@Toysoldier34 @DanieltheDeadSemantics aside, at the end of the day that option and pay structure still handicaps those who are either unwilling or unable to pay for such a benefit.
As a result, it eliminates a base mainline for all players to build from, and saying something is excusable simply because it's 'standard' across a genre doesn't excuse it from being dishonest and manipulative, especially when the developer proudly touts it's intention to 'Only charge for cosmetic upgrades'.
On a related note, this problem is further exasperated by Loadout's horrendously broken matching system - I can recall plenty of games in which I was lined up against players who were a dozen levels beyond me if not more, at which point I was summarily annihilated.
Saying Loadout isn't 'Pay2Win' is a bit misleading, because you can in fact buy Blutes with real money, thus gathering Blutes faster than normal, and then using those Blutes to buy weapon upgrades - provided you have the experience necessary to unlock them.
In addition, you can also purchase XP accelerators with real money, which grant you an increased XP gathering rate for a day, or even a week depending on how much you pay.
So, you can both level up your character and your firearms faster than normal by using real money, which in turn gives you an advantage over other players.
Some will say that it doesn't have that effect because the game tries to randomly match players in the same level brackets when it generates the games, but the previously outlined process still allows those who are willing to shell out their money a means by which to outrank and out perform those who don't shell out for the Blute and XP upgrades
It's not the most obvious way of implementing Pay2Win, but it is there, which is pretty disappointing and rather dishonest on the part of the developer.
I'll never understand why people place so much weight on review scores.
The way people were carrying on and throwing temper tantrums here leads me to believe that they're under the assumption that if 'The Last of Us' fails to receive perfect scores across the board, the game will be pulled from shelves and you'll never be able to play it.
Like pretty much everything in life, a review is an opinion, and opinions are subjective; different people have different standards, and what the Gamespot review crew sees as a flaw may be something that you like, or don't even notice.
Don't let 1 or 2 points on an imaginary scale of quality pull you into an ephemeral rage and lead you into a profanity-laced tirade - you make yourself look like a fool.
If anything you should be using reviews to gain a general overview of the game and nothing more, because in all honesty, if you're interested in the title, you're going to pick it up, play it, and enjoy it. It's not as though you're going to be sitting in your living room, playing the game, and cursing Gamespot as you're doing so (if you are...just go seek professional help already) - you're going to be enjoying the game.
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