Comments 863

Re: Video: Here's Why The Last of Us: Part 2 Is Better Than Part 1, But It's Nothing Without It

Westernwolf4

@kcarnes9051 Yes, people who go to a a sequel to something want to see the characters from the first one. You got me. That had never happened before in human history and it clearly means that I don’t understand tribalism, and that I am incapable of grasping the concept of empathy. What a sick burn.

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

Re: Video: Here's Why The Last of Us: Part 2 Is Better Than Part 1, But It's Nothing Without It

Westernwolf4

@kcarnes9051

Did I say tribalism had nothing to do with the themes of the game? No, I did not. I said that tribalism on my part has nothing to do with my reaction to the game. Since I don’t have a strong enough preference for Ellie for that to be the case. Because that would be silly.

Of course tribalism is a theme in the game. Duh.

Your reading comprehension needs a great deal of work if you intend to keep telling everyone else they don’t understand things.

Re: Video: Here's Why The Last of Us: Part 2 Is Better Than Part 1, But It's Nothing Without It

Westernwolf4

I know I said I was done, but your last paragraph is ridiculous. This isn’t a team Ellie vs. team Abby thing. It is a narrative thing. And even if it was, tribalism is the wrong word to describe it. I’m not sitting here surrounded by TLOU merch while throwing at a dart board with a picture of Abby’s face on it. I truly don’t care that much.

If I have a slight preference for Ellie, it is probably because I want to see characters from TLOU in a sequel to TLOU. Which, I mean, duh. But if Abby’s story were first, would I have been happy replaying the same time period and encountering the same characters as Ellie over and over because Naughty Dog wasn’t sure that I realized that the characters on the other side were also people with their own perspective and worthy of empathy? No.

The reasons this landed for you are not complicated. The reasons it didn’t quite land the same for me: also not complicated. Tribalism, as you describe it, has zero to do with anything.

Re: Video: Here's Why The Last of Us: Part 2 Is Better Than Part 1, But It's Nothing Without It

Westernwolf4

@kcarnes9051

1.The first two paragraphs of this post are strange in the context of the rest of your argument. You argue that every second with Abby is vital. But then you argue that the rest of the stuff the developers put into the game is “minutiae” that can or should be skipped. Just because the parts with Abby are important to you and some of the rest of the exploration isn’t doesn’t mean it is irrelevant to players.

You said the game is relatively short. If people fully explore what Naughty Dog put there, that is not correct.

2. Your responses to my post skip right past what I am actually saying to what fits your view of the game. You say things like I want to make Abby’s story a “pittance”, which is not what I wrote. I think the game would have been just as powerful without going through all of the same scenes again from another perspective. You think they needed every one of those moments. I don’t. That is fine.

3. I can’t believe I am arguing this much over a game I really like, and I am going to stop doing it. You clearly feel strongly that this was the only way Naughty Dog could have told this story, and that all of the people who don’t feel that way are wrong. Which: More power to you. I am glad the story spoke to you. It is a really good game.

Re: Video: Here's Why The Last of Us: Part 2 Is Better Than Part 1, But It's Nothing Without It

Westernwolf4

@kcarnes9051

Sure, if you blaze through the main story. If you do side quests and exploration the game is closer to 40 hours than 25.

But more importantly: your novels about this all make the assumption that we can’t understand what the game was trying to do. We do. The intent and themes of this game were not hard to figure out. A lot of people, me included, don’t think it was executed as well as it could be. The fact that a lot of people feel that was doesn’t make us right, but you shouldn’t assume that it means we don’t get it.

What you call exhausting, I call redundant and repetitive when the themes were already hammered in. If you feel differently, great. Glad you enjoyed it. But what this game was trying to say was not a mysterious puzzle, and the fact that I didn’t need to hear it for the 4th or 5th time by the time they finally slogged through the final confrontation doesn’t mean I didn’t understand it. Quite the opposite, actually.

Re: Video: Here's Why The Last of Us: Part 2 Is Better Than Part 1, But It's Nothing Without It

Westernwolf4

@kcarnes9051 Your position is very well articulated, and I agree that is exactly what TLOU 2 was doing. I will even agree that the idea itself is kind of genius for a game story and theme.

My problem is not TLOU 2’s theme or structure, but that it went on too long. What Naughty Dog was saying about the cycle of violence and the corrosive nature of revenge was obvious well before the game was over. They could have done half of the Abby section and still made their point. But they did not trust the player to get it, and as a result the game dragged as they pushed the same theme over and over.

