liljazzy2

@jrt87 100%

@MattBoothDev are you using "children" and "loons" as euphemisms for "people I disagree with?"

TLoU Part 2 literally made me lose interest in modern gaming. Like, it was so bad I didn't turn my PlayStation on again for a solid month after completing it. I'd be keen to try and fix it as well.

Phil Spencer runs SIE. Change my mind.

@Dan_ozzzy189 I’m super critical of ND and TLoU (Part 2) and even I know thats a lame comment. What a troll.

@BartoxAbrasiveness I was talking more about their personalities than appearance. Bad joke I suppose.

@Omnistalgic fair points friend

@BartoxAbrasiveness No, that was Ron Swanson. The two couldn't be more different.

@Omnistalgic was that before or after he said that people couldn't get behind Part 2's story because of their "egos?" Or before or after he posted Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" quote implicitly saying his critics didn't matter? Or before or after he explicitly said that some of his critics were "way less important" and that some "were not important at all?"

This looks really good. I'm glad that the story of the Last of Us will be experienced by a whole new audience.

However, I'm just really struggling to be interested. After the video essay about Part 2 being better than Part 1 and the inevitable debate that formed in the comments section (guilty), I looked more into Druckmann's response to criticism of Part 2 and now I just can't with the guy. He just seems so pretentious. So, when I saw "the acclaimed video game creator Neil Druckmann" I threw up in my mouth a little bit.

@TheArt I’m only saying this to be cheeky and although I want to I just can’t look away from this comments section.

Here’s the thing: if we’re looking at psn avatars to determine who the main characters are in part 2, it’s pretty awkward that old man Joel is one of the avatars. Ooooooppppps!

@Westernwolf4 “Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to watch the new Star Wars. It is about people working in a bank!”

I want to be you when I grow up.

I love this! I loved the Guardians game and of course the two insomniac Spidey titles. I can’t wait to see more from Wolverine. However, I really can’t be bothered with the other announced games and this alleviates any fear that I’ll miss out on storylines for not playing them.

@Westernwolf4 your discussion partner can’t help him/herself. Check their comments history. They’re talking about tribalism but nearly everything they’ve posted is pro Naughty Dog. Definitely nothing tribal about that.

@kcarnes9051 friend, take a deep breath. I tried to be kind and end the conversation, but you just won’t quit. I don’t understand a converging plot line because I haven’t read you fire and ice whatever? You sure do assume quite a bit about me.

I’m glad you’ve had your opportunity to wax eloquent ad nauseam about TLoU. I’m not responding to anything else you say, so if you’ve got anything else to say I’ll just attribute that to your love for your own words.

@kcarnes9051 no I have never read a Song of Ice and Fire book. I have, however, played last of us part 2 and thought the story was terrible. I thought the gameplay was good enough that I’ll probably go back and get the last few trophies I need for the platinum.

Really, I’m glad you enjoyed the story. I think I came off as condescending in some of my posts and I’m willing to admit that. I say that first because I think you’re coming off the same way.

It’s interesting that one of the themes of the game is seeing things from different perspectives and yet it’s one of those games where it seems nobody wants anyone else to have a different perspective about it.

Really, I’m so glad you like the game. I wish I would have. I just don’t. I think the story’s trash. I think that objectively it’s convoluted. Therefore I subjectively dislike it. But I don’t think anyone is stupid or less than me if they do like it.

That’s my final word on the subject. I’m too busy playing the BRILLIANT River City Girls at this point.

@Would_you_kindly thank you

@kcarnes9051 the problem is that Joel’s character develops organically with the plot of part 1. Abby develops almost completely apart from the actual plot of part 2. I get it. You like the game. Good on you.

You’ve lectured everyone about the purpose of Abby’s arc like five times in here. My point isn’t that it doesn’t make sense to play as Abby. My point isn’t that revenge is the only theme (never said that btw). I don’t actually think you’ve told anyone anything they don’t know. Literally anyone who played the game knew what they were trying to do with Abby. My point is: so what? What does this have to do with the plot at all? I could tell you many things about myself but unless they’re organically tied to a plot they would hit like nothing more than a personality profile.

I’m done. This comment section is running the risk of being as long, exhausting, and pointless as part 2 itself. Glad you enjoy the game!

@TheArt i couldn’t care any less whether anyone likes the game. You’re allowed to like whatever you want.

@RedRiot193 you used the word objective. The clickers are coming for you now…

@TheArt That may be what some people wanted, but not necessarily what I wanted. The get over yourselves thing is hilarious. It’s like Druckmann himself posting the “man in the arena” stuff when he was criticized. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t absorb the positive reception and reject the negative. Yes, it is his story. He wrote it for public consumption. Therefore it’s there for people to praise or criticize. If people should get over themselves for being critical, shouldn’t people also get over themselves for defending it?

@kcarnes9051 Ok. Here goes…SPOILERS ahead people.

The conflict begins when Joel dies. Ellie’s on a revenge tour searching for Abby. Fine. She follows her to Seattle, goes to the aquarium, kills the vita chick, a dog, Owen and Mel. Check. Then Abby shows up at the theater and we have our climax. The confrontation between Ellie and Abby.

