The Last Of Us: The Best Film Of The Year (That Wasn't Actually A Film)

The Last Of Us is not a film, but if it were a film, it's a safe bet it would have appeared in more than a few of Team Empire's Top 10 lists. On the surface, it's an action-adventure survival horror game about zombies, fungal spores and the unlikely duo of a jaded 40-odd-year-old apocalypse survivor called Joel and a 14-year-old orphan called Ellie. Dig a little deeper and it's one of the most emotionally-affecting stories of the year, an intensely cinematic tale of fear, survival and friendship.

[xHeavYx]

TLOU was an amazing experience

[Austin48]

You got that right it is a masterpiece

[irepbtown]

Would be awesome if videogames could get an Oscar. I'm sure some games can fall into a few of the already existing categories. Maybe even a new category.

[Ju]

It is a masterpiece no doubt. But also a little overrated in my books. If we talk about "film like experience" this would go to Beyond Two Souls, which I personally think beat TLoU (not on the gameplay, but everything else).

[Ju]

Looks like 1 out of 12 (or what ever disagrees I'm getting) has played Beyond Two Souls ;)

[BitbyDeath]

@Ju, each to their own, I preferred TLoU's story.
Especially the intro, man that intro was perfection.

I tried to enjoy Beyond as I am a massive fan of Heavy Rain but the gameplay and story were just not as good as HR... at least IMO

[specialguest]

I knew tlou was a great game and was going to be nothing but high quality, but once I finally got around to playing it, it was a true masterpiece. More than what I originally thought.

[Bathyj]

Bitby, I played it 3 times in a row, and every time I did I had my mouth open at the prologue like I was playing it for the first time.

Ive never felt like that in a game before. If you didnt feel anything from that game your dead inside.

[bjmartynhak]

@Ju

Maybe the "Homeless" chapter. The others are not so amazing. But don't take me wrong, I enjoyed the game, it is just that it could have been better.

[Silly Mammo]

As a father of two, I could definitely related to Joel. The ending of the Henry and Sam chapter completely gutted me. The whole story shook me and has stayed with me longer than any other video game has.

[GarrusVakarian]

It was. But i really hate it when people say things like "On the surface, it's an action-adventure survival horror game about zombies"...........it just makes the game sound so cheap and generic. They aren't "zombies", they are infected with a real-life parasitic fungi called Cordyceps. To call them "zombies" is an insult.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

Cordyceps in action: http://www.youtube.com/watc...

The cut scenes are so good in this game that i went back and watched them all again on YouTube ;p Never before have i seen such perfect mo cap and voice acting in a videogame. http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[iamnsuperman]

It is easy to dumb down a plot and make it seem generic. For example Thomas was alone is just a side scrolling platformers with shapes (which it isn't), A Thousand Splendid Sons is just a book about two women struggling with a male orientated society (which it isn't as it is more than that), WALL-E is a film about a robort that has environment undertones (which isn't strictly true as it is much more than that)

The point I am making it is easy to say The last of us is a generic post apocalyptic zombie game. But that would be idiotic. That may be the general setting/context but the story goes far beyond that. The story is Joel and Ellie with their differing personalities and life experience (interacting in a natural subtle way). It was a step up, from what we have seen, in story telling in games (it was nice to see a game that didn't through themes and "level of maturity" in your face. The subtlety direction really worked). I can only think of one game that does it better which is Thomas was alone where it context made the story telling more powerful by its simplicity.

[Adexus]

Watched them all on Youtube? I'm pretty sure you can re-watch them again in the extras menu if I remember correctly!

[GarrusVakarian]

@Aeon

You're right, you can. But i was on my PC at the time and my PS3 wasn't even on so i thought it would just b easier to YouTube them ;)

[scott182]

The entire game is an absolute masterpiece. The story, the gameplay, the soundtrack. The game was instantly a classic when it came out, I was literally hoping it wouldn't end. But when it did it gave me a chance to try the multiplayer, which surprised me with how different it was, but so insanely enjoyable. Actually I ended up selling the game due to the multiplayer, it was a little too fun and addictive for me... Needed to get schoolwork done.

