Review: The Last of Us

Today, I'm going to review The Last of Us. We're only about half way through this year and I've played a lot of games, but I think it's safe to say that this game is definitely one of my favorites. It may even be one of my all time favorites (a replay and time will test that theory). In any case, let's get to it! I will try to keep the spoilers at a minimum, but still POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Last of Us is primarily about a man named Joel and a young girl named Ellie. These two characters are not related to each other (I did not realize this when I saw the trailers) but are thrown together in a post-apocalyptic world full of enemies, both human and zombie alike. The story takes you across the United States, beginning in Boston. The few remaining cities with human inhabitants have quarantine zones run by the military, and Boston has become one of these "safe" areas. It is there you meet Ellie, a young orphaned girl who Joel becomes contracted to protect and deliver to a safe house of the rebel group known as the Fireflies. The Fireflies work against the military militia, believing that they are not doing anything to help the current situation of the human race. Needless to say, things fall apart and Joel and Ellie find themselves having to survive a world outside the quarantine zone where Infected and rogue humans roam freely. Each chapter of the story is a season of the year which is reflected in the environments and feel of the game. It is also a very clever way to show how much time is passing. Again, I really don't want to give away too much of the story because it is so beautifully crafted but ultimately it really is Joel and Ellie against the world, and you really start to feel for these two characters. 

It has to be said that this game is spectacular at creating an emotional response in the player. You not only build an attachment to Joel and Ellie, but also to other characters that are encountered during the journey. However much like another favorite of mine, the Walking Dead game, you learn very quickly not to get too attached to side characters. The environments also invoke emotional response. A scene you are walking through can be beautiful, and yet there is almost always a feeling of dread and hopelessness underneath. Despite the fact that nature is blossoming and thriving, there is a sense of loneliness and abandonment. And of course, the challenges Joel and Ellie must face together make you feel for them, make you care about what will happen to them. Not only that, you are forced to make difficult and quick decisions all the time. This game definitely puts a meaning to the phrases "dog-eat-dog world" and "survival of the fittest". It's also a stunning experience in just how far a game can push it's player on an emotional level. 
It was also interesting to see a different point of view from the younger characters of the world of Last of Us. The main bulk of the story takes place 30 years after the pandemic started, so younger characters like Ellie who were born after the event have no concept of what the world was like before. For example, at one point you are wandering through a town and there's an old ice cream truck sitting in the street. Ellie actually has to ask Joel what it is because ice cream trucks don't exist anymore in a world where humans are the endangered species. It's a fascinating take on how a person would grow up in this world, 

The game play of Last of Us is excellent but definitely took some getting used to. Most zombie-survival games are about shooting first and asking questions later but this game is really about stealth. And it's not the easiest stealth system to learn either. I found myself dying on multiple occasions because I was not patient enough and did not plan my moves ahead. Ammo and supplies are limited so you have to conserve as best you can and take down enemies in the most effective manner available. Admittedly, there were times where I just ran in and shot everyone down but it left me with far fewer bullets, med-packs, and health by the end. The best approach is usually sneaking up on your target and taking them down quietly. Luckily, you do have distractions available at your disposal to make this process easier. Bricks and empty bottles can be employed to draw enemies towards a certain spot for an ambush, or away from your hiding place. Again, it takes time to master this technique of cat and mouse, but it becomes very satisfying once you get the hang of it and helps you conserve your resources for tougher enemies.
You are not usually alone while wandering through this hostile world. Usually, there is a NPC with you (namely Ellie) that provides limited aid as you progress. These computer controlled characters can be helpful, as in opening doors or shooting your opponents along with you. However, there were definitely times where the NPC's were more of a hindrance than a help to me during combat. Sometimes they would get in the way when I was trying to hide against a wall or behind some cover, and more then once they gave away my position to the enemies stalking me. Most of the time this didn't happen, but the times that it did made me very frustrated. Luckily though you are not completely reliant on the NPC's in combat.
Like many games more recently, the Last of Us has an item crafting and upgrade system. While I had been burned on a few of these systems with other games recently (*cough* Dead Space 3 *cough*), I found this one to be fairly easy to use. The weapon upgrading requires a work bench, but was easy to use. Finding gears in the world allows you to upgrade various aspects of the different weapons you find and allows for you to increase how many weapons you can switch between during combat. Item crafting, however, is available at almost anytime. This was really helpful as you could replenish your med-packs, explosives and shivs as long as you could find the needed supplies. Which brings us to another central focus of the game: foraging. This game rewards thorough searching of the areas you move through, which definitely adds a sense of realism. It was also nice to actually see all of your equipment and guns attached to Joel's backpack as most games do not physically show your inventory on the character model. 
Again, realism. 

Concept art of a Runner

Now, let's get to the nitty-gritty of any zombie game: the zombies. Let me begin by saying that once I found out the zombies in Last of Us are humans infected with a type of fungus (a REAL type of fungus might I add), there was instantly an added level of creepiness to them. The idea of a person having a fungus control their mind and eventually grow out of their body makes my skin crawl. And while the idea is upsetting enough, the actual physical models of the Infected are disturbing as well. The runners, the fastest class of Infected, look much like a very sickly human and fit a more classical zombie archetype. But as you get to more advanced stages, such as the Clickers and Bloaters, you begin to see creatures that more closely resemble walking, living fungal colonies. And if all of that wasn't creepy enough, the sounds all of these different Infected emit just cements the fear that they incite as you are playing. Runners make a lot of the typical zombie noises but they also like to scream on occasion, almost as though the person they once were is still trapped inside the shell. And the Clickers...well, they sound like the female ghost from the Grudge movies. It made my palms sweat every time I would hear one in the distance. Much like the human enemies, stealth is key to surviving the encounters with the Infected. And if you just run in and shoot, you will almost always end up attracting ALL of the Infected in an area to your location. There are even times when just sneaking past is the best tactic, particularly when it comes to groups of Clickers. Not only do they take more bullets to take down but if they manage to get close enough to you, the only way to keep them from killing you instantly is a shiv to the head. Note: always make sure you have plenty of shivs on you. My only complaint with the enemies of Last of Us was I felt like the balance of encounters was tipped a little more towards the human enemies then the Infected. Ultimately, this really didn't ruin the game for me but I was still surprised that a post-apocalyptic world after a large zombie pandemic did not have a lot more zombies shambling around. But on the other hand, having to deal with mass amounts of zombies all the time would completely take away from the stealth utilization of the game. I can understand why the developers went for a little more scarcity with the Infected.

Concept art of a Clicker, an advanced stage of the Infected

As for the graphics and design of the Last of Us, it is one of the more cinematic and beautiful games I've played recently. The environments are well constructed and look very organic. I also did not find myself getting lost very often which says to me that the design of the levels flowed naturally. I also really appreciated all the little fine details to the different scenes. The more you explored, the more layers you would find and usually the more collectables you would discover. I love Easter eggs like that. The character and animal animations were very crisp and realistic and I didn't experience much if any clipping or physics errors. The lighting was great for creating mood and I found that in the outdoor environments, the light sources seemed quite natual. All in all, this game seems very polished to me and I enjoyed the clear amount of time spent on all the details and presentation.

To end, this game was great. I love games that make me feel something for the world and characters I get to interact with. I wish I could speak more about the plot but I simply refuse to ruin it. Even despite the few faults I found, I just really enjoyed this gaming experience. So in short PLAY. THIS. GAME.