Possibly the most involving and emotional experience you can have playing a video game. An instant favourite.
I'm not here to talk about the storyline or ruin the best parts of the game for people who haven't played it yet, but merely to sing the games praises and let people know how worthwhile it is for them to play it. If, like my boyfriend, you're the kind of person who enjoys playing a game not for the story but for brutal uninhibited gameplay where you can smash and shoot and slice anything that moves, this game is probably not for you. If, however, you're the kind of person who appreciates the emotional depth a video game can have and also enjoys strategic and immersive gameplay, then it's time to go out and buy The Last of Us.
Set in a post-apocolyptic zombie-infested world (we've all heard that setup before, right?) you take control of Joel and Ellie as they trek across America for reasons I won't disclose for those who haven't yet played the game. At first the idea of a (yet another) zombie video game may seem dull and tired and contrived, but I can honestly say that a zombie story has never felt so authentic and original than the one you're faced with here. It truly is something that you can become so emotionally involved with that you might feel yourself becomming a little melancholy at the end of the game when you realise that the experience is over for you and - even though you can play the game through a second time - it will never hold that sense of wonder and discovery that you felt the first time around.
The gameplay may not bring anything new and innovative to the table at first glance, but once you begin to scratch the surface you'll see that there is such simple polished precision to the entire process that you can't help but fall in love with the mind of whoever thought it up. The sense of being a survivor in a world gone to hell is stronger here than in any game featuring similar themes (the new Tomb Raider comes close, but where that game succeeded, The Last of Us really takes home the 1st place trophy). You will get the sense of getting by day-to-day in a world where almost everything is out to get you, from deranged and twisted humans who appear to have lost all morals to the fungal zombies that rome the deserted towns and cities that you'll have to cross through.
Joel and Ellie are both richly developed characters with fully-realised backgrounds and motivations that make them incredibly complex characters. You'll watch them grow and change and redefine themselves throughout the story, despite the fact that they may appear relatively two-dimensional on the surface, it's really the nuance and the subtlety in the characterisation that give these two their brilliantly defined personalities. The other characters you'll find throughout the game will surprise you too, bringing their own unique flavours to the game and peppering it with opportunities to see how different people react to the same circumstances. At the end of the world, how would you react?
As you travel across America you'll find that the game is one of the more stunning things you may have seen in any console experience. The opening of the game is a feast for the eyes, a truly interactive blockbuster affair that offers little in the way of gameplay (you're basically just walking or running) but a lot in the sense of an immersive and unique experience. During the first chapter of the game I worried that everything seemed a little bland and flat and gray - not exactly what you're looking for from a game. But I can guarantee that as the experience goes on you'll find the landscape evolving and changing to feature some truly eye-watering delights. The art direction is simply inspired, backed up also by some of the most crisp and realistic sounds that you can find in any gaming experience. I found myself lingering in areas unnecessarily just to make sure I had taken in all the sights and sounds that were on offer.
Quite simply: The Last of Us is a marvel and an achievement in gaming, storytelling, sound design and art direction. There will be people who dislike or underappreciate it, as there will be with any good thing, but I can truly say that The Last of Us is one of the best experiences I've had playing a video game in my life. In a long list of video games that I adore and could replay time and time again this has easily made it to the top ten (possibly the top five) of my ever-growing list.
Could you be The Last of Us?