I had trouble sleeping the last couple nights and I felt like experiencing this game again so I mainlined it on easy. I've actually cooled quite a bit on this game over the years. My biggest gripe is the removal of player agency. This game really does not require much input from the player and it feels more like Naughty Dog wanted to make an HBO series instead of a game. I'm glad they're getting the HBO series they've always dreamed of.
At least the story you move through is good. It doesn't do anything new or particularly innovative, but it's a good tale well told. It feels odd to complain about lack of player agency when I love the Uncharted series so much and those games have the same problem. But those games are more fun. Outside of the cutscenes and a few great set pieces, The Last of Us can be a pretty serious slog. The combat is decent but the looting/crafting, environmental "puzzles" if you can call them that, and pacing particularly in the Salt Lake City part of the game really do not do it for me.
There is still plenty to love. The opening scene with Joel and Sarah and the final scene with Joel and Ellie are both incredible narrative experiences. The iconic giraffe scene is a beautiful moment of wonder and melancholy. The voice acting was all industry-leading at the time of release and still holds up today.
All in all, I think this game is greater than the sum of its parts. If I'm looking at the parts individually, some of them are pretty bad and I'd be more inclined to give this a 3/5. Frankly this used to be one of my favorite games of the 2010s but I would not consider it that anymore. There are better post-apocalyptic games, better zombie games, games with better writing, games with better story. But The Last of Us is deftly directed, confident in that direction to the point that you have no choice but to experience the game exactly as it is presented to you, and emotionally moving. Everything comes together pretty nicely and this game does ultimately push its genre forward.
Strangely, my feelings cooling toward this game make me more excited to revisit Last of Us II.
At least the story you move through is good. It doesn't do anything new or particularly innovative, but it's a good tale well told. It feels odd to complain about lack of player agency when I love the Uncharted series so much and those games have the same problem. But those games are more fun. Outside of the cutscenes and a few great set pieces, The Last of Us can be a pretty serious slog. The combat is decent but the looting/crafting, environmental "puzzles" if you can call them that, and pacing particularly in the Salt Lake City part of the game really do not do it for me.
There is still plenty to love. The opening scene with Joel and Sarah and the final scene with Joel and Ellie are both incredible narrative experiences. The iconic giraffe scene is a beautiful moment of wonder and melancholy. The voice acting was all industry-leading at the time of release and still holds up today.
All in all, I think this game is greater than the sum of its parts. If I'm looking at the parts individually, some of them are pretty bad and I'd be more inclined to give this a 3/5. Frankly this used to be one of my favorite games of the 2010s but I would not consider it that anymore. There are better post-apocalyptic games, better zombie games, games with better writing, games with better story. But The Last of Us is deftly directed, confident in that direction to the point that you have no choice but to experience the game exactly as it is presented to you, and emotionally moving. Everything comes together pretty nicely and this game does ultimately push its genre forward.
Strangely, my feelings cooling toward this game make me more excited to revisit Last of Us II.