The Last Of Us

Hello, Gamers! The Last Of Us is a game that has received a lot of hype since its unveiling, so let's take a look under the hood and see if all the hype was well-founded.



Storyline - 5/5

The story of The Last Of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic U.S.A., 20 years after the outbreak of a fungus called the "Cordyceps", which causes everyone infected by it to lose all sense of self and become a cannibalistic zombie-like monster.

You play the role of Joel, a survivor of the outbreak, just trying to make a living in a post-apocalyptic world with his partner, Tess. Joel and Tess soon take a job escorting a little girl named Ellie with a secret that may be the key to figuring out the Cordyceps fungus.

PROTIP: This is a Clicker. These will be the source of your pissed off.

The storyline is great, not just because it's another zombie apocalypse story, but rather the fact that the zombie apocalypse aspect takes a backseat in favor of the development of each of the characters you meet in the game. By the end of the game, you feel as if you know everyone on a deep and personal level, and not just the heroes. The bad guys are also surprisingly well-developed and deep, for the most part.

The story of The Last Of Us is played out amazingly well, teaching the lesson that one man's choices can make an impact on an entire society, and the value of the life of one and the lives of many. All in all, a great story that deserves to be told again and again.

Graphics - 5/5

To say that the visuals in this title are awesome would be a severe understatement.

The environments are all crisp and detailed; the forests, abandoned cities, and the building interiors, everything as large as the building themselves to the little signs inside, it's all very clear and visible.

The character models are all also extremely well-done, every model well-rendered, and varied.

Even the minor details, like grass, foliage, and rubble are detailed and enjoyable.

Turns out that Mother Nature wanted her s*** back.

Everything about the visuals is just gorgeous, displaying the raw beauty and power of nature taking over in a post-apocalyptic civilization. Definitely a treat for the eyes.

Audio - 5/5

The audio in the game is also very well-done.

The voice acting is spot-on, with powerful performances delivered by all of the actors. It really creates the sensation of the characters actually speaking, and not some actor behind a microphone.

Music is relatively sparse in the game, but when it plays, it's powerful and moving, assisting in motivating the player to take action. The soundtrack itself is really quite good, with several excellent pieces that deserve places on any gamer's playlist.

This is how they take care of all their problems... In Texas.

The sound effects and ambience are also quite good. You can audibly make out little sounds like birds chirping, cicadas buzzing, dogs playing, zombies groaning, and hunters barking orders to each other in the midst of everything else going on.

Long story short: Anything you can hear is incredible.

Gameplay - 4/5

The gameplay is, for the most part, a positive experience.

The controls are relatively unique for a third-person action/stealth game, and take some getting used to. But once you get the hang of them, everything else generally clicks into place.

The general theme of the gameplay is stealth and survival. Most of the time, you're encouraged to sneak around and not engage in combat directly, all the while gathering supplies. Sometimes, you have no choice, but for a majority of the game, stealth is the preferred option.

If a 14-year-old girl gets the drop on you, there is no "feeling lucky", punk.

That being said, there are a couple of issues with the whole stealth and survival structure. First, you cannot move the bodies of your fallen foes. Which makes it incredibly difficult to sneak around the patrol routes of enemies without a sentry spotting a body and blowing your cover. Secondly, you cannot loot the bodies of enemies, either. Instead, there's a small random chance that they may drop ammunition or supplies when they're taken out. These two factors take away some of the immersion into the stealth and survival aspects that the game is going for.

Other than that, the game is flawless. You can create equipment and improve your melee weapon on the fly through the crafting system, and you can also improve Joel's abilities through supplements that you find lying hidden throughout the environments. Add to that the excellent combat and deceptively fun multiplayer, and you have a recipe for hours and hours of entertainment.

All in all, this is a great game to play.

That's all for the in-depth exam. Let's look at the breakdown.

Storyline - 5/5 Excellent zombie apocalypse story with superb character development. Even the bad guys are likeable, in their own way.

Graphics - 5/5 Everything is crisp, clear, and detailed. A visual treat.

Audio - 5/5 Amazing voice work, music, and sound effects. Very realistic.

Gameplay - 4/5 Controls have a bit of a learning curve, and some immersion is lost in the game mechanics, but otherwise flawless gameplay and fun multiplayer.

Total - 19/20

Even though it's not quite a perfect game, it really, REALLY comes close. This is a game that deserves a place in just about anyone's library, whether they're into stealth games, action games, third-person shooters, or Zombie Apocalypse games. There's something for just about everyone here.