Platform(s): PS5, PC (no release date yet)
Genre: PS5 version of the iconic 2013 third-person survival horror action game of the same name

The Last Of Us. It’s still unbelievable how much of a pop-culture juggernaut it has become since it originally launched for the PS3 back in 2013. That’s nine years ago; almost a decade now, and we’re also two generations removed from the PS3 at this point. Does that justify a remake? To this day, Naughty Dog’s brilliant masterpiece is still widely-regarded not only as one of the best video games in history but also as one of the games that’s meant to be a testament to how the medium should be seen as an art form, just as much as movies and music.

Well, here’s what it’s like to be playing The Last Of Us Part I from the perspective of someone who’s played the original The Last Of Us and also its sequel, The Last Of Us Part II . To illustrate how good the game looks, all of the screenshots are my own and taken outside of Photo Mode (which means no filters or touch-ups).

Clicker Central

Ever since The Last Of Us Part 1 was announced earlier this year, everyone has debated whether a remake is truly justified. It ultimately depends on your preferences and whether you’ve played the original/remastered The Last Of Us or not.

First of all, The Last Of Us Part I is a beautiful game. You don’t need me to tell you that if you’ve seen any of the trailers or promotional material. However, the thing is; the original game was already one hell of a looker, especially The Last Of Us Remastered on the PS4 (which is also playable on the PS5). I have some qualms with this because somehow, The Last Of Us Part II still looks better than The Last Of Us Part I in my eyes, particularly the details, the animation, and the facial expressions. Sure, The Last Of Us Part I does have better facial expressions than The Last Of Us but it’s not on the same level as The Last Of Us Part II.

I’d say that the biggest visual difference coming into The Last Of Us Part I is that it has better lighting and textures than the original game (and the remastered version), but I still think that The Last Of Us Part I’s graphics are not quite on par with The Last Of Us Part II. That said, it does look like the developers looked to The Last Of Us Part II for the visual style in The Last Of Us Part I, so things look more consistent now if you’re planning to play the first game and the sequel back-to-back. This is especially more noticeable during cinematic scenes and the new models for the characters.

The weirdest part of all is how The Last Of Us Part I doesn’t feature the gameplay improvements and new mechanics of The Last Of Us Part II.

In The Last Of Us Part II, Ellie could go prone (lie face down on her belly to avoid detection and out of sight of enemies) and there’s a dodge mechanic, and oh, she can jump. You can’t do any of those things in The Last Of Us Part I, despite the game releasing after The Last Of Us Part II. The Last Of Us Part I pretty much feels just like I remember how The Last Of Us played, right down to how the melee combat feels. The one gameplay improvement that I believe The Last Of Us Part I does take from The Last Of Us Part II is improved enemy AI. Just like in The Last Of Us Part II, they will now flank players and use covers more effectively even at Moderate (normal) difficulty.

Another improvement they also added to The Last Of Us Part I from The Last Of Us Part II is the unique animations when upgrading weapons at workbenches. I loved this feature in The Last Of Us Part II so it was a joy to see this being implemented into The Last Of Us Part I as well. However, they’re less intricate than in The Last Of Us Part II; I noticed that the camera would often block what Joel is doing so you only see his back and not his hands working on the weapons.

This is the only screenshot I didn’t personally take.

Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with The Last Of Us Part I, because the original was, and still is, a great game in its own right. Perhaps Naughty Dog followed the adage: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but the problem is that The Last Of Us Part II did improve on the original in a lot of ways, so it’s disappointing when most of those aren’t featured in The Last Of Us Parts I, besides visual improvements and new accessibility features (which are certainly welcome). Everything else, from the story and narrative beats to gameplay content, is pretty much identical to the original The Last Of Us. I even referred to an online guide for the original The Last of Us which was published almost a decade ago for a safe combination (because I wanted to test if they’re the same) and it still works, so that should say something as well.

In addition, I played the entire game mostly in Graphics Mode (4K and 30-40 FPS) with Unlocked Framerate enabled but there were noticeable framerate drops when the action got hectic and there were multiple infected enemies on screen. The game runs much better on Performance Mode, though you’ll have to sacrifice visual fidelity for higher framerates, so it’s up to you if you’d rather go for better graphics or better performance.

Still A Great Classic

My verdict is this; if you’ve ever played the original The Last Of Us and The Last Of Us Part II, there’s not much of a reason to immediately grab The Last Of Us Part I.

Naughty Dog should have put more effort and resources into updating the gameplay mechanics to be more similar to The Last Of Us Part II. Improved visuals alone don’t really justify the full price tag of RM299 if the rest of the experience is mostly the same. Feel free to cut our final score down to 50/100 or lower if that’s the case.

That being said, The Last Of Us Part I is definitely perfect for those who’s never played the original game. With The Last Of Us Part I slated for PC and HBO’s The Last Of Us TV series coming soon, it’s great that The Last Of Us Part I will give more people the opportunity to play this amazing game.

Simply put, whenever or if I ever get the craving to replay The Last Of Us, I would definitely go for the newer The Last Of Us Part I because it’s undeniably the definitive experience of The Last Of Us, and it’s the best way to play this iconic classic. Assuming you have a PS5 of course.

PROS

• The definitive version of The Last Of Us, and the best way to play the game yet.
• Looks beautiful.
• Some new upgrades/updates, like better enemy AI and unique workbench weapon upgrade animations.
• New accessibility features.

CONS

• No brand new content, almost identical to the original The Last Of Us.
• Unstable framerate in Graphics Mode (4K).

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

Review copy provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore (SIES) / PlayStation. Played on PS5. The Last Of Us Part I will launch on PS5 on 2 September 2022.