Review cover The Last of Us Part II: Covers and Rarities EP (Merch)
Official GBAtemp Review

Product Information:

From Mondo’s partnership with Sony Masterworks and Naughty Dog comes the 12” LP vinyl record ‘The Last of Us Part II: Covers and Rarities’. Let’s give it a listen!

attachFull286587

After releasing The Last of Us Part II soundtrack vinyl, Mondo is back with another LP record based on the video game franchise: The Last of Us Part II: Covers and Rarities. As the name suggests, it features a number of covers recorded for The Last of Us Part II game, and by none other than the game’s main cast actors. Let’s take a closer look!

attachFull286589

Before even taking out the record, you will likely be drawn to the cover sleeve’s artwork. Illustrated by Dani Pendergast, it centers around Ellie’s guitar hugged by lush flora and a couple of butterflies flapping about.  The back cover features a similar scene, albeit less colorful and less expansive. There, you will also find the track list which include all five acoustic covers from the game's pre-release marketing, or the game itself, performed by Ashley Johnson (Ellie), Troy Baker (Joel), and guitarist Chris Rondinella.

attachFull286588

On the inside is a liner notes by the game's director Neil Druckmann. In it, Druckmann shares the importance of music in The Last of Us; pointing out how it has been part of the franchise since the first game’s early production. Druckmann also writes how Naughty Dog wanted to release these songs performed by the lead actors while in character as a standalone album for some time.

attachFull286590

Review image

Like the cover artwork, the LP record itself is visually striking. Pressed on 180 gram colored vinyl, it is mostly translucent with small bluish patches spread across the surface and a central sky blue patch that seems to be gliding towards the top left edge. This colored version is currently sold out, with orders on this version shipping in March 2022. If you can wait till then, I'd recommend getting this version.

attachFull286592

Review image

As for the tracks themselves, they are of high fidelity as is now customary with Mondo’s vinyl records. At 45 rpm, the audio is crisp and clear and hearing the covers of titles like Take on Me and Wayfaring Stranger by Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker in character easily takes one back to the world of The Last of Us. It really feels like hearing Ellie and Joel singing to you and this makes The Last of Us Part II: Covers and Rarities a great addition to the music catalogue of collectors, audiophiles and fans of The Last of Us alike.

However, for $25, the number of tracks might feel limited but the artwork, quality and presentation, on top of it being an officially-licensed product, will surely justify the buy for the gaming soundtrack audiophile in your life.

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Stunning cover artwork
  • Colored vinyl aesthetic
  • Audio quality
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Limited number of tracks considering cost
8.5
out of 10

Overall

Take a brief trip into the world of The Last of Us with Joel and Ellie’s iconic song covers in this aesthetically-stunning LP record.
As an '80s kid myself, I take offense to New Order covers (you can have mainstream bullshit A-Ha) but really, an EP for $25? Stop subsidizing lazy bullshit by one of the largest media companies in the world.

Fuck Sony in the ear, ass, nose, and whatever other orifice is available.
 
Wow, you're so edgy
thx bro

Someone is still upset they killed off the cold blooded liar and murderer in the first 30 minutes of the game.
I guess someone didn't pay attention to the story of the first game like, at all, if that's what you think. And the people who killed Joel were plain scum of the earth and just plain uninteresting, then you were forced to play as them. I won't go into detail since it would take pages and hours to explain all the bad stuff about Part 2, but man oh man was it bad.
 
thx bro


I guess someone didn't pay attention to the story of the first game like, at all, if that's what you think. And the people who killed Joel were plain scum of the earth and just plain uninteresting, then you were forced to play as them. I won't go into detail since it would take pages and hours to explain all the bad stuff about Part 2, but man oh man was it bad.
Well, good night hun.
 
how to make a fuckton of people mad:
mention the last of us 2 in any way

The level of hate is ridiculous. And I agree that the game has plenty of valid flaws (few of those I actually see criticism) but so does so many other games that pass by these people. The truth is that the game became political to them, despite excusing the event of the first half an hour of the game, it just became political in their minds because of the era we live in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Julie_Pilgrim
  • Deleted by DinohScene
  • Deleted by DinohScene
  • Deleted by DinohScene
Review cover
Product Information:

Reviews

  1. Xiaomi has just launched its latest smartphone line, the Xiaomi 14 series. In this series, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the top-of-the-line model, with a focus on photography and a dedicated Photography Kit to complement this focus. Let’s take a closer look!

  2. Obsidian’s Pentiment is part of a new wave of Xbox games coming to other platforms. Should you try to solve the 16th century murder mystery it presents?

  3. The second iteration of Supernote's compact e-ink notebook, we check out the A6X2 Nomad!

  4. Acting like an NPC has never been more intense

  5. The Aurvana Ace by Creative might look like your regular pair of wireless earbuds but it's the first to pack xMEMS’ solid-state silicon drivers. These are supposed to deliver richer, lifelike...

Site & Scene News

General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2: Sorry for accidentally bending over