Documents show the Xbox team’s opinion of The Last of Us 2.
Image: Sony
Microsoft internal documents used in the lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games revealed curious content from the Xbox team. It is a text in the form of an analysis produced by company analysts about one of the biggest launches of the rival in 2020: the game The Last of Us Part II.
The content is present amidst several evidences that will be presented in the action involving Fortnite and Apple’s online store. Microsoft was added to the case as a witness and example on how to handle revenue and collection of partner fees — but it does include a page that shows the text in full.
The original document containing the analysis.Source: US Courts
All in all, this is an unsurprising document—after all, market analysis and competitive studies are obvious steps for a company the size of Microsoft. Still, it is quite rare to have a direct view of this type of content, with very objective opinions about the material.
many compliments
The text was produced by Mike Mace and Jon Katz, two members of the Xbox division who finished the game to write the material. Overall, the duo say the game is “exceptionally well-made and, in fact, shows what other games, especially those purely narrative and adventure ones, should aspire and achieve with their dialogue, presentation and character voiceover”.
The title is described as “extremely rare” and that it advances the art of narrative storytelling as a whole. “We loved it, had a great time playing it and found ourselves still thinking about the characters and stories even after we finished the campaign,” says the conclusion.
The Last of Us Part II.Source: Sony
The text also discusses how Naughty Dog sacrificed a good part of the player’s freedom and choice, which follows a fixed narrative and without major possibilities of change, to focus on immersion and character study.
He also praises how the gameplay managed to balance two campaigns, creating the feeling that the game universe “has no heroes, only survivors”, as well as showing “how normally decent people can find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle of gruesome violence”.
Graphics and gameplay
In terms of gameplay, the review says that Part 2 is an expansion and notable improvement over the previous one, both in ways to complete a mission and even in the enemies’ artificial intelligence.
In terms of visuals and attention to detail, the game is also highly praised and “significantly ahead of anything other teams have produced on console and PCs”, leaving the team also impressed by the variety of different locations and characters.
Some criticisms
Despite recognizing the quality of the title, the team did not fail to point out some negative points. “Naughty Dog still doesn’t seem to be able to do decent firearms combat in any of their games, and this one is no exception. stealth rather than direct approaches,” the document says.
The match was criticized by the team.Source: Sony
The team also claims that inventory management isn’t perfect and involves moving the thumb around when switching weapons, which is “notably frustrating during the most frantic sequences of combat.”
The full document (in English) can be found here.
18% Off
The Last Of Us Part II game, PS4
Follow Ellie’s exceptional journey through post-pandemic America in an environment full of mysteries, with monstrously evolved Infected. One of the most talked about games today.
BRL 279.00 On Amazon BRL 228.99
