Why The Last of Us Must Deliver a Gut-Wrenching Reminder of the Dire State

The post-apocalyptic world depicted in The Last of Us is incredibly horrifying. Set two decades after the Cordyceps infection outbreak, the United States has been completely devastated, with only military-operated quarantine zones providing safety from the infection. The rest of the nation has been abandoned, allowing nature to reclaim the environment.

The Last of Us presents a truly terrifying landscape. Infected beings are always lurking, some having evolved into immense monsters or deadly predators, all capable of swiftly ending a survivor's life. If the infected don't pose a threat, human raiders certainly do, which becomes a significant focus of the game. However, despite the importance of examining the state of humanity as a central theme, it may be time to shift the attention back to the menace that initiated such dire circumstances from the start.

The Next Last of Us Should Focus Even More on The Infected

The original Last of Us skillfully balanced its threats, introducing players to various types of infected enemies in memorable gameplay sequences. While human enemies also played a significant role, the infected remained a prevalent threat throughout the game. However, in The Last of Us Part 2, the focus shifts more towards human foes like the WLF and Seraphites. The infected are pushed aside and play a lesser role in the story, with the cycle of revenge between Ellie and Abby taking center stage. Rather than being used to heighten the story or drive character decisions, the infected are more of a nuisance, occasionally inconveniencing the main characters.

The humanity's response to the apocalypse is crucial in The Last of Us, and the core dynamics between Joel and Ellie or Ellie and Abby elevate the series above other zombie fiction. However, it would be interesting to shift the focus back onto the infected threat and explore its significance in the overall story and world of The Last of Us.

The next installment of The Last of Us should truly demonstrate the immense danger posed by the Cordyceps infection. Instead of being merely a background threat, the infected should be at the forefront, with the plot revolving around their relationship with the game's survivors. Additionally, the infected should be closely tied to the characters' emotional stakes and have a direct impact on their fate, similar to how it affected Henry and Sam in the first game. This approach would maintain the core human relationships while highlighting the direct influence of the infected on those relationships.