Teens nowadays enjoy games such as Apex Legends or Call of Duty; Their minds are more focused towards multiplayer and video games that are fast paced. Although games such as those are entertaining and fun, story games that have a cinematic approach are important.

The Last of Us was created in 2013, introducing a story that creates an unbreakable bond between a girl named Ellie, who was to be transported from point A to point B for a reason that is kept secret for almost the entire game. Joel, a man who is shown in the beginning of the game, is Ellie’s companion. You play as Joel, which means you have access to weapons and craftsmanship of small knives named shivs and molotovs. Joel is a much stronger character. He is able to fight off the infected while transporting Ellie. Although they are traveling together, the two don’t get along for a while. Ellie is more outgoing and joyful, while Joel is brooding and a straight to the point.

Throughout the game, Joel begins to warm up to her, making more and more conversation. At one point, Ellie pulls out her famous joke book. Her idea of reading these jokes in hope to lighten up the mood allows for an option for an optional conversation. These conversations are meant to either move the story along, or dig deeper into character developments that require extra efforts to find them out. Ayden Morales, a junior at Bethpage High School, stated how he “was devoted to the main story rather than derailing from it.” His choice to not “continue listening to it” didn’t affect his gameplay as if someone did, like myself.

The character development and growth of a relationship between two strangers who couldn’t be more opposite describes how good things come from those who wait. This dynamic duo took a long time to finally understand and appreciate each other’s company in hard times, like an apocalypse. 

Eventually, Joel reveals a large part of his past to Ellie, which we got to play at the beginning of the game. His daughter, Sarah, ends up dying in the first few minutes of the game. Joel explains to Ellie how her daughter had passed, which Mr. Malossi, a teacher at Bethpage High School, finds that “They build up the emotion so much so that you would be a sociopath to not feel it.” 

The nature of this game is fulfilling and joyful, with some bugs that should be fixed. The game is years old, but the graphics make up for age. Naughty Dog has a way with games that extracts emotions such as joy and sadness in a multitude of games. They’ve developed the Uncharted series, along with Crash Bandicoot. 

Overall, this game with a simple destination is masterful in using different emotional appeals and storylines to lure you to fall in love with these characters. So, my rating: 9.8/10