Customer Reviews

The Last Of Us (PS3)

Short version: It's not just Uncharted With Zombies, but it does have great graphics, amazing sound design, wonderful story, brilliantly sedate gameplay that explodes in bursts of fighting, and at least twice during it I was wondering why I need to upgrade to the next generation of console at all.
If you have a PS3, buy it immediately. If you own an Xbox and only came here to write a hatchet review to drag down the average score of a PS3 exclusive, then by all means batter the keys with your fists as quickly as possible and get it out of your system so you can sleep at night again - and then BUY A PS3 JUST TO PLAY IT, because it is so good it redeems both the aging 3d platformer game, and the utterly tired zombie genre.

Long version: The Last of Us initially looks like an old VHS copy of a 1980s post-apocalyptic movie shot in Italy and dubbed badly with ludicrous Noo Yawk accents, especially if you turn the contrast and colour on your tv way up while playing, but some of the scenery is impressively inventive in recasting streets as flooded water puzzles and offices as waterfalls. It's off the beaten track, too, as it's typically New York or Washington that gets the post-apocalyptic treatment in these kinds of games, but here we see the desolate and haunting remains of Boston, Pennsylvania and Salt Lake City - it's an oddly downbeat travelogue that avoids the tourist attractions of the US and eventually you cotton on as to why as the story unfolds, at which point in the review it is probably worth mentioning that the storyline is exceptional, and it is from this element that many are drawing their final conclusions about the game in reviews that are causing some people to become confused and even angry at the game because they expect the usual "kill everything between point A and B and escort NPC to safety" gameplay and instead get a gaming experience raised above admittedly pretty solid gaming mechanics by the mix of storyline and game to the point one doesn't really exist without the other. Ahead of time I'm telling you: don't skip the cut scenes, it's an experience more than it is a game.
Without spoilering anything specifically, at some point the game becomes a single extended thematic exploration of survivor's guilt felt by the protagonists, victory ultimately laying not in beating a huge boss but in moving on with their lives and trying to be happy with what they have. The Last of Us of the title is thus quite ambiguous: does it mean the cities and their dangerous inhabitants as being the last remnants of our civilisation, or does it mean all that Joel and Elle have left come the end when their earlier, gruff and adversarial characters are abandoned when they discard their co-dependent patterns of destructive behavior?

As to the actual mechanics of it because, oh yeah this is actually a game and not a novel, The Last of Us plays a long game with combat, with a slow build-up of gathering or building supplies in preparation for your next encounter before combat breaking out in frantic, desperate bursts, but don't be fooled - despite appearances, you aren't mashing buttons, the final outcome of combat is always in your hands as long as you decide where you initiate open fisticuffs and gunplay by being patient beforehand and setting traps, misdirecting enemies and so on. Patience and strategy are rewarded, whereas the gung-ho may find themselves at a loose end pretty quickly.
The enemy AI is pretty good, though it can often be turned against them, with a couple of my favorite tactics including throwing a brick or bottle into an open area so enemies go to investigate it and when they're all grouped tightly around the spot where it landed, I throw a nailbomb or Molotov Cocktail and it'll land in more or less the perfect spot to knacker the lot of them, or switching to an empty gun during a gunfight and firing it so when the enemies hear the click they laugh and shout that you're out of ammo and rush at your position, so you switch to a gun that does have ammo and blow their head off while they're out in the open. Making noise by walking over broken glass is also a good tactic as enemies come to investigate and you can slip behind them and stab them in the neck, and if any of this sounds complicated, it really isn't, as the controls are great. It's a genius idea taking the control system from an action game and putting it in a survival horror, as one of my bugbears with aging survival horror series like Resident Evil and Silent Hill has been their anachronistic control layouts, but here things couldn't simpler or more intuitive.

I honestly can't praise this title enough, it's fantastic. This far into the PS3's shelf life (by which I mean the end of it), it seems insane to deliver a killer app like this instead of holding it back to be a launch title for the next generation of consoles - but if there's an updated version coming for the PS4, I'll probably buy the machine just to play it all over again.

I have to say when I first heard about this game I didn't think of it.. That was until I finally decided to buy it and give it a go, from the first mission to the last I was hooked, it's the only game which I have looked forward to finding out what happens next in the story. Without a doubt the best game I have ever played, I thought the Gears of War storyline was emotional, but this takes it to a new level. Fantastic!

This game's been out since June 14th and there's already 76 reviews on Amazon.co.uk (edit, now well above 200!), as well as all the critic reviews giving the game high praise, so I really don't need to tell you how great this game is. BUT! I'm going to do it anyway, because I want to.