Again, this is mainly nitpicking; TLOU 2 is a really good game. But it needed an editor in a way the first game did not. YMMV of course.

Re: Video: Here's Why The Last of Us: Part 2 Is Better Than Part 1, But It's Nothing Without It

Westernwolf4

The Last of Us is perhaps my favorite video game story of all time. Every minute was riveting from the wrenching start to the perfect ending.

Part 2 has so many good things about it-but it also has a very real pacing problem. The game dragged way too long, and the message about the cycle of violence and the cost of revenge was not delivered with much nuance or subtlety.

Part II is a very good game. I am glad I played it. Part I is an all time great game (especially when paired with the fantastic Left Behind DLC).

Your Mileage may vary of course, but to me Part I is much better and it isn’t particularly close.

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 437

Westernwolf4

Get well soon Mr. Tailby. Glad you are feeling better-Covid is no joke. Stay safe everyone.

I finished the story campaign for Avengers last night and I am done. Combat was kinda fun for a bit and the protagonist is delightful, but overall it is one of the more aggressively mediocre games I have played. No desire to keep at the grind of the other content.

Today I plan to start Death’s Door. Heard good things, really excited!

Re: Former BioWare Writer Discusses Alternate Ending for the Mass Effect Trilogy

Westernwolf4

@trev666 This is the correct answer. An ending to fit all the consequential choices made over three games was never a realistic possibility. I love that trilogy, and I feel bad for gamers who let the ending get in the way of the fantastic hundred hours that came before. Because twenty comprehensive endings were never in the cards, and the ones we got were fine space opera endings.

Re: Poll: Will You Buy The Last of Us: Part I?

Westernwolf4

TLOU is one of the best games of all time. I have finished it and Left Behind multiple times. For me that is a big rarity, as usually I squeeze all I want out of a game and then drop it forever. I adore the game.

But I see no reason to play the remake when the remaster exists. And I would rather Naughty Dog focus on a new IP then continue to recycle this adventure every few years.

Re: More Than Half of PlayStation's Investment Could Be in Live Service Games by 2025

Westernwolf4

I am a fan of the PlayStation brand because of the excellent single player experiences. I am simply not interested in live service games. If PS wants to go that way, it is just fine. I own other consoles, my backlog and games I want to get around to buying could fill a lifetime, and plenty of people enjoy them. But Sony won’t get nearly as much investment from me if this is the route they go.

Re: Pay for PS5, PS4 Platinum Trophies Is Rampant on PS Store Right Now

Westernwolf4

I am not a trophy hunter by any means-I have 16 Plats., and I have been gaming extensively for much longer than trophies have been a thing. I play a game until I am done with it, and if I have a Platinum it means I either got it by accident just playing or there was only a trophy or two left when I finished the game.

That said, I do enjoy trophies a lot. They are a good diary for what you did in a game to look back on later. Sometimes they encourage me to try things in a game I did not think of. And sometimes they cause a funny moment-I am not going to spoil it, but I recently did something in the Ascent that I have done in every video game possible for years and an achievement finally popped for it. I could not stop laughing.

What I absolutely do not care about is my trophy ranking or anything like that. Perfectly fine if other folks do, but that is not why I game. So these easy Platinum trophies are fine with me if people enjoy them (I am certainly not deleting my Telltale game plats!), but they are not for me. I play games to have fun, and would still play them without trophies or achievements. Those are just a cool side benefit that adds a little extra to the game for me.

Re: Babylon's Fall (PS5) - This Limp, Confusing 'Service Game' Has Nothing Going for It

Westernwolf4

I just want to say: I have fallen asleep during some pretty great games! I have a full time job and a family, and my gaming time is pretty much limited to when the family goes to sleep. I have fallen asleep with controller in hand so many times when I should have just given up and gone to bed instead of trying to play. Thank goodness for the automatic rest mode feature!

That said, I am very sure this game is terrible. I have heard of no one who enjoyed it. This game was on my wish list, and now no longer is.

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 414

Westernwolf4

I am playing Horizon, which is great so far. Thank you Guerrilla Games!

I took Friday off to play, something I had not done since Arkham City released in 2015. I was so excited-booted it up-played 10 minutes-and then my wife told me that she and our youngest son tested positive for COVID. So, I didn’t get far, and it was a tough day. But I managed to play some last night in between bringing soup and juice to people, and the family is recovering very well-everyone has as many shots as they are eligible for, and symptoms are pretty mild-everyone is going to be fine, just feeling lousy.

So I don’t know how much more I will actually play this weekend, but can’t wait to get back to it. Game looks amazing and feels great to play. Looks like another home run.