After months of rumors, Sony and Naughty Dog confirmed The Last of Us Part 1 at the Summer Game Fest. It’ll be launching on PS5 in September, also releasing later on for PC, and it allows players to experience the story of Joel and Ellie once again with several upgraded elements.
Fans still have several questions about The Last of Us Part 1, such as if there are any serious revisions like perhaps an appearance by TLOU 2’s Abby, but they’ll know in a few months’ time at the latest. Interestingly enough, with it on everyone’s mind, one fan has come across and pointed out a reference to the franchise in The Sims 4.
The Sims 4 recently released its Werewolf expansion, but it’s the same as ever (just with more content). Fans get to live out the life of their Sim, raise kids, climb their career ladder, build a house, and decorate it. Twitter user Katarina, presumably while decorating their house, came across a plant called Jerry’s Reeds.
The text associated with the plant references doctors at St. Mary’s Hospital looking to counter fungal parasite infections. As many know, this location appears near at the end of The Last of Us, and the doctor—also Abby’s father—is named Jerry. What really seals the deal on this Easter egg, though, is the final line: “It never amounted for much, other than its ability to attract fireflies.”
By referencing the Fireflies faction of The Last of Us, the hospital, and Abby’s father Jerry, there’s no doubt this Easter egg was slipped in intentionally at some point. It’s uncertain of when, as there’s so much in The Sims 4 that it’s hard to keep track when things are added, but it’s a nice little nod for fans of both franchises if they’ve never noticed it before.
Notably, though, The Sims 4 added two Final Fantasy 14 Easter eggs in the Werewolf expansion, showing just how aware the developer is of other franchises. These include the Racked Teak-a Greatshelves, which references the Raktika Greatwood Shadowbringers Zone, as well as the Seventh Confectioner’s Calamity Firewood Rack, a reference to the Seventh Umbral Calamity and Vanet. As The Sims 4 continues to expand and developer Maxis eventually moves on to the Sims 5, it’ll be interesting to see what other Easter eggs fans discover over the years.
The Last of Us Part 1 releases September 2 on PS5. A PC version is in development.