Let's just say you have no idea what The Last of Us is. Okay, here's a brief description. You are Joel. You meet Ellie, a 14 year old girl. You have to get Ellie from A to B (B is far away). And humankind has been infected by a virus that essentially turns people into zombie like creatures of varying zombieness. And the world has gone to pot and lots of people are acting exactly how every end-of-the-world movie tells you they'd act - like law doesn't apply to them. Anything else is spoilers, and you really don't want that.

Now, on a personal level, while graphics can make a game even better, the fact is I will take a game with cruddy graphics but stellar gameplay over a game that looks incredible but plays like Ali Dia (retro football joke for you there). However, with The Last of Us, despite everything else that is great about it (which I'll go into in a bit, be patient), I feel the graphics need special mention. Well, I say graphics, the graphics are spectacular, but it's the pure attention to detail that got me stopping in my tracks to just take in the surroundings throughout my playthrough. For example, I went into one abandoned house and just took in all the scenery - the pictures on the wall of family members, the bespoke design of the wallpaper (which had started to sag due to damp and neglect), the rucksacks on a hanger. Children's drawings stuck to the fridge. The outside scenery is just as impressive. I even started just looking at walls, concrete walls, that had rusty parts on them, because the rust looked so good. The best rusty orange I'd ever seen on a fake wall! At one point I was on a beach and spent 10 minutes walking over muddy sand, watching my footprints appear in the shiny brown reflective goo as the waves gently lapped my feet. The fact is, even with the Uncharted series, I haven't seen a world look this, well, real, in a console game. Naughty Dog made the apocalypse look beautiful, which is no mean feat because the world really has gone, as I said, to pot. Furthermore, when I was playing, I was aware that The Last of Us is graphically so far ahead of anything else on PS3, it almost felt like the next gen was already here. If everything looks this good on PS4, we're in for a treat.

So, the game looks good, what else is good? EVERYTHING IS GOOD, to slightly varying degrees. Gameplay is definitely more stealth orientated than the Uncharted series, ammo is in limited supply and enemy AI is generally quite intelligent - shoot someone and enemies will rush to wherever they heard the noise come from and you'll be dead within seconds. That said, your companions often just run about in front of enemies or, more baffling, talk loudly in front of Clickers, an advanced kind of Zombie who cannot see so instead `clicks' to find your location. With an elevated sense of hearing, you have to sneak around as slowly as possible otherwise your in for an instant death. Yet your chums run up to them and make a lot of noise in general.

That's pretty much all I have for negatives.

So, yeah, other than that, the gameplay is really very good. The Last of Us isn't a game of big blockbuster set pieces like Uncharted, it's a game of subtlety (well, as subtle as you can get when you're blowing up a group of infected humans with a nail bomb). As mentioned stealth is the name of the game and utilising the scenery to sneak and take people out silently works best, especially with ammo at such a premium. There's also plenty of scope to explore your surroundings and find out backstory through items you find and notes you read that have been left by other people. Another thing to note is that sometimes in FPS and TPS games (and Uncharted is no exception), you just end up shooting wave after wave of faceless human enemy with no consequence. In The Last of Us, because the premise is essentially survive first, ask questions later, it makes sense that you act in this way, especially as most of your enemies are too far gone to be considered human anymore. And when you do come across humans you have to fight, there are reasons they're attacking you, rather than it just being a case that the bad guy you're chasing has sent lots of his non-union henchmen to line up for you to shoot them down in the name of fun. Everyone in The Last of Us is fighting for something, especially you.

What truly, 100% takes The Last of Us to the next level though is the story. Now, me, I love a story. I mentioned earlier how I'd always take gameplay over graphics. I'd also always take a solid storyline over graphics. In fact, if a game has a great story, I can forgive clunky gameplay. With The Last of Us, we not only get a gripping, believable story but we get the best acting in any game. Full stop, I've never played a game where the acting is on this level, the interplay and conversations between all characters but especially Joel and Ellie could be straight out of a film. Even Bioshock Infinite, which I loved (and features the same male lead voice actor in Troy Baker) doesn't reach the same level of believable immersion as The Last of Us. Joel is a sympathetic lead, Ellie is completely believable as an actual 14 year old born during an apocalypse (as opposed to how some middle-aged white guy thinks a 14 year old girl would act). The two bounce off each other with a natural progression and their relationship unfolds in a realistic fashion. I recently played Tomb Raider and (even though I enjoyed the game) I disliked how Lara went from scared `I've never shot anyone' to `I've just now shot someone, I'm a bit shocked, but I'm going to shoot 20 other guys with arrows straight away'. In TLOU, the relationship between Joel and Ellie isn't jarring in the slightest. They are paired together and it evolves from there, with ups and downs along the way as you'd expect and, as you play, you understand. Also, Ellie isn't just a weak `I need protecting' female character and Joel isn't just a gruff father figure. They are just two people caught up in a complete mess who know how to survive and they help each other to do so.

