The Last of Us

The Last of Us is an action-adventure survival horror video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation 3 on June 14, 2013. An updated version,The Last of Us Remastered, was released for the PlayStation 4 on July 29, 2014. Players control Joel, a man tasked with escorting a young girl named Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States.

The Last of Us is played from a third-person perspective; players use firearms and improvised weapons, and can use stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus. "Listen mode" allows players to locate enemies through a heightened sense of hearing and spatial awareness. Players can also upgrade weapons using items scavenged from the environment. In the game's online multiplayer, up to eight players engage in co-operative and competitive gameplay in recreations of single-player settings.

Development of The Last of Us began in 2009, soon after the release of Naughty Dog's previous game, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The relationship between Joel and Ellie was the central focus of the game, with all other elements developed around it. The team chose Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson to portray Joel and Ellie respectively, who provided voice and motion capture for the roles. Both actors assisted creative director Neil Druckmann with the development of the characters and story. The original score was composed and performed by Gustavo Santaolalla.

Following its announcement in December 2011, The Last of Us was widely anticipated. It was acclaimed by many reviewers, with praise particularly directed at its characterization, subtext, exploration of the human condition, and depiction of female characters. The Last of Us became one of the best-selling PlayStation 3 games, selling over 1.3 million units in its first week, and over eight million units within fourteen months. Considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, it won year-end accolades, including multiple Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications, critics, and game award shows, making it one of the most awarded games in history. After the game's release, Naughty Dog released several downloadable content additions; The Last of Us: Left Behind added a new single-player campaign, taking place both before and during the main story, featuring Ellie and her friend Riley.

The Last of Us is an action-adventure survival horror game that is viewed from a third-person perspective. Players traverse post-apocalyptic environments, moving through locations such as towns, buildings, and sewers to advance through the game's story. Players use firearms, improvised weapons, and stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus. For most of the game, players control Joel—a man tasked with escorting the young Ellie across the United States; Ellie and other companions are controlled by the artificial intelligence. Players also control Ellie throughout the game's winter segment.

In combat, players can use long-ranged weapons, such as rifles, shotguns, and bows, and short-barreled guns, such as pistols and revolvers; players can scavenge limited-use melee weapons, such as pipes and baseball bats. Bottles and bricks can be thrown to distract, stun, or attack enemies. The game features a crafting system, allowing players to upgrade weapons at workbenches using collected items. Equipment such as health kits and Molotov cocktails can be found or crafted using collected items. Physical abilities, such as the health meter and crafting speed, can be upgraded by collecting pills and medicinal plants. Should players take damage, their health meter can be recharged through the use of health kits.

Though players can attack enemies directly, they have the option to use stealth tactics to attack undetected or sneak by them. Stealth combat utilizes a gameplay mechanic called "Listen Mode", which allows players to effectively locate enemies through a heightened sense of hearing and spatial awareness. When using Listen Mode, an outline of the enemies becomes visible to players, allowing them to view enemies in different locations. A dynamic cover system is present, in which players crouch behind obstacles to gain a tactical advantage during combat. The game features periods without combat, often involving conversation between the characters. Players solve simple puzzles, such as using floating pallets to move Ellie, who is unable to swim, across bodies of water, and using ladders or dumpsters to reach higher areas. Story collectibles, such as notes, maps and comics, can be scavenged and viewed in the backpack menu.

The game features an artificial intelligence system in which hostile human enemies react to any combat situation they are placed in. If enemies discover the player, they may take cover or call for assistance, and can take advantage of players when they are distracted, out of ammunition, or in the midst of a fight. Players' companions, such as Ellie, can assist in combat by throwing objects at threats to stun them, announcing the location of unseen enemies, or using a knife and pistol to attack enemies.