Daria Paterek
With the highly anticipated finale to The Last of Us releasing in the UK today, is there a better time to play the video game than now? If you haven’t played The Last of Us already, then what are you waiting for? For non-PlayStation players, the PC version launches on PC on March 28. However, if you have already played The Last of Us and are looking to find some games to make you feel again, look no further than Daria’s top recommendations.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A game centred around a merciless monster slayer and a rebellious young girl- sounds familiar, right? If you can’t get enough of the ‘reluctant adoptive father and unhinged teenage daughter’ trope, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the game for you. You follow Geralt of Rivia, a witcher (basically a monster slayer for hire) in his twisted and intense journey around a war-torn, monster-infested fantasy world, as he desperately searches for his adoptive daughter Ciri. Ciri is on the run from the Wild Hunt, a group of ghost-like riders who kidnap people from the Continent.
While the game in itself is an RPG (featuring an endless selection of side quests) rather than a closed-world survival game like The Last of Us, if you’re looking for a game with a similar dynamic and new terrifying creatures, then this is the game for you. Better yet, if you can’t get enough of The Witcher, you can watch the TV adaptation on Netflix and read the eight books.
The Walking Dead Series
If you’re solely looking for a game featuring zombies, then The Walking Dead series is the one for you. Based on the comic book series rather than the TV show, the game follows Lee, an escaped prison convict, as he reluctantly takes care of a young girl called Clementine. They navigate the newly zombie-ridden world in hopes of reuniting Clementine with her parents.
If you want a game focused on story and character development, you’ve found the one. While the game features quick time events, it isn’t strategically difficult- so not suited for players looking for a hardcore experience. Whereas if you’re looking for a game that has you frantically grabbing tissues by the end of it, this is the one.
God of War
Like The Last of Us, God of War is not only intense and full of action, but it’s also emotive and heart-wrenching.
God of War is very different from The Last of Us, but it’s just as great. While God of War is a more ‘hack and slash’ type of game compared to the survival focus of The Last of Us, if you’re searching for a game with similar character archetypes, you’ve found the one. Follow Kratos, a cold and brutal father who personifies strength, as he makes a turbulent journey with his son Atreus. Plagued by his troubled past (like Joel), Kratos embarks on a journey which is not only challenging due to conflicts with monsters and gods but due to the harsh reality of his past and future. Like The Last of Us, God of War is not only intense and full of action, but it’s also emotive and heart-wrenching.
If you want to delve into the rich world of PlayStation exclusives, then God of War is the perfect place to start- and if you love it just as much as I did, then its highly acclaimed sequel, God of War Ragnarök, is ready to play when you are.
The Fallout Series
As a fan of The Last Of Us, I assume you enjoy the dark, dystopian, post-apocalyptic setting. So, explore the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout, where instead of the world being wrecked by fungi, it’s been destroyed by nuclear warfare.
I suggest starting with Fallout: New Vegas or Fallout 4, but all entries within the franchise can be played in any order, as they are not sequential (they are loosely intertwined, though). Yet in all the entries, you find yourself navigating a character that must survive the mutated creatures of the wasteland, the collapse of humanity, and political turmoil. Arguably my favourite video game franchise, Fallout shares the same gritty and unforgiving world-building present in The Last of Us.
The Last of Us Part II
Can’t get enough of The Last of Us? Luckily, you won’t have to wait years to discover Ellie and Joel’s fate. Since the TV adaptation was quite faithful to its source, Season 2 will likely follow a similar storyline to the game’s sequel. Now an adult, you navigate the world as Ellie, facing the biggest threat posed in a post-apocalyptic world: humanity itself.
While the TV adaption received substantial backlash for its lack of zombies (which I wholeheartedly agree with), the biggest enemy in The Last of Us Part II is people. Without spoiling too much of its plot, it’s arguably one of the most decisive video games to be released in recent years. So if you’re lucky enough to possess a PlayStation console, skip reading the reviews, delve into the game blind, and decide what you think yourself.
Daria Paterek
Featured image courtesy of Daniel Jensen via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In article video courtesy of GameSpot, PlayStation, IGN, and GameNews via Youtube.com. No changes were made to this video.
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