Geo on 12 January 2014
I thought this would be an interesting topic since it has clearly not gone in GTA V's favor as the Game of the Year awards have been unveiled throughout the past 2 months or so. Why were Grand Theft Auto fans so certain that GTA V would win Game of the Year this year? Was it because they got caught up in the hype of its release?
Grand Theft Auto V - 128
The Critics' Picks - 95
The Readers' Picks - 33
The Last of Us - 204
The Critics' Picks - 163
The Readers' Picks - 41
As you have also likely noticed, most of the major video game publications have sided with The Last of Us overall, not GTA V. Here are some publications comments on The Last of Us winning Game of the Year:
Quote:
| it’s a masterpiece of mature, gameplay-driven narrative, stunningly well-realised world-building, and uncompromising but intelligent systemic game design. The final product is complete, cohesive, and affecting--it's the pinnacle of intelligent, powerful, artistically-minded gaming in the triple-A sphere. |
Quote:
| Not only is The Last of Us deserving of being call “Game of the Year”, but it quite possibly could be the game of a generation. The writing, the pacing, the dialogue, the world, the characters, and their relationships—everything is as perfect as it can get. |
Quote:
| The Last of Us is more than the sum of its parts. It's a moment, an instant classic, and the most important video game released in 2013. |
- Yahoo
Quote:
| If there's one game you should play this year, it's this. |
- MTV
Quote:
| Video game storytelling was at its best through 2013, but no game told a more deeply moving story than Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us. |
Quote:
| For all of Rockstar Games’ technical showboating and RAGE-engine implemented carnage, The Last of Us is a work of the finest gaming art. |
Quote:
| Wow. Epic. Intimate. Insane. 5 stars. An utter masterpiece. I’m addicted, life over. |
Quote:
| It was clear upon release and even more so six months later how important of an achievement The Last of Us is for the medium. Most importantly, however, The Last of Us proved how far video games have evolved and gave hope for where the medium would go — and managed to do so on seven year old hardware. |
Quote:
| Naughty Dog has done something rare in the medium and that is tell a mature tell in a mature way. For as raw and grotesque as it is, The Last of Us is an exercise in subtlety and subdued story-telling. |
Quote:
| Naughty Dog has proven itself with cartoonish action and theatrical thrill rides in the past, but it was a pleasure to watch their first effort at deeper, more meaningful work. They made an instant classic. |
Quote:
| It will remain a noteworthy accomplishment for years to come, not because any one of its accomplishments was all that remarkable on its own, but because together they made it seem possible that blockbuster games this good might one day become regular—though never ordinary—occurrences. |
- Kotaku
Quote:
| Naughty Dog’s apocalyptic road trip has rightly won plaudits for its cinematic and narrative qualities, with terrific visual direction, writing and performances from its central pairing of Joel and Ellie. |
Quote:
| We gave it a 10. It's not flawless, by any means. But it gets so much right in ways games often get them wrong, as well as excelling in many other areas, and as such it's our game of the year. |
Quote:
| They've worked hard to make a world that looks blandly real and as a result you feel completely grounded in it, and crafted a story that'll happily kick you in the heart multiple times. And you'll thank it for the experience. This is a masterpiece: play it as soon as possible. |
Quote:
| The Last of Us did gunplay better than any survival horror has done in this – now coming to an end – generation. |
- DarkZero
Quote:
| As you prepare to say goodbye to your old consoles, don’t miss the experience of playing The Last of Us. The game, available now on the PlayStation 3, represents the very best of what video games can be. |
Quote:
| The grueling journey is at its most elegant in the end, where stealth, disgust, panic, resourcefulness and heart combine into a major, polished game that does not need you to lower your expectations. |
- Joystiq
Quote:
| The Last of Us, more than any other game this year, convinced that what we did, actually mattered. |
Quote:
| Naughty Dog continues to impress. After setting the bar pretty high with Uncharted 3 (getting rave reviews), they deliver once again with The Last of Us. |
Quote:
| It was a dark tale that showcased some of the best storytelling in the medium, with characters you believed and felt for. Easily the game of the year. |
Quote:
| For a big budget game available on just one platform it was a huge risk - and it totally worked. |
Quote:
| We applaud Naughty Dog for its achievement, and can't wait to see what Sony's premiere studio delivers next. |
Quote:
| This is the final argument in the debate over video games as art. Ellie and Joel are two of the most well-rounded, human characters in modern popular fiction. The blend of quality cinematic storytelling, a compelling plot and characters, and tight control mechanics clinches The Last of Us the best game of 2013 spot, securing its place in history. |
Quote:
| When it came to my pick for Game of the Year 2013, it wasn’t really a contest. The other nominees were exemplary in their own right, but the fact of the matter is The Last of Us may very well be a once-in-a-generation sort of experience, one that expertly melds together plot, gameplay, and characters into something so riveting and fun to play that it’s hard to put down. The Last of Us is a true accomplishment, one that’s emotional, well-acted, and fun to play. It somehow set the bar even higher than the Uncharted series already did, giving Naughty Dog yet another game it has to strive to beat in the future. And that’s nothing but good news for gamers. |
- IGN
So what do you think? Was it because of the hype of GTA V on initial release?
Top 10 Games of All Time
1. The Last of Us, 2. Journey, 3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, 4. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, 5. Bioshock Infinite, 6. Zelda: Twilight Princess, 7. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, 8. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, 9. Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, 10. Starcraft
Add me on PSN. Thanks.
although I have purchased LBP Vita (don't have a Vita yet, though 
) actually I expected you to post inFamous 2 
