Naughty Dog has a plethora of properties under its belt, each bringing its own unique charm to PlayStation systems. FromCrash BandicoottoUncharted, the company has gone through the motions to become one of the most revered in the single-player action-adventure space. Perhaps the developer’s most critically acclaimed IP isThe Last of Us, and while the second game that was released in 2020 is polarizing, the quality is evident and shows just how much the series sets the bar for others to attempt to stumble over.
The Last of Ushas a solemn ending, andThe Last of Us 2left it similarly open for a follow-up. A third game is not officially confirmed but is strongly rumored, though it’s even less clear if Ellie or Abby will return. One inclusion is almost guaranteed, though, as one of the pillars of the series' setting is the swarms of infected that each surviving member of the human race desperately has to overcome to survive. If a game does release to round out the trilogy, it will likely include new infected enemies to battle, which could be a gift and a curse.
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The Last of Us' Infected Could Offer More in a Third Game
Storytelling is essential inThe Last of Us, but it also has an engaging combat loop. Desperately trying to navigate around strong opponents or using the final few pistol bullets to clear out a horde of zombie-like monsters is fundamental to the experience, and Naughty Dog resting on its laurels and not bringing something new to overcome would makeThe Last of Us 3a side-step rather than a leap forward.
More variety in enemies in the way of more infected types could be a viable catalyst for bringing new gameplay elements, and add a layer of strategy toThe Last of Us. The second game implemented new features to accommodate the more open levels, and in doing so felt like a genuine improvement on one of2013’s best games. New adversaries could be the step thatThe Last of Us 3needs to be an improvement over its predecessor, which is a feat that will be tough to achieve regardless.
More Infected Could Ruin The Last of Us' Lore
However, new infected could have a damaging effect on the series' lore, as there is only one direction that they can go. The further away from the start of the apocalypse, the more decades of infection there will be, meaning there is always more potential for something new. That said, enemies can only get so big and so menacing, asthe Rat Kingproved.
This means there isn’t a lot of room for anything much more challenging, at least not in parts of the United States that have already been explored. 20 years passed in the time between the opening ofThe Last of Usand the rest of the first game, and across two decades it would be unlikely that any new types have been kicking around unknown to the protagonists unless the third entry takes place somewhere much farther away.
Adding new enemy types would be beneficial to the gameplay but detrimental to world-building if implemented carelessly, and as Naughty Dog has balanced the two effortlessly with the first two releases, it can’t run the risk of jeopardizing that with a third title.The Last of Us 2did well to subvert the issue with more emphasis on human opponents with theWashington Liberation Front and the Seraphites, but infected enemies deserve their time to shine, too.
The Last of Us Part 1is currently available on PlayStation 5 and will be available for PC on June 27, 2025.
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