The Last Of Us PS3 Reviews review

[Neon Ignition]

Only managed to do just under another hour and it's still hand holding far too much, seen quite a few peeps on various sites say what a great opener this has and I'm not seeing how as to me, regardless of how the remainder of the game unfolds, it's been pretty shoddy looking back. Predictable plotting, over scripted, ropey npc's, a lack of suspense or tension... I hold my hands up that I need to plug on further in (thankfully a have a good few hrs spare tomoz to really dent a big chunk of it) but its my love of ND and the presumption there's more to this than hiding behind boxes, following prescripted walks and watching FMV.

I know this sounds really negative, I'm really not setting it up in my mind as a bad game, I just get the vibe the game needs to be immense later on to compensate an opening that doesn't meet the standards.

['Press Start']

Put another 2 hours in and have reached

->Open Spoiler<-

the town past the woods

. It is a bit easy isn't it? died twice in the

->Open Spoiler<-

clicker subway section, I love the way they kill you instantly, really puts some tension in the clicker sections

but it seems easy coming off the back of being a sneaky bastard in Far Cry 3.

Hopefully the challenge will ramp up soon. Graphics are amazing but I am still waiting for some meaty game play.

[EvilBoris]

Naughty Dog have tweeted saying the save glitch has been sorted, was some issue to do with their servers.

Stealth Cloud

Save DRM!

[dvdx2]

Only managed to do just under another hour and it's still hand holding far too much, seen quite a few peeps on various sites say what a great opener this has and I'm not seeing how as to me, regardless of how the remainder of the game unfolds, it's been pretty shoddy looking back. Predictable plotting, over scripted, ropey npc's, a lack of suspense or tension... I hold my hands up that I need to plug on further in (thankfully a have a good few hrs spare tomoz to really dent a big chunk of it) but its my love of ND and the presumption there's more to this than hiding behind boxes, following prescripted walks and watching FMV.

I know this sounds really negative, I'm really not setting it up in my mind as a bad game, I just get the vibe the game needs to be immense later on to compensate an opening that doesn't meet the standards.

Totally agree with this; i doubt its likely to change much though.

[Family Fry]

Just as a heads up, it takes ages to download the digital version! I have been waiting 30 minutes and it still says it has 6 minutes left! :/

Didn't Naughty Dog say it would be the first digital game you could launch 50% complete? You didn't wait for 100% did you?

[cutmymilk]

It is a child of Half-Life, resi 4 and Uncharted 2. Superb. I ended up putting 3.5 hours in, 30% complete so I guess a 10 hour game.

[BIG EDD]

I've done just over 10 hours and its 62% and 70 collectibles
Really enjoying the areas you play through,quite variable IMO as its 0346am I'm off to bed there's always later today to start my scavenging again

[djtickle]

Just finished it, and its a good game but it didn't live up to the hype for me. Going to opt for a 7, as I thought the ending was weak after it really did a good job of the story and action just before it.

[rmoxon]

Only managed to do just under another hour and it's still hand holding far too much, seen quite a few peeps on various sites say what a great opener this has and I'm not seeing how as to me, regardless of how the remainder of the game unfolds, it's been pretty shoddy looking back. Predictable plotting, over scripted, ropey npc's, a lack of suspense or tension... I hold my hands up that I need to plug on further in (thankfully a have a good few hrs spare tomoz to really dent a big chunk of it) but its my love of ND and the presumption there's more to this than hiding behind boxes, following prescripted walks and watching FMV.

I know this sounds really negative, I'm really not setting it up in my mind as a bad game, I just get the vibe the game needs to be immense later on to compensate an opening that doesn't meet the standards.

I wouldn't call the plotting predictable.. For instance

->Open Spoiler<-

you knew his daughter would die at the begining, but the way she did, by being killed by a solider and not the infected, was quite heartbreaking.

That moment is great storytelling as it immediately makes the player realise that these characters aren't just going to be fighting for survival against a killer virus, but just about everything else within the world the inhabit too. The opening is brilliantly done, I was almost in tears and the game had hardly started. A Heartbreaking moment, and a master stroke.

