It’s guaranteed to be a great addition to any collection, but… Let’s be clear: There isn’t anybody at VGRHQ who doesn’t love The Last Of Us. Just about every one of us will eventually own the Remastered edition, even if we don’t snag it on launch day. We also have no problem with Sony releasing this updated version, especially when they say more than half of current PS4 owners have never indulged in Naughty Dog’s 2013 masterpiece.
That all being said, the amount of hype and attention this game has received is absolutely mind-boggling. It’s also unwarranted.
We’ve seen high-definition upgrades and remasters of some of the most amazing games in history and none have received a fraction of the hype The Last Of Us: Remastered has netted. It’s not even close. Granted, TLoU is fresher in the minds of most gamers, as it only released last year, and it’s also a fantastic production. Great games get attention in this industry, and we hope that positive trend continues.
Lastly, and in all frankness, what the developers have done with the Remastered version is pretty impressive and worthy of recognition. This isn’t just a little extra gloss and spit-polish, you know; a lot more has gone into this project. As amazing as the game is, there are outside factors that have driven the hype train.
But as much as we love TLoU and as much as we support the production in question, this has gotten out of hand. An explanation? Well, the summer drought is certainly a big part of it. With so few high-profile titles releasing during the summer (one could argue that zero AAA games launch between now and Destiny on September 9), gamers have to talk about something, right? On top of which, we haven’t seen much in the way of true “next-gen” experiences on the more powerful consoles, so it’s not like TLoU has long since been eclipsed.
Furthermore, one could argue that this particular remaster has sparked a massive controversy concerning the frames per second subject. In fact, it’s very possible that if this debate didn’t exist, the Remastered version wouldn’t have garnered half the attention it has. It’s a worthy argument, too, because the FPS debate encompasses more than just TLoU and more than the concept of remastered games. It is indeed an important – and often interesting – topic.
Take away all of this, though, and what do you get? Yes, a remastered version of a great game. We’ve seen it before. Maybe we haven’t seen other definitive editions boast so much in the way of technical upgrades and content, but that’s debatable. At its core, The Last Of Us: Remastered isn’t anywhere near as special as the hype makes it out to be. It’ll still be one of the most impressive titles of 2014 (even if it remains a 2013 game) but at the end of the day, we’ve seen it before.
Bottom line? We’re just really bored this time of year.