I do have a lot of fun playing this game, and it is my favorite video game of all time, mainly because of the fact that I've met so many great friends, because the game holds a lot of memories, and just the fact that it's ridiculously entertaining.
I will admit that, after playing it almost everyday since the Subway beta, it's gotten a bit stale for me, even after taking a few weeks' hiatus. It's to the point where I really only enjoy playing the game in parties. Otherwise, I don't find much enjoyment. I love the campaign. I find it phenomenal, through the story, characters, and stellar graphics. But, NaughtyDog made it extremely apparent that they dropped the ball with the multiplayer. It's been out for over a year, and it still has a number of issues. It's taken fifteen patches (and counting) to fix it, which I think is rather embarrassing, and indicates that they were not ready to release the game. Just think how much better this game could be if NaughtyDog would have simply held off for another year.
I disagree with many of the movements NaughtyDog has taken with this game. To me, it seems they've been more concerned about finding ways to make an extra buck rather than patching up technical flaws. I guess what blew me away the most was the fact they basically denied fixing the game-breaking issues in co-op. They pretty much acknowledged the fact that co-op had several technical bugs and said they had no interest in patching them. If they take the time to put co-op into their game, they should take the time to fix any issues that should arise. That's what game developers do, isn't it? They maintain their games?
Communication is a key component in creating a great game. We have the Q&A threads, yes, but ten questions doesn't seem to be enough. Even if the Q&A was tri-weekly instead of once a month, I think things would be a lot better. I know ND gave us Classic Mode, and that was a great example of community/developer interaction. I just wish we could see more of it.
I really do love this video game even though I disagree with some of the decisions ND has gone through with. I just have so much fun playing it. It really is great, when you get right down to it. I guessI just never thought I would have such a complicated relationship with a video game.
