Can I play The Last of Us 2 without playing 1?
The short answer is yes, you technically can play The Last of Us Part II without having played the first game. However, to fully understand and appreciate the complex story, characters, relationships, and emotional depth of Part II, I highly recommend playing The Last of Us Remastered first.
As an avid gamer and content creator who loves immersing myself in rich story-driven titles, I believe playing the games in order takes the experience to an entirely deeper level both from a narrative and gameplay perspective.
Backstory and Context
Part II picks up the story some 5 years after the events of the first game. Without the context and backstory established in The Last of Us Remastered, you‘ll be missing critical information on the outbreak, key character motivations, and emotional turning points that inform the sequel.
As someone who has played through both titles, I‘ve experienced firsthand how the additional context and attachment you develop to Ellie and Joel in particular in the first game enhances emotional story beats in the sequel. Major plot points with these characters in Part II have far more weight and impact if you‘ve taken the full journey with them rather than just jumping into the second game.
Understanding Character Arcs & Relationships
In addition to Ellie and Joel, several other characters from The Last of Us Remastered return in Part II, including Tommy, Maria, and Tess. Understanding these characters‘ backgrounds, motivations, and relationships developed during the first game gives far more depth to their appearances in the sequel.
For example, seeing the complex love-hate dynamic between Joel and his brother Tommy evolve over two games is an emotionally captivating element you‘d miss out on if you don‘t play from the beginning. The same goes for seeing Ellie grow from a precocious, defiant 14-year old into a determined survivor and complex woman.
Enhanced Immersion & Emotional Connection
At its core, The Last of Us series is a character-driven narrative grounded in raw human emotion. Playing as both Ellie and Joel for 15+ hours over the course of the original game allows you to wholly invest and immerse yourself in these characters on an entirely different level.
You laugh and cry alongside them, fight to protect them from harm, and form profound connections to them as people rather than just pixels on a screen. Carrying over that attachment makes tears shed, revenge sought, and sacrifices made in Part II resonate so much more deeply. It transforms an enjoyable playthrough into an unforgettable, emotionally wrenching experience (in the best way possible!).
Appreciating Gameplay & Mechanic Improvements
From a gameplay and mechanics standpoint, Part II expands and improves upon elements first introduced in Remastered. This includes wider player choice/agency, expanded crafting/weapon options, and enhanced stealth, environmental interaction, and enemy AI systems among other things.
Without having played the first game, you lose the appropriate reference point to see just how far Naughty Dog pushed things forward from a technical perspective. The first provides a "before" snapshot to inform just howbig a graphical and mechanical leap Part II represents for the series.
Key Gameplay Advancements from The Last of Us to Part II
| Gameplay Element | The Last of Us | The Last of Us Part II |
|---|---|---|
| Player choice/agency | Limited pathways | Expanded level design with more choice in routes/approaches |
| Enemy AI | Basic human/infected behaviors | Enhanced behaviors, group coordination, adaptive reactions to players |
| Combat/Weapons | Limited crafting from scavenged items | Vastly expanded weapon customization & upgrade systems |
| Stealth Mechanics | Basic stealth challenges | More nuanced stealth detection/evasion, playing dead, grass hiding, etc. |
The Last of Us Still Stands the Test of Time
Even taking gameplay improvements aside, The Last of Us Remastered isn‘t some archaic early PS3-era game that feels dated to play in 2024. Yes, the graphical fidelity and details are better in the sequel, but Remastered still looks and plays extraordinarily well – especially for a title nearing its 10 year anniversary since initial launch.
If you only dive into Part II, you‘ll miss experiencing one of the most critically-acclaimed titles of the PS3 era. And you‘d be skipping what many still consider possibly the greatest story ever told in video games.
The Last of Us Part I Remake – An Ideal Starting Point
As of September 2022, Naughty Dog also released a from-the-ground-up remake of the original game entitled The Last of Us Part I exclusively on PlayStation 5.
This represents the definitive way to experience where Ellie and Joel‘s journey kicked off for modern gamers. The remake leverages the PS5 horsepower to bring the original title in line visually and mechanically with Part II. It also includes key gameplay improvements first introduced in the sequel like expanded evasion techniques and weapon crafting.
For gamers who want to catch up on the story before Part II but may have missed Remastered when it launched, Part I Remake is now the ideal entry point. It delivers the same incredible narrative that garnered over 200 Game of the Year awards – just with a shiny new next-gen coat of paint!
The Choice Is Yours!
At the end of the day, the decision of whether or not to play The Last of Us before jumping into the sequel comes down to personal preference. You absolutely can start your journey with Ellie and Abby in Part II and still thoroughly enjoy the story, characters, tense action sequences, and emotional gut punches that game delivers.
However, as someone who has loved this series since the original launched in 2013, I couldn‘t imagine missing half the ride and not taking it all in from the start. Forming that early attachment to Joel and Ellie makes the triumphant highs and devastating lows in the sequel infinitely more rewarding.
So while you can play The Last of Us Part II blind, I strongly recommend playing The Last of Us Remastered or Part I Remake first for the most complete experience if the opportunity presents itself! Let the full story soak in, get yourself invested in the world and characters, and I promise once the credits roll on Part II you‘ll reflect on the series as an emotional masterpiece rather than just another Playstation exclusive.
Have you taken the plunge into both The Last of Us games yourself? I‘d love to hear your thoughts! Did playing the first heighten your enjoyment and emotional investment in Part II? Let‘s chat more in the comments!
