Highlights

• The Last of Us Part 2 pushed the boundaries of gaming with its overall experience, despite mixed reactions to its story risks.
• Players who loved the immersive storytelling and emotional depth of The Last of Us Part 2 have plenty of other games to choose from that deliver in this department, such as The Witcher 3 and A Plague Tale.
• Naughty Dog has a strong track record of delivering narrative-driven experiences, and fans of The Last of Us Part 2 should check out other titles from the studio, like Uncharted 4 and the original The Last of Us.

The conversation about some of the greatest games of 2020 would be incomplete without the mention of The Last of Us Part 2, the much-awaited sequel to the first title that ended up pushing the boundaries of gaming to an entirely different level. While people might have had mixed reactions when it came to the risks that the game took with its story, there's no denying that the overall experience was still a wildly enjoyable one that most people should experience at some point.

So, it's only a given that people who finish off this brilliant title would want to enjoy more games in the same vein that would elicit a ton of emotions in them. While no other game is exactly like The Last of Us Part 2, there are certainly several titles that can certainly come close to scratching that itch. Players who love excellent voice acting, excellent storytelling, and gut-punching emotional stories are spoiled for choice when it comes to the many games that are delivered in this department.

Updated on January 15, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: As The Last of Us Part 2 prepares to arrive natively on the PS5, most people should be able to agree that the gameplay is phenomenal. While the story can turn some people off from the experience, the game's unwavering focus on delivering its narrative and themes is pretty bold and refreshing. It helps that the production values make everything stand out even more, and fans who want to check out more games like The Last of Us Part 2 should be satiated by other titles that are reminiscent of Naughty Dog's risky title.

The Last of Us is not included because it is too obvious.

1 Death Stranding

A Unique Narrative Set In A Desolate World Ravaged By Beings Unknown

After parting ways with Konami, Hideo Kojima was finally given the freedom to develop what he wanted. This led to the development and release of Death Stranding, a unique open-world game that turns the simple act of performing deliveries into something highly engrossing.

A lot of people didn't get what Death Stranding was going for when it came out, but it didn't take long for the game to show why its loyal fans were going gaga over it. The simple act of traversing the open world is a blast, and players will find themselves loving how unique the gameplay loop is once they try out other cookie-cutter open-world games that are scared to try out anything new.

2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

A Spellbinding Adventure With Geralt Moving Heaven And Earth To Look Out For Ciri

The Witcher 3 is one of the greatest video games ever made, capping off Geralt's journey on a high note and allowing players to go through an engaging story as he embarks on a quest to locate and save Ciri from the Wild Hunt. It makes for a great time as players explore various open-world landscapes, fulfilling a wealth of quests and engaging with a bunch of colorful characters along the way.

The game's mix of combat, exploration, and story makes for a brilliant combination that fans will simply not get enough of. Following the main story, The Witcher 3 was also graced with two excellent DLCs called Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine. Both expansion packs allowed Geralt to explore brand-new tales with unique characters, with the latter adding a whole new area for players to explore too.

3 A Plague Tale: Requiem

A Heartbreaking Ending To Hugo And Amicia's Adventure

A Plague Tale consists of a duology of stealth-focused games where players control Amicia as she escorts her younger brother Hugo and protects her from the various atrocities of the world as they explore landscapes that have been completely ravaged by the Black Plague. Both games are excellent in their own right, with the sequel upping the production value to new heights.

A Plague Tale: Requiem continues the story from the first game with many twists and turns thrown along the way. Players will genuinely get invested in the struggles of Hugo and Amicia, with the ending capping off an amazing journey and leaving many fans reaching for their tissues as they try to stop the tears that flow after an emotionally charged ending.

4 Heavy Rain

Ethan's Brutal Journey To Find And Rescue Shaun Is Heartbreaking

There's no denying that David Cage's games have their fair share of problems that make them rather hard to get into at times. However, there's no denying that the high production values and great storytelling present in these games make for an entertaining (if somewhat vapid) experience that fans can have a great time with.

Such is the case with Heavy Rain, a game that was incredibly successful at launch and led to Quantic Dream becoming one of the most popular studios around. The stories of Ethan, Madison, Jayden, and Scott all combine to make for a great narrative that does have a few plotholes... but nothing too major.

5 Telltale's The Walking Dead

Lee And Clementine's Story Of Survival Makes For A Great Time

While Telltale's The Walking Dead may lack any action gameplay, it more than makes up for it with a gripping and emotional story. There's a reason why Tellate reached new heights as a publisher after this game became incredibly popular.

The story of Lee and Clementine is truly riveting and shows just how brutal the post-apocalypse can be. Players will be hooked over the title's five episodes before reaching one of the biggest tearjerker endings in video game history. Gameplay-wise, The Walking Dead has nothing in common with The Last of Us, but they share similar settings. More importantly, they both center around father-daughter dynamics, even if The Walking Dead is closer to the first LOU game than its sequel in this department.

6 Alan Wake & Alan Wake 2

Survival-Horror Gameplay Where Conserving Ammo Is Important While Fighting Against Multiple Supernatural Monsters

Remedy Entertainment tends to focus on cinematic adventures, and two of the developer's best creations are the Alan Wake games. The 2010 entry dabbles in the horror-thriller genre, taking a look at the sordid journey of an author who finds out that the events of his novel are happening in real life. Piecing together the amazing story of Alan Wake makes for a great and captivating time, and the story is by far the campaign's strongest element.

