Sony The Last of Us Part II OT - Best Served Cold, update: the story behind the game's realistic facial animations (PlayStation Blog)

[SaysWho?]

 6/1 UPDATE:

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-part-2-preview-shockingly-ruthless/1100-6477918/

 

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In The Last of Us Part II, this chapter shows off an area that's got a lot more to it than first appears. You can spend quite a bit of time exploring a number of optional spaces, if you've got a keen eye. These places often blend right into the rest of the city, but are filled with supplies, environmental puzzles, enemy encounters, and side stories. It might be something as simple as searching the employees-only area in an abandoned convenience store for crafting materials, or something a little more dangerous like the ritzy diner filled with a bunch of infected but probably also a bunch of extra supplies--a place which you can certainly skip altogether if you're not up to it.

 

 

https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/01/last-us-part-2-hands-preview-love-hate-seattle-12787736/

 

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The Last Of Us Part 2 is going to be a very hard game to review when the embargo drops next Friday. It’s almost impossible to discuss it in detail without the risk of spoilers, which is ironic given the game has already been subject to one of the biggest plot leaks in video game history (that link does not contain any spoilers). Our initial review will be spoiler free, but for now we’re not allowed to discuss any of that anyway. As although we have now beaten the game, all we can talk about right now is a section from about 10 hours into the story.

 

 

https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/gaming/last-of-us-part-2-first-impressions-ellie-a4456301.html

 

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[C]ould this be the best game ever made? The Last of Us Part II seems to be surpassing the original in every way

 

https://www.theverge.com/21274923/the-last-of-us-part-2-accessibility-features-naughty-dog-interview-ps4

 

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THE LAST OF US PART II ISN’T JUST NAUGHTY DOG’S MOST AMBITIOUS GAME — IT’S THE MOST ACCESSIBLE, TOO

When Naughty Dog was developing Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, the studio had what lead gameplay designer Emilia Schatz describes as “a very simple plan” for accessibility features inspired by one player in particular. Prior to starting work on the game, the studio received a letter from a player who managed to get near the end of Uncharted 2, but got stuck at a point where they had to rapidly press a button during a quick time event. “They were able to play all the way to that point and then they were blocked from finishing the game,” Schatz explains.

 

This experience got the studio thinking much more about accessibility — though things admittedly started slow. “In Uncharted 4 our accessibility options were actually pretty sparse,” says Schatz. “But we got a lot of community praise for it, and felt like we had a huge success with a very small amount of things that we did.” The studio decided to take things a step further with its next game.

 

https://www.gamereactor.eu/the-last-of-us-part-ii-final-impressions/

 

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Sense of Freedom
The gameplay can take a lot of the credit for this as well, as the areas in this chapter offer a wide variety of options in terms of how you can handle different situations. Many of the first game's restrictions have been thrown out the window. Being able to crawl and jump makes it easier to sneak up on or past enemies, while also making the hunt for resources and secrets far more engaging. The areas are often much bigger and more open as well, so you get to choose the approach that best suits your playstyle and equipment.

 

Great Variety
Exploring these areas wouldn't be as fun if they weren't well designed and diverse, so I'm glad to say that Naughty Dog and its partners have done a marvellous job in making each environment feel both natural and varied. In this chapter alone you'll walk on overgrown city-streets, climb and crawl your way through a dilapidated skyscraper, fight the sneaky Scars-faction in a gloomy forest, swim through a sewer, and infiltrate a hospital. All of which offers different paths and possibilities to fight, sneak and look for fun and informative collectibles.

 

https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/the-last-of-us-2

 

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 I’ll be avoiding narrative throughout this preview, only touching on how The Last of Us 2 plays and ambitiously builds upon the foundations of its predecessor.

The Last of Us 2 makes a conscious effort to confront this cycle of violence, making us feel guilty for the acts Ellie is willing to commit, even if she believes it serves a greater good. She’s been raised in an environment where killing others has always been the solution and sparing those who wronged her is a distant concept. This is one of the most grisly experiences I’ve ever played, with enemies reacting to violence in a realistic way. They’ll scream the names of their fallen comrades or clutch missing limbs while crying out in pain.

