The Last of Us series has been releasing new versions almost every year lately, and the frequency is even a little comical. Now, The Last of Us Complete has been announced, giving players who still haven’t experienced both games a chance to experience both works in one collection.
On the surface, this bundle does not add any new game content. The content included is consistent with the content already included in The Last of Us Part I or Last of Us Part II: Remastered. It is just a simple collection.
There is an important message that players can interpret from The Last of Us Complete: There will be no new games in the Last of Us series.
The Last of Us is an extremely popular series, and many game fans are begging for more content. Naughty Dog knows this and has been intermittently mentioning the existence of a potential The Last of Us Part III. We’ve heard that a third game has been outlined, that Naughty Dog is likely to make a third game in the future after completing other projects, and there have been leaks and rumors about various The Last of Us projects over the years.
However, the title of The Last of Us Complete tells a very different story. Obviously, “Complete” means completion and ending, which, if taken literally, implies that there won’t be any more The Last of Us games.
Neil Druckmann also recently said that fans shouldn’t bet on the next game in the series. The title of The Last of Us Complete, coupled with Neil’s recent comments, may lead fans to believe that this is really the end of The Last of Us.
But this series is one of PlayStation’s flagship game series, and arguably the most important one. We’ve seen how much Sony has invested in the series over the past few years, including constant remasters, PC ports, and HBO TV series. It’s clear that Sony has invested heavily in this series.
As for the “Complete” in the title, it could mean several things at once. On the one hand, The Last of Us I and II do tell a complete story that won’t be advanced for at least the next few years, as Naughty Dog is busy developing Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Maybe by 2030, that title won’t be accurate, but in the short term, it’s the complete version of The Last of Us’ story.
Moreover, the “Complete” is often just “incomplete” in name only. Halo: The Master Chief Collection, for example, is missing two games and was released during the development of Halo 5. There are many collections of games that claim to be “definitive” or “complete” while leaving out content. It seems that if the series does continue, The Last of Us: Complete may be just another “incomplete” collection among many.