Im really loving the game so far, it feels very special and quality seeps from every area of it. Definitely looks like Naughty Dog have made up for Uncharted 3, unless of course it takes a nose dive after a few hours (which incidently is just what Uncharted 3 did so maybe I should hold judgment for now).

[85 78 73 81 85 69]

Didn't really want to be jumping in and out of this but thought I'd give it a quick go late last night and played through the first section. It really surprised me how involved I got in it what was probably less than an hour, made me feel really uncomfortable while playing it but it was so well handled by Naughty Dog.

Not pleasant but I get the feeling this could be something really good.

[JU!]

Just a warning guys and gals. There is a Auto save bug problem if yr not aware. Play offline or don't install patch 1.01 see here:http://m.uk.ign.com/articles/2013/06...the-last-of-us.

Sounds so good about 6 peeps on my friends list on PSN all playing. Hope to buy this next week.

[BaronSqwelch]

Bug has been sorted!
I am really enjoying this now...with it being a stealth based game I started on normal but I think hard would have been better.

[Neon Ignition]

That moment is great storytelling as it immediately makes the player realise that these characters aren't just going to be fighting for survival against a killer virus, but just about everything else within the world the inhabit too. The opening is brilliantly done, I was almost in tears and the game had hardly started. A Heartbreaking moment, and a master stroke.

I'd say for anyone able to feel the impact of the opener, good on 'em. Puts them in a much better starting point than I was. For me the execution was just poor, from the get go it was clear where it was heading and there was a real opportunity to create a sense of the panic and fear of being that vulnerable in such a panicking situation however instead control is wrestled away at every turn and the game quickly finds a way of making you a spectator to the events rather than a participant. The devs should have trusted themselves to carry out the sequence fully in play, experience those events as someone vulnerable and incapable of seld defense scrabbling through the horror to survive and find him could have been truly unforgettable and harrowing, instead we move slowly at a predetermined pace as npcs clip into you in a manner that almost might as well have been a cutscene.

I have the same issue with Ellie, she follows you like Sully would but I don't feel she contributes to the experience or gameplay. The times Joel is on his own seem better as they tend to offer the least visual glitches, erratic motions and most suspense. I'm not feeling the story much either, it's like playing a walking dead homage at times, Ellie's initial

->Open Spoiler<-

plot event of being immune made my eyes roll

. Uncharted gets away with its unoriginality due to the lighthearted tone but this is more gritty and grounded which makes niggles a little harder to swallow especially when ND's previous games prove they exist through sloppiness.

On a more positive note though, the game is beginning to loosen its reigns a little. The game design is very basic but sometimes you enter an area, especially if poorly armed, where tension quickly builds. The first sound of clicking and your bound to stop moving, unsure of what to do until you careful recon the immediate area. The limitation of items is its masterstroke though its never too stingy, a careful balance to strike.

The game is improving and if you take your time so the heavy scripting doesn't become too obvious you do begin to immerse yourself into the journey more. It's nowhere near the quality of game many of the reviews have pinned it at (and I didn't even approach it from a position of hyped) but its beginning to form a solid and at times tense PS3 swansong for ND.

And hey, the human race might almost be wiped out but what about those magic torches that turn themselves on and off at will (unless your shimmying, they don't work at all then)? Crazy magic! I want one!

[Tobal]

Enjoying it a lot, mainly the characters and world building. My only problem so far the ones I've always had with uncharted which is loose combat controls, its comes from trying to play it stealthily and messing up, I just feel Im getting punished by having piss poor melee combat to use, no matter I do I'll take damage especially in crowds and results in a lot of reloading the last checkpoint. Guns are next to useless when the combat is in your face.. i've lost count of the amount of times I've missed a shotgun blast close up I swear I had the recital on.

I would have liked to have seen at least an auto target system in there, they give it to you for the upsidedown bit but nowhere else.

And why does ellie get a free pass on detections but the other npc partners have often ruined a decent stealth run.

[Neon Ignition]

I've pretty much stopped using guns altogether unless spotted by humans. The full on clickers literally don't go near you if you slow crawl so are p*** easy to take out, the less infected clickers can then be easily mopped up. Most of the time its like playing a simpler Arkham game when it comes to combat. Was frustating till clocked but now engagements have become a push over.

Can't help with the daft npc detection though, its just flimsy