The whole issue of throwing an object to distract an enemy needs to be dealt with more intelligently in general. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory probably did this the best. The first time you throw a rock or can, it might distract the guard and get them to go check out the noise. The second time, however, it will piss them off and make them suspicious. They'll know someone is making noise to mess with them. If you keep throwing items, not only will they not go check for the source, they'll probably raise the alert level, turn on their flashlights, and hunt as a pack (3-4 guards together) to come smoke you out. This applies to basically any noise you make in Chaos Theory. The more times a guard hears you making noise, the more likely you are to get boned by the quite intelligent AI.
+TheSamuraiGoomba Except Chaos Theory loses this because it fails to encourage anything but the 'sneakily run and gun' playstyle as I like to call it. All it ends up being is sneaking as fast as possible into a room, instantly one shot all the guns with your silenced weapons, then shoot out the light so the room is pitch black so no one can see the bodies. I somewhat beat the entire game like this. Even rooms with multiple enemies apply. If a room has several people, it's either A. Very large and the enemies will always have a patrol route that breaks off their vision of each other, even for a second, allowing easy one shots or B. Its a confined room I can easily spray the whole thing of before they can react. It helps I enjoy this type of gameplay, especially since Chaos Theory is one of the few games with the balls to make night time or caves actually realistically dark. (despite many of those games having night vision goggles, I'm looking at you MGS V) But its still poor game design. It fails to encourage 90% of its mechanics, and the player will never see the good AI. You can argue multiple play styles, but the game nearly always feels at odds with this. It never felt like the game was designed around anything but the Sneakily run and gun playstyle, as everything else often requires insane amounts of work or knowing the level layout before hand.
Rainbow Dashtruction I don't know what you're talking about. Silenced weapons in Chaos Theory make noise. If you go around shooting, you will alert all the guys in a room (unless you kill all of them right away). Also, many of the rooms you enter are full of light sources and guards are nearby. If you shoot out the lights, the noise and sudden loss of the lights will be enough to alert the guards. Also, it only takes a couple of bullets to kill you, meaning the stakes are high whenever you try to engage in a firefight. In addition, a pitch black room does not ensure nobody will find a body. Guards will find bodies with their flashlights or just from walking into them. In Conviction, you could do exactly what you said, but I found myself doing a lot of sneaking, interrogating and choking out of guards in Chaos Theory because the AI is much better. But Conviction really does encourage that violent approach, which is a failing of the game. I have no doubt you can employ the strategy you described with success, but that just means Chaos Theory allows multiple strategies. I prefer the slower, quieter way that doesn't involve killing. I think it's more fun. I think the mechanics in Chaos Theory push the player away from firefights, even if they're still technically possible with some work.
***** Except they still dull the guards reactions by a hefty amount. To act like using a silenced weapon is the same as an unsilenced weapon is a bit daft. You can still shoot a guy that's 5m from his friend and he won't hear him. Its only audible when their right next to each other, and lets be honest, the intent was likely the body falling that was audible, not the gunshot. The issue is, it takes incredibly long to achieve those type of playthroughs, and the game never really encourages it. Oh, and shooting the lights out completely screws the guard force AI. If the lights are gone they tend to avoid scouring the place, so simply sliding the bodies to the side prevents them from being spotted.
+Rainbow Dashtruction If the background noise is low enough, your silenced pistol will be heard by all, especially if you miss.Hell, even if you hit, if he had a buddy next to him he will immediately start shooting in the direction the bullet came from, or run away for cover. As for the lights, they just pull out their flares/flashlights/NVGs. I played CT too much to not comment ;^)
***** I've never seen the AI react faster then I can shoot them, and I got the worst accuracy and speed you've ever seen. In terms of the lights: Tradition. "Many have heard of the obliterated bases, silently wiped out and damaged as to make them pitch black, and in fact, its a trend so common everyone prepares for it. BUT NO ONE TRULY PREPARES FOR IT"
The only real nitpick I have with this video is the criticism of the jump between Winter and Spring. Joel and Ellie definitely were not acting as if "nothing had happened". You can easily tell that Ellie has been affected by this event; she's more muted, mainly after seeing the picture of the deer right at the beginning, which probably made her remember the events of Winter, a time where she truly lost her innocence. It makes the giraffe scene better, as Ellie finds a small bit of hope and happiness again, if only for a short while.
@Pferd Schild She was alone for the whole winter part and had to take care of herself and a sick Joel, and just when she thought she had a helping hand with David, turns out he's a cannibal and a pedophile. Then she has to kill a large number of people, which is different than before since she's all alone now, and then she brutally murdered David up close, that would really mess someone up. It's not just the almost being eaten part that's traumatic, it's the whole winter section.
There's also the fact that Joel deals with things just keep moving (I get it it's the only way to survive). Like when Tess died he ordered Ellie to don't talk about her ever. When Ellie mentions she forgot the robot toy after Henry and Sam's deaths, Joel shuts her. Maybe she doesn't have the chance to grieve properly because she has to survive before anything
@@1995robin That was my observation as well. The game didn’t have any inconsistencies when it came to how characters act. After Sarah died Joel probably had to move on quickly as everything happened so fast giving him this keep moving mentality.
"I see no reason why I should be punished for my lack of dedication to a multiplayer mode so a person with more free time can feel better about themselves" DAMN MATTHEW. TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL!!!
I know this is an old review but after winter they just didnt continue like nothing happened. Ellie is a lot more quiet while Joel is now the one who tries to lighten the mood
RatNational ya I don't know how he could have possibly missed this because it was so incredibly obvious to me. Ellie acts so differently. Makes me wonder what else he just didn't catch.
It starts of with her looking intently at a mural of a deer. Seemed to be a pretty clear connection that what had happened through winter was still weighing heavily on her mind and her change in behavior to a very withdrawn demeanor around joel only further reinforced this imo.
+Zombi Hunter There's nothing within the exposition for it, or the writers, to feel clever. They're just poignant moments the writers trust the audience to piece together on their own. To contrast that would be to beat you over the head with _Ellie is sad now_ or _Joel is conflicted now_ which would just be patronizing. Sometimes ambiguity is louder than stating the obvious.
On my first playthrough that invisible sniper really pissed me off. I even said to my brother who was watching me play that part, "Who even okay-ed this?"
+dileloco 15 You do realise that the sniper moment had NOTHING to do with difficulty, right? Just because you played survivor mode doesn't mean it will fix an issue with no sniper manning the sniper rifle - you're forced to sneak up on him even if you could easiy outshoot him.
+nuttex Mechanically, its obvious why you had to have the melee quick time: It explains how Joel is next to a sniper rifle now, and prevents the player from preventing all the zombies from reaching the black kid, which gets him bitten, which finishes the seasons story arc, all while being organic. They should have found a way to prevent the player from shooting the guy instead however, and made it move around with a model.
I actually think the chapter transition work really well cause the game glosses over what would have been pretty bad scenes. Having Joel after the winter sequence ask Ellie how she feels about nearly getting raped by a cannibal would have been a pretty bad scene. We know how Ellie feels, the next scene shows her being distant, it's had a big effect on her. Scenes in which characters 'exposition' with each other about something that just happened are shit.
Eh, Joel doesn't have to make that question, you know. Since he's a grown man dealing with a girl with whom he's already forming a bond, he isn't dumb enough to ask that, instead the writer could come up with something more subtle instead of calling it a day and making a transition. Pretty basic stuff I'm explaining here
@@AydarBMSTU I know I'm a bit late to this but I have to say matthew missed the point in a lot of those observations he made about the transitions. the game isn't "glossing over" anything, it's just showing what is necessary for us to understand the story. There's a reason we also don't see michael corleone grieving the death of his wife appolonia in the godfather either, instead we get a jump in time as well and a character behaving differently then before, it's all we need, and it's all we get, no filler (I hate to be this guy who keeps bringing up classics when talking about games but it's just because it's a such a well known movie and most people will understand my point more easily this way). matthew also literally missed the point of what was being shown to him in those sequences on a more straight forward level, as he mentioned by the time autumn roles around the relationship seems to have improved a great deal, but actually the opposite is true, joel was a lot more distant afterhenry and sam's death then before. similarly when joel falls off the horse from blood loss it's the perfect point in the story to cut to winter, as showing ellie dragging him with something behind the horse would take away from the edge of that climatic scene, and it's something easy enough for us to guess and fill in the blanks after we learn he is alive. and finally from winter to spring, like the first commenter said, ellie is a lot more distant and we literally just saw joel conforting her and helping her get out of the restaurant, we don't need anything else and I don't get how these moments felt jaring to anyone playing, they felt perfect to me
@@AydarBMSTU Sometimes less is more, like how we don't know what he says to her as the audio fades out at the end of the scene. It doesn't take a genius to know that this was the moment that they both realized they weren't gonna let eachother down and that they care for one another. I don't want to watch a ten minute cinematic in the middle of the game. Maybe they could've made another dlc to give fans the filler stuff.
I didn't have that bug but the way the sound dropped off when someone was in another room was sometimes a bit harsh. As for a score out of a hundred I have to decline to offer one. Putting in a score steals too much focus from the analysis itself, eventually I'd be seeing people saying "Matthew thinks TLoU is X/100" instead of discussing the game. I don't intent to hand out scores for anything I review, I hope you understand.
I think this is a thorough and well thought out review. I definetly laughed at times when the AIs ran into the danger with no consequence and the thought of the sonar clicking definetly came to mind, but overall, none of it really bothered me enough to not enjoy it very much. Maybe it's because I didn't play it myself until the remaster came out. Hopefully they will improve on the sequel. Also, they had a strategy in Left Behind where Ellie used objects to throw so the clickers would attack the hunters and left over qz soldiers and I hope they add those tactics to the sequel.
To say that the multiple player keeps the focus from the single player is one of the most misguided take I've ever read. The multiple player just adds to the experience. Not taking anything away. The complaints you have with the single player experience, even though they are legitimate, are very bit picky ones like just looking for flaws, thats what most of the review felt like. Looking for flaws, the review. I understand you overall enjoyed the experience but my god, calm down sir.
you are a lot better of a reviewer than angry joe. You have his sternness, but at the same time you are fair and understanding because it seems you really are knowledgeable about the development process in video games. Probably one of the best reviewers out there. never stop this man. You have a real talent.
Adventure Time Lore Angry Joe just fanboys about little stuff. He never actually touches on the individual design aspects of the game such as level design. Matthewmatosis here, actually critiques games as an art form.
Kevin Zelaya IKR? like for the witcher 3 he gave a 10/10. BULLSHIT! the game gets way to repetitive with the overabundance of fetch quests. Also the characters are sooooo boring.
He really does, I just played The Last of Us and it's quickly becoming one of my favourite games of all time, so I thought to check if Matt had done a review on it. It's also strangely wholesome and comforting to see two of the TH-camrs I've watched for the longest time crossing paths c:
i didn't either; though i do remember getting confused at one point as to why some of the normal infected looked like clickers... and those deaths feeling kinda cheap. pretty glad they didn't use them much.
You can be forgiven. They’re only mentioned literally a few times during the whole game. All in document form. Every other type of enemy had some form of scene or tutorial for them while the Stalkers did not. You’re suddenly thrown in a big area with them and is expected to know what to do despite them being on a whole level above the Runners you usually see. And Matt is wrong about their appearance, you can tell them apart from Runners. They have the fungus on them that glows in the dark but that’s pretty much it.
Ahhhh, clickers ain't shit. Throw a molotov into the middle of an area they're in and the noise will draw them to it. They'll literally stand right in the flame and burn themselves to death.
Anybody even remotely familiar with ghosting stealth games knows just how horribly easy it is to sneak past something with no sight, even in claustrophobic environments. The moment you realize they're functionally audio-only, they're basically just a waiting game at worst, a "how can I make them look retarded" case at worst, and then you find out bricking and kicking the shit out of them from the side is an option along with shivs and, as you said, molotovs. They're just a resource drain at most, they're a great showcase of the fact that the game is a bunch of flare with no actual substance that can fool novices but anybody even remotely affiliated with the familiar gameplay will be thoroughly, thoroughly unimpressed. Speaking of which, go play Thief, it does sound as a radar right.
Yeah, I don't like Last of Us as much as everyone else and it seems to upset people, so I keep my mouth relatively shut. I've played every Thief game, but I'm blanking on which one has that... :/
Jack Frost For proper sound? Thief Gold and Thief 2 has amazing sound design. Thief 3 was a let down in that department (take note that they added third person to compensate), and Thief 4 was a travesty in every way including sound. The Dark Mod, if you're okay with freeware, is actually doing a good job of replicating Thief classic's sound. If you want to see what stealth games can do with sound design, go play Thief Gold, Thief 2 and The Dark Mod, they have sound design so good you don't need a radar.
Exactly. I commented on another video about how silly it is to make a remastered version of a game that hasn't been out that long, and you should have seen how quickly they clambered to tell me I'm a fucking idiot.
I do consider myself a pretty big fan TLOU. I personally loved it, but I'm not buying the remaster... especially when it's barely a year old. Shameless cash cow. But Sony is obviously aware that people are stupid enough to buy it again. It already sold 1 million copies but I'll bet 90% of those sales are the fanboys who still own it on PS3...
