Tag: Survival Horror

Thoughts on The Last of Us Part II

Izlain

Somehow I’ve let the better part of a month go by without writing anything here, and I think I’m just in one of those creative dry spells. Whatever the case, I did spend some time playing through The Last of Us Part II and I thought I could at least put a post together about it. First of all, if you aren’t familiar with the developers of this series, Naughty Dog, you should look into their games. The Uncharted series has been long running and each game is definitely worth playing through. Somehow Naughty Dog has figured out how to push the systems their games run on to their maximum capabilities, along with pushing the boundaries of storytelling in video games. Adult themes, beautiful locations, graphic violence… it’s all here, but it elicits emotion in ways that only the best films of Hollywood can. I’ve never felt tears welling in my eyes from playing a video game until I indulged in their stories, and I cannot recommend these titles enough. The first game in this series was gut wrenching as well, but you grew to love Joel and Ellie and carrying them through to the end of the timeline was an amazing journey.

The sequel starts you off playing as Joel again, coming back home from some journey, and home being a settlement somewhere in the western portion of the United States. One thing I should notate now is that I plan to talk about various parts of the game including the finale, so spoilers will be present. You probably should skip the rest of this article until you’ve completed the game. But hey, if you want to see if the overall plot even interests you in the first place, read on! So this game puts you into the direct control of various characters, all of whom have a tale that directly intersects with the others. From what I remember about the first game, you only played as Joel save for a short bit playing as Ellie, but this game puts you in the shoes of Joel, Ellie and Abby, and at the same time jumps around on the timeline. There are flashbacks to where Ellie was a younger girl, ditto this for Abby. Joel is really the most limited character, because after playing him at the beginning, you’re given control of Ellie, and soon enough Joel is dead. That’s not entirely a spoiler I suppose as we all knew that was coming, but it was still sad and I’m glad there were some flash backs of him throughout the game because he was a really great character and I missed him after a time.

Joel’s death was fairly traumatic. This settlement where these folks live is still a part of this post apocalyptic setting, so there is still the ever present threat of the infected. We see plenty of examples of how they have evolved throughout the game as well, because various new forms exist in the sequel. Due to the need for supplies and the need for living people to protect themselves, this settlement has several outposts nearby, and groups of survivors head out to them regularly to keep the area infection free along with grabbing anything of use they might find. They are not the only bastion of society though, and soon enough it becomes apparent that some of the other humans in the area are not so friendly.

Those who played the first game might recall the main plot, where Joel who is a smuggler, was paid to smuggle a girl (Ellie) to a “Firefly” (one of the new world factions) outpost because it was determined she was immune to the virus as she had been bitten but never turned. It turns out that what the Fireflies needed from her to make a vaccine would kill her. When Joel found that out, he broke into their lab to rescue Ellie, and inadvertently killed some of the Fireflies. Well, turns out that one of the scientists he killed was the father of this girl Abby, and she has been looking for Joel for a long time. Rumors made it up to Seattle where she was staying, and her and some cohorts headed south to find Joel. They do find him while he is out with Ellie and his brother Tommy, and they seriously injure both Tommy and Ellie while Abby beats Joel to death. They let the other two live, as she felt she had her revenge, and they head back north while Ellie and Tommy decide that they need to avenge Joel in a similar way. Tommy ends up leaving without her though, and through some other story bullet points, Dina joins Ellie in her journey to Seattle. This is probably the point that many people took issue with, as the now main character enters into a lesbian relationship with another character, and I heard the SJW’s ruin everything cries from the mountaintop. Whatever your preference or orientation, this is still good storytelling and fucking get over it already.

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There are some seriously intense moments throughout the game. As I said, there are a bunch of flashbacks and moments in time where you play the game through Ellie’s perspective and then Abby’s. First there’s the journey to Seattle with Ellie and Dina, but then as you progress you eventually play as Abby and see what she has been going through with her WLF companions and we’re also introduced to a local fanatical faction that are called the Scars. They are more tribal and less dependent on technology, while the WLF (Wolves) are militaristic. Conflicts are abound between humans and the infected. Eventually Ellie kills off a few of the people who were present when Joel was killed, and also follow’s Tommy’s trail, finding more dead. She eventually kills off a couple more and then finds Abby. Abby ends up shooting and killing some of Ellie’s friends, and nearly kills Dina, but shows mercy due to the Scar kid she’s been helping. She agrees to part ways and never wants to see them again, and you’d think that would be the end.

