So I bought The Last of Us....

[zzyoshiman]

Kantor said:
It's not flawless, because no game is. It is, however, my 8th favourite game of the generation, and my favourite PS3 exclusive.

To respond to your points:

-I thought the characters were all brilliant. Together with the storyline, they are the game's strong point, to such a degree that I would call everything related to the plot pretty much flawless. What didn't you like about them?

-It's not a stealth game, and it took me a while to figure this out. Yes, stealth is an important element of the gameplay, but if you're just sneaking around and choking from behind, there's no fun in it at all. You get the other tools for a reason, and though you should try to conserve, stockpiling them to the degree that you get to new supplies and can't even carry them (as I did early on in the campaign) is just wasteful and ruins the fun.

-The friendly AI is pretty awful, yes. But I'm glad they decided to make your allies invisible to the infected, or the game would be positively infuriating.

I think the game's quality is very much related to its atmosphere. It looks brilliant; the soundtrack is excellent; you genuinely do feel afraid at times, and you're always worried about what's around the next corner. There aren't many games that I've found so engrossing. And the action, once you get a little way into the story (certainly less than half) is great too.

But even the best games won't be enjoyed by everyone. I can't stand Half-Life 2, Dead Space, Ninja Gaiden or Minecraft, and those were all extremely well received by most people. It's a shame you're not enjoying it more, but stick with it, just to see the story through if nothing else.

I know it's mostly a stealth game, but to me, combining stealth elements of metal gear and over the top cinematic elements of uncharted just doesn't mix well.

Also, having friendly AI be in no danger sets no challege or purpose for Ellie being there. It should have been like In Resident Evil 4, where you protect Ashley from danger by killing enemies swarming her or locking her in a dumpster until it's all clear.