2013 Video Games Thread - Page 18

cartman · 07-09-2013, 01:51 PM

I might have to freeze myself until September when GTA V comes out. I don't think I can wait.

bhlloy · 07-09-2013, 01:58 PM

I wonder how much productivity and attendance goes down in various job sectors when a huge can't miss game like GTA V comes out? That would be a fascinating study. If anyone is doing a postgrad course and stuck for a thesis subject matter, get on it

terpkristin · 07-09-2013, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cartman

I might have to freeze myself until September when GTA V comes out. I don't think I can wait.

Well played, sir.

/tk

MizzouRah · 07-09-2013, 10:18 PM

That GTA V video was amazing. I just might put in for two weeks off on release day.

Who needs next gen at this point?

cartman · 07-10-2013, 08:40 AM

Desert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever Created : The New Yorker

Honolulu_Blue · 07-10-2013, 12:17 PM

So, I finally finished "That Last of Us" last night. Stayed up waaaay too late doing so. It ended up taking me about 22 hours to complete.

Here are my incredibly rambling thoughts about the game (a bit) and the ending (a lot).

Spoiler

I tried to capture a screen shot of my final statistics, but I missed it. I tried to go back and re-load the game to get a look at them, but my last save was right before that final push in the hospital and I didn't feel like going through that again. It was late.

The second to final push through the hospital almost did me in. From the moment I killed that first Firefly until the next cutscene was murder on me for some reason. I kept trying to be too stealthy, getting caught and then got gunned down. I checked my stats before then and had died 121 times. I imagine that number was up in the 140s by the end. I was a 70% shot, which was higher than expected.

As it turns out, as it always does, at the end of the game I had a ton of ammo and bombs and such. I kept saving them and saving them. I should have been more liberal with my weapons. Speaking of weapons, I really wish I remembered I had a flame thrower. I ended up using it at the end like twice and it was quite refreshing.

The game gets better as it goes in all regards. The story gains momentum and gets more interesting. The set pieces get better, the scenarios get better and the more weapons and bombs you get the more varied and interesting the stealth and combat sections of the game. There are just so many different ways to deal with situations that it makes it fun. What ended up being the last big zombie encounter wasn't terribly hard for me because of a liberal use of molotovs and nail bombs. I decided I wasn't fucking around. (I should have done the same with the guards).
The game does have its flaws. Some of the AI isn't all that great and, for the most part, I was never quite sure why so many bandits were patrolling empty areas of no real significance. The patrols and guards made sense in the Fireflies' hospital, but out there in war-torn Pittsburgh? Most of the complaints I have are pretty nit-picky.

As for the ending... Wow. Very depressing. In some ways it reminded me of "Momento". At the end (or begining) of that movie, Guy Pierce has all the answers. He has figured it out. He has set out to do exactly what he meant to do. However, he comes to the realization that, because of his condition, this mystery is the only thing he has going for him. It's the only reason he has to live or exist anymore, so he deliberating tricks himself so he can continue having a purpose, regardless of how much pain and anguish he'll cause around him. While Joel doesn't trick himself, he does make a decision that he'll do what he needs to do to survive, save Ellie, regardless of how much pain and anguish he'll cause around.

I think it's clear that when Joel's daughter died when everything went down, he broke that day. Like the watch he wore, he just stopped ticking. He essentially ground out an existence for the next 20 years. He found reasons to survive, but none were all that compelling. His brother found the Fireflies, he had a purpose and a passion, not Joel. He smuggled, he looted, he survived. Even his relationship with Tess felt a bit... hollow. They obviously had something between them, but there was no spark. It was a realtionship of convenience, something I think they both tried to explore, enjoyed it well enough, but it wasn't what either was truly looking for. As we saw throughout the game: that world is pretty much filled with broken people. That's all that's left. That's what consitutes The Last of Us.

Some people are broken beyond repair (David and, to a lesser extent, Bill), other people find what they are looking for (Tommy and his new wife) and other people are desperate for a cure, the idea that the world can be whole again and that we can start over (Marlene, Tess, the Fireflies), and some people simply need that special bond with one special person (Joel and Henry).

