The Last of Us: Part II Has No Difficulty Trophies

[LoveInHell]

Well that's disappointing, I really liked the difficulty trophies on TLOU1. 

[EIdain]

Mixed feelings about this. I've been holding off on platinum's in the last couple of months and gearing up to make this game my 50th. I thought it would make a good candidate on my assumption that it would be a good challenge and that it's such an iconic IP. I guess Ill just scratch any notion of a challenge from that assumption. On the other hand I won't miss the speedrun trophies from the more recent Uncharted titles, guessing they've not been included either. And at least I can move on to something else pretty quickly after I'm done with the story.

To me a platinum shows the player has experienced everything that game has to offer beyond just completing the story and has shown some sort of mastery. Completing the story and then following a guide for collectibles (and I'm sure in this games case optional conversations) doesn't really do it for me.  Guess I'll have to lower my expectations for Ghost of Tsushima too, if this is the trend with Sony's 1st party games now.

Edited June 10, 2020 by EIdain

[The Alchemist]

I'm not bothered really. I'll likely be playing through the game a number of times so I'll be playing on the hardest difficulty at some point regardless of difficulty trophies or lack thereof. No need to be disappointed by the lack of difficulty trophies lol, there is nothing stopping you from playing on higher difficulties. You don't need a trophy to enjoy doing so.

 

The first game was a truly rewarding experience on grounded. It's one of the few games where the harder difficulty actually enhances the experience, and doesn't just end up being another cheap hard mode like so many other games. It felt like it was how the game should be played. I imagine Part II will be similar so I'll definitely be trying it out on survivor. Also I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I heard grounded mode will be coming in a patch so if people are really wanting difficulty trophies then there's still a chance you will get them at some point.

[Dry_Plumbus]

8 hours ago, EIdain said:

 To me a platinum show's the player has experienced everything that game has to offer beyond just completing the story and has shown some sort of mastery. Completing the story and then following a guide for collectibles (and I'm sure in this games case optional conversations) doesn't really do it for me.  Guess I'll have to lower my expectations for Ghost of Tsushima too, if this is the trend with Sony's 1st party games now.

 

 

It's not a Sony trend, it's naughty dog's new philosophy regarding accessibility and approach-ability with their games. (Also, the last 2 games made by Sucker Punch Productions are some of the easiest AAA plats on PS4, and i'd argue the other games in the series were barely any harder)

 

I agree with the first part of what you said, I think platinums should should showcase the complete package of what a game offers. However too often this devolves into wasting the players time. I.E. I loved the original The Last of Us. But the trophy list is absurd, they want you to replay the entire game over and over and over again. I should want to play the game a second or third time as a choice, not be forced into it to complete it 100%.

 

And the exploit proves my point, you can beat the game on easy and follow a collectibles guide, than play it again on grounded + mode with exploit. It works fine, you don't need to play it 6 times or whatever to get the full experience. Those 5 other play throughs you skip is valuable time you saved IRL.

 

Give me an encompassing trophy list but don't waste my time with speedruns or multiple forced playthroughs. I also agree with another poster that said the highest level difficulty should be unlocked from the start. It's padding out the length of the game to lock it behind a full run. It's 2020 lets let that old method die out and respect the player's time.

Edited June 10, 2020 by Jables_The_Hutt

[Khain24]

18 minutes ago, Barbeqmeister said:

 

Collectibles don't encourage exploration. Nobody will find all of them without a guide on the first try, there's always at least one or two you'll miss.

 

If the trophies can't be completed without a guide they're not good ones. 

 

I'm not opposed to using guides on subsequent plays. Not sure how you can possibly believe that hiding objects within various levels/areas doesn't encourage you to explore the area to find them. First/blind play goal should be to explore and find as much stuff as possible....then go back with the help of a guide to clean up your trophy progress. I'll agree...some collectibles can be placed in some really ridiculous spots (RDR2 treasure maps come to mind...not sure how anyone found those without a guide).

