Board 8 > The Last of Us 2 topic (ongoing spoilers)

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've played up to the part where Seattle Day 1 starts.

I'm enjoying playing, but the story hasn't really made me invested yet, which the first one did right away.

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I'm up to the end of Seattle Day 2. Enjoying the gameplay (though, Survivor mode is making me hate dogs), but the plot is still kinda eh. It looks like it's building up to something though. Favourite part so far is the museum.

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agreed with the last two posts. I'm a bit further than FAH.

so far it's got a bit of that Uncharted 4 problem in that it's just another story in an existing Naughty Dog universe with characters we (theoretically should) have a strong emotional connection with, but it doesn't do anything more. except the problem in UC4 is that the story they told had already been told in an Uncharted game, where as this one is just slowly following up on the last game in very predictable ways.

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That's what I was afraid of, that it'd just be another predictable Uncharted story but with zombies.

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https://twitter.com/TheHeroJackMan/status/1274692035535147008

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Man there are some intense sequences in day 2

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man, I'm so surprised at how straightforward and trite this game is. it's very good moment-to-moment - the performances carry a lot of weight, and I love the combat design - but when I take a step back and look at all this is building to I keep thinking, "there's no there there."

the smartest thing this game does is what happens at the end of the prologue because it's something you want to do early so you can tell your own story. and then instead of moving on, the story is suffocated by the weight of the past for hours while having exactly one thing to say about the world. it's so slight!

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i think this game is what i thought the first one was going to be. it feels way more like a dark uncharted than part one did

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I'm just past the aquarium and, uh... okay, I guess we're doing this now. Man, this game just keeps going and going and going, huh?

iiicon posted...

man, I'm so surprised at how straightforward and trite this game is. it's very good moment-to-moment - the performances carry a lot of weight, and I love the combat design - but when I take a step back and look at all this is building to I keep thinking, "there's no there there."

This is basically where I am. I'll wait till the credits role before making a final judgement, as it's entirely possible they're gonna do some amazing bait and switch or just stick the landing so well that it's fine or something, but so far there's just this huge disconnect between the gameplay and the cutscenes that feels like a huge missed opportunity to hold a mirror up to the player.

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i finished it. not gonna spoil anything in here, but it really felt like the game was several different seasons of a weird tv show.

it was fun, though.

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This might be the dumbest thing I've ever made *narrative spoilers* (if that's a thing?)

https://twitter.com/TheHeroJackMan/status/1275529796936781826

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JackMan posted...

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever made *narrative spoilers* (if that's a thing?)

https://twitter.com/TheHeroJackMan/status/1275529796936781826

I love it

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JackMan posted...

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever made *narrative spoilers* (if that's a thing?)

https://twitter.com/TheHeroJackMan/status/1275529796936781826

this is excellent. I hope it gets all the retweets.

JackMan posted...

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever made *narrative spoilers* (if that's a thing?)

https://twitter.com/TheHeroJackMan/status/1275529796936781826

This. This is good.

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Just played through what I had to in NG+ to finish my upgrades and this game is super annoying to replay. So many unskippable slow and boring parts.

Character spoilers: Abby's Seattle Day One is really shittily paced, especially after Ellie's chapters. It's so boring. Really pulls you out of the game.

Overall, I enjoyed the game, but especially the first half. I liked the first game quite a bit more.

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JackMan posted...

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever made *narrative spoilers* (if that's a thing?)

https://twitter.com/TheHeroJackMan/status/1275529796936781826

omfg this is hillarious

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JackMan posted...

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever made *narrative spoilers* (if that's a thing?)

https://twitter.com/TheHeroJackMan/status/1275529796936781826

if i had a twitter, i would retweet this. fucking class.

I just beat it. It's fantastic. I love it.

I will keep all spoilers to myself, but I will say one thing. I stayed completely away from any discussion of the game AT ALL before finishing it. I didn't read the leaks, I didn't read anyone's complaints or compliments, I didn't read reviews... nothing. I did read all that AFTER beating the game. I have not seen a single complaint against the game's themes or exploration of issues that seemed entirely fair. Some I can understand, but still strongly disagree with. Every societal issue the game decided to tackle (including deadnaming), I feel like it did so in a responsible and meaningful way. The game may use certain things in its plot, but that is by no means exploiting or condoning anything.

Biggest issue with the game was that the pace was slowed down way too much by repeated sections of buildings to scavenge. If you don't care to be as thorough as I was in looking for supplies / collectibles / workbenches / manuals / etc, that is probably less of an issue for you.

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Finally back to this, let's go

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I didn't actually finish the flashback, it went longer than I thought

It was sweet. Made me miss Joel a lot to be honest.

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XIII_rocks posted...

