The Last of Us fan base has come up with countless ways to show their love for the game, ranging from tattoos and cosplays to fan art and short films. Custom loading screens are a fresh concept, however, and one fan of The Last of Us has shown off a series of different designs.
In the original The Last of Us game, the main menu does not feature an image of one of the protagonists or an enemy like a clicker. Instead, Naughty Dog reflects the somber and mature tone of the story through a minimalistic start screen. A single window is visible, with players able to see some overgrown foliage if they look through the glass. Beyond these leaves and some dirty walls, however, there is nothing more to see.
While this menu screen has become an iconic visual for The Last of Us fans, Reddit user lilwolfie2020 found a way to put their own spin on it. In their images, the window is open, with an iconic visual from the series placed within the space. Two of these edited images showcase some ruined cityscapes from The Last of Us 2’s post-apocalyptic world. Two others showcase iconic shots from the sequel’s reveal trailer, with one spotlighting Joel and the other focusing on Ellie.
In the Ellie loading screen, she can be seen playing the guitar as she sits on a bed. Blood is visible on the floor around her, with some stains noticeable on the bed as well. Given the impact of Joel’s guitar, this is a perfect visual for a menu screen. All the options from the original Last of Us can be seen on the left side of the image, ranging from the Left Behind DLC to The Last of Us’ Factions multiplayer. While it is unclear if a real loading screen would see Ellie moving in the window or if it would just be a static image, the design works incredibly well.
Another great menu screen highlights the entrance of Ellie’s adoptive father Joel. Emerging from a white light and stepping over a dead body in the reveal trailer, the sequence is perfectly captured in the custom menu design. The hand sits near the bottom of the window, while Joel’s silhouette stands in the doorway. Unsurprisingly, these designs have been a huge hit with The Last of Us fans, with many wishing that menu customization was possible in the Naughty Dog series.
With a remake of The Last of Us rumored, players could be seeing this iconic window visual once again in the near future. While it is hard to top the simplicity of the original, it is nice to see lilwolfie2020’s work getting some well-deserved praise.
The Last of Us Remake is rumored to be in development.
Source: Reddit