It's been more than two weeks since Naughty Dog took us on an emotional rollercoaster ride to find out Ellie and Joel's fate on The Last of Us Part II. The game outsold the first Last of Us (2013) and cemented its place in the history of gaming as the fastest-selling Sony exclusive game with a whopping 4 million copies of sales worldwide.
Whether you have finished both of the sequels or contemplating purchasing Part II from your nearest game stores, these titles might have one or two TLOU-esque things that appeal to you and should be on your radar. No spoilers here, so you're good to go!
10 Left 4 Dead & Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve)
If you're a fan of survival horror games, this title should be familiar to you. Valve's Left 4 Dead series set a couple of days after a pandemic outbreak and follow the story of four different survivors: Francis, Louis, Zoey, & Bill (L4D1), and Coach, Nick, Rochelle, & Ellis (L4D2), as they try to reach safe houses throughout the cities by fighting off the hordes. The games were so violent & controversial back in the days that Germany and Australia banned them. Even though these games are not on PS4, they're still available on Steam for PC gamers.
9 Outlast Series (Red Barrels)
If you think you've mastered The Last of Us' stealth tactics, then the Outlast series is for you. On Outlast, players can not fight do not have a choice but to hide, run, or die. You play as an investigative journalist, Miles Upshur, as he tries to expose Murkoff Corporation's inhumane experiments at Mount Massive Asylum.
The second series of the game centers Blake Langermann, another investigative journalist, and his wife, Lynn. After their helicopter crashes in the middle of an unknown mountain, Blake has to find his wife and travels his way through a village inhabited by a dangerous sect.
One thing to remember is that you do not possess any physical strength or weapon. You're just a journalist, with a note and a camcorder, trying to make it through the night.
8 Red Dead Redemption 2Â (Rockstar)
Set in 1899, you are a cowpoke outlaw and a member of Dutch van der Linde gang, Arthur Morgan, facing the dilemma between his moral conscience and the group that raised him since he was little.
While you're at it, also check on the original Red Dead Redemption (2010). Chronologically, the OG Red Dead sets after the event of RDR 2 and follows the story of John Marston as he tries to track down the rest of the gang members and bring them to justice.
7 The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan (Supermassive, Bandai Namco)
Contrary to the flat storyline of The Last of Us, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan offers a more definite possibility. On Man of Medan, players are required to make swift decisions to decide the fate of all the five playable characters: Alex, Brad, Julia, Conrad, and Fliss. They embark on the South Pacific Ocean for a little summer trip, and little did they know, is the worst is yet to come. Inspired by the Indonesian legend of the SS Ourang Medan ghost ship, Man of Medan gives the players a heart-pacing experience throughout the journey.
6 Until Dawn (Supermassive, Sony)
You control the fate of eight teens surviving the Blackwood Mountain's harsh cold snow as their lives are threatened by never-ending blizzards, maniacal vengeful 'pranks,' and monstrous creatures.
If one of the controllable characters die, the game will keep on resuming. The game's outcome depends on your split-second choice and how you play it, so make sure to make the right decision every time.
Also, Rami Malek is on the game, so that's another reason to buy it!
5 Beyond: Two Souls (Quantic Dream)
Next one is Beyond: Two Souls, another your-choice-matters kind of game, developed by Quantic Dream. Beyond: Two Souls follows Jodie Holmes, an average girl who possesses a chaotic supernatural power through Aiden, an entity she's been linked to since the day she was born. Jodie wants nothing but life like other girls at her age, but her connection with Aiden leads her to be CIA's top-wanted 'traitor.' The outcome of the game, again, depends on how you play it.
4 Death Stranding (Kojima, Sony)
On Death Stranding, you control Sam Bridges, a porter, as his attempt to connect isolated cities and communities does not go as expected. Death Stranding was the first game Hideo Kojima developed at his independent Kojima Production after his exit from Konami. Death Stranding is an open-world game that lets players roam around the apocalyptic world of the United States.
3 Days Gone (SIE Bend, Sony)
Another open-world game we'd recommend is Days Gone from SIE Bend. Two years after a global pandemic, Deacon St. John, a former outlaw-turned-freelance-bounty-hunter, learns that his wife Sarah is still alive.
As he travels his way through post-apocalyptic Oregon, Deacon has to defend himself against cannibalistic creatures and mindless humans. A motorcycle is the character's primary transportation mode throughout the game, and the game lets you modify it with parts that can be found throughout the game.
2 The Walking Dead Episodic Game Series (Telltale, Skybound)
What happens when Until Dawn meets The Last of Us? The answer is Telltale interactive drama survival, four-seasons game series, The Walking Dead. The first season tells the story of Lee Everett, a former history professor at the University of Georgia, in the middle of an outbreak. After escaping the law, he finds young Clementine. As the game progresses, Lee turns more protective towards little Clem, à la Joel and Ellie's father-and-daughter-like relationship on The Last of Us.
The following three seasons follows the journey of Clementine exploring adulthood in the chaotic world of zombies and armed thugs.
1 Resident Evil 7Â (Capcom)
The last on this list is Resident Evil 7: Biohazards from the Resident Evil series by Capcom. You are Ethan Winters, an average husband, and civilian, as he wanders the eerie plantation in Dulvey, Louisiana, to find his missing wife, Mia. In contrary to the last two series, Capcom beautifully captures the horror and survival aspect of Resident Evil 7. Its sequel, titled Resident Evil Village, is set to be released in 2021, so make sure to beat this one before its release!