The Last of Us crowned as best Game of the Decade by Metacritic users

Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic journey with Joel and Ellie takes home another accolade as The Last of Us wins the hearts of Metacritic users.

[THC CELL]

And well deserved

[UnSelf]

I'd give it to Horizon Zero Dawn.

No game in the last decade blown me away to the level that fighting a Stormbird for the first time with hacked Longhorns and traps has

[Eonjay]

That was pretty dope.

[ilikestuff]

I need to try this game. To me, so far, I think it might be a tie between last of us and god of war, both those games are as close to perfect as I think a game can get.

[Frodosmugins]

Fighting the Stormbird was an experience we will never forget!!

Many of my friends have picked it up and stopped playing fast but I tell them you need to put your time in"Stormbird was one of the last fights"then you will experience a different level in gaming like never before.

[sampsonon]

that would be my close second. Well that and God Of War

[UltraNova]

I'd give it to Bloodborne.

[rainslacker]

I loved horizon, but I think tlou is on a whole other level in many ways. Horizon is still my favorite game of this gen though.

[mandingo]

HZD was great but it doesn’t touch the last of us.

[Ashunderfire86]

Horizon Zero Dawn was great, and the most beautiful HDR PS4 game I have ever seen! But I still got to give the honor to Last of Us! It manages to be a better game than Uncharted and even my long favorite Halo! Last Of Us has a storyline comparable to movie cinema! Man was that game an emotional journey every gamer should not miss! I can't wait for Last Of Us 2 and I hope it's even better story-wise than Last Of Us 1!

[NotanotherReboot]

Horizon is most overrated game of the decade imo

[gamer7804]

I’d give it to hellblade, achieved a lot for really only involving one character yet being that engrossing.

[Moe-Gunz]

Gameplay portion is Very weak in Hellblade and it’s one of my favorite games this gen. I wouldn’t put that anywhere near TLOU.

[THC CELL]

Lol u really put hb against the last of us gfx maybe great in hb but ai and story and mp not a chance

[RedDevils]

There loads of games better than Hellblade lol

[Mr_Writer85]

Hellblade was bobbins.

I bear the first boss and turned it off and deleted it.

Thank fuck I had it off Game Pass and not bought it.

I'd be crying right now.

[gamer7804]

I didn't choose hell blade based on the fine tuned gameplay, I based it on overall impact, which to me is harder to achieve than fine tuning gameplay that we've seen before in games like last of us, uncharted, halo gears etc.

[TheKingKratos]

Agreed, such an incredible game

[jreeves82]

I agree. It's my choice for game of the decade.

[ClayRules2012]

I can understand that. The game is something truly special.

The Last of Us is my favorite game of the decade too. My favorite game of all time.

[DonDon3000]

To be fair, GOW wouldn't have been what it was, if not for TLOU. None of the other GOW games had even half the heart the latest one did. And the whole kid companion/Fathership thing was clearly influenced by TLOU.

[jimbost79]

Wasn't that influenced by cory having a son?

[DonDon3000]

jimbost79 I fail to see how having an infant would inspire a game about a man and his pre-teen son. Sounds closer to TLOU. Also, is it common for new dads to have fantasies about being on dangerous expeditions with their children?

[ClayRules2012]

Yeah, I see influence from TLoU in the new God of War.

@jimbost79

I believe so! Cory having a son did play a role in that. And I remember reading how when he pitched the idea of Kratos and his son (story/gameplay wise) the team was not really sure about that idea, but they trusted him & the team delivered a masterpiece with the new game.

[jimbost79]

Dondon, mate you should watch gow game directors live from 2011. Cory is talking even back then about key ideas that underpin gow 2018. Or even recent interviews where he explicitly states that his son was the reason behind artreus inclusion in the game.
Yes they visited naughty dog to get help and learn how to implement a ai companion, but lou isn't the reason the fatherhood angle is in the game.

“So much of it reflects our relationship, and my desires,” he says. “I would love to go on an adventure with [Helo]. I hope that he would want to – that we wouldn’t have this awkward relationship that unfortunately we have right now, because I work so much. Because Kratos wasn’t around much in Atreus’s early years, Atreus interprets that as, ‘You don’t love me, you don’t want to spent time with me, it’s obvious that I don’t live up to your expectations.’ I’m trying to be better for my son. And regretting every moment that I’m not spending with him.”

Reading that quote from cory, it seems that yes indeed he does have fantasies about going on an adventure with his son.

@clay
yes mate I think they did deliver a masterpiece. Its easily one of, if not the best games I've ever played.

