i never got around to actually buying a ps4 which seems like a plebe move but i always felt like i was too much of a noob with consoles to warrant a purchase lol.
Abby's Day 2 is amazing. Like everyone says, the set pieces and gameplay are some of the best ND's done and in gaming in general. The skyscraper made my palms sweat like crazy, the hotel + Bloodborne-infected were fucking terrifying and epic.... but equally important is how the game constantly calls Abby out on her bullshit. This is best achieved by pairing her with Lev, someone who dismantles her of many prejudices, and triggers guilt for what she's done. Guys, I LOVE Lev. Protect him.
Abby's now risking her life and career with the WLF not out of a change in ideology, but because after killing Joel, she's done fighting to fight. Instead, she just wants to save two kids, attempting redemption more than anything else. She and Owen are done wanting to fight. This adds to the complexity and moral grayness of what Ellie does to these people.
I have to say, I was apprehensive about playing as Abby for 3 entire days, but I'm fucking floored by what they have achieved here. I've never seen a "revenge" story where the one out for revenge fails to get it, and the person they're after is on a path to redemption the whole time. Abby/Ellie's dynamic has more nuance than most things I've seen in gaming, or the "revenge" genre period. Can't wait for the last day.
A MUST READ when you're done with this and cannot escape the game even though the PS4 is off.
i take it you beat the game?
real ending spoilers:
how about that ending sequence? fight was crazy, and oh my gosh i was weeping through the whole joel flashback. i am a changed person because of this game.
also earlier in the game but fighting ellie as abby fuck you ND that made me want to die
I plan on writing so much more on all this but will discuss snippets with you guys whenever I find time. End game spoilers:
That fight is, legit, the best 'boss' fight I've seen in a video game, period. Better than Ocelot in MGS4 even. Have you seen the movie Martyrs? I'm sure Neil has, Abby had that look to her, man. The went-through-hell-and-back look. Same as Ellie. What unexpectedly happened to me throughout that fight was the fact that I cried while punching her and at some point even yelled 'stop', I think. I felt a literal catharsis when it was all done, like I went through all of that pain with both Abby and Ellie, which I did, as a player. Afterwards, it took me a while to process what happened in the final scenes because I was still there on the beach. Ellie ended the cycle of violence by remembering Joel and remembering the capacity for forgiveness and love she still had in herself.
This game is a messy, beautiful, brave masterpiece.
Vader...
Lev MUST be protected, yes. Such a lovely smart kid.
The final "boss" fight reminded me of Death Stranding's final fight between Norman and Troy. Similarly intense and beautifully animated/executed imo. The actual ending when Ellie returns to the house broke my fucking heart tho. I was legitimately screaming at Ellie (was a little intoxicated) when she decided to leave Dina and JJ.
The final "boss" fight reminded me of Death Stranding's final fight between Norman and Troy. Similarly intense and beautifully animated/executed imo. The actual ending when Ellie returns to the house broke my fucking heart tho. I was legitimately screaming at Ellie (was a little intoxicated) when she decided to leave Dina and JJ.
Oh yeah, Reedus v Baker as well.
What was the toughest challenge in the game for you guys? I was playing on Hard and it was definitely... Finish the game for this one:
Rat King under the hospital. Fuck that abomination! Intense as fuck. Had to restart several times because of how little ammo I had.
What was the toughest challenge in the game for you guys? I was playing on Hard and it was definitely... Finish the game for this one:
Rat King under the hospital. Fuck that abomination! Intense as fuck. Had to restart several times because of how little ammo I had.
My first playthrough was on normal. I'm a few hours into NG+ on survivor rn.
LATE GAME SPOILERS:
Fuck the Rat King. Holy shit. I expected something bad (so I saved up a bumch of pipe bombs and all my flamethrower ammo) but the RK's design was grotesque as fuck and it scared the crap outta me.
Side note: I stopped listening to music a year or two ago, but this game got me back into Pearl Jam. I've been teaching myself to play "Future Days" on my buddy's guitar.
What was the toughest challenge in the game for you guys? I was playing on Hard and it was definitely... Finish the game for this one:
Rat King under the hospital. Fuck that abomination! Intense as fuck. Had to restart several times because of how little ammo I had.
My first playthrough was on normal. I'm a few hours into NG+ on survivor rn.
LATE GAME SPOILERS:
Fuck the Rat King. Holy shit. I expected something bad (so I saved up a bumch of pipe bombs and all my flamethrower ammo) but the RK's design was grotesque as fuck and it scared the crap outta me.
Side note: I stopped listening to music a year or two ago, but this game got me back into Pearl Jam. I've been teaching myself to play "Future Days" on my buddy's guitar.
I actually intend to re-discover Pearl Jam these days too.
Yeah, the model viewer really brings out the best (and the worst) in these enemy designs.
Somehow, in all of this discussion we haven't yet mentioned one particular encounter. Past Seattle Day 3, late into that whole part of the game, uhm...
Uncle T is a goddamned sniper wolf from metal gear! That was too tense. I was affraid to move after Manny died lol.
