The Last of Us Review

   As a fan of the Uncharted series, I can honestly say that when I first found out about The Last of Us I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't a new Uncharted. But once the game finally came out my opinion completely changed. The Last of Us is a breath of fresh air that Naughty Dog needed, to give their devoted fans something new. The Last of Us is a dark and gloomy game that shows the horrors of fighting for survival when the world slowly comes to an end. Every minute playing Naughty Dog's new adventure had me immersed into the story, environment, and the characters as they all develop and change as they continue through their journey. I found it easier to call The Last of Us a movie rather than a game.

 
   In The Last of Us the players take control of Joel(voiced by Troy Baker), a man that has been through enough for him to know that there's is no good or evil in the world, just survival. Joel agrees to watch over Ellie, a smart mouthed brave kids who looks at the positive side of life, and joins her on a quest, for she is humanities only hope for survival. As this grim story continues we find that the relationship between Joel and Ellie grows into something more than just mutual partners. The father/daughter relationship grows so much to were Joel would commit acts for Ellie that many would consider horrible, but only because he wants the best for Ellie.
 
   At one point in the game, Ellie experiences something that affects her emotionally. Through out that chapter the players and Joel could tell something was off. Joel would constantly make desperate attempts to cheer her up, none of which are successful until one time when they ar
e walking along the roof tops of a city when they spot zoo animals walking across an old worn down baseball field. This is one of the most beautiful examples of emotional story telling in any video game.

   The Last of Us is all about survival, so the actions that Joel makes are dark, questionable, and purely based on quick and bitter judgement. Violence in The Last of Us is everything but scarce, in fact it occurs often and it's gruesome. The violence is tasteful as it depicts the harsh realism and horrors of survival.
 

   When keeping the idea of survival in mind, Naughty Dog did more than an excellent job in providing game play that, at times, give the players a desperate need to find resources. Also through out the game players learn to be more resourceful in how they use they're ammo or if they should even use guns at all. Many different skills, weapons, and items are up gradable as you continue through the story, providing players something to strive for.

 
   Something that surprised me is how beautiful a run down city can look. Naughty Dog put heavy detail into everything from the glass in a broken window to the giraffe walking across an overgrown community baseball field. The Last of Us is without a doubt one of the best looking console games of 2013.

    Multiplayer in The Last of Us if surprisingly fun and entertaining. While not the best multiplayer out there, it is still leaves you wanting to continue playing it especially when you have many character up grades. Naughty Dog provides the players with many different game types and maps allowing entertainment for many hours.
 
   The Last of Us isn't a game for everyone. With it's dark themes and gritty violence it's hard to have a positive out view, but some how this game manages to shine a bright light in even the darkest of places. Naughty Dog has yet again made another great game...no, another masterpiece.

10/10
+ Incredible Story
+ Emotional Characters
+ Fitting Game Play
+ Breath-taking Graphics
+ Fun Multiplayer