The Last of Us (possible spoilers)

[Pagrek]

so I just finished the Last of Us and I was so impressed by the game I don't even have the words to describe it. I think the Last of Us is almost an experience rather than a game, it completely absorbed me into its world and didn't let me go until I reached the end.

I loved the story which is brought to life by the amazing acting of Joel and Ellie, the encounters ramped up my adrenaline levels to crazy heights, the quiet parts where nothing is out to get you created a great level of tension as I always wondered what lay around the next corner.

The feeling of my first encounter with a room full of clickers is still with me. I can't remember the last time I felt so tense as when I was skulking around that darkened room relying on Joel's sense of hearing to navigate the hunting infested. Then my first encounter with human enemies, requiring a completely different approach to the combat.

I have fallen in love with this game.

Now does anyone else want to talk about it? Maybe share some of their favorite bits?

 

[Jacco]

I haven't finished it yet. I'm about 60% through. But I am actually slightly disappointed. Somewhere along the way I got the idea that it was going to be an open world Journey type of game. That idea was so cool to me that I'm sad to see it wasn't the case. Overall the game is good. Atmosphere and AI is good. Combat is solid, if not great. I am not a fan of the weapon selection or swimming mechanics and the crafting system feels incomplete and tacked on. I think my biggest problem with it, though, is the weapon degradation. I hate it in all games it is in and this one is the worst I've seen. A single enemy or two can destroy your melee weapon and then you don't have it when you need it. Also, the single use knives are annoying as fuck. It gets better once you get them upgraded, but even so.

Now don't get me wrong, this is certainly not a bad game. I'm just bitching to *****. It's a solid, reasonably fun and well voiced game. I'd give it an 8.5 or 9 out of 10 if I were rating it.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I think my biggest problem with it, though, is the weapon degradation. I hate it in all games it is in and this one is the worst I've seen. A single enemy or two can destroy your melee weapon and then you don't have it when you need it. Also, the single use knives are annoying as fuck. It gets better once you get them upgraded, but even so.

I think Naughty Dog did good making the melee weapons break as quickly as they do. It prepares you so that whenever you chose to bash an enemy's skull in you know you're likely going to lose it right after. This gets rid of the uncertainty that degradable weapons bring. Plus, there's always a new one lying around somewhere.
And if I can give you some advice... Don't use your shives on enemies. You can use them to open doors you can't otherwise, doors that hold a lot of supplies and savage.

OT: I fucking love this game! It started out just okay with a great presentation, but near the end and especially the end itself, it just pushes it to a whole new level.

In regards to the end...

Spoiler: Major spoiler

I was sort of half expecting, half hoping that Joel and Ellie wouldn't find anyone at the hospital either, indicating that the Fireflies were simply all gone and killed off. But that in a state of denial he and/or she would just push on regardless in the hope of finding them. Knowing full well that they won't, but it being the only thing they can hold onto to keep on living.

But the actual ending was brilliant. It really shows how Joel might be just as crazy as all those bandits he's killed. He just selfishly throws away the hope of mankind overcoming the spore plague just so he doesn't lose his one reason for living. And who knows how long they'll be safe at his brother's facility. All throughout the game you come across human settlements that were deemed just as save, but were ultimately overrun by infected or bandits.

It's really bitter, but oh so good!

I actually found the infected and the Clickers not too impressive as enemies. They were just zombie stand-in monsters, and didn't have much of any personality to them. But then this is not a zombie game. The whole Cordyceps spore thing is simply used as a device to bring about the end of current human society. After that it's all about the futility of trying to survive in a dead world. And the game displays that beautifully!

My favourite moments in the game were probably just walking around the many abandoned houses and appartments. Despite being in ruins now you could feel that people once lived there, being very personally decorated and furnished.

Also giraffes...

 

[OldDirtyCrusty]

Love it so far and managed to not read the spoiler above (just looking at the keyboard right now). I haven`t seen not much new in terms of story or gameplay but the way Naughty Dog delivers is outstanding. It`s gotten kind of funny that i can`t think of one child actor in cinema or tv i can stand but now with Ellie and Clementine there are two youngsters with personality, that make you care as a player in videogames (guess that`s maybe just me, don`t watch alot of shows with kids).
Best game of 2013 from what i`ve played (still have to finish it).

 

[Andy Farren]

Clicker instakill; nearly made me throw my controller out of the window.

