[PS3] The Last of Us

[Darkdrium777]

Guess I can steer clear of this game and developer all together. I won't inundate you guys with my opinions on why this approach will fail, has already failed, and damages video games in the long run.

I used to be as cynical as this, but then I realized that it made me very miserable as I could not enjoy a single thing ever. (And I also took an arrow in the knee, but that's besides the point.)

I'd understand perhaps a bit if it was coming from a developer like Activision, but Naughty Dog has so far the evidence stacked against you I'm afraid to say.

[Archon]

I don't know what evidence could be stacked against my opinion considering I watched the trailer and read the linked articles and the premise did not grab me. They showed me their product and mission, and I rejected it. I also played the Uncharted demo and thought the shooting was boring. I'm not motivated to play a ten hour game, no matter how climactic the story, if the game portion is dull. This is why I mentioned Red Dead Redemption. The game sold me first; the plot was a bonus. Even David Jaffe commented that Uncharted 3 took flak because it tried to be an interactive movie before it tried to be a game.

(And I also took an arrow in the knee, but that's besides the point.)

There are forums where you can be banned for comments like this.

[Darkdrium777]

Perhaps you don't like how Uncharted is an action driven game before a game driven game (Like what WipEout is), but it doesn't mean that Uncharted fails at being a good game. I'd argue that Uncharted is one of the most well crafted action driven franchise I've ever played, thus it's a good game to those who like that kind of things.
As for David Jaffe's comment about Uncharted 3, well I haven't played that yet so I can't say anything about what it is. What I can say is that I doubt stuff like Twisted Metal and Kinetica (Even though it's a game I like) had much substance in the story department. Therefore they are more games than movies, if you will. I think he has a different idea of what a video-game should be, and while I can respect his work it doesn't make Naughty Dog wrong in their ambitions to try and make something different.
In closing I think saying that Naughty Dog will inevitably fail in making the game they want to make is a bit harsh. There doesn't seem to be any indications in their history that this will be the case.

Yes I know he made God of War

And I hope I worded that right o.O'

[Archon]

Best case scenario, The Last of Us is a game I can enjoy. I also plan on giving Uncharted a fair chance starting with the first game. Still, I hate how companies feel they need to reinvent the medium rather than study the history of games to learn why games of each generation succeeded. If they want to elevate game design to the point where their product can no longer be called a video game, they can no longer call themselves game developers. They would become "experience developers." There is certainly a market for such things; you like their direction and with 3D technology burgeoning, non-gamers want the type of experiences gamers have been enjoying for years. We want the action, the visceral rush, the strategy, and the assault of sound and colors. Some people aren't willing to put up with the challenge or the trial and error or memorizing controller layouts. I understand this, but like I said, if Naughty Dog wants to move away from calling their products "games," they are no longer "game" developers.

My major problem is streamlining. I played the demo of Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and was bored out of my mind. I basically held forward and pressed X whenever I came to a ledge. I didn't have to time anything. At the ledge, my character would stop. There was even a "timed" section where parts of the airplane I was climbing around were blowing off and the game said "Hurry up before it blows!" I messed up on one wing twice and nothing happened. Combat was also a joke. Now, imagine Prince of Persia if you couldn't run off ledges; your character just slid to a halt and said "WWhhhOOOaaaWhhhooOOaa!" flailing his arms. You'd be playing a jumping simulator. That doesn't sound at all fun.

I understand video games are a new medium and they are changing every few years with the release of more powerful technology and consoles. More casual non-gamers are being pulled in by the undeniably good graphics and want our experiences. That doesn't mean every developer should change their approach (and of course this discussion and those articles do not imply this). There are reasons, however, why creators migrate toward specific mediums. Hideo Kojima makes games and made Metal Gear Solid a game, not a movie. Similarly, people write scripts to be made into movies instead of only writing their story as a novel. Naughty Dog's approach is blatantly saying they aren't making TLoU as a game, which means their mission conflicts with the medium's goal (to after all be a game). So worst case scenario, we get a dull interactive simulation of a character's life which isn't that interesting to experience first hand or relate to because the story has been told in one way or another and the experiences have been offered better by a strict movie, or a strict game, or a strict novel.

When people run out of ideas, they seek to create hybrids of whatever interactions or styles they like. We saw roleplaying elements (really just stat accumulation and outfit customization) bleeding into other games and after awhile people got sick of it and realized it was a cheap way to add depth to games. I fear making games more like interactive digital movies cheapens the experience, because rather than feeling excited when you're jumping out a plane in Just Cause 2 thinking, "Holy crap this is just like a James Bond movie!" we'll be thinking, "Why do I have to aim at these bad guys? Just let me hit a button and shoot them all in a row so I can see what happens to my character next." The concept of the medium as a game will become tedious. The entire interaction will become tedious. There's a reason people still play MGS and Zelda and fondly remember text-adventures, games that offered stories unavailable in real life being applied through contests of reaction, exploration, and accuracy. The game is the entire point.

The Game is also now available on Netflix.