 

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2020/06/hands_on_the_last_of_us_2s_firefights_are_fraught_uncomfortable_fantastic

 

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Hands On: The Last of Us 2's Firefights Are Fraught, Uncomfortable, Fantastic

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-06-01-new-enemies-new-abilities-and-new-details-hands-on-with-the-last-of-us-part-2

 

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One thing you'll notice about The Last of Us Part 2 is that locations almost feel limitless. Even though you are of course always being subtly directed to specific waypoints, it never feels like you're being hemmed in or funnelled - the path forward seems organic, always allowing for optional detours to scavenge for resources. While exploring, we pass through shops and stores abandoned for 25 years at this point in the Last of Us timeline, but I was still able to find useful items here and there on the barren shelves, and by smashing the odd glass display and vending machine front to reach an overlooked rag or plastic bottle hidden away at the back of the case. Many areas had several stores you could explore if you wished, though it's easy to walk right by or overlook a hidden entryway if you're simply pushing ahead to the next story beat.

 

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The section of the game available for preview definitely demonstrated this. It's desperate and it's challenging and it's often brutal, but just like its predecessor, there are, at the same time, those moments of quiet beauty and stillness shining through like bright lights at the end of a dark tunnel. The road ahead for Ellie may be hard, but I still can't wait to walk it with her.

 

[AbsolutSurgen]

10 hours ago, Phaseknox said:

I personally like that they're taking a more realistic approach with the violence, because violence is often portrayed as cartoonish and unrealistic in games. But not in this game, it looks brutal, dark and gritty as fuck. I know that's not everyone's thing, but that's part of why the game looks so appealing to me because despite the popularity of the original they're not toning anything down in the sequel to appeal to the masses. They're making the game that they want without caving to mainstream appeal, and I respect that.

 

Yeah, and I'm sure that there's a reason for it which we'll find out why when we play the game. June 19th can't get here fast enough.

My comments reflect my personal taste.  I appreciate that others may not share them, and in fact may really enjoy the same things that are initially off-putting to me.

[XxEvil AshxX]

This game has been surrounded by so much controversy that I literally can't believe a word anyone says. People will either be quick to defend it, or quick to trash it. The best indication won't come for at least a few months once everyone has settled down and I can get an honest post-mortem opinion on it. 

[Firewithin]

not watching any previews.  cant wait to dive in in just a few weeks

[ShreddieMercury]

Honest question - can a video game meaningfully interrogate violence if the game's prerogative is to be engaging and fun?  I just played Bioshock Infinite and the entire theme of the game is the pointless cycle of violence and oppression throughout history, but the message completely rings hollow since I spent 12 hours shooting people, lighting them on fire, electrocuting them, watching ravens eat them, throwing them off of ledges, and breaking their necks.  If it wasn't fun to do these things, I would not have played the game.  The message of the game is one thing, the delivery is different. 

 

In the case of TLoU 2, I get the sense that because the violence is very grounded and realistic, it's supposed to be taken seriously.  What remains to be seen is how it is possible to communicate the weight of that violence when it's the only meaningful action that the player can take throughout a 15-20 hour narrative. 

 

I'm not trying to make a judgement about the game; this is something I've been pondering as I play game after game where violent action is designed to be as tactile and responsive as possible for the player.  In some sense, the trailer put me off due to the nature of violence on display, so I could also consider it very successful if that's what they're going for.  But describing the firefights as "fantastic" in the previews seems to indicate it'll be the same as ever, just more photo-realistic.

[SaysWho?]

51 minutes ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

This game has been surrounded by so much controversy that I literally can't believe a word anyone says. People will either be quick to defend it, or quick to trash it. The best indication won't come for at least a few months once everyone has settled down and I can get an honest post-mortem opinion on it. 

