When it came to my pick for Game of the Year 2013, it wasn’t really a contest. The other nominees were exemplary in their own right, but the fact of the matter is The Last of Us may very well be a once-in-a-generation sort of experience, one that expertly melds together plot, gameplay, and characters into something so riveting and fun to play that it’s hard to put down. The Last of Us is a true accomplishment, one that’s emotional, well-acted, and fun to play. It somehow set the bar even higher than the Uncharted series already did, giving Naughty Dog yet another game it has to strive to beat in the future. And that’s nothing but good news for gamers.

-Colin Moriarty

I plowed through The Last of Us the weekend before it was released, and as I killed clickers and navigated Joel and Ellie through a living nightmare, the emotional toll of what I was doing never really caught up to me. Until, “that one scene.” If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s not a spoiler. You have no idea what that means, but when I hit that point -- the point when you can just put the controller down and take a breath, I did, and walked my dog in real life. On the sunny streets of San Francisco, I started going through Joel and Ellie’s journey piece by piece. Marveling at what they had seen and what I had done. With my real life laid out in front of me, my eyes welled up with tears about the game I had just taken a break from. Few experiences in life have touched me the way The Last of Us did. That’s why it’s Game of the Year.

-Greg Miller

While it's the emotional arc and human relationships that make The Last of Us exceptional, it also has a tremendously engaging game design. Whether you're stealthily sneaking from room to room, trying desperately to avoid being heard by cordyceps, or frantically shooting at the human bandits trying to flank you and Ellie, each encounter in The Last of Us is a tense and terrifying affair. There's enough time or space or tools to do the things you need to do, so you constantly feel like you're scrounging to make the most of every second, even inch, and every bullet that you're given.

-Steve Butts

After playing the first third or so of The Last of Us, it didn’t catch me like it had others at IGN. I felt like I had witnessed a great opening and the story was intriguing, but it seemed like I was just doing the same thing over and over just to make my way from one cutscene to another. “Just keep playing,” they kept saying. “You’ll see.” And see, I did. Once I hit fall, the game really hooked me. I was out of the confines of the city and into the great expanse of the Rockies. I reunited with my brother, I nearly died, and I became the sole defender of man’s last hope. And in the end, oh in the end…well I’m not going to spoil it for you, but let’s just say The Last of Us was one of the most thought-provoking and emotionally fulfilling experiences I played all year. Naughty Dog is a shining example of how developers can elevate games beyond “just” digital entertainment and into the realm of deep storytelling and social commentary. More of this, please. Above everything else, I learned that we’re the real monsters. It’s us! It’s US!

- Tal Blevins

There’ll be some out there disappointed that Grand Theft Auto V didn’t snatch our Game of the Year 2013 title, who’ll feel that Rockstar’s been snubbed. The reality is Naughty Dog managed to secure my vote thanks to the emotional resonance of its creation, coupled with a readiness to take risks. Don’t get me wrong – GTA5’s decision to have three protagonists was remarkably bold, but The Last of Us is revolutionary to its core. From insightful storytelling to placing powerful roles for women front and centre, the apocalyptic adventure set a new benchmark for inclusive gameplay that’s smart as well as fun. The fact that whole thing looks and sounds beautiful as well? Just the icing on the cake.

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-Luke Karmali

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