The Last Of Us wins over 200 GOTY awards; why this annoys me greatly

Digitally Downloaded writes: "To give The Last Of Us the game of the year award is to argue that gaming is an inferior art form to cinema or literature. Borrowing so heavily from The Road (both novel and film), The Last Of Us is, thematically, an inferior clone of Cormac McCarthy's work of genius and John Hillcoat's equally genius adaptation of it for cinema. Take the cut scenes of The Last Of Us in isolation and it's like a somewhat less confronting version of McCarthy's narrative... and considering the confrontational nature of the narrative was key to its theme, dampening that effect didn't help The Last Of Us drive through an especially memorable narrative.

Add in the gameplay sections where you slaughter legions of enemies without a second thought, and the end result is a game that has impactful cut scenes broken up some really fun and challenging combat challenge rooms, but all at the expense of pacing (look up ludonarrative dissonance for more on this topic)."

[Goro]

Because it is incredibly overrated. (in my opinion)

[Walker]

Haters gonna hate

[ZodTheRipper]

How can some hate on this masterpiece? Excluding those that haven't finished it of course.

[TheLyonKing]

Everyone is entitled their own views but you get the feeling some people who are hating haven't even played the game.

Hell TLOU isn't even a genre I usually pick up and play (more of an rpg/racing guy) but it was brilliant and I apperciate the story so much as well as the clever gameplay mechanics.

You know you have met a TLOU fan when you mention the word winter and they smile at you.

[Goro]

I've played and completed the game twice and it is a great game but all of you act like it's the most superior game to ever exist when it isn't even close. About a 9/10.

[xHeavYx]

This website's logic.
" Game shouldn't win GOTY awards, btw I rated it 5/5"

[ZodTheRipper]

@xYakuzaz

Name a better game, then. (in terms of overall quality)

[johndoe11211]

@xheavyx

Your statement is incomplete.Let me finish it for you:
This website's logic.
" GAME shouldn't win GOTY awards because it can't compare to some of the similar themed MOVIES or BOOKS out there even though I also stated in my article that The Last Of Us is the kind of blockbuster fun that deserved every dollar that it made.Oh and btw I also rated it 5/5 as a game, But I believe it should have been a better movie or book to win game of the year".

Hope you don't mind my adjustments.

[Why o why]

It got game of the year (2013) NOT game of all time. Some people just have to find a reason to go against the grain and use stupid fallacies to make silly points. Ok, you dont like it or dont rate it as high as other games fine but this time you are in the minority.

If this game was released the same year as mgs, orcarinia of time, tetris, mario 64, streetfighter 2 , halo 2 and shadow of the colossus I'd have to listen to peoples whinging but it wasn't was it so it winning game of the year wasn't something ridiculous or unjust.

Personally I would put it up for one of the games of the respective generation. Of course thats my opinion but do feel free to give some alternatives from 2013

[dedicatedtogamers]

People have their own tastes, but honestly, what game in 2013 was better than Last of Us - overall? What game pushed the videogame medium forward more? What game advanced videogame storytelling better? What game had better animations, better graphics (on console), better lighting effects?

At the end of the day, Last of Us deserves "Game of the Year" because it really is Game of the Year. There are games that I - personally - liked better but Last of Us did so many things right, there really isn't a single game that is more deserving of GotY.

[Goro]

@zod18 Red Dead Redemption.

[Why o why]

Errrr, what year was red dead realeased.... imagine us comparing all current to all of the greats from yesteryear for current goty accolades. Some people are just blinded by their console bias. If theres no exclusive to back, back a multiplat... same old story. Saw it when lbp got goty, same with uncharted 2. Laughable and before people say my own bias is blinded my thoughts, this isn't a sony fan moaning about why tlou didn't because it did...its about people bit**g about why it did

[Clunkyd]

At the end of the day, Last of Us is GOTY. Time to move on people.

[tacomonster]

Clearly you haven't played it, otherwise you wouldn't say that.

[Mister_Dawg]

Arrogant. So playing this game means you will only love this game?

Interesting take on personal tastes.

[Goro]

I have played and completed it twice. I'm currently playing it a third time on Survivor Plus.

[johndoe11211]

@xYakuzaz

You've played it twice and you're playing it a third time on survivor Plus and yet you say that the game is "Overated" and you once stated that "the actual gameplay aspect is complete mediocrity".

