[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Brother Leon

Just played the first few hours. Visually this game is beautiful. Gameplay is much better too so far.





Spoilers ahead.

Spoiler:

But Yeah. I can see why people are pissed for sure though. Story is fairly weak compared to the original. Really struggling to care for most of the characters at the moment apart from obviously Ellie.





I can take Joel dying. Hell. I was expecting it to happen this game. But that death was absolutely pathetic and went against everything we know of him from the first game.



And after all that, they expect you to play as the girl that killed him?

I really hope it’s only a few hour worth of gameplay, because if it’s really 50/50 with Ellie then those parts are really going to drag.

Spoiler:

I don't know, I don't think the death was pathetic or went against the character. Its made quite clear that he's "softened" as a character over the years since TLOU, living a relatively normal life in the town, with family, friends, etc... And then when they encounter Abby his immediate instinct is to help her out, and go with her to her people. He's lost the instinctual distrust he had in that first game, and then they catch him completely off guard, there's not really anything he could have done at that point - they practically blow his leg off before he knows what's happening, and from that point he's helpless.

They do morally grey so well, still. In another world - if we didn't "know" Joel or his motivations - he would be the villain and that groups actions totally understandable. The Fireflies from the end of TLOU1 were good people trying to save the world, and Joel straight up murdered dozens of them... People's friends, family, etc.

We know why he did it but even at the time, you're supposed to know that the whole situation is ****ed up. Joel knows it himself.

I've only just reached Seattle, tbf, so I'm only ASSUMING that Abby and Co are from the fireflies (or have family members who were fireflies), maybe that they're some sort of splinter faction. I'm generally trying to avoid this thread because I don't want spoilers and have avoided them online... I didn't know Joel was going to die, but likewise, it wasn't a surprise.

I'll be fascinated to go back and read the backlash to the leaks once I'm done. I have a quite strong suspicion that a lot of the backlash will be from sad little boys upset that they have to play as lesbians instead of gruff old Joel