The Last of Us trailer is revealing of tired game tropes

The emphasis on violence and dehumanization in The Last of Us trailer reveals the narrative crutches of video games.

[DaveMan]

Except Naughty Dog has said, "This isn't your average violent zombie game!!! But rather a game that's about survival, and the love of the man, and the young girl to make it through these post apoclayptic times."

But of course everyone loves to rag on Naughty God.

[illegalyouth]

"Naughty God."

Freudian slip?

[DaveMan]

No, intentional slip :P

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

Its safe to assume that your comment got this many dislikes because at least 2/3 of N4G is too dumb to know what a Freudian slip is.
for what its worth, i lol'd

[nveenio]

No, I think they disagreed because "Naughty God" is more defining of the team at Naughty Dog than their actual name is.

On topic, movies also "suffer" from this. But if you're watching movies for some artistic experience, you're missing out on some pretty sweet entertainment.

To blend the two together, Naughty Dog is great at giving some already hashed out ideas a new fire when it comes to video games. Hence the name "Naughty God".

Also, "Dog" = "God" backward....

[dc1]

LOL +Bub!!!

[morganfell]

The only thing tiring are nickle and dime malcontents and their cheap, weak, and ultimately failed stabs at game journalism.

For every game genre that some adolescent with internet access laments is overdone, there are a hundred websites and penny ante blogs run by whiners, imbeciles, and extraordinary jackasses who wouldn't know real game journalism if it popped out of the toilet and bit them in their backside.

These loathsome instigators endlessly lament over titles which they fail to understand, about which they possess minimal information, or find not to their liking. They never once sit down and attempt to understand the title and its intended audience nor do they write a preview or review from the point of those millions of buyers who do prefer such games.

Instead every piece that should be objective and written for the reader is little more than the angry opinion of a self appointed and demented child king that failed to get the flavor of pudding he wanted for supper and now stumbles around the house slinging food and dribbling from the chin.

I want to see the crystal ball such morons use to predict the future of a game concerning which they have little to no knowledge. Then I want to take that same crystal ball and award them a much deserved bash on the head with it as punishment for their public display of stupidity.

The articles from such personages are little more than cannon fodder. If not angst ridden teenage diatribe it is the ever moronic "Top 5 this...." or hit inducing flamebait that, never meant to inform but rather serve as an outlet for some failed, disgruntled juvenile that lacks their own game development skills.

Yes Virginia there is indeed something tired in all of this. It is the fact true insight, wit, and service to the game community is far more scarce than a good game. We have had plenty of those this year from Gears 3 to Uncharted 3 and beyond. Yes, sequels that have more life and enjoyment in them than any game based article in recent memory.

Before these pretenders to the game journalism throne sit down in haste with their panties in a wad over some other perceived injury at the hands of a developer, they need to go take a long look in the mirror and bear witness to something gamers find truly tiring.

[Skizelli]

@morganfell: I see where you're coming from, but I trust Bitmob's journalism completely (where official staff is concerned). If you didn't know, it was co-founded by Dan Hsu, who has been known for speaking his mind about the journalists you speak of. This is obviously an opinion piece; nothing to take to heart and discredit them for. While I partly agree with it, I've also learned not to judge a movie or video game by its trailer.

[Diver]

dude dan hsu is one of the worst ever.

the ps3 outsold the 360 worldwide from the day it launched. you can look at the official numbers. but dan hsu was editor of egm and just 3 months into the ps3 launch he chose a cover for egm that would be published 2 months later. that cover showed a ps3 with a tomato slammed against and asked what went wrong with the launch. he said in his editorial that he laughed when he showed it to some sony executives.

remember thas just a few months into the ps3 launch an it had not yet launched in the eu, just the us and japan. and it still outsold the 360 launch but he never asked what went wrong with that.

in all his time there he never put a picture of a 360 on the cover with a rrod. a billion dollars was dropped on that. he never asked what went wrong there. no, dan hsu is the last guy you should have brought up. no integrity at all.

[IcarusOne]

disagree with Morganfell and others.

It's not flamebait to ask that the people writing our games strive to a higher level. I don't expect groundbreaking from ND. I expect the best of very well established formulas. They don't reinvent the wheel as much as they polish it and make it gleam.

But I agree with the author that, from the trailer at least, the tone of The Last Of Us may have missed some great opportunities to elevate game writing. Only time will tell.

[Lifeequals42]

@morganfell This is about as far away from the standard "preview" piece as you can get. As far as its front page material (and especially among Staff), Bitmob shies away from the standard reviews/previews cycle and for good reason--everyone else does it and it's boring. I'd say that "games journalism" needs more of this--real, genuine, criticism--over fawning adoration from individuals who consider themselves "press."

[h311rais3r]

People rag on naughty dog because their fan base hails them as gods. And it gets irritating. They're games are great but there are far better

[jdfoster]

They don't believe me... You should check out the ND forums once in a while. Pros and cons. Ups and downs. Praise and criticism.

[Faztkiller]

IMO their games are the best Uncharted 2 is the best game ever made imo

[Biggest]

"People rag on naughty dog because their fan base..."

Oh! That makes perfect sense! You attack a thing because of some other thing. I think I'll go punch a baby in the face because their mom keeps telling me how awesome it is!

[pc_masterrace]

like who h311rais3r? EPIC?

[MysticStrummer]

They're hailed as gods because they're one of the best development teams in the world. They have a long track record of new IPs and great games. Go ahead and name games you think are "far better". Guess what? Your list will be your opinion, not the truth.

OT- The people at Bitmob could spend the rest of their lives writing articles about games that feature "tired game tropes", but somehow I don't think they will.

[Pyscho_Mantis]

so why does that make you so angry....they have fans that think they are the best and it is their fans opinion. They do not care about your opinion and likewise their opinion should not bother you....when you get angry over ones opinion (unless it is ridiculously stupid ) you are slowly becoming the spite of the gaming industry the disease.

[mugoldeneagle03]

Kind of like Bungie/Halo

[undercovrr]

I agree some games are better, but 'far better'...no. You sir don't appreciate great games if you believe your statement.

[chainer3000]

@ Biggest

Bubbles for intelligence / well said. Nice way to put that.

