Ben-DutkaThe Last Of Us isn't perfect, and neither is the Remastered edition. Let's get that out of the way right now. However, it's important to clarify because there are those who believe a perfect 10 should be taken literally. It does not imply literal "perfection" in my eyes; it merely states that it's the best possible production given the current market conditions, technology and competition. As this is my definition, I can't in good conscience give this updated edition of an instant classic anything less than a 10. Nothing tops it, and that includes so-called next-gen offerings.
Many have made a big stink over the frames per second issue, and whether or not the game will look and play better with an enduring 60FPS. I'm not about to get caught up in such trivialities, though. Yes, trivialities. I'm sure the technophiles and uber-electronic geeks experience a rising pulse rate when discussing these matters, but they honestly bore me. The bottom line is that this remains one of the most visually accomplished titles in all of video game history, from each meticulously designed detail (such as the very human quirks of facial emotion) to the breathtaking, diverse world design and flawless animation. And that's that.
In experiencing this amazing game for the second time, I was once again struck by the quality and authenticity of the stellar voice acting. Troy Baker (Joel) and Ashley Johnson (Ellie) lead a fantastic cast, and this ensemble delivers what might be the best dramatic performance in all of interactive entertainment. Then we've got the stirring, wonderfully orchestrated score, and some of the best audio effects I've ever heard. The combination of these unbelievable technical elements results in an unparalleled technical and artistic presentation. I still say there's a very minor balancing issue between the soundtrack and effects but that's the only negative I can muster.
Despite all the controversy surrounding this Remastered version of The Last Of Us , it's really this simple: If you haven't played it, now's the time. Featuring the excellent Left Behind DLC, along with director and actor commentary and the spruced-up technical aspects, this is a true tour de force. You can argue all day about the 30FPS vs. 60FPS topic but as far as I'm concerned, this game thrives on its story, characters, atmosphere and tension. From the moment you begin, you feel that sense of growing urgency; you're always alert, sensing that danger is always lurking, which in turn demands vigilance.
When it comes to basic control and gameplay mechanics, it's hard to find fault. A standard third-person system with a great cover mechanic, TLoU blends action, stealth and adventure elements. While many will quickly claim it's "nothing new," I'm of the mindset that such a production is singular. Yes, strictly from a genre perspective, this game didn't break boundaries in terms of action, horror or stealth. I get it. At the same time, can you name another production that fuses such elements so perfectly? Is there another game that so accurately balances a linear construct with appreciated gameplay freedom?
The best part is that regardless of how you approach each section – be it quiet and stealthy or loud and in-your-face – you never lose that aforementioned tension. You never forget that you're outnumbered and in some ways, outmatched. You don't lose sight of the fact that you've got a young girl with you who, while all sorts of capable and spunky, is still a little girl. You feel that bond between Joel and Ellie throughout. Those who aren't familiar with scriptwriting and storytelling in the interactive realm don't understand how difficult this is to accomplish. I can't name another video game where I felt so closely attached to the main characters.
That's a testament to the plot and pacing of the story, and how each scene unfolds. One could argue that some scenes are overdone, brimming with unnecessary bad language and horrid visceral displays of gore and death. I won't dispute that point because it's a legitimate one. This is indeed a brutal experience and although such brutality enhances the immersion, it too often takes center-stage. I didn't really notice it quite as much the first time, but the second time around, the extreme violence did start to get to me. Perhaps it was due to the enhanced visual quality, or maybe it was because I'm now more interested in the artistic angles of the game.
The addition of the Left Behind expansion makes a big difference because that isn't just a bunch of multiplayer maps. If you didn't know, it's a full single-player experience that focuses on Ellie's back story and her relationship with an old friend, Riley. It's extremely well presented and expands upon the intriguing lore of the game, and it also encourages players to adopt a more tactful, stealthy approach. Remember, Ellie isn't as strong as Joel, so avoiding direct encounters with enemies is a darn good idea. I will also add that the inclusion of director and actor commentary sheds even more light on a remarkable production.
Your enemies remain as frightening as ever, and that includes the human foes you must face. The reason they're so fearsome is because the developers do such an amazing job of implementing a believable post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Everything you encounter, from clickers to human brigands, poses a very real and very dire threat, which is why just about anything that moves makes you suspicious. It's the cultivation and growth of this creeping sensation that makes this game what it is: An endlessly thrilling, immensely polished adventure that never skips a beat. Nothing about it is average, let alone mediocre.
