This opinion piece contains major spoilers for The Last of Us. Do not continue reading if you haven't completed the game.
In an effort to refresh my memory and feel fully caught up with events, I've been replaying The Last of Us Remastered. It's something you too may be doing as the launch of The Last of Us: Part II draws ever closer, and since it's already one of my favourite games, I was looking forward to this trip down memory lane. However, there was one niggling thought in the back of my brain -- what if it doesn't hold up? What if it feels so dated that it becomes tough to play? It's been seven years since The Last of Us launched on PlayStation 3 and the industry has come a long way since then so I feel like my fear was fairly legitimate. But I needn't have doubted Naughty Dog. With its sequel just days away, The Last of Us can still be considered a masterpiece.
And yet it's during gameplay where this point is both proven and debunked. The PS3 swansong's combat is as gritty and intense as ever, but puzzle-solving has not stood the test of time. Largely restricted to placing ladders in the right place and helping Ellie cross bodies of water upon a wooden pallet, it is perhaps The Last of Us' most unimaginative aspect. Once you've solved one brain teaser, you've cracked them all. It simply becomes a case of finding the object within the environment. The game largely drops the mechanic for the second half of the game, but it's a flaw you really start to notice a generation later. However, if anything, I think Naughty Dog recognised that during development and worked it into an actual story beat at Tommy's hydroelectric dam. It's where Ellie says: "I know, step on the f*cking pallet." The mechanic is used just once more henceforth.
Nobody has topped Naughty Dog's brutal, unrelenting combat system though. It is talked about time and time again how gory this post-apocalyptic US setting can get, but seven years later, The Last of Us still feels like it doesn't pull any punches. I think it's the weight which comes with gun combat that does it. Any and every weapon feels like a stone-cold killer in the hands of Joel, even when you haven't purchased the upgrades to reduce weapon sway. The handgun comes with a kick unlike any other while the shotgun could probably be heard for miles. It's about as powerful a DualShock 4 controller could possibly make you feel.
Which, in combination with ruthless, bloody death animations, is enough to turn even the stomachs of teens who grew up on Hostel and Saw. Melee strikes from a customised 2x4 with scissors strapped to the end are sure to leave a mark and gory dismemberment should make any thug with half a brain think twice about messing with the gruesome twosome of Ellie and Joel.
I think the combat encounters are starting to show their age, with clearly telegraphed points of cover and obvious optional paths for stealth-minded players. As such, rarely have I stuck to the shadows and avoided confrontation with my latest playthrough. I've been all about throwing a Nail Bomb to trigger a fight and get right into the gritty action. I want to lay waste to the crooks who haven't eaten a proper meal in two weeks. I want to clear a safe path for Ellie so that not a single Clicker can harm her. The two intentions couldn't be further apart from one another -- a thought process steeped in murder and the other calm and collected. But I revel in becoming Joel, warts and all.
The combat systems of The Last of Us still have a unique edge to them and that's something I think can only be bettered by a sequel. The follow-up in question will also have a story to tell. Naughty Dog's first new IP in six years was famed for its narrative at the time and it continues to be what sets it apart from almost anything else. At its heart, the plot is a simple one. Joel must help Ellie reach the Fireflies since she could carry the cure for the Cordyceps virus. As such, this is a story more about the people you meet along the way than anything else. Times are always bleak, but it's through superb writing and cutscene direction that you really get a handle on the sort of people you're encountering and how Joel grows into a fatherly figure once more while Ellie finds someone to rely on.
Although, because of that, it's hard to pinpoint an obvious enemy. I don't think The Last of Us has an outright villain -- everyone is to a certain degree. Is David a bad person because he wanted to enact revenge on Ellie and Joel after they slaughtered some of his people? Is Marlene a bad person because she tried her very best to find a cure for the Cordyceps virus, taking Ellie's life in the process? Is Joel one of the good guys? The answer to those questions is no. After the world went to hell, everyone operates in shades of grey where they simply look out for those closest to them and condemn outsiders to death.
It's a plot that represents both the very best and the very worst in humanity. You could say that's happening right now in the real world. From the bloodthirsty gangs of goons you'll come across time and time again right the way through to Tommy and Maria's efforts to restore power at the hydroelectric dam, nobody can walk with their head held high. Not even the doctors about to begin surgery on Ellie before Joel takes their lives.
