While the gameplay is definitely lacking, it is impossible to deny how well told this story is.
While I am quite sad to see gameplay models deteriorating to "press square here", this is nothing new and there will always be games that go against the flow such as Demon's Souls.
Now if you can only buy one game listed above, I would strongly suggest going for The Last of Us. This game has delivered more on all fronts than any story driven game in the last few years. The only game capable of going head to head with TLOU in it's story telling would be LA Noire. Both games also have gameplay limitations.
Overview:
Gameplay (8/10):
+Keeps you immersed
+Varied
+Very well paced
+Never frustrating
-/+ Almost way too easy (even on survivor difficulty)
+Stealth is satisfying
+Absolutely brilliant story with a superb ending (Not everyone will like the ending however, and this is a very good thing)
-Very limited exploration and upgrade system
-/+ Too simple and forgiving (Yet this serves to keep the story moving)
Graphics (9/10):
+Some of the best character models seen anywhere
+Great animations and facial capture
+Superb environmental design
+Great color scheme
+Breathes art
-Certain spots have terrible lighting
-Poor texture detail (console limitation) and some glitches
Sound (10 out of ****ing 10)
+Jaw dropping sound design
+Room tones are dynamic and accurate
+Perfect volume balance of voice vs music vs guns etc.
+Great voice acting (aside from David who sounds like a Southpark character...)
+Great soundtrack
Value (9/10)
+Very long (14-20 hour) single player
+Interesting multiplayer
+Replayable
+Will not get this quality story in theaters any time soon
-Cheap trophies and only cosmetic unlockables.. (what happened to getting new guns when you beat a game under certain condition..)
If mass market gaming plunges into simple yet somewhat realistic gameplay... it better have more stories this quality.