KleWdSide Actually, it isn't really a cash cow. Well, to Sony it is, but to Naughty Dog, it was a way to pilot making games for the PS4. Similar to how Wind Waker HD was created to test out cel shading on the Wii U (despite the final product not being cel shaded :/ ), Naughty Dog needed a way to test making games for the PS4 so that Uncharted 4 wouldn't be the first game they've developed for the system. Obviously, they couldn't remaster one of the Uncharted games for the PS3 without doing all 3, which would be very unproductive time-wise on their part, so they were left to make a remastered version of TLOU.
Vidya Discourse Well it is not a cash cow since there are alot of people who owned a xbox 360 that came to PS4, aswell as TLOU releasing towards the end of the PS3 lifecycle, GTA V and TLOU are the most justified remasters in comparison to other last gen games. Also the above needs to realise that remasters are not solely for people who already played the game, nobody expects you to rebuy the games! I have never played the Tomb Raider game for example, so the Definitive edition would be a good alternative for me. Though Square Enix do seem to be publishing some obvious 'cash cow' remasters but more games do not bother me.
Not as dumb as making a character a normal guy who can't survive a billion shots but then undermining that with a condescending sonar vision, like Joel is a member of the Xmen or something. These idiots couldn't even make a decent camera, so if you turn it off or play on the hardest difficulty looking around corners when they're on the left is impossible since the camera is over Joel's right shoulder. I ended up using a brick, by aiming the brick the camera zooms out and I was able to use that to look around corners. Such lazy design. All they had to do was copy the sliding 3rd person camera from Choas Theory, how hard is that?
It could totally make sense. They use echolocation, so they essentially bounce a sound and listen to how it bounces back, determining where everything is in terms of distance. If something was in a certain place on the first click, and then a different place on the second click, odds are it's a living thing. They have ears, which is why they can hear their clicks, which they use to aid their hearing, so not only do they hear with their ears, but they "see" with them too, via clicking. Plenty of blind people in real life do this.
@@lynnstigator3445 yeah the problem is it doesn't work like that in the first game. You can stand in plain frontal view of them while they are clicking and they will never see you
@@Bibzuda7 yeah, the idea would be that they are just seeing a stationary object, so as long as you stand (mostly) still it wouldnt appear as if you are alive.
I really enjoyed you pointing out the nature vs. man aspect of the giraffe scene, as I never thought of it that way. But I think the reason that scene is there is not only for that theme. I viewed it in relation to the mental state of Ellie at that time. She had just been traumatized, and was notably distant and quiet. That scene was a welcome relief between two extreme traumas for her, and was a reminder that she still has her youthful curiosity and enthusiasm. My impression was that the writer was saying, "Remember, she's still a teenager, after all," which made her more sympathetic. In fact, the song playing is titled Vanishing Grace (Childhood). It also built up Joel's decision in the ending that way. The ending also was complete to me, because it merged the two themes of survival vs. morality and the need for belonging/companionship, although it initially didn't feel complete.
This is still the best The Last of Us review on the internet. Most reviews are either "ZOMG BEST GAME 5EVAR 10/10" or "The AI is bad and I'm completely going to overlook the good things of this game 4/10" This reviews avoids both and manages to stay objective, mature and well-informed. In my opinion, the game is an 8.5/10 to me. It's pretty great, but the AI fucks some parts of the game, especially the parts involving stealth.
IReiteThat There's no such thing as an objective review. This is still Matthewmatosis's personal opinion on the game, hence being subjective. His points were simply legitimate and well-argued, as a review should be.
I wish he had talked about the music though. Hell, even the lack of music. The sound in this game overall is just so impressive to me, and I was disappointed that he didn't get around to talking about it. Regardless, I still think it's a great review as well, and Matthew continues to put out fantastic reviews to this day.
Bill Jenkins I know, minimalistic soundtracks by an old Argantinian dude with a guitar can be just as impressive as bombastic one with giant orchestra. TLOU proved that.
The critique of the giraffe scene is questionable to me. It would seem, if only taking this video into consideration, that Matthew doesn't understand that a story directly emphasizing its theme does not always mean its prior, subtler communication of that theme is undermined. I am a fiction writer myself, went to university for it, spend most of my time reading, writing and thinking about narrative, and from my experience this is one of those things that wholly depends on the writer's discretion, and the unique context of the particular narrative surrounding it. The giraffe scene in The Last of Us is like a waterfall, and the prior, more indirect emphasis on the beauty of nature like the hike through the forest before you reach that waterfall. If you listen closely, you can hear the rush of the water before you ever break through the treeline, but even if you enjoy its presence in subtle terms like those, the moment where you do see the waterfall is no less majestic or ripe with awe. The giraffe scene is not the game bludgeoning you over the head with one of its themes, but rather a kind of crystalline punctuation on knowledge the player, whether they realize it or not, already has. There are many breadcrumb-like details that point to this moment, such as the escaped monkeys running loose around the university campus, etc. It's not a scene meant to ensure you "got" the message if you hadn't prior; it's a moment where together the game, its makers, and you share a moment of bliss, - and more importantly, optimism. Because after this scene, even though light and dark are woven in many shades, just as in the rest of the game, no other moment will have this real, unambivalent brightness.
+Ky Know It's still quite unsubtle though. Not that it's a bad thing, but it can turn off some people due to being so blunt. I think that's what happened with Matthew.
+Ky Know The problem with that scene extends from two-fold though. Firstly, and more seriously, the point Matthew is trying to make is that as a game, The Last of Us succeeds for most of the game in invoking that theme through the players own experience with the game. Its told through the gameplay itself, and the player comes to understand the themes the game presents by playing the game and interacting with the world it presents. This is a unique strength that only games can provide and the game had been doing a great job utilizing these strengths up until that point, at which point the game resorts to a explaining the themes straight out in cutscene form. After accomplishing so much with the gameplay alone, the Last of Us throws all that away by taking any interactivity and self discovery that you might have been feeling up until that point and simply playing its themes out in front of the player. You are no longer interacting and learning these things yourself, and instead you are passively observing the game as it spells out the themes in front of you. Its simply disappointing, because it mirrors the trend of games thinking their films rather then playing to the unique strengths games have as a medium. That aside, the way its presented is definitely heavy handed. It reminds me of the re-incorporation at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy when Peter has to take his friends hands to share the power of the stone. This was clearly re-incorporation from the beginning of the movie where he didn't take his mothers hand before she died, and anyone paying attention could've felt rewarded by figuring this out on their own, increasing their appreciation for the movie. However, like the Last of Us, Guardians instead panders to people who haven't been engaged that way by directly showing us a flash of the mother during this moment. In both cases, the authors decided that it was more important that the lowest common denominator understand what they were going for than it was for people who were actually critically thinking about what was happening to feel rewarded for doing so, and that hurts the overall product more from a critical perspective.
+zNapella yea, on the other hand i took it as a little girl being exited by seeing a giraffe for the first time. this happened right before a pivotal part where joel and ellie might have to part ways for good. it firstly reminds him of his daughter and his reaction to the situation also shows that the bond between the two has grown. also note that right after that scene joel says they don't have to go through with it. the giraffe scene, for me at least was more about demonstrating ellies remaining innocence and joels growing acceptance of his bond with ellie. the nature vs. human interpretation is by no means wrong, its just a very flat observation. this is the type of observation you get from a textbook and i personally think the scene was more clever and layered than that.
+zNapella It did seem a little forced, but I thought that the main theme of the game was a little more depressing than Matt's views. Matt, as I recall, stated that he thought the game tried to portray the beauty of nature. I think that The Last of Us tried to show the grim reality of nature: that it doesn't need humans. In fact, nature is better off without humans. Nature does not care what happens to mankind; we are not special. Giraffes, swans, and trees are able to roam and flourish in parts that they wasn't able to. It's also good to note that the whole idea of the zombie outbreak exemplifies my previous statement. How do we feel when we slaughter animals? It's normal for society to not care, just like it is normal for nature to still flourish without us. Bottom line is, I liked the giraffe scene, but everyone is open to their opinions. I am a huge the Last of Us fan, but I agree with most of the points that he makes out. I loved how detailed he reviewed the game, but a lot of the points he makes are very biased to what he believes. Not to say it's a bad thing, he's a reviewer- he SHOULD critique the game on what he believes. Either way Matt has found himself a new subscriber.
They've both gotten overblown acclaim but as far as I'm concerned TLoU is a lot closer to deserving its praise than Infinite. I'm considering doing a comparison video between the two games to go into this a bit more, is that something people would like to see?
Definitely my favourite part. I kinda wish there was some sort of full game where you can control only her with her POV but of course that detracts from the actual story of this one. (And that part is only really as effective as it is with the prior and later parts to bookend it)
I like how with nothing but the slightest change in context, David's once soothing, and almost reassuring tone becomes jarringly uncomfortable. Nolan North was on point here.
Wow, Matthew, I just spent 36 minutes not disagreeing once with anything I was hearing. This is the first actually truthful review of this game I've ever come across. I wholeheartedly agree with anything you say, from the stellar moments to the ridiculous ones, and have the exact same picks as you when giving examples of both. I couldn't help but notice you pointed out the exact same three sections that I found scandalously badly designed : - Ellie sniping - non-existent, auto-aiming sniper - stealth-impossible sewers Also, about the section where you say the game makes each bullet count, and the following minutes about the use of the backpack, I strongly suggest that you play (if haven't already) ZombiU, which preceded TLoU by a few months. If you have, I would be very interested in hearing your opinions about that game, its strengths and weaknesses, very much like you did in this excellent video.
Yeah. I love the game and all, but after dying multiple times trying to kill the sniper, only to find out he was unkillable until a cutscene, I just rage quit.
Worse than that...it made it past QA not once...but twice. I did exactly the same thing. Why wouldn't you? It's the intelligent thing to do. It's also quite disappointing in the context of the sandbox gameplay TLOU tries to give you. Your actual path is linear but you always have a few options with regards to exactly how you go about making your way through an area. The notable exception being the sniper fight. I tried repeatedly to stealth through it and was surprised when I realised that there is no way to avoid drawing the sniper's fire. Even if you expose yourself only slightly the autonomous gun which can shoot at targets without pointing itself at them will instantly know where you are...and contrary to what the prior cutscene sets up Eliie et al do nothing to draw the sniper's fire away from you.
Sonar can't detect stationary objects... well it can but it only works when there is nothing around it. Take Radar for example (Exact same concept). In the open skies it's easy to find jets or planes because they're the only objects in the sky. However, to avoid Radar planes would fly low to the ground and around mountains since the contrasting ground and rocks would make spotting it nearly impossible. For the Clickers Sonar, it wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Joel or a desk. It can still see Joel, but it can't recognize him. It's like putting on some Camo clothes and hiding in the forest, even if you looks directly at someone you may not be able to see them, even if they're in plain sight. Sonar only works in 2 ways.... 1: There is no objects around that would make spotting the target impossible, since you couldn't differentiate the objects from the targets (Keep in mind, Sonar can only detect objects, not shapes, colors, or anything else. On a Radar screen all you see is a small dot, imagine a screen full of dots and trying to find your 1 target). 2: Movement. A desk, tree, or door won't move. Prey will move. The slower you move the more hidden you are, same with visual camouflage. The Clickers game-play and story makes perfects sense if you get a basic understanding of how Sonar works.
What about the Clickers bumping into AI and doing nothing? Also, if they have super hearing, how come they don't hear Joel when he's walking? That creates noise, but that doesn't seem to matter to the clickers.
milkduds1001 Well actually, there is more to echolocalisation than just locating obstacles. Not all matter behaves the same when an acoustic wave reaches it. Most mammals have relatively soft, therefore sound absorbing flesh, which means that, even if you're not moving, a clicker will tell you from the wall your leaning against, much like bats can tell a cow from a boulder, moving or not. (it is also the very principle behind ultrasound medical imagery) On another note, clickers are described as so sensitive to sound that, in actuality, it would be impossible to exist within a certain radius from them without being caught, as their hearing is probably sharp enough to detect Joel's heartbeat.
"We go from Ellie just escaping brutal murder from a cannibal, to Joel and Ellie walking along as though nothing has happened"... You mean the bit where she's spacing out and looking at the picture of the deer, reliving and remember part of the horror of winter just passed, and then mentally checking out a couple of minutes later in the bus depot. Seems as though there was still some effects in play there.
I'm interested that you thought to snipe the sniper. When I played that section, I thought that the barricading on the windows, as well as his preoccupation with the street, were reason enough to immediately go for sneaking up behind him. It's clear this was the intended thought process, and maybe it's a shame that they didn't account for other approaches, but at the same time I personally have trouble seeing how you come to that decision given the context of the scenario.
+The_Echo On the other hand, similarly to Matt here, I spent a good portion of time trying to skill-shot the sniper based on where the bullets were coming from. It's just the type of player I am. I'm more concerned with using my own skills to get something done than doing things as intended, and the intended route isn't always the best or most rewarding.
I thought the exact same thing, but I think, regardless, the simple inclusion of an enemy model (and a moving sniper rifle) would have solved the immersion-breaking experience for so many players, even if the intended path was around the sniper instead of a direct attack. Even simpler, the windows could have been boarded up to the point where only the rifle's barrel was sticking out, or something similar, so no model would have to be included. It makes me wonder how much of this was fixed in the remastered edition.
