The Last of Us Part II is now available at your nearest game shops and the PlayStation Store, but it’s not without controversy. Leaked before its original release date, the sequel of the original 2013 Last of Us drew a line in the sand of fans in two. Some of them praise its breathtakingly beautiful graphics, while others seem to have a deep antipathy for its storyline.
So, after such polarizing reviews, is Part III coming out any time in the future? The sales number of Part II is totally a no-brainer, but Naughty Dog still hasn’t confirmed anything about the third sequel. While we’re at it, let’s take a look at 5 reasons why a sequel is needed & 5 others why it’s not. Please be aware that this article will be filled with major spoilers.
10 Reason We Do: More Joel’s Flashback
Love the game or loathe it, all the fans can agree that the best part of the game is Joel’s flashbacks and how his presence became the moral compass of Ellie. Back to the good old time when they still share the father-and-daughter-like relationship fans adored.
The saddest part of these flashbacks is when Joel tells Ellie the truth about what happened to the Fireflies. Since then, the two were falling out. Even though Ellie promised to make up for it, it was too late. Joel died under Abby’s golf club, thinking that Ellie hated him.
9 Reason We Don’t: What Could Possibly Be Deadlier than the Rat King?
This is more of a ‘reason why another sequel will be more terrifying’ instead of a ‘reason not to need another one.’ More than 20 years after the Outbreak Day of the Cordyceps Brain Infection, when you play with Abby, you’ll have to take down the ugly-looking Rat King at the hospital’s basement that runs into you when you’re in search for medical supplies.
It’s one hell of stress for players, because of how rare the supplies are and how ready the Rat King can tear Abby limb by limb. If Part III is going to take years after the event of Part II, nobody knows what kind of horrifying creature Naughty Dog will come up with.
8 Reason We Do: The Beautiful Post-Apocalyptic World
Given the fact of the fans’ angry and lackluster reviews of Part II’s story, the game heavily relies on its boundaries-pushing & astonishing graphics. It’s a big step-up from its older sibling, The Last of Us, released back in 2013 under the PlayStation 3 system.
Imagine how ridiculously realistic and detailed it will be when Part III meets the new & upcoming PlayStation 5?
7 Reason We Don’t: Another Unnecessary Train of Hate
Being one of the best, in any kind of expertise, always brings both unnecessary praise and unnecessary hate. Sure, everybody from the fans and the critics adored 2013 Last of Us, but Part II has been a constant hot topic on the internet in the last few weeks for its polarizing reviews.
What fans criticize mostly from the game is how disrespectful the developer was for Joel, the character fans have been rooted for so long. A handful of plot holes this and there also added to the laundry list of what fans hate from the game.
6 Reason We Do: What Happened to Abby After the Beach?
After everything that’s said and done, Ellie finally forgives Abby after one final fight at the beach, losing both of her fingers in the process. After that, Abby heads off with Lev using a sailboat to somewhere we don’t know. Even if not everyone is a fan of her character, it will be interesting to find out where the two head out.
Could they get back on their feet and re-join the new Fireflies? Until Part II’s DLC or Part III’s release is confirmed, nobody really has a provable theory of where they’re heading.
5 Reason We Don’t: TLOU > Part II
Remember when everyone was so hyped about Part II after its first-ever trailer release back in 2016? Well, both received tremendous and positive reviews from the critics, but only one that came home with the winning belt from all the fans. With all the train of hate against The Last of Us, the chance for Naughty Dog to turn it around is almost slim-to-none, and a sequel is definitely going to hurt the franchise even more.
4 Reason We Do: How Dina & JJ Resettled Back at Jackson
Another specific part that you’ve probably missed is how Ellie travels to Santa Barbara without Dina’s bracelet, but as soon as she gets to the farm after encountering Abby, she appears to wear one. Many fans believe that Ellie has indeed settled back to Jackson to re-unite with Dina & JJ; hence she’s not surprised by not seeing anyone home. She visits the farmhouse to take Joel’s guitar but leaves it behind to symbolize her vengeance cycle.
3 Reason We Don’t: God Only Knows What Character Would Die Next
Naughty Dog, please no. Fans have seen enough of Joel’s tragic death under Abby’s golf stick and Jesse on her gunpoint, and God only knows who’s going to die next. It could be Dina, or JJ, or even Tommy. We’re not ready yet for another moment of fictional heartbreak.
2 Reason We Do: Naughty Dog Could Get the Title Back on the Track
Naughty Dog is a household name in the gaming industry and has produced numbers of game titles with quality stories like The Uncharted series (2007 - 2017). We’re more than sure that the California-based developer is more than capable of turning Part II’s hatred momentum into something great on Part III.
Maybe a flashback to younger Joel after Sarah’s death during the earliest event of 2013 Last of Us when he turned suicidal and made a living off being a hunter? That would be good, and we love Joel, but who knows?
1 Reason We Don’t: Or, They Could Potentially Harm the Franchise More Than They Already Did
Sometimes, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself becoming a villain. Upon the release of Part II, The Last of Us franchise became the fastest-selling PS4-exclusive game and the fastest-hated game. There’s no denying that everyone adored how pure the original Last of Us back in 2013, but its sequel definitely hurt the legacy.
If Naughty Dog decides to close the curtain and confirms that Ellie has returned to the Jackson settlement and reunited with Dina and they live happily ever after, that will stop the game from being a constant internet subject again.
