Summary
A third chapter in theThe Last of Usfranchise is on its way. Series producer Neil Druckmann announced that he has completed a rough outline of the third game’s story and that he has a general idea of what its central theme could be. It will probably be quite a while untilThe Last of Us 3rears its head, but this “central theme” will reveal more about its nature than any piece of promotional content. Players can likely expectThe Last of Us 3to make radical changesto the narrative and gameplay foundations of the game that preceded it, just likeThe Last of Us 2departed fromThe Last of Uswith major story and mechanical decisions.
Spoilers ahead forThe Last of Us 2.
The narrative premise ofThe Last of Us Part 2was obfuscated in the lead-up to the game’s release, with trailers intentionally misleading players into thinking that Joel was still alive. There were heavy suggestions that the story would center on revenge, but the particulars of its plot could only be speculated about. Most players (barring those who saw the leaks ahead of the game launch) couldn’t have predicted that the person Ellie would be avenging was Joel. All this is to say that, whenever trailers forTLOU3begin to drop, they probably won’t be very illuminating.
The Importance of The Last of Us 3’s Central Theme
Thematic Framing In The Last of Us
When discussing apotential thirdThe Last of Usentry, Druckmann explained that the first two games were written with “clean” thematic cores in mind. He went on to say that the notion of unconditional parental love is at the heart of the first game’s narrative, whilePart 2’s story is meant to explore the concept of justice. Crucially, Druckmann has noted that the broad and nebulous idea of love is the throughline for the entire series.
Regardless of one’s opinion aboutThe Last of Usand its controversial sequel, it’s undeniable that their narratives adhere to the aforementioned themes. The first game is clearly about parental love, as Joel loses his daughter and finds a surrogate daughter in Ellie, andPart 2analyzes justice through the opposing perspectives of both Ellie and Abby. The franchise is clearly concerned with these sorts of lofty ideas, which inform the structure and content of the narrative. WithThe Last of Us 3likely closing out the franchise, the importance of its theme can’t be overstated.
The Theme of The Last of Us 3 Will Be the Best Indicator of the Game’s Story
If the dominant theme ofThe Last of Us 3gets revealed ahead of its release, either through interviews, promotional materials, or even another leak, it will probably be the biggest hint about the game’s story.
As previously stated, it wouldn’t be advisable to put too much faith in any official trailers for the game, as Naughty Dog has proven that it can be deceptive in service of keeping spoilers under wraps. IfThe Last of Us 3features another dark twistthat sits at the heart of the narrative, akin to Joel’s murder inPart 2, it’s conceivable that Naughty Dog would show only heavily edited or vague trailers. The studio would be especially motivated to do this afterThe Last of Us Part 2’s leaks, which undermined a lot of the game’s initial fanfare.
Vague trailers also boost word-of-mouth promotion, as they prompt discussion and speculation online.
The Last of Us 3may be more hopefulthan previous games, and a clean, straightforward theme like acceptance could suggest the general direction of the game’s story. Of course, this is just speculation, and no discussion about the theme will yield a play-by-play prediction of the narrative. But if someone is looking for a hint as to whereThe Last of Us 3’s story is headed, the core theme gestured at by Druckmann would be the best place to start.
The Last of Us Part 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closur
