The Last of Us 6 post-apocalyptic visions that inspired the game

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We've got a handful of films we think played a part in evolving Naughty Dog's latest game

5. The Walking Dead

Although he can still remember a time when life wasn't a waking nightmare, The Walking Dead's Carl has a lot in common with Ellie.

Like any normal kid growing up in the apocalypse, Carl and Ellie have to learn how to scavenge, shoot, and watch the adults around them grow increasingly violent and desperate. Worst of all, some truly terrible things are carried out in the name of their protection. This burden would be unbearable for a child, if not for the love and support of a parent (or parental figure).

6. The Day of the Triffids

What does a movie about giant man eating plants from outer space have to do with Naughty Dog's realistic survival horror game? More than you'd think...

There’s a reason this title screen with sunlight and trees was one of the first teaser images Naughty Dog put on the web. Not only does it show off the engine’s rendering capabilities, it places emphasis on the natural world, and might be hinting at the source of the biological agent that’s infected humanity. It’s also similar to the title card from this 60’s sci-fi classic, which had a lot to say about the behavior of humanity in a mass scale, dire situation. You see, the Triffids come to Earth via a spectacular meteor shower. All of humanity can’t help but watch, and wakes up the next day irreversibly blinded. Trains crash into stations, planes fall out of the sky and the lucky few who still have their sight are besieged by droves of blind, desperate people. Oh, and did we mention these carnivorous Triffids can pull up their roots and go hunting?