Why did this game receive the accolades it did? Why does it say "Winner of Over 200 Game of the Year Awards" on the cover? I honestly believe it's because of the solidarity and consistency of the package. When everything seems excellent, and it all gels into this impressively riveting quest, it's exceedingly difficult to locate any drawbacks. Of course, as I said at the start, no game is perfect. The AI remains questionable in some respects; I didn't run across this too much the first time, but I caught a few more examples of it the second time. Even so, when compared to the competition, it's hardly a glaring flaw.
Saying The Last Of Us: Remastered is an absolute triumph seems redundant. I said it when the original released last year, after all. And yeah, it's basically the same game with a glossier coating and a few additions. But consider: What have we seen in the last 15 months or so that even comes close? Seriously? If the next-gen consoles produced some unbelievably memorable titles, and they represented large strides forward, then the competition would be stiffer right now. But that hasn't really happened yet and as such, I can only compare Remastered to what is currently available, not what's coming. When I do, and as I said above, how can it be anything but a 10?
The Good: Updated graphics make the game even more visually stunning. Still some of the best audio – from the acting to the soundtrack – this industry has ever heard. Stellar level and character design. Fantastic sense of immersion and attachment. Great story with memorable, sympathetic characters. Solid, responsive control. The entire package is just immensely polished.
The Bad: The AI isn't perfect.
The Ugly: "Lots of gore…perhaps too much?"
Not surprised PSX gave it a 10. Iam not saying it does not deserve it but ben you clearly said ( the last of us is not perfect) but your review says otherwise lol still good reveiw..
"but your review says otherwise lol"
No, it doesn't. Try reading it again.
@Ben, I don't think he read it even once 🙂
Now waiting for the down votes lmao ben zombies are in coming..
Who gives a crap about downvotes?
@Big_Boss90, maybe if you just took the Ben's original caveat that no game is perfect – just heads and tails above its contemporaries, you'd be a bit less troll-y… The game is fantastic, and if this is the best version of it available, I don't see how it doesn't deserve a 10. What game from the last 2-4 years would deserve 10 over TLOU? It's certainly the best game out on the ps4-xbox one generation so far and for quantifiably exceptional reasons per the major criteria for grading a game.
Last i checked a 10 means a perfect game.which is why alot of other site stoped giving games a 10 UNLESS the game was truly PERFECT, and last of us is not. I guess you guys missed the part that said that the game deserves it, and that it was a good review. Well guess im a troll lol give me a break
Last edited by Big_Boss90 on 8/1/2014 11:06:33 PM
or a 10 can mean Ben gives this game the highest recommendation he possibly can by modern day gaming standards. basically, if you count yourself among gaming's core this is one game you should NOT miss, because chances are, you'll think the game was well worth your time unless you're crazy… or an editor from Polygon
Last edited by Temjin001 on 8/1/2014 11:10:26 PM
So you think the game isn't perfect but deserves a 10. Isn't that what Ben said? You're supposed to laugh with people you agree with, not at them.
If you can't even manage to read the first few sentences in a review, don't bother to post a comment.
A deserved score but is TLoU better than every game released in the past 15 months? Absolutely not.
Based on technicalities it absolutely is. Based on "fun" or a game you keep going back to, maybe not. I mean I played through it one time and that was enough but that doesn't make it lesser in quality than say Borderlands 2 which I played solely for months after months.
I'm not sure I even want to ask what you think was better.
Yeah it is. No question. What else was there, even?
Knack
DUH!
LoZ: A Link Between Worlds
Wind Waker HD
Super Mario 3D World
Tearaway
Dragon's Crown
FFX HD
Wonderful 101
Splinter Cell Blacklist
Grand Theft Auto V
Rayman Legends
Metro Last Light
My GOTYs for last year were Ni No Kuni and Fire Emblem: Awakening, both I enjoyed more than TLoU but arent in the 15 month span.
LOL
I knew I didn't want to ask. What you "enjoyed" has absolutely nothing to do with GotY. Or rather, very little. I didn't ask which games you "liked" more; I asked which were better. If you don't know the difference, don't ever – and I mean ever – write a review for anything.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 8/2/2014 10:08:34 AM
Geez I try to keep these TLoU things short because ultimately they are pretty pointless. At the end of the day, this is a game I have purchased twice now and enjoy it each time I play through it. I don't have to think of it in a review sense because, as you incessantly fall back on, I don't review games. I can only quantify better as my level of fulfilment from the game. So, no, it doesn't fit into your specifications. I mean, if I tried I could try to compare it to say, Rayman Legends.  Though, even if I did it successfully, how would you be able to understand if you haven't even played the game? Didn't you think ot came out at 2012 at some point? As a reviewer, you are first class but as a gamer, you lack a bit.
