The Last Hope – Dead Zone Survival: A Controversial Nintendo eShop Release
A Last Of Us clone has landed on the Nintendo eShop, sparking controversy and attention as it shares a name with one of the most acclaimed FPS games of all time. The Last Hope – Dead Zone Survival is clearly heavily inspired by Naughty Dog’s game, but with a striking lack of creativity or originality. The artwork is almost identical to The Last Of Us, and the Ellie-like character even shares a similar haircut and facial features.
That said, the creators of The Last Hope have avoided directly using the names Joel and Ellie, instead referring to their Ellie equivalent as “the girl.” The eShop description promises a “thrilling story” and the mission to rescue an “innocent girl” from zombies. It’s not clear if it’s the same girl from the main game, or a completely new one.
With a price tag of £0.99 ($1.49) it’s unlikely that The Last Hope offers anything close to the same experience as Naughty Dog’s game, but that hasn’t stopped it from popping up on the eShop. Perhaps the price will drop before it’s inevitably taken down, or maybe it’s not really meant to be taken seriously in the first place.
We can only hope that if you’re tempted to buy The Last Hope it serves as a cautionary tale to both developers and gamers alike. It reminds us of the need for originality and creativity in a gaming industry that often feels threatened by imitation rather than innovation. Clone games can never replicate the unique experience and storytelling offered by the original, and yet they continue to trend and attract attention from curious buyers.
As it stands The Last Hope remains available on the eShop, and while social media has been buzzing with discussions and mocking of the game, any attention is considered good for the developers. Whether it’s a money-making scheme or simply for attention, we can only hope that any publicity is helpful for any future game projects.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a knockoff game appear on a gaming platform either, as seen with a supposed Left 4 Dead mobile spinoff that turned out to be a disappointment. The future of The Last Of Us series remains uncertain, with no news on a Part 3 or updates on the multiplayer game. We’ll have to be patient, but for now it may be a while before any new The Last Of Us is released.
