History of The Last of Us (2013 - 2023) | Documentary

A full history of "The Last of Us" franchise. From Bruce Straley & Neil Druckmann joining Naughty Dog, to the most recent rumors regarding a Last of Us Part 3 and the announced Factions standalone multiplayer experience.
Celebrate 10 years of one of the most beloved narrative driven experiences in the history of gaming by learning how the series has evolved! The Last of Us is a highly cinematic action adventure series created by Neil Druckmann, Bruce Straley and the talented team of developers at PlayStation's first party studio - Naughty Dog. The series began as an attempt at Jak & Daxter 4, but quickly evolved into one of the most recognizable and cherished stories in the video game medium. This documentary will cover it all, including: Naughty Dog's early days, the developer of the original PS3 Last of Us title, the PS4 remaster, Part 2, the Remake, and even the highly acclaimed HBO Live Action show of the same name.
Join me as I detail each and every game, breaking down their development history, storyline, gameplay features, visuals, and their critical reception, all backed with each game's original soundtrack.
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Twitter: @nick930gaming
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Patreon: / nick930
Even the smallest donations help me make these videos! (I record all of my own footage and need to purchase several old games for the footage)
Because "The Last of Us" is one of my all-time favorites, I wanted to make sure to get this one right - and put an exceptional amount of work into research, writing, recording, and editing to ensure the best possible viewing experience. I put a ton of passion and effort into this documentary - but even so, there are bound to be errors. Please feel free to let me know in the comments if you spot one! Now sit back, grab a drink and enjoy the ENTIRE History of The Last of Us!
When you're lost in the darkness, look for the light!
Table of Contents
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00:00 Intro
02:55 Development of The Last of Us
21:18 The Last of Us (2013)
35:48 Factions Multiplayer (2013)
39:52 Left Behind Expansion
44:29 The Last of Us Remastered (2014)
47:38 Uncharted 4's Impact
50:47 Development of TLOU Part 2
57:05 The Last of Us Part 2 (2020)
01:17:00 Development of TLOU Part 1
01:22:00 The Last of Us Part 1 (2022)
01:26:00 The Last of Us HBO (2023)
01:28:00 The Last of Us Factions Standalone & Future (2023)
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Special thanks to:
EpicTrailerMusicUK - Listen to his epic reimagining of "The Last of Us" theme here:
#thelastofus #Documentary #Trailer

[@Nick930]

Notes: -there had to be a brief trim made during the TLOU development sequence for copyright reasons

[@brobequiet]

it’s okay papi nick

[@MikeTheGreek]

Next time put subtitles if you do 1 hour long video cause not everyone knows fluent English

[@aaronsmith2727]

nobody cares about your feelings @@MikeTheGreek

[@ElectrikStatik900]

​@@MikeTheGreek do you know how long it takes to add subtitles to videos? especially hour long ones?

[@MikeTheGreek]

@@ElectrikStatik900 an hour?

[@jonRock]

Nick's documentaries are legendary. I thoroughly enjoy all of the ones I have seen.

[@usenamer3635]

@@RerumTradingnobody cares

[@Coookiiiiiiee]

So true, no one does what he does

[@heksen800]

This game holds such a special place in my heart. One of the best pieces of art ever made. Thank you for this amazing video!

[@someunfunnyguy9574]

Nick never misses as usual; excellent job, Nick

[@HodgesHodgeMusic]

this deserves wayyy more views. excellent video. loved every second of it.

[@Nick930]

"Build it and they will come" *pulp fiction vincent gif*

[@laurensdesmet70]

Really well made documentary. For someone as hooked to this IP as I have been, it surprises me how many things you covered that were new to me. Your hard work in making this a unique video and not yet another reiteration of the same points makes it stand out and it's exactly what I hoped to find clicking it. Also, great pacing, editing and mixing. You've earned a new sub, looking forward to more quality, long form content.

[@RaluNinjaGirl]

Thank you for also mentioning Factions! After 10 years, the servers are still alive. It's one of the best multiplayers I've ever played, too bad Naughty Dog stopped patching it years ago, and there are cheaters exploiting glitches, which is ruining the experience for legit players. Hopefully Factions 2 will be out soon.

[@johnmendez9392]

I love learning the history to some of the games that got me into gaming! I really do love how you break it down and make more like a story/documentary rather than just reading facts off wiki.

