History NightmareFuel / TheLastOfUs

* The Infected. Picture [[BodyHorror a fungus literally blooming out of the entire top half of your face, after having grown into your brain to control and use you as its own personal vessel]]. They're '''[[http://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/The-Last-of-Us-14.jpg absolutely]] [[https://assets.vg247.com/current//2013/02/the_last_of_us_z_concept_art_11.jpg freaking]] [[http://images.wikia.com/thelastofus/images/7/74/The-Last-of-Us-Infected.jpg revolting]].'''

--->'''Joel''': ''Oh my god..''

*** It gets worse, just in that split second before black, you can see the Bloater's fingers ''[[EyeScream gouge out Joel's eyes so it has a better grip'']].

* During the aforementioned scene against The Hunters there's the scene at one point where Joel and Ellie are up on the scaffolding and then Joel jumps down to go attack the group of them while Ellie remains to shoot them from afar with the newly-acquired rifle. Now just before the action starts, a Hunter comes running from somewhere else to the rest of the group screaming of how "the seventy-six lookout guys" are all dead. The SEVENTY-SIX lookouts. This, alongside David's later scene with Ellie is just one of the few instances in the game (and in games period) that truly and very effectively terrifyingly underscores the depth of just how proificient Joel's killing ability is: He slaughtered an entire 76 people in a single fucking afternoon with some minor assistance from Ellie. No damn wonder David's so pissed later.
** There's a misunderstanding there: the "76 lookout guys" refers to the crew that was guarding the Hunters' Interstate 76 checkpoint that Joel passed on his way through greater Pittsburgh. It's not the number of people he killed there. The scene remains nightmarish regardless due to how utterly freaked the Hunter scout sounds, and he has every reason to. Joel may not have killed 76 men that day, but it was still a couple dozens, and depending on how well you did in terms of stealth, [[TerrorHero most probably never knew he was there]] before they were choked to death from behind or nailed by a silent arrow from the shadows.

** At the end of the game, when Joel prevents life-threatening surgery from being performed on on Ellie, at the player's choice he could unleash a violent TranquilFury upon the unarmed, cowering doctors.[[note]] Although the doctor threatening him with a scalpel is the only one required to die; the fate of the other two are in your hands.[[/note]]]]

** At the end of the game, when Joel prevents life-threatening surgery from being performed on on Ellie, at the player's choice he could unleash a violent TranquilFury upon the unarmed, cowering doctors.[[noteAlthough the doctor threatening him with a scalpel is the only one required to die; the fate of the other two are in your hands.[[/note]]]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbLOokeC3VU Footage of the game at E3 2012]] proved that it was no slouch in the violence department, depicting Joel fighting through Hunters in the Pittsburgh hotel. In sharp contrast to ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'', death occurs in realistic fashion, with characters reacting in pain before dying. The real kicker, though is the ending: [[spoiler:without breaking into a cutscene, the game prompts you, as Joel, to aim a shotgun at an enemy's head as he begs for his life. [[GoryDiscretionShot The screen cuts to the game's logo as a gunshot sounds]], but you can still see the gory aftermath for a split second before]]. That's when everyone knew that this was going to be Creator/NaughtyDog's darkest game yet.

* Joel's complete lack of any moral quandaries when it comes to killing and maiming people who stand in his way, both in and out of gameplay. [[spoiler:He interrogates three people over the course of the game - in sequence, by breaking someone's arm, almost lobbing off a kneecap and shooting multiple times in the groin. Every time, he shows extreme efficiency.]]

