"Thrust into a world of anguish and decay, PlayStation 3 owners should prepare for an emotionally overwhelming experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish."
The Gameplay:
Naughty Dog was set with a task of bringing one final AAA exclusive to the PlayStation 3 before the mantle passes over to the PlayStation 4. Not only did they succeed in this task, they also managed to create an experience that may well establish itself as the flagship title for Sony’s current console – the perfect game that every fan should play.
The Last of Us is a third-person survival adventure set in a post-apocalyptic America following Joel and Ellie as they fight for survival amidst the horrors of an infection that single-handedly wiped out most of Earth’s population. Players are expected to use a tactical approach when confronting both human and infected enemies with the limited supplies this survival game provides. Do you take a stealth approach and clear a room or is using your small supply of ammo the appropriate course of action?
What makes this decision so difficult is the complete lack of equipment available. You are forced to scavenge for all your supplies, making every single bullet, bandage, bottle and brick count. Taking down a group of clever, cohesive and coordinated humans tasks you to think differently than avoiding a group of mindless and ferocious infected – leaving the ultimate decision of how to survive in your hands.
The Presentation:
The PlayStation 3 is known not only for the number of exclusives it possesses, but also the sheer quality of these exclusives. With this in mind it’s even more impressive at just how fantastic The Last of Us is. Naughty Dog’s wonderful title exceeds expectations in almost all departments – incredible visuals bring a chaotic America to life while believable voice-acting helps a realistic cast of characters share their stories and consequentially help you as a gamer to engage with them.
One can’t help but relate to not only Joel, Tess and Ellie, but all the humans you meet in The Last of Us. Even common enemies show signs of life and morality as they scrape together and fight for survival – The Last of Us doesn’t have you killing enemies by the numbers, rather it forces you to make moral decisions and do what’s required to keep Ellie alive.
The Verdict:
Apart from some occasional slow moments The Last of Us is a the perfect way for the PlayStation 3 to bow out of the spotlight and hand the torch over to the PlayStation 4. It is a tantalising tease of what the future of gaming could potentially look like and we can only sit and wait to see what Naughty Dog have up their sleeve for Sony’s new machine (Uncharted 4?!).
The Last of Us is beautiful, engaging and emotionally traumatic. These elements combine together to form a battle of survival intertwined with endearing characters with tragic events binding them. There’s absolutely no reason why any gamer shouldn’t play this game – PlayStation owners be thankful that a game of this magnitude is exclusive to your machine.
Gameplay – 9/10
Presentation – 10/10
Replay Value – 8/10
Verdict – 9/10
Igor Kharin
The Last of US at CeX