Joel burried that notion deep, deep, deep down for 20 years. He fought hard against it when he met Ellie, but once he came around to it. Once he finally accepted the notion that she could be his surrogate daughter. That she was so much like Sarah that they would have been "good friends" and all, he refused to feel the pain of loss again. He knew that he couldn't survive losing her a second time. Her survival is what drove him, what gave him purpose, the world be damned.

It's not only depressing to see Joel regress that way, to become so very selfish, desperate and afraid - he truly was terrified - there at the very end, but it's also quite damning. The game is brutally violent. The way Joel kills people, especially in hand-to-hand combat, is vicious and feral. When you walk by corpses you've killed with bombs or guns, you see their shorn off limbs, bloody stumps, exploded heads. It's ugly. Throughout the game, however, you can justify it. You are doing this to protect a little girl and for the greater good, the survival of our species. When Ellie goes through everything she does during the Winter, she comments on that. How important it is to her that all the horrible things they have seen, have been done to them and they have done to others is all somehow "worth it." That she truly is special and that the people in Salt Lake can cure this thing. At the end of it all, all of that death and carnage, it's all done for Joel and Joel alone. He's too afraid of losing his daugher again, what it might do to him. He can't bear the thought of it. So all of that brutality, all of that death, all of it... For what? So, Joel can find his "daughter" again and eke out an existence just like everyone else until they die?

You can see the change in Joel in that last scene, though it actually starts right at the end of Winter, when he finds Ellie in that burning restaurant and calls her "baby girl" first time, which was his "pet name" for Sarah. Then, throughout the first part of Spring, he starts talking about a future together, teaching Ellie to play guitar, teaching her how to swim, father-daughter type stuff. By that time the bond has formed in his mind. But it's really not until the final scene, after Joel has decided to do what he has done, that he starts talking about Sarah. Every other time he shuts that topic down immediately. But he's lost it a bit at this point. He realizes what he's done, but he's broken. He has no other option, so he starts to create this little world that he so desperately wants. Ellie can sense it too. That's why she calls him out on it at the end. He's different. That final exchange is so painful. Ellie is smart. She knows something's off... He looks her in the eye, lies to her and she responds with one of the most loaded "okay's" of all time. She's not an idiot. She's willing to buy his lie. For now at least...

DaddyTorgo · 07-10-2013, 12:20 PM

I still haven't gone back to the David-scene...given the TdF and all I may not get to it until this weekend I'm guessing.

Radii · 07-10-2013, 12:24 PM

great stuff HB. you did a good job putting into words the emotional attachment I felt to the characters as it went along.

bhlloy · 07-10-2013, 12:48 PM

Great writeup HB

Spoiler

korme · 07-11-2013, 11:51 AM

Is there a way to trade in a game I bought through PSN? I think I already know the answer... it's just now that I've beaten The Last of Us, I wish I could trade it in, but I downloaded it.

mckerney · 07-11-2013, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by korme

Is there a way to trade in a game I bought through PSN? I think I already know the answer... it's just now that I've beaten The Last of Us, I wish I could trade it in, but I downloaded it.

No there is not.

dolfin · 07-11-2013, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

That GTA V video was amazing. I just might put in for two weeks off on release day.

Who needs next gen at this point?

These are my thoughts exactly!! This game looks incredible!

cartman · 07-11-2013, 04:33 PM

You better be able to make Gretzky's head bleed!

Kodos · 07-11-2013, 04:52 PM

I think NHL '94 was the only hockey game I ever owned.

DaddyTorgo · 07-11-2013, 09:34 PM

We're going to have a Thieves Guild for Payday 2 right? PC or PS3 or what?

Game looks frigging awesome.

mckerney · 07-12-2013, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

We're going to have a Thieves Guild for Payday 2 right? PC or PS3 or what?

Game looks frigging awesome.

I'll be up to play on PC.

Also hoping Rockstar announces something soon for the GTA V PC release.

Matthean · 07-13-2013, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Most zombie games: 30 zombies? Meh. The Last of Us: 3 zombies? Ohhhhh ffffffuuuuuuuuuuuccckkkkkkk.

