The Last of Us Complete May Be Digging Two Graves

Naughty Dog recently announced The Last of Us Complete, which packages The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered together, as well as a Collector’s Edition for it that bundles the Complete package with a steelbook case, American Dreams #1–4 (with new cover art), and four lithographic art prints. Naughty Dog and Sony continuously finding ways to sell The Last of Us’ only two installments is commendable, especially if it is aiding in the developer’s efforts to stretch its legs with a new IP and whatever else it may be at work on, and yet The Last of Us Complete’s titular totality could be an unfortunate omen.

Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann has stated that he approaches each project as if he might not get a chance to return to it in the future, and doing so has arguably led to wholeheartedly evocative games brimming with bold conviction. The Last of Us, in particular, has concluded each entry thus far by being equally open-ended and tightly shut, allowing the series to continue forth if Naughty Dog wishes for it to. However, the ‘complete’ in Last of Us Complete insinuates that either The Last of Us overall or Ellie’s story in The Last of Us is complete, if not both.

The Last of Us’ Story Could’ve Ended with Part 1, and It Could End with Part 2

The Last of Us Part 1 ends so definitively that its main characters could’ve believably lived the rest of their lives as citizens of Jackson with Ellie always skeptical but accepting of Joel’s account of what happened at St. Mary’s. Instead, The Last of Us Part 2 molds Joel’s lie into a tragic tale and leaves a bit more of a cliffhanger for players to chew on with Abby and Lev having made it to Catalina Island, where Fireflies reside—at least, that’s where Fireflies said they were a few months before Ellie arrived in Santa Barbara.

The Last of Us ending with Part 2 would allow it to have its cake and eat it too. There’s no reason why Naughty Dog should stretch the series into oblivion if it has nothing significant to contribute to it, but The Last of Us was arguably made extraordinary with Part 2 in how it expanded gameplay and challenged characters in its continued narrative.

While it might seem shortsighted to shelf The Last of Us when it’s struck its zenith, Uncharted was also put to rest after two phenomenal outings—A Thief’s End and The Lost Legacy—which is evidence that Naughty Dog isn’t afraid to close the book on any IP with no assurance that it’ll ever be exhumed again. Conversely, The Last of Us being ‘complete’ after two games and one DLC is debatably underwhelming when Naughty Dog and Bend were able to milk six games out of Uncharted.

Trilogies are so customary that never getting a Part 3 may seem anticlimactic, and yet it would be admirable if Naughty Dog decided to retire the IP indefinitely after two entries. In any case, it took seven years for Part 2 to follow Part 1, and it’ll be neat to see what may or may not come of The Last of Us within the next decade. If The Last of Us Complete truly marks the end of the IP, though, it’ll certainly be ending on a high note.

Now, Neil Druckmann is primed to invest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet fully, and there are sparse rumors of a Shaun Escayg-led Naughty Dog game in the pipeline. Meanwhile, if The Last of Us does eventually receive a third installment in the future, it will probably be a similarly long time before another sequel is announced or revealed.

The Last of Us Could and Should Be Bigger Than Ellie Alone

Even if The Last of Us prevails, Complete could solely be referring to Ellie’s chapter in The Last of Us being over. Ellie has endured and survived so much in her life with Riley’s death and the discovery of her own immunity being The Last of Us’ true inciting incident, and leaving her with heartache and loneliness at the end of Part 2 would be tragic yet poetic since her biggest feat all along—as she shared with a despondent Sam in Part 1—has been ending up alone.

That said, the intimacy of Naughty Dog’s character-driven storytelling can and has been applied to others in The Last of Us, such as Abby. It would be disappointing if The Last of Us abandoned Abby’s story now, for instance, or never explored the stories of other random individuals.

Part 1 and Part 2 possess a lot of fulfilling lore and worldbuilding via notes and text artifacts that invite players to learn about miscellaneous survivors, and The Last of Us tackling an anthology-esque formula with new characters and stories could revitalize it. Either way, until more Last of Us is ever announced, it may be fair to assume that The Last of Us Complete is effectively the end for both The Last of Us and Ellie’s story within it.