Highlights

  • Naughty Dog excels in single-player games with great writing and memorable characters, setting the gold standard in the industry.
  • The Last of Us builds a strong bond between protagonists Joel and Ellie, creating a unique gameplay experience.
  • The influence of Uncharted on The Last of Us is evident, with similar mechanics and strong character dynamics shaping the gameplay.

Naughty Dog is known for a wealth of great games. Be it the stellar Crash Bandicoot series or the more recent treasure-hunting tales in Uncharted, the studio has built a reputation for great writing, memorable characters, and industry-leading presentation. It's little wonder that the company remains the gold standard of single-player games, and with The Last of Us it may have hit its peak.

The quality of The Last of Us is something few people dispute and, while the sequel's reception is somewhat cooler in certain circles, most praise the first game for a plethora of reasons. The relationship between Joel and Ellie is chief among them, and while it blazes a trail all its own for the most part, there's one distinctive moment in another of Naughty Dog's most revered titles, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

The Last of Us 2 Ellie with Animals in the Museum
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The Last of Us is One of Many Companion Games in that Gaming Era

Naughty Dog was one of many developers who decided to release a game focused on more than one main character. They were a dime a dozen in the early-mid-2010s as the likes of Telltale's The Walking Dead and BioShock Infinite used the format to push the story, and gameplay forward. Some had more of a mechanical benefit than others like Elizabeth throwing Booker ammo in the aforementioned Irrational Games masterpiece, but each brings something new that is still being evolved today.

The Last of Us does well to adhere to the trend, with Joel being accompanied by Ellie, Tess, Sam, Henry, and some other more fleeting characters. The bond between him and Ellie is strongest, though, not only on a narrative level but a gameplay one, too. She's in the thick of battle with Joel and sees everything he does, so the story never feels like she's a side character or companion, rather that she's the second protagonist in a game that makes no apologies for its use of an NPC companion.

Uncharted 2 Paved a (Small) Path for The Last of Us

Conversely, Uncharted is a series that focuses on Nathan Drake and his quest to uncover some of history's best kept, and most valuable, secrets. In the first couple of games, he's a prototypical action protagonist, with a dashing smile and a vast skill set needed to whet the appetites of action fans from all over. However, he's rarely alone in his escapades, and when he's in the Himalayas, the time he spends with Tenzin is influential as well as impactful. Whereas Elena or Chloe follow Drake, Tenzin leads him up the mountain, with Nate following close behind.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves launched on the PS3 in October 2009, four years before The Last of Us in June 2013.

It's smart, as it shows that Nathan Drake isn't necessarily always the one with the answers. The Last of Us has parts where the same can be said of Joel and Ellie's strong partnership. Ellie follows a lot of the time, but in moments like the giraffe scene, for example, she's the one the player has to follow.

Story-wise it does well to change things up, but mechanically and on a gameplay level, it offers more variety by having the player be led by something other than their own internal compass. It elevates the side characters' impact on the story massively, even in the case of Tenzin, who doesn't utter a word of English throughout Uncharted 2.

The Last of Us' Influences are Obvious

It's clear that The Last of Us owes other franchises and stories a lot. Be it Night of the Living Dead for its liberal approach to gore or Cormack McCarthy's The Road for its tightly-knit protagonists, the series has taken cues from several places. The most prominent source of inspiration can be found internally, however, as Uncharted clearly laid the groundwork for a lot of The Last of Us' combat mechanics and strong writing. Nathan Drake's unlikely friendship with Tenzin is really the top of a very big iceberg, but essential nonetheless.