*** It could also be a reference to the fact that [[spoiler:his daughter]] was killed not by the infected, but by a regular soldier.
** At the end of the game, [[spoiler:when Joel prevents life-threatening surgery from being performed on on Ellie, at the player's choice he could unleash a violent TranquilFury upon the unarmed, cowering doctors.[[note]]Although the doctor threatening him with a scalpel is the only one required to die; the fate of the other two are in your hands.[[/note]]]]
** Joel [[spoiler:killing Marlene]], due to how cold and intense it is.
--->[[spoiler:'''Marlene''']]:[[spoiler:(''injured'') Wait! Let me go!... ''Please.'']]
--->[[spoiler:'''Joel''']]:[[spoiler:You'd just come after her. (''shoots Marlene in the head'')]]
* The intro masterfully captures the dread, confusion and panic of the first few hours of a ZombieApocalypse.
** The part where you play as Sarah wandering around her empty house is a perfect example of NothingIsScarier. Players know the ZombieApocalypse is underway, so they spend the entire time expecting a JumpScare every second. [[spoiler:There isn't one, but the atmosphere is intense enough that when you go into the kitchen, there's a good chance you'll jump at seeing your own reflection in the window]].

** Really, the Humvee itself. The thing practically ''follows'' you all throughout Pittsburgh. It's even strung with barbed wire, has a corpse laying on the hood, and the front bumper is scribbled with "RUN". And who wouldn't, once you hear its engine revving? Luckily, [[spoiler: you get to destroy the infernal machine when the Hunters follow Joel and Ellie to the suburbs.]]

*** Your first meeting with them is arguably one of the most unnerving experiences in the entire game. [[spoiler:After you (Joel) fall down an elevator shaft and swim through the darkened, flooded basement floors of the hotel, the first dry basement area you reach unfortunately happens to be another spore nursery. Up to this point everything's been dead quiet, but as you proceed towards an upwards concrete ramp formed from a caved-in ceiling, you suddenly see a swarm of rats come scurrying down the ramp and straight past your feet, fleeing from some unknown terror. Then, as you get closer, you see an obscure human shape at the top dash by and disappear behind a wall. After searching you'll eventually find a small office with a keycard required to open a door to exit the area. Right when you pick it up and look at it in the bagpack menu, you suddenly hear a nasty croaking voice.....[[OhCrap RIGHT BEHIND YOU.]]]]
*** And later on in the dark and flooded basement you have to get a generator going to proceed further. Just as Joel's made it start, a loud, jarring sound of something being busted open suddenly echoes through the dark basement, followed by the horrid shrieks of infected, likely giving most players an epic OhCrap moment right along with Joel. You then will be initially left at confused horror at ''the darkness hindering you from see much and not knowing where the infected will come from or even where you should run'', and to make matters even worse, when the infected ''does'' pop up right behind your back, one of them is a freakin' BLOATER! Cue running blindly around in the dark and narrow basement hallways while trying to avoid it long enough to get enough hits towards it as it slowly follows you around ''while'' warding off common infected on the way. It's enough to make the player be genuinely reluctant/scared to start the generator again every time you die. Although, the place is a lot easier to get by if you've learned to use a Molotov Cocktail (or simply outrun the infected to the door).

** Some of the death scenes are horrible, but special mention goes to one of the death scenes where [[spoiler:Joel's jaw is ripped wide open by a Bloater. While there is a GoryDiscretionShot stopping you from seeing much more, you still see what happens for a split second.]] Yeesh.
*** It gets worse, [[spoiler:just in that split second before black, you can see the Bloater's fingers ''[[EyeScream gouge out Joel's eyes]] so it has a better grip'']].

* The final scene of the brothers Henry and Sam, [[spoiler:where the group wakes up to Sam having turned into a Runner as Henry begrudgingly shoots him. And shoots at Joel in the process to keep ''him'' from doing the deed, before having a mental breakdown, threatening Joel at gunpoint and then suddenly [[DrivenToSuicide turning the gun on himself.]]]] It's one of the only cases in the entire game where ''[[SeenItAll Joel]]'' is visibly shocked and disturbed by what he just witnessed before a sudden SmashToBlack to skip ahead.

