The Last of Us and Lagavulin 16

The story of The Last of Us centers primarily around Joel, starting with him just as the initial outbreak occurs and when he loses his daughter (the only way you can get through that scene and not tear up a little bit is if you are a robot monster. So there). From the get go, this game sets the game in a harsh and grounded reality and confronts you with the loss, panic, and chaos that this kind of infection could bring. From the very beginning of the game the environment design is off the charts with intricate and realistic detail from their home to the streets they attempt to scramble through in order to avoid the mobs of panicked people. It is from this setting that you are shown how Joel is essentially the embodiment of pure paternal instinct. You see it with his daughter at the beginning and you see it develop and become more obvious with Ellie throughout the course of the story. On top of that he has a strong survivor mentality and will just keep moving forward in order to avoid his past as much as possible. Joel finds a similarly minded survivor in Tess, with whom he forms a close relationship with under the guise of \”business partners\”.

Joel and Tess are eventually attached to Ellie on a mission to bring her to the Fireflies outside the city in hopes of creating a vaccine from Ellie who appears to be completely immune to the rampant infection that has overtaken the world. There are several moments when Joel glances down or lightly touches the broken watch his daughter had given him years ago as a way to remind himself how dangerous it is to form that kind of attachment. But despite all of his efforts to avoid it, his instincts take over and soon he would do just about anything in order to protect her.

Ellie provides a great perspective that is so vastly different from Joel\’s, which helps to offset Joel\’s pure survival instinct and show deep compassion for the companions they find along the way. She is such a reflection of Joel\’s real daughter in so many ways, including being a moral compass for Joel. It\’s an interesting difference considering how Ellie has known nothing other than this harsh world, and yet she manages to maintain an earnest hope for the best in people. Don\’t let that side of her fool you though, she is certainly not naive. She is just as willing to do what needs to be done and is quick to anger when anyone tries to confront the ones she cares about. I think this is perfectly embodied in her encounter with David, a leader of a cannibalistic group, when he tried to bargain with her to become his new \”pet\” in exchange for keeping her safe. She played innocent and once his guard is down pounces! \”You can tell them that…Ellie is the little girl…that BROKE YOUR FUCKING FINGER!!\” You see her grow and change throughout the story and she suffers incredible hardship under the goal of reaching the Fireflies to save all of humanity. That\’s kind of a lot to put on the shoulders of a fourteen year old! Even after some of her darkest encounters she still has her eyes on that goal. \”After everything we\’ve been through. Everything I\’ve done. It can\’t be for nothing.\”

The game\’s story is deepened by the game-play. The visceral combat makes you feel the impact of every punch, stab, and gunshot. While other action games have you pump dozens of rounds into an enemy before they flinch, enemies in this game will get slung hard by the impact of your bullets. Ellie chimes in every now and then during combat as a way to keep you from getting jaded to the violence in the game by offering up an occasional \”Oh my god…\” or \”Jesus Joel!\”. Ellie is even a helpful AI companion (which are far too rare in games) and will attack or distract enemies for you, toss you ammo, or point out when an enemy you might have missed is getting close to you.The controls of the game are tight and the game-play keeps you immersed in the world and the story from start to finish.

This game explores deep themes of how far a parent will go to protect their child, even at the great cost of many others. It shows us how perspective can warp our views to a point that we are able to justify our own terrible actions. This game represents an incredible leap forward for video game story telling and I would say is absolutely one of the best games of all time. I will definitely be coming back to The Last of Us over and over again and I cannot wait for the Last of Us Part 2 to come out. You can be sure I\’ll be reviewing that one as well!

Whew! I know you\’re thinking that was a bit of a mouthful for all that, but we\’re finally to the whiskey review! Like I said at the beginning, this is a special game so I wanted a special whiskey, and I felt that an Islay scotch matched the tone of the game beautifully. The Lagavulin 16 is intensely smoky and peaty. And when I say intense, I mean intense. Kind of like drinking a campfire, but in a good way? That\’s kind of weird to describe it that way but it\’s true. However, after you take the first couple sips you realize that the intense peat flavor actually has a sort of delay, and in the initial flavors it is an incredible smooth, rich, and complex flavored whiskey. In this initial taste you get flavors of vanilla and spice which match with the smell of the whiskey, as well. The smoky intensity of this scotch makes it a perfect pairing with the dark and intense feel of The Last Of Us, and the complex and rich flavors match the engaging and complex story.