Video game reviews usually have a shelf life of about two weeks. After that, the hype dies down, the next big triple-A title drops, and we all move on. But then there’s The Last of Us 2 IGN review. Even years after Jonathon Dornbush stamped that "Masterpiece" label on Naughty Dog’s sequel, the internet still hasn't quite figured out how to feel about it.
It was a 10/10. A perfect score.
For some, it was a deserved validation of a narrative that pushed the medium of gaming into uncomfortable, high-art territory. For others? It was the spark that lit a thousand forest fires across Reddit and Metacritic. Honestly, if you were online in June 2020, you probably remember the absolute chaos. Leaks had already soured the well, and when the review dropped, it felt like a collision between critical acclaim and fan expectation that we’re still feeling the ripples of today.
What the IGN Review Actually Said
When you look back at the original text, Dornbush wasn't just praising the graphics. He focused heavily on how the game evolves the "cinematic storytelling" of the first entry. He called it a "stunning, nuanced exploration of the strength and fragility of the human spirit." That’s high praise. It's the kind of stuff you usually see on a movie poster, not a stealth-action game review.
The review highlighted several key pillars:
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- Combat Fluidity: How Ellie’s mobility—basically being able to jump and prone—changed the rhythm of fights compared to Joel’s more "tank-like" feel in the original.
- Visual Fidelity: The way Seattle felt like a living, breathing, rotting character.
- The Emotional Toll: Dornbush didn't shy away from the fact that the game is miserable. It’s a "brutal, tragic, and poignant" experience that asks you to do things you might not actually want to do.
But here's the thing: calling a game "perfect" in a climate where half the fanbase is already upset about leaked plot points is like throwing a match into a gas station. IGN found itself in the crosshairs of a massive "review bombing" campaign. People who hadn't even touched the controller yet were screaming that the 10/10 was "paid for" or that the critics were out of touch with what "real fans" wanted.
The Controversy of the "Masterpiece" Label
Why does The Last of Us 2 IGN score still get brought up in every single discussion about game journalism? It’s because it represents the Great Divide.
On one side, you have the critics who saw a bold, $100 million risk. Naughty Dog didn't just give people "The Adventures of Joel and Ellie Part 2." They killed the protagonist, forced you to play as his killer for ten hours, and ended the story on a note of hollowed-out grief rather than triumphant revenge. Critics like those at IGN loved that subversion. They saw it as "brave."
On the other side, a huge chunk of the audience felt gaslit. To them, the 10/10 felt like a rejection of why they loved the first game. There was a lot of talk about "ludonarrative dissonance"—the idea that the game tells you "violence is bad" while making the violence feel incredibly satisfying and visceral.
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Does a 10/10 mean a game is perfect?
IGN has always been pretty clear that their 10/10 doesn't mean a game has zero flaws. It means it’s an "essential" experience that moves the needle for the industry. But try telling that to someone who just watched their favorite character get his head caved in with a golf club. The emotional reaction was so strong that it colored how people perceived the professional reviews.
The Impact of IGN Japan’s Different Take
Interestingly, while the main US branch gave it a perfect score, IGN Japan offered a much more critical perspective. They gave it a 7/10. Their reviewer argued that the game felt too much like a "retread" of the first game's mechanics and that the new characters didn't quite land the same way.
This created a weird meta-narrative. Fans who hated the game pointed to IGN Japan as the "honest" ones, while fans who loved it stuck with Dornbush’s assessment. It proved that even within the same massive media organization, there isn't a "hive mind." It's all just people with opinions, even if those people have "IGN" in their Twitter bio.
Real-World Takeaways for Your Next Playthrough
Whether you think the 10/10 was a "shill" move or a righteous crowning of a king, the game is undeniable in its technical craft. If you’re looking at The Last of Us 2 IGN reviews to decide if you should play the Remastered version on PS5, here’s the ground truth:
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- Don't expect a fun time. It’s a great game, but it’s not "fun" in the traditional sense. It’s stressful. It’s meant to make you feel bad.
- The gameplay carries the weight. Even if you hate the story, the "No Return" roguelike mode in the Remastered version proves the combat loop is world-class.
- Context matters. If you can, go in blind. Forget the 2020 drama. Forget the scores. See if the "empathy experiment" Naughty Dog tried actually works on you.
The discourse around this game has become a permanent part of gaming history. It changed how we talk about leaks, how we view critic-versus-user scores, and how much "pain" we’re willing to tolerate in our entertainment.
If you want to understand why the gaming community is so polarized today, go back and read that 2020 review. Then look at the comments. It’s a time capsule of a moment when the industry grew up—and realized that "growing up" is often really, really messy.
Actionable Insight: If you’re still on the fence, skip the review scores and watch the first 20 minutes of a "No Commentary" playthrough. If the tension and the weight of the character movement don't grab you immediately, no 10/10 score is going to change your mind. Also, if you’re playing the Remastered version, make sure to check out the "Lost Levels" with developer commentary; it explains why certain controversial pacing choices were made, which gives much-needed context to the final product.