10 Must Play Games for Fans of ‘The Last of Us’

When Sony Entertainment and Naughty Dog released The Last of Us in 2013, it ignited the resurgence of the survival horror genre. Its brilliant storyline and immersive gameplay drew more than three million sales in its first three weeks and won countless awards. It’s now widely regarded as one of the best video games of all time.

Its sequel, The Last of Us Part II, was released in 2020 and was immediately sold out in stores all over the world. More than four million copies were distributed on its opening weekend, and it also holds the record for most Game of the Year awards. Because we can only play the same game so many times and we breezed through the sequel so quickly, a lot of us are in search of other games that can deliver the same level of enjoyment.

Well, we’ve done the work for you. Here’s our list of 10 games like The Last of Us that you should definitely try. 

1. Uncharted Series

The Uncharted franchise shares the same developer and publisher as The Last of Us. The first installment, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, was released in 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and more than four million copies have been sold since. Because of the positive response, Sony released three more sequels in 2009, 2011, and 2016, which were all successful in their own right.

In Uncharted, you traverse through hostile environments by jumping, swimming, climbing on ledges, and swinging on ropes to progress through the gameplay. You’ll also experience fighting off enemies through combat and gunfire. While the gameplay is traditionally linear with levels to complete, the later games in the series introduced a semi-open world design that allows the players to explore.

For fans of Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, this series is definitely worth checking out. The latest standalone installment, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, is considered one of the best adventure games in recent years.

2. God of War Series

This is another massive video game franchise that made its mark. Created by David Jaffe and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the God of War series has become one of the most popular games for the PlayStation.

The first installment, God of War, was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and became an instant hit, selling more than 4.6 million copies worldwide. This hack and slash adventure game follows Spartan warrior Kratos as he journeys through Ancient Greece to kill the god Ares. The gameplay includes jumping on ledges, climbing walls, balancing on platforms, and solving puzzles to progress through the story.

The franchise brings to life our favorite mythological gods and goddesses in their most dangerous forms. Kratos’ path of revenge puts him in conflict with many of the gods. The gods, and eventually Titans, will manipulate Kratos throughout the series to have him unknowingly do their bidding. This gripping storyline is part of what has kept God of War consistently recognized as one of the top games since 2005.

The Greek mythology storyline of the series produced a total of six games, while the latest installment places Kratos in the world of Norse mythology.

3. Red Dead Redemption 2

This instant classic was developed and published by Rockstar Games. This is the third installment in the franchise and serves as a prequel to the 2010 game, Red Dead Redemption.

Set in 1899, it follows the story of outlaw Arthur Morgan as he tries to survive in the Wild West. You can roam around the open-world setting and interact with non-playable characters, as well as fight government agents and other rival gangs. The gameplay includes shooting, hunting, and heists.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is part of arguably the best video game series of all time, and certainly one of the most popular in recent years. It had the biggest opening weekend in history, making $725 million in its first three days, and has now sold more than 36 million copies. It also garnered several Game of the Year awards and was nominated for more than 70 awards from different bodies.

An online multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, was released in May 2019, adding longevity to this classic game.

4. Dying Light

After three years of development by Techland, this survival horror game was released in 2015 by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Its storyline is a collaboration between the company’s writing team and novelist Dan Jolley and was inspired by Heart of Darkness and The Plague.

Set in a zombie-infected Middle-eastern city called Harran, you follow the story of undercover agent Kyle Crane. The gameplay is a combination of combat and parkour. You have to climb ledges, jump between rooftops, zipline, and use your grappling hook to climb buildings. The zombies are slow during the daytime but turn aggressive at night, so you may choose to fight or escape depending on the situation. The open-world setting allows players to interact with other characters and explore the city to find loot.

There is a four-player cooperative mode available, along with a Be The Zombie mode, where you can play as the Night Hunter zombie to wipe out the other players. Fans of the horror genre are sure to enjoy its immersive campaign.

5. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts in 2019. It was one of the most-awaited games since its announcement in E3 2018.

The game is set five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. You play Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis as he tries to escape from two Galactic Empire Inquisitors while completing his training. You’re able to use your lightsaber and control the Force for combat and puzzle-solving situations. You will learn new abilities as you go through the story and will be able to upgrade them through a skill tree. You can only save your progress at checkpoints that also serve as regeneration areas.