** Running through the blizzard [[spoiler:as Ellie with nothing but a knife (and possibly a few bullets if you were lucky enough) to kill someone with. All while having to avoid a town's cannibalistic denizens who are all much, ''much'' tougher than you, all right when they learn that a frightened teenage girl is trying to escape]]. One hell of a ride.
** Everything about [[spoiler:David]] might serve as a NightmareFuel in a sense of RewatchBonus, when you know [[spoiler:that his initial kindness towards Ellie might possibly be because he's an {{Ephebophile}} (sexually attracted to teenage girls)]]. Oh, and that [[spoiler:he's a ''[[ImAHumanitarian cannibal]]'', too]].
*** "[[spoiler:David]]'s '''newest''' pet"?! How many times has this psycho [[spoiler: found a girl, butchered everyone she was with, and then kept her alive so he could rape her until he got bored and killed her]]?
** [[spoiler:The BossFight with David (pictured above)]] is perhaps the most frightening, ParanoiaFuel-inducing part of the entire game. [[spoiler:Ellie's trapped in a burning restaurant with him and must quietly ambush David [[RuleOfThree three times]] from behind with her switchblade. With each stab, he gets increasingly dangerous, attacking with a pistol and then a machete]]. All the while, [[spoiler: David stalks Ellie, taunting her in a quiet, unhinged voice about her defiance and assuring her that his community won't "waste" any part of her dead horse. That is, unless you stab him twice--in which case, David suddenly stops talking and begins sneaking around just like Ellie (to where Listen Mode will only track him when he's moving)]]. To make the scene all the more pulse-pounding, [[spoiler:there are broken plates on the ground which you must avoid stepping on, or else David will track Ellie's location]].
--->[[spoiler:'''David''']]:[[spoiler:(''after getting stabbed the first time'') That was good, kid. It's gonna be all right... (''pulls out machete'')]]
*** Apart from [[spoiler:David's]] nastily-delivered lines, there's also [[spoiler: the way he laughs if you step on the broken plates, as well as him creepily saying "Hello, Ellie" if he sees you and "Run, little rabbit, run. ''Hide!''" after you stab him a second time.]] And if [[spoiler:David catches you from behind with his machete, you'll be treated to [[https://youtu.be/5o5xw9-EvTg?t=996 a grisly death scene]] in which he impales Ellie through her chest. The murderous, remorseless look on his face upon killing her doesn't help]].
*** It gets scarier if you're playing on Survivor and Grounded difficulties, in which you ''don't'' have Listen Mode at your disposal. You really get to feel more like [[spoiler:a fourteen-year-old girl by her lonesome playing a game of cat-and-mouse against a psychotic, cannibalistic, and (possibly) ephebophilic man]].
** And though it may count as a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome to Ellie, the scene where she [[spoiler:kills David]] can be this to some. She [[spoiler: literally -- ''and'' messily -- butchers David's head with ten strikes [[HoistByHisOwnPetard from his own machete]] (off-screen), while almost completely having lost her mind lashing out at the man who may or may not have attempted to rape her]]. [[spoiler:Joel]] arrives just in time to calm her down and snap her out of her frenzy, and we never see [[TakeOurWordForIt the aftermath]].

** Even worse for [[spoiler:the cannibals when Ellie's low on ammo]]. "Sounds like ''one'' of us is out of bullets..." That's a sign that you'd better run, craft a Molotov or do ''something'' quick.

* The Infected. Picture [[BodyHorror a fungus literally blooming out of the entire top half of your face, after having grown into your brain to control and use you as its own personal vessel]]. They're '''[[http://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/The-Last-of-Us-14.jpg absolutely]] [[http://images.vg247.com/current//2013/02/the_last_of_us_z_concept_art_11.jpg freaking]] [[http://images.wikia.com/thelastofus/images/7/74/The-Last-of-Us-Infected.jpg revolting]].'''

** Another note can be found from a soldier who witnessed a mob burn his squad alive. Potentially creepy for both the Fireflies and Hunters involved, as he implies that he's going to [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge personally hunt down and kill every single person who was there.]] It just goes to show how most of the scariest stuff in this game isn't even ''shown''.

[[caption-width-right:350:Run, little rabbit, run.]]

** And though it may count as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome to Ellie, the scene where she [[spoiler:kills David]] can be this to some. She [[spoiler: literally -- ''and'' messily -- butchers David's head with ten strikes [[HoistByHisOwnPetard from his own machete]] (off-screen), while almost completely having lost her mind lashing out at the man who may or may not have attempted to rape her]]. [[spoiler:Joel]] arrives just in time to calm her down and snap her out of her frenzy, and we never see [[TakeOurWordForIt the aftermath]].

