HomeArts & LifestyleThe Last of Us Signature Series strategy guide review

The Last of Us Signature Series strategy guide review

The Last of Us has been the most eagerly-anticipated game of 2013 and since its release has conquered the all-gaming formats chart. The post-apocalyptic adventure puts you in the shoes of Joel, a survivor after a mysterious outbreak that has turned most of the population into zombie-like creatures known as the infected. Tasked with the responsibility of escorting Ellie, a young girl, across the US, Joel is faced with a variety of enemies as he tries to keep her safe.

BradyGames has released a tie-in guide as part of its Signature Series to provide gamers with all the information they need to successfully work through the game. Whether itā€™s hints or tips you need, or full walk-throughs the guide caters for both. The hefty release is packed with information, screenshots and detailed maps to help you navigate through the environments.

The guide opens with lots of useful information to help you navigate around the screen, understand how to access all the options available to you and show you all the things your character Joel can do (e.g. running, climbing, swimming etc). It provides a detailed diagram of the PS3 controller denoting which buttons do what.Ā  Once youā€™ve got up-to-speed with all of those things the guide explains what you can expect to find in the various game environments and explains how to increase your chances of survival by crafting more vicious weapons.

Before you even get to the walkthrough the guide takes you through the different types of combat youā€™ll encounter over the course of the game. This gives you a real sense of how important it is to not only choose your battles carefully but to choose the right attack for the right occasion. Thereā€™s a lot of information on Stealth and its importance before the guide takes you through all of the weapons available to you. The level of detail is impressive and it really helps you to understand what guns you should make sure you have before getting into the more difficult combat scenarios in the game.

The Last of Us

Perhaps the most important, and enlightening, part of the guide is the chapter on enemies. There are plenty of them littered throughout the game and itā€™s important to understand how not to get killed by them. As well as the Infected there are soldiers, hunters and Fireflies. More horrific though are the various types of infected and weā€™re sure the Clicker will give you nightmares for a long time post-game.

The main bulk of the guide is split into 12 chapters taking you through every aspect of the game. Throughout each chapter there are screenshots from the game and lots of useful information surrounds the walkthrough information. This ranges from telling you where collectibles are to introducing characters and explaining who they are. There are detailed maps of the environments with a Start and Finish point denoted on each one. This helps you to make sense of where you need to go and can help you plan an approach. Also at the start of most chapters is a key showing what collectibles and tools are available so you know what to look for. This will be especially appealing to those gamers who like to leave no stone unturned when they play something as meaty as The Last of Us.

Towards the end of the guide there is a chapter on Collectibles ā€“ Firefly Pendants, Artifacts, Training Manuals and Comics. This part of the guide highlights where all of these can be found accompanied with screenshots. Thereā€™s even a guide to the various conversations you can choose to have throughout the game and a guide to Ellieā€™s jokes.

The final section of the guide focuses on the online multi-player part of The Last of Us and the trophies that you can collect throughout the game. Known as Factions, the online aspect of The Last of Us is an additional hook to keep you gaming once youā€™ve completed the game. This guide goes through it in impressive detail making sure youā€™ve got your best chance of surviving.

The Last of Us Signature Series Guide is an incredibly detailed and information rich release from BradyGames. Itā€™s a must-have companion for anyone who wants to fully explore the expansive and intriguing world of The Last of Us. Some gamers may be content to amble through and complete the game, but true gamers like to know everything there is to know about a game. The tricks, hints and tips this guide gives are invaluable and will help you enjoy the game to the max.

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of PiƱata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

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