A sequel took a very long time to come to fruition, but it was well worth the wait. Alan Wake 2 improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way, delivering an even better story while also fine-tuning the gameplay to create something less polarizing. Told from the perspective of two protagonists, the campaign blends horror, mystery, and suspense seamlessly.

7 Days Gone

An Underrated Story-Driven Open-World Game With A Mature, Grizzly Protagonist

When one talks about games similar to The Last of Us, it's only a matter of time before Days Gone is brought into the conversation. After all, both these games were Sony exclusives that featured a zombie setting.

However, due to its technical limitations and uninspired characters, Days Gone ended up being criticized heavily upon release. Over time, more people have warmed up to the game and its unique story, which is great to see. Now, the story gets off to a rather slow start and features a protagonist who can be rather unlikable at first, although both elements improve as the campaign moves along. Similar to The Last of Us Part 2, Days Gone brings to life a version of America overrun with zombie-esque creatures, and the undead hordes are even more of a threat in the open-world game.

8 Red Dead Redemption 2

Amazing Technical Fidelity On Display In Rockstar's Most Emotional Video Game To Date

It would be impossible to talk about games like Last of Us 2 without mentioning the masterpiece that is Red Dead Redemption 2. It's easily one of Rockstar's greatest titles and features the best story that the company has created to this day.

Stepping into the shoes of Arthur Morgan in a prequel to the first game feels extremely natural and exciting. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a technical marvel that showcases what modern video games can bring to the table with the right amount of time and resources.

9 Resident Evil Village

A Great Survival-Horror Game With A Focus On Action

Most fans of Resident Evil are glad to see that this classic survival horror series is finally experiencing the resurgence it rightfully deserves. The latest non-remake game ended up being a worthy chapter in the illustrious Resident Evil saga, albeit one that shifted focus slightly to action above a pure horror experience. If someone is specifically craving horror, they should try Resident Evil 7 or maybe the RE 2 remake, the latter of which also features an over-the-shoulder camera like The Last of Us.

Still, Village is a blast to play through, and it has a decent story that is elevated by a creepy and immersive setting along with a collection of stellar antagonists.

10 Tomb Raider

A Gritty Adventure Where An Innocent Character Has To Learn To Kill

After the Tomb Raider series was pretty much stuck in mediocrity post the disastrous launch of The Angel of Darkness, it was clear that the franchise required a much-needed reboot that would modernize the series and make it all the more accessible for a whole new generation of gamers.

This was achieved with the Tomb Raider reboot in 2013, which ended up being a fantastic and entertaining romp that explored Lara's character in the past and showed her transformation into the tomb raider that fans know and love.

11 BioShock Infinite

The Dynamic Between Booker And Elizabeth Is A Thing Of Beauty

The original BioShock was a great game in its own right, but one can argue that it was BioShock Infinite that made the franchise all the more accessible and mainstream. There were many reasons for this, such as the brilliant story and the way it was told.

The story of Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth is bound to give off the same vibes as Joel and Ellie, which can prove to be a treat for gamers who loved the second part of The Last of Us but wished that there was more of the same dynamic that was explored in the first game.

12 Horizon Zero Dawn

An Amazing Narrative Told In A Post-Apocalyptic World

Horizon Zero Dawn was an ambitious attempt by Guerrilla Games to craft a new IP for the PlayStation 4, and it must be said that the company managed to accomplish the same resoundingly with the release of this title.

Horizon Zero Dawn is easily one of the greatest open-world adventures on console, especially for people seeking out games like The Last of Us 2. It features a brilliant and well-realized world that manages to explain its somewhat ludicrous setting in a brilliant and believable fashion. The story takes a while to properly get going since it initially concentrates on Aloy's alienation from this universe's core society, but things pick up greatly ones the focus shifts to the world's history and lore. Horizon Forbidden West is also pretty good, although new players should definitely start ith the first title.

13 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

A Naughty Dog Title That Learned From Their Work On The Last Of Us To Combine Spectacle And Emotion Deftly

Of course, it was only a given that the best recommendation to enjoy a story-heavy game like The Last of Us Part 2 would be another Naughty Dog title itself. After all, the studio has an incredibly impressive back catalog of games to its name.

Uncharted 4 serves as the final chapter in Nate's story and proves to be the most emotional one of the lot, featuring excellent performances and story moments that allow us to finally bid a satisfactory goodbye to one of the greatest adventurers in gaming history.

14 God Of War

Watching Kratos And Atreus Bond As They Do Justice To Their Mother's Ashes Is A Blast

The God of War reboot had fans anticipating the return of one of the most iconic characters in video gaming history, and how Santa Monica Studios managed to revitalize the franchise should be commended.

It was a given that the combat and graphics of the reboot were bound to be brilliant, but it's the story that took everyone for a wild and emotional ride. The bond between Kratos and his son Atreus is truly beautiful, and watching it blossom is easily one of the biggest highlights of the entire game.

Even though it has a messier story than its predecessor, God of War Ragnarok arguably achieves higher narrative highs, all the while delivering improved gameplay and a frantic pace.