TLOU2 Review Thread

[BrawlMan]

So... They were following the tenant of free speech until now?

Yep. Whatever you consider free speech on Twitter though. Reason why they mostly never bothered with Trump is because they were scared of him.

Like I said they had a habit of noticing something or ignoring something depending on how far you are in society or what money you have. For what I heard, at least with certain politicians they were giving Twitter money to keep certain posts up. Those execs, suits, or whoever is high up on the corporate ladder; they may have done the right thing this time, but they do not hold the high moral ground.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Yep. Whatever you consider free speech on Twitter though. Reason why they mostly never bothered with Trump is because they were scared of him.

Like I said they had a habit of noticing something or ignoring something depending on how far you are in society or what money you have. For what I heard, at least with certain politicians they were giving Twitter money to keep certain posts up. Those execs, suits, or whoever is high up on the corporate ladder; they may have done the right thing this time, but they do not hold the high moral ground.

This sounds less like someone abusing a system with power and more like the power being the only thing keeping the system from abusing them. No one should be denied the right to free speech. If not even Trump, with the power he has, can keep his right to free speech then what does that say for the rest of us?

 

[MrCalavera]

Can someone explain what alternate universe I fell into? Because in the one I come from Twitter extremely left leaning and Trump wasn't on the left.

Twitter is only left leaning, if you mostly follow left leaning people. Same with any other aligment.

Trump isn't on the left, but so isn't majority of american politicians.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Twitter is only left leaning, if you mostly follow left leaning people. Same with any other aligment.

Trump isn't on the left, but so isn't majority of american politicians.

I honestly want to continue this discussion but I get the sense that it would devolve into politics and I think the new thread made by Dreiko today will intersect with this anyway. So I guess I'll get to this later in that thread.

 

[BrawlMan]

This sounds less like someone abusing a system with power and more like the power being the only thing keeping the system from abusing them. No one should be denied the right to free speech. If not even Trump, with the power he has, can keep his right to free speech then what does that say for the rest of us?

You might want to tell the people at Twitter that. I'm all for free speech and everything, unless the speech becomes harmful or are there to target others and then do nothing until the very last minute, I have a huge problem. Or you're willing to ignore some stuff that are serious, but then some people for shooting the shit over a video game or lesser reasons gets their comments removed or outright banned. That is hypocrisy at its finest. like I said before, that is why I hate Twitter. Because at the end of the day it is just an open chat room that everyone can see. Never liked it when it first started, still hate it now.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

You might want to tell the people at Twitter that. I'm all for free speech and everything, unless the speech becomes harmful or are there to target others and then do nothing until the very last minute, I have a huge problem.

Who gets to define what's harmful though?

Or you're willing to ignore some stuff that are serious, but then some people for shooting the shit over a video game or lesser reasons gets their comments rude or outright banned. That is hypocrisy at its finest. like I said before, that is why I hate Twitter. Because at the end of the day it is just an open chat room that everyone can see. Never liked it when it first started, still hate it now.

On this I believe we both agree. It's why I hate Reddit. When everyone is trying to talk at once only the loudest or most shocking will be heard. I much prefer forums like this with a moderate size of people.

 

[Chimpzy]

Yep. Whatever you consider free speech on Twitter though. Reason why they mostly never bothered with Trump is because they were scared of him.

Can someone explain what alternate universe I fell into? Because in the one I come from Twitter extremely left leaning and Trump wasn't on the left.

Twitter is only left leaning, if you mostly follow left leaning people. Same with any other aligment.

Trump isn't on the left, but so isn't majority of american politicians.

For anyone wondering why Twitter allows Trump to go on his tirades, even though many of them ostensibly break the platform's rules? It's because Twitter made an exception for politicians in office. From their official rules and policies, emphasis mine:

When is it in the public interest to preserve access to a Tweet?

