The Last of Us. Part 2

[Wax1234]

I’m on day 2 and I think it’s great, a good evolution from the first game and the wide open spaces and different ways to approach the encounters really make it for me.

I’m taking a stealth/guerrilla approach where possible

https://youtu.be/WL7--t5_pn0

[Seanseansean]

Yazza54 said:

I ended up really liking Abby ...

Abby is a amazing Character, I loved how I totally flipped my feelings towards her.
Definitely a 10/10 game for me.
I just think people are jumping on the hate train or are just to dense to understand the story.

[Motorrad]

It reminds me of the walking dead TV series. I started off liking it then a certain baseball bat incident just turned me off completely and I didn't watch another episode.
A short way into this a similar thing happened and I don't know if I can be bothered to play on.
So I hate the story but the gameplay is pretty similar to the first one and it looks great. So far a 6/10 for me. Maybe if I stick with it then things will improve.

[Lynchie999]

... Ive not played this, but Im guessing the RDR2 equivalent is playing as Micah in Guarma for 3/4 of the game...

[DanL]

Lynchie999 said:

... Ive not played this, but Im guessing the RDR2 equivalent is playing as Micah in Guarma for 3/4 of the game...

Nothing could be that bad.

[parabolica]

Seanseansean said:

Abby is a amazing Character, I loved how I totally flipped my feelings towards her.
Definitely a 10/10 game for me.
I just think people are jumping on the hate train or are just to dense to understand the story.

I wouldn’t say I totally changed my attitude towards her but the longer I played and when the other two characters were introduced I did start to enjoying planning her. I’ve just started new game+ to mop up achievements etc and I suspect I’ll be totally fine playing her chapters this time now I know what’s what.

I still commend Naughty Dog for being brave with the story though; interesting to see Ellie as this revenge junky.

[Durzel]

Lynchie999 said:

... Ive not played this, but Im guessing the RDR2 equivalent is playing as Micah in Guarma for 3/4 of the game...

Pretty much, or being expected to sympathise with Negan immediately after the baseball bat scene. You're supposed to just forget that you love the characters he took out, I suppose, and how long you spent on the journey with them.

I suppose having to play as Micah straight away would be fantastic storytelling too. Micah was misunderstood, and had it rough too, don't you know.

Each to their own but I don't have any interest in slogging through playing a character I actively hate, so that eventually I might think "hmm maybe she had it rough too". I never thought Joel was a virtuous character, or deserved not to pay for what he did, but I'm not going to suffer some torture porn "if you seek revenge, dig two graves" stshow when I could just play something I actually enjoy.

Different strokes for different folks.

[A Winner Is You]

Motorrad said:

It reminds me of the walking dead TV series. I started off liking it then a certain baseball bat incident just turned me off completely and I didn't watch another episode.
A short way into this a similar thing happened and I don't know if I can be bothered to play on.
So I hate the story but the gameplay is pretty similar to the first one and it looks great. So far a 6/10 for me. Maybe if I stick with it then things will improve.

I used some of the money I was going to use to buy this on the final season of the Walking Dead game. Whilst completely different in gameplay style, it's also a narrative driven story game set in the post apocalypse, deals with revenge, has a minor event from the first game create the antagonist of this one, and features a young female lead. But in this case it had characters I empathised with and brought her arc to a close in a happy-ish ending. I also used another chunk to buy Ion Fury, which is an awesome retro fps that also has a kick ass female lead. But I guess I'm still a basement dwelling neckbeard incel.............

[Gee68]

Durzel said:

Lynchie999 said:

... Ive not played this, but Im guessing the RDR2 equivalent is playing as Micah in Guarma for 3/4 of the game...

Each to their own but I don't have any interest in slogging through playing a character I actively hate, so that eventually I might think "hmm maybe she had it rough too". I never thought Joel was a virtuous character, or deserved not to pay for what he did, but I'm not going to suffer some torture porn "if you seek revenge, dig two graves" stshow when I could just play something I actually enjoy.

Different strokes for different folks.

You don’t have to “slog through it”, it’s like reading a book,you turn the page and get engrossed in the story unfolding before you.
I’m really struggling with people who can’t or won’t engage with the story because It doesn’t go the way they expect,especially people who haven’t even played it??

I’d love to see what films you enjoy watching.

[Durzel]

I already know I won’t like it though? I know about a pivotal event that happens early on, and I know you play as the person responsible for that event for a significant part of the game.

Why would you want someone to sit through something they know they won’t enjoy? I’ve already said nothing they could tell me about that character would change my mind about her and what she did, and expecting me to play as her while I learn how she too had issues, hating her all the while, and being forced to play as her, isn’t enjoyable for me. I happen to believe there is such a thing as being irredeemable.