Anyone who doesn't give credit to ND for making some of the best games this generation baffles me. Personally UC goes up there with Mass Effect and Skyrim (though they have longer, more fleshed out campeigns) for me, these are games that I cannot wait for.

[ziggurcat]

@ pc_masterrace: lol epic... if there's anyone more guilty of tired tropes it's those idiots.

[Ser]

"Far better?"

Uh...I don't know about "far better."

Naughty Dog are pretty top tier when it comes to crafting entertaining video game experiences. You're just mad, bro.

[Rageanitus]

They are NOT gods but they are the only developer this generation that has pushed CHANGE.

Have you seen any platformer out their that has incorporated cinematic feel, puzzles, good graphics, and descent acting... NO...

Sorry but games like Mario/Sonic/Tombraider are old school now.

What I don't understand is the praise from Bungie.. Sorry I played All the HALOS and they are pretty much generic shooters. But thexbox fanbase loves to think they are gods. Hell they even gave them technical achievement for Halo Reach just because it was Halo and xbox exclusive.... when there already exists way tooo many games much better technically.

[GTRrocker]

Crash Bandicoot for the Playstation 1 is the greatest game ever created. It is even better than Skyrim or that Arkham City bullshit. Bethesda and Rockstar will all shit their pants when the Crash Bandicoot HD Remix is made. All hail Naughty Dog. Naughty Dog be praised.

[Razmossis]

There are plenty better games out there than Uncharted.

Like Bioshock, which actually has a story, unlike Uncharted which only has a theme.

Or Batman, which actually has good varied gameplay, leveling up and unlocking things that change how you play the game... unlike Uncharted, which just gives you a section where you climb, a section where you shoot, and a section where you solve the most simple (time consuming and boring) puzzle ever.

Or Metal Gear, whose characters actually have backstories and reasons for being the way they are and doing the things they do... unlike Uncharted with its cheesy one dimensional characters, whose lives we know very little about, they just always end up hunting treasure at the same time as 'the bad guy', you kill a thousand faceless mercenaries and destroy ancient cities to do so, and still end as the good guy.

It's full of bad dialogue, with an unoriginal and predictable plot, and its musical score is lackluster with no definitive melody.

What it does have is great graphics and technically awesome set pieces.

What The Last Of Us needs is the same technical mastery as Uncharted, but with the great story telling aspect of Bioshock (they have plenty of talking points now, since they made a post apocalyptic world with mutants running around).
They need to tell us more about the characters (why have 'they' survived, how did they meet, what did he used to do before all this etc).
They need to add new gameplay elements, survival elements, character progression, new toys to unlock throughout the game. If all we end up doing is climbing and shooting then it's just Uncharted with a new skin.

I'd also really prefer if the game was more open world (not necessarily sandbox), just not a linear A to B game... this would encourage more varied gameplay styles.
Imagine at some point in the story Ellie gets hurt, and you need to leave her to find a hospital for medical supplies... the street is full of mutants, you could find a way to sneak past them? Go down a different street? Blast through them risking your ammo supply? Or perhaps even go into the sewer to get past them, and down there you find more survivors (sort of like a resistance, planning to attack someday) safe underground because the mutants need sunlight?
This route could reveal more story by talking to the people you find? Or they could give you supplies, etc?

IMO this kind of game is much better than an A to B Uncharted style game.

[Tonester925]

Who makes far better games?

[El_Barto]

What would you expect them to say? "Our game is cliche and we took a risk by doing a game in an supersaturated genre?"

So it's a survival zombie game that is going to focus more on a story element, I'm still not sensing a lot of originality in it.

[CaveMan]

Yeah because how MANY games involve a man and a teenage girl surviving in post apoclayptic world that involves a serious, and an emotional narrative?

You say super saturated, but please name games that are like my description above?

L4D, Dead Island, Dead Rising, etc. are all zombie games yes, but there simply arcade zombie games that have stupid or silly narratives.

[MrDead]

@CaveMan

Its not worth replying to El_Barto, just look at his comment history he hates anything Sony. He has no intrest in games just what console they are on.

[Lionhead]

Why are you trolling this game so much if you have no interest?

Modern War type games are more over-saturated to the mainstream market than a Survival game is. If this is true survival like Naughty Dog makes it seem than there is a wide array of possibilities for originality.

I just don't understand how you can be so judgmental when nothing has been shown yet, and you know very little. Seems just as ludicrous as those proclaiming it GOTY already.

[undercovrr]

Its ok El Barto, maybe Santa will give you a ps3 for Christmas this year.

[Silly gameAr]

El_Barto haunts Playstation articles and spews nothing but negativity. It's best to pay him no mind in these articles, because nothing seems to be good enough for the kid when it comes to anything PS3 related.

I have faith in Naughty Dog and I know they're going to bring their A game as usual. Best not to judge The Last of Us until we know more about it. It's funny how bitmob thinks they know how the game and the story will play out when they probably know as little as we do about it.

[Dee_91]

@ el_barto
Every shooting game is the same .. every open world rpg is un-original oh and dont get me started on sports games. Madden is so unoriginal .. every single game is so unoriginal and have been done before. No games are good..
Your logic is the equivalent of a 5 year old's.
go sit on your hands clown

[ziggurcat]

"So it's a survival zombie game that is going to focus more on a story element, I'm still not sensing a lot of originality in it."

... except they've explicitly said that it's *not* a zombie game...

[ThatOneGuyThere]

The survivor horror game has been done. But why frown on a studio for making a better one? one that is more in line with what we want to see out of a survivor horror game? I honestly don't get you people.

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

i completely agree. i think that if youre open to the idea of yet another zombie lead-fest, this game will be one for the books! but it doesnt change the fact that the idea itself is incredibly cliche.
with that said, i dont think its THAT crazy for ND to be doing survival horror. what genre nowadays isnt played out to an insane degree?
either way, im really glad bitmob posted this article, because it gave me a chance to sit down and take a look at one of the best looking games in a looong time. just look at those visuals! ND is nothing but a story for the heart, and a feast for the eyes! if anybody can do cliche and make it shine, im pretty sure its all ND.

[tarbis]

Can somebody pls give this guy his angry birds?

[MsclMexican]

Jezuz...