Other than that, I'm having a whale of a time! Haven't finished it yet, and I'm currently running around in the dark with a Boo- er, sorry, 'Bloater' chasing me. Terrifying stuff. The shitty controls add to the tension as well!

I bought this and 'State of Decay' this week, and I'm very tempted to nail floorboards to the windows now.

 

[Andy Farren]

Have you played 'State of Decay' by the way? It's not nearly as polished, but it's similar in style.

TLoU remands me of HL2, especially Episode 1. That, obviously, is a compliment.

 

[Ulquiorra4sama]

Clicker instakill; nearly made me throw my controller out of the window

Was pretty much the only thing that killed me throughout the entire game... and i was playing on Hard >_<

OT: I fucking love The Last of Us! It really is an amazing experience with lots of ups and downs. Some tense, some sad, and some very beautiful moments throughout made it a great journey pretty much from start to finish.

And should we mention that for once the female characters are actually portrayed like strong and independant survivors who were dependable and amazing? To be honest i love all the characters in the game... of the main cast anyway.

Spoiler: Winter spoiler

Except that cannibal village seemed pretty weird even for a settlement of murdering weirdos. You'd think more sane people would also start eating people when food supplies are running low, not just raving lunatics]

I kinda like how they seemed to put a lot of work into the art design and also found ways in the game to let you, not force you, to stop and take a look at it through optional conversations. "...you can't deny that view"

 

[Genocidicles]

Spoilers about Dave:

Spoiler

I just find it incredibly funny that the guy who voiced Drake is doing the voice for a crazy cannibal in this.

 

[IllumInaTIma]

Finished it just today. LOVED IT!
And that ending, damn! I honestly wasn't expecting that. I was sure, that it was going to be usual, noble sacrifice, with Joel staying behind to fend off infected while Eliie would try and reach hospital. But no! That ending really shows just what kind of person Joel is. He is brutal, violent, but caring. He was ready to do anything to bring Ellie to Fireflies, he was willing to give up anything to save mankind, except giving up Ellie. I love it. Such an amazing characterization. And Ellie! Oh my God she is just an amazing character! She's now there at top three my favorite characters, with Arya and Chie. Her dialogs are just pure gold!
-Yeah, why don't you take all my food while you're at it, Joel
-Well, by your looks you can give up some of that food
-Listen you little shit!
-No! Fuck you! You handcuffed me to a wall!

 

[idarkphoenixi]

I thought the ending was pretty good, it avoided falling into the usual predictabilities but I was left so unsatisfied.

I don't need every little detail to be wrapped up in a nice big bow but a little closure on their relationship would be nice. Sure, we saw just how far Joel would go to keep her safe but we didn't get to see it from her side. She asked him if what he told her in the car was a lie, he said no and she just said "okay", but we have no idea if she believed him or not.

I get that was probably the intention but it just left me completely void, despite the amazing story up to that point.

 

[Andy Farren]

I guess what I like about it is that, despite being AAA, it isn't a pile of shit.

My last 5 game purchases have been...

- TLoU
- Kentucky Route Zero
- State of Decay
- The Binding of Isaac
- Metro: Last Light

I also bought Monster Hunter Tri, but forgot I had it (oops). I am growing increasingly weary of big-name titles, as I tend to play them for an hour or so, then get annoyed and turn them off. The new 'Metro' was OK for a few hours, but only because it reminded me of STALKER. But TLoU has really gripped me. It's not perfect, but goddamn, it tries. It has a wonderful intro, engaging plot and (for once) cutscenes I don't mind watching. I will probably finish this game, which is something I do not do very often.

 

[Juan Regular]

I get that was probably the intention but it just left me completely void, despite the amazing story up to that point.

My feelings exactly. Up until I finished the game, I was convinced this would be a perfect stand-alone story, but now I really want them to do a sequel, just to see this conflict resolved. The story doesn't seem complete to me like this. It's a great plot point but a very depressing ending. There's this huge elephant in the room now between them that has to get out at some point and when they leave things up to the audiences imagination like this my brain automatically imagines the worst possible outcome.
It's a relatively minor gripe though in what might be my favorite game this generation.

 

[EHKOS]

I got to the part where

Spoiler

Ellie reveals she's infected

and right after that cutscene where you're running from the government. That was release day, I haven't played it since. It's insanely high quality, but I find it boring so far. Right now I'm having more fun with the Naughty Dog stickers that came with it, I hope it gets better.