Yeah, seems legit.

[Why o why]

Lol, maybe you have that sunset beach syndrome......dont really enjoy it but still keep watching. Going through any game of its type for a 3rd time kinda means you must like it more than the average game/gamer. Some people are just anti hype/anti popular. If people laud something enough, other people will find a reason to dislike that same something.

[TheMrMalro]

It is highly overrated. It's a very liniar experience I will never touch again. GTA V/Online in the other hand offers me much more fun. Just hit 16 days online. Easily my favourite game of the gen.

[mep69]

Go play your boring story lacking game with bad VA then ¬_¬

[Utalkin2me]

Wow really 16 days online already, that's not a hobby mate that's a way of life.

[SoulWarrior]

The Last of Us is overrated yet GTAV is so awesome and not overrated at all? Nice logic there.

[adventureghost124]

Hold the F@#*ING PHONE
You are saying GTA 5/online, an experience that is completely broken down, took like a month after release to launch, loaded with tons of @ssholes, and the game with an ok story and a dissapointing ending is better than The Last Of Us. Also What part of it was linear? There were TONS of ways to get through enemies with and without them noticing you, The story was one of the best I have ever seen in gaming and it always kept me guessing. I'm not saying GTA 5 is bad, I enjoyed it. But TLOU was miles ahead of it in every way.

[mt]

the game is meant for you if you don't like it ( that is if you really played the game)
. there is no way for a person to hate this game. the game is not perfect. I had seen glitches while playing but it didn't ruin the game or broke the gameplay. the game is the most perfect piece of a game.

[quaneylfc]

With a profile dedicated to the Yakuza games? how trustworthy are you... (!)

[nope111]

I agree with Yakuzaz, it's overrated, amazing narritive, but the gameplay felt unoriginal. More fun to watch than to play honestly.

Generation defining my ass.

[Clunkyd]

If you call this overrated then every mainstream game is overrated.

[Christopher]

The author of this article reminds me of the pony tail guy from the Good Will Hunting bar scene

http://youtu.be/QnZ0Y4rvz6E...

He's applying way too much book learning to the subject of art. The fact of the matter is, The Last of Us, which I have not completed and can not personally review, is seen by many gamers as great storytelling combined with enjoyable gameplay. To try and measure the game based on a comparison to a novel or movie as far as 'pacing' or the like is just silly as all heck.

[Ezz2013]

Agreed, you know i really don't mind people having different opinions and all but this article madfe me facepalm hard

it amazing how he keep contradict himself in his own article
1.he say it's not GOTY , yet he give it 5/5 and still stand by his review ?!
2.praise the game and then say it's not "Game" Of The Year because ......"Movies" are better in his opinion ?!
3.and then he go on and compare TLOU to TF movies ?!

WTF is going on with this guy ?

[Rodney25]

I love TLOU but why so much unnecessary hate for GTAV, it was an amazing game. Can't they both just be good.

[Elda]

You should be annoyed that you have no taste.

[Irishguy95]

Nah you see, as a fan of stories, the last of us story is so incredibly overrated. It's very typical of Naughty Dog to steal stories and then get awarded award after ward for it. The games story is the road with 'zombies'. Oh sorry did I say zombies? I meant people infected by a fungus which just happens to make people act like zombies.

Bioshock infinite was many times more creative in story that the last of us.

However - to the author. It's a video game not a movie. Despite how much of a rip off it is, the gameplay is decent with a rip off story. That's what ND do. Tell an already successful, extremely simple story, which some decent gameplay. The most important thing to ND is the cinematics.

Again -> ND can be compared to James camerons avatar. Which focuses on visuals above Story.

Edit - XD the themes of the Road are EXACTLY the same as The last of us. You can look at TloU and the road on a superficail level and think they ar somewhat copying, but when you get into the real meat of the stories, the similarities are just too much that it's only inspiration.

It's simple enough anyway, you won't find Bioshock infinites Story anywhere. NDs stories are incredibly overdone in all entertainment mediums

It's a shame they get this treatment when other devs that really try to create their own story don't get it.

Again - Visuals are ND's specialty. Don't get me wrong, teh story of the Last of us is good. It's just..you know, the reason it's good is because it stole it's story from a well recieved book. Same as Uncharted modelling itself after indiana jones.