But we have to find someone to care about, right? It all comes back to Ellie. While brilliant writing elevates so many scenes in The Last of Us, it does just as well when it chooses to say nothing at all. Ellie does not need to speak to communicate her thoughts and feelings -- her body language does all the talking. I find it incredible that a game routed in the technology of the PS3 managed to do this, and still does just as good a job seven years later.
At the same time, the fact that Naughty Dog managed to make me actively dislike playing as Joel on purpose is a true achievement. He is not a good person and the experience goes to great lengths to communicate that through brash decision making and a selfish attitude that leads to the loss of life more often than not. Sure, he has to protect Ellie, but there are more sensible ways of going about it that don't even have the chance to enter Joel's mind.
Seven years later, The Last of Us remains a masterpiece. A handful of its gameplay mechanics may be starting to show their age, but what made the experience memorable still holds true to this day. The Naughty Dog narrative achieves something that few games in the time since have surpassed -- a deeply moving tale of love, hate, and the shades of grey in between. I absolutely cannot wait to see how this story continues. The Last of Us was ahead of its time. In some aspects, maybe it still is.
Have you been replaying The Last of Us in anticipation of its sequel? Seven years later, how do you feel about the game? Do you think it holds up or does it feel like a product of the past? Avoid the Clickers in the comments below.
Comments 42
Still may favorite game of all time. Sounds like Naughty Dog might have somehow even topped it with Part II. Got it pre-loaded - Friday can't come soon enough!
Its a masterpiece what can i say.
I did replay this a year or so ago and it's still very good but personally I feel the Resident Evil 2 remake surpassed it from a gameplay standpoint, having said that this is more like a grittier Uncharted than a straight up horror game. What did shine for me is how strong the writing and voice acting is and it really set a benchmark that few have come close to in the years since
I bought a Ps4, my first games console since the n64, to play this game after reading about it. (I'm 36).
4 years and 10 playthroughs later, I platinum'd this past weekend. Nothing else I've played comes close. Though my teenager would say otherwise.
Not since I was queuing for a midnight screening of Fellowship of the Ring have I been this excited and nervous prior to a release date.
I just completed it again a few hours ago to prepare me for Friday lol as you said holds up just fine
Shopto took my money today so i very much hope the sequel will be with me shortly. Cannot wait!
Agreed. Just replayed the Remaster very recently and yeah, amazing game. Story, characters, combat, sneaking, crafting, the whole sha'bang. And they really did a pretty amazing job with the character models. Some of the animations are a bit wonky, but Ellie in particular really comes to life. I do agree with the author about the puzzles though. And that moment where Ellie gets meta and calls them out on the raft gimmick - glorious!
Friday, baby... Friday...
Only played it once. The ending hit me so hard I couldn't bear to go back to it. Haven't touched it since. Absolute classic.
I really like the gameplay but it's the story that caught me. Every time I see the opening its makes me speechless.
When Joel takes his daughter to bed, I ve done it so many times in the exact same way. When the worst happens...
I replayed a few weeks ago and it still is amazing. Can't think of a narrative action game thats better. I have taken Monday off next week just to get to grips with 2. Can't bloody wait!!
I played it for the first time this past weekend. Truly excellent and deserving of the praise. The basic setting itself isn't that unique, but it's the depth of detail and characters that really made it. The ending surprised me, and especially the final scene. I preordered the second part right after.
While I do see why the marketing of the sequel has turned some off, neither Joel nor Ellie seemed like good people in the traditional sense at the end of the first game, especially Joel. He's the main protagonist, but that's not the same thing at all. It concluded on an extremely nihilistic tone for me.
It’s a masterpiece. From start to finish. I genuinely don’t think that the last 2 hours will ever be topped.
I know I'm probably in the minority but imo tlou can suck it
I maintain that the Joel & Ellie scene at an abandoned homestead is the greatest cutscene of all time. The reason why ND are masters of gaming narratives is because they understand subtleties in it's characters. That scene alone has so much going for it, from Ellie's confusion of the world before, her survivor's guilt to Joel's huge reluctance to open up to another daughter.
