The Last of Us Part 1 is an emotional journey that takes a look at human nature at both its best and worst, with the advent of the Cordyceps infection pushing humanity to the very brink of extinction and causing them to perform some truly heinous things in their desperation. The story of Joel and Ellie is a great one that will make both fans love these characters by the end of the experience.
With its release on PC, more and more people can get into the first game and understand why it became so popular in the first place. The remake has ensured that the visuals and performance capture are better than ever before, with players exploring several dilapidated cities in The Last of Us Part 1 during their quest to bring Ellie to the Firefly hospital in a bid to save humanity.
7 Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas is the city that kickstarts the events of The Last of Us. Joel and his daughter Sarah have a pretty comfortable life here that is upended for good after the outbreak hits, leading to the family trying to escape and Joel losing his daughter.
It's a harrowing opening that sets the stage for the story of The Last of Us and how brutal this tale is going to be. Joel's tragedy is hard to witness and makes it clear why he's just a jaded and aggressive man near the beginning of the series.
6 Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is one of the few quarantine zones controlled by the military in The Last of Us Part 1, emerging to combat the threat of the Cordyceps brain infection. The area is pretty brutal, with the military wasting no time in killing citizens if they show even the slightest hint of an infection. It's the city where Joel and Tess struggle to survive every day, and where Ellie was born too.
The quarantine zone may seem brutal, but it's an amusement park compared to the horrors that await people outside of this zone. The Infected are running rampant across the country, making this place one of the very few where some semblance of civilization exists.
5 Lincoln, Massachusetts
Lincoln is a small town that Joel and Ellie happen upon during the events of The Last of Us. The place has been completely overrun by the Infected and many assumed that this town would be down and out for the count. That is until they encountered Bill.
This lone survivor has managed to keep going on his own by setting up many ingenious traps (one of which causes Joel to fend for his life while being tied upside down) and being as careful as possible. So, it's easy to see why he gets so angry at Joel and Ellie when they end up compromising his defenses and drawing the ire of the Infected.
4 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the setting for a pretty emotional part of The Last of Us, with Joel and Ellie arriving here in a pickup truck arranged by none other than Bill himself. After being rammed into a grocery store, the duo fights for their lives as they make their way through the city. During this journey, they end up meeting Sam and Henry, two survivors who are pretty endearing in their own right.
Given how engaging these characters are, it's a shame that both of them lose their lives so meaninglessly after an Infected attack. It's a shame, but the world of The Last of Us has shown time and time again just how brutal it can really be, and such casualties are to be expected.
3 Jackson, Wyoming
While players are initially heading towards the town of Jackson to meet up with Tommy, this journey sees its goal met before the duo enters the city. So, this settlement doesn't exactly appear in-game, but the dam in Jackson County does. After all, this is where Tommy and his band of survivors have set up their base.
Joel and Tommy have a heart-to-heart before hunters end up breaking into the dam in a bid to steal the supplies, kill the survivors, and take over this stronghold. Joel and Ellie do their part in helping out and fighting back against this invasion, with the duo continuing their journey henceforth after some emotional moments.
2 Boulder, Colorado
Players don't really explore the entirety of Boulder in The Last of Us Part 1. Instead, their visit is limited to the University of Eastern Colorado, where they find out that the place was initially the headquarters of the Fireflies before they moved to a different location.
However, danger follows Joel and Ellie once again, with a group of then-unknown cannibals hunting the duo down and getting decimated in the process. Unfortunately, Joel ends up suffering a major injury in this chapter, leading to Ellie putting on her big boy pants and taking care of them both in the next chapter.
1 Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the final city Joel and Ellie visit before meeting the Fireflies. The city is overrun just like every other settlement in The Last of Us Part 1, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing — after all, the place has become one with nature, and the giraffes roaming here lead to one the most poignant moments in the entire game.
Of course, that's not to say that this city isn't dangerous at all. After all, Joel has to deal with one of the toughest encounters against the Infected he's ever faced, having to deal with a multitude of Clickers, Bloaters, and other such Infected in an underground tunnel before finally getting to the Firefly hospital.
The Last of Us Part 1 is available on PlayStation 5 and PC.