The Last of Us Gameplay Demo

The main characters in the game, Ellie and Joel, are played by Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, respectively. Joel is a "ruthless" survivor with few moral lines left to cross, and Ellie is a 14-year-old girl who is wise beyond her years. However, Ellie, as opposed to Joel, was born after the fungal pandemic spread, and has no knowledge of the world prior to the incident.

The Last of Us begins in a Boston quarantine zone 20 years after a fungal plague called Cordyceps unilateralis decimated modern civilization. Ellie, a 14-year-old orphan, resides in a strict boarding house, and Joel, who is a black market dealer within the quarantine zone, sells weapons and drugs. An unknown traumatic event occurs where Joel makes a promise to a dying friend that he will take care of Ellie and help her escape. As the two make their way out of the quarantine zone, the game begins to play throughout areas across the United States, including a now post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh and other locations being reclaimed by nature. After a nearby safe haven fails to work out, Joel and Ellie continue their venture west across a ravaged United States. Along the way, the two must learn to work together in order to survive their brutal journey, and overcome countless hostiles, ranging from infected enemies to hunters and unfriendly survivors. It is also suggested that survival will involve both killing and scavenging.