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I always find it weird when people compare gunplay in games. As if the shooting in Gears has the same goals as the shooting in TLOU.
TLOU2's gunplay is essentially flawless for what it wants to achieve, which is to be a useful tool but not dominate the rest of the mechanics so that game becomes a shooting gallery like Gears.
The general loop TLOU2 wants to achieve in it's combat is the following...
Stealth >>> Spotted >>> Shoot >>> Enemies Close Distance >>> Melee/Improvise >>> Enemies Overwhelm >>> You Die/Frantically run away and repeat the cycle.
This is why they showcase the game this way instead of simply doing a demo where Ellie just casually owns everyone. Yes, this demo is scripted, but it does reflect the general loop of the final game very well.
Scrappy Desperation. The A.I, Level Design, Weapon and resource balancing, gunplay, movement, everything is built to push that feeling.
This is why the game, except one weapon at the end of the game, only has single shot weapons. Why weapon sway is enabled. Why you get knocked to the ground after the getting shot. Why you can't carry that much ammo or resources. Why there's no cover button. And it's also why the game imo, simply doesn't work on lower difficulties (this includes normal), all that work on careful balancing and smart design choices is destroyed in favor of almost unlimited ammo and health, destroying said loop. The more you make the game a shooting gallery the worse it becomes, because while the game is playable as a shooting gallery, the mechanics aren't built for it specifically.
What makes the game so incredibly impressive from a design standpoint is that it manages to create this tension and scrappy desperation while still allowing a remarkable amount of freedom in movement and in scope in levels. I believe ND called TLOU's combat back in 2012 "a balance of power", this is perfect description because it manages to make the player feeling both vulnerable and impowered in the same encounter most of the time. Compare this to how alot of survival games create tension, by removing player moblity and making enemies bulletsponges instead.
So lets just say the reviewer doesn't enjoy this style of gunplay, fine, because he does say he think it fits the game. Then what's the excuse for not thinking UC4's gunplay is good then? Because that's just as good in a very different way. In fact the way it handles automatic recoil with the reticle is close to genius and something I've not seen done in a TPS, GTA 6 should copy it.
TLOU2's gunplay is essentially flawless for what it wants to achieve, which is to be a useful tool but not dominate the rest of the mechanics so that game becomes a shooting gallery like Gears.
The general loop TLOU2 wants to achieve in it's combat is the following...
Stealth >>> Spotted >>> Shoot >>> Enemies Close Distance >>> Melee/Improvise >>> Enemies Overwhelm >>> You Die/Frantically run away and repeat the cycle.
This is why they showcase the game this way instead of simply doing a demo where Ellie just casually owns everyone. Yes, this demo is scripted, but it does reflect the general loop of the final game very well.
Scrappy Desperation. The A.I, Level Design, Weapon and resource balancing, gunplay, movement, everything is built to push that feeling.
This is why the game, except one weapon at the end of the game, only has single shot weapons. Why weapon sway is enabled. Why you get knocked to the ground after the getting shot. Why you can't carry that much ammo or resources. Why there's no cover button. And it's also why the game imo, simply doesn't work on lower difficulties (this includes normal), all that work on careful balancing and smart design choices is destroyed in favor of almost unlimited ammo and health, destroying said loop. The more you make the game a shooting gallery the worse it becomes, because while the game is playable as a shooting gallery, the mechanics aren't built for it specifically.
What makes the game so incredibly impressive from a design standpoint is that it manages to create this tension and scrappy desperation while still allowing a remarkable amount of freedom in movement and in scope in levels. I believe ND called TLOU's combat back in 2012 "a balance of power", this is perfect description because it manages to make the player feeling both vulnerable and impowered in the same encounter most of the time. Compare this to how alot of survival games create tension, by removing player moblity and making enemies bulletsponges instead.
So lets just say the reviewer doesn't enjoy this style of gunplay, fine, because he does say he think it fits the game. Then what's the excuse for not thinking UC4's gunplay is good then? Because that's just as good in a very different way. In fact the way it handles automatic recoil with the reticle is close to genius and something I've not seen done in a TPS, GTA 6 should copy it.
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