The Playstation 3, for me, is a glorified Bluray player. I own exactly one game for it, which is Heavy Rain. That came out 3 and a half years ago. Every few years, when the stars align, the PS3 will get some amazing must own exclusive like Heavy Rain. The latest such must own exclusive is The Last of Us, which I’ve been enjoying the fuck out of for the past few days.
It’s incredibly engrossing, the story is gripping, and you actually give a shit about the characters. The little girl, Ellie, adds a wonderful sense of humanity to a post-apocalyptic world that has long since forgotten the word. Gameplay wise, it’s very reminiscent of the third-person zombie experience that Resident Evil provides, but there are also humanoid enemies to deal with at times.
Characters will get introduced and then brutally removed in scenarios that really make you go, “Oh fuck.” It’s just a really fun ride and a great example of what videogames can accomplish as a medium with enough ambition.
Nerd note: The infection in this game is of a fungal sort, namely the Cordyceps fungus. This is actually a real fungus that does actually infect various species. Planet Earth has a segment on it. The fungus only infects insects, but its effects are astonishing. It will actually take over an insect’s mind, and eventually will burst from the insect’s head or body, upon which it will release spores to infect more insects.
Existentialists R Us 