There honestly has been one trailer....

ONE!

And already someone is complaining about it...

"Oh... its just another zombie game"

Here is the problem with zombie games, truth is Zombies are just used as some ploy or gimmick..

Look we have Yakuza of the dead, Dead Rising 2:Off the record, Cod Zombies, Plants vs Zombies, etc.

However the difference is that those games are about killing zombies.

The Last of Us is not...

This guy I complaining this is another game about killing zombies. He says the road is more emotionally compelling.

Let me explain the reason Joel cocked his revolver. Its not cuz "He wants to kill em all". Its because they have no choice. These creatures are superhuman. Joel and Ellie could not have taken them all on. That is why they made the ploy. Joel cocks his gun inorder for the mutant to approach him, thus giving Ellie an opportunity to stun the creature by stabbing it repeatedly with a knife, thus allowing Joel to get a clear shot on his head allowing them to escape.

They made the plan because if not, they are screwed, they can't just sneak away because these things were in close proximity. And by killing of one it lowers there numbers as the creatures hunt in groups.

This games not focused on killing crap. The focus is about a bond between two strangers, both surviving in a ruined world. But the story is about love. Not romance, but a tale similar to the love a father has for his daughter.

Some of the sketches and art is riveting. Joel and Ellie laughing around a campfire, walking amoungst deer on what used to be a busy free way, hiding from other survivors who only care about survival and will kill anything that moves.

THIS IS WHAT DEFINES THE LAST OF US

This is why Im so excited for this game.

Naughty Dog did not make any mistakes in narrative or are they showing "tired troupes" in story telling. The mistake belongs to the writter of this article who just quickly dismissed this as "just another zombie game"

Hell might as well argue that Bioshock Infinite is not emotionally compelling based on the first trailer released. It was one trailer.

ND has impressed both an Acadamy Award winning composer and now he is making the music for this game(which sounds downright awesome) and HIdeo Kojima.

They must be doing something right... no scratch that

THEY ARE DOING IT RIGHT!

[DigitalRaptor]

Very, VERY well said!!!

It's nice to see someone who gets it! :)

[El_Barto]

This is N4G, so you expect people to take up arms for everything Sony related. I don't think it's a good idea for a game, but I'm sure it's a "Day one buy" for all the people here /s

Didn't Dead Rising 2 have a character fighting zombies to save his daughter? Doesn't every zombie game have characters trying to survive?

It's Naughty Dog, they did Uncharted 2 and blew everyone away, but we have been blown away by developers before and one hit doesn't always follow with more or better games or ideas for that matter.

Everyone attacks the article writer for speaking his opinion like it's wrong 100%, how can someones honest opinion be wrong? It's right for him/her and that's all there is to it.

I personally feel survival horror and especially zombie/mutant games have been done to death.

Will I be getting it? of course not. Will the game be a success? I don't know, a lot can happen between now and when the game is released. I do know survival horror and zombie games tend to be niche titles.

[schlanz]

Did that fool seriously compare The Last of Us to Dead Rising?!?

LMFAO

Go back to the bridge you came from.

[kaveti6616]

I don't like to rag on Naughty Dog. They're a great studio.

But I will rag on people who call them "Naughty God."

[Why o why]

Word play dude...lighten up. What is it with some guys. Why do some peoples love of things annoy others. Do you really think He thinks they are diety. I saw somebody getting pissed because somebody else said they loved a game/dev...how on earth do people get pissed or annoyed over that or take peoples hyperbole as literal speak other than that the praise was heaped on something on a console that wasnt their prefered one. People need to look at themselves for real. The people i mention should just end their comments with 'humbug'.

[kaveti6616]

Humbug

[Why o why]

touche

i like good sports more than i dislike party poopers

[Pintheshadows]

This thread sucks. The headline is deliberately inflammatory so we argue over games when we're all gamers. We're here for the same reasons. It's fine to have different tastes and enjoy different things but why bring it down for others.

This weed is nice.

Love to all gamers in this jolly season. Where heavy set people wearing red with grey beards can break into your house. Does that seem right to you?

[Jayjayff]

What has me dumbfounded is the fact that this is the same trailer where we our main character beating up another survivor for his resources, a perfectly normal human being how do you humanize that anymore ? let alone that we don't really know the characteristics of the infected, those 3 might not represent the whole of the infected.

[Hicken]

Is that what Joel did? You really don't know. None of us do, yet.

We came into that scene after the conflict had already begun, so it might have been some sort of negotiations that broke down, or that the other guy attacked Joel first. Perhaps he made some uncouth remarks in regard to Ellie, something that made him fear for the girl's life.

We've seen a very short trailer, and people everywhere are more than eager to tear it apart.

The author of this article assumes a hell of a lot on about two minutes of first look trailer. And your comment is really assuming that the article is correct in its assumption, which, based on ND's own words, it isn't. Then there are people like El_Barto and j-blaze above who are little more than trolls (and little more may be stretching it, as it is). Then there are the types like Gespent below who decide they can use one phrase or one instance from a game and make a blanket statement deriding them all (I mean really? You're looking for moral maturity in ALL video games? Don't forget: they're a form of entertainment; do you ask for the same "maturity" out of all movies?).

Instead of all this speculation built on speculation, why not wait until there's actually enough game out to judge?

[Jayjayff]

@Hicken mnhhhhh that's true, i guess i did went over my head while picturing the whole trailer, but when it comes to the man being a human i guess there i can't go wrong.... yet then again he might have qualities that would really shy away the fact that he is human.

[LedZeppelin]

I love how this guy wrote an entire article after one trailer. Jeez at least wait for some real gameplay or something

[wsoutlaw87]

lol what a silly article. Hes calling out The last of Us because what, he wishes there was no violence and in the game you just hid as if you were scared, but your not because its just a game. Movies and games are different. Moral issues work better in movies not gameplay, because its just a game. The monsters add a different dimension to the gameplay. No one said it was supposed to be "The Road"

[Troll-without-Bridge]

Their games are usually built on cliches though.

[ThatOneGuyThere]

I hate Honda. Their cars are usually build with wheels.

