When Naughty Dog first unveiled The Last of Us gameplay at E3 in 2012, it gave us a glimpse into a lawless post-apocalyptic world ravaged by the cordyceps fungus. The original gameplay looks rather dated by today’s standards as it was originally released for the PS3 in June 2013, but the storyline is what brings interest into the series.
TLOU starts off with Joel Miller losing his only daughter at the beginning of the 2013 Cordyceps Outbreak. After the cutscene of Sarah dying in Joel’s arms we are now twenty years in the future. Joel has become a seasoned smuggler who reluctantly accepts Marlene’s offer of weapons in exchange for smuggling Ellie to a Fireflies rendezvous point.
Things head south when the Fireflies are found dead at the Massachusetts State House. In short, the story turns into a father/daughter journey across America in search of the few Fireflies in existence.
It is this father/daughter story development that makes the first part of The Last of Us unique amongst typical survival horror games. That and coupled with TLOU’s unique gameplay mechanics at the time of launch made it an accolades magnet.
Let us contrast this with TLOU 2. In TLOU 2, the storyline is about Ellie going on a vengeful rampage across America in an attempt to avenge Joel. At the end of the game Ellie doesn’t end up killing Abby and leaves a whole lot of dead people in her wake.
While it’s true that Joel killed a lot of people in TLOU, it is far from a tale of mindless murder and revenge. Joel did so to protect Ellie. At first, he did so just to get Ellie to the Fireflies. Later on in the game one can’t help but notice that Joel protects Ellie because he genuinely cares for her wellbeing. This is clearly seen at the end when Joel decides to save Ellie from the life-ending surgery that may not necessarily lead to a cure for the cordyceps fungus.
In essence, if you are just looking to go on a rampage killing zombies and people alike then TLOU 2 would be fine for you. But for those who thoroughly enjoyed The Last of Us, the sequel TLOU 2 is literally Druckmann’s attempt to dive his hands into your wallet.
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