Does “The Last Of Us” Really Need A Remake?

What I’ve always respected about the games industry, is it’s remarkable ingenuity to adapt, develop and pave the way with a creative rigour that not only propels its own commercial activity, but directly influences the ponderous enterprise of movie making. One of the few aberrant forms of entertainment where sequels are often a rousing refinement over their predecessors. But something has changed in recent year’s. There’s been a dramatic preferential shift towards sustaining revenue, with the all too prevalent focus on commerce over craft. The common solution being to regurgitate an already established idea. The kind of homogenised posturing that developer’s entreat, to give the appearance of renovating something venerable. With the “Last Of Us” now perpetuating this popularised trend.

The “Last Of Us” is a rare breed. A game so revered that a sequel, equally if not better than the original, is still lauded as an exemplary surrogate for modern gaming narratives. Though I have some personal issue’s with aspects of the combat in both parts, those game’s, even the curiously polarising sequel, remain esteemed additions to the PlayStation library. But the curious decision to remake a game from the latter stages of the PS3 era, one that has already received a consummate remaster on the PS4, seems redundant. It’s the kind of cynical, capitalist service I’d expect from a movie studio, not an acclaimed and creatively assured developer like NaughtyDog.

But it’s disturbing just how readily people will defend a decision that – on the surface at least – is as creatively stagnate. NaughtyDog have attempted to extricate themselves from the critical public consensus that this isn’t a “Cash grab”, but a project worthy of approval, not ridicule. Now I don’t doubt the meticulous efforts that the team at NaughtyDog will submit for the “Last Of Us Part 1: 2”. Remaking a game with such an established, almost mythologised notoriety is always going to yield flourishing unit sales. And with the ability to polish a few of the games rougher edges and time worn maturity, its liable to be a superior experience. But is it really necessary? Is there such a dearth of original material that they had to refurbish an already fabled game?

With the movie industry stifled by its own creatively induced anaemia, bereft of any fertile concepts. As well as stilted by its reliance on the guaranteed revenue of superheroes, cinema has begun to depend on nostalgia to consolidate the interests of consumer’s. Ghostbusters, Top Gun, Star Wars. A huge influx of commercialised sentimentality on the big screen that has now begun to contaminate computer games. Where once gaming was a pioneering complex narratives, propagated by player agency, is now attempting to replicate an industry limited by its medium, dominated by the banality of Superheroes and marching to the beat of a drum they once played.

If NaughtyDog felt inclined to remaster one of their games, then it should really be one that would benefit from it, like the original Uncharted.”Drake’s Fortune” is ripe for a remaster, having aged like a fine vinegar. “Resident Evil 2” was a requisite adaptation into a new era. Retaining the same thematic attributes, while updating the antiquated graphics and mechanics. A game that was 20 years old. Not nine. Im not sure where the cutoff is for a remake to be acceptable, but this isn’t it. To me the “Last Of Us Part I” is a waste of valuable resources, when you think about what they could have made. Perhaps the “Last Of Us Part III”. So to my mind at least, the “Last Of Us” does not need a remake. Change my mind NaughtyDog!

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. A Belated Review.

“Just when I thought I was out, Uncharted pulls me back in”. Having finished my play-through of Uncharted 4, I had intended to take a brief sabbatical from the spiritual epilogue to both the Legacy Collection and the series as a whole, with the “Lost Legacy”. Chloe Fraser’s debut fronting the Uncharted franchise, ensured that the series could endure after the sad, yet necessary retirement of Nathan Drake. The Ted Bundy of archaeology. Even though Chloe’s absence from Uncharted 4 was a requisite exemption for the fluency of Nates final adventure, exemplified by her rather tenuous inclusion in Uncharted 3. Giving Chloe an expedition of her own, bolstered by the presence of Nadine Ross, independent from Drake was gratifying. Yet despite my preferential interest and immediate acquisition of it when it was initially released, I never did finish it. So I was obliged to amend this notable omission and conclude the series as it was naturally intended. I owed it my commitment.

It becomes obvious very quickly as to why Lost Legacy has remained my deferred Uncharted. Now it’s worth noting that much of my chagrin can be attributed to jumping straight into Lost Legacy, having finished “A Thief’s End” multiple, tedious times, procuring specific trophies. But something about it just didn’t quite work for me. It’s just a little too scripted. A criticism that may seem rather asinine, considering that a narrative-centred game like this, requires substantial formulations and revisions. But the interactions between Chloe and Nadine felt rehearsed. Moments of levity seem less pithy and spontaneous. Like improvisations were tempered by the succinct narrative. Though the bristling partnership between Chloe and Nadine is interesting, it’s a collaboration born out of necessity, and quickly runs out of steam.

