The Last of Us Part 2’s Scariest Infected? Not So Much

by

The series, titled “The Last of Us“, has consistently excelled at portraying the horrors that humanity is capable of, even surpassing the dreadfulness of the infected creatures that have taken over certain regions. It’s worth noting that the creators opted for ‘infected’ with a mushroom theme instead of the usual, widespread zombies. Each type of infected creature has its unique trait, such as runners being fast and able to catch players quickly or stalkers ambushing players from hidden spots. Engaging with both infected and human factions in “The Last of Us Part 1” and “Part 2” adds a significant amount of gameplay diversity.

In the premiere of “The Last of Us Part 2”, we were introduced to shamblers, implying that future mutations might emerge and join the ranks of runners, stalkers, clickers, and bloaters. Additionally, a distinct boss fight presented the Rat King for the first time. Regrettably, even though “The Last of Us” is expected to keep introducing fresh infected forms in each new game, shamblers and the Rat King may not remain impressive for long, as they could potentially be surpassed by any new types of infected characters that might appear in “Part 3”, should there indeed be a third installment.

The Last of Us Part 2’s Shamblers aren’t the Prettiest Mushrooms on the Bark

Shamblers, while not particularly fearsome on their own, are quite fragile. Players should maintain some space and be aware of their area-of-effect spore bursts. However, when they’re part of a group of infected, including runners and stalkers, they can pose a significant threat. Runners and stalkers can stun players intensely, allowing shamblers to move closer.

In The Last of Us Part 2, it’s exciting that a new infected type was introduced to bring some additional diversity. However, the Bloaters remain dominant and seem even more fearsome and all-powerful in this sequel. Similarly, the runners and stalkers have been significantly enhanced to pose a significant danger during close combat, as they can now interrupt players’ attacks with their own series of swift strikes.

Consequently, shamblers lumbering about and discharging AoEs doesn’t really solve any persistent problems and is actually more annoying than anything else. In the end, shamblers aren’t successful in unseating clickers as the most perilous and hazardous infected type encountered in a standard group in “The Last of Us”.

The Last of Us Part 2’s Rat King is a Shiv in a Haystack

In the hidden depths of the Washington Liberation Front’s occupied Lakehill hospital, the enigmatic Rat King from The Last of Us Part 2 is shrouded in a thick layer of anticipation. As players navigate through a lab overgrown with fungi, they come across notes expressing despair and worry from both patients and staff. This area presents some of the most terrifying visuals yet seen in The Last of Us series.

The scene effectively establishes a foreboding atmosphere as the Rat King unveils itself as a colossal conglomerate of diseased organisms. As players inflict sufficient harm, a superior stalker breaks away from this mass and enters the main battle. The Rat King stands out as an impressive boss, but given its unique mutated composition derived from the hospital events beneath the WLF base, it’s rare that gamers will encounter similar adversaries in the future.

In The Last of Us Part 2, the “No Return” aspect introduces the Rat King as a repeated enemy boss, adding freshness by implementing a roguelike gameplay style.

In essence, it’s highly unlikely that another character like the Rat King, who emerged uniquely within the world of “The Last of Us Part 2”, can be found in similar conditions elsewhere. Yet, the Rat King serves as a compelling demonstration of how extraordinary circumstances can give rise to unusual infected variations. Hopefully, we’ll see something even more grotesque in a potential “Part 3”.

Read More

2025-04-30 16:38