Twitter / wilw: Most zombie games: 30 zombies? ...

mckerney · 07-16-2013, 02:55 PM

Some key members of the SimCity team are leaving Maxis to start their own independent studio. Can't exactly say I'm excited to see what they come up with...

nilodor · 07-16-2013, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthean

Twitter / wilw: Most zombie games: 30 zombies? ...

Or 1 stalker fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Mizzou B-ball fan · 07-16-2013, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mckerney

Some key members of the SimCity team are leaving Maxis to start their own independent studio. Can't exactly say I'm excited to see what they come up with...

On the other hand, without a corporate overlord making stupid design decisions for them, they might actually produce something of value.

mckerney · 07-16-2013, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

On the other hand, without a corporate overlord making stupid design decisions for them, they might actually produce something of value.

There was plenty of stupid decision making from the dev team in SimCity.

cartman · 07-18-2013, 12:42 PM

So I picked up Batman:Arkham City during the Steam sale, and so far I'm a bit underwhelmed. Maybe I'm missing something, but the game seems like you click your mouse a bunch of times, watch a cut scene, rinse and repeat.

nilodor · 07-20-2013, 12:03 AM

Man just finished fall in the last of us... heavy...

Edward64 · 07-20-2013, 09:34 AM

Space Rangers anyone?

Space Rangers: A War Apart » English version of the game is on its way!

Quote:

Hooray, guys, it’s what you’ve been waiting for!

At July 24th we should receive a preliminary version of English resources for packaging, so hang in there – you’ll get your piece of action really soon

Sorry that we keep you waiting for so long, but please, be patient – everything looks great so far. Should you have any questions – we’ll be happy to answer them.

PurdueBrad · 07-21-2013, 11:53 AM

I pre-ordered my release day XBox One today and put in an order for Ryse: Son of Rome. Considering putting in an order for another game but not sure what else looks good.

Currently I'm looking at either COD Ghosts or Battlefield 4 (never played a Battlefield game but I'm primarily a solo campaign player with a little bit of on-line play)

Tom Clancy's The Division looks really cool and could drag me out into on-line a lot more

Watch Dogs looks insanely cool as well.

JonInMiddleGA · 07-21-2013, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurdueBrad

Currently I'm looking at either COD Ghosts or Battlefield 4 (never played a Battlefield game but I'm primarily a solo campaign player with a little bit of on-line play)

Not sure what the consensus will be but I honestly wouldn't recommend either series for solo play at this point.

PurdueBrad · 07-21-2013, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Not sure what the consensus will be but I honestly wouldn't recommend either series for solo play at this point.

I appreciate the tip. I hadn't bought the last COD for the reason that I felt that campaign play had fallen by the wayside. I'll have to find another cool shooter that'll allow solo play.

nilodor · 07-22-2013, 11:06 PM

HB Just finished the last of us and

Spoiler

SirFozzie · 07-24-2013, 12:43 AM

Not a good week for EA Football games. First the NCAA announces they were withdrawing their license (forcing a re-brand and making it harder for next year's college football game), and now on the pro side, they're on the hook for AT LEAST $11 million from losing in a lawsuit from the original creator of John Madden Football.

EA Loses $11 Million Madden Lawsuit

Groundhog · 07-24-2013, 01:01 AM

Potentially the NCAA thing could be a blessing if it leads to an incredibly customisable college football game going forward. The base is already there with Team Builder, and people would have accurate teams & divisions setup come launch day.

SirFozzie · 07-24-2013, 01:23 AM

The names of colleges and uniforms and conferences are covered under a seperate deal (the Collegiate Licensing Group), the main effect of the story this week is that they can't use the NCAA name or logo.

