Released in 2013, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us’ influence has been so keenly felt that it’s always a part of the conversation for the best games ever made. A post-apocalyptic shooter, it follows Joel and Ellie as they cross a destitute America after an infection turns everyone very “bitey”.
Over the course of the game, Joel and Ellie grow closer and closer as their surrogate father and daughter dynamic becomes more and more investing. Featuring phenomenal performances from Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, The Last of Us threw down the gauntlet for writing and motion capture performances in video games, and few games have come close to matching it since.
With a little ways to go until the sequel releases, here are some games like The Last of Us that you should maybe give a try to help you pass away the time.
1. Enslaved: Odyssey To The West
Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
A criminally underloved AA gem, Enslaved never really had the audience it deserved when it launched back on the 360 and PS3. Set in a slightly more vibrant post-apocalyptic world, Enslaved is nothing if not ambitious, featuring a man and a woman in an unlikely friendship as they travel back to the woman’s village and away from slavery.
Written partly by the consistently excellent Alex Garland and featuring a great turn from Andy Serkis, Enslaved is if The Last of Us’ world was infected by a different kind of mushroom — the magic kind.
2. Telltale’s The Walking Dead
Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
A zombie game arguably equally as influential as The Last of Us, Telltale’s The Walking Dead is a narrative-driven adventure set in the comic universe. You play as Lee, an escaped prisoner at the onset of the zombie apocalypse with a young girl by the name of Clementine under your wing.
Affecting, charming, and not dulled by age, Telltale’s The Walking Dead tugs on the heartstrings even more so than Naughty Dog’s guilt-stirrer does.
3. Uncharted 4
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: SIE
An obvious choice, but one we’re sticking with. Uncharted 4 was Naughty Dog’s first full game following The Last of Us and absolutely cranked the dial up to 11 in terms of spectacle compared to its already pretty spectacular predecessors.
The last soiree of Nathan Drake features pirates, sibling rivalries, and a very large bell. You’ll see what we mean when you play it.
4. Max Payne 3
Developer: Rockstar
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
Far too few games let you play as a grumpy, middle-aged dude with a serious chip on his shoulder — if you thought Joel was a grouch, you clearly haven’t met Max Payne before.
May Payne 3 takes Max and makes his misery tropical as she slow-dives his way through Brazilian gangs. You know exactly what you’re getting with one of these games: a lot of bullets and death. Sometimes that’s all you need.
5. A Plague Tale: Innocence
Developer: Asobo Studio
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
One of the biggest surprise hits of 2019, A Plague Tale: Innocence follows a sister and brother as they attempt to navigate a plague-ridden France. Mystery shrouds the brother, and it’s up to you to keep him safe.
Featuring stealth sections and the kind of weapon craftmanship Joel would be proud of, A Plague Tale has more rats than a particular Deftones song, them appearing in terrifying columns of death.
6. God of War
Developer: SIE Santa Monica
Publisher: SIE
Boy, oh boy, was this a drastic but welcome departure from the familiar. Just like The Last of Us, God of War features family heavily as a father and son make a long and perilous trek to say one final goodbye to the son’s mother.
Kratos returns, but it’s not quite the same guy who brought Greece and Olympus to their knees. Featuring RPG-lite mechanics and a semi-open world, God of War has been revered as one of the PS4’s best ever since release.
7. Bioshock Infinite
Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2K
BioShock Infinite can be a little polarising between BioShock fans, but for my money, it’s every bit as good as the landmark first entry — maybe even better. Don’t electrocute me for saying that.
Taking the action from the seas to the skies, Infinite features a brilliant dynamic between Booker, the main protagonist, and Elizabeth, a young girl previously locked up in a tower. Expect the unexpected.
8. The Evil Within 2
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Publisher: Bethesda
The follow-up to the promising but perhaps too unconventional survival horror, The Evil Within 2 streamlines the experience to provide one of the most underrated horror games of all time. Seriously, more people should play this.
When a father’s daughter is captured, he must venture into the subconsciousness to save her. A mind-bending time, the familial themes and third-person zombie action make it an easy recommendation for The Last of Us fans.
9. The Punisher
Developer: Volition
Publisher: THQ
Bear with us on this one. By the end of The Last of Us, Joel is a grizzled killing machine without much remorse, a one-man killing machine he does whatever it takes, no matter how awful.
Enter Frank Castle, also a father dealing with loss who likes to cause pain. The interrogation scene in TLOU is baby stuff compared to what you can accomplish in The Punisher, so much so that you may never want to go to a garage ever again.
10. Splinter Cell: Conviction
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Much like The Punisher, Splinter Cell: Conviction also features a grieving father unleashing absolute hell on anyone who’s wronged him in some pretty harsh ways — you noticing a theme emerging here?
The last truly great Splinter Cell game (at this time of writing), Conviction is a brutal torture simulator in which Sam Fisher can turn almost any environment into somewhere to interrogate his enemies. It’s time, Ubisoft. Get the goggles out of retirement.
READ NEXT:
– 15 Best PS4 Zombie Games To Take A Bite Out Of
– Biggest New Games of 2020 & Beyond
– 15 Best Batman Games To Go Batty For
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