[ForROME]

I have a great idea - how about we play the game first before we decide if its typical

Its not like ND is going to say their game is like anyone elses, but it very well may be different

[cyguration]

I see these kind of comments alot but usually most people are right in their first judgments of a game.

Given that it's Naughty Dog the game could be different but there's that striking gut feeling that it's Uncharted with vegetable zombies.

There are people saying that XCOM and Syndicate will be great games and we shouldn't "judge them before playing them" but both games look mundane and like Modern Syndicate and XCOM: World Warfare.

The gameplay trailers don't look enticing for either game...gameplay wise.

As for the Last of Us, it's hard to tell because it is an oversaturated genre...we've got Amy coming out that's basically the same thing except without vegetable zombies. I Am Alive is also somewhat similar, though vegetable zombies are replaced with post-apocalyptic zombies.

The main thing determines on how ND approaches the combat, the pace and the gameplay diversity. I think it's the last part that most people are afraid of.

[syanara]

The article talks about de-humanizing the enemy but doesn't mention the other enemy besides the zombies, other survivors. if you want the ultimate humanization of an enemy in a video game, try other apocalypse survivors trying their best to make their way in whats left of the world. the desperation shown from them should be exactly what your looking for.

[cyguration]

A little like the survivors in Limbo?

Don't mind that giant scary spider, look out for the guy with the hard-hat and the blow-dart.

[Hicken]

The infected may not be completely mindless zombies, but they likely follow some patterns that are easy to read. More likely than not, instinct is a strong determining factor in their actions, and once you have a handle on that, you can predict what they'll do.

Other humans? There's NO telling what they'll do. They may have lost all hope, be concerned only with themselves, have some half-cocked ideas, be completely out of their minds, or have the same motives and goals as you. And no matter what, they're ALL dangerous, because even if you meet on the nicest terms, they could stab you in the back- literally- for your resources, or because they think you were going to attempt it first.

That's definitely not something you have to worry about in other "zombie" games, yet that, and the relationship between Joel and Ellie, are said to be the focus of this game.

Funny, though, cuz most of the people in here just wanna say "It's a zombie game. Those things are zombies and you fight em. Zombie, zombie, zombie." But does a game with zombies automatically make it a "zombie game?" And is everything remotely similar to a zombie actually a zombie?

ALL the Disgaea games have zombies in em, both as enemies and allies.

[geddesmond]

Instead of being happy for a game that looks very interesting. He needs to have a big cry about it. Why the big cry?

Many gaming Journalists have some real issues and people wonder why we get sequel after sequel in gaming. Maybe its because when a new IP does come along, theres people in the gaming industry that don't be kind to the ideas.

[KonGreat]

I thought most zombie themed media is originally supposed to be about survival?

[showtimefolks]

Look devs like ND,bungie,bioware,Kojima production,sucker punch etc,,,,, knows what they are doing. You name me one top of the class dev team that did zombie gener or post apocalyptic gener justice? Don't say capcom with RE because even RE series has had it's share of problems.

I am legend
28days

Or that UBI game I am alive which is now a download title only and has changed up big time from what I read. We all know ND are the #1 dev team in gaming and that's a fact not an opinion. They have done 3 great game series and now on to the 4th.

If the first 3 have not disappointed us what makes you think this will. This game has been in development for over 2 years by the time it comes out it will be about 3 plus years that's enough time for ND to do perfection look at uncharted 2 which was done in 18 months granted it was a sequel but 18 months for what many consider the best game of this gen now come on man

We will see people questioning ND till this comes out so more power to y'all I will wait and see and when ND are saying it's not another zombie game I will take them for their worse it's not like their ever lied to us before

[cyguration]

I can't agree that ND is the best in the business when they haven't done a triple A open world, racing or RPG game yet.

While Uncharted is the best game series in the genre I can't say ND are the best ever when they haven't really proven they can tackle other subject matter like Heavy Rain, Grand Theft Auto or L.A. Noire.

[zerocrossing]

Me thinks this article be trollin.

[THR1LLHOUSE]

I do trust Naughty Dog to make a good game, but I'm really gonna have to see more than a cool trailer to get interested in another zombie game.

Especially after that last zombie game with a cool trailer...

[DaveMan]

Please read this: http://playstationlifestyle...

Again, Naughty Dog has specifically said this is NOT a zombie game! They said if this was a zombie game they wouldn't have shown the zombies, making them more of a focus. They didn't do that. They simply went here's how are zombie sounds like, here's how they look like.

Again, it's a survival and love story. Not a run around with your 12 gauge shotgun and shoot anything that moves.

[SybaRat]

...with zombies. Running zombies. By another name.

I'm curious why that's automatically considered a bad thing.

[THR1LLHOUSE]

It's a game with zombies in it. That makes it a zombie game as far as I'm concerned. I don't care if it's not Left 4 Dead, it's still a game in which zombies play some sort of large role.

Large meaning they're important to the plot/setting/whatever, even if it's not ten straight hours of zombie shooting or whatever.

And if Naughty Dog is saying "It's not a zombie game, it's a love story!" that's blatant PR spin. Every studio does that, and I'm not gonna buy it until I see more from the game.

[MysticStrummer]

I'm a huge fan of zombie related entertainment. I don't consider these creatures zombies any more than the ones in Dead Space. Those aren't zombies. Doesn't matter though. The same people who eat up another sci-fi story about aliens will hate on this, calling it out for re-imagining older ideas, just like 99% of all existing games do. It's just the nature of the hater.

[Infernostew]

I've said it before and I'll say it again... all zombies are undead but not all undead are zombies.

[DigitalAnalog]

Seriously SSS, are you too damn insistent with your notion that even a direct quote from the CREATORS themselves still doesn't convince you? By that logic I insist that the Kinect is just a USB camera... really it's just a camera as far as I'm concerned.

[cyguration]

Dude, Kinect is just a USB camera...hook it up to your PC and you can use just like...a USB camera.

And yes, just because it's a vegetable zombie doesn't make it a non-zombie. I think when the average gamer sees vegetable zombie they'll assume "Oh it's just another zombie game".

I think I do agree with SSS that the creator's saying it's not another zombie is PR spin. Gameplay trailers are what's telling because didn't 2K say that XCOM is just like X-Com when both games are absolutely nothing alike? (and I'm not talking about XCOM being an FPS)

[Sadie2100]

I'm not sick of zombies yet! :)

[Imalwaysright]

Me neither. Im still waiting for a worthy successor to RE4.

