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Joel and Ellie are back! And this time they've got superpowers! No, not really. In fact, Left Behind, the extra downloadable chapter for The Last Of Us hardly features Joel at all. Nor does it carry on from the end of the original game. Both of these are good things since the game's ending was actually pretty good, though I would have liked to have been given the chance to make the big choice (you'll know what I'm talking about if you've played the game).
Instead, Left Behind focuses on Ellie and her friend Riley. The game jumps between present and past events, so you to play as Ellie as she is in the full game and also as she was before she met up with Joel. All the action takes place inside two different shopping malls. The game's locations look as great as they did in the original game, with the urban decay giving the game a weirdly haunting feel.
Not that you'll just be sightseeing, that is. The DLC features a range of foes to fight against, some human and some infected. Past Ellie has to mostly deal with the infected while present Ellie has to deal with both the infected and human hunters who are persuing her for reasons that will become clear when you play the original game. In fact, I'd recommend you play the full game first, since the DLC does give away a couple of big plot points.
Stealth is largely the order of the day, since bullets are scarce, though you can craft other weapons from items you find. The game's fast running infected can be fought off if they get close enough - though if you end up fighting more than one, you're up the creek without a paddle. The blind 'clickers' who operate by sound kill you with one hit, which does still strike me as being a bit odd. However, the infected will fight your human persuers and vice versa, something that's not seen to often in games, so you can use that to your advantage.
All of which could apply equally to The Last Of Us? So what's different about Left Behind? From a gameplay perspective, not much. But from a story perspective, a heck of a lot. Left Behind features some great characterisation and shows off the dynamic between Ellie and Riley, two girls who have never known anything other than the post-apocalyptic world where the game takes place. They demonstrate a sense of wonder at things that most people would take for granted - a fairground carousel, for example, just blows their minds. However, don't expect that to last - the DLC's title doesn't bode well for either of them.
So that's the good - what's bad about Left Behind? Not a great deal, except for the price. At £11.99 I feel it's a bit pricey, given that the game itself can be had for under twenty quid these days. If it were £7.99 I'd feel better about it. it's not all that replayable either. So if you are a huge Last Of Us fan, and already have the game, by all means check it out. But if you've not played the game yet, you might be better off waiting for the no doubt cheaper Game of the Year edition of the game that will come out, DLC included.
Score - 7 out of 10.
Pros:
It's entertaining.
The characterisation is great.
Cons:
At £11.99 for the DLC, it's a bit pricey.
Instead, Left Behind focuses on Ellie and her friend Riley. The game jumps between present and past events, so you to play as Ellie as she is in the full game and also as she was before she met up with Joel. All the action takes place inside two different shopping malls. The game's locations look as great as they did in the original game, with the urban decay giving the game a weirdly haunting feel.
Not that you'll just be sightseeing, that is. The DLC features a range of foes to fight against, some human and some infected. Past Ellie has to mostly deal with the infected while present Ellie has to deal with both the infected and human hunters who are persuing her for reasons that will become clear when you play the original game. In fact, I'd recommend you play the full game first, since the DLC does give away a couple of big plot points.
Stealth is largely the order of the day, since bullets are scarce, though you can craft other weapons from items you find. The game's fast running infected can be fought off if they get close enough - though if you end up fighting more than one, you're up the creek without a paddle. The blind 'clickers' who operate by sound kill you with one hit, which does still strike me as being a bit odd. However, the infected will fight your human persuers and vice versa, something that's not seen to often in games, so you can use that to your advantage.
All of which could apply equally to The Last Of Us? So what's different about Left Behind? From a gameplay perspective, not much. But from a story perspective, a heck of a lot. Left Behind features some great characterisation and shows off the dynamic between Ellie and Riley, two girls who have never known anything other than the post-apocalyptic world where the game takes place. They demonstrate a sense of wonder at things that most people would take for granted - a fairground carousel, for example, just blows their minds. However, don't expect that to last - the DLC's title doesn't bode well for either of them.
So that's the good - what's bad about Left Behind? Not a great deal, except for the price. At £11.99 I feel it's a bit pricey, given that the game itself can be had for under twenty quid these days. If it were £7.99 I'd feel better about it. it's not all that replayable either. So if you are a huge Last Of Us fan, and already have the game, by all means check it out. But if you've not played the game yet, you might be better off waiting for the no doubt cheaper Game of the Year edition of the game that will come out, DLC included.
Score - 7 out of 10.
Pros:
It's entertaining.
The characterisation is great.
Cons:
At £11.99 for the DLC, it's a bit pricey.
