The Last of Us
The first game is one of those that sticks in your mind because it is such a great one. It follows the story of Joel and Ellie as they attempt to find a group called the Fireflys who have a possible cure for a fungal disease which has killed off much of humanity. The opening sequence to the game is one that really hits you in the feels. One of the great things going for this game is that it isn't JUST going from location to location and killing anything that moves but instead, the building of a relationship between two unrelated characters as they make their way across the country. Even little things, like Ellie attempting to learn how to whistle, add to the character building so that by the time you get to the end of the game, it feels like you 'know' these two people and you are heavily vested in them. Along the way there are some great side characters which you also connect with, but the core is the relationship between the two and the hell they go through to get to the Fireflys.
The Last of Us: Left Behind
This short side game came out after the original and focuses on Ellie and her friend Riley as they explore a decrepit shopping mall. This one was about a 4-hour playthrough but gives some more depth to Ellie and shows how relationships form even in the most dangerous of times. It also does a little setting up of The Last of Us Part II so things don't come out of the blue. The friendship is solid and there are some heartfelt moments between the two girls.
The Last of Us Part II
This second full game starts out with a big shock moment that sets the tone for the rest of the game. In this one, Ellie and her girlfriend, Dina, are on a mission of revenge against a group of people who have performed an atrocious act. They are also tracking down Tommy, who is on his own mission. More side characters are introduced and they come and go in the story. About halfway through the game there is a complete change as you take on the role of Abbie, the daughter of the Firefly doctor from the first game. In her group she has to do her best to protect her friends in a fairly large group who look out for each other and live in a football stadium. This one didn't have the same heart as the first one but there were still some very satisfying moments of story building. As usual, things can't end on a happy note in a post-apocalyptic world.
Conclusion
These games are some of the best of the best of the Playstation world. They storytelling is fantastic and the characters are all fleshed out really well. Even ones that you only see for a little bit in the game still leave an impact. They aren't so much about the fungoid 'clickers' that are out to get you but instead about the struggles of mankind after the world has gone to pot. If it were just another loose story surrounded by monster killing, this game franchise would never have survived. But, with the way it is, it thrives and the new series looks pretty amazing. I can't wait to see Nick Offerman as Bill!
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