The introduction of an erstwhile character later on, further accentuates the badly engineered dichotomy between the leads. Interactions that are at times as derivative as the game itself. Not just the genre, but the series. Train set-pieces. Helicopter crashes. Armoured carriers. The near death ascent of a collapsing tomb. All congenital principles of an Uncharted game, that in Lost Legacy just feels hackneyed. As does Chloe’s personal motivations, rooted in all the “absent father” platitudes you’d come to expect of an archetypal Hollywood movie. We know it’s personal, because Chloe keeps asserting to the fact it’s personal. In another of this engineered moments of “spontaneity”. It’s disappointing that a character whose moral ambivalence and enigmatic origins are so woefully callow and devoid of any of the subtlety her first foray into lead deserves. Yet despite my exasperation’s, there are various caveats that reduce most of these criticisms to mild irritations.

Lost Legacy is gorgeous. A visual triumph that almost matches “A Thief’s End” for “Place I wish I could vacation in”. The semi-open world environment invites a scrutiny befitting a series that relishes in the plundering of ancient structures. Grand monolithic architectures, abound with ornate chambers, that conceal long detained secrets. Chloe documenting her expedition with photo’s is certainly a more practical means of encapsulating the moment, as apposed to Drake’s hurried illustrations. Sketched with an inexplicable speed and accuracy that even Bob Ross would scrutinise. Asav, the game’s chief antagonist, is a fitting inverse for Nadine and Chloe to oppose. A diligent and disciplined warlord, whose unassuming demeanour belies his ruthless personality. A man motivated by pragmatism, rather than emotion. Demonstrated by his determination to acquire an artefact that possess inherent symbolic significance to his people and heritage, but is readily traded for armaments.

Lost Legacy also contains one of my personal favourite interludes of “respite”, that has become as synonymous with NaughtyDog games as a Stan Lee cameo in a Marvel movie. Though the elephant segment might be considered a little saccharine to some, I think it might be one of my favourite moments of the game. I just wish the rest of Lost Legacy didn’t feel so lethargic. Like a series of B-sides to Uncharted 4’s “Dark Side Of The Moon”. Perhaps if Chloe and her cohorts were afforded a mainline Uncharted game to helm, these character’s could get the personal development they so desperately deserve. And I think they will. I’m confident from what “Lost Legacy” provides, that this isn’t the end. That there are more adventures to be had. Fabled cities to be plundered. Superfluous goons to be neutralised with ever more nonchalant regard. I just hope Chloe and Nadine get the “full” game these character’s deserve.

My Favourite Uncharted 4 Character.

As far as I was concerned, I was done with the Uncharted franchise. With Drake retired, now settled into a life of domestic and legalised archaeology with Elena. Their story of anarchic excavation and subsequent destruction of mythical cities/colonies/cursed statues, resulted in a conclusion that satisfied the heart of any Uncharted fan. We got closure. Which for any established, as well as profitable franchise, is a difficult thing to achieve. Now I didn’t not want to play Uncharted because my compulsions were sated, or that once concluded these games provide no replay value. To me it just felt like tasting a satisfying meal, that I’d already eaten. So I surprised myself, despite my affection for the series, when I downloaded Uncharted 4 for the PS5.

What occurred to me almost instinctively was how great the antagonistic was. I’m not referring to the narcissistic Rafe or even the hired mercenary Nadine, both of whom provide their own entertainment, but the ominous mountain that protrudes from the veiled pirate colony of Libertalia. This natural elevation is like a perennial devil on your shoulder. Emerging over the deteriorated settlement of the once bustling criminal paradise. A leering, steadfast presence, whose dubious geographical positioning appears to move around the island, accentuating it’s pervasive scrutiny of your exploits. Its a striking occupant of the island, like a demonic terrapin breaching the surface of the earth. But what’s most disconcerting about its malevolent visage, is an overwhelming perception of knowing prescience. As if this malformed distension of rock, has cognitive autonomy.

I’m not sure if a mountain could ever be described as enigmatic, but the mountain depicted here certainly exudes a furtive concern. With a gnarled curvature embedded in the crevice of the mountain, giving the appearance of a mouth. The jagged stalactite clinging to the palate like teeth. And the deep depressions on the mountainside, giving the impression of eyes would be almost comical. Like a Bond villains lair. If not for how unsettling its grotesque facade is. Its like a dormant creature, waiting for some elaborate set of circumstances to rouse it from the decadent verdure that has ensnared it.