[crazytown99]

I'm waiting and seeing on this one, but like the author, I'm pretty skeptical.

[GribbleGrunger]

if Sony invented the fountain of eternal youth these sties would complain that the water didn't come out fast enough

[xtremexx]

gotta complain about something lol

[CaveMan]

And it's idiotic that this game somehow becomes a scape goat.

This game looks brilliant, yet people still find a reason to shit on it. I mean everything sounds SO DAMN good about this game;

-Great looking graphics (tweaked UC3 engine)
-Oscar Winning Composer (Gustavo Sanotalla)
-Emphsis on surving, and the relationship between the 2 characters
-More wider enviorments, and exploration than Uncharted (according to preview)
-Naughty Dog

Still people will call this a worthless zombie game. Ugh. Even if it was a generic zombie game (which it's not). Then it'll be the best generic zombie game in the industry.

[christheredhead]

@CaveMan

Game looks brilliant? If you could link me to some gameplay that would be great. All I've seen is the trailer. I haven't got to see the actual game yet.

[SnotyTheRocket]

I'm pretty sure every PS3 owner who has seen the trailer is pumped, why, you might ask? They played Jak and Daxter, Crash, and Uncharteds 1, 2, and 3. They make spectacular games and DESERVE the hype and praise because they are one of the best.

[h311rais3r]

Well according to Sony fan boys the ps3 is a fountain of youth....

[MariaHelFutura]

That was kinda lame.....

[a_bro]

well considering the amount of exclusive the PS3 had this year and previous years, it really is a fountain of youth, and its pretty refreshing as well, you should jump in while the water is clean....

[pc_masterrace]

more like the fountain of exclusives. the games just keep flowing. harr

[MysticStrummer]

Fountain of fun that can't be had on any other platform.

[insomnium2]

Are you really this much of a fanboy hellraiser?

You REALLY should've been here in the beginning of this gen. I wonder what your opinion of the gaming journalism and gaming in general would've been.

[crazytown99]

That sounds more applicable to Valve than Sony.

[Rageanitus]

Their are many haters for Sony out their, because Sony made products in the past that are proprietory and overpriced.... yes over priced at times but I have not seen another company that has pushed change.

[smashcrashbash]

First of all please stop saying they are zombies. We know nothing about what they are. We don't know if they are mindless, maneaters, undead or have infectious bites. The Chimera were not zombies therefore you can't say every fast moving organism that attacks you is automatically a zombie. Second of all ND already stated that the creatures are not the main focus of the game, therefore it most like likely won't just be another 'zombie game' like L4D or DI.

Lastly when has ND EVER done anything that was generic or wasn't dynamic or ordinary? They haven't. So why the jump to condemn this game before we know more about it? Out of all developers why do you think they would be the ones to just make another 'zombie game'? @ GribbleGrunger for real. That seems to be the mantra of gamers this gen. 'Sony is doing that? I can't see that working'

[Series_IIa]

Ever is such a long time...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[Jayjayff]

hahaha got him fair and square there.

[smashcrashbash]

Oh come now. Your going to use the 3DO as proof? I don't think there was a single good game for the 3DO. I don't think any game company could have made a good game on that piece of junk. Even the Naughty Gods have their limits.

[Rageanitus]

I always thought Zombies are the living dead ;)

[CaveMan]

@SouthSideSam

Yes it's a game with zombies in it. An yes they do has a (presumably) large role. But the zombies have equally as important roles as the other surviving humans you fight with, and the animals you encounter, and the fierce nature elements your supposed to encounter, and the struggle of finding supplies to survive, or joel and ellies relationship.

It seems that simply because you saw zombies in the trailer you presume the whole game is simply about zombies 24/7. An if you choose not to believe Naughty Dog then fine.

[Skyliner12]

Uhh.. no matter how many times I read the title of this article it makes no sense. Are you trying to use the word "reveling"? Reveling *in* game tropes?

It's such a well written article I don't get the title mess-up.

[Sadie2100]

"Revealing" makes sense here. The author asserts that the trailer *is* revealing - it reveals many tired game tropes.

[palaeomerus]

"'The Last of Us' trailer reveals tired video game tropes."

There.

WRITE SIMPLY UNLESS YOU HAVE A GOOD REASON FOR ATTEMPTING COMPLEXITY.

The trailer isn't really revealing anything so it's better to just say that it has a lot of tropes in it.

"'The Last of Us' trailer full of tired video game tropes. "

[ThatOneGuyThere]

Thank you! I'm tired of people trying to sound smarter than they know/think themselves to be by randomly complicating statements with unnecessary complexity. Your title is so much better. :-) $#!t like this is why I hate San Francisco.

[bronxsta]

I hate articles like this. We haven't seen one second of actual gmeplay set. Not one and already people are saying the game is generic and recycling old tropes (which is not a bad thing)

I love zombie games, I love zombie literature (World War Z still one of my favorite books ever). I love zombies movies, be them real undead or fast infected a la 28 Days or anything in between. So I'm really excited for this. Naughty Dog is just the icing on the cake.

And if they can make a zombie game that's actually tense and scary and slow paced, not like Dead Rising or RE4/5 or L4D, then I consider that a huge triumph and one more step towards my dream (pipe dream, maybe) of an open-world survival horror zombie game.

[Faztkiller]

Why does everyone say zombie just because Its humanoid doesn't mean its zombie.

[MrDead]

This article is as sad and pathetic as the people moaning about a game they know nothing about. Ive never seen so much drivel witten about a 1 min trailer.

[RaidensRising]

The author has made a fair point regarding gaming's biggest recurrences and mechanisms, but then again he has no basis for making his assumptions based on the trailer.

Games can tell a story and humanize characters, but perhaps the remit of this particular trailer was to set the tone for the game, rather than expand on its details.

Contrary to what the author believes, nothing in the trailer actually suggests a shooter of sorts, and just because there's a handgun doesn't make it so.

[The_Nameless_One]

WOW! Just wow! These guys have really raised the bar for erratic behavior. The article is actually longer then the trailer itself. It's amazing how the writer wrote a whole article about a game he knows NOTHING ABOUT!

