The Last of Us PlayStation 3 Review

Another "The Last of Us" PS3 review from not simply an avid gamer, but a review with insights on its emotional impact on a person, truly one of the best games for the PlayStation 3. If you haven't played The Last of Us, then you're missing out on a grand video game playing experience.

Although, a wonderful game through and through, it is definitely not for the squeamish or faint of heart. Prepare to get lost in immersive game-play and "holy crap" moments that leave you emotionally drained. Two decades after a worldwide infection irreparably destroyed civilization, people that were irreversibly mutated hunt the still living.

If that scenario weren't enough, the human survivors fight with one another for weaponry and sources of food and water. A rough man name Joel is employed to escort and protect a teenage girl, Elie. He is tasked to get her through a military quarantine, and very bad things happen.

The first fact I want to convey to the readers is this, The Last of Us on the PS3 is hands down the best video game playing experience, I and many other gamers have ever enjoyed on a PlayStation 3 console.

It's playing a superbly designed game while watching the best zombie/action/thriller movie of all time. There are obvious elements to the game, such as inspiration borrowed from The Walking Dead. I'll try to keep any and all spoilers to a minimum, no worries.

Developed by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us freshness to an over-saturated genre cannot be overstated. Although it has aspects that are familiar, it truly makes its own unique mark in a gamers mind. The first few hours into the game, I knew I would be spending that very night to play until I totally passed out. But please be careful out there, I am a professional gamer and know what I'm doing, for the most part.

The gameplay is truly one of a kind, involving many aspects of a complex battle system. It uses a third-person view that is packed with shoot outs and close range combat, with the ability to also take cover. The majority of the game, you are in control of Joel, Ellie and additional companions in your group will be controlled by AI. The AI can be quite a handful, especially on the harder difficulty setting.

Even the visuals and the audio is top notch quality, the realism if palpable and ingrained in its fantastic gameplay. The artistic influence on the game is a complete success in dazzling the mind and being a true indulgence for the eyes. The detail in the themes and environments are hard to believe we've come so far in high definition gaming. The whole game walks through is an organic feel of realism and constant danger.

The sounds are truly frightening when you're startled, consistently leaves you on the edge of your seat, frozen in suspense. The music is also very well-done, ideal for the circumstances you find yourself in, in a post apocalyptic world. The soundtrack, composed and produced by Oscar Winner Gustavo Santaolalla. A beautiful score of music that compliments "The Last of Us" perfectly.

The story is engrossing and tangible, and everyone is susceptible to its emotional highs and its inevitable lows. As I should reiterate that this game is definitely not for anyone with severe depression, or prone to it. I had a friend who just couldn't get over one of the mind-blowing plot twists in the game(there are many) and he still brings it up to this day. An amazing story that had to be told twice, to believe. Needless to say, one of the best stories in any game, of any platform I've ever experienced.

As one follows the survival journey of Joel, and his accomplice Ellie, a breathtaking story unfolds. Throughout the plight of their intertwined paths, these characters will become your obsession. It touches upon people and society, and how it can all change when it collapses. It's a journey of survival and nearly nothing in our lives are under our control. While "The Last of Us" can be extremely forceful in its impact on players, there's also much to be touted of its subtlety.

There aren't too many games that can match all the mind blowing qualities of "The Last of Us", but they do exist. There are really two games that stand out in one's mind when thinking of games that can compare, "Tomb Raider" and "Dishonored". Both games are spectacular in their own right, and definitely should be checked out if you've never played them. If you like The Last of Us, then Tomb Raider and Dishonored will be right up your alley.

Sharing many aspects of "The Last of Us", "Tomb Raider" is also an action adventure video game that has an emphasis on exploration and survival. The story revolves around a solo protagonist, treasure hunter extraordinaire, Lara Croft. In this title she isn't a famed treasure hunter yet, this is the prequel to the earlier Tomb Raider series. In the game, she struggles to survive on a remote island near the country of Japan, after being shipwrecked.

Seemingly, being the sole survivor of the wrecked ship that crashed ashore, Lara spends much time finding new weapons and searching for any other survivors from her missing party. A highly worthy addition to the wildly popular "Tomb Raider" video game franchise. It is an action packed game that introduces players to the roots and beginnings of one of the most notable video games icons of all-time, Lara Croft.

Another PS3 title that is a lot like "The Last of Us" is "Dishonored". The storyline takes place in a fictional world, eerily resembling London during the1900s. The city of Dunwall is an industrial based community, in which many mechanical and magical elements combine for a truly unique game premise. You find yourself framed for murder, and forced into becoming a feared assassin, with your iconic mask as a trademark.

Unlike "The Last of Us" and "Tomb Raider", "Dishonored" is a first-person perspective action game that has the well known, vengeance driven themed video games. The game lets you flex your creative nature in the ways of eliminating your pursued targets. Throughout the game, you decide on choices to make that will lead your path in the storyline. A great game in itself, and an ideal addition or alternative to playing "The Last of Us".

I've never had a game with so much unnerving tension and keeps it at such an unrelenting pace. There have not been many games that I've been wowed by in recent years, but The Last of Us is truly a gem and masterpiece of gameplay, video graphics and storyline crafted with such creativity and depth.

Don't get too attached to anyone or anything throughout the game, bad things happen to good people in this title, so try not be too sentimental. There are many great games on the PlayStation 3, and The Last of Us is one of the best, but maybe it's not right for everyone. Additionally, I consider this title of the best role-playing games on PS3.