Podcasts
It’s the End of the World All Over Again in ‘The Last of Us Part II'[Safe Room Podcast]
At its core, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II is an infected epic all about love.
Notable in more ways than one, the original game shined as an example of mature storytelling bolstered by personable characters you couldn’t help but be enamored with.
The Last of Us didn’t so much remind us of the potential of storytelling in games, as it redefined. This was an arduous task, one that The Last of Us Part II looked to expand on by increasing the narrative scope and tackling a bevy of new thematic and tonal elements.
Elements that we unpack in this week’s episode, in which Neil and I are once again joined by Newsweek’s gaming reporter and Bloody Disgusting contributor Harrison Abbott (@HarrisonAbbot13).
We discuss Naughty Dog’s divisive narrative direction, the importance of character relationships, expanding the TLoU’s world, the game’s relationship with violence from a narrative perspective, and the evolution of the infected’s morphology.
It all makes for a biting chat about one of the most memorable horror series ever.
Safe Room is a weekly horror video game discussion podcast, premiering on all major platforms every Monday. Feel free to browse our LinkTree for a complete list of services here.
Feel free to follow the show and hosts on Twitter:
Safe Room – @SafeRoomPod
Neil – @Nezzko
Jay – @NotFunnyJ
It’s always a cruel summer, but 2026 is about to get crueler.
To blow off steam, the Losers hit the road to visit all the towns in Stephen King’s Dominion. Derry, Castle Rock, Ludlow, Boulder, the list goes on. They’ve got miles to drive and so many (scary) sights to see. At the end of the day, though, they have to ask themselves: Which one’s the best? And, more importantly, what does “best” mean in this context?
Stream the episode below. PayDays and Nozz-a-La, optional. For further adventures, join the Club over long days and pleasant nights via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Acast, Google Podcasts, and RSS. You can also unlock hundreds of hours of content in The Barrens (Patreon).