And to be really true about the remaster, while built from a tremendous game, it is a terrible remaster when compared to say Tomb Raider Definitve, which actually added new gen water, hair, environmental effects, along with the obligatory res and texture upgrades. It's almost like ND didnt try. I gotta wonder about their claim of " test run for PS4 engine". Where? The game slows down when there is a a good bit of foliage on the screen.
but kid you said "better" in response to the quality of the game from your first post. you can't state something that appears to be within context of what a review does and then attempt to re-position your statement into meaning something different without being called out for it.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 8/2/2014 12:54:30 PM
Ugh…why are you bothering me and what can you hope to prove, Temjin? This may be a review but I said better from my point of view. Again, can better ONLY be classified in a review format? By that line, any game rated higher on MC can Iimmediately be classified as the best game simply because all were done in a review form. So let's keep this line and and speak strictly for the graphics part of TLoU Remaster. Ben gives it a ten, even though currently there are next gen games that look better by far. So what is the ten? He's clearly defended the stance on this being a a deserved ten based on the claim that no game exist that is superior, including next gen offerings, a direct comparison to everything available even though it's not on the level of say, Infamous Second Son, graphically. So the ten of course, is a ten that only exists in the microcosm of the TLoU universe, meaning they are ten for that particular game and what it has set out to do. So, keep following me, I could say that Rayman has "better" graphics because in the Rayman Legends universe the graphics are a better fit and has less flaws. Anyway who gives a crap? Ive lost complete interest in this topic while writing this. I got a family to spend time with and games to play. I'm done.
Kid you qualified yourself to the same evaluation criteria as the review's when you both endorsed Ben's score and then directly disagreed with a statement embodied within that review.
If you preferred other games to the degree of TLoU that is an entirely different matter. But that is not how you initially stated it. Personally, I somewhat enjoy lower rated games to the degree of higher rated games all the time. I think most gamers are like that.
So to have stated instead, I really liked TLoU. I enjoyed it as much as this list (of your said games) this would've clearly kept the context as a personalized favorites statement and not one attempting to undermine the evaluation process of the editor.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 8/2/2014 1:46:53 PM
Something you need to learn, Kid:
Opinion and quality are mutually exclusive. What you like has absolutely nothing to do with something's quality. That being said, there are subjective and objective elements to any good review.
Case in point… I hate GTA and God of War.
I love the Atelier games.
A 10 is what I felt it was worth when I played it on PS3. I don't abide by the whole 10 means "perfect" thing as some here are lamenting. I look at reviews as something that takes all plausible factors into consideration then rendering a final judgement from those.
I don't think it's really possible for the entirety of a game to be considered perfect. This is because the idea of perfection is something where creative expression has to be bound within an idealized form. I believe only in mechanics and a defined set of discrete logical implementations can the idea of perfection be manifested. Sure. Games have technical implementations that can be broken down and examined for perfection. Frame rate, for example, can be considered perfectly stable.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 8/1/2014 11:56:48 PM
NDextreme lol ben i cant post at whatever the hell i want to ok, you may have all these other people on here brainwashed but srry bro not me. 2nd i read your reveiw as i said it was good BUT i will say it again from what i read it should not have got a 10, 9.5 at best.. but you guys keep sucking ND d!ck the makers of the BEST games in the world, nobody can even come close to what they make, give me a break
Last edited by Big_Boss90 on 8/2/2014 1:03:39 AM
You've got a warning for bad language and flaming.
You didn't read the review. You didn't read the explanation as to why it got a 10. You're acting like a child by saying everyone is "brainwashed" when all you do is insult people without providing an ounce of intelligent rebuttal.
Knock it off or get out. Your choice.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 8/2/2014 10:07:37 AM
And its not even about what i think is better ben because i loved the last of us, but i think iam fair when it comes to this matter , i dont let my personal feelings about a game get in the way of it getting what it really deserves… i said it before i dont come here for reviews because i just cant take you seriously, your reveiws are based on opinion not fact. And iam done wasting my time here peace….
My reviews are based on both fact and opinion, as all reviews are.
Btw gamespot gave it an 8 and said everthing you said but somehow you gave it a 10 hmm, opinion or fact think about it for a second puppets of ben….
Gamespot is outside 2 standard deviations of the norm. If you were a statistician, you would refer to them as "a statistical outlier".
