Why The Last of Us is the first truly mature action game

GamesRadar - Many have tried. Only one has yet succeeded.

[-Mezzo-]

The Last Of Us had everything, Story, Graphics, Enjoyable Multiplayer, Characters,... but the 1 thing that out-shinned them all was,... Joel.

I absolutely loved him, it actually felt like that he has SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS...................... ............................... ........'Survived 20 Years Of Apocalypse'.

[Donnieboi]

Don't say any spoilers. Whats the matter with some people, sheesh!

[kraigslist_killa]

SPOILERS ALERT!!!!! Joel and Ellie definitely bang. I mean thats what I've heard.

[Ezz2013]

this game has the action, the stealth, the horror and on top of that it's a survival

i have never played a game like it in my life

ND really is the top dog now

[HammadTheBeast]

That part in the hotel with the tense horror was just amazing. I can't remember the last time I was that tense in a game.

[ABizzel1]

After the elevator fall?

That part was scary. I was hoping nothing was down there, but it's always too good to be true.

The tunnel is another scary part at first, but it's rather easy to navigate, after dispatching the runners first.

[Raccoon]

Once i see bottles and bricks laying i see it as a giveaway, the more crap the enemies... And as for the elevator fall part all i did was find the solution to door and make run for the door LMAO! Not even a scratch was made or a bullet spent all i heard were clickers and bloaters going nuts but not a single f*ck was given.

[Gazondaily]

Ah man yeah, try playing with surround sound. My days it was insane. Luckily I managed to do that bit right. My brother on the other hand.....lol I was in the room next door and I knew he was on that bit and all I could hear is him screaming like....."WHERE'S THE BLOODY KEYCARD?!! Omg BLOATER! This is so unfair!"

Lol I was cracking up. He was terrified.

[LackTrue4K]

i got tears in my eyes....
.....
...this game was released so close to father's day.
And it sucked!!!! cuz i didn't spend it with my kid.... T_T
i had here in my mind most of the game...

[WorldGamer]

The approach taken for TLOU is phenomenal. Gameplay is subjective, but the story ND has woven with this game is just great. This is a serious game that elicits real feelings. Definitely can't wait to see what comes next.

[ThePsychoGamer]

I read the article hoping to see why the guy said this was the first mature action game as apposed to other games known for there mature stories like Specs ops the Line or Yakuza, though it seem after reading it, he just didn't play these games :/

[ifritAlkhemyst]

Most gamers and especially reviewers don't have a clue what it means to be mature. They have this very narrow idea of what it means to be mature in a game and fail to recognize (in most cases, never even experienced) many titles throughout the 90's that delivered maturity in spades.

[andrewer]

Yeah lol, the game can be good, but too much overhype cause articles like this.

[cyguration]

Exactly.

I dare anyone to play the entirety of Max Payne 3 with

****SPOILERS****
the human organ trafficking sub-plot

****SPOILERS*****

and tell me that it isn't mature.

[Wni0]

No, stop. Just look at the title "Max Payne!" That's so matureeee.

[cyguration]

@Wn10

Spot-on. It's such a shame Max Payne didn't receive more awards because the writing was killer.

Some of that stuff will literally make you queasy but it's like no one could get past bullet time or Max's "drink-o-vision".

[ThatCanadianGuy514]

Max had it's mature moments in it's writing and plot but i wouldn't say it compares to what the TLOU did.

So many taboo subjects tackled head on.Parents killing their children to spare them the infection, corpses of children hidden under tarps throughout the game.Ellie, a 15 year old girl, viciously murdering people and scenes of her even getting brutally killed (if you die)

David, being a cannibal and a pedophile/rapist and trying to seduce ellie.

The whole Bill/frank gay relationship thing which i think was well done, in the sense that it wasn't so stereotypical and "in-your-face".

Among many other things as well.Overall it was just a triumphant leap forward for video games as a medium.We've come along way from being seen as mankids playing childrens toys.Games rival hollywood now, and in this case, sometimes surpass them.

[Y_5150]

The violence was appropriate in this game unlike many of mature games out there in recent years.

[Lovable]

The violence here is brutal but beautiful. It's called perfection

[ifritAlkhemyst]

Violence is appropriate in any game about survival if you want to play that contextual game.

The violence in Doom is appropriate considering you're fighting for you life, for example.

[DigitalRaptor]

Except the combat here makes you feel worse about yourself, not better.

