The Last Of Us 2

The Last of Us seemed to me like an attempt to build a coherent and thematically appropriate narrative around the Uncharted formula. Obviously mechanically there's significant differences (and generally The Last of Us is more satisfying to play), but in terms of the broad 'setpieces - combat - story - light platforming / puzzling' approach they're undoubtedly of the same genesis.

It goes without saying that it resulted in a much less dissonant experience. It was a game where combat, stealth and violence suited the world and characters in a way Nathan Drake's lighthearted killing sprees have never done. The Last of Us didn't entirely escape the confines of the formula and indeed wider AAA trends either, though. There were several particularly trigger happy sections - the sniper rifle at the top of the abandoned house stands out - that were unimaginative and IMO damaging to the overall pace and tone of the game. The general repetitiveness of the puzzle solving and navigation is also something that needs to be addressed - even a few extra assets to disguise the limited purview of the puzzles would go some way towards that.

There's this inherent conflict between being a narrative heavy game and a AAA action game, and while The Last of Us arguably comes closest to actively addressing that (along with the likes of Spec Ops: The Line) it doesn't quite manage to fully escape it either.