The Last of Us Review

3.5/5
    I just finished The Last of Us for PS3. Here is my review in the classic rambling style.
    Now I'm not really sure 3.5 is a fair rating. I struggled with whether to give it a 4 or a 3 so I just stuck in the middle. It really was a good game, but it made some really fatal mistakes in the end that left a bad taste in my mouth.
    Other Characters: Everyone has pretty good AI. They can't actually agro any enemies but they usually stay hidden when they should (except in the case of Tommy. Was he broken? It was kind of embarrassing). You also don't have to look after them like in some other games. The only time they get killed is if you agro a huge crowd then run away, but what did you expect?
    Game Play: In the tutorials the game really boasts about multiple options; you can run, fight or sneak, but in reality you will have to fight almost every time. Dishonoured did a much better job of the dual path concept. You can't really sneak in this game because Joel can't jump/climb on things and the terrain is realistic (ie not a lot of hiding spots).
    I didn't like that in the suspenseful parts (winter for those of you who have played this) you couldn't just run past people. It made it obvious that this was a game and that no one was really in danger.
    Realism: They were really going for a realistic theme in this game. When you want to change weapons you actually have to stop and open your backpack. Its kind of funny to compare that to the last game I've played, latest Tomb Raider, where you could just change weapons while zip lining. Also your health doesn't regain. Thats really hard to get use to if all you play is new games like me. On that note they are also pretty stingy with the bullets. Some times I had 3 bullets and 7 guys. I made it work in the end, but thats a little harsh.
    Extras: I really don't understand why you have to play the whole game to access the unlockables. They aren't really that important, just different outfits and filters (I don't actually know what these are so I can't comment). If it was like "have a flame thrower right at the opening" I would get it. And sure I would like to see Joel in a denim shirt, but I'm not going to replay the entire game just for that (I think this game has little replay value, but more on that rant later.) Also all unlockables cost money. I don't know how you gain money. You might play the entire game and not even have enough money to see Ellie in a punk backpack.
    The trophies in this game are shit. Sorry to any completionists. They are all "all or nothing" as in find all the documents scattered about the game. I know its not super important, but I want some credit for finding half (or more, what if I was just one off?) of all the things.
    Graphics: There is no difference between graphics in cut scenes and graphics in game play. Both are great. There is also no obvious cut between the two. It all just flows together. There are a couple of quick time events, but they're not too quick. Trust me, sometimes I put the controller down because I thought I was watching a cut scene.
    Story: There is little pointless. There are no fetch quests or any other pointless tasks. You are on one task (get Ellie to the fireflies) and have to deal with the reasonable obstacles.
    I dislikes how this game was broken up (4 parts/ 4 seasons). I know they couldn't show everything because a lot of time passes, but I feel like some really important things have happened in between the parts and I'm missing them.
    Near the end (spoilers): I really wanted the game to end by spring, but things started to get weird in winter. There was a major tone shift and everything started to get dark. To me it was too sudden. It wasn't well motivated on Joel's half. He use to be a normal guy who sometimes had to kill to protect his self and Ellie, but when he went looking for her he became brutal; torturing people. I disliked Joel a little before that because he was always so standoffish without much reason, but here he was genuinely a bad guy. I could write about this in more detail, but I really think main characters in videogames should be likable. This "moral ambiguity" of Joel really clashed with the ambiguity of the Fireflies. I was so unmotivated in the end. I didn't really think the Fireflies were that evil. It was either Ellie or all of humanity. I honestly would have let her die. The previous enemy (that group in winter, I can't remember the leader's name) was really evil. They were cannibals! They were going to hurt Ellie for fun! They really were evil. They going from that to the Fireflies was just a disappointment. I didn't want to save Ellie that much. Also the game play became obviously repetitive: help Ellie get across (use a plank, a palette or a ladder), figure out the hoard (sneak or kill), find stuff and try to craft it, "oh no are they dead?" "no" (especially when Joel got trapped in the sinking bus. After winter I really decided that neither would die, so I stopped caring). One feature I did miss was alies. I missed having people I could trust and "hanging out" with other people.