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Sony contacted Vice due to more critical review of The Last of Us Part II

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dex3108

dex3108

Member
Oct 26, 2017
22,587
While the vast majority of reviews have lavished The Last of Us Part 2 with all sorts of praise, a handful of outlets — Polygon included — have been slightly more critical of the blockbuster game. According to Zacny, Vice's review prompted a Sony representative to reach out on behalf of Naughty Dog.

"They felt some of the conclusions I reached in my review were unfair and dismissed some meaningful changes or improvements," Zacny told Polygon over Twitter messages.

Zacny clarified that the exchange wasn't "confrontational," but that it was nonetheless "unusual," as the site doesn't typically have big publishers asking in an official capacity why a review reads the way it does. Such things can happen, of course, though often with smaller developers, or from publishers who have spotted a factual error in a piece that they want corrected.

"I was happy to unpack a bit of my reasoning, however, and received a perfectly cordial message in response," Zacny said. Naughty Dog's PR team declined to comment on Polygon's inquiry about its exchange with Vice
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www.polygon.com

The Last of Us Part 2 has become a minefield

Devs, critics, and fans butt heads over one of the year’s biggest games
www.polygon.com www.polygon.com
 
Serene

Serene

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
52,525
Sony/ND is so stuffy about this dumb shit that they go after outlets even after receiving overwhelming praise just because it's not unanimous

embarassing
 
ItWasMeantToBe19

ItWasMeantToBe19

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
20,440
Naughty Dog and Sony pouncing on very mild or unscored criticism is just so strange.

This isn't even like going after a review that would lower the Metascore and hurt promotion... This is somehow sadder.
 
Samiya

Samiya

Alt Account
Banned
Nov 30, 2019
4,811
Sony and ND should take the W and shrug off any criticism. It's a 94 metacritic, the best-selling PS4 exclusive game in its first couple of days, and it is being lauded by players as an amazing game, perhaps even GOTG.

What Sony's PR is doing and what Druckmann and Troy Baker have been doing is dumb and unnecessary. Log off Twitter and enjoy the fame and money instead.
 
Tagyhag

Tagyhag

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,492
Damn, it's just like their fanboys.

At least it's not death threats or calling the reviewer fat.
 

Deleted member 21709

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
23,310
The Last of Us Part II feels complacent, yet also preoccupied with its predecessor. Every facet of the original game has been expanded and enlarged in the sequel, but not actually improved. It is as if its only inspiration is the original game, and the well of pop culture it was drawing from. There is practically nothing here we haven't seen and done repeatedly throughout previous Naughty Dog games. It sets out to surpass its predecessor, but the only meaningful contrast between them is in its even more oppressive bleakness and violence. It digs two graves, fills them with blood, and then just fu.king wallows in them.
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I disagree with their take.
 
Piston

Piston

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,164
Eh, doesn't seem like that big of a deal even if it is a bit insecure. It wasn't like they were threatening or anything, sounds like they wanted more info.
 
RochHoch

RochHoch

One Winged Slayer
Member
May 22, 2018
18,898
What a bunch of snowflakes

How dare that reviewer share his honest opinion instead of worshiping the game as a cinematic masterpiece. What a joke.
 
Bigkrev

Bigkrev

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,309
Seriously, what is it about this game that has caused massive brain rot from people who should be so far above this- Druckman and Troy Bakers Twitters, this, etc
 
Expy

Expy

Member
Oct 26, 2017
9,861
Man so many people jump to conclusions and didn't even READ the OP.

"I was happy to unpack a bit of my reasoning, however, and received a perfectly cordial message in response," Zacny said.
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This is a direct quote from it.

It's also Sony PR, NOT Naughty Dog.

This is nothing,
 

Deleted member 16876

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
39,148
It was a freaking review. Why do they even care?
The game reviewed well, was going to sell well and is popular. Why does a few negative reviews matter?

Embarassing.
 
Azerth

Azerth

Prophet of Truth - Chicken Chaser
Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,182
thats embarrassing. just accept that not everyone is going to like your game and move on
 
Haze

Haze

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,782
Detroit, MI
Honestly, fuck the way Sony has handled reviews of this game, hamstringing writers by dictating to what extent they can discuss the story
 
VeryHighlander

VeryHighlander

The Fallen
May 9, 2018
6,380
That's kind of embarrassing. You know this shit goes on but they just got straight up caught lmao. Game reviews stopped mattering to me after the Kane and Lynch fiasco 😎
 
Dany

Dany

Member
Oct 29, 2017
4,064
seattle
Usually is the PR wing that does this. But idk how often it happens any more. Also his review was fine lol
 
Phellps

Phellps

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,805
Doesn't seem bad if they took the writer's explanation about the piece and just let go? They're not trying to change the review.

Some replies here clearly haven't even read the OP.
 
Serene

Serene

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
52,525
Expy said:
Man so many people jump to conclusions and didn't even READ the OP.



This is a direct quote from it.

It's also Sony PR, NOT Naughty Dog.

This is nothing,
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Any company reaching out to argue with reviewers that "you reviewed our thing wrong" is dumb as shit and worth calling out
 
PlanetSmasher

PlanetSmasher

The Abominable Showman
Member
Oct 25, 2017
115,625
"We want our game to be controversial!"
"WAIT NOT THAT KIND OF CONTROVERSIAL!"

Seriously, Sony. What the hell are you doing? The review embargoes were weird enough already but this is a bad look. Let writers react to your game. It's not like you weren't already showered with buckets full of praise already.
 
iksenpets

iksenpets

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,490
Dallas, TX
I'm enjoying Last of Us 2 a ton so far, but Jesus they're being weird about any criticism towards it. I get that they're also getting mobbed by online reactionaries for representation and all that, which sucks, but you can't conflate that shit with all the normal criticism you're going to get when you release a major creative project. Accepting that and being cool about it is the job. You can't get mad about basic shit like "the story was too irredeemably miserable and violent for me" or, heaven forbid, "it's too long".
 
PeskyToaster

PeskyToaster

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,313
As long as its professional, I don't see an issue. Critical analysis should be a discussion, not something you fire and forget. I guess if I saw a major outlier I would want to know why too and just get their thoughts. Getting and understanding feedback is how you improve.
 
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