The Last of Us Part 1 Remake (PS5) – Review
The Last of Us was released for the PS3 in 2013, then a year later, in 2014, a remastered version of the game was released for the PS4. However, less than ten years after its first release, a new version of the game is already in the works.
The original experience, which helped establish Naughty Dog as one of gaming’s most lauded studios, has been reworked for the PS5 under the title The Last of Us Part I, and now looks and plays a lot like its contentious sequel. Given that the original The Last of Us is still quite approachable after all this time, it’s hard not to feel that the prequel, The Last of Us Part I, is unnecessary. The PS4 remake doesn’t feel dated at all. I’ve spent enough time with the remake to say that it’s also the finest method to enjoy the original work.
Pros:
- Looks stellar
- The visual upgrades are significant
- Moving and powerful storytelling
- Upgraded enemy AI makes for a fresh and compelling combat experience
- Industry leading accessibility options
Cons:
- No multiplayer
- A bit pricy
Score – 10/10
Nothing has changed with regards to the fundamentals of the game. The story begins with Joel’s terrifying first encounter with the zombie apocalypse (oops, I meant “infected”), then jumps ahead twenty years to the time when he meets a young girl named Ellie and is faced with an unthinkable decision after a long journey through hell. The reimagining is faithful to the original plot as well as the prequel film Left Behind, which stands on its own. There is nothing new here if you played the original. The gameplay still consists of sneak attacks, gun battles, and solving environmental puzzles using various ledges and platforms.
However, there have been major shifts. Most notably, we can see the effects. In Part I, the visuals are stunning, as befitting a huge movie from the year 2022: beautiful water reflections, frighteningly violent death scenarios. You can use the camera’s zoom feature to get a close-up look at Joel’s finely crafted facial hair. As you scavenge the ruins for supplies, knowing that a clicker could spring out at any moment, you’ll enjoy exploring the updated surroundings and the somewhat reimagined primary characters. Just like most PS5 games, this one lets you pick between two different modes: one focuses on a fluid frame rate, while the other favours visual fidelity.
Many of the modifications make the experience feel much more like The Last of Us Part II, even if you don’t care about frame rate or more realistic foliage. What this means is that there isn’t a huge shift, but things are definitely better. Although the controls and user interface have been tweaked, I still found myself fumbling with gun changes and accidently activating the photo mode in the thick of intense battles. However, this version is much easier to work with. My number one piece of advise is to choose stealth over gunfights whenever possible.
During my playthrough, I noticed a number of other changes, the most notable of which were the faster load times, which made restarting after a death nearly instant, something I had to do frequently during some of the more intense sequences; the adaptive triggers of the DualSense controller, which made using the bow in particular very satisfying, though the haptic vibrations felt pretty standard; and the 3D audio, which was so eerie that I had to play without headphones because I couldn’t stand the sound. Although I haven’t tried it out yet, there is also a new speedrunning mode and an increased difficulty.
It’s unlikely that this new version of TLOU will win over anyone who wasn’t already a fan. It retains its gore and darkness, blending a wrenching post-apocalyptic tale with the awkwardness of a video game. To boil it down, nothing has changed at the fundamental level. To bridge the gap between the two games in the series, this remake is a welcome addition. In other words, it’s like smoothing out the game’s rough spots. For those who played Part II before the original, or the hypothetically new audience that will be brought to The Last of Us next year through HBO’s live-action version or the standalone multiplayer experience, this is likely to be essential. Since The Last of Us has become a franchise, releasing a remake so quickly makes perfect sense.