 

wat

 

I've seen nothing but glowing previews every time people get a chance to play it. Is the controversy story-related (haven't read a thing)?

[Kal-El814]

23 minutes ago, SaysWho? said:

wat

 

I've seen nothing but glowing previews every time people get a chance to play it. Is the controversy story-related (haven't read a thing)?

There's been discussion about crunch culture at Naughty Dog surrounding TLoU2, maybe it's related to that?

 

37 minutes ago, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

Honest question - can a video game meaningfully interrogate violence if the game's prerogative is to be engaging and fun?  I just played Bioshock Infinite and the entire theme of the game is the pointless cycle of violence and oppression throughout history, but the message completely rings hollow since I spent 12 hours shooting people, lighting them on fire, electrocuting them, watching ravens eat them, throwing them off of ledges, and breaking their necks.  If it wasn't fun to do these things, I would not have played the game.  The message of the game is one thing, the delivery is different. 

I think it could be done, but if TLoU is any indicator I don't think the sequel will attempt to do that? In that game there's a pretty clear segregation between when you're doing the sneaky shooty / the gameplay being engaging and the actual story ND wanted to tell. TLoU and Uncharted are both like this, though obviously in different ways, it's baked into their design philosophy.

[AbsolutSurgen]

32 minutes ago, SaysWho? said:

 

wat

 

I've seen nothing but glowing previews every time people get a chance to play it. Is the controversy story-related (haven't read a thing)?

Yes.  For the story and the thematic elements throughout the game.  It is based on several leaked videos, so may be partially taken out of context.

[heydude93]

On 6/1/2020 at 12:32 PM, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

Honest question - can a video game meaningfully interrogate violence if the game's prerogative is to be engaging and fun?  I just played Bioshock Infinite and the entire theme of the game is the pointless cycle of violence and oppression throughout history, but the message completely rings hollow since I spent 12 hours shooting people, lighting them on fire, electrocuting them, watching ravens eat them, throwing them off of ledges, and breaking their necks.  If it wasn't fun to do these things, I would not have played the game.  The message of the game is one thing, the delivery is different. 

 

In the case of TLoU 2, I get the sense that because the violence is very grounded and realistic, it's supposed to be taken seriously.  What remains to be seen is how it is possible to communicate the weight of that violence when it's the only meaningful action that the player can take throughout a 15-20 hour narrative. 

 

I'm not trying to make a judgement about the game; this is something I've been pondering as I play game after game where violent action is designed to be as tactile and responsive as possible for the player.  In some sense, the trailer put me off due to the nature of violence on display, so I could also consider it very successful if that's what they're going for.  But describing the firefights as "fantastic" in the previews seems to indicate it'll be the same as ever, just more photo-realistic.

 

 

ND's choice in TLOU2 to try ramping up the portrayal of violence to 70's cinema rorschach levels for audiences is an interesting one. There will probably be just as many debates about how effective it is, artistically (does the abstraction from the limited tech of PS4 undermine the intended emotional reaction to the viscera, etc) as there is how much the reaction to it reveals the attitudes of the audience.

 

[heydude93]

 

 

[Phaseknox]

6 hours ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

My comments reflect my personal taste.  I appreciate that others may not share them, and in fact may really enjoy the same things that are initially off-putting to me.

I totally get and respect that, I was just pointing out how for me the game's brutal, dark and grisly depiction of violence is a draw as opposed to a deterrent like it can be for others such as yourself. It basically comes down to different strokes for different folks.

[Brick]

 

Wonder if this has had an effect on the employees at ND. I recommend they make a fun and happy game as a break after TLoUPII.

[Dre801]

Regardless of the story leaks,  I expected it to get stellar reviews.

[Bloodporne]

7 hours ago, Dre801 said:

Regardless of the story leaks,  I expected it to get stellar reviews.

