The perfect post-apocalyptic game doesn’t exi–
The Last of Us 2 has already enjoyed something that almost no other game in history can boast: a perfect score from just about every single video game reviewer out there. In fact, the cumulative metacritic score currently sits at 96/100, days before the game has even launched into official release on June 19, 2020.
The sequel to 2013’s mega hit has been in the hands of reviewers for a few weeks now, and with Friday’s review embargo lift, the floodgates are open and we now get to see why so many are already going nuts for this game.
“One of Part 2’s biggest achievements is how it knowingly handles the weighted expectations that a sequel to one of the most heralded game stories of all time will inevitably carry with fans,” writes IGN’s Jonathon Dornbush. “Naughty Dog’s characters are indelible, which makes for incredibly powerful and challenging moments when you’re put in Ellie’s shoes and asked to act out her whims yourself.”
The Washington Post’s Christopher Byrd says, “The Last of Us Part II is an astonishing achievement — a searing demonstration of how a video game can marry heart-stopping gameplay, gorgeous environmental storytelling and anxiety-inducing moral complexity.” And Screen Rant’s Leo Faierman goes as far as to call the game “the greatest video game of all time,” with a Masterpiece score of 5 out of 5. But Forbes warns of getting too hyped for this game during these early reviews, pointing out that the embargo only allows discussion of the first half of the game. As with most game review embargoes, limitations can be frustrating, but it’s important to note that most review scores are still based on the entirety of the game, even though they can’t actually discuss the last 12 hours of it.
The Last of Us 2 takes place five years after the crazy ending of the original game, and instead of focusing mostly on Joel, the sequel is centered on Ellie, who is now 19 years old. We will still see Joel, as well as several other key characters from the first game, as Ellie struggles with the results of what happened at the conclusion of part one.
Not only will the fantastic story play a key role in the game, but you’ll also spend a good chunk of time scavenging for resources that can be crafted into important gameplay components. And while that gameplay, story, and graphics have all been touted as the best aspects of the game by reviewers, others do point out that it’s a dark and violent game, and they want you to be prepared for that.
All of this positivity and hype for the game not only speaks volumes for gamers, but also for those looking forward to the HBO series.
The Last of Us 2 releases exclusively for Playstation 4 on June 19th.