*Spoiler Alert* Jedi: Fallen Order gained a lot of attention for the unexpected appearance of fan-favorite Darth Vader as the final boss of the campaign. Darth Vader is in his prime form and your only chance of survival is to escape. The cutscene for his entrance begins with his iconic robotic breathing has quickly become one of the most popular video game moments of all time.

Fans of the movie franchise and the rest of the Star Wars universe will love both the nostalgia and fresh elements introduced by Jedi: Fallen Order. Because of the franchise’s long history, players of all ages will be able to relate to and enjoy this game.

6. Batman: Arkham Series

The Batman: Arkham Series began with Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009) and was followed by Batman: Arkham City (2011), Batman: Arkham Origins (2013), and Batman: Arkham Knight (2015). There are also several other games in the franchise that are made for mobile and other consoles.

The third-person perspective gameplay is set in an open-world within Arkham City, where you take control of Batman as you fight different types of enemies and investigate crimes. You are equipped with Batman’s tools like the batarangs, line launcher, grappling hook, and a remote hacking device.

The series has been praised by critics and players alike for its gameplay, world design, and remaining faithful to the Batman comics and films. It reignited interest in the superhero video game genre. Arkham City is the most beloved of the series and is widely regarded as the best comic book video game of all time. It sold more than two million copies in its first week and over 12.5 million copies during its first year.

The next installment in the series, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, is set to be released in 2022.

7. Metro: Last Light

This post-apocalyptic survival horror game was developed by 4A Games and published by Deep Silver. It’s the sequel to the 2010 Windows and Xbox game, Metro 2033.

You play the soldier Artyom as he explores the infested Moscow Metro system. It involves fighting hostile humans and various monsters while searching for the sole surviving Dark One after the events of the first game. The factions in the city include the Fourth Reich, the Commonwealth of the Stations of the Ring Line, the Rangers of the Order, the Red Line, and several other smaller groups.

This first-person shooter features different weapons that you can find around the city. You only have three weapon slots so it’s crucial to pick your weapons wisely. The game also has a night and day system and an unpredictable weather feature that will affect your gameplay. You can use the cover of darkness to avoid drawing the attention of enemies and fight them during the day when it’s easier to see.

Metro: Last Light was nominated for Game of the Year by GameSpot and its worldbuilding was praised by critics. Its sequel, Metro Exodus, was released in 2019.

8. State of Decay

State of Decay is a stealth survival horror game that focuses on a group of survivors’ efforts to survive during a zombie apocalypse. Unlike the other games on our list, this game puts emphasis on your ability to lead your community.

Set in the fictional town of Trumbull Valley, you can choose among several locations to build your commune in, and construct several buildings like sleeping areas, kitchens, medical bays, and watchtowers. Resources are a crucial element of the gameplay and you will have to balance them well for your whole group to survive. You may also trade with non-playable characters for items you need.

The zombies repeatedly respawn around the city and you can either fight them head-on or sneak around to avoid danger. There are lots of weapons, consumables, and vehicles to choose from. This is one of the most immersive and interactive zombie apocalypse video games you can find and is perfect for fans of survival horror movies.

State of Decay is available for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Windows. Its sequel, State of Decay 2, was released in 2018.

9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

This classic action RPG is the third installment of the popular Witcher series. Its third-person perspective and open-world environment bring to life the fictional Continent that is based on Slavonic mythology.

You control Geralt of Rivia, a hunter for hire also known as The Witcher. The storyline follows Geralt as he looks for his daughter, who is on the run after being hunted by the Wild Hunt. There is a whole world of weapons, magic, and abilities that you will need to complete quests for gold and experience. Like traditional RPGs, The Witcher has a health bar, stamina, and you increase levels by gaining experience. You also have dialogue options when speaking with non-playable characters, and your choices will affect the game’s storyline.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the most critically acclaimed RPGs in recent years and is considered one of the best video games of all time. It was given several pre-release awards at E3 for two consecutive years before its release. It won 260 Game of the Year awards from various bodies and was the most awarded game of all time until The Last of Us II surpassed it in 2021.

10. Telltale’s The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead was published by Telltale games for almost all platforms, including Android and iOS. This adventure survival horror game uses an episodic format as opposed to the other open-world games on our list.

The game is set after the start of the zombie apocalypse in Georgia. It introduces new characters that did not appear in the comics or TV shows. You play university professor Lee Everett and co-operate with a group of survivors as you try and survive the zombie outbreak.

The game has five episodes where each decision you make will affect the ending and how other characters will treat you. The game has sold more than 28 million episodes by 2014, with a large portion of the sales coming from mobile users.