I struggled for a long time with surviving. And, no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for.
Another week, another timely post.
I have yet to "The Last of Us" on HBO, but I have heard nothing but effusive praise. What little bits I have seen look pretty great and seem to jive with what I've heard in reviews. One of the biggest positives I've heard? It actually follows the plot of the game. Oh My! A show about a video game that actually follows said video game? Who would have ever thought that would work? Doesn't everyone know video games don't work as TV shows and you have to completely change the plot and characters to make them fit? Did they learn nothing from the smashing success of Resident Evil?
Look, not every video game plot is going to work as a full-on television show. You would have to venture pretty far from the plot of, say, Tetris to create a good or even workable program (that's an extreme example, but you get the point). But that isn't the case with The Last of Us. While it may not be the most original, anyone who has read or seen "The Road" will instantly find it familiar, The Last of Us offers one of the most gripping, powerful, well-told stories ever featured in a video game. It's full of post-apocalyptic tropes, but it presents them in such a way that they all feel fresh and original. I was worried that, playing through it again, it wouldn't have the same impact since I knew what was coming. But that wasn't the case. The hard-hitting moments still hit hard, the emotional ones are still crushing and the ending still may be the greatest of all time. Not going to lie, as much as I love it, I'm not sure I'm ever going to be able to play The Last of Us again, it's just so excessively bleak and emotionally intense that right now I just don't think I can do it again.
When I started writing about games again, the first thing I did was rank my top 10 games of the 7th generation. In that list I talked a little bit about games that define their generation from a technical standpoint. To me, The Last of Us is that game for the 7th gen. The way it looks, the way it sounds, the detail that's put into everything, I had never seen anything quite like it at that point and it still holds up, even today. The survivor quarantine zone truly has the look and feel of one of the last vestiges of humanity on Earth, it's dingy, depressing and oppressive. The abandoned university really looks and feels like it was once a place of learning that was quickly abandoned when the apocalypse hit. But the sound might be what truly puts it over the top. At the time, it was definitely the most realistic sound I had ever heard in a video game, the gunfire, the explosions, the sounds of bullets hitting objects, this nailed it. I've been told that the death rattle in the opening scene was scarily accurate. I have come to find over the years that sound goes a really, really long way in helping me enjoy a game and I've always felt I do a bad job of explaining that. But the sound and effects are critical to The Last of Us' overall package.
As I alluded to previously, the overall plot isn't the most original. However, it's so well told and the characters are so likeable that you almost forget that you've essentially heard this story before. The Last of Us sees you take control of Joel, a survivor of the deadly outbreak of the mutant Cordyceps fungus that has decimated the population of the United States. He lost his daughter in the outbreak 20 years ago and works as a smuggler in the tightly controlled quarantined zone in Boston. While the initial outbreak is over, the country is now full of infected, humans who have been infected with Cordyceps that can spread the infection through biting humans. Between the totally-not-zombies and roving bands of raiders, it's a tough job. But after recovering a stolen weapon cache, Joel is recruited by an anti-government militia, the Fireflies, to perform a very special task: transport a young girl named Ellie to one of the group's safehouses. Joel is initially hesitant, Ellie looks and acts very similarly to his late daughter Sarah, but he's convinced when he learns just how important she could potentially be. You see, Ellie was bitten by an infected three weeks ago and has yet to show any signs of infection...a process that is usually complete within three days. The duo set out together across the shattered remains of the United States to learn if Ellie could potentially hold the keys to eliminating the Cordyceps infection for good.
Along the way, the duo encounters a bevy of interesting characters. Again, many of these characters are dyed in the wool post-apocalyptic tropes, but they are all so well-crafted it barely matters. Bill, a gritty survivalist with a bleak world view helps them acquire a working vehicle in Boston. After they are attacked by bandits in Pittsburgh, the duo links up with Henry and his little brother Sam, leading to one of the most tragic and jarring gaming moments of all time. I still can't get it out of my head right now. Joel reunites with his brother Tommy in Wyoming, where he reluctantly helps them despite his desire to create a more peaceful and free society. Of course, they have to almost get eaten by cannibals because it's a post-apocalyptic world and that always happens. But the real standout interactions come between Joel and Ellie. They are initially hesitant to open up, having both experienced loss. Lifespans are typically pretty short in their world, so why bother getting close to someone? But the two begin to develop a father-daughter bond, with Joel giving everything he has to protect Ellie and teaching her how to survive. In turn, she cares for him while he is injured, hunting and gathering food. You come to really feel for both of them and appreciate their relationship. For me personally, this was especially true in my recent playthrough, I wasn't a parent the last time I played. It makes the ending, which I won't spoil, especially impactful and I believe that if it's not the best ending in gaming history, it's in the top 5.
You know, I have yet to actually discuss gameplay. Like the plot, I don't think it's anything revolutionary. Also like the plot, it's so well done it almost doesn't matter. It's a third person shooter with a good mix between action oriented and stealth sections. The infected are relatively tough, but aren't particularly smart, so you can typically sneak around them. However, you will also come across plenty of human enemies, who are much smarter and more heavily armed. Of course, they also go down way faster. I kind of wish they had more sections with both types of enemies, maybe allowing you to take advantage of them fighting against each other. But that is a nit-pick. I don't like 3rd person shooters at all, but I had fun with The Last of Us because, well, it actually lets you shoot. I can't for the life of me understand why cover-based shooters are popular. Why would I want to sit behind a wall for 20 minutes and pop up every so often to fire two shots. Sure, you can use cover here, but you can also actually fight against enemies, use stealth to get the jump on them or take them out with environmental objects. The pacing is also perfect, just when you start to get bored of one style of gameplay or type of enemy, the game switches it up. There are just enough set pieces and quick time events to keep the gameplay fresh, but not so many that it's annoying. When I first saw that Ellie followed you everywhere, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Was the whole game going to be a giant escort mission? Fortunately, no. The Last of Us didn't break any new ground gameplay wise, but it did provide a near-perfect version of a proven formula.
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