In 2013, the incredible game developing team behind Naughty Dog created what is praised by many as one of videogame's greatest titles: The Last of Us. Set two decades after an infectious cordyceps fungus (a kind of fungal infection that is known to attack insects) destroys most of humanity, The Last of Us' story is about the journey of a man named Joel who you take control of, and a 14-year-old girl named Ellie as they travel through post-apocalyptic America. Along the way, the two struggle to survive as they come across murderous bandits as well as the infected: contagious flesh eating monsters that were once human--a result of the vicious pandemic. Survival proves to be difficult as you are constantly starved for ammunition and supplies needed to endure the hostility, giving you a real sense that you are in a world of desperation.
By finding items such as tape, scissors and sugar packets, you can craft new weapons such as Molotov cocktails, scissor-wielding pipes and nail bombs. First aid kits can also be fabricated. If you want to upgrade the strength of your guns, you can do that as well. This gives you the feel of a guerilla fighter, someone who uses their environment to survive. This could also get annoying when you feel the urge to have to search every corner of every room for supplies; however, it is important that you keep a keen eye for supplies. You need to really think about how you should ration and use your supplies as well as your ammunition. It’s important, as Joel tells Ellie, to make every shot count.
Tension is heightened when you need to decide how to kill with what little you have. When pitted against enemies, stealth becomes important. Weapon wielding killers or the infected can be strangled or stabbed from behind. The sight of your victims being strangled has a haunting level of realism as they claw and gasp for breath when put into a deadly choke hold. It seems almost reminiscent to the deputy strangling in No Country for Old Men, a movie that was an inspiration in the making of the game. Bandits take cover and surround you when they know they are under attack. If you aim a weapon toward someone who is vulnerable, they plead for their life instead of fight back. If you're standing on a table, stairway or vehicle, they can pull you down by your feet. If you pull the trigger of an empty weapon, they realize that you are out of ammunition by hearing the click of the trigger and are less hesitant to approach you. Actions such as these entail a sense of believability into the game's enemies that no other game has.
The incredible game play isn’t the only reason why this is such a great game. The game’s outstanding narrative also makes for an engaging experience. Despite the brutal world in which it takes place, The Last of Us is a humanizing story. You care for Joel and Ellie and the game, at its core, is about them. They don't like each other when they first meet, but as the story progresses you see them slowly begin care for one another. Along the way, the two protagonists come across other characters that help tell you what kind of people the two of them are. Every character is necessary in driving the story forward and there are moments with them that make for a cruel and emotionally draining story. Neil Druckman, the writer and creative director for The Last of Us wanted to make a game that was honest, which is exactly what it is. The characters are believable and they are all supplemented so well into this superbly written story that speaks to us, to humanity.
It has been three years since The Last of Us was released and it is still among the absolute best. With over 200 game of the year awards, it is arguably the best game on the PlayStation 3 and after its re-release in 2014, is arguably the best game so far on the PlayStation 4. Even if you’ve never played a video game in your life, I highly encourage you to play this game from beginning to end. The Last of Us is nothing less than a masterpiece.
SCORE: 10/10
