Take That, Haters
Every so often a game, show, or movie comes along that forces websites to reevaluate how they rate games. Look at, say, Bojack Horseman, which received mixed reviews based on the first half of the first season, only for websites like Indiewire to change their policies and only review full seasons of Netflix series, as this would have boosted the original review.
The Last of Us: Part II is one of these games. Despite being critically adored the final product proved divisive, with some players disliking the storyline or the focus on LGBT+ characters. The game faced a review bombing campaign and at its lowest point the game was sitting at 3.4 points on Metacritic, with many noting that many of the negative reviews were received within hours of the game’s release – far too soon for most to have finished the game, let alone form an opinion based on their own experiences, rather than what they’d been told. As a result, Metacritic changed their policies so that they would only accept user reviews 36 hours after a game’s release. Will this stop people from simply waiting a little while? If course not, but it gives people more time to form genuine opinions. As of now, The Last of Us: Part II is sitting at 5.1 on Metacritic – despite winning numerous accolades, and having a score on 93 based on critic reviews.
It may not be a Game Award – which The Last of Us: Part II Swept earlier this month – but being voted the best game of the year on Metacritic – by a landslide – is bound to be some sweet vindication for the Naughty Dog team. The Last of Us: Part II earned 10,194 votes for the top spot, more than 8000 higher than the second closest competitor, Ghost of Tsushima, which had 2,079 votes.
Here’s the full list:
1. The Last of Us Part II – 10,194
2. Ghost of Tsushima – 2,079
3. Cyberpunk 2077 – 1,691
4. Hades – 1,510
5. Doom Eternal – 1,062
6. Final Fantasy VII Remake – 1,044
7. Demon’s Souls – 818
8. Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 701
9. Ori and the Will of the Wisps – 694
10. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – 615
11. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – 596
12. Half-Life Alyx – 584
13. Persona 5 Royal – 487
14. Resident Evil 3 – 463
15. Nioh 2 – 354
There are some big surprises up there – looking back, it’s strange that Cyberpunk 2077 scored so highly and Persona 5 Royal scored so low – but hey, these are voted by the users, and it’s possible that some people voted for The Last of Us: Part II as a show of solidarity. Still, it’s nice to see that one of the years best games is finally getting the vindication it deserves.
What was your favorite game of 2020? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.