Summary
The Last of Usfranchise is most well known for itsgut-punch storytellingandterrifying fungus zombies.A pillar of the series that is sometimes overlooked, however, is itsderelict setting.Players travel through decimated cities overrun not just by the infected, but by nature itself; immersing players in a world where humanity has long since been knocked off the top of the food chain.
These overgrown locations have their moments of beauty, but with the games' many horrors, that serenity is quickly shattered - turning idyllic sights into something to be feared.The areas below are some of the most bone-chilling that players will explore.
Trees spanning for miles, strange noises in the dark and no clear way out -the forests ofthe real world are a scary place as is.The Last of Us Part 2, however, ups the dread of entering nature by filling it with zombies and fanatical cultists.
Whether it’s Ellie’s first encounter with the Seraphites, who are announced by haunting whistles as they stalk the player through the trees, or Abby’s escape from execution, where players are forced to fend off infected as they stumble through the dark of the forest - the sight of woodlands is sure to instill anxiety in any player.
The mall in theLast of Us Left Behindcampaign starts off as, barring the museum fromThe Last of Us Part 2, the most whimsical location in the franchise. Wanting to spend one last night with her before she’s stationed in a different city, Riley takes Ellie to an abandoned mall where they dance and have water fights, among other light-hearted activities.
However, infected drawn by the music turns their last night together into a nightmare. With the music - made haunting by the shifting circumstances - still blaring, the girls make a run for it, but each turn they make only leads to a dead end or more zombies. As escape seems less and less likely, the player shares in the duo’s horror.
8The Snow - The Last of Us Part 2
Scared Stiff
The Last of Us Part 2’s opening chapter is traumatizing for a number of reasons. Not only are players pursued by a horde in one of Abby’s sections, but they also have to witness Joel’s brutal death.
Setting the atmosphere for it all, however, is thechapters' snowy landscape.With buildings buried in mountains of snow, the surrounding area of Jackson feels cold and desolate. From beneath those mounds of snow, players can be jump scared multiple times by frozen infected who are stirred by the player’s arrival. Adding to the horror is a snow storm that obscures players' visibility, making it feel as if infected are materializing out of thin air.
7Skyscraper Bridge - The Last of Us Part 2
Don’t Look Down
One of the scariest segments ofThe Last of Us Part 2doesn’tfeature a single infected.While attempting to reach a hospital in search of supplies, Abby and Lev are forced to cross the Seraphites shoddily constructed bridge that connects two skyscrapers.
Fashioned from a crane and a few wooden planks, the bridge consists of narrow walkways segmented by gaps that’ll send Abby plummeting to her death. The whole scenario is likely to make players' controllers slick with their own sweat as the dense fog and Abby’s heavy breathing create an immersive atmosphere.
6Collapsed Skyscraper - The Last of Us Part 1
First Encounter With A Clicker
After reaching a chasm in the ground while trying to reach the Fireflies, Joel and Tess are forced to ferry Ellie through a half-collapsed skyscraper. Traversing the building is precarious enough on its own, with the trio having to shuffle along rusted scaffolding in some areas, but it’s made worse by the presence of Clickers.
Being their first encounter with them, players are forced to sneak through the gloom of the ruins while developing new tactics to avoid the Clickers. While players will have to face the iconic variation multiple times across the franchise, the first encounter with them in the skyscraper stands out as one of the most memorable and frightening.
5Stalker Nests - The Last of Us Part 1 & 2
Sneaky Zombies
Stalkers are the products of the second stage of the Cordyceps virus, where the fungal growths of the infection have started to burst from their skull. Equipped with the speed of a Runner and the fierceness of a Clicker, Stalkers act as a hybrid of the two.
Rather than outright attacking the player like other infected variations, Stalkers will - as their name implies - stalk the player. This behavior is what makes areas of the game where they are in abundance, some of the scariest - no matter how mundane they be originally. Players could be sneakily picking up supplies in one room, only to turn around and realize a Stalker has been watching them from the doorway the entire time.
One of the most notable and scariest Stalker nests is the Hotel Basement from the first game. After falling down an elevator shaft, Joel is forced to wade through the flooded basement to restart a generator. Upon doing so, the player is rewarded with the cries of an approaching stalker horde.
4Joel’s House - The Last of Us Part 1
The Outbreak
The opening ofThe Last of Us Part 1sees players taking control ofJoel’s daughter, Sarah,as the outbreak kicks off. Before players enter the havoc the rest of the city of Austin, however, they’re first free to explore Joel’s home.
With her father nowhere to be seen, Sarah becomes increasingly frightened as the TV’s news channel recounts reports of violence and explosions rumble in the distance. The whole segment captures a childlike sense of helplessness and a rising sense of horror that makes players feel like a kid themselves. Without even seeing the Runner that makes it into Joel’s garden, the opening ofThe Last of Us Part 1feels just as scary as the horrors that ensue.
3The Barn - The Last of Us Part 2
The Horrors Of Trauma
After her confrontation with Abby in Seattle, Ellie returns to a farm on the outskirts of Jackson where she helps Dina raise her baby. While herding their sheep into a barn, a stray lamb knocks over a shovel that throws Ellie back to the day Joel died. The wind picks up, the animals cry and the barn door slams shut - leaving Ellie in the dark. When the player can see again, they’re faced with a staircase leading down to a locked door where - on the other side - Joel’s dying cries for help can be heard.
The segment is brief but memorable. Lingering in players' minds as a brutal representation of Ellie’s PTSD and a genuinely terrifying moment. Going from exploring the farm with JJ to the nightmarish sequence in the barn catches - much like Ellie - off guard, making the moment that much more impactful and scary.
2The Hospital - The Last of Us Part 2
Palace Of The Rat King
After Abbyreaches the Hospital, she has to delve into its basement in her pursuit to find medical supplies for Yara. Separated from Lev, the player goes it alone, exploring dark quarantined wards that housed some of the first infected.
With knowledge like that, players explore the hallways with constant anxiety that they’ll turn a corner and come face to face with an ancient Clicker or Bloater. The Hospital delivers on those fears and more, teasing the presence of an enormous creature with its labored steps audible through walls and locked doors.
Once Abby finds supplies in the back of an ambulance, the Rat King - a horrifying amalgamation of zombies - attacks the players, delivering one of the franchise’s most terrifying boss fights.
1Silver Lake, The Restaurant - The Last of Us Part 1
The Worst Of Humanity
After Joel is injured during a confrontation with a group of survivors, Ellie is forced to care for the man. While out on a hunt, she encounters David, who is eventually revealed to be the leader of the group she and Joel encountered. David captures Ellie after which she witnesses the group’s cannibalistic tendencies.
With the group being based in a town called Silver Lake, the notion of something as big as a town being occupied solely by murderous cannibals is enough to be deemed terrifying. But the restaurant where Ellie makes her final confrontation with David stands out as the scariest location in the area. Players are forced to sneak between tables to avoid being caught by David. The setting, likely once being a nice family diner, acts as a darkly ironic contrast to Ellie’s situation as she desperately tries not to become the man’s next meal - or worse.
