The Last of Us is more than a game - it's a landmark achievement in interactive storytelling. What makes TLOU work so well is its believability; the world around Joel and Ellie, our two protagonists, is grim, unforgiving and genuinely chilling. Everything from other humans to former humans that have been transformed into hideous monsters is hostile and the game's locations are all filled with little reminders of what the world was before the big change. It's all helped along by Naughty Dog's exceptional talent for capturing believable performances. Joel and Ellie feel like more than generic game characters; they're hardened by the world around them and the way their relationship develops over the course of the game is genuinely moving. Joel is initially the grim, gruff and cold killer, but Ellie's enthusiasm, desire to survive and strong personality eventually break down his barriers, leading to Joel all but adopting Ellie as his own flesh and blood. This dynamic comes to a head in the game's climactic moments where Joel - after learning that Ellie will be killed so that they can harvest a brain and potentially synthesise a cure for the infection that plagues the world - decides that he can't let that happen. Perhaps dooming the world forever, Joel fights to save Ellie, succeeds and then lies to protect her afterwards about what he's done. Poignant, moving in more than one place (remember the giraffes), the LTOU will no doubt be talked about for decades to come when people talk about classic video games. Which of the games from the previous generation did you think were the best and will be given classic status? Let us know what you think down in the comments!
Dan Curtis is approximately one-half videogame knowledge, and the other half inexplicable Geordie accent. He's also one quarter of the Factory Sealed Retro Gaming podcast.
