#4. THE LAST OF US
Consider the simple logic of diminishing returns, and you’ll see that as our industry matures and progresses with time, it becomes increasingly harder for a game to come out and have a major and long-lasting impact, not only in terms of other games following in its footsteps, but also in terms of changing the way audiences look at games. Naughty Dog’s masterful The Last of Us is a game that did just that. It stands as one of the greatest storytelling accomplishments in the history of our medium, and relying solely on the sheer writing talent of the writers and actors involved in the game, it turns what is ordinarily looked at as an overused setting into a backdrop for a dramatic, intense, and enthralling story. Every second of the experience exists in service two Joel and Ellie, two characters who are written, portrayed, and developed so honestly and with so much complexity, they almost seem like real people. Even from a gameplay standpoint, though The Last of Us isn’t ground-breaking, it is constantly engaging and thrilling, striking the perfect balance between horror and action. It is a benchmark that developers throughout the industry have been aspiring to since the day it first came out, and will probably continue to emulate and imitate for many, many years to come.
