“The Last of Us” is a game that has undoubtedly impressed many players worldwide. This was even adapted to an HBO series, so it only means it is really great. Right now, what’s exciting the fans even more is the coming of “The Last of Us” Part 3. Here’s everything we know about this upcoming game so far, from its release date to its possible theme.
Background
It all started with “The Last of Us,” an action-adventure game launched in 2013 by Naughty Dog as its developer and Sony Computer Entertainment as its publisher. This game has players controlling Joel, a smuggler tasked to escort a teenage girl named Ellie across the post-apocalyptic United States.
Then came “The Last of Us” Part 2, unveiled in 2020, where Ellie seeks revenge for the murder of Joel and navigates her relationship with her girlfriend, Dina.
Those who played this second part know that much was really left open-ended, with Ellie letting Abby live and Dina disappearing after her girlfriend ignored her pleas to stay.
Many fans (perhaps you even included, if you have played the game) were unimpressed with its story, but they see this as an opportunity for an even grander sequel.
Enter “The Last of Us” Part 3.
Timeline Of Developments
So far, it can safely be concluded that “The Last of Us” Part 3 is in the works. Here are some details on the statements of the key people involved shared with the media.
Last April 2021, Neil Druckmann, the creator of “The Last of Us” Part 1 and the creative director of Part 2, reportedly officially confirmed that he had already started a story outline for the game. But, but, it is not yet in active development.
The updates do not end there. On April 1st, 2022, Oops Leaks, a credible leaker, said the game’s developer, Naughty Dog, was already working on several projects then, which include “The Last of Us” Part 3.
“The outline of the script is ready, but the studio is engrossed in the development of the aforementioned projects,” they said. “It is possible that development will begin faster than expected due to [the] studio’s expansion.”
But did you notice that it was dated April 1st? April Fools’ (shrugs).
Druckmann once again released a statement last January 2023, addressing what the story of the third part will be.
“Our process is the same thing we did when we did, which is if we can come up with a compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love — just like the first and second game did — then we will tell that story. If we can’t come up with something, we have a very strong ending with and that will be the end,” he told BuzzFeed.
Release Date
There are no official statements yet on its release date. But, if we are going to follow the timeline of the release of the first two games – the original game dropped in 2013, while the second game was released only in 2020 after it was announced in 2016 – perhaps it could take a couple of years more before it arrives on your console.
Theme
The original game had some extremely dark moments, but its theme was all about finding the light where there was actually none – in Joel’s case, that light would be Ellie.
On the other hand, “The Last of Us” Part 2, is rigidly grim and dark from beginning to end.
According to speculations recently published on Game Rant, “The Last of Us” Part 3 may go in a completely different direction from its predecessors. Game Rant’s Cameron Swan said that while adult themes and violent imagery will be there, this upcoming game could end up focusing on more positive themes, such as showing humanity’s bright side when dealing with an apocalypse.
