By Joshua Smith

Tracking through flooded, fungus- ridden buildings, dark and treacherous sewer lines, and dense, complex city elements, gamers experience no shortage of excitement and horror in 2014’s game of the year, “The Last of Us Remastered.”

“The Last of Us Remastered” is a refurbished edition of Sony Entertainment’s previous release, “The Last of Us,” originally for PlayStation 3, developed by Naughty Dog Studios.

Gamers follow the two main characters: Joel, a brawny, battle-hardened, middle- aged man, and his infinitely wise, adolescent sidekick, Ellie.

Joel and Ellie trek through a post- apocalyptic United States after a pandemic outbreak of the Cordyceps Brain Infection.

The Cordyceps Brain Infection is a fungal-based infection that results in the host becoming highly aggressive and attacking any uninfected human on sight. Of course, in true zombie folklore fashion, anyone who is bitten will contract the infection.

The main objective of our two characters is to find the elusive, anti- government group, The Fireflies.

Throughout their quest to find The Fireflies, Joel and Ellie encounter endless perils in which they must solve puzzles, silently evade infected zombies, and fight

gainst some of most horrifying creatures imaginable.

“The Last of Us Remastered” rings true with the survival aspect of the game. Since firearms are hard to come by, and ammunition even more so, gamers can be easily over powered, and the environment proves to be anything but tame.

Interesting concepts of the game include custom weapon crafting, character ability enhancements, and movie-like story development.

“The Last of Us Remastered” also enthralls its players with a beautifully developed and highly detailed game environment. From the cracks in the pavement, to stains on the buildings, and every single leaf depicted on each tree, the game’s graphics could easily be mistaken for reality.

The controls in this game are an absolute joy to play and seem to be almost innate for the hands to perform.

Whether it’s the incredible storyline, the suspenseful gameplay, or the beautifully developed environment, “The Last of Us Remastered” is one of the best games I’ve played to date, and it continues to amaze players since its release.

Without a doubt, “The Last of Us Remastered” is a staple for zombie lovers and connoisseurs of epic games alike. This game is one for the collection and should

not be passed up.