The Last of Us 2 saw its fair share of controversy, but the game was still a massive success, selling millions of units worldwide and earning rave reviews from critics, becoming one of the highest-rated games of 2020 in the process. While it has its detractors, The Last of Us 2 is still considered by many to be an exceptional release, and that success has seen it become the game with the most Game of the Year awards in history.
As pointed out by Reddit user australiughhh, The Last of Us 2 has earned a staggering 261 Game of the Year awards so far, with potential to earn even more. This means The Last of Us 2 has surpassed the previous Game of the Year record holder The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which earned 260 Game of the Year awards during its run. There was five years between the release of The Witcher 3 and Last of Us 2, so it's safe to say that Naughty Dog's hit game will likely keep this record for some time.
One of the biggest Game of the Year awards that The Last of Us 2 took home was at The Game Awards itself. In fact, The Last of Us 2 swept the show, also taking home awards for Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Audio Design, Best Performance (for Laura Bailey's performance as Abby), and Best Action/Adventure Game. Looking forward, it will likely be at least considered for Game of the Year and other categories at the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences DICE Awards, so it could win even more awards.
While The Last of Us 2 has earned significant praise, it has also been criticized by some fans. The Last of Us 2 was review bombed on Metacritic around the time of its launch, with much of the criticism aimed at controversial decisions Naughty Dog made with the game's story.
Other criticism for The Last of Us 2 came about after it won Best Game Direction at The Game Awards. Like many big budget game releases, The Last of Us 2 used crunch time during development, which has become an increasingly controversial practice. The argument has been made that a game having to use crunch time is a failure of its management and direction, so giving the game an award for Best Game Direction was not well-received by everyone.
Regardless of its controversies, The Last of Us 2 reviews were almost universally positive and the game's 261 Game of the Year awards reflect that. Naughty Dog continues to prove itself to be a powerhouse of the industry, and all eyes will be on the company's next project, whatever that may be.
The Last of Us 2 is out now, exclusively for the PlayStation 4.