The Last of Us
Producer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: June 14, 2013
Platform: PS3
Rating: Mature
Genre: Action-Adventure
The Fittest Survive
Written by Josh Schilling
There are a lot of things that have to go right for a game to rise above average and achieve greatness. Game mechanics, graphic artistry, and dialogue are but a few of the important facets that lead to a successful game, but in my opinion the overall story is the most vital when it comes down to a quality experience. And while I feel that The Last of Us delivers superior levels in just about every area that a game can offer, the overall story is where I have to try and make my point. I’m not going to say that it is bad at all…quite the contrary, I think that the story is moving, thought-provoking, and, most importantly, memorable. I just want to raise the question of redundancy, and its place within the gaming genre as a whole.
This game revolves around a zombie apocalypse. Stop me if you ever heard that statement before. Sure the zombies, or “infected” as they are described (but they are zombies nonetheless), are different in that they are a product of an airborne fungus that destroys their minds, but this game adheres to the overdone model of killing those creatures before they eat you. The question I have is, can or should you look at every game as it stands on its own merit? Is it wrong that I couldn’t help but compare this to the 2012’s The Walking Dead (Telltale not Activision!) with the similar plots of protecting a non-familial younger girl through a zombie infested apocalypse and the moral-raising question of who’s worse, the living dead or the living? I ask this only because I believe that it is impossible to look at any single game within a vacuum, just like you can’t help but compare other forms of art and entertainment. I feel that the prevalence of zombie games along with the quality and similarity of The Walking Dead game lessens the shine of The Last of Us in my eyes. However, there is a mighty fine shine on this game, and the truly interesting fact is that even with the similarities described above, and the seemingly overdone zombie genre as a whole, this game stands out as one of the most memorable that I have ever played.
This game just oozes quality from just about every aspect. One small example is that in the game you are able to unlock concept art that is virtually indistinguishable from what you actually see in the gameplay. The voice acting is award-worthy and the story will stay with you long after you’ve finished it. If Bioshock: Infinite was a punch to the head, the story of The Last of Us is a punch to the soul. There are no moral choices here…no good ending or evil ending…you only play a part in the overall tale, and you feel the emotions of the story because, in the overall scheme of things, there are no choices. You do not lead the progress of the story, you are along for the ride, and this lets the powerful narrative achieve an effectiveness that you can’t get when the player gets to be involved in the decision making. This, and the overall presentation of this game, helps it reach the level of a work of art, and the real beauty is that it can be appreciated in so many different ways. Even the multi-player, which might just be included as a throw-in aspect on some games of this genre, fits in nicely within the frame of this title.
This is a must play experience that should end up being the crowning achievement of the developer Naughty Dog and the PS3 as a whole. It is a finely polished piece with an attention to detail that is rare to find in the gaming world. If you haven’t yet played this game, do yourself a favor and experience a zombie apocalypse as it should be portrayed.