Читать книгу The Gamer's Bucket List - Chris Watters - Страница 10

The Last of Us Remastered

PS4

First Released July 29, 2014

What really happens when it all goes to hell? In The Last of Us, a pandemic has turned most of humanity into vicious creatures and the survivors, like the cities they shelter in, are ruins of their former selves. It’s a beautiful, richly detailed world that tells the story of how badly something can be broken, and how hard it can be to mend. The two lead characters represent both sides of this coin: Joel, the gruff, unkind guardian whom you play as, and Ellie, the guarded, headstrong teenager that you must guide across the wild country. Their fraught, tender relationship is the driving force of this game, and you’ll find yourself rapt with attention to see how their journey ends.

Playing the guardian isn’t easy, however. In addition to the vicious mutants that stalk you, there are packs of bandits that survive by taking what they want by force. Indeed, combat in The Last of Us is forceful and violent, and though a stealthy approach is often best, there are many times when brutal melee attacks or loud gunfire are your only recourse. Fights have a hard-edged intensity that is both stressful and gratifying.

You simply must play the remastered version of this game because it includes Left Behind, and these extra chapters are a paragon of video game storytelling. Playing as Ellie, you venture just outside of your walled city with your friend, Riley, in the post-apocalyptic version of a day at the mall. Participating in their teenage mischief involves some sublimely inventive gameplay, and the dialogue and character performances are utterly captivating. Even if you’ve already been playing them for years and years, Left Behind is the kind of experience that makes you fall in love with video games all over again.