[SyntheticForm]

The honor is well earned.

Such a powerhouse of a game - can't wait for TLOU2.

[CaptainHenry916]

Long live first party exclusives

[Ninver]

Long live playstation o7

[DPO]

Well deserved

[Bleucrunch]

Well deserved, to me The Last of Us is the GREATEST VIDEO GAME OF ALL TIME ON THE PLANET EARTH IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE......(echo)

And it is NOT EVEN CLOSE. after is Sonic 2 and Metal Gear Solid....

Fight me.......

[SyntheticForm]

The way I see it - Joel and Ellie are sitting on a clifftop laughing and watching Kratos and Geralt fight for second place.

Atreus is shooting arrows up at Ellie to no effect, and Ellie is replying "Give it a rest, kid."

[Babadook7]

“Give it a rest, boy”.

[Smokehouse]

Ew. Makes sense for metacritic though.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

So nothing in the top ten is worthy? Not a very argument mate.

[Smokehouse]

I dunno I would have to think about it. There has been a bunch of games in the last 10 years lol. Witcher 3 and god of war would make my personal top 10 somewhere. Mass effect 2 is good but I don’t know about top 10.

TLOU wouldn’t even make my top 30. Not trying to make an argument that’s just my personal tops. Which matters more to me than randoms or critics who can’t beat tutorials.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Well you're well catered for in this list as they're all there.

I'm actually surprised it beat Zelda - I don't play Zelda games, but people lose their minds over it.

TLOU was a new ip, did everything better than it's competition and was brutal and touching at the same time.

It deserves to be there.

[Smokehouse]

I picked those games from the list lol. I haven’t sat down and thought about my top 10 of the decade. I was just saying Witcher 3 and god of war are probably in there.

Deserves to be on the metacritic list lol? Yeah probably. TLOU wouldn’t make my top 30 but it would beat Zelda for sure.

[RedDevils]

Sound like you hate TLOU with a passion. Don't even make your top 30 lol Even if you hate, you at least admit is good but not your type. But anyway, who are you trying to prove that you like/hate the game you or everyone on N4G?

[Smokehouse]

Hate is a strong word. I just like many other games more. I named a few from the list.

Who am I trying to prove that I hate/like TLOU? Nobody lol. I don’t really give a shit one way or the other. I just saw the article and responded. Then replied to you and Oldboy.

[Imalwaysright]

There are a few games that imo are deserving of this honor and TloU is definetely one of them.

[TheOptimist]

Too many to choose from.

Then again this is a majority vote. It doesn't really say anything because a majority of these people don't even play most of the games out there. With limited experience, it is far easier to choose a game of the decade. As an art form is consumed more, I feel the understanding and selection of the medium becomes harder to pinpoint since many games do some things better than others. Be it using the medium to full potential (RPGs like Witcher 3, Dark Souls/Bloodborne, Divinity Original Sin, Deus Ex: Human Revolution) or using gaming as an escape (Doom, DMC5) or using gaming to express ideas or even a mixture of all these (Hollow Knight, Ori & The Blind Forest, Yakuza 0, Nier: Automata).

I don't have an expansive knowledge of games, but even as a novice, I would only consider this valid if every person who voted over there has played a ton of games over the past decade which as I said above will definitely not be the case.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Considering most of the other top ten are 3rd Party games - safe to assume most have been played.

[TheOptimist]

Do you really think third party are the only games?

I could name a hundred more games that are of exceptional quality but won't be on the list because people haven't played them.

"safe to assume', yes safe to wrongly assume that the people who have played Dark Souls have also played Hollow Knight or Salt & Sanctuary, safe to wrongly assume so many things.

Idk why I am even explaining to someone who brought up the logic of third party titles. I always look for objective quality regardless of the source rather than meddling in the petty business of exclusives.

I am also not forgetting the fact consumers are extremely superficial for the most part, so I don't even expect much from them.

[generic-user-name]

Citation needed.

[Dixiedevil]

Last of Us was great but I think Dark Souls should be getting a hell of a lot more mentions in these “game of the decade” write ups. At least it’s number 10 but I think it’s been way more impactful on the industry than most of the others.

[capjacksparrow]

From a gameplay aspect, for sure. And other games have successfully implemented Dark Souls mechanics in their games with much success. What The Last of Us has done for narrative storytelling in games has yet to be matched, though constantly attempted. The closest attempt was God of War (which was phenomenal).

[TheOptimist]

Whenever I hear people say "The Last of Us has done for narrative storytelling in games has yet to be matched"

What did it do? Throw together a bunch of cutscenes that told a half-decent story?