We decide whether a Tweet that would otherwise violate the Twitter Rules is in the public interest using the following criteria and process:

Criteria for exceptions

1. The Tweet violates one or more Twitter Rules;
2. The Tweet was posted by a verified account;
3. The account has more than 100,000 followers; and,
4. The account represents a current or potential member of a local, state, national, or supra-national governmental or legislative body:
   1. Current holders of an elected or appointed leadership position in a governmental or legislative body, OR
   2. Candidates or nominees for political office.

As far as I can tell, this particular exception did not exist prior to 2016. They've essentially given heads of state the privilege of immunity from the platform's rules. These exceptions are in general very much a weaselly corporate way of ensuring they have an easy out to dodge any responsibility in case a politician with a major following, which heads of state tend to be, decides to be a huge shitheel.

I'm leaving it at that tho, since this is obviously way off topic.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

For anyone wondering why Twitter allows Trump to go on his tirades, even though many of them ostensibly break the platform's rules? It's because Twitter made an exception for politicians in office. From their official rules and policies, emphasis mine:
As far as I can tell, this particular exception did not exist prior to 2016. They've essentially given heads of state the privilege of immunity from the platform's rules. These exceptions are in general very much a weaselly corporate way of ensuring they have an easy out to dodge any responsibility in case a politician with a major following, which heads of state tend to be, decides to be a huge shitheel.

I'm leaving it at that tho, since this is obviously way off topic.

I see. In that case it does look like an abuse of power that allowed Trump to post on Twitter. I still stand by what I said about how everyone should be able to speak but obviously things like who's providing the place of speech and how big that place of speech is muddle everything.

 

[Sneed's SeednFeed]

It's kinda sad that some people have to be reminded that attacking the actors over things their characters do just makes them look like assholes.

Death threats and such are never appropriate but proper criticism should be leveled at the writers/director if that's what really bothers them.

This reminds me of Robert Pattinson's engagement to FKA twigs and how the latter was harassed endlessly by Twilight fans over their relationship. It eventually got too much and Pattinson's lack of a response led to their breakup and forms the background of her Magdalene album, which is pretty difficult to listen to when you realise that most of it is about her shattered ego and how this was something she had to get used to because the franchise launched his career. This sort of mass commodity fetishism is repulsive.

 

[WindKnight]

This sounds less like someone abusing a system with power and more like the power being the only thing keeping the system from abusing them. No one should be denied the right to free speech. If not even Trump, with the power he has, can keep his right to free speech then what does that say for the rest of us?

its been noted that twitter has systems in places to stop Isis related accounted in their tracks.

It's also been noted that one of the main reasons they cant use the same systems on white supremacists is that it would lead to many Republican politicians being banned from the platform.

 

[stroopwafel]

You have examples of this. Because I've played through the game twice now, and I never saw any of this with Abby.

For example in the beginning of her section, she hangs out and jokes with Manny about how much pussy he gets. She pleasantly interacts with people in the cafeteria, including Manny's father. And the only point of contention is how she and Mel aren't really friends any more. And an off handed comment about what they did. Outside of that, it doesn't get brought up again.

You could argue that much later when Mel calls her a piece of shit, it might be a reflection of her revenge. But that's more likely Mel trying to get Abby to leave Owen alone because love triangles are a thing in this game.

Also during her section she saves the scar kids, but it is never ever hinted that this has anything to do with any sort of regret of her revenge on Joel. She kind of saves them by circumstance after they cut her down. Then she goes back for them later simply because this game wants you to feel like Abby is the hero of this story. That she is the good guy. She plays with dogs and she saves kids, look at how wonderful she is. Joel surely must have deserved her anger because she is just so great you guys.

I don't buy it. It's poorly written and stupidly executed.

After what Joel did to Abby's father it made more than sense that she wanted revenge. That is kind of the point. Joel is no less of a killer. Joel hated military types for good reason because of his daughter. I mean, he slaughtered the Fireflies with some pretty excessive force even unarmed doctors. You could say, the doctor had it coming because he wanted to perform an encephalectomy on Ellie even if it was for a 'cure' and OK you can argue if saving the potential human race is worth one life. But for Abby it was still her father who got murdered. Ellie then wanted revenge for Joel and even killed a pregnant woman in the process. Her murderous rampage was more unscrupulous than even Abby's heinous murder of Joel.

