Minor spoilers for The Last of Us Part 1 & 2.
The Last of Us is considered by many as one of the best post-apocalyptic stories in gaming. Joel and Ellie's journey to find a cure is filled with emotional gut punches. The Last of Us boasts a powerful story, and, despite its world being destroyed by Cordyceps-infested zombies, it's filled with fascinating lore.
Between the Fireflies, the Seraphites and the WLF, The Last of Us features plenty of fascinating groups throughout its narrative. However, one of the most interesting is an essential piece of the story that isn't explored much at all. FEDRA, which stands for "Federal Disaster Relief Response," was the main authority during the early days of the outbreak. The government agency kept quarantine organized, and for those who are curious about the daily life of a FEDRA agent, Quarantine Zone: The Last Check may be the perfect indie game to keep on one's radar.
The Last of Us’ Scariest Enemy is Also Its Cutest
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Quarantine Zone: The Last Check Puts Players in Charge of Keeping a Surviving City Safe
On the official Steam page, Quarantine Zone: The Last Check is described as "Papers Please meets zombie apocalypse." The premise of the game is simple, but making the right decision is far easier said than done. The game's description reads, "In a world ravaged by a zombie outbreak, you oversee a critical checkpoint tasked with separating healthy refugees from the infected—and sometimes, the merely suspicious." This makes Quarantine Zone: The Last Check an exciting option for those who are in search of a unique zombie-focused experience. The Last of Us and the rest of the zombie genre usually put players in more sweat-inducing situations, but this upcoming indie title focuses more on decision-making.
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check is set to be released in September 2025.
FEDRA is Still Filled With Untapped Potential
For the most part, FEDRA is simply a ghost of the first years of the outbreak. It's unclear if any of the East Coast QZs are still around by the time The Last of Us Part 2 begins, but the group is practically extinct on the West Coast. Old FEDRA trucks and corpses of soldiers can be found throughout the journey, but Naughty Dog's zombie franchise has yet to offer a deep dive into the group.
What makes FEDRA so fascinating is that the members of the group had an incredibly tough task on their hands. Yes, the pressure to keep social order quickly turned many of The Last of Us' QZs into fascist states, but the workers in charge of checking newcomers for infection held fragile lives in their hands. Quarantine Zone: The Last Check putting players in the shoes of a quarantine gatekeeper proposes a variety of fascinating moral questions, since one's judgments could mean life or death.
In a world ravaged by a zombie outbreak, you oversee a critical checkpoint tasked with separating healthy refugees from the infected—and sometimes, the merely suspicious.
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check Could Help The Last of Us Part 3 Woes
- Neil Druckmann has recently stated that The Last of Us Part 3 might not happen.
If The Last of Us Part 3 doesn't happen or is years away from being released, Quarantine Zone: The Last Check could give fans a small taste of what the daily routine of a FEDRA agent could have been like. Of course, the two games aren't connected in any way, but the indie title could prove to be a fun, fresh take on the zombie genre.
The difficult moral decisions presented in The Last of Us continue to inspire debate, and a game that puts players in charge of the lives of survivors could help scratch that itch. Quarantine Zone: The Last Check may not be an extension of The Last of Us universe, but it's easy to imagine the FEDRA lifestyle being quite similar.
The Last of Us Part 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 93 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- June 19, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Franchise
- The Last of Us
WHERE TO PLAY
Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closur
