The Last Of Us 2

The Raging Bile Duct wrote: »

There's no way I'd ever be as fluid as that... how the fúck did they do the sliding back part.

You should look up Sunhi's twitter feed. His GIFs are ****ing incredible. Some of his Bloodborne gifs look like a CG film

It always depresses me when I have a particular tough time with a Bloodborne Boss and then see some youtuber beating it without taking damage, wearing a nappy and using a stick

[Deleted User]

Zero-Cool wrote: »

I see a lot of people ragging on the combat but I'm finding it fairly class. Yeah, the stealthing around can be samey but when it goes to ****, you get to see some cool stuff.

https://twitter.com/SunhiLegend/status/1275800655228215296?s=19

It's been going on since the first game. Folks refusing to think outside the box imo.
The system is way more expansive than is implied.

Naughty dog can't do complex gameplay and mechanics is the narrative I continue to read. Which is false.

Gyan84

The Raging Bile Duct wrote: »

There's no way I'd ever be as fluid as that... how the fúck did they do the sliding back part.

It's L1+Circle with the left stick pointing in the direction you want to slide in. Whenever I do it it looks like someone face-planting while getting riddled with bullets :pac:

Started my second play through. The option to highlight all interactable objects within 30 meters is handy.

One thing I noticed about the lodge scene the second time is

That Tommy reveals his and Joel's name before they ever get to the lodge. I thought that was interesting because some people online were complaining that Joel would never reveal his name. Although after a glance at the last of us 2 subreddit people will complain about literally everything.

Also in Ellie's room at the very start she has a copy of Jak and Daxter next to her PS3 and the toy robot Sam wanted in the first game is on her shelf

johnny_ultimate

I think Naughty Dog make combat systems that are fun and often thrilling, if sometimes rather bland and contrived. Their systems are fluid and full of options, and can give way to cinematic moments or environmental asides that blend seamlessly with the gameplay.

My main problem with their use of combat is how it often jars or undermines the rest of the game. I find it hard to feel too moved by Ellie's moral dilemmas, for example, after she's just dispatched 20 goons. They've also ended up wrapping themselves in various narrative and dramatic binds in both this series and Uncharted as they've tried to have their characters acknowledge the fact that, yes, committing mini-genocides may have some repercussions (this game the obvious final destination of that approach). In short: they want to tell serious-minded stories about vulnerable humans while still having those vulnerable humans engage in long, exciting action scenes where you kill scores of random grunts.

Oh, and also the combat is just used to make all their games (Left Behind excepted) far ****ing longer than they need to be :cool:

one armed dwarf

I think the combat is really good. I usually really dislike ND games cause they're the antithesis to the DMC type things I usually play. But this game has a great flow to its design where it feels like maps are designed on purpose so that patrol routes eventually overlap and converge such that you can't just isolate each and every enemy and pick them off one by one. Eventually everything will culminate in some sort of violent shoot out.

So the game loop sort of starts off with a lot of surveying and scavenging then you have to learn to get good at adjusting when **** hits the pan, as it is going to at some point. Making a lot of loud noise in one part of the map to concentrate AI attention to that spot as you scarper and flank. Listening to AI chatter and trying to figure out if somebody is speaking inside a building or is nearby and if they are near each other (survivor mode doesn't let you do the xray vision stuff).

It's all really good and the difficulty modifiers to a great job at showcasing these systems. Speaking as someone who did not enjoy TLOU1 at all because the gameplay was so dull I think the sequel is a great improvement. Story-wise, maybe not so much but I've never been that engaged by these characters anyway. This type of story has been done to death anyway. But I like this game a lot at least.

Pity that it's currently very fashionable and cool to shout from the rooftops at how overly woke it is or whatever, definitely a weird af culture war going on with it right now that's even pulling in some people who I'd thought were a bit more level headed about this stuff. Kind of a shame too how it's poisoned the well for discussing the more credible problems at ND like its crunch culture and harrasment allegations cause it's all tied up in this trojan horse of a toxic agenda about taking down the 'SJW' or whatever

The Phantom Pain

Zero-Cool wrote: »

I see a lot of people ragging on the combat but I'm finding it fairly class. Yeah, the stealthing around can be samey but when it goes to ****, you get to see some cool stuff.

https://twitter.com/SunhiLegend/status/1275800655228215296?s=19

Has the best animations in any video game to date in my opinion. I particularly enjoy the way Ellie dismantles her gun at the work bench. Aside from the shooting, everything else feels so smooth yet realistic as opposed to sluggish which is what you would expect when the animations are this good. Yet somehow it all just flows perfectly and I think that's down to the level design as well.

