I realize that not everyone liked TLOU II, but this review is excessively sarcastic and doesn't even try to give this game a fair shake, so it's not at all informative or funny.
I originally intended to do a much more traditional review, but I thought this game deserved something different for how it was praised by critics: it essentially proved that videogames are going to be considered artistic even if they simulate other, supposedly better form of arts, essentially trying to do stuff that wastes its own medium's potential. I mean, we can argue about gameplay (how it draws you in is totally subjective), but the fact that the story has several elements that make it predictable is something that many people on TV Tropes (and on other sites) have pointed out. What I wanted to say is just that it's a game that says to other developers how they don't need to try to write a complex and compelling stories that intelligently uses the medium itself, but that they can simply put a not-really-original story over a gameplay and a world that don't line up smoothly and get away with it because of the "what" and not of the "how". The literal definition of style over substance. At least in my opinion.
If it doesn't make you laugh, though, I take full responsibility. I just don't want to come off as a mindless hater.
I really don't want to brag or anything, but...
I think being more honest and open about that would’ve led to a better review, as it is the sarcasm just makes it genuinely hard to tell what you’re going for when you shift from praising the state of the art technical achievement to criticizing the narrative as shallow, and superficially attempting to seem deeper than it is through aping cinematic language.
I actually wanted to say that the graphics won\'t save the game because they will be surpassed in a generation or two, and that they\'re more of an indication of good programmers and a lot of money more than anything that can actually elevate the game, but I can definitely see how I should have made that more clear. I guess I can fit this review in the \"failed experiments\" category. Thanks for the feedback anyway!
I really don't want to brag or anything, but...
Personally, I think reviews are generally best when they're written with straightforward and informative styles of writing, and that if you have a point, you should make it as clearly as possible. Of course, experiments are meant to help the people conducting them learn things, and I hope you learned about the best way to write a review from this experiment.
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The Workout Plan For Developers
Welcome to "Lessons on artistic merits"!
You're a video-game programmer, right? And you want to get recognized for your merits by society, right?
Don't worry then, because I have the solution to ALL of your problems. Just follow this review and understand the genius behind the product, okay? GOOD, let's begin!
The Last of Us: Part II is the sequel to Spec Ops: The Line, but it was renamed after another unrelated game to sell more copies.
I remember liking The Last of Us when I first played it. Okay, it was the festival of the cliche, but it certainly knew how to tell its story in an effective way that didn't seem too generic. Its sequel, however, aims at the "state of art" kind of feel, more than the "weird zombie movie you go see on Sunday" thing of the first. And I really can't say that it's a good result... 'cause it's an amazing result, of course.
Part II sticks out for graphics and superficial game-play: it's essentially an adventure/shooting game with better animations than the norm, with big budget scenarios that will make people gasp in awe until the Play Station 6 comes out.
What do you say? You're a small indie developer and you don't want to sell your soul to Satan to win the lottery? No problem! This amazing game has you covered on the story front too!
Remember what I said about The Last of Us' story? Well, you can apply that to Spec Ops: The Sequel too! There's only a tiny difference! Now, every single character is completely two dimensional! This is what we call TRIMMING THE FAT!
The main character is the girl from the first game, Ellie, which goes on a fucking rampage in search of revenge. Now, I know what you're thinking: "But amazing Mr. Vibrations! Isn't that one of the most basic outlines for a story you can come up with? Where's the innovation?" Good question, my friend! Don't worry, I'll respond to your doubts after having talked about the themes!
The themes of this story are about how violence is bad and you shouldn't do it. In the first game, the theme was the possibility of founding hope in a world that is more and more filled with cynicism and stupidity as every year goes by, and how clinging to that hope is difficult. In this sense, setting it in a post-apocalyptic Earth made perfect sense. The theme of violence, instead, doesn't manage to either follow the prequel in terms of thematic coherence nor construct a new meaning for the world in which is set in, which makes everything fall on the weight of the characters. Which are not really made to support such weight, considering they're pretty surface level.
But don't worry, friend. After all, in real life themes don't exist, so your story doesn't need to flesh out the characters behind some basic attitudes or make the themes fit the world you've created!
With these guidelines, even YOU can sell your soul and become another amazing developer!
Check out next time for other guidelines on how to become a respected artist!