I still think the Game deserves Game of the Year. But it's definitely not perfect. Nor should they be praised for the story. Only the writing.

[iamnsuperman]

You clearly havn't read/seen the road or played The Last OF Us since the story and themes are vastly different from each other. Just because there are two characters in a post apocalyptic world doesn't mean it steals from it. Inspiration maybe but inspiration isn't stealing.

[Omran]

this is called inspiring not steal you smart ass
if we argue about stealing you can say that every game steal from other games !

we can say that resident evil cover system was stolen by epic games which they add the system to gears of war !

no how you will explain this

[MattyG]

"Edit - XD the themes of the Road are EXACTLY the same as The last of us. You can look at TloU and the road on a superficail level and think they ar somewhat copying, but when you get into the real meat of the stories, the similarities are just too much that it's only inspiration."

Could you provide some examples? I read The Road this summer, and while the setting and tone are similar, I didn't feel the themes were. I'm curious to see what similarities you saw.

[Nitrowolf2]

You Can compare Bioshock Infinite to basically ANY movie about time traveling. The execuction of Infintie was brilliant, don't get me wrong and I loved the game. But if people are going to complain about Last of Us has some similarities to The Road then the same can be said about Infinite with basically any Movie about time travel. Also Singularity ends int he same way where you basically travel back in time to basically get yourself killed to end the original outcome. Look at The Butterfly effect. Sure the worlds are different, but isn't the world In the Road very different than the One in the Last of Us? Indeed they are (no zombies, it's basically cannalbalism and their is no cure, the planet is simply dying)

Infinite is hardly an "original' idea as the Last of Us is. Infinite is hardly an "original' idea as the Last of Us is. Any book about alt. Dimension/timeline has you being the bad guy as the plot twist. Don't come out and say Infinite story can't be found anywhere else.

[N0gg1nsh0tz]

"Nor should they be praised for the story. Only the writing" ... So the story...

[_QQ_]

Yeah pretty much, Mocap and presentation is really the most impressive thing about it. but the story is still great regardless but i agree it is really safe and similar. For me the gameplay is the low point. all these die hard fans will never admit that its not much different than your average cover based shooter, the only difference being the sway of the gun and that that you can sneak past a level without fighting if you want. Also this is just me but i'm so fatigued with Zombies/infected this gen. There is much to say about the gameplay, too much for one comment. In the end this year wasn't too strong and i haven't played GTAV so really i would give GOTY to TLOU or 3D world if i were to exclude DOTA2 which is my GOTY.

Anyone can make a site and give a GOTY. Also ignore these clowns talking about how it isn't similar. Personally i haven't read the road so i wouldn't know.

[ginsunuva]

Infinite had NO story up until the last 10 minutes where it fell apart into Elizabeth going, "okay I've been keeping quiet and acting dumb the whole game, but now I'm going to explain everything in a few minutes."

Then it was a mess of parallel universes, time travel, and other misintepretations of physicists' works, jumbled together in a way I used to write sci-fi stories when I was in fourth and fifth grade, thinking I was clever for intertwining some imaginary concepts. But it's not hard at all when you're making a story based off sci-fi concepts that aren't real.

Yeah it dropped some hints along the way, but the whole story was about you trying to kill some old man for 90% of the game, in which it devolved into CoD-type shooting.
It did have pretty colors though.

[Totoro17]

I couldn't agree less. Naughty Dog was ballsy enough to tackle the post-apocalyptic scenario and make it completely their own. I've seen the movie The Road and besides being in a catastrophic scenario, the comparisons end there. This was a genius game that was had characters so deeply layered and flawed that it created scenarios that didn't have you guessing what would happen.

Bioshock Infinite was an amazing game and so was Borderlands 2, but TLOU was fucking brilliant and immersing.

[quaneylfc]

That's what i say about the last two Quentin Tarantino films, it is true yet i am still being called a dickhead for pointing it out. The new one was announced today and it has the same problem.

[bjmartynhak]

Have you ever heard about Rapunzel?

Hell, watch Tangled, even the folk dance scene is similar.

Then add time travelling and all events that pass in one timeline become irrelevant, because there are infinite possibilities... so whatever.

[dedicatedtogamers]

Videogames rip off stories all the time. I haven't played a "unique" videogame story (as in, if you wrote down the game's story and then read it start to finish) in a very long time...probably not since the mid/late '90s PC RPGs.

