Very few post-apocalyptic video game franchises can give us a glimpse as to what our world would look like in an apocalypse quite likeThe Last of Us. Thanks to Naughty Dog’s painstaking attention to detail, the worlds of both games realistically and perfectly capture a vision of our world without us, and taking time to explore the environments in the games can often be a rewarding experience.
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Of course, it’s no secret thatThe Last of Ustakes place in a version of our own world, with characters referencing and visiting numerous real-world locations. What makes things more interesting is when several more specific locations players visit actually exist.Because of Naughty Dog’s commitment to accuracy and detail, there are more than a few real-life specific locations featured across bothLast of Ustitles that bear a striking resemblance to their real-world counterparts.
8Massachusetts State House
When escorting Ellie outside of the Boston Quarantine Zone, Joel and Tess are instructed by Marlene to drop Ellie off at the Capitol Building, where more Fireflies will be waiting.Much of the game’s third chapterconsists of the trio making their way across the rest of the abandoned city to the Capitol Building. Unfortunately, as they arrive, they find that the Fireflies there have been killed, forcing them to change their plans.
The Capitol Building mentioned and seen throughout the early parts ofThe Last of Us Part 1is actually the Massachusetts State House, which is used as the capital of Massachusetts. It was built in 1798, making it 235 years old during the events of the game. Locations inside the Massachusetts State House that players visit in the game include the Rotunda and the State Library of Massachusetts.
7Fort Duquesne Bridge
Midway throughThe Last of Us Part 1, Joel and Ellie get stranded in Pittsburgh and must fight their way through a hunter-filled city to escape. Throughout the chapter, Joel uses the bridge as a visual of their destination, which the two eventually reach by the end of the chapter.
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The bridge used in the Pittsburgh chapter is the Fort Duquesne Bridge, which was constructed throughout the ’60s. The bridge was famously coined as “the bridge to nowhere”, as production halted in 1963, leaving the bridge unconnected to the north side of the Allegheny River. Of course, the bridge was eventually completed in 1969 and can be used today. Though as a nod to the bridge’s famous history, it is also incomplete inThe Last of Us Part 1.
6Waverly Township
After getting picked up by Henry and Sam downriver in Pennsylvania, Joel and Ellie travel with them to a radio tower. On the way, they travel through a suburban neighborhood. There, they reminisce about their lives before the apocalypse before fighting yet another battle with hunters who have occupied the area.
While the neighborhood may seem like a fictional neighborhood created for the game, it is an actual place. A sign that can be found in the game refers to the location as Waverly Township, a township located in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. Though there is more to Waverly than the neighborhood players see in the game, there are still plenty of residential areas just like in Naughty Dog’s adventure title.
5Silver Lake
In one of the darkest chapters ofThe Last of Us Part 1, Ellie finds herself fighting for her and Joel’s lives. While nursing Joel back to health, Ellie must fight off a group of cannibals held up in a resort town near a lake known as Silver Lake, all in the heart of winter in Colorado.
There are actually several lakes named Silver Lake in Colorado, though the lake that many fans believe to be depicted in the game would be located just west of Boulder. Much like in the game, the lake is surrounded by gorgeous mountains and lush forests,though perhaps without the cannibal-filled resort to worry about.
4Downtown Seattle
When players first arrive in Seattle inThe Last of Us Part II, they’ll soon be taken to the downtown area where Ellie and Dina will have to search for gas. Here, players can explore a small but intriguing open-world area Naughty Dog has created, including many puzzles to solve, infected to kill, and secrets to uncover.
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Given how much time players will get to explore this area,it is also one of the most faithfully recreated locationsin the entire franchise. Nearly all of the buildings that are visible and explorable in this area are accurate to their real-life counterparts; from the courthouse to the synagogue, as well as the bank and several of the surrounding skyscrapers.
3KOMO Plaza
While hunting down Abby’s friends, Ellie and Dina eventually find themselves headed towards the TV station. Here, players get their first glimpse ofone of the two Seattle faction groups, the Seraphites, as well as an intense combat encounter with the WLF as Ellie and Dina search for clues as to where to go next.
The TV station inThe Last of Us Part IIis modeled heavily after the KOMO Plaza, where KOMO 4 News, Seattle’s local news station, is filmed and broadcast. Like many of the other locations in the game, Naughty Dog was careful to faithfully recreate the look of the real KOMO 4 News station. Fans ofGrey’s Anatomymay also recognize the station as the location of the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital.
2Paramount Theater
Near the end of their first day in Seattle, Ellie and Dina look for a place to rest. Ellie ends up finding the Pinnacle Theater, which she and Dina use as a safe house for the next few days. Over the course of the first half of the game, players regularly visit the inside of the theater, using it to push the story forward or torelax and play the guitar.
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Given how often players visit the theater, it’s no surprise that it’s based on a real place. In reality, the theater is the Paramount Theater. Built in the late ’20s, the theater was initially built by Paramount Pictures and made solely to screen films, but eventually expanded to include a variety of performing arts, becoming one of the most recognizable theaters in Seattle.
1Seattle Aquarium
Much like how Ellie uses the Paramount Theater, Abby ends up using the Seattle Aquarium as her safe house throughout her journey inThe Last of Us Part II. Players initially visit the aquarium while playing as Ellie, though will spend most of their time here while playing as Abby. Players visit several different locations within the aquarium, ranging from the gift shop to several exhibits.
Much like the theater, players will be spending some time as Abby in the aquarium. As can be expected, the Seattle Aquarium featured in the game is fairly close to its real-life counterpart. Several exhibits within the aquarium are also faithfully recreated in the game, such as the aquarium’s underwater dome when Abby and Owen first visit the aquarium.
The Last of Us Part 2is available on PS4 and PS5.
