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CliffyB's Cock Holster
The problem is that this is never demonstrated to the player that he has softened. We spent no time with Joel except at the opening scene and the ride back to Jackson through the pile of people he and Tommy killed. We get a little time with him as Abby where he saves her and shows us he hasn’t lost a step as he and Tommy waste a bunch of infected. That’s it. As far as we know, he’s the same Joel.
This is where the feeling of inconsistency in character comes from. They never show him making a mistake or doing something soft as a result of his life in Jackson. He’s Joel from the first game as far as everyone is concerned.
Totally agree. I understand the value of nuance and subtlety, but sometimes its best to "play it big" dramatically and emotionally. Especially so when the minute-to-minute gameplay is so raw and violent, its a bad mismatch.
I sorta think they overestimate the effectiveness of their visual storytelling, Yes, you should always show rather than tell, but only if everyone picks up on the key details you've avoided describing!