Video Game Review: The Last of Us

"We're sh**ty people, Joel it's been that way for a long time."

"No, we are survivors." - Annie Wersching and Troy Baker

Of all the stories conceived for the potential outbreak of a zombie-pocalypse, I don't think any can be any more hard-hitting than this video game.  The game starts off with a strong punch, showing the initial outbreak of infected, and the main character's struggle to protect his daughter through the onslaught.  He fails.  Fast-forward twenty-something years later, and the struggle for survival continues in a radically different world.  Your goal is simple:  escort a girl to a group of rebels outside of the quarantined city.  The journey, however, is long and intense, as you're made to traverse across ruined cities (which bear an uncanny semblance to the cityscapes in I Am Legend), outrun hoards of the infected, confront overzealous military patrols, and fight against brutal bandits.  At the core of it all, however, this game is also an emotional experience unlike any other.  The main character's quest not so much about fighting zombies and bad guys, as it is fighting against the past, reconciling bitter feelings, and learning to move on.

First and foremost, the game is focused largely on stealth combat.  Just about every area is designed as a maze of obstacles, so you can take cover and systematically take out your opponents.  Different bad guys respond to different stimuli, making each area a different challenge.  Of course, you can also forgo the stealth and run around with all guns blazing (a much harder alternative, since ammunition is very limited in the game).  In between the major combat scenes, the game also has you solve some geographical puzzles, as you figure out ways to traverse across the ruined cities.  The overall gameplay, look, style, and interface is similar to the latest Tomb Raider game; both games give you some room to explore and run around freely, but they are also mostly-linear.  You can expect to find a few collectables here and there, many of which offer deeper insight in regards to the world and what's happening within it.

This is not an easy game by any means.  I actually found it rather frustrating at times, as the bad guys will work to flank or ambush you.  Melee combat can be tough; no matter how hard I pound the button, I still found myself being pummeled by a hunter or immediately chomped by an infected.  Ammunition is limited and resources are tight, making combat even more tricky.  Every zone seems to have a whole army of enemies; it may seem like you're making progress, but more pour in and impede progress.  These aspects offer a decent challenge, and it's probably more true to reality if such events ever occur.  It can be aggravating though.

One other complaint I have (same with Tomb Raider) is that just about every bad guy in the game is so bad, so hateful, so unreasonably violent, it just feels like Joel and Ellie never catch a break.  I know that in an actual apocalypse, everybody would probably turn evil, inhumane, and greedy; I still couldn't help but to yell at these characters, "why are you so evil! Come on!"

Regardless, the story is incredible.  Even though the game takes on a repetitive pattern (you go to a place, see your objective in the distance, and make your way toward it fighting enemies all the way), it's the characters that make it so compelling.  The game achieves the perfect level of pathos, making you feel for the characters on a deep level.  You want to see them succeed, so you keep playing to see what happens next.  The characters develop gradually and beautifully, starting off rather cold, but eventually warming up and developing deeper levels of trust and connection.  In spite of that, the game gets quite emotional at times, ultimately hitting some deeper themes regarding the human spirit.  At the same time, the game never shies away from the hard truths regarding the struggle for survival (I imagine gun law enthusiasts will be outraged to see Ellie taking a gun and protecting Joel; but if it isn't for that, Joel would have died early in the game).  It all makes for an exceptionally bittersweet experience.

This game is rendered with beautiful graphics; some of the cutscenes look incredibly life-like, and the rest of the game is well-detailed and sharp.  Designs for the locations, levels, characters, weapons, props, and everything else are decent, and they appear realistic.  Sound and music are good.  The gameplay is intuitive; the characters don't move particularly fast or smooth, but they move in a realistic fashion.  I did find it a little tricky when being attacked from behind, and when using melee combat; there were even a few times where I died and didn't even realize it until the screen went blank, due to animation mix-ups.

Despite my quibbles with the gameplay, always being shot and beat-up by hoards of relentlessly mean villains, the game offers an incredible storytelling experience with some of the richest character development to date.  It is ultimately successful in taking the characters' struggles and making the player experience it all for himself.  The experience hits the nerves and heart very strongly.

5/5 (Entertainment:  Good | Story:  Perfect | Game:  Perfect)