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Last of Us 2.

Discussion in 'Computers and Gaming' started by The Thumb, Jun 11, 2020.

Discuss Last of Us 2. in the Computers and Gaming area at TalkCeltic.net.

  1. The Thumb

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    My disappointment was immeasurable that Ellie didn't drown that *.. :56:
    Such a unlikeable character.
     
  2. Officer Doofy Come to me, human man Gold Member

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    She had the makings of a likeable character. The fact her dad was killed by Joel, and the guy she loved ended up with another woman...and of course her saving the brother and sister. She wasn't all bad at all, and in another game could have been a reasonable protagonist.

    But it baffles me that Naughty Dog want us to sympathise with her when she brutally murdered Joel in the way she did and clearly showed no remorse for it. Then was buzzing to learn that Dina was pregnant and about to cut her throat open. The * were ND playing at?:bash:

    Didn't mind Ellie not killing her, and actually quite liked the ending - with Ellie choosing to sort of forgive her and break out the whole cycle of revenge and murder. But aye, * Abby.
     
  3. Jamesy Bhoy 7

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    SPOILERS
    I'll echo everyone else's thought which was disappointment with a few high points. I might have felt differently if I didnt get the game and ending spoiled for me before hand but in the end maybe it helped cause if I didnt know you would have had to play as abby for so long i would have been much more frustrated by it but because i knew it was coming I was more open to it and tbh I enjoyed her play through more than ellie's first half which got boring after a while and I think I enjoyed abby and levs dynamic way more than ellie and dinas.

    Pros.
    -Graphically stunning as expected from naughty dog.
    - Improved gameplay.
    - The animations were excellent especially during the melee kills.
    - The scars storyline was interesting I thought, and like I said I enjoyed abby and levs time together.
    - The ellie boss fight was intense and conflicting because obviously no one wants to hurt ellie but it did make her look badass.
    - The Joel and ellie flashback scene going through the museum was for me the best moment of the entire series, probably because we know Joel's fate which made it very emotional and it was a nice call back to why everyone loved the first game.

    Cons
    - Not enough Joel and basically the way they treated Joel's character was the biggest sin I can throw at the game, I legit didnt want to play after he died even though I knew it was coming I didnt like how it happened and that it happened so * early.
    - The side characters * SUCKED, trying to replace joel with the charisma vacuum that was dina was a horrible decision. I've never rolled my eyes so much than when she said she was pregnant with that other boring * kid. Glad abby didnt kill her though.
    - One major drawback was the game was way too long, they could have shaved 6 or 7 hours of the game easily, the gameplay is good and I enjoy scavenging but I was scunnered before I even got to the second half of the game, again if the side characters were more interesting it probably would have helped to make it less tedious.
    - The ending, the final battle was good but final cut scene with joel and ellie just felt flat for me. [/SPOILER]
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2020
  4. Valhalla Thus spoke Batistuta.

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    Just completed it.

    The gameplay is * outstanding and the graphics etc are just on another level.

    When it comes to the story though I’m honestly shocked they got it so badly wrong. Within 10 minutes of the game it’s pretty obvious they had no idea how to take Joel and Ellie’s story further after the perfect ending to the first game.

    They should have just left the Joel/Ellie story as is instead of using basically the original game as a ‘backdoor pilot’ to set an Army vs Cult (WLF/Seraphites) game in the same universe.

    They could have took about 5/6 hours off the games easily and literally not have missed a single thing.

    Really feel they’ve * up badly on two fronts here big time.
    Leaving the original as complete and you’ve got the greatest game of all time.

    The potential for an individual Wolves/Scars game was amazing and the gameplay as Abby with Lev and Yara was probably my favourite part of the ‘main story’. The mission on the island was immense in the middle of a war.

    The only decent thing they done concerning the original game was the museum walkthrough with Joel. And to only get that right in a 30 hour game is mental.
     
