Hulk_Smash
Banned
Thanks to the digital gift that keeps on giving, that is PSN+, I finally got around to playing The Last of Us. I didn't own a PS3 back in the day, so I missed out on it amidst all the accolades the game had showered upon it.
I'm one of those people that hear about a game that is "AAA" and getting tons of great reviews and I immediately want to dismiss it. A bit hipster of me, but maybe it's because a lot of games that fall into that category just don't interest me.
Anyway, no excuse when it's free and I'm too broke to buy new games. So, I gave it a go. And...
For all intents and purposes, I didn't put the game down until I crossed the finish line.
[SPOILER WARNING]
I liked that the story took the character development route. It didn't shy away from the fact that this was a very personal story of two people. Most of the side characters were fairly interesting and each were given a moment to shine.
As far as the gameplay goes, I loved the return of tank controls. I haven't really played a game with it since RE4. Another thing I appreciate, is there wasn't any high-tech bullshit. No pretending that a post-apocalyptic survivor would have access to drones, heat seeking rockets, etc. All the weapons and equipment are things you could find in that world.
The only thing that seemed a bit too "gamey" was Joel's Daredevil hearing ability. I just... can't with those kind of game mechanics. I immediately turned it off. Like, why would you want it that easy? Anyway, I didn't care if was quite a bit harder to pull of stealth, I wanted it to be as realistic as possible.
The graphics were, of course, top notch. I was playing the remastered version, so it did get a facelift, but that game is a PS3 technical masterpiece and the remastered edition looks almost as good as Uncharted 4.
The only complaints I had were on a technical level. For about 2 hours of game time, I had to deal with that stupid stutter-step bug that happens when Joel starts to run. Speaking of running, can't we get Joel and Ellie to jog just a little bit faster, please? The other technical issue I ran into was enemy pop-in. I walk by an alley and there's nothing there just to have a clicker latch on to my back or a soldier shoots me in the back. But, those weren't major.
Over all, I thoroughly enjoyed this "AAA" experience. I don't know if I'll pick up the sequel when it comes out, but it definitely is on my radar now. But, here's something I was wondering about the ending. Did anyone else feel like the ending was not really an ending. It ended with Joel telling the lie to Ellie. I found that odd. No establishing wideshot. No, slow walk into the survivor's town at sunset. Nope. It ended on a lie. Sequel setup maybe?
I'm one of those people that hear about a game that is "AAA" and getting tons of great reviews and I immediately want to dismiss it. A bit hipster of me, but maybe it's because a lot of games that fall into that category just don't interest me.
Anyway, no excuse when it's free and I'm too broke to buy new games. So, I gave it a go. And...
For all intents and purposes, I didn't put the game down until I crossed the finish line.
[SPOILER WARNING]
I liked that the story took the character development route. It didn't shy away from the fact that this was a very personal story of two people. Most of the side characters were fairly interesting and each were given a moment to shine.
As far as the gameplay goes, I loved the return of tank controls. I haven't really played a game with it since RE4. Another thing I appreciate, is there wasn't any high-tech bullshit. No pretending that a post-apocalyptic survivor would have access to drones, heat seeking rockets, etc. All the weapons and equipment are things you could find in that world.
The only thing that seemed a bit too "gamey" was Joel's Daredevil hearing ability. I just... can't with those kind of game mechanics. I immediately turned it off. Like, why would you want it that easy? Anyway, I didn't care if was quite a bit harder to pull of stealth, I wanted it to be as realistic as possible.
The graphics were, of course, top notch. I was playing the remastered version, so it did get a facelift, but that game is a PS3 technical masterpiece and the remastered edition looks almost as good as Uncharted 4.
The only complaints I had were on a technical level. For about 2 hours of game time, I had to deal with that stupid stutter-step bug that happens when Joel starts to run. Speaking of running, can't we get Joel and Ellie to jog just a little bit faster, please? The other technical issue I ran into was enemy pop-in. I walk by an alley and there's nothing there just to have a clicker latch on to my back or a soldier shoots me in the back. But, those weren't major.
Over all, I thoroughly enjoyed this "AAA" experience. I don't know if I'll pick up the sequel when it comes out, but it definitely is on my radar now. But, here's something I was wondering about the ending. Did anyone else feel like the ending was not really an ending. It ended with Joel telling the lie to Ellie. I found that odd. No establishing wideshot. No, slow walk into the survivor's town at sunset. Nope. It ended on a lie. Sequel setup maybe?