The tragedy is more people haven't played one of the greatest games of all time, I think the next one will easily get the attention it deserves thoughl

[Irishguy95]

Who ses that/ It's not 'on the surface'. It's the GAMEPLAY. The gameplay is against 'zombies'. Throwing pretty words on it doesn't change the fact that if you replaced the infected with other infected like zombies or Rage infected, the gameplay would stay the same.

Most zombie stories have their own twists and plot elements that make the infected different from one another.

28 days later/Left 4 dead -> Rage Virus

LoU -> Cordyceps(probably one of the most inventive ways)

The walking dead -> No one knows, there is a world wide condition that makes full fledged rise from the dead zombies

Resident evil -> Genetically produced virus which has various affects on living beings, one of which is Dead zombies

Half live 2 -> Aliens attached to their head

All story elements. The fact is the result is the same in all of these stories. You have a horde of 'infected' which try to bite and kill you. Not being able to accept that the last of us cordyceps infected serve the same purpose as zombies or any of the above is just pathetic. You can't accept ND didn't do something amazing in that area. Btw, Half life 2's infected were still alive just like TloU infected. So where 28 days later and Left 4 dead.

It's your own fault for associating 'zombies' with cheap and generic. Stop just seeing Zombies as a buzzword and start seeing all the possible variations for video games they produce. The last of us didn't do anything special with the infected. Don't pretend they did.

[GarrusVakarian]

@irishguy

I have no idea what you are talking about. Did you miss the " "? I was quoting the article......i don't even.....

"The last of us didn't do anything special with the infected. Don't pretend they did."

So we get game after game of generic zombies...and then ND do something different and decide to actually include some real world science to the game to make it a little more authentic and believable....and that's not special to you? Lol whatever buddy.

[Salooh]

The AI of the infected is much more better then zombies. (I was gonna say smarter XD ) . Infected didn't feel like zombies. They were different. They are scary not like the zombies we are used to . And like what others said they have a reasonable background story with real informations not like zombies.

So yes , Naughty Dog did something new even with the infected. The game wasn't about the infected. The danger came from humans more then them. Other zombie games didn't do that.

[MidnytRain]

There was hardly any science in this game; not any more than other apocalypse games.

[goldwyncq]

So by that logic, Left 4 Dead is not a zombie game either since those "zombies" you fight throughout the game are just infected with a virus.

Like it or not, the "infected" in TLOU behave and act like zombies, so you can't seriously blame anyone who calls it a zombie game.

[scott182]

@goldwyncq

Actually, typically zombies are infected by a virus, that is generally the back story to most zombie movies and games.

Mushroom spores in nature hatch out of insect skulls and kill them, ND used that as a new meathod to create a "zombie". These spores go through different life cycles in a human brain in the last of us, starting out mild, and becoming very extreme and eventually hatching out.

I would say it is very unique, and a nice change from the usual zombie story. So you can't blame people annoyed by the generalization of "Zombie game".

[Irishguy95]

Real life science? Are you ****ing serious? Cordyceps would produce zombie like fungus heads. Wow. It is no more scientific than producing a virus that makes the person become filled with murderous rage. ND took a real life fungus, and turned it into an unrealistic yet creative concept. However, it was not creative in the vein that the enemies simply acts like generic zombies. They are for all intents and purposes, zombies that look different.

Game after game of generic zombies -> The last of us fits RIGHT IN THERE. Again, most 'infected' games use different types of zombies. Resident evil has ****ing parasites launching out their zombies. Yet again, all I see are undeserving comments towards ND's creativity. Look, they made a great game. To some Game of the generation. But stop giving them praise in areas the don't deserve. It's a nice story concept and one of the better 'infected' concepts. But gameplay wise it adds nothing at all.

As for humans?

Dead Rising
Resident evil series
Dead island
Day Z
etc

Yet again praising ND where they don't deserve it. Other survivors as the threat is Not new whatsoever. Not in gaming and certainly not in story telling. Bringing someone elses concepts into gaming is not creative in any shape or form.