It's not just about defeating "evil" to survive. It's the fact that you are just as evil as the ones you kill to survive. Perhaps even worse in some respects, considering the people infected have no choice or control over their outcome. The hunters are doing whatever it takes to survive. The fireflies are doing whatever it takes to ensure humanity's survival.

It's even plain in this world.

[Hydralysk]

So what, did Spec Ops The Line just stop existing at some point?

[Wni0]

Simple twists with condemned ripoff effects don't make a game mature. Spec ops is like playing a game version of he movie "the rock" everything is so fucking over the top that its hard to take seriously. TLoU has real characters not just some grunts on he wrong side.

[gamertk421]

Yeah, there was no mature theme in the recent Tomb Raider...

[nerdkiller]

this game has best voice acting and writing in videogame history. every game has cheesy writing but this one was damn near universal picture quality

..... ok maybe too much but damn good for a game

[Corpser]

Ninja please, so the Uncharted games are not mature action games?

[cyguration]

WTF is up with this guy?

The Lost & Damned anyone? Did we just forget about that?

L.A. Noire?

And I can't believe this guy just blew off Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which is arguably one of the greatest games ever made... ever!

The Last of Us is great, no doubt, but I'm not about to dismiss other "mature" games just because TLOU is the latest greatest game to come out for consoles.

[SonyPS4]

Great game, better than Uncharted by far, but this blog is stretching the truth a bit.

[rpd123]

Exactly. It's great, but it's definitely over hyped.

[MadLad]

There were plenty of truly mature releases (L.A Noire, Max Payne 3, Witcher series, etc) beforehand.
Nothing to take away from the Last of Us. It truly is phenomenal.
The writer really needs to broaden his gaming horizons, or at least take off the blinders.

[edwineverready]

The story telling is great. movie quality and i really felt a connection with the lead characters. i felt arrange of emotions when i played this game sadness happiness frightened. if that is what he means by mature i agree with him.

[Hazmat13]

not gonna lie in the hunter city, i love when they beg for there lives then i beat them with a brick or a crowbar..... i thought they beg for life scene in the last of us hotel level Demo (i thought the shotgun to the face was just for cinematic reasons) but some guy was like NO NO NO NO! then i shot him..... this game is awesome!

[rpd123]

Haha, same. The doctors in the last part were unarmed and posed no threat but I still killed them all mercilessly....there's something wrong with us

[QuickdrawMcgraw]

I've played all games(except Witcher)mentioned here.They are all mature,but for me there is just something different about the TLOU.That makes it a cut above those games.And is it just me or does the TLOU seem a little Half Life ish

[Sharius]

this game is both resident evil and tomb raider trying to be, horror and survival

[Jamaicangmr]

Trying to be? Have you actually played it? Another thing TLOU has redefined what survival horror actually is, RE lost it's way many, many installments ago.

It strikes a perfect balance between stealth, action, survival and horror.

My only complaint is the Multiplayer i'm not very fond of it. Feels a bit too clunky and grind heavy for my taste but it sure doesn't detract from the amazing single player.

[Lovable]

This is a slap in Capcom's face and their RE stance of going into action game.

[Jamaicangmr]

They need a slap in the face, they ruined the franchise. Now ita just another action game and not even a good one at that.

[MikeyDucati1]

Maybe to a young kid whose gaming career isn't that long but TLOU is not the first mature action title.

The game is good but my god, just stop with the wayne's world "we are not worthy" articles.

[Maninja]

I think what the author means by mature is that the gameplay itself is mature. Yes games like spec ops the line do have a mature plot, but the gameplay is still just shoot hundreds of guys. The last of us actually makes you feel like you are killing a person just to survive. Every time I strangle a person, watching them try to slap my face really makes it seem as if Joel doesn't want to do this, but he has to. And I think the infected represent Joel and the humanity he has lost. While he is forced to survive, killing these things that have lost all their humanity just reminds you of the people you have killed to make it to this point. This is the greatest video game I have ever played, and I hope they make another game in this universe, whether it's a sequel or a prequel explaining a characters past.

[S-T-F-U]

Giraffe. That is all. :)

[joefrost00]

I agree the last.of us has everything
But to say truly mature is nonsense
Looking at the themes bioshock infinite touch on and its story
Last of us is not even close
Which is the better game is another discussion

[babis1974]

THE LAST OF US is a masterpiece , a diamond in the game industry and a landmark for the new age of gaming!

[aaronobst]

The "It's me" scene at the end of winter was utterly captivating… It hit me right in the core.