Some Final Thoughts

I intentionally left out information regarding The Last of Us for a couple reasons:

1) At the time, I hardly touched the surface of the game

2) I had yet to play multiplayer

3) I wrote that post at 2 AM 

Permit me then, if you will, the opportunity to close out some final thoughts over the game. 

Gameplay
I discussed this only briefly last time. Naughty Dog forces you to save every bullet for that opportune moment. You'll feel guilty or foolish for pulling off a premature shot that hits the wall rather than the advancing horde of clickers. Luckily for the bow, you can retrieve arrows that are still intact for later use. One of the best methods when using the bow is to combine it with the 'sights and sounds' perk to know what direction enemies are heading in and how many shots to save. Aiming for the head on clickers almost guarantees a kill. Sometimes the arrow only breaks the protective fungus face-shield thingy. This simply isn't Uncharted. Bullets are few and far between. Melee in the form of fists, boards, baseball bats, machetes, and hatchets become your best friend when either out of ammo or forced into stealth. Upgrading your melee weapon increases its durability for more hits and grants you a bonus insta-kill. 

Graphics
Again, a subject in which I was excessively vague. Those who played Uncharted will know Naughty Dog can push the PS3 to its limit. Absolutely stunning graphical backdrops and character design. The Last of Us never falls short of immersing the player into the apocalyptic landscape of a long-gone industrial nation. Locations such as downtown Boston and Pittsburgh bring alive the sense of desolation and desperate acts to quell this heavy threat. Skyscrapers buckled under the intense bombings to cleanse the area of the infection. Buildings fell onto other structures, rubble litters the streets, and cities once booming with life now resemble ghost towns with only the sounds of birds chirping to demonstrate signs of life remaining. This is no longer man's world. Nature has reclaimed her natural right to reign and Naughty Dog shows this without a hitch. From moss growing over streets and cars to vines and tree roots stretching across buildings, we are truly within a new No Man's Land. 

Multiplayer
Not many online versus matches generate a real feeling of dread. Multiplayer pits two teams of four in a deathmatch-style game. You're given a selection of load-outs and the option to customize your gear. From there, various perks can be added such as Marathon giving you a boost in speed or Reviver to assist downed teammates faster. Spare parts are the multiplayer currency to level up and buy new gear. The backpack from single-player returns with the same ability to craft medkits, molotovs, or nail bombs to further screw over the opposing team. Just like single-player, the game doesn't stop just because you did. Find a shady spot or get a team member to cover you long enough to heal or craft. The bow is more deadlier online than in story mode. If your skill is high enough, find the high ground or stalk your opponent. I would, however, recommend having the shiv perk if you're the hunter-type player. Scoring comes in two ways: downing an enemy or executing them. Once they're down, go in for the kill or collect dropped parts. You'll need them to meet your match quota (usually around sixteen starting off). With every match won, more 'survivors' will join your camp in the form of Facebook friends. Do yourself a favor and don't suck at multiplayer. Winning a match actually feels rewarding especially if you just ran out of ammo and the last kill of the game came from you via bashing the poor soul's brains out on the pavement. Grab a few mates and enjoy one of two modes available right now. I hope Naughty Dog adds a horde mode down the road. Nothing can be more brown-pants inducing than spotting a couple Bloaters stomping towards you. 

Well, I believe that wraps up The Last of Us. Stretch the re-playability as far as you can to last until Fall. We're in for a long ride. 

Catch it late or on time only on The Late Duck.