That scene alone convinces me that you can't tell every story in gaming exclusively through just gameplay because you miss out on so much.
Yeah I'm currently playing the Remaster again in preparation for TLoU2.
I'm up to the point that Ellie has just had the fight with David (it still blows my mind that David is the same voice actor as Nathan Drake). I should have it and Left Behind DLC finished in time for the second game.. just.
What an incredible game it still is though. I can see parts that have aged a bit. For example the player movement can be a little clunky. But overall for a what 7 year old PS3 game, it looks surprisingly great. Incredible story. Really enjoying replaying it. And I can't wait to play part 2.
I completed the remaster a few weeks back in preparation for Part 2. I loved it all over again, but it still stands out a mile the way Bill goes clomping around when you're hiding to avoid enemies.
Just reached Tommy's Dam, playing on Grounded. Should finish it by Friday as long as I don't come into trouble again like I did in the sewers, died so many times until I made it out. Just a brilliant game, Can't wait to play part 2!
Joel made this game even more a masterpiece.last of us .god of war.grand theft auto 5.dishonored.red dead redemption.max payne 3.dead space.demon soul.dark souls.bloodborne.sekiro.borderlands.resistance fall of men.etc some of the best games ever.word up son
It's a great game, but the mediocre gameplay has always kept it from being a masterpiece for me, most of the sections fighting humans as Joel are more tedious than fun, still a strong 8 out of 10.
@Danloaded Did you feel like the gameplay wasn't very loose? The gameplay of LOURm didn't excite me but everything else did. Granted, I'm coming off of 20 hours of Doom Eternal and I've had difficulty finishing The Lost Legacy. I like narrative driven games but find boredom if the gameplay isn't exciting. Sounds like LOU2 may have found ways to keep the incredible narrative and add action gameplay. Waiting and hoping!
I took a few years out of console gaming between 97 and 2013, been playing since late 70s.
I bought a 2nd hand PS3 to play this (TLoU) game that i read about in a newspaper or something.. I've not looked back since, playing this game actually made me brave enough to admit to folks that I'm a gamer... because there are good games, great games and there are amazing games, that you want to tell everyone about.
TLoU helped me realise the distinction. I'm looking forward to Friday, as is my wife so i can stop going on about it.. I've not bought it yet but hoping local supermarket will have a special offer like they sometimes do??? Happy gaming folks!
I just finished replaying it on hard tonight. I was finding it a bit boring until Joel gets injured and Ellie takes over. It got really good at that point and stayed excellent until the end of the game. I think the PS4 remaster is very good. I'm left handed and there is no way to swap the sticks on the PS3 original which I felt was absolutely ridiculous. For precision aiming I need the sticks swapped.
I started the TLOU left behind tonight. TLOU is a masterpiece.
@hookedWORM17 i don't mind slower and tight gameplay in games like this. Suits the story imo. Honestly my main nitpick would be the AI getting in the way at inconvenient moments but thats after playing Bioshock Infinite where Elizabeth never got in the way lol
I played TLoU for the first time several years ago and didn’t see much to it. I didn’t really identify with either Ellie or Joel, mainly because they seem ripped out of so many other post-apocalyptic survival stories. How many times have we seen the gruff “I’ve seen it all” guy’s redemption story? The villains are also kinda cartoonish and reminded me of the ridiculous bad guys in The Walking Dead.
The gameplay is also just the default stealth/cover shooter stuff we get in so many big budget games nowadays.
Yup, I just play tlou remaster about 2-3 month ago (bought it the day it launch on ps4 but getting distracted with other games) and it become my top 5 favorite game ever, from the gameplay to the story, it's perfect.
I'm little worried the sequel won't be as good as the first one but it seems ND continue to delivers 😃
@Danloaded AI getting in the way sux! I just restarted Bioshock Infinite since the new patch and I'm excited to finish it... one of my favorite of all time IMO. I was amazed at the cinematic quality of LOU but felt like the stealth component was slow and dry. Comparing it to a MGS5, I did not enjoy it as much. I am hoping that this new game will combine the two.
@LiamCroft Great SoapBox and you hit all the marks for me. I played this originally on the PS3 and then 3 more times on the PS4 with the remaster. And I agree with some other gamers here—once you get to play as Ellie, the game is in full throttle and the storytelling ramps up. That’s when I fell in love with her character. I can’t wait for Friday.