Great job Bitmob. You just joined the collection of every other fanboy "web site". Who the hell approves this crap anyways? I fully expect this behavior from a fanboy blog and not from someone who's "job" is to wait until all the facts are at hand.

Like Kramer told jerry "That's one for the books".

[additup28]

Good or bad, Naughty Dog has to love all the publicity these sites are giving to a 2 minute trailer.

[DanSolo]

Well it worked for Dead Island....

That's the way it goes these days, just get people talking about something, it doesn't matter if it's in a positive or a negative way just get it known and talked about and that is publicity.

To those people who KEEP on about there being too many zombie games I say 2 things...

1) There are too many of lots of type of games/movie/books ect... just pick the best of the bunch of whatever you like and leave the rest.

2) The thing is there have not been hardly any GOOD zombie games, and the few that have been good tended to only be good in one area. There has yet to be a truly class zombie game made.

Personally I am interested to see what the game turns out like, there is not enough info to make ANY sort of judgement yet.... it will be what it will be.

ND are a good developer and the Uncharted series is great (although I do think people could do with calming down on the whole Naughty God bit, it's a bit over the top the way people go on about it), so I think the game will be a good game regardless of the direction it takes, but I have reasonably high hopes for the game and look forward to hearing more about it.... it's well and truly on my radar, but I am sensible enough to just wait and see!

[-Gespenst-]

Totally agree. Videogames are still largely completely stupid and treat ideas of death and violence completely irreverently. They're still largely sensational; particularly ND games. They disguise themselves as intelligent with high production values, but the underpinning moral aspects (if any) are utterly juvenile.

Still though, maybe the trailer will become more fleshed out and make more sense when we get to play the game. Part of me kind of doubts this though given ND's track record.

[wenaldy]

The game's already win just because it has Gustavo Sanotalla on it.

[WorldGamer]

What's funny is the game just got announced and all these sites are going crazy trying to speculate.

Some are already bashing the game, and we all know how that turned out with Killzone 2.

[Ch1d0r1]

Is it me or is Juno in this game??

BTW once i read this..

"I might also preface this with the observation that the industry exists in a perpetual preview cycle and that expecting a trailer to be representative of some aspects of the final game is not beyond reason."

i stopped reading.

[SugarSoSweet]

YAWN

[HayMan]

@ El_Barto

Your right in saying that Dead Rising 2 featured a similar theme with a father trying to save his daughter. An your also right in saying most apoclayptic games involve survival in one way or another.

But ask yourself, truly ask yourself, when was the last time you played a zombie/apoclaptic game that made you cry or feel any type of emotion? That's why were excited for this project. We want our heart strings to be pulled! We want to acutally CARE for the characters! We want to be ANGRY, we want to feel SAD, we want to feel the jubliation of HOPE, and feel the trials and tribulations of DISPAIR.

Not one zombie game has achieved this. Not one!

[SquidBuck]

Number one, those things are so fast that if they hadn't of killed them they would eventually find them and catch them; secondly, they're experienced at killing theses things that's why they were not scared. I hate this stupid article and site.

[Pintheshadows]

If this dude feels this way about games he'd shoot his mind if he watched a film.

Mind shoot. Dangerous.

[Hazmat13]

Playstation needs a good zombie game like L4D or something. this game is not a zombie game but genetic mutation. cant wait to play it!

[SSultan]

Lol! I swear some people must have tears of frustration when trying to attack/defend. Why? Just stfu.

[Bathyj]

God help.
Stop me if youve heard this one.
PS3 dev game gets ridiculed because its got characteristics just like every game thats come before it.

Violence is a solution. No crap. Someone's attaching you, you defend yourself. How do you know the character gives no thought to it or as no remorse or qualms? Even Zelda is violent. If a political simulator comes out where you have meetings with committees I'll let you know.

"In the trailer, the man readies his weapon to blast his way to freedom. The girl unflinchingly stabs a hostile creature."

Thats not what I saw at all. I saw a guy who would have preferred if the enemy hadnt seen him at all. If he was on a kill mission he would have plugged two of them before they were through the door using the only advantage he had, surprise. Instead he opted to wait and hide and hope they wouldnt be seen.

And I saw a girl, not attach like she was in Kill Bill, but rather react only when the situation looked so grave, she was forced into action. Survival is an instinct almost all lifeforms share.

"Naughty Dog has also conveniently dehumanized his enemy,"

Yeah, OK. Thats assuming that everyone is right in treating this like "just another zombie game."

But as I've said before, this line from Naughty Dog tells me more about the game than anything else we've seen.
"Survivors are killing each other for food, weapons; whatever they can get their hands on. "

How does this guy know we wont meet humans with agendas or motives different from our own? How does he know we're just going to kill everything that walks without ever second guessing ourselves? How many people keep telling us dont get to excited, wait for some gameplay to judge it, but then are willing to think they've seen everything this game has to offer in Dead Rising or Left for Dead?

[DigitalRaptor]

It's okay man, I understand.

Some people just have next to no intelligence to judge things for themselves or look past what's on the surface.

From the trailer, I also saw characters who cared about each other. Joel, the man who didn't want to kill, but had to out of desperation. People on a mission of survival, not a killing spree to get pre-empt their enemies and have fun whilst killing. It's a game that will make us think about who to trust, should we kill this person/creature? etc.

And why are the motives of the characters being judged? They are adrenaline-fueled survivors and have been for almost every day of their lives since it began. who knows how long they've been together in this situation? Ellie, the girl obviously knows what she is doing because she's had to grow up fast, learn how to survive and is very instinctual. You can tell by the way she searches the dead man's body for items.

I also saw deeper into the possibilities of the interaction between these 2 characters.

Teen angst - maybe the Ellie will get angry with Joel and run off adding to the tension of the storyline.

Social awkwardness that comes with an older man spending lots of time with a young girl under those brutal conditions. Those awkward emotions could be transferred to the player, or be a funny aspect to the game.

We've seen concept art of them both laughing together, so there's a unique bond there, and it's clear there are multiple dimensions to the storytelling that will make this something completely unique, since it's focused very heavily on narrative and character development rather than slaying zombies, as most people seem to think it will be.

