Last of Us

Some games stay with you long after you complete them - its very rare…titles like FF7, Super Metroid, Metal Gear Solid, Chrono Trigger do this. After finishing Last of Us 4th of July weekend, I am still thinking about it - it's that type of game.

Bioshock Infinite is a great game too, it might be even a better game than Last of Us, but it doesn't enter this pantheon. Bioshock Infinite is akin to Grand Theft Auto - a quality game with GREAT moments but there is nothing truly haunting about it…enchanting, yes - the atmosphere of the boardwalk, the music, etc. It has elements that are haunting - old Elizabeth on the balcony looking over NYC being destructed, the ending, those scenes at Booker's office, the lighthouses. I don't know if its because the plot was convoluted to me or maybe because of the first person perspective, but Booker's connection to Elizabeth didn't take to me like Joel and Ellie - it is because of this connection that this game haunts me. 

People will point out that Cloud was too distant of a character to relate to, and Aeris death was overhyped, but that wasn't what stuck with me - it was the dynamic between Cloud and Sephiroth - the vengeance factor. It was an emotionally taxing game…there are games with better endings, games with better stories, but few games stick in your head for a reason you can't really articulate.