Dal 2013 The Last of Us has become a real phenomenon in the gaming market. Whether you love it or not, the gaming world is marked by a pre and a post The Last of Us heralding a new golden age for action-adventure games as well as marking a new period of rebirth for Naughty Dog. It is therefore not surprising that all this, together with the enormous success of audiences and critics, has led to the birth of numerous versions of the game. From the different editions, to the remastered released in 2014 on PlayStation 4, here we are now at a real remake of The Last of Us part 1 out exclusively (at the moment) on PlayStation 5 and this is his review.
Let’s find out what this new and totally reinvented version of The Last of Us has to reserve and if it is worthwhile to retrace, once again, the adventures of Ellie and Joel.
Our review of The Last of Us Part I Remake on PlayStation 5
Let’s start immediately by saying that the remake of The Last of Us Part I in no way alters the story we all know and if you are not part of this large audience, here is a brief summary.
The Last of Us is set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has been hit by a highly infectious fungus. Breathing its spores or coming into contact with the fluids of an infected (for example through a bite), makes humans unable to think and extremely violent in a short time. The game tells the story of Joel, a survivor of the events who finds himself, like many citizens, living in tight quarantine areas after the army has begun to manage the few survivors of the apocalypse with a steel hand. Despite the years, the hopes of a cure are increasingly distant until it enters the scene Ellie, a teenage girl immune to infection. Inside her lies the secret of a possible vaccine and it will be Joel’s job to take her to a specialized center to find out more about her precious immunity.
From here a series of events will begin that will push them to fight for survival by fighting hordes of infected “zombies” and as many desperate men willing to do anything to save themselves.
Now a timeless classic
As anticipated, the Remake of The Last of Us does not alter the game plot and inside it is also included Left Behind, the expansion that tells two adventures with Ellie as the protagonist. The novelties of the remake mainly include graphic and gameplay improvements that adapt to the potential of the PlayStation 5.
Between Announcements of this version we find:
- Graphic section totally renewed and rebuilt to work best on PlayStation 5. We will discuss this point better in the next paragraph.
- Improved controls and features specific to DualSense. These range from adaptive trigger, such as resistance when drawing the bow, al feedback aptico that adapts to any element of the game, from fighting, to rain, and even to the vibrations of the characters’ voices. All obviously at the discretion of our tastes.
- Game mechanics modernized. This point results in improved, smoother and more satisfying controls. Added to these are a series of accessibility options even wider than the original game to fully enjoy an already engaging narrative.
- Speedrun mode among the options that enables an in-game timer to track the length of in-game time excluding cutscenes. A mode for those who want to challenge their skills and complete the game in the shortest time possible.
- Difficulty and permadeath. Among the novelties we find a series of increasingly challenging difficulties including the realism mode already appeared in the remastered. The Last of Us Part II instead brings in this remake the permanent death (always if we want it). We can choose whether when Joel or Ellie dies the chapter will start over or if when the characters die the game ends and we will have to start all over again.
- AI improved. One of the novelties that we most appreciated was the update made to the artificial intelligence of the enemies which, in addition to making the clashes more real and complex, made the stealth sequences more engaging for a truly remarkable degree of immersion.
- Dopo l’endgame e Left Behind. This version of The Last of Us Part I, as well as the remastered, also includes the Left Behind expansion to be played preferably after the end of the main game. Finishing the game the first time will unlock many new features such as customizing the next game, for example with infinite bullets and unlocking the “New Game +” with even more challenging difficulties.
Finally a purely Next-Gen title
And here we are at the hottest point of this remake, the graphics sector. What has been done in this version of The Last of Us Part I is truly excellent, light years away from the 2014 remastered. original, this version represents an ad hoc work cut out specifically for PlayStation 5.
Defining it as a “made by 0” job seemed a bit exaggerated to us. We are still faced with the remake of a title released 9 years ago, far from the more full-bodied remakes like that of Resident Evil 3, made after 20 years. However it is undeniable that the graphic and technical improvements are sensational. Everything in the game is a show for the eyes, the characters, the animations, the settings, the vegetation, lights, shadows, particles … Each element has been thought out and crafted to perfection, the level of detail has seriously impressed us.
We have interrupted our play session over and over again simply to admire the landscape or look for details minutely. Let me tell you that noticing the trickles of rain sliding down Joel’s arm for the first time was something special. Perhaps for the first time, after 2 years since the arrival of the PlayStation 5, we are dealing with a purely next-gen title (or rather, actual-gen).
Remake V Remastered
To better enjoy the graphic improvements we re-played in parallel with the remastered of The Last of Us Part 1 and made some shots of the game’s introductory sequence to compare them with the remake.
Sarah in The Last of Us Part I Remastered
Sara in The Last of Us Part I su PlayStation 5
This first sequence contains a whole series of improvements that can be observed at a glance. The new graphics engine, supported by the PlayStation 5 hardware, is able to process lots of new elements without difficulty, as evidenced by the details and extra objects on the bedside table or headboard. The physics and the rendering of elements such as, in this case, the bed fabrics has improved a lot, giving us a less cartoonish and more real feel. Another element to note is the much more realistic and vibrant light output of the lamp.
Joel e Sara in The Last of Us Part I remastered
Joel e Sarah in The Last of Us Part I per PlayStation 5
In this sequence we notice the improvements and changes related to the faces of the characters. the models have been completely revisited to give us a truly unparalleled realism. The amount of detail is once again impressive, from sweat, to hair, to skin imperfections. Here we also notice a change of style linked to the light. The scene and in general the whole game, presents a darker tone and linked to the climatic conditions or the moments of the day. In this sequence, for example, it’s the middle of the night and the light rendition of the Remastered version is strangely surreal.
Here too we notice the details of Sarah’s face and clothes. The latter are simply more real, softer while the details of her face and elements like sweat make us feel there on stage. 10 and praise Naughty Dog!
La recensione di The Last of Us Part 1 su PlayStation 5 in breve
The Last of Us Part I on PlayStation 5 represents perhaps the first purely next-gen title with graphic elements and details above our expectations. The performance of the game on PS5 was flawless and even if there were some bugs, the experience was excellent, satisfying and never so engaging.
At this point the question arises: does it make sense to buy the remake of a video game seen and reviewed for € 79.99? As anticipated, this remake does not make any changes to the original game in terms of story or general gameplay. So if you have already played The Last of Us Part 1 and it was enough for you, feel free to look for a new title to explore. If, on the other hand, you are among the few who still have to savor this great pearl of the gaming world, this represents a golden opportunity to do so.
If, on the other hand, you have already played the title, you have purchased all the published versions and you are thinking of trying the remake as well, we will certainly not be the ones to stop you. The visual and emotional pleasure that this remake can give you transcends any figure and is also a great way to FINALLY observe what the PlayStation 5 is capable of.