The Last of Us debuted in 2013 as perhaps the best game for PlayStation 3. It showcases masterful storytelling, motion capture, graphics, music, and gameplay. The second entry, The Last of Us Part II, is more divisive. It has a less unique story about revenge and gameplay that didn’t evolve too much. Even so, the game bundles stellar levels of quality. As a TLOU fan, you may belong to one of these two brackets. Option One is that you loved both games, and you want more. Option Two is that you enjoyed the first game, but you either didn’t like or didn’t play the second one. Although you’re part of a somehow divided fan base, our options should cover the taste of both types of fans.
Selecting Games Like The Last Of Us
Because we want to find real alternatives, our task is to understand the primary elements of The Last of Us series. So, we believe the games you would like feature a mix of the following aspects:
Genre: TLOU is an action-adventure horror survival shooter. You play in third-person and progress through a story against a series of zombies and enemy humans.Setting: You play in the post-apocalyptic USA after a zombie-like virus ravaged humanity. The location explains why survivors became savage and hostile and why there’re so few resources. Survival: The survival part of the games is because of supply scarcity. You have limited weapons, and you find limited ammo for each weapon. Moreover, there’re no traders in the games.Horror: The horror element comes from its main enemies, the Infected. Infected segments can be scary, as they often appear in dark areas like tunnels, sewers, and abandoned buildings. Map design: These games are linear. The goal is to survive while traveling from point A to B. Each area is somehow wide (wider on the sequel), and it’s full of enemies. Gameplay: You play in a third-person perspective on exploration and action segments. During exploration, you check the areas for loot, like drawers desks. You can shoot firearms and a bow during the action or use melee weapons. TLOU2 improves the melee by adding a simple dodge mechanic. Alternatively, you can sneak and use stealth takedowns. Aiming: The aiming mechanic is rather simple on TLOU games. Each gun has a small circle that works as your sign. Crafting: There’s also a crafting system in the game. You gather supplies and then craft ammo, medical kits, grenades, and other items in real-time. Weapon upgrades: Similarly, you upgrade weapons in real-time on either game. You need to gather parts to unlock the enhancements.Character progression: Even though the game is not an RPG, there’s a character progression system. In essence, you find items like supplements in the world that unlock skill upgrades. You can improve, for example, your health bar or your crafting speed. Storytelling: Both games feature heavy storytelling. There are hours worth of cinematic choices to display the story. You go from point A to B, and there’s often a cinematic at each segment’s beginning and end. Multiplayer option: The first game has a multiplayer team-based PvP option. Quality: The graphics, the music, the animation, the lighting, and the performance are above their console generation.
Overall, TLOU games are third-person survival shooters with heavy character-driven plots. Games like The Last of Us should feature similar elements. Moreover, they should be quality games featuring fully-fledged fictional settings. Lastly, the overall experience must feel cinematic.
Games Like The Last Of Us
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The Uncharted saga is a cousin to The Last of Us. It’s a nice mix of Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones, and the cinematic third-person action-adventure you’d expect from the developer. The fourth entry follows Nathan Drake’s last adventure, currently available for Windows through Steam. The story follows a historical conspiracy around adventurer Henry Avery and Nate’s missing brother, Sam. It forces the former adventurer to go back to treasure hunting. The developers added plenty of TLOU elements into Uncharted 4. That includes bombastic cinematics, tenuous family bonds, and the idea of growing up, just like Ellie. In summary, The game is also heavy on the action segments. Nathan Drake has a grappling hook to traverse the linear areas. On top of that, he has various guns, a simple aim, and easy-to-use melee abilities to defeat the foes. Lastly, the game thrives in the quality department. Not only are the graphics stellar, but fans can also enjoy Troy Baker (TLOU’s Joe) as Nathan’s brother, Sam. Moreover, it features a personal story and excels as a character-driven game.
Resident Evil 2 (Remake)
The Resident Evil franchise includes a zombie infestation with decades worth of lore. In fact, other RE games may get your attention, but the Remake is definitely one of the best. The Remake of the second entry is one of their best takes yet. It’s tense, spooky, and scarce. It’s a must-play for gamers looking for challenging zombie survival shooters. You play in the third person as Leon Kennedy, a police officer from Raccoon City, and Claire Redfield, a student. They work together to survive and escape the City during the outbreak. The story matches the original beats, and it feels quite cinematic and fledged out. Moreover, the improvements made the game feel better with new control mechanics and enhanced action sequences. Overall, it’s a great entry for RE fans and TLOU enthusiasts. It’s also available for a wider number of platforms.
Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil Village is the latest main entry of the zombie-shooter saga. It’s also a unique entry, as it mixes elements of previous entries to deliver something most RE fans would like. For starters, the game is the sequel to RE: Biohazard; therefore, the main character is Ethan Winters. Similarly, the game plays in first-person, for the second time in the saga. The result is an FPS survival horror shooter with a setting akin to RE:4. And the horror, at least from my experience, is off the chart. The enemies, the setting, the sound design, and the impossible odds Winter faces are enough to shake most players. Could you imagine how it feels being chased by a giant monstrous baby on a tight corridor as it cries for “daddy,” representing the daughter you’re trying to rescue? It’s a horrible feeling. Then, there’re also character progression systems that remind me of TLOU. You can upgrade the character at the vendor by upgrading the weapons or cooking “recipes” with the meat you find from wild animals. There’s a lot of backtracking in its linear worlds, mazes, off-putting puzzles, challenging enemies, and more.
The Evil Within
Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami created The Evil Within under Bethesda’s publication. Even though Village is also filling that role, he sold it as an RE 4 spiritual sequel. Either way, the game made a huge noise upon debut. It’s a third-person survival horror shooter and a physiological thriller. By mixing gameplay with a story-driven plot, the result is like seeing one of the best scary movies you can see. You follow Detective Sebastian Castellanos. He’s investigating a mass murderer at the Mental Beacon Hospital. Soon, though, a strange force takes them to a surreal world full of monsters. Terrified and alone, the player and Sebastian must navigate another dimension, back to the real world. Going back, though, means reaching the source of the threat and uncovering the truth behind the murderers. The setting opens frightening gameplay. Sebastian is weak, and ammo is scarce, so players must resort to sneaking often. However, there’s a character progression system, as there’re weapon upgrades, puzzles, and mazes. Lastly, as RE games and TLOU, the aiming and the shooting are quite simple.
The Evil Within 2
The Evil Within 2 continues Tango Gamework’s survival horror shooter. It has similar mechanics to its predecessor while greatly improving its visuals, effects, and setting. The story happens three years after the first game. Sebastian Castellanos is an alcoholic suffering from post-traumatic stress. He soon learns his daughter Lily is still alive, so he travels back to the surreal world to find her. Its gameplay happens in a third-person perspective as well. You shoot with a simple aim and use basic melee abilities to survive. There are also crafting options and character progression systems. Then, the setting is mostly a nightmare world. The progress is also linear, although the areas are semi-open. That said, players have multiple ways to complete levels. Lastly, players have a special device that highlights items in the world. It also reveals clues, so exploring the areas is significant in the sequel. Overall, it’s top-tier for survival horror shooter fans.
Control
Remedy Entertainment jumped to the mainstream with 2019’s Control. It was a massive hit as it showcases stellar gaming mechanics. The result is a third-person action-adventure sci-fi cinematic game. You control Jesse Faden, the newly-appointed director of the Federal Bureau of Control. The secret agency has the job of controlling paranormal activity across the world. The setting opens up a twisting, complex, and unique storyline. Her first mission, as the boss, is in The Big House, the Bureau’s headquarters. This is a “living” set that constantly changes and evolves. So, even though the game is “linear,” you require a lot of backtracking to solve its puzzles and traverse its mazes. The game also features heavy Metroidvania features. That means the map is fully open and interconnected. Still, you need to learn new skills and find special items to open certain areas. That said, Jesse has and develops reality-warping abilities to solve the mystery. Along the journey, she levels up, learns and improves skills, finds weapons, and upgrades weapons. Moreover, she fights against many reality-warping monsters and other deadly threats.
