Naughty Dog's The Last of Us series has become iconic for a number of reasons, its mature handling of a post-apocalyptic environment and the richness of its story chief among them. Perhaps the main reason for the success of The Last of Us as a franchise though, is the potency of its characters. In an ode to one of the series' main protagonists, a fan has created a beautiful digital painting of Ellie, taking the character from her clicker-filled wasteland and reimagined her in the dystopian setting of Cyberpunk 2077.
With Cyberpunk 2077's monumentally botched release seeing multiple class action lawsuits for CD Projekt Red, as well as the removal of Cyberpunk 2077 from Sony's PlayStation store, it's likely safe to describe the game as controversial. The Last of Us 2, was comparatively well received and won numerous awards, though the game itself was polarizing. Major plot points have been criticized as being created purely for shock value, though in both cases, fans of both continue to show their appreciation for what they love about them.
Redditor Gopnik_From_Angarsk posted up artwork by artist Redhero6, which combines the two worlds of Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us with an incredible depiction of Ellie. The Swiss artist has her dressed in cyberpunk attire, with a white crop-top, black jogger pants with a shoulder strap, and a pair of kicks that could be straight from Cyberpunk 2077's streets. The detail of the art is exceptional, with an uncanniness to Ellie being so expertly transported to a different world, the large tattoo on her forearm the only remnant of her past world.
The cyberpunk street setting certainly feels odd for Ellie to be in, as the character's ties to the wilderness feel very apparent in The Last of Us. However, there are similar themes across both titles, such as the keynote of humans mimicking the depravity of the world they live in, and this piece bringing the two together does help to highlight the ideologies at play. Notably, Ellie is essentially wearing the same outfit as Judy Alvarez, one of Cyberpunk 2077's prominent characters and the character likely served as the main point of reference.
Crossover artwork created by video game fans is always wonderful to see, and allows for some interesting contemplation about the similarities a game like The Last of Us 2 may have with other titles. Moreover, fan art can help to show different interpretations of characters that may not be possible within the realms of their own worlds. While the futuristic cities of Cyberpunk 2077 certainly meet the criteria for a dystopia, it seems likely that Ellie would find it preferable to the abject horror of The Last of Us 2's world, with pre-apocalypse being a generally more favorable state of affairs than its alternative.
The Last of Us 2 is available now on is available now on PS4, while Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: DeviantArt/REDHERO6