Episode #61: The Last of Us Pt. I

In part one of this episode, Josh and Ian have a detailed discussion about the overall narrative and gameplay of the PlayStation exclusive video game, The Last of Us, developed by Naughty Dog. They begin by giving a brief synopsis of the game's plot, then move into the narrative story beats that the two found had the most impact. They talk about parenthood and the loss of a child, the fragility of society, how every generation has their own crisis of meaning, living through a global pandemic, forming relationships after the 'end of the world', writing in video games, the effects of having to survive in a post-apocalypse on the human psyche, Ellie's burden of immunity, missed opportunities and saying goodbye, successful immersion within games, whether or not we can truly trust someone, the willingness to be courageous, the problem of hope in a world of despair, reliance on family, the lengths people are willing to go for the sake of survival and human relationships, the balance between childlike innocence and the development of a survival instinct, debates around the ending of the game, survivors guilt and the morality of Joel's decision to save Ellie.

There is no segment of Read/Watch/Play this week.

Follow them on Twitter at:
Josh @Simpsonj423
Ian @modernoverman
and the podcast @necessarybspod
Website: https://www.necessarybspod.com/

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Recorded 8 & 22 September 2020