Winner: The Last of Us
Many video games tell a story. Some of those tell a great story. But only one of those can come away with the award for best narrative and emotion plays a heavy hand in winning that award. The story told in The Last of Us gripped our hearts and never let go. Telling the story of the world weary Joel who has experienced the fall of society and his interactions with the curious young Ellie who was born into this new and dangerous world, the dark and mature plot feels very little like any we’ve seen before.
The Last of Us avoids treading on too many cliches, giving gamers a variety of lighthearted moments mixed with heavy emotional impact. Numerous moments will have you tearing up as you explore the world in which they live and learn more about both Joel and Ellie’s motivations for every action that they take. The characters, the environments, and the situations all come alive and intertwine their way into our hearts throughout the course of the game with the ending only having us torn between a relief that the weight of the story is over and wanting more of a great thing.
This game did many things right, but when we look back The Last of Us, we’ll always remember Joel and Ellie. We’ll remember the people they met, the situations they encountered, and the tears that we shared with them. When we look back on the great stories that were told in 2013, we’ll never forget The Last of Us.
Runners Up:
- Grand Theft Auto V
- BioShock Infinite
- Beyond: Two Souls
Be sure to stick to PlayStation LifeStyle all of today for the last day in our Best of 2013 Awards week, and for more on our awards and the process behind them, go here. For all the awards given out so far, go here.
