Are the controls meant to be awful in The Last of Us?

[endtherapture]

So I borrowed TLOU off a mate and got playing. I loved the opening and the graphics and visuals are amazing so far. I'm up to the point where I'm sneaking out of the city in a rainstorm.

However I just can't get used to the controls. Joels' supposed to be an experienced mercenary and gun runner...so why can't he kill with headshots? Why are the controls so floaty and the aiming so bad? Can someone explain to me why the stealth is temperamental? You can't fight off the soldiers when you're discovered so why is there even the option to get discovered?

I just don't quite get it so far. I'm used to tight controls which make you feel like you're in control of the character, it's weird going back to 1998 esque controls.

Hoping people can shed some light on this and if/when game gets better!

 

[Evonisia]

Though I personally didn't have (many) issues with The Last of Us' gameplay, I do have to note that the guns act the exact same throughout the entire game. I find that the explosives later on are somewhat efficient, but I the gunplay remains... err, fine I guess.

The stealth gets better when you reach Winter because the soldiers are less likely to see you anyway, but otherwise stealth seems to just exist as a hiding mechanism rather than an effective way to play the game (gosh that sounds weird). Eventually you end up doing the typical video game thing where you mow down people in the dozens quite easily. The absolute worst example of this is a rather large courtyard like area where you are supposed to hide from the soldiers in this sprawling space, but as soon as one person sees you they all know where you are, and it falls apart. Ellie's sniping doesn't help either.

 

[tippy2k2]

If the gun-play/stealth are bothering you now, that will not change (unless getting used to it counts). The controls and the game-play stay the exact same the entire game.

I don't know if it's because of my experience with the similar Uncharted (the aiming system is similar) or what it is but I never had any problems with the game-play or the stealth my entire playthrough. I absolutely adore this game (it was my GotY and I would even consider it for my Game of the Generation) and never had any issues playing it.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Naughty Dog doesn't know how to make a TPS even though they've made 4 in a row now. The camera is sluggish and not adjustable, you fucking aim with the free look camera and you don't let me adjust it, fucking BS. Naughty Dog doesn't know how to implement a shoulder swap either, you can never aim off your left shoulder initially. The cover system is garbage because it's contextual; contextual controls always suck, it takes several tries to get Joel into cover and looking over the shoulder you want him to look over. There's sway in the aiming so shooting isn't super easy, and there's a skill to reduce sway. The stealth is a bit iffy especially for the clickers, I swear if you're not in cover, the clickers slowly find you even if they aren't "clicking" in your direction. With all that said, I still did very much enjoy the game though (8/10).

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Hoping people can shed some light on this and if/when game gets better!

My understanding, based on fans of the game, is that the muddy controls are meant to make the game more of a "survival" experience and less of a twitch run and gunner. Joel's struggle to raise and point a gun without it wobbling wildly "humanizes" him as a protagonist.

No, the controls don't ever get better. I am to some degree biased, as I am used to mouse and keyboard, and aiming with a controller is just...just...there are no words.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Joel can kill with headshots. I did it a lot. However, if the enemy is wearing a helmet, it's going to take an extra round. Clickers take a few rounds too. Unless you use the hunting rifle, which is packing armor piercing rounds.

As for the controls, I don't know. Maybe I'm just used to this sort of thing, but I never had any problems with any of them. Of course, I avoided firefights like the plague and went around to silently kill as many as I could, but the few times I did pull out my gun, I didn't have trouble aiming.

 

[MirenBainesUSMC]

He may have been an experienced gun runner but he was also a lot older as well, not really military trained so I thought the controls fit his persona. Raw experience vs a training program produces two different results --- plus you have to account ( if you want to meta-game as they say) malnutrition and probably the wear and tare of a very stressful life surrounded by constant conflict and violence.


Just attempting to give a plausible reasoning behind the shakey controls. Really the only time I did find it horrendously annoying was... well I don't think you got to that part yet so I won't say.

It grew on me really, I don't think I had complaints about the controls...the story on the other hand...hmmm...

