Thank You, Naughty Dog (or When the Game is Even Better Than the Show)

Last summer I had a moment where I decided to get back in touch with my inner gamer, big time. I bought a PS5, and binge-played a bunch of old and new classics. First was Stray. Then came a play-through of the entire Uncharted series. And then came The Last of Us, and The Last of Us Part II.

There are so many people who have been brought into the world of The Last Of Us via the HBO show, which I believe was a masterpiece. But throughout this year I’ve found myself reflecting- a lot- on storytelling and the future of media, and I woke up today feeling compelled to share my overwhelming respect and admiration for the incredible craft that Naughty Dog put into developing The Last of Us games.

There’s been some debate about whether the game or the show are “better”, but wherever you sit on that spectrum there is one thing I don’t think can be denied. Those games are a legit emotional rollercoaster. I could feel Joel’s grief when his daughter died, his self-protective and often harsh resistance to caring for Ellie and how she ultimately made her way into his heart and became his daughter. I was IN IT with them when they had a fight or argument. I was terrified playing out the scene with David in the diner, and (*trembling*) when I was down in the hotel basement (a scene that didn’t make it into the show for some reason). And don’t even get me started on the giraffes, Sam and Henry’s deaths or the ending of the game when Ellie asks Joel if what he told her about the Fireflies was true. Prior to playing The Last of Us, I had never really experienced a videogame that moved me on that real of an emotional level, or that actually made me reflect on the nature of relationships or humanity.?

It's absolutely amazing to me that Naughty Dog pulled off- in 2013 (!!!)- the development and release of a videogame that packs the emotional power of a film. Their obvious dedication to the directing, casting and script was what you’d expect from a Hollywood studio. So much so that so many of the scenes in the show were nearly direct lifts from the game. That says something.

I just read an article confirming that season 2 for HBO is coming. I can hardly contain my curiosity, excitement and nervousness, because the second game really challenged me emotionally as I played it. People who have played the game know what I mean. No spoilers here, but there were multiple times I told my husband I might need to put the game down because I was so uncomfortable with how the game was making me think and feel. And I’m being completely honest when I tell you that I think about the storyline of The Last of Us Part II on a pretty regular basis, because for me it was that thought-provoking.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- I think videogames have massive potential to move past just having fun or escapism and into actually helping people process complicated topics and emotions, expand their imagination and learn critical thinking skills.?

I’m not saying I need that from all my games. (Here’s looking at you, Team Cherry. I cannot wait for Silksong to finally emerge with what I know will be a ton of joy-inducing beauty and imagination!)?

I’m also not blind to the fact that there’s an important conversation to be had about how games can promote negative behaviors.

But that shouldn’t preclude us from thinking about how brilliantly and thoughtfully designed games could also help provoke meaningful conversations and positive change.

Thank you, Naughty Dog. I truly can’t wait to see where you take us next.