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#thelastofus #thelastofuspart1

The following video will contain spoilers for The Last of Us. Be warned. More than anything, The Last of Us is a story of trust and survival. Its world, one already split at the seams, spilling the rules and superficiality of its previous society onto the moss-ridden streets, is one that beckons for its inhabitants to build trust, break trust, break each other... in order to survive. The world has fallen into anarchy, and two survivors, through unfortunate circumstances, a surplus in this world, are forced to form an unbreakable bond, at the cost of everyone else. As a game, The Last of Us marks the beginning of a trend, where cinematics and immersion is conflated with tedium, but these road bumps don’t prevent a return to the game being as easy as it gets.

But I don’t need to explain what The Last of Us is. Its popularity eclipses itself. Last of Us fans might be deadlier than a clicker, and its detractors might be more detestable than the bandits that roam the streets, but the extremity of both sides alludes to a brain rot poetically similar to the threat the characters face. This won’t be an argument for the hailing of the game, nor will it be a call for its director's head. It will be a reflection. An interpretation. Nothing more. If I were a foolish man, I’d ask that the comments stay civil, but I know better now. With a game such as this, I’d avoid it, entirely.

I felt that The Last of Us Part 1 is a game that deserves its review scores, it deserves its praises, maybe it doesn’t deserve to be remade once every few years, but it’s hard to go back to the original when the remake looks this good. I’ll speak more on this later, but for now I want to acknowledge that this video will be based off of the remake, which while in some ways redundant, is regardless, the best way to play the game. It’s not often a game looks better not just than its original release, but better than the original as viewed through a nostalgic, rose-tinted, lens. It not only heightens emotional scenes, but it heightens the tension too. Lurking in the shadows are nightmarish creatures, and The Last of Us, while never being a full on horror game, doesn’t mind dipping its toes in the water. As always with these videos, I won’t stray away from spooky tones or imagery, but there will be no jumpscares throughout the entire video, and if for some reason it is explicitly necessary, there will be text on screen like this, indicating when it’s coming.

Without further adieu, The Last of Us Part 1 has received so much coverage over the years that I worry it may be impossible to provide a new perspective on it. I hope that I still can bring a new perspective to the game, and at minimum explain how it spoke to me...because this game did speak to me. It made me cry, it left me stunned at its beauty, and it left me, more than anything, understanding. I now understand why others love this game, and despite the issues I may have, I do too. The most important thing to note about The Last of Us 1 is that it is such a narrative focused game that I cannot discuss it as I have other games. Splitting my commentary into categories of presentation, and gameplay, would do a disservice to the way Naughty Dog has allowed so many of their gameplay elements to support and tell Joel and Ellie's story.

The Last of Us is a game that spoke to me, but the villain of The Last of Us was what moved me the most. Despite how the character is represented in The Last of Us Part 2, Joel in The Last of Us Part 1 is the bad guy. this The Last of Us review will explain this, but overall, this The Last of Us critique will analyse the entire game. This The Last of Us analysis is the first part of a The Last of Us retrospective, which will include TLOU2 and analyse The Last of Us story, The Last of Us gameplay, and, when released, it will encompass The Last of Us Part 3. On television, The Last of Us explained many of the plot points in this game, but the story of The Last of Us Season 1 and The Last of Us season 2 has makes changes that make them in a league of their own. This The Last of Us walkthrough will not mention the long lost but loved The Last of Us factions gamemode.