Incidentally, I've reached the conclusion of the section this gif references and... I love this game, I really do, but the "murder is bad, kids!" message is so heavy handed. I :rolleyes: when after Ellie kills the

pregnant woman

it cut to a

pregnant Dina

. We get it, Naughty Dog.

And again, in that situation

Ellie had hardly any choice. It wasn't like she slaughtered them after getting the information she wanted. They made a dumb move and attacked a mad woman with a gun.

I also don't buy that Ellie would basically be like,

"f--- Tommy" to Jesse when the entire point of her journey is revenge over losing someone she loved. Therefore, the people she loves that are still currently alive would come first if it was between them and killing Abby.

The Raging Bile Duct

https://mobile.twitter.com/wasim_cg/status/1274759411534159873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-9606543822243210517.ampproject.net%2F2006112352001%2Fframe.html

This Twitter thread is great for showing how much detail went into stuff that a layperson like myself is never going to notice. It's mind-blowing.

The Phantom Pain

I'm engrossed now and have broken my 10pm curfew a few nights in a row.

My mouth hung open for a good while when

Jesse got shot in the head. Dina's sleeping in the back room as well and I guess it's only a matter of time before Abby finds her

.

I'm on

seattle day 1 as Abby and surprisingly enjoying it. I predicted her grudge against Joel was personal but thought it was totally unrelated to the hospital incident, as Joel has screwed over a lot of people. Kind of figured out we'd have to play the days from her perspective

as someone here spoiled that by mentioning the

day and the location which I knew was different to Ellie's day 1

:rolleyes:

Not sure if I'm keen on having to upgrade another character again. On the one hand if you didn't upgrade the survival tree as Ellie it gives you a chance to see what that skill tree is like but if you're like me then you're just retreading the same ground.

It seems like Abby is all brawn and her sections are more high action orientated which is a nice change of pace. Her weakness seems to be stealth...or maybe stupidity seeing as there is absolutely no reason why she wouldn't have a knife on her, and a part of me thinks the neck snapping take downs are yet another excuse for the game to flex her muscles...

Listening to Manny go on about how he can't wait to lie on a couch when he gets home really shows the arrogance of the WLF. They really didn't think Jackson would retaliate?!

Anyway, can't wait to play tomorrow but the writers continue to be heavy handed with the, "there are both sides to the argument" message.

The zebra section was

cringe.

J. Marston

Playing it despite my misgivings. At the theatre. The gameplay is better than I remember the first's being but it's still pretty unspectacular.

Dina is a lovely character even if her role as the angel on Ellie's shoulder is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. The interactions between her and Ellie is the highlight so far.

I find it funny how Ellie is shocked at the sight of one Tommy's victims but 5 minutes beforehand a guy is crawling away from me begging for his life before I plant a machete in his skull.

I have it on hard after reading normal is too easy but I'm still drowning in ammo and supplies.

The exploration is great. The first large area you encounter had a real sense of scale even if it only amounted to half a dozen interiors.

It's very good so far but I know there's a point coming that I'm gonna hate.

J. Marston wrote: »

Playing it despite my misgivings. At the theatre. The gameplay is better than I remember the first's being but it's still pretty unspectacular.
Dina is a lovely character even if her role as the angel on Ellie's shoulder is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. The interactions between her and Ellie is the highlight so far.

I find it funny how Ellie is shocked at the sight of one Tommy's victims but 5 minutes beforehand a guy is crawling away from me begging for his life before I plant a machete in his skull.

I have it on hard after reading normal is too easy but I'm still drowning in ammo and supplies.

The exploration is great. The first large area you encounter had a real sense of scale even if it only amounted to half a dozen interiors.

It's very good so far but I know there's a point coming that I'm gonna hate.

You can keep it on hard but still reduce the amount of ammo and supplies if you want.

The Phantom Pain

So Abby is basically Sarah Connor. There was a moment in the forest when she retrieved her gun

which was full on 80s action shot. It looked badass.

On seattle day 2 now with Abby. I wonder if this was what all the grumbling about the second half was about. I do miss Ellie and

I am about ready for the game to end now as I really want to see the conclusion of this.

It's just too big and therefore too long.

Zero-Cool

Just finished Seattle day 2, wow, what a ****ing game.

totally get the argument that there are too many enemies to make the cutscenes as impactful as ND would like but I'm still all in. Whether I'm in stealth, combat or just plain legging it, it really feels like I'm fighting for survival in the brink of death. ND captured that feeling so well.

At this point of the story, it feels like the perfect progression from the ending of 1 but still a way to go

Checked my playtime and I'm at 12 hours, more than that
again to go I'd say.

Kirby

I'd wager at the rate you are going you have another 20 hours to go. You haven't reached the halfway mark yet. Enjoy!