Point is there are no 'good' or 'bad' guys in The Last of Us part deux. Moral clarity necessitates the predictability of functioning social structure not anarchy and survival of the fittest. I'm not going to nitpick specific plot details I don't give a shit about that. I care for the general impression I have of the performances and if I can atleast understand the specific motivations. And I have to say all of the characters were easy to empathize with which made the unfolding tragedy that much more poignant. Abby was also heavily traumatized which manifested through her excessive muscle and need for revenge. It was the death of her father that sparked this. Given enough hate even essentially good people can be pushed over the edge which is exactly what happened to both Ellie and Abby. And you could see with Abby the way she was with Owen and those kids who escaped the scars that she had a caring and affectionate nature she didn't really share with the world.

Violence begets violence. If the world hadn't turned to shit and if Ellie and Abby's fates weren't tied by revenge they probably would have been friends. Abby could not live with her father having been killed by Joel and Ellie couldn't live never being able to reconcile with Joel and forgive him for what he did. I mean, you even kind of see this in the two flashbacks Ellie has in the end which is his murder and him in the chair with the guitar which can be considered reconciliation. By reconciling with her past she can finally let go of her hate in the presence. I think the entire story and the way they build towards this is absolutely sublime.

 

[Bartholen]

And I don't think the game tried pull a fast one on the player there, I think that moment, just as the following scenes in the aquarium as Abby, is there to make that setting feel more home-y, contrasting to how it feels when you're there as Ellie.

I just played through that section again today in New Game+, and I can't agree here. To me it seems that the game is very deliberately trying to put at least some unease on the player: the doors are locked, Owen isn't answering, Abby's forced to break in through a part of the aquarium the player has visited only in Ellie's section so far, the lights are out in most of the aquarium and Abby finds bloody bandages in one of the rooms. Abby is also dressed the same as she is in her confrontation with Ellie, and we know that Abby is on the island during a rainstorm (Mel says "People don't come back from that island" right when Ellie confronts her and Owen). In any case that section is just odd and bewildering: if the intent was a fakeout, that's just another "haha" tease for the player, and if it was something more benign there are far too many elements hinting at something else to make that clear.

 

[BrawlMan]

Silent Rob's Review. I knew he would not like it. Funny video.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I just played through that section again today in New Game+, and I can't agree here. To me it seems that the game is very deliberately trying to put at least some unease on the player: the doors are locked, Owen isn't answering, Abby's forced to break in through a part of the aquarium the player has visited only in Ellie's section so far, the lights are out in most of the aquarium and Abby finds bloody bandages in one of the rooms. Abby is also dressed the same as she is in her confrontation with Ellie, and we know that Abby is on the island during a rainstorm (Mel says "People don't come back from that island" right when Ellie confronts her and Owen). In any case that section is just odd and bewildering: if the intent was a fakeout, that's just another "haha" tease for the player, and if it was something more benign there are far too many elements hinting at something else to make that clear.

Maybe it's because I felt we weren't playing long enough as Abby for Ellie to already show up, or maybe it's because I figured the whole Yara and Lev arc was going to given priority, but I never felt like the game was trying to fake me out in that section. Also Ellie showed up at the end of Day 3, and Abby was I think at the end of Day 1 when she got to the aquarium. And I also figured Abby wasn't on the island when she was about to get hanged in that cutscene.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Silent Rob's Review. I knew he would not like it. Funny video.

See, this is the problem with several youtube reviewers. Right in the title he declares it “isn’t worth your time.” Who the hell is he to make that call for anyone else, and why the need to steer people’s opinions in a certain direction so much? It’s almost like they’re trying to set their own agenda for *some* reason.

Basically, there should be a line between their own personal feelings and what anyone else’s might be. Everyone has a right to decide for themselves.