* Score a headshot with a powerful weapon like the hunting rifle or shotgun. Instead of [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation leaving a neck stump with a clean white bone sticking out like a blob of mozzarella on an incredibly poorly made margherita]], the lower half of the head will still remain, much like real-life victims of high-caliber sniper rifles or shotguns.

** And though it may count as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome to Ellie, the scene where she [[spoiler:kills David]] can be this to some. She [[spoiler: literally -- ''and'' messily -- butchers David's head with ten strikes [[HoistByHisOwnPetard from his own machete]] (off-screen), while almost completely having lost her mind lashing out at the man who may or may not have attempted to rape her]]. [[spoiler:Joel]] arrives just in time to calm her down and snap her out of her frenzy.

*** It gets worse, [[spoiler:just in that split second before black, you can see the Bloater's fingers ''[[EyeScream gouge out Joel's eyes]] so it has a better grip'']]. Holy fucking shit.

** I'm genuinely surprised nobody noticed this before, but if you pay close attention to the tire swing outside, it's hanging still when Sarah first walks down the stairs. After she puts down Joel's phone, the swing is moving as if something just brushed up against it. Perhaps her dad or her ''infected neighbor.''

** Coming back to Sam's theory given what we see in the cut-scene [[spoiler:of him attacking Ellie]] and a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes footage of the actor's mocap during that particular scene (Grounded - Making The Last of Us), specifically, the way he is only [[spoiler:clawing and hitting with his hands on the ground around Ellie]] would suggest Sam's attempt at [[spoiler:suicide by survivor... maybe that's why some runners... run at you.]]
*** Might also qualify as FridgeLogic with the fungal infection. Hear me out: the fungal infection rewires the brains of the Infected to do as the fungal infection intends: to spread. And what is the most basest of human instinct, which has been tied in to several other zombie or zombie-esque genre media? To feed. Feeding back into Sam’s theory, and the above troper’s very interesting theory, maybe it’s a double-edged blade. The fungal infection is reacting off of the human instinct to feed—given one of the ways it’s transmitted through is biting—as well as the possibility that the runners are indeed suicidal to a degree. Perhaps the runners are reacting both to the fungal infection’s “instinct” to spread, as well as what the former person it is slowly taking over wants to end what little life and control they have over themselves by running at potential victims in the hopes that they’ll be killed with help.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbLOokeC3VU Footage of the game at E3 2012]] proved that it was no slouch in the violence department, depicting Joel fighting through Hunters in the Pittsburgh hotel. In sharp contrast to ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'', death occurs in realistic fashion, with characters reacting in pain before dying. The real kicker, though is the ending: [[spoiler:without breaking into a cutscene, the game prompts you, as Joel, to aim a shotgun at an enemy's head as he begs for his life. [[GoryDiscretionShot The screen cuts to the game's logo as a gunshot sounds]], but you can still see the gory aftermath for a split second before]]. That's when everyone knew that this was going to be {{Naughty Dog}}'s darkest game yet.

--->[[spoiler:'''Marlene''']]:[[spoiler:(''injured'') Wait! Please. Let me go.]]

* The way people have come to treat those that get infected, regardless if they haven't turned yet. When Joel is walking with Tess early in the game, they come across soldiers scanning four people. When one of them turns out infected, the soldiers immediately put her down as if they were just getting rid of an insect. And when one of them tries to run before they can scan him, they gun him down without a second thought.

** I'm genuinely surprised nobody noticed this before, but if you pay close attention to the tire swing outside, it's hanging still when Sarah first walks down the stairs. After she puts down the phone, the swing is moving as if something just brushed up against it. Perhaps her dad or her ''infected neighbor.''

* Exploring the house as Sarah, you hear many ambient evening noises; cars going by, night crickets. As well as a dog barking like mad just outside the house... then suddenly yelps to a stop. Minutes later, an infected neighbor breaks in and attacks Joel.

