Third-person action-adventure set twenty years after a fungal outbreak that turns humans into hostile infected. You play as Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a 14-year-old girl named Ellie across a ruined America while evading both the infected and other survivors. Gameplay alternates between stealth sequences, resource-scarce combat, and environmental puzzle-solving as you navigate abandoned cities and overgrown wilderness. Encounters force tough calls—bullets are limited, so you'll often craft improvised weapons or avoid fights entirely. The campaign focuses heavily on the relationship between Joel and Ellie as they cross hostile territory. A separate competitive multiplayer mode, Factions, pits teams of survivors against each other in objective-based matches. Downloadable story content expands on certain events. Best for players who don't mind slower pacing between intense moments.
