The Last of Us: Post-Pandemic Edition

The game starts in a contemporary, but post-apocalyptic version of Boston twenty years after the outbreak of the Cordyceps Brain Infection (CBI), an infection spread by a mushroom that turns anyone infected into zombie-like creatures in two days.

The opening sequence is set during the outbreak and it has Joel escape the invaded city with the help of his brother Tommy.

Twenty years later, civilization is almost entirely destroyed.

Independent groups of survivors have organized themselves into military outfits that quarantine zones, hold curfew, and distribute rations.

Others are part of the resistance group the Fireflies, while Joel is a member of an independent group.

Together with his friend Tess, he survives by smuggling goods in and out of the city.

During a mission, they get into contact with a Fireflies member who offers stolen weapons back if they escort the 14-year-old girl Ellie out of the city.

After some events and revelations about Ellie's importance, Joel and Ellie end up together and their journey is documented in the course of a year and a few months, spread over five seasons.

The player controls Joel from a third-person perspective.

Ellie can also be controlled by herself for some extensive parts in the later chapters.

Similar to the developer's previous Uncharted games, gameplay combines action elements, exploration, and puzzle-solving.

Joel is however not as strong or acrobatic and he often needs to use ladders, planks, and other items to climb and get around.

Similarly, the survival horror theme with limited ammo and health makes him very vulnerable to attacks and a stealth approach is often more effective.

Enemies include various five types of infected (Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, Bloaters, and Spore Cadavers) each with their own characteristics, but also humans from the military groups and other survivors.

There is a selection of close and lo