So, why is it so terrible that a videogame finally ripped off a good book and did a great job of it? Plenty of other games could have also ripped off The Road - agreed? - and done a very terrible job. Last of Us actually managed to capture much of The Road's essence in a very believable way.

Funny, do you feel the same way about Red Dead Redemption's storyline? Nothing in that story was original, but it did a fantastic job of "ripping off" the best Westerns in literature. Interesting that you mention Bioshock Infinite's storyline: if you have even a passing interest in sci-fi you'll find that every single one of the game's tropes have been done before (and done better).

[Elda]

No matter where it came from,the FACT is TLOU is a great game with a great story,case closed.

[aRTCy]

So what your saying is that if someone designs a chair that they are stealing from every other chair made before?...TLOU isn't exactly like The Road and Uncharted isn't exactly like Indiana Jones. They are in the same genre, yes, but they are not the same.

[Neixus]

This article is a joke, why should he get annoyed because other people picked this as GOTY?

But I'm pretty sure this is just a bait to get clicks.
The last of us deserves every bit of praise =)

[iceman1346]

at this point it's safe to say this is the greatest game in the seventh console generation

[SamPao]

The Last Of Us is definately more than a blockbuster movie. What a troll.
You finish it mess around with the multiplayer and move on? Hell no.
I finished this game 4 times already and I am not the only one, hell all my friends at least played it two times!!
There is way more to TLOU than just a fun action flic.
Maybe the author should start to realize that, especially after over 200 GOTY awards

[Blacklash93]

It's entertainment. Enjoy it, or don't.

The Last of Us is my GOTY because I personally got the most enjoyment out of it than any other title this year. Apparently many others feel the same. If there's a problem with that, take it up with the Opinion Police or the Bureau of Pretentious Sensibilities. :/

[Master-H]

LuL if you can't beat em, hate on em.

[iamnsuperman]

The problem is the author has a different opinion on what Game of the Year is

"but when it comes to a "game of the year" award, it should surely go to a game that does something that neither film nor literature can do better."

I disagree. Surely it should go to the best game of that year regardless of what film or literature can do. That shouldn't even come into it

[r21]

Agree, kinda. GOTY has all different kinds view points and its up to the person to choose what game is his/her GOTY. It doesnt need to be under some strict idea that a GOTY 'has to do something different from other forms of media already did.'

Those who chose TLOU as GOTY has made their minds.

[Volkama]

Well said. TLOU isn't my goty by any stretch, but you're right about the flaw in the author's reasoning.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

TLOU didn't win over 200 awards for nothing.
It was a damn good game and clearly most people agree.
We should be open to people disagreeing with this though, but the people that disagree should also be open to why people loved this game. Which is why getting annoyed that this game won so many awards is dumb.

[specialguest]

This is goty we're talking about, not best game of all time or even of a generation. Put the tlou up against this years competition and for most people it is goty.

[kevnb]

It really doesn't bother me that so many people love the game. I enjoyed it quite a bit myself.

[Dfooster]

Hipster

[Spurg]

He doesn't hate the game he just doesn't like the recognition it got because it borrowed elements from the The Road(Novel and Movie).

If you had to chose between Bioshock: Infinte and Last of us to compete against a movie or Novel...which game would you chose a game that borrowed elements from a movie and Novel or a game that has been created it own identity in gaming story and setting. You wont find a Rapture or Columbia in a movie or a novel(Maybe but the inspiration isn't too obvious).

Not hating on Last of us(I enjoyed it) but it something you have to consider as well. What does it mean for game story? Should they feel Inferior to Movies and Novels.

[wishingW3L]

everything borrows stuff from something else.

[Nitrowolf2]

SO your saying that you can't compare Bioshock Infinite to basically ANY movie about time traveling? The exuction of Infintie was brilliant, don't get me wrong and I loved the game. But if people are going to complain about Last of Us has some similarities to The Road then the same can be said about Infinite with basically any Movie about time travel. Also Singularity ends int he same way where you basically travel back in time to basically get yourself killed to end the original outcome. Look at The Butterfly effect. Sure the worlds are different, but isn't the world In the Road very different than the One in the Last of Us? Indeed they are (no zombies, it's basically cannalbalism and their is no cure, the planet is simply dying)

Infinite is hardly an "original' idea as the Last of Us is. Any book about alt. Dimension/timeline has you being the bad guy as the plot twist. Don't come out and say Infinite story can't be found anywhere else.

