I'm Glad We Might Not Get The Last Of Us Part 3 - & You Should Be Too

The Last of Us is easily one of Naughty Dog's most successful franchises to date. With two critically-acclaimed games and a highly popular TV adaptation under its wing, it would be easy to assume that Naughty Dog would take advantage of this success and ensure the series' longevity. However, hopes for a continuation of the gaming series were seemingly laid to rest this week, as Naughty Dog's studio head Neil Druckmann suggested that TLOU Part 3 might not be happening.

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

Joel tells Ellie the truth in The Last of Us Part II

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.

Alternatively, Part 3 could have followed in the footsteps of the original which, while boasting an engaging and emotional narrative, follows a more familiar storytelling structure. Even then, with Part 2 having pushed so many boundaries with its own story, moving back to a more basic structure would cause Part 3 to lose any sense of excitement. Part 3 would have been at a difficult crossroads with no ideal path forward, and it makes me glad that Naughty Dog may never find itself in that situation.

Part 2's Ending Shouldn't Be Messed With

The Series Has Been Left Intentionally Open-Ended

Ellie in Joel's living room in The Last of Us Part II

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.

It's a risk that Naughty Dog has already taken with the series in the past. The ending to the original TLOU was also left intentionally open, with it never being made clear whether Ellie figured out what happened at the Firefly Hospital. With Part 2, Naughty Dog provided a definitive answer to the question, and based on the game's general audience reception, not everyone was happy with how things played out. Part 3 arguably faces a greater risk with the series' current ending, making it a wise choice for Naughty Dog to avoid this scenario.

Naughty Dog Thrives In Its Originality

Intergalactic Has Huge Creative Potential

Jordan from Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet sits in the pilot's chair in her spaceship, with her hands behind her head. — Naughty Dog

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.

This upcoming sci-fi adventure game looks to be the next ambitious step in Naughty Dog's evolution. Despite little being known about Intergalactic, the new characters, setting, and premise lay the groundwork for Naughty Dog to push its creativity further. Whether that's by potentially placing a greater emphasis on exploration with Intergalactic's new setting or possibly telling a much larger-scale narrative akin to other iconic sci-fi stories, Naughty Dog's new IP provides a blank canvas for the developer to push its ambition in a way that a new TLOU game simply wouldn't have allowed for.

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.