With those graphics, the amount of wow-factor of its window dressing and its social themes combined, it could barely function as a game and still hit 90+ on metacritic. I'm not saying that to shit on the game, the recent gameplay footage actually won me over to being quite excited to try it out, but this is so Oscar Bait: The Game, it's like The Revenant of video games. There's no way this isn't getting insane review scores based on all that already and the majority of them will read like post-Ebert www.rogerebert.com film reviews.

 

[johnny]

You’ll need to explain how the last of us is Oscar bait because there’s a huge difference between something like moonlight and green book. Having social themes doesn’t automatically make something Oscar bait. 

[Bloodporne]

15 minutes ago, johnny said:

You’ll need to explain how the last of us is Oscar bait because there’s a huge difference between something like moonlight and green book. Having social themes doesn’t automatically make something Oscar bait. 

I compared it to The Revenant which has nothing to do with either so I wasn't saying just because it has social themes it's Oscar Bait. I think the game positively reeks of the gaming equivalent of Oscar Bait with its auteur aspirations, the 'meant to make you feel uncomfortable' self-seriousness that looks like it wallows in misery to beat you over the head with its point. ND has clearly been all-in on the Hollywood thing since Uncharted and I think the TLoU series is their 'I'm a serious Indie movie actor' type of moment with this taking it to a new level. Even the first game already is stuffed with moments that automatically equate suffering with depth etc.

 

And to be clear, I actually think this is the first Naughty Dog game that I might fully enjoy and I think it looks much better than the first game, just to me it also comes off as pretty far up its own ass especially regarding its self-indulgent violence.

[Greatoneshere]

2 hours ago, Bloodporne said:

I compared it to The Revenant which has nothing to do with either so I wasn't saying just because it has social themes it's Oscar Bait. I think the game positively reeks of the gaming equivalent of Oscar Bait with its auteur aspirations, the 'meant to make you feel uncomfortable' self-seriousness that looks like it wallows in misery to beat you over the head with its point. ND has clearly been all-in on the Hollywood thing since Uncharted and I think the TLoU series is their 'I'm a serious Indie movie actor' type of moment with this taking it to a new level. Even the first game already is stuffed with moments that automatically equate suffering with depth etc.

 

What are you basing this on? That's a really cynical take - perhaps they're just trying to make a good, complex, darkly themed video game that speaks more to the honesty and complexity of adult real life when placed into this science fiction post-apocalyptic zombie context?

 

Then again, I thought The Revenant was a beautiful movie and I don't think Inarritu makes films to win oscars. It may have happened to be the kind of film critics and oscar voters love, but that doesn't mean anything. Now Green Book, The Blind Side, Crash . . . those are Oscar bait movies. Sometimes something is just pretentious and self serious because it intentionally wants to be, not as a cynical attempt to win over "serious" critics. See: The Fall, The Fountain, Mandy, Only God Forgives, 2001: A Space Odyssey, etc.

 

I also often see the complaint that video game writer/directors create stories to intentionally court critics because they are frustrated film directors. I think video game auteurs want to be taken seriously as artists, not specifically film directors, so they create stories that speak to them - it has little to do with anyone else, which is why the works of Sam Lake or Hideo Kojima or David Cage or whoever is so idiosyncratic, for better or worse. I appreciate these artists elevating video games each in their own way so that people "take more seriously" a medium that for a long time wasn't taken seriously at all. I don't think that's their goal, they are just using video games as their medium to tell the stories they want to tell and critics and the audience take it more seriously as a result. It's not a bad thing. 

[Bloodporne]

18 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

What are you basing this on?

Being a cynical fuck

 

And I don't disagree with most things you said, I just feel differently about Naughty Dog and I find them insufferable for some reason. Shit doesn't ever just rub you the wrong way? I don't think there's a particularly logical explanation more than I said in the my comments above, ND and Druckmann's bullshit about the game's violence just rubs me the wrong way, that's all. My opinion might totally change once I play the game, no doubt, that's just my take right now and you're right it is really cynical but I'm a cynical person.

