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Start with the game behind the adaptation when one exists. After HBO’s The Last of Us, that means The Last of Us Part I: it is the original Joel-and-Ellie story, rebuilt for modern hardware and sold with the complete single-player campaign and Left Behind. After Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, choose Cyberpunk 2077 for the same Night City universe with a much longer, player-directed RPG. If you want a different kind of narrative, God of War, Hades, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Portal 2 cover family drama, repeat-run storytelling, branching role-playing and comedy-puzzle adventure.
The best choice depends on five things: whether you want exact continuity or only a related mood, how much control you want over events, the emotional tone you can handle, the length and structure you prefer, and which platform you own.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
The Last of Us Part I – PlayStation 5 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Sony Interactive Entertainment The Last of Us Part 1 Standard PlayStation 5 | $45.06 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
The Last of Us: Part I and Part II Scripts | $31.06 | Buy on Amazon |
Quick picks by the feeling you want
| Game | Best for | Connection to a watched film or series | How the story is delivered |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Last of Us Part I | Replaying the exact source story behind HBO’s The Last of Us | Direct adaptation source | Linear, cinematic, character-led campaign |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (with Phantom Liberty as an expansion option) | Continuing the world and themes of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners | Shared Cyberpunk universe; different playable story | Open-world RPG with political-thriller elements and player agency |
| God of War (2018) | A serious parent-child journey with mythic stakes | No direct adaptation link; a tonal and emotional match | Cinematic action adventure built around a relationship |
| Hades | Story that keeps unfolding through repeated attempts | No adaptation link; a structural contrast to linear dramas | Repeat-run progression, conversations and relationship arcs |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | Party relationships, role-playing freedom and co-op | No adaptation link | Choice-driven, branching Dungeons & Dragons role-playing |
| Portal 2 | Sharp comedy, inventive puzzles and a complete arc | No adaptation link | Authored dialogue wrapped around puzzle progression |
These games are not interchangeable. A linear campaign gives you a carefully timed arc; an open-world or role-playing game lets you spend hours away from the main plot; a repeat-run game reveals its characters in small pieces; and a choice-based game can produce outcomes that differ from another player’s.
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The Last of Us Part I: the most direct follow-up to HBO’s The Last of Us
If the question is “What should I play after watching The Last of Us?”, this is the unambiguous first answer. The Last of Us Part I is the game that started the story: Joel is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie across a civilization devastated by infection and collapse. The television adaptation reshapes some scenes and expands parts of the world, but the game gives you the original interactive journey and asks you to inhabit Joel’s decisions rather than watch them.
#1 Best Overall
- Enhanced visuals: Completely rebuilt from the ground up using Naughty Dog’s latest PS5 engine technology to improve every visual detail, The Last of Us experience has been faithfully enhanced with more realistic lighting and atmosphere, more intricate environments and creative reimaginings of familiar spaces.
- Fast loading: Initial loading times are near instant, and seamless after the first instance thanks to the PS5 console’s SSD – so you can pick up where you left off in the story and load specific encounters and chapters more quickly.
- Haptic feedback: DualSense wireless controller haptic feedback support for every weapon elevates combat encounters, and environments are brought to life through DualSense wireless controller haptic sensations of subtle falling rain, the crunch of stepping on snow and more.
- Adaptive triggers: All The Last of Us iconic weapons, including Joel’s revolver and Ellie’s bow, now deliver dynamic DualSense wireless controller trigger resistance and kickback on firing for deeper combat immersion.
- 3D Audio: Designed to make use of the PS5 console’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, Naughty Dog’s newly upgraded audio engine delivers richer soundscapes, bigger explosive moments and more visceral gameplay through compatible stereo headphones (analogue or USB) or TV speakers.
What is included
The standard package contains the complete single-player story and the Left Behind prequel chapter. Left Behind focuses on Ellie and supplies context for her life before the main journey, so it is best treated as part of the same narrative rather than as optional unrelated content.
PlayStation’s product description calls it an emotional story with unforgettable characters and claims more than 200 Game of the Year awards. That number is Sony Interactive Entertainment’s publisher figure from its product listing, not an independently audited total.
Platforms and editions
The official US listing records a 2 September 2022 release and versions for PlayStation 5 and PC. It also lists access through the PlayStation Plus Extra catalog and physical Blu-ray editions. Catalog inclusion, disc stock and pricing can change by country and over time, so check the store for your region before buying.
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- It preserves the central relationship. Joel and Ellie remain the emotional spine, and the game’s travel structure makes their trust develop through play.
- It is linear. You can compare the show’s adaptation choices with the same sequence of major events without an open-world map pulling you into unrelated activities.
- It adds interactive pressure. Stealth, scavenging and combat make danger a personal problem rather than a scene you simply observe.
