Gamer Notes: The Last of Us

So. I beat this. Wow. 

Playing The Last of Us was a draining experience. By the end, I was exhausted. That's not to say I disliked it-no, if anything, that was a complement. The game's story is one of the darkest and deepest to be found in the medium, at least that I've played. I left the game asking questions and feeling worn out from what the game was showing me.

Now, let's get the gameplay out of the way first. I've always found Naughty Dog's shooting mechanics to be somewhat frustrating, so I was delighted when this game let me use stealth to escape combat and get around enemies. The stealth mechanics can be hard if you're trying to go by completely undetected, but the game's smart A.I. allows you to be seen and still make stealth work by playing cat-and-mouse with enemy soldiers. This doesn't work so well with the infected, where pure stealth is more effective, but this is the best way to take down human enemies.

Playing the game, the cinematic atmosphere often kept me from noticing that I was completing a lot of puzzles. Either that or I just associate puzzles with Zelda-style switches and stuff, but either way, this game's puzzles are fantastic. You need to analyze the environment to figure out how to make progress. The puzzles are cleverly made, and always seem to mesh perfectly with the story.

But the true greatness of this game lies in the story. It's coated with dark, realistic setpieces, filled with perspectives on humanity communicated through its zombie apocalypse setting. By the end, you will have questions, and that's what a great story ought to do. The characters are morally dubious, if generally likable. Their actions are open to multiple possible interpretations. It's honestly kind of hard to discuss without spoiling, but The Last of Us might have one of the best video game stories ever. Of course, I still have a lot to play, so take that with a grain of salt.

This game deserves all the acclaim it's gotten. It is one of the greatest that I've ever played, and really is just a masterpiece. I haven't beaten enough system exclusives to say if it's the PS3's best, but it's almost certainly up there. It's an amazing game.