The Last of Us: PS3 Review

The Last of Us: PS3 Review

Released by Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PS3

To say Naughty Dog's latest title, The Last Of Us is the most anticipated title of the year is a massive understatement.

I've had preview time with the game, played beta levels and generally done everything I can with what's been around on this third person horror survival game. So it's fair to say that I thought I was prepared for everything with this game.

I was wrong.

In The Last Of Us, you take the role of Joel, a survivor fighting to get through day by day on an Earth which has been ravaged by the arrival of a parasitic fungus which has wiped out most human life. Any survivors who have been touched by the plant's spores have been turned into mindless killers and zombies whose one desire is to tear you apart. Or in the worst case of infection, they've become clickers, creatures whose heightened sense of sound means they use some kind of sonar to track you down - and then tear you apart.

As we start the game, the introduction sets things up nicely - in a way which is truly unforgettable. To say this game is harrowing is to sell it short. What it also manages to do is to grip you right from the very beginning of the title screens.

Cue 20 years later, and Joel's still trying to eek out an existence within the wastelands - slightly bitter, slightly mercenary but completely vulnerable bad ass, he's a gun for hire in some ways. Joel's approached to help get a fourteen year old girl, Ellie to safety across the quarantine zones and out of harm's way. So begins a major trek, which is not without danger, across parts of America. Infected humans, clickers (who use sound to track you) and fearsome human fighters all present dangers to your journey - and each choice comes with a consequence.

The Last Of Us is utterly compelling gaming - Naughty Dog's thrown together a story which is gripping, emotional and horrific as well as adding in gameplay which builds on those layers.  As you head through the various landscapes, there's plenty to keep you occupied; whether it's collecting bits and bobs to arm yourself or sneaking around trying to avoid runners and clickers, or taking in the stupendously apocalyptic scenery that Naughty Dog's created, there's a lot to do within the world.

Time needs to be spent collecting as well - whether it's to craft weapons to shiv the Clickers or improve on your rucksack space, you have to take some time to understand the skill levels of the game if you're to survive. Likewise, deciding whether fight or flight are the best motives are a key part to surviving after the apocalypse; and it's a smart person who knows when to run. Similarly if you're being pursued, spending time scavenging and looking for equipment and weapons is probably not the best strategy

Occasionally though, you can't wander as far as perhaps you would like with trees and bushes which would suggest depth actually proffering you a wall; and it's a frustration. There are a few of these moments through the game - sometimes, the Ellie AI means she gets in your way, enemies can be right on top of you without seeing you when you're in stealth mode (which is just unrealistic) and on a couple of occasions, runners I've been fighting have simply disappeared from the screen.

All in all though, these are very minor niggles in a game which truly raises the bar for what to expect from a deeply immersive and truly emotional experience. Playing The Last Of Us has left me drained - be it from the suspense of what's going on or emotionally because of the story. A developing relationship between Ellie and Joel is the real hook to this - and the real reason you will invest hours of your life in front of the console. Naughty Dog have put a lot of effort into the emotion and it really does pay off in great swathes as you power on through the wastelands of America.

I'm loathe to give away any spoilers on this game - as with any great film, the twists and turns are the narrative drawstrings which anchor this as something unique and original. But the elements of surprise in this game mean you shouldn't know anything more than the basics before you go in - strategies and hints will be discussed as will the places for collectibles, but the thrill of The Last Of Us is watching the cinematic feel unfurl before you.

The Last Of Us is an incredible experience on PS3. Grim, gritty, graphic, gruesome but never anything less than gripping throughout, it's delivered everything and more that it initially promised in its demos and within its concept art. It's one of the last great titles on the PlayStation 3 and if you're serious about gaming as an experience, it's one you simply cannot afford to be without.

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