Review! The Last of Us

System:  Playstation 3
How far did you get:  One game completion, played around with multiplayer

Naughty Dog, the developer behind the incredibly well received Uncharted series, has returned with what will likely be the last game they make on the Playstation 3, at least exclusively.  The Last of Us is a stealth driven survival horror game set in a post-apocalyptic United States.  This is clearly a different kind of game than Uncharted, so if you expected this game to play like Uncharted in an apocalyptic setting, you might want to get into a different mind set.  It has the same visual style and great storytelling as Uncharted, but controls more like Resident Evil and plays more like Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell.

The controls are what stop this game from being one of the better games I've played recently.  The combat design is actually really well done.  The enemy AI is great, the buildings are all strategically laid out, and the stealth system actually makes sense.  Unfortunately, maneuvering around enemies is an absolute pain, particularly after they've spotted you and you're fighting for your life.  Despite what many people will say about this game, it is absolutely in your best interest to attempt to never be seen and play the game as stealthily as possible.  Not doing so will put you in some of the most annoying situations I've encountered in video games.

The zombies are where this is most frustrating.  They're harder to sneak up on than humans, more difficult to kill once you do sneak up on them, and god help you if they've noticed you're there.  I consider myself a pretty calm gamer (and person in general), but this game had me yelling and getting very close to throwing my controller.

While the enemy AI is pretty amazing, the partner AI is the absolute opposite.  Despite who I had running alongside me, they were almost always getting in my way.  The game doesn't have the nice feature where you push people aside like Assassin's Creed has.  Fortunately, for some reason, the enemies never seemed to notice them.  It's bad game design, but I was happy to catch a break.  If my partner is going to run around like a moron, at least they aren't screwing up my stealth strategies.

On a more positive note, the game tells a wonderful story.  It has a few dips middle, but it starts strong and ends strong, and most of the game that doesn't involve you actually playing it was pretty awesome.  While the event scenes were all very well done, you get the most from the story when listening to the chatter between Joel and Ellie, the main characters.  At first they're relationship is a bit off putting, thanks to Joel telling Ellie what to do and Ellie just doing it, but it doesn't take long before they form an interesting, albeit complicated relationship.

Visually, it makes you wonder why we need new consoles.  If all developers were as skilled at making beautiful looking games as Naughty Dog, I'd be perfectly happy sticking with my Playstation 3.  It looks at least as good as Uncharted 3, and at times even better.  There was a particular scene where Ellie is hunting a rabbit, and the animation on the rabbit was mind blowing.  The Last of Us uses the in game engine the whole time, and it was hard to believe in many instances.

The combat itself is at least pretty set up to be pretty interesting.  If you like the thrill of not having enough ammo and supplies in a world full of dangerous things, you're going to like what's going on here.  This isn't a third person shooter.  You're never going to have 100 bullets for your gun.  In fact, you'll rarely have 20.  Certain zombies can only be taken down with certain types of weapons, which can be frustrating, but it keeps you on your toes.  For instance, you can't punch a clicker.  It will bite you.   

There's a crafting component in the game that adds a lot to the survivalist environment and gives you something to do besides hide and kill stuff.  You can't ignore it, as you're going to need healing supplies, and a few of the other components you can craft are incredibly useful when you're in a tough spot.  Most of your down time in this game will be spent scavenging through houses and building looking for crafting components.  They're one of the few things in this game that are plentiful.

The multiplayer is plagued by the same problems the main game has, and it's all a bit too simple.  Both multiplayer modes are survival style modes, which isn't anything you haven't seen before.  It's a lot like a stripped down version of Uncharted 3's multiplayer, only there is less ammo and you don't hug walls when you crouch next to one.

The Last of Us is a decent game, but a better interactive story.  I'd be more inclined to recommend it to someone that likes Resident Evil and stealth shooters than I would someone that likes Uncharted.  I certainly don't think it lived up to the hype, but it is worth looking into for the story. 

Rating:  74/100