The Last of Us is an adventurous survival action game developed exclusively for PlayStation 3 by Naughty Dog. The game's plot revolves around humanity being afflicted by a plague of the 21st century – the so-called Cordyceps fungus, which was widely used in cosmetology around the world. For unknown reasons, the fungus began to mutate, and humanity found itself on the brink of extinction.
Millions, if not billions, of people have died, having been infected by the aggressive fungus, while others have transformed into terrifying monsters. Only a handful of people have managed to survive, but their lives are fraught with constant danger, hunger, and many other "shortcomings" of a destroyed civilization. Cities have been destroyed, and nature has reclaimed the empty territories, flourishing on their ruins. Instead of uniting, the survivors of the global catastrophe fight among themselves for food and other essential resources. It is in such bleak conditions that the heroes of The Last of Us must exist – a man with a murky past named Joel and a teenage girl, Ellie.
Joel is in his forties, and he vividly remembers the world before the catastrophe, as The Last of Us is set twenty years after the outbreak. Joel cannot be described as a purely positive character; in his youth, he was involved in drugs and arms dealing, and the tragedy that occurred did not significantly affect his worldview or character. Nevertheless, he needs to adapt to the situation and step away from the lone wolf lifestyle. In Boston, he meets Ellie, who simply cannot survive without support. Reluctantly, Joel finds himself having to look after her, although Ellie is a very independent teenager and will often assist Joel in difficult situations. Ellie knows nothing of the outside world; she was born during the peak of the outbreak. As they progress through The Last of Us, Ellie becomes almost like a daughter to Joel, and he will do everything to protect and safeguard her.
Together, they must explore various corners of the former United States of America, hoping to find a better life – free from bandits, violence, and monsters. Unfortunately, it is not that simple, and the heroes of The Last of Us literally have to fight for their existence. There are very few bullets and regular weapons in The Last of Us, so anything that comes to hand is used. Makeshift melee weapons are the key to Joel and Ellie's survival. Long shootouts and mass brawls cannot be expected in The Last of Us, but the tense atmosphere of horror and hopelessness more than compensates for this "shortcoming."