Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part 2
As someone who has followed the studio for many years, the news regarding TLOU Part 3 certainly took me by surprise. However, I can't help but feel glad that Naughty Dog has decided to move past TLOU in general. As a company that prides itself on its originality and many revolutionary titles, it's important for Naughty Dog to maintain that level of creativity, something that I feel a third TLOU game wouldn't have allowed for.
A Third TLOU Game Would Fail To Push The Series Forward
There's Not Much Else Naughty Dog Can Do With The Franchise
A major concern I had regarding TLOU Part 3 was how it would struggle to push the franchise forward in an interesting direction, especially when you consider the second game in the series. The Last of Us Part 2 is easily Naughty Dog's most ambitious game yet, in large part due to its unconventional and challenging storytelling. Whether it's killing off Joel, the original game's main protagonist, in the first few hours of gameplay, or having half the story focused on his killer Abby, TLOU Part 2 was full of shocking twists and turns that you couldn't see coming.
What makes Part 2's convention-breaking narrative so engrossing is that it's not built purely on shock factor. Every surprising and unique storytelling choice is made purposefully in order to fully evoke the themes of revenge, grief, and justice that are integral to the overall experience. The constantly shifting perspectives force you to reckon with every character's actions and motives in a way few video games have managed to achieve.
Yet, as much as I admire the ambition of Part 2's unconventional storytelling, I can't help but feel that it puts a potential third game in an extremely difficult position. There's no doubt that Naughty Dog could make TLOU Part 3 and continue to break storytelling conventions in the same way as before. However, with Part 2 having already achieved this goal, upending things again would no longer have that sense of surprise and creativity, putting Part 3 at risk of feeling derivative rather than original.
Another game in The Last of Us series called The Last of Us Online was in development at Naughty Dog, but the project was later canceled, which was confirmed on the Naughty Dog website in 2023. The game would have been an online multiplayer experience, though little else was revealed about the project.
Part 2's Ending Shouldn't Be Messed With
The Series Has Been Left Intentionally Open-Ended
TLOU Part 3 would have also risked ruining the ending of Part 2's story. The final moments of Part 2 are some of the most somber moments of the entire series, as Ellie leaves the farmhouse alone after her final confrontation with Abby. I've always been left floored by Part 2's ending, watching how Ellie's obsessive journey of revenge meant she lost the people around her, leaving her to venture off on her own.
Part 3 becomes too much of a risk, as it could ruin the closure that Part 2's ending provided.
What makes Part 2's open ending so impactful is how it still manages to elicit a sense of finality. While the ending welcomes you to ponder where Ellie might go next, Part 2 makes it explicit that the answer to that question is not important. Rather, what matters is that this chapter of her journey, which we have followed since the first game, has come to an end. Part 3 could risk ruining that sense of closure that Part 2's ending provided, especially if it's unable to deliver a satisfying reason for Ellie's return.
Naughty Dog Thrives In Its Originality
Intergalactic Has Huge Creative Potential
One of the things I adore most about Naughty Dog is its originality, shown through its variety of different franchises. From the tight platforming action of Crash Bandicoot to the Indiana Jones-style adventures of the Uncharted series, each new IP the company works on provides a bevy of unique gameplay and storytelling opportunities that direct sequels don't always offer. Recently, this flexibility and inventiveness was once more highlighted with the reveal of Naughty Dog's latest project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
As much as I admire TLOU and its impact on storytelling in video games, I can't say that I would have been that excited to see a third game be announced. While Part 3 would undoubtedly have been a huge success, I fear that it would have done more harm than good to the series as a whole while preventing Naughty Dog from truly showcasing its creativity and ambition that I adore. Now, with The Last of Us Part 3 potentially never coming to fruition, Naughty Dog has set its sights on a new path forward, and I couldn't be more excited.