The Last of Us is an action-adventure survival horror video game developed by Naughty Dog. The player takes control of Joel, who is trekking across a post-apocalyptic United States in 2033, in order to escort the young Ellie to a resistance group, the Fireflies, who believe Ellie may be the key to curing the infection that has ravaged the world. Taking place twenty years after the fungal spore-based infection rapidly spread across the globe, wiping out a vast majority of the population by warping it’s host’s brains and turning them into deadly predators capable of killing with a single bite. The player defends the characters against zombie-like creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus, as well as hostile humans such as bandits and cannibals, employing the use of firearms and stealth aided by capabilities such as visual representation of sound in order to listen to the location of enemies. The player can also craft weapons or medical items by combining items scavenged from the world. The game features several locations across the United States, including Boston, Lincoln, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City, Utah. Its narrative was noted particularly for its characterisation, application of subtext, and critical depiction of the human condition, dealing with themes of sacrifice, loyalty, fate, and hope.
Joel is the primary playable character and the protagonist of the game. A brutal survivor with few moral lines left to cross, Joel, now in his late 40s, has been hardened by the ravages of the fungal pandemic that has devastated civilisation as we know it. He’s lost friends, family, and everything he valued in life. Living in one of few remaining military-controlled quarantine zones, he operates as a black market smuggler, dealing in contraband, taking numerous de-humanising jobs over the years to survive in this new post-pandemic world. Joel’s conscience slowly dwindles away as he shuts down his emotions to cope to his new life.
I’ve chosen to focus on the traits and characteristics of Joel as inspiration for development of my own character. The Last of Us is also another source of inspiration to further my ideas for a post-apocalyptic environment for my character to reside in.
