Story and games usually don't meld very well with me. I could care less for most game stories. As long as the gameplay is solid, I can well enough ignore a crappy or half-baked storyline. But... when the stars align and both halves are present and bond in harmony... it's truly something special.
The Last of Us' story isn't really thought provoking, philosophical, or particularly unique in any regard. For the most part, pretty much every zombie apocalypse trope I know of is present (though some of the tropes are played with) and accounted for. However, the way the story is told makes for compelling drama that drove me to the end. The characters are complex and have their own motives and purposes. No character really felt like a total caricature, even the "villain" of the story. It's obvious that Naughty Dog put a lot of love and care into the story and writing. It feels like a good TV or movie drama.
But the gameplay itself should be noted. Again, nothing in the gameplay stands out as particularly original. The usual choice between stealth or action is present, the conservation of resources from games of its ilk is there, and the somewhat shoehorned RPG elements are accounted for. But like the story, the way each of these parts come together make a marvelous whole. The gameplay is always tense. I've never really played many games where finding just two or three bullets/shells felt so amazing. Every single shot is like a gift that should not be wasted haphazardly.
The zombies in this game (yeah, they're basically zombies. Come at me) are pretty damn disturbing in concept and execution. Some can see and others can only sense the player with sound. If one is alerted, you can be damn sure that the rest are too. One single bite from a zombie is fatal regardless of difficulty. Touches like that add so much immersion into the game's world.
The human enemies are ruthless bandits that will gleefully beat the tar out of the player. I grew to hate those bastards. Every single blow is felt and every single one is brutal and weighty. It's a violent, nasty, grim game and I love it for that.
The gameplay and story meld together fantastically. Just for the one playthrough it's well worth the money. It's a must-own for any PS3 owner.
Naughty Dog had a story to tell, and they told it... well.
Story and games usually don't meld very well with me. I could care less for most game stories. As long as the gameplay is solid, I can well enough ignore a crappy or half-baked storyline. But... when the stars align and both halves are present and bond in harmony... it's truly something special.
The Last of Us' story isn't really thought provoking, philosophical, or particularly unique in any regard. For the most part, pretty much every zombie apocalypse trope I know of is present (though some of the tropes are played with) and accounted for. However, the way the story is told makes for compelling drama that drove me to the end. The characters are complex and have their own motives and purposes. No character really felt like a total caricature, even the "villain" of the story. It's obvious that Naughty Dog put a lot of love and care into the story and writing. It feels like a good TV or movie drama.
But the gameplay itself should be noted. Again, nothing in the gameplay stands out as particularly original. The usual choice between stealth or action is present, the conservation of resources from games of its ilk is there, and the somewhat shoehorned RPG elements are accounted for. But like the story, the way each of these parts come together make a marvelous whole. The gameplay is always tense. I've never really played many games where finding just two or three bullets/shells felt so amazing. Every single shot is like a gift that should not be wasted haphazardly.
The zombies in this game (yeah, they're basically zombies. Come at me) are pretty damn disturbing in concept and execution. Some can see and others can only sense the player with sound. If one is alerted, you can be damn sure that the rest are too. One single bite from a zombie is fatal regardless of difficulty. Touches like that add so much immersion into the game's world.
The human enemies are ruthless bandits that will gleefully beat the tar out of the player. I grew to hate those bastards. Every single blow is felt and every single one is brutal and weighty. It's a violent, nasty, grim game and I love it for that.
The gameplay and story meld together fantastically. Just for the one playthrough it's well worth the money. It's a must-own for any PS3 owner.