[Shagger Says: The Last of Us Part II (Spoiler Free Review, potential spoilers in replies)]

I probably should have said ages ago, amazing review as always @Shagger. I love your attention to detail and your balanced outlook.

I just finished my first playthrough. tbh, I reached the end and felt somewhat confused, as it indeed was not quite a "happy" ending--but it did not seem nearly as bleak and crushing as advertised by so many reactions. But it seems on researching that much of the "controversy" was a reaction to having to play as Abby--i.e. having to absorb another perspective and develop empathy. I do not know if this can even be considered entirely separate from all the transphobic complaining--after all, these complaints also come from gamers who do not want to absorb another perspective.

Many reviewers also do not consider other perspectives, or treat their opinions as objective all-encompassing realities. You do not do this, and even examine different facets of your own point of view through a critical eye. I very much appreciate this quality in you.

[Games or fights that seemed easier after you heard someone say they were easy?]

Sometimes I run into situations where a fight seems really hard to me. So, I go online and look up advice, only to discover I am already doing it basically right. Other gamers will mention the fight is pretty easy. I will come back, and suddenly, the fight will be easy. Does anyone else ever have this happen? It’s almost like what holds me back is just believing a scenario is harder than it is.

[Games you hope that no one will ever remake?]

Are there any games that you feel are simply impossible to remake in a way that can ever beat the original, to the point where you hope nobody ever tries?

[Why isn’t FMV more common?]

Why isn’t FMV (full motion video) more popular? This was huge in the 90s, and then just faded away. I realize that there were always some issues with it like it not being easy to seamlessly blend into compelling gameplay. But you’d almost think that solutions would have been innovated by now.

 

[Favorite FMV games?]

What are your favorite full motion video (FMV) games, past or present?

[Early gaming systems you wish had been more popular?]

Are there any classic gaming platforms that failed or faded into obscurity that you really liked and wish had done better? If they had been more popular, how would they have changed the way we game today?

[Games with early concepts you thought would have been better than the final result?]

Are there any games that you thought would have been better if they had followed their early concepts more closely?

[What musical artists are featured most often in games?]

What are some musical artists you have heard frequently in different video games?

[Have your gaming habits changed since the pandemic?]

Have your gaming habits changed since the pandemic? In what ways?

[Most insanely overpriced items in MMOs?]

Today I saw Star Citizen selling an in-game ship for $40,000 USD. I cannot imagine paying this even if I had billions of dollars, unless it was purely to support a game (i.e. really more of a donation).

What are some other examples of insanely expensive items in MMOs?

 

[Celebrities you discovered via gaming who are known for other things]

Are there any celebrities you became familiar with via gaming who most people would have expected you to know from other things? For example, I became aware of Felicia Day through her voice acting, despite her being much better known for other stuff she’s done.

[Games where you can set your enemies on one another]

In TLOU: Left Behind and TLOU 2, there are parts where you can set your enemies on each other. What are some other games that feature a similar mechanic?

[Games with fights that require patience/timing]

What are some games that require you to just patiently sit and wait for something to happen to help you through fights? For example, in TLOU 2, there are fights where you need to sit behind cover and wait for your enemies to clear out each other.

[Games that offer a huge amount of tactical control?]

What are some games that allow you to have a huge amount of tactical control over how you direct and manage your followers? Speaking specifically here about single player games.

[Is there anything in games you have become desensitized to?]

Has playing a large amount of video games desensitized you to anything? It could be violence, jump scares, amazing graphics, or anything else you can name.

[Traps in video games]

No matter what game I am playing, I consistently walk right into traps. This even typically happens if a follower gives me a warning; I am too hyperfocused on something else. Do you stumble into most traps, or successfully evade them?

[Do you ever avoid certain areas just to keep NPCs from dying?]

Do you ever steer clear of certain areas in open world games just to prevent triggering events that will kill NPCs? Like I avoid the orc settlement near Riften in Skyrim because walking past it often triggers a giant attack I can’t always intervene with in time.

 

[How do you feel about boss fights with multiple stages?]

What are your feelings about boss fights where you have to wade through like a stage 1, then a stage 2, then a stage 3? Like where you bring the boss’s health bar down to what looks like zero, and then have to do it all over again? I find them tedious but tolerable if I know that’s what’s coming, but I get frustrated if it isn’t clear at the outset since it messes up supply management.

 

[What game-related TV series are you most excited for going forward?]

There are a number of TV series that are either on the air or will be soon based on video game franchises. Which of these are you most excited about, and why?

[Video game tech you took a long time to adopt, but now really like?]

Is there any particular type of video game technology that you took forever to adopt, but have become a big fan of?

[Was there a gaming platform you thought you’d dislike, but then liked?]

Is there a gaming platform you were convinced you’d never get into, but after you gave it a try, you found you loved it? What surprised you about it?

[What games do you feel are surprisingly easy?]

What games do you feel are surprisingly easy?

[How do you feel when a game gives you tips after you die?]

When a game gives you a relevant tip after you die, do you ever feel like it is subtly mocking you? Especially if it suggests lowering the difficulty =D

[What do you do when you find unique, named items in games?]

Whenever I find a unique, named item like a weapon or armour in an open world game, I am always worried that if I sell it I will want it back. But I never use 99% of them, so they all get stored in a chest somewhere. Does anyone else hoard these types of items?

[Do you typically end games with piles of unused resources?]

Does anyone else cling to their resources in games with such paranoia of running out of things that by the time you reach the end of a typical game, you are loaded down with hundreds of each common item, and then realize you barely used any of them through the whole game?