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In what I first thought was the epilogue, we see Ellie and Dina in a farmstead along with an infant. We can presume that Dina managed to have the baby and they’ve started this new life. Presumably this is not far from the settlement they stayed at near the beginning of the game, because Tommy shows up and says that he’s found Abby again, this time in Santa Barbara. Dina chases him off saying they’re done with that, but soon enough you’re having visions of dead Joel and can’t help but want to track her down again. Dina warns you that she won’t wait around, but you head out anyway.

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This final sequence sees you tracking down Abby, getting caught by some other faction that had already caught her, fighting your way free, and then sneaking into their base to rescue Abby. You find her put up on a stake in this harbor, a cruel death awaiting her. Letting her down, she then cuts down the Scar boy (Lin) and they head off for a boat to escape. It’s this point where you fight her again, and though you win the fight and could have drown her to death, for some reason you let her go, and she takes off. In a strange twist, each of these characters had someone kill their people, became obsessed, had the chance to kill each other for revenge multiple times, and then had a change of heart when it came down to it. I suppose we all are still human after all.

The true epilogue happens next. Ellie returns to the farmstead and finds it empty save for her stuff in one room. Dina and the baby are gone. You play Joel’s guitar one last time, and then head off into the wilderness, presumably to find Dina, or perhaps start yet another new life. It was a sad but fitting end. I hope that we are not done with this world, but perhaps there are new characters and stories to explore. Whatever the case I thoroughly enjoyed this title and I highly recommend picking it up.

Resident Evil 3 Remake Complete

Izlain

Last night, and after only two play sessions (though the 2nd was admittedly longer) I have completed the main campaign for Resident Evil 3. I didn’t really read reviews or look into anything about the game before purchase, mainly because it looked like it was the same sort of remake treatment that its predecessor got. I didn’t really pay too much attention to the news cycle around it, but I guess it did turn out that people were complaining about a “large” chunk of the game being removed from this version. Something about a segment in a clock tower, but I’m not entirely sure what that entails because I didn’t play the original version. There are references to the clock tower and I captured it in one of the screenshots I took while playing, but you definitely don’t visit it. I’m not sure how much that takes away from my overall enjoyment because I don’t really know what I’m missing. Things I liked about this title were the same things I liked about the last remake. It’s over the shoulder shooting fun and it’s so far above and beyond what the older games could do that I enjoyed the ride. My only real complaint is that it was a relatively short experience, but if you want to be a completionist to unlock all of the achievements and/or in-game unlocks there’s more time to be spent.

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It was more difficult in some parts than its predecessor, but I still managed to get through most of it without frustration. I also enjoyed the way that you swapped between controlling Jill and Carlos throughout the story rather than playing through the game another time to see other parts, though that decision also cut down it’s length. There’s also the packed in Resistance that is an asymmetrical co-op thing I still haven’t tried and really am not all that interested in. I’ve gotten what I want out of the game and though it is a little disappointing to have a title this short cost full price, I still think it was worth it for me. Whatever the case, I enjoyed it, but if you have played the original perhaps you should skip it. If you’re simply a fan of the series like I am, you’ll likely have a good time, but I’d advise maybe waiting for it to drop in price. My playtime ran just under 7 hours.

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I will say that Nemesis was the star of the show, and some of the fights were not overly difficult but still interesting and cool. Just like in my Resident Evil 2 playthroughs, I was presented with an end result screen which details some stats. I didn’t do all that well, and could probably manage a better score but again, I’ve had my fun with it for now.

One good thing about the Resident Evil series is that it has been evergreen for me. I have played some of these titles multiple times, through various difficulties and earned various achievements and honors throughout. I can always come back to visit Raccoon City at a later juncture and still get enjoyment out of it, simply by turning up the difficulty or aiming for particular in-game challenges. Someone other than myself has probably already worked through most. Your mileage may vary.