Of course a lot of that is speculation, but that's much more realistic than spouting crap about it being "just another zombie game"?

The actual lack of common sense that drives this criticism, it really doesn't make sense that people can be this stupid. I can imagine the ones complaining about zombie games are also the ones that go out and buy Modern Warfare 2.5 and the like.

The Last of Us is a COMPLETELY fresh take on a tired genre. Deal with it haters!

[Bathyj]

It might be speculation, but like you said, at least youre looking beyond the surface.

I cant help but think they made the girl look like Ellen Page, not because she might do the voice, but because characters shes played are street smart, and mature.

I'm sure most people have seen Juno, where shes wise beyond her years and has more common sense than alot of 25 year old girls I've known. But have you seen Hard Candy? Its a great role, in a distrubing movie, but I like really strong female characters because you rarely see them, and I dont mean strong because she does kung fu or has an uzi. Shes mentally tough and savvy.

Yeah, I dont know why people would just want to assume the worst about this game. I put it down to the I hate Sony BS that we've all had to live with for the last 6 or so years.

At least you and I will enjoy it.

[DOOMZ]

Looks like more of the same except moldy people, lol!

[Tarantino_Life]

What a fail article. Lol idiot is complaining about violence.Very curious what his favorite games are...

[goldwyncq]

Finally, an article that doesn't have comments about 'I am Legend' or Ellen Page.

[Orionsangel]

They keep remaking the same game! Either we get shooters or survival horror games.

[NeoBasch]

hai there trolls

The game hasn't even come out yet. Damage control much.

[mendicant]

I still don't get what everyone is raving about. The trailer they showed was your average trailer at best. Diablo III's trailer was far more interesting. The Last of us wasn't anything special.

I think most of it is fanboy hype. ND fanboys are some of the worst so we'll hear about how awesome this is until it comes out and we find out it's average-like most ps3 games-and n4g will cry. I got burned on UC3 so I'll wait until this ones out in in the hands of gamers I trust to get their opinion.

[Biggest]

You don't get it because you're you. If it has Sony anywhere near it, you hate it. Unfortunately, I hear that Santa doesn't give gifts to haters. Yet another year without a PS3 for you. *sadface*

[onanie]

Bitmob is a tired trope of a gaming site.

[BrianC6234]

I don't like Bitmob. Or whatever they're called. They think they're smarter than everyone else. Why does anyone care what they think about this game? I don't.

[spektical]

i love naughty dog.. loved jak, uncharted and crash... but idk on this one.. a post apocolyptic game is still post apocolyptic game.

the narrative better be enticing, and grand to attract me on this title. Zombie market is over saturated >.>

[pcz]

Is just pretentious... Its like saying the sci-fi film The Terminator is a romantic comedy. Its not painting the correct picture. Yes, the film has a love story but its a violent, sci-fi.

All Naughty Dog are doing is talking it up, to make it sound more important than it is. I'm not saying the game will be bad, far from it, it looks amazing. But naughty dog need to cut the bullshit.

its just patronising. The last of us is just a survival/horror/thriller/actio n game, that has a love story.

[trouble_bubble]

How the heck do you know that? None of us have played it, yet people are talking like they've already platinumed it and traded it in.

Dead Island should have taught everybody not to over-analyse a game based on the announcement trailer. Heck, almost every announcement trailer ever has been off somehow, from Saints Row 3 to Batman AC. R3's used real actors depicting a scene that wasn't even in the final game, lol. Nothing to see here.

[mll09]

This article may carry some points about the survival horror genre in general, but the author SHAMELESSLY skips over some important details in the trailer.

Firstly, it isn't entirely sure that all enemies are going to be zombie-like, if you look at the enemy the male lead character defeats, he doesn't look the same as the zombie later on in the trailer.

Secondly, the author claims that in the trailer he uses violence without a second thought, but if you look more closely, he desperately does not want to cock his gun, shown by how he flinches and by how he pants just as he does it. The fact that the female character shows joy when she finds THREE bullets shows that this may not just be a shooter.

For God's sake, it's only a teaser. At least see some gameplay before you hate on it, this is ridiculous.

[unicron7]

Be prepared for the onslaught of idiotic comments that pop up throughout the year from butthurt fanboys. Jealousy will get you nowhere guys, buying a wide variety of games on different systems and playing them will.

[jneul]

to all the trolls, you are only here because you have no games to play on, now excuse me while i go back to my wonderful ps3 time
to me i trust ND, they always make great games, and i'm sure there will be no exception here, so put your jealousy away and please just get a ps3 to solve all your childish problems...

[tiffac008]

I think all this discussion of tired game tropes is nonsense, what entertainment medium (games/movies/books/comics) wasn't inspired from something that came before it?

I also find it quite hilarious that the article is talking about violence in the game as a solution. Of course it is! Its a game! We want to finish the game and not get a game over because a plant zombie thing is eating us!

As for what ND is saying about the game, let them say whatever they want. Its not killing anyone or is ruining anyone's life. I'd rather be pissed about the people lying about the state of the global economy than some PR that's promoting a zombie-like/love game.

Let the game speak for itself once its out. Then we can all review it and say our piece properly and not beforehand.

[D3mons0ul]

"This is a man who shoots first and asks questions later"

That was a man who was attacked and pretty much had no other choice. What was he supposed to do? Let the fungi man eat his face? Get fucking real

Is that what these people want? A game where the survivors are completely submissive to the point where they don't even defend themselves out of guilt?

I'm mad, I am sick and tired of every keyboard jockey out there accusing these companies of "stealing." TAKE A GOOD LOOK AROUND PAL, THE WELL OF WORLDY CREATIVITY WAS TAPPED AROUND THE MID 1980s. EVERYTHING since, in relation to entertainment media has been inspired by something from the past. We are living on inspiration, creativity is dead.

