Game Director: Bruce Straley
Creative Director: Neil Druckmann
Art Director: Erick Pangilinan
Before this game was beaten to death, HERE are my "fresh" thoughts from shortly after its release in 2013.
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My review method is simple. Ten categories guide my thoughts. Each category is on a 1 to 10 scale. Add them up for the final score.
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My review method is simple. Ten categories guide my thoughts. Each category is on a 1 to 10 scale. Add them up for the final score.
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STORY - 10
Still grabs me, even after all this time. A decade on, and I'm still coming back. That's rare. They aimed for the moon, and landed on it, all while keeping it grounded.
OBJECTIVES - 10
No filler here. Every task feels purposeful. Even the mundane stuff, like finding a ladder or boosting Ellie, stays fresh. No wasted time, period.
IN-GAME ART / DESIGN - 10
Checks all the damn boxes. Even the original PS3 version holds up. Gritty, real, and pushing 15 years, it's starting to feel ageless. The art isn't about cutting-edge graphics; it's about timeless design, like Monkey Island or Alex Kidd. Being outside? Feels right. Inside? Feels right. It's like a dark, mature Uncharted, and they nailed that.
AUDIO / SOUND - 10
Just excellent. Voices are spot-on. Crank it up on your speakers or headphones, and you're rewarded. The raw, violent blast of a rifle? Jarring and satisfying.
GAMEPLAY - 10
Yeah, it's on rails, but the way you navigate the world pulls you in. Upgrading weapons, choosing paths – it all works. It makes you play a game, not just watch a movie. Each encounter, as dark as they are, becomes something you look forward to.
EMOTIONAL IMPACT - 8
At release? A solid ten. Now, with Part II and the show, it's lost a bit of its raw punch. Still hits, though. Being in my 30s when it dropped helps me connect. It is easy to wonder how the younger crowd, who experienced this in high school, really get it beyond the scares and Ellie's potty mouth.
LONGEVITY - 10
Still pick it up, even with limited time. That says it all.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE - 10
A milestone. The 2010-2015 era, the peak of console gaming, and this game was a massive part of it. It carried that momentum into the PS4.
X-FACTOR - 10
Just plain fun. And damn good.
PROMOTIONAL ART / DESIGN - 7
Sony doesn't seem to push hard here. They let the game speak for itself. Didn't love their approach with Part II either. What they do have is fine.
FINAL THOUGHT
Had to revisit this classic. It's easily one of my all-time gaming experiences. Playing it now, with an 8-year-old daughter (who doesn't play it!), hits different. I get Joel's protectiveness on a whole new level. He'd torch the world for her, and back then? I was more on the fence about that ending's moral mess. Now? I get it.
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I do this for no other reason then the fact I enjoy games and thinking about them. I also like thoughts independent (and ad-free) from the big sites that are increasingly being run by the same handful of corporations.