The Backlog Check-in Vol. 129: 6/20/20: Playing The Last of Us Part II Edition

[jfissel]

Finished: Nothing

Now Playing: The Last of Us Part II

Added to Backlog: The Last of Us Part II

Current Backlog: 33 games

Well, since the game came earlier than expected I decided to jump into The Last of Us. 9.5 hours played so far...I'm enjoying it immensely. It's got the same feel, but everything has been upgraded and there are so many little details and subtle changes to the way the character moves and interacts with things in the environment. I don't know how many collectibles I've missed so far, but I am trying to look in every possible nook and cranny. [face_machine]

[Phaseknox]

Played: The Last of Us Part II

Finished: Nothing

Playing: The Last of Us Part II

Added: The Last of Us Part II

I've played 15 hours of The Last of Us Part II so far, and it's been awesome the entire time. I can't remember the last time that a game has hooked me like this. It's nonstop entertainment. It's like a mix of the first The Last of Us, Days Gone, I Am Alive, Manhunt, Resident Evil and Tomb Raider (2013). The graphics are gorgeous, it's the best looking game that I've seen even beating out the likes of Horizon Zero Dawn, Red Dead Redemption II and Uncharted 4. The attention to detail is incredible.

The game itself is a great mix of third person action adventure and stealth combined with survival horror offering a good balance of semi-open exploration areas, and more linear combat heavy ones. Speaking of combat, it's some of the most visceral and satisfying that I've experienced in a game. It's brutal, and violent. You have a pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, bow and arrows, a knife, baseball bats, crowbars, lead pipes, machetes, Molotov cocktails, shock bombs, smoke bombs, proximity bombs, bottles, bricks, etc. all at your disposal. You have something for every type of enemy encounter, and it's entirely up to you how you approach each situation.

The story and characters have been good, but not quite as good as the first game. It has its cinematic story moments, but it's more gameplay driven. A lot of the environments are bigger and more open than they were in the first game offering more environmental interaction, exploration, puzzles and platforming. There's also a good blend of both outdoor and indoor levels which is nice for variety.

[isthatallyougot]

Glad to hear you guys are enjoying TLOU2 so much. I'll get to it one day hopefully.

I'm right on the doorstep of finishing Shadow Hearts and it has been a really fun ride. Good gameplay, interesting characters and narrative, and nice pacing that has been building wonderfully into the final showdown. Happy to have played it. Hopefully I can finish it up in the next few days.

[canedaddy]

From the other thread...

Beat: Dude, I have been playing AC Odyssey for the past month now, I am nowhere near done with it. I won't be beating anything for the foreseeable future

Soooo...I beat it. I think.

Played recently: Yakuza 0

Finished: nothing

Added to backlog: nothing

Current backlog: 35 (13 PS4, 9 Vita, 7 3DS/2DS, 5 PS2)

I'm playing as Majima now, which is just magical. Lots of crazy side stories in addition to the great main story. Truly an excellent entry into the series so far.

[crimson_tide]

Look old man...Yakuza 0 might be the best one. Actually, it is the best one (just probably not my favorite), glad you're enjoying it!

I really had no clue Odyssey was going to wrap up that quick. Also, it just kinda stopped (unlike Origins which had an endgame that lasted 14 years) . And finished like a sitcom which was wholly unsatisfying and weird...good thing there's all this DLC! Speaking of DLC...the hell is up with Ubisoft? I played Kassandra like I play all game characters with romance options and choose not to do any romance options. I played her as a no nonsense work work work type who had no time for relationships and just didn't want one (except for Daphne. She was a great flirt). Then I had to shack up with some scrub no matter what and procreate? Now, not saying that Kassandra can't have kids just because she's averse to relationships (well, mine was anyway) but forcing this grossly unnecessary narrative was decidedly uncool. I am going to wrap up this otherwise fun First Blade stuff and jump straight into the Atlantis stuff. So I will likely be playing this until the end of June and then moving on to one more beast of a game for the summer. Don't know what that will be yet...

So see old man, still not done with Odyssey

[crimson_tide]

Phase, real talk: Mass Effect Andromeda is $8 until tomorrow. You are the literal only person I have ever known who has not savaged this game. Sell me on it. It's $8 and summer is coming. My big game is going to be this, Witcher 3, FF12, FF14, the Trails of Cold Steel games or Inquisition. Go.

[jfissel]

I'm playing as Majima now, which is just magical. Lots of crazy side stories in addition to the great main story. Truly an excellent entry into the series so far.

Majima is fun, he's got some good fighting styles and moves.

I've played 15 hours of The Last of Us Part II so far, and it's been awesome the entire time. I can't remember the last time that a game has hooked me like this. It's nonstop entertainment. It's like a mix of the first The Last of Us, Days Gone, I Am Alive, Manhunt, Resident Evil and Tomb Raider (2013). The graphics are gorgeous, it's the best looking game that I've seen even beating out the likes of Horizon Zero Dawn, Red Dead Redemption II and Uncharted 4. The attention to detail is incredible.

The game itself is a great mix of third person action adventure and stealth combined with survival horror offering a good balance of semi-open exploration areas, and more linear combat heavy ones. Speaking of combat, it's some of the most visceral and satisfying that I've experienced in a game. It's brutal, and violent. You have a pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, bow and arrows, a knife, baseball bats, crowbars, lead pipes, machetes, Molotov cocktails, shock bombs, smoke bombs, proximity bombs, bottles, bricks, etc. all at your disposal. You have something for every type of enemy encounter, and it's entirely up to you how you approach each situation.

The story and characters have been good, but not quite as good as the first game. It has its cinematic story moments, but it's more gameplay driven. A lot of the environments are bigger and more open than they were in the first game offering more environmental interaction, exploration, puzzles and platforming. There's also a good blend of both outdoor and indoor levels which is nice for variety.

You're just plowing through the game...but so am I kinda.

[Phaseknox]

Phase, real talk: Mass Effect Andromeda is $8 until tomorrow. You are the literal only person I have ever known who has not savaged this game. Sell me on it.

This thread explains why I enjoyed it so much:

https://www.ps2backlog.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=73

But YMMV of course.

You're just plowing through the game

Yeah, I've basically been playing it nonstop since I got it.

[crimson_tide]

Thanks Phase, that makes so much sense why you love the game! Lost Planet 2 will always be my favorite PS3 game for similar reasons of it just taking me back to being a kid and the adventures I would have with my toys (some mashup of Transformers, GI Joe and bootleg bodega toys I would play with as a kid). It was like I was the food critic in Ratatouille and it just took me back to that very simple time in my childhood. I loved it so much (and understand why the world absolutely did not bit I don't care) so I totally get where you're coming from. I missed the sale this time but I will grab it when it's up again (it's up for sale pretty regularly). Appreciate the input, sir!