 

If you think that Plats should be obtainable blindly on the first play, then fine...that is your opinion and you are entitled to it. No one says you have to enjoy or look forward to playing a game more than once or use a guide to collect if that is your preference. But its silly to try and convince yourself that hiding a collectible behind some object or off on a side path doesn't encourage you to explore these areas, examine objects, etc.

[chickenbaltipie]

Not sure how i feel about this.  i'll probably leave on the middle setting first go but i would have liked to see a trophy for the hardest setting.

 

I plat the first game then did it on grounded - which felt like a different game without the listening skill.

 

I remember seeing something saying you wont be able to fully upgrade all weapons in one run as there wont be a lot of resources so can see a NG+ needed to mop up something like that.

 

I am gutted that there is no multiplayer, i actually really enjoyed it.  Hoping they bring something out (even if a separate game) at a later date

 

Lets see what the list will be like

 

 

[EIdain]

19 minutes ago, Jables_The_Hutt said:

It's not a trend, it's naughty dog's new philosophy regarding accessibility and approach-ability with their games.

I don't think how hard the platinum is should factor into accessibility and how approachable it is. The game has over 60+ accessibility features according to that blog post and I welcome those so that as many people can experience the game as possible. It's just kind of weird when I watch the developers talk about all the ways the gameplay has evolved to challenge the player (in their 4-part YT series) and then the trophy list looks so tame. Given the setting of the game and the state of the actual world at the moment I'd argue that certainly makes the game less approachable than a trophy. I just don't think that the platinum difficulty needs to or should factor into either of these, I guess that's just something Sony don't agree on. 

 

19 minutes ago, Jables_The_Hutt said:

I agree with the first part of what you said, I think platinums should should showcase the complete package of what a game offers. However too often this devolves into wasting the players time. I.E. I loved the original The Last of Us. But the trophy list is absurd, they want you the replay the the game over and over and over again. I should want to play the game a second or third time as a choice, not be forced into it to complete it 100%.

 

And the exploit proves my point, you can beat the game on easy and follow a collectibles guide, than play it again on grounded + mode with exploit. It works fine, you don't need to play it 6 times or whatever to get the full experience. Those 5 other play throughs you skip is valuable time you saved IRL.

 

Give me an encompassing trophy list but don't waste my time with speedruns or multiple forced playthroughs. I also agree with another poster that said the ighest level difficulty should be unlocked from the start. It's padding out the length of the game to lock it behind a full run. It's 2020 lets let that old method die out and respect the player's time.

The first game was definitely over-kill and I agree with everything else you've said here. I hate games where the hardest difficulty is required for a platinum but that difficulty is locked from the outset forcing an extra play-through just because.

Edited June 10, 2020 by EIdain

[Tsar_Boy]

Cool

[Charizarzar]

I'm just hoping for no speedrun trophy. The Uncharted 4 one was relatively easy, but it's supposed to be a slow game and I didn't really enjoy rushing through it. It's kind of disappointing to not have a difficulty trophy on the main list because I actually really liked the last game's requirements. The collectibles weren't that overwhelming, and survivor/grounded was challenging but not ridiculously so. I think generally stealth games aren't as bad on higher difficulties compared to when you have to go in guns blazing.

[Cxrlos23]

Despite grounded/ survival being very hard in certain parts, I definitely think it was very fun since you had to be careful with how you used your ammo and equipment. Immersed me even more in the world of tlou and I'm kind of sad that there are no difficulty trophies this time. 

[Undead Wolf]

I have no issue with them adding all these accessibility options for those that need it, but removing any kind of challenge from the trophy list completely defeats the purpose. A platinum trophy should only be given once the game has been "mastered" and the player has seen all it has to offer. More and more games these days have a platinum that is nothing more than a participation medal, and that's not what trophy hunting is all about. Having no difficulty trophies is lame.

[UlvenFenrir]

1 hour ago, Jables_The_Hutt said:

 

 

It's not a Sony trend, it's naughty dog's new philosophy regarding accessibility and approach-ability with their games. (Also, the last 2 games made by Sucker Punch Productions are some of the easiest AAA plats on PS4, and i'd argue the other games in the series were barely any harder)

 

I agree with the first part of what you said, I think platinums should should showcase the complete package of what a game offers. However too often this devolves into wasting the players time. I.E. I loved the original The Last of Us. But the trophy list is absurd, they want you the replay the the game over and over and over again. I should want to play the game a second or third time as a choice, not be forced into it to complete it 100%.

