With its incredible post-apocalyptic atmosphere, its well-crafted characters and its mature setting, The Last of Us has entered the big names of video games. In the universe of this The Last of Us Game ReviewAs a result of the outbreak, a parasitic fungus infects humans who become aggressive, descend into "zombie-like" madness and can infect other human beings. The epidemic continues to grow and, on September 26, it reached the point of no return: Outbreak Day.
The Last of Us Game Review
The first episode, released on PlayStation 3 on June 14, 2013, was a hit with gamers all over the world: a touching, engaging, fast-paced and mature story. The game takes you into its bowels right from the introduction - which we won't spoil - and we just want to know the end of the story that highlights the links that weave between a man, Joel, and a little girl, Ellie, over the course of an hour-long adventure.
After receiving several awards, including Best Game of the Year, despite stiff competition (GTA V and Bioshock Infinite were released in the same year), PlayStation released a second installment (soberly called The Last of Us Part II) on June 19, 2020 using a very similar recipe and even more committed words. As expected, success is in the offing.
Beyond video games
To "celebrate" Outbreak Day every year (September 26), PlayStation and Naughty Dog have created "The Last of Us Day". This year we had a preview of the HBO series adapted from the first game, with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey playing the main characters.
On September 2, 2022, The Last of Us Part I, a remake of The Last of Us, was released for PlayStation 5 and will soon arrive on PC. Enough to allow those who didn't have a PlayStation to discover this saga, which has already become a cult in the history of video games.
Story and main characters
The story of The Last of Us is set in the USA, in a post-apocalyptic world. Twenty years ago, a parasitic fungus mutated and began to affect human beings, profoundly altering their behavior. This created something similar to the infamous, aggressive and hungry zombie runners who transmit infections by biting another human.
The long-term infected continue to mutate, becoming increasingly dangerous mushroom-headed horrors. A large part of the world's population has succumbed to the pandemic, and the survivors are placed in heavily fortified quarantine zones tightly controlled by the military. The desperate situation has exacerbated the brutality of the military, who abuse their power, giving rise to the Fireflies, terrorists who don't hesitate to use violence in response to oppression. Add to this paranoid humans, or those forced to engage in unspeakable acts to survive outside the zones, and you have the universe of The Last of Us.
Twenty years later, in his fifties (or sixties?), he is old, tired and disillusioned. However, he is a survivor and knows the risks and the environment well, as he is a smuggler in a quarantine zone. He is far from being a child at heart and is also an excellent fighter in every sense.
Tess
Joel's teammate at the beginning of the story. She's also a smuggler, but she's much more sociable and headstrong than he is. She therefore has many contacts, both inside and outside the zone.
Ellie
This 14-year-old girl has only known the world destroyed by the pandemic. She has lived in the Quarantine Zone all her life as a bonus, so she is inexperienced and ignorant at the start of the story. She also behaves in the way you would expect from a girl her age. However, Ellie quickly develops her talents through her outdoor adventures with Joel, and she quickly becomes a vital part of his team, rather than just a little girl to keep track of in a hostile environment.
Gameplay
The Last of Us Part 1 mixes different types of gameplay. There's a fairly important narrative aspect, with lots of dialog between the characters, but they have the good taste to be exchanged during movement and exploration phases. So there's very little dead time during which you're forced to listen to people tell their stories. There are a few scenes and cutscenes, but their number and duration are quite small.
In short, the game tells its story by showing the events and following the progression. There's a bit of exploration and little puzzles too, like building a makeshift bridge with a plank or using a trolley to climb a wall. You can ignore the story and move on if you like.
See also: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II game review
Graduated in Languages - Portuguese/English, creator of Escritora de Sucesso, she also writes for Great App, expanding the knowledge of all technology lovers, through movie and series reviews, game reviews and the main news of the moment.