 

[I Max95]

so I just finished the Last of Us and I was so impressed by the game I don't even have the words to describe it. I think the Last of Us is almost an experience rather than a game, it completely absorbed me into its world and didn't let me go until I reached the end.

I loved the story which is brought to life by the amazing acting of Joel and Ellie, the encounters ramped up my adrenaline levels to crazy heights, the quiet parts where nothing is out to get you created a great level of tension as I always wondered what lay around the next corner.

The feeling of my first encounter with a room full of clickers is still with me. I can't remember the last time I felt so tense as when I was skulking around that darkened room relying on Joel's sense of hearing to navigate the hunting infested. Then my first encounter with human enemies, requiring a completely different approach to the combat.

I have fallen in love with this game.

Now does anyone else want to talk about it? Maybe share some of their favorite bits?

Lakeside Resort is by far the best chapter, in my opinion, the shifting of character point of view is done perfectly, and it really serves as a huge bit of character development for Ellie, as well as being the darkest and most grim of all the sections of the game.

and that stealth section with David in the restaurant...i haven't been that tense in a game in a long time

and about the ending, i'd expect more people to be talking about it

Spoiler

because in the end, humanity isn't saved, only Ellie is, personally i liked the ending, not because it was the moral high ground, there was no moral high ground in that situation, i liked it because it was absolutly in Joel's character, and since we've been following him around the whole game, we've learned to agree with him, anything else would have felt wrong

 

[ZerosBoss]

Ok, I admit, I have to be an idiot! But, I'm coming here for help bc I'm getting frustrated as all get out!! I'm just getting into the downtown district, I'm almost out of bullets and I have 3 shivs. If the shiv can be and needs to be used for kills then how on earth do you equip it?? I keep ending up w either the health kit, a bottle or my gun, but it show I have 3 shivs. Can I not walk around with a shiv ready to use it at any moment? Or how do you equip it for stealth kills? I grabbed a soldier oh so "stealthily" and yet I couldn't silently kill him, ended up just shooting him in the head and well of course that opened up the freakin hornets nest on me!!
HELP

 

[Juan Regular]

If the shiv can be and needs to be used for kills then how on earth do you equip it??

You can't equip and fight with it. You grab a guy from behind and press either square to strangle or triangle to use the shiv (there should be a prompt). It's not that quiet though; just faster.

 

[IllumInaTIma]

Ok, I admit, I have to be an idiot! But, I'm coming here for help bc I'm getting frustrated as all get out!! I'm just getting into the downtown district, I'm almost out of bullets and I have 3 shivs. If the shiv can be and needs to be used for kills then how on earth do you equip it?? I keep ending up w either the health kit, a bottle or my gun, but it show I have 3 shivs. Can I not walk around with a shiv ready to use it at any moment? Or how do you equip it for stealth kills? I grabbed a soldier oh so "stealthily" and yet I couldn't silently kill him, ended up just shooting him in the head and well of course that opened up the freakin hornets nest on me!!
HELP

If you have shiv, once you grab someone you'll have a "Shiv" option bound to triangle key. It will break your shiv, but will make silent kill much more faster.

 

[Mr.Pandah]

Not impressed yet. Haven't really played it all that much so far, but it really hasn't done anything for me yet. The only thing I can say I'm happy to see is one shot one kill deaths from zombies finally. My character can't be bitten and then just use a medkit?! BRILLIANT!

 

[mysecondlife]

I just realized I finished this game in time for Father's day. Sony really timed the release perfectly.

Ok, I admit, I have to be an idiot! But, I'm coming here for help bc I'm getting frustrated as all get out!! I'm just getting into the downtown district, I'm almost out of bullets and I have 3 shivs. If the shiv can be and needs to be used for kills then how on earth do you equip it?? I keep ending up w either the health kit, a bottle or my gun, but it show I have 3 shivs. Can I not walk around with a shiv ready to use it at any moment? Or how do you equip it for stealth kills? I grabbed a soldier oh so "stealthily" and yet I couldn't silently kill him, ended up just shooting him in the head and well of course that opened up the freakin hornets nest on me!!
HELP

First of all, welcome to this forum.

You can use the shiv to kill them (more) silently after you grab them by pressing triangle. But know that using a shiv will cause it to break early in the game. You use it, you lose it basically.

 

[ZerosBoss]

Sweet, thanks so much for the quick replies and great info! Now time to get back to it and w less frustration cha Ching!