with this title and it is definitely in contention for GotY.

 

[MMaRsu]

The game is emersive as hell but when I'm being all stealthy Ellie and Tess just run around being loud and actually bumping into clickers and stuff. The game is wonderful but stuff like that pulls me out of it.

Sure, but at least they don't get spotted by enemies. Saves you a TON of headaches I will promise you that much.

 

[dab0ne]

Sure, but at least they don't get spotted by enemies. Saves you a TON of headaches I will promise you that much.

Oh god yes! I totally see why they did it. I just wish they would stay hidden when I'm sneaking around. Like I said, it's not a deal breaker by any means. Just pulls me out of it a bit.

 

[entremet]

But FFVII is the best game ever made...

Not even the best FF.

 

[JimmyRustler]

I see why they did it too but the following characters could have at least followed the same path as Joel. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but its not as tight as I thought it would be either. With so many 10s I was literally expecting perfection in this aspect of the game.

You mean like in RE4? I don't think that would have worked either honestly. Imagine walking through the game with two characters on your ass... No thanks...

Give the game some slack man. It's still a 10.

Oh god yes! I totally see why they did it. I just wish they would stay hidden when I'm sneaking around. Like I said, it's not a deal breaker by any means. Just pulls me out of it a bit.

It was certainly the goal to make the player and Joel care about Ellie. Her staying hidden all the time certainly wouldn't have helped to achieve this...

 

[cormack12]

My experience so far (50% in) - I've spoilered it as it makes reference to locales, people and specific parts of levels:

Spoiler

A few of the enemy encounters I've had notably against the proper humans has led to open gun battles. Two areas in particular have aggravated me. Both have a first wave of enemies, which I struggled and succeeded in taking out silently and stealthily. Despite no noise and no alarm, a second wave showed up. In my opinion 'no second wave' should be the reward for the effort I put into the first wave. I had to replay this area earlier today after the auto-save glitch and just though f*** it, and blasted them with the shotgun. Second wave came as per by design and just carried on.

We all know about the swaying gun mechanic which I'm fine with but if you're going to hamper an aim then don't advise the player to shoot off bits of armour on the bloater when molotovs are much more effective. It was really difficult getting that last piece on his leg. Changed approach in the flooded section of the hotel and he went down in seconds.

The amount of guns for the inventory is insane. I'm more tooled up than those guys from Uncharted. I think it's stuck between deciding where to put the emphasis so you have a middle ground which satisfies neither really - bow and arrow sucks too. The best way of playing stealth is to take nobody down and just find the path out of the location.

Sometimes I've been ready to swing for a zombie, then it falls short by several feet and Ellie is down there crouched, basically come out of nowhere and blocked me.

The good:

Most beautiful game I've ever played. That scene in the church with Bill had my eyes orgasming.

The foliage is the most dense and believable I've seen in a game.

The sound effects and voice acting are really a level above anything else I've heard this generation.

Story is well paced and engaging.

It's excellent the way you can be grappling with one person then another hauls you off them to start whaling on you.

90% of the game is absolute perfect, the last 10% doesn't really know what it wants to be exactly is what I'll sum up as.