Summary
The Last of Usgames brought a new and horrifying zombie-like creation into the spotlight with the Cordyceps infection. The infection rapidly takes over a person’s mind, eventually turning them into fungal-ridden monsters. The Cordyceps virus inThe Last of Usis one of the more horrifying interpretations of a rapidly spreading disease, andThe Last of Us Part 3is at a crossroads with where the series goes next with the infection.
Throughout the series,The Last of Ushas showcased a variety ofphases of the Cordyceps infection. From the early stages of an infected person becoming a Runner or Stalker to the more advanced stages, like the Shambler or the dreaded Rat King,The Last of Ushas seemingly demonstrated every possible point of the infection — at least in humans. However, the series has yet to explore a heartbreaking route, as there isn’t nearly as much known about how Cordyceps affects certain animals.
The Last of Us 3 Could Explore How Animals Handle Cordyceps Infection
The Cordyceps Infection Could Evolve in an Unexpected Way
Since the focus is on the infected humans,The Last of Ushasn’t spent a lot of time explaining how animals react to the Cordyceps infection. It’s clear that plenty of animals have survived throughout the pandemic. Dogs, deer, horses, and even giraffes and zebras have been featured throughout the series. For the most part, it seems like animals are immune. The only animals that have been revealed to beaffected by the Cordycepsare primates, but that could eventually change.
Despite the current immunity of most animals, the Cordyceps virus could evolve to eventually affect animals in the same way that it does humans. This would be a bleak route for the franchise to take, butThe Last of Usexcels at leaning into the hopelessness of an apocalypse. Currently,The Last of Us Part 3needs a major difference from its predecessors to feel like a new story worth following. After the shocking reveal ofthe Rat King inPart 2, it’s hard to imagine how the series could meet the same heights with infected humans.
Unless there’s a shocking new revelation about the Cordyceps that has yet to be revealed,The Last of Usmay have covered as much ground as it canwith humans. In terms of upping the ante, a horrifying prospect would be for Ellie to be on a hunt or traveling through the woods only to encounter a Cordyceps-infected bear or elk. This would be a completely new route for developers to play with since it would be fascinating to see how the mind-bending fungus changed animal behavior.
The Last of Us Part 3 Raising the Bar on In-Game Danger
There isno official announcement forThe Last of Us Part 3, but a third chapter seems highly likely. It will be exciting to see what direction Naughty Dog chooses to take the story, but there are also high expectations to meet.The Last of Us Part 2may have been divisive at launch, but it’s grown to be a solid continuation of Ellie’s story. However, Ellie’s next chapter might feel stuck if she’s facing the same dangers as the last game.
to set itself apart from the other two games,The Last of Us Part 3needs to raise the stakes. This could be done with a terrifying new human faction, a yet-to-be-seen Cordyceps evolution, having the virus infect animals, or even a combination. There are many routes the franchise could go, but that is a tough choice to make, and it’s a decision that could make or break the tension of survival inThe Last of Us Part 3.