[admiralvic]

Isn't a lot of the themes, ideas and concepts in BioShock (the original since you brought up Rapture) related to Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand? I mean, if you're going to contest that TLOU is bad for taking things from The Road, then BioShock (again the first 1) should get the same negative stigma for what it took from Atlas Shrugged.

[goldwyncq]

Comparing TLOU to Transformers? The writer must be high. Sounds like another one of those pretentious artsy fartsy hipsters who desperately want to look intelligent by bashing "inferior" forms of entertainment.

[wishingW3L]

I thought exactly the same thing. Like seriously, Transformers?

[MonChiChi]

People crying about TLOU's awards annoys me greatly.

[ThatCanadianGuy514]

I quite enjoy it actually.Their bitter tears nourish my soul.

[markte]

Subjectively:
The Last of Us is GOTY.

Objectively:
The Last of Us is GOTY.

How many other games this year are as well made as TLOU? I'll even go as far as to ask, how many games this generation, are as well made as TLOU?

[InTheLab]

So this game when's Goty and it upsets you? Such a sad life.

[MattyG]

"...cut scenes broken up some really fun and challenging combat challenge rooms, but all at the expense of pacing (look up ludonarrative dissonance for more on this topic)."

This is NOT ludonarrative dissonance. Ludonarrative dissonance is a conflict in themes or actions between cutscenes and gameplay, not cutscenes splitting up gameplay sections. People need to stop throwing this term around because they think it sounds intellectual.

[ShowGun901]

this board has ludonarrative dissonance because im usually reading, but its broken up by times im typing.

/s

[jacksjus]

Apparently 201 other writers highly disagree with this douche.

[Dynasty2021]

Is this guy butt-hurt that his favourite game (probably worse) didn't win GOTY?

[DoesUs]

Shame. I'll just leave this here.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

[blahblah123]

Yeah and Titanic won Best Picture and I thought it was garbage. So what? Tomorrow is another day.

I played TLOU through four times for the Platinum and the MP Is really good. But if you don't like it, the world isn't going to end.

[Darkfist]

whatever you say man.

[Foxhound922]

Okay so there's two people in an apocalyptic world, and suddenly it's a rip off of the road? This author sounds like an idiot trying to sound smart by using big words. Besides being in post apocalypse, they share almost nothing in terms of story and setting. With this logic, you could argue almost anything being unoriginal because it shares an extremely small number of similarities.

This just in! Madden is a rip off of the national football league. Mass effect is a rip off of star trek because it's in space. Halo is a rip off of when mars attacks beside it has aliens. Also, bioshock is a rip off of fishing games because it takes place in water.

[ShowGun901]

whats funny is, if ND had used 3 characters instead of 2, this author would say "its just the road with an extra person!"

some people are just douches lol, the last of us is first of possibly 3 games anybody will remember in a decade. (released this year)

[blahblah123]

Oh yeah and Cormack McCarthy is apparently the only person to create a story about last humans and viruses. Only if you were born within the last 15 years and have a wall for a untold years of literature would this comparison make sense.

I AM LEGEND was written in the 1950s and pretty much inspired 50 years worth of this stuff. And it was by no means the first to tackle themes like this.

[Dragonlord112]

to me I think last of us is amazing but I dont think its GOTY, for me GOTY its something fun and amazing to play, I think GTA V accomplish that, I hope 2014 goty is a fun game and amazing open world like skyrim, and no more story games and just doesnt have fun gameplay.

[pody]

It sounds like you mean GOTY games can only be open-world games.

[Dragonlord112]

lol as expected disagrees, so much butthurt Last of us fanboys lol!

[wishingW3L]

3 short paragraphs of nothing supporting his argument and there are comments there saying "great article". I mean, the whole point of the author is that he didn't like the game and just because of that it doesn't deserve any GOTY awards. =/

[DanielGearSolid]

Thats wat it comes down to...

"I dont want like this so nobody should"

[Lon3wolf]

Ok the story in TLoU is not the most original, not sure why that means it can't have a GOTY award or two. It was a very well realized game and I am finally glad I got around to playing it. Yes I prefer open world games personally but when a linear/story driven game is done as well as this then it's all good in my book.