Again, ND are good with execution, gameplay, story telling(not the plot or story itself) and graphics. They don't do 'original'. Not since the Ps3. We still have people claiming the Uncharted series is completely original. When the story is as generic as they come. ND deserve their praise. But they don't deserve this type of praise, they are one of the best devs in the industry. But **** knows they play it safe and don't try anything new anymore with regards to story. Gameplay wise too, some of you guys act as if 'survival games' are something only ND does.

Again -> ND do games well. But they don't do anything that hasn't been done before. They just tend to make great games of already achieved concepts.

[ShwankyShpanky]

I've got the TLOU platinum trophy.

For all intents and purposes, they're zombies.

zom·bie
noun \ˈzäm-bē\
http://www.merriam-webster....
2 a : a person held to resemble the so-called walking dead;

http://www.thefreedictionar...
3. One who looks or behaves like an automaton.

http://dictionary.reference...
2. Informal. a. a person whose behavior or responses are wooden, listless, or seemingly rote; automaton.

And no, "zombies" are not "typically" infected by a virus. By the strictest definition, a zombie is a corpse reanimated by supernatural forces. And in TLOU, the cordyceps doesn't cause infected to move to higher ground for optimal spore dispersal, which is the case with the real fungus; it's just used as an excuse to make them act like... well... crazy zombies.

[Ju]

Oh please, are you seriously debating who came up with the better "fake science what defines a zombie"? Reality check: There is no science behind Zombies other than science fiction, and this you can shape into any form you like.

[GarrusVakarian]

@irishguy

"simply acts like generic zombies. They are for all intents and purposes, zombies that look different. "

Oh, i wasn't aware the standard zombie had sonar-like capabilities in the form of high pitched clicking noises.....that's news to me. Have you even played the game or done any research on it?

"Real life science? Are you ****ing serious? Cordyceps would produce zombie like fungus heads. Wow."

You can argue all you want but they took real life science (cordyceps) and applied it in their game.....i said nothing about how realistic or true to science the end result became.....but its BASED off real science. If you actually watched the video it does produce fungi growing out of the ant's head lol, so IF it was to mutate and be a compatible infection with humans it makes sense to assume that it would do to us what it did to that ant in the video.

All i was saying is that instead of just having zombies, ND actually made a little effort to make it a bit different and base it off a real thing something real to add to the experience. They could have just been zombies with no explanation WHY they are zombies or any backstory at all......

"Game after game of generic zombies -> The last of us fits RIGHT IN THERE. "

Wrong on so many levels. Since when is effort to make something different generic? They could have just said "**** it, we will just call them zombies and we won't explain HOW they are zombies or WHY they are zombies"....but they didn't. But it's clear you are just a ND and TLOU hater, it's ok i understand there have to be hipsters.

@ju

You REALLY need to learn how to read.

"There is no science behind Zombies other than science fiction"

1) I wasn't talking about zombies.

2) Cordyceps is a real-life fungi.....real-life science....im not saying the game is realistic, im just saying they BASED it off real life science.

The fact you called a real life fungi "fake science" is laughable.

[scott182]

@ShwankyShpanky

Not talking about the definition of a zombie, I was talking about what most movies and games use as the back story.

@Irishguy95

" They just tend to make great games of already achieved concepts."

Tell me a new concept for a big budget game used in the past 8 years...It's obvious you don't like the attention being given to TLoU for some strange reason.

[Ju]

@Lukas_Japonicus, no, just no. There is as much science in this as in Star Trek. Yeah, maybe some formulas, steered and shaken and added some spice and voila, people turned into plants. No, there is no science behind such a thing. No matter how you paint the cattle.

[DigitalRaptor]

@ irishguy

I'm just going to try and end this ridiculous argument right here, because it's completely missing the point, and introducing tons of misinformation about what the game is about.

There is more HUMAN interaction in The Last of Us than with the infected or "zombies" if you insist. It's a tale about the human condition and a father/daughter blossoming relationship. We were told about this months before the game even came out and it happens to be correct. The Cordyceps is a backdrop that is pretty damn inventive for the medium, but the ending of the game and the message it drives home is more about the concept of humanity, than the Cordyceps itself.