There are a few perfect scores, so you can only take out a couple of the 10s, but some must still remain.
NDextreme… love the guy who made that up 1000 likes to him. Cant wait till the order 1886 comes and put ND to shame and in its place…
Can you please use the reply button? You're plastered all over the page. Keep 'er organized, champ!
Wow, I can't believe someone as idiotic as you exists. I expect such stupidity from people on ign. Clearly you got off on the wrong ramp. Their is no such thing as a "perfect" game. If there is no such thing then why even have the score according to your illogical stupidity? They give games ten all the time but clearly you have something against this site and naughty dog claiming we are on their dick. Am I correct? Sorry, you have some brown on your nose from Microsoft. Don't let the door hit you on your way out.
Great review for a great game!
The last of us /Fallout 3 /Heavy Rain are for me the best Ps3 Games.
"ït's a kind of magic" when i play these games.
[And on the previous playstation consoles
On the ps2 Blood Omen 2 and Soulreaver 2/ico and shadow of the colossus
On the ps1 Resident Evil 1 /2 and Tombraider1/soulreaver 1]
Last edited by slow and smart on 8/2/2014 2:27:18 AM
The Last of Us is hands down my favorite game of all time xD When I started playing the game for the first time, I was just blowing away on just how immersive it is. TLOU is truly a one of a kind and anybody who states other wise is insane, but.. I will still respect their opinion xD
The game is phenomenal! I do appreciate naughty dog's explanation regarding the belated rendering, but it's such a minute issue. I'm in love with the game. So glad I have the opportunity to enjoy it on the PS4.
One little nuisance that I'm not sure existed before the ps4 conversion… It seems like a glitch with Ellie running around and bumping enemies while I'm unnoticed, yet she doesn't blow my cover… Weird? I'm not complaining that she doesn't blow my cover. More frustrated with her inability to stay hidden. Kinda takes away from the whole stealth experience.
Otherwise, this game deserves the score.
I am playing this for the first time and I told a friend about this problem and he felt I was nitpicking. I told him I didn't think so as I didn't feel this was game breaking; however, it broke the immersion for me. I understand that if your companion blew your cover, as a stealth player, you wouldn't get anywhere. If your companions fumbling's blew your cover every time then in this regard it would be game breaking. Until a developer devotes all their time and resources to an ultimate AI template that all games can use then this is what works for now. We just have to deal with it. Great game though.
Wow, the 10 from PSXE. That's a never occurrence!
I'm still waiting for the rarest score of all time from anyone. Yes that would be the elusive 0.
I'm trying to imagine just how bad a game would have to be to actually score a zero…
I'm curious Ben as to whether or not you'll put this back in the nominations for GOTY this year. Against it? Maybe? No Way? I don't know why that sprung to my mind, I guess it's just not often I see a 10/10 on the site.
Plus, Happy Birthday!!!!
Remastered won't be considered for any end-of-year awards here.
It's still a 2013 game.
Wow i dont even own a xbox lol anyway, i guess im just not as fascinated by ND product as everyone else, like uncharted and LOU but only played them once and thats enough.. And ben everyone is entitled to his/her opinion so stop giving people a hard time because they dont agree with you.
Iam referring to you and kidpresentable, seems he enjoyed those games more then LOU he never said they sucked as i never said just dont think its the greatest game ever made.
Guess such opinion make me a xbox fan lol dont even own one..
I'm going to repeat myself one last time:
YOU DIDN'T READ THE REVIEW. Now stop posting unless you can acknowledge you were in the wrong.
I did not even say anything about your dumb review clam down. Wow pathetic. Last i checked the good old usa is a free country..
Last I checked not everyone is from the good ol' US of A. Such an idiot.
Sorry… how does USA being a free country prevent people from criticizing your point of view?
Out of curiosity are the gameplay graphics in this version now on a par with the cutscene graphics?
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-the-last-of-us-face-off
your answer lies within muwahaha
I was surprised to find that cinematics are still pre-rendered from the game engine. This meaning if the Uncharted trilogy were to receive the same quality of remaster it'd be unlikely to seem them on a single disc. There just wouldn't be enough room, especially with going from 30FPS to 60FPS high bit-rate pre-rendered clips. That chews up storage fast.
THis is contrast to the original belief that all elements of the game would be rendered in real-time. At that point could all 3 games be placed on one disc.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 8/2/2014 1:12:26 PM
Lol iam done here got kids to play with and a wife to spend time with, in other word i got a LIFE you guys should try it, its alot of fun.
the… reply… button…. please…..