As I said - different strokes for different folks. I was invested in TLOU and that partnership, and that’s what I wanted to experience in a sequel. This game isn’t that, so it isn’t for me. I’ve never said that it’s objectively bad because of it, only that I have no interest in playing as her, so I’m opting out.

The Micah comparison is a good one, I think. Imagine paying the entirety of RDR2, being totally invested in Arthur, and then the game forces you to play as Micah for the epilogue so you can learn he had a bad upbringing? I do not care, nothing he does or says will redeem him in my eyes, and I wouldn’t want to participate in that journey.

Edited by Durzel on Friday 3rd July 21:25

[Yazza54]

I didn't really want to play as Abby at first, then the story unfolded and from her POV you can totally see why she did what she did, and she's had just as rough a ride through life as Ellie if not worse. It's a balancing act, why should one group of people be able to waltz through life killing whoever they want whenever they want and get away with it, and another group of people just take it without retaliating? That's just not realistic.

[DanL]

Yazza54 said:

I didn't really want to play as Abby at first, then the story unfolded and from her POV you can totally see why she did what she did, and she's had just as rough a ride through life as Ellie if not worse. It's a balancing act, why should one group of people be able to waltz through life killing whoever they want whenever they want and get away with it, and another group of people just take it without retaliating? That's just not realistic.

This.

Going to try and avoid story spoilers (again) but of necessity I’ll be mentioning some story beats in general terms which might spoil the game if you want to play totally cold. Obviously that you play as Abby during some of the game has already been revealed, so that ship has sailed in the thread!

My opinion of Abby changed as I progressed through the game and kept playing her. I’ve yet to finish, but have already reached a point where I have been OK for the game to have ended, as I’d have been quite happy for the characters to end up where they were. Seems there’s still more to play, and I’ll press on to see how they really resolve the game.

It’s impressive story telling, and I trust they’ll bring things to a conclusion that is at least satisfying, even if it might not be what I wanted for the characters.

The game is a little “woke” in terms of some of the story elements I’ve seen so far, and I can understand how some people might object and ask “why is this needed in the game?”. I’d probably counter with “why not?”, as it provides inciting incidents or motivation to the characters.

[DanL]

Finished it. A good game, great story. Spoilers to follow.
I’m in two minds about the ending. I didn’t want them to fight at all, and had one go where I didn’t put up a fight. Died, and game over.

So, fought it out - a brave ending, in that it’s not a neat happy one that leaves you feeling good. I’m in two minds whether I’d have preferred that ending or not, given it carried on, but I would have been entirely happy for the game to end at the farmhouse.

[scrubchub]

Has anyone read about the abuse that the actress who plays Abby has been getting? It really does beggar belief.

[Durzel]

scrubchub said:

Has anyone read about the abuse that the actress who plays Abby has been getting? It really does beggar belief.

I don’t think Druckmann has been helping by posting salty memes. Doesn’t excuse it one bit, but he seems quite happy to stir the pot rather than try and diffuse it.

There are people who are upset about the direction the new game took. I would say I’m disappointed in it, but at the same time it’s not my right to dictate to the author what and how they tell the story they want to tell. I simply won’t partake in it. That’s pretty much where “emotional” criticism should end.

[parabolica]

scrubchub said:

Has anyone read about the abuse that the actress who plays Abby has been getting? It really does beggar belief.

Yeah I saw her tweets yesterday where she posted a bunch of screenshots of the death and rape threats she’s been getting from all the neckbeards. I honestly don’t know what goes through someone’s mind when they decide to post such bile towards any actress (or anyone) esp as she had nothing to do with the narrative direction. Same thing happened to the girl from the Last Jedi movie; ended up driving her off socials.

[Yazza54]

WTF

Absolute retards

[Motorrad]

It beggars belief to think anyone would care that much. I tried to soldier on but decided I didn't like the direction the game took story wise so I've just traded it in. I've got better things to do with my time than waste it on a game that wants to piss me off.

[AshVX220]

Wax1234 said:

I’m on day 2 and I think it’s great, a good evolution from the first game and the wide open spaces and different ways to approach the encounters really make it for me.

I’m taking a stealth/guerrilla approach where possible

https://youtu.be/WL7--t5_pn0

Is this game not as linear as the first one then? As that's something that I thought really let the first one down, open world has really made linear games a bit naff to me now. If this has more space to allow different approaches then I may be interested.

[parabolica]

AshVX220 said:

Is this game not as linear as the first one then? As that's something that I thought really let the first one down, open world has really made linear games a bit naff to me now. If this has more space to allow different approaches then I may be interested.

No it’s still pretty linear; it has a few nice open-ish world sections where you can explore and scavenge stuff; the you still have to go to certain objectives to move the story along.