The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC was worth the wait

Naughty Dog's The Last of Us won numerous "Game of the Year" awards when it was released last year.

The Last of Us: Left Behind is the game's first story-based DLC. It's still a frightening experience that retains the main game's unpredictable and exciting gameplay.

There are two scenarios in the Left Behind DLC that focuses on Ellie from two different time periods. One of them sees Ellie trying to get a medical kit for Joel after he passed out in the main game. The actual game never explained what happened, but now you get a chance to see the events unfold yourself as you play as Ellie.

This scenario is quite tense and action-packed as there are a lot of "Clickers" and evil men that stand in Ellie's way. She is armed with a helpful knife that never runs out which is great at taking out bad guys easily. The knife proves to be the best tool since the main game you had to rely on "shivs" that annoyingly ran out every time you used one.

The other "mission" so to speak takes place three weeks before the main game starts. This is where Ellie hangs out with her best friend Riley and they do some fun stuff in a barren mall.

The mission itself is not action-packed, but it gives you an idea of how vulnerable Ellie was back then, and how she became tougher in the main game. I'm not going to spoil anything for you, but some crucial story elements that weren't featured in the main game will be explained here.

What I liked most about this part of the DLC is it allows the player to relax and have fun. Even though the world in this game is lifeless, you get to see Ellie and Riley bond and have fun without zombies and other mean things getting in their way. Some might say parts of this DLC is a waste of time, but I enjoyed the non-violent parts as it tells you more about the characters themselves.

Even though the Last Behind DLC is playable and entertaining, the fun doesn't last very long. Not to mention the DLC itself costs $24.99 on the PSN. This is quite a hefty price tag for additional gameplay that only lasts around 2 or 2.5 hours.

Only hardcore fans of The Last of Us should consider buying the DLC as it's quite expensive for gameplay that doesn't last very long.

The Last of Us: Left Behind may be pricey, but it's one of the best DLC additions I have ever played. Whereas most DLC gives you extra costumes, an additional map etc, Left Behind gives you additional proper gameplay with a great story.

It may be short, but it's still an excellent extra experience to an already flawless video game. Naughty Dog has not confirmed if there will be a sequel to The Last of Us yet, but this DLC makes me want to play more of the series simply because it is that darn good.

Score: 8.0 out of 10