Last of Us vs Bioshock: Infinite

Would create a poll for this, but on mobile and completely clueless as to how to do it there!

I'm sure that this will get a lot of flack, but thought it would make for an interesting discussion.

To me, both games are incredibly similar - they are both relatively generic shooters, both utilising convenient barricades to hide behind, and essentially feeling like stages with lots of enemies.

But what both games rely on is having amazing stories. I've never really heard anyone complimenting the gameplay of either game.

So it boils down to which game has the best story? Ellie vs Elizabeth.

Go, boards, go.

Temptamperu

they are both short enough/linear games. Cant you play them both?

I have played and loved both. For me, Infinite peaks it just for the story. It's certainly much more compelling. However LoU has better characters. The bond between the two protagonists is stronger and more beautiful.

johnny_ultimate

Does it matter? That's what I always wonder when *x vs y* questions like this come up, especially if you're fond of both x and y (have seen far more critics of Bioshock Infinite, though - definitely has its vocal opponents, much more so than TLoU). Shouldn't it be sufficient to appreciate them both in their own way rather than having them fight to the death in an interweb death pit (aka a games forum)?

To quote a wise man: But don't they all have lovely bottoms?

Retr0gamer

Bioshock Infinite is a shoddy shooter with a pretentious story that doesn't pay off. Last of Us on the other hand is a competent shooter with excellent writing other than one blip at the end and together it makes a fantastic experience.

tok9

Just play both. I absolutely loved them, were easily 2 of my favourite games of 2014.

sweetie

LOU including left behind is a far better pakage than infinite plus it's dlc although I enjoyed both

Kirby

Both great games. Both had a big impact on me. But I would give the edge to the last of us.

I find it to be one of the finest games in years.

RasTa

The Last of Us and it's not even close. Bioshock infinite has probably the best start of a game I've ever played. Everything after that is a disappointment. I must of killed about 3,000 people or so throughout the game it's just mindless nonsense and the same battles over and over.

Generic Dreadhead

I think Bioshock Infinite is very much one of those games that divides the forum, I'm firmly on the Anti-Bioshock side personally. And the DLC doesn't count, the base game should be able to stand up on it's own merits. And IMHO it does not. I think Retro summed it up pretty well

johnny_ultimate

I'd still defend Bioshock Infinite's heavy focus on combat, because thematically it makes perfect sense. Mechanically, it's undoubtedly imperfect - while there's plenty to like, screw the bullet sponges! Yet as the game went on, I definitely felt the team justified the seemingly endless parade of fighting. Been a while since I played it, so *uses the wonderful search function*:

Every action Booker takes is defined by his violent past - something he finds impossible to escape, and instead gets drawn into this cycle of destruction again and again (an emotion we as gamers may find far too easy to empathise with). Elizabeth is constantly questioning his actions, but the responses are always ones of weary resignation. In a way, even as he tries to protect this morally righteous soul, he's leading her down a dangerous path in which she's more or less forced to become an active agent in the violence. Is 'hero' Booker really any better than 'evil' Comstock (?) Booker? Again, I think Levine's admirable aim here is to raise a lot of fascinating questions rather than bluntly answer them.

If anything, it's the same argument that's to be had of the first Bioshock - they're fundamentally games about games, but they struggle to transcend or overcome the limitations they critique. Yet with Infinite Levine is more aware of that fact, less concerned with being the game that finally breaks through the barriers (I'm very interested in trying The Magic Circle by some of the Bioshock team, as it seems like they've very literally attempted to do so mechanically and narratively). Perhaps that's no excuse for repetition and often frustrating mechanics (a concern I'd have with the thematically similar Spec Ops: The Line too), yet personally with the game's fantastic ending I think it linked themes and mechanics in a way the first game never did beyond earlier reveals. Basically, if Bioshock become less interesting as it went along, Infinite had the same problem before becoming considerably more interesting again during its final sprint, which combines wacky sci-fi spectacle with thought-provoking allegory and commentary.

Duggy747

I quite enjoyed bits and pieces of Bioshock, it was entertaining for me despite plenty of flaws and I quite enjoyed it's story. Combat I found very dull though in a lot of sections, especially on the DLC's which I just found a slog to get through and would agree about the repetitiveness of them, I ended up just being glad I finished them and won't be in a hurry to go back to Bioshock.

TLOU was pretty crap too with an incredibly dull story, especially

considering I've never played it since I'm a PC gamer and don't have a PS, so the above was just me talking shíte.

I'm well aware of the game and it did look great, lots of my friends sung it's praise endlessly and I would've liked to have taken a stab at it.

CiDeRmAn

I think they are too different to decide between tbh
I enjoyed both, probably enjoyed the end of Infinite more than TLOU, I hated the last act of the latter, a hospital based cover shooter.
Spec Ops The Line is a good comparison because they too tried something interesting, at times very interesting, with the gun w@nk genre.
I'd through Bulletstorm in there as well, it took the macho space marine trope from too many last gen hits and turned him into an @sshole, with the strangest brand of swearing ever, and some of the most mental set pieces I've played.

kunst nugget

Bulletstorm was fantastic. Preferred it way more than Bioshock Infinite. Infinite had a strong story but I can't say I really enjoyed it that much. I completed just to say I had rather than because it was so great. I'm not a huge fan of FPS so that might colour it slightly. For me, the king of plot driven FPS is Dishonored. Absolute fantastic game and head and shoulders above Infinite imo.

The Last of Us I really enjoyed for the story and gameplay apart from a couple of moments that really break the immersion and are just a pain in the arse such as the machine gun and hanging upside down parts. I genuinely had no issues with the ladder placing or the cover based stealth shooting although I can understand Ciderman's gripe with the hospital section. Thinking back on it though the ending, while pretty good, is kind of flawed and I think the game really would have worked better if it give you multiple possible outcomes but obviously Naughty Dog wanted to keep it linear in case they ever make a sequel.

Andy Gravity

Both great games, LoU tops BI imo, in story, characters and gameplay plus Bioshock Infinite didn't have any giraffes. Those damn giraffes, got a lump in my throat when that happened in game. Can't remember the last time a game made me feel something like that.

Kirby

Andy Gravity wrote: »

Both great games, LoU tops BI imo, in story, characters and gameplay plus Bioshock Infinite didn't have any giraffes. Those damn giraffes, got a lump in my throat when that happened in game. Can't remember the last time a game made me feel something like that.

Agree but infinite had its own emotional moment. A different kind. I had major anxiety when

you experience the future where elizabeth is tortured for years and yet she still holds out hope of being resued by booker. I was so eagre to find her and was barrelling through the enemies........and then you find her as an old lady. Hit me hard.

Stone Deaf 4evr

Kirby wrote: »

Agree but infinite had its own emotional moment. A different kind. I had major anxiety when

you experience the future where elizabeth is tortured for years and yet she still holds out hope of being resued by booker. I was so eagre to find her and was barrelling through the enemies........and then you find her as an old lady. Hit me hard.

I dunno if its because i have 2 daughters myself but the part in infinite where

he gives away his baby, only to chase after to try and get her back was like a knife to my guts.

I havent played the last of us, but I understand that the opening of that game has a similarly upsetting scene.

RobertFoster

The battle of the the Troy Bakers :pac:

Bioshock Infinite never clicked with me. The controls felt sluggish and the story didn't interest me. I found you had to engage enemies all the time, rather than work out a way to avoid conflict like you could in The Last of Us.

shane7218

Bioshock Infinite had a very clever story, amazing visuals and great game mechanics.

Last of Us also had a very good story.

Personally I think Bioshock infinite was the better game.