Another thing I absolutely loved about the story is that every part felt important. TLOU is the longest Naughty Dog game (it took me just shy of 18 hours on Normal) and is lengthier than many linear games of this ilk. Yet at no point did I suffer from that old gamers feeling of wondering just why I'm travelling to this place to meet this random guy for no reason. Or when you just forget why you are somewhere, or which character you're talking to. The actual plot itself is fairly simple, get from A to B, but the journey is never full of fluff, or pointless side quests. Any deviations from your route make sense, like when you travel to a nearby town to find an old friend you know may have a car. There's no `now you've got here, I need to to do me a really long, arduous, time consuming favour before I'll give you that thing you need to complete your journey'. It sounds stupid I know, but if you've played games you'll know that feeling of thinking `this bit is completely pointless'. As I said, every part feels important and that only makes the game better. Also, no spoilers, but the opening chapter is the best opening chapter of any game I've played. It was so good, that I had to stop for a whole TWO MINUTES before I decided I just had to keep playing. Seriously though it's just, a `bloody hell' moment.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me what my favourite game of this generation is. I cheated a bit and said I had to count Mass Effect as a trilogy, as the three games aren't standalone stories (unlike, for example, Uncharted). Even after Bioshock Infinite, nothing would have changed that, Mass Effect No.1 with Portal 2 close behind. Now I've played The Last of Us, well, basically it's too close to call for no.1. Graphically it's the best game I've played. Storywise it's incredible, full of genuinely emotional, moving and heart-wrenching moments that blew me away and had me shouting at the screen and even welling up. The cut scenes, and the acting in the cut scenes, is the finest you'll get in gaming. The gameplay is very good. There's no other way to put this: The Last of Us is a defining moment of this generation, 7 years into it. I can't decide whether it's my new no.1 game of this generation, but the fact I'm now debating it tells a story in itself. It's pretty much a three way battle between this, Portal 2 and the Mass Effect series. Uncharted 1, 2 and 3 were great but this is Naughty Dog grown up and it's even better for it.

Nothing more needs to be said, it's just the most amazing game with a story better than any book or film I've read. Fantastic characters, astounding worldbuilding.... gaming just doesn't get any better, and the DLC is also just as amazing.

S T O R Y
You play as Joel, a hardened survivor of a pandemic that has rampaged across America for over 20 years. Infectious spores have turned regular humans into psychotic freaks. Containment groups patrol the streets and keep the viral outbreak controlled with a heavy hand. Joel's survival skills come in handy, as he is requested to transport Ellie, a valuable girl, to the resistance movement that opposes the nationwide control. From here Joel and Ellie form an unbreakable bond throughout their journey together.

Naughty Dog masterfully craft the inner troubles of Joel and the defiant nature to Ellie to utmost perfection. This characterisation is as real as it gets. Yes, it's the whole post-apocalyptic setting all over again. However, players are guided away from that and taken on a captivating personal journey.

G R A P H I C S & S O U N D
The Last Of Us is without doubt the PS3s best looking title. There is so much diversity when it comes to the environments. The pandemic has completely beaten the life out of small towns and city quarters, allowing nature to spread out of control and pave the way for chaos. Quarantine zones, control posts and crumbled city blocks paint a vivid picture of the pandemic. No expense has been spared with the detail - skyscrapers have toppled into one another, entire highways have collapsed and numerous districts have been abandoned.

Lighting is spectacular as it shimmers off surfaces, casts defined shadows and washes over a number of expansive environments. The character models and performances of Joel and Ellie are sublime, pushing the authenticity of their on-screen presence. The infected are not your run-of-the-mill zombie types, further exemplified by the intensity of their movements and lust for carnage.

The voice acting and mo-cap performances are superb throughout the game. The quality of the two components sets a new benchmark for video game production. The soundtrack gently sweeps over the gameplay and story, beautifully complimenting a variety of narrative aspects.

