2020 marks the beginning of a new era, with the upcoming release of Sony and Microsoft's next-generation consoles. While the year ahead brings joy and excitement as gamers anticipate the release of new games and technology, the past ten years also brought in its fair share of iconic video games that left a lasting impact. Of course, each individual player would have their own preference as to which game should be considered as the best among the rest. However, the PlayStation community recently got together and heralded Naughty Dog's The Last of Us as the 2010's Game of the Decade.
The Last of Us was first released back in 2013 for the PlayStation 3, and quickly became one of the biggest games that ended the past console generation with a bang. The success of The Last of Us soon carried over to the current generation PlayStation 4, with the release of a remastered version a year later. The Last of Us's massive appeal to both players and critics is a testament to the game's massive impact that spanned two console generations.
It is still unclear whether the upcoming sequel called The Last of Us Part 2 will ever achieve the same level of success as the original, but luckily, players won't have to wait for too long given that the sequel is set to release in May. But why is The Last of Us successful, and what made it stand out from other games and why is it considered by the PlayStation community as the 2010's Game of the Decade?
The Last of Us Mastered The Art of Storytelling
There are many factors to take into consideration as to why The Last of Us, which Naughty Dog expected to fail, made such a heavy impact in the video game industry. However, the game's most celebrated facet lies in its story, more specifically, the way Naughty Dog was able to tell a cliche "zombie apocalypse" plot and transform it into something that has never been done before. By the time its release back in 2013, post-apocalyptic worlds ravaged by a deadly disease is no longer new in video games. However, Naughty Dog took a different approach with The Last of Us and focused the game's story on the human side of things, which encapsulated the will to survive and that primal instinct to protect ourselves and the people close to us no matter the consequences.
The first few minutes of the game started slow and introduced us to Sarah and Joel, who shared a heart-warming father and daughter moment. Soon after, chaos broke out and players witnessed a heart-pumping experience as Sarah and Joel struggled to survive the hordes of infected, which ended in Sarah's unexpected death. The game's opening sequence alone perfectly represented the tone for the rest of the game and made players feel confused, terrified, angry, and heartbroken all in under thirty minutes. This deep-level of immersion and the way the game made us feel varying emotions are one of the reasons why the game remained iconic seven years after its release.
Well-Fleshed Out and Relatable Characters
An amazing story wouldn't be complete without an awesome cast of characters and luckily for PlayStation fans, The Last of Us had both. The game introduced us to the dynamic relationship between Joel and Ellie, and how the tragic events of Sarah's death from twenty years ago, affected the relationship between the two. What made The Last of Us special is how it made us feel emotionally invested in the game and its characters, giving players the motivation they needed to see the game through.
The Last of Us also featured normal characters that are relatable to most players. Unlike other video games that mostly feature superhero-like characters, The Last of Us portrayed realistic humans that have complex personalities. The game also doesn't shy away from exploring the dark side of humans, and the lengths people can go to survive and protect themselves and the people they love. Throughout the game, we saw the transformation of Joel from a loving-father, to a stone-cold survivor. However, as the game continued on, players witnessed the strong bond that developed between the two characters, which slowly transitioned Joel back to a person who cares about others just like at the beginning of the game.
Immersive Gameplay
Of course, while the story and characters of The Last of Us are a few of the major reasons why the game made a lasting impact on players, it still wouldn't be as successful as it is today without the immersive gameplay that pushed the boundaries of gaming. Unlike other similar titles, The Last of Us was able to offer a fresh new perspective to what is basically another zombie game. It offered a balance that perfectly mixed good storytelling with innovative gameplay.
The Last of Us also offered both action-oriented moments with some horror elements that made every single minute of the game an enjoyable experience. In dealing with enemies, players always have the choice of either shooting down foes directly, or slowly sneaking up behind enemies and taking them down one at a time. Although in most cases, the game favors players who take the stealth approach, it is still up to them on how they want to approach the game and progress through its story.
In the end, The Last of Us left a lasting legacy that rattled the video game industry and proved how a perfect balance between gameplay design and a substantial story played a major role in its universal appeal and overall success. The Last of Us's exploration of the dark side of humanity, and how it was able to package and present a cliched concept to its audience, combined with deep and immersive gameplay, are major factors as to why many people consider The Last of Us as Game of the Decade.
The Last of Us 2 is expected to release on May 29, 2020, for PS4.