The Last Of Us is currently one of the hottest franchises with the release of the television series in early 2023, but it all started with the successful PlayStation game of the same name released back in 2013. The Last Of Us shocked and gripped the masses with its expert storytelling and immersion, which resulted in rave reviews and awards.

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The original game even got a remaster to make the most of the advancements in technology to give the stellar product a polish, and the sequel, The Last Of Us Part II, even followed in its predecessor's footsteps with awards of its own. There's a lot to unpack about why the original The Last Of Us deserved and still deserves to be recognized as a game of the year winner.

10 The Last Of Us Overwhelmed The Competition With An Impactful Debut

Ellie Williams and Joel Miller hiding from an enemy in The Last of Us game

The 17th Annual D.I.C.E Awards in 2014 were as good an example as any, to see how The Last Of Us blew away the competition. Grand Theft Auto V, Bioshock Infinite, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and A Link Between Worlds were all great games in their own rights, but the impact that The Last Of Us had on the gaming community was astronomical in comparison.

This also spread to many other departments, and while these areas deserve their own focus and credit in the overall success of The Last Of Us, there were just so many components that led The Last Of Us to be valued much higher than the other nominees. Naughty Dog truly landed a masterpiece with this game.

9 Joel & Ellie Brought Layers Of Complexity & A Unique Dynamic

The Last of Us Part I Remake Joel and Ellie

With the 2023 The Last Of Us series, fans can once again fall in love with the characters, namely Joel and Ellie, but it will always be tough to get the original dynamic just right in an adaptation. The setting and situation of The Last Of Us set the scene for its captivating story, but the characters really drove it home.

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Getting to explore the tragedy of Joel's loss and his reasons for caution and cynicism, as well as learning about Ellie's burden, were just two aspects that got fans and players immediately invested. Many other games have introduced layered and interesting characters, but very few have since recreated the dynamic that Joel and Ellie managed to forge through adversity.

8 The Last Of Us Quickly Became A New Standard-Bearer For Storytelling

Joel holding Sarah in his arms in The Last of Us.

The Last Of Us quickly became a revolutionary video game, as it rewrote what a survival horror thriller could be. Sure, it still kept jump scares and spooky moments that required stealth and silence to get through, but it brought heart, emotion and a gripping story that was a serious catalyst in the game and franchise's overall success.

The Last Of Us did what The Walking Dead television series also managed to perfect by taking a post-apocalyptic world and putting a serious focus on human versus human conflict rather than always honing in on the zombie or mutant outbreaks. Building up a compelling story within such a backdrop helps to give it more feeling and gravitas.

7 The Last Of Us Built Incredible Tension In Accentuating Its Horror Aspects

Joel shoots at a Clicker in The Last Of Us

While The Last Of Us changed aspects of what it means to be a traditional horror experience, it did still have plenty of terrifying moments and core concepts. No matter what players and fans have taken away from the game and the subsequent franchise to emerge from it, it still remains rooted in the horror genre.

The Cordyceps strain introduced a new take on the usual zombie virus, and with it bred terrifying monsters, with the Clickers being the most memorable. There was more to this game than its horror tropes and jump scares, but they most certainly were not left behind in the process.

6 The Last Of Us Took Risks In Trying To Bend & Blend Genres

Joel strangles a Stalker in The Last of Us

Nowadays, video games have to bend the rules or simply deliver them on an outstanding scale in order to stand out above the rest. The Last Of Us saw a blend of various genres, in turn making it an extremely accessible game for players with varying needs or expectations needing to be met.

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The Last Of Us had an incredible story, but it was the game's ability to showcase this through blending tragedy and emotion with terrifying horror, that intrigued and enticed the masses. This saw The Last Of Us become one of the most genre-defining games of all time.

5 Troy Baker & Ashley Johnson Took The Characters To Heights Nobody Could Have Predicted

Joel and Ellie talking in The Last Of Us

Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson have rightfully received their plaudits for their performances as Joel and Ellie respectively, in both the original game and the sequel. The delivery of the two main protagonists could not have hit with such an impact, without the effort and mastery of the two actors bringing these characters to life.

Both Baker and Johnson won awards as recognition of their achievements as Joel and Ellie. These performances took much more than just voice acting, and the subsequent results speak for themselves. The games were not the end of Baker and Johnson's involvement in the series, however, as they have even appeared in smaller roles in the television series adaptation.

4 The Last Of Us Was A Visual Spectacle & Its Remaster Took Things Even Further

Ellie and Joel sneak alongside a vehicle while a guard is on lookout in The Last Of Us

The Last Of Us was a visually-stunning game upon its release, especially by PS3 standards. While these initial graphics would not hold up now in comparison, it quickly received a PS4 remaster the following year, with a further remake in 2022 for the PS5. Each new version capitalized on the perfect game and simply updated it according to the current climate.

The Last Of Us is remembered for its tragic moments and compelling characters, but these memories would have been tarnished with poor visuals. Everything from the art design and direction to the visual engineering has received significant recognition, either through nominations or awards.

3 The Stellar Soundtrack & Sound Design Topped Off The Total Package

Tess' sacrifice in The Last Of Us

There are so many moving parts and components in making a product worthy of being game of the year, that the final product is significantly worse if any of them disappoints even slightly. The Last Of Us rightfully gets its recognition for storytelling, stunning visuals and gameplay, but sound design and soundtrack helped to define this record-breaking game.

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The accompanying music perfectly encapsulated the intended feeling of a scene, whether it was sorrow and tragedy, frantic action or creepy suspense. Sound design meant that the Infected could echo eerily through dark and silent hallways, or land that extra impact from a jump scare.

2 The Last Of Us Delivered A Cinematic Experience & Masterclass

Joel in the The Last of Us Part I Remake

For a long time now, video games have been chasing after the perfect gaming experience to give to their fans and players. Gameplay is certainly valued within the industry, but a cinematic experience with intense cutscenes is always helpful in establishing a game's story.

Some games have put all of their effort into delivering this experience at the expense of substance and gameplay, but The Last Of Us delivered a cinematic masterpiece. Players could forget everything about the real world as these cutscenes held their attention before throwing them into the action with immersive gameplay.

1 Naughty Dog Being At The Helm Certainly Helped Its Chances Of Success

Joel carries Ellie out of the hospital in The Last Of Us.

The Last Of Us is still remembered as one of the best games of all time, but fans don't always remember that Naughty Dog released some other heavy hitters before this masterpiece. In fact, Naughty Dog had released three of the Uncharted games by the time the first The Last Of Us came out.

Naughty Dog had already shown signs of their storytelling and creative genius in the Uncharted series, as well as their wackier and more fun side in the Crash Bandicoot games. Having Naughty Dog at the helm of this project is undoubtedly one of many reasons why it's reached such lofty heights.

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