Out here in the real world, the 24/7 rolling news cycle has, let’s face it, offered up a relentless source of dread. We know that the rich are getting richer and that the NHS is in crisis. We know, too, that violence against women is still a very big problem, that the cost of living crisis seems destined to get worse before it gets better, and that climate change might just prove the end of all of us – especially if those in charge don’t start doing something about it.

We are constantly living under an umbrella of dread, convinced that the worst is yet to come. However, in the world of The Last Of Us, the worst has already happened: the rising temperatures on earth have caused a fungal pandemic to take hold of the human race, martial law has been declared, and survivors have been forced out of the comfort of their own homes and into poverty-addled quarantine zones, where they are forced to live hand-to-mouth. Food, medicine and weapons are in very short supply – and all three are needed if anyone wants to live for long.

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