Game Discussion: The Last of Us (PS3)

What did you think of The Last of Us?

  • Posted on 17 March 14 at 16:38, Edited on 17 March 14 at 16:40 by Prem-aka-Prince
    Am I the only one who thinks it's sad more people have bought a PS4 than this game, despite being a tenth (or a twentieth) of the price? (http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/03/14/last-us-passes-6-m...)
    KZ4, AC4, CoD10... most of the headline games on PS4 are also adult games, so IMO the age rating is not a big issue in the comparison.

    Apart from all the review praise (http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/4090/249....jpg), the game recently won 5 BAFTAs:
    Best Game (overall), Best Story, Best Audio Achievement, Best Action & Adventure, and Best Performer (Ellie)

    ...Why don't more people buy this game?? shock
    =Semper Fi=
  • Posted on 17 March 14 at 18:11
    I would imagine that the majority of people who have, or had, a PS3, have played the game. It was so well recognised as you mention, that unless you really didn't care for the genre, then it would be strange to not give it a try at the very least.

    But then the PS4 is not only a new gen console, but is going to be the machine that plays the next potential Last of Us 2, or all the other million of great games.

    So I think it's a little wrong to compare sales of the two, if anything should be praising how well the PS4 has sold, and how great a game Last of Us was.
  • Posted on 18 March 14 at 13:46
    VysetheLegend84 said:
    I would imagine that the majority of people who have, or had, a PS3, have played the game. It was so well recognised as you mention, that unless you really didn't care for the genre, then it would be strange to not give it a try at the very least.

    But then the PS4 is not only a new gen console, but is going to be the machine that plays the next potential Last of Us 2, or all the other million of great games.
    Total PS3 sales over 80 million... total TLoU sales 6 million... I don't know, maybe you can check from the playstation app or something how many people have played the game, but even if everyone was lending it to three friends it seems far from the majority... sadly.

    I don't know how anyone could justify buying the PS4 for the sequel if they hadn't bought the first one. It's not even a given that there will be a sequel, and if they'd borrowed or rented the game instead of buying it there's no reason they couldn't do the same for the console and the sequel (you could buy dozens of games with the money saved from buying the console).

    Anyway, I'm surprised there's been no discussion of the Left Behind DLC in this thread. I haven't played it yet myself but it seems that it was pretty well enjoyed by many.
    =Semper Fi=
  • Posted on 18 March 14 at 13:50
    Oh, the DLC was marvelous, you know I felt that Prem, I talked nonstop about it for like three days xD
    Editor-in-chief of Gamin' Girl - gamingirl.com
  • Posted on 18 March 14 at 14:08, Edited on 18 March 14 at 14:11 by Gaelic-_-Flame
    Prem-aka-Prince said:
    Total PS3 sales over 80 million... total TLoU sales 6 million... I don't know, maybe you can check from the playstation app or something how many people have played the game, but even if everyone was lending it to three friends it seems far from the majority... sadly.

    I don't know how anyone could justify buying the PS4 for the sequel if they hadn't bought the first one. It's not even a given that there will be a sequel, and if they'd borrowed or rented the game instead of buying it there's no reason they couldn't do the same for the console and the sequel (you could buy dozens of games with the money saved from buying the console).

    Anyway, I'm surprised there's been no discussion of the Left Behind DLC in this thread. I haven't played it yet myself but it seems that it was pretty well enjoyed by many.
    I think it's wrong to compare console sales with game sales. Consoles do break and people buy a new one. And some people like to have 2-3 consoles in their house. However if you buy a game you won't buy it again (at least not new) and you can lend it to a friend (if it's not digital). Not to mention the used market, which should be a pretty solid number as well.

    Even in my case, me and my brother have a console each, however we bought only one TLoU copy. Will we buy another console in the future? Probably. Will we buy another copy of TLoU. Not very likely.

    Oh, and I think they will release PS4 version at some point. Maybe after they release all the DLCs?
    Gaelic Flame - Hybrid created from Rathalos and Kushala Daora materials. Its cut is a death sentence
  • Funeral-WindFuneral-Wind176,838
    Posted on 18 March 14 at 15:15, Edited on 18 March 14 at 15:22 by Funeral-Wind
    Starlight126 said:
    Good, but slightly overrated.
    This. But I also feel this applies to the Uncharted Series as well. That said I can see why it was the consensus game of the year. I was highly impressed just not completely won over.
  • xZoneHunterxZoneHunter1,013,405
    Posted on 18 March 14 at 21:52
    I enjoyed it, but no GOTY material like most people say. Then again i had the same feels when playing the uncharted series for the first time.
    [URL=http://psnprofiles.com/xZoneHunter][IMG]http://card.psnprofiles.com/1/xZoneHunter.png[/IMG][/URL]
  • MickeyBurnsMickeyBurns190,330
    Posted on 19 March 14 at 21:26
    Prem-aka-Prince said:
    Am I the only one who thinks it's sad more people have bought a PS4 than this game, despite being a tenth (or a twentieth) of the price? (http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/03/14/last-us-passes-6-m...)
    KZ4, AC4, CoD10... most of the headline games on PS4 are also adult games, so IMO the age rating is not a big issue in the comparison.

