The Last of Us has an emotional narrative that likely could have been as engaging without its fungal infection as a backdrop. Naughty Dog’s character interactions are what truly make the games special, with terrific writing and narrative spins that keep it unique. The Last of Us is often lumped in with anything zombie-related in the medium, as is its new HBO show.
But the series is far more once fans get to know its characters, and part of understanding each character from The Last of Us is acknowledging that not every question will be answered. That has kept a lot of its characters interesting from a narrative standpoint, and it is something that The Last of Part 3 will hopefully maintain in the future.
The Last of Us Leaves Many Interesting Moments Buried in the Past
The Last of Us has many gripping questions that it proposes and never answers, but that is part of what makes its exposition and world-building succinct. Because players have a faint idea of what Joel and Tommy’s relationship was like in the two decades following the outbreak, it makes their connection more enigmatic and unpredictable.
Therefore, one gripe some fans may have with the The Last of Us’ HBO show is that it dips its toe into some of these loose threads. Ellie’s mother will be revealed, a leader of the Hunters will be revealed, and many other changes will be made to the series' overarching narrative. It is unlikely that these changes will have any effect on the established lore of the games, especially since The Last of Us’ spores would not be able to suddenly vanish from previous games.
However, it will be interesting to see how a potential The Last of Us Part 3 is developed, considering it is almost assuredly going to be adapted for HBO as well. The Last of Us Part 3 still should not make its adaptation potential a priority beyond what would translate well as a game, but it is paramount that the story continues forward regardless.
The Last of Us Part 3 Should Continue to Look Forward, Not Backward
Like both installments released thus far, The Last of Us Part 3 would do itself a service by really pushing the narrative. The problem is that if The Last of Us decided to go backward and highlight a time set in the past, it would feel like the present day has stopped being as interesting as what came before.
If The Last of Us is going to continue to evolve and push the envelope as a franchise, it cannot afford to bog itself down in Joel’s life any longer. If The Last of Us Part 3 is revealed to be a prequel where Joel is playable again, it would not necessarily tarnish the franchise, but it would undermine the emotional weight that Part 1 and 2 earned. The time to do such a prequel entry would have been immediately following the original game, or as additional DLC like Left Behind.
If a prequel was to launch now, it would seem irrelevant and could be perceived as a more clear cash-grab than The Last of Us’ modern remake. The only viable path ahead for The Last of Us if the franchise is intended to continue will be pushing forward, whether that is following a lonesome Ellie, a hopeful Abby, or new characters entirely.
The Last of Us Part 3 is rumored to be in development.
