With The Last of Us only continuing to grow in popularity over the last decade, it seems safe to assume that the franchise is far from over. While The Last of Us Multiplayer is the next confirmed entry in the series, it still feels as though Naughty Dog is just scratching the surface of what The Last of Us' universe has to offer, and that doesn't necessarily mean a direct sequel to The Last of Us Part 2.
The Last of Us, as a franchise, has almost limitless possibilities of where it could go next. While a direct sequel following Ellie's journey would be the most obvious and compelling choice for the series' next entry, there's a lot to be said for a prequel game set right in the midst of the initial Cordyceps outbreak. And though the obvious choice to lead a prequel is fan-favorite character Joel, his story has a beginning, middle, and end. It's time for some new characters in The Last of Us universe.
A Last of Us Prequel Should Shift Focus Away From Joel and Ellie
Joel and Ellie are at the very heart of The Last of Us, with their relationship being central to both games and the HBO show. Through their shared relationship, The Last of Us is able to explore all of its core themes of loss, found family, redemption, and revenge, all in a completely natural and compelling format. But despite how integral Joel and Ellie's relationship truly is to The Last of Us, that story has essentially reached its conclusion by the time players roll credits on The Last of Us Part 2, and there's so much more for Naughty Dog to explore in this world.
If a Last of Us prequel game was ever to happen, then it shouldn't feel like it needs to put players in the shoes of Joel once again. Instead, a hypothetical Last of Us prequel has the perfect opportunity to center on a completely new group of survivors, in a completely new location not yet seen in either the games or the show. This would allow for complete creative freedom in terms of the game's story, as Naughty Dog wouldn't need to fit the prequel around any characters' pre-established timeline.
The possibilities of a Last of Us prequel game not centering around Joel are practically endless. The game could revolve around a new set of survivors that are struggling to survive in the heart of a city overrun with infected, just days after the initial outbreak, showing players just how horrific that moment was for an extended period of time, as opposed to fast-forwarding a few decades into the future when the FEDRA QZs have already been built. Alternatively, a Last of Us prequel could focus on the Fireflies and their inception, and put players in the boots of a Firefly soldier that actually managed to wrestle control of the city away from FEDRA, only to have it go to up in smoke anyway soon after.
Of course, as is the case with any prequel in an already-established franchise, a certain amount of fan-service should be expected, and a Last of Us prequel doesn't need to completely shy away from the other entries in the series. If the prequel is set in the 20 years between Outbreak Day and Joel and Ellie's meeting, then a cameo from Joel could make complete sense in the right context. It's well established in the first game that Joel and Tess complete a variety of smuggling missions for various factions, and one of those missions could lead them face-to-face with The Last of Us prequel's new set of characters, giving players some nice fan-service, but still giving new characters the vast majority of the runtime to themselves.