The Last of Us vs The Last of Us Part II

Play the first one first — Part II is a direct response to it and does not work standalone. Part II is the more accomplished game: better combat, better animation, more ambitious structure. The first is the more universally liked story.

What They Have in Common

Same world, same scarcity-driven combat, and the same willingness to make you uncomfortable about what you are doing.

Pick The Last of Us if you want the one everybody agrees on.

Tighter, shorter, and the ending is one of the most discussed in the medium. The remake and remaster both play well.

More like this: games like The Last of Us.

Pick Part II if you want the studio at full stretch.

The stealth and traversal are considerably deeper, the accessibility options are the best in the industry, and the structure asks something of you that a lot of people did not want to be asked.

More like this: games like The Last of Us Part II.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I play The Last of Us or The Last of Us Part II first?

Play the first one first — Part II is a direct response to it and does not work standalone. Part II is the more accomplished game: better combat, better animation, more ambitious structure. The first is the more universally liked story.

Is The Last of Us better than The Last of Us Part II?

Better is the wrong question for these two — they are close enough that the answer depends on what you want from the next twenty hours. Pick The Last of Us if you want the one everybody agrees on. Pick Part II if you want the studio at full stretch.

Are these comparisons based on review scores?

No. There are no scores anywhere on this page. This is a written opinion about what each game is for, so you can judge whether it matches what you are after.

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