    Apart from all the review praise (http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/4090/249....jpg), the game recently won 5 BAFTAs:
    Best Game (overall), Best Story, Best Audio Achievement, Best Action & Adventure, and Best Performer (Ellie)

    ...Why don't more people buy this game?? shock
    To be totally honest, I likely would have missed this game if I didn't buy the console that was packaged with this game and Arkham Origins on Black Friday (not a bad deal for a 250gb PS3 with TLoU and B: AO for $199). This is my first PS3 (I know ... a little late to the game, but better late than never) and I don't typically run in the "PS3 crowd". I had very little knowledge of this game going in.
  • Posted on 20 March 14 at 12:54, Edited on 20 March 14 at 13:09 by Prem-aka-Prince
    MickeyBurns said:
    Prem-aka-Prince said:
    ...Why don't more people buy this game?? shock
    To be totally honest, I likely would have missed this game if I didn't buy the console that was packaged... This is my first PS3 and I don't typically run in the "PS3 crowd". I had very little knowledge of this game going in.
    Welcome! It looks like you completed it once just recently with all the collectibles, hope you enjoyed. (except the conversations, I got cheated out of that too!)
    p.s. not sure if it's just my computer but there seems to be some strange glitch going on with your avatar Just my computer I think
    =Semper Fi=
  • MickeyBurnsMickeyBurns190,330
    Posted on 20 March 14 at 23:33
    Thanks.

    Yeah, first playthrough done and collectibles ... and I could have sworn I got all the conversations but apparently I didn't. I'll have to be extra vigilant on my next playthrough ... which won't be for a while. I want to take some time away and allow it to be more like a new experience than it would be if I were to simply "churn another one out" (much like my Diablo 3 experience).

    There may be something weird with my avatar. It shows up on my profile page here at TrueTrophies, but it doesn't show on my connected profile at TrueAchievements. Are you using Chrome? Whenever I have this issue with pics it only happens in Chrome.
  • xZoneHunterxZoneHunter1,013,405
    Posted on 21 March 14 at 01:09
    Not everyone enjoys a game like The Last of Us. Many gamers among those ps4 sales are just casual gamers, addicted to their annual recycled sport & shooter games.

    I know many avid gamers who haven't even touched games like uncharted, assassin's creed, final fantasy, The Last of Us, etc... Wich imo are must plays for every gamer out there. But yeah... those casuals!!! xD
    [URL=http://psnprofiles.com/xZoneHunter][IMG]http://card.psnprofiles.com/1/xZoneHunter.png[/IMG][/URL]
  • L4DANathanL4DANathan261,569
    Posted on 21 March 14 at 19:33
    I would say TLOU's strength is mainly something that most games don't have. Subtlety. Movies figured out how to use subtlety to make more relate-able characters eons ago, but games have generally been incredibly straightforward. They make the characters either nonsensical or their ambitions/motivations/etc so plain and simple that you can't really feel anything for them, because they feel like cardboard cutouts.

    For Joel, most games would go "My daughter died a long time ago, and I think I'm projecting her onto you *smirk*" and that would be the extent of the characterization. Whereas TLOU actually SHOWS that through Joel's actions and how he treats Ellie. He starts by continuing to foster the anger from his daughters death, until Ellie finally guilt trips him into continuing with her at the Dam. At that point, Joel's stubbornness makes him unconsciously "adopt" her as his own, and he begins to be emotionally invested in her plight. ("allowing her in" so to speak) Then on their way to the Fireflies, their bond grows stronger until Joel's stubbornness kinda backfires on Ellie with what occurs at the end.

    ^That level of characterization cannot be given via any amount of the forced exposition that games as a genre seem to adore. Hopefully, this game will teach other game devs how to go about building their characters. (who am I kidding, it won't, most movies still don't do it and they have a several decade head start)
  • Posted on 22 March 14 at 13:06
    Prem-aka-Prince said:
    VysetheLegend84 said:
    I would imagine that the majority of people who have, or had, a PS3, have played the game. It was so well recognised as you mention, that unless you really didn't care for the genre, then it would be strange to not give it a try at the very least.

