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[MarlboroRed]

Been playing TLOU Part 2 on my PS5 recently.

I'm about done with it in terms of going through the story, but one thing I kept thinking about when I put down the controller after the latest session was that it is probably the most violent game I've ever seen or played.
I put it up against the usual suspects in terms of gore and violence, but they all pale in comparison to NDs latest title. Manhunt, Gears, Bulletstorm and so on sure are brutal, but their depiction of violence and gore are never as grounded in realism as they are in TLOU.

Body mutilations such as limbs being torn off by a close up rendezvous with a shotgun or a tripmine, the death animations Ellie/Abby suffer when being fatally wounded by Clickers or Humans, the relationships implied between NPCs which are commenting or lamenting the deaths of their comrades or pets by calling out their names in horror, or the casual way ND deals with major character deaths during cutscenes. And at all times it tries to stay so firmly grounded in reality, little details in Ellies/Abbys face or body language reminding us that even they aren't apathetic to what they are doing.

It never feels over the top, or implemented in a cheesy way. This is what it would be like, no more and no less.

The game is a never ending showcase of horror on so many levels. I applaude ND for having the balls to produce (what is most likely) the defining IP for the Playstation 4-era with such brutality, such violence.
This is the game they wanted to make, the world they wanted to display. Without compromise for ratings or customer reach. I'm sure they had to fight off management crying for moderation a lot during development.

 

[THEAP99]

Totally agree. I hope the game gets a ps5 Remastered and they can go even further with the gore!

 

[TheMay30thMan]

Unreal Tournament for me. The Last of Us is graphic, sure, but that’s not all violence is.

 

[Vick]

The "boss fight" at the end of the Haven session is the most brutal and disgusting thing i've ever done/seen.

 

[EDMIX]

Been playing TLOU Part 2 on my PS5 recently.

I'm about done with it in terms of going through the story, but one thing I kept thinking about when I put down the controller after the latest session was that it is probably the most violent game I've ever seen or played.
I put it up against the usual suspects in terms of gore and violence, but they all pale in comparison to NDs latest title. Manhunt, Gears, Bulletstorm and so on sure are brutal, but their depiction of violence and gore are never as grounded in realism as they are in TLOU.

Body mutilations such as limbs being torn off by a close up rendezvous with a shotgun or a tripmine, the death animations Ellie/Abby suffer when being fatally wounded by Clickers or Humans, the relationships implied between NPCs which are commenting or lamenting the deaths of their comrades or pets by calling out their names in horror, or the casual way ND deals with major character deaths during cutscenes. And at all times it tries to stay so firmly grounded in reality, little details in Ellies/Abbys face or body language reminding us that even they aren't apathetic to what they are doing.

It never feels over the top, or implemented in a cheesy way. This is what it would be like, no more and no less.

The game is a never ending showcase of horror on so many levels. I applaude ND for having the balls to produce (what is most likely) the defining IP for the Playstation 4-era with such brutality, such violence.
This is the game they wanted to make, the world they wanted to display. Without compromise for ratings or customer reach. I'm sure they had to fight off management crying for moderation a lot during development.

Same. The brutality was INSANE in this game. This is how humans are and I'm happy a developer made something like this as I don't care for this whole Rated M "aka PG" attitude that developers have, like they are scared to actually REALLY show and talk about dark adult subject matter.

I ask the community, be honest....really look at the mature rated games that have come out over the generations, now look at a normal HBO, Netflix, AMC show or a film etc that is for mature audiences. Its clear a massive difference exist. Gaming is literally in this weird bubble like they are scared to actually go that far, yet that isn't some strange thing for film or shows.

Allow the fucking medium to move on folks.

No one is asking Mario to be murdering Peach, but we have Disney films that exist along with American History X...no one is fucking asking for them to all be the same, but gaming shouldn't be stuck in this "hard PG" situation.

People get raped in real life.

They die and lose limbs....in real life.

