The Last of Us - Game Review

There is no doubt in my mind that Naughty Dog has once again guaranteed itself another game of the year title with their latest release. The Last of Us, which I completed for the first time last night, is unquestionably the best game to hit the PlayStation 3 since Uncharted 3.
A stealth survival game set amidst a zombie apocalypse, The Last of Us, follows Joel, a middle-aged, hardened smuggler and Ellie, his foul mouthed young ward, on a year long journey across the remains of the desolated United States. Visually, the game is stunning. The art designers, and visual artists of Naughty Dog have really outdone themselves on this game. Gameplay takes you through a variety of settings ranging from squalid inner city urban, reclaimed residential, and pristine wilderness. Each stage literally looks better than the last.  Here are a couple of screen shots I was able to find online.

The controls are intuitive and easy to pick up, especially if you have played the Uncharted series. I was also a big fan of the inventory system, and the fact that you have to collect various components before crafting the items that you need to survive. What I wasn't a huge fan of was the fact there was a finite limit on how much of each type of item you can you carry at any one time. Even though you are carrying a backpack, you can only carry 3 of each type of standard component item, and 3 of each crafted item as well. While this certainly adds to the "survival" aspect of the game, sometimes it was really frustrating to see items available to be picked up, but not have the room for it in my inventory.   This applies double to the limited amount of ammo you can carry at any one time.  In a zombie apocalypse you better believe that I would be carrying extra shells in my socks if that's what was necessary. However, for the purpose of a survival game, I do understand that managing limited resources challenges players to find alternate solutions for each encounter.
The story is also very multi-dimensional, and well crafted.  Nothing is ever quite as it seems, and all of the characters have multiple motivations for behaving the way they do. Initially Joel doesn't want to be saddled with the burden of transporting Ellie, but eventually they form a very strong bond, which enhances the story significantly.
I have already published a post that deals with the specifics of the unique zombie outbreak that Naughty Dog has crafted, which you can find here: http://wwwwd.blogspot.ca/2013/06/the-last-of-us.html
My first play through took exactly 17:25:45, on Normal difficulty, and I only managed to track down about 2/3rds of the collectable items, so there is lots of re-playability, especially of you aim to try and platinum this title. I really can't say enough good things about this game, as it is so impressive on every level. Pick up a copy for yourself, and loose yourself in this immersive world. One play through won't be enough, I guarantee it!