S&S; Review: The Last of Us

Title: The Last of Us
Format: PS3
Release Date: June 14, 2013
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Naughty Dog
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M

The Last of Us comes to us from the makers of Uncharted, Naughty Dog, and it proves to be yet another game changer from the wonderful developers.  You follow the tales of Joel and Ellie, as you watch them survive their journey across post-apocalyptic US.

Story and Presentation:
The game's story starts off off with a bang, quickly grabbing ahold of your emotions, and it never lets go, even after you've turned the game off.  The chemistry between Joel and Ellie elevates quickly, and it really becomes one of the strongest character duos I've seen in quite some time.  Both characters give strong performances, and it really makes the tale really authentic.  I'm not going to spoil a single detail of the story, because I want you to experience it on your own.  It's nothing but a thrill ride from beginning to end, and it can be a real tearjerker at times.  That rests purely on the actors, which all deliver strong performances, not just from Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, but from the game's supporting cast as well.  We've come to expect this from every Naughty Dog game, just like how they raise the bar in terms of visuals.  The visuals in the game are unparalleled, the game easily overtakes God of War as the best looking game on the PS3, and it may even be considered the best looking game on the current generation.  It's not just about poly count, lifelike animations and incredible lighting really help seperate the game from basically every other game on the market.  The audio design is just as brilliant, from authentic speech dialects to the Clickers haunting sounds, you'll need to wear headphones to get the full experience.
Core Gameplay and Multiplayer:Since Naughty Dog is behind the wheel, the game quickly drew a lot of comparisons to Uncharted.  But when you actually play the game, you soon realize how different these games are.  You're not up to your eyeballs in ammo like in ammo, and you rarely have more than a couple of clips at a time.  This is a much more mature title as well, combat is gory and you feel every hit you dish out.  The combat can be a bit tough when you first start out, but as you learn new tactics and strategies for taking out the various enemy types in the game, it becomes even more satisfying.  The infected enemies offer as a terrifying foe if you're not well prepared.  Clicker's stalk you with sound, while humans oppose you with gunfire and brutal melee tactics.  It's a great formula that never gets old.
The game felt a bit similar to Bioshock Infinite seeing that how Ellie is always with you, but that's not a bad thing at all.  You never feel like you're just on a long escort mission, she can actually help and assist you at times.  There's a bit of RPG elements in the game, where you can gather supplements to upgrade Joel's abilities.  There's also crafting in the game, where you'll need to collect parts and items in order to create useful tools like shivs and health kits.  Exploration rounds out the game's core, as you navigate the dilapidated environments with Ellie following close behind.  The multiplayer Factions mode is a lot of fun, which actually caught me by surprise.  The multiplayer elements from the single-player translates beautifully into online.  Even if the game didn't have an online component, it wouldn't have affected the overall product in my opinion,.  It's still nice to have one that's actually enjoyable.
Final Thoughts: The Last of Us has easily shot up my list of Game of The Year contenders, past Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider.  With mind-blowing visuals and great gameplay, it'll be hard for Naughty Dog to top it for their next game.  This is definitely a must play for any PS3 owner, you won't be disappointed.
S&S Rating: 9.5/10 @whatsPlay