Summary
A notableLast of Usspeedrunner manages to beat an incredibly challenging world record while playing on Grounded mode, the hardest difficulty in the game. This impressive feat goes to show just how dedicated the speedrunning community truly is, even when it comes to rushing through linear, narrative-driven titles likeThe Last of Us.
Ever since the first game’s release in 2013, fans ofThe Last of Usfranchise have been finding new ways to crack the codes of Naughty Dog’s acclaimed titles by completing them as fast as possible. In October 2022, for instance, one highly-skilled gamer showed off anastounding speedrun throughThe Last of Us 2’s “The Seraphites” level, which includes one of the toughest stretches of gameplay in the entire series. To make matters even more impressive, that particular speedrun was completed in Grounded mode. For the uninitiated, this difficulty level essentially turnsThe Last of Us2from a decently challenging action-adventure game into a ruthless survival-horror experience by removing helpful gameplay elements, adding more challenging enemies, and reducing vital resources. As impressive as that feat from 2022 may have been, though, a recentThe Last of Usspeedrun might just take the cake as one of the most remarkable records in gaming history.
The well-known Twitch streamer, Anthony Caliber, just completed the entirety of the originalThe Last of Usbysurviving through Grounded modein less than 3 hours. He successfully beat the previous world record on this difficulty level by finishing the gamein exactly 2:47:55. This speedrun of his took about 3 minutes less than his previous attempt, which emphasizes just how much time Caliber managed to shave off a record that he initially thought was “impossible” to beat. In fact, in a recent post on his Twitter account, the Twitch streamer even went so far as to call his latest effort “one of the best speedruns of [his] career.” Though this may be a bold statement to some, it may very well be accurate, considering the challenges Caliber had to face to achieve this record of his.
During the speedrun’s livestream, Caliber showed that he was able to save time in the game by grabbing loot as late as possible when running and refusing to carry a flamethrower, among other things. His playthrough was going smoothly up until the very end, however, when Caliber was close to almost dying in the hospital section of the game and ruining his entire speedrun. Fortunately, though, this didn’t happen, andthe popular Twitch streamerwas successfully able to beat his previous world record in time before it was too late.
The Last of Us Speedrunners Continue to Break Impressive World Records
No matter how insanely difficult it may be, it appears the speedrunning community will always find a way to beat seeminglyunbreakable gaming world recordsuntil it isn’t humanly possible anymore. The fact that Anthony Caliber managed to accomplish such a wildly challenging speedrun ofa game likeThe Last of Usis perhaps the perfect example of this.
The Last of Us
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters in The Last of Us, winner of over 200 Game of the Year awards. In a ravaged civilization, where infected and hardened survivors run rampant, Joel, a weary protagonist, is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of a military quarantine zone. However, what starts as a small job soon transforms into a brutal cross-country journey. Includes the complete The Last of Us single-player story and celebrated prequel chapter, Left Behind, which explores the events that changed the lives of Ellie and her best friend Riley forever.
