Neil Druckmann Reveals 5 Video Games He Actually Plays and the Pet Shop Boys Song He Found for ‘Intergalactic’

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Fans of The Last of Us were left with plenty to chew on after the Season Two finale, which featured a surprise cliffhanger and possible time jump. For showrunner Neil Druckmann, it’s just another way to push the storyline of the TV series while still paying homage to the origins of the Last of Us video game franchise.

As he told Rolling Stone recently, “The best way I can honor both is to just do the best version possible of the story, and to make sure that our destinations are the same.”

Druckmann is no stranger to manufacturing big moments, as the Head of Studio and Head of Creative at video game developer Naughty Dog. Best known for his work on the Uncharted franchise and on The Last of Us games, Druckmann was tapped to bring the latter to the small screen, co-creating The Last of Us on HBO with Craig Mazin, and serving as executive producer, writer and director on the award-winning first season and second season (Druckmann has been confirmed to work on the third season too).

Druckmann’s work has no doubt influenced an entire generation of fans, but what books and games inspired his own life and career? Here, the writer and creator shares some of his favorite pieces of media that have shaped his work over the years.

What are video games that you personally play in your spare time? Or games that have also inspired you?

These days I’m playing Balatro way too much. And I’m really enjoying playing through Split Fiction with my son – it’s staggering in its creativity and is one of the best co-op games I’ve ever played.

As far as inspiring games: Ico, Half Life 2, and Monkey Island 2 are narrative games I keep coming back to.

What about print? What are some books that have inspired you personally or creatively over the years?

For books, I would say, “Story” by Robert McKee, “Understand Comics” by Scott McCloud, and “On Directing Film” by David Mamet.

Music plays such a big role in The Last of Us — how do you find the songs or artists you want to use for the show?

As far as how I find songs for shows and games I’m working on, there’s usually an intellectual theme or a feeling I’m after. I’ll start with songs that I know that are in the ballpark, and then I’ll start going down the rabbit hole of related songs and artists. As an example, I knew I wanted an Eighties hit that dealt with faith for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s trailer. It took a bit of digging and searching before landing on The Pet Shop Boys’ “It’s a Sin.”

What artists or genres do you personally like listening to?

When I’m not listening to Nineties bands, I’m usually listening to film and game scores. Some of my favorites composers are Gustavo Santaolalla, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, John Williams, Thomas Newman, and Hildur Guðnadóttir.

In terms of artists, I like Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam — “Future Days” by Pearl Jam is the song Joel sings to Ellie on the guitar in episode 206.

Okay last question: what was the first concert you went to?

I believe it was Green Day. It was either them or The Offspring.