In 2013, Naughty Dog distinguished itself with The Last of Us. A late addition to the PlayStation 3 library that hit just months before the release of the PlayStation 4, The Last of Us was met with universal acclaim for its heartfelt story and character development as well as the incredible "Balance of Power" gameplay system that kept each situation engaging and intense.
Since the announcement of The Last of Us Part II at 2016's PlayStation Experience event, fans have been waiting for the sequel, which is scheduled to drop on May 29. However, due to the global pandemic of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and many people already self-isolating to reduce the impact of the infection, is releasing a game where the world slows to a halt because of a viral outbreak in good taste?
In The Last of Us, society falls apart because of the fictional Cordyceps Brain Infection. This disease is based on the real-life Cordyceps fungus, which famously infects ants and turns them into "zombies." The fungus attacks the brain of the ant, making them find higher ground before releasing more fungal spores to create more infections. In the game, you can get infected just by breathing in Cordyceps spores or by an infected individual coming into contact you, which is similar to the way that the real pandemic COVID-19 infects thousands of people daily. The difference here is that the fictional disease turns the host into a fungus covered monster.
When The Last of Us originally released, zombie apocalypse media was at its peak, with such things as The Walking Dead, Zombieland, ZombieU and Dead Rising 3, However, The Last of Us stood over other pieces of fiction about zombies not only by being a fresh new IP with stellar and unique gameplay, but also by honing the themes other zombie stories have cultivated and distilling them into something the target audience could fall in love with.
Joel and Ellie are examples of remarkable characters who are not only relatable, passionate and funny in their own ways in the face of despair. They are also incredibly strong and resilient people. At the beginning of The Last of Us, Joel's daughter dies in the chaos that ensues following the virus' outbreak, which is ultimately how his path crosses with Ellie when he's tasked with smuggling her out of the quarantine zone. After that we learn that Ellie has lost everyone who ever cared for her, and has had to grow up quickly to accommodate these harsh circumstances. Over the course of the game, these characters create a powerful father-daughter dynamic that is necessary for both of them and because of that they grow so much together, with Ellie's character further developed in the sequel. As a result it becomes much easier to connect with these characters and players fight for their survival because they want to see them make it through.
COVID-19 is extremely serious and many people are concerned with how quickly it has been able to spread around the globe. With self-isolation becoming the reality for many during these uncertain times, it's difficult not to be overwhelmed with the volume of news about the virus readily accessible at any time. It's also not hard to see how The Last of Us Part II or The Last of Us HBO series could be viewed negatively because of the crisis. However, if the resourceful characters of The Last of Us can teach us anything, it's that people are much stronger than they know, and that with determination and perseverance we can make it through anything.