Is the Last of Us a story worth telling?

The Last of Us is a survival game developed by Naughty Dog. With Naughty Dog being the developers of beloved games such as Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, and Uncharted, it goes without saying that the bar is set pretty high for this game. So the only question that remains if this game lives of to the standards set by Naughty Dog or does it miss the mark?

STORYLINE

The game is set around two main protagonists, Joel and Elli, and their journey. There is a pandemic that ravages the world and the people who live there, causing everyone not infected to fend for their own. Joel and Ellie meet under less than ideal circumstances and journey to lead her to some scientists that can hopefully engineer a cure. That’s all I’ll say about the story because the rest in an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end that makes the game difficult to put down. There are few games that draw you in emotionally like the relationship between Joel and Ellie.

GAMEPLAY

As I mentioned in the beginning this is a survival game. Think early Resident Evil if you’ve ever played it. Ammo and other supplies are scarce and need to be used wisely. There is a crafting system that allows you to make homemade bombs and medical kits. Now that is not exactly anything new or revolutionary but what I like about it is how it causes you to think about what to make. Items are used to craft more than one item so sometimes you have to decide between to use alcohol as a medical kit or for a Molotov cocktail. To make matters worse, which is actually a good thing, the AI is ridiculously smart. Once alerted to you, they’ll actively search for you and find ways to take you down. No encounter is the same, at least not for me, and there are some crazy encounters. Sometimes you also have to decide on whether to fight or run, and the latter is something that you will definitely do at least once. Decisions, decisions.

LENGTH

Directionally speaking, the game is linear but with open environments so there is quite a bit to explore and scavenge. These open areas can either work for you or against you depending on how you choose to play. I’d estimate maybe 10-15 hours but it’s time that will be spent on the edge of your seat. There is also a multiplayer mode if that is your thing but as of writing this I have yet to try it.

GRAPHICS/SOUND

Visually, the game is beautiful and the creators know that. Some scenes in the game were planted purposely to show that, at least in my opinion. The audio is also top notch. It’s so great to the point that when playing I’ll often stop and listen to my surroundings to make sure no one is sneaking up on me.

OVERALL

Overall, The Last of Us is a superb game and raised the bar even higher for Naughty Dog. The game is emotionally compelling and will be hard to put down. This game is definitely one of the best games of 2013 and would make a great holiday present to someone. My only gripe about the game is that sometimes it wouldn’t load for me. The percentage would rise and then restart. I’d just simply quit and restart as a fix. It’s something minor but can still be frustrating nonetheless.

My verdict: 10 out of 10