Naughty Dog may currently be working on a multiplayer game in The Last of Us franchise, but it's also making headway on a new singleplayer project that it remains tight-lipped on. It seems as though Naughty Dog is finished with Uncharted, and it's unlikely that it will return to Crash Bandicoot or Jak and Daxter, but a third game in Ellie's story seems viable, especially given the open-ended conclusion of the second game.
A third The Last of Us entry could go in a number of different directions, but fans will surely have certain expectations. Moving on from Ellie and Abby's story would negate the impact of The Last of Us 2's conclusion, and so reentering their complex relationship in one way or another would be wise. Both games lean heavily into the narrative theme of actions having consequences, and rounding out the trilogy by mirroring the past could bring the franchise full circle.
The Last of Us is a Series Shrouded in the Past
The Last of Us 2 spends a lot of its time showing how the sins of the past can affect the outcome of the future. Ellie suffers not just because of Abby's deeds, but because of Joel's fateful decision at the end of the first game. Her journey is all about seeing history repeat itself as she acts on impulse and emotion in the same way that Joel did in the Fireflies hospital when faced with a future without Ellie. Knowing that the time they spent together was lengthy, it's an essential part of Ellie's development to see her parrot Joel's mistakes.
Joel's relationship with Ellie also harkens back to the past, as his reluctance to accept Ellie as a friend turns into a relationship he needs to preserve over the course of a year. He's learning to be a father again, and interactions between Joel and Ellie are similar to the ones he would have had with Sarah. This is particularly clear in the moment towards the conclusion when the pair are talking about Sarah, and how both she and Ellie would get along. The past echoes the future in The Last of Us time and time again, and so The Last of Us 3 should do the same.
Naughty Dog Could Continue the Trend in The Last of Us 3
Clementine in The Walking Dead began as a scared, but resourceful girl, and grew into a hardened survivor with Lee's tutelage and the weight of the world on her shoulders. When the final season of the Telltale-developed game came around, it gave Clementine a protege and companion of her own, which did well to show how far she's come, assuming the same role as her father figure in season one. Doing the same for Ellie could be an interesting way of making The Last of Us 3 feel like a collaborative effort while placing much of the emphasis on Ellie and how she attempts to do the same thing Joel did for her.
There are plenty of games that use two characters at the forefront to cleverly shepherd players along the route of the story like God of War, BioShock Infinite, and Ratchet and Clank. The Last of Us is no different, and spots of exploration with Dina, Jesse, or Lev in the 2020 Last of Us sequel do a good job of not leaving the player alone for too long. Giving Ellie a new person to care for could allow her to walk a mile in Joel's shoes, further enlightening her to his fatherly role and adhering to the series' philosophy that history is doomed to repeat itself.
The Last of Us 2 is available now on PS4.