This game pretty much deserves five stars for the story alone. When I first played this game, I was rapidly losing interest in new video games and was primarily interested in retro games and pinball. The only reason why I even played this game is because it was packaged in with the brand new PS4 I got in 2015. (I must have been crazy throwing all of that money on a shiny new PS4 if I was primarily interested in retro gaming.) Anyway, I didn't really know anything about this game going in, but I played it because it was free and I like free stuff. And by the time I got about 3/4 of the way through on Normal difficulty, I was hooked and immersed in the characters, story, and gameplay. When I finished the game, and witnessed the emotional ending, I realized that this game is art and that video games could be a very powerful form of art when done well. One could say that reading a novel is more intimate than watching a movie because the novel gives you a glimpse into the character's thoughts and the reader gets to know them in a way that just can't be replicated through a screenplay. But video games have the whole interactive element where you get to actually be the characters and guide them through their journey, effectively binding yourself to their story in a way no other form of media or art can.
I won't go into details about the story, because if you haven't played it by now, the less you know, the better it will be. However, I will mention that I just finished a second playthrough on hard difficulty to refresh my memory for the sequel. During this playthrough, I realized how well thought out the structure of the story and character development was. For example, throughout their journey, the two main characters meet up with all sorts of people that they end up aligning themselves with. Each of these alliances slowly force both of the main characters to reveal how they were before and after the apocalypse and ultimately reveal who they are at their core in a way that seems completely natural.
I also wanted to talk about the gameplay a little bit because it also is pretty good. It plays similar to the Uncharted series, where each area is limited to where you can go (which I think is a good thing as I am not really a fan of open worlds), you have the option of stealthily taking out enemies or shooting them (depending on how much ammo you conserved), and you must solve a few puzzles to move on (but not as many or as complicated as the ones in the Uncharted games). What sets this apart from the Uncharted series is the dark apocalyptic setting and supernatural enemies. If you don't sneak around quietly enough, a clicker zombie can see you and kill you as soon as it reaches you, adding further to the game's scary and foreboding atmosphere.
There is also a multiplayer mode, which I have never played. I assume it is something like Uncharted 4’s multiplayer which was pretty fun.
If you haven't experienced this game yet, it is an absolute must for Playstation console owners. The story really rewards you and gets better as you progress, so if you lose interest in the beginning, you should really try to stick with it, even if you need to set the difficulty to easy.
I won't go into details about the story, because if you haven't played it by now, the less you know, the better it will be. However, I will mention that I just finished a second playthrough on hard difficulty to refresh my memory for the sequel. During this playthrough, I realized how well thought out the structure of the story and character development was. For example, throughout their journey, the two main characters meet up with all sorts of people that they end up aligning themselves with. Each of these alliances slowly force both of the main characters to reveal how they were before and after the apocalypse and ultimately reveal who they are at their core in a way that seems completely natural.
I also wanted to talk about the gameplay a little bit because it also is pretty good. It plays similar to the Uncharted series, where each area is limited to where you can go (which I think is a good thing as I am not really a fan of open worlds), you have the option of stealthily taking out enemies or shooting them (depending on how much ammo you conserved), and you must solve a few puzzles to move on (but not as many or as complicated as the ones in the Uncharted games). What sets this apart from the Uncharted series is the dark apocalyptic setting and supernatural enemies. If you don't sneak around quietly enough, a clicker zombie can see you and kill you as soon as it reaches you, adding further to the game's scary and foreboding atmosphere.
There is also a multiplayer mode, which I have never played. I assume it is something like Uncharted 4’s multiplayer which was pretty fun.
If you haven't experienced this game yet, it is an absolute must for Playstation console owners. The story really rewards you and gets better as you progress, so if you lose interest in the beginning, you should really try to stick with it, even if you need to set the difficulty to easy.