The Last of Us Was Envisioned as “the Opposite of Resident Evil” – Neil Druckmann

In spite of similarities in their premises, The Last of Us was envisioned as a much more grounded experience than Resident Evil, according to series creator Neil Druckmann.

Posted By | On 06th, Jan. 2023

The Last of Us Part 1

Back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, entertainment media was saturated with zombies, and that very much applied to games as well. On paper and at first glance, when it was initially unveiled, many could have easily mistaken The Last of Us for being another run-of-the-mill game where you go around killing zombies- of which there’s never been any shortage.

Of course, it didn’t take long for it to become clear that The Last of Us was going to be much more, thanks in large part to its much more adult and grounded tone, and how dedicated it is to its story and characters. That, in fact, was very much how the series’ creators originally envisioned it.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, series creator and director and Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann explained that he envisioned The Last of Us as “the opposite of Resident Evil“- which, he says, is a series he loves, but one that’s always been much more over-the-top in its tone and style.

“We wanted to do the opposite of Resident Evil — which I love, but it’s so over-the-top and you’re fighting giant spiders and it’s all about enemy variety,” he said. “What if it’s about intimate relationships — an exploration of the unconditional love a parent feels for their child and the beautiful things that could come out of that and the really horrible things that could come out of that?”

It’s fair to say that it worked out. Naughty Dog recently announced that The Last of Us series has sold over 37 million units worldwide. With a standalone multiplayer game in the works, the HBO adaptation premiering soon, and a Part 3 rumoured to be in development as well, it’s safe to say that it’s only going to get bigger.


Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Keep On Reading!

Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. is Out Now on PC

Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. is Out Now on PC

As a port of Ultimate Showdown, it features 4K visuals and rollback netcode, though the original's Quest Mode ...

Nintendo Has Started Sending Out Confirmation Emails for Switch 2 Experience Events

Nintendo Has Started Sending Out Confirmation Emails for Switch 2 Experience Events

Even users that failed at signing up for Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events seemingly have a chance to be pic...

Rise of the Ronin Supports 8K, 120 FPS, Ray Tracing, and Ultra-wide Displays on PC

Rise of the Ronin Supports 8K, 120 FPS, Ray Tracing, and Ultra-wide Displays on PC

The PC port is also compatible with Super Ultra-wide displays while incorporating upscalers like AMD FSR, Nvid...

JDM: Japanese Drift Master is Coming to PC on March 26

JDM: Japanese Drift Master is Coming to PC on March 26

The simcade racer will feature a blend of realistic physics with arcade-styled gameplay, and will also support...

Ubisoft is Laying Off 185 Employees Throughout Europe, Shutting Down Leamington Studio

Ubisoft is Laying Off 185 Employees Throughout Europe, Shutting Down Leamington Studio

Ubisoft will be laying off employees from its Düsseldorf, Stockholm and Reflections studios alongside shuttin...

Dauntless, Fae Farm Developer Announces Layoffs For Majority of the Studio

Dauntless, Fae Farm Developer Announces Layoffs For Majority of the Studio

Phoenix Labs has been trying to pivot its titles to hiave more live-service features. This includes redesignin...