Like Lukas_Japonicus said, the sonar capabilities of these "zombies" is unique to "zombie" games. The multi-stage variations of the zombies is not as generic as I think you believe it is, and at least attempts to be explainable by science.

[GarrusVakarian]

What makes me laugh is that im saying "ND used real life science (cordyceps) to base their infected around in TLOU".......but people are reading it as:

"TLOU infected are realistic, the used real life science (cordyceps) to accurately guess what a human would look/behave like when infected by the cordyceps fungi, clickers are real life science". Lol.

You have people like Ju and irishguy who only read sentences how they want to read them and completely miss what im trying to say. No matter how much Naughty Dog skewed, twisted or changed the cordyceps fungi to fit into their game....it's still taken and based off a real life fungi.

I'll break it down into toddler terms:

Cordyceps = real life science

TLOU infected = Fiction based off non fiction.

"Based off" are the key words.

[ravinash]

All these people who keep arguing about if they are zombies or not have missed the point that ND were trying to do.
Their just a vehicle for the story. The primary entertainment value is in the story and it is brilliantly written with a much more mature focus than a lot of games we see at the moment and is what people are really crying out for.
The mechanics of the game aren’t that new, basically uncharted with a more stealth approach. But it is enjoyable and the difficulty makes it more so.

It's basically saying your mature and we're not going to insult your intelligence. We'll crate a hard game so you will have to figure it out how to get through it and we'll reward you with a story you'll want to follow about characters that you will care about.

[Walker]

Naughty Dog are the best developers in the industry right now !

[CrossingEden]

No they're not. Ubisoft is because they are the ones making the most new ips and most innovative experiences and aren't just releasing exclusives.

[majiebeast]

Learn the difference between a publisher and a developer.

[frostypants]

Exclusivity has nothing to do with anything. Also, what innovative experience has Ubisoft released recently? Basing your opinion on unreleased games is kind of ridiculous.

[Ju]

Really? I would think AC4 is pretty epic. Sea warefare which has never done before in their latest games. The Division, awesome. Watchdogs, Far Cry 3. I guess Ubi is quite underrated. One of the major publishers which actually does new IPs. What did EA bring out lately, or Activision - other than publishing Bungies Destiny (they got lucky there).

Naughty Dog has the best tech on the PS3, their work is unprecedented within the ICE group, and I love all their games, but I am quite disappointed they are not on the PS4 - or aren't bringing anything new to the platform any time soon. I'm looking forward to the next gen Uncharted, but we've played those games before. I have a little bit the feeling the missed the next gen boat.

[Why o why]

C'mon guys..... take sony out of the equation and crossing would agree. ---- Thou shall not laud anything sony ever.----CE

The characters and their development made the world more believable. They must of spent a lot of time and effort on the writing and level design. When games are turning more into movies, the story becomes that much more important. NaughtyDog took another step towards achieving the perfect balance. It may be hard for them to best tlou in that regards.

[DCfan]

"UBI..
Never go full retard.

[MidnytRain]

majiebeast

Ubisoft has their own developers.

[jebabcock]

Ac4 is acceptable innovation and far cry 3 is but uc4 isnt when we don't know what it even contains.... smells like a double standard to me....

Personally what drew me to the ps4 was the hope for more UC and TLOU and the potential for more New ips like The Order. Sony has consistently produced alot of titles that I loved playing.

As far as ND specifically, they have just started expanding their dev staff to handle more concurrent ips. Getting good talent that meshes together doesn't happen overnight. I would rather see them produce the gems they have then rush crap to the market to cash in on their name. Personally I haven't been disappointed yet. I love the stories their games tell and how they tie them into the gameplay.

[GamersHeaven]

Love this game nearly perfect on every level.

[FPSRUSSIA]

Game of these generation cant wait for the DLC to be released.

[ltachiUchiha]

I think video games like TLOU, Uncharted & many others is where movies will be heading. I would rather play the movie out & make my own decisions then just watch a movie play out as the director wanted it too. Games are just more awesome & u can tell a whole story through that one game besides cutting so many things out to fit the 2 hour movie.