- It includes Ellie’s earlier story. Left Behind broadens her character and fits naturally alongside the main campaign.
Who should choose it
Choose Part I if you want to compare scenes, performances and pacing with the series, or if you want the strongest possible continuity with what you just watched. It is less suitable if you want a radically different tone, a branching plot or a multiplayer-focused experience; its strength is a controlled, authored journey.
Cyberpunk 2077: the natural game after Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Cyberpunk 2077 is the best next step after Cyberpunk: Edgerunners when you want to stay in the same fictional city but make your own decisions. CD PROJEKT RED’s official Cyberpunk hub places the game, the Phantom Liberty expansion and Edgerunners in one universe. You are not replaying David Martinez’s exact story; you are creating V, a mercenary trying to build a reputation in Night City.
Same universe, different protagonist
The connection is setting, technology, social conflict and atmosphere rather than a direct continuation of the anime’s plot. Night City is the constant. The game lets you approach its factions, jobs and relationships at your own pace, so your route through the city can look very different from another player’s.
What kind of narrative to expect
BFI describes the game’s Phantom Liberty storyline as a cinematic political thriller involving V, Johnny Silverhand and Songbird. That description captures the contrast with Edgerunners: the game can deliver intense, authored scenes, but it also surrounds them with optional jobs, exploration and role-playing decisions. The result is a longer arc with more room for detours than a television season.
The publisher’s invitation, “Legends are made here. What will yours be?”, is marketing language, but it accurately signals the game’s premise: your version of V’s legend is shaped by choices, alliances and the time you spend away from the critical path.
When to choose it
- Choose it when the anime’s city, class conflict and cybernetic identity questions mattered more to you than following the same characters.
- Choose it if you want exploration and side stories alongside the main plot.
- Add Phantom Liberty if you want the political-thriller storyline centered on V, Johnny Silverhand and Songbird.
Do not expect a short, linear replay of Edgerunners. The game is a substantial role-playing experience, and its freedom means that major story beats may arrive at a different pace depending on what you do first.
God of War (2018): a parent-child drama with mythic scale
God of War is the strongest recommendation for viewers who were drawn to a difficult family relationship, a dangerous journey and a protagonist trying to become better for a child. BFI describes the 2018 reboot as Kratos travelling with his son Atreus to scatter his wife’s ashes. The trip turns a mythic action series into an intimate story about grief, responsibility and the limits of what a parent can explain.
Rank #2
- Flexible design
- High-quality material
- Durable
Why the relationship drives the game
Atreus is not a side character who disappears between fights. The journey’s conversations, disagreements and discoveries are organized around the changing bond between father and son. Kratos’ history and Atreus’ emerging identity create tension even when the immediate objective is simply to cross a dangerous landscape.
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Who should play it
Pick God of War if you want emotional continuity with stories about family, loss and reluctant guardianship rather than a shared fictional universe. It is a poor substitute for The Last of Us Part I if your priority is comparing an adaptation with its source, but it is an excellent choice when the relationship between two travellers was the part you want to feel again.
Hades: a story that advances every time you try again
Hades is for readers who like the idea of a narrative that survives failure. BFI describes Zagreus making repeated attempts to escape the Underworld. Each death returns him to conversations, character bonds and new information, so losing a run is not simply a restart; it is one of the ways the story moves forward.
How repeat-run storytelling differs from a film
A movie usually controls the order and timing of every revelation. Hades distributes revelations across attempts. You may hear a new line after a particular encounter, strengthen a relationship between runs or discover that a previous defeat has changed the next conversation. The structure turns repetition into a narrative tool.
This approach suits players who enjoy learning systems and gradually improving. It is less suitable if you want one uninterrupted cinematic path with no repeated rooms or battles. The emotional payoff comes from accumulated context, not from finishing a single flawless sequence.
Choose Hades when
- You want character conversations to continue after defeat.
- You enjoy action that becomes more manageable as your understanding improves.
- You prefer discovering a cast and world in short pieces instead of watching long exposition scenes.
Baldur’s Gate 3: the choice-driven alternative
Baldur’s Gate 3 is the recommendation for viewers who want to stop following a fixed protagonist and start authoring the story themselves. BFI describes it as Larian Studios’ Dungeons & Dragons campaign, playable alone or with friends. Party members have deepening personal arcs, and many situations can be solved in multiple ways through dialogue, exploration, combat or creative use of the game’s systems.
Agency over a predetermined plot
Your character’s background, decisions and relationships can alter what happens next. A conversation may avoid a fight, a failed roll may create a new problem, and a companion’s priorities may conflict with yours. This is not a game designed to reproduce a film scene exactly; it is designed to make your playthrough feel like one version of a much larger campaign.