** Really, the Humvee itself. The thing practically ''follows'' you all throughout Pittsburgh. It's even strung with barbed wire, has a corpse laying on the hood, and the front bumper is scribbeld with "RUN". And who wouldn't, once you hear its engine revving? Luckily, [[spoiler: you get to destroy the infernal machine when the Hunters follow Joel and Ellie to the suburbs.]]

** Coming back to Sam's theory given what we see in the cut-scene [[spoiler:of him attacking Ellie]] and a glimpse of the behind the scenes footage of the actor's mocap during that particular scene (Grounded - Making The Last of Us), specifically, the way he is only [[spoiler:clawing and hitting with his hands on the ground around Ellie]] would suggest Sam's attempt at [[spoiler:suicide by survivor... maybe that's why some runners... run at you.]]

*** And later on in the dark and flooded basement you have to get a generator going to proceed further. Just as Joel's made it start, a loud, jarring sound of something being busted open suddenly echoes through the dark basement, followed by the horrid shrieks of infected, likely giving most players an epic OhCrap moment right along with Joel. You then will be initially left at confused horror at ''the darkness hindering you from see much and not knowing where the infected will come from or even where you should run'', and to make matters even worse, when the infected ''does'' pop up right behind your back, one of them is a freakin' BLOATER! Cue running blindly around in the dark and narrow basement hallways while trying to avoid it long enough to get enough hits towards it as it slowly follows you around ''while'' warding off common infected on the way. It's enough to make the player be genuinly reluctant/scared to start the generator again every time you die. Although, the place is a lot easier to get by if you've learned to use a Molotov Cocktail (or simply outrun the infected to the door).

** Any game-over death scenes during her parts are also worse, simply because seeing a fourteen year old child get shot / strangled / beaten to death / her throat ripped out is even more shocking than when it happens to the grizzled Joel.

* Exploring the house as Sarah, you hear many ambient evening noises; cars going by, night crickets. As well as a dog barking like mad just outside the house... then suddenly yelps to a stop. Minutes later, an infected neighbour breaks in and attacks Joel.

* Exploring the house as Sarah, you hear many ambient evening noises; cars going by, night crickets. As well as a dog barking like mad just outside the house... then suddenly yelps to a stop. Minutes later, an infected Jimmy breaks in and attacks Joel.

--->[[spoiler:'''David''']]:[[spoiler:(''after getting stabbed a second time'') That was good, kid. It's gonna be all right... (''pulls out machete'')]]

** Even worse for [[spoiler:the cannibals when Ellie's low on ammo]]. "Sounds like ''one'' of us is out of bullets..." That's a sign that you'd better run, craft a Molotov or do ''something'' quick.

* The intro masterfully captures the dread, confusion and panic of the first few hours of a ZombieApocalypse. The developers actually made the Infected seem threatening, unlike games such as ''VideoGame/DeadIsland'' or ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' where 100% of the time you can win just by throwing stuff at them.

** Everything about [[spoiler:David]] might serve as a NightmareFuel in a sense of RewatchBonus, when you know [[spoiler:that his initial kindness towards Ellie might possibly be because he's an {{Ephebophile}} (sexually attracted to teenage girls)]]. Oh, and that [[spoiler:he's a ''cannibal'', too]].

** [[spoiler:The BossFight with David (pictured above)]] is perhaps the most frightening, ParanoiaFuel-inducing part of the entire game. [[spoiler:Ellie's trapped in a burning restaurant with him,and must quietly ambush David [[RuleOfThree three times]] from behind with her switchblade. With each stab, he gets progressively dangerous, attacking with a pistol and then a machete]]. All the while, [[spoiler: David stalks Ellie, taunting her in a quiet, unhinged voice about her defiance and assuring her that his community won't "waste" any part of her dead horse. That is, unless you stab him twice--in which case, David suddenly stops talking and begins sneaking around just like Ellie (to where Listen Mode will only track him when he's moving)]]. To make the scene all the more pulse-pounding, [[spoiler:there are broken plates on the ground which mustn't be stepped on, or else David will track Ellie's location]].