The legacy of ‘The Last of Us’, a landmark in story mode

In 2009, California-based game developer Naughty Dog was basking in the glory of a critically acclaimed Sony PlayStation-exclusive game, Uncharted 2. It is at this time that the developer outfit started building out an end-of-the-world story-driven game—The Last of Us. Nearly 16 years later, Joel Miller and Ellie Williams, the protagonists of the seminal game, are etched into pop culture folklore thanks to a highly appreciated adaptation of the game into a TV series.

While The Last of Us, set in a post-apocalyptic US in which the world has been taken over by a mutated fungus that can infect humans and turn them into murderous zombies, was not the absolute first of its kind, the title delivered a story that took gaming well beyond the realm of niche, hardcore gaming enthusiasts into Saturday evening living rooms. In turn, the game’s story-based development cemented its status as a seminal moment in the world’s best story-based gameplays.

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What took The Last of Us to such great heights is in the way the game operated. The developers envisioned each element to revolve around the protagonists before the rest of the game was developed. The character arcs were written like a movie’s storyboard before the rest of the game was put in place and as a result, there is significant emphasis on letting combat take a backseat while the story is what drives the game forward. Combat here is only a factor of the overall game experience.

A console-puller

“The Last of Us is one of the few games that actually made me cry. The sound design of Gustavo Santaolalla, the character arcs, the way the story unfolds hit differently. Even now, I still go back to replay it from time to time due to the character design. Watching the live-action show was a different kind of fun—not so much for the suspense, but just to see it all come to life,” says Jatin Sharma, filmmaker and co-founder of Delhi-based movie production studio Daawat-e-Hind.

It is this narrative design that helped build The Last of Us’ legacy, in turn cementing its place as a definitive game that eventually pulled gamers into buying gaming consoles. Shrey Pacheco, an avid gamer and corporate professional, says it was a key factor that pushed him to buy a Sony PlayStation eventually. “If you look at the Sony platform, you see story-driven games starting right from the crime noir of Max Payne in 2001, to stories and characters driving games such as Kratos in God of War (2005), Uncharted, and The Witcher (2007). In many ways, while these titles came well before The Last of Us, they primed us to enjoy games for the storylines,” he says.

Pacheco and Sharma agree that the true legacy of The Last of Us lies in bringing story-driven games to the fore. “They show that being a gamer is not just a geek’s pastime, and you can actually savour an excellent piece of filmmaking and storytelling through games,” Pacheco adds.

Joel and Ellie's legacy

One of the key things that endeared The Last of Us to a widespread audience is the emphatic and empathetic character of Joel, who (spoiler alert for those who have not seen TLOU: Part I) prioritizes saving Ellie’s life over finding a cure for the apocalyptic Cordyceps infection. Such a character arc is what lets not just Joel but future game protagonists stand out as iconic characters who are relatable to a wider audience.

Finnish game-maker Remedy’s iconic 2019 flagship game, Control, showcases the near-psychotropic journey of Jesse Faden, her fight against an evil organization named Federal Bureau of Control, and her struggle to free her brother, Dylan, from their clutches. In What Remains of Edith Finch (2017), now ranked as one of the most fascinating video game storylines out there, the lead character is a 17-year-old who returns to her ancestral home and uncovers her family’s mysterious past, learning about the series of deaths that eventually caused its complete collapse. In each of these games, what stands out is that they are playable without needing to go through major, large-scale combat as the key point of a game’s experience.

Fans of the genre also point to Red Dead Redemption 2, a Western-inspired game set in an alternative, late 19th century American Wild West with a complicated storyline involving rival gangs and government agents.

The blurring of lines between a game and a film is being seen in smaller, independent titles, too. American developer Campo Santo’s 2016 game Firewatch is a landmark story-driven game—featuring no combat and only tasks that lead to the unravelling of a protagonist and his psyche, as he navigates the strife of losing his wife to cancer and dementia.

Danish game developer Playdead’s iconic storylines in Limbo (2010) and Inside (2016) also find mentions as games that deliver a cinematic experience over just the technicalities of the game. Annapurna Interactive’s Cocoon (2023) is another recent showcase of what independent developers can do by capitalizing on storytelling within games.

Through all of this, most mainstream, non-gaming entertainment consumers see The Last of Us as a revelation of sorts—a title made popular by actors Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, who portray Joel and Ellie. Going forward, game adaptations are like to go well beyond just translating a game’s technicalities and unpredictability on film, but also showcasing their gripping narratives.

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