I thought it was extremely boring. Just like most of the big budget cutscene games I've played. I think this site is just trolling now with all these stories.
And i still disagree. It was a badly paced cobbled together game. Remember those brothers? Maybe not? Cause they were just filler. Completely pointless part of the game.
Remember that epic final boss? No? Cause it wasnt there.
Yeah, no. Far from a masterpiece in my eyes.
Brilliant game with one of the best single player stories ever in my opinion. Gameplay might not be the greatest but that's not why you play it you play it for the story
Gameplay has always been my problem with TLOU. I thinks it’s fairly limited in its level design as well, but that’s to be expected considering it’s at it’s core a PS3 game. Hopefully Part 2 fixes some, of not all, of these problems! 🤞
I played it on ps3, loved it, my favourite game ever. Finished the remastered version that came with my ps4 bundle yesterday to recap ready. Never has a game moved me so much. I understand the criticisms (playing a movie etc) but it hits every mark for me - gameplay, acting and that soundtrack. Its my son's birthday tomorrow - Joel will be 5
@Nem
Not every game needs a final boss fight at the end. Try Final Fantasy maybe. There are some criticisms that can be targeted at this game, but when it comes to the plot I think it is excellent.
I'm almost done with my 4th playthrough on Survivor. I agree the game still holds up and the bump in resolution (along with HDR) does improve the overall experience quite a bit.
Two things about Liam's thoughts: when you think of postapo games it is foolish to expect any noble people would be around. Deacon St John says in Days Gone that only thugs, murderers and all sorts of shady people would have a shot at surving in these circumstances... Sad, but probably true.
Lastly, this game (especially the intro) hits you 10 times as hard once you become a parent (tested on myself).
Personally, never known why people gush over the Last of Us. To me, it's a good game, but very similar to a lot of other zombie apocalypse pop culture games, movies, books and TV series.
The one thing that distinguishes this from others is the scriptwriting, which I'll admit is second to none, but Naughty Dog has always been excellent in facilitating top tier storytelling. But there comes a point where perspective is lost, and rabid fanboying/girling takes over. This game has been hyped beyond it's actual recognition in my honest opinion, fawned over to the point where people wouldn't even consider criticizing it, or willing to accept it has flaws like other top tier triple A games that neither receive, or garner the same level of respect or hype that TLOU gets.
I guess that's just human nature at work.
One game i wish i could but couldnt ever really get in to. I got as far as where you meet the guy in the garage just after you get the bow a few times but just never really was engaged enough to want to push on further. I wont be getting TLOU2 but im glad its getting praise. Bring on GOT 💪💪
even when it first arrived, I thought they didnt do anything really groundbreaking. They just did it REALLY well, and it's a simple formula that other games cant or dont want to replicate. Still, it's one of my favs that holds. My last completed playthrough was last year
Just finished my PS3 TLOU playthrough and the story still hits so hard!
There's a lot of the gameplay that I don't really like but I think because the cutscenes, voice acting, soundtrack and whole production is done so well it makes the poor bits stand out more than they would in other games.
Concerned about the sequel, but not too long to wait now. Gonna try and do Left Behind again tomorrow
@gollumb82 I disagree. That is like having sex without ***** at the end.
Final bosses are the Climax of games. It's what the whole journey was for. The "Oh yeah! I did it!" moment.
A final boss is an essential part of a game. I am not really willing to give that up.
It was actually planned to have one but they ran out of time.
This is not unlike realism in games. Making it more realistic, doesn't necessarely make it more fun.
@Nem
I see your point, but I disagree. In my opinion final bosses are a relic of the past and either need to go or be changed to make sense. More often than not they are complete rubbish in terms of a fair fight (3x the healthbar that you have, one hit kills you, unblockable attacks, the bosses' size etc) and fighting them takes away the fun, replacing it with frustration. That's why I hate soulslike games. The Last of Us has realistic mini boss fights and I'm fine with that. Some games do boss fights in a realistic and fun way. Others don't (Uncharted 2 final boss fight- love the game, hate the boss fight).
@Dange clunky no
@tinCAT-zero boring?😂
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