TLOU2 Review Thread

[Casual Shinji]

Would have to guess that’s a big part of why Hennig left. Druckmann had more pull for whatever reason, for better or worse. Just read he was named Co-President now too.

I don't know how much of that is actually true, because I heard Henning and Richmond (the game director) were having trouble with Uncharted 4, and the two heads at Naughty Dog not being too pleased with how it was shaping up. Which apparently prompted them to put Druckmann and Straley on the project after the major succes of The Last of Us. And it appears Straley really didn't want to, due to being overworked, which it seems is what made him leave Naughty Dog not too long after.

Some trouble definitely went down over there, but I'm not sure which side to fall on until I hear some actual claims by Henning.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

I don't know how much of that is actually true, because I heard Henning and Richmond (the game director) were having trouble with Uncharted 4, and the two heads at Naughty Dog not being too pleased with how it was shaping up. Which apparently prompted them to put Druckmann and Straley on the project after the major succes of The Last of Us. And it appears Straley really didn't want to, due to being overworked, which it seems is what made him leave Naughty Dog not too long after.

Some trouble definitely went down over there, but I'm not sure which side to fall on until I hear some actual claims by Henning.

I haven’t looked into this since then but found an interview where she sheds more light on it -

The Amy Hennig Interview: On What Changed With Uncharted 4, Leaving EA, and What's Next

Amy Hennig always speaks her mind. At the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada last week, the first thing that came to the former Uncharted and Legacy of Kain se...

www.usgamer.net

Wow, yup we were both right; she liked doing the lighter stuff. Would’ve still loved to have played her original vision for the story if like she said it involved taking it back to the original’s tone.

 

[Houseman]

For what it's worth, here's something about TLoU1 DLC, allegedly from Amy Hennig

It’s a shame you guys missed the drama from Amy and the Uncharted team about the Last of Us DLC.


She called the story needlessly pandering to a socially abrasive niche that demeans the quality of narrative in its entirety and enforces the idea of the death of camaraderie.


She did a seminar recently about how the increasing focus on sexuality is robbing readers, viewers, and gamers of themes that have been present in story since the time of antiquity: Friendship and camaraderie.


By the end of it Amy said that we’re entering an age where no one could write a story like Alls Quiet on the Western Front or Band of Brothers without people insisting that the men are gay for each other.

Amy Hennig Leaves Naughty Dog - Gameranx

Sony has confirmed that Uncharted's scribe has left the company.

gameranx.com

Also:

 

[deleted20220709]

DELETED

 

[Casual Shinji]

Wow, yup we were both right; she liked doing the lighter stuff. Would’ve still loved to have played her original vision for the story if like she said it involved taking it back to the original’s tone.

I would've liked Elena actually being part of the mission, as opposed to yet again being "the nag", which seemed to be part of the original script. I really liked how their relationship was explored in Uncharted 4, but it was still the third time we had Elena wag her little finger at Nate, like the typical female love interest. On the other hand, Uncharted 4 was the first time many of these characters actually felt three dimensional - like, you could imagine Drake living a normal life, doing groceries - while still feeling like those same old adventurers. And I feel that's because of Druckmann.

As much as I like most of Hennig's work (Uncharted 3 was bad), her track record isn't as clean and stellar as people like to think. Uncharted 3 was messily written and Hennig's most high profile project post-ND has been a cancelled Star Wars game that apparently never really got on track and only managed to deliver 30 seconds of pre-rendered concept footage despite several years in production, at least one of which was under her supervision.

Druckmann has his shortcomings too, but we should be really careful about canonizing Hennig. By all accounts, Hennig is a great writer but not a very good Game Lead/Director. Meanwhile, Druckmann is a pretentious writer, but he sure as shit gets his games into shape.

Yeah, but Druckmann is pretty much seen as super Hitler now by a bunch of people in the community, with Henning being the Virgin Mary. So everything good Druckmann has done he now apparently stole from Henning.

But Druckmann needs to get his head out of his ass, and on whatever next project he gets placed he needs to be paired up with a writer/game director who can balance out his pretense with a lighter tone. Straley was a good fit for him.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Speaking of Neil https://www.destructoid.com/stories/naughty-dog-promotes-neil-druckmann-to-co-president-612352.phtml homie is moving up in the world. Expect more pretentious drivel in Naughty Dog games for the foreseeable future.


Biggest problem with Abby is she has no character depth whatsoever. She is an unshakable killing machine who shows no regret or guilt for torturing and murdering Joel, yet she somehow spins on a dime to feel sorry for Lev and Yarra who are part of the group that is esstentially been long time enemies of her and her clan for however long? Why, because they help her escape being tortured? Because Joel helped her escape zombies, and she had no qualms killing him.

