[dc]I[/dc] joined the semi-modern gaming world over the weekend: I finally bought a PlayStation 3 (PS3). I usually don’t go in for Black Friday shopping or deals, but GameStop had one I couldn’t pass up: a 250 gigabyte PS3 bundled with The Last of Us and Batman: Arkham Origins for $200 (plus, it acts as a Netflix streaming machine and a Blu-Ray/DVD player).
Game time. Image via Amazon.
Why get a PS3 now when the PS4 just came out?
Two reasons: I can’t afford a PS4 and there are plenty of classic PS3 games I never played (and like I said above: the PS3 features Netflix streaming and a Blu-Ray player. So, four reasons I guess¹).
The praise of The Last of Us helped me pull the trigger on this bundle. I knew zero about the game, beyond it being a game of the year favorite, when I bought the bundle. I am glad I did—I really enjoy The Last of Us, even though I am maybe a couple of hours into the story. But what makes the game better, is listening to Stephanie watch me play.
Fun times. Image via Amazon.
Steph: (as the characters Joel and Tess interacted on-screen) “Are you two lovers?”
Me: “Maybe? I don’t know yet. They kinda have a working relationship. I think it is complicated.”
Steph: “She’s pretty bossy.”
Me: “Well, she’s my in-game guide. She has to be a bit bossy.”
Steph: “You don’t seem to wear the pants in this relationship.”
Steph: (Noticing the zero next to the Brick icon in my inventory) “Oh no, you are out of LEGO!”
Steph: (Upon picking up a Brick) “You found some LEGO!”
Steph: (As I make Joel walk around crouched down) “Stop walking like that, you’ll hurt your knees.”
Steph: (Later) “Seriously, stop walking like that.”
Steph: (As Tess continues to give orders) “She’s annoying. Can you shoot her? Shoot her in the head.”
Me: “I don’t think I can shoot her.”
Steph: “Too bad.”
And later, in my status update on Facebook about Steph wanting me to shoot Tess: “He never would shoot her. He didn’t even try. It would have been the first thing I did.”
It is a testament to the quality of The Last of Us that it kept Steph’s attention for so long—she was glued to the screen for most of my session. The Last of Us is very captivating, and I enjoy how the story and cut scenes weave through the encounter scenes—which makes stopping a playing session a challenge.
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¹ The Netflix streaming interface on the PS3 is much better than on my Nintendo Wii–which I was only using because my Roku player died (it was a first wave machine, about five years old. It had a good run considering five years of daily use). I loved my Roku, and just picked up another, newer model, from a friend (he preferred his Apple TV).
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