[ShowGun901]

depends i guess on what you feel like playing that day lol

story driven/linear: the developer gets to share the EXACT experience they want with you, knowing you'll see the same awesomeness as everyone else.

open world/free roamer: the developer puts a bunch of fun gameplay elements in a sandbox and steps back. the experience you have is up to you.

in the open world free roamer category, i'd also put pure multiplayer (battlefeild, CoD, SF4) and creative games (minecraft, LBP) in there too. its up to you what you accomplish. either is cool, but they don't overlap at all.

[Pinkdolphinyfg]

To be fair GTA V story has been done before aswell. Pretty sure their was a comedy a year or two back were 3 buddies band together to pull heists, had Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller in it i believe. I still think GTA V was the better game. Equal quality story but wayyyyyyyyy better gameplay imo.

[yezz]

I think TLOU story was better but the controls weren't the best and I just didn't feel it. It took me surprisingly long time to actually finish the game.

I'm OK with TLOU winning all these GOTYs because it's a great game and I understand why people like it so much but for me personally it isn't super good..

[MoveTheGlow]

I get where he's coming from. I see that award everywhere and I have a combination of feeling like "Well, Naughty Dog is a great studio, and they made something really atmospheric, so that's really cool. It's probably one of the best of the year." And then there's the other part of me who wants other games to have a bit of a chance - out of any game this year, this is the "blockbuster" movie-lite, TPS triple-A game. It's the safe one.

I'd love to see a little more praise given to more minimal but amazing games, especially Fire Emblem Awakening, a triumph in design and in localization, or Ridiculous Fishing, which had a really interesting set of mechanics, a store design that was immaculately built into the game's progression, and a unified set of aesthetics with only straight lines in the art design and angular, interesting music to support it.

Eh, it still deserves it, but I get wanting a bit more out of 2013's honors than just The Last of Us.

[raga2502]

Should probably play this game at some point!

Gta V story was underwhelming, but the whole world they created, again, was immense.

[guyman]

I smell a butt hurt micro Xbox fanboy.. This guy is seriously lame trying to smash down a masterpiece exclusive to ps

[Gamer-40]

81 million Ps3 owners, The Last Of Us sell 4 million.
Why "only" 4 million Ps3 owners buy The Last Of Us? Why?

Wii. 100 million owners.
Super Mario Galaxy sell 11 million.

360. 80 million owners.
Halo 3 sell 12 million (Halo 4/sell 9 million).

Ps3. 81 million owners.
The Last Of Us sell 4 million. (Gran Turismo 5 sell 10 million).
Many Ps3 owner is not interested in the game. This is the truth, the numbers do not lie.

[Silly gameAr]

@Gamer 39 Not sure what that comment has to do with TLOU winning GOTY awards,or why it seems like you're trying to pit established IP's that have been around for years against a new one.

I'm confused here.

[FITgamer]

If sales equal quality then you must think the Toyota Corolla is the best car on the planet.

[Morbius420]

I just bought my first PS3 just to play this game. Obviously I'll play many others I missed as a 360 owner but the main reason I made the switch is for The Last of Us and The Show.

[Gamer-40]

The Last Of Us GOTY only PS fan's.
81 million Ps3 owners, The Last Of Us sell 4 million.

Nice and good game, but once again, The Last Of Us GOTY title only PS fan's.

[MasterCornholio]

The TLOU is game of the year for over 200 publications.

Since you like playing the sales game do you honestly believe that COD Ghosts is better than the last of us because it sold more than it?

[Gamer-40]

No one said anything to my question, why is that all have been sold (4 million), if that's all the Ps3 (81 million) owner's favorite and GOTY The Last Of Us? Far from it is not logical.

Over 200 publications...and? Many Ps3 owner is not interested in the game. This is the truth and important.

[saint_seya]

So with that flawed logic there isn't a single game that is worth to be called goty/good, because you wont find a single game in any console/pc that has more than 50% of the userbase..
So whats your point again?

[Goofiestchief]

You're saying cod is the best game ever and avatar is the best film ever.

[ArtificiallyYours]

Author probably thinks he could pull a story out of his ass in a day...

[TristanPR77]

Someone is annoyed because a game is good and is not a FPS.

The Last of Us is a masterpiece, period. It will pass to history as the game that defined generation 7.