    But then the PS4 is not only a new gen console, but is going to be the machine that plays the next potential Last of Us 2, or all the other million of great games.
    Total PS3 sales over 80 million... total TLoU sales 6 million... I don't know, maybe you can check from the playstation app or something how many people have played the game, but even if everyone was lending it to three friends it seems far from the majority... sadly.

    I don't know how anyone could justify buying the PS4 for the sequel if they hadn't bought the first one. It's not even a given that there will be a sequel, and if they'd borrowed or rented the game instead of buying it there's no reason they couldn't do the same for the console and the sequel (you could buy dozens of games with the money saved from buying the console).

    Anyway, I'm surprised there's been no discussion of the Left Behind DLC in this thread. I haven't played it yet myself but it seems that it was pretty well enjoyed by many.
    Well I'm far from any sort of sales expert, so I can't say how well a lot of the other well received games did for the PS3, but 6 million sales is still impressive, especially as you must remember this was a new IP. Sure names like GTA V or a COD likely did better, but you would come to expect that.

    Also given the success the game had, (and to show that), you only really need to mention the name to a lot of gamers, even somewhat casual players), and they will have heard of it. On that basis I'm certain sales of any future sequel will improve on that.

    I can also think of many people who would buy a sequel without having played the first game. Perhaps they never owned a PS3, and only had a 360 last generation. Or people might rent the game out, or borrow it, again making those figures look less than the actual numbers who played it. In the end though, I think the game did brilliant, and ok, perhaps numbers may not have been as high as the plaudits deserved, but it has cemented itself in gaming history for the right reasons.

    And just to touch on the DLC, not tried it either, but heard great things like yourself, including how it has some of the most emotional scenes you have seen.
  • Posted on 03 August 14 at 06:07
    I'll definitely give it a go eventually as it's most likely a decent game but on the whole it seems to be massively overrated. The stealth sections seem interesting, but it looks like an incredibly generic game in terms of cover based shooting and quick time events, as well as the setting (zombies are getting a bit tired now), not to mention issues with the AI and enemies not even bothering to go for Ellie. I have no idea why it's being praised as some original masterpiece when there is nothing even remotely original about it.

    Also from what I've seen it's got an issue with the interactive storytelling. Often when games do this it's in the form of slowing the game right down with maybe a slow walking section to get you interested in the story and characters. Now this is nice for your first run but it hurts re-playability when you have to go through these sections of down time again when you may just want to get back in on the action like you were. Often it's used as a substitute for loading and cutscenes which means essentially you can't skip them as they're directly integrated into the game; I would honestly rather a few loading screens and cutscenes so I could skip them on subsequent playthroughs and get back in to the game. Half Life 2 also has this problem for when its loading is disguised by locking you into a room while exposition plays around you. I know people like this kind of thing but it's not for me for the most part; it definitely made Alan Wake more annoying to play through again.

    The DLC overload which started with Uncharted 2 is obnoxious as well (having to pay for the hardest difficulty?) not to mention the completely unnecessary PS4 remaster barely even a year after its release (at least maybe this will drive down the price of the PS3 version?)

    So on the whole it seems competent but generic; Naughty Dog haven't been truly great since Jak and Daxter (before Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin left) and I don't think this game changes that.
  • Posted on 03 August 14 at 09:15
    I don't understand why people are so annoyed at PS4 remaster. Overall it's a good move as it adds one more big title to PS4 collection, and it allows people who jumped from Xbox to play TLOU. I don't see what's bad about it.
    Gaelic Flame - Hybrid created from Rathalos and Kushala Daora materials. Its cut is a death sentence
  • Posted on 04 August 14 at 11:04, Edited on 04 August 14 at 11:06 by Prem-aka-Prince
    LunchCannon54 said:
    I'll definitely give it a go eventually as it's most likely a decent game but on the whole it seems to be massively overrated. The stealth sections seem interesting, but it looks like an incredibly generic game in terms of cover based shooting and quick time events, as well as the setting (zombies are getting a bit tired now), not to mention issues with the AI and enemies not even bothering to go for Ellie. I have no idea why it's being praised as some original masterpiece when there is nothing even remotely original about it.

