This is the type of pseudo-intellectual tripe that makes professional critics like McShea seem foolish:
"The Last of Us offers a mundane visual representation of a post-apocalyptic world. The overgrown foliage and run-down structures elicit deja vu more often than genuine awe. We've seen these images before, relayed in countless portrayals of society's end. There are a few instances of graphical brilliance, such as when Ellie and Joel are framed by a picturesque sunset, but the aesthetics are predominately ho-hum."
Firstly, he is unable to separate technical prowess and graphical fidelity from his own myopic disappointment at the aesthetics, which are two entirely different components.
Secondly, his criticism of the aesthetic is hollow. I'd be curious to know what, specifically, he would have expected a post-apocalyptic landscape and crumbling city to look like and I would also invite this critic to give some examples of his insightful, divergent vision since he decided to predicate his derision of a technically astounding game on his dissatisfaction with the art style and design.
If anything, TLOU looks to employ a much broader and more vibrant color palette than most other post-apocalyptic games, including such titles as Fallout 3 and RAGE.
That said, his criticism of the puzzles being easy and linear seems cogent and most certainly in line with what Naughty Dog has done with past games.
Grammaton-Cleric
Oh, the irony!
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