Featured Image: (Pacer Graphic / Darby Self)
When it comes to timeless masterpieces in the world of video games, very few can actually measure up to the bar that has been set.
Usually, a gaming masterpiece is widely loved by everyone that gets the chance to experience it, sometimes even being considered true art. In 2013, popular development studio Naughty Dog created their very own masterpiece when they released The Last of Us for the Playstation 3.
The Last of Us is a 2013 action-adventure survival horror video game created by Naughty Dog, the studio behind iconic games such as Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted. The Last of Us is widely considered by gamers and critics to be one of, if not the, best games of all time. It centers on the story of Joel Miller (Troy Baker) and Ellie Williams (Ashley Johnson), two survivors who must travel across post-apocalyptic America after it has been ravaged by the fungal Cordyceps infection. It received a multitude of awards and, by consensus, was considered the Game of the Year in 2013.
A large reasoning behind this is the gameplay. Survival horror has always been a staple genre in gaming after being popularized by the Resident Evil franchise in the late ’90s, so it makes sense that Naughty Dog would try their hand at crafting their own title in the genre.
An aspect that largely adds to the gameplay is stealth. Players can choose whether or not to face enemies head-on in direct combat, giving them a choice instead of making them play through linear combat to complete an objective. What makes this even more immersive is the crafting system.
Players are able to find supplies throughout the game that they can use to craft weapons and items that will help them advance further. The reason why this is immersive is because these supplies are limited, forcing players to ration them for when they deem them necessary to use. This use of limited supplies is a staple characteristic of survival horror games because it limits the player to what they can find rather than giving them an easy out with unlimited crafting materials.
There’s also the aspect of exploration to further envelop players into the world of The Last of Us. Not only is there environmental storytelling with all of the decaying buildings being covered in plant growth, but there are also notes that Joel and Ellie can find that tell the stories of other survivors that have passed through areas before them. It adds another layer to an already very layered game and advances player interest that much more. On top of all of that, there are secret conversations that only the most keen players will find. Finding all 37 of these conversations will give the player an achievement, awarding their intuition.
The gameplay exemplifies what survival horror is about, but the story of Joel and Ellie is what sets The Last of Us apart from everything else. The main story picks up 20 years after a parasitic fungus called Cordyceps has infected the human race and turned them into zombie-like creatures that are only focused on spreading the infection. Soon after the story begins, Joel and his smuggling partner, Tess Servopoulos (Annie Wersching), are tasked with taking care of Ellie, a young girl who is immune to the Cordyceps infection. The duo must transport her to a group of Fireflies, a revolutionary militia organization that is looking for a cure. Due to Ellie being immune, she is the key to finding said cure. After being separated from Tess, Joel and Ellie must continue their trek alone. They travel westward across North America to find former Firefly and Joel’s brother Tommy (Jefferey Pierce).
People love the story of The Last of Us because it goes beyond the surface level of what other zombie apocalypse stories usually cover. The main theme that the game covers is loss. Both Joel and Ellie experience loss throughout the game and it weighs heavily on both of their shoulders.
The way that they deal with loss intertwines them, making them essential for one another. Joel deals with loss by separating himself from everyone else so that he won’t be so hurt when he inevitably loses them again. Ellie deals with loss by smiling through it all and confronting her pain, allowing her to move forward. This is the lesson that she teaches Joel in their time together. The cliffhanger that we’re left on at the end of the story hinges their relationship after everything that the two have been through together.
The Last of Us is not a zombie apocalypse story, it’s a story about two hurt people becoming each other’s family when they need it the most…in the zombie apocalypse. Since its release in 2013, it’s received a DLC, plenty of remasters, a sequel, a live-action television series on HBO Max and a comic book series just to name a few of the many forms of content sprawling from this one game. The Last of Us is considered a timeless classic with good reason, and its resulting effect on pop culture will never be forgotten. It taught gamers across the world that by working through your grief like Joel and Ellie, you too can endure and survive.
Grade: S+
$19.99 – The Last of Us: Remastered – PS4
$69.99 – The Last of Us: Part I – PS5