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Joel and Ellie are back! And this time they've got superpowers! No, not really. In fact, Left Behind, the extra downloadable chapter for The Last Of Us hardly features Joel at all. Nor does it carry on from the end of the original game. Both of these are good things since the game's ending was actually pretty good, though I would have liked to have been given the chance to make the big choice (you'll know what I'm talking about if you've played the game).
Instead, Left Behind focuses on Ellie and her friend Riley. The game jumps between present and past events, so you to play as Ellie as she is in the full game and also as she was before she met up with Joel. All the action takes place inside two different shopping malls. The game's locations look as great as they did in the original game, with the urban decay giving the game a weirdly haunting feel.
Not that you'll just be sightseeing, that is. The DLC features a range of foes to fight against, some human and some infected. Past Ellie has to mostly deal with the infected while present Ellie has to deal with both the infected and human hunters who are persuing her for reasons that will become clear when you play the original game. In fact, I'd recommend you play the full game first, since the DLC does give away a couple of big plot points.
Stealth is largely the order of the day, since bullets are scarce, though you can craft other weapons from items you find. The game's fast running infected can be fought off if they get close enough - though if you end up fighting more than one, you're up the creek without a paddle. The blind 'clickers' who operate by sound kill you with one hit, which does still strike me as being a bit odd. However, the infected will fight your human persuers and vice versa, something that's not seen to often in games, so you can use that to your advantage.
All of which could apply equally to The Last Of Us? So what's different about Left Behind? From a gameplay perspective, not much. But from a story perspective, a heck of a lot. Left Behind features some great characterisation and shows off the dynamic between Ellie and Riley, two girls who have never known anything other than the post-apocalyptic world where the game takes place. They demonstrate a sense of wonder at things that most people would take for granted - a fairground carousel, for example, just blows their minds. However, don't expect that to last - the DLC's title doesn't bode well for either of them.
So that's the good - what's bad about Left Behind? Not a great deal, except for the price. At £11.99 I feel it's a bit pricey, given that the game itself can be had for under twenty quid these days. If it were £7.99 I'd feel better about it. it's not all that replayable either. So if you are a huge Last Of Us fan, and already have the game, by all means check it out. But if you've not played the game yet, you might be better off waiting for the no doubt cheaper Game of the Year edition of the game that will come out, DLC included.
Score - 7 out of 10.
Pros:
It's entertaining.
The characterisation is great.
Cons:
At £11.99 for the DLC, it's a bit pricey.
Instead, Left Behind focuses on Ellie and her friend Riley. The game jumps between present and past events, so you to play as Ellie as she is in the full game and also as she was before she met up with Joel. All the action takes place inside two different shopping malls. The game's locations look as great as they did in the original game, with the urban decay giving the game a weirdly haunting feel.
Not that you'll just be sightseeing, that is. The DLC features a range of foes to fight against, some human and some infected. Past Ellie has to mostly deal with the infected while present Ellie has to deal with both the infected and human hunters who are persuing her for reasons that will become clear when you play the original game. In fact, I'd recommend you play the full game first, since the DLC does give away a couple of big plot points.
Stealth is largely the order of the day, since bullets are scarce, though you can craft other weapons from items you find. The game's fast running infected can be fought off if they get close enough - though if you end up fighting more than one, you're up the creek without a paddle. The blind 'clickers' who operate by sound kill you with one hit, which does still strike me as being a bit odd. However, the infected will fight your human persuers and vice versa, something that's not seen to often in games, so you can use that to your advantage.
All of which could apply equally to The Last Of Us? So what's different about Left Behind? From a gameplay perspective, not much. But from a story perspective, a heck of a lot. Left Behind features some great characterisation and shows off the dynamic between Ellie and Riley, two girls who have never known anything other than the post-apocalyptic world where the game takes place. They demonstrate a sense of wonder at things that most people would take for granted - a fairground carousel, for example, just blows their minds. However, don't expect that to last - the DLC's title doesn't bode well for either of them.
So that's the good - what's bad about Left Behind? Not a great deal, except for the price. At £11.99 I feel it's a bit pricey, given that the game itself can be had for under twenty quid these days. If it were £7.99 I'd feel better about it. it's not all that replayable either. So if you are a huge Last Of Us fan, and already have the game, by all means check it out. But if you've not played the game yet, you might be better off waiting for the no doubt cheaper Game of the Year edition of the game that will come out, DLC included.
Score - 7 out of 10.
Pros:
It's entertaining.
The characterisation is great.
Cons:
At £11.99 for the DLC, it's a bit pricey.