Hiding behind a desk you frantically attempt to craft a weapon that can increase your chances for what is to come. You listen intently for what danger lies in the dark. Confronting your enemies won’t always work. Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that survival is the only real goal. The Last of Us is a game about survival, friendship, and the acceptance that in this phenomenal  universe there is nothing either good or bad. The story of  The Last of Us is a huge departure from Naughty Dog’s previous titles.

Where the Uncharted serious is known for its amazing set pieces, action sequences, witty dialogue, and Raiders of The Lost Ark type characters-TLOU goes for the complete opposite. The story is paced deliberately and slowly. The world is extremely grim at times with small segments of humor but it is constantly overshadowed by the characters of the game. Who are basically only in it for one thing; Themselves. TLOU spans about a year traveling across the U.S. Joel and Ellie the main characters of the game are fantastic contrast to each other. Joel only talks when he really needs to. Ellie can’t seem to stop talking. She is a curious and brash kid who was born into the horrible world.  Ellie meets Joel and and they soon find themselves on an expedition across vast dangerous lands.

The game-play in TLOU is truly a masterpiece. Never has a game felt so right while being so incredibly lopsided. The infected in the game can kill you in seconds. Every decision you make is vital to your survival. Where most games give you a certain sense of invulnerability. TLOU forces you to quickly react to a situation or meet a gruesome and gory death. Bullets are  scarce and you have to manage your resources. The suspense I felt from every encounter was nothing I’ve felt in a long time. The sound in this game incredible. Every gunshot ripped through the darkness of the world with an authentic punch.

Ambiance in the environment and sound effects for things such as footsteps was top notch.  Listening for clickers(type of infected in the game) or bandits was stressful and a legitimate real tactic, I’ve never seen done so effectively before. When game-play mechanics revolve around the sound design you know you have something special. The voice actors did an incredible job and you actually care about these characters. Not to mention the downright mind blowing soundtrack. The story of The Last of us draws you in, the game-play continually impresses over and over, and the characters stay with you long after your done. All we can do now is hope the series continues in some form on PS4.