The Last of Us.

By Rob.

I love video games. A lot. They are an escape for me, like movies or board/card games. I can go to a fantastical world unlike ours. Or, in some cases like this, a world much like ours in a much worse condition.

Sucker Punch’s The Last of Us is an emotional, horrific, and amazing look at what someone is willing to sacrifice for love. It is an adventure that has spawned a franchise that crosses multiple media formats. We have a sequel. An upcoming TV series that looks great. An alleged board game form Cool Mini Or Not.

Our main characters, the grizzled and emotionally destroyed Joel and the teenage Ellie, will immediately pull you in and make you care for them. You’ll root for them, you’ll hurt with them, and you’ll cry with them. From the opening scene you see why Joel is an asshole through a lot of the game.

Joel is tasked with smuggling Ellie to the Fireflies. They believe that her blood can lead to a cure for the infection that has ravaged the world. He’s detached from her due to losing his own daughter. The cliché macho man that can’t love because of a love already lost.

That’s all I’ll talk about plot wise. It’s been awhile but no spoilers. Do yourself a favor and play it for yourself.

The atmosphere in this game. Damn. The lighting, sound design, character design. It’s perfect.

Now….the enemy design. The infected are haunting. Specifically the clickers…..god the clickers. They still scare the shit out of me.

The Last of Us is beautiful. End of story. There is no debate about that. How you feel after playing is up to you. Whether you happy, sad, angry, or just numb. Everyone will feel something.

Rating - Don’t be the Last of Us that hasn’t played it.