 

Also, Death Stranding was totally my kind of pretentious. And it totally is pretentious but I just don't think it takes itself nearly as seriously as people often think of Kojima games in general. It's often silly as fuck and wonderfully so.

 

@Greatoneshere sorry, all kinds of adds to this post in case you wanna withdraw that reaction haha

[Greatoneshere]

14 minutes ago, Bloodporne said:

Being a cynical fuck

 

And I don't disagree with most things you said, I just feel differently about Naughty Dog and I find them insufferable for some reason. Shit doesn't ever just rub you the wrong way? I don't think there's a particularly logical explanation more than I said in the my comments above, ND and Druckmann's bullshit about the game's violence just rubs me the wrong way, that's all. My opinion might totally change once I play the game, no doubt, that's just my take right now and you're right it is really cynical but I'm a cynical person.

 

Also, Death Stranding was totally my kind of pretentious. And it totally is pretentious but I just don't think it takes itself nearly as seriously as people often think of Kojima games in general. It's often silly as fuck and wonderfully so.

 

@Greatoneshere sorry, all kinds of adds to this post in case you wanna withdraw that reaction haha

 

I mean, no, things don't just rub me the wrong way - there's usually some basis for it. I'm not saying Naughty Dog is some perfect company (their crunch issues are pretty clear) but the game's violence personally rubbing you the wrong way doesn't have to extend to create some cynical narrative of the entire process they bothered to go through to create this game (I'm personally very fascinated by what they mean to do with all this insanely realistic violence - it's rare for a game of this caliber and level to go this hard into something taboo so realistically). 

 

If I recall correctly, it took you awhile to come around to and play Death Stranding as well. As I've said, you'll usually have these super cynical takes but then when you go into something open minded you'll tend to enjoy whatever it is on its level. Maybe just have a positive attitude and an open mind every time?  

[Bloodporne]

18 minutes ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

I mean, no, things don't just rub me the wrong way - there's usually some basis for it. I'm not saying Naughty Dog is some perfect company (their crunch issues are pretty clear) but the game's violence personally rubbing you the wrong way doesn't have to extend to create some cynical narrative of the entire process they bothered to go through to create this game (I'm personally very fascinated by what they mean to do with all this insanely realistic violence - it's rare for a game of this caliber and level to go this hard into something taboo so realistically). 

 

If I recall correctly, it took you awhile to come around to and play Death Stranding as well. As I've said, you'll usually have these super cynical takes but then when you go into something open minded you'll tend to enjoy whatever it is on its level. Maybe just have a positive attitude and an open mind every time?  

You sound like my yoga instructor. I stopped going after a month .

 

Also, I believe we're essentially fire & ice in terms of entertainment opinions. I'm...that...and you're an android so it all works out. We can keep this board active for the next few decades arguing about gut reaction vs. logic. And I'm totally buying the game Day 1 now just to hate on it viciously and then later call it my game of the gen to piss you off.

[AbsolutSurgen]

 

IMHO, Naughty Dog has created games with very interesting/likable characters, written their dialog VERY well, and then done a phenomenal job voice acting them.  They put these characters in situations that are a lot of fun to experience.  I like the characters, so I like "being them".

 

HOWEVER, the "stories",  the overall plot, have never been memorable/good.  They are good in the same way that a great action movie is good.

 

Let's not pretend that they have done anything that have ever done anything "complex" in the terms of their storytelling.

 

18 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

What are you basing this on? That's a really cynical take - perhaps they're just trying to make a good, complex, darkly themed video game that speaks more to the honesty and complexity of adult real life when placed into this science fiction post-apocalyptic zombie context?

Nothing I have read suggests that this story is targeted around honesty, and complexity of real adult life. 

Spoiler

On the contrary, everything suggests it is about the futility of revenge -- and suggests there are "no real heroes".

[Pikachu]

 

[Greatoneshere]

15 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Nothing I have read suggests that this story is targeted around honesty, and complexity of real adult life. 

