Almost every gamer has played The Last of Us. The original game came in 2013 on Play Station 3, and since then, there have been multiple remastered versions for PS4 and PS5. Although divided by the fans, the second part of the game was also a financial success for the publishers. In early 2023, HBO released its show, ‘The Last of Us’, based on the original story of the game, and that has also been a great success as far as storytelling is concerned. So why is ‘the last of Us’ appreciated by the audience, and no matter the format or version, everyone keeps returning to it? In this article, we’ll try to get behind the ideas of the game and discuss the essential key elements of the story and gameplay that sets it apart from other single-player experiences.
Joel: Opportunity for Redemption
The story follows the journey of Joel and Ellie. Joel, a father whose daughter was killed by a soldier during a fungal infection outbreak, struggles to find peace in the new world order. He was living in an army containment under martial law. Twenty years later, he had an opportunity to meet his lost brother by committing the task of smuggling a special girl named Ellie to an anti-militia group. But as the game progresses, Joel’s attachment to Ellie, which was a beautiful relationship of father and daughter dynamic, gives much volume to the plot. At the end of the story, Joel saved Ellie over humanity and fulfilled his opportunity of redeeming himself by saving a girl who became part of his life as a daughter.
Ellie: Fear of Loss
Ellie was a wild girl born in a post-pandemic era when the world was in the grave. She was brought into the military organisation and suffered a loss all her life. Her close friend was killed during her escape, and the only thing that gave her life purpose was that she was special. Being the only known immune human being to the infection, Ellie had the opportunity to save people and hundreds of lives. In the story, when she meets Joel, and their journey progresses, the family dynamic builds up, and Joel becomes her old man, whom she looks up to and fears losing. Even though Joel saved her in the end, she had no idea that Joel took the only purpose of her life.
Infected Makes Stakes High
Any pandemic can bend the rules of life, and the fungal infection in the game was no different. People can do anything to survive when it comes to real-life situations. Everyone was a survivor in the game, including Joel, and you can’t judge anyone for doing anything. Characters in the game are motivated by their intentions and quests for change and are willing to brutalise each other for gain. The zombies in the game provide a great gameplay experience but also bring out the extremities of humanity in the face of the crisis. But, as one can expect, there is no moral code in such situations, and roaming zombies will only worsen things for everyone in the story.
Surreal Sounds of the Game
The game’s music is fantastic and mesmerising, and it is heartwarming to have the same theme even in the show. It is unfair to mess with a near-perfect video game storyline, especially regarding sound. The diversity of emotions the sounds in the game highlight is genuinely brilliant and adds a lot more to the entire gaming experience of The Last of Us. The rising intensity, close encounters with death and significant moments are captured perfectly with the great sounds of instruments in the production. The overall experience of the games becomes tenfold improved with the music, and it is an excellent addition to the production quality of the title.
Gameplay: Icing on the Cake
Many games have a brilliant story but not fair gameplay. Even though the story matters, the main priority is the gameplay, and the last of Us has a near-perfect balance of the story and gameplay. The first game, which came in 2013, was spectacular, visually and in-gamely, so the people enjoyed the game more. Everything from the gun mechanics, sounds, survival tactics, and stealth is perfect and could only be improved to perfection, as seen in the second part of the game. For a newcomer to the videogames, the gameplay might seem complicated, but over time, one can get used to the scare jumps, firing and exploration techniques for hunting supplies scattered across the places.
Conclusion
The Last of Us is a popular game remastered for PS4 and PS5. It follows the journey of Joel and Ellie, a father whose daughter was killed by a soldier during a fungal infection outbreak. Joel’s attachment to Ellie, a beautiful father-and-daughter relationship, gives much volume to the plot. Ellie is a wild girl born in a post-pandemic era who was brought into the military organisation and suffered a loss all her life. In the end, Joel saves Ellie over humanity and fulfils his opportunity of redeeming himself by saving a girl who became part of his life as a daughter.
