As an avid gamer and industry commentator for over 15 years, I‘ve grown to admire titles that advance video game narrative and storytelling. Few games have captured my imagination as profoundly as Naughty Dog‘s 2013 masterpiece The Last of Us.
Even today, The Last of Us represents a benchmark for integrating gameplay, characters, setting, and theme to craft a resonating interactive tale. Its title characters of Joel and Ellie, grueling encounters against zombie-like Clickers, and cross-country trek in a post-pandemic America left indelible impressions on players.
In this blog post, I want to highlight 12 narrative-driven games well-suited for fans eager to recapture The Last of Us magic. Delving through engrossing settings and investing in multifaceted characters once more, these gripping adventures stay with you long after the credits roll. Expect to discover everything from stirring father-child bonding journeys to chilling trips steeped in isolation and dread.
Let‘s dive in and explore a world of captivating storytelling with my recommendations of fantastic games like The Last of Us.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Genre: Action Role-Playing Game (RPG)
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Story: Horizon Zero Dawn instantly draws you into its world where mechanical creatures rule the earth and mankind has regressed to tribal communities. You play as the brave hunter Aloy in this lush open world action RPG as she battles robotic dinosaurs and unravels the mysteries of her origin and the fall of humanity.
Fans of The Last of Us will feel right at home with Horizon Zero Dawn‘s wilderness exploration, strategic combat mechanics, deep crafting system, and touching narrative that lingers long after its 30+ hours of playtime. Reviewers praised Guerrilla Games for creating one of gaming‘s "best new characters" (GamesRadar) and "the most compelling open world this generation" (GameSpot).
God of War (2018)
Genre: Action-Adventure
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows
Release Date: April 20, 2018
Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Story: The 2018 God of War soft reboot turns the dial way down on over-the-top action in favor of a more grounded and intimate adventure with an older Kratos and his young son Atreus. Players guide the father and son across the frigid Norse realms, bonding through spellbinding combat encounters with draugrs, trolls, and even gods.
The tender relationship drama and enthralling world mythology woven into this stirring narrative earned immense praise – "The fanfare is warranted for the successful revamp and moving father/son tale" (Forbes). Last of Us devotees who resonated with that game‘s complex character dynamics and themes of guilt, love, and sacrifice will find another Nordic masterpiece in the PS4‘s God of War.
12 More Narrative Gems For Fans of The Last of Us
Beyond Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War, so many developers today craft adventures propelled by their gripping worlds and etched-in-stone characters. Here are 10 more single player epics guaranteed to pull The Last of Us aficionados into their rich tapestries.
Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima‘s odd opus features stunning Icelandic vistas and cerebral concepts around connections between people.
Ghost of Tsushima
Sucker Punch‘s samurai tale presents 13th century Japan in all its beauty while speaking profoundly on the devastation of loss.
Hellblade: Senua‘s Sacrifice
The hauntingly realized struggle of a Celtic warrior with severe psychosis makes for an unforgettable interactive exploration of mental health.
Alien: Isolation
This horrifying and dread-soaked trip into the eponymous ship of Ridley Scott‘s Alien delivers tension and fear seldom matched in gaming.
The Evil Within 2
Master of Horror Shinji Mikami returns to prominence as you unravel chilling mysteries across warped realities.
Dying Light
Techland sends you parkouring across a sprawling city teeming with gruesome undead threats in this unique first-person survival horror smash.
Days Gone
Explore the Pacific Northwest wilderness in Bend Studio‘s ambitious and underrated entry into the zombie survival genre.
Metro Exodus
4A Games provides claustrophobic combat and harrowing monsters amidst post-nuclear Russia‘s frozen desolation.
Resident Evil 2 (2019)
Capcom shows how to pull off video game remakes right – updating graphics and modernizing gameplay while retaining the spirit of a horror landmark.
Fallout 4
Bethesda‘s acclaimed post-apocalyptic RPG epic provides customization and discovery galore for those who enjoy losing themselves in immersive worlds.
Hope You Continue Your Narrative Journey
The Last of Us raised expectations for storytelling and worldbuilding in gaming with its resonant characters and high stakes survival. As this post illuminated, many developers continue pushing the medium forward with unforgettable single player odysseys.
Whether you most admired the intimate character writing, action set pieces, environmental design, or post-pandemic premise, these 12 games promise memorable worlds to lose yourself in next. I hope trying some brings you new favorite stories and characters on par with Joel and Ellie.
I‘d love to hear which narrative-focused title you‘ll play following The Last of Us. Please share your thoughts and own recommendations below!