SHOW FOLKS what guns REALLY do to people as this game is ALREADY rated M. Allow those titles to freely express that.

 

[BabyYoda]

I would say the developers are sick and need help.

 

[MarlboroRed]

Totally agree. I hope the game gets a ps5 Remastered and they can go even further with the gore!

I don't know how they would even do that. They did all of it so tastefully already.

I don't need to see heads explode when I shoot people, or more brain and blood particles. There are entry and exit wounds, a sudden lose of body tension as people fall to the ground.
When Ellie gets punched in the face during a cutscene or ingame, there is blood flowing out from her nose, her face is swelling up from the blunt trauma. She is coughing up her own blood. Her breathing is irregular, her body shaking from adrenaline rush.

If she gets shot with an arrow, that arrow doesn't simply disappear. It's stuck in her body unless being pulled out manually. There is no video game shenanigans going on with the arrow simply disappearing after a certain amount of time. It's implemented in gameplay as the huge deal a stuck arrow in your body would be.

I think TLOUs brutality has such a particular impact on me because it is the first time a video game captures all of that on such a detailed level in terms of production value. Your mind doesn't have to stretch your disbelieve to make up for production or visual shortcomings.
Few studios can pull off detail like ND can, and none of them have had the balls to go that far doing it on a M+ rated game.

 

[Yoboman]

I would say the developers are sick and need help.

And won't somebody please think of the children?

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Max_Po]

Yep I am on third playthrough due to 60 fps patch..
. I didn't like the story that much but man....what a game....

 

[Danjin44]

Its more violent but it less impactful because most of the new characters nowhere near as good as Tess, Bill and Henry& Sam.

 

[Dr Bass]

Same. The brutality was INSANE in this game. This is how humans are and I'm happy a developer made something like this as I don't care for this whole Rated M "aka PG" attitude that developers have, like they are scared to actually REALLY show and talk about dark adult subject matter.

I ask the community, be honest....really look at the mature rated games that have come out over the generations, now look at a normal HBO, Netflix, AMC show or a film etc that is for mature audiences. Its clear a massive difference exist. Gaming is literally in this weird bubble like they are scared to actually go that far, yet that isn't some strange thing for film or shows.

Allow the fucking medium to move on folks.

No one is asking Mario to be murdering Peach, but we have Disney films that exist along with American History X...no one is fucking asking for them to all be the same, but gaming shouldn't be stuck in this "hard PG" situation.

People get raped in real life.

They die and lose limbs....in real life.

SHOW FOLKS what guns REALLY do to people as this game is ALREADY rated M. Allow those titles to freely express that.

Yeah … so why would I want to indulge in that in my free time?

 

[InterMusketeer]

I ask the community...

Allow the fucking medium to move on folks.

Allow those titles to freely express that.

Do you really think it's the gaming community that's holding devs back? You're kidding yourself if you think violence and gore are not celebrated in the community.

I find it pretty distasteful personally, but I don't think that's the popular opinion nor the trend.

 

[Ezquimacore]

 

[Lethal01]

Nortal Komat and such exists so no. Last of us is held back by having to stick to realistic levels of violence while other games easily surpass it with level of gore and bloodshed Ellie and abby could never produce.

 

[Yoboman]

Yeah … so why would I want to indulge in that in my free time?

Who asked you to?

 

[MarlboroRed]

Nortal Komat and such exists so no. Last of us is held back by having to stick to realistic levels of violence while other games easily surpass it with level of gore and bloodshed Ellie and abby could never produce.

That is true, but it is also completely neglecting the difference between violence that entertains and violence that makes your stomach turn. TLOU takes the cake on the latter.

 

[Punished Miku]

I would say the developers are sick and need help.

I think they literally watched snuff films and car accident footage constantly. Real deaths. War footage. Etc.

 

[Bragr]

I think it hurts the story but it sure is violent.

