The Last of us sequel Yay or Nay? *End game Spoilers*

[Berny Marcus]

OK before I begin, let me warn you this will have spoilers to Naughty Dog's brilliant game The Last of us, escpially the end game. You been warned.







-Spoilers-





Alright this is to the people who have played and finished The Last of us. Given how the ending went, with Joel basically preventing Ellie's death, and lieing to her about what happened, and basically dooming humanity without a cure for the disease. This has set up a powerful narrative where everything isn't in black and white, Ellie's death would've meant a cure for the disease, but Joel denied them that. A great ending to a well written story. The game received critical acclaim, and 7 million copies were sold, no doubt a record hit.


This probably warrants a sequel no? However some people have felt that a sequel is not needed and that it should end like it was. I know this has been discussed long ago, but the question lingers in my mind and I wanted to get your thoughts on this matter. Should The Last of Us get a sequel or should Naughty Dog leave it as it is and move on to another IP? And if they should move to another IP, should it be an new one. Or should they go back to make a 4th Uncharted game, another Jak and Daxter game, or try to get back Crash Bandicoot?

 

[Nonomori]

It's certainly more interesting for me than another Jak or Uncharted, but less exciting than something completely new. I think the best alternative would be telling new stories in the same world. Anyway, I don't need The Last of Us 2, but I would welcome one with open arms.

Naughty Dog has the rights to Crash? I didn't see any references/easter eggs in The Last of Us...

 

[Zhukov]

Ambivalent.

I certainly wouldn't turn down a sequel. They could set it 10-15 years down the line and play a grown up Ellie or something. I'm sure they could come up with a new story in the setting. Maybe even have Ellie find out that Joel lied, although that could get a bit rehash-y.

On the other hand, would it really be so bad let an awesome one-off game be an awesome one-off game? Naughty Dog have shown they have the chops to pull off this sort of thing. I for one would not be upset if they used those skills to do something new rather than hopping aboard the sequel train.

 

[Berny Marcus]

It's certainly more interesting for me than another Jak or Uncharted, but less exciting than something completely new. I think the best alternative would be telling new stories in the same world. Anyway, I don't need The Last of Us 2, but I would welcome one with open arms.

Naughty Dog has the rights to Crash? I didn't see any references/easter eggs in The Last of Us...

Not really, I meant that as a joke of Naughty Dog trying to get back the rights to there first game, which I doubt will happen anytime soon.

 

[Berny Marcus]

Ambivalent.

I certainly wouldn't turn down a sequel. They could set it 10-15 years down the line and play a grown up Ellie or something. I'm sure they could come up with a new story in the setting. Maybe even have Ellie find out that Joel lied, although that could get a bit rehash-y.

On the other hand, would it really be so bad let an awesome one-off game be an awesome one-off game? Naughty Dog have shown they have the chops to pull off this sort of thing. I for one would not be upset if they used those skills to do something new rather than hopping aboard the sequel train.

A sequel to Last of us wouldn't be bad, no it would be good.

But the point I'm trying to highlight in a broader scope is that, the gaming market is saturated with sequels after sequel, and people want to see some new stuff happen. This is of course expands into other areas then just video games, like movies, books, anything that is fictional and tells a story.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I'd rather they didn't go with a sequel. The ambiguity was a big thing in the ending, and any sequel would either need to follow up on that and ruin the murky ending of the first, or be set with new characters and potentially start treading olld ground again.

Let's just be thankful that it isn't Ubisoft's game, where they wouldn't even make it if they couldn't spawn a franchise.

 

[Ickorus]

I don't know really, I'd probably buy another installment but at the same time I don't think it really needs one.

I think a prequel could potentially work, do it from the start of the outbreak leading up until when TLoU starts, maybe have it from the viewpoint of a significant member of the Fireflies, perhaps even Marlene; could be interesting to see her go from a freedom fighting idealist to the desperate woman you see at the end of the game.

 

[TehCookie]

Couldn't they just put it in the same world, but with different characters, place and/or time? That way it doesn't touch anything TLoU did but you still get a sequel. It would also have a chance to flesh out the world more and explore things the first game didn't.

Though having never actually played, NaughtyDog can do whatever they please. I wish they just put as much effort into their new games as they did TLoU whether or not it's a sequel. I'll pick it up on clearance or what I get rid of my massive backlog.

 

[Miss G.]

I'd rather they didn't go with a sequel. The ambiguity was a big thing in the ending, and any sequel would either need to follow up on that and ruin the murky ending of the first, or be set with new characters and potentially start treading olld ground again.

Let's just be thankful that it isn't Ubisoft's game, where they wouldn't even make it if they couldn't spawn a franchise.

I agree with the first bit, it ended perfectly and touching it would ruin it. This was my first Naughty Dog game and I loved it, so it might just be naive optimism on my part that if they do make a sequel, they could pull something off nicely with new characters I could potentially grow to love just as much as Joel and Ellie (Ish, Bill & Tommy).

 

[FourCartridge]

I would prefer to have them develop a new IP. At this point Naughty Dog is among the best devs out there & could likely sell based on name alone, so they shouldn't be tied to a single franchise.

