The Last Of Us
Developed by Naughty Dog, The Last Of Us is a third-person action-adventure PlayStation game which follows Joel (Troy Baker) and fourteen year old Ellie (Ashley Johnson) through an apocalyptic portrayal of the USA. The games's concept is that Joel has been tasked with escorting Ellie across the country to Salt Lake City, where she can be studied, having being bitten by a zombie but exhibiting none of the usual symptoms. If he succeeds, the entire world may be saved from utter destruction.
Set in 2033, twenty years after a fungal-based disease affected 60% of the world's population, morphing them in to cannibalistic, thoughtless zombies, the game has a lovely rawness to it and doesn't ever try to glamourize the events of this world-shaking event. It is honest about the complex relationship between Joel and Ellie and it's evolution throughout the game and has multiple points in the story that look at morality and humanity's reaction to the complete collapse of everything they know.
Develpoed
I will be looking at two of the games locations in chronological order, beginning with Travis County, Texas where the games prologue, set in 2013, takes place. During this part of the game, Joel is introduced, as well as his life before the outbreak with his twelve year old daughter, Sarah. Travis county takes up a little over a thousand square miles, nestled between San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth. The east and west of the county are starkly different geographically, with the east boasting fertile farmlands while the west is covered by karst limestone. These two areas are linked by the Colorado River, which passes through both, leaving a series of manmade lakes in it's wake such as Lake Travis and Lake Lady Bird. Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area within the county.
Secondly, I will be looking at Salt Lake City, Utah, in which a Militia group called the 'Fireflies' set up their main base. The Fireflies revolt against the military across the country and stage all types of demonstrations with the intention of restoring the now disbanded US government. This group is who intends to study Ellie, hopefully discovering a cure to the fungal disease that is wiping out the earth's population. In The Last Of Us the city has been flooded and like the rest of the world, has fallen in to a state of disrepair. While playing in the area, you can see the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Wells Fargo Building and Saint Mark's Hospital - which all exist in Salt Lake City. Though Naughty Dog is known for it's breath-taking and accurate graphics, they did make a few minor geographical mistakes in this part of the game. While travelling through the city, Joel and Ellie see public highway tunnels, which in actuality don't exist in Salt Lake City. There is also greenery and plants sprawling over the entire landscape in the game, which is unrealistic given Salt Lake City's arid climate.
That's all for today's post, I hope you enjoyed reading it and maybe take a little time to take in The Last Of Us's incredible landscapes next time you play it.
Set in 2033, twenty years after a fungal-based disease affected 60% of the world's population, morphing them in to cannibalistic, thoughtless zombies, the game has a lovely rawness to it and doesn't ever try to glamourize the events of this world-shaking event. It is honest about the complex relationship between Joel and Ellie and it's evolution throughout the game and has multiple points in the story that look at morality and humanity's reaction to the complete collapse of everything they know.
Develpoed
I will be looking at two of the games locations in chronological order, beginning with Travis County, Texas where the games prologue, set in 2013, takes place. During this part of the game, Joel is introduced, as well as his life before the outbreak with his twelve year old daughter, Sarah. Travis county takes up a little over a thousand square miles, nestled between San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth. The east and west of the county are starkly different geographically, with the east boasting fertile farmlands while the west is covered by karst limestone. These two areas are linked by the Colorado River, which passes through both, leaving a series of manmade lakes in it's wake such as Lake Travis and Lake Lady Bird. Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area within the county.
Secondly, I will be looking at Salt Lake City, Utah, in which a Militia group called the 'Fireflies' set up their main base. The Fireflies revolt against the military across the country and stage all types of demonstrations with the intention of restoring the now disbanded US government. This group is who intends to study Ellie, hopefully discovering a cure to the fungal disease that is wiping out the earth's population. In The Last Of Us the city has been flooded and like the rest of the world, has fallen in to a state of disrepair. While playing in the area, you can see the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Wells Fargo Building and Saint Mark's Hospital - which all exist in Salt Lake City. Though Naughty Dog is known for it's breath-taking and accurate graphics, they did make a few minor geographical mistakes in this part of the game. While travelling through the city, Joel and Ellie see public highway tunnels, which in actuality don't exist in Salt Lake City. There is also greenery and plants sprawling over the entire landscape in the game, which is unrealistic given Salt Lake City's arid climate.
That's all for today's post, I hope you enjoyed reading it and maybe take a little time to take in The Last Of Us's incredible landscapes next time you play it.
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