[@johnkapnias]

Amazing job, Nick. I always love your videogame documentaries. You make a lot of research to find information about the studios and their journey of making the games, like the obstacles they faced during production or their first ideas and many more. Your work is extremely appreciated by me👏🏻. Keep going 💪🏻.

[@cometomeifrit]

Yet again a stellar documentary! Got me downloading both Part 1 AND 2 all over again ❤😁

[@SM-kt6zq]

Thankyou Nick for creating this video of one of our beloved gaming franchises! Love from the UK!

[@0HV112]

Your videos are really incredibly informative and beautiful to watch. In this way you learn more about the games you already know and get to know new games that you have never played. Can't wait to see more of this. A video about the Elder Scrolls series, about the From Software Games or the Monster Hunter series would be awesome. Keep it up and thank you for your outstanding work! Greetings from Germany.

[@oliverwilliams1244]

amazing documentary! well done

[@CodyComicsCC]

This will always be my favorite game of all time, thank you for taking your time with such an amazing video.

[@nohcam22]

Extremely well done doc as per usual. Thank you!

[@francodaily440]

Hey man. This documentary is really interesting and well put together. It is very impressive. I would pay money for this. Keep up the good work man.

[@im2stepsfromhell819]

Thank you for not spoiling the story. It would ruin everything for those of us who haven't played the game yet

[@Nick930]

I make that a priority when realistically possible. Took a good week to write out the story sections for either game without spoiling things. I know many are fans of the show but never played the games

[@maxmoller]

​@@Nick930I've got huge respect for the amount of hoops, you had to jump through to avoid spoilers. 👍

[@jimjack3447]

that was an utterly brilliant video, thank you so much

[@aalexander8910]

As always great job and thanks for your hard work and bringing us these great documentaries

[@jimking81]

Professional work! Congrats man for your hard work and effort! 👏

[@NotSoRandom_]

TLOU 1 still remains in one of the greatest games ever, my personal favourite

[@franzgucktyoutube]

@Nick930: Amazing documentary, I cannot even imagine how much time, effort an passion it cost you to make this possible. Thank you so much.

[@Adog00]

YES! I remember you announcing you were working on this. So excited to watch as I love this game series.

[@adamrobertscreative]

Thanks again for such a in depth video on this masterpiece of a game :)

[@DynaMike101]

Great video. Also I guess I'll replay it again.

[@bhupendrabaraiya6958]

I always wanted to be part of Gaming industry but due to some reasons I couldn't, when you explain the complex development process in so details, it inspire me to achieve something similar in my line of work. I always wait for your new videos. Thank you for everything

[@kitshurey1705]

another banger nick keep it up

[@marcosgonzalez2945]

Excellent job, brother! Incredible documentary

[@sebasnm3560]

it made my eyes water, thank you for making me remember all the journey I went through with this amazing game and remind me how much it means to me and how it helped me back in the day to overcome difficult situations. It is the best video of the last of us only surpassed only by the very "Making of" that the game has, thank you very much nick.

[@Otzo]

Loving the editing

[@brianthomas8411]

Man these docs are so good..they scratch an itch

[@RyWakie]

Amazing work, well done Nick

[@theonlybrowniee]

amazing effort

[@goat9295]

You know your game is good when it can be released 3 times over a decade and people STILL buy it

[@phenom504]

Out of all the Last of Us videos/documentaries I’ve seen, this has to be one of the most informative. This game is awesome.

[@ricepony33]

Outstanding! Thanks Nick

[@WhyNotGaming1]

One of the greatest stories told in Gaming. Great work as always nick

[@zuher3180]

Rdr2 story its 1000x better but tlou is a Nice game thaugh.

[@Und_noch_mal]

​@@zuher3180😅 nobody ask

[@Arrowzeditz]

​@@Und_noch_malIt's true tho

[@sleepingoraclearchives6040]

@@zuher3180 okay?

[@drocksteadyreviews]

Fantastic job Nick the best Docs on KZbin.

[@TraceBravo]

Enjoyed tis video thoroughly!

[@highfiveanimations]

49:35 I love the subtle Crash Bandicoot sounds here :)

[@duncanself5111]

Great retrospective

[@OriginalEntitySourced]

First of all this video documentary was fantastic second of all. I'm really glad that you mention the accessibility in the remake as a physically disabled gamer being able to play the remake meant that I could complete part one for the first time completely independently without somebody assisting me through an area. I understand that the price was unacceptable for some users, but I was just happy to be able to finish it completely because the accessibility in the original and last of us was nearly non-existent compared to the PS5 version

[@epicsnake21]

Amazing intro and great editing!

