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The Last of Us


DANGERMAN
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  • 2 weeks later...

When I first played this I really didn't like it. 

 

Somehow I got caught up in the hype for the second one and decided to give this one another go, but the Remastered one on PS4 this time. 

 

I'm an hour or so into Winter, so approaching the end now, and overall I'm enjoying it a lot more than I did before, but a lot of the issues are still bothering me.

 

I don't like the way it forces you into combat situations. I'm a stealth fan, and although the stealth in this isn't the best it's still pretty good considering it isn't a stealth game as such, and I was enjoying sneaking up on enemies and taking them out quietly, and I managed a good chunk of Summer without using a gun until the the game decided I can't do that any more.

 

It isn't helped by the fact the AI is shit. It's super basic and everyone who isn't Joel just come across as brain dead and keep doing the dumbest things. That is fine for the infected, but when human characters can't see Ellie who is literally running in circles around them it kinda breaks the immersion. 

 

I don't like that Clickers stop being a threat as soon as you get the shotgun, and then they pretty much became obsolete once I upgraded my shiv. I took the first the big guy (boomer I think they're called) out with a couple of molotovs, and since then I've been saving my molotovs for them, and again, rendered them a none threat.

 

The combat itself isn't too bad, and improved significantly once I upgraded my sway, but it still has that Naughty Dog jank to it. And I hate the aim on the bow, it just feels really awkward.

 

The level design is a mixed bag. When it isn't combat heavy it's genuinely great, and I've been enjoying exploring immensely, and then I enter an open space with a lot of knee high cover and my heart drops because I know there's about to be a forced gun fight. It's the same problem I have with the Uncharted games. A lot of the level design feels really natural, and these gun fight arenas appear and they just feel out of place.

 

I'm bored of the environmental puzzles too. It's either find the wooden palette, find the wheely bin, or find the ladder. If this was the best they could do I'd rather they didn't bother, they don't add anything to the game. One or two are fine, but the same three puzzles constantly repeated it just lazy.

 

I'm finding the story to be derivative and nothing special at all, but I don't think the story itself is important because the characters and atmosphere are absolutely superb. A lot of the emotional beats hit when I didn't think they would, and that is completely to the credit of the cast, especially Troy Baker. The sound design too is absolutely spot on, I cannot fault it at all. Apart from when the Runners sound like Timmy from South Park.

 

There are some genuinely heart pounding set pieces, and some wonderful character moments, but some of the stuff that takes place between those moments isn't great. It's like a Zack Snyder movie in that regard, but with good acting. 

 

The Remastered version is a big improvement on the original as far as I can remember, but I think a lot of that is down to the PS4 controller being significantly better than the PS3 one, especially for shooters.

 

I don't think it's the masterpiece everyone says it is. There are enough gameplay issues that stop it being excellent in my opinion, but it's nowhere near as bad as I remember it being, in fact I'll happily admit it's very good, even if it is overrated.

 

 

 

 

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I strongly disliked the original in spite of the excellent character work, I just never thought it played well at all. I remember reading that ND themselves were doubtful about the gameplay systems in it.

 

In that regard TLOUII is a stunning improvement. Can sometimes feel like MGS3 mixed with Resident Evil 4.

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Finished this earlier and then played through Left Behind too.

 

Left Behind is a great bit of DLC, but I'm glad I didn't pay for it.

 

Overall I stand by my above post, but playing Left Behind has me more interested in Part 2 because the ability to set infected on humans is great.

 

79/100

(But 10 Troy Bakers out of 10)

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Hearing people involved in the creation of a thing lay bare the themes of the thing they worked on can kill the fun of art a little bit, but there's a pretty neat LP of this with Nolan North and Troy Baker. Troy deconstructs the ending. Spoilers

 

 

 

Bearing in mind that this was recorded late 2019 and so is probably also informed by the themes of TLOUII

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I scrubbed through this series about a week ago seeing for their breakdowns on the big moments in the game and Troy is unbearable. He is like a cartoon stereotype of a wannabe Hollywood actor. Like a real life Simpsons character.

 

There’s literally a bit where he says “And doing this scene, this was the day I became an actor” so painful. 
 

