I have been a Naughty Dog since '96. Pretty much. I never owned Crash Bandicoot back then (I was 2) but I remember the aesthetic and how the game felt. A true sense of adventure, a feeling that was replicated in the Jak games for me and of course Uncharted. I was dipping in and out of games when The Last of Us eventually released, favouring other hobbies at the time. All this time I avoided spoilers, and I thought with the second instalment coming out and everyone getting their panties in a twist I thought what better time to take on the original.

The Last of Us is a kind of survival, action, adventure game with some light horror elements. The main plot has zombies, wait no 'infected' and theres a few tiny jumpscares with some gorier and scary themes thrown in. Nothing that will keep you up at night though. The gameplay is 'cinematic' which means it's rifled with long animations and sections where you have to move ladders around. The gunplay though is excellent. Each shot feels weighty, thanks to the also excellent sound design. Rounds crack through the eerie silence, it's really effective and makes each shot feel like it counts.

The Last of Us' priority is it's story which I have to say isnt that original. If you've read/seen/played The Walking Dead all the familiar tropes are here. Maybe back in 2013 this had a bit more going for it. But the story they do tell here, is engaging enough. The real crown jewel is these characters though, Joel and Ellie are some of the best written characters I've seen in a video game. Both complex, morally grey and all the twists and turns are to do with them and how they react to situations. It's good stuff.

I prefer my games to be games mostly, The Last of Us is a great cinematic experience though and one I highly recommend you check out.