Edit: On Topic though, TLOU deserves it. Such an EPIC game. Congratz Naughty Dog.

[georgenancy]

This game is a masterpiece especially the winter season ;for me was the best part of the game.Loved playing as Ellie.You really had to exercise caution with when playing as her because of lack of weapons and skills and her vulnerability

[DoctorJones]

Yeah I love that section of the game, especially in survivor mode, was really tense in places.

I'm not an overly sentimental person but in the next season after Ellie has been through all that, and she's really quiet and Joel is trying to cheer her up, I felt genuinely really sorry for her. She'd been through a lot by that point and it had obviously taken its toll on her.

It's a testament to the game and the people that made it that they can get people to be moved by it like that.

Really great game.

[frostypants]

Agreed...that whole section of the game was amazing and completely unforeseen. One of the best mid-game gameplay twists in a long time.

[Callediceman]

who would you chose as Joel if they where to make a movie?

I'm going with Tom Hardy?

[DoctorJones]

I saw Open Grave recently and the first thing I thought was that Sharlto Copley looked a hell of a lot like Joel. I don't know if he'd be the perfect guy to play him, I don't think his voice would be right, but he looked like him at least.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

I doubt anyone will agree with me, but there you go.

[Callediceman]

Ahh good choice.. i agree he would need to work on the voice to pull it off though

[frostypants]

Karl Urban.

[Callediceman]

i was totally thinking him also

[JJShredder]

Josh Brolin. He has the looks, the age, and the accent. (Look at No Country For Old Men)

[frostypants]

Accents can be faked. Brolin is too twiggy.

[ShwankyShpanky]

Zach Galifianakis

[bangoskank]

Dylan McDermott is a dead ringer and can act the part too.

http://beards.provocateuse....

[Gorilla_Killa_X]

Joe Manganiello or Hugh Jackman or Viggo Mortesen or Gerard Butler

[Silly gameAr]

After watching Prisoners, I think Hugh Jackman would play the hell out of Joel.

[FlunkinMonkey]

Viggo Motesen was already the dad in The Road (where TLOU took inspiration).

I totally agree Hugh Jackman would smash it as Joel! (never throught i'd say, he was awesome in Prisoners.

[dalibor]

This game is really a great game. I found reading all the documents that you collect really helped provide background information and made you become more immersed in it world of TLOU. Will never forget going into the hotel for the first time and falling down into the basement area... shat my pants and ran like a b*tch haha even though I played Silent Hill games before I still ran, ran for my life!

[SkippyPaccino]

That's where the smoke bomb was useful... Right before you unlock the door with the key card... Throw a smoke bomb in that hallway and the infected will just stop in the smoke and you have all the time in the world to get out (very useful on survivor)

[ravinash]

I'll have to remember that one.

[ambientFLIER]

Even not being a big sony fan, I absolutely love TLOU. Currently I am about 47% through with the game and adoring every second of it. However, the way people hyped up the graphics, I expected to be absolutely blown away, but that hasn't quite happened yet. It's often very pretty, but I feel that titles like Metro 2 on the xbox and ps3 rival it in many ways. There are also numerous visual and gameplay inconsistencies.

For example, Ellie will often pass right through Joel in tight spaces, some objects and textures are low-rez and very angular, and there is plenty of clipping. Melee attacks against a wall or a window are silent and pass right through. There are also animations missing for a few actions. Also, I find it absolutely ridiculous that Ellie and Tess can run and stomp around all they want, and their noise and actions do not count, when I have to be silent and stealthy to sneak up on the infected or people.

However, despite all that, the story is fantastic and by far the best I have experienced in a game. TLOU rivals my favorite, Limbo in the overall experience. One of the most memorable moments so far is when Ellie started reading from the joke book to cheer us up, and that made me crack up, or when she was cursing at Bill...this tough little chick. So for that, I say bravo to Naughty Dog.

