Why The Last of Us is a must-play game

By Aivree Irvine on October 6, 2023

The infection spread in September 2013, starting in China and making its way worldwide in days. Cordyceps, the fungal virus, started through an infected food supply of grain that was transported all around the world. When people ingested the grain, they took the virus with them, and in one to two days, cordyceps took over their body and mind. That’s how it started, but this story takes place in 2023, 10 years after the outbreak, starring a smuggler named Joel (Troy Baker) and a 14-year-old girl named Ellie (Ashley Johnson).

This story in and of itself is just another apocalypse story, but it is written beautifully and horrifyingly. Not only is it a very real apocalypse story, but it’s also emotionally captivating, taking you through a journey of love, loss and survival.

I’ve never in my life cried playing a videogame, and I’ve never been so touched emotionally and mentally by something like that in my entire life. The Last of Us is a true cinematic masterpiece in every way, drawing you into the story right from the beginning. The game has won over 200 awards for its emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters. When I first played the game, unfortunately, I already knew sort of what to expect due to the internet, but spoilers don’t do the story justice as you need to play through the whole thing to feel the emotions. It was the type of storytelling one would need to step away from for a day to recollect thoughts.

When it was announced that HBO was making a live-action version of the game series, fans were over the moon. With the amazing actors Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey taking the roles of Joel and Ellie, they brought the story to life all around Alberta, Canada. HBO used many locations around Alberta, such as Calgary’s SAIT, Calgary Zoo, Canmore, Grande Prairie and even a bit in downtown Edmonton. The Last of Us became the biggest television production in Canadian history, with the entire show being filmed in Alberta.

So why is The Last of Us a must-play game? Well, there is everything and more that you could want in a videogame:

The story is every emotion in the book; it’s heartbreaking, hopeful, conflicting, sad, happy, funny, depressing, distressing, scary and many more.
It’s real enough to be possible, with Cordyceps being an actual fungus, though not mutated enough to infect humans.
Based and designed in real cities across the United States.
It runs 4k graphics, making the image stunning and life-like.
Incredible voice actors!
The characters are relatable, and their relationships are real; you fall in love with them.

HBO has announced that there will be a second season of the show, and with confirmation from Naughty Dog, the creators of the game, that there will be part three of the video game series, fans can look forward to the continuation of this emotionally filled story.