The Last of Us
Last Saturday at the Spike TV Video Game Awards (VGAs), there were, as per every year, a slew of game announcements. One of if not the most buzzed about as the new Playstation 3 exclusive game, The Last of Us. This game was buzzed so much, it became one of twitter’s top trending topics shortly after it’s reveal.
The game has been in development since late 2009/early 2010 by Naughty Dog, the developers of Jak and Daxter and, more recently, the Uncharted series. Uncharted is unfortunately a Playstation 3 exclusive franchise, so I haven’t had the pleasure of playing it because I don’t have a PS3.
The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic game set after a fungal virus outbreak similar to the strange fungus found in the past few years that enters ants and slowly takes over their brains. The game follows Ellie, a teenage girl, and Joel, a middle aged man, two survivors of the epidemic who are surviving day-to-day.
First off, just from what the trailer has revealed, this is hands down the best looking game I’ve ever seen. Better than Crysis 2, Battlefield 3, and many more, which makes sense seeing as how the Uncharted series is known for it’s high level of graphical fidelity.
The trailer begins in a worn building with, interestingly enough, Joel not fighting and killing one of the infected, but a fellow human being, setting the tone for the game’s atmosphere. Ellie casually loots the man for bullets, acting as if this isn’t the first time she’s had to do so.
The two hear infected approaching which, by the looks of the trailer, move extremely fast. Ellie and Joel hide as the infected are drawn immediately to the recently deceased human. What for, that still seems up for interpretation.
Joel then realizes he has to be ready for these infected should they find the two of them and, with an assuring look from Ellie, cocks the hammer on his pistol. It’s this action however that gives away their position and results in a struggle between Joel and one of the infected. Ellie, showing once again how comfortable she is in this world, proceeds to stab the infected in the back with a pocketknife multiple times, giving Joel enough time to put a bullet in it’s head.
The two then run from the remaining infected and out of the building, revealing an American city overgrown by nature a-la I Am Legend.
What’s most interesting about this trailer is the timeline and the relationship between Ellie and Joel.
Both Ellie’s comfortableness and the large amount of plant growth in the city lead me to believe that this is not a recent epidemic, but one that has been going on for five, 10, or even fifteen years. It seems this life is all Ellie has ever known, as she has a certain amount of comfort uncharacteristic to a person her age.
The relationship between the two is also fascinating. Like I said, I haven’t played the Uncharted series but from what I’ve heard, Naughty Dog is a master at crafting believable and important relationships, which is what intrigues me most about Ellie and Joel. Near the end of the trailer Ellie shouts “Joel!”, nixing any real possibility of a father daughter scenario. I’m very interested to see just what the relationship between these two are.
The first thing I thought after seeing the trailer for the Last of Us was, “This might be the game that makes me break down and buy a PS3”. Not that there’s been a lack of incredible games for the PS3, but just because this might be the tipping point for me. I want to experience Uncharted and Resistance and, most of all The Last of Us, and sadly I can’t on my Xbox.
Needless to say I’m incredibly excited for this game and to see what else is revealed about the world and the characters. The game is set to release in late 2012 / early 2013, so there’s not a long wait until we can get our hands on the game.
Have you seen the trailer for The Last of Us? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
– KZ
Kenneth Zink | Composer 