A review of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us 2 allegedly sourced from a Microsoft internal playthrough of the game. Fans are discussing the content of the review, with some suggesting that it is 'damning' for the The Last of Us 2.
The Last of Us 2 released in June of last year, and was met with an incredibly mixed reception from critics and fans alike. While many thought that the narrative structure of the game showed a maturity in dealing with its many moral quandaries, others found some of the game's twists to be jarring and forced. The gameplay also saw a mélange of different responses, with some accusing the gameplay of being slow and constrictive, and others praising it for its high emphasis on stealth. Despite some controversy however, The Last of Us 2 was a success, critically and commercially, winning a huge number of awards and receiving mostly good reviews.
The alleged Microsoft review seems to mirror fan sentiments in a number of ways, at one point describing some of The Last of Us Part 2's chapters as "walking simulators." The writers also suggest that while certain aspects of the combat are vastly improved over the first game, such as "greatly enhanced" AI and more choice in how you clear areas, "Naughty Dog still can't seem to make decent gun combat in any of their games, and this one is no exception." They do point out that the gunplay seems to fit into the game's theme of angling gameplay towards stealth combat.
Despite many gamers claiming that this review cements detractors' sentiments that The Last of Us 2 is disappointing as a sequel to the original, it does appear to mostly praise the game. The reviewers, known only as Mike and Jon, at one point state that "The visual quality and attention to detail in The Last of Us Part II is absolutely best in-class in basically every area, and the overall presentation is significantly ahead of anything that other teams have been producing on console and PC." Even after describing certain sections as "walking simulators" the reviewers point out that as narrative elements, they are "exceptionally well done" and set a standard that other games in the genre should be aspiring to.
The overarching sentiment from this document appears to be a positive one, as while the reviewers acknowledge that "Players certainly have every right to their subjective feelings and opinions on the game's narrative," they go on to suggest that the advancements Naughty Dog has made with narrative storytelling in The Last of Us 2 is more important than whether or not "everyone 'likes' it or even if everyone has 'fun' playing it." Mike and Jon finished their review by stating "we loved it, had a great time playing it, and find ourselves still thinking about its characters and stories even after finishing the playthrough."
While there are certainly some criticisms of The Last of Us 2's gameplay and narrative elements in this review, it would be difficult to assess this document as 'damning' to The Last of Us 2 in any discernible way. The concerns about certain combat elements and the occasional slow pace of the game are relayed in a relatively subdued manner by the reviewers, and for the most part are bookended by praise for other elements of the game, such as narrative storytelling and impressive visuals.
The Last of Us 2 is available now for PlayStation 4.