Following its launch today, The Last of Us Part 2 has been review-bombed by a large number of users on Metacritic. The game is the long-awaited sequel to The Last of Us, which originally launched in 2013, and a direct continuation of the story from that title. The plot follows the lives of Ellie and Joel as they have grown older, digging into the consequences of their actions as they travelled across the U.S. to try to survive the outbreak of a deadly fungus.
Despite concerns over the working conditions at Naughty Dog and a number of high profile leaks, The Last of Us 2 has been one of the most eagerly anticipated games of recent times. It has already received widespread praise from critics and was awarded the highest score of five stars in Screen Rant's own review of the game.
According to a report at VG24/7, a large group of users have review bombed The Last of Us 2 on Metacritic. While the average rating from official reviews currently sits at an impressive 95, the score from users is at a much lower 3.4 out of a possible 10. The most common complaints seem to be focused on the story and character development, with many user reviews citing the controversial storyline revolving around Joel, Ellie, and Abby. These were the same issues that caused the most uproar when parts of the game's story leaked earlier in the year.
Review bombing has become an increasingly common problem in recent times. It is not uncommon for games to receive widespread critical acclaim but also face a barrage of negative reviews from users of sites such as Metacritic. Typically, review bombing is part of an effort by a group of fans who are upset about a particular feature in a game. In other cases, though, it can be a form of protest used to demonstrate displeasure about certain actions taken by developers and publishers.
Recent games such as Warcraft 3: Reforged have been review bombed and the same technique is often also used against films and television shows. It has become a frequent way for some people to try to attack content creators for taking a political or controversial stance. In the case of The Last of Us Part 2, it is unlikely to affect sales or pose much of a problem for Naughty Dog. The game has been so highly anticipated for such a long time that most fans will likely purchase the game regardless of the negative user reviews.
Source: VG24/7