And yup, they already re-upped for three years with the Collegiate Licensing Group

http://kotaku.com/ea-sports-college-...-thr-849801826

nilodor · 07-24-2013, 04:32 PM

I was reading that Fifa 13 brought in an additional 300 million in revenue, primarily from Ultimate team mode. Can someone put that in perspective for me? So if it moved 50 million units, people on average have spent 6 bucks on DLC? Is this basically pure profit? Would this make up the bulk of the profit on a game? Like it seems that EA just made a shit ton of money on this and they filled their pool with benjamins.

mckerney · 07-31-2013, 05:54 PM

The first Bioshock Infinite DLC is out and it's 4 combat arenas with different challenges. Pretty disappointing as the gunplay in the game was mediocre.

Atocep · 07-31-2013, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mckerney

The first Bioshock Infinite DLC is out and it's 4 combat arenas with different challenges. Pretty disappointing as the gunplay in the game was mediocre.

This is the disappointment that comes from the DLC era. Instead of getting a break from a game for a few months after you finish it and then jumping into a big expansion that gets you excited to play again you get slivers of DLC for several months after release and none of it is ever enough to get me to jump back into a game I've finished.

DLC that's compelling enough to get me to play again is a rarity.

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2013, 06:08 PM

What about like stuff for games such as Fallout Ne Vegas?

JonInMiddleGA · 07-31-2013, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mckerney

The first Bioshock Infinite DLC is out and it's 4 combat arenas with different challenges. Pretty disappointing as the gunplay in the game was mediocre.

So basically it's like the previous Bioshock gunplay then.

mckerney · 07-31-2013, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

So basically it's like the previous Bioshock gunplay then.

Yeah, pretty much.

TroyF · 07-31-2013, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atocep

This is the disappointment that comes from the DLC era. Instead of getting a break from a game for a few months after you finish it and then jumping into a big expansion that gets you excited to play again you get slivers of DLC for several months after release and none of it is ever enough to get me to jump back into a game I've finished.

DLC that's compelling enough to get me to play again is a rarity.

I cannot wait for the next Bioshock Infinite DLC. A return to Rapture, December 31, 1958. The day the civil war erupted.

Atocep · 07-31-2013, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abe Sargent

What about like stuff for games such as Fallout Ne Vegas?

Borderlands DLC and Bethesda DLC is part of the rarity. The DLC for those games is usually enough to get me back to playing eventually.

I never played any of the DLC for Mass Effect, Dragon Age 1 or 2 (Awakening was an expansion and doesn't count), or Dishonored. Challenge maps and 1 hour teasers aren't enough to get me to play a game I haven't played in 2+ months.

Honolulu_Blue · 07-31-2013, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atocep

Borderlands DLC and Bethesda DLC is part of the rarity. The DLC for those games is usually enough to get me back to playing eventually.

I never played any of the DLC for Mass Effect, Dragon Age 1 or 2 (Awakening was an expansion and doesn't count), or Dishonored. Challenge maps and 1 hour teasers aren't enough to get me to play a game I haven't played in 2+ months.

I played some of the Mass Effect 2 and 3 DLC and thought they were excellent. The Shadow Broker one for ME2 was particularly fantastic and the Citadel one for ME3 was great fun. I liked the Omega one for ME3 as well. They were well written and added a lot to each game. Worth the purchase.

JonInMiddleGA · 07-31-2013, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atocep

... aren't enough to get me to play a game I haven't played in 2+ months.

This is something that is a general (not just DLC) problem for me. The older I get, the tougher time I have retaining so many different controller schemes. So when I leave a game for a while I find myself really dreading the process of becoming comfortable again ... enough so that I find myself sticking with whatever I've played last/more recently even though I might be tiring of it and/or actually wanting to play something that's been set aside. Basically I just don't want the stress of "does A throw grenades or toggle maps?"

chadritt · 07-31-2013, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mckerney

The first Bioshock Infinite DLC is out and it's 4 combat arenas with different challenges. Pretty disappointing as the gunplay in the game was mediocre.

Im not interested in that one but the two beyond the sea ones are story driven so I cant wait for those.

mckerney · 08-01-2013, 05:26 PM

Tomb Raider sequel for next-gen confirmed by Square CEO | Joystiq

Good to see there will be another Tomb Raider game, the reboot that came out this year is excellent.

cartman · 08-07-2013, 12:39 PM

This could be interesting. John Carmack is leaving id to be the CTO for Oculus Rift.

