The Last of Us: Analysis

Linear story

The entire story about Joel and Ellie. The fungus, zombie, world is ending part is just a setting for the world. It was never about saving the world. The game was about how a parent would go to any lengths for their children.

Every game mechanic made sure that this element of the story was met. In the final scene when we are saving Ellie, we don’t have to kill the surgeons, but the player would feel like it’s what Joel would have done if the surgeons had got in his way. Joel had already made a choice and we understand why is made it. Creating characters and making sure that the player understands who that character is and why they do what they do help create a connection between the character and the player. That’s why Joel’s decision was understood by the player and satisfactory.

Perspectives

During the game, we play as Joel when he is the one responsible to take care of Ellie. After all they had gone through when Ellie had to save Joel, we understand why she wants to return the favor. This change of perspective helps the player feel for both characters as these 2 are the protagonist. Not Joel or Ellie but both and their relationship.

No Breaks

In this world filled with fungus infected zombie like creatures and other people trying to kill us and take our possession requires a sense of unease and discomfort. So, when we are crafting a weapon to kill an enemy that we realize can be killed only by crafting this weapon we run for cover, craft it, hoping that we can complete it before they find us and then execute the kill all while never pausing once makes the gameplay feel real. The player is not casually crafting items mid fight to become easily overpowering instead there is this sense of trauma that we have to endure to make it out alive.

The Black Screen

Playing the game and going through all the ups and downs with the character is entertaining for the player. But I feel the use of the black screen right after a major character’s sudden death or cliffhanger, really takes the emotion of the player to a new level. Another trick the game uses is that any death and their cut scene isn’t shown to completion, it is left for us to imagine.

Attention to Details

Animations are what sell the characters for the few hours we spent with them. Since we know these are fictional characters, the animations are what fool us to believe that they can actually be read people. When animators add fall real world animation like tying the shoes, using tippy toes to see or squinting when we flash a light on them adds to the realism.

UI elements

Usually games provide a lot of details to the player using the HUD on screen but the Last of Us made sure that the screen was as empty as possible so that the game would give a movie like feel while playing. Even the weapons upgrade screen is not a UI screen where we click on buttons but an animation where we see the weapon in question getting new features