The year was 2013 when Naughty Dog's video game hit "The Last of Us" came out on the PlayStation (PS) 3. Back then, I was a freshman at a university and I didn't have the luxury to own a gaming console. So I did what every poor man and woman gamer did - binge-watch the campaign story mode on YouTube and call it a day (HAHA).
Even though I have never played the game, you could tell that it was definitely one of the greatest games ever made and many still consider it so. Eventually, The Last of Us Remastered came out for the PS4 then it was followed by The Last of Us Part I (PS5 exclusive) which is a faithful remake of the original. However, is this just a cash-grab attempt by Naughty Dog and Sony Interactive Entertainment?
That's the question that I think most gamers have in mind and I'm here to tell you what I think of The Last of Us Part I. Just for the record, this will be the first time that I'll be playing the game so it's a review from a fresh pair of eyes. And since Part I is a faithful remake of the original, you pretty much know the story already if you've already played it (or are at least, familiar with it). For the uninitiated, there are a few new additions for the remake which you can refer to below:
You can set different difficulties for each function!
- New Very Light, Light, Moderate, Hard, Survivor, and Grounded game difficulty
- Permadeath mode
- Speedrun mode
- New cosmetic skins
- Improved photo mode
- Visual settings up to 4K @30FPS or 60FPS, 4K HDR @60FPS
One of the accessibility functions
- Accessibility presets
- Left Behind chapter included
If you have played The Last of Us Part II, you would be delighted to know that the accessibility features are back for Part I. This makes the remake more accessible for gamers who have vision, hearing and motor issues, with customizable options across the board. This includes HUD scales, motion blur, navigation, audio cues and so much more. All in all, there is quite a ton of settings for you to adjust if there is a specific way that you would like to play the game. Plus, the gameplay still remains the same as before so don't expect something new, at least in that aspect.
Courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment, showing the difference between the two versions
They seem to have added more leaves
More depth of field scenes have been added with better facial expressions
The realism is over the roof
Obviously, the biggest highlight of Part I would be the graphics overhaul but it's more than just that. The remake of Part I isn't just updating the previous graphics to HD but more of a reimagining. Everything that you remembered from the original and remastered looks vastly different. This is not just the characters' realistic facial expressions but even the environments as well. Overall, the world of Part I is mostly gloomy and bleak, compared to the brighter look from the original and remastered version.
Heck, even the way that the Clickers and infected beings fall on the ground are as real-to-life as they can be. If you have a fear of seeing gory deaths, blood and whatnot in real life, you may want to take caution playing Part I now because of how immersive it can be. The way the blood splatters from headshots or exploding limbs (if any) from any enemies is visceral if not downright gory (there is an option to turn it off), and with the surrounding items breaking apart from multiple gunfires, sometimes it made me feel anxious often in those tense situations.
Moreover, the AI seems pretty smart as well (even in moderate mode). They seem to be quite sensitive to sound and yes, they are ported from Part II. These AI even know how to communicate with each other to flank you! Thankfully, your AI buddies are also smart enough to hide or attack whenever the enemy is coming closer. Otherwise, I would imagine myself virtually frowning a lot at my teammates for being stupid.
You might mistake this as a scene from a movie
The dynamic range is well balanced
The attention to detail on everything that you see in the game is pretty insane
Like other games, your screen would get the raindrops effect too
Another depth of field or blurry foreground scene
Ok, enough of dark screenshots. Here's a bright one
Seriously, the attention to detail in EVERYTHING is just bonkers
Less game-like, more realism
With realism in play powered by the PS5, Naughty Dog's aim is to really immerse you into the world of The Last of Us. I would say sound performance is one of the biggest upgrades for the best immersive experience possible, albeit you would need compatible headphones (like the PS5 Pulse 3D or the Inzone series) and TV speakers. There are also times that I felt some haptic feedback from moving under the heavy rain. Also, the PS5 DualSense will vibrate accordingly from punching someone, firing a pump-action shotgun and drawing a bow.
Working on the bench is pretty cool too. I was told that this feature was improved from the original and remastered version because previously, it only showed the interface display. In Part I, you will see every weapon modification animation and there will be changes to the weapons' skin. Speaking of changing skins, you can also do so for Joel and Ellie but you will have to finish playing the game first.
You can set your DualSense vibration to your preference
Workbench in action
Extra stuff that you can check out
Besides changing the cosmetic skins, other modes will appear in the Gameplay Modifier too. This includes Bullet Speed which is super useful for an action-driven third-person shooter game like this. However, I'm not sure if I want to play the whole game again after finishing it. That said, if you would like to challenge the Speedrun mode, it's definitely worth it. Also, you can unlock exploding arrows!
So, is The Last of Us Part I worth buying? Granted, this costs a hefty RM299 in the Malaysian market. But as for someone like me who has never played the original or remastered version, I think it's a must-buy because it's an absolutely awesome graphical enhancement for one of the best games ever made. This is also the most definitive version of Last of Us if you want to play it. All in all, fans of the series don't really need to fork out for it as I feel that this game has been indirectly made for newcomers to the game.
The Last of Us Part I is officially released today (2 September) exclusively on the PS5. In case you're wondering, it's also coming to the PC in the future, most likely on Steam and Epic Games Store. So if you can wait for it, then there's no rush to get it and I believe we will be seeing tons of funny mods for the game when it's out.
Anyway, that's just my take on the game. But what do you think? Are you going to get it? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more gaming reviews at TechNave.com.
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