The well-written The Last of Us story is mesmerizing for many reasons, but Naughty Dog should shake things up for the upcoming TLOU Part 1. The Last of Us came out in 2013 to great critical success. Now that nine years have passed, Naughty Dog is making a technical remake of the action-adventure game, despite already having a remastered version.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us and its Left Behind DLC.]For many fans, the remake is welcome news, but others have found it hard to justify amid the $69.99 price tag for the same story and gameplay as the original title. This is why some small but important story changes could be a way of making the TLOU Part 1 more enticing for fans. The Last of Us‘ story takes players on an emotional and literal journey across the United States ravaged by a fungus-based pandemic. The game ends when protagonist Joel chooses to save the life of his surrogate daughter, Ellie, rather than allow her to go through a deadly procedure that might create a cure for the virus. TLOU’s sequel, TLOU Part 2, shows the horrifying consequences of this decision for both Ellie and Joel and was met with some backlash for its story moments.
TLOU Part 1 could be used as a way to bring the original game and its sequel closer together so that the story can be more cohesive. Some fans objected to decisions the original characters made in TLOU 2 which made the story seem shallow. This is why more explanation or character detail could be useful in TLOU Part 1. Additionally, having now lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, Naughty Dog has a better understanding of how people respond to an outbreak. TLOU story could be updated in small ways to make it more realistic.
TLOU Part 1’s Opening Credits Need To Be More Realistic.
Watching TLOU’s opening credits after playing the intro to the game is quite a surreal experience. This segment gives players insight into how the fictional Cordyceps brain infection affected America. Many of the news announcements are similar to what people heard during the COVID- 19 outbreak in 2020. However, there are still some things that Naughty Dog should improve.
While the opening credits are scary, they still could capture the start of a pandemic more accurately. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many denied the virus was that serious or did not believe it was real. Although the TLOU Cordyceps brain infection is much different than COVID-19, TLOU Part 1 could include dialogue from people who do not believe the infection is that bad.
Another thing Naughty Dog could change in the TLOU Part 1 opening credits is mentioning countries outside the United States. The question of how the rest of the world is coping has still not been answered despite being a major plot hole. Are other countries also affected by the Cordyceps pandemic? If not, did they provide aid to America? Is America the only survivor of the Cordyceps pandemic or are there other survivors out there? And has anyone in TLOU reached outside the United States? These are all important questions that could be clarified with updated opening credits.
References To TLOU Part 2 Should Be Added To TLOU Part 1
Despite TLOU and its sequel having a five-year gap between them, Naughty Dog should include more references to TLOU Part 2 to make it a better sequel. Little Easter eggs or tweaks to the game’s assets could streamline the jump between the two games. While TLOU was not necessarily made with a sequel planned, there are a lot of discrepancies that can be solved in TLOU Part 1.
Abby’s father, Jerry, in TLOU Part 2, looks nothing like the surgeon Joel kills at the end of TLOU. Even though in both games they can be found in the same position in the surgery room, they are completely different people. Abby’s dad looking different in TLOU 2 confused many, as players believed Jerry in the TLOU was of African-American ethnicity, which is problematic considering he appears to be white in the sequel. Although Naughty Dog has given no reason for this change, TLOU Part 1 needs to address this decision in some form because differences between the characters may take people out of the story.
References to TLOU Part 2 factions like The Washington Liberation Front and Seraphites would also better immerse players in TLOU Part 1. The WLF paramilitary faction had a good relationship with the Fireflies from the first game. Strangely there is no mention of the WLF in TLOU, despite the faction successfully opposing one of the main antagonistic groups, the Federal Disaster Response Agency. Likewise, TLOU Part 2‘s Seraphites also gave FEDRA problems. Stories of other factions outside the Fireflies should be put into TLOU Part 1 to make the world more cohesive.
At Least One Person Of Color Should Survive In TLOU Part 1
In TLOU and TLOU 2, almost all the characters die due to the apocalyptic setting, but very few people of color are left standing. In the first game, no people of color survive at all. TLOU and its Left Behind DLC have four major characters that are not ethnically white: Marlene, Sam and Henry, and Riley, and all die in various shocking ways.
While death is a normal part of TLOU universe, it also would not discriminate between people. Joel, Ellie, Bill, Tommy, and Maria are the only surviving main characters of The Last of Us and all appear ethnically white. It would be more realistic and a better representation of people of color if at least one survived TLOU Part 1. Although the implications of this may be difficult to put in place, Henry could be a character that somehow survives because he is not murdered or infected.
Naughty Dog Should Make Small Story Changes To TLOU Part 1
Naughty Dog has explicitly stated that TLOU Part 1 is just a technical remake. However, many people have found it hard to justify a technical remake if TLOU and TLOU Remastered‘s graphics still hold up. It would be useful for Part 1 to make some minor story changes so that it would be more of a new experience rather than just a remake. As almost a decade has passed since The Last of Us, many story aspects need updating for The Last of Us Part 1.