Oculus Rift hires Doom co-creator John Carmack as Chief Technology Officer

SirFozzie · 08-07-2013, 12:41 PM

I'm rating this as 8.75 facepalms on a scale of 1 to 10.

Civilization Online: It's Real, and It's Happening a Interviews at MMORPG.com

cartman · 08-07-2013, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

I'm rating this as 8.75 facepalms on a scale of 1 to 10.

Civilization Online: It's Real, and It's Happening a Interviews at MMORPG.com

That actually sounds pretty awesome.

Vince, Pt. II · 08-07-2013, 12:59 PM

So I'm playing Shadowrun Returns and loving the hell out of it. That said...the game seems ridiculously easy. I'm playing it on Hard and I haven't had any trouble with any of the runs so far. I'm at the part where...

Spoiler

It was easily the toughest mission thus far, but it was still a cakewalk. For those who have played through it already, am I going to get any sort of challenge out of the game? I'm enjoying the story and gameplay enough that it's not a problem, just a minor quibble.

SirFozzie · 08-07-2013, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

So I'm playing Shadowrun Returns and loving the hell out of it. That said...the game seems ridiculously easy. I'm playing it on Hard and I haven't had any trouble with any of the runs so far. I'm at the part where...

Spoiler

It was easily the toughest mission thus far, but it was still a cakewalk. For those who have played through it already, am I going to get any sort of challenge out of the game? I'm enjoying the story and gameplay enough that it's not a problem, just a minor quibble.

Just wait for the unkillable creatures (without a McGuffin)

edit: By the time you get to the final battle, you'll need to know how overwatch works.

Honolulu_Blue · 08-07-2013, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

So I'm playing Shadowrun Returns and loving the hell out of it. That said...the game seems ridiculously easy. I'm playing it on Hard and I haven't had any trouble with any of the runs so far. I'm at the part where...

Spoiler

It was easily the toughest mission thus far, but it was still a cakewalk. For those who have played through it already, am I going to get any sort of challenge out of the game? I'm enjoying the story and gameplay enough that it's not a problem, just a minor quibble.

No. Not, really.

I played on hard, too, and never really had that big of a challenge. Maybe trying the "super hard" level or whatever the hardest level is?

There are battles, after where you are at, that get a little tougher, but just a little. I only ever had one guy go down, but revived him right quick.

That said, I still enjoyed it for what it was.

Thomkal · 08-07-2013, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

I'm rating this as 8.75 facepalms on a scale of 1 to 10.

Civilization Online: It's Real, and It's Happening a Interviews at MMORPG.com

I'll certainly check it out, but given their less than successful try at Civ on Facebook, I have my doubts.

07-09-2013, 01:51 PM	#851
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	I might have to freeze myself until September when GTA V comes out. I don't think I can wait. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

07-09-2013, 10:18 PM	#854
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	That GTA V video was amazing. I just might put in for two weeks off on release day. Who needs next gen at this point? Last edited by MizzouRah : 07-09-2013 at 10:19 PM.

07-10-2013, 08:40 AM	#855
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	Desert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever Created : The New Yorker __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

