I finished The Last of Us a little while ago, and although I'll put a foot on the bandwagon and agree that it is a game with a phenomenal story, there's definitely been something bothering me about the amount of hype vs. actual gameplay as far as my personal experience went. As an average Jane, I don't have the ability to run out and buy every hot game as soon as it hits the shelves, so I inevitably end up reading other people's opinion about a game before I myself get a crack at it. In the case of The Last of Us, it was particularly the ending that was so unlike the impression I had gotten from other people's opinions that it left me with a sour taste. Statements from average fans of the game as well as highly regarded video game reviewers painted a picture in my head of a game that was completely strong from beginning to end, that gave the player a sense of closure and satisfaction, and that, most importantly, actually ended. Like, wrapped it up, all the way, no loose ends. A game with a beginning, middle, and end. And the end is the end... I don't know if any of you realize how rare a game like that is, or any story-based entertainment for that matter, but when I believed that The Last of Us was one of those games it made me excited, and I'll explain why.
Too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing very quickly and easily. As much as I love certain video game, movie, and t.v. show series, I always want it to end before it's overstayed its welcome. That's why certain series (The Simpsons and Assassin's Creed, for example) are killing me inside; these are series that flourished at one point, providing compelling storylines and genuine entertainment based on ingenuity. But to me, they're losing their character, the thing that made them what they were in the first place. I hate to see that in new IP more than anything, which is why the prospect of a game that can be stand alone and do extremely well without needing to be open ended is such a powerful gesture.
To put it bluntly, I'm the one who goes, "Come on, devs, don't punk out. Kill that character off if you got the balls the do it, you know that's a better story, so do it!" I'm not saying that I wanted any particular character killed in The Last of Us, I'm just giving an example of my mindframe concerning this topic.
In any case, in the ever raging battle of "Bioshock Infinite vs. The Last of Us: who dun it better?" I think I'm going to preliminarily side with Bioshock for the time being. It gave me what I wanted, a story that was essentially uncompromising in its ending (and I do say "essentially" because I acknowledge what argument could be used against this). Of course, I'll reserve final judgement until I play through both games again.
Maybe this is why I like George R.R. Martin so much, that guy's not afraid to kill anyone.
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