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

However I just can't get used to the controls. Joels' supposed to be an experienced mercenary and gun runner...so why can't he kill with headshots? Why are the controls so floaty and the aiming so bad? Can someone explain to me why the stealth is temperamental? You can't fight off the soldiers when you're discovered so why is there even the option to get discovered?

I just don't quite get it so far. I'm used to tight controls which make you feel like you're in control of the character, it's weird going back to 1998 esque controls.

Hoping people can shed some light on this and if/when game gets better!

He can kill with headshots. I have no idea what you're talking about when you say he can't. There are some enemies that were body armor (including helmets) which can take more than one shot in the head to kill (depending on the weapon you're using) but Joel can absolutely kill with headshots.

The controls are floaty for 2 reasons.

1. It's a PS3 game and the Dualshock controller is terrible for shooters.
2. The aiming is supposed to feel a little off because Joel isn't a trained soldier, he's just a guy. Aiming is hard in real life (seriously, try shooting a gun sometime, even the slightest twitch while aiming will send your bullet to a radically different place than intended), and they made it hard in the game. Your aim wobbles, and it forces you to really pick your shots considering how little ammo you have. It forces you to play very cautiously and very defensively and to try to avoid gunfights entirely (either sneaking past enemies or engaging them in melee combat instead). You can reduce the amount of weapon sway by upgrading that ability if you so choose.

Also you can absolutely fight off the soldiers, or anything else that you encounter for that matter.

The stealth isn't temperamental, the game just doesn't explain it to you very well. The stealth has a lot of nuanced mechanics that are never explained to you. Enemies don't necessarily have to see you to realize that you're there. Human enemies can detect you by the sound of you walking around (certain surfaces make more noise than others do), and they can detect you if your character gets reflected in a mirror or if they see your shadow. Infected need to actually see you or you need to make a significant noise for them to notice you. Clickers "see" you if you move while they're making their clicking noise. That noise basically works like sonar. If there's clickers around and you're moving behind cover when they start clicking they won't see you, they'll just see that piece of cover. If you're in the open and you stop moving when they're clicking they also won't see you, they'll just think that you're an object. If you're in the open and moving around and they aren't clicking they won't see you because they're blind. The only time clickers will see you is if you touch them, or if you're moving around out of cover when they start making their clicking noises.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Yeah it's this stupid thing where devs seem to think scary survival games need clunky controls to be scary. It's atmosphere that makes a game scary, clunky controls only frustrate.

 

[brtt150]

So I borrowed TLOU off a mate and got playing. I loved the opening and the graphics and visuals are amazing so far. I'm up to the point where I'm sneaking out of the city in a rainstorm.

However I just can't get used to the controls. Joels' supposed to be an experienced mercenary and gun runner...so why can't he kill with headshots? Why are the controls so floaty and the aiming so bad? Can someone explain to me why the stealth is temperamental? You can't fight off the soldiers when you're discovered so why is there even the option to get discovered?

I just don't quite get it so far. I'm used to tight controls which make you feel like you're in control of the character, it's weird going back to 1998 esque controls.

Hoping people can shed some light on this and if/when game gets better!

You can kill with headshots. You just need to get good at using the controls. The auto aim is not as high as other games that use controllers so you have to develop skill (scary thought).

I'm not really sure what you are saying when asking why there is an option to get discovered. The whole idea behind the stealth mechanic is to be patient and develop a sense of timing. The rain segment is easy to get through without being discovered. Not sure what to tell you.

 

[Chaos Isaac]

Bad controls?

Pfft, someone hasn't played Alien: Isolation.

Honestly, I've seen this complaint a few more times, and I never get it. The controls and aiming aren't bad, though admittedly they take a bit to get used to. But once you got it, you can do just about everything well. Exception one section with a kid.

F-that noise.

 

[Wintermute_v1legacy]

I've been meaning to play this game for a while now and now I'm worried, since i'm used to mouse and keyboard. I thought the shooting mevhanics would be just like uncharted, since it's made by the same company. In case i find the controls to be terrible, Is it possible to avoid most of the combat by sneaking past enemies?

