The Last of Us Series Review (PlayStation & PC)

In a heartbeat, the concert hall fell into a melancholic rhythm, leaving little to no room for the audience to interpret the music. A single pluck of an acoustic guitar; an old windowsill with moss and dust; a kiss of a sun beaming through the stained glass; a sombre atmosphere—a faint echo of a world lost in turmoil. Nobody needed to say a word. The room didn’t erupt with a sudden applause, nor did the choir begin to chant to a harmonious chorus. A masterpiece followed suit, and a gradual interlude faintly segued into one of Naughty Dog’s greatest achievements of all time. The Last of Us found its feet, and the congregation stood up to pay tribute with an infectious reaction that you couldn’t resist. That, to me, was when I knew of the significance of Joel and Ellie’s whirlwind adventure, and the influence that PlayStation’s award-winning series carried deep within its heart.

The Last of Us isn’t a series that requires a formal introduction to understand, as it’s etched into most, if not all celebratory plaques that cloak the industry. At the time of PlayStation’s thirty year anniversary, I knew all too well that it bore a heavy impact on the gaming community. Yet, in the thick of it, the world became lost to a single fret. I didn’t need to Shazam it; the stadium collectively had an instinct to harmonize with the score. And that’s something that you don’t see all that often — an audience celebrating a video game in a combined state of bewilderment and awe. Like I said, it didn’t need an introduction; it just needed a note to reignite the mood and pull us back into the underbelly of one of Naughty Dog’s most iconic sagas.

Of course, there was a simple reason why The Last of Us garnered all of the attention, and it wasn’t because it had social standing; it was because it resonated  with every person in the room. Back in 2013, The Last of Us pioneered a plot that would ultimately lead to a cult following and, eventually, accolades that would come to rain hellfire over every award ceremony over the course of a decade. The world knew of Joel and Ellie, and everyone and their neighbor wanted to take an enormous bite out of their globe-trotting journey. It wasn’t that Naughty Dog suited and booted it with a compelling message; it was that it came fully equipped with a cinematic experience that could move you, shift mountains, and even make fully grown men bawl with tears. And that was all within the prologue, too.

To call The Last of Us a cinematic masterpiece wouldn’t be all that far from the truth, for it does, in spite of its lenience toward a familiar undead tone, check a lot of the right boxes. Aside from its stellar voice performances, plot twists, and cinematic effects, it also features a phenomenal soundtrack, slick visuals and, to add, buttery smooth gameplay that keeps you immersed from the moment you slip into Joel’s boots to the second you part with Ellie’s whirlwind affair across Seattle. And the best part is, with its assets in place for an even brighter future, the series can only travel on an upward trajectory. The question is, will Naughty Dog follow the breadcrumbs?

As a relatively short series, The Last of Us has made more of an impact on the mainstream than any other post-apocalyptic series to date — and that’s a fact, not just a self-inflated opinion that stems from a die-hard fan. Although a part of a rather niche brand of horror, the first two installments have collectively formulated a theatrical powerhouse that knuckles in on all of the greatest facets of gaming. It’s an action-oriented open-world adventure; it’s a cinematic experience with palpable storytelling components; it’s a familiar work of art that, no matter how many times you gawp at it, you still find yourself returning to, if only to find one more secret, piece of lore, or for the simple fact that it offers a genuinely unique experience with an evergreen feel.

Given the fact that The Last of Us was already well ahead of its time back in 2013, it does feel awfully exciting to know that it will evolve into some much greater in future chapters. Sure enough, it has the framework of a near-perfect IP. Frankly, all that it needs is the momentum to thread the needle and bulk out its legacy with more stories and character arcs. And to be honest, I have nothing but faith in Naughty Dog’s natural ability to weave perfect tapestries. Heck, just take a quick look at the Uncharted anthology. Better yet, take ol’ Crash Bandicoot for a spin. Again, vastly different worlds and themes, but you get the point.

Evidently, The Last of Us has a great deal of room to swagger its weight around in future releases, should it ever decide to venture back into Ellie’s world and pull the cork on bottled volumes to highlight uncharted waters and the pits beyond the clutches of Seattle. As for where it could go next is another question. That said, so long as Naughty Dog keeps to the same high standard that it so clearly adheres to, then frankly, the sky’s the limit here.

Verdict

The Last of Us fortifies its position as one of gaming’s most beloved series to ever grace the forefront of post-apocalyptic cinematic storytelling, with its palpable promise to incubate compelling characters, plot lines, and a genuinely immersive gameplay experience cementing its status as a true force to be reckoned with amongst die-hard fans and adventure enthusiasts alike. With a future ahead of it that could bring about vast new adventures and possibilities, Naughty Dog clearly has the undying support and capacity to deliver a long-lasting franchise with enough heart and soul to survive the end of times. Here’s hoping that, with any luck, Joel and Ellie won’t be put out to pasture anytime in the near future.