[@YT2CoolChris]

This is awesome thank you

[@adamturley985]

Love your vids! 💕

[@cutepotato_22]

Incredible documentary. 👌

[@mikextru2242]

Thanks for this documentary it was a great video. For my part the „The Last of Us“ games are my favorite Games of all Time. Not from the gameplay perspective only but the whole Experience they both gave me. The Games helped me through a very difficult time in my life and I love these games to death.

[@Crazyloonitic17]

Great work

[@nandi8383]

Woah! Really great!

[@michaeloneill1360]

Thanks Nick for this excellent documentary showing the Origins, Development & Improvements/Tweaks to maybe the 'Greatest Video Game of All Time'!

[@thundageon5962]

Most wanted documentaries (plus commentary like Battlefield) - History of Zelda - History of Fromsoftware - History of Bioware - History of Mario - History of Persona

[@brianrmc1963]

The is fascinating. Thank you.

[@Harb0eJac0b]

Thanks for your work. Great video. Love the games and looking forward to what's coming next.

[@gamepreneur369]

Great Documentary 👏 one of my favorite ❤️ developer ND

[@HotSizzleTV_]

Good job on this deep dive into naughty dog. Hopefully will get the last of us pt3 and more uncharted games these games are masterpieces and need to continue the stories.

[@bulletinmybeard]

Great job as always Nick!!! Love it

[@Jumpman_5000]

Good job on the vid, meng.

[@Nick930]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[@valharding1618]

Loved this documentary

[@Tennis932000]

Man the intro alone deserves a like.

[@blackknight1077]

most underrated youtuber ever

[@DominatorHDX]

Wow super docu! Just ordered the PS5 remake of part 1 (have only played the PS4 remaster and part 2) just to experience the game again in the best visual presentation. 2nd hand ofcourse as the current retail price is still very high. Hope a new game comes out in the coming years in TLOU universe. Perhaps just after the initial outbreak / playable intro of part 1 right in the middle of the apocalypse with the military still fighting and bombing the streets etc. Sort of like a prequel.

[@MatheusSantoro91]

Great video. Channel is really good, with better marketing could get even more subs

[@KorSouls]

Top tier content. Great job Nick.

[@NateRom343]

Very nice work! I would love to see a Red Dead Redemption One of These

[@BrohiZzzz]

@Nick930 I'm watching your gaming documentaries till 2019 still lovin it 😂🎉

[@bencappelletti]

Thank you 🥰

[@DangerousDevilOfficial]

Excellent documentary about a game series I only consider second to the Uncharted series. The Last Of Us is nothing short of a masterpiece. I remember the day it dropped, coming home and playing it and just absolutely being blown away at what I was witnessing in a game series. Truly an epic experience at the time…

[@Martonic]

Great video.

[@fayazabdullah7455]

Simply wonderful mate. Love your videos!

[@br4kecheckd]

Who needs Netflix when there's Nick dropping banger after banger

[@Dachin55555]

He hasn’t uploaded in a month shut up

[@petrofsko]

A very commendable review of an unbelievable gorgeous looking game

[@russmawson6744]

Great video. The last of us 1 remains the best story I've experienced in a game and the best acted too. 2 was superb but couldn't quite clear the impossible bar set by the 1st but I would argue it's got better gameplay than the first.

[@ExodusToxicWaltz]

I got ps4 last year for my birthday from my brother in law cause he upgraded to the ps5 and this was first game I played.. loved it

[@KillerTacos54]

Phenomenal job with this video!

[@alexanderramzan7507]

I love this series, so I really enjoyed this video! But if I can offer a correction? Being visually impaired, the accessibility features you mentioned in the remake section of the video. First become a thing in Part 2 first then on the remake. 😊

[@Nick930]

It was in part 2, but the point im making is that they wanted to incorporate accessibility options in a game that didnt have them before

[@AlChestBreachFan7]

Damn. Now I’m really tempted to pull trig on Part 1 for pc. Newest patches have really helped with performance apparently. Great work as always

[@Nick930]

Definetly improved. Not perfect yet, but if your rigs up for it, it should play great

[@Owen01]

It’s definitely better, but could still use some work

[@morganevans6774]

These history series are awesome! You should consider doing a Dead Space one :)

[@atidzhetopova5259]

49:34 hahaha cracked me up when i first saw it

[@maxtubb8560]

You should do a documentary on the history of the Yakuza series from SEGA.

