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  • It's probably too late to buy a PS3, but if you already own one, you've got to check out

  • "The Last Of Us"...

  • Hello and welcome to "The World According To Jon", my name is, as you know, Jonathan

  • Paula. Now normally I only do these type of scripted-reviews for films in my "Movie Night"

  • show... but this game deserves the same treatment, as a majority of its experience plays out

  • like the best in cinematic excellence. So lets review, "The Last Of Us" -- LEFT

  • LEFT -- This 3rd-person survival horror action adventure game from acclaimed developer Naughty

  • Dog was released exclusively on the PlayStation 3 nationwide on June 14, 2013. Far more nuanced

  • and involved than a mere "zombie"-style game, this Mature-rated experience blends all the

  • best elements we play video games for: a fantastically engaging, and wonderfully voice-acted story,

  • terrific control mechanics, inventive and clever challenges, and plenty of smiles and

  • scares along the way. While simultaneously maintaining a bleak, yet hopeful atmosphere

  • throughout. Where this story goes is best left unspoiled: with a number of talented

  • characters coming in and out of the detailed, and lengthy narrative -- but our two main

  • heroes are portrayed with a delicate level of emotion and ferocity by Troy Baker and

  • Ashley Johnson. Their blossoming father/daughter-like relationship is the bedrock of the events

  • on-screen, and although these are largely immoral individuals who seemingly regret nothing,

  • they carry a huge burden, and a troubled past: making it easy to connect to their unbelievable,

  • post-apocalyptic, yet somehow realistic situation. All of the depressing and grotesque horror

  • is showcased alongside beautiful renderings of forgotten American neighborhoods - whether

  • you're trekking through the flooded Red Line subway tunnel in Boston, or hiding from enemies

  • in an abandoned ski-lodge in the dead of winter, the graphics here are a rare accomplishment,

  • and a true sight to behold. As Johnson mentions twice in the game during pivotal moments,

  • "you can't deny that view". I spent a majority of my playthrough simply admiring my scenery,

  • and exploring the landscape, in what is easily the best-looking game for the not-quite-dead

  • yet 7th generation of consoles. These breathtaking visuals are thankfully supported by an equally

  • haunting and moody score from composer Gustavo Santaolalla. In the gameplay department, everything

  • works precisely as expected, and following the occasional on-screen prompts allows for

  • easy immersion into the control-scheme - which combines wall-piercing hearing detection,

  • quadruple weapon holsters, conversation-initiation, crouching, running, shooting, and punching.

  • Health is commodity, and bullets are hard to come-by, forcing a much greater appreciation

  • for your supplies and ammo than ever before in gaming. The ability to collect materials

  • and supplies scattered throughout the lush environments, and craft them into Molotov

  • cocktails, health kits, or a baseball bat with knives attached to it - adds a great

  • deal of strategy and complexity to what is a largely linear chain-of-events. Some curious

  • decisions from your AI-allies breaks the illusion, as enemy combatants never react to their movements,

  • and a majority of chapters are repetitive, feeling like one drawn-out stealth mission,

  • even reusing a number of gimmicks. Otherwise, this game is near flawless, bouncing effortlessly

  • from somber and revealing cut-scenes to terrifying shoot-outs against 7-foot-tall infected humans

  • known as a bloaters, to sneaking past guards with shotguns in a hospital overgrown with

  • vegetation. Winning many "Best of show" awards at E3 2012, this week-old game is already

  • an obvious front-runner for game of the year - a positively thrilling, emotional, addictive,

  • and enjoyable adventure that is impossible to put down. I finished the 15-hour single

  • player campaign in only three evenings, and I want to jump right back into and go again,

  • searching for the few missing artifacts and pendants I missed along the way. I honestly

  • can't recommend this title enough. "The Last Of Us", A "Strikingly engrossing story. Excellent

  • gameplay."

  • Borrowed from Movie Night, here's the Rate-o-Matic with my score... a TEN. You might come for

  • the zombie-killing fun, but you'll stay for the incredible story... the poignant ending

  • of which resonated with me so deeply, I can't shake thinking about it several days later.

  • I have to score this an AMAZING.

  • Next week I plan to begin work on my 19th LP for "Game Time", but I'd like to know which

  • game you'd like to see my play-through. I was originally planning on playing Red Dead

  • Redemption's 'Undead Nightmare'... but perhaps you'd like to see "The Last Of Us" now? Let

  • me know in the comments below! You can also let me know if you enjoyed this game-review

  • enough to possible see more of them. But for now, that is "The World According..." to me,

  • my name is Jon - thank you for watching and listening, I hope to see you right back here

  • in the very near future.

It's probably too late to buy a PS3, but if you already own one, you've got to check out

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