I have a hard time seeing how you WOULDNT at least think it’s an option. It’s clearly not barricaded and you can get a really good bead on it as shown in the footage. I know you wanna defend it but it just wasn’t thought out
The way Joel grabs his watch as he tells Ellie that you need something to keep you going.. Very sublte and warm moment. I loved the ending of this game.
I kind of disagree about the enemy encounters not evolving. At the last sections there were two bloaters along with some runners and clickers and I can't imagine getting through that without the flamethrower or molotovs. The last section also has a bunch of guys with armor and assault rifles, and I found that even with the new weapons it was too hard to brute force my way through. Also with Ellie not being able to melee enemies without getting damaged having very little guns/ammo by herself. For the most part you're right, though. The game really could've used more enemy variety.
RamRamStyles "At the last sections there were two bloaters along with some runners and clickers and I can't imagine getting through that without the flamethrower or molotovs" I somehow managed to pull that whole infected section in 100% stealth, with no infected aggro \o/
@@MinorCirrus lol i did it with the regular guns then had the realization i picked up a flamethrower earlier and restarted the wholw ecounter just to save my ammo on everything else😂
25:45 I disagree about the difficulty, I like the fact that the game gets easier as it goes on. It turns you from the hunted into the hunter which ties in well with the game's ending.
MrRomnom It's still a huge shift from how you started out though. Before that I always had to stealth it, the final level is the point where you've ultimately become so powerful that you just shoot your way through most of it, especially after you get the assault rifle.
Except when you get to Ellies part and you play on survivor difficulty. Fuck that part. And the final level on survivor difficulty is also quite difficult. At normal difficulty the last part was so easy because you have more than eneugh stuff and you know where the enemies are. At survivor they will do more damage and you will have far less supplies. I never used smokes in The Last of us until the final mission where I (after a lot of tries) managed to kill everybody except two and found eneugh supplies to make a smoke and killed them both.
Same. Linearity is now used as a derogatory word. Early games were pretty linear yet still fun (they had some system of evolution be it progression, upgrading, increased difficulty).
At least theres one reviewer that doesn't gloss over the problems in this game like others (*cough* ign *cough*) but also praises it where it does things well. Very good review.
The solution to NPCs is far more simpler. A command to tell them to stay or follow, just like Resident evil 4, only if you enter combat they can enter combat as well
The developers did that on purpose. They mention it in some interview I can't find but, basically, having someone act like a trained dog would make them feel less human and more of a gamey object. (in my own words)
depends how they do it. telling a little girl to hang back while you scope out the area full of crazy zombies makes sense, while an adult companion would refuse due to them being an adult like you so they feel they can handle themself.
Not in the context of TLOU- Ellie is developed as someone who is capable. She machete'd a man in the head to death, stabbed clickers in the head, etc. You get the idea. She can take care of herself and having a mechanic like that undermines her independence. To put it simply, she is your partner: an extremely different role than Ashley from RE4.
22:40 This part can be done without breaking stealth, it's just very hard. The cut scene at the end doesn't change which makes it a bit awkward since she didn't help.
I put this game higher on my backlog priorities so I could watch this review. The way you're able to analyze and present is like poetry to me, and this video did not disappoint. Good stuff as always dude.
I agree wholeheartedly, but it feels like a very different game. It would make more sense (although not any business sense) to have it sold as dlc, or maybe a standalone half-priced title
Exactly, i must say it does get tedious after a while when you know where all the spawn point are or when people just use shotguns for downs instead of playing tactically
You mentioned not liking the AI but you didn't touch on the blatant dishonesty in the trailers, in the trailers enemies improvised or grabbed weapons on the fly, fled or hid when disadvantaged, ambushed, begged for their lives, they even changed positioning and tactics based on Joel's current weapon. None of that made it to the final game a massive disappointment in that regard. The visuals and story were great, the combat was solid but the glimpse we say at E3 was just SO much more that it left a bad taste in my mouth.
Michael Brent They will stay on the ground for a moment and beg and then they will suddenly get up slowly, stand still for a moment in their idle animation before the running animation activates and they try to punch you in the face, all the while you're still pointing a gun at them. So yeah.. it's sort of there and it also isn't there.
I think one of my only major issues is the way that, on hard mode, some areas really screw you over with their combat gauntlets. I think I died around 20 times in that arena during the first Ellie section because the game didn't give me nearly enough health or ammo to deal with the wave upon wave of enemies.
Also I'm glad you pointed out the part about trying to stealth the section with Ellie and the rifle. I thought I was the only one who did that and was frustrated about it (especially because it was Survivor difficulty, and an enemy actually ended up spawning nearly on top of me and killing me, forcing me to redo it).
Immersion was broken at some parts because of the AI, but people saying it detracts a whole lot from the quality of the game are simply certifiable. The Pros of the game VASTLY outweigh the Cons.
+7makosheva Pros: great graphics great voice acting great production values Cons: every mechanic is ripped straight out every AAA game from the last decade (resident evil 4, splinter cell) clearly a victim of ludonarritave dissonance broken AI shallow shooting mechanics shallow stealth mechanics shallow crafting mechanics shallow scavenging mechanics underdeveloped characters (few exceptions, can't be asked to name) predictable and cliched plot over abundance of cutscenes and forced walking segments tries to be tense and scary in the vain of resident evil 4, but fails on every level poorly integrated quick time events forces player to kill even tho this is meant to be a stealth game
I can definitely see where Matt is coming from on this point, in that the game is so great, that these tiny errors take away from the experience much more than they do in other games. Still, having played so many other titles with similar or worse AI, I definitely found myself rolling with the punches more than rolling my eyes.
I played through, AI did break the immersion for me. RE4 which was less immersive on its own, didn't get its immersion broken, because AI was great at what it did. Zombies acted like zombies and Ashley acted like a scared little girl, totally believable and doesn't ruin gameplay in the slightest. since player has as much control over the girl as needed for the game to be challenging and sometimes even tactical
+MrZekeBlowstein ehh, its not really built around it. if you played on some of the harder difficulties the option to use it isn't even there. and while its game changing; after awhile you forget that it was even an option to begin with since you've adapted to the point to where you don't need it anymore. and I found that it actually makes the game a little harder with the enhanced hearing because when you have it you tend to rely on it much more than needed causing you to lose focus because you want to know where everyone is at at all times. But that's just my opinion. And I think you would appreciate the game more without the feature.
At around 6:04 you talked about the clickers being unable to see you if you're standing still, this is the case when you're behind cover, but if you're close enough to one for long enough it can detect you even if you're standing completely still, it just takes them a little while. And yes, I've tested this numerous times.
After watching your excellent breakdown of Dark Souls 2 and why it's a less than commendable sequel to an amazing game, I checked out your other videos like your take on SotC and Ico and loved every single one of them. After this one I'm pretty sure I would love to hear your thoughts on Nier with it being one of my favorite games of all time. I know it has some serious flaws, but that's exactly why I want you to tackle it.
Wow, awesome in-depth review, really liked it! The thing you said about resource scarcity, about how you felt every bullet counts, I was of the same opinion until in my survival difficulty playthrough ran close to completely out of resources, and Ellie would start magically handing me ammo and medkits in combat. Really a shame cause it takes away so much from the immersion. I'm just glad I only discovered this in my my third playthrough to get collectibles, which wasn't a serious playthrough.
I'm excited to see your next video, your analysis seems to become more refined and enjoyable to listen to each time. Great video mate, keep up the good work.
22:40 - When I did that, I killed the last guy in the exact spot where the game spawns the new enemies. I almost stopped playing the game at that point.
Great work, Matt, as usual. It's nice that I now finally have a video to link to in discussion boards, because it becomes really irritating having to explain away flaws to individual people in threads that are all doomed to be short-lived. As always, keep up the great work, man.
The multiplayer in The Last of Us is one of the most underrated and best multiplayer experiences of the past generation. I love it nearly as much as the single player.
How is underrated? Everyone and their mom plays it and praises it. Things like Anarchy Reigns, Lost Planet 2 and Metal Gear Online are underappreciated.
Because the game doesn't tell you they won't be alerted by it, so we assume they will be and we don't use it. I never knew they're not alerted by it, especially the Runners and Stalkers.
DarkshadowXD63 Gamers have learned to not try anything until the game pops a tip on screen. Or highlights something in a HD outline (Joel's hearing ability)
FoundationsofPause More like gamers have learned from games like Silent Hill that monsters are alerted by light and so it only makes sense for that to carry over to modern games as well.
EBsessor Well with the way the checkpoints in this game work it won't ever hurt to just try it. Not like the game is requiring you to do much other than stay quiet and repeat braindead puzzles. I'm sorry. :)
Playing the game the first time, you don't know how forgiving it is. You expect a survival horror game, so you're extremely careful and you don't want to take any unnecessary risks, thus you don't even run the risk of trying the flashlight near enemies. It's just basic psychology, dude.
Obviously this is way old, and someone may have pointed this out already, but in Pittsburgh, the game DOESN'T force you to get caught. I made it all the way through stealthily - it did make the cutscene afterwards a BIT jarring, but I got the point.
I don't think you understand how location works. ts not that the clickers are incapable of detecting stationary objects, its that they don't recognize stationary objects as prey. If Joel is just standing still, the clicker won't be able to tell the difference between him and a table. It is only when he is moving that they detect there is a living thing there.
This game really, really sits well with me. Watching this review made me remember just how much I enjoyed this game as a whole, despite certain parts of it that may have frustrated me. It truly is an amazing experience.
Note on the clickers - it actually makes more sense than you given it the credit for, although doesn't hit the mark too. Sound coming back from a stationary object will not let you identify the object. So it makes sense that if you are stationary they won't be able to tell you from inanimated object of your size. What doesn't make sense is that you can move in front of them, because this is where the echolocation should let them identify animated object, as cupboards don't tend to move on their own. That said, I haven't played of hardest difficulties, where that may be the case, as the game does really subtle things to differentiate the difficulty levels.
31:00 I enjoy your critical view on the game but thats a point where I yelled bullshit. Ellie is far more socially disconnected and introspective in these scenes than she was before. Joel hasn't changed because he is used to killing but you see that the events of winter took a heavy toll on Ellies psyche.
+Jeff Quartz I think that "Ellie getting used to Joel" would actually be right before the chase scene with the Humvee. I think that the winter chapter showed Ellie the seriousness of the acts she has to perform in order to survive. Throughout most of game (and story wise), she was protected from Joel and the quarantine zone. She was not necessarily free from killing, but she never did it face to face. You can argue that she killed in Pittsburg, when she shot the bandit in the head, but I think that that decision was a win decision; if she saved Joel, he would take on the rest of the violence for her. Contrary to this part of the game, the winter chapter was much different. If she killed David, then what? Joel is severely injured, and I don't think you would expect someone to recover very quickly with a hole through their abdomen. She would have to kill again and again; she was on her own. I think that David's slaughter brought out those emotions and that, in the end, Ellie can't always rely on Joel and that she would also have to make tough decisions herself. But that is the world they live in.
I like this review of The Last of Us. It is good to hear an honest review from someone who has no financial interest with these game companies. Most refreshing.
Yeah. Also the transition from Winter to Spring was the best in my opinion. Spring starts with her staring at a deer, an obvious reference to her experience in Winter. He thought the gaps detracted, but I think they enhance.
Angry Joe tends to generalise and he is more than often really inconsistent and uninformed about the stuff he reviews, he just needs more balance and he really tries to not generalise anymore
***** It is impossible to be objective about a work of art. Everything you can say about a video game is your own personal feelings, unless you're just describing the technical aspects. A good reviewer is good because they are a good writer (or speaker) and back up their opinions well, not because they're "objective".
***** I thought joe had a good review for this game. Matt did do a better job at explaining the good and bad things about the game and joe did talk almost just about positive things and brought up a few flaws but the flaws in this game don't detract much from the overall experience. I just don't see whats painful about a video of someone just talking about a game they obviously loved.
+Kamian65 There's a certain level of objectivity that exists in video game analysis, assuming we're discussing the programming of the game. Functionality of the mechanics, visual performance, the level of detail, animation quality, etc. These kind of things can be looked at from an objective point of view, but even then there isn't all that much that can be stated objectively.
Love the review, and glad to see you enjoyed it for what it was. One nitpick I had for it that wouldn't really hurt it experience-wise is if they didn't show how many bullets or supplies you had in the lower right corner. That would truly feel like a post-apocalyptic experience.
It is one of my favorite games. I played again a feel weeks ago, and i found some of the problems that you listed in the video, others i only saw because of you. Nice video Dude. It is better to see all the faces of your favorite game than just think that he is perfect
How do the cutscenes not disrupt the "flow' of the gameplay when they exist completely separately from the gameplay? They're like two different parts of the games.
If what you say is true about how they might have made the cutscenes first and then later realized the difficulty of making a companion stealth game but still went with it, then this game is a prime example of the importance of making the gameplay work and testing it as just a game before making a stupid machinima out of it. It's much harder to make a great game than a great animated movie or a plot, and it's the most important part if you are actually set out to make a game (not just some interactive "experience"). I'm glad I didn't buy this game. I don't wanna support the tendency that this game solidifies.
