The Last of Us is a video game series and a media franchise centered around horror-themed third-person shooter video games developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series was created by Naughty Dog creative heads Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, and is released on Sony's PlayStation consoles as well as on personal computers.
The setting of The Last of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic United States, twenty years after social structure fell due to a deadly pandemic caused by a mutated fungi infection. Called the Infected, victims of the fungi become feral sound-based creatures akin to zombies as the fungal growth spreads through their bodies. Gameplay focuses on cover-based shooting mechanics, stealth, crafting and survival-horror from a third-person perspective, with combat scenarios focusing on both human enemies and the Infected.
The series debuted with 2013's The Last of Us, which introduced the characters of Ellie and Joel and their journey across the United States. A sequel, The Last of Us Part II, was released in 2020. A third, multiplayer-focused installment was in development until its cancellation in 2023. Outside of video games, the series also expanded into other forms of media, including a prequel comic series, a board game and a television adaptation co-created by Druckmann.
The Last of Us received critical acclaim since its debut, and is seen as an example of art in video games for its storytelling and characterization, though it has also generated controversy with its second installment for some of its thematic exploration and narrative decisions. The series, alongside Uncharted, has been cited as responsible for Naughty Dog's rise as a prominent game developer. The series proved to be commercially successful, selling over 37 million copies by December 2022.
Games[]
- Major installments
| Game title | Release | Platform | Developer | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Last of Us | June 14, 2013 | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 | Naughty Dog | |
| The Last of Us: Left Behind | February 14, 2014 | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 | Naughty Dog | Expansion pack for The Last of Us |
| The Last of Us Part II | June 19, 2020 | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 | Naughty Dog |
- Re-releases
| Game title | Release | Platform | Developer | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Last of Us Remastered | July 29, 2014 | PlayStation 4 | Naughty Dog | Remaster of The Last of Us and Left Behind |
| The Last of Us Part I | September 2, 2022 | PlayStation 5, PC | Naughty Dog | Remake of The Last of Us and Left Behind |
| The Last of Us Part II: Remastered | January 19, 2024 | PlayStation 5 | Naughty Dog | Remaster of The Last of Us Part II |
- Cancelled
| Game title | Platform | Developer | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Last of Us Online | Unknown | Naughty Dog | Originally the "Factions" multiplayer mode for The Last of Us Part II. Development was separated from the single-player game in 2019, and grew into a standalone release. Cancelled in 2023. |
Series Overview[]
Premise and setting[]
Gameplay[]
Development[]
Other media[]
Comics[]
The Last of Us: American Dreams is a four-issue limited comic series published by Dark Horse Comics. It was co-written by Druckmann and cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks, who illustrated the series, and published between April and July 2013. It serves as a prequel to The Last of Us and its expansion Left Behind, and chronicles the early relationship between Ellie and Riley.
Cancelled film adaptation[]
A film adaptation was announced on March 6, 2014. It was to be distributed under the Screen Gems brand of Sony Pictures, with American film director Sam Raimi serving as producer alongside Straley, Druckmann and Naughty Dog presidents Christopher Balestra and Evan Wells.[1] The project was cancelled with the development of a television series.
Television adaptation[]
A television adaptation simply titled The Last of Us premiered on January 15, 2023. It was co-developed by Druckmann and showrunner Craig Mazin, and distributed by HBO.
Board and tabletop game adaptations[]
Reception[]
- The Last of Us - 95/100
- The Last of Us Part II - 93/100
- The Last of Us Part I - 89/100