    Also from what I've seen it's got an issue with the interactive storytelling. Often when games do this it's in the form of slowing the game right down with maybe a slow walking section to get you interested in the story and characters. Now this is nice for your first run but it hurts re-playability when you have to go through these sections of down time again when you may just want to get back in on the action like you were. Often it's used as a substitute for loading and cutscenes which means essentially you can't skip them as they're directly integrated into the game; I would honestly rather a few loading screens and cutscenes so I could skip them on subsequent playthroughs and get back in to the game...

    The DLC overload which started with Uncharted 2 is obnoxious as well (having to pay for the hardest difficulty?) not to mention the completely unnecessary PS4 remaster barely even a year after its release (at least maybe this will drive down the price of the PS3 version?)
    So on the whole it seems competent but generic...
    Erm, I think you should play the game before you judge it so deeply. No offence but the story and the atmosphere is pretty much what makes the game, so judging it without any consideration for that doesn't seem fair- you wouldn't judge the original resident evil or dead space games in comparison to third person shooters and nothing more.

    You say the stealth sections seem interesting, but surely most of the game's encounters are stealth. There are times when you get trapped or rushed, and of course times when you're not around any enemies, but by and large this is not a cover based shooter at all. When you're in a fight you don't slam into cover, lean over when your health recharges and pop off a bunch of headshots. The human enemies shoot back and flank, or hunt you down if they lose you, while the infected will rush you regardless.

    The health in the game doesn't recharge, and the aiming is deliberately unsteady, so poking your head out for an ambitious shot or two in the fray is generally a bad idea. It's also going to give away your position and bring everyone towards you. The ammo is also quite limited (depending on difficulty and looting) so the only time you'll shoot a lot is when you don't have a good solution and panic. The combat system is deliberately designed that you should stay in stealth and avoid enemies where possible, and if you go loud then the first thing you need to do is run away and find somewhere safer to hide.

    The setting is not the focus of the story. The infected -or even the hunters- are not the focus of the story. They are just context: the game is at the very least about survival, Joel and Ellie trekking to the ends of the Earth to try and find some way of surviving, hoping and praying that it won't all be for nothing. It's about hope, trust, love, betrayal, and despair.

    The enemy AI may not be revolutionary, but it is smart. Human enemies in particular will hunt sneak and flank when they can. Ellie not being a target is a debatable issue. Can you really call it a flaw if it was intentional and deliberate? Our preference may be otherwise, but if our preference was that they fire laser beams and fly gunships it still doesn't mean the designers were flawed. People also complain when the AI hogs resources, such as Sheva from Resi 5. It doesn't really make sense for Ellie to be any other way- she's not skilled enough to fight equally to you, and she needs to be following you on the times when you decide to sneak past a whole area. It's not like she can cloak up or just jump into the pokeball on your hip.

    Okay, you can complain about having to wait for things, but on the plus side most of these segments are still walking and talking, and they do let you skip through the cutscenes straight away, and the loading times throughout the game are a non-issue due to the preloading structure. If you quit the game and load a save file then you do have to wait a while for loading, but during a session it's practically seamless. Although, and I don't mean to be sarcastic, but surely this complaint is a little bit unfair in a stealth game- considering how in almost all stealth games you routinely have to sit still and wait for enemy patrols to move to where you need them to be. A walking scene with dialogue (and often scenery) compared to that hardly seems like an issue.

    I've got to agree with you on the DLC of course (apart from the new story DLC), it's not that I mind having a lot of DLC but the DLC trophies in Uncharted 2, 3, and TLoU are absurd and for me infuriating, serving only to spoil some of the most fair platinum trophy lists with some of the worst DLC trophies of all time. This game at least seems to lack the notorious grind of the previous two, but nonetheless pointless multiplayer trophies and even a new difficulty and not retroactive meaning that if you already platinumed the game (after two, three, or even more playthroughs) you'll still need to play the whole thing through once or twice again. Come on guys, I realise that repeat plays allow us to notice more of the little details in the game, try different approaches, and take on harder challenges, but that's too many friggin playthroughs for a game that is by no means short. Personally I'd really rather would be done with it by now, I've long since passed the point of maximum appreciation.

    I too think the PS4 version is daft and irritating, but mostly because it's unnecessary and people should've just bought it on PS3 which is at an all time low price. Also because the idea of them putting out more crap trophy DLC not on the season pass instead of moving on to the next game is disturbing. But its existence doesn't detract from the quality of the original PS3 game. Also don't think that they removed the hardest difficulty to make people pay for it, there are already four in there (not to mention +) and they all serve their purpose (which is why I think the new one is not something that should've been included, better it should never have existed. It's superfluous).

