I don't think it's anyone's place to say there's ONE quality that "makes a truly great video game"—let alone something so niche as random encounters in open-world formats.A person can appreciate what makes games like Fallout 3 and its successors "great"—and they absolutely are—while also having room for completely different types of games. In terms of their respective strengths, Fallout 3 is as different from The Last of Us as either is from a novel or a film. I feel fortunate to appreciate both.I'd also say this: there are many kinds of "immersion" in narrative media, and even within video games themselves. The Last of Us offers the player only the illusion of freedom. You don't make meaningful choices; you merely control a character's reaction to his/her environment within a predetermined story. And that's fine! I still find myself identifying in a deeper and more profound way with Joel, Ellie, or Abby than I do with any character I've played in Fallout—a format where I get to control pretty much everything that happens to my (faceless, soulless) "character." Indeed, I'm eager to see how that identification translates to a more passive televisual format. "Chernobyl" was outstanding, and I trust Craig Mazin to deliver the goods here as well.

I don't think it's anyone's place to say there's ONE quality that "makes a truly great video game"—let alone something so niche as random encounters in open-world formats.A person can appreciate what makes games like Fallout 3 and its successors "great"—and they absolutely are—while also having room for completely different types of games. In terms of their respective strengths, Fallout 3 is as different from The Last of Us as either is from a novel or a film. I feel fortunate to appreciate both.I'd also say this: there are many kinds of "immersion" in narrative media, and even within video games themselves. The Last of Us offers the player only the illusion of freedom. You don't make meaningful choices; you merely control a character's reaction to his/her environment within a predetermined story. And that's fine! I still find myself identifying in a deeper and more profound way with Joel, Ellie, or Abby than I do with any character I've played in Fallout—a format where I get to control pretty much everything that happens to my (faceless, soulless) "character." Indeed, I'm eager to see how that identification translates to a more passive televisual format. "Chernobyl" was outstanding, and I trust Craig Mazin to deliver the goods here as well.

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