But wait! Now we play as Abby. The problem with the people who say that the story is great because it revolves around that theme of revenge is that it’s almost completely absent during Abby’s three days in Seattle (that’s key- it’s absent during her days in Seattle which from a plot perspective are supposed to propel us to the theater). It actually doesn’t become a motivation for her until she finds her friends dead at the aquarium. So her story is utterly pointless. But, eventually we get to the theater with Abby. We have our climactic fight and then we’re on a farm with Ellie.

But wait there’s more. Now we follow Abby to Santa Barbara to track and Jill her. Which of course we don’t. Ellie goes back to the farm without her two closest friends or two of her fingers.

So, sure it has a structure. It’s setting, rising action, climax, crash and reset, meaningless 2.5 days in and around Seattle, rising action, climax, resolution, rising action, climax, resolution.

If that’s not convoluted, I don’t know what is.

@kcarnes9051 I believe you missed the bit where I said “in my book.” I didn’t “proclaim” anything about its critical reception or sales figures.

Also, lots of stories are told from different perspectives and shift around in timeline and still tell a coherent and compelling story.. Take Wuthering Heights, for example. That book is a masterpiece! It’s chaotic. It’s disorienting, but in the end it’s coherent. We’re just not dealing with Brontë here.

@WallyWest nope. Stories are supposed to have plot structure. Setting, conflict, climax, resolution. I’d imagine you couldn’t map the narrative in that way because it literally doesn’t have a coherent structure. It’s bad.

See, I’m even providing you with an objective standard for analyzing story. I also mentioned that rules are meant to be broken in art, but I believe (this actually is opinion here) that Druckmann hadn’t yet earned that right.

@BritneyfR_ee I just replayed part 1 and then played part 2 for the first time immediately after. I reckon you’ll be just as disappointed as I was.

@jrt87 that just about sums it up!

@Would_you_kindly I think she just flat out killed the story…

@BritneyfR_ee I agree with so much of what you said. I think part 1 had an airtight story and a quiet confidence. Part 2 had a dumpster fire for a plot and a self awareness that just comes off as so much hubris to me.

Part 1 is a masterpiece. Part 2 is a master piece. Look, I understand a lot of folks prefer part 2. A lot of people I respect immensely like Colin Moriarty prefer part 2. But, I’m no fanboy. Naught Dog takes an L with part 2 in my book. The story is objectively (yes, objectively) bad. It’s plot structure is as convoluted as what you’d find in a freshman creative writing course. And, before people jump all over me for saying the plot is objectively bad, I understand rules in art are meant to be broken. You just need to master the rules first. Druckmann hadn’t done that just yet. The characters are universally unlikeable. Well, there’s Lev, but there’s the exception that proves the rule. It’s way too long. It’s just awful. I did like going prone and the workbench animations though!

The gaming industry is so whiny

Yo people really be gassed in the comments over physical vs digital. Buy your games how you want fam.

@nicc83 fair enough. I suppose it’s only embarrassing on one level in the UK.

Last of Us Part 2 (I don’t love it but still chasing the plat because I’m a crazy person), River City Girls, and Splatoon 3 with my son.

@playstation1995 normally I’d reply to your post with some Browns fandom but Deshaun Watson has ruined football for me.

@LN78 I believe mad max is on sale digitally

Surely they could’ve used the word pet instead of stroke. Makes this game doubly embarrassing.

Im going to just play games and not worry about what millionaires who work for billionaires have to say in their little professional spat.

@fleenerstrunk Same here on Deathloop. Still going to purchase 13 Sentinels though.

I wish there weren’t new trophies. This messes up my 100%.

@Agnostic exactly this. Just shut up and make a game that is better instead of whining about how it’s impossible.

Not interested. I just want more Wolverine information…

I don’t know if Jim is in a position to call the deal inadequate. If the Activision deal goes through (it will), Microsoft isn’t obligated to give Sony COD at all. Talk about negotiating from a position of weakness…

Cowabunga Collection and Shredder’s Revenge! Hoping to walk out of the long weekend with a platinum in each!

TMNT for the NES is a false negative.

@Mikey856 If you would be so kind as to be clearer about what you’re asking I will gladly reply with “earth.”

@theMEGAniggle I fear you’re spot on. Sony ate Microsoft’s lunch last gen and it seems like things are trending in the opposite direction this gen.

In a vacuum I would simply ascribe the price hike to the current economic situation. However, in light of Sony’s complaints about Microsoft’s Activision acquisition and their pivot towards free to play games, I’m not going to lie I’m concerned about PlayStation. It does seem like they’ve lost their way a bit. Nothing that can’t be solved by Ragnarok being a hit.

@ED_209 Tell them to shove it, shove it, shove it.

@Rafie Did we just become best friends? I currently live in the Pittsburgh area so I live a life of perpetual ridicule.

@Rafie it’s clever because it rhymes with Game Pass. Kind of like when people refer to my football team as the Cleveland Clowns. Ok, maybe not that clever.

Edit: American Football team.