I've been dying to talk spoilers about this game with someone who played and finished. If you haven't finished this game I strongly urge that you not read any further. [spoilers] About the last scene between Joel and Ellie I was wondering what you think about it. I think Ellie was remembering all the people that sacrificed their lives to get her to the fireflies. She was ready to give her life for a cure for mankind. And Joel lied to her. Not only did he lie, but he killed the surgeon who may possibly be the only person that can fashion a cure. I have a lot of friends who played this game that doesn't have kids and they all see Joel as evil for what he did. But every parent that I know thats finished the game doesn't see it that way. They look at it as Joel giving Ellie a chance to have a good life. He was actually protecting her. For all intents and purposes, we don't know if that surgeon could've fashion a cure from Ellie's brain. What if he tried and failed to find a cure and not the only and best hope for a cure is now dead? No way what I have consented to such a procedure. I think that if I were Joel, I would've done the same thing. There's no way I would let them kill innocent life just because everyone's else life is fucked up. If there was a way to keep her safe and have a happy and full life that was the answer. There's no way Marlene could've had her best interest at heart. Ellie's bullshit detector is too good. You can tell that she knows Joel lied to her, But she's willing to let sleeping dogs lie. This ending was awesome. [/spoilers] Well?? Oh, and [SPOILERS][/SPOILERS]
[spoilers] I'm playing through it again and I'm at the UEC campus. We're walkintb around and just now realized the campus is deserted and Ellie actually asks Joel if he thinks them finding a cure will hurt. Joel tries to reassure her but obviously he doesn't know. Ellie doesn't seem to know that a cure might mean her death, but I think she at least thought about it. When they get to Salt Lake City and Ellie is acting all out if it, I thought it was because of her incident with killing Davud, but now I think it's because she senses her trip with Joel is near its end and she's scared if what might happen. [/spoilers] Great fuckin game!!
There are at least a dozen PS3 exclusives that are worth playing other than The Last of Us. Journey, Heavy Rain, Uncharted trilogy and inFAMOUS 1&2 come to mind off the top of my head.
Just finished this game and thoroughly enjoyed. I honestly don't think it's worthy of the internet wide geekgasm over it though. The story was fairly predictable in places and the "twist" with the fireflies at the end was about as surprising as the sun rising this morning. I think part of the reason for the lavish praise is we so rarely get a good single player game, so when we do...we eat it up like a hobo with a ham sandwich. EDIT: If they really wanted to kick it up a notch they could have allowed you to decide whether to save Ellie or not and shown the consequences.
Well, that would've been the "gamey" way to end it, but I sort of like how TLOU told you a story and put you in the shoes of Joel. In that scene where Joel burst into the OR and grabs Ellie off the table, there is 1 person that absolutely has to die in that scene and there's a reason for it. There is a reason why you, the gamer want to take control of Joel and do things differently, but you can't. ... and lastly, there's a reason why the ending feels so awkward when you lie, but you can't stop it. Have you ever done something that you wish you hadn't? Have you ever done something so bad that you felt like you were outside of yourself watching and wishing you could do stop it? That's The Last of Us and I think it's a work of genius. Very often, when reviews come out and buzz is generated around something, expectations can be so high that you can go into it with a degree of skepticism. But think on this one a few days.
I was playing a game, for some reason I want it to be gamey. If I don't want it to be gamey I watch a movie. Honestly that's more of what this was a movie where you were allowed to take control for a few generic battle/stealth sequences.
Well, I guess that's a fair criticism. I've actually disliked a lot if games for taking away control from the player to advance a story, but for some reason, I accept it here. I get it that in those moments, The Last of Us isn't about what I would do if I were Joel. It's about Joel and what he did do. I think the Last of Us is much more than a movie and much more than most games. I kind of wish The Walking Dead took a look at this and made some changes to how they are doing things.