 

[CriticalGaming]

See, this is the problem with several youtube reviewers. Right in the title he declares it “isn’t worth your time.” Who the hell is he to make that call for anyone else, and a why the need to steer people’s opinions in a certain direction so much? It’s almost like they’re trying to set their own agenda for *some* reason.

Basically, there should be a line between their own personal feelings and what anyone else’s might be. Everyone has a right to decide for themselves.

That's the point of a review though. You get someone else's opinion to see if it is worth the risk of spending money on a product. A review is personal opinion, they always are. So I don't understand what your point is here.

 

[BrawlMan]

See, this is the problem with several youtube reviewers. Right in the title he declares it “isn’t worth your time.” Who the hell is he to make that call for anyone else, and a why the need to steer people’s opinions in a certain direction so much? It’s almost like they’re trying to set their own agenda for *some* reason.

Basically, there should be a line between their own personal feelings and what anyone else’s might be. Everyone has a right to decide for themselves.

I can't help but feel you're taking this too personally. I don't agree with Rob's views all the time either, but it's his opinion. Like it or not. There are plenty of games that I love, that he doesn't like. And he usually backs up his reasons. He backed up his reasons why in this video. Yeah, can be a bit more abrasive about his views, but he's not the worst. And just for the record, he's one of the older YouTubers. The ones that started back between 2005 and 2009. So he's been around for a long while.

 

[BrawlMan]

For anyone wondering why Twitter allows Trump to go on his tirades, even though many of them ostensibly break the platform's rules? It's because Twitter made an exception for politicians in office. From their official rules and policies, emphasis mine:
As far as I can tell, this particular exception did not exist prior to 2016. They've essentially given heads of state the privilege of immunity from the platform's rules. These exceptions are in general very much a weaselly corporate way of ensuring they have an easy out to dodge any responsibility in case a politician with a major following, which heads of state tend to be, decides to be a huge shitheel.

I'm leaving it at that tho, since this is obviously way off topic.

And this is why I consider Twitter an absolute joke. I knew about it already @Chimpzy, but thank you for sharing.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

That's the point of a review though. You get someone else's opinion to see if it is worth the risk of spending money on a product. A review is personal opinion, they always are. So I don't understand what your point is here.

A personal opinion would be if his title said, “It wasn’t worth my time.” Closing statement would give the pros and cons and something about maybe different people having different experiences with it. If it’s subjective, not definitive.

This isn’t like having a doctor or two’s vital recommendation to get brain surgery or not.

I can't help but feel you're taking this too personally. I don't agree with Rob's views all the time either, but it's his opinion. Like it or not. There are plenty of games that I love, that he doesn't like. And he usually backs up his reasons. He backed up his reasons why in this video. Yeah, can be a bit more abrasive about his views, but he's not the worst. And just for the record, he's one of the older YouTubers. The ones that started back between 2005 and 2009. So he's been around for a long while.

I usually don’t care, but I feel like this game has gotten an unfair amount of hate considering the quality level and passion that clearly went into it. It’s not even something I’m interested in playing through again any time soon if at all due to pacing mostly, but I can appreciate that it’s an artistic and technical marvel of this generation even if the story is a divisive, occasional mess.

 

[BrawlMan]

I usually don’t care, but I feel like this game has gotten an unfair amount of hate considering the quality level and passion that clearly went into it. It’s not even something I’m interested in playing through again any time soon if at all due to pacing mostly, but I can appreciate that it’s an artistic and technical marvel of this generation even if the story is a divisive, occasional mess.

I understand that and being passionate. I've been there plenty times. More so to call out people who downplay what game (series) achieved or lie/make up shit about flaws in games that are not true. That is why I gave so many professional critics shit when DmC (2013) came out. If you like the game, that is all that matters. History will decide LofUS PtII fate. Whatever happens you can still enjoy the game regardless. Now your opinion or feelings may or not change in a few years, but you will plenty of time to focus on that way later. Enjoy this or whatever else you got going on right now.

Me personally, I have no interests as I've already played better or found the themes done better in games or media in general. I can respect the technical achievements to an extent, but there are games I find personally that already outclass it or will outclass it within the next couple of years.