PlayStation's first-party AAA games have garnered the reputation of being some of the most photo-realistic cinematic video game experiences that set industry standards with every subsequent entry. Two such notable titles are Santa Monica's God of War and Naughty Dog's The Last of Us 2.

God of War and The Last of Us 2 are two of the best-looking video games of the PS4 generation that are brimming with tremendous tiny details that make them more life-like and immersive. Whichever is an overall better video game experience is a matter of opinion though there's no denying that as far as the sheer missable details are concerned, The Last of Us 2 takes the crown for plenty of reasons.

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The Focus on the Details

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Every generation sees few AAA games that blow gamers away with the depth of their visual fidelity. Just like Rockstar Games, Naughty Dog's cinematic experiences are full of tiny details that transcend fans' expectations. Uncharted 4 exceeded expectations with its more open-ended level design with meticulous details that were way above the industry standards. The Last of Us 2 builds upon the foundations laid by Uncharted 4 for a more immersive experience.

The Last of Us 2 is simply a marvel of presentation. From instances of blood soaking the bandages on Ellie's arms to the way ice shatters beneath Shimmer's footsteps. From blood melting the snow on the surface to the snow falling from the tree after brushing Ellie's shoulders are just a few easy-to-miss dynamic details in The Last of Us 2 that make it all the more realistic and immersive.

In a development diary revealed before the launch of The Last of Us 2, Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann explained the studio's dedication to making everything authentically detailed. Druckmann talked about the extreme length the studio went, doing research and polishing every tiny attribute of the game. Stuff like Abby's vertigo, whose effects are noticeable on the screen if players stand at the edge of a tall structure. Abby whimpering while looking down a great height or her veins popping when she's angry are just a few ways Naughty Dog subtly reflects the state of mind of the game's various in-game characters. These traits aren't just tied to the game's main characters, however, some of which also reflect on The Last of Us 2's surprisingly vocal and reactive NPCs.

Santa Monica studio is no slouch. God of War 3 is still one of the prettiest looking games on the PS3, and its opening sequence in which Kratos climbs Mount Olympus is still a sight to behold eleven years later. 2018's God of War looks even more delightful with its vibrant woodlands and snow-capped mountains. It is arguably one of the best-looking PS4 games to date, and while it meets the industry standards of detailing, it doesn't go the extra mile like The Last of Us 2 where every single attribute comes together to make the game's world feel incredibly alive.

In God of War, the primary focus, when it comes to detailing, are the ones that contribute to the gameplay experience. Kratos' Leviathan Axe is one of the most weighty and impactful weapons ever in a video game. Whether it is satisfying to use is a matter of opinion though it's hard to deny how realistic every slash, throw and recall feels. The studio spent months designing and perfecting the weapon with lots of complicated coding from the God of War's gameplay engineer. Visually, it's one of the most intricately designed weapons with several runes inscribed with much finesse.

It's around Kratos' Leviathan Axe that much of God of War visuals and gameplay details revolve. For instance, if the axe touches the surface when thrown, it leaves an intricate mark. God of War also heavily relies on static and scripted details in contrast to The Last of Us 2's more dynamic ones. These include detailed footprints of Kratos and Atreus in beaches and snow or the fact that Atreus would run and sit by fire whenever the duo found one in the wilderness. The opening sequence boss fight also reflects the sheer wizardry of the devs at Santa Monica Studio, though it is a scripted sequence that the players cannot miss. Naughty Dog puts an extra effort into details that fans may or may not notice in their first playthrough or even the subsequent ones

The difference between the sheer amount of details in The Last of Us 2 and God of War may also be due to the fact that the former was developed by an in-house team of 350 employees, whereas the latter was worked on by 300 employees. Furthermore, The Last of Us 2 is primarily a linear adventure with only one open playground to explore. In contrast, God of War has secret side missions, treasure hunts, challenges, etc, all of which usually involve slicing and dicing enemies with Kratos' immensely detailed Leviathan Axe and Blade of Chaos.

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The Cost of Meticulous Detailing

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Naughty Dog's vision of making every character as human as possible and the world as dynamic as possible did come at the cost of an extensive crunch culture, reports of which surfaced months before the game's launch. In fact, Druckmann recently commented about the studio's crunch culture, stating that there's "no one solution to crunch." In contrast, no such harrowing work culture reports or rumors appeared about God of War's development.

Exclusive first-party AAA games have always been about pushing boundaries through their narrative, gameplay, and visuals. Over the generations, these games have come to push the hardware to its limits and set industry standards. However, many fans have acknowledged the need for video games with seemingly lesser details if it eases the development process. Halo Infinite's fruit physics being prioritized is one way to do that, something which other AAA developers may follow as well in the future.

In this regard, The Last of Us 2 may be the end of the era for gamers who love to scrutinize every tiny detail in video games. With Naughty Dog reportedly taking steps to combat crunch culture, its rumored new IP, Stray's Cross, may not come loaded with as many details as The Last of Us 2. However, given that it's Naughty Dog, fans should expect a level of visual and technical quality that only Naughty Dog games could offer.

God of War and The Last of Us 2 are available on PS4.

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