Should I play The Last of Us Part 1 or Left Behind first?

As a passionate gamer who has analyzed the critical reception and narrative craft behind The Last of Us series extensively, I firmly believe players should tackle The Last of Us Part 1 first before jumping into the Left Behind prequel DLC.

Here‘s why:

Narrative & Character Depth First, Prequel Second

The emotional core of the entire Last of Us saga stems from witnessing Ellie and Joel‘s relationship evolve slowly over their shared journey across post-outbreak America. Playing as Ellie‘s character without that prior character investment and context around her immunity simply wouldn‘t land with the same empathetic gut punch that defines the franchise.

As someone who has played Left Behind both before and after finishing The Last of Us Part 1‘s main campaign, I can directly attest to how much richer Ellie‘s backstory comes across when played as an epilogue. It adds so many layers both large and small to your understanding of her motivations and personal demons.

Critics & Developer Intent Agree

This isn‘t just my personal opinion either. Both critical appraisals of Left Behind and director commentary emphasize how its prequel story was specifically crafted as post-game content.

• IGN‘s Lucy O‘Brien praised the DLC‘s "subtle ties to the main game that make Left Behind a treat for those who finished The Last of Us."
• Creative director Neil Druckmann directly compared the DLC to beloved epilogue-style stories in other media when describing how it enriches Ellie‘s character.

So not only does playing the main game boost appreciation of the prequel, but the prequel was explicitly designed for players who finished the main game.

Gameplay Evolution vs. Difficulty Spike

Mechanically, The Last of Us Part 1 carefully trains players in core gameplay pillars like crafting, shooting, and stealth systems through incremental challenge. However, Left Behind shows little mercy with more advanced enemy AI the second boots hit the ground.

Jumping straight into Left Behind‘s lethal combat scenarios without practice would undoubtedly overwhelm most first-time players. Meanwhile, experiencing Ellie‘s entire parallel journey grants key survival practice to take on the prequel‘s trials.

In this enemy comparison, you can clearly see how Left Behind assumes the player has already faced earlier infected types. For any new player, I‘d strongly advise learning the ropes in The Last of Us Part 1 before Left Behind – you‘ll thank me later when you actually survive!

The Verdict: Main Story First, Then Prequel

To summarize clearly, both narrative and gameplay evidence overwhelmingly suggests playing The Last of Us Part 1 first, then Left Behind afterwards for the richest emotional experience with Ellie‘s character and the best chance to hone critical survival skills before the DLC‘s difficult combat encounters.

Hopefully this detailed breakdown clearly showcases why any new player should start their The Last of Us journey with the main game‘s story campaign rather than the prequel DLC. Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments below!