The Last Of Us - Review

Developer - Naughty Dog

Publisher - Sony

Platform - PlayStation 3 (Exclusive)

Release date - June 14, 2013

Price - Rs. 2,699

More information - PlayStation India

The Last of Us is high on emotion, drama and courage. Finally, the PlayStation 3 gets a remarkable masterpiece.

This isn't just about Zombies; it is even beyond post-apocalyptic stories. Finally, a game that is emotionally gripping and yes, by far the most well executed narrative seen and told in the history of console gaming.

It is right to call The Last of Us - PlayStation 3's best exclusive - packaged and promoted at the same time. Created by Naughty Dog, this game is absolutely remarkable, and convincing without a second thought. From gameplay to narratives to honest characters, the game has set a benchmark and should definitely being our favorite game till date.

The Last of Us is set in 2033, where devastated America has been shown. The country is destroyed completely with no government in place and everything is just out of place. You will get to see refuge- camps here and there- some survivors trying to take shelter. The game is all about exploring and shooting. The control scheme is simple and not complicated.

Yes, The Last of Us will appeal to those, who are familiar with hardcore territory. As said earlier, the game is set out in 2033, twenty years after fungal outbreak led to killing of large, almost majority of population. Now, the country is barren and silent too. The city is being ruled by zombies, and yes, the same zombies are fungus infected people. It's a zombie game, after all.

The two lead characters, middle aged Joel and a 14-years old girl Ellie, went on a mission to explore the devastated country. For sure, The Last of Us is a dark game, which picks up with its own pace. Joel was born before devastation took place, so he understands the psyche and the pain of being a survivor. He is hard and ruthless, but at the same time act as an emotional champ. While Ellie was born after the calamity, so everything is new for her. She keeps on asking questions. Soon their bonding gets stronger.

The most basic fact one should know about The Last of Us is how real the game is. Look at the fallen America, the silent cities, broken buildings and dense forests. Graphics wise, everything is so believable and you can feel the pain. The more you play the game, the better you get to know the environment. Both Joel and Ellie are fighting to survive, and they are killing not outsiders, but their own people.

Talking about the game play style, it depends upon situation to situation. Here, another important highlight of the game and that has to be combat style. You need to sense your environment and surroundings in order attack on groups. The more vigilant attitude you show during fights, the better are your chances to get survived.

The game is a third-person shooter, so the use of firearms is controlled by using L1 and R1 to fire an opponent. While using d-pad, you can have a tab on handguns collected all along, the first aid package and other miscellaneous things. By using left and right analogue sticks, you can control the camera movements. This survival game also gives you a chance to plant bombs; there are three varieties of bombs a player can choose from. In every situation, you have to be ready to fight equally hard because anything is possible.

Unlike other games, here background score is unheard, and it makes sense also. All in all, The Last of Us is not less than any invention of sorts. PlayStation 3 games have a reason to celebrate this exclusive game; however, one has to be tough while playing the game. The game play is not restricted to any style, which is good for players.

One has to be quick against Zombies, so lot of mind tricks are to be used while playing. That said, the weapons are scarce and one has to use punching more often. In one line - The Last of Us is not a bizarre game at all. The circumstance has made you rough and heartless - survive, survive, survive.......