The post-apocalyptic survival theme has become common in video games. Leaving the player in a dystopia to fend for themselves after a worldwide catastrophe provides an enjoyable, albeit familiar, gaming experience.

With the next generation of consoles on the horizon, Sony and Naughty Dog (makers of the Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted franchises) hope to send off the current generation of consoles with The Last of Us. The game is successful in capturing the struggles of a ravaged society, combining a great story and immersive gameplay to create a must-have experience for all PS3 owners.

The story starts in archetypal fashion, with a virus starting to spread throughout the area. You take the role of Joel, a character tasked with escaping to a safer area during the outbreak of a deadly virus. Despite the expected opening, the intro is done in a very cinematic fashion, setting the tone for the rest of the game and instantly causing you to sympathize with the struggles of the main character.

The game then shifts to 20 years later, with Joel living in a community of survivors and sneaking out to get supplies. Through a series of events, you are introduced to Ellie, a young girl (who happens to look a lot like Ellen Page) that is believed to be capable of holding the cure to the epidemic. Joel is tasked with getting Ellie to the Fireflies, a mercenary group that arises during the plague, in hopes of ending the chaos of the world around you.

Even though the story follows the typical end-of-the-world survival plot, it is told in such a way that entices the player, driving them to go further into the 8-10 hour campaign. The story taps into the human psyche, giving a touching and realistic portrayal of what some people do for survival.

You meet a lot of characters along your journey, each with their own goals and reasons for their actions. No character is more likable than Ellie, whose maturation and personality makes her one of the most entertaining characters on the PS3. The tale The Last of Us weaves is the strongest aspect of the game, leading the player to the end without a lull in the action.

The Last of Us’s gameplay is best classified as survival action-adventure. The player must go through the campaign extremely cautiously, planning out each move before jumping to any rash decisions. Joel possesses the ability to scan an area within a certain radius, outlining possible threats and giving you a better understanding of the situation. Ammo and health are limited, requiring the player to use stealth or hand-to-hand options in lieu of shooting.

The player can also craft character upgrades, weapon upgrades like increased fire rate and clip capacity, and items like molotovs and first aid kits. The items for these upgrades are scattered around the world, giving added incentive for exploration. This gameplay aspect adds another 

The gameplay enhances the story, requiring the player to exercise extreme caution and account for available resources before entering combat. It creates a true sense of survival, contributing to the high-pressure nature of the story.

Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn’t match the story it’s set in. Melee combat can be downright useless, as there is no lock-on feature, and melee attacks can sometimes completely miss nearby targets.

The combat can also be frustrating with enemies coming out of nowhere to kill you in one strike, and groups being able to incapacitate you without much you can do. There are also moments that hamper the immersive experience of the game, such as when a Clicker will locate you based off of minimal noise, but the characters will loudly communicate inches away without consequence. These issues aren’t enough to ruin the otherwise amazing experience, but they can prove frustrating to players not used to or trying to immerse themselves in the survival mindset.

There is also a multiplayer mode thrown into the game, but, unlike many other multiplayer options from mainly single-player game, this one actually has staying power. It captures the tension and pace of the single-player game into an enjoyable competitive experience that meshes well with the single-player campaign.

All of this is tied together well by some of the best graphics and sound this generation has to offer. They combine to enhance the atmosphere, bringing together a complete experience that shouldn’t be missed by anyone owning a PS3. The gameplay has its ups and downs, but the overall result is one of the front-runners for game of the year. Many people are waiting for Naughty Dog to revive Crash Bandicoot, but the experience they have for us is one so great that we’d be willing to wait.

Pros	Cons
+ Exceptional story and characters	- Some awkward moments can ruin immersion
+ Some of the best graphics on the PS3	- Combat can be frustrating at times, particularly melee
+ Exciting survival-action gameplay
+ Mulitplayer captures intensity of single-player experience

 

Reach staff writer Andrew Schultz here or follow him on Twitter.