tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post8232382375151374691..comments2024-02-26T00:27:47.712-08:00Comments on Cross-Up: The Last of Us: A Very Special Post Voltechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01038586008627390463noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-73734473577939545472013-07-10T18:51:57.228-07:002013-07-10T18:51:57.228-07:00"But when I saw clips of this game, I groaned..."But when I saw clips of this game, I groaned when I saw yet another brown-haired buzz-cut, caucasian male with a gun."<br /><br />But he has a beard! A beard! That makes ALL the difference!<br /><br />Appreciation of virtual facial hair aside, you've clearly done your research; I DID say that Elizabeth could have been the player character for Bioshock Infinite. But even so, there's a key difference between Infinite's Elizabeth and TLOU's Ellie (and it is just marvelous that their names are so similar) is some strategic word choice.<br /><br />Elizabeth COULD have been the player character. Ellie SHOULD have been the player character.<br /><br />Ignoring the fact that both ladies show more emotion in ten minutes than their male partners over the span of several hours, there are some defensible reasons why Booker is the leading man. He's not the best character, but he's the lead for a number of storyline reasons. The same can't really be said for Joel; he's not terrible, but it feels like there are some important elements missing that could make him a lot better. As-is, he isn't all that interesting, even in -- or especially in -- comparison to Booker. He's just kind of...there. And that's what seriously pisses me off the most.<br /><br />As for the "oddly life-affirming" bit...well...yeah, I can kind of see it, but not in the way I would've expected. I would've figured TLOU would be life-affirming in the context of its universe, but the more I play it the more I realize that it's more life-affirming in the context of our universe. Appreciate what you have, because it'll all be gone someday! Hold fast to friends and family! Things like that. In-universe, TLOU -- like so many gritty stories before it -- makes all but about 5% of its characters irredeemable assholes, up to and including the player characters. But that's a topic for another post.<br /><br /><br /><br />My complaints aside, I'm not quite ready to call TLOU a bad game. It's not to my preferences and standards, but I can understand why people might like it. I disagree with them on several points -- strongly -- but I can sympathize. I'm not saying "avoid this game"; I'd say you should just approach with caution, and (as you've wisely done) don't get swept up in the hype.<br /><br /><br />Try the demo, watch bits of it on YouTube, or go see the Two Best Friends Play videos they've been uploading. If it seems like something up to your speed, give it a go. If not, stick with Telltale's Walking Dead and be done with it. As for me, I'll be finishing the game soon. Apparently I'm almost at the end...Voltech44noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-1901180294947065372013-07-10T18:09:58.986-07:002013-07-10T18:09:58.986-07:00...To think the game that was praised at the best ......To think the game that was praised at the best thing of E3 2012 would end up being this bad. Actually, no. That's what happens when things are overhyped. Oh well.<br /><br />I browsed through both this post and the last, and I think this game seems a bit pretentious. And the 10/10 ratings across the board adds more than needed. One reviewer I find decent - if not very nitpick - opted for an analysis of the themes rather than talk about the bare basics of how the game plays. But when he wasn't overanalyzing the "zombie VS wasteland" stories, he simply said this game is "fantastic" and "oddly life affirming." ... ... On the one hand I can understand exploring themes and ideas in a game, but that's not what a REVIEW is.<br /><br />Maybe I'll delete the DMC demo I got and try out this one to see for myself.<br /><br />The only thing that kept me away from this game is that it's another part of the zombie Kool-Aid our culture is drunk on. This zombie-survival genre reminds me of one too many crappy run-of-the-mill horror flicks made by drunk college drop-outs. However, I can somewhat forgive Telltale's 'The Walking Dead', as each chapter is an entertaining use of 2 hours.<br /><br />One last thing: "Why the hell isn't Ellie the protagonist of this game?"<br /><br />A while back, I think you made a similar complaint with 'Bioshock Infinite'. Elizabeth is a very, very well-received character in the game (one of the best). Yet she's an escort you have to protect. She's even on the BACK of the game box so the world can see the protagonist who you play in the first perspective. Classy.<br /><br />Crazy theory and feel free to call me mad: Marketers don't believe a female protagonist in a game can make sales... unless she's extremely hot or she's naked. Why? Because there are people who still think gamers are 30 year-old men - with no sex lives to speak of - living in their parents' basement who have no real motivations or goals in life. I dunno.<br /><br />But when I saw clips of this game, I groaned when I saw yet another brown-haired buzz-cut, caucasian male with a gun. This trend is getting really, really, really, really OLD.<br /><br />Anywho.<br /><br />I opened a few cans of worms that probably should have been left shut. Still, this is my few cents.<br /><br />Good luck with this game.<br /><br />At least 'Revengence' is still fun to play in between your sessions of 'The Last of Us'. :)Melanie Lightnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-78523568667797726682013-07-06T19:51:49.189-07:002013-07-06T19:51:49.189-07:00The Impresario, huh? I know OC Remix released tha...The Impresario, huh? I know OC Remix released that new album -- and downloaded a few -- but not knowing the songs from the game it's hard to know which ones to grab without a second thought. Well, let's crack her open and see what we got...<br /><br />*listens to first thirteen seconds*<br /><br />Bless you, sir. Truly you are the messenger of the gods.<br /><br />Ahem. Back to TLoU. Admittedly, I seem to be a little too eager to have punch-ups with baddies instead of doing the sensible thing and shooting them -- ESPECIALLY if it's a terrible idea. To some extent I have to applaud the game for not always making a quick game of Punch-Out a smart idea; on the other hand, the fact that I can succeed as often as I do by hammering Square makes me raise an eyebrow. And then my other eyebrow as I ram a forearm into some dude's neck.<br /><br />That aside, I agree with you. I'd argue that Ellie could (and should have been) the protagonist, but Tess would make a pretty good option, too. She's not a bad character, that much is obvious -- and it's interesting to note that she took on the role of nurturer shortly after Ellie gets put in her charge -- but I just feel like they could have done more with her. It's just a shame that she had targets painted all over her body...but alas. Such is life.<br /><br />Well, I'll just have to see how and where the game goes from here. I've got my issues so far, but I want to believe -- or at least hope -- that everything from my current checkpoint to the ending makes me regret ever speaking ill of the game. I really do. Good luck on your end, as well.<br /><br />RE: Yahtzee, though...I have to be honest. I'm seriously hoping that "fuck you, got mine" is added to his repertoire of phrases.Voltech44noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-76163708439897582672013-07-06T13:07:41.691-07:002013-07-06T13:07:41.691-07:00I red-boxxed Last of Us and I agree wholeheartedly...I red-boxxed Last of Us and I agree wholeheartedly on most points. Save the ammo thing. I'm just past the city that has the aforementioned touching lets teach Ellie how to snipe scene and my ammo is constantly running dry on one gun or another. Oh and--<br /><br />OMG RANDOM Google Final Fantasy VI 'The Impresario' OC REMIX!!1111 ...<br /><br /><br /><br />--Sorry. Anyway. Last of us. I know how they could have made this game into a great turn of the typical game fare. Joel -- Replace with a Single Bad Ass mom. Replace the little girl you mentioned in the start of the game with her SON. Twenty years later, have Joel take Tess' spot. Hell the Protagonist could be Tess. (I'm kind of giving the game bonus points for the MC being an old dude.) <br /><br /><br />Also. Black People. Not really in a bad way persay. Unlike Uncharted which was a glorified 'Kill Whitey' convention (Yahtzee's words not mine) there is a wide variety of creeds trying to kill Joel including Caucasians but every time EVERY time, when Joel gets jacked up in a cut scene it's a black dude.<br /><br /><br />On an aside. I like how the badguys give this air of being tougher than you. The death sequences are very well put together and when I died on bad guy 1055 mercenary he killed me with a special melee move I had done on countless others... Nice touch Naughty Dog. Couple that with the clip to back when you die to cut short the lamenting over Joel's corpse with the typical 'You Died' in red text for thirty seconds. <br /><br /><br />-End Rant. Good review man. I'm interested to see how our opinions line up on the back half.Eric R. Jacksonhttp://dimanagul.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com