Naughty Dog | Games for People Who Love Movies

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Naughty Dog is a developer that seems to divide a lot of gamers, some think their games are boring or repetitive, but those looking for an experience to match that of film or television will surely find something to remember in any Naughty Dog game. This video mostly covers Uncharted and The Last of Us as that is when they pushed into more "serious" territory, also, I apparently had an empty childhood because I didn't play much of the Jak or Crash games, so they don't make their way into this video, sorry if that bothers anyone.

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This video was written and edited by Daniel Netzel.

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[MrNerdista]

This was a terrific essay. I feel like you'd love Hideo Kojima's work (if you haven't explored it already). He studied film at school and is impassioned by cinema, which is evidenced by the gorgeous & often laborious cutscenes in the MGS franchise.

[jMcWill]

I don't play videogames but now I want to play this.

[JimmyDThing]

For story telling:

Firewatch
Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 1 and 2
Telltale's The Wolf Among Us
Telltales Tales from the Borderlands
Life is Strange


Other mentions that are sort of storytelling:
Gone Home
Dear Esther

Artisticly interesting games:
The Stanley Parable
The Beginners Guide
The Witness

[TheLockeNessaMonster]

Hey, thanks so much for this video! Me and a bunch of animators at Sony PlayStation (or SIE) worked on the Uncharted 4 cinematics (and a lot of the others worked on the previous Uncharteds and Last of Us as well) and I'm happy that you appreciate all the work that went into it :) We do it for you! :'D There's so many details that go into the animation (that sometimes may even get lost when importing it from Maya to the engine) but I'm glad you can catch the little nuances and subtle expressions that were put into it. And of course, props to ND and the artists/musicians/actors that worked on these games, they're some of my favs.

[LifeIsABeach]

No zombie film or television series has come close to the perfection that the Last of Us has achieved. Not only are the characters amazing, but it's a new take on the generic 'zombie' virus which in turn breathes new life into an overdone genre.

[EntertainTheElk]

Dude. You're so damn talented. I feel like your videos get better and better. I stopped playing videos back in high school, but this game seems awesome for all the reasons you pointed out.

[MTTT]

Naughty Dog prove that Single Player Story Driven games have a very devoted and loving fan base.
And I personally prefer Single Player over Multiplayer

[fluffnight]

Thank you. I recently came across your channel and it is beautiful. I had always enjoyed games and films separately. However, when I first watched a film classmate of mine play Uncharted 2 one drunken night, I lost track of time. Two hours past in the blink of an eye, like I was watching a film. I don't own a Playstation console, so I went online and binged a let's play of Uncharted 1 - 3 that winter break. I got so hooked that I watched all the Naughty Dog behind the scenes I could find on YouTube. Unfortunately, as time went on, I continued to not own a PS3 and thus the amazing company and series soon fell out of sight. Mixed in with a couple ex's who I started playing Last of Us with, but broke up before the end of the game, I really missed the chance to see more of their work. Thank you for the beautiful essay, reminding me why I became so enthralled with the company to begin with, and rejuvenating my passion for story.

[elijahclevenger]

Games with excellent storytelling

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

L.A. Noire

Firewatch

Grand Theft Auto V (not the most relatable or emotional story, but has some very witty writing and excellent voice acting)

Red Dead Redemption (not on PS4 but definitely the best story Rockstar has ever written)

[jacksonw]

as a beginner animator/music maker myself you appreciate these games even more,
love your work so helpful for understanding what to do and not to do when writing/making movies

[renatoantonioenriquez]

I feel that the original Metal Gear Solid was a pioneer when it comes to applying filmmaking principles to game development. The cutscenes in particular were attempts at creating short movies within the limitations of the OG PlayStation, using cinematic camera angles, shot composition, etc.

[vovakititsa]

I would recommend Silent Hill 2. Its an old game, but it has a great story and a lot of symbolism.

[FishingforFisher]

Red Dead Redemption 2 has some incredible cinematic moments

[roman_henshin]

All of that is great and i agree, but after playing all these games, what amazed me the most was how the games were paced. The gameplay sequences and the cutscenes are so well articulated together throughout the game that you don't notice time flying or the fact that it's not an open world. I think that's also because the camera work is pretty amazing outside the cutscenes.

[javadog]

The only studio that comes close in terms of emotional impact as to ND, I would highly recommend the guys who made Last guardian and Shadow of the colossus.

[scampoli]

Red Dead Redemption 2 and Spider-man for PS4 have been the best video game stories I have ever played. I kinda wish they would just make them movies as well.

[jonathanspengeman]

Top notch analysis. I always describe playing The Last of Us as reading your favorite book or watching your favorite movie. It is an amazing experience.

[TerraThink]

I loved Uncharted 4. But I found myself wondering if I wouldn't prefer it as a TV-series.
The playability is cool, but it's the story I truly want. And the way you have to play to find out what happens next functions as a kind of detour that I'd rather be without.

The Naughty Dog team should almost consider it. They're already working with scripts and actors ;)

[don_p]

Great video! My favourite developer is Naughty dog as well. All of their games are in my favourite 25 games of all time!

I subbed because of this awesome video!!

[alexcoyg]

I remember the first time playing Siletn Hill on PS2 and having a real emotional response as a kid to the game, it was ground shuttering. thank you for an excellent channel!!