[giovonni]

I don't agree with the writer, but I understand where he is coming from. I don't want to throw the word "hate" around because in some aspects the writer is right. When you take away Naughty Dog's tag (no pun intended) and look at it for what it is, then the writer makes a good point. However, this evaluation that is being made is being made with out playing the game.
I enjoy Naughty Dog's games, and I think UC2 is one of the best games this generation. The thing we have to take into consideration is, Just because UC is a wonderful IP for Naughty Dog and it's on the ps3, mean The Last of Us will follow in the same foot steps. The Last of Us has a very good chance of being an average survival base game.
We are all good at hyping the hell out of a game because of the company behind it, and once it comes out we are disappointed. For me, I'm going to wait, play it, and then make my own judgment

[Bimkoblerutso]

He's not necessarily suggesting that the game is going to suck. He's just pointing out the fact that games (whether people want to admit it or not) almost NEVER treat violence with any kind of maturity or respect. Is it still fun? Sure, it can still be fun. But no one can deny that "killing as the main mechanic" is by far the most overused gaming trope in all of gaming by an incredible margin.

I mean think about the Uncharted series, for God's sake. Do you know how many people Drake killed in the course of that franchise!? Literally THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. It's totally counter to Drake's characterization as a (mostly) moral, normal everyman.

[goldwyncq]

Uncharted's a third person shooter, not a stealth game(even though it has stealth elements). By that logic, almost every game protagonists are psychopaths.

[Bimkoblerutso]

Yes...that is the logic. That's the point. Video games almost never strive for any congruency between the action and the characterization of their protagonists. That's the whole point of the article.

Game developers almost always turn mass killing into a shallow mechanic rather than investing any time into context. Which again, can be fun, but over time it has been overused to the point that it has become a trope.

[tiffac008]

@Bimkoblerutso

LA Noire and Heavy Rain are actually good examples of games that has tried to do what you just mentioned and sadly one payed the price for being too long to develop with the studio closing, while the other one is blasted by detractors as not being a game because it doesn't give them enough game play.

My problem with the article is why only focus on Last of Us if that was his point and not point out every other game that has come before it.

If the author was serious in his belief he wouldn't nitpick on a trailer of a game that hasn't been released yet but a lot of games that has actually been reviewed and played already.

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

Oh that's cool. SO they're making a game that's really similar to the tv show, The Walking Dead.

[danielle007]

... I hope it's about a million times better than that horrible TV show. Not one of those people is likable, and not one of them is actually smart. I keep rooting for everyone to die.

Let's just say I've stopped watching lately.

I'm hoping Naughty Dog aims a little bit higher than a bad TV show.

[mistajeff]

can we NOT make this one of those things where every single remotely negative article shoots straight to the top of the news page?

[BlmThug]

I believe in Naughty Dog. It may be a "zombie game" but it will be amazing. Crash bandicoot is still my fave games of the PS1 so I trust them to deliver a amazing experience with The Last Of Us

[Alos88]

You want us to humanize MONSTERS? Are you high?
Nevermind the fact that they are clearly in no way any longer human, or the fact that this is a story about two humans, which will probably have more emotional weight than many games without zombies, no, that doesn't matter, because the game is perpetuating stereotypes!
Oh no, the zombies aren't getting equal rights! Boo hoo, cry me a river you hippy.

[Shubhankar]

Flamebait. That's all I'm gonna say. Coz I don't wanna waste my time on crappy articles. We all already know how many advancements ND has made in storytelling of video games, and we all also know that The Last of Us is going to be freaking amazing. All those who think otherwise can buzz off.

[ACEMANWISE]

I have many scattered thoughts to express regarding this game. Yet I don't quite know how to present them. I wish to express my thoughts on several topics including the article, the zombie genre, this game specifically, and it's place among video games this generation.

First I wish to state that I, for the most part, do not have much interest in zombie games. I did like the first two Resident Evil games on the PS1 and had less interest in part 3 where Nemesis chased the player around most of the game. I think that is why I lost interest. I believe Zombie games should be more survival horror/story driven rather than fast paced action.

The PS3 went many years without zombie games and I felt no loss from it. Resident Evil 5 was loved by many I had less interest in it. Yet I find interest in this game. The question is why?

I like the setting because I feel that I need to be able to relate to an actual scenario where it may happen. The only way I feel interested is if I can connect to the game characters and their situation. I feel that with The Last of US. The only thing I do not like is running zombies and the reason for it is because it takes away from exploration. This is the reason why I didn't like Resident Evil 3. You would be "clearing" a room for items and trying to explore and then suddenly you get chased around the mansion and get completely interrupted and lost. Then after you lose them you have to go back and find the place where you left off.

Coop is a great feature that I found in Resident Evil 5. It should be implemented with this game as well through story mode. Now on to my thoughts about it's place among video games this industry.

If I'm not mistaken this is the first PS3 exclusive zombie game to be released on the console. It lacks any multiplayer mode whatsoever. In my humble opinion, multiplayer is the most redundant concept ever to hit a video game. It is because of this mode that good story driven single player games are hard to find. If the author wishes to talk tropes then he/she should talk about online, which has become standard in today's video games. If he were to really assess this game properly he would talk about the few games that need a coop mode (online or off) like this one. Instead he talks about a redundancy in a mode that can only be compared to movies in Hollywood. At the same time, he ignores what makes online not so redundant and that is the missing Coop feature.

[Nac]

Wouldn't even call what ND makes these days a "game" and I mean that as a complement. As for the "tired tropes" asepct, ND plays to a genre, they take something pre-existing and make it their own. Did it with Uncharted and the Adventure films of the 1930's, they will do it again for Zombies and The Last of Us.

[ironmonkey]

goes to show you how huge ND is in the industry. we get a small tiny trailer, no gameplay, no screenshots and after vga's awards, this game was all over the web's like ufo's just landed. ND are the steven spielberg, michael bay, james cameron of games. anyone having grudges over this will never learn. do yourself a favor, buy a ps3! you lone console owners goddammit!

[unicron7]

and the trolling begins. Why can't people just accept great Playstation games? Accept it and move on. The Uncharted series was phenomenal, and I don't expect this to be any different. Keep hating fellas, you're only hurting yourself as gamers. I'll enjoy both my 360 AND PS3 games, thank you very much.

[TBONEJF]

The game looks beautiful well made Naughty Dog! i can't wait till you show off some game play!

[DAS692]

I agree with this article... Generic games are the problem with today's games. No TRUE innovation. Just new ways to put holes in the enemy.