Press Start’s Game Of The Generation #2 – The Last Of Us Part II

What a generation it has been, full of incredible stories and countless incredible games that have kept players company for hours upon hours. It’s no secret that we at Press Start love our gaming and there has been a lot to love over the last console cycle.

In that time we’ve awarded five Game of the Year awards, given a perfect 10 to fourteen games, and reviewed a lot of others. We’re here to continue our countdown towards the Press Start Game of the Generation.

For an overview of the rules we set for ourselves in determining this top ten, click here.


#2 – The Last Of Us Part II

It’s undeniable that Naughty Dog’s sequel to The Last of Us will go down as the generation’s water-cooler game, the discourse that surrounded the game was unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Of course, it wasn’t all good, it wasn’t all bad, but no game dominated the conversation like the culmination of Ellie and Joel’s journey. 

As a sequel, Part II excels over its predecessor in several ways. It’s staggeringly beautiful while maintaining a signature bleak depiction of a country in the throes of a world-ending pandemic, plus it’s a far more robust and rounded gameplay experience. It hovered a magnifying glass over the types of tribalistic attitudes that plague our society today, a reminder that we’re all in this together. 

Abby’s emergence as a potential way forward for the series is a surprising notion, a mark of a developer’s daring effort to move a franchise forward while sending off beloved characters and leaving the past behind.

In his review, Brodie said: 

“Though it’s destined to displease those who built Ellie and Joel up as infallible, as an observation of impermanence, tribalism and the terrible cycle of violence that exists at the centre of what’s left of the human experience in this world, The Last of Us Part II is a spectacular sequel. It’s a brave and unexpected direction for the series, expanding on the world both narratively and mechanically, producing a far sounder and rounded experience that never falters or gets in the way of the game’s clear storytelling strength.”

You can read the full review here.

He scored it a 9.5/10, while it carries a Metacritic average of 93.

Congratulations to Naughty Dog, we sure hope it’s the last we see of Ellie, Abby, and the whole Jackson gang.

TOP 10

10. Super Mario Odyssey
9. Horizon: Zero Dawn
8. Control
7. Rocket League
6. Marvel’s Spider-Man
5. Doom Eternal
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
3. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
2. The Last of Us Part II.