Firstly, having been gaming for a very long time now, I am well aware that a console’s first year in existence generally isn’t peppered with instant classics.
Well, unless you’re the PS2. 2001 was one of the best years in the history of the industry, due in large part to Sony’s console, which launched in late 2000 in North America.
But at any rate, I know history and I’m not an impatient individual. I’m also a huge fan of The Last Of Us and I’ve supported the idea of this Remastered edition from the moment it was announced. Besides, after Sony said the majority of current PlayStation 4 owners hadn’t played TLoU, I figured this was a great way to bring a truly amazing game to even more people.
Even so…
What’s disappointing is that no next-gen game is even CLOSE in my eyes
Perhaps the most accomplished next-gen title thus far is Titanfall. It’s not necessarily my cup of tea but I have played it, and it has scored the best with critics (among the next-gen-exclusive software currently available). The game was plenty polished and gave us a positive glimpse of the future. That’s fine and dandy but in my eyes, it was still just a glorified multiplayer shooter. I love the inFamous series and while I finished Second Son and hit 100 percent complete, it was hardly the epitome of “next-gen” in my eyes.
Besides that, what else is there right now? Killzone: Shadow Fall? A fine FPS but still somewhat disappointing given the hype. Arguably the last great PS4 title was another revamped game from 2013; Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. Another fantastic title and another newly upgraded production I’d be happy to have in my collection. Dead Rising 3 was a colossal disappointment as was Ryse: Son of Rome. What else is there? Multiplats like Watch_Dogs and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag? Again, great games, but not big leaps forward, in my estimation.
And then there’s the unbelievable awesomeness that is The Last Of Us
Playing the game again on the PS4, it sorta shocked me to realize that in fact, The Last Of Us is still the best game available, even though it first launched well over a year ago. It’s still the most accomplished title I’ve seen since it released, and we’re including not one, but two new system launches in the time frame. Even though it often takes a while for new consoles to get rolling, isn’t this just a little depressing? One could even make a solid point in saying that Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is the second-best game on store shelves, even ahead of anything on the next-gen machines.
But maybe it’s just that Naughty Dog is always a step ahead. Maybe it’s because that with every new game they put out, they immediately place themselves head-and-shoulders ahead of any other developer in the industry. Each Uncharted was light years ahead of most any other game when it launched, and it was the same with The Last Of Us. There’s a reason it says “Over 200 Game of the Year Awards” on the front of the Remastered box. And no, such titles don’t come around very often.
It almost feels like one studio has single-handedly managed to make the new generation of gaming feel even more unimpressive.