 

[Nyxir]

What makes it even better is that it fits. The world. The story. The gameplay.
Man what a game.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Manhunt for me

 

[Mozzarella]

Quote "I applaude ND for having the balls to produce (what is most likely) the defining IP for the Playstation 4-era with such brutality,"
Well, these days making extra violent scenes is not as brave as making a game with controversial social/political themes or making attractive looking characters (especially females) Talking about western gaming industry btw.

 

[nowhat]

And won't somebody please think of the children?

...the developers will?

Spoiler

it's a joke, chill!

 

[Blond]

TLOU 2 reached that full blown watermelon between the thigh’s violence and I loved it. It felt gut wrenching to play at times and even though my opinion on the story has shifted somewhat I still applaud them for having the balls to try what they did.

 

[Hulk_Smash]

I would be 100% ok with zero blood in almost any game. Probably horror would be the only time I’d want blood. Especially zombie games.

Other than that it does nothing for me.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Its more violent but it less impactful because they most of the new characters nowhere near as good as Tess, Bill and Henry& Sam.

And David.... dont forget David too.

It is a very crude game, it is a great game, but I think it is a shame that the current video game sector needs violence to be a "good product".

When violence is not always necessary to give life to wonderful works.

 

[Aggelos]

I would say the developers are sick and need help.

Violence has been part of humanity since the dawn of mankind and its history. In addition, so many other lifeforms kill each other for whatever reason (food, survival, territorial power, you name it).
Therefore, on this planet of ours, I would argue humanity is sick and needs help. If there's another planet with a different system of reality, maybe there lifeforms don't wanna kill each other, and don't feel the urge to perpetrate crimes-acts of violence.
But on this planet of ours, things look grim and dicey.

 

[Iced Arcade]

Agreed. I think it makes it that much more intense because it's almost a realistic scenario and you are killing relatable people, not just bots, aliens, super humans.

That and the focus on the small details like when you have knife to someone's throat they are grasping and eyes are roaming all over the place frantically.

 

[Bartski]

Nortal Komat and such exists so no. Last of us is held back by having to stick to realistic levels of violence while other games easily surpass it with level of gore and bloodshed Ellie and abby could never produce.

You can't be seriously making this comparison.

"Violence" in Mortal Kombat feels like it's inspired by Tom and Jerry, with some extra ketchup. It's cartoony, deliberately campy, and it serves a totally different purpose.

It's so over the top it's not violent anymore - it's funny.

I'd have no problem playing MK with my 13 year old sister but I'd NEVER show her TLOU2, it's something else entirely.

 

[mr.dilya]

It really is, once the novelty wears off you start to realize that games that go over the top with the realistic violence are disturbing.

.....but this type of stuff sells, which tells you a lot of about the society we live in.

 

[Spukc]

It really is, once the novelty wears off you start to realize that games that go over the top with the realistic violence are disturbing.

.....but this type of stuff sells, which tells you a lot of about the society we live in.

Go hug some kittens care-bear

 

[THEAP99]

I don't know how they would even do that. They did all of it so tastefully already.

I don't need to see heads explode when I shoot people, or more brain and blood particles. There are entry and exit wounds, a sudden lose of body tension as people fall to the ground.
When Ellie gets punched in the face during a cutscene or ingame, there is blood flowing out from her nose, her face is swelling up from the blunt trauma. She is coughing up her own blood. Her breathing is irregular, her body shaking from adrenaline rush.

If she gets shot with an arrow, that arrow doesn't simply disappear. It's stuck in her body unless being pulled out manually. There is no video game shenanigans going on with the arrow simply disappearing after a certain amount of time. It's implemented in gameplay as the huge deal a stuck arrow in your body would be.

I think TLOUs brutality has such a particular impact on me because it is the first time a video game captures all of that on such a detailed level in terms of production value. Your mind doesn't have to stretch your disbelieve to make up for production or visual shortcomings.
Few studios can pull off detail like ND can, and none of them have had the balls to go that far doing it on a M+ rated game.