 

[Evonisia]

I've been meaning to play this game for a while now and now I'm worried, since i'm used to mouse and keyboard. I thought the shooting mevhanics would be just like uncharted, since it's made by the same company. In case i find the controls to be terrible, Is it possible to avoid most of the combat by sneaking past enemies?

Usually, but there are quite a few occasions where they will force enemies at you and they have to die so you can proceed.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I've been meaning to play this game for a while now and now I'm worried, since i'm used to mouse and keyboard. I thought the shooting mevhanics would be just like uncharted, since it's made by the same company. In case i find the controls to be terrible, Is it possible to avoid most of the combat by sneaking past enemies?

The shooting mechanics are basically like uncharted but with more weapon sway and a lot less ammo, meaning that every shot you miss is a lot less forgiving (at least in the early game). However there are very few parts in the game where you actually have no choice but to start shooting. Most encounters can be solved with stealth or a combination of melee and thrown items (molotovs, nail bombs, etc) if you aren't confident in your shooting.

Personally I'd say my most used weapon in the game wasn't a gun, it was a brick. Ah good old bricks, you were plentiful and helped me bash faces in real good.

 

[Casual Shinji]

However I just can't get used to the controls. Joels' supposed to be an experienced mercenary and gun runner...so why can't he kill with headshots? Why are the controls so floaty and the aiming so bad? Can someone explain to me why the stealth is temperamental? You can't fight off the soldiers when you're discovered so why is there even the option to get discovered?

I just don't quite get it so far. I'm used to tight controls which make you feel like you're in control of the character, it's weird going back to 1998 esque controls.

Hoping people can shed some light on this and if/when game gets better!

Headshots do kill instantly, EXCEPT if enemies wear helmets, which all the soldiers typically do. Also when shooting from further away, an enemy's extended shootin' arm hitbox will on occasion block your shots. And infected enemies, primarily Clickers, can survive more than one shot to the head.

The soldier section early on is all about hammering the importance of stealth into the player's brain, by harshy punishing you when you're discovered. It eases up significantly once you're out of the city. Just remember, you can (and should) run and hide whenever enemies spot you. Just sprint a good distance away from the conflicted area, try and break sight, and go back into crouch mode. Also don't forget that your flashlight makes you easily visible for human enemies. Infected won't see it though.

As for the controls... That's just the way it plays. Joel is not supposed to feel like an action hero, but just a regular dude who occasionally shoots guns. Eventhough he has a lot of experience with guns, the game operates under the notion that realistically someone (who isn't a total gun nut) can never be that good with a gun. It makes it so that every bullet feels valuable, every shot counts. When you miss it feels horrible, but when you plant a succesful headshot it's extremely satisfying. The guns feel loud and unstable, like small explosions occuring in your hands. Easier modes have less gunsway, and the Pill upgrades allow you to mitigate the effect as well.

Also, here's a tip: When melee attacking with your bare hands, hold down the Sprint button. The game already kind of homes in on enemy targets on its own, but if you hold down Sprint it makes it way quicker and snappier. This doesn't work as well when attacking with a melee weapon oddly enough though.

 

[sXeth]

The aim gets marginally more precise with upgrades down the road (or outright better guns). The stealth is kind of dodgy throughout (and watch out for the bits where it auto-detects you because its time for a shooty scene.)

Overall, its really a Jack of all Trades, Master of None of 3 or 4 different gameplay styles (TPS, Survival, Stealth), and it never does any of them particularly well.

 

[Nieroshai]

However I just can't get used to the controls. Joels' supposed to be an experienced mercenary and gun runner...so why can't he kill with headshots? Why are the controls so floaty and the aiming so bad? Can someone explain to me why the stealth is temperamental? You can't fight off the soldiers when you're discovered so why is there even the option to get discovered?

I just don't quite get it so far. I'm used to tight controls which make you feel like you're in control of the character, it's weird going back to 1998 esque controls.

Hoping people can shed some light on this and if/when game gets better!

He can kill with headshots. I have no idea what you're talking about when you say he can't. There are some enemies that were body armor (including helmets) which can take more than one shot in the head to kill (depending on the weapon you're using) but Joel can absolutely kill with headshots.

