Easy Definitive Guide to Play The Last of Us Games in Order

Widely considered as one of the best games ever made, 2013’s The Last of Us PS3 received a remaster for the PS4 in 2014. A sequel to the original game – The Last of Us Part 2 – spawned in 2019 which went on to become an incredibly controversial and divisive game.

To play The Last of Us series in order, players should follow the release order to get the most out of the series. The chronological order starts the series with a DLC, so it’s recommended that players start their playthrough in their release order to get the best experience.

• The Last of Us (2013) / The Last of Us Remastered (2014) / The Last of Us Part 1 (2022)
• The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC (2014)
• The Last of Us Part 2 (2020)

This is the defintive order if you want to understand everything about The Last of Us without being spoiled.

Now let’s take a look at the chronological order for The Last of Us games, which starts the series from a DLC.

1. The Chronological Order to Play The Last of Us Series:

To play The Last of Us series in its chronological order, start with Left Behind (DLC), then move on to The Last of Us Part 1. Once you’ve finished it, play The Last of Us Part 2. Here is the complete list to play The Last of Us series in its chronological order:

• The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC (2014)
• The Last of Us (2013) / The Last of Us Remastered (2014) / The Last of Us Part 1 (2022)
• The Last of Us Part 2 (2020)

You can substitute the original 2013 game with the remake, which is termed as the “definitive way” to play the first Last of Us.

2. Which game in The Last of Us series should you play first?

The Last of Us (2013) ,which marks the beginning of the series, is the best game to start your playthrough with. It doesn’t matter which version you play since the 2014 Remastered as well as the 2022 Remake contains the same narrative with changes in textures, load times and performance.

The first game is a must-play for anyone who wants to understand the lore and the characters of the game properly. Without going through the main story of this game, one would not be able to understand the events of the sequel. 

3. Do you need to play The Last of Us games in order?

You can start the series with any of The Last of Us games, as long as you know what the games are about. It might take a little while to understand everything if you wish to start with The Last of Us Part 2 instead of the first game but it isn’t impossible.

However, you can skip The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC if you want to. Speaking from experience, skipping the DLC didn’t affect my playthrough of The Last of Us series. You’ll understand The Last of Us Part 2 well enough without playing the DLC as there are only minor references from it in the sequel.

4. How long does it take to beat The Last of Us series?

The Last of Us Part 1 consists of 12 chapters divided into 29 sections. It roughly takes around 15 hours to complete the campaign. On the other hand, The Last of Us Part 2 consists of 45 chapters which means it takes around 24 hours to complete the main campaign.

It is worth noting that it will take more time for players to explore every nook and cranny and obtain all the collectables in order to get a completionist run.

5. Is The Last of Us series hard to play?

The Last of Us series is hard to play if you want it to. On the Moderate difficulty, it might not be that simple for new players to get into it but they’ll find their footing after a few hours with the game. The series only gets hard if you play on higher difficulties.

There are 5 difficulties in both of The Last of Us games: Very Light, Light, Moderate, Hard, Survivor, Grounded.

There’s also a separate game mode Permadeath Mode which, as the name suggests, restarts your progress from the beginning if you die.

6. Which The Last of Us is better: Part 1 or Part 2?

Most players state that The Last of Us Part 1 is better than its sequel, The Last of Us Part 2 when it comes to characters and its narrative. The sequel was undoubtedly a divisive game which caused a fallout among The Last of Us fandom.

The hate towards The Last of Us Part 2 mainly stems from some of the decisions and narrative choices taken by Naughty Dog, as well as not respecting certain characters who were of great importance since the first game.

7. Why was The Last of Us Part 2 disliked by players?

The main problem that people had with The Last of Us Part 2 is how Joel, the protagonist of The Last of Us Part 1, was treated in the game. Joel’s death didn’t sit well with fans of the series. Getting to play as Joel’s murderer, Abby further added salt to the wound.

The hate ranged from players wanting a refund for the game to the developers facing death threats for merely working on the game. Anyone who remotely praised the game or certain aspects of it received death threats, and multiple racial as well as homophobic slurs.

Despite winning hundreds of awards in 2020, some people are still upset by the game, especially at Naughty Dog, for creating a brutal and unforgiving narrative and telling the story the way they did.

8. Should you watch The Last of Us TV show without playing the game?

Players can watch The Last of Us TV show without playing the game first. The TV show does an excellent job of being faithful to its source material, which is the first game while introducing certain changes without hindering the flow of the narrative.

The Last of Us TV show is actually a great starting point for players to jump into its apocalyptic world without actually playing the game. The show does a great job in retelling the iconic story of the first game with changes which doesn’t feel shoehorned.

9. Is there a release date for The Last of Us Part 3?

Currently, we have no information about the release date for The Last of Us Part 3. The first game released way back in 2013 while the sequel released in 2020. If we go by that timeframe, then we’re looking at a 2027 release for The Last of Us Part 3.

For now, we have no information about the game except that it’s being developed by Naughty Dog. Neil Druckmann stated that an outline for the third game is ready. With the success of The Last of Us Part 2, it’s a no-brainer that Naughty Dog would continue this series.

10. About The Last of Us Part II

The Last of Us Part II is a an action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. The game is set 5 years after the events of the first game.

Players control Ellie on her journey for revenge against The Wolves, a faction which has set up in Seattle. On her journey, Ellie fights against survivors of the Cordyceps apocalypse and new variants of the infected. The game mixes elements of stealth and gun-play in vast areas, allowing players to approach the situation as they see fit. The Last of Us Part 2 received an overall positive reception and has gone on to win several Game of the Year awards.