Resident Evil 3 Remake: First Playthrough

Izlain

Despite being a huge fan of the Resident Evil series, I somehow never played through the 3rd installment. For this reason I was very happy to learn the game would get the same remake treatment that Resident Evil 2 did last year. It came about faster than I had anticipated though, and released this past Friday. I just so happened to get paid that same day so I decided it would be my gaming purchase for the month. Quarantine has kept me locked in doors giving me more time to play through these games so I gladly invested in my entertainment future. I should note that back when Resident Evil 6 released I picked up the Anthology edition that contained codes for downloading all of the games on my Playstation 3. However, these were just the PSOne Classic versions, and though I had intended to try and play through it back then, I just never got around to it, and going back to PSOne graphics is tricky. Honestly I think this is the best way for me to experience this part of the series that I originally missed. I can already say that it has bridged some of the gaps in story that I lacked when playing some of the newer iterations.

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The introductory sequence starts out in first person perspective, and I thought that was pretty cool. I really loved Resident Evil VII in which the game was pushed into the first person space, and so this was a nice touch. However the game switches to the traditional over the shoulder viewpoint rather quickly. You’ll start out playing as Jill Valentine, who was a member of STARS and introduced in the first game. She was absent from Resident Evil 2 though you can imagine that these events were happening around the same timeline, as she is in her own apartment and the conspiracy board in the background shows that she has started to put together Umbrella’s involvement in the events of the first game. Obviously by the time the events of RE2 transpire, the virus would have spread from the manor/lab to Raccoon City. This also means that the events of RE3 have to be happening around the same time, though Leon and Claire are dealing with things in and around the police station while Jill is out in the larger portion of the city. From here there will be some spoilers, only because I want to share some cool parts of the game along with screenshots, and if you haven’t played this 20 year old game yet, then welcome to the club. Come back after you’ve finished it. Otherwise, enjoy the ride.

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It doesn’t take long to be introduced to the main villain, Nemesis. He’s a hulking brute that uses tendrils to grab you and pull you towards him, but later comes in additional flavors. He pops in and out of your playthrough, is impossible to actually kill, and makes life difficult for our protagonist. Soon he’ll pop up with a flamethrower, and later he’ll sport a rocket launcher. He’s a bastard, and every time a cutscene makes you believe that he’s dead, there he is again. Eventually you’ll run into a guy named Carlos who later becomes a playable character, and his organization works for Umbrella, but seems to be ignorant to the fact that his company is responsible for this mess. His commanding officers are dicks, but one does give his own life to save yours, so there’s that. I reached a point where I escaped the city and took over playing as Carlos, who was heading into the RPD building, so perhaps more of the story gaps will be closed between games.

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The gameplay loop in generally the same as other Resident Evil games. You’ll find a multitude of herbs, ammunition, and craftable items, along with books, notes and scribbles that give more insight to the lore of the game. Eventually you’ll have a plethora of guns, but never enough ammo. I’ve found this game to be more challenging than its predecessor, but also more challenging than the newer games as well. You really don’t get enough ammo to deal with the amount of enemies, as each take way too many shots to dispose of. Then as you progress through levels some will respawn, so it really is beneficial to simply run past those enemies that you can. You’ll also do a ton of running away from Nemesis, so I suppose that’s the intended loop. Overall the game looks and feels just as good as the last remake, but because the story is something I knew nothing about, it has pulled me in even more. Honestly these past two remakes and RE7 are my favorites of the series to this point. I enjoyed 4 solo, and really liked the co-op features of 5 & 6, but these remakes just feel so much better. Modern conveniences and all. Regardless, I love the series, I’ve loved these remakes and I look forward to where the series goes next with the next proper sequel.

RE2: Claire Campaign Complete

Izlain

I’ve finally completed Claire’s Campaign in the Resident Evil 2 Remake. It took me just over a month to complete both campaigns, and there is still plenty to do in the game, but for now I’m calling it done. I could start up the 2nd Run Campaigns, or run the other smaller scenarios that were part of a free DLC. However, I’ve had my fill of this game for now, but I know I’ll come back around to it eventually. In total, it took me about 12 hours to finish of these campaigns, with Claire’s feeling a touch easier to complete.