07-10-2013, 12:17 PM	#856
Honolulu_Blue Hockey Boy Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Royal Oak, MI	So, I finally finished "That Last of Us" last night. Stayed up waaaay too late doing so. It ended up taking me about 22 hours to complete. Here are my incredibly rambling thoughts about the game (a bit) and the ending (a lot). Spoiler I tried to capture a screen shot of my final statistics, but I missed it. I tried to go back and re-load the game to get a look at them, but my last save was right before that final push in the hospital and I didn't feel like going through that again. It was late. The second to final push through the hospital almost did me in. From the moment I killed that first Firefly until the next cutscene was murder on me for some reason. I kept trying to be too stealthy, getting caught and then got gunned down. I checked my stats before then and had died 121 times. I imagine that number was up in the 140s by the end. I was a 70% shot, which was higher than expected. As it turns out, as it always does, at the end of the game I had a ton of ammo and bombs and such. I kept saving them and saving them. I should have been more liberal with my weapons. Speaking of weapons, I really wish I remembered I had a flame thrower. I ended up using it at the end like twice and it was quite refreshing. The game gets better as it goes in all regards. The story gains momentum and gets more interesting. The set pieces get better, the scenarios get better and the more weapons and bombs you get the more varied and interesting the stealth and combat sections of the game. There are just so many different ways to deal with situations that it makes it fun. What ended up being the last big zombie encounter wasn't terribly hard for me because of a liberal use of molotovs and nail bombs. I decided I wasn't fucking around. (I should have done the same with the guards). The game does have its flaws. Some of the AI isn't all that great and, for the most part, I was never quite sure why so many bandits were patrolling empty areas of no real significance. The patrols and guards made sense in the Fireflies' hospital, but out there in war-torn Pittsburgh? Most of the complaints I have are pretty nit-picky. As for the ending... Wow. Very depressing. In some ways it reminded me of "Momento". At the end (or begining) of that movie, Guy Pierce has all the answers. He has figured it out. He has set out to do exactly what he meant to do. However, he comes to the realization that, because of his condition, this mystery is the only thing he has going for him. It's the only reason he has to live or exist anymore, so he deliberating tricks himself so he can continue having a purpose, regardless of how much pain and anguish he'll cause around him. While Joel doesn't trick himself, he does make a decision that he'll do what he needs to do to survive, save Ellie, regardless of how much pain and anguish he'll cause around. I think it's clear that when Joel's daughter died when everything went down, he broke that day. Like the watch he wore, he just stopped ticking. He essentially ground out an existence for the next 20 years. He found reasons to survive, but none were all that compelling. His brother found the Fireflies, he had a purpose and a passion, not Joel. He smuggled, he looted, he survived. Even his relationship with Tess felt a bit... hollow. They obviously had something between them, but there was no spark. It was a realtionship of convenience, something I think they both tried to explore, enjoyed it well enough, but it wasn't what either was truly looking for. As we saw throughout the game: that world is pretty much filled with broken people. That's all that's left. That's what consitutes The Last of Us. Some people are broken beyond repair (David and, to a lesser extent, Bill), other people find what they are looking for (Tommy and his new wife) and other people are desperate for a cure, the idea that the world can be whole again and that we can start over (Marlene, Tess, the Fireflies), and some people simply need that special bond with one special person (Joel and Henry). Joel burried that notion deep, deep, deep down for 20 years. He fought hard against it when he met Ellie, but once he came around to it. Once he finally accepted the notion that she could be his surrogate daughter. That she was so much like Sarah that they would have been "good friends" and all, he refused to feel the pain of loss again. He knew that he couldn't survive losing her a second time. Her survival is what drove him, what gave him purpose, the world be damned. It's not only depressing to see Joel regress that way, to become so very selfish, desperate and afraid - he truly was terrified - there at the very end, but it's also quite damning. The game is brutally violent. The way Joel kills people, especially in hand-to-hand combat, is vicious and feral. When you walk by corpses you've killed with bombs or guns, you see their shorn off limbs, bloody stumps, exploded heads. It's ugly. Throughout the game, however, you can justify it. You are doing this to protect a little girl and for the greater good, the survival of our species. When Ellie goes through everything she does during the Winter, she comments on that. How important it is to her that all the horrible things they have seen, have been done to them and they have done to others is all somehow "worth it." That she truly is special and that the people in Salt Lake can cure this thing. At the end of it all, all of that death and carnage, it's all done for Joel and Joel alone. He's too afraid of losing his daugher again, what it might do to him. He can't bear the thought of it. So all of that brutality, all of that death, all of it... For what? So, Joel can find his "daughter" again and eke out an existence just like everyone else until they die? You can see the change in Joel in that last scene, though it actually starts right at the end of Winter, when he finds Ellie in that burning restaurant and calls her "baby girl" first time, which was his "pet name" for Sarah. Then, throughout the first part of Spring, he starts talking about a future together, teaching Ellie to play guitar, teaching her how to swim, father-daughter type stuff. By that time the bond has formed in his mind. But it's really not until the final scene, after Joel has decided to do what he has done, that he starts talking about Sarah. Every other time he shuts that topic down immediately. But he's lost it a bit at this point. He realizes what he's done, but he's broken. He has no other option, so he starts to create this little world that he so desperately wants. Ellie can sense it too. That's why she calls him out on it at the end. He's different. That final exchange is so painful. Ellie is smart. She knows something's off... He looks her in the eye, lies to her and she responds with one of the most loaded "okay's" of all time. She's not an idiot. She's willing to buy his lie. For now at least... __________________ *Steve Yzerman: 1,755 points in 1,514 regular season games. 185 points in 196 postseason games. A First-Team All-Star, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Selke Trophy winner, Masterton Trophy winner, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Olympic gold medallist, and a three-time Stanley Cup Champion. Longest serving captain of one team in the history of the NHL (19 seasons). Last edited by Honolulu_Blue : 07-10-2013 at 12:17 PM.*

