I have conflicting feelings on TLOU 1. On one hand, the gameplay, while being fun, can be really fucking annoying sometimes, causing me to waste almost an hour on some parts trying to find the solution to a problem. While some of this I will admit was me potentially not using ALL of my accessible resources with me, I still found it just really fucking annoying having to repeat sections that I found tough from annoying checkpoints with barely any resources in the hope that I might make it to the next if I do something slightly different. For the 13 hours it took me to beat this game, There was at least 4 hours of gameplay that I genuinely was just not enjoying in the game.

On the other hand however, the story is one of the best I've ever seen told in a video game, and is definitely this game's biggest strength. I really became connected to the journey of Ellie and Joel, and while I was spoiled on some major plot events (specifically relating to the beginning and ending of the game) I still found myself engaged throughout my playthrough in where their journey would go next. On top of this, while I'm not usually one who cares about it that much, this game looks incredible, and the graphical quality has aged so well I genuinely think it could have come out today and nobody would bat an eye.

I think it is a game that everyone should play once in their life, as it has some of the best acting and writing i've seen in a game, but the gameplay sections at times are definitely a bit rough around the edges, which holds it back for me as being one of my favorite games ever.

It's like finding a fucking hidden gem years after everyone else has already discovered it. I mean, where the hell was I when this masterpiece dropped?

First things fucking first, let's talk about the story. Holy shit, the story. It's like a goddamn punch in the gut, man. From the very fucking start, you're thrown into this post-apocalyptic world that's so goddamn bleak and brutal, it'll make your head spin. And let me tell you, I played this game in 2020, years after it fucking came out, and I still didn't know a goddamn thing about it. Not one fucking spoiler. And thank fuck for that, 'cause experiencing this shit blind was like a religious fucking experience.

And the characters? Oh baby, don't even get me started on the fucking characters. Joel, Ellie, Tess, Bill... these motherfuckers feel like real people, man. You get attached to them, you care about them, and when shit goes down, you feel it deep in your fucking soul.

Now, let's talk gameplay. It's fucking tight, man. The combat, the stealth, the goddamn scavenging – it's all so goddamn polished, it's like playing a fucking movie. And don't even get me started on the goddamn Clickers. Those fuckers scared the shit outta me more times than I care to admit.

Of course, "The Last of Us" ain't perfect. Some assholes might find the pacing a bit slow, or the ending a bit too goddamn ambiguous. And yeah, the multiplayer is a bit hit or miss. But you know what? None of that shit fucking matters in the grand scheme of things.

In the end, "The Last of Us" is more than just a fucking game – it's a goddamn masterpiece. It's a fucking journey through the depths of human emotion, a testament to the power of storytelling in fucking video games. And let me tell you, it's an experience you won't soon fucking forget.

Finished playing TLOUR. The little intro at the start completely hooked me into the game. The story was great, definitely a good few scenes which hit hard and some of the side characters you meet along the way were cool as well. Theres definitely some things they could have improved on like during the winter arc it was a little boring, I would liked for Tommy to have a more prominent role and maybe a larger variety of infected. I didn’t mind the combat and the ending was actually quite nice as well, was even a little controversial. Altogether I definitely had a fun time and would have like the game to have been a little longer.
8.5/10

Next up – Shadow of the Collosus

Obwohl The Last of Us zu meinen absoluten Lieblingsspielen gehört und für mein 16-jähriges Ich absolut prägend war, kam es bei mir nie zu einem erneuten Anlauf. So hat es jetzt vier Jahre gebraucht, bis es zu diesem Replay kam. Aber mein Gott, war das eine nostalgische Erfahrung.

Damals war ich überwältigt und habe zum ersten Mal wirklich begriffen, wie gut Videospiele dazu in der Lage sind, Geschichten zu erzählen. Alles, was mich damals so begeisterte, begeistert mich heute noch genauso sehr. Anfangs dachte ich darüber nach, mir das Remake zu holen, war dann aber doch zu geizig. Und Ehrlich gesagt habe ich nun aber deutlich weniger Interesse an dem Remake, weil die Remastered Version von The Last of Us immer noch unfassbar schön aussieht.
Natürlich kommt es nicht an den verbesserten Realismus heran, aber der allgemeine Look gefällt mir hier tatsächlich besser. Lass es Nostalgie sein, aber die recht kontrastreichen Farben, das eigentlich zu unnatürlich wirkende Grün der Natur und wie das Licht auf die Bäume fällt, durch sie hindurchscheint und immer wieder einen Weg in die Ruinen der Gebäude findet... Die Post-Apokalypse sah selten schöner aus.

Ich werde dieses Spiel wohl bis an mein Lebensende abgrundtief lieben und wollte in Momenten wie der bei den Giraffen gern noch ewig verweilen, wahrscheinlich so sehr wie Ellie selbst.

Loved the game play, the characters, the scripting, and the story. This is the second game (after Skyrim) to completely hook me and drive me towards completion, and I feel such a great sense of satisfaction having just beaten it (especially as I just now returned from a long and fairly grueling [albeit wonderful] trip to India). I’m so glad that this was the first story game with actual game play mechanics (not just that quick time stuff) that I’ve beaten.

Not exactly sure how I feel about the end of the game. It came fairly abruptly (especially as I was expecting a couple more chapters) and there was a lot that didn’t feel resolved. Also, I’m not a fan of Joel’s final choice.

I beat this on the second level of difficulty (normal I think) and it took me 33 hours. I hope to try it again someday at a higher setting. Also…missed out on a lot of the trophies (although I’m not exactly sure why).