Then again I selfishly want Uncharted 4, so it would be kind of hypocritical to whine if they do make TLOU 2. If they want to make a sequel that's totally fine, but they made it with the intention of "changing the industry". There's a whole lot of places they could go from what is a contender for GOTY.

 

[EternallyBored]

Eh, honestly the game is like the Walking Dead game, the story was great and worked because of its characters, the standard zombie apocalypse settings just don't seem interesting by themselves, not nearly enough to justify sequels anyway. The characters themselves are great, but their stories feel finished, and it would feel like a cash grab to try and shoe horn in more about them after the stellar games they already have.

Could you tell a great continuation focusing on Joel and Ellie, probably yeah, but sequels to great self-contained games like this rarely ever turn out as good as the original.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I think it's OK as a one off, and this coming from mister "moar sequels now!" Everything worked so well, if there was a sequel I wouldn't mind it, but it would just feel so unnecessary for me.

 

[Extra-Ordinary]

I think it's OK as a one off, and this coming from mister "moar sequels now!" Everything worked so well, if there was a sequel I wouldn't mind it, but it would just feel so unnecessary for me.

Same sentiment here.
I usually jump at sequels but for The Last Of Us, I gave a cautious, careful: eeeeeehhhhh
It seemed pretty done to me. I mean, yes, *technically* there's nothing that actively prevents a sequel but I think it wraps up pretty nicely.

 

[Casual Shinji]

No, no, no sequel.

The Last of Us showed us all it could show us with the characters it had. The message of TLoU was clear; What's the point of surviving for survival's sake. And it perfectly demonstrated this by presenting us with characters that were lost and fighting for no reason other than to live another day. Deluding themselves that their horrible acts are justified because of self preservation and/or the preservation of mankind.

Joel and Ellie were the perfect protagonists to display this. Joel being the experienced survivor, but world weary and at the breaking point of his sanity. And Ellie having an abundance of enthusiasm, but being very naive to what the world has succumbed to. Both end up changed by their journey in a way that brings this message home.

Making a sequel would serve no purpose other than treading the same ground.

 

[Thr33X]

Since 20 years past from the intro of the game to the actual start of the plot, maybe something within that timeframe might work...a rise of The Fireflies type of thing with different characters maybe? However, I'm a little torn about the idea because I love how the game panned out so much I don't want it to be diluted into another long "franchise" that should already have sung it's swan song (Resident Evil anyone?), and ESPECIALLY nothing involving a follow-up to Joel & Ellie's story. Where they ended it was absolutely perfect to me.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

ONLY if Ellie and Joel aren't involved AT ALL.

Their story is over. I don't want to see anything more from them. That would ruin what the previous game did. They've had their story, time to let someone else shine.

 

[Jeyl]

ONLY if Ellie and Joel aren't involved AT ALL.

Their story is over. I don't want to see anything more from them. That would ruin what the previous game did. They've had their story, time to let someone else shine.

Well I think the story can certainly continue. If Ellie is supposed to be a character who can make her own choices and stand for what she believes is right, she will never be able to do so as long as Joel is there to control her. Ellie holds the key to changing the entire world, and the one person who will never allow her to go through with it just happens to be the one who would do anything to protect her. How long do you think that lie Joel told her is going to last when she realizes that no one is being cured? How long before news of Joel's massacre actually hits other areas? Worst yet, how far will Joel go to ensure that nobody ever tells Ellie about the truth? You think Joel would hesitate in murdering someone who knew what happened even if they had no intention of telling Ellie or Joel? Joel condemned the entire world to continuous tragedy and death just so he can still have his emotional pillow.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

If Naughty Dog makes a sequel and doesn't fuck anything up, I would be fine with it. A good game is a good game.

But I don't feel any need for a sequel. The Last of Us is the story of Ellie and Joel and that story has been told. It's ok to leave it at that.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

ONLY if Ellie and Joel aren't involved AT ALL.

Their story is over. I don't want to see anything more from them. That would ruin what the previous game did. They've had their story, time to let someone else shine.

Well I think the story can certainly continue. If Ellie is supposed to be a character who can make her own choices and stand for what she believes is right, she will never be able to do so as long as Joel is there to control her. Ellie holds the key to changing the entire world, and the one person who will never allow her to go through with it just happens to be the one who would do anything to protect her. How long do you think that lie Joel told her is going to last when she realizes that no one is being cured? How long before news of Joel's massacre actually hits other areas? Worst yet, how far will Joel go to ensure that nobody ever tells Ellie about the truth? You think Joel would hesitate in murdering someone who knew what happened even if they had no intention of telling Ellie or Joel? Joel condemned the entire world to continuous tragedy and death just so he can still have his emotional pillow.

Just because something CAN continue doesn't mean it SHOULD.

I like that the ending left us with those questions you just asked. That's what makes it memorable. We're supposed to question if they're going to have a future. We're SUPPOSED to question if this new life held together by a fragile lie will hold.

If we got a sequel that answered all of those questions, that would kind of ruin the experience, IMO.