Summary
While browsing the PlayStation store, a gamer discovered a strange title that seems to be ripping offThe Last of Us. Known for its emotional storytelling and unforgettable cast,The Last of Usrevolves around a dystopian America that’s ravaged by an infected population, as well as survivors.
When it first came out in 2013, the Naughty Dog game received acclaim from fans and critics alike, even winning Game of the Year at multiple award shows. Over a decade later,The Last of Ushas maintained a dedicated community, despitethe many issues of its PC port. The titlehas since expanded to a DLC, a sequel, and an HBO series starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay.
The popularity ofThe Last of Usseems to have led to a few rip-off titles, which Reddit user paintedskie discovered whilebrowsing the PlayStation Store. In a post, they shared a screenshot ofForest Ranger Life Simulatorfeaturing a male character that looks exactly like Joel fromThe Last of Us. Developed by Grizzly Games Studio, players will be tasked with taking care of a forest and its inhabitants, among other tasks. The game doesn’t seem to have the same dystopian plot asThe Last of Us, and just uses Joel as a character model.
Why is Joel Featured in Forest Ranger Life Simulator?
In the comments, manyThe Last of Usfans found the use of Joel’s picture hilarious. Some also shared that they encounteredForest Ranger Life Simulatoras well, saying that this could allegedly be a fake game made by a shady studio. As of writing, Joel’s photo only shows up in the Google search, andForest Ranger Life Simulator’s PlayStation Store pageuses a photo of a different male character. It’s unknown if the developer changed the photo to avoid further backlash, or if it only used Joel’s photo to get more people to check out its game.
According to the PlayStation Store,Forest Ranger Life Simulatorhas no release date yet.
This isn’t the first time that a studio shamelessly ripped offThe Last of Us. In 2023, VG Games releasedThe Last Hope: Dead Zone Survivalfor the Nintendo Switch, which features a father-daughter duo fighting to survive a zombie outbreak. It was poorly received by critics due to it being an obviousThe Last of Usclone, from the plot, characters, and its cover, and was also accused of releasing deceptive advertising to cover up its frustrating gameplay. In just two months,The Last Hopewas removed from the Nintendo eShopand Sony Interactive Entertainment flagged its trailers on YouTube.
Considering what happened toThe Last Hope, Grizzly Games might also deal with the samebacklash fromThe Last of Usfansand Sony forForest Ranger Life Simulator. Especially if the studio continues to use Joel’s photo for the game’s promotional materials.
Experience the emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters in The Last of Us, winner of over 200 Game of the Year awards.
In a ravaged civilization, where infected and hardened survivors run rampant, Joel, a weary protagonist, is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of a military quarantine zone. However, what starts as a small job soon transforms into a brutal cross-country journey.
Includes the complete The Last of Us single-player story and celebrated prequel chapter, Left Behind, which explores the events that changed the lives of Ellie and her best friend Riley forever.