As you navigate the ruins of Libertalia, surviving the most precarious of situations, against a heavily armed militia, marshalled by a sneering megalomaniac with the most punch-able of faces, as you jostle for supremacy over a fabled stolen treasure, smuggled on famed pirate Henry Averys galleon, you realise that a seemingly snarling mountain, passively observing your exploits isn’t really that absurd. And probably the first inanimate object in a game that inspires fear. Besides the loading screens on a PS3.

Troy Baker And Nolan North Will Be Just Fine….In Time.

There’s only one thing more banal than the vacuous enmity of a “celebrity bust up” (whatever that means!) and that is the embellished sincerity of “fans” mourning the public annulment of a famous marriage. Or in this instance a presenting double act. In the case of Retro Replays beguiling hosts, acclaimed actors Troy Baker and Nolan North, the apparent dissolution of their resounding partnership is immensely saddening. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, let me summarise. Retro Replay is (was?) a YouTube channel featuring prominent computer game performers Troy Baker (Joel from the Last Of Us) and Nolan North (Uncharted’s Nathan Drake). Together they participate in various irreverent discussions while playing classic, and not so classic games from yesteryear.

The heart of this show had always been Troy and Nolan’s chemistry, as they exchanged humerous anecdotes like 2 best friends meeting up for a drink. We were just lucky enough to be eavesdropping on their absurd ponderings. Evident from their nonsensical banter, effusive interactions and more than a handful of questionable Christopher Walken impersonations, there was a genuine innate kinship between them that you simply cannot manufacture. Differing yet earnest perspectives from friends who have built a friendship around a mutual respect for one another. The same kind of rapport you’d expect to see from brothers. But like siblings there’d always be disagreements, which sadly seems to be the reason for Troy’s hasty departure.

During an online Q&A session Troy alluded to the difficulties he’d been having with Nolan. When asked if they were okay, Troy replied with a cryptic admission that they’re not “….but they will be”. And as sad as that statement is, it shouldn’t be surprising. The consistency and rate at which episodes of Retro Replay are propagated is unusually rapid. Having to be around someone for prolonged periods at regular intervals, whether professionally or personally will inevitably cause friction. Familiarity breeds contempt, and no doubt 2 very gifted actors will at some point have opposing views that simply cannot be ratified without some resistance.

With Troy removing himself from what could be a volitile situation, he is taking the necessary precautions to ensure that their friendship endures. And not provoke a media furvour. Both Troy and Nolan are professional, mature adults, with decades of experience between them, that given time will reconcile. I doubt there’s any lasting annomosity between them. And if there is we as a community need to allow them the time and space necessary to resolve whatever differences they have. If they haven’t already.

Did you watch Retro Replay? If so how do you guys feel about Troy leaving the show? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers.

Just Stop With The Uncharted Movie…..Please!

Okay, it’s finally happened. The interminable “Uncharted movie” has reached peak “what the fuckery?!” with this incredulous casting. Markey Wahlberger, once designated to play the role of Nathan Drake, has instead been cast as Sully, Nates friend and tutor. In essence the film has taken so long to be made that he is now old enough to play the mentor of the character he could have been playing nearly a decade ago! At which point between the innumerable directors that have abondened the project, as well as the revolving door of horribly miscast actors and screenplay alterations do you just accept defeat, simply put the whole sordid business down to experience and just move on to the next poorly realised video-game adaptation, conceived within the corporate maelstrom of financial exploitation and conceptual ignorance? A rather expansive and convoluted question I’ll grant you, but not one that can be answered by casting Marky Mark!

I’ve always maintained that if an Uncharted movie has to be made then Bruce Campbell would be the only sensible choice to portray the cigar chomping patriarchal treause hunter. Who else could escort a hooker to church with the same beguiling groove? Markey’s attachment to the project, in any capacity is frankly insulting. If we’re honest we already have an Uncharted movie, 5 of them if you include Chloe’s extension to the series, which you most definitely should. A cinematic interpretation of Uncharted is like adapting “Raiders of The Lost Ark” into a novel: Sure it could be done, but why would you want to when the spectacle of the story is already encapsulated, besides money of course. You can’t get blood from a stone and cinema certainly can’t make Uncharted anymore cinematic than it already is.

Stop. Just stop!