The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014)

Pretty quickly after the initial release of The Last of Us, a DLC Expansion was released call Left Behind. This DLC further expands the story and gives us a bit more time with Ellie and really focuses on her character. The DLC goes through her origin and bridges the gap between some events in the main story. Here are my thoughts on this DLC Expansion. 

We play as Ellie

In the main game, we have a bit of time to play as Ellie but the majority of it we play as Joel and I really feel like the main game is Joel's story. Left Behind is Ellie's story and playing as her helped with that as we learn more about her and her relationship with Riley and taking down infected and humans alike. 

The Game is split into two timelines

The game flashes between two different time periods in the games timeline. We start off in Winter with Ellie looking after Joel when he got injured in the main story. The other is a flashback that shows Ellie's origin with Riley and how they both got infected. The Flashbacks are incredibly engaging with the story, whereas the other story is focused on the gameplay and the balance is pretty good. 

The Gameplay is still strong

The gameplay is pretty much the exact same, just without all the weapons that Joel uses. It is still great and the more mini games in the flashbacks breaks up the action and makes it feel different to the main story. 

The Relationship between Ellie & Riley is really well done

We get a brief mention of Riley in the main story and how she got bitten alongside Ellie. But this DLC does a great of showing the two of their characters and the chemistry they have together. Despite the lack of time we see of them, I really cared about their relationship even though I knew where it ended. 

The Pacing is a bit slow and it is way too short

The only thing is that the flashbacks have no combat and that makes this slow game feel even slower. I appreciate the story and the focus on it but I could have done with a bit more of creative gameplay. Also it is super short, I wouldn't say I am great at the game but I finished it in 3 hours which is just way too short and I could have done with even a few more hours. 

Overall

Overall, The Last of Us: Left Behind is a great character piece for Ellie and does a great job of showing her past. But it is a bit boring and is way too short, it is a good companion place that should be played after finishing the campaign but it falls a little short of the main campaign. 

Rating - 7/10

The Last of Us (2013/2014) Review

For years I have heard that The Last of Us is one of the best video games ever made, I've tried to get into it before but I never quite got too grips with it. But recently, I decided that I was finally going to play the game to completion and I finished the main story last nice and its DLC story today, so here is my review for the game. The premise of the game sees a deadly disease destroy a chunk of humanity, a rugged man goes on a mission that might give the human race a second chance. 

Characters

The Prolific voice actor Troy Baker plays Joel Miller and he absolutely knocks it out of the park. He is a gruff, angry man who seems to lack humanity but as the game progresses you really see Joel grow as a person. He has so much depth to him and Baker plays it superbly, this is one of the best video game protagonists that I have ever seen. 

Ashley Johnson plays Ellie, she is a vital character in the game and is so much fun to be around. Though the situation is pretty dire, she has plenty of wise cracks and jokes to get her by. The chemistry between Johnson & Baker is brilliant and really carries this game.

The rest of the cast are way smaller in the size of their roles but are also really well acted. Henry & Sam are two brothers that the protagonists meet and they are really well acted and reflect the two of them really well. 

Tommy & Tess are allies to Joel & Ellie and both have pretty fiery personalities that make them memorable and fun additions to the cast here. 

Story

The story is really where the game truly thrives here. The main characters are so enriched and developed fantastically. The world is built incredibly well and it really feels fleshed out which adds even more to the performances. I really cared about Joel & Ellies story and the large amount of cutscenes didn't upset me and had me gripped to watch. 

Side Content

This game is pretty linear, it is a very story driven game and focuses on its characters, gameplay and story. There are some pretty cool collectables and some good crafting mechanics that can be done. There is also a multiplayer, however, nobody is playing it anymore so I can't really comment on it. 

The fact that this game is so engaging means I can overlook the fact that there isn't too much side content and I would rather have a game like this then a massive game that fails to provide the depth that this game has. 

Gameplay

The game's gameplay is a little bit different to what I am used to. It is a real Survival Game, you have limited resources and this really forces you to cherish your ammunition and really plan your attacks. Though there is a large variety of weapons and gear that keeps the game fresh and unique. You fight both humans and the infected monsters and the game balances these incredibly well, you have your more action missions against humans compared to your horror missions with the infected and it is balanced in a way that both are engaging. 

Graphics

I played the first remaster of The Last of Us that was made for the PS4 and it looks fantastic. The character models looks great and the designs of all of the infected are horrifying and fit the world perfectly. Also, this game has tremendous sound design that just adds to the creep factor of certain elements of the game. 

Overall

Overall, The Last of Us is as good as people say and is an Epic Video Game journey that has some of the best character and story work that I have ever seen in a Video Game. It is a must play for anybody that enjoys single player video games and I can't recommend it high enough. 

Rating - 10/10