The video game industry has seen a notable shift in tone over the last few decades. During the 80s and 90s, video games would often market themselves as essentially bright toys for kids, with plenty of vibrant visuals and easily accessible gameplay. Then, during the 2000s, as games started to get more technologically advanced, there was a clear tonal shift towards more adult-oriented themes, withgames likeGrand Theft AutoandGears of Warreally marketing themselves towards an older demographic. And while the market sees much more diversity nowadays, there are still plenty of games with mature themes out there, andThe Last of Usis certainly one of those.
A series set in the midst of a post-apocalypse where mushrooms grow out of people’s faces,The Last of Usis certainly an adult-oriented franchise. As well as being extremely violent and bloody,The Last of Usalso explores some very complex and mature themes, sometimes even to the detriment of the player’s enjoyment. But while these adult themes are integral toThe Last of Us' success,The Last of Us Part 3might end up pairing things back just a little.
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The Last of Us Part 3’s Themes Could Be a Lot Lighter Than The Last of Us Part 2’s
The firstLast of Ushad some extremely dark moments, but its theme was all about finding the light when there is none, and in Joel’s case, that’s Ellie. After losing his daughter in the game’s prologue, Joel gradually becomes a bitter murderer over the course of the next 20 years. It’s only when he meets Ellie that he finally starts fighting for a reason again. So while a lot ofthe firstLast of Usincludes some horrific scenes of torture, attempted SA, and a ton of violent imagery, at its heart it’s still a hopeful story about finding something that’s been lost for so long, giving the game a hopeful underlying tone.
The Last of Us Part 2, however, is rigidly dark and grim from start to finish. Rather than revolving around this notion of finding something once lost,The Last of Us Part 2really hones in on the feeling of losing everything all at once. The entirety ofThe Last of Us Part 2centers around the themes of hatred and revenge, and the cycle they force upon their victims. During the course of the game, players see just how far this cycle pushes Ellie, turning her into a cold-blooded murderer by the midway point, and Abby is pulled into that same cycle. Bythe end ofThe Last of Us Part 2, Ellie and Abby are left with nothing, with nearly all of their friends and family either dead or gone. The final sequence ofThe Last of Us Part 2shows Ellie attempting to play Joel’s guitar and failing due to her missing fingers, summarizing the immense loss that’s resulted from this cycle of revenge.
WhileThe Last of Us Part 1andPart 2are both masterclasses in video game storytelling, they can get extremely dark, especially the sequel. And though some fans enjoy more mature and complex themes,The Last of Us Part 2may have pushed things a little too far in some places. Though Naughty Dog intended for some scenes inThe Last of Us Part 2to be difficult to play through, that doesn’t make the process of actually doing so any easier.
The Last of Us Part 3might end up going in the complete opposite direction from its two predecessors. Though it’s sure to retain adult themes and violent imagery,The Last of Us Part 3could end up focusing on some more positive themes, maybe showing the bright side of humanity even when faced with an apocalypse.The Last of Us Part 3could even take inspiration from the Bill and Frank episode of the HBO show, exploring themes of love’s perseverance despite the horrific state of the world.
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