![]() ![]() The Last of Us is largely predicated not only on fighting, but on exploring. The thing is, while combat in Left Behind is totally enjoyable, I couldn’t help but wonder if it needed to be there at all. It’s too bad we didn’t get even a taste of this in The Last of Us itself, because it’s a lot of fun to play around with. ![]() In Left Behind, you’ll often find yourself in a battle with both sides at the same time, and you realize that you can push the two sides to focus on each other rather than you by throwing a bottle or shooting a stray bullet. In The Last of Us, you’ll regularly fight human survivors and the Infected, but you’ll never fight them simultaneously. Further differentiating this experience, Naughty Dog has taken an extra step to change things up by bringing a whole new dynamic to combat scenario design in Left Behind. It makes Left Behind feel tangibly different than The Last of Us itself. She can craft items and wield firearms and bows, but she doesn’t have that raw combat experience that Joel earned through two decades of merely staying alive, and we can see and feel that right away. But she can also become quickly overwhelmed. She can rapidly stab her foes, and she – like Joel – can stalk and kill unsuspecting targets without a peep being made. Whereas Joel could take human survivors and the Infected with fists and melee weapons, Ellie needs to keep her distance. These stark differences play out as soon as you find yourself in combat. She wields her trusty switchblade with exceptional skill, and she knows how to shoot, too, but playing as Ellie is night-and-day when compared to her future partner. She can handle herself, but she’s no Joel. The Boston-based quarantine zone she’s holed-up in has its share of danger, sure, but the remnants of the federal government keeps her clothed, fed, and taken care of. ![]() What’s novel about playing as Ellie in Left Behind, however, is that she hasn’t yet been informed by and hardened by her experiences with Joel. Playing as Ellie isn’t necessarily novel in and of itself, as anyone who played The Last of Us can attest to. The adventure is strengthened even more by expert performances from voice and mo-cap actresses Ashley Johnson and Yaani King. Still, trekking through the mall as Ellie – with Riley in tow – is a nice change of pace from the more danger-filled haunts that she later finds herself in with Joel. After all, everything they know about the pre-Infected world comes by way of stories from older folks and their own observations of the decaying world around them. There’s an important touchstone to the past here, even if neither Ellie nor Riley necessarily knows that. A majority of Left Behind takes place in a mall, which I loved simply because two girls going to the mall is something that happens with regularity in the real, pre-apocalyptic world. And there are a ton of other surprises, to boot. We get a true taste for Ellie’s connection with Riley, and how that helps form who she’s become by the time she meets Joel. It’s a thoughtful and meaningful prologue to the events of the original game, fleshing-out Ellie’s origins through the lens of her friendship with a girl named Riley (who’s first introduced in the companion comics, American Dreams). Fact is though, she can truly do some real damage and hold her own in a pinch which impresses me no end.The real beauty of Left Behind is that it isn’t derivative of The Last of Us’ campaign, nor is it an afterthought or a cash-in (though, at $14.99, it’s a tad bit expensive). which is perfect for playing as a young girl. climbing and getting around the environment seems more of a focus with Ellie and the fighting also has me feeling more vulnerable. I liked the change in the way the game plays with the different character. The action parts and traversing the environment was fairly rewarding. there were times that I just didn't even think of them as characters, the animation and lighting etc was so realistic I felt like I was looking at real people. It's so magical, it reminds me of a lot of precious moments from my own life and the delivery is incredible. It was so well staged that I fell in love with Riley and after finishing it I have found myself in tears a lot recalling the precious moments they spent together. ![]() the story of the two young girls rekindling their friendship was so deep and it totally drew me in. then I saw this through to the end and I have to say this effected me far more than the entire game of 'last of us'. I have seen many DLC that are so low quality and add very little substance to the original. This DLC was not something I looked forward to. ![]()
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