The following article has spoilers for The Last of Us game series.
In 2013, the gaming world was introduced to Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic masterpiece,The Last of Us. In just its first year, the game sold almost 7 million copies, making it one of the most popular games on PlayStation 3.The Last of Ustelevision series is now in development and it has a major storytelling advantage over its predecessor.
While the civilian world was entirely destroyed, players got to meet Joel and Ellie for the first time inThe Last of Usand go on their journey through decimated zones in search of a group of survivors who refer tothemselves as the Fireflies. As a closed-world game, players weren’t given much choice on how the story unfolds, with a single outcome in store for both characters. But, translating the same story to TV would be easier, with no involvement from the audiences.
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The game with its enthralling narrative has won several awards and is referred to as one of the best games ever created by many gamers. Its character development, plot, and game visuals have been praised immensely over the years. While a sequel was released in 2020, that has become one of thehighest selling games of PlayStation’shistory, the first part still remains a fan favorite and is considered thegame of the last decade.
It takes about 15 hours to complete the main mission inThe Last of UswhereasThe Last of Us 2took a little bit longer- around 20 hours. Of course, these times could vary depending on the different challenge levels, which affect the difficulty of the game, and the skill of the player. The second game in the series also has a portionset in an open-world setting, which allows players to explore the map at their own pace. However, in both games, the gameplay is their soul.
Throughout the first game, players get a chance to know Joel and Ellie’s characters. From their first meeting till their escape from the Fireflies’ hospital, the player controls their actions while exploring their relationship together. While the game couldhave had a multiplayer element, Naughty Dog’s decision to keep it single-player works because it gives players a chance to familiarize themselves with the strengths of both characters. And the ability to control them both in different scenes of the game keeps things interesting.
The Last of Usis set in a singular path and there is only one way forward. Each player has to follow the same steps in order to complete the game. This means that players won’t be missing out on any missions, allowing almost 100% game completion. There are always the artifacts and collectibles that some might miss out on, but the linear story format ensures that everything stays on track. Naughty Dog’s other wildly popular game series,Uncharted, follows a similar linear storytelling format. However, some might find this limiting.
An open-world settingallows gamers to choose their own path and let the story unfold at their own pace. While the destination could be the same, players can go off the beaten path, which many gamers find more interesting as they are more in control of how things occur. Thelack of an open-worldscenario inThe Last of Uslimits players, forcing them to follow the plot and making the decisions the way the creators intended them to. If it were an open-world game, players could have chosen different paths, even if they still opt for the same ending.
Having more control over how the game plays out is more rewarding for some players. When an important character decision has to be made, the consequences of the player’s choice could affect how the story moves forward. However, in games likeThe Last of Us, players cannot change the outcome of a character’s decision. So, no matter at what pace a player progresses, Joel’s daughterSarah will end up dying, Sam will get infected and turn, Ellie will meet the leader of the cannibalistic camp David, and Joel will always lie to Ellie about a possible vaccine. While all those scenes are important, the player doesn’t have much control over the character’s decisions, making it a less immersive experience for some.
The Last of Us 2was originally designed to bemore of an open-world game. Players would have had the option to explore the city thoroughly. There is a segment of the game that does allow exploration, but it is quite limited. The creators of the game believed that it was essential for players to get tothe scene of Joel’s murderas soon as possible, as that is the turning point in the story. If the entire game was open-world, players would take longer to get to the most important revelation, thus slowing down their progress and pushing the main plot further into the game.
This lack of open-world choices in both games would, however, work in the case of the television series. The series is being created for television audiences, which are consuming content without any physical or mental involvement. As members of the audience, they do not have any control over how the story plays out. The games, on the other hand, require the players to shape their experience, actively participating in the decisions being made.
While players may feel the story ofThe Last of Usis limited, watching the same characters choosing their paths on the TV show will add weight to the decisions that are taken by them. So, when Joel kills the doctors at the Fireflies’ hospital or when Ellie sneaks up behind David in the abandoned restaurant and stabs him, it might seem like a more shocking revelation, with audiences only able to react and not be responsible for the characters getting to that point.
Additionally, the lack of a multiplayer element in the game limited how the supporting character, in most cases Ellie, acts when the protagonist is in control. When Joel gets pinned down by enemies, Ellie distracts them with a brick, or better yet, stabs them with her knife. Whena Clicker is approaching, Ellie urges Joel to turn his attention towards the enemy, even pointing out its position. But, the player cannot control any of those actions, which once again could affect their experience. However, in a show, the support would be appreciated by audience members, noting how both characters work together to defeat a common enemy.
The Last of Ustelevision series isbeing produced by HBO, and will be brought to life by Neil Druckmann, the writer of the original game. While a release date hasn’t been announced yet,Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramseyhave been cast as the main characters. The story will mostly bean adaptation of the first gamein the series, with some dialogues lifted straight from the game. It remains to be seen how far the story will be from its original, but it would be interesting to see how fans of the game will react to seeing their favorite characters travel through the world in a live-action series.
The Last of Ustelevision series is in production at HBO.
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