The Last of Us Remastered Review

Naughty Dog delivers its finest achievement in The Last of Us, which presents a harrowing, emotional picture of a post-apocalyptic world turned rotten.

I found The Last of Us to be a deeply confrontational video game. And, I’m not saying that because of its horror elements. I say that because of its raw portrayal of humanity’s darkest potential and how a global catastrophe can so thoroughly unravel the fabric of society.

Simply put, Naughty Dog’s magnum opus ticks all the boxes. It has suspenseful, well-designed gameplay and depicts one of the most visually striking post-apocalyptic landscapes ever produced in entertainment media. But, my lasting memories with The Last of Us will be with Joel and Ellie, and how their struggle for survival results in fighting for hope in a hopeless world.

Story

It should come as no surprise that the immensely talented writers at Naughty Dog possess a keen instinct for developing a gripping narrative and relatable characters.

However, unlike Uncharted, The Last of Us takes on a bitter, grounded approach. It shows a world where a devastating pandemic has infected much of the human population. This global disaster has resulted in anarchy amongst the survivors. And, that’s to say nothing of the Infected, who continue to haunt humanity and my nightmares.

The Last of Us is brutal in its portrayal of civilization’s decline into near madness. As such, paranoia is a recurring theme throughout the game. The different factions of remaining humans have essentially lost hope in returning the world to its former state.

Instead, they try to gain what little power they can amongst their rivals by exploiting the limited resources. Joel is given the task of escorting Ellie through this loosely bound echo of society. Ellie is a teenager who was born into the chaos, but who may hold the key to humanity’s survival.