The Last of Us and its sequel are blockbuster action-adventure games with incredible graphics and deep narratives. They’re also games that, for a few different reasons, will never officially be playable on Nintendo’s aging Switch console. But don’t worry, you can just play The Last Hope – Dead Zone Survival instead, a new game on the eShop that looks an awful lot like Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic series.
Released on June 30, The Last Hope – Dead Zone Survival is a third-person action game starring a man named Brian Lee, who was sent to the future as part of an unspecified government’s investigation into a deadly zombie outbreak. Apparently his job is to figure out why it happened? Or maybe to stop it, the trailer isn’t really clear. What is clear is that pretty quickly, Brian Lee encounters a young girl who is totally not a ripoff of Ellie from The Last of Us. Yes, she is wearing the same outfit as Ellie and looks a lot like Ellie, and appears to follow Brian Lee around for safety from the undead, but she’s totally different in every other way.
The similarities between The Last Hope and The Last of Us extend beyond the similar names, characters, and zombies. A quick glance at the game’s official digital cover image makes it clear what game the developers at V.G. Games were likely, let’s say… inspired by when making this Switch title. (The answer is: The Last of Us.)
Kotaku has reached out to V.G. Games for more information.
According to the game’s official eShop description, The Last Hope features an “immersive atmosphere” that is “enhanced” by “detailed visuals, eerie sound design, and a gripping storyline.”
This is the part where I include some gameplay while asking you to re-read the previous sentence.
As of July 5, The Last Hope has yet to launch in North America. The Switch-exclusive action game is currently only available on the Nintendo eShop in the UK. It’s normally 9 pounds but is currently on sale for £0.99. What a bargain! You might be better off just watching the TV show instead.
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