The Police Station and other areas of the game remained the same, though there were different paths used and some areas that were inaccessible completely to the individual characters. One major difference was that there wasn’t the Tyrant following you around all game, but it felt like you ran into “G” (pictured above) more often.

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Another big difference between the two campaigns, is that instead of interacting with Ada, this time you run into Sherry after a fight with G. Turns out that she came here looking for mommy, who is another character you should remember from Leon’s campaign, though you do talk to her more as Claire. Also, this means that instead of being able to play as Ada for a short time, instead you’ll play as Sherry, who is taken by the Police Chief to an abandoned orphanage. Later, Sherry will become infected and it’s up to you to save her, though her mother dies in the process. Good times.

I found the third fight with G to be the most difficult. It stumped me on two different (short) play sessions, but I eventually bested the Dragon and moved on with the story. Instead of fighting the Tyrant when trying to escape the self-destructing facility, we instead end up fighting G for a fourth time. It was laughably easy though, as you’re given a mini gun just before the fight and his attacks were dodged without much effort.

Overall I got a better record. I saved about three less times, but finished the run in under five hours. There are trophies and bragging rights for people who can run through some of the harder modes in an even shorter amount of time. I don’t think it’s something I would try for, but the achievements are there for those that want them. I loved the game. This is how a remake needs to be done, and I can only hope that more classics get the updated treatment.

Sales should be coming for this title soon enough (probably by the Summer) so if you can get even a small discount I’d jump on it.

RE2: Leon Campaign Complete

Izlain

The last time I spoke about this year’s Resident Evil 2 Remake, I had just started the game and was gushing about it’s “new nostalgia” factor. Since then, I have wrapped up Leon’s campaign and started on Claire’s, already nearing the underground passage portion of the game. After clearing the first “chapter” so to speak, I came to find out that they really packed in a bunch of new game plus stuff into this remake. Originally thinking about only Leon and Claire’s campaign, I figured this was a maybe twenty hour game at best.

It turns out that my first run at RE2 took just under nine hours. I’ve probably played Claire for about two, so I should be clearing it in about six more. That’s near that original twenty hour mark I mentioned, and as it turns out there are “2nd Run” campaigns for both characters, along with a “Hardcore” mode that doesn’t autosave and has stronger enemies/less supply drops. I hear there are alternate “real endings” after the 2nd Runs, and apparently you’ll have to do all this stuff if you’re achievement hunting.

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I’m not sure what will happen. I’m really enjoying the game thus far, but I’m likely to move onto something else after I finish Claire’s campaign. However, that does leave something to come back to, since those runs are supposed to play out a bit differently and show you the true ending so I think I’ll have to come back to it. I know with Resident Evil 5 & 6, I played through them time and again, partially to earn trophies but also because my best friend and I could co-op through them. When it came to Resident Evil 7, I played alone and I only played through once. I don’t see myself wanting to binge through the game another two times so immediately, but I do see myself checking them out further down the line. I do own the game, after all.

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Part of the reason I’m hesitant to commit to extra runs is because I have other games I’m looking at wanting to play. In most of my downtime I’ve been playing Apex Legends, and poke around in other games here and there, but I like to try and keep at least one game in the rotation that I can complete, Resident Evil 2 being that game for the moment. Next I’m looking at buying either Anthem or Devil May Cry 5, the latter of which is getting better reviews at the moment, but both carry a $60 price tag. I’d think completing DMC5 would be faster and it’s something I’d likely move on from after a single playthrough, and Anthem isn’t really a game you complete if it ends up even remotely like Destiny. Whatever the case I’m going to finish Resident Evil 2 before I buy another game. But that should be soon, and I should have something new to gush about shortly thereafter.

Whatever the case, the Resident Evil 2 Remake is fantastic, and you really should pick it up if you’re a fan of the series. The new additions make it feel like a modern game, but it still holds true to its classic roots, and I love that. Highly recommended!