The Last of Us was first released on June 14, 2013 for the PlayStation 3. It was at first, your classic zombie apocalypse shooter game. You played as Joel Miller protecting a little girl from the fungal outbreak overtaking the world and turning people into violent hosts for the disease. With an array of different mechanics and weapons and a story-line that shows the worst of humanity in a situation like this, it was no surprise how popular the game got. In Sept. 2022 it was remastered into The Last of Us: Part 1 for the PlayStation 5. This remaster also included the addition of a DLC single player campaign only further adding to the lore of the game. But, part 1 has to have part 2.
The Last of Us follows the story of Joel Miller, a man who lives in a safe house, and does some shady business smuggling things for money or ration cards during the apocalypse. A fungus called Cordyceps has mutated, and is now able to take human hosts to further spread it. After someone steals a bunch of weapons from him and causes him to miss the big payout, were introduced to a woman named Tess, who works closely with Joel. After gaining their weapons back and taking revenge on the man that stole from them, we are introduced to the FireFlies. This group is headbutting with FEDRA over their rules and the way they’re handling this apocalypse. We meet their leader, Marlene, after Joel is offered a job that could get them double what they would’ve gotten for smuggling the weapons. Ellie Williams, a young girl, has been assigned to us to escort to a Firefly base in Massachusetts. I won’t go too deep into the details, but if this small tidbit interests you, you should definitely play the game or watch the HBO adaptation.
In 2020 the sequel, The Last of Us: Part 2 was released, and took the gaming community by storms. The first game had already solidified its place in the gaming community, with multiple Game of the Year awards under its belt. So, every apocalypse-hardened fan jumped right into the sequel, and it did not disappoint. Compared to the first game, part 2 went a lot deeper into the intricate lives of the characters we’d all grown to love, like Ellie, Joel, and Tommy, Joel’s brother. It also introduced new complex antagonists from a group called the WLF, or wolves, and more lovable characters like Dina and Jesse. After a heart shattering series of events early into the game, fans were ready to get their revenge and travel across Seattle to do what’s right.
I found the first game to be incredibly interesting and had a plot that left me on the edge of my seat for cut-scenes and dialogue. There were a lot of mechanics I really enjoyed in the first game, and gave the player multiple ways to handle certain situations. Using listen mode, you could see through walls and gather an idea of how many enemies you’re dealing with. If you’re not ready for a fight, sneaking around zombies and people alike is always nerve-wracking, and it had me stressing with how many times I thought I’d be spotted. But, if you’re a head on player, you can jump right into the fights, using other tools like nail bombs and bottles to stun or distract your enemies.
The sequel didn’t disappoint on further enhancing these mechanics, adding new tools like silencers and smoke bombs to make it easier to get the jump on hordes and hunters alike. Adding a new form of crouching, it also added the ability to go ‘prone’ and army crawl your way through short grass and under cars to avoid detection. In the first game, your main enemies consist of a few different types of infected, and a smaller group of raiders/hunters trying to stop you. In the sequel we get a new type of infection to deal with, called shamblers, and two new groups trying to stop us. Advancing on runners, clickers, stalkers, and bloaters, the sequel introduces a whole other problem, shamblers. While runners and clickers can be a pain to deal with in large numbers, shamblers produce an equal threat to bloaters, which are normally used for boss fights. They move quickly and have spores explode from their back, which causes a lot of damage and only makes dark rooms more terrifying.
The exploration of Ellie’s character was another really good addition to the plot, as she takes over as the main character, unlike in the first game where she has more of a secondary main character role. This game explores her dealing with WLF and her journey to enacting her revenge, along with flashbacks showing us the important and life-changing moments in her younger years. We get more backstory on her and Joel’s relationship, almost like a father-daughter bond forged from the things they dealt with together. It really is impressive how easy it is to get attached to these characters, and interested in the storyline.
Overall, The Last of Us: Part 2 was a really good addition to the story, and is definitely a game worth playing if you’re a fan of the franchise, or interested in the story/game-play. On top of the story and game-play, the game design is really intricate and the graphics make it so surreal and beautiful. If you’re someone who enjoys a classic third-person shooter, and surviving the zombie apocalypse, then The Last of Us is definitely for you.
