The Last Of Us Game Series Scripts Collected In 600-Page Book By Dark Horse

by

Fans of “The Last of Us” can soon immerse themselves in the full narrative through script format, thanks to an upcoming book from Dark Horse. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t about the HBO adaptation. Instead, we’re referring to “The Last of Us: Part I and II Scripts”, a hardcover anthology that compiles the scripts from the Naughty Dog video games. Expected release date is December 16, making it an ideal holiday gift for fans of “The Last of Us”.

Pre-orders are now open for The Last of Us: Part I and II Scripts on Amazon, priced at a special offer of $66.63 (originally $70). No charges will be made until your order is shipped, and any additional discounts offered by Amazon before launch will automatically be applied to your preorder.

As a gamer, I must admit, it’s truly astonishing to come across a book like this. I’ve never encountered a comprehensive video game script in book format before. The closest thing I could think of was “The Skyrim Library,” a three-volume set that compiled all the written lore found within The Elder Scrolls V, but even that doesn’t quite compare to what I hold in my hands now.

In essence, it’s impractical to publish AAA games as books because of the financial implications. These games feature complex elements like choice-based dialogue trees, branching storylines, vast open worlds, numerous non-player characters (NPCs), and extensive side content. All these elements would necessitate an enormous number of pages spread across multiple volumes, which is not feasible from a book production standpoint.

In a different phrasing: The Last of Us is exceptionally suited for this format because it’s often called cinematic and referred to as an “interactive film.” In fact, several scenes in the HBO adaptation are directly taken from the game, requiring minimal interpretation.

In The Last of Us series, you won’t find conversation options that impact the story, multiple paths to follow, or vast open worlds to roam around in. Instead, the original game’s experience is pre-determined, following a specific script. However, its sequel offers more flexibility by allowing players to tackle combat situations and puzzles using various strategies. Similar to Uncharted 4, these “open” areas are essentially linear paths that guide you through the game.

In other words, you shouldn’t expect the dialogues between Joel and Ellie in this context to resemble a traditional screenplay or teleplay completely. There are numerous interactive elements within each game that will be interwoven with their conversations, providing additional context. The text scattered throughout these interactions is intended to enrich the experience, offering new insights for fans as they explore.

Screenplays, usually ranging from 90 to 120 pages, aren’t as frequently published as they used to be, but occasionally, we come across collections of teleplay scripts for popular TV shows. However, HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us isn’t one of them (yet), unlike their previous experience with publishing scriptbooks for their series. For instance, the scripts for all four seasons of Succession were published in 2023, and the scripts for Seasons 1 to 4 of Stranger Things are set to be released soon.

Preorder The Last of Us Season 2

The second season of “The Last of Us” is set to be released on 4K Blu-ray on September 23rd, and Amazon offers a great deal on the Limited Edition Steelbook version. Typically priced at $47, you can preorder this collectible 4K edition for only $35. If you don’t have Season 1 yet, the standard 4K Blu-ray is available for just $18.58.

Read More

2025-07-24 22:39