  Reveal hidden contents

On the contrary, everything suggests it is about the futility of revenge -- and suggests there are "no real heroes".

 

That sounds genuinely honest to me, and realistically complex as a proper adult theme.

[Greatoneshere]

15 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Let's not pretend that they have done anything that have ever done anything "complex" in the terms of their storytelling.

 

 

I felt that The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (moreso TLOU) certainly did complex storytelling at the triple AAA blockbuster level. Was it Disco Elysium? No, but for what it was, it felt like they were trying new things.

[Kal-El814]

9 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

 

IMHO, Naughty Dog has created games with very interesting/likable characters, written their dialog VERY well, and then done a phenomenal job voice acting them.  They put these characters in situations that are a lot of fun to experience.  I like the characters, so I like "being them".

 

HOWEVER, the "stories",  the overall plot, have never been memorable/good.  They are good in the same way that a great action movie is good.

 

Let's not pretend that they have done anything that have ever done anything "complex" in the terms of their storytelling.

This is where I'm at with them as well, though I dunno what the last bit of your post is about since I've not consumed the spoilers.

 

I like the Uncharted games, Nate is a fun guy to be, but no part of any of those games holds up to a second of critical thinking. I'm completely fine with this, until Naughty Dog tries to address it in-game, like the baddie in Uncharted 2 calling Nate out for killing thugs to get to him, or any connection to Drake's past in an attempt to make him more interesting. It just doesn't hold up.

 

This isn't a "problem" per se, and it's not like Uncharted is unique in this regard... Indiana Jones is the obvious inspiration for much of Uncharted and he's equivalently shallow and problematic.

 

A Thief's End is the most extreme manifestation of this and the starkest contrast between the gameplay in the series never being better (for the most part)... but it also has the lowest lows in terms of overall storytelling to the point where chunks of the narrative are basically storytelling cheats.

 

None of this really matters while playing the game of course, since it's generally engaging and very fun which is most of what matters. But for me personally, it's part of what makes the Uncharted games "merely" very good and keeps them from being great.

 

I generally feel the same about The Last of Us, except everything comes together better and the game is more memorable. The animation and the acting do a TON of heavy lifting and help elevate a pretty typical zombie story into something greater than the sum of its parts.

 

But do I think Naughty Dog / Druckmann are going to have something interesting to say about violence and hate in TLoU2? No, I don't think anything they've done or written to date suggests that they will. Do I think it'll be memorable and interesting to play? Yes, absolutely.

[ShreddieMercury]

It's unfortunate to me that the only things that seem to "elevate" games as a medium are the projects that look, sound, and feel like films.  My issue with previous ND games, and in particular The Last of Us is that on their own they're not groundbreaking or even interesting stories, but their pure spectacle and cinematic quality in comparison to the majority of games gives them an air of respectability.  I hate to think that games can only be taken seriously as an art form by imitating the aesthetic qualities of other mediums.  Anything is possible in video games, yet we continually celebrate and champion grounded, photo-realistic cinematic games as the best of what can be achieved.

[Greatoneshere]

52 minutes ago, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

It's unfortunate to me that the only things that seem to "elevate" games as a medium are the projects that look, sound, and feel like films.  My issue with previous ND games, and in particular The Last of Us is that on their own they're not groundbreaking or even interesting stories, but their pure spectacle and cinematic quality in comparison to the majority of games gives them an air of respectability.  I hate to think that games can only be taken seriously as an art form by imitating the aesthetic qualities of other mediums.  Anything is possible in video games, yet we continually celebrate and champion grounded, photo-realistic cinematic games as the best of what can be achieved.

 

I think we champion all kinds of games all the time, what you describe being just one type. If that wasn't the case, I would never hear about all the different kinds of games I do end up playing.