Deal with it.

[Venemox]

I don't mind this game getting GOTY, it's probably my GOTY too. What I don't like is how barely no one mentions the gameplay in their reasoning of why it received Game of the year, and when they do it's just like "yeah the gameplay's cool 'n all.".

Why exclude the aspect that makes games.. well, games? It's the only thing that separates it from movies.

[Rask]

The butthurt is strong in this one.

[il-JumperMT]

Anyone who even nominated GTA5 for GOTY should resign from gaming press.

[isa_scout]

I think what the author fails to realize is that when it comes to story and maturity that as much as we all love videogames it is in fact inferior to literature and films.
The recent article in GameInformer about story summed it up perfectly. Neil Druckman and Ken Levine said it themselves. How could videogames be better(when it comes to story)when we haven't let the medium mature to it's full potential?
It took movies decades to "mature" to where they are now(not sure if that's a good thing by the way) and games are on the exact same course. That's why it's important that we honor the games that push the boundaries of what videogames are, and what they can be. For me, of all the games released last generation(PS3,360,Wii), The Last of Us elevated videogames closer to being a true art form than anything that has come before it.

[Venemox]

Video games at it's core is not about story, characters or acting.

It's the gameplay, and that is something very unique that people like you want to discourage.

[isa_scout]

I disagree, I am not discouraging gameplay, but why does it have to be solely about the gameplay? Why can't a game have all the necessary components that make The Last of Us so compelling? It has great gameplay, multiplayer, visuals, sound and audio; and a thought provoking story as well.
My favorite game of last generation wasn't even The Last of Us, it was Dragon Age:Origins because it was a great experience and just really really fun, and guess what? It had a wonderfully written story to. However, Dragon Age wasn't as mature and thought provoking as The Last of Us that's why I think it should be celebrated.
Where you get the notion that all I care about is story is beyond me. If all I wanted was great stories I wouldn't even bother playing videogames. Sometimes story matters, and sometimes it doesn't. When you're handing out awards then I definitely feel that story should be taken into consideration.

[Goofiestchief]

I thought some games like shadow of the colossus,bioshock, and TLOU were equal to the great American novels and Oscar winners. Gameinformer agreed.

[isa_scout]

Good point and while I definitely agree that all three of those games are just about as good as it gets when you're talking emotions being portrayed in video games I'm just not sure I agree with them being anywhere near Casablanca, The Godfather, or even this years Gravity.
I did however agree with your comment because all three of those games are absolutely the best of the best.

[yewles1]

"The Last Of Us wins over 200 GOTY awards; why this annoys me greatly;

or,

How I REALLY enjoyed Joel McHale at VGX"

*runs*

[GraveLord]

Because you're a hipster. You hate popular things.

[KILLERAPP]

Congrats ND. Can' wait for your PS4 game...

[SoulSercher620]

That's like comparing Uncharted to Indiana Jones. The stories are both main characters are looking for something and the bad guys are going after it too. But with this guy's logic they're EXACTLY the same right? There's no such thing as inspiration anymore?

[Gabenbrah]

Last of us is a great movie but a crap game, take out the story and characters and your left with a linear crap third person shooter with bare bones stealth mechanics and terrible controls. Extremely overrated IMO but I'm sure tons of people with disagree with me, buts its my opinion and GOTY awards goes to games that I think have the best GAMEPLAY, not the best story.

[isa_scout]

That's like saying if you take Charles Kane out of Citizen Kane it's just another crappy black and white movie. Games are evolving and there is no longer a defining line between story and gameplay anymore. Games like Bioshock have proven that already. The gameplay is great in The Last of Us because it is in service to the story and vice versa.
My advice to you is if all you care about is core GAMEPLAY then you only have two options before you.
#1 Just quit playing games because as they evolve more and more games will blur the lines between film entertainment and videogames. Gameplay will still be a focal point but so will story.
OR
#2 Only play Nintendo titles as apparently Nintendo agrees with your opinion that story doesn't really matter(apart from Zelda of course). Then again we both see how Nintendo is doing right?

[Gabenbrah]

There's nothing stopping games from having both a great story and great gameplay, Naughty Dog just flat don't know how to do both since Jak and Daxter. To me, Last of Us was like Walking Dead, great story and characters, mediocre and boring game play. Games are evolving, but it doesn't mean we put more focus into stories than gameplay, there called video games, not interactive movies.