Alan Wake
Alana Wake debuted as an Xbox 360 exclusive, also by Remedy Entertainment. Nowadays, you can play it on most platforms, which would be a favor to yourself. In particular, fans of third-person horror shooters can’t miss it. You follow Alan Wake in an emotional and psychological thriller story. The plot design is akin to old-school TV shows, as the game “resets” the status quo to “normal” after every “nightmare” scene. Moreover, it has plenty of references to The Twilight Zone, a 1959 American horror anthology show. Let me explain. You’re a writer, a horror writer searching for inspiration. So, you travel to a little town, Bright Falls, to concentrate. But it’s not a place to rest and get inspiration; instead, at night, shadowy monsters try to hunt you. And when the nightmare ends, you seem to “wake up” in the morning while the world tries to convince you nothing is happening. The gameplay is wholly unique. You have a flashlight, and you have limited guns and ammo. Before defeating the monsters, you have to light them with a flashlight (and other light sources) to render the enemies vulnerable. You can also dodge melee attacks and run. Lastly, the story-side of Alan Wake is outstanding. It plays with the idea that nothing is real, or perhaps everything was part of a story by Alan Wake. Either way, you never know if he ever wakes up. However, a Control expansion re-introduces the character and opens a sort of shared Remedy universe.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human
Dying Light 2 has some of the elements TLOU fans might be looking for and more. Regarding its similarities, it’s also a character-driven zombie survival shooter, likewise, on a post-apocalyptic setting featuring top-tier graphics. You play as Aiden, a survivor on land destroyed by a zombie-like virus. In 2036, many years after the fall of civilization, Aiden, a Pilgrim, is traveling between human settlements. His journey is about searching for his lost sister, Mia. Along the journey, you’re going to make tough choices that may determine the fate of the world. Your decisions take Aiden to branching paths and five different endings. Aside from the story, the gameplay delivers a first-person, open-world, action survival RPG. You level up, gather resources, craft, develop skills, and fight against zombie hordes. The world is challenging, and the setting is unforgiving. Dying Light 2 is one of the most popular games in 2022. Mixing so many elements into its core story can appeal to plenty of fans. Yet, I wouldn’t say the story is as good as a Naughty Dog game, but the gameplay, parkour traversal, and graphics surely make up for it.
Days Gone
Days Gone is another zombie survival shooter, an obvious choice for The Last of Us players. Moreover, it’s also a Sony exclusive. Currently, though, it’s available for PC on Steam for a wider audience. Its world is grim, and the story is mesmerizing. Then, the characters are deep, and the motion animation is outstanding. Moreover, the combat is satisfying with every click or press of the button. Still, its mechanics and story are great to see. Its post-apocalyptic setting presents the protagonist, Deacon St. John, a bounty hunter. Soon, he finds himself in a fight for humanity’s survival. However, the world is tough and unforgiving. The zombie hordes are everywhere, and they are fast. Ammo, though, is scarce and hard to find. Players need to rely on witts, parkour, and strategy to survive and complete the missions. Additionally, Days Gone features crafting mechanics, character progression systems, vehicles, stealth, dynamic weather, a day and night cycle, and more. Overall, it’s an underrated game, and it deserves praise rather than criticism.
Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar makes their stories and games differently from Naughty Dog. In particular, Rockstar prefers wide open-world games and lengthy plots. Still, both RD2 and the TLOU series feature two common elements. These are emotional character-driven stories and exciting action gameplay. In RD2, Rockstar excels at providing an immersive world rich in story, adventure, and things to do. You can ride to the main quests, or free-roam for hours in the west, and you won’t get bored. Either way, Rockstar’s game is an open-world action-adventure shooter with a wild west setting. You play as Arthur Morgan, an outlawed Van der Linde gang member. As his group is falling apart, you must make your own choices to balance loyalty vs. your survival. Overall, Red Dead Redemption 2 features a rich story, thrilling mechanics, and over 100 hours worth of content. It also has an engaging character progression system, crafting mechanics, and many immersive and realistic features.
God of War
The God of War soft reboot is one of the most successful titles for the PlayStation 4. It launched for PC in January 2022, and it’s also one of the most successful titles on Steam. The latest game in the saga follows Kratos in a new era. He’s a father, and he’s trying to live a life away from the vengeful paths he was following. Kratos’ son, Atreus, wants to scatter his mother’s ashes on the highest mountain. The journey, though, takes father and son in conflict with the Norsen mythology and forces Kratos to become, once again, the man he was. The bond between the protagonists is emotional, truthful, and honest. It grows and blossoms into something GoW fans could have never imagined. As such, its focus on a character-driven story does a great job. The gameplay is no slouch, though. You hack & slash through tons of monsters on a linear game with semi-open areas. You also gather currency, trade, enhancements, weapons, and skills. Overall, the combat feels brutal, and the character progression options are fair.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Spider-Man could be the game you’re looking for if you’re not exactly looking for horror. It’s one of the best Peter Parker stories in recent times, and it feels as cinematic as action-packed. You control the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in an original story. The plot features a large ensemble of Marvel characters, a wholesome tone, and profound lessons to learn. The New York setting opens an action-adventure game. You can swing with outstanding traversal abilities, and you can combat with evolving skills, gadgets, and melee moves. The mechanics are smooth, refined, and easy to learn. The result, though, feels fast and agile. The Peter Parker version you play as an adult must face various enemies. The gallery includes the Rhino, the Vulture, Electro, and Scorpion. Miles Morales is also present as Peter Parker’s protege. Overall, Marvel’s Spider-Man is an open-world cinematic action-adventure. It follows the same storytelling formulas as TLOU, as this is also a Sony PlayStation game.