The gameplay has its share of flaws but they never ruined it for me. The worst element for me was the awkwardness of melee fighting, especially in multiplayer or when more than one enemy is near you. If I were grading the game, I'd give the story an A and the game mechanics a B.
The first time I played I didn't notice it too many times, but when I started to replay the game, the cutscene first philosophy started to wear me down to the point I didn't want to play it anymore.
I agree with Mandatorial, i don't think that games like The Last of Us do justice to video games as a medium. Instead of creating a game that is compelling and intellectually substantial through its gameplay, they create a series of cut scenes (which aren't even inherently part of the medium) and use gameplay as a supporting role that only serves to immerse the player in a world that, on it own holds little value to the narrative.
6:01 "If a clicker was incapable of seeing stationary objects, then it would be prone to walking into walls and other things; but that never happens." I'm afraid I don't get your argument here. Since it clearly is capable of seeing by means of sound. The clicker maps out its immediate surroundings and reacts to moving objects. Your example would, in this case, only work if, let's say, one of the living room walls made a run for it.
You might have mentioned the music. It is funny how people can see the same thing and view it completely differently. The transition from Winter to Spring: I thought Ellie's character had been affected considerably by the events with David. The giraffes were wonderful too. A flaw that did occur to me after completion was that it seemed I spent more time killing survivors than infected. I think I would have preferred more infected.
Joel's motivation and morality at the end is open to interpretation, yours is as valid as any. But I just want to say that if you have a child you would have more sympathy towards his decisions. That's all.
Arexion5293 Killing a lot doesn't make him a psychopath, the reason of killing does. Does self defense, survival make him a psychopath? I think you are misplacing a moral judgement here.
Arexion5293 Now that you've explained further, I agree. I never said he a good guy or a bad guy. Those words "good", "bad" are too simplistic to describe him and what his environment forces him to do.
Respectfully still disagree, he does things you've been conditioned not to do in a functioning society to further the interests of those he cares about and himself. Nothing about that makes him a psychopath to me. He does exactly what needs to be done and nothing more. At this point though, we'll likely just disagree based on our respective worldviews.
14:00 The "puzzles" are more of a trust building between characters rather than an actual puzzle, but yes, after multiple playthroughs it can become tedious.
I feel like the time jumps after important moments in the story was intentional, it makes the game feel more like a compilation than one long adventure.
Ally AI being invincible and invisible in the context of a post-apocalyptic game is not an issue in State of Decay (which was made on a much smaller budget but had a larger ambition of being an open world zombie apocalypse simulator): Companions crouch when you crouch, and stand up when you do the same. They can be detected by enemies and permanently die. They are actually quite dependable, especially in combat: i.minus.com/i8oYc2puh56vX.gif
every AAA game in 2013 was uncharted... this, bioshock infinite, tomb raider, AC4. All have a little uncharted in them... some more than others. They also all run on this setpiece-generating linear story line.
Surprised you didn't. It's simple and effective, what makes you say they aren't good? I'm interested to see what mechanics you want in a narrative game. Fyi, it isn't an rpg.
Did you even watch the video? All of the mechanics are used to make a better experience and not just to follow trends(like for example Tomb Raider 2013). And the gameplay isn't that generic to begin with. Its a tactical action adventure and not a straight out third person shooter as some ignorant cunts suggest.
he's talking about the use of modern game tropes, with linearity, third person shooting, X-ray vision, very simple stealth systems, etc. it doesn't make the game bad, but if the game relied on less generic and perhaps more complex mechanics (i.e more complex detection and/or stealth), it could arguably be better than it is.
I wonder if it's possible for there to be a review for the Left Behind DLC. I feel that it addresses a few of the issues Matthew had with the game, such as enemy human and infected interactions and the skip in between seasons, as it takes place between Fall and Winter. It's probably not likely, but it'd be nice all the same to see one.
My favorite part when you said Joel should just stop what he is doing and teach Ellie how to swim. Okay, Ellie... we are at this dangerous dam and strapped for time. How about you strip down whilst I teach you how to swim... it should only take 2 minutes... am I right?
GametimeUKyo Didn't Joel and Ellie trek from Pittsburg to Tommy's dam in Colorado. In all that time I bet Joel could have found a pool or a stream to teach Ellie. But expecting a good logical story from the last of us is asking too much.
I understand the criticism of the sniper sequence, even if I didn't have that particular problem with it, having circled around behind the first time I played and not tried anything else subsequently. I say I understand because I end up having the same kind of problem with most of the set pieces in the second and third Uncharted games, where I inevitably deviate from the scripted path, breaking the intended impact of the sequence. I think it isn't about QA so much as how well the player responds to the cues that are supposed to funnel you down a set path. When it works, it's awesome, but when it doesn't, it gets frustrating.
I do feel you unfairly criticise the transitions between seasons when the characters undergo dramatic moments. You say that they pass them off as if they hadn't happened yet that isn't true. Ellie is emotionally distraught after killing David and Joel is seen comforting her in a scene with no sound. We have to focus on simply their faces to convey emotion and it is done beautifully. In the next scene set weeks maybe months after Ellie is silent and removed from life and it is your choice to ask her if she's ok. The story also addresses this and Joel and Ellie's relationship is reinforced even further, Likewise after Joels fall, the sudden cut after he falls from the horse and the transition to Ellie hunting alone is used for dramatic effect. We are supposed to assume that Joel may have died and that we are now all alone. Sarah's death is sudden and Joel's potential death is not something I would have been surprised at had that been the direction the game had gone in. The Last of Us is a story driven game thus the narrative is one of the key points of the game. Various thematic devices are used to convey emotion and build tension and I think to be fair that picking over these moments as being shortfalls as oppose to moments were the game shines brightest. I still thing its a good review and agree with a good deal of the points you make, both good and bad. :D
True dat. I was kinda upset when he critizised those, like, "What?! How could you NOT like that?!" The transitions between seasons were one of the best used tropes in the whole story, in my opinion. Adding the information that is purposefully left on the subtext in the transitions would have been unnecessary and would have eliminated a great part of the emotional tension that the story builts up as it progresses.
Absolutely loving your review so far, but I'm only fifteen minutes in and I feel the need to play devil's advocate over something. Namely: the traversal puzzles. As another analyst much like yourself made clear to me, those puzzles aren't meant to challenge the player, they are actually storytelling mechanics that illustrate the bond between Joel and Ellie at any given time. Joel only interacts with Tess during these segments until he and Ellie reach Bill's town. When their dynamic is damaged, they don't work together. When they're working together flawlessly and getting along, the puzzles reflect that. I'm not arguing the merits or disadvantages of this system, only asking its purpose to be considered.
You are seriously a genius. Thanks for actually talking about games this in-depth, not a lot of people see games this way. I'm wondering whether you've played Kid Icarus: Uprising for the 3DS... In my opinion it's one of the best games of the last 10 years, and it's sad to see it ignored by some people because of bad reviews complaining about the controls (which I had zero problems with whatsoever...). I'd love to hear your opinion about it.
Level designers dont usually pop the props into the game. Level design test and greybox Art puts all the scatter items and make sure it makes sense realisticly in the context of the game.
I actually watched this video prior to purchasing the game and skipped forward some of the more evident spoilers. After watching it all I will probably grab it regardless of being late to the party as it's one I've been contemplating. Great review - I've commented on prior videos your objectivity is something which adds merit to your reviews and it holds true here.
The player doesn't know his ammo is unlimited, so the player does just keep on shooting. Ellie even throws you ammo furthering the feeling that your ammo is limited (at the end of shoot out, you only have half ammo left) Not to mention the section further emphasized your helpless nature, the gun has more sway and obviously you cannot move. When you are risen the perspective is even more challenging to aim with, not to mention to help Ellie. It was well designed and well paced to the game
I think that it makes sense to play as Ellie during the winter chapter since that's when she shows the most that she cares for Joel and it's the peak of their relationship and that they both depend on each other, and Joel has done all he needed to grow closer to her as he then is in need of her aid, so that's why you switch between them. During Spring, conflicts rise again and I think that's why you just stick with Joel again, as Ellie becomes secretive and Joel doesn't know what is going on.
My biggest problem with the game is the failure state. Often, a mistake results in instant death, which is my least favorite stealth gameplay mechanic. It can make a stealth section that's meant to be a puzzle feel like little more than a trial-and-error exercise in frustration.
Extremely overrated game. It's not bad. It has very, very good things in it. It has also very, very bad bits. And for a game that is so praised for the great storytelling, it really doesn't do anything new, and worse, the storyTELLING is the weakest part. The disconnect between the movie-bits and the game-bits, combined with the fact that there are elements in during the gameplay-sections for which the mechanics clearly weren't built (but had to be in there, to match the "movie") is really a shame, and destroyed an awful lot of goodwill I had towards the game. A bit better than average, but by no means the masterpiece it's been looked at by so many.
You know I never really thought about it much but the village section is also the first thing I think of when I look back at the game. It was handled really well.
With this and your Infinite critique, you just earned yourself a subscriber. This is the best game journalism I've ever seen, and the fact that it comes from a nonproffesional source says a lot about the state of the industry. Can't wait to see more from you, man. Keep up the good work.
The whole issue of throwing an object to distract an enemy needs to be dealt with more intelligently in general. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory probably did this the best. The first time you throw a rock or can, it might distract the guard and get them to go check out the noise. The second time, however, it will piss them off and make them suspicious. They'll know someone is making noise to mess with them. If you keep throwing items, not only will they not go check for the source, they'll probably raise the alert level, turn on their flashlights, and hunt as a pack (3-4 guards together) to come smoke you out.
This applies to basically any noise you make in Chaos Theory. The more times a guard hears you making noise, the more likely you are to get boned by the quite intelligent AI.
+TheSamuraiGoomba Except Chaos Theory loses this because it fails to encourage anything but the 'sneakily run and gun' playstyle as I like to call it. All it ends up being is sneaking as fast as possible into a room, instantly one shot all the guns with your silenced weapons, then shoot out the light so the room is pitch black so no one can see the bodies. I somewhat beat the entire game like this.
Even rooms with multiple enemies apply. If a room has several people, it's either A. Very large and the enemies will always have a patrol route that breaks off their vision of each other, even for a second, allowing easy one shots or B. Its a confined room I can easily spray the whole thing of before they can react.
It helps I enjoy this type of gameplay, especially since Chaos Theory is one of the few games with the balls to make night time or caves actually realistically dark. (despite many of those games having night vision goggles, I'm looking at you MGS V) But its still poor game design. It fails to encourage 90% of its mechanics, and the player will never see the good AI.
You can argue multiple play styles, but the game nearly always feels at odds with this. It never felt like the game was designed around anything but the Sneakily run and gun playstyle, as everything else often requires insane amounts of work or knowing the level layout before hand.
Rainbow Dashtruction
I don't know what you're talking about. Silenced weapons in Chaos Theory make noise. If you go around shooting, you will alert all the guys in a room (unless you kill all of them right away). Also, many of the rooms you enter are full of light sources and guards are nearby. If you shoot out the lights, the noise and sudden loss of the lights will be enough to alert the guards. Also, it only takes a couple of bullets to kill you, meaning the stakes are high whenever you try to engage in a firefight.
In addition, a pitch black room does not ensure nobody will find a body. Guards will find bodies with their flashlights or just from walking into them.
In Conviction, you could do exactly what you said, but I found myself doing a lot of sneaking, interrogating and choking out of guards in Chaos Theory because the AI is much better. But Conviction really does encourage that violent approach, which is a failing of the game.
I have no doubt you can employ the strategy you described with success, but that just means Chaos Theory allows multiple strategies. I prefer the slower, quieter way that doesn't involve killing. I think it's more fun. I think the mechanics in Chaos Theory push the player away from firefights, even if they're still technically possible with some work.
***** Except they still dull the guards reactions by a hefty amount. To act like using a silenced weapon is the same as an unsilenced weapon is a bit daft. You can still shoot a guy that's 5m from his friend and he won't hear him. Its only audible when their right next to each other, and lets be honest, the intent was likely the body falling that was audible, not the gunshot.
The issue is, it takes incredibly long to achieve those type of playthroughs, and the game never really encourages it.
Oh, and shooting the lights out completely screws the guard force AI. If the lights are gone they tend to avoid scouring the place, so simply sliding the bodies to the side prevents them from being spotted.
+Rainbow Dashtruction If the background noise is low enough, your silenced pistol will be heard by all, especially if you miss.Hell, even if you hit, if he had a buddy next to him he will immediately start shooting in the direction the bullet came from, or run away for cover.
As for the lights, they just pull out their flares/flashlights/NVGs.
I played CT too much to not comment ;^)
***** I've never seen the AI react faster then I can shoot them, and I got the worst accuracy and speed you've ever seen.
In terms of the lights: Tradition.
"Many have heard of the obliterated bases, silently wiped out and damaged as to make them pitch black, and in fact, its a trend so common everyone prepares for it. BUT NO ONE TRULY PREPARES FOR IT"
The only real nitpick I have with this video is the criticism of the jump between Winter and Spring. Joel and Ellie definitely were not acting as if "nothing had happened". You can easily tell that Ellie has been affected by this event; she's more muted, mainly after seeing the picture of the deer right at the beginning, which probably made her remember the events of Winter, a time where she truly lost her innocence. It makes the giraffe scene better, as Ellie finds a small bit of hope and happiness again, if only for a short while.