 

And the exploit proves my point, you can beat the game on easy and follow a collectibles guide, than play it again on grounded + mode with exploit. It works fine, you don't need to play it 6 times or whatever to get the full experience. Those 5 other play throughs you skip is valuable time you saved IRL.

 

Give me an encompassing trophy list but don't waste my time with speedruns or multiple forced playthroughs. I also agree with another poster that said the highest level difficulty should be unlocked from the start. It's padding out the length of the game to lock it behind a full run. It's 2020 lets let that old method die out and respect the player's time.

The majority of people buying TLOU2 wont care about the trophy list or the highest difficulty so i dont see why the absence of a survivor/grounded difficulty trophy have anything to do with accessibility. Especially if and when they do patch in a grounded difficulty trophy.

[yowzagabowza]

Man, lots of crying about this. You can still play it on Survival, guys! With all the options, im sure you can make it as hard as you want. 

And what's this nonsense about a platinum showing how you "mastered" the game? Maybe ten years ago, but have you seen the games with plats these days? Trophies mean nothing anymore and the only one who cares about your list is you.

 

I am so happy about this, although I'd take a difficulty trophy in place of those damn optional conversation trophies. God I hate those. 

I've often said that TLOU is the best game with the worst list. From top to bottom, I despise that list. That's not even bringing up the fact that they charged you for the Grounded mode, either. I think I have a 3% completion on that game after the dlc trophies were added, 7% before.

[Dry_Plumbus]

1 hour ago, UlvenFenrir said:

The majority of people buying TLOU2 wont care about the trophy list or the highest difficulty so i dont see why the absence of a survivor/grounded difficulty trophy have anything to do with accessibility. Especially if and when they do patch in a grounded difficulty trophy.

 

Okay devils advocate time.

 

Lets make a game that has 60+ accessibility options and then make the trophy list arbitrarily the most difficult plat to obtain of all time. Does this make sense to you?

 

I wouldn't put it past them to add in DLC that caters to people who need to get validation from playing games on high difficulties (at some point down the road), but this thread isn't about theoretical DLC, it's about the base/vanilla experience.

 

And those who want to play survivor, it's going to be in there... so chill. Grounded mode wasn't even in the original game at launch so.... relax.

[UlvenFenrir]

26 minutes ago, Jables_The_Hutt said:

 

Okay devils advocate time.

 

Lets make a game that has 60+ accessibility options and then make the trophy list arbitrarily the most difficult plat to obtain of all time. Does this make sense to you?

 

I wouldn't put it past them to add in DLC that caters to people who need to get validation from playing games on high difficulties (at some point down the road), but this thread isn't about theoretical DLC, it's about the base/vanilla experience.

 

And those who want to play survivor, it's going to be in there... so chill. Grounded mode wasn't even in the original game at launch so.... relax.

If its about accessibility then why does the survivor difficulty even exist? Why add grounded at a later date if its about accessibility? That would make it a pretty moot point no? 

[Undead Wolf]

11 minutes ago, yowzagabowza said:

Man, lots of crying about this. You can still play it on Survival, guys! With all the options, im sure you can make it as hard as you want. 

And what's this nonsense about a platinum showing how you "mastered" the game? Maybe ten years ago, but have you seen the games with plats these days? Trophies mean nothing anymore and the only one who cares about your list is you.

 

Clearly you've missed the point. Yes, harder difficulties are available, but you aren't rewarded for beating the game that way. Most of us here are trophy hunters and having that carrot on the end of a stick is good motivation. It's not about being acknowledged by others, but for my own personal satisfaction. Also, I was saying that a platinum trophy *should* be given for mastering a game, or at least close to it. I'm not surprised you think so little of trophies after having a quick look at your profile.

