The Last of Us

Before I begin this review I've played other big name games, ranging in ratings that is. Such as The Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, Batman Arkham City, Portal 2, etc. Never have I played a game so human though as The Last Of Us.

When the game first released I was too young to play, and it really felt bad having to wait to play. 6 years later here I am, got it for the PS4 and started playing. Was I ready for the emotional rollercoaster of the first 20 minutes? Nope. Was I ready for how absolutely mind blowing the game would be after that? Nope. Will I ever forget my experience with this game? Not for a second. This game really takes it home for me when it comes to big name games (listed up top). The characters are human and you can feel their every emotion, the story is so captivating and great pacing. The score by Gustavo Santaolalla is very suiting for this game. Everything about this game just lines up perfect. This game may just be the definition of masterpiece, not just in gaming, but period.

A must play to any human ever!

Pros:

• Amazingly Great story & characters
• Great gameplay
• Great ending
• Amazing graphics
• Companions are very helpful
• Great cinematics and cutscenes
• A-grade voice acting and animation
• Diverse level design
• Effective horror elements
• Online is also not bad

Cons:

• none

Verdict: Emotional and deep, this is might be the best game I've ever played on all consoles.

10/10

Rightfully one of the best games in history!

The very story that will hook almost every gamer, despite the banal theme of the post-apocalypse (this deserves special praise).

An interesting idea, it's not really about the battle with the infected, no, but more about moral values, the price of survival and showing the nature of people who can do even the most disgusting things in this horror.

The game is not particularly scary, but it can keep you on your toes. It's just the most beautiful world that you want to admire. From the first location, you immerse yourself in this atmosphere... And the music! It's just something.

An interesting plot with steep character development and the game itself is told slowly (but it only gets better), despite the linearity of the plot, you can walk around the entire location and "sniff" every corner :)

As a result, it's just a great game, considered a "living classic", and which everyone should play!

For me personally, the best game on this topic and just one of the best, in general (after all, there is no better game in general. But it is very possible to single out some kind of game from the genre)

My Rating : 10/10.

When The Last Of Us was first announced I knew it would be a cut above most games but I didn't know it would be this good! For me Naughty Dog has had a flawless track record, with Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter and Uncharted all possessing unique qualities. However, The Last Of Us manages to raise the bar set by all of these games, setting the bar for video game excellence, as we head into the next generation.

The story is an absolute masterpiece, with the best voice acting in the industry on display. It's this voice acting from Troy Baker as Joel and Ashley Johnson as Ellie, that gives this story all of its emotional weight and therefore, its momentum. Troy Baker does an excellent job of portraying a man on the edge, who's wiling to do anything to survive and to protect those that he cares about. However, it's Ashley Johnson who steals the show, perfectly portraying a badass teenager whose had to mature fast in order to survive. The relationship between these characters develops beautifully, providing you with an unparallelled sense of attachment to the characters. This relationship, is partly shaped by these two characters encounters with fellow survivors, with all the supporting cast doing a brilliant job, particularly Nolan North. Last but certainly not least, the score is by an academy award winning composer and it shows, as this is the finest soundtrack for any game and is an integral part of the story.

The gameplay is pretty similar to that of Uncharted, with refinements made to the shooting system, which ensure that all your shots register. The crafting system is excellent, giving you incentive to explore in order to better equip yourself for upcoming engagements. These engagements are unparallelled in video game history, as engagements with the infected create a real sense of fear and your ability to advance in the story, is determined by how you choose to engage enemies. Clickers and Bloaters are the toughest enemies and the freedom to choose between stealth and aggression, is much appreciated. Graphically, the game is stunning, adding that extra bit of realism to proceedings, as you get swept up in the environments. Finally, the most impressive gameplay feature is the dynamic speech. Whether it be conversations between Joel and Ellie about ice cream and whistling or Ellie telling you that you nailed an enemy, all of the dynamic speech contributes greatly to your investment in these characters, highlighting how Naughty Dog continues to innovate effectively.

Ultimately, The Last Of Us is a masterpiece and Naughty Dog should be commended for showing the world that the gaming medium can be considered art, just like the movie and TV mediums. The unprecedented voice acting, story and fear on display, all contribute to a beautiful game which opens in cinematic fashion and which ends, boldly and beautifully. The Last Of Us differentiates itself well from other story's in the over-saturated zombie genre, making it a must buy and the game of the generation.

I know this has almost become clichéd on IMDb but the greatness of this game has indeed caused me to write my first and only review. The Last Of Us is a unique game which captures the fragility of our social structure and demonstrates the brutality that some people are capable of. Don't pay any attention to nonsensical reviews by critics such as Polygon's Phillip Kollar who argues criticisms such as 'the game isn't fun' as it was never meant to be. The world that the game is based in isn't fun and this has been further emphasised by every trailer and demo that had been revealed prior to game's release. When playing on normal i felt like almost every encounter could be my last and i was equally terrified by the fact that Naughty Dog wouldn't hold back in showing just what the consequences of failure are. The game rather than focusing on horror revolves around the relationship between Joel and Ellie and this is masterfully complimented by the score which was composed by two-time Oscar Award winner, Gustavo Santaolalla.

The game-play is reminiscent of Uncharted as it uses the same engine however it is much more down to Earth; focusing on small-scale firefights or stealth to navigate through levels. However, one small downside I found was that the AI for followers/companions would often act obstructive or perform actions like running right in-front of eight people you may have spent 10 minutes sneaking past and for some reason not even warranting a reaction.

The story may be (inspite of some tiny detail over-sights which you may or may not notice as they linger in the back) quite possibly the greatest asset to this game. It is so well structured and directed by Neil Druckmann that it is hard to believe that this was his directorial debut. The game leaves a long lasting impression on you long before you're even halfway through the game and a series of events in the game leave your jaw hanging and your eyes teary.

The game is well presented and ammo is scarce; helping to emphasise the survival-orientated objective of the game. The multi-player is far from just a distraction as although it could still be a little more refined it has an interesting concept.

In conclusion, this game is absolutely amazing and it is hard to argue that the storyline isn't one of the best in gaming. I'd like to point out that I am a hardcore gamer and in the 15+ years of gaming I have only previously used the word 'Masterpiece' for four titles: Zelda: Ocarina of Time, FFVII, Half-Life 2, and more recently Bioshock: Infinite. I can whole-heartedly say that The Last Of Us is a Masterpiece in every sense of the word.