The controls are floaty for 2 reasons.

1. It's a PS3 game and the Dualshock controller is terrible for shooters.
2. The aiming is supposed to feel a little off because Joel isn't a trained soldier, he's just a guy. Aiming is hard in real life (seriously, try shooting a gun sometime, even the slightest twitch while aiming will send your bullet to a radically different place than intended), and they made it hard in the game. Your aim wobbles, and it forces you to really pick your shots considering how little ammo you have. It forces you to play very cautiously and very defensively and to try to avoid gunfights entirely (either sneaking past enemies or engaging them in melee combat instead). You can reduce the amount of weapon sway by upgrading that ability if you so choose.

Also you can absolutely fight off the soldiers, or anything else that you encounter for that matter.

The stealth isn't temperamental, the game just doesn't explain it to you very well. The stealth has a lot of nuanced mechanics that are never explained to you. Enemies don't necessarily have to see you to realize that you're there. Human enemies can detect you by the sound of you walking around (certain surfaces make more noise than others do), and they can detect you if your character gets reflected in a mirror or if they see your shadow. Infected need to actually see you or you need to make a significant noise for them to notice you. Clickers "see" you if you move while they're making their clicking noise. That noise basically works like sonar. If there's clickers around and you're moving behind cover when they start clicking they won't see you, they'll just see that piece of cover. If you're in the open and you stop moving when they're clicking they also won't see you, they'll just think that you're on object. If you're in the open and moving around and they aren't clicking they won't see you because they're blind. The only time clickers will see you is if you touch them, or if you're moving around out of cover when they start making their clicking noises.

And the funny thing is, I never once felt that the controls were bad or that any mechanics were muddy or didn't make sense. Is it just me, or is the gap of years making excellent look awful? I remember Resident Evil. The Last of Us has better and smoother controls than every Resident Evil I've ever played (all of them), and RE4 is considered one of the best action Survival Horror games of all time. Hell, honestly I felt spoiled by The Last of Us. Sure, it's a matter of perspective, but has gaming really come so far that the best games we grew up with are worse than the "worst" modern games? I somehow doubt it.

 

[Nieroshai]

Yeah it's this stupid thing where devs seem to think scary survival games need clunky controls to be scary. It's atmosphere that makes a game scary, clunky controls only frustrate.

It's also this stupid thing where people get the impression that survival games have to be scary, or every player character needs to be as capable of combat as a COD soldier.

 

[endtherapture]

Hoping people can shed some light on this and if/when game gets better!

My understanding, based on fans of the game, is that the muddy controls are meant to make the game more of a "survival" experience and less of a twitch run and gunner. Joel's struggle to raise and point a gun without it wobbling wildly "humanizes" him as a protagonist.

No, the controls don't ever get better. I am to some degree biased, as I am used to mouse and keyboard, and aiming with a controller is just...just...there are no words.

Man I feel you. In the first fight in the entire game I thought I landed a perfect headshot. Right now I'm just relying on the woman to do all of the fighting for me. Joel controls like a drunk elephant. I wish I could play this game on M&K, PC gamers have been spoiled having to play with such a perfect input device whilst console gamers struggle around with these controllers for shooters.

 

[Casual Shinji]

And the funny thing is, I never once felt that the controls were bad or that any mechanics were muddy or didn't make sense. Is it just me, or is the gap of years making excellent look awful? I remember Resident Evil. The Last of Us has better and smoother controls than every Resident Evil I've ever played (all of them), and RE4 is considered one of the best action Survival Horror games of all time. Hell, honestly I felt spoiled by The Last of Us. Sure, it's a matter of perspective, but has gaming really come so far that the best games we grew up with are worse than the "worst" modern games? I somehow doubt it.

Control input has just improved a great deal in the last generation. It's probably the most underrated advancement. Some games from the 6th generation still control very good, like the Ratchet and Clank games and Resident Evil 4, but most of them control like garbage compared to games now. I remember going back to Jak and Daxter a few years ago and it felt nearly unplayable, because I had gotten so used to the buttery smooth controls of the PS3/360.