Just like make the npc models higher resolution or something just to enhance it all, ya know? I think they could also do some cool stuff with the dualsense too! Just typical stuff a Remaster would do to push the fidelity a little higher.

I wonder how they're gonna incorporate the gore into the first game, Joel gonna be doing some crazy stuff in combat

 

[Sander Cohen]

Mortal Kombat?

 

[Lethal01]

You can't be seriously making this comparison.

"Violence" in Mortal Kombat feels like it's inspired by Tom and Jerry, with some extra ketchup. It's cartoony, deliberately campy, and it serves a totally different purpose.

It's so over the top it's not violent anymore - it's funny.

I'd have no problem playing MK with my 13 year old sister but I'd NEVER show her TLOU2, it's something else entirely.

Just adressing the actual topic. I totally understand why the violence in the last of us affects people more especially if they actually care about the characters. Seeing someone die with acting that sells their fear while someone who loves them watches is way harder to bare.

But when it comes to the violence itself things like MK are obviously more intense. They said "it's the most violent" which it's not. If you want to talk about the most hard to watch violence that's a different story.

On a personal note. There's only a single time in TLOU2 that violence happens to a character I really care about and that's the only time it's really hard to watch, other than that, I'd be more affected by seeing someone getting their skin ripped off whether it's cartoony or not.

 

[kyoji]

Muh gore, tho

I've always felt that explicit violence kinda ruins the experience, as if the creators are trying too hard to make something "edgy" and "realistic" for the sake of it.
Kinda like those movies that add that stuff for SHOCK value, but they're as shallow as they've ever been.

context is everything, the setting is a post apocolyptic world where people are fighting for survival with essentially no morality, what do you expect? lol

 

[kyliethicc]

Been playing TLOU Part 2 on my PS5 recently.

I'm about done with it in terms of going through the story, but one thing I kept thinking about when I put down the controller after the latest session was that it is probably the most violent game I've ever seen or played.
I put it up against the usual suspects in terms of gore and violence, but they all pale in comparison to NDs latest title. Manhunt, Gears, Bulletstorm and so on sure are brutal, but their depiction of violence and gore are never as grounded in realism as they are in TLOU.

Body mutilations such as limbs being torn off by a close up rendezvous with a shotgun or a tripmine, the death animations Ellie/Abby suffer when being fatally wounded by Clickers or Humans, the relationships implied between NPCs which are commenting or lamenting the deaths of their comrades or pets by calling out their names in horror, or the casual way ND deals with major character deaths during cutscenes. And at all times it tries to stay so firmly grounded in reality, little details in Ellies/Abbys face or body language reminding us that even they aren't apathetic to what they are doing.

It never feels over the top, or implemented in a cheesy way. This is what it would be like, no more and no less.

The game is a never ending showcase of horror on so many levels. I applaude ND for having the balls to produce (what is most likely) the defining IP for the Playstation 4-era with such brutality, such violence.
This is the game they wanted to make, the world they wanted to display. Without compromise for ratings or customer reach. I'm sure they had to fight off management crying for moderation a lot during development.

Well said. Its a truly special game. Fucking brutal, but fun. Love it.

 

[Aenima]

Yup, one of the reasons i had so much fun with the gameplay of the game. Once you get a shotgun or powerfull rifle cabable to blow out heads and limbs, its when the fun begins.

The NPC reactions and screams of pains also add an extra layer of violence to an already gory scenario. Its brutal.

I remember later in the game inside a house a placed a bomb trap on the floor to kill a NPC that was patroling the area, when the bomb exploded i rushed to the location and i noticed pieces of meat falling from the ceiling.

Im not usually into too much gore stuff, but TLOU2 did amazing details with it. Is something that i can enjoy once in a while, but not something i wish to see in all games i play.

 

[SF Kosmo]

It isn't the most violent, it's the one that most confronts you with the gravity and consequences of your violence.

