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Play Overview
The Last Of Us (2013) is an action-adventure where You play a father, Joel, whose daughter was killed during the early stages of a deadly fungal outbreak. It’s now 20 years later, and he has clearly suffered from the loss. When Joel is given charge of a girl, Ellie, about the same age his daughter was, he is resolute that he won’t be the father figure she clearly needs. Equally, the girl is independent, angry and scared, and won’t admit her need for his care. As the game proceeds through its 18-or-so hours of shooting, exploration and city traversal, you see this dysfunction soften both ways as they slowly gain deep understanding, appreciation and care of each other.
Travelling, shooting and surviving as Joel with Ellie means their relationship builds haphazardly, between and during the action. Even without direct control, you step into the shoes of a father’s heartbreak and feel responsible for its resolution.
Our examiner, Jo Robertson, first checked The Last Of Us 5 years ago. It was re-examined by Thom Robertson and updated 5 months ago.
Travelling, shooting and surviving as Joel with Ellie means their relationship builds haphazardly, between and during the action. Even without direct control, you step into the shoes of a father’s heartbreak and feel responsible for its resolution.
Our examiner, Jo Robertson, first checked The Last Of Us 5 years ago. It was re-examined by Thom Robertson and updated 5 months ago.
Kids not old enough for this yet? There are lots of games similar to The Last Of Us. Here are some similar younger-rated games:
Play Style
Duration
Play Time: This game will take between 12 hours and 16 hours to complete. It’s possible to get through the game in 12 hours, but taking your time with the narrative and investigating every area will need upwards of 30 hours. The Left Behind additional content adds around 6 hours of further gameplay and substantially fleshes out Ellie's back story and a section in the game where she is looking after Joel.
Benefits
This game is good if you want to:
- Find your way more easily
- Play prestigious games
- Listen to the controller in your hands
- Learn photography in video games
- Make peace with your parents (or children)
- Play a game then read a book
This game has helped players develop their Behaviour and Experience as part of the following pathways:
This game has been the inspiration for the following activities:
Draw Hometown Apocalypse
CREATIVE ARTS
First Steps Painting Heroes
CREATIVE ARTS
Age Ratings
Content Rating
Users Interact: The game enables players to interact and communicate with each other, so may expose players to language usually associated with older rated games.
In addition to the official ratings, it's worth noting there is a scene that can be interpreted as attempted rape. It also includes a scene where a young person appears to kill himself with a gun.
This game includes some emotionally challenging aspects. These include: an animal dies or is harmed, there are creepie crawlies, there are medical scenes, there is depiction of bodily harm, there are themes of mental disorders, there is swearing, there are frightening scenes, there is the depiction of death or dying, people are abused, children are harmed, there are violent scenes and unstable and unsafe family home. More detailed information is available on DoesTheDogDie.com.
Skill Level
16+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Still, it's important for parents and guardians to consider the maturity required to process the game content. You need patience and emotional maturity to appreciate the themes and dialogue that develop.
Our Game Pathways reveal how 12 - 16 year-olds play this game:
- 12-year-old: Traversing Lonely Places
- 16-year-old: From Adventures To Thrillers
Account Rating
- You need PlayStation Plus to play online with PlayStation 3.
- You need be 18-years-old to subscribe to PlayStation Plus for online play, but can create sub-accounts for younger players of 7-years or older to play online with PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5.
Costs
The Last Of Us usually costs £15.99 to £69.99.
There are the following additional costs associated with this game:
The Last of Us is available in different versions:
The Last of Us Left Behind is a paid expansion for the first game, and adds an important part of the story. There are also packs and bundles, which include multiplayer maps as well as the harder "grounded" mode for the single-player game.
It's important to set up your accounts and devices appropriately. More information is on our Financial Resources page.
The Last Of Us
 | PC | £49.99 | – | – |
| PC | £49.99 | – | – |
 | PS4 | £15.99 | – | Free PS Plus Premium |
| PS5 | £69.99 | – | Free PS Plus Extra |
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You need a subscription to play online:
- You need to purchase a PlayStation Plus subscription to play online with PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5.
The Last of Us is available in different versions:
- The Last of Us is on PlayStation 3
- The Last of Us Remastered is on PlayStation 4
- The Last of Us Part I is on PlayStation 5 and PC.
The Last of Us Left Behind is a paid expansion for the first game, and adds an important part of the story. There are also packs and bundles, which include multiplayer maps as well as the harder "grounded" mode for the single-player game.
It's important to set up your accounts and devices appropriately. More information is on our Financial Resources page.
Game Details
Release Date: 14/06/2013, updated in 2023
Out Now: PC, PS3, PS4 and PS5
Skill Rating: 16+ year-olds
Players: 1 (8 online)
Genres: Adventure, Shooting (Action, Collecting, Fighting, Narrative, Role-Play, Stealth and Traversal)
Accessibility: 22 features
Components: 3D Third-Person and Weather
Developer: Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog)
The Last of Us Franchise
The Last Of Us is part of The Last of Us franchise of games:
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Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships. |
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