@Pferd Schild She was alone for the whole winter part and had to take care of herself and a sick Joel, and just when she thought she had a helping hand with David, turns out he's a cannibal and a pedophile.
Then she has to kill a large number of people, which is different than before since she's all alone now, and then she brutally murdered David up close, that would really mess someone up.
It's not just the almost being eaten part that's traumatic, it's the whole winter section.
There's also the fact that Joel deals with things just keep moving (I get it it's the only way to survive). Like when Tess died he ordered Ellie to don't talk about her ever. When Ellie mentions she forgot the robot toy after Henry and Sam's deaths, Joel shuts her. Maybe she doesn't have the chance to grieve properly because she has to survive before anything
@@1995robin That was my observation as well. The game didn’t have any inconsistencies when it came to how characters act. After Sarah died Joel probably had to move on quickly as everything happened so fast giving him this keep moving mentality.
@@_M41KU_ this old comment made me see how much I've improved my English lol that was awful
"*THUMP THUMP THUMP* "I got a key for this gate, I suggest we be quiet." made me laugh
Even funnier when you consider Bill says earlier that he has never set foot in this area, before
"I see no reason why I should be punished for my lack of dedication to a multiplayer mode so a person with more free time can feel better about themselves"
DAMN MATTHEW. TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL!!!
It really is a very valid point.
I can't even get platinum at this point because there's never anyone available to join in with.. Oh well.
This is why Deep Rock Galactic is the best multiplayer game that's out today and it's not even close.
I know this is an old review but after winter they just didnt continue like nothing happened. Ellie is a lot more quiet while Joel is now the one who tries to lighten the mood
RatNational ya I don't know how he could have possibly missed this because it was so incredibly obvious to me. Ellie acts so differently. Makes me wonder what else he just didn't catch.
I always thought Ellie was more quiet in spring because their journey was coming to an end, not because of what happened with David.
It starts of with her looking intently at a mural of a deer. Seemed to be a pretty clear connection that what had happened through winter was still weighing heavily on her mind and her change in behavior to a very withdrawn demeanor around joel only further reinforced this imo.
but they always cut after every emotional moment trying to rub it off as "clever" so damn annoying
+Zombi Hunter There's nothing within the exposition for it, or the writers, to feel clever. They're just poignant moments the writers trust the audience to piece together on their own. To contrast that would be to beat you over the head with _Ellie is sad now_ or _Joel is conflicted now_ which would just be patronizing.
Sometimes ambiguity is louder than stating the obvious.
On my first playthrough that invisible sniper really pissed me off. I even said to my brother who was watching me play that part, "Who even okay-ed this?"
+Mark Rodriguez actually was really easy in survivor mode...
+dileloco 15 You do realise that the sniper moment had NOTHING to do with difficulty, right? Just because you played survivor mode doesn't mean it will fix an issue with no sniper manning the sniper rifle - you're forced to sneak up on him even if you could easiy outshoot him.
+nuttex Mechanically, its obvious why you had to have the melee quick time: It explains how Joel is next to a sniper rifle now, and prevents the player from preventing all the zombies from reaching the black kid, which gets him bitten, which finishes the seasons story arc, all while being organic. They should have found a way to prevent the player from shooting the guy instead however, and made it move around with a model.
Rainbow Dashtruction
So? That doesn't make shooting him and dealing no damage at all any less dumb than it is.
nuttex They should have done something to prevent you shooing him.
I actually think the chapter transition work really well cause the game glosses over what would have been pretty bad scenes. Having Joel after the winter sequence ask Ellie how she feels about nearly getting raped by a cannibal would have been a pretty bad scene. We know how Ellie feels, the next scene shows her being distant, it's had a big effect on her. Scenes in which characters 'exposition' with each other about something that just happened are shit.
Eh, Joel doesn't have to make that question, you know. Since he's a grown man dealing with a girl with whom he's already forming a bond, he isn't dumb enough to ask that, instead the writer could come up with something more subtle instead of calling it a day and making a transition. Pretty basic stuff I'm explaining here
@@AydarBMSTU I know I'm a bit late to this but I have to say matthew missed the point in a lot of those observations he made about the transitions. the game isn't "glossing over" anything, it's just showing what is necessary for us to understand the story. There's a reason we also don't see michael corleone grieving the death of his wife appolonia in the godfather either, instead we get a jump in time as well and a character behaving differently then before, it's all we need, and it's all we get, no filler (I hate to be this guy who keeps bringing up classics when talking about games but it's just because it's a such a well known movie and most people will understand my point more easily this way). matthew also literally missed the point of what was being shown to him in those sequences on a more straight forward level, as he mentioned by the time autumn roles around the relationship seems to have improved a great deal, but actually the opposite is true, joel was a lot more distant afterhenry and sam's death then before. similarly when joel falls off the horse from blood loss it's the perfect point in the story to cut to winter, as showing ellie dragging him with something behind the horse would take away from the edge of that climatic scene, and it's something easy enough for us to guess and fill in the blanks after we learn he is alive. and finally from winter to spring, like the first commenter said, ellie is a lot more distant and we literally just saw joel conforting her and helping her get out of the restaurant, we don't need anything else and I don't get how these moments felt jaring to anyone playing, they felt perfect to me
@@AydarBMSTU Sometimes less is more, like how we don't know what he says to her as the audio fades out at the end of the scene. It doesn't take a genius to know that this was the moment that they both realized they weren't gonna let eachother down and that they care for one another. I don't want to watch a ten minute cinematic in the middle of the game. Maybe they could've made another dlc to give fans the filler stuff.
@@knurdyob same, same, same 👏👏👏
Maybe the Last of Us 2 should have taken their own advice
I didn't have that bug but the way the sound dropped off when someone was in another room was sometimes a bit harsh.
As for a score out of a hundred I have to decline to offer one. Putting in a score steals too much focus from the analysis itself, eventually I'd be seeing people saying "Matthew thinks TLoU is X/100" instead of discussing the game. I don't intent to hand out scores for anything I review, I hope you understand.
I think this is a thorough and well thought out review. I definetly laughed at times when the AIs ran into the danger with no consequence and the thought of the sonar clicking definetly came to mind, but overall, none of it really bothered me enough to not enjoy it very much. Maybe it's because I didn't play it myself until the remaster came out. Hopefully they will improve on the sequel. Also, they had a strategy in Left Behind where Ellie used objects to throw so the clickers would attack the hunters and left over qz soldiers and I hope they add those tactics to the sequel.
To say that the multiple player keeps the focus from the single player is one of the most misguided take I've ever read. The multiple player just adds to the experience. Not taking anything away.
The complaints you have with the single player experience, even though they are legitimate, are very bit picky ones like just looking for flaws, thats what most of the review felt like. Looking for flaws, the review. I understand you overall enjoyed the experience but my god, calm down sir.
You forgot to pin your comment
you are a lot better of a reviewer than angry joe. You have his sternness, but at the same time you are fair and understanding because it seems you really are knowledgeable about the development process in video games. Probably one of the best reviewers out there. never stop this man. You have a real talent.
IKR? I already watched his reviews multiple times, so I can play the game with another point of view.
SteveDoidoUltimate
I just like seeing what his dislikes in games, cause there is SOOOOO much he sees that don't so much as even think about.
Adventure Time Lore Angry Joe just fanboys about little stuff. He never actually touches on the individual design aspects of the game such as level design. Matthewmatosis here, actually critiques games as an art form.
Kevin Zelaya
IKR? like for the witcher 3 he gave a 10/10. BULLSHIT! the game gets way to repetitive with the overabundance of fetch quests. Also the characters are sooooo boring.
Adventure Time Lore he's not even funny. He just fucks around in front of the green screen
Yeah, Matt has a real talent for reviews
Hello there
@@insertedgynamehere___969 cringe
He really does, I just played The Last of Us and it's quickly becoming one of my favourite games of all time, so I thought to check if Matt had done a review on it. It's also strangely wholesome and comforting to see two of the TH-camrs I've watched for the longest time crossing paths c:
You have a real talent for stealing content
Why so much hate in these comments, when two of the chillest and most down to earth guys cross paths how is none stoked at this interaction?
24:07 Bruh, I didn't even know stalkers existed in this game.
I didnt realise after a year of playing the game lol
Yeah, me neither.
i didn't either; though i do remember getting confused at one point as to why some of the normal infected looked like clickers... and those deaths feeling kinda cheap. pretty glad they didn't use them much.
You can be forgiven. They’re only mentioned literally a few times during the whole game. All in document form. Every other type of enemy had some form of scene or tutorial for them while the Stalkers did not. You’re suddenly thrown in a big area with them and is expected to know what to do despite them being on a whole level above the Runners you usually see. And Matt is wrong about their appearance, you can tell them apart from Runners. They have the fungus on them that glows in the dark but that’s pretty much it.
Rlly?
Ahhhh, clickers ain't shit.
Throw a molotov into the middle of an area they're in and the noise will draw them to it. They'll literally stand right in the flame and burn themselves to death.
Anybody even remotely familiar with ghosting stealth games knows just how horribly easy it is to sneak past something with no sight, even in claustrophobic environments.
The moment you realize they're functionally audio-only, they're basically just a waiting game at worst, a "how can I make them look retarded" case at worst, and then you find out bricking and kicking the shit out of them from the side is an option along with shivs and, as you said, molotovs.
They're just a resource drain at most, they're a great showcase of the fact that the game is a bunch of flare with no actual substance that can fool novices but anybody even remotely affiliated with the familiar gameplay will be thoroughly, thoroughly unimpressed.
Speaking of which, go play Thief, it does sound as a radar right.
Yeah, I don't like Last of Us as much as everyone else and it seems to upset people, so I keep my mouth relatively shut.
I've played every Thief game, but I'm blanking on which one has that... :/
Jack Frost For proper sound? Thief Gold and Thief 2 has amazing sound design.
Thief 3 was a let down in that department (take note that they added third person to compensate), and Thief 4 was a travesty in every way including sound.
The Dark Mod, if you're okay with freeware, is actually doing a good job of replicating Thief classic's sound.
If you want to see what stealth games can do with sound design, go play Thief Gold, Thief 2 and The Dark Mod, they have sound design so good you don't need a radar.
Oh, then I just misunderstood. You said Thief "does sound as a radar right" and I couldn't think of when there was echolocation in the games... :D
You sound like an elitist.
Atleast he's pointing out its flaws. Unlike the fanboys who give this game a perfect score at the drop of a hat
Exactly. I commented on another video about how silly it is to make a remastered version of a game that hasn't been out that long, and you should have seen how quickly they clambered to tell me I'm a fucking idiot.
I do consider myself a pretty big fan TLOU. I personally loved it, but I'm not buying the remaster... especially when it's barely a year old. Shameless cash cow. But Sony is obviously aware that people are stupid enough to buy it again. It already sold 1 million copies but I'll bet 90% of those sales are the fanboys who still own it on PS3...
KleWdSide
Could not have said it better myself my friend :)
KleWdSide Actually, it isn't really a cash cow. Well, to Sony it is, but to Naughty Dog, it was a way to pilot making games for the PS4. Similar to how Wind Waker HD was created to test out cel shading on the Wii U (despite the final product not being cel shaded :/ ), Naughty Dog needed a way to test making games for the PS4 so that Uncharted 4 wouldn't be the first game they've developed for the system. Obviously, they couldn't remaster one of the Uncharted games for the PS3 without doing all 3, which would be very unproductive time-wise on their part, so they were left to make a remastered version of TLOU.
Vidya Discourse Well it is not a cash cow since there are alot of people who owned a xbox 360 that came to PS4, aswell as TLOU releasing towards the end of the PS3 lifecycle, GTA V and TLOU are the most justified remasters in comparison to other last gen games.
Also the above needs to realise that remasters are not solely for people who already played the game, nobody expects you to rebuy the games! I have never played the Tomb Raider game for example, so the Definitive edition would be a good alternative for me.
Though Square Enix do seem to be publishing some obvious 'cash cow' remasters but more games do not bother me.
LOL your point about how Clicker's vision makes no sense made me laugh so hard...how did I never realize that?
Not as dumb as making a character a normal guy who can't survive a billion shots but then undermining that with a condescending sonar vision, like Joel is a member of the Xmen or something. These idiots couldn't even make a decent camera, so if you turn it off or play on the hardest difficulty looking around corners when they're on the left is impossible since the camera is over Joel's right shoulder. I ended up using a brick, by aiming the brick the camera zooms out and I was able to use that to look around corners. Such lazy design. All they had to do was copy the sliding 3rd person camera from Choas Theory, how hard is that?
@@robrick9361
Yeah. Sounds like you're bad at the game.
It could totally make sense. They use echolocation, so they essentially bounce a sound and listen to how it bounces back, determining where everything is in terms of distance. If something was in a certain place on the first click, and then a different place on the second click, odds are it's a living thing. They have ears, which is why they can hear their clicks, which they use to aid their hearing, so not only do they hear with their ears, but they "see" with them too, via clicking. Plenty of blind people in real life do this.
@@lynnstigator3445 yeah the problem is it doesn't work like that in the first game. You can stand in plain frontal view of them while they are clicking and they will never see you
@@Bibzuda7 yeah, the idea would be that they are just seeing a stationary object, so as long as you stand (mostly) still it wouldnt appear as if you are alive.
