LogFAQs > #898300236

Thank you to all the Board 8ers who recommended I stay the course and complete it.

I posted my original topic after I had just experienced Tess's departure, and right before Bill's introduction. You guys were right - the game did ramp up enough to keep me invested. I think part of the reason I warmed up to it is because I enjoyed the camaraderie of Bill, Henry & Sam, and Tommy. They were all at least a little interesting and relatable, whereas Tess was just a generic no-nonsense hardass type, so I didn't much care about the part of the story where she was the third wheel.

That said, it was Ellie and Joel that most kept me playing (I imagine that's the case for many people), and though my gaming sample size is small these past few years, I'd say Naughty Dog hit a new milestone for depicting a relationship between two characters in a way that felt both gripping and organic. Commendable stuff there.

Buuuut despite the emotional weight of the characters/story, I still didn't dig the gameplay. There were at least a few instances where I'd run into another group of hunters or infected and think "god can we just move on." I generally saw combat as a chore to get to the next bit of story/dialogue/exploration/crafting, and that's probably why I won't be replaying this. And I can't imagine ever touching the multiplayer. I guess fighting bloaters was my favorite, but there are like five in the game sooo

All in all, still quite glad I played this! The story and characters won't leave me for a while, even though I found the gameplay disappointing.

Any spoiler-free thoughts on Left Behind? I'll probably start that this evening.
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Yoblazer
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