Two of the greatest video game franchises of all time are under Naughty Dog’s belt—UnchartedandThe Last Of Us. Both these series are absolute must-buys for anyone who owns a PlayStation console, and for good reason. Both games have the classic Naughty Dog quirks but play quite differently and elicit a different range of feelings and emotions.
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However, this hasn’t stopped passionate members of the gaming community from comparing both these IPs to figure out which one is the superior of the two. To put this statement into context, let’s take an extensive look at both these games and their selling points.
10UNCHARTED: An Action-Packed Thrill Ride
One of the biggest selling points ofUnchartedis the fact that it’s an action-packed romp that truly brings life to the adventurous lifestyle of Nathan and Co. Embarking on tomb raids and thwarting evil plans has never been more fun, and the fact thatTomb Raideritself is usingUnchartedas inspiration to reinvent itself shows just how incredible this series really is.
9THE LAST OF US: A Measured Tale Filled With High Emotions
WhileUnchartedmight also be narratively rich, the stakes never feel as high as the tense moments in bothThe Last Of Usgames, which truly sport some of the best narratives ever crafted in video gaming. The weight and lucidity of every performance is as captivating as can be and contributes to a heavy, oppressive atmosphere that always keeps gamers on the edge of their seats.
8UNCHARTED: Humorous Writing Makes The Experience All The More Light-Hearted
Naughty Dog has the magical ability to make all their characters come to life with some truly infectious and likable personalities.Unchartedis no exception to this rule — in fact, this series might’ve established this rule itself.
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The banter that Nathan has with Sully, Elena, or any of his other partners goes a long way in humanizing these characters, making the entire experience feel more light-hearted and enjoyable to go through.
7THE LAST OF US: Hard-Hitting Story Shows What Gaming Can Accomplish As A Medium
WhileUnchartedmight have excellent performances and characters throughout all four games, the series doesn’t really push the boundaries of video game storytelling beyond what is required. For all intents and purposes, Nathan Drake is the hero of the series, and his actions — while crossing a line at times — are always shown in a good light.
This is not the case inThe Last Of Us, whereno character has a proper moral compass— includingthe protagonists themselves. It shows thatanti-heroescan prove to be incredibly relatable characters.
6UNCHARTED: Breakneck & Frenetic Combat Sequences
One aspect ofUnchartedthatThe Last Of Uswill never be able to truly replicate is the energetic nature of the combat encounters. WhileUncharted 4might include the option for players to take a stealthy route, the majority of encounters inUnchartedare containment zones of pure chaos, as bullets fly all around the map and Nathan jumps around the map like an acrobat to take people out with his flashy gunplay.
5THE LAST OF US: Tense Encounters Force Players To Play Smart
WhatThe Last Of Uslacks in this frenetic combat pace, it more than makes up for with the oppressive and tense nature of most combat encounters. Players can’t go into a room guns-blazing and expect things to work out for the better.
Every combat scenario needs to be analyzed so that players can dispatch of enemies in the quietest and most economical ways possible. A full-blown encounter would serve as nothing more than a complete waste of ammunition.
4UNCHARTED: Parkour Is As Fluid As Can Be
It would be impossible to talk about the positives of theUnchartedgames without mentioning the fluid parkour system. Jumping around the map and climbing obstacles has never been more engaging than whenUncharteddecided to refine this movement system to feel as satisfying as possible.
3THE LAST OF US: Crafting Adds A Ton Of Depth To Gameplay
While the crafting mechanic inThe Last Of Usmight seem like a tacked-on mechanic at first glance, it’s only through extended gameplay sessions that the player understands just how deceptively brilliant this mechanic is.
The environments ofThe Last Of Usgames never feel boring to explore, and materials are never in shortage if the gamer is diligent enough. Along with this, there’s just an extra level of tension added to the gameplay when the player needs to craft something in a flash to gain the upper hand.
2UNCHARTED: Went Out On A High Note
Try as we might, the discussion of the fanbase’s reaction to these two franchises simply can’t be avoided. For all the criticism it might’ve received from the nitpickiest of games,Unchartedwas certainly a series thatnever alienated its fansand ended witha rather satisfying conclusion.
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The same can’t be said forThe Last Of Us… although, at this point, talking about the fan reaction to the second game is akin to beating a dead horse.
1THE LAST OF US: Took Risks Most Games Shy Away From
WhatThe Last Of Us Part IIdoesn’t get enough credit for is something that its predecessor also accomplished and was lauded for — subverting expectations. Neil Druckmanntook some risks when it came to the narrative, and regardless of the reaction to these decisions, there’s one point that simply can’t be avoided — it got gamers talking like never before.
A constant drive to go against the grain and provide gamers with experiences and feelings that they’ve never experienced in the medium is mostly whyThe Last Of Usis lauded by many as one of the greatest video game series of all time.
NEXT:The Last Of Us 2: 5 Fan Theories That Could Be True (& 5 We Hope Aren’t)