I really enjoyed you pointing out the nature vs. man aspect of the giraffe scene, as I never thought of it that way. But I think the reason that scene is there is not only for that theme. I viewed it in relation to the mental state of Ellie at that time. She had just been traumatized, and was notably distant and quiet. That scene was a welcome relief between two extreme traumas for her, and was a reminder that she still has her youthful curiosity and enthusiasm. My impression was that the writer was saying, "Remember, she's still a teenager, after all," which made her more sympathetic. In fact, the song playing is titled Vanishing Grace (Childhood). It also built up Joel's decision in the ending that way.
The ending also was complete to me, because it merged the two themes of survival vs. morality and the need for belonging/companionship, although it initially didn't feel complete.
This is still the best The Last of Us review on the internet. Most reviews are either "ZOMG BEST GAME 5EVAR 10/10" or "The AI is bad and I'm completely going to overlook the good things of this game 4/10" This reviews avoids both and manages to stay objective, mature and well-informed. In my opinion, the game is an 8.5/10 to me. It's pretty great, but the AI fucks some parts of the game, especially the parts involving stealth.
IReiteThat There's no such thing as an objective review. This is still Matthewmatosis's personal opinion on the game, hence being subjective. His points were simply legitimate and well-argued, as a review should be.
*****
True.
I wish he had talked about the music though. Hell, even the lack of music. The sound in this game overall is just so impressive to me, and I was disappointed that he didn't get around to talking about it. Regardless, I still think it's a great review as well, and Matthew continues to put out fantastic reviews to this day.
Bill Jenkins I know, minimalistic soundtracks by an old Argantinian dude with a guitar can be just as impressive as bombastic one with giant orchestra. TLOU proved that.
IReiteThat What does ZOMG mean?
The critique of the giraffe scene is questionable to me. It would seem, if only taking this video into consideration, that Matthew doesn't understand that a story directly emphasizing its theme does not always mean its prior, subtler communication of that theme is undermined. I am a fiction writer myself, went to university for it, spend most of my time reading, writing and thinking about narrative, and from my experience this is one of those things that wholly depends on the writer's discretion, and the unique context of the particular narrative surrounding it.
The giraffe scene in The Last of Us is like a waterfall, and the prior, more indirect emphasis on the beauty of nature like the hike through the forest before you reach that waterfall. If you listen closely, you can hear the rush of the water before you ever break through the treeline, but even if you enjoy its presence in subtle terms like those, the moment where you do see the waterfall is no less majestic or ripe with awe.
The giraffe scene is not the game bludgeoning you over the head with one of its themes, but rather a kind of crystalline punctuation on knowledge the player, whether they realize it or not, already has. There are many breadcrumb-like details that point to this moment, such as the escaped monkeys running loose around the university campus, etc. It's not a scene meant to ensure you "got" the message if you hadn't prior; it's a moment where together the game, its makers, and you share a moment of bliss, - and more importantly, optimism. Because after this scene, even though light and dark are woven in many shades, just as in the rest of the game, no other moment will have this real, unambivalent brightness.
Wow, that comment was flawless. How does that not have more likes?
+Ky Know It's still quite unsubtle though. Not that it's a bad thing, but it can turn off some people due to being so blunt. I think that's what happened with Matthew.
+Ky Know The problem with that scene extends from two-fold though. Firstly, and more seriously, the point Matthew is trying to make is that as a game, The Last of Us succeeds for most of the game in invoking that theme through the players own experience with the game. Its told through the gameplay itself, and the player comes to understand the themes the game presents by playing the game and interacting with the world it presents. This is a unique strength that only games can provide and the game had been doing a great job utilizing these strengths up until that point, at which point the game resorts to a explaining the themes straight out in cutscene form. After accomplishing so much with the gameplay alone, the Last of Us throws all that away by taking any interactivity and self discovery that you might have been feeling up until that point and simply playing its themes out in front of the player. You are no longer interacting and learning these things yourself, and instead you are passively observing the game as it spells out the themes in front of you. Its simply disappointing, because it mirrors the trend of games thinking their films rather then playing to the unique strengths games have as a medium.
That aside, the way its presented is definitely heavy handed. It reminds me of the re-incorporation at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy when Peter has to take his friends hands to share the power of the stone. This was clearly re-incorporation from the beginning of the movie where he didn't take his mothers hand before she died, and anyone paying attention could've felt rewarded by figuring this out on their own, increasing their appreciation for the movie. However, like the Last of Us, Guardians instead panders to people who haven't been engaged that way by directly showing us a flash of the mother during this moment. In both cases, the authors decided that it was more important that the lowest common denominator understand what they were going for than it was for people who were actually critically thinking about what was happening to feel rewarded for doing so, and that hurts the overall product more from a critical perspective.
+zNapella yea, on the other hand i took it as a little girl being exited by seeing a giraffe for the first time. this happened right before a pivotal part where joel and ellie might have to part ways for good. it firstly reminds him of his daughter and his reaction to the situation also shows that the bond between the two has grown. also note that right after that scene joel says they don't have to go through with it. the giraffe scene, for me at least was more about demonstrating ellies remaining innocence and joels growing acceptance of his bond with ellie. the nature vs. human interpretation is by no means wrong, its just a very flat observation. this is the type of observation you get from a textbook and i personally think the scene was more clever and layered than that.
+zNapella It did seem a little forced, but I thought that the main theme of the game was a little more depressing than Matt's views. Matt, as I recall, stated that he thought the game tried to portray the beauty of nature. I think that The Last of Us tried to show the grim reality of nature: that it doesn't need humans. In fact, nature is better off without humans. Nature does not care what happens to mankind; we are not special. Giraffes, swans, and trees are able to roam and flourish in parts that they wasn't able to. It's also good to note that the whole idea of the zombie outbreak exemplifies my previous statement. How do we feel when we slaughter animals? It's normal for society to not care, just like it is normal for nature to still flourish without us.
Bottom line is, I liked the giraffe scene, but everyone is open to their opinions. I am a huge the Last of Us fan, but I agree with most of the points that he makes out. I loved how detailed he reviewed the game, but a lot of the points he makes are very biased to what he believes. Not to say it's a bad thing, he's a reviewer- he SHOULD critique the game on what he believes. Either way Matt has found himself a new subscriber.
They've both gotten overblown acclaim but as far as I'm concerned TLoU is a lot closer to deserving its praise than Infinite. I'm considering doing a comparison video between the two games to go into this a bit more, is that something people would like to see?
Bit late, but I'd certainly like to see that
Robbie is sleepy just a “bit” late?
@@zerothehero.takeasip6612 Sure, he practically released this vid yesterday
There are human beings born after this video released that are in school now by the time you replied
@@oshaqsha9826 A timely response, imo
Subtitles say "Yeah"
"I bet I would have"
0/10 dropped shit game
what? where?
Betrix5060 around 33:00 minutes into the review
that's horrid wording.
Betrix5060 what are you talking about? it's worded just fine
There's more of this in the dialogs, and besides being surprised about it, I see no reason to take it into account in any way for any purposes.
Anyone else feel that the winter section with Ellie and the cannibals was the absolute best part of the game?
Definitely my favourite part. I kinda wish there was some sort of full game where you can control only her with her POV but of course that detracts from the actual story of this one. (And that part is only really as effective as it is with the prior and later parts to bookend it)
TLOU2 will be played from Ellie's perspective, so Naughty Dog have granted your wish!
Henry SH
ikr! i was so excited with that teaser
I like how with nothing but the slightest change in context, David's once soothing, and almost reassuring tone becomes jarringly uncomfortable. Nolan North was on point here.
Felt unrealistic.
"If Naughty Dog decides to revisit this world, I hope they do so with some new characters instead."
*Curb Your Enthusiasm theme starts playing*
Especially after the leaks, probably not what he had in mind...
I can't wait for him to review it lol
If he actually does review it, of course...
*Fore* what reason do you say that?
@@JustSkram You play as trans person named Abby for half the game, not always as Ellie
@@holo1560 I don't think Abby is trans and apparently you only play as her for the final few hours, not half the game.
Wow, Matthew, I just spent 36 minutes not disagreeing once with anything I was hearing.
This is the first actually truthful review of this game I've ever come across. I wholeheartedly agree with anything you say, from the stellar moments to the ridiculous ones, and have the exact same picks as you when giving examples of both.
I couldn't help but notice you pointed out the exact same three sections that I found scandalously badly designed :
- Ellie sniping
- non-existent, auto-aiming sniper
- stealth-impossible sewers
Also, about the section where you say the game makes each bullet count, and the following minutes about the use of the backpack, I strongly suggest that you play (if haven't already) ZombiU, which preceded TLoU by a few months.
If you have, I would be very interested in hearing your opinions about that game, its strengths and weaknesses, very much like you did in this excellent video.
Joseph Anderson did a better job.
17:25 _"Gotta get outta here!"_
17:33 _"Oh look, they're having a sale on books"_
I had totally forgotten I did the exact same thing with the sniper that you did. Pretty confused as to how that made it past QA
They might've noticed it but the devs just really wanted that sniper fight scene. Pretty stupid
Yeah. I love the game and all, but after dying multiple times trying to kill the sniper, only to find out he was unkillable until a cutscene, I just rage quit.
Worse than that...it made it past QA not once...but twice. I did exactly the same thing. Why wouldn't you? It's the intelligent thing to do. It's also quite disappointing in the context of the sandbox gameplay TLOU tries to give you. Your actual path is linear but you always have a few options with regards to exactly how you go about making your way through an area. The notable exception being the sniper fight. I tried repeatedly to stealth through it and was surprised when I realised that there is no way to avoid drawing the sniper's fire. Even if you expose yourself only slightly the autonomous gun which can shoot at targets without pointing itself at them will instantly know where you are...and contrary to what the prior cutscene sets up Eliie et al do nothing to draw the sniper's fire away from you.
im surprised he didnt mention the audio in the game. i loved the soundtrack
Except he totally mentioned the audio.
Supermagnificence he didn't mention the soundtrack though
OST is alright
Itza Bomb It's a pretty mediocre OST. Their are much better OSTs in video games. This soundtrack is just a puddle TBH.
the soundtrack is phenomenal
08:03 It's like developers don't actually even play games anymore. Come on, Resident Evil 4 got this right nearly ten years before this game came out.
Ahhh ChestHighWalls, one of the biggest immersion ruiner of any third person game
Suwat Saksri Yeah they're fucking bad at this point. ME2 was the worst example I've ever seen of them though but I still love that game.
Me walking around Tommy’s dam: Sure is an awful lot of waist high cover around here.
Sonar can't detect stationary objects... well it can but it only works when there is nothing around it.
Take Radar for example (Exact same concept). In the open skies it's easy to find jets or planes because they're the only objects in the sky. However, to avoid Radar planes would fly low to the ground and around mountains since the contrasting ground and rocks would make spotting it nearly impossible.
For the Clickers Sonar, it wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Joel or a desk. It can still see Joel, but it can't recognize him.
It's like putting on some Camo clothes and hiding in the forest, even if you looks directly at someone you may not be able to see them, even if they're in plain sight.
Sonar only works in 2 ways....
1: There is no objects around that would make spotting the target impossible, since you couldn't differentiate the objects from the targets (Keep in mind, Sonar can only detect objects, not shapes, colors, or anything else. On a Radar screen all you see is a small dot, imagine a screen full of dots and trying to find your 1 target).
2: Movement. A desk, tree, or door won't move. Prey will move. The slower you move the more hidden you are, same with visual camouflage.
The Clickers game-play and story makes perfects sense if you get a basic understanding of how Sonar works.
What about the Clickers bumping into AI and doing nothing? Also, if they have super hearing, how come they don't hear Joel when he's walking? That creates noise, but that doesn't seem to matter to the clickers.
milkduds1001 Well actually, there is more to echolocalisation than just locating obstacles. Not all matter behaves the same when an acoustic wave reaches it. Most mammals have relatively soft, therefore sound absorbing flesh, which means that, even if you're not moving, a clicker will tell you from the wall your leaning against, much like bats can tell a cow from a boulder, moving or not. (it is also the very principle behind ultrasound medical imagery)
On another note, clickers are described as so sensitive to sound that, in actuality, it would be impossible to exist within a certain radius from them without being caught, as their hearing is probably sharp enough to detect Joel's heartbeat.
+Tubbier Wombat Because that would make the game unplayable.
MinorCirrus wouldn't a lot sound irritate the clickers?it could confuse them and/or cause them pain due to their developed hearing.
"We go from Ellie just escaping brutal murder from a cannibal, to Joel and Ellie walking along as though nothing has happened"... You mean the bit where she's spacing out and looking at the picture of the deer, reliving and remember part of the horror of winter just passed, and then mentally checking out a couple of minutes later in the bus depot. Seems as though there was still some effects in play there.
20:52 I'm actually really interested in seeing you talk more about that.
I'm interested that you thought to snipe the sniper. When I played that section, I thought that the barricading on the windows, as well as his preoccupation with the street, were reason enough to immediately go for sneaking up behind him. It's clear this was the intended thought process, and maybe it's a shame that they didn't account for other approaches, but at the same time I personally have trouble seeing how you come to that decision given the context of the scenario.