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  5. Valhalla Thus spoke Batistuta.

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    And the * ‘oh we need to go that building over there?’ lets play the same * thing for 3 hours every journey got boring after the 4th time.
     
  6. Officer Doofy Come to me, human man Gold Member

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    It's been an eye opener, this game coming out and the reactions surrounding it. Lost a lot of respect for Neil Druckmann, Troy Baker (seems like the most pretentious guy in video games) and some of the other people involved in this. None of them seem able to accept criticism or willing to have a mature discussion around problems people had with the game. As soon as someone says they didn't like it, they get jumped on by hundreds of sad * who are desperate to suck up the arses of the developers and can't think for themselves.

    Ironically I haven't seen any well known Youtubers actually really enjoy the game. RadBrad, AngryJoe, PewDiePie etc. Only seems to be those too scared to lose privileges or upset their developer friends who are raving about the game.

    Over a week after finishing it and I'm still watching videos about it. Genuinely season 8 of GoT all over again. My favourite TV show and game essentially ruined by incompetent writing.:giggle1:
     
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  7. Valhalla Thus spoke Batistuta.

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    They somehow tried to make Joel and Ellie unlikeable and make Abby likeable.

    Wit the * :giggle1:
     
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  8. Gyp Rosetti Gold Member

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    Aye I think I’ll leave this and fire into Ghost of Tsushima when it’s out.
     
  9. Valhalla Thus spoke Batistuta.

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    Don’t get me wrong the actual gameplay is * amazing. And there’s some missions that I’m desperate to replay already.

    It just should’ve had nothing to do with the first game overall.
     
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  10. Gyp Rosetti Gold Member

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    The fact there’s no multiplayer either is a bit meh.
     
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  11. We named the dog Indiana Gold Member Gold Member

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    I kinda gave up on it as dome things on the story have annoyed me too much. Feel like you're just forced to like the abby character and she seems evil tbh.
     
  12. Just Kieran Gold Member Gold Member

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    I see a lot of people getting very upset over this game. While I understand why, a lot of it is way too over-the-top.

    As for Joel's death, I'm not too sure what people were expecting? The developers were very clear about the theme of the game being hate/revenge long before release, and the trailers bore that out. What else could have driven Ellie to leave a life of relative comfort in Jackson?

    The first half of the game was very, very good. It looks and sounds incredible, and I was quite happy to see them stick with the menus and crafting system that worked well in the first game, and was so familiar. It was nice having a small area to explore and scavenge on your way to your objective, but it did mean that I never really struggled for supplies/ammo and therefore never really felt in any proper danger (though admittedly I was playing on the standard difficulty).

    At first, I really disliked playing as Abby. It was clear they were trying to get you to empathise with the character you've spent hours pursuing with the intent of killing, and I get that, but at points I felt the game was flirting with being a bit preachy. Giving you Abby's perspective and unmasking her past obviously showed you the reason why she did what she did, and it was clear the intention was to show you that Abby is really not that different to Ellie. Two flaw, but relatable characters who are driven to do some pretty ugly things in the name of vengeance.

    As if that wasn't enough to hammer home the point, the relationship between Abby and Lev was used to further thrust the 'we're not that different' narrative on gamers. Both from rival factions, but ultimately just humans doing what they have to in order to survive. Owen at one point says something along the lines of "I'm done fighting for land I don't give a * about", and Abby begins to discuss the writings of the Seraphite deity with Lev.

    I get that they are probably trying to get you to question why you do the things you do in games, and consider the experiences and emotions of others, but it's something that's been done before and it all just felt a bit forced to me.

    The Abby section, while I eventually did enjoy it, could and should have been shorter. As others have said, they could have shaved a handful of hours off the game, still allowed the gamer to empathise and been better for it. It felt like we were racing towards a climactic finish at the cinema, only to then be dragged out even longer. The section after the farm where Ellie decides to go back felt like a slog that I didn't really want, but felt like I had to do to complete the journey - because that's what Ellie will have felt.