    I'm not sure you can realistically call this game generic, or if you could then compare it to others which you think are most similar and we'll see if they hold a significant resemblance, especially on a thematic level.
    In any case thanks for your input, I was glad to read it and reflected on what I thought about the game
    =Semper Fi=
  • Posted on 04 August 14 at 11:39
    Prem-aka-Prince said:
    I too think the PS4 version is daft and irritating, but mostly because it's unnecessary and people should've just bought it on PS3 which is at an all time low price.
    PS4 version is still cheaper than PS3+TLOU+DLC's for those who didn't have PS3, so I don't see why they shouldn't have released it on PS4. I think they just had a small group of people working on remaster, while the others are working on Uncharted 4, so no harm done.
    Gaelic Flame - Hybrid created from Rathalos and Kushala Daora materials. Its cut is a death sentence
  • Posted on 04 August 14 at 12:21
    Gaelic-_-Flame said:
    Prem-aka-Prince said:
    I too think the PS4 version is daft and irritating, but mostly because it's unnecessary and people should've just bought it on PS3 which is at an all time low price.
    PS4 version is still cheaper than PS3+TLOU+DLC's for those who didn't have PS3, so I don't see why they shouldn't have released it on PS4. I think they just had a small group of people working on remaster, while the others are working on Uncharted 4, so no harm done.
    If they had a PS3 they could have bought it already, and ND could have released a complete edition for cheaper still, but I meant the console which is so cheap. There are dozens if not hundreds of high quality games on the console so counting it directly into the cost as if TLoU is the only game to play on it is hardly fair.
    Maybe they made it with a small team, but the team is clearly talented- they could have been helping polish U4 or even working on another game. The money spent by people buying TLoU on PS4 could have been spent on TLoU on PS3 or complete edition with change left over, or if they already have it they could spend it on other games or other developers. The only thing that would be lost if it were my way is the upgraded graphics and PS4 features- a commonplace opportunity, considering how nobody went back to remake uncharted 1 and 2 after they realised they could get more out of the PS3 in 2013 (not to mention if they'd upgraded those for PS4 instead).
    =Semper Fi=
  • Posted on 04 August 14 at 13:57
    Prem-aka-Prince said:
    If they had a PS3 they could have bought it already, and ND could have released a complete edition for cheaper still, but I meant the console which is so cheap. There are dozens if not hundreds of high quality games on the console so counting it directly into the cost as if TLoU is the only game to play on it is hardly fair.
    That applies to people who didn't have any console before. Those who had X360 but went with PS4 this gen for example would have a hard time to justify PS3 to try 3-6 games (I know there are a lot more exclusives on PS3, but that's my average guess on how many games might interest someone), especially now, when the next gen is out.

    It's also might be a personal preference, but I would rather play on PS4 than PS3 these days, even though I have both. So if I haven't played TLoU on PS3 already, I might have got it for PS4.

    I respect your opinion, but I just can't quite understand why more options for people is bad... Those who have PS3 probably already enjoyed this great game, those who aren't going to get one will have a chance to enjoy this great game on the next gen.

    Cheers!
    Gaelic Flame - Hybrid created from Rathalos and Kushala Daora materials. Its cut is a death sentence
  • Removed Gamer

    Removed Gamer

    Posted on 05 August 14 at 12:02, Edited on 05 August 14 at 12:03 by
    Gaelic-_-Flame said:
    Prem-aka-Prince said:
    If they had a PS3 they could have bought it already, and ND could have released a complete edition for cheaper still, but I meant the console which is so cheap. There are dozens if not hundreds of high quality games on the console so counting it directly into the cost as if TLoU is the only game to play on it is hardly fair.
    That applies to people who didn't have any console before. Those who had X360 but went with PS4 this gen for example would have a hard time to justify PS3 to try 3-6 games (I know there are a lot more exclusives on PS3, but that's my average guess on how many games might interest someone), especially now, when the next gen is out.

    It's also might be a personal preference, but I would rather play on PS4 than PS3 these days, even though I have both. So if I haven't played TLoU on PS3 already, I might have got it for PS4.

    I respect your opinion, but I just can't quite understand why more options for people is bad... Those who have PS3 probably already enjoyed this great game, those who aren't going to get one will have a chance to enjoy this great game on the next gen.

    Cheers!
    That sounds like me. I never had a PS3 but I do have a PS4 now and I'm glad I get to play this game too! I hope they re-release the Jak and Daxter trilogy for PS4 as well. I also have to confess I have already played the Tomb Raider PS4 edition while I had already played it on the 360. Next gen graphics are awesome; I'll probably swap GTA V too eventually.
    "Booyah." - Jeff Winger
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