The Last of Us (2013)

“The Last of Us” was released in 2013 by Naughty Dog and Sony Entertainment. The game depicted two main characters, Joel and Ellie, attempting to survive a zombie apocalypse. The game received several accolades, including Game of the Year and Game Developer's choice awards and is to this day the fifth-highest ranked game on Metacritic. 

Not only does this game have refreshing and innovative fighting styles, graphics, and gameplay, but it also received many accolades for its story line. It was one of the first shooter games at the time to represent women and LGBTQ+ characters in a positive and non-stereotypical light. It also focuses extremely on character relationships, adding a  emotional connection for the player. The story was so well-written that the game was adapted into the 2023 TV series “The Last of Us” by HBO and HBO Max, which won three MTV awards and was nominated for three Emmys.