[Mercury33]

1 hour ago, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

It's unfortunate to me that the only things that seem to "elevate" games as a medium are the projects that look, sound, and feel like films.  My issue with previous ND games, and in particular The Last of Us is that on their own they're not groundbreaking or even interesting stories, but their pure spectacle and cinematic quality in comparison to the majority of games gives them an air of respectability.  I hate to think that games can only be taken seriously as an art form by imitating the aesthetic qualities of other mediums.  Anything is possible in video games, yet we continually celebrate and champion grounded, photo-realistic cinematic games as the best of what can be achieved.

I don’t really agree with this. Games are praised across all levels of of the artistic spectrum. Ori and Journey are both praised as highly as TLOU and all 3 couldn’t be or look more different from each other. All of them are examples of some of the highest levels that video games to reach. 
 

And to answer the question about violence vs fun. Absolutely you can pull that off and still carry the full weight of the message. Look at a book like American Psycho. One of the most violent and upsetting things I’ve ever read. But at the same time very entertaining and funny at times while never compromising any of its themes of messages. 

[Pikachu]

 

[Dre801]

Read that this game REALLY spins up those PS4 Pro fans; even more than is normal.  You may not be able to hear the game, LOL.

 

I have an almost first batch, base PS4; I don't even know if I want to play it on that.

[AbsolutSurgen]

8 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

That sounds genuinely honest to me, and realistically complex as a proper adult theme.

It could also be a theme for a cartoon targeted at a toddler.

Spoiler

 

 

8 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

I felt that The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (moreso TLOU) certainly did complex storytelling at the triple AAA blockbuster level. Was it Disco Elysium? No, but for what it was, it felt like they were trying new things.

Could you elaborate?  I don't remember a the plot of that game being much more than an excuse for action, and a facile background for why Drake was a jerk.

 

Spoiler

IMHO, there is a reason why most games follow a narrative that is some form of the hero's journey.

Even when there is a game, where the character is partially irredeemable.  They will do something, such as in God of War, where they partially redeem the character by having him mentor/save his son.  

I am not saying that TLOU2 won't be viewed as a great game by a significant part of the community.

There are clearly a lot of people who like the stealth genre much more than me, and the strength that ND brings to the dialog/voice acting/characterization will certainly appeal to a broad group of people.

 

However, if they have nothing interesting to say, and the demo is representative of the game, where it seem to luxuriate in the graphic "realistic" violence -- almost to the point of sadism.  I'm certainly not very interested.  I don't think it would be enjoyable to play for 30 hours

That said, I am still very interested in what people who have actually played the game have to say.  TBH, I really want to hear what they have to say on the Bombcast, because I think that crew will let me know if this is something I should play.

[Bloodporne]

1 hour ago, Dre801 said:

I have an almost first batch, base PS4; I don't even know if I want to play it on that.

[Keyser_Soze]

On 6/2/2020 at 11:24 AM, Bloodporne said:

With those graphics, the amount of wow-factor of its window dressing and its social themes combined, it could barely function as a game and still hit 90+ on metacritic. I'm not saying that to shit on the game, the recent gameplay footage actually won me over to being quite excited to try it out, but this is so Oscar Bait: The Game, it's like The Revenant of video games. There's no way this isn't getting insane review scores based on all that already and the majority of them will read like post-Ebert www.rogerebert.com film reviews.

 

I’ll save you some time.

 

Game made by Sony: Inflate the score by 10 points

[SaysWho?]

1 hour ago, Keyser_Soze said:

I’ll save you some time.

 

Game made by Sony: Inflate the score by 10 points

 

Okay, I'll bite:

 

Why is it so puzzling that their games are great and people then think they're great? His user name is Bloodporne; I'm sure he doesn't think scores for that were inflated.

 

They're the only developer that you say this for, and being talented developers with a healthy publishing pipeline when working outside of WWS is never your first thought. It's conspiracy theories involving reviewers along with conspiracy theories that Sony is paying Epic to lie about the PS5.

 

It's weird. Do you think Nintendo's scores are inflated? Rockstar? CD Projekt RED? 

[Bloodporne]

Uh I don't think there's a 'Sony bias'...

 

But I was stealth-bashing RDR2 once again