Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

Where to Play

PC/Steam

PlayStation

Screenwise Verdict

Let's be clear: this is not a kids' game, not a teens' game, and not even a 'mature 14-year-old' game despite what some Reddit parents claim. This is adult entertainment that happens to be interactive.

That said, for adults and genuinely mature older teens (think college-age), this is one of the most important games ever made. The rebuilt Part I is the definitive way to experience Joel and Ellie's journey—visually stunning, emotionally devastating, and morally complex in ways that most media never attempts.

The violence is brutal and the themes are heavy, but it's not gratuitous—it serves the story about what survival costs and what love demands. This is the game that proved to skeptics that gaming could tell stories as sophisticated as prestige television.

If you're a parent wondering whether your 14-year-old can handle it because 'they've seen The Walking Dead,' the answer is still no. The interactivity makes the violence hit differently, and the emotional weight is crushing even for adults. Wait until they're genuinely older.

For adult gamers or parents looking for something to play after the kids are asleep? This is essential. Just keep the headphones on.

Age Fit

This is strictly for adults 17+ and mature older teens at the absolute youngest. The M rating is earned—this is not a game where parents should fudge the age guidelines. Even many adults find it emotionally difficult.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

35

This is a brutal post-apocalyptic survival story with frequent strong profanity, intense violence, and deeply disturbing themes including child death, cannibalism, and moral ambiguity. The core relationship between Joel and Ellie is emotionally resonant and explores themes of found family and sacrifice, but the overall tone is dark, traumatic, and emotionally heavy. Not appropriate for younger audiences.

Imaginative

88

Exceptional world-building in a fungal-apocalypse setting that's both terrifying and hauntingly beautiful. The environmental storytelling is masterful—abandoned cities reclaimed by nature tell stories without words. The rebuilt version for PS5 adds stunning visual detail that makes exploration genuinely rewarding. The narrative structure and character development are cinema-quality, showing what games can achieve as a storytelling medium.

Safe

15

ESRB Mature 17+ for very good reasons: graphic violence including dismemberment and brutal death animations (the Bloater death is particularly gruesome), frequent strong language, sexual themes, gore that can be visceral even with modifications, and deeply distressing scenes. No predatory monetization or online chat risks, but the content itself is intensely unsafe for children. This is unquestionably adult content.

Enriching

82

One of gaming's most sophisticated narratives about love, loss, survival, and moral compromise. Raises profound questions about what we owe to others versus those we love, the cost of survival, and whether humanity is worth saving. The father-daughter dynamic between Joel and Ellie is nuanced and earned. For mature players, it's a masterclass in emotional storytelling and demonstrates games as legitimate art. But the enrichment is entirely age-gated—younger players would be traumatized, not enriched.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Legitimately one of the best stories ever told in gaming, with cinema-quality writing and performances that will stay with you
The rebuilt PS5 version is visually stunning—the environmental detail and facial animations are remarkable
Explores profound themes about love, sacrifice, and moral compromise in ways that respect player intelligence
The relationship between Joel and Ellie is earned and emotionally authentic, not manipulative
Demonstrates that games can be serious art—this is the title you show people who think games are just for kids

⚠

What to Watch For

Extremely graphic violence including dismemberment, brutal melee combat, and disturbing death animations
Frequent strong profanity throughout—this is how people actually talk in a collapsed society
Deeply traumatic themes including child death, suicide, cannibalism, and sexual assault (implied/discussed)
Emotionally devastating—even adults report being wrecked by certain scenes
The gore can be reduced in settings, but this doesn't change the fundamental intensity of the content

Conversation Starters

"Joel makes a choice at the end that's morally complicated—do you think he was right? What would you have done?"
"How does this game's portrayal of survival differ from other post-apocalyptic stories you know?"
"The infected are based on real cordyceps fungi that control insects—did that make them scarier or more interesting?"
"What do you think the game is saying about whether humanity is worth saving?"
"How did the game make you feel about violence differently than other games or movies?"

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The Last of Us Part I