 

14 minutes ago, Jables_The_Hutt said:

Okay devils advocate time.

 

Lets make a game that has 60+ accessibility options and then make the trophy list arbitrarily the most difficult plat to obtain of all time. Does this make sense to you?

 

I don't see how that matters. They can lower the barrier to entry by making it so pretty much everyone can beat the game, but that doesn't mean they should reduce the platinum difficulty too so anyone can get it without much effort. Why even have harder difficulties at all then going by your logic? Like @UlvenFenrir already mentioned, most people who play the game don't even care about the trophy list anyway. You aren't missing out by not getting the platinum, it should just be an extra challenge for those who want it.

[reiner-]

Some of you seem upset that there is no trophies for harder difficulties and that will ruin your experience. 

There is still a Survivor difficulty if you want the challenge. 

 

[willmill97]

I just hope now at least this doesn't just come with a lazy ass trophy list like Destiny 2 and Battlefield V with like 15 golds and 1 plat. Give me some V A R I E T Y 

[yowzagabowza]

3 hours ago, Undead Wolf said:

 

Clearly you've missed the point. Yes, harder difficulties are available, but you aren't rewarded for beating the game that way. Most of us here are trophy hunters and having that carrot on the end of a stick is good motivation. It's not about being acknowledged by others, but for my own personal satisfaction. Also, I was saying that a platinum trophy *should* be given for mastering a game, or at least close to it. I'm not surprised you think so little of trophies after having a quick look at your profile.

 

 

 If you feel the Platinum will be cheapened by playing on normal or easy, go ahead and play on Hardest. Im sure there's a trophy for finishing the game, no one says you have to play on an easier difficulty. 

Also, have a longer look at my profile next time, I love the visitors. I haven't checked yours because I don't care?

Edited June 10, 2020 by yowzagabowza

[snakebit10]

I don't mind if it is a easier list. I wasn't a big fan of the first game and only did one play through and have been contemplating if I want to try to go for the plat. I did Pre order Part II and I won't be surprised one bit if I end up liking it better than the first. 

[bosstristan]

It's a shame they didn't implement difficulty-related trophies. I mean making the game accessible is nice, but don't make too accessible either on that account.

[Quink666]

That s a real bummer if that's true. TLOU part 1 was meant to be played on Grounded and anyone who didn't missed out imo. The tension when you are low on resources and have to face down a Bloater is intense. Really like that you can customize your difficulty though.

[DeepEyes7]

Well that's no biggie... I'm 90% sure that there will be difficulty tied trophies as DLC, and since I will try to get 100% then no problem if the plat could be gotten with less effort... Look at U4, the plat is kind of easy, but the 100% with that horrible survival....

[waltdisneypixar]

4 hours ago, yowzagabowza said:

Maybe ten years ago, but have you seen the games with plats these days? Trophies mean nothing anymore and the only one who cares about your list is you.

 

 

as sad as it sounds , it is the bloody truth. i hate the cheap new games with all golden trophies and 5 minute plats

36 minutes ago, Quink666 said:

That s a real bummer if that's true. TLOU part 1 was meant to be played on Grounded and anyone who didn't missed out imo. The tension when you are low on resources and have to face down a Bloater is intense. Really like that you can customize your difficulty though.

 

 

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssss 

 

The tension . i remembered a part where i got stuck with low resources and had to work harder lol

 

by the way i dont care about the trophy list as long as we dont have to grind for trophies or do 5 playthroughs

Edited June 10, 2020 by waltdisneypixar

[Beyondthegrave07]

I'm a bit disappointed by it tbh. Not a deal breaker of course, but I was looking forward to a Survivor or Grounded playthrough and to be able to show that off and to have a sub 5% platinum.

 

Now, I hope they add speedrun trophies, beat the game without dying, play through certain parts with no damage, challenges, defeat 53,594 clickers (okay, don't take that one from Capcom, they can keep it), etc just so that this doesn't end up as a 50% platinum.

 

Something tells me though that we'll have NG+ added and Ultra hard mode added trophies because you know, Sony. So at least the 100% may be rare.