Let’s Go To The Mall. Today!
Ever since Naughty Dog announced a single player add-on to their über successful game The Last of Us, fans have been uneasy. Messing with any part of the already stellar story seemed like a bad move, but I’ve got news for you. It was a dang good choice. You can come out of your end of the world bunkers and greet the new world. The Last of Us: Left Behind is a great addition.
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
We’ve all been teenagers at one point, but not many of us have been one when the world is overrun with infected plant-like zombies. Ellie, on the other hand, has to live her teenage years deprived of normal teenage antics and instead lives life by practicing skills needed to survive. This may seem sad but boy does it make for a great game.
The campaign takes place at two different points in Ellie’s journey of survival. For those who have beaten The Last of Us, Left Behind starts right after Joel is injured and fills players in on how Ellie got the medical supplies she needed to help him. For those who haven’t played The Last of Us, this DLC is also a prequel story of Ellie and her best friend Riley as they go on one big epic teenage adventure. Players will flash back and forth between these two times, but the majority of the story is focused on Ellie and Riley.
If you’re not a big fan of malls, plan on Left Behind giving you more than your fix for a long time. Both sections of the game are set in a mall and allow the player to do some exploration, but it’s pretty much a straight path to each new objective. Players will be able to search around and find some crafting materials and medicine along the way, but don’t expect anything like the main campaign. In my own playthrough I was only able to make one Molotov grenade and that was with constant searching.
Would You Like Your Last of Us Without Gameplay?
Gameplay in Left Behind is probably the DLC’s biggest weak point. If you are buying this DLC to enjoy more of the amazing shoot and craft gameplay, then you have taken a wrong turn. Left Behind is a story driven experience with minimal gameplay to back it up. Players will be tasked with going through the basic puzzles to unlock certain doors and actual combat is few and far between. Most combat situations come down to sneaking up on an infected or human and taking them out with your trusty knife.
Even though Left Behind lacks a strong gameplay component, a majority of the time you will be so absorbed in the world it’s hard to fault the game. Walking around a mall has never been so enjoyable. Completely vacant and completely run down, each new area tells the tale of the people who came before you; probably looking for similar things and then proceeded to take everything. This may lead to little in the way of crafting but enjoying the world of Left Behind can be just as rewarding as killing infected.
What really makes Left Behinda real winner though is getting to know more about Ellie and her friend Riley. Dancing, going to the mall, and taking funny pictures can be something any normal teenage girl would do, but for Ellie and Riley, these are almost foreign experiences. Living in the world overrun with infected, these pleasures don’t come often. To see them laughing, sharing emotions and, well… just being normal teens (aka throwing rocks at cars) in this messed up world can bring even the most emotionless person to smile.
Conclusion
Depending on how you go into The Last of Us DLC Left Behind will ultimately decide how good you think it is. If you go in expecting a combat-heavy add-on with tons of things to find and amazing battles to be had, you will probably will be disappointed. Now if you go in knowing that it’s a story-driven experience meant to add more depth to The Last of Us, you are going to be in for a treat. If you enjoyed the story of The Last of Us, Left Behind is an add-on that shouldn’t be missed. Unless you have a fear of malls….then probably best not to play.
The Last of Us: Left Behind can be purchased on the Playstation Store for $14.99.
