For some, Naughty Dog's end of the PlayStation 3 era, and it began development long before that - but there are reasons people might feel differently.
The story of The Last of Us series nominally revolves around a zombie-like apocalypse triggered by a fungus. In many respects, though, it's really about the relationships between survivors, especially the family-like bond between Joel and Ellie and their run-ins with hostile humans who should be more concerned with the infected. The tone is strongly similar to Cormac McCarthy's 2006 novel The Road, as well as the 2009 movie adaptation directed by John Hillcoat.
The Last of Us shipped almost eight years ago in June 2013, a mere five months before the launch of the PS4. Development, however, reaches all the way back to 2009, just after the premiere of Uncharted 2. According to a 2012 new The Last of Us DLC was released as late as August 2014.
Why The Last of Us Feels So Recent
The true source of confusion is probably April 2014's The Last of Us Remastered, which overhauled the game for the PS4 with improved graphics and framerates, DualShock 4 , and gameplay enhancements for segments like combat. Since it also bundled The Last of Us DLC like Left Behind, that made it the definitive edition for people seeking the game out by reputation. The PS4 has also remained a relevant console midway through 2021, given its ownership base and the fact that the PS5 remains in short supply. Players have had access to The Last of Us for a long time, and that keeps it fresh in their memory.
The strength of the brand is such that a PS5 remaster may be in development, possibly as a bundle with an upgraded PS5 version of The Last of Us Part 2. That, of course, would allow Sony and Naughty Dog to capitalize on the premiere of the HBO show and likely result in even more sales. It's also possible that when this happens a whole new group of people could become confused about The Last of Us' age - in a sense by design, since a lot of parties have a vested interest in keeping it fresh, not unlike a reanimated corpse.
