Game of the Month: July 2014 - The Last of Us Remastered

They may be the spores of yore, but it’s no surprise that The Last of Us Remastered has clouded our minds since its release last week. Technically an August launch in Europe, we figured that we’d classify it in this version of Game of the Month because, well, we don’t have any hard rules for this sort of thing and just sort of make it up as we go along. Sue us if you’re not happy with the consistency.

Coming back to a game that’s been so heavily acclaimed is always a concern, as we tend to block out the bad as time passes by. However, it turns out that Naughty Dog’s survival horror opus is still just as good 12 months detached from its original deploy date. “[This game] was unlikely to be anything less than sublime, and that’s the expected outcome that we’ve arrived at here,” wrote this particularly predictable editor in the first 10/10 of the year. What else is there to say?

Of course, The Last of Us Remastered wasn’t the only re-release ripping up the review schedule on the PortStation 4 [Haha – Ed] last month, as the obnoxiously named Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition also served up a platter of spicy treats. “The vanilla release boasted excellent controls, great visuals, and a strong combat system, but this PS4 outing comes with an enough polish to bump it up to the next level,” beamed scribe Ben Tarrant, slapping a 9/10 on the title.

But while sceptics complain that Sony’s latest system is offering content well past its sell by date, Just Add Water turned the tap on Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty – a complete remake of popular PSone title Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee. “This is everything that you could hope for from a remake: old issues have been resolved, the levels now flow much more naturally, and the world has never looked better,” wrote Mat Growcott in his 8/10 review.

In fact, we had more eights than a pool hall last month, with indie hits The Swapper and Rogue Legacy both attaining the coveted score. “This is a space voyage that comes highly recommended,” wrote clone Kell Andersen of the former, while Robert Ramsey is still so addicted to Rogue Legacy that we’ve had to put him in a straitjacket and lock him behind the office Cellar Door. “The game’s greatest strength is that you'll always want just one more try,” were his last words.

While our associate editor’s been dealing with the dangers of addiction, however, some of our other scribes have had to cope with atrocious titles. That Trivia Game earned a big fat nuh-uh from Simon Fitzgerald, while this author considered resting on a busy runway after working through Air Conflicts: Vietnam Ultimate Edition. Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark was perhaps the biggest disappointment of all, though, earning a 3/10 – despite its predecessors having the touch.

We’ve included our full roster of July reviews in the space below, but still want you to tell us whether you agree with our Game of the Month selection. Do you reckon that The Last of Us Remastered deserves the crown, or should it have gone elsewhere? Remind us how we overrated everything in the comments section below.

July Reviews

Transformers: Rise of the Dark - 3/10
MotoGP 14 - 8/10
GRID Autosport - 7/10
That Trivia Game - 2/10
Child of Light (Vita) - 8/10
Blue Estate - 3/10
Resogun: Heroes - 9/10
Air Conflicts: Vietnam Ultimate Edition - 2/10
One Piece: Unlimited World Red - 7/10
Tour de France 2014 - 3/10
EA Sports UFC - 7/10
MouseCraft - 8/10
The Wolf Among Us: Episode 5 - Cry Wolf - 9/10
Farming Simulator '14 - 4/10
Killzone: Shadow Fall - Intercept - 8/10
Constant C - 6/10
Crimsonland - 6/10
Ratchet & Clank Trilogy - 6/10
Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death - 5/10
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition - 9/10
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty - 8/10
Another World - 7/10
The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 4 - Amid the Ruins - 8/10
The Swapper - 8/10
DayD Tower Rush - 2/10
Rogue Legacy - 8/10
Might & Magic: Duel of Champions - Forgotten Wars - 3/10
Magical Beat - 7/10