The Last of Us is set 20 years in the future. We are introduced to a man named Joel, who is living in one of several cities still being kept safe from the zombie pandemic that has devastated the world. The disease is similar to the one in the film 28 Days Later, and causes people to go absolutely mental and bludgeon their fellow man to death. Over time the infection causes, what appear to be, mushrooms to grow out of people’s heads, making them even more crazy, and rendering them blind.

After Joel’s guns are stolen by a revolutionary group called the Fireflies, he is forced to escort a girl named Ellie to their base out west, in order to get his firearms back. Little does he know, Ellie holds a secret that has the potential to rid humanity of the plague.

The game’s story is brilliant and is made better by the characters. Unlike most stories, where characters are artificial, The Last of Us has characters that are three dimensional.

The game has a beautiful atmosphere filled with despair, hopelessness and fear. The people that aren’t trying to kill Joel and Ellie, for what little food they have, are either crazy or worrying more about their own survival.

The story is only matched by the game’s excellent gameplay. The three main parts consist of gunplay, scavenging and sneaking. Gunplay is fun, and since ammo is scarce the player has to make every shot count.

Not only does the player have to scavenge for ammo and weapons, but they also have to look for parts to upgrade guns. In addition, the player has to be on the lookout for items and objects that will allow them to craft med kits, shivs and bombs.

Stealth is also an essential mechanic, which allows the player to silently take down a pack of foes one-by-one, and helps them avoid being detected by the one of the “clickers” (infected humans that are blind and must use sound to find their prey). The clickers are far more terrifying than the average infected person and should be avoided as much as possible.

To sum up, The Last of Us is a wonderful survival action game with both fun and scary moments alike.

5 out of 5 stars