G A M E P L A Y
It's kill or be killed. The Last Of Us shoves brutality and cold-blooded methods before the player. At its heart, The Last Of Us employs a great deal of stealth to navigate levels and emphasises survival at its core. Planning each move is wise, to do this Joel uses a listen mode to 'see' through walls and pinpoint enemy location. It becomes an invaluable tool against tougher enemies. The silent approach will not always work and a hands-on approach will be needed to progress to new areas. Enemies can be strangled or stabbed in the throat in a very violent manner. Joel can also use his fists to do the talking, but his boxing skills leave him way too vulnerable. The clickers are the enemies to watch, blinded by heavy infection, but they're hearing is not to be messed with. Sneaking up and eliminating one is no easy task.

Gameplay requires thought when dealing with different enemy types, human opposition can alert others in an instant, whereas the infected can become harder to track due to their erratic movements. A number of weapons can be collected throughout the game, including a strong selection of projectile weapons. It becomes imperative not to waste ammo, as this can make progress very tough and alert enemies to your whereabouts. Enemies can also be distracted by strategically throwing objects into areas and luring them in for a quick kill. The complexity of levels doesn't give you a great deal of time when dispatching one enemy and then moving to another. Surveying each environment carefully yields greater results.

Ellie is also along for the ride, but she isn't part of some crappy escort mission. The girl knows how to handle herself! The chemistry between Joel and Ellie keeps growing during gameplay, it becomes hard to imagine what it would be like without her. Players will also have the chance to take Ellie out on some gameplay scenarios, she may be short but she is no stranger to killing. The combat is brutal and unforgiving, this will become most apparent when smashing in the face of an infected on several occasions. Weapons can be upgraded at workbenches, which allow Joel to modify weapons and improve their capabilities.

O V E R A L L
The Last Of Us incorporates a number of game mechanics into a formidable package. I adored Joel and Ellie, silhouetted against a breathtaking nightmarish world. The strength of the characters is not bound by their will to survive, but how far they will go to protect the ones they love at any cost.

Pretty good story, graphics and sound. It doesn't get any better that this on PS3 honestly. Lenght is ok, game is long enough you won't finish it on a couple of sittings. Recommendation: turn listen mode off and choose hard difficulty, it will make the game more enjoyable from the beginning

Picture the desolation of a world without people. Hear the silence. The overgrown grass, the bushes growing to several times their size, nature without boundaries. And imagine the buildings, rusted, dilapidated, boarded up. Homes, the final breath of human life lingering over the suitcases and holdalls that lie forgotten on the beds. The ones that didn't make it. That were forced to wait it out, starve to death, and rot in their houses. The areas that the government didn't help - didn't care about - or perhaps, had no other option but to leave out, for the sake of preserving resources.

Amalgamated within this breathless setting, are the beautifully and intrinsically scripted characters. The bad ones that you encounter; men who have forgotten what life means, and whose only focus is on survival. They hunt people. For food, clothes, ammunition - even for their own bodies, for food. There are others you meet, along the way, who help, who still understand love in the face of evil and disparity. Who have others to live for, to fight for. Family, brothers, partners.

It's easy to forget, when playing the game, that infected people - zombies - are responsible for all this. But then again, it is set 20 years after the initial outbreak. So for that reason, the 'coming to terms with your new environment' - the virus, the disease and the infected - is treated as a given. The focus of the plot is not to kill the infected. It does not treat zombies as a laughable life-form. No, the infected are the reason for your family and loved ones being killed. But still, it's difficult to lay the blame on them. This game - it seems to touch on something else, like uncovering the reason for our existence as humans. We can't change nature, we've just got to let it happen. And live on. It's almost as though we are accepting the frailty of our lives.

There's so much tragedy in this game that it's almost very difficult to get past it, to move on. You become Joel, you become Ellie, because you control them in the game. So you are forced to attach yourself to them. Then the cut-scenes drive the relationships deeper, cause more tragedy and sadness, and you feel compelled to keep each character alive as well as you can. You are responsible for them.

Many people have experienced a big gaping void in their soul after playing this game. I'm now going to try and get over it, I don't know how. Another game won't do it. I suppose all you can do is be extremely grateful as to have played something worth much more than its price tag.

Wow. OK. If you want to immerse your imagination into a post-apocalyptic world, here you are. Oh, by the way? Prepare to be a slightly different and more melancholic person for several days. When you've gone in, there's no quitting this. You will be hooked.

One of the best if not the best story telling game of the post apocalyptic genre in this generation of games to date

There are many other reviews and I will not go into the details of the excellent story and graphics. I just want to say, it is a game you must play or you will miss something special !

I no longer play games since Civilisation got over-complicated but my daughter gave me a PS3 for Christmas and so I bought this and was blown away! Probably the best game I have played since Leisure Suit Larry. Perhaps this is a small taste of the future -- an interactive movie.