the last of us
I don’t understand how anyone can hate this game. The Last of Us: Part I and Part II took me on an incredible emotional rollercoaster and ended in a somewhat unexpected way. The promise of unpredictability and thrill was kept, and visuals made me feel like I was in a movie all along. It left a gap in my evenings that I still haven’t filled.
There will be spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned.
Parts of the game felt like they morphed into each other, and I couldn’t distinguish them from each other. But other sequences were unique and rich enough to stay with me. Some of my favorite parts are below.
The Last of Us: Part I
Bill’s Town
Joel is stuck upside down in a trap and defends Ellie from above. Wave after wave of zombies arrive, and I had to shoot them from an opposite angle of what I was used to. Later on, hunting for a still-functioning engine also brings hordes of zombies. The shotgun provided for this makes everything extra fun.
Winter
There are no weapons for a long sequence while Ellie moves through foggy terrain. You can’t see in the distance. You can’t shoot. All you can use is stealth, and I loved that. The way younger Ellie jumps on enemy throats was awesome to see every time. The David part towards the end wasn’t as difficult because I found him within the first two tries. What I enjoyed more was the part that led to the final battle.
The Pittsburgh Dam Ambush
The dam scene felt like one of the most beautiful parts in the entire first game. Joel and Ellie go through a lot to get there, and it feels like a relief to be in that place. Then Tommy is there, and it appears everything will be alright until it isn’t.
The Suburbs
The hardest mission for me was to tackle Stalkers in sewers. Darkness, cramped space, and the number of surprises were ridiculous. It took me several tries, but I really enjoyed the struggle this mission put me through. It’s rare to have goosebumps when I play games, and this sequence provided that after a long time.
The Last of Us: Part II
Hillcrest
The dark weather. Dogs. People. Grass and houses where you can’t see everything. I can’t blame everyone when they constantly put this on one of their hardest sequences to tackle.
The Rat King
When a mission can make me forget about everything in the real world, I know developers have done their job. The Rat King was one of those moments. I don’t know how many tries it took. I had goosebumps throughout, and the screen had my full attention until last minute.
The clicker that separates from Rat King gave me more trouble. The unpredictability, cramped space, and speed of attacks annoyed me at first but later turned into an intense challenge. One of the best sequences in the game.
The Marina
I looked for Tommy when I played Ellie but forgot about him when roles switched to Abby. Then it surprised me when I faced him. At first, I didn’t think it would be difficult to dodge a sniper. But Tommy isn’t a regular sniper. It was a difficult one with clicker and zombie attacks in between.
Until the final part where Manny and Abby are trying to break through a door to attack Tommy, I felt in the chase like a hunter. But then Tommy shoots Manny and Abby jumps through the door. The way emotions shifted in that moment was something special.
The Seraphite Island
The whole sequence from start to finish was incredible. The lush green forests, rain, places to hide in grass and water, stealth, and plenty of ammunition. Once battle begins between Wolves and Scares, I got a small taste of what war must feel like when both parties want you dead. The fire towards the end and axe battle was pure cinematic chaos. When Abby rowed away, I could feel her tiredness like I was on the island myself.
Ellie vs Rattlers
Stealth is what I love, and this mission provided plenty. Also, ammunition was in abundant supply, and you could unleash clickers on the enemy. The bloodied character added to the story, and the number of enemies to tackle made me pay close attention to my moves.
The Farm
Ellie walks around the farm with a little baby on her shoulder. Grass rustles in the wind when she walks through. Ellie then sits on a tractor and stares into the sunset in quiet. Beautiful.