 

[nowhat]

Just adressing the actual topic. I totally understand why the violence in the last of us affects people more especially if they actually care about the characters. Seeing someone die with acting that sells their fear while someone who loves them watches is way harder to bear.

But when it comes to the violence itself things like MK are obviously more intense.

I think TLoU2 is trying to be too manipulative at times -- like, Ellie kills everyone and everything that happens to cross her path, but oh noes - that girl was totally preggy! and suddenly human life has some value again. The combat can be brutal and visceral, but also... let's face it, kinda fun too? Those people/infected are out to get you, it's a dog eat dog world so fuck them (and also take them down in quite sadistic ways at times). The game tries to make you feel bad about all of it, but I don't think it succeeds most of the time (some very dramatic and personal moments in there for sure though). It's still a video game. You kill your enemies or get killed, that's how it goes. How am I supposed to feel bad for the thing I'm supposed to do?

...that does sound a lot like the Nuremberg defense, granted. Moving on. As to Mortal Kombat, to me it's like a splatter movie. There comes a point where everything is just so over the top it becomes absolutely ridiculous. And in turn really funny and entertaining, but also without any emotional attachment. It's just popcorn time. For violence with a capital "V", check out Lars von Trier's "Antichrist". There's a scene involving a woman and a pair of scissors, which you will remember the rest of your life. And I'm not sure if that's even the worst scene in the movie. When you mechanically break down what happens in all the gory scenes, it's all a bed time story material compared to Mortal Kombat. But the effect it has on you... I've seen the movie once. May see it again at some point, but am in no hurry to do so.

 

[Zombie9ers]

The death animations are absolutely brutal! Just check out all of the bloater death animations:

l:

 

[EDMIX]

Nortal Komat and such exists so no. Last of us is held back by having to stick to realistic levels of violence while other games easily surpass it with level of gore and bloodshed Ellie and abby could never produce.

I disagree.

The Last Of Us does this in a non-fantasy or non-parody type setting. I have nothing against MK, but that isn't the type of violence I'm talking about, as in...I'm not talking about over the top fantasy stuff.

I'd argue many titles use that over the top fantasy stuff to disassociate the player and to bring the level of violence down to a comedic level. Again, we rarely have REALSITC mature titles with real levels of violence. If anything, I want you to read an interview by Michael Haneke on violence between his films and Tarantino's films, consider I love BOTH directors, but the level of violence in Funny Games or Benny's Video is on a completely different level. When something is done so over the top, to the point of being funny, it loses a lot of that gore and feel in terms of how people view violence and that kinda is what QT is going for in many of his films. Its very easy to lose interest mentally when a person gets a arm cut off and they die off screen.....its a harder film to watch if for 2 hours you have to watch them suffer, cry out, lose their minds etc Why? Because its not simply what is going on with the content, it is the effect of the trama in what it does to others around them, how it effects them after and even during the death.

A better example that I used in one of my film classes on a final talking about it, was the difference between some random dying in Kill Bill and a death notification on First 48, trust me bud....its very, very tough to watch someone get that news. The reality is, them getting that news and their reaction, might be more heart breaking then a film showing it, because its not simply the act, its everything else around it that makes violence what it is. So MK violence like Kill Bill Violence is not the same as Funny Games or The Last Of Us 2.

SPIEGEL Interview with Director Michael Haneke: 'Every Film Rapes the Viewer'

Austrian director Michael Haneke discusses his shocking new film, "The White Ribbon," which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, his penchant for gloomy stories that unnerve his viewers and his unsettling view of humanity.

www.spiegel.de

Have fun, its a great read on the difference.

"But that's something else. These films make violence unreal and therefore consumable. It's like being on a ghost train ride. I deliberately allow myself to be frightened but I know that nothing can happen to me. I remember when Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" came out, and I was sitting in a matinee filled with young people. The famous scene of a boy's head being blown off caused a huge commotion in the theater. They thought it was great and they almost died laughing."