I didn't actually finish the flashback, it went longer than I thought

It was sweet. Made me miss Joel a lot to be honest.

Just played past this part last night before stopping, can confirm the emotions were there.

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Wow that car sequence in day 2 was really intense. Was gritting my teeth the whole time.

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Ya day 2 has some dope sections, that one included

I actually loved that whole section where you are bouncing from house to house etc

I think my favorite parts of the game are when you just start running. I've been trying not to kill human enemies as much as possible and it's made the game that much better. I love how you can just run

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OK this second flashback had a cool thing

You enter with Tommy and Joel is right there, then 2 minutes later you exit out the same door you came in, but there's a whole big room totally unexplored. So of course, being a gamer, you run around and explore the room and grab stuff

But this ties perfectly in with Ellie's own reluctance to talk to Joel and spend time alone with him, and triggers a little exchange between her and Tommy.

idk man maybe that is like amateur-level game-making or something but I thought that was some pretty clever design. A synthesis of gameplay and story and knowing your audience

pezzicle posted...

Ya day 2 has some dope sections, that one included

I actually loved that whole section where you are bouncing from house to house etc

I think my favorite parts of the game are when you just start running. I've been trying not to kill human enemies as much as possible and it's made the game that much better. I love how you can just run

I tried to be stealthy. I have that MGS mindset where I lose "points" for being seen, even though I know there's really no such thing here. One of them took me a few tries to get through. Good sequences. Dogs are annoying. I love the detail in what the enemies say.

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Day 2 was a lot better than day 1, which dragged on for too long imo.

I enjoyed the flashbacks, but the pacing was off in the first one. I don't think I prefer storytelling through flashbacks, but the chemistry between the characters are better in those than present, so that's something.

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HOLY FUCK WHAT THE FUCK
That was one of the most horrific jumpscares I've ever had in a game
Trying ot use the workbench and getting attacked MID-UPGRADE
You sons of bitches ND

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Fuck Seattle

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Oh my GOD stop fucking JUMPSCARING ME

(Also I love the subtitles they used to denote louder whistling. Literally: ***WHISTLES!!!***)

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lmao the Vita

I recognise the music...
Oh yeah Hotline Miami

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Oh shit.
(Just got to the end of Day 2)

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XIII_rocks posted...

HOLY FUCK WHAT THE FUCK
That was one of the biggest jumpscares I've ever had in a game
Trying to use the workbench and getting attacked MID-UPGRADE
You sons of bitches ND I nearly had a heart attack

Yeah that one got me too

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Great_Paul posted...

Yeah that one got me too

Haha same

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XIII_rocks posted...

Oh shit.
(Just got to the end of Day 2)

That's the hospital right?

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yeah

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Damn that entire scene with Owen and Mel I thought Abby was just going to suddenly be there and whack Ellie

The tension felt incredible

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XIII_rocks posted...

HOLY FUCK WHAT THE FUCK
That was one of the biggest jumpscares I've ever had in a game
Trying to use the workbench and getting attacked MID-UPGRADE
You sons of bitches ND I nearly had a heart attack

I was somewhat distracted during this moment, so the effect was... lessened (second video).
https://twitter.com/TheHeroJackMan/status/1274692308353585154

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XIII_rocks posted...

Damn that entire scene with Owen and Mel I thought Abby was just going to suddenly be there and whack Ellie

The tension felt incredible

End of day 3? You flying

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JackMan posted...

I was somewhat distracted during this moment, so the effect was... lessened (second video).
https://twitter.com/TheHeroJackMan/status/1274692308353585154

lmao

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Oh right
So that's who she is

This is some really good shit dude

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Glad you are liking it

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I can see why people are mad at this game.

Ellie keeps finding pristine guitars 24 years into the apocalypse and never puts them back in the case. What a monster.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFI6cV9slfI

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All of those spoiler tags that I'm avoiding have me incredibly hyped to start day 2 and beyond tonight.

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This game is a masterpiece

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Oh hey it's Jeffrey Wright
cool

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The real worst change is obviously that finding alcohol makes a much less satisfying sound than it did in the first game.

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Finally started, loving it but already have some concerns about the structure of the story. The scenes themselves are excellent though.

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XIII_rocks posted...

HOLY FUCK WHAT THE FUCK
That was one of the biggest jumpscares I've ever had in a game
Trying to use the workbench and getting attacked MID-UPGRADE
You sons of bitches ND I nearly had a heart attack

fastest my heart raced in the whole game probably

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Alright, let's go
idk if I'll finish it today. Hopefully.

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Holy what
I just bit that chick's ear clean off
eugh

Go Abby holy shit

killed her with the pointy end of the hammer to the eye and then i audibly made a sound I can't even describe
I think I'm getting more squeamish and less desensitized as I get older, or this game is just way more brutal than I'm used to

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