The Last of Us: Left Behind Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

System: PS3
Dev: Naughty Dog
Pub: Sony
Release: February 14, 2014
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language

And she does it all in style. Visually, The Last of Us: Left Behind is just as stunning as the original, if not more. The graphics were near flawless and even more stable than the original. It’s hard to believe Naughty Dog was able to pull this level of visual capability off on the PS3. Sure, there are games that are technically superior on next-gen platforms, but not by much. The dilapidated world is teeming with details of society gone awry in every way. Evidence of other people’s final struggles can be found throughout the gameplay, painting a dark backdrop of those unable to survive in a derelict and abandoned city.

The Last of Us: Left Behind Screenshot

The sound of The Last of Us: Left Behind is just as amazing as before. Voice acting is simply phenomenal and the score is so good you might want to download some of the tracks (like I did.) The audio did have one flaw this time around though. In the second half of the gameplay the voice tracks of the characters were hopelessly underpowered. At first, I thought it was an issue with my television. But after restarting my system and television twice, and resetting all my cables, I realized that I wasn’t the problem. You could still hear the voices, but they were muffled and extremely low. So much so, that I had to make sure subtitles were on so I could tell what was going on. However, the problem righted itself once gameplay resumed, but it was still an annoyance (albeit my only one) with The Last of Us: Left behind.

While it is a bit short, this DLC pack offers some excellent gameplay and the chance for gamers like myself to fill in a few of the gaps in one of their favorite games of all time. Actually, I think this may be the only time I have spent more than 15 minutes at the mall and haven’t wanted to tear my hair out by the roots or sob quietly in a corner. If you couldn’t tell, I hate malls, but I definitely love The Last of Us: Left Behind, malls and all.

By
Joshua Bruce
Contributing Writer
Date: February 14, 2014

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

5.0

Graphics
It’s still hard to believe they were able to achieve these visual masterpieces on the PS3.

4.5

Control
Exactly the same as its parent game--Excellent.

4.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Mostly perfect, except that some cutscenes were seriously quiet when they weren’t supposed to be.

4.5

Play Value
Definitely worth the time to fill in some of the question marks left from the original game.

4.5

Overall Rating - Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Ellie returns as new light is shed on her relationship with Riley, her best friend from the military boarding school they both grew up in. After inexplicably disappearing for weeks, Riley reemerges in Ellie's life with a surprising revelation. The two sneak out of their school for the last time, leading to a series of events that will forever change both of their lives.

Ellie - Ellie has lived all fourteen years of her life inside one of the last remaining quarantine zones. An orphan, Ellie was raised in the boarding school run by the military. Growing up in this world meant being exposed to the daily horrors of the oppressive martial law and the constant threat of the infected. Braver and wiser beyond her years, Ellie seems to constantly get herself into trouble with the school.

Riley - Brazen, tough, and not one to follow authority, Sixteen-year-old Riley is the girl that even the big kids in the boarding school steered clear of. Riley hates the idea that she's fated to live her entire life in the quarantine zone. Their shared history of trouble drew Ellie and Riley to each other. They were best friends until Riley inexplicably disappeared one day.