September 26th saw the commemoration of The Last of Us day another year on from when the outbreak reached a critical mass.
The Last of Us day (formally known as ‘Outbreak Day’) was first commemorated in 2013, the year the first game was released and fans continue to celebrate the incredible games every year.
A few ways to celebrate The Last of Us day is to replay the games, read the comic book and also mentally prepare yourself for the TV show that is sure to be absolutely incredible!
To commemorate the games, here is my opinion on The Last of Us vs The Last of Us 2.
The Last of Us
The first game will always be my favourite, as we get to see the relationship blossom between Ellie and Joel, as they learn to trust one another and save each other in more ways than one. The joke book and talking of each other’s pasts makes you fall in love with the incredibly complex characters and their story.
The gameplay for the first game is absolutely amazing, with great graphics, storylines and fun items to pick up along the way which is elevated even more in part two.
When the first game was being made, there were many conversations about having Ellie at the forefront of the cover due to possibly making it less popular with gamers. This is something that I love about the first game and the fact that Naughty Dog expanded this with the second game and made me love seeing and playing powerful women.
The Last of Us 2
The second game smashed records by being the most awarded game in history and it’s no surprise why.
When The Last of Us 2 was released, there were uproars about multiple events including the Abby gameplay, Ellie and Dina’s relationship, Lev and so much more.
However, the things people moaned about were all the things that elevated the game and made it that much better for me. The relationship between Ellie and Dina is absolutely lovely and Lev’s character and his story is a huge step forward for the LGBTQ+ community in gaming.
I’ll admit that when I first played the game, I struggled to get into Abby’s gameplay, because I loved playing as Ellie’s character; by my second play-through, I really enjoyed her story.
Abby and Lev create a relationship that reminds me of Ellie and Joel in the first game and I love seeing how she looks after him and his sister Yara.
The second game has so many more components to enjoy with more enemies including ‘Rat king’ and ‘Scars’ as well as new and improved customised weapons and more open areas to explore in a much longer game.
The thing about the characters in the universe is that they’re all flawed, but it makes you appreciate them so much more. Imakes them more human and relatable and the second game really delves into this more which I love.
Both games are absolutely incredible and while the second game would technically be better with cleaner movements, great graphics and more components. The first game will always have a place in my heart.
By Scarlett Acres
Feature image: Naughty Dog