Naughty Dog have outdone themselves, and everyone else for that matter. At least when it comes to the "survival" genre of games. In a time when developers are steadily concentrating on next generation console releases, the team at Naughty Dog has bestowed an instant classic.
As expected the graphics are vivid, highly detailed and at times just plain gorgeous. The physics engine does not disappoint either. Many games can boast these attributes, but when combined with nothing less then a epic and compelling tale it transforms into much more then eye candy. This describes The Last of Us. No spoilers, I swear. The story easily pulls you in and toys with your own morals and instincts with an expertise and tactic that only a psychiatrist could employ. It doesn't take long before you honestly CARE about the characters, their plight and their goals. Had this been a book it would have gripped the nation with the same fascination that The Hunger Games has. I highly doubt an hour and a half movie could even begin to do it justice. The medium of video games is simply the only way to be moved by this epic story.
The characters are well rounded, and understood thru brief yet highly informative back stories. As with most games/movies/books there is the textbook anti-hero, but even he stands out amongst the crowd of gaming anti-heroes. As for the other characters you will be hard pressed to find any stereotypical survival characters. Each character brings their own personality to a moral stew that serves up a sumptuous meal for the heart and mind. Simply put, it is one of those games in which you find yourself at a loss when the credits role. You simply do not want it to end.
In the last days of current generation consoles this game perfectly summarizes all that has been achieved in the medium to date. Elegant, flowing, memorable. Easy to pick up, impossible to put down.
As expected the graphics are vivid, highly detailed and at times just plain gorgeous. The physics engine does not disappoint either. Many games can boast these attributes, but when combined with nothing less then a epic and compelling tale it transforms into much more then eye candy. This describes The Last of Us. No spoilers, I swear. The story easily pulls you in and toys with your own morals and instincts with an expertise and tactic that only a psychiatrist could employ. It doesn't take long before you honestly CARE about the characters, their plight and their goals. Had this been a book it would have gripped the nation with the same fascination that The Hunger Games has. I highly doubt an hour and a half movie could even begin to do it justice. The medium of video games is simply the only way to be moved by this epic story.
The characters are well rounded, and understood thru brief yet highly informative back stories. As with most games/movies/books there is the textbook anti-hero, but even he stands out amongst the crowd of gaming anti-heroes. As for the other characters you will be hard pressed to find any stereotypical survival characters. Each character brings their own personality to a moral stew that serves up a sumptuous meal for the heart and mind. Simply put, it is one of those games in which you find yourself at a loss when the credits role. You simply do not want it to end.
In the last days of current generation consoles this game perfectly summarizes all that has been achieved in the medium to date. Elegant, flowing, memorable. Easy to pick up, impossible to put down.