Dark Souls/Bloodborne deserve it beause they did something with the medium that very few people try. Same goes for something like Nier: Automata, Hollow Knight, Witcher 3, Divinity: Original Sin 2. These are stories that can only be told through games and these are also stories that are masterpieces in spite of the medium they are in. TLOUs story didn't need the gameplay elements at all.

Nier: Automata especially is possibly the most memorable game of the bunch for me. Not to say the others aren't, but the kind of story that Nier: Automata tells while talking about so many subject matters including but not limited to existentialism, nihilism, human emotions broken down to their very crux, etc etc is just mind blowing.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Demons Souls was the first and BLOODBORNE is better than Dark Souls. You should be happy that 2 soulsborne games are in the top ten.

[Dixiedevil]

Demon Souls was the first but Dark Souls refined the gameplay and formula leading to popularize the genre.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

And BLOODBORNE is the best of the lot.

We should be celebrating the fact that these games are getting the recognition they deserve.

[Doink]

Dark Souls is the best dude, options and customizations are so limited in Bloodborne

[LordMaim]

Technically, King's Field was first. From Software has been making variations on the same game for years.

[XxExacutionerxX]

I can't wait for Last Of Us part 2, win that decade too

[TheOptimist]

Deus Ex (The OG) comes to mind when you say timeless classic.

[Asuka]

Well deserved. Not my game of the decade, but still great game nonetheless.

[MrVux000]

Damnit now i have to replay it....yet again.

[FreeFallFrenzy]

Factions is one of the best online modes in a game I've ever played

[generic-user-name]

Which is proof that the gameplay in TLoU is amazing too and not just the story as some like to claim.

[BadElf]

TLOU would be a very easy choice for me , if it wasn't for Witcher 3. I'd wrestle with that choice for a bit

[Sonyslave3]

Lol great game but not decades it got be Mario or Zelda or skyrim game.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Which Mario or Zelda? Skyrim - really? A buggy mess of a game.

Remember TLOU is a new ip.

[RedDevils]

Odysee was pretty good. Not my top 10 but a fantastic game.

[Kribwalker]

Skyrim wasn’t a buggy mess on the 360. It was an amazing game

[Ryuk_2007]

The polls only had 2600 voters. Hell, dark souls made #10 with only 30 votes and Zelda #2 with less than 200 votes lol. Celebrate on.

[Atticus_finch]

Hate on....

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Do you think the result would be different if their was more votes? I don't.

By those numbers TLOU had a landslide victory.

[canoliallimony]

You know damn well if we went by a massive survey where every gamer was required to vote there'd be so many fortnite votes it would be depressing.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

More votes = MASSIVE SURVEY, EVERY GAMER! Hahaha - you pickle.

People don't even vote for their government - good luck getting every gamer to vote on a shitty shill site like metacritic.

He complained about the small survey numbers, I said it wouldn't be any different if there was more.

All I know is most of the games if not all the games listed would be there - maybe in a different order though.

[Thundercat77]

Keep the salty tears coming!!!

[RazzerRedux]

Sounds like a dominating victory for TLOU, doesn't it?

[Iamnothuman12]

Metacritic’s Top 10 Games of the Decade

The Last of Us
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Red Dead Redemption 2
Mass Effect 2
Bloodborne
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
God of War
Grand Theft Auto V
Dark Souls

[TheHateTheyGive]

EXCLUSIVE!

[Donnie81]

I have no argument with that. The last of us is an amazing experience that every gamer should enjoy at least once

[Donnie81]

Someone disagreed with me!! I’ll be honest I’m Xbox all day. I hate buying a PlayStation BUT! I would buy one all day to play games as good as the last of us. If you refuse to buy a PlayStation because you only like Nintendo or Xbox do yourself a big favor and barrow a ps3 or 4 or play it on psnow because it truly is a top 5 game of all time

[ShinRon]

i disagree but im not upset, it woulda prolly made my top 10 but Bloodborne and Botw are my top 2.

guess alot of people really like the cinematic aspect of gaming.

[badz149]

so...you think it won mainly because it's "cinematic"?

sure it is.../s

[hamburgerhill]

I don't disagree, but would respect others opinions.

[Thundercat77]

- PlayStation has 3 exclusive games on that list.
- Nintendo has 1 exclusive game.
- Xbox has none!!!

Bloodborne even surpassed Darksouls. That was amazing.

The POWER of good quality exclusive games!!! A console is defined by its exclusive games, not by its teraflops or its logo!!!

