The characters, art style, and overall presentation in The Last of Us are second to none. Naughty Dog has accomplished amazing feats both technically and artistically with this title, and I'm thrilled that it exists. Sadly, the entire experience wasn't perfect.
The combat gets tiresome. As with any stealth-based combat system, the key to success is taking everything at a snail's pace. The combat sequences are incredibly plodding, and they eventually made me want to stop playing. That said, I powered through, and I was rewarded with some really compelling character arcs. If the combat was less boring, this could have been the best game of the year for me. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.