Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us: Part 2 was met with a strongly mixed response from fans, but that doesn’t mean the developers should give up on a third installment. Rather, making the once-beloved franchise into a trilogy provides an opportunity for redemption in the eyes of these players, as well as a chance to answer some long-running questions.
Given that the public’s reception to The Last of Us 2 was so controversial, it may seem counter-intuitive for the franchise to attempt a third installment. But then again, they say the third try is the charm. Especially given how good the original game was, The Last of Us franchise deserves one more chance in order to redeem itself. There are countless directions in which the writers could take the story, given them a world of opportunity.
The first game in The Last of Us series ended with Joel’s decision to save Ellie from the Fireflies, even though it meant risking the cure and costing countless lives. Later, The Last of Us: Part 2 delved into the consequences of Joel’s’ actions on a small scale, showing players how it impacted the offspring of the doctor he killed. For a third The Last of Us game, it would make sense to carry on with this theme, but instead approach it from a different perspective.
How The Last Of Us: Part 3 Could Explore Ellie’s Immunity
A third The Last of Us game could question how Joel’s actions caused problems on a global scale. It could particularly address if Abby’s dad was the only doctor capable of making a cure, or what happened to the Fireflies after they disbanded and if they ever met up in Santa Monica. But even more interesting, a third game would provide the opportunity for The Last of Us franchise to explore the idea of there being other people like Ellie out in the world. It doesn’t exactly make sense that she’s the only person who has naturally developed an immunity to the infection. It’s been over two decades since the infection’s onset, and this large time frame makes it possible (and likely) someone elsewhere in the world could also be immune.
At the very least, it’s possible, and so it gives Naughty Dog an excellent chance to answer player's questions and breathe new life into the franchise. They could give The Last of Us series a face-lift by following completely new characters, like new ones that are trying to develop a cure, even though introducing a new playable character is largely what got the second game in trouble with certain fans. It would also make sense to have Ellie trying to track down a group making a cure in an effort to clear her own conscience about Joel’s decision. Either way, a third The Last of Us game is neither a bad idea nor an unrealistic one.