Wow, I just finished Last of Us, and have been gripped through out... if you havent finished the game yet, I highly recommend you dont read any further.

So my thoughts on the game overall, excellent. Though the gameplay I didnt find particulary ground breaking, the story and emotion I felt towards the characters kept me gripped till the end, which for once I was sad to see arrive. Usually when I play a game I reach a point where I feel im ready to finish it now, but this game I just wanted to go on and on. 

I did love the CQC, it felt gritty and intuitive how you could slam there heads into the enviroment and such.

I still dont know how to feel about the ending, it left me feeling torn inside, which I guess is a compliment to the story writers.

The one thing I dont like, I thought when I finished it on normal I would be able to start a new game with my current stuff on survivor. But it seems thats not the case, and I can either do 'New Game Plus' but on on or upto the difficulty I finished it on. So im gonna have to start a brand new game on survivor to unlock 'New Game Plus' mode for that difficulty :(

I will definitly be buying the DLC (if its single player content anyway) to see more of the story :)

Not going to read, just tagging, only halfway through....

Still thinking about the end, having closed himself off to others and not letting anyone get too close after the beginning's turn of events, during the course of his journey Joel lets down his guard and gets close to Ellie (perhaps too close).

With nothing or no one else in the world left for him, by the end he was willing to fight and go to any lengths to stay with her, she is what he fights to stay alive for now, his reason for living, without her he has nothing. I remember him saying as they arrive at Saint Marys 'im not leaving without you' which is a complete turn around from the way he was at the start.

By the end of the story, the two characters personnalities had completely flipped.

Sorry to bring up a dead thread, but thought maybe more people would have finished by now and saw no reason to start a new thread

Personally, I really enjoyed the game and very much enjoyed the ending. I thought the Ellie being the cure thing was slightly cliched but was really moved by the lengths Joel went to to get a life with a his "second daughter"

The only thing I didn't like about the game was that Ellie was a bit too powerful. When you played as her, I certainly didn't feel any more vulnerable which I thought was a shame.

I will give it a bit of time before I go back and play it on survivor, I would advise most people play on hard, after the first few hours, the terror was gone because even if I was spotted, I could just run away and shoot everyone.

I think Ellie knew Joel was lying to her at the end. But he did if for her own good. I mean after all, she never knew what was about to happen to her, after all, she went from nearly drowning to waking up in the car. She though she would go there and they would take test and study her blood. She never knew it was attached to her brain and the only way to study it would be to kill her. Now Joel has to carrie the burden of never telling her the truth, on one hand it's a selfish act, on the other it's kinda best she not find out. I cant wait to see what happens next. How will the carry the story line or is it done?

Maybe in that single player dlc we'll find out.

But he didn't lie. The recordings you can pick up in the hospital tell of previous immunities.

I got two of the recordings?  I dont remember this.  What did they say?

@OP loved the game and story but the ending I'm also torn.  Not sure how to react to it.  it was very polarizing but I still loved it but at the same time it left me wanting more.

Oh.. I didn't catch that recording. When i reach the hosptila i kind put my self in Joels shoes. I didn't care about collecting stuff or cratfing. I only cared about getting to ellie before it was too late. I went rambo on their asses and shot the doctor right between his eyes with out hesitation. I've never had a reaction in a game like this before. And thats a telling sign. This game not only make me happy as a sony gamer and life long Naughty Dog fan but generaly excited for where the medum will go in the next few years. 

Ill be more careful on my second play. 

Sorry should have clarified that I didn't actually hear them. Just going by what others said in the Gaf Spoiler thread. I only got the one where Marlenne said she had no choice but to accept Ellies fate.