[Goofiestchief]

obviously you haven't played it with these comments. Seeing as a big reason people like TLOU is its mp also(all gameplay)your comments have little merit. If you're gonna be hater, don't use the "it's a movie" argument. It's generic beyond belief. You're since jak and daxter comment is laughable.

If all you want is gameplay alone, go play tetris or cod.

[cocadaking]

What, The Road a work of genius? I like post apocalyptic movies, and there are far far better ones, like Children of Men for example.

[isa_scout]

I believe he was talking about the book. Which if you haven't read it is far far superior to the movie in my opinion. Check it out sometime it's a wonderful read.
However, I still think The Last of Us is incredible, and has my vote for the GOTY.

[cocadaking]

He's talking about both, but I think I'm going to check the book, thanks!

[Harpers_Ferry]

Expected another article where some pretentious person compares game awards to movie awards, and then spouts a list of indies that should have won instead. Got an article where some pretentious person compares game awards to movie awards, and then spouts a list of indies that should have won instead.

However, this is a good thing, because now us simple minded folks that don't understand "true art" have the voice of the all-knowing, guiding one to show us the way.

"This list annoys me greatly because The Last Of Us is precisely the kind of game that should not be winning any competitive awards of merit."

There you go. Our new lord has spoken. Time for a recount.

[Bowzabub]

The Last of Us was more of an experience than a game. That's a good thing. Just like OoT was an experience. People will go back years from now and play it. Bet on it.

[James-GAMES]

How many has gta 5 won?
in all honesty TLOU is one of the best games I have ever played and may be the best game of this generation for me.

[MasterofMagnetism]

Annoyed because so many people liked a game that he didn't? Would he feel better those people changed their minds?

[ErryK]

Oh look, the film critics have arrived.

[ZILLA]

Greatest game EVER made(period)and the multiplayer is ONLINE INSANITY!!Intrerigaion mode...F T W

[level 360]

This I ask to the writer.. what game can you tell/print here that comes close to The Last of Us in terms of every criterion/rule that makes for *great gaming experience?

The Last of Us really is that phenomenal in every gut feeling and technical sense.

It's that sort of game that has put the goalpost at another level. It's going to be the benchmark upon games of it's type will be set upon.

[Picnic]

Take The Walking Dead for the start of your game, follow with reskinned Silent Hill nurses in except give them a one hit hill and call them clickers,
add in a few various Silent Hill meets Max Payne type environments throughout the game in general - abandoned hotels, big office blocks, creepy cellars / environments wher you have to find a switch to open the door and scary things are trying to get you in the dark, that kind of thing.

Have a section that is far more carefree, the light relief of the game- Dead Rising zombies in suburbia meets Zombies Ate My Neighbours where you're going through people's back lawns and nothing too weird is allowed to happen.
Add in the Route Kanal from Half Life 2 section (where there are lots of abandoned cars and once big lorry bloking the single access point).
Add in the sniper rifle escort mission level.
Add in the section where it's gone a bit Alan Wake with dams and log cabins.
Add in the section where you can use weather effect like snow.
Sprinkle with the random psychopath bits from video nasty films.

[first1NFANTRY]

Let's put it this way. I've traded in most of my games but I just couldn't bring myself to let TLOU, U123, MGS4 and a few others go. A masterpiece gets released rarely these days and this title is one of them.

[trouble_bubble]

".. Everything from Rain to Shelter, Papers, Please and right through to the extreme "high art" of Luxuria Superbia demonstrate that games are legitimate works of art and able to provide thematically deep experiences that would be impossible in another medium, and these games are all far stronger candidates for game of the year than The Last Of Us."

LOL, um no. ALL those games scored much lower with critics. And that's what we're talking about here. Critical acclaim. Something TLOU has and Transformers hasn't. And seriously, you compared TLOU to Transformers????

I mean c'mon. Luxuria Superbia is a 63% metacritic avg iOS APP http://www.metacritic.com/g... ! Shelter only scored a 69%. If GAME critics didn't care for them, why would movie or book afficianados care? Universal acclaim/disdain isn't some mutually exclusive concept.

Speaking of movies and books, Filmmaker John Carpenter loved TLOU http://www.giantbomb.com/ar...