The Last of Us is not only one of the greatest games released on the PlayStation 3, but it's also one of the greatest games ever made in video game history. That may be a bold statement, but if you ask anyone else who's played this game, they'll agree that this is an amazing game and an absolute must-have for the PlayStation 3 before the long-awaited PlayStation 4 comes out on the market. Naughty Dog, creator of the Uncharted series, has delivered another masterpiece with The Last of Us. There's so many great things about this game and I just hope that my review will be able to do it justice. The game is set in 2033, set 20 years after a virus outbreak has practically destroyed America. Based on a real life virus that (right now) affects ants, the fungus takes control of the host like a parasite and reduces the host to primal instincts; attack, kill, eat, and so on. For the majority of the game, you play as Joel, a survivor who has lived before the outbreak and knows what life was like before everything was destroyed. Joel has to escort/smuggle 14 year old Ellie across America, as Ellie may hold the key to curing the virus. However, the journey will not be so easy, as they will have to survive the tribulations of the wasteland that was once America, the fungus that has already infected so many people, and the hostile scavengers that are out to get you and your supplies.

The graphics are nothing short of amazing, as expected from Naughty Dog and PlayStation 3 games in general. They're like, up there in terms of graphics with 2009's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, both games looking like Hollywood movies and practically photo-realistic. The frame-rate is consistently smooth and everything in the game is pleasing to the eye, from the grassy wastelands of what used to be America, to the harsh snows of Winter, and so forth. People's expressions look top notch and are also very realistic. The Infected look great, from the vicious Runners, the spine-tingling Clickers, and everything else in between. This could really pass as the best looking game of the PlayStation 3, and that is quite an impressive feat, let me tell you that.

The gameplay is hard to describe. It's simple, yet complex. Easy, yet challenging. Basic, yet deep. Admittedly, the gameplay style will take some time to get used to, but once you're really into the game, you won't be able to put the game down. Trust me on that. It gives you a similar feeling to the early Resident Evil games, a feeling of helplessness and uneasiness. Items, like ammunition and such, are fairly scarce, so you better save up. If you try to play The Last of Us?like you play Uncharted,?for any other ordinary shooter for that matter, you're not going to have a good time. This is a heavily stealth-influenced game, similar to Metal Gear Solid or Deus Ex: Human Revolution. You won't survive for very long if you charge into each area like Han Solo, firing at every direction. It'll be easier to sneak by each enemy. You can either choose to silently dispatch each enemy to see what items they'd drop, or simply decide it's not worth your time and slip past them. To take down enemies, you can either choose to strangle them (which takes longer), or you can choose to use your Shiv weapon, though the Shiv weapon is quite rare, so it's best you save them for the Clicker enemies, which can only be killed with the Shiv.There are also numerous items you can collect throughout the game, like supplements which, when collected in enough numbers, can be used to upgrade Joel, like giving him a higher health bar, or increasing the distance to his Listen Mode. Now, what is the Listen Mode exactly? Take a guess. When you hold the L2 button, Joel will crouch and go into Listen Mode, where everything will go black & white, and Joel will be able to "see" behind walls and such, making it easier to predict enemy movements and seeing where they are. Along the way, you may also come across many weapons, like 2x4s, machetes, and more, which you can also upgrade. Other items you can collect include blades, alcohol, sugar, and more to craft unique items, like the previously mentioned Shiv, a smoke bomb that'll disorientate enemies, a nail bomb that acts as a basic grenade, a Molotov Cocktail that's...well, self-explanatory, and much more. The gameplay offers so much, and we're not even done. We haven't even begun to talk about the multiplayer yet.

The multiplayer is also very unique, and I like it! There are basic things found in this game that you can also find in other games, like customizing your own character, giving him a few perks here and there, earning supplies and money for additional weapons, clothing, and perks. What makes the multiplayer unique though, is that it has its own story to it, in a way, as well as several events that can either prove useful or devastating to your settlement, which you have to take care of. With each match you play, your settlement will grow and gather new people, and it's your job to make sure they don't go hungry, or worse, infected. As you play more matches, your settlement will get bigger, and thus as a result, you'll need to acquire more items each day. So you'll have to acquire items as best as you can, whether it be by shooting people down, performing executions, crafting items, etc. It's a load of fun, and this is coming from a guy who just about never plays multiplayer on games like these. And it's great too because with a game that costs $60, you'll want bang for your buck. With this 15 hour campaign and a vast multiplayer, you're definitely going to get your money's worth.

The story reminds me of the 2010 game Heavy Rain, which was also a PlayStation 3 exclusive. And what I mean by that is that while on the surface, the story may seem simple and black and white at first, it's the pacing and storytelling that make the plot much more complex than what you initially thought. The characters are relatable, sympathetic, and likable. You have Joel, who had a content life before the outbreak, only to have everything he loved taken from him. You have Ellie, a 14 year old girl who was born in the middle of the outbreak, and thus, does not know what life was like before everything went down. And along the way, you'll meet other survivors, old friends, and so and so. The game is a game that's not about the destination, but rather the journey, and the journey is a painful one where our protagonists will not walk away from and be the same as they were from the very beginning.

And then there's the soundtrack. By god, this game sounds as gorgeous as it looks. Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson do amazing jobs as the characters they voice; Joel and Ellie, respectively., but of course, the other characters sound great too, like your buddy Tess, the enigmatic woman Marlene, and fellow survivors Sam and Henry. There's rarely music playing, which you might think is a bad thing, but let me tell you that Naughty Dog knows when to play music and when not to. The lack of music during scenes where you must sneak by enemies makes things all the more intense and uneasy, adding to the intended atmosphere. But when music plays? The music speaks volumes, all with just a few simple notes, like the main theme of the game, also with the name "The Last of Us," as well as the credits song "The Path (A New Beginning)" and others.

Though the year is only halfway through, I am confident that this game will at the very least be a candidate for Game of the Year 2013, though of course, with other contenders like BioShock Infinite, and the many upcoming games coming up later this year, like Grand Theft Auto V, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, let's just see where this game will end. Again, like I said before, this game is an absolute must-have for PlayStation 3 owners and you absolutely have to get it. The game is worth your money, man. Trust me on that.