07-10-2013, 12:48 PM	#859
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	Great writeup HB Spoiler Yeah that was by far the most uncomfortable moment I think I've ever had in a video game. Definitely not the happy ending you usually get. Perfect for the setting and feel of the game but I HATED it at first Last edited by bhlloy : 07-10-2013 at 12:49 PM.

07-09-2013, 01:58 PM	#852
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	I wonder how much productivity and attendance goes down in various job sectors when a huge can't miss game like GTA V comes out? That would be a fascinating study. If anyone is doing a postgrad course and stuck for a thesis subject matter, get on it

07-10-2013, 12:20 PM	#857
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	I still haven't gone back to the David-scene...given the TdF and all I may not get to it until this weekend I'm guessing.

07-10-2013, 12:24 PM	#858
Radii Head Coach Join Date: Jul 2001	great stuff HB. you did a good job putting into words the emotional attachment I felt to the characters as it went along.

07-11-2013, 11:51 AM	#860
korme Go Reds Join Date: May 2001 Location: Bloodbuzz Ohio	Is there a way to trade in a game I bought through PSN? I think I already know the answer... it's just now that I've beaten The Last of Us, I wish I could trade it in, but I downloaded it.

07-11-2013, 04:33 PM	#863
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	You better be able to make Gretzky's head bleed! __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

07-11-2013, 04:52 PM	#864
Kodos Resident Alien Join Date: Jun 2001	I think NHL '94 was the only hockey game I ever owned. __________________ Author of The Bill Gates Challenge, as well as other groundbreaking dynasties.

07-11-2013, 09:34 PM	#865
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	We're going to have a Thieves Guild for Payday 2 right? PC or PS3 or what? Game looks frigging awesome.

07-16-2013, 02:55 PM	#868
mckerney Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	Some key members of the SimCity team are leaving Maxis to start their own independent studio. Can't exactly say I'm excited to see what they come up with...

07-18-2013, 12:42 PM	#872
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	So I picked up Batman:Arkham City during the Steam sale, and so far I'm a bit underwhelmed. Maybe I'm missing something, but the game seems like you click your mouse a bunch of times, watch a cut scene, rinse and repeat. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

07-20-2013, 12:03 AM	#873
nilodor College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: calgary, AB	Man just finished fall in the last of us... heavy...

07-22-2013, 11:06 PM	#878
nilodor College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: calgary, AB	HB Just finished the last of us and Spoiler I agree with your comments about the progression of Joel, a broken man, in a broken world and once he got invested in Ellie it was his reason to survive. I wonder how and ending where Ellie talks Joel down, saying that it was for Sam and her first friend and electing to have the surgery would have played out. It would be interesting to hear the developers thoughts process on the possible outcomes. Personally I actually liked the ending, anything with Ellie dying, even for the remote possibility of saving humanity, would have been really tough to swallow. I agree that she's a smart kid and from what she said at the end as well as what Joel says I think you're assessment is bang on. Personally I'm really glad to be done the game. It was an amazing world, depressing and tough. Some of the moments, the grave with the teddy bear, the kids in the motorhome, (the many other situations like that) were a tough reality, coupled with pretty much everyone you met sizing you up to take what they need and dispose of you, there really weren't many likeable characters to be had. Outside of maybe Tommy and Ish from the letters it would have been tough if the only other character I liked (Ellie) dies. I just hope nothing crazy happens to this world and we have to experience some fall of civilization.

