Chapter 763: No Spoilers Allowed
The standard completion time for "The Last of Us" is roughly around 10 hours. If players choose the easy mode and aren't interested in collecting various items, this time can be further shortened.
Zhao Lei spent a full two days in the experience store before finally finishing the entire storyline of "The Last of Us."
But for him, this two-day journey felt like a very long stretch of time.
The game's story spans an entire year, starting from the east coast of the United States and ending at Salt Lake City, cutting across most of the country.
The scenes include urban areas, wilderness, schools, snowy landscapes...
Different seasons, different settings, different enemies, with plot twists and turns—a surprising beginning, various unexpected developments, and an ending that could be called a masterpiece.
Reflecting on this journey, Zhao Lei realized that every part of the story had its meaning, with nothing being superfluous.
Finally, when Joel carried the unconscious Ellie out of the Firefly headquarters, Zhao Lei felt as if he had returned to the very beginning. Back then, Joel was running through a town just hit by the zombie virus outbreak, holding his daughter Sarah.
Different scenes, yet eerily familiar.
This gave Zhao Lei a sense of being in a different world, as if he had truly stepped into Joel and Ellie's shoes, experiencing their lives and adventures in the desperate apocalypse.
Zhao Lei climbed out of the game pod. He couldn't find many words to describe "The Last of Us" and could only sincerely exclaim, "A masterpiece!"
...
"Store manager, are you planning to give me 'The Last of Us'?" Zhao Lei asked.
Chen Mo looked at him. "Do you like the game? I think it's a good game, but giving it to you might carry a bad omen."
Zhao Lei smiled. "You mean it's a game about losing a daughter? It's fine, I have a son. Besides, experiencing life and death in a game makes me cherish the good life I have now even more."
Chen Mo nodded. "Alright. Actually, I was planning to give you another game, but since you like 'The Last of Us,' I'll give you this one. I hope you can be a good father like Joel. Life is never easy, but family bonds will support us toward a brighter future."
Zhao Lei smiled and nodded. "Thanks, store manager. I really love this story. I'll save up to buy a game pod and let my wife experience it too."
Chen Mo chuckled. "Then you'd better work hard. Game pods aren't cheap."
...
...
In the experience store, almost every player playing "The Last of Us" was moved by its story.
This is a feeling that other art forms, like movies or books, find hard to create. Only games can achieve it.
Because in games, players can truly interact with the characters, creating a stronger sense of immersion.
Many people sighed, saying that games truly deserve to be called the "ninth art." The story, scenery, and music of "The Last of Us" are all works of art.
Like Zhao Lei, many players set the game aside after completing one playthrough, but many others chose to start a second playthrough on a higher difficulty.
For Zhao Lei, the story of the first playthrough was over. His soul had been cleansed, like just watching an intense movie—he needed to relax and rest.
Because the entire storyline of "The Last of Us" is a process of constantly tightening and elevating the player's emotions. The tense battles and brutal stories in the apocalypse continuously stimulate the player's feelings, building up on the same tone, rising higher and higher, until the ending delivers a climax after reaching the peak of tension.
After experiencing the whole process, wanting to stop and catch your breath is a very normal reaction.
As for those players starting a second playthrough, some wanted to challenge higher difficulties, while others wanted to revisit the story from the beginning and find more details.
Although such linear games are often called "one-playthrough masterpieces," "The Last of Us" is still worth playing a second time because, when reviewing the story from the start, players gain a new perspective.
During the first playthrough, players are often eager to advance the plot, so they overlook many details in the game environment. "The Last of Us" deliberately doesn't explain too much of the game's background; all of it is hidden in the details of the environment—perhaps a wanted poster, a few notes, letters, or a conversation...
When many players experience the second playthrough, these clues gradually surface, making the story more complete and clear.
This implies a potential choice: different players can have different ways of playing. You can collect every detail, learn the game's background in advance, or rush through to the end.
It's not like some games that only offer two options: "skip cutscene" and "don't skip cutscene."
The deeper players delve, the more they feel the complexity of the story.
Every supporting character feels real and vivid. In this desperate apocalypse, they are either cruel, cunning, or still have a conscience. There is no absolute right or wrong; everyone acts based on their own code of conduct.
...
The trial play of "The Last of Us" had begun, but this time, no streamers chose to broadcast the game's story online.
Because Chen Mo had once again imposed a ban: no streaming of "The Last of Us" during the trial period.
Unlike "Uncharted," "The Last of Us" is a game that cannot be spoiled. Only by actually playing it can one experience its awe-inspiring nature.
After trying the game in the experience store, players also understood Chen Mo's intention, so none of them spoiled the story of "The Last of Us" online.
This created a very strange situation: the game had already started its trial play, but there was still very little information about "The Last of Us" on the internet.
Apart from a vague promotional video, there were no other game materials from the official side.
No streamers broadcasting, no recordings, no spoilers.
Only a few players who had tried the game posted online, saying it was a masterpiece, but they didn't elaborate on what made it so "masterful."
This left many players confused: Is this game good or not?
Are those calling it a masterpiece just blind fans or paid shills hired by the official?
They had thought that after the trial play started, they would see the game's content, but that wasn't the case. "The Last of Us" still wore a mysterious veil, with no intention of lifting it.
Many players were puzzled: Didn't Chen Mo care about sales?
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