[@jonRock]

Uncharted 2 was sooo good. I need to replay that game. I'm currently playing through the last of us part one on PC. It's pretty good, and the performance is great on my PC with the latest update.

[@creed2098]

Amazing video, I love both games even tried to hate part 2 but the meaning of it is what makes me love it even more and I guess they are working on part 3 but druckmann will deny it as much as possible lmao😂

[@jasonfarmer8976]

I have a firefly logo tattoo on my chest. I love these games.

[@bhupendrabaraiya6958]

Thanks!

[@Nick930]

Welcome!

[@mortal667]

aah finally another documentary..thanks a lot nick, i love these

[@gigapaul1155]

20:28 they should keep that animation in the next game, dude that was so cool, idk why they didnt keep it in the game. But I hope they put in more mechanics like that

[@p0wn3dd4n00b]

Love these “History of” videos!

[@darkblu117zcrookedneck8]

Can you do the History of The Legend of Zelda & Mass Effect | Documentary.

[@yasinhurairah3474]

Hi Nick930 Any chance of a Deadspace Documentary sometime?

[@DarkSide3211]

Im still currently watching the HBO series after playing Part 1 2 times, I gotta say I kinda regret not stopping this video after Nick ended talking about the games as I wanted to go totally blind but I digress since I've already played the game so I kinda already know the story's pacing; and the additional information that Ive gained about the show with only very minor spoilers is appreciated (by minor spoilers I meant like really minor things like how Sam is deaf now. no hate just putting my thoughts here :D)

[@jonathanthompson7084]

nobody: how many times did you watch the intro? me: yes

[@XWXS2]

Okay now you can not tell me Adrian Brody wasn't planned to be David 13:32

[@thedeadman6171]

yo nick what do you think about mk1 2023 ??

[@n1s0]

Still haven't played any of the two games. I need to do it just not sure when that might happen.

[@2timesNOLA]

What we need to Explore on The Last of Us 3 are: Where did Ellie come from? Who’s her parents..? Where/how did Marlene find Ellie .. ? We “kinda” Know of Riley… TLOU3 should dig deep on the flash-back events after the cordyceps destroyed humanity, right before Marlene brings Ellie to Joel the first time. Or have a storyline of the history of the fireflies or W.L.F. With the original leaders: Emma, Jason & Issac. - or - Explore the story of Joel & Tess & what led the fall out between them and Tommy..& do a flash-forward exploring the situation after TLOU2 similar to The Godfather part II model where you have a flash-back/flash-foward scenarios.

[@Nick930]

All of these ideas sound like theyre trying too hard to justify more content, just like how toy story 4 tried too hard to make a story where there wasnt one. The first game was joels journey for redemption. The 2nd game was ellies journey towards forgiveness. Both characters are done. Abby is only a vehicle to expand on ellies journey, so i dont care to see her adventures with lev I think I'd rather just a new series from ND. Uncharted is done too. I love UC4, but that story was done after uc3 too

[@2timesNOLA]

@@Nick930​⁠True. I just finished TLOU2 today, im currently playing UC3, I’ve got 4 and the spin-off (haven’t played them yet). I’ve heard ND said No for UC5.. & plus Amy Hennig left ND anyways..

[@igna0051]

Please I beg you do a video on the a plague tale games they are so overlooked😢

[@Disciple614]

I NEEEEEED a part 3 to this series. Naughty Dog better get they act together!!! 💯

[@eiadtarabulsi]