    The end fight between Abby and Ellie was brutal, ugly and hard to get through - again, because that's how it will have felt for both characters. It was a relief when Ellie let Abby go from the perspective of both characters.

    Even if you don't like some parts of the story, the gamplay is great and the game looks/feels incredible. There are some genuinely shocking moments, but I would've cut some of the more repetitive sections in the second half for better pacing. If people enjoyed the first, I'd recommend the second (it's not as good, but it's a lot to live up to).

    Disagree with some critics view that it's the game of the generation. Still * of War, for me.
     
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  13. dbhoy72

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    Just started on this, so will see how it goes.

    I liked the first one, but wasn't what I deemed a classic or anything.
     
  14. Artorias

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    Thought the game was excellent. Right up my street gameplay wise(it is very simple 3rd person shooter mechanics but the graphics and sound and death animations make it so satisfying)
    -Loved the incredibly dark and bleak theme.

    -Big fan of the 1st game, didn't really think they should have been making a sequel but really enjoyed it despite that.

    - Story was gripping, we love Joel despite him in reality being baddie from the 1st game(We can see why he did what he did though so maybe that's where people get so attached-he's our baddie). Was so good the way you feel absolute hatred and rage for Abby and her gang. It plays with you too because you can sense it's going to go bad for him and you - the player escort him to his doom.

    - The acting is the best you will see in any computer game along with the 1st game.

    -Was the biggest face turn ever though when I went Abby again and started seeing her side although I already felt really Joel got what he deserved despite whatever the audience might think.
    By the end you are conflicted to * with Ellie as almost an end boss haha I was more on Abby's side by the end and was desperate for Ellie to have a redemption arch and just let her go.

    Graphics not the most important thing to me but really stunning at parts, animation and mocap also excellent.
    I can see peoples points about it being too long but I love a long drawn out game and I actually was around the 40hr mark at the end.

    The only issue I had was the pushing of the woke *- There were a couple of times in the game I heard gay conversations(from NPCs) that were so forced and also letters from gay lovers. Being gay is ok no need to drill it in, We love Ellie and she is gay. Also loved Lev and thought it was a great way to introduce how difficult that situation would be - in a mad cult/religion and being trans. Just Naughty Dog/Druckman desperate to be labelled progressive no doubt etc.

    The music and sound in general was also brilliant.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2020
  15. Artorias

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    I actually preferred Days Gone, was as if that game was made for me though. Loved the open world and story and hordes.

    GOW was my first time I platinumned a game, couldn't put it down.
     
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  16. Jamesy Bhoy 7

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    Preferred days gone aswell, massively underrated game for some reason.
     
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  17. Valhalla Thus spoke Batistuta.

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    Aside from Abby and Ellie I actually thought the acting was weak as * this game.

    Jesse and Dina especially were just charisma vacuums who added nothing. Lev and Yara were poor as well.
     
  18. Artorias

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    I played it once it had been out for a while. Apparently there was quite a lot of bugs at launch. I came across 2 daft ones where bodies were floating in mid air but was fine otherwise. Loved it, then they released an update for loads of challenges and that for free which I thought was class.
     
  19. Artorias

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    I thought Owen was pretty cool and well acted.
    I thought the sniper set piece with Tommy was excellent too- just randomly popped in there.

    I thought the chit chat and that was excellent between Lev and Abby and discussion with their opposite views, there was a parallel to ellie and joel. It's obviously more voice acting but the emotion was put across well. It's a matter of opinion as well and I notice that so many people are unhappy with the whole game.
    The only youtuber I watch that actually liked it was videogamedunkey everyone else thought the story was garbage and too complicated
     
  20. Officer Doofy Come to me, human man Gold Member

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    The new side characters were awful. Jesse and Dina started off okay but were ultimately pointless. The rest were so forgettable or just bad.