Naughty Dog's The Last of Us is one of the most beloved video games of the last ten years, and maybe even of all time. The game generated an incredible 95 on Metacritic and has sold over 20 million units throughout its lifetime, making it one of the most successful games ever made.
It helped solidify Naughty Dog as a leading name in gaming, and it proved that there is still a demand for original games. But not everyone can agree on its merits. The game's fanbase harbors many unpopular opinions, many of which can be found over on Reddit.
The Game Is Overrated
Let's get the easy out of the way first. Whenever it comes to critically acclaimed and enormously popular pieces of art, dissenters often feel the need to vocalize their contradictory opinion. In fact, one eventually hears these opinions so often that they begin to question the reception of the game.
But don't let dissenting opinions like these fool you - they are unpopular for a reason, and most people will agree that The Last of Us is a masterpiece of gaming.
Joel And Ellie's "Didn't Have A Compelling Relationship"
Even the most ardent critics of The Last of Us will agree that its strengths lie in its story. At the core of the plot lies Joel and Ellie's budding father-daughter relationship and the slow degradation of Joel's cold and heartless shell. He learns to love again, and he takes in Ellie as a surrogate daughter. Most people agree that it makes for a beautiful tale.
But then there are people like u/totalleon228, who claims, "Joel and Ellie didn't have a compelling relationship to me. I get they wanted her to stand in as a surrogate daughter, but it never felt real."
There Is No "Game"
A common complaint of Naughty Dog games is that they value production over gameplay. This opinion is perfectly summarized by this now-deleted Reddit user, who writes, "Typical recent Naughty Dog game - all style, no substance. They spend so much time trying to 'wow' you with the presentation and voice acting that they forget to include an actually fun game in there too."
It's a pretty unpopular opinion, considering The Last of Us also earned acclaim for its gameplay. In fact, its strong multiplayer segment is still adored to this day.
It's A Game For "Casuals"
Reddit user u/mattjames2010 controversially claims, "It's a casual gamer's game. And casuals are everywhere these days." They certainly have a point, considering the game has sold 20 million copies. A game doesn't sell like that unless it captures the "casual" market. This opinion mostly stems from the "bland gameplay like in Uncharted."
But most everyone - including professional game critics - appreciated the game's challenge and gameplay mechanics. And furthermore, it's hard to say the game is for casuals when it contains the likes of Survivor and Grounded difficulties.
The Game Is "One Big Long Escort Quest"
The entire story of The Last of Us revolves around Joel taking Ellie cross country so he can deliver her to scientists in the hopes of finding a cure. Of course, it's going to be an "escort quest." But "escort quest" typically has negative connotations in the gaming landscape, as they are often fraught with mindless AI and needlessly frustrating gameplay.
That's the type of connotation that this Reddit user exploits in their controversial opinion. But The Last of Us never really veers into "escort quest" territory. Ellie never gets in the way of gameplay, and she always proves a strong companion.
The Lack Of Realism
This criticism is similar to the "escort quest" one, as this Reddit user believes that the lack of realism in regards to Ellie somewhat ruins the game. According to them, "What kills me is how the enemy AI pretty much can't see your traveling companions even when Ellie is literally walking into an infected."
It's a decent enough argument, and it does indeed prove a little unrealistic. But this is a video game, and realism is often pushed aside for better gameplay. As the responder says, "Well you either get good gameplay or realism that f***s you over."
Sarah's Death Is "Shoehorned In"
The Last of Us opens in devastating fashion with the death of Joel's daughter Sarah. It's widely regarded as one of the saddest scenes in video game history, and it opens the story in a spectacular (and spectacularly devastating) fashion.
But the same Reddit user claims that the "whole scene seemed shoehorned in to make the game feel emotional." u/exaltedbythesun counter-argued, beautifully writing, "Joel's daughter's death lays the groundwork for his character, how he became a detached bastard, and how he had to rediscover himself to bond with Ellie."
It Feels Outdated
One bizarre and unpopular opinion to hold is that the game "feels so outdated". For one thing, the game was six years old when this post was written, so of course, it's going to feel a little outdated. Video games are one of the most consistently propulsive entertainment mediums in terms of tech and innovation, so six years in gaming time is a very long time, indeed.
Furthermore, the game actually holds up remarkably well to this day - so much so that The Last of Us Part II barely needed to innovate in terms of its base gameplay mechanics. As u/sethman75 says, "I reckon it was pretty good for its time."
The Only Good Thing Is The Graphics
Not liking The Last of Us is one thing, but to claim that the "only good thing about the game [is] the graphics" feels a bit outlandish. Even if people don't like the core gameplay (and it's clear from these opinions that some people do not), there are a lot of other qualities about The Last of Us that deserve praise.
There's the story, the writing, the acting, the sound design, the sense of adventure, etc. To say that all those things are bad (or at least bland enough to not warrant a mention) is a truly unpopular opinion.
People Only Like It Because It's A PlayStation Exclusive
Fracturing player bases has long been a problem in gaming. Rather than seeing the video game industry as a whole, people like to place players in various camps depending on what console they play. And that's to say nothing of PC players.
Unfortunately, that's exactly what results in unpopular opinions like this. According to this Reddit user, "It's just an overhyped game because PS gamers want to show off their new bad PS exclusive games." Or it's just a good game?