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Post by Taliesin on Jun 4, 2014 7:09:08 GMT -6
Thanks, Crouton. Well, as promised, I started it tonight. For anyone reading this who may not have played it yet, I'm warning you that THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! I don't feel like putting everything in spoiler tags, so you have been warned. Okay, with that out of the way, let's get to it... Firstly, the beginning of the story is quite arresting. From the moment the ill-fated Sarah opens her eyes when her father Joel sits down on the couch to the moment all hell breaks loose and he's carrying her through the streets... well, wow. Just. Wow. You know immediately that stuff just got real. I like how the controls are seamlessly introduced to you as the story progresses, and how the dialogue just naturally slots in with the proceedings. The melee combat is quite brutal and bloody, so that took some getting used to for me, but I think it's a justifiable aspect of the story. It makes you realise that you can't just go wading in like Rambo and expect to survive. I'm now up to the bit where Joel has just met Ellie. I think the character animations are nice and fluid and naturalistic, but there is still an aspect of them that can sometimes feel a bit too mannequin-like in the cut scenes. Nevertheless, it's not a deal breaker as the story and characterisations have already sucked me in. I cannot wait to see how the rest of this unfolds.
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Post by Crouton on Jun 4, 2014 18:12:13 GMT -6
How amazing is the start!? I think it was one of the most intense starts I've ever played in a game. Although, Naughty Dog are known for that. Each of the Uncharted games also has an amazing start that throws you right into the action.
For me it's the voice-acting that makes the character. If you have the best animated character in the world they can still feel fake with terrible voice-acting, but even slightly rough visuals on a character can feel real if their voice acting is good, and I found all the voices in TLOU amazing. As well as in the Uncharted games. Naughty Dog are great at getting amazing voice actors, it makes their characters feel so real.
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Post by Taliesin on Jun 4, 2014 18:45:31 GMT -6
That is something I neglected to mention. Yes, you are absolutely right. The voice acting has conviction. At no point do you feel like the actors are phoning it in. I love the banter between Joel and that woman he spends the beginning of the game with (I forget her name). Very naturalistic, and thus involving.
I plan to play more tonight.
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Post by Crouton on Jun 4, 2014 19:00:16 GMT -6
I can't wait till you finish this game, then you will have to play Uncharted This game was scary to play at times, but mostly because the sound effects were so good haha. I couldn't wear my headphones while playing this one.
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Post by Taliesin on Jun 4, 2014 19:14:53 GMT -6
I should hopefully finish this game within the next few months. I'm trying to actually finish all my games now. I've got so many!
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Post by Crouton on Jun 4, 2014 19:17:37 GMT -6
It took me about a month or so to finish it. I'm currently trying to finish GTA V, I'm only 14% completed haha.
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Post by Taliesin on Jun 6, 2014 6:56:57 GMT -6
I played a bit more tonight, and I'm afraid I disgraced myself in front of my wife.
I was in a building with Tess and Ellie with a group of infected, and I kept getting discovered and brutally killed every time I tried to sneakily off them one by one. Seriously, between the animalistic shrieking and the ferocity of their attacks, the whole ordeal was downright stressful, infuriating, and unnerving. As a result, I kept letting off eff bombs all the way through.
Wifey demanded in no uncertain terms that I turn the game off and step away. I eventually got through that section, put the controller down, and stepped away. Then I apologised to her. Yeesh.
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Post by Crouton on Jun 6, 2014 7:11:05 GMT -6
I played the game on easy setting haha. I could deal with most of the infected but the clickers and stuff just got too much for me in the end. I wanted to enjoy the game and the story rather than be frustrated and angry the whole time. Once I switched from Normal to Easy I enjoyed it a lot more. I was still challenged from time to time but nothing that left me in a rage, and I was able to just immerse myself in the story more.
It's something you might want to consider. I know there are some gamers out there who think it's weak to play on easy haha, but I play games to enjoy them, and if I don't enjoy them/ am just frustrated/angry instead then why play?
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Post by Taliesin on Jun 6, 2014 7:17:13 GMT -6
Oh God. I WAS playing on Easy. I suck! Ha ha!
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Post by Crouton on Jun 6, 2014 7:20:46 GMT -6
Haha nah that's fair enough, even on Easy I struggled in quite a few sections, Naughty Dog made a really tough game with this one.
When you get angry just stop playing. It's the best thing for me. If I kept trying and kept failing over and over again it just never works. I just get angry and frustrated and start raging at the game. But 80% of the time, I kid you not, if I just turn the game off for the night and go back to it the next day I can usually beat what I was stuck on first or second try.
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Post by Taliesin on Jun 6, 2014 7:26:45 GMT -6
That's true, and it's what I should have done tonight. I think the whole thing had me a bit rattled to be honest with you. I just wasn't expecting THAT level of intensity, and the game was intense enough already! They weren't kidding around with that R rating. Hoo boy.
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Post by raoh on Jun 6, 2014 13:03:28 GMT -6
I watched a full playthrough of the vanilla game. I liked some parts but overall I felt really mixed on the overall end message the game was shooting for. It was refreshing in the aspect it wasn't as much of a power fantasy as other games have been lately.
I feel like lots of the potential was held back by it basically being The Road too. Post-apocolyptic stuff has been wearing heavy on me though, lots of the same messages about how people are evil animals that all deserve God's wrath. Some of my gripes could be must extending that message because of the similar aesthetic.
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Post by Crouton on Jun 6, 2014 18:15:37 GMT -6
That's true, and it's what I should have done tonight. I think the whole thing had me a bit rattled to be honest with you. I just wasn't expecting THAT level of intensity, and the game was intense enough already! They weren't kidding around with that R rating. Hoo boy. You should do that next time, it's much better than getting all angry in front of your wife haha.
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Post by Taliesin on Jun 6, 2014 19:08:56 GMT -6
I watched a full playthrough of the vanilla game. I liked some parts but overall I felt really mixed on the overall end message the game was shooting for. It was refreshing in the aspect it wasn't as much of a power fantasy as other games have been lately. I feel like lots of the potential was held back by it basically being The Road too. Post-apocolyptic stuff has been wearing heavy on me though, lots of the same messages about how people are evil animals that all deserve God's wrath. Some of my gripes could be must extending that message because of the similar aesthetic. Hm, it's going to be interesting to see what I feel about it by game's end. I can't wait to see how the rest unfolds. That's true, and it's what I should have done tonight. I think the whole thing had me a bit rattled to be honest with you. I just wasn't expecting THAT level of intensity, and the game was intense enough already! They weren't kidding around with that R rating. Hoo boy. You should do that next time, it's much better than getting all angry in front of your wife haha. For sure. I think she was (justifiably) disgusted with my behaviour. Ha ha.
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Post by Crouton on Jun 10, 2014 18:52:44 GMT -6
Hows this going Eph, have you played much more?
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