 

[nowhat]

Michael Haneke

Was going to reply with a heart emoji. Realized it would be really weird. But two thumbs up for bringing up this director and Funny Games, what an amazing movie.

 

[eyesabitdull]

Been playing TLOU Part 2 on my PS5 recently.

I'm about done with it in terms of going through the story, but one thing I kept thinking about when I put down the controller after the latest session was that it is probably the most violent game I've ever seen or played.
I put it up against the usual suspects in terms of gore and violence, but they all pale in comparison to NDs latest title. Manhunt, Gears, Bulletstorm and so on sure are brutal, but their depiction of violence and gore are never as grounded in realism as they are in TLOU.

Body mutilations such as limbs being torn off by a close up rendezvous with a shotgun or a tripmine, the death animations Ellie/Abby suffer when being fatally wounded by Clickers or Humans, the relationships implied between NPCs which are commenting or lamenting the deaths of their comrades or pets by calling out their names in horror, or the casual way ND deals with major character deaths during cutscenes. And at all times it tries to stay so firmly grounded in reality, little details in Ellies/Abbys face or body language reminding us that even they aren't apathetic to what they are doing.

It never feels over the top, or implemented in a cheesy way. This is what it would be like, no more and no less.

The game is a never ending showcase of horror on so many levels. I applaude ND for having the balls to produce (what is most likely) the defining IP for the Playstation 4-era with such brutality, such violence.
This is the game they wanted to make, the world they wanted to display. Without compromise for ratings or customer reach. I'm sure they had to fight off management crying for moderation a lot during development.

And I love and hated it the most.

That's why I think they achieved what they wanted, because truly, by the end of the game, i was tired of the violence.

Once I beat the game, I haven't even gone back to it. Not even once.

Great game though, I loved it. But what a mentally exhausting game to play.

 

[nightmare-slain]

That Druckmann idiot is either trying to be edgy or needs an eye kept on him at all time.

 

[kinjx11]

The 1st game where females are violent towards males specifically

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Just adressing the actual topic. I totally understand why the violence in the last of us affects people more especially if they actually care about the characters. Seeing someone die with acting that sells their fear while someone who loves them watches is way harder to bare.

But when it comes to the violence itself things like MK are obviously more intense. They said "it's the most violent" which it's not. If you want to talk about the most hard to watch violence that's a different story.

On a personal note. There's only a single time in TLOU2 that violence happens to a character I really care about and that's the only time it's really hard to watch, other than that, I'd be more affected by seeing someone getting their skin ripped off whether it's cartoony or not.

Mortal Kombat is too over the top and as such comes off rather campy and 'not violent' at all. It's more interesting to see the different ways the characters get killed off rather than the act of them getting killed.
You have 2 characters beating each other to a pulp and none looking like they sustain any real damage at all only to end the battle with an over the top finishing move. There's no feeling of weight, momentum to any of the actions.

The Last Of Us 2 takes a realistic approach to violence rather than trying to be over the top. Melee weapons have weight, guns have kick, limbs can be blown off. NPC's drop right where they stand when you shoot them in the head or critically would them. They show pain on their faces. Beg for their lives. These realistic reactions to weapons make the game more violent. It's as if you're watching a real person getting hurt. That is the big difference between the two games and why OP state's Last Of Us 2 is the most violent which it is because it depicts violence in a realistic way.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

The death animations are absolutely brutal! Just check out all of the bloater death animations:

l:

You can tell that this game could be more violent but Naughty Dog had to tone it down. I would have loved to see the bloater actually ripping apart Ellie's jaw in that death animation.

 

[DForce]

 

[HAL-01]

War is way more violent than that, and even then most war games don't have that amount of gore depicted.
That's gore for the sake of gore.

Because war games aren’t trying to make you feel bad for killing people. You could argue that their de facto political stance is “war is a necessary evil”

Media that’s actually trying to tell you war is bad ex: MGS, Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket. They don’t shy away from that violence.