Solo and cooperative play
You can play alone while directing the whole party, or play with friends and negotiate decisions together. Co-op changes the social experience: another player may pursue a different conversation, take an unexpected risk or make a choice your character would never make. That unpredictability is part of the appeal, but it also means the story is less tightly paced than a linear adventure.
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Select Baldur’s Gate 3 if branching outcomes, party chemistry and role-playing freedom matter more than a carefully controlled runtime. Expect a long-form campaign with many optional scenes rather than a compact, film-like sequence.
Rank #3
Portal 2: comedy, puzzles and a complete arc
Portal 2 is the most accessible recommendation for someone who wants a sharply written story without another bleak survival drama. BFI presents Chell solving portal-gun puzzles while Wheatley becomes a comic partner in a darkly satirical story about experimentation and control.
Why it stands apart
The game’s narrative is carried by dialogue, timing and the changing relationship between characters, but progress still depends on solving spatial problems. Every puzzle teaches you to think differently, and the story uses that learning to control when new characters, locations and revelations appear.
Compared with the other recommendations, Portal 2 offers a more compact-feeling authored arc and a deliberately comic tone. It is a good palate cleanser after an intense adaptation and a strong choice for players who want story to support a distinctive mechanic rather than surround a large role-playing system.
Choose by narrative structure, not just genre
| If you want… | Choose… | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| The exact source of the show | The Last of Us Part I | A fixed campaign following Joel and Ellie, plus Left Behind |
| The same universe with your own character | Cyberpunk 2077 | Night City exploration, role-playing decisions and optional stories |
| A relationship at the center of a cinematic adventure | God of War | Kratos and Atreus travelling through a mythic world |
| Story revealed through repeated attempts | Hades | Runs, deaths, conversations and steadily expanding character arcs |
| Maximum agency and party drama | Baldur’s Gate 3 | Branching choices, companion stories and solo or cooperative play |
| Comedy built around puzzles | Portal 2 | Portal-gun challenges, satire and a tightly authored story |
A practical decision guide
Step 1: decide whether continuity is essential
If you want to revisit the same plot and characters, choose The Last of Us Part I. If you want only the setting and themes of Edgerunners, choose Cyberpunk 2077. The other four are thematic recommendations, not adaptations of the stories you watched.
Step 2: decide how much control you want
- Mostly authored: The Last of Us Part I, God of War and Portal 2.
- Player-directed: Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur’s Gate 3.
- System-driven and repeatable: Hades.
Step 3: match the emotional tone
For grief and survival, start with The Last of Us Part I. For family and myth, choose God of War. For cyberpunk tragedy and political tension, choose Cyberpunk 2077. For dark comedy, pick Portal 2. For a story that turns failure into progress, pick Hades. For a campaign where your decisions and friendships dominate, pick Baldur’s Gate 3.
Step 4: check length and commitment
A linear game is easier to finish in the order intended. Open-world and role-playing games can become much longer if you pursue side content, while Hades asks you to return repeatedly before its full narrative shape becomes clear. Choose the structure that fits the time and attention you actually have, not merely the genre you usually claim to like.
Platform, edition and comfort checks
Platform availability is not identical across this list and can vary by region or edition. The clearest current listing in the supplied material is The Last of Us Part I on PS5 and PC, with a 2 September 2022 release, a PlayStation Plus Extra catalog listing and physical Blu-ray editions in the US listing. Confirm the store page for your country before purchasing any title, especially when deciding between a subscription catalog and a permanent copy.
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Before starting, check the game’s own settings for the features that matter to you:
- Subtitle size, speaker labels and dialogue language options.
- Difficulty choices and any assists that reduce combat pressure.
- Control remapping, sensitivity and alternate input settings.
- Camera, motion, flashing-light and visual-comfort controls.
- Save behavior and whether you can pause during story scenes.
These options can differ by platform and version. If you are sensitive to motion, flashing effects or intense violence, read the current content and accessibility information for the specific edition rather than assuming every version has identical controls.
Recommended order for a viewer starting tonight
- Watched The Last of Us? Play The Last of Us Part I, then Left Behind if you want the additional Ellie-focused context.
- Watched Cyberpunk: Edgerunners? Start Cyberpunk 2077 and treat Phantom Liberty as the next major story when you want more of V’s Night City.
- Want another emotional journey? Choose God of War.
- Want a different narrative machine? Choose Hades for repeat runs or Baldur’s Gate 3 for branching role-playing.
- Need a lighter change of pace? Choose Portal 2 for comedy and puzzles.
The key distinction is simple: The Last of Us Part I is the direct source-story replay, Cyberpunk 2077 is a shared-universe expansion of the anime’s world, and the remaining games are carefully chosen alternatives based on narrative style, relationship focus and tone.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
