The Last of Us 2- Video Games As Art

Over the past couple of weeks I've been working my way through The Last of Us 2. I liked the first game just fine but didn’t really think it was the masterpiece many gamers claim it to be but to each their own. I found this game to be much the same; it's 30 or so hours of moving around long grass shanking people interspersed with intense gunplay and the occasional clicker in run down liminal spaces. It's a dark revenge story told interestingly through 2 perspectives but I felt it was overly long and the story dragged out a lot.

The game does have gorgeous graphics and bold storytelling (for a video game) and, whilst I don’t think it deserved all the hyperbolic praise or accolades it received (video games ‘Schindler’s List’ anyone?), it is definitely a game worth playing.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy- Video Games As Art

The Uncharted series were the perfect blockbuster video games. Once I’d completed all 4 of the games (I haven’t played the portable one) it felt sad to be saying goodbye to Nathan Drake but also the right time for the series to be put to pasture to age gracefully. Uncharted 4 was epic but also felt overlong, especially during the looooong final act. However, having created a wonderful troupe of friends and enemies, the Uncharted franchise didn’t have to be shouldered by Drake anymore. The Lost Legacy builds on this premise by casting you as Chloe as you go on yet another treasure hunt. At about 12 hours completion time, this is more concise and I feel better paced than some of the bloated AAA games out there. Miss it at your peril. Just check out the gorgeous shots from my playthrough.

The Last Of Us- Video Games As Art

The Last of Us is an action-adventure post-apocalyptic video game developed by Naughty Dog. The game was first published by Sony on the Playstation 3 but I only recently played the remastered edition on the Playstation 4 and what an amazing experience it was. You play the role of Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic America as she might hold the key to saving humanity against the virus which has turned most of the world's population into rage zombies. So far so stereotypically game trope-y, but what sets the game apart is the excellent story, voice acting and gorgeous visuals. The whole game plays like a movie and some of the visuals are truly cinematic. Have a look at the gallery below and see if you agree.