07-24-2013, 12:43 AM	#879
SirFozzie Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: The State of Insanity	Not a good week for EA Football games. First the NCAA announces they were withdrawing their license (forcing a re-brand and making it harder for next year's college football game), and now on the pro side, they're on the hook for AT LEAST $11 million from losing in a lawsuit from the original creator of John Madden Football. EA Loses $11 Million Madden Lawsuit __________________ Check out Foz's New Video Game Site, An 8-bit Mind in an 8GB world! http://an8bitmind.com

07-24-2013, 01:01 AM	#880
Groundhog Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia	Potentially the NCAA thing could be a blessing if it leads to an incredibly customisable college football game going forward. The base is already there with Team Builder, and people would have accurate teams & divisions setup come launch day. __________________ Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. --Ambrose Bierce

07-24-2013, 01:23 AM	#881
SirFozzie Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: The State of Insanity	The names of colleges and uniforms and conferences are covered under a seperate deal (the Collegiate Licensing Group), the main effect of the story this week is that they can't use the NCAA name or logo. And yup, they already re-upped for three years with the Collegiate Licensing Group http://kotaku.com/ea-sports-college-...-thr-849801826 __________________ Check out Foz's New Video Game Site, An 8-bit Mind in an 8GB world! http://an8bitmind.com Last edited by SirFozzie : 07-24-2013 at 01:49 AM.

07-24-2013, 04:32 PM	#882
nilodor College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: calgary, AB	I was reading that Fifa 13 brought in an additional 300 million in revenue, primarily from Ultimate team mode. Can someone put that in perspective for me? So if it moved 50 million units, people on average have spent 6 bucks on DLC? Is this basically pure profit? Would this make up the bulk of the profit on a game? Like it seems that EA just made a shit ton of money on this and they filled their pool with benjamins.

07-31-2013, 05:54 PM	#883
mckerney Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	The first Bioshock Infinite DLC is out and it's 4 combat arenas with different challenges. Pretty disappointing as the gunplay in the game was mediocre. Last edited by mckerney : 07-31-2013 at 05:54 PM.

07-31-2013, 06:08 PM	#885
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	What about like stuff for games such as Fallout Ne Vegas? __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

08-01-2013, 05:26 PM	#893
mckerney Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	Tomb Raider sequel for next-gen confirmed by Square CEO \| Joystiq Good to see there will be another Tomb Raider game, the reboot that came out this year is excellent. Last edited by mckerney : 08-01-2013 at 05:26 PM.

08-07-2013, 12:39 PM	#894
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	This could be interesting. John Carmack is leaving id to be the CTO for Oculus Rift. Oculus Rift hires Doom co-creator John Carmack as Chief Technology Officer __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

08-07-2013, 12:41 PM	#895
SirFozzie Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: The State of Insanity	I'm rating this as 8.75 facepalms on a scale of 1 to 10. Civilization Online: It's Real, and It's Happening a Interviews at MMORPG.com __________________ Check out Foz's New Video Game Site, An 8-bit Mind in an 8GB world! http://an8bitmind.com

08-07-2013, 12:59 PM	#897
Vince, Pt. II Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Somewhere More Familiar	So I'm playing Shadowrun Returns and loving the hell out of it. That said...the game seems ridiculously easy. I'm playing it on Hard and I haven't had any trouble with any of the runs so far. I'm at the part where... Spoiler ...I just killed the Emerald City Ripper and confronted Sam's sister at the graveyard. It was easily the toughest mission thus far, but it was still a cakewalk. For those who have played through it already, am I going to get any sort of challenge out of the game? I'm enjoying the story and gameplay enough that it's not a problem, just a minor quibble. Last edited by Vince, Pt. II : 08-07-2013 at 12:59 PM.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)