Her motivations serve only to fit the story and that story is to try and make her appear as the best person ever, which is why the game never really brings up Joel during her entire segment, other then very short snipets of "That Joel guys sucked huh?" And that's it.

It makes her come across as contrived, and it also means that her journey is essentially meaningless because her reasoning makes no sense.

Also this was pretty interesting -

 

[BrawlMan]

Long overdue and did not expect this now. Airs at 9pm.

​

 

[Samtemdo8]

Long overdue and did not expect this now. Airs at 9pm.

​

Been wanting to give this game a chance.

And this is coming from me who thinks the first game is absolutely overrated.

 

[BrawlMan]

Been wanting to give this game a chance.

And this is coming from me who thinks the first game is absolutely overrated.

Have fun.

 

[Gyrobot]

Long overdue and did not expect this now. Airs at 9pm.

​

You are not breadpilled and woke for posting this. TLOU2 was what exactly we needed in the difficult times of the pandemic and videos that bash the game only makes the world a worse place.

 

[CriticalGaming]

You are not breadpilled and woke for posting this. TLOU2 was what exactly we needed in the difficult times of the pandemic and videos that bash the game only makes the world a worse place.

What?

 

[Piscian]

Been wanting to give this game a chance.

And this is coming from me who thinks the first game is absolutely overrated.

I think the worst part of it is that there are a bunch of really good games in LOU2. That's crux of it. There's like 5 different stories that are all "supposed" to intersect but its like one of those misfires where the Station accidently aired the season finale episode 3 and 5 episode was the premier and so on. I will absolutely defend the "ideas" the artwork, the acting, the gameplay, but it's like someone tried to make tiramisu in a blender and then fry it on an open grill(that might be a bad analogy Im not sure).

I don't hate the game or naughty dog. I'd probably buckle up for LOU3. I just can't recommend it nor can I say no one should play it. I can only say for me it was a living nightmare I haven't experienced since completing Far Cry 2 100% while in a post surgery morphine trance. So many goddamn checkpoints....

 

[BrawlMan]

What?

Ignore whatever dumb wannabe philosophy he's spouting. Exactly why I have him on ignore.

 

[Gyrobot]

What?

BrawlMan is socially regressive for posting that video

Ignore whatever dumb wannabe philosophy he's spouting. Exactly why I have him on ignore.

And you are no better than the anime avatar haters who hate the game on reactionary impulses, remember that when you have me on ignroe

 

[CriticalGaming]

Ignore whatever dumb wannabe philosophy he's spouting. Exactly why I have him on ignore.

I don't ignore people, because I like seeing what people say even if I think it's some dumbshit.

 

[BrawlMan]

Far Cry 2 100% while in a post surgery morphine trance. So many goddamn checkpoints....

Far Cry Instincts is best Far Cry game. Crysis series as well.

The poblem with the Last Of Us Part 2, is that the game lacks humanity, and pretends to act as if it does and is saying something important. I find it ironic that games about people with demonic blood in them fighting other demons, a witch fighting angels and demons, or games about vigilantes taking on street gangs and crime syndicates, have more humanity than LOUSPT2.

 

[BrawlMan]

I don't ignore people, because I like seeing what people say even if I think it's some dumbshit.

There's only so much I can take, when it's the same crap over and over again. It gets boring, annoying, and dumb. B.A.D. not worth the attention nor brain cells.

 

[CriticalGaming]

BrawlMan is socially regressive for posting that video

In what possible way could you come to that conclusion? That is a well-known youtube series making a video on a game that's nearly 3 years old. Just like Cinema Sins, them shitting on a game/movie doesn't also mean that the game/movie is bad or that they hate it.

Unless you want to claim that the game is off-limits to rip into because of some make-believe social bullshit. Is that what you're doing here?

 

[Gyrobot]

I'm

In what possible way could you come to that conclusion? That is a well-known youtube series making a video on a game that's nearly 3 years old. Just like Cinema Sins, them shitting on a game/movie doesn't also mean that the game/movie is bad or that they hate it.

Unless you want to claim that the game is off-limits to rip into because of some make-believe social bullshit. Is that what you're doing here?

Sony, Gematsu and Naughty made it off limits, I am just endorsing their decision to do so and anyone who posted such drivel is blowing a dog whistle for reactionary fuel since wokeness is always attacked

 

[BrawlMan]

Don't like? Don't watch.