The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014)

[Played as part of The Last of Us Part I remake on PS5 - (main story review)]

Left Behind fills in some events that were skipped over in The Last of Us, connecting the dots from a sad part of Ellie's backstory to a tough situation she's put in late in the original game's story.

It's not really stuff that needed to be in the original story, and I'm glad they left it separate for the sake of that game's pacing. Still, seeing these events play out in real time with their full context definitely adds additional emotional weight to Ellie as a character and to her struggle in the original game. At first it felt awkward flipping back and forth between two stories, almost like it should have been two separate DLCs, but there's definitely a bit of a link between them that I felt toward the end.

Neither of these short-lived stories really feels as meaty and amazing as the main game, but both are pretty decent. Some of the lighthearted moments were fun, and they manage to ratchet up the tension pretty high at the end even if we already know how it turns out. I think the part that takes place in the middle of the original game's story is clearly the less valuable addition, while the prequel section is much more memorable.

From a gameplay perspective, there weren't too many memorable sections, but a couple of nonviolent gameplay twists in the prequel section end up being decently fun and contribute to the story well.

I do have to agree with a couple other reviews that this is not necessarily essential, but at the same time, there's no real reason to skip it if you love the main game. Despite covering events we already knew enough about, it does enough to avoid feeling like just more of what we've already seen, which is definitely a good thing.

review: 4/5 stars

Awesome game. smooth gameplay overall. my reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is simply because it is kind of short.

i love how easy they make it transition from gameplay to cinematics. also the story plotline is written so well. playing last of us also had that same feeling when i played it i really got into the story making me want more and interested in what will happen next.

left behind has the same gameplay but instead focusing on ellie and riley's background. great gameplay again combined with fluid story.

definitely interested in playing last of us 2. but not so much interested in revisiting the same storyline in a harder difficulty

An interesting enough story conceptually speaking, but in execution, it feels too shallow.

It is interesting that Ellie was canonically queer for this long but I never played this before. It is interesting to finally use enemy humans and zombies against each other.

So a good story thing and a good gameplay thing, the problem, not enough narrative or gameplay hooks for how long this is. It is not very long but it feels so dragged out that it feels kind of annoying before the end and then ends flatly when I feel like it should be more engaging.

Oh yes, the DLC that drove the internet into a fit. I loved seeing Ellie in a different environment outside of the road with Joel fighting off zombies. She as a character has always shined for me and there is no difference in this one. Her companion Riley was a great addition that made the end way more impactful and while it lacked the main games drive for a goal, the DLC made up for it with great character moments. I love the urgency of the game, it is short and to the point. A great companion piece to the main game and one to prepare for the much-awaited sequel. Hope she has learned how to swim by now.

The Last of Us is one of the best games I've ever played and this DLC was kind of a let down. There were a few moments that were really emotional, but the whole thing felt kind of rushed. The combat scenes did not have the same variety of choice that the main game allows and that was really my only gripe with Left Behind.

Played on PS4 PRO

The Last of Us is one of my all time favorite games; however, it has taken me a long time to finally commit to playing Left Behind, part of this is because I thought it would be another longer game, like The Last of Us.

Left Behind is a condensed, short story, following Ellie, both during some off screen time in The Last of Us, and in her past before the game. The action takes place almost only in the parts linking directly back into The Last of Us. The rest of the game focuses on a day with Ellie and a close friend who just joined the Fireflies.

I love Ellie being the focus, as she was my favorite character from the main game, and I really enjoyed segments where you played as her.

This game delivers some deep emotional content, that literally had me tearing up.

The game itself is a perfect length, taking about 3.5-4 hours to beat, delivering a short and sweet story, that fleshes out Ellie as a character a bit more.

I do think jumping between The Last of Us timeline, and the pre-story created at times a jolted narrative experience, however, overall this game was a lot of fun and should be played by fans of the series.

This game builds on top of the excellent The Last of Us and delivers a short and powerful experience.

In terms of story, you know already what happened. It tells two tales in parallel. One, more action oriented and with the classic TLoU feeling. The other more playful, exploring the characters and introducing novelty into the formula. The experience would definitely be weaker with both on their own. Together they deliver a nice pacing balance: there are the stressful enconters with the infected and humans interwined with the peaceful moments and camaraderie from the other tale. There is a small twist at the end, but serves as a climax nevertheless.

The technical part is impeccable. I played on a PS3, but felt like next gen. Animations, lighting, steady frame rate. Top notch.

The experience was satisfying, albeit short. This game and its main part, in my view, are what games have best in terms of mixing storytelling and gameplay. Solid 5/5.

I really love the small, stand-alone expansions big studios have been making. It gives them a chance to stretch their creative muscles by working with already established technology, and oftentimes they end up being better games than their larger and longer cousins.

This is a prime example. The design and mechanics are stripped down to their essentials from the main game, and it makes for a much tighter (and in my opinion, more satisfying) experience. The writing is great, and while the story it tells isn't able to be the hours-long epic of The Last of Us, it's equally effective (though less contemplative).

If you've already played the Last of Us, absolutely play Left Behind. It's a perfect distillation of what made The Last of Us great.