I keep wanting to watch Alana Pearce’s podcast as well but I just can’t with him on it. He is a talented video game actor but also dreadfully embarrassing. 

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Yeah I had the same take on him, I think the behind the scenes insights is interesting but you kinda have to push past the part where it's a major thespian circlejerk.

 

These are cool games but they aren't Schindler's List or whatever that guy said. 

 

Nolan North seems a cool dude at least, he looks like Bruce Campbell

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Nolan North seems like a cool dude. He takes it all in stride and has fun with it. He gets the balance right of talking about his Uncharted work with pride but jokes about it and isn’t too precious over it.

 

Troy. Yeesh. 
 

I’m glad Troy is proud of the work he did and he should be. Both games are awesome, especially the first one from a story perspective. But, man, c’mon.  

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Troy is a legend in my view. Saw nothing embarrassing throughout my watch of that play through. 
 

This was his first major role in a game and the first that pushed him into emotions he didn’t think he’d probably have to go to for a game. 
 

I can get why you guys don’t like people being hyperbolic but yeah, he just meant he had to pull everything out of his repertoire to be able to make the scenes as great and believable as they are. 

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He's done a bunch of stuff before TLOU, loads of JRPG but I suppose it's not pushing the acting chops like a ND game. But I just don't get a great sense of humility from the guy. Pretty much every other VA in those videos come across better imo. 

 

Could be wrong but it's the read I got. There's a way to talk about the passion you have for your art without just talking about yourself too much is what I would say. I think he gasses himself up a bit too much. Like a video game Tom Cruise or something, but this is literally the first thing I've seen him speak on.

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1 hour ago, one-armed dwarf said:

 

There's a way to talk about the passion you have for your art without just talking about yourself too much is what I would say. I think he gasses himself up a bit too much. Like a video game Tom Cruise or something, but this is literally the first thing I've seen him speak on.


The huge amount of Retro Relay is (was) Troy and Nolan wheeling off anecdotes about one working on TLOU and the other on Uncharted with some crossover in places (TLOU1 and U4) where they can both talk about stuff. So yeah, they’re talking about themselves doing cool shit, there’s lots of name drops and stuff, so yeah you can class that as tooting your own horn if you want but they’ve both always come across as humble and never arrogant about their craft, to me anyway.

 

For me it just comes across as a ‘behind the scenes’ kind of thing, I loved the TLOU LP and both Uncharted LPs because of those reasons. I just love hearing those anecdotes man. 
 

Troy’s left RR now anyway so you can watch without him ?

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Actors are mostly weird, some are further along the 'luvvie' spectrum than others but when you get into behind the scenes stuff you have to put up your tolerance of it.  Troy still isn't by far the worst offender from what I've seen. 

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Got to the part where you meet Ellie for the first time. There's a slightly different feel to everything, a stiffness really, that they ironed out massively for the sequel. But this game is still a looker.

 

What does feel a bit antique is the general AI. Just basic patrol paths here, and enemies generously presenting their backs to you for a good shiving. Still, you can't complain, and I've always been one of those gamers who appreciates a bit of stupidity in the enemy. That stuff is getting less and less prevalent as the generations roll on. Bugger.

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The more I play this, the more I'm thinking 'who the hell is that girl they're calling Ellie in the sequel?'?

 

The earlier game is really just a bunch of linked set pieces, isn't it. I'm not putting it down for that. It's a masterclass of that type of game. While I'm playing it I'm smiling to myself and thinking, 'oh here's that bit with the so and so....etc'

I didn't feel I was being shuffled into those funnels of scripted action with the sequel. It was much more free form for me. 

 

Anyway, I'm making good pace.

Spoiler

Got past the hunters and their Humvee and now I'm with the two brothers. If I remember rightly this doesn't end well for them

 

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Hit winter. 

Spoiler

Joel is fooked, and Ellie has started on her road to full blown psychopathy. As a mere 14 year old she prefers to stealth kill by plunging her dagger into the eyes of an assailant from the front, not the forward windpipe thrust she favours in her later years.

 

Huh. Kids!

 

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