The Last of Us Should Put Its Own Spin on a Standout Alien: Romulus Dynamic

The recently released film Alien: Romulus adds a new slice worldbuilding to the Alien franchise. It tells the story of three siblings who cross paths with hostile aliens such as facehuggers and chestbursters. Early on, it is made apparent that all is not well with Andy, and things only get worse as the movie progresses. This dynamic could be implemented in creative ways in The Last of Us.

If Naughty Dog is daring enough, it will take inspiration from Romulus and make a new The Last of Us game that features a character slowly succumbing to the infection. It would be a long and tragic plot, and players would also learn more about how the infection progresses and strips its host of their humanity. It would be a brutally heart-wrenching tale, but it could be what the franchise needs to keep evoking strong emotions in players.

The Slow Decline of Andy in Alien: Romulus

It is established early on in Alien: Romulus that Andy is malfunctioning. He becomes a cold and calculating character whose loyalties have changed. Fortunately, the movie ends on a somewhat hopeful note, and his sister reverts Andy to his old self.

The next The Last of Us game could also pull something similar off. It could involve a plot that has Ellie making a new friend only to have them become monstrous abominations of themselves. It would be an especially traumatic experience for Ellie, as she has already seen her friend Riley turn into an Infected. It would be an absolutely heart-breaking event, but Naughty Dog is known for crafting games that evoke strong emotions.

Watching the transformation happen slowly, players would gain a deeper understanding of the Infected and how they transform, which is something the games have delved into much. The idea of a slow infection is alluring because it forces players to grapple with the fact that doom is inevitable, and the person they once loved has turned into something ugly. It also forces players to ponder philosophical topics such as identity and humanhood.

There is a Clever Way Naughty Dog Could Implement a Slow Infection

One of the ways The Last of Us 3 could mimic the dynamic of Alien: Romulus is to introduce a new infection strain that causes its victim to transform at a slower rate, forcing players to watch the humanity of a loved one gradually shed away. It would also aid with the game’s worldbuilding by placing greater focus on the process of becoming an Infected.

Unfortunately, Alien: Romulus‘s dynamic can never fully transfer to The Last of Us for one simple reason – there is no cure for the Infected. However, the lack of a cure could have Ellie traveling far and wide to try and find one. In many ways, the lack of power players have to help their friends would be rather morbid, and it could enhance the psychological horror aspects of the game. A slow infection would also force Ellie to deeply contemplate how long she will allow her friend to live before all humanity is lost and the Infected has to be eliminated.

Naughty Dog has been quite quiet for a while, leaving players wondering what the studio’s up to. Some rumors claim the studio is working on a new IP, while others claim The Last of Us 3 will be the next game by Naughty Dog. Whatever the next game from the studio is, players can be assured that it will be an emotionally hard-hitting game with some of the best writing in the industry. Until official announcements are made, it would probably be wise to take all rumors with a grain of salt.