The Last of Us - PS3
I'm calling it now, The Last Of Us is my game of the year. Forget Bioshock Infinite, forget Grand Theft Auto V; this game is incredible and a must play for PS3 owners. Since its release in June of this year, bloggers and reviewers the world over have been effusive in their praise of this game and for good reason. Never before have I played a game that so effectively combines taut gameplay, a gripping storyline, and incredible characters the way The Last Of Us does. To tell the truth, I was somewhat hesitant to even give this game a shot. I never got a taste for developer Naughty Dog's Uncharted series, and from pre-release screenshots and trailers for this game it just looked a bit too much like a post-apocalyptic variation on the Uncharted formula. In the end, however, I just couldn't ignore the near universal acclaim that this game was receiving and I'm so glad that I didn't.
As it turns out, my assumptions about this game weren't too far off the mark. The gameplay in The Last Of Us is very reminiscent of Uncharted's blend of stealth and third-person action. It also reminded me a bit of a looser and swifter Metal Gear Solid title, or one of the later day Resident Evil games. What really sets this game apart from those titles, however, is its incredible story. I was talking with a friend recently about how tired I was getting of games and films that are set in a post-apocalyptic world plagued by zombies or some other form of undead atrocity. We agreed that the genre seemed to be getting pretty stale, but then I played this and it just proved the point that when you do something right, with a real eye toward quality, that even a seemingly stale genre can feel reenergized. Put simply, I loved every moment and virtually every aspect of this game, and I may even go back and give the Uncharted series another look.
Two points of concern that I had while playing The Last of Us (and you might think I'm crazy for thinking this) are that I hope its success won't trigger (A) a new rash of zombie games, and (B) an unbalanced emphasis on storytelling in video games. As far as the zombie stuff goes, you know, I just think that movies and TV and games have had enough of them for a little while. The undead are cool, but there is such a thing as diminishing returns. With the storytelling stuff, well, see if you can dig this. Generally speaking, I love video games for what sets them apart from film and television. It's the interactive aspect of gaming that engages me most. For me, when a game is lauded for its in-depth storyline, I usually take that to mean that I'm going to be doing a lot of reading and sitting through a bunch of lengthy cutscenes. Now, I don't mind reading, and I love a good burst of CG as much as anyone, but when you think about it that's not really what video games are all about. And let's be honest, there are a lot of hacks out there writing video game scenarios, Suda 51. Ultimately, what made The Last of Us so effective was its perfect balance of solid gameplay and an emotionally gripping, superbly acted storyline that was conveyed not strictly through reams of text and the occasional cutscene, but by the characters themselves in real time. And that's what I'm talking about here, balance. Remember game designers, we play because we want to play and interact. A good storyline is wonderful, but it must be balanced by solid, fun gameplay. Don't take the success of The Last of Us as your cue to make your games more movie-like, rather see it as a new high watermark in both storytelling and interactive gameplay. Anyway, yeah, game of the year.
Grade: A
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 3DS
I'll be honest, I've never really been a big fan of Link's 3D adventures. Ocarina of Time was pretty cool, and I had fun with Majora's Mask's unique variations on the familiar Zelda template, but in general, they've just never felt right to me. They're all fairly solid games, but I prefer the classic top-down style of the original Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past. Good news then that A Link Between Worlds is not only done in the top-down style, but it's also a sequel to my personal favorite Zelda title, A Link to the Past. This game is brilliant! If you own a 3DS and you like Zelda games then this is a no brainer. The biggest twists on the formula are its relative non-linearity and the ability to rent all of the classic Zelda gadgets (boomerang, bombs, etc.) starting fairly early in the game. You can tackle the dungeons in any order and you can use your rented gadgets to scour the overworld for secrets at any time. These changes have the effect of livening up the pace of the game in a very enjoyable way. In fact, now that I think about it, that's precisely the problem that I had with the 3D Zelda adventures, they all moved just a bit too slowly for my liking. At any rate, don't hesitate to give this game a whirl, you'll be glad you did.
Grade: A-
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