Im really hard to get emotional reactions out of things. Gore doesnt bother me, games like dead space, FEAR, or condemned (As great as they are...) only provide me a jump or too, and honestly when most games deal with the death of a certain character, i usually shrug it off and forget about it within the start of the next sequence. Basically im a hard ass and im not denying it.
That being said, The last of Us had me on the verge of tears the minute the opening credits started playing...
The Last of Us does something that most games fail to do in my eyes. Everyone, as minor or big as they may be, feels human. Thus when a character dies, its not something you just go "damn" and forget about it afterwards. It sticks with you...you end up feeling affected by it. Its pushed more so by the brilliant story telling and writing. Along with such things comes its brilliant level designs, relying heavily on strategy, especially on the harder difficulties. The mechanics are without a doubt very well made. You can craft items such as shivs or molitovs and use it for said strategies, aswell as upgrade joel himself. allowing things like easier aiming or faster crafting and etc. Theres also the ability to focus your hearing, allowing you to see nearby enemies, and thus allow you to set up a plan for the encounter your about to have. Nothing here ever feels half assed, and thats a miracle on naughty dogs part.
And the graphics...my gosh the graphics are probably the best seen on the PS3 next to GTAV. A few things hinder it abit, like some pixels in the cutscenes or some pop in on some occasions, but thats to be expected considering the age of the PS3. Whats there looks very realistic and it only adds to the immersion given from the game. Same goes for the sound, with extremely high quality voice acting and creepy/beefy sound effects for things such as the weird infected you come across or the very guns/melee weapons you use.
Had Naughty dog Had everything i mentioned here and called it a day, we'd still have a flawless experience, but they went the extra mile to include a multiplayer section aswell. Its actually suprisingly good too. The 3 game modes included all have a focus on team work and stays away from the run and gun heavy shooters of most modern game multiplayers. If your not sticking with your team mates, your going to die and lose..allot. I cant say this mode is for everyone, but its definetly something id invest some massive game into. As its extremely entertaining, especially with some good friends.
So there, i have expressed my thoughts on this game finally. I didnt mention much about the story because i honestly feel saying anything about it would just be spoiling it. This is a game that has to be experienced to really believe all the hype that it very well deserves. Buy this piece of art, you wont regret any of it...