The Last of Us is, and always will be, my favorite video game of all-time. It has two of gaming's most memorable characters in Joel and Ellie. Though, not to take anything away from the other characters who do an amazing job as well. It left a lasting impact due to it's emotional and engrossing narrative. I'm such a huge fan of the game, that I ended up finishing it multiple times on the PS3. I bought the remaster, which came out one year later for the PS4, even though it was mostly a visual upgrade when compared to the original. I even bought the PS5 remake, despite the controversy regarding the $70 price tag. It received its fair share of criticism, but to each his own. According to Naughty Dog, the remake was built from the ground up with greatly improved visuals due to the PS5's advanced hardware, improved 3D audio (which was previously limited in its usage on the PS4), improved A.I., and an overall experience that was essentially Naughty Dog's original vision that they had for the game. Even though The Last of Us is 10 years old at this point, the remake ended up feeling more like a modern gaming experience because of the improvements that were made. What initially seems like a straightforward task on Joel's part to smuggle Ellie in order to find a cure, ends up becoming anything but simple. Joel and Ellie encounter some complications along the way and a strained relationship, at least early on. Their desperate struggle for survival is the focal point of The Last of Us. The story is pretty much the same from the PS3 version, albeit, it's delivered with more impact thanks to the PS5's advanced hardware. Even now, after over a dozen times of playing the game, the opening cutscene is still heart wrenching and impactful. Character models and enemies have received a massive visual upgrade. You can see the wrinkles on Joel's face, the bags underneath his eyes, and the gray facial hair. You can see light reflection in Ellie's eyes, which adds to the realism. Even things such as, facial pores are visible, which was wasn't possible when the game originally came out. In general, characters have a sense of life thanks to the increased polygon count and they are way more expressive emotionally. Texture work is solid all across the board. When characters cry, you can literally see tears in their eyes as they start to roll down their faces. Spit comes out of their mouths when they talk with anger. The Infected, Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters are way more disturbing and disgusting due to the increased details and skin texture. You can literally see the life being sucked out of an enemy while he's being choked out. Smashing a bandit's skull or an infected's skull into a table results in some brutal blood splatter. Throwing a Nail Bomb will cause an enemy to get dismembered. Shadows and lighting have been greatly improved upon and they appear more realistic. Water looks like actual water and it moves the way that you'd expect it to move. Light reflects off it's surface naturally. Foliage has more volume and it's organic and lifelike. The various buildings and structures are nicely detailed as well. The DualSense controller's haptic feedback has been put to good use. Everything from falling rain, to walking on broken glass, loading a gun, and even feeling the tension as Ellie pulls the bowstring can all be heard via the PS5's DualSense controller once a particular action has been performed. Intense moments are emphasized, while the more subdued ones are further enhanced. The Tempest Engine, which allows audio to occupy space much better than it has in the past. You get a sense that you are moving throughout the game's world even more. If you hear something above you, it legitimately feels like it's right above you. The Tempest Engine is apparent in the opening sequence where fires rage, civilians panic in the streets and the Infected are scratching and clawing as Joel, Sarah, and Tommy are escaping the chaos and mayhem. The 3D audio has also been incorporated into the quieter and more subdued moments as you explore, hear leaves rustle and even listen to Ellie's voice as it's coming from various directions. Gustavo Santaolalla's soundtrack is still as beautiful and memorable as it was the first time around. Combat in The Last of Us Part 1 is visceral, brutal and intense. It's very challenging, especially on the harder difficulties. With the remake, no two playthrough's end up being the same. Enemy search patterns and flanking behavior enables foes to better examine a given area and to adjust as needed, which wasn't possible because of the PS3's hardware limitations. Encounters end up being more dynamic because of the way in which enemies investigate, probe for visibility, analyze the terrain, and level layout to their advantage. The number of active enemy A.I. for any given situation was originally limited to only 8 on the PS3. That's that's been increased on the PS5. Of course, Joel can upgrade and modify weapons at workbenches. However, this time around, you can actually see him working on the weapons themselves, which is a nice touch that is much appreciated. Thanks, Nick! Once again, this was a stellar video as always! Your documentaries are simply the best. You obviously put a lot of hard work and effort into your videos and it clearly shows. Your dedication and passion are on another level. Thanks for the continued hard work! Thanks for being an inspiration to me and everyone else out there! I definitely look forward to your next video! Keep it up! God bless and stay safe!

[@ken_thatswild]

What would make you write all this? My lord I got a paragraph or two in and swore your comment couldn’t possibly go on any longer and then I finally scrolled all the way down. Are you on drugs? Get help.

[@shawnkhan3757]

Fantastic documentary on my favorite game franchise

[@vivalavega01]

If naughty dog reboots jack and Dexter, I'd be the happiest man alive

[@Heyiamoal]

Hi @Nick390 I watched the whole video and I seriously love it you got me wanted to replay the games! I wanted to ask how do you all those free camera work in the video, I like learning new things and I always wanted to know how do you capture those Free camera work in these videos, if you could help me I would really appreciate it