[DigitalRaptor]

The "balance of power" AI system in itself was a huge undertaking, and they admitted that they were forced to do that with Ellie and Tess as they couldn't ensure they would always be in positions where they were hidden from the enemies. So... it would've annoyed the player if NPCs were continually breaking stealth.
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAm...

I agree about the textures and visual inconsistencies in some areas of the game, but it's still one of the most gorgeous games I've played when all is considered. There are just some sections that are stunning beyond belief. The natural lighting system is the most visually impressive part of this game in my opinion.

[ambientFLIER]

One part that really stood out was the flooded area in front of the museum entrance, where the algae in the water reacts to your movements and floats away and the sun and scenery reflect off the surface.

And while I do agree that it's almost impossible to always have Tess and Ellie hidden, at the very least Naughty Dog could have made sure they don't make more noise than a stampede of elephants when running while I am sneaking...

[pandehz]

Lol dont compare it to film.

I have had my share of trying to watch games as films and believe me TLOU is like a low budget B film in comparison. Infections, typical senti crap, cure blah blah etc etc. As a film its nowhere.

As a game its fantastic, leave it at that.

[bangoskank]

Easily my favorite game of this generation.
And, yes, it was a better film that most of the generic crap that Hollywood churns out. The writing, direction, and performances were perfect. I'll admit that I even choked up a couple of times. Winter's end was just... oh, man.

[ambientFLIER]

TLOU and Limbo are my top two for this gen.

[SkippyPaccino]

The ending of Winter cuts deep....

[jacksjus]

No it would not have been mentioned because they already did a similar movie called "The Road". Great game but far from an original movie concept. Lbvs!

[wenaldy]

Not quite TLOU is more Children of Men (must watch) in story element, character from The Road and the score is comparable to Babel and No Country for Old Men. All of these films are my top list.

[jacksjus]

Oh I've seen Children Of Men and I agree.

[wenaldy]

Cant wait for Left Behind!!!

[tristanwerbe]

Just another zombie game

[Max-Zorin]

Why is everyone arguing about zombies which were never scary to begin with? You people are not friendly I swear.

[arbitor365]

this game is so much deeper than other zombie games. Joel is an interesting character. I like the moral ambiguity of some of his later scenes. like the torture scene and the final climax of the game. he is willing to do anything to defend Ellie.

[StrawberryDiesel420]

I never got around to playing Last of Us at launch, picked up GTA 5 and Last of Us together when GTA 5 came out in what I believe was September. I wasn't enjoying GTA 5 as much as I had hoped, popped in The Last of Us and was completely sucked in. The game just got better as it went along. The graphics and brutal gameplay were very well done, as was the story.

[SynestheticRoar]

My favorite game of the year. I enjoyed it much.

[corvusmd]

It was a good game, I enjoyed it...I'd give it an 8/10 because the ending was horrible and MP was a complete waste of time...the game drug on at points and the forced QTE was pointless and annoying...gameplay was good but Tombraider was better done (and they were similar stlye games except that TR had replay value and collectibles). When I played it I had fun, no doubt, but I have to admit that as much as I don't want to admit it...fanboys are killing it for me...this is now the most OVERHYPED game ever...it's like everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon of the last big PS3 exclusive...right before the next gen launch and make it seem better than it actually was....a little too convenient. Voice acting and Story were great until the end, the game looked good, but it wasn't groundbreaking or the best in any area like many make it seem. Just sharing my opinion.

[MasterCornholio]

"this is now the most OVERHYPED game ever"

Far from it. Its only "the most overhyped game ever" to you because it isnt on the Xbox.

Thats the truth.

[georgenancy]

nuff said: http://n4g.com/user/comment...

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

"Just sharing my opinion."

i never knew opinions could actually be wrong... until now.

[ravinash]

Fact of the matter is the game came out, people played it and most people loved it.
I can't consider a game over hyped if the hype happened after the game came out.

Your not going to pease everyone, but from the feed back from the gaming community, ND were on the right path with this one.

[S2Killinit]

one hell of a game, is all I can say. Happy I played it.

[Kidmyst]

The scene where Ellie saw the Giraffes was really cool.