[thesoftware730]

Nope..it was not..oh wait....IMO.

[gangsta_red]

It's a good game but massively overrated.

[SolidGamerX]

How is it "massively overrated" exactly, genuinely curious to know? I keep hearing people say this but never explain why.

[gangsta_red]

It's nothing special or different story or gameplay wise. Gameplay mechanics have been done before and the zombie story is generic.

Sti is a great game, very well done, but the best of the decade, or the best ever as some has said, I disagree.

[Daishi]

I'd have to say it comes down to whether or not someone was attached to the characters. A game that is centered around an emotional connection will be crap to those that dont feel it.

[jambola]

Because he likes it less than others
therefore it's overrated

[BehindTheRows]

Really no point in trying to look for a reason. Check his post history. It's unfortunate that you have to dismiss certain people that way, but in this case, it's appropriate.

OT: Game was fantastic from start to finish. I don't dibble/dabble in 'Best of Decade' talk, but still one of the staples of the PS3 and the sequel can't come soon enough!

[SolidGamerX]

So what game do you think deserves the title Game of The Decade then?

[gangsta_red]

I don't have a game of the decade actually. I played so many great games over the years that I can't narrow it down to just one.

[GaboonViper]

In your opinion.

[gangsta_red]

No, it's a fact

[SolidGamerX]

Sure you can. Of all those great games you've played surely one must stand out in your mind as being better then the rest.

[gangsta_red]

Naw, I do have a lot of great games I played...

Bloodborne
Dark Souls 3
Moonlighter
Persona 5
Inside
Axiom Verge
XCOM 2
Resident Evil 2 remake

And I can honestly tell you that I just remembered a few on that list as I was typing them out.

[RedDevils]

Lot of indies.

[RazzerRedux]

Well, you've admitted many times that this isn't your type of game (over the shoulder, cinematic, etc.). So naturally you are not going to agree with the vast majority who think it is a phenomenal game. I'm the exact same way when it comes to Zelda: BoTW. I don't get the appeal there at all, but I realize I'm in the minority.

[generic-user-name]

This was voted on by users. So both critics and users agree that TLoU is amazing, so it's not overrated by any definition other than your own opinion. In real life, it's rated correctly.

[Kribwalker]

2600 people metacritic sent a survey out to. A survey that also included movies, so whose to say these people are even gamers?

[RazzerRedux]

"so whose to say these people are even gamers?"

Geez....that's some lame downplaying. TLOU was widely regarded as one of the best of all time games long before this survey. If these folks aren't "even gamers" then somehow they randomly picked TLOU? Come on. You are really reaching hard, krib.

[william_cade]

Bloodborne and Last of Us: 1a and 1b

[Doink]

I bet you only have a PS4 right?

[Hedstrom]

So true!

[bluefox755]

The game was great, but God of War is in competition for the title.

[got_dam]

Witcher should have been #2. Skyrim doesnt deserve a spot.

[JCOLE13195]

I agree. A true masterpiece. I wish I could play it for the first time all over again.

[GaboonViper]

Well done ND, can't wait for LOU2.

[brrdat]

it's either this or bloodborne for me

[Rimeskeem]

I think as a whole game TLOU was the best. Everything came together so perfectly.

[ShadowWolf712]

Not my pick, but def a solid choice.

[Monkeysmoke]

God Of War 2018 is just so satisfying, just so perfect. My game of the decade!

[FernDiggidy]

Should be God of War

[SoulWarrior]

Well deserved, an excellent game.

lmao at all the disagrees on the pro TLOU comments, clearly some botting/xbox fanboy spam going on here.

[GaboonViper]

I know right, xbox fanboys are losers.

[WelkinCole]

3 PS exclusives. Yet many still downplay the importance of them.

Why I prefer retail over streaming.

With retail Sony has managed to produce these gems.

You would be lucky to get one of these in a lifetime if Sony use GaaS as their main vehicle

These 3 not even including other amazing PS exclusives like Spiderman and U4 and HZD

[Spenok]

Absolutely deserves it.

[TheKingKratos]

Hmmm, 99% of the comments are praising the Game yet the hidden disagrees are all over the comment section

Someone is using too much bots i see

[whitbyfox]

I’d rather listen to the actual critics. Breath of the Wild is far superior.

[Sophisticated_Chap]

I still have to finish TLoU on PS3. I got about half way through about 6 weeks ago, and just haven't gone back to it since. It has lots of great qualities, but something about it makes it seem more like work than fun. I will finish it soon though...I promise.

