The Last of Us
A vast, post-apocalyptic world is waiting for you to explore in Naughty Dog's newest game, The Last of Us. The story takes place in the United States in 2033, right after a worldwide pandemic. A mutated strain of fungus has infected people and turned them into zombie-like creatures. Joel, a middle-aged man who has lost many friends and family to the disease, is tasked with escorting a young girl named Ellie across dangerous territory to a colony of people called the Fireflies. The Fireflies are a friendly resistance group who have rebelled against the government's quarantines and control of the country. They have formed their own colonies and are attempting to re-establish life back to the way it was before the disaster. They want Ellie because her blood may hold a cure for the disease spreading around the world.

 The world outside the walls of the quarantine zones is beautiful but deadly. The world is full of many dangerous creatures and individuals. There are two types of infected creatures. Runners are recently infected people who still have many of their human attributes; however, the disease has caused them to seek the flesh of healthy humans. If they see you sneaking around, they will attack you. The other form of infected creatures are known as Clickers. Clickers are humans that have had the infection for a long time. Their faces are mutated and disfigured from the fungus. They have lost all senses but their hearing. As a result of only being able to hear, they make clicking noises to detect the environment around them, similar to sonar technology. These creatures are extremely terrifying. When Clickers are near, it is wise to remain still until they move away. They cannot see you, so remaining in the open won't be dangerous, but make too much noise and they will know where you are. You can confuse them by throwing objects, such as bottles or bricks, to other parts of the room to distract them. The other groups you will encounter are bandits, non-infected humans surviving in the abandon cities.

Joel and Ellie on their journey
Joel and Ellie will journey through many major cities on their way to their final destination. The cities have lied in ruin and abandonment for years. The majority of people that remained after the catastrophe are now infected. Nature has reclaimed many structures and areas of the cities. Naughty Dog has done an excellent job in creating a world that resembles a city that has been unkept for years. The city streets are littered with abandoned vehicles and the buildings with items pertinent to that structure. Houses have people's belongings and furniture still inside covered in dust and debris. Businesses have flooded rooms or collapsed areas of the ceiling. Every where you look, Naughty Dog has included little details that make the environment seem real.

Joel wanders the streets in a post-outbreak Pittsburgh
If you take time to explore, Naughty Dog has left many gems for you to find. For example, you may enter an abandon home to find a letter to a loved one left on the kitchen counter. Another reason for exploring rooms is to find supplies that you will need on your journey. As you collect supplies, you can use them to craft medical kits, weapons, and other objects essential to helping you survive. The Last of Us is different than most survival, zombie games in that it requires you to think strategically about how to progress through the game. Ammo is extremely limited, so a methodical approach is necessary. This is not an arcade zombie shooter where you run around blasting zombies with tons of weapons but rather a grown up, realistic take on what the world be like if an event like this were to occur.

 The Last of Us is a masterpiece in the truest sense. All elements of the graphics, music, dialogue, story, and gameplay come together to make one of the best games of 2013. It has received over 20 perfect scores from review sites across the globe and I am right along side them in giving this game a perfect score as well. There is simply nothing that could make this game better. The Last of Us is a PlayStation exclusive so unless you have a PS3, you will not be able to play this game unfortunately. Buying one just to experience this game would be well worth it.

Rating: 10 out of 10 (Perfect)
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