+The_Echo On the other hand, similarly to Matt here, I spent a good portion of time trying to skill-shot the sniper based on where the bullets were coming from. It's just the type of player I am. I'm more concerned with using my own skills to get something done than doing things as intended, and the intended route isn't always the best or most rewarding.
I thought the exact same thing, but I think, regardless, the simple inclusion of an enemy model (and a moving sniper rifle) would have solved the immersion-breaking experience for so many players, even if the intended path was around the sniper instead of a direct attack. Even simpler, the windows could have been boarded up to the point where only the rifle's barrel was sticking out, or something similar, so no model would have to be included. It makes me wonder how much of this was fixed in the remastered edition.
I have a hard time seeing how you WOULDNT at least think it’s an option. It’s clearly not barricaded and you can get a really good bead on it as shown in the footage. I know you wanna defend it but it just wasn’t thought out
The way Joel grabs his watch as he tells Ellie that you need something to keep you going.. Very sublte and warm moment. I loved the ending of this game.
I kind of disagree about the enemy encounters not evolving. At the last sections there were two bloaters along with some runners and clickers and I can't imagine getting through that without the flamethrower or molotovs. The last section also has a bunch of guys with armor and assault rifles, and I found that even with the new weapons it was too hard to brute force my way through. Also with Ellie not being able to melee enemies without getting damaged having very little guns/ammo by herself.
For the most part you're right, though. The game really could've used more enemy variety.
RamRamStyles "At the last sections there were two bloaters along with some runners and clickers and I can't imagine getting through that without the flamethrower or molotovs" I somehow managed to pull that whole infected section in 100% stealth, with no infected aggro \o/
Fair enough. I still believe that section just wouldn't have been feasible in combat if it were to happen early in the game.
RamRamStyles Agreed. That's kinda why I made it all the way trying my best not to ever get in a fight.
@@MinorCirrus lol i did it with the regular guns then had the realization i picked up a flamethrower earlier and restarted the wholw ecounter just to save my ammo on everything else😂
25:45 I disagree about the difficulty, I like the fact that the game gets easier as it goes on. It turns you from the hunted into the hunter which ties in well with the game's ending.
But the final level is one of the hardest points in the game...
MrRomnom It's still a huge shift from how you started out though. Before that I always had to stealth it, the final level is the point where you've ultimately become so powerful that you just shoot your way through most of it, especially after you get the assault rifle.
MrRomnom Not for me. For me, when I picked up the M16, I was empowered, and it became the focal point of all my rage.
Except when you get to Ellies part and you play on survivor difficulty. Fuck that part. And the final level on survivor difficulty is also quite difficult. At normal difficulty the last part was so easy because you have more than eneugh stuff and you know where the enemies are. At survivor they will do more damage and you will have far less supplies. I never used smokes in The Last of us until the final mission where I (after a lot of tries) managed to kill everybody except two and found eneugh supplies to make a smoke and killed them both.
The final level is a schlock shooting gallery that doesn't gel well with the rest of the game
Same. Linearity is now used as a derogatory word. Early games were pretty linear yet still fun (they had some system of evolution be it progression, upgrading, increased difficulty).
At least theres one reviewer that doesn't gloss over the problems in this game like others (*cough* ign *cough*) but also praises it where it does things well. Very good review.
The solution to NPCs is far more simpler. A command to tell them to stay or follow, just like Resident evil 4, only if you enter combat they can enter combat as well
I actually find hilarious how a far older game did this better than tlou. And people calls tlou's ai innovative and shit
The developers did that on purpose. They mention it in some interview I can't find but, basically, having someone act like a trained dog would make them feel less human and more of a gamey object. (in my own words)
depends how they do it. telling a little girl to hang back while you scope out the area full of crazy zombies makes sense, while an adult companion would refuse due to them being an adult like you so they feel they can handle themself.
Not in the context of TLOU- Ellie is developed as someone who is capable. She machete'd a man in the head to death, stabbed clickers in the head, etc. You get the idea. She can take care of herself and having a mechanic like that undermines her independence. To put it simply, she is your partner: an extremely different role than Ashley from RE4.
eventually. but what about the start where you don't really like eachother and are only together because it's your job?
22:40 This part can be done without breaking stealth, it's just very hard. The cut scene at the end doesn't change which makes it a bit awkward since she didn't help.
I put this game higher on my backlog priorities so I could watch this review. The way you're able to analyze and present is like poetry to me, and this video did not disappoint.
Good stuff as always dude.
10:40 as usual your editing and use of ingame clips is brilliant
The multiplayer is hands down some of the best I've played. It's intensely tactical and team-based. And it's what keeps the game alive for me.
I agree wholeheartedly, but it feels like a very different game. It would make more sense (although not any business sense) to have it sold as dlc, or maybe a standalone half-priced title
Exactly, i must say it does get tedious after a while when you know where all the spawn point are or when people just use shotguns for downs instead of playing tactically
Yeaown hands down the best spawn rape simulator next to CoD
You mentioned not liking the AI but you didn't touch on the blatant dishonesty in the trailers, in the trailers enemies improvised or grabbed weapons on the fly, fled or hid when disadvantaged, ambushed, begged for their lives, they even changed positioning and tactics based on Joel's current weapon. None of that made it to the final game a massive disappointment in that regard.
The visuals and story were great, the combat was solid but the glimpse we say at E3 was just SO much more that it left a bad taste in my mouth.
You can make enemies beg for their lives at low health, and you can finish them
Michael Brent
They will stay on the ground for a moment and beg and then they will suddenly get up slowly, stand still for a moment in their idle animation before the running animation activates and they try to punch you in the face, all the while you're still pointing a gun at them. So yeah.. it's sort of there and it also isn't there.
gameguy301 Pssssst. Most game trailers arr dishonest!
I think one of my only major issues is the way that, on hard mode, some areas really screw you over with their combat gauntlets. I think I died around 20 times in that arena during the first Ellie section because the game didn't give me nearly enough health or ammo to deal with the wave upon wave of enemies.
Also I'm glad you pointed out the part about trying to stealth the section with Ellie and the rifle. I thought I was the only one who did that and was frustrated about it (especially because it was Survivor difficulty, and an enemy actually ended up spawning nearly on top of me and killing me, forcing me to redo it).
Immersion was broken at some parts because of the AI, but people saying it detracts a whole lot from the quality of the game are simply certifiable. The Pros of the game VASTLY outweigh the Cons.
+7makosheva
Pros:
great graphics
great voice acting
great production values
Cons:
every mechanic is ripped straight out every AAA game from the last decade (resident evil 4, splinter cell)
clearly a victim of ludonarritave dissonance
broken AI
shallow shooting mechanics
shallow stealth mechanics
shallow crafting mechanics
shallow scavenging mechanics
underdeveloped characters (few exceptions, can't be asked to name)
predictable and cliched plot
over abundance of cutscenes and forced walking segments
tries to be tense and scary in the vain of resident evil 4, but fails on every level
poorly integrated quick time events
forces player to kill even tho this is meant to be a stealth game
Super APM are your jimmies rustled?
7makosheva
uuuuuuhhhhh..........what?
I can definitely see where Matt is coming from on this point, in that the game is so great, that these tiny errors take away from the experience much more than they do in other games. Still, having played so many other titles with similar or worse AI, I definitely found myself rolling with the punches more than rolling my eyes.
I played through, AI did break the immersion for me. RE4 which was less immersive on its own, didn't get its immersion broken, because AI was great at what it did. Zombies acted like zombies and Ashley acted like a scared little girl, totally believable and doesn't ruin gameplay in the slightest. since player has as much control over the girl as needed for the game to be challenging and sometimes even tactical
Wallhack mechanics in stealth games are bullshit. It takes all the tension out of sneaking and makes it too easy.
turn it off.
When a game gives you an option to turn off something you don't like, then u simply turn it off.
+MrZekeBlowstein ehh, its not really built around it. if you played on some of the harder difficulties the option to use it isn't even there. and while its game changing; after awhile you forget that it was even an option to begin with since you've adapted to the point to where you don't need it anymore. and I found that it actually makes the game a little harder with the enhanced hearing because when you have it you tend to rely on it much more than needed causing you to lose focus because you want to know where everyone is at at all times. But that's just my opinion. And I think you would appreciate the game more without the feature.
At around 6:04 you talked about the clickers being unable to see you if you're standing still, this is the case when you're behind cover, but if you're close enough to one for long enough it can detect you even if you're standing completely still, it just takes them a little while. And yes, I've tested this numerous times.
Just watched every single video you've made for the second time a couple of days ago. So happy this is up. Your reviews are amazing!
After watching your excellent breakdown of Dark Souls 2 and why it's a less than commendable sequel to an amazing game, I checked out your other videos like your take on SotC and Ico and loved every single one of them. After this one I'm pretty sure I would love to hear your thoughts on Nier with it being one of my favorite games of all time. I know it has some serious flaws, but that's exactly why I want you to tackle it.
everything just soooo cinematic when the player is walking slowly
Wow, awesome in-depth review, really liked it! The thing you said about resource scarcity, about how you felt every bullet counts, I was of the same opinion until in my survival difficulty playthrough ran close to completely out of resources, and Ellie would start magically handing me ammo and medkits in combat. Really a shame cause it takes away so much from the immersion. I'm just glad I only discovered this in my my third playthrough to get collectibles, which wasn't a serious playthrough.
I'm excited to see your next video, your analysis seems to become more refined and enjoyable to listen to each time. Great video mate, keep up the good work.
10:08 F.E.A.R. did this in 2005.
22:40 - When I did that, I killed the last guy in the exact spot where the game spawns the new enemies. I almost stopped playing the game at that point.
hello Matthew, love your vids. I was wondering what are your thoughts on the fallout games and Bethesda in general?
Great work, Matt, as usual. It's nice that I now finally have a video to link to in discussion boards, because it becomes really irritating having to explain away flaws to individual people in threads that are all doomed to be short-lived.
As always, keep up the great work, man.
The multiplayer in The Last of Us is one of the most underrated and best multiplayer experiences of the past generation. I love it nearly as much as the single player.
Quake.
Oranges yeah, that's the same generation isn't it mate.
How is underrated? Everyone and their mom plays it and praises it. Things like Anarchy Reigns, Lost Planet 2 and Metal Gear Online are underappreciated.
eandjproductions2 A lot of people actually dismiss the multiplayer
EdEmKay I feel like an idiot.
I don't know why people don't use the flash light in the infected parts when they are not alerted by it
Because the game doesn't tell you they won't be alerted by it, so we assume they will be and we don't use it. I never knew they're not alerted by it, especially the Runners and Stalkers.
DarkshadowXD63 Gamers have learned to not try anything until the game pops a tip on screen. Or highlights something in a HD outline (Joel's hearing ability)
FoundationsofPause More like gamers have learned from games like Silent Hill that monsters are alerted by light and so it only makes sense for that to carry over to modern games as well.
EBsessor Well with the way the checkpoints in this game work it won't ever hurt to just try it. Not like the game is requiring you to do much other than stay quiet and repeat braindead puzzles. I'm sorry. :)
Playing the game the first time, you don't know how forgiving it is. You expect a survival horror game, so you're extremely careful and you don't want to take any unnecessary risks, thus you don't even run the risk of trying the flashlight near enemies. It's just basic psychology, dude.
Obviously this is way old, and someone may have pointed this out already, but in Pittsburgh, the game DOESN'T force you to get caught. I made it all the way through stealthily - it did make the cutscene afterwards a BIT jarring, but I got the point.
I don't think you understand how location works. ts not that the clickers are incapable of detecting stationary objects, its that they don't recognize stationary objects as prey. If Joel is just standing still, the clicker won't be able to tell the difference between him and a table. It is only when he is moving that they detect there is a living thing there.
This game really, really sits well with me. Watching this review made me remember just how much I enjoyed this game as a whole, despite certain parts of it that may have frustrated me. It truly is an amazing experience.
3:26 nice transition
Note on the clickers - it actually makes more sense than you given it the credit for, although doesn't hit the mark too. Sound coming back from a stationary object will not let you identify the object. So it makes sense that if you are stationary they won't be able to tell you from inanimated object of your size. What doesn't make sense is that you can move in front of them, because this is where the echolocation should let them identify animated object, as cupboards don't tend to move on their own. That said, I haven't played of hardest difficulties, where that may be the case, as the game does really subtle things to differentiate the difficulty levels.
your reviews are so satisfyingly on point. refreshing and honest
31:00 I enjoy your critical view on the game but thats a point where I yelled bullshit. Ellie is far more socially disconnected and introspective in these scenes than she was before. Joel hasn't changed because he is used to killing but you see that the events of winter took a heavy toll on Ellies psyche.
+TheRainySky I dont see that part as ellie being broken because of previous events. I see that as Ellie just getting too used to Joel.
+TheRainySky exactly
+Jeff Quartz I think that "Ellie getting used to Joel" would actually be right before the chase scene with the Humvee. I think that the winter chapter showed Ellie the seriousness of the acts she has to perform in order to survive. Throughout most of game (and story wise), she was protected from Joel and the quarantine zone. She was not necessarily free from killing, but she never did it face to face. You can argue that she killed in Pittsburg, when she shot the bandit in the head, but I think that that decision was a win decision; if she saved Joel, he would take on the rest of the violence for her. Contrary to this part of the game, the winter chapter was much different. If she killed David, then what? Joel is severely injured, and I don't think you would expect someone to recover very quickly with a hole through their abdomen. She would have to kill again and again; she was on her own.