[GusBricker]

Witcher 3, IMO.

[HaVoK308]

Sounds about right. Too bad the sequel is going to be ruined with SJW horseshit.

[LordMaim]

Unless you're precognitive, you have no idea what you're talking about. And if you are, you should be playing the stock market instead of trolling the N4G forums.

[Ninver]

Besides Metal Gear Solid 1,2 and 3, The Last of Us is the only other game that has ever kept me engaged and thrilled the whole way through. It's the best game of this decade in my opinion.

[W4rfight3r]

Gta should be the one to take the crown

[badboyz09]

I've played about every noteworthy game for the past 4gens except for the RPG's like witcher & Nintendo's exclusives. And Last Of Us easily comes in my top 3.
My Top 3 No Order
Okami
Last Of Us
Mafia 1/2

[Gatsu]

For me it's The Witcher 3.

[Dovergamer]

I can't expect any less from Play Station exclusives. Naughty Dog's are veterans of the finest degree.

Can ANY pc game or XBOX game do this?

[jznrpg]

Awesome game , amazing story . You could argue a handful or more of other games as well but TLoU is definitely deserving . I don’t really think of games on these terms so really it doesn’t matter to me . I got to play all of the list and many other great games . I’d put Demons Souls on the list as I still think of the Jailkeepers ringing that bell thing in the darkness(plus I liked the soul tendency they took out of the other Souls games) but Dark Souls is deserving as well and of course Bloodorne is dope.

[Daishi]

If I'm only speaking from my own personal experience, nothing comes close to mass effect 3 for me. Building relationships from the first game and carrying them over for years and finally coming to the end of my journey. I'm just really glad I was off the internet for 2 weeks after the game launched so I missed all the hate. Witcher 3 would be my second.

[ufo8mycat]

Last Of Us tied with The Witcher 3, for me.

[Father__Merrin]

Impossible there's many pc games that are better like Spintires it's 4k at 60fps

[terstomp]

I agree with the award. Aside from the story and characters, the gameplay gave you choices/options and apart from a few areas was not frustrating, wasn't too difficult, the controls and menu was not complex, no padding nor side/fetch quests, the pacing was good, and the graphics was good.

[Jon_Targaryen]

Best story...? Yes.. Best game, no. Its generic stealth cover based shooter. Uncharted with Zombies...

[Profchaos]

Looking at the full list quite a number of very deserving games.

[GameStallion]

They must have missed Witcher 3.

[windblowsagain]

Varied opinions.

Obviously everyone has their fav.

It can be measured in many ways. ,gameplay,story,mp.

I loved TLOU and I'm a massive Uncharted fan as well. The action is tight, story is solid enough. it's not a whodunnit.(knivesout)

But i Also really enjoyed Bloodborne and it was the first time i'd taken on a game like that. Was hard as well. I did ask for help at times from online community. loved ringing the bell and players came in to assist you. Was Unique.

Really enjoyed the witcher3, it's monsters and story were very well done. Felt like a true quest.

I actually really enjoyed the Last Jedi. Except for it's bugs. But it played well for the most part.

For some it could be a racing title, or fighting game.

At the end of the day, there are way to many great games to call one the best.

If I had fun and felt thoroughly engaged by the title then it's a winner.

Looking forward to see what comes in the future. Interesting times.

[bogdani]

Rdr2 its not for top 10! no way

[Mr_Luke]

Very well, i'd put other games very close to it, since i played many masterpieces in 2019 ^^'' but it deserves it, TLoU is wonderful (haters are gonna hate).

[Mr Marvel]

I’m not even that excited for the sequel, but The Last of Us is my favourite game of all time.

[FTLmaster]

Well deserved!

[C-H-E-F]

I agree, literally played through it 15 plus times ps3 and ps4 it's just so good can't wait for TLOU2 and Yes I will be buying it on PS5 an PS4 and?

[Livingthedream]

Witcher 3 for me, but Last of Us was a fantastic experience.

[medman]

I cannot argue with TLOU as game of the decade. It's one of my favorites of all time, no question. For me, it's a toss up between TLOU and Mass Effect 2 as my own personal games of the decade.

[MasterCornholio]

I did enjoy it but I liked Uncharted 4 better.

[azizlksa]

GOW or the witcher 3 or bloodborne are my picks for the game of the decade. The last of us doesnt even come close.

[Bleucrunch]

I know I said The Last of Us was number one of the decade, but number 2 would have to go to Demon Souls...it paved the way for that genre and brought classics like Dark Souls and the behemoth itself BloodBorne.