• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

First Review for The Last of Us

E

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Sometimes I question whether everyone who ever throws around "XXX is this generation's Citizen Kane", in any context and for any medium, actually knows why Citizen Kane has the legacy it does.
 
C

Cartman86

Banned
We've probably already had Citizen Kane moments if we are talking about what Kane did for the medium technically. Throwing that around a week after playing a game is stupid.
 
C

ComputerMKII

Banned
Another game, another wave of ridiculous scores.

The Last of Us is not just the finest game that Naughty Dog has yet crafted and an easy contender for the best game of this console generation, it may also prove to be gaming’s Citizen Kane moment – a masterpiece that will be looked back upon favourably for decades.
Click to expand...
I don't know if I should laugh or facepalm. Not even The Walking Dead is that good.
 
C

Chuck Norris

Banned
EatChildren said:
Sometimes I question whether everyone who ever throws around "XXX is this generation's Citizen Kane", in any context and for any medium, actually knows why Citizen Kane has the legacy it does.
Click to expand...
tumblr_ls4vyvSYPN1qapjw4o1_500.png
 
C

Callibretto

Member
XiaNaphryz said:
Citizen Kane huh? Is the story Oscar-worthy material?
Click to expand...

judging from the review, it's all about the acting, I think... I only know Empire magazine as movie magazine, so I'm sure they know what they're talking about in term of judging story, character, acting etc, right? ... right?
 
A

antitrop

Member
EatChildren said:
Sometimes I question whether everyone who ever throws around "XXX is this generation's Citizen Kane", in any context and for any medium, actually knows why Citizen Kane has the legacy it does.
Click to expand...
As someone who just finished a Journalism 105 class, I do! =P

I now possess Roger Ebert level analysis abilities of Citizen Kane.
 
A

Aquamarine

Member
TacticalFox88 said:
Why exactly IS Citizen's Kane so revered anyhow?
Click to expand...

It pioneered a lot of film-making techniques that set standards for future films. On top of that, it's a great movie.

Here's a copypaste from another site that shows reasons why it is "so great":

1) Deep focus photography - a photographic and cinematographic technique incorporating a large depth-of-field. Depth-of-field is the front-to-back range of focus in an image — that is, how much of it appears sharp and clear. Consequently, in deep focus the foreground, middle-ground and background are all in focus. Enhances the portrayal of realism, a major trend that emerged in Post-WWII cinema.

2) Early use of method acting - acting technique in which actors try to replicate real life emotional conditions under which the character operates, in an effort to create a life-like, realistic performance. This is now a major, influential technique used by most of the greatest actors of all time (Pacino, De Niro, Nicholson, Hoffman, Brando, Dean, etc.)

3) In-camera effects - such as the camera going straight through the sign and window at Susan Alexander's bar, Kane breaking into Susan Alexander's room after her suicide attempt, etc.

4) Extensive use of low-angle shots - used to display a point of view facing upwards, thus allowing ceilings to be shown in the background of several scenes, thus creating powerful, demanding angles that amplified the characters.

5) Non-Linear Narrative - a storyline taking place and revealed to audience in a non-sequential order primarily through flashbacks with different characters often telling the same story from a different point of view. Although this is rather commonplace to day, it certainly wasnt in 1941.

6) Experimental camera work - such as the scene where the camera in the opera house rises dramatically to the rafters to show the workmen showing a lack of appreciation for the Susan Alexander's performance, the opening scene where the camera shot gradually moves closer and closer into Xanadu until it is atually in the room with Kane with each new shot the lit window stays in relatively the same spot, and also the scene where the snow globe breaks and the glass from the globe creates an ocular illusion.

7) Special effects makeup - early use of makeup to portray characters aging over several decades

8) Experimental use of sound effects - set the mood in certain scenes by adding animal noises, laughter, and echoes in the background

9) The linking of shots in montages by sound or dialogue - Thatcher hands Kane his sled and wishes him a "Merry Christmas" cuts to a shot of Kane fifteen years later, only to have the phrase completed for us by Thatcher: "and a Happy New Year." In this case, the continuity of the soundtrack, not the screen, is what makes for a seamless narrative structure.

10) Also the fact that this movie was made by a 25 year old making his directorial debut and it is credited as being the greatest film of time, thats pretty impressive within itself.

11) Other than that, its just a great movie. Terrific story and wonderful dialogue mixed into a dramatic mystery story with film noirish influences.
Click to expand...
 
D

Dawg

Member
Orson Welles is turning so hard in his grave right now, he could probably provide power for an entire town if you hook him up.
 
C

Callibretto

Member
from some of the gameplay I saw from Last of Us, I'd be ok if it set up the convention for many games in the future. more games with focus on AI, atmosphere, suspense through gameplay etc will be very welcome.
 
A

akidnamededdy

Banned
It's not enough to just say you really liked a game, I guess.

Maybe I am wrong though, maybe this post apocalypse zombie game will be Rosebud Kain's Bible.

I don't know.
 
S

Sats

Banned
The 21 Jump Street of video games.

The Spiderman 3 of video games.

The Mean Girls of video games.

The Avatar of video games.

The Pokemon 2000: The Power of One of video games.

The Dennis the Menace of video games.

The Herbie: Fully Loaded of video games.
 
U

unbias

Member
I love the idea they have going on with the 2 protagonists... However, the premise, I'm so sick of it, hopefully when I get around to actually picking it up(after I get through my backlog, which will take awhile) I wont be disappointed.
 
S

SlowRevolution

Member
you’re playing a human, as fragile and vulnerable as any of us. When you are forced to fight, it’s short, sharp, shocking, and the game treats violence with almost disgust – necessary evils
Click to expand...

so happy to read this part.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

The Last of Us: Part II Remastered [Review Thread]
2 3 4
171
10K
Paulxo87 replied
The Last of Us Online has been cancelled
News 10 11 12 13 14
678
33K
Tiago Rodrigues replied
The Last fo Us Part I Remake for PC | Review Thread
Analysis Review
29
2K
Buggy Loop replied
Fallout - Series Reviews
15 16 17 18 19
924
47K
Mister Wolf replied
The Last of Us Part II Remastered Announced + Trailer. Release Slated for January 2024
21 22 23 24 25
1K
80K
Thick Thighs Save Lives replied
Top Bottom