The Last of Us Part 1 Remake Review

The Last of Us is an important experience in gaming history. It brought a complex, dark storyline alongside gritty third-person shooting combat. It made us cry, look at the game in awe in terms of its graphics, and really get to know the characters outside and in. That was 2013, but in 2022, