The Last of Us Review – Plus my hopes for the second installment
When The Last Of Us was first released back in 2013 I was hesitant to pick up the game and give it a try. Back in the day, I tried to avoid horror games that required me to sit in the dark alone and play them. I would have preferred to play it with someone close by, for moral support. All I remember was my dad constantly telling me that it was a great game, the kind of game everyone had to play.
It took me a full four years before I caved in and decided to pick up the game and give it a playthrough.
It all starts with a BANG! And after the first 20min of the game, my heart was left completely broken. I had to leave the room, dry my tears, calm myself down, and then come back. I remember arguing with myself about whether I should continue playing the next part or not. I get so easily attached to characters and this was once again one of those moments. I’ve never become attached to a character so quickly before which somehow made the hurt feel all the more deep.
After a reeaaallly long pause I dried the tears, picked up the controller and continued with the next chapter. The story picks up a few years later, with Joel and considering what he had to go through we now see him as a single-minded individual, doing only what he needs to do in order to survive. At times he might be cold hearted, especially as we see him and how he deals with the people who stand against him or those who threaten to take away what he has sworn to protect, but also at the beginning towards the young, and very scared, Ellie. Beyond that cold, hard front he puts on he has a caring side that has the potential to creep up on you when you least expect it. I found it easy to become overprotective over Joel considering what happened in his past.
When the world around you starts becoming grey and stained with the blood of your loved ones, it’s hard to imagine anyone remaining sane after what Joel and any survivors had witnessed. The only option anyone has is to fight and survive by any means. Despite the dark times our main characters are living in it’s hard not to root for them since they all are trying to do what’s best for them and to make it to live to see another day. Everyone in this world understands that is “either me or you”. So when Joel agrees to complete Tess’ dying wish of finally trying to do something bigger than them as individuals the gravity of the situation really hits hard. Neither he nor the viewer knew that a young girl by the name of Ellie would soon steal both his and our hearts.
Ellie soon starts breaking down the walls around Joel that he has struggled for years to uphold, and we finally see a father/daughter relationship unfolds. This is the relationship that was robbed from him at the very beginning of the game and it is very heartwarming to see both Ellie and Joel come to rely on and accept each other. Of course, it’s not without its hiccups at first, as Ellie is a young girl that was born after the world fell to pieces and like any young child a lot of questions arise. As you play the game a lot of dialogue can be unlocked if you run around and explore your surroundings a bit. Ellie picking up comics or talking about what the world was like before all this happened. It’s IMPOSSIBLE to not fall in love with her naive “I want to know it all” nature.
The character development in The Last Of Us is one of the strongest points in the game. The story keeps you captivated and you find yourself hoping that they will make it throughout every second of the story. That they can do it as long as they are together. The strength of the worldbuilding and narrative is definitely the main reason why I continued to play the game, I had to see if they will make it. However, I had my doubts when Joel decided to let his brother finish the task. The task his dying partner had asked him to fulfill. I got so angry, I was at the edge of my seat thinking that this young little girl sees you as her hero and you are about to give up that one part of you that you could still save. The storytelling takes you on an emotional ride as two lost souls fight to survive and find their own happiness. Ellie and Joel both losing their family and friends now need to learn to trust and let others in again.
The game is more than just surviving the clutches of the unthinkable undead, it’s about how cruel mankind can be towards each other. How everything changes once you become the hunted. We see other survivors try and do unthinkable things and it’s terrifying to see how the characters let go of their humanity as they also just try their best to survive. I simply cannot put into words how the game The Last Of Us left a mark on my heart.
The level design is also absolutely incredible. Seeing the end of the world and how mankind has lost all of its control over nature has never been so beautiful. We are constantly greeted with meticulously designed maps, with green forests overrunning the cities like it was hundreds of years ago before humanity tamed the wilds. We see the survivors forget about the ‘finer’ things in life and return to the basics. When Ellie encountered her first giraffe I could not imagine the scene any more perfect. Coming through the derelict and abandoned buildings to a view looking out over a city that looked more like a jungle, she was excited, and then for the briefest of moments we get to see actual wildlife still managing to survive as well, it was beautiful. Easily one of my most treasured memories from the game!
When it comes to the combat part of the game I was excited to see what the crafting of items was like. When I played my first playthrough I always had to make sure that I was stocked up on bombs or ammunition because running into a room to try and take on the next Clicker was absolutely terrifying!! I always had to make doubly sure I was prepared for any scenario!! The more you have the better your advantage, however, once you run out of ammunition or you’ve used up all your knives, bombs you start praying that you somehow manage to dash away and lose the enemy along the way. With the additional difficulty settings, the game makes it harder to survive, with a lower chance of finding any supplies or ammunition. Which means you will need to make every hit count, otherwise you are done for.
Apart from a really good story line, beautiful scenery, and a kick ass combat system The Last Of Us leaves us with a shocking ending, an ending that leaves you fearing for what will happen when Ellie finds out the truth about what Joel did, what will her reaction be about the lie he told her? With the release of the Part II trailer may fans (including myself) fear for the little screen time Joel has in them. Will his character be taking a back seat in this installment? I guess only time will tell. I read an interesting article about Ellie being the only playable character but I really hope this is not the case. I personally am not ready for a new chapter, seeing Ellie become more brutal towards her victims, the hatred and anger clearly showing on her face. To think that it might be possible that Joel might actually not be present in the game but more like Ellie’s shadow trying to help her and guide her like a father should.
Are we really ready to lose our humanity and meet a scarier darker Ellie in part 2? Did Joel become the father figure Ellie needed or did she find out the truth about what he did?
My hopes for Part II are that the world and the story are just as fully fleshed out and as highly polished as the first game. I’m sure the developers will deliver but until the release date all I have are fan theories and small pieces from the trailers to try and piece together. The suspense is killing me!!
The Last of Us is a great game that left me with so many questions. Not about the game itself but more about how I would have reacted in the situations they had to face. The game really takes you on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish with its storytelling and I find myself afraid to admit the truth of what I would have done in order to survive.
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