The Last of Us (PS3)

The Last of Us released in 2013 and when I saw it at E3, I got a PS3 just for this. Another fantastic game from Naughty Dog, whether it becomes a series of games I don't know, but I certainly hope.

The story takes place in 2013 where a mutant fungus starts to change people into infected zombie-types. After the prologue the game shoots twenty years ahead and we see the devastation the infection has had on the world. We play as Joel, brilliantly portrayed by Troy Baker as he tries to get Ellie, amazingly portrayed by Ashley Johnson, to a group called the Fireflies as they look for a cure. Ellie has a bite, but is immune to the infection, as she doesn't turn which happens quickly. There's a bunch of characters who pop up during the story, Tess, Bill and David stand out and are also fantastically voiced. Not everyone you meet is friendly, as well as the infected, the people are the ones to really fear.

The game is brutal, intense and very mature, it's video game that is definitely not for kids. Whether you're trying not to get spotted or hordes of enemies are after you, there's always potential danger wherever you go. The stealth is great and listen mode let's you see where the enemies are positioned, there's even stealth takedowns so you can try and thin the herd and stay quiet. The gunplay is difficult to get used to but it's good, they don't want you to feel safe even with guns and once you've alerted the enemies, you definitely aren't safe. As well as guns, you can fight with your fists and pummel the enemies if your ammo has depleted. You can also craft medkits, explosives, molotovs and more. You can even use melee weapons that will soon break if you find them. Granted this stuff isn't as common as you'd like, ammo and items are very scarce and it's always a celebration when you find some.

The cutscenes are beautiful to watch, these are some of the best graphics I've ever seen, you can see the emotion in their face and hear it in their performance. The characters are amazing and so is the development, we see both Ellie and Joel over the course of this game, which spans through all four seasons. It's a powerful game, emotional, intensity, fearful, so many feelings come out of this one. The wonderful music that fits perfectly is another stand out. It's a challenging game with five difficulties. The higher you play, the more scarce the items, you don't even have listen mode, Ellie can tell you where enemies are though and she can even pass you ammo if she finds it. The people you're with will also contribute to killing your attackers, rather than just idly watch you get your ass kicked.

Some of the best collectables I've seen, they're notes and messages from other people and they're really informative and can even give you combinations to safes and doors. The on the rails intro let's you see firsthand the world's demise to the infection as you drive through the streets. You have to plan your battles, once you're caught they will come at you, if you aren't prepared you're gonna have to use bricks and battles for distractions and use your bombs and ammo well, basically, don't shoot unless you'll definitely hit them, you'll regret firing so much if you miss. The sound work is brilliant, from Joel's loud sprinting footsteps to enemies distant voices as they walk around the area. Don't miss the optional conversations as they give you more insight to the world, all the dialogue is worth listening to, so make sure you keep your allies close to hear what they're saying. Ellie will even bust out some of her jokes if you keep an eye out during the quieter moments, the chemistry between the characters is entertaining to watch.

There's almost nothing wrong with this game. There's a decent multiplayer that is difficult to get used to but so rewarding when you manage to get the best of another player, but it just seems out of place, maybe they could've put in something else that would've been more beneficial to the game. Some of the overgrown vegetation looked awful when you went too close to it, 2D plants looked terrible, but it wasn't really an issue. A few texture glitches and environmental pop outs here and there, nothing too daunting.

This is without a doubt the best game I've ever played, and from experience I can justify buying a console for this game. Naughty Dog never fail to impress me and this time they blew it out of the park, I think it's impossible to give a game a perfect 10, but this is the closest I've ever been and probably will be, maybe The Last of Us sequel could be the first if it happens. Go buy this game, go borrow it off a buddy and if you don't play games, watch someone who does play it, it's better than most movies you'll ever see. This game is worth experiencing no matter if you're a gamer or not. Best. Game. Ever.

9.5/10