Jordan 199

I'm quite happy with how I'm dealing with the clickers. Stealthily creeping up behind them and taking them down. They don't scare me that much this time around.

Didn't get a chance to play this last night what with being preoccupied with Liverpool winning the league and all

I think I am coming up on the end

I'm on day 2 with Abby and am on my way to the hospital with the scar kid

gonna play the rest of the game in one sitting later on

Jordan 199 wrote: »

I'm quite happy with how I'm dealing with the clickers. Stealthily creeping up behind them and taking them down. They don't scare me that much this time around.

They become a bit more of a nuisance later on

I'll finish this over the weekend. Took a break as I really wasn't feeling it for the second half of the game. Need to see how it pans out.

If I get to shoot Abby in the face it will have been worth it.

I'll spoiler this anyway

but the rat king boss fight annoyed me too. It's not particularly difficult just really annoying, given where it takes place. The OHK mechanic and dodgy evade button didn't help.

I'm close to the end 23 hours in. I wont say where I am as I dont know how to do the spoiler thingy lol

Theres parts at the start where you are walking around talking or taking in the scenary. I feel I shoulda enjoyed that more than just running through it to push on. Later in the game there is similar areas that I just find myself more engulfed in.

I would love to say, oh I can compare this with gta or mario or whatever... but the whole game as an experience seems totally new to me... they really did there homework.... my only problem is I hope we are not waiting another 7 years for another masterpiece

I'd agree the exploration always feels worth it. Playing on normal you do get quite a lot of resources but when you stumble upon a new weapon, training manual or just a resource you're short on you get a dose of those endorphin things.

gimli2112 wrote: »

I'd agree the exploration always feels worth it. Playing on normal you do get quite a lot of resources but when you stumble upon a new weapon, training manual or just a resource you're short on you get a dose of those endorphin things.

How do I say this without spoiling lol

Some areas ND are not so kind to themselves some great parts seem almost hidden from natural gameplay. The game is defo worth a second playthrough

add spoilers by highlighting the text in your post you want hidden and just click the spoiler icon in the top right hand corner of the message box. That's how I do it.

I'll need a second runthrough for the platinum anyway. It will be an all guns blazing revenge runthrough on normal, maybe with some of the resource options toned down.

gimli2112 wrote: »

add spoilers by highlighting the text in your post you want hidden and just click the spoiler icon in the top right hand corner of the message box. That's how I do it.

I'll need a second runthrough for the platinum anyway. It will be an all guns blazing revenge runthrough on normal, maybe with some of the resource options toned down.

Cant see it... I have copy select all dictionary share etc but no spoiler button...

gimli2112 wrote: »

I'd agree the exploration always feels worth it. Playing on normal you do get quite a lot of resources but when you stumble upon a new weapon, training manual or just a resource you're short on you get a dose of those endorphin things.

Yeah I enjoy the exploration side of things a lot, especially some of the safe codes puzzles. It even annoys me when something happens which kicks off a combat sequence when I wasn't finished scavenging and didn't know I'd trigger combat and then can't get back to the previous area.

You do end up with a full inventory a lot of the time, especially since using as much stealth as possible means you don't use resources. But there are definitely some combat sequences or enemy groups that can deplete your inventory fairly rapidly.

AVFC.Stephen wrote: »

Cant see it... I have copy select all dictionary share etc but no spoiler button...

If you're on mobile, you need to type [spoi.ler](Your text here)[/spoi.ler] without the fullstops (so it says spoiler).

You can quote this post and copy it

(Your text here)

(Spoiler) like this ?

Heres one copying your quote

(spoiler) test

AVFC.Stephen wrote: »

(Spoiler) like this ?

Heres one copying your quote

(spoiler) test

No, it needs to be the square brackets [ ] both sides of the text you want to spoiler, and the second brackets needs a /

[spoi.ler](Your text here)[/spoi.ler] But without the full stops in the word spoiler

[/spoiler] the dove from above

[Spoiler/] jiminey cricket

Lol cheers for the patience

AVFC.Stephen wrote: »

[/spoiler] the dove from above

[Spoiler/] jiminey cricket

Lol cheers for the patience

Getting closer

No / in the first set of brackets, only / in front of the word spoiler in the second set of brackets. Then whatever is between the two sets of brackets will be spoilered. Again, exactly like [spoi.ler](Your text here)[/spoi.ler] but just without the full stops

[spoi.ler]the dove from above[/spoi.ler]

the dove from above

- With the full stops removed

AVFC.Stephen wrote: »

[/spoiler] the dove from above

[Spoiler/] jiminey cricket

Lol cheers for the patience

Instead of quick reply, use advanced reply. The spoiler button in on the top right of the text box.