I think that David's slaughter brought out those emotions and that, in the end, Ellie can't always rely on Joel and that she would also have to make tough decisions herself. But that is the world they live in.
Debatable I felt that it was undeserved. Subtlety is a nice of telling that they ran out of money/time/good story(hahaha).
I like this review of The Last of Us. It is good to hear an honest review from someone who has no financial interest with these game companies. Most refreshing.
Great review man. Very well thought out and articulated, as usual per your other videos.
Yeah.
Also the transition from Winter to Spring was the best in my opinion. Spring starts with her staring at a deer, an obvious reference to her experience in Winter. He thought the gaps detracted, but I think they enhance.
Just saw Angry joe's review of this game, God it was painful to watch. Matthewmatosis is the best game-reviewer on youtube!
Angry Joe tends to generalise and he is more than often really inconsistent and uninformed about the stuff he reviews, he just needs more balance and he really tries to not generalise anymore
what, you don't like a high volume voice to be the only thing justifying an opinion?
***** It is impossible to be objective about a work of art. Everything you can say about a video game is your own personal feelings, unless you're just describing the technical aspects. A good reviewer is good because they are a good writer (or speaker) and back up their opinions well, not because they're "objective".
***** I thought joe had a good review for this game. Matt did do a better job at explaining the good and bad things about the game and joe did talk almost just about positive things and brought up a few flaws but the flaws in this game don't detract much from the overall experience. I just don't see whats painful about a video of someone just talking about a game they obviously loved.
+Kamian65 There's a certain level of objectivity that exists in video game analysis, assuming we're discussing the programming of the game. Functionality of the mechanics, visual performance, the level of detail, animation quality, etc. These kind of things can be looked at from an objective point of view, but even then there isn't all that much that can be stated objectively.
i love this guys reviews still waiting on mgs5
Love the review, and glad to see you enjoyed it for what it was. One nitpick I had for it that wouldn't really hurt it experience-wise is if they didn't show how many bullets or supplies you had in the lower right corner. That would truly feel like a post-apocalyptic experience.
It is one of my favorite games. I played again a feel weeks ago, and i found some of the problems that you listed in the video, others i only saw because of you.
Nice video Dude. It is better to see all the faces of your favorite game than just think that he is perfect
How do the cutscenes not disrupt the "flow' of the gameplay when they exist completely separately from the gameplay? They're like two different parts of the games.
If what you say is true about how they might have made the cutscenes first and then later realized the difficulty of making a companion stealth game but still went with it, then this game is a prime example of the importance of making the gameplay work and testing it as just a game before making a stupid machinima out of it.
It's much harder to make a great game than a great animated movie or a plot, and it's the most important part if you are actually set out to make a game (not just some interactive "experience").
I'm glad I didn't buy this game. I don't wanna support the tendency that this game solidifies.
The gameplay has its share of flaws but they never ruined it for me. The worst element for me was the awkwardness of melee fighting, especially in multiplayer or when more than one enemy is near you. If I were grading the game, I'd give the story an A and the game mechanics a B.
The first time I played I didn't notice it too many times, but when I started to replay the game, the cutscene first philosophy started to wear me down to the point I didn't want to play it anymore.
It was a theory he had, for all we know they could of done it on purpose
They started with gameplay, but the cutscenes were produced simultaneously with the bulk of the game production.
I agree with Mandatorial, i don't think that games like The Last of Us do justice to video games as a medium. Instead of creating a game that is compelling and intellectually substantial through its gameplay, they create a series of cut scenes (which aren't even inherently part of the medium) and use gameplay as a supporting role that only serves to immerse the player in a world that, on it own holds little value to the narrative.
6:01
"If a clicker was incapable of seeing stationary objects, then it would be prone to walking into walls and other things; but that never happens."
I'm afraid I don't get your argument here. Since it clearly is capable of seeing by means of sound. The clicker maps out its immediate surroundings and reacts to moving objects.
Your example would, in this case, only work if, let's say, one of the living room walls made a run for it.
You might have mentioned the music. It is funny how people can see the same thing and view it completely differently. The transition from Winter to Spring: I thought Ellie's character had been affected considerably by the events with David. The giraffes were wonderful too. A flaw that did occur to me after completion was that it seemed I spent more time killing survivors than infected. I think I would have preferred more infected.
I have this weird habit of coincidentally rewatching your videos on their one-year anniversary
Joel's motivation and morality at the end is open to interpretation, yours is as valid as any. But I just want to say that if you have a child you would have more sympathy towards his decisions. That's all.
Never once second guessed it. I was shocked that people saw him as the villain.
+Mi Ken He kills almost hundred people during the gameplay. Pretty sure he's a psychopath, no matter how you look at it.
Arexion5293 Killing a lot doesn't make him a psychopath, the reason of killing does. Does self defense, survival make him a psychopath? I think you are misplacing a moral judgement here.
Arexion5293 Now that you've explained further, I agree. I never said he a good guy or a bad guy. Those words "good", "bad" are too simplistic to describe him and what his environment forces him to do.
Respectfully still disagree, he does things you've been conditioned not to do in a functioning society to further the interests of those he cares about and himself. Nothing about that makes him a psychopath to me. He does exactly what needs to be done and nothing more. At this point though, we'll likely just disagree based on our respective worldviews.
14:00 The "puzzles" are more of a trust building between characters rather than an actual puzzle, but yes, after multiple playthroughs it can become tedious.
I feel like the time jumps after important moments in the story was intentional, it makes the game feel more like a compilation than one long adventure.
Ally AI being invincible and invisible in the context of a post-apocalyptic game is not an issue in State of Decay (which was made on a much smaller budget but had a larger ambition of being an open world zombie apocalypse simulator):
Companions crouch when you crouch, and stand up when you do the same. They can be detected by enemies and permanently die. They are actually quite dependable, especially in combat: i.minus.com/i8oYc2puh56vX.gif
It's core mechanics are very generic, having been done many times and aren't very good to begin with, surprised you liked it so much
every AAA game in 2013 was uncharted... this, bioshock infinite, tomb raider, AC4. All have a little uncharted in them... some more than others. They also all run on this setpiece-generating linear story line.
Surprised you didn't. It's simple and effective, what makes you say they aren't good? I'm interested to see what mechanics you want in a narrative game. Fyi, it isn't an rpg.
Did you even watch the video? All of the mechanics are used to make a better experience and not just to follow trends(like for example Tomb Raider 2013).
And the gameplay isn't that generic to begin with. Its a tactical action adventure and not a straight out third person shooter as some ignorant cunts suggest.
asendimchev1996
Well he surley didn't even play the damn game..
he's talking about the use of modern game tropes, with linearity, third person shooting, X-ray vision, very simple stealth systems, etc.
it doesn't make the game bad, but if the game relied on less generic and perhaps more complex mechanics (i.e more complex detection and/or stealth), it could arguably be better than it is.
Will you do a follow up with the PS4 remastered version, like you did with Wind Waker?
There isn't much different between the original and the ps4 version.
I wonder if it's possible for there to be a review for the Left Behind DLC. I feel that it addresses a few of the issues Matthew had with the game, such as enemy human and infected interactions and the skip in between seasons, as it takes place between Fall and Winter. It's probably not likely, but it'd be nice all the same to see one.
you are the best reviewer.get more done.brilliant.metal gear spot on.FF?
My favorite part when you said Joel should just stop what he is doing and teach Ellie how to swim. Okay, Ellie... we are at this dangerous dam and strapped for time. How about you strip down whilst I teach you how to swim... it should only take 2 minutes... am I right?
GametimeUKyo Didn't Joel and Ellie trek from Pittsburg to Tommy's dam in Colorado. In all that time I bet Joel could have found a pool or a stream to teach Ellie. But expecting a good logical story from the last of us is asking too much.
I understand the criticism of the sniper sequence, even if I didn't have that particular problem with it, having circled around behind the first time I played and not tried anything else subsequently.
I say I understand because I end up having the same kind of problem with most of the set pieces in the second and third Uncharted games, where I inevitably deviate from the scripted path, breaking the intended impact of the sequence.
I think it isn't about QA so much as how well the player responds to the cues that are supposed to funnel you down a set path. When it works, it's awesome, but when it doesn't, it gets frustrating.
I love how a few of the things you critiqued appeared in Left Behind haha
I do feel you unfairly criticise the transitions between seasons when the characters undergo dramatic moments. You say that they pass them off as if they hadn't happened yet that isn't true. Ellie is emotionally distraught after killing David and Joel is seen comforting her in a scene with no sound. We have to focus on simply their faces to convey emotion and it is done beautifully. In the next scene set weeks maybe months after Ellie is silent and removed from life and it is your choice to ask her if she's ok. The story also addresses this and Joel and Ellie's relationship is reinforced even further, Likewise after Joels fall, the sudden cut after he falls from the horse and the transition to Ellie hunting alone is used for dramatic effect. We are supposed to assume that Joel may have died and that we are now all alone. Sarah's death is sudden and Joel's potential death is not something I would have been surprised at had that been the direction the game had gone in. The Last of Us is a story driven game thus the narrative is one of the key points of the game. Various thematic devices are used to convey emotion and build tension and I think to be fair that picking over these moments as being shortfalls as oppose to moments were the game shines brightest. I still thing its a good review and agree with a good deal of the points you make, both good and bad. :D
True dat. I was kinda upset when he critizised those, like, "What?! How could you NOT like that?!" The transitions between seasons were one of the best used tropes in the whole story, in my opinion. Adding the information that is purposefully left on the subtext in the transitions would have been unnecessary and would have eliminated a great part of the emotional tension that the story builts up as it progresses.
Why would Ellie be distraught? She's been killing men the whole game!!
Nope really to me it looked like a way to save money for the developer. The relationship between the leads is not given enough time.
Absolutely loving your review so far, but I'm only fifteen minutes in and I feel the need to play devil's advocate over something. Namely: the traversal puzzles. As another analyst much like yourself made clear to me, those puzzles aren't meant to challenge the player, they are actually storytelling mechanics that illustrate the bond between Joel and Ellie at any given time. Joel only interacts with Tess during these segments until he and Ellie reach Bill's town. When their dynamic is damaged, they don't work together. When they're working together flawlessly and getting along, the puzzles reflect that.
I'm not arguing the merits or disadvantages of this system, only asking its purpose to be considered.
You are seriously a genius. Thanks for actually talking about games this in-depth, not a lot of people see games this way.
I'm wondering whether you've played Kid Icarus: Uprising for the 3DS... In my opinion it's one of the best games of the last 10 years, and it's sad to see it ignored by some people because of bad reviews complaining about the controls (which I had zero problems with whatsoever...). I'd love to hear your opinion about it.
Level designers dont usually pop the props into the game. Level design test and greybox Art puts all the scatter items and make sure it makes sense realisticly in the context of the game.
I actually watched this video prior to purchasing the game and skipped forward some of the more evident spoilers.
After watching it all I will probably grab it regardless of being late to the party as it's one I've been contemplating.
Great review - I've commented on prior videos your objectivity is something which adds merit to your reviews and it holds true here.
Sorry Mattymatosis, but looks like you have another family reunion with Joel coming up in May. No new characters for you.
The player doesn't know his ammo is unlimited, so the player does just keep on shooting. Ellie even throws you ammo furthering the feeling that your ammo is limited (at the end of shoot out, you only have half ammo left)
Not to mention the section further emphasized your helpless nature, the gun has more sway and obviously you cannot move. When you are risen the perspective is even more challenging to aim with, not to mention to help Ellie.
It was well designed and well paced to the game
I think that it makes sense to play as Ellie during the winter chapter since that's when she shows the most that she cares for Joel and it's the peak of their relationship and that they both depend on each other, and Joel has done all he needed to grow closer to her as he then is in need of her aid, so that's why you switch between them. During Spring, conflicts rise again and I think that's why you just stick with Joel again, as Ellie becomes secretive and Joel doesn't know what is going on.
My biggest problem with the game is the failure state. Often, a mistake results in instant death, which is my least favorite stealth gameplay mechanic. It can make a stealth section that's meant to be a puzzle feel like little more than a trial-and-error exercise in frustration.
Extremely overrated game. It's not bad. It has very, very good things in it. It has also very, very bad bits. And for a game that is so praised for the great storytelling, it really doesn't do anything new, and worse, the storyTELLING is the weakest part. The disconnect between the movie-bits and the game-bits, combined with the fact that there are elements in during the gameplay-sections for which the mechanics clearly weren't built (but had to be in there, to match the "movie") is really a shame, and destroyed an awful lot of goodwill I had towards the game.
A bit better than average, but by no means the masterpiece it's been looked at by so many.
X- Com Preach
Dude its so funny to see your review with hindsight on how much the Last of Us pushed the envelope for stories and cohesion in games
You know I never really thought about it much but the village section is also the first thing I think of when I look back at the game. It was handled really well.
With this and your Infinite critique, you just earned yourself a subscriber. This is the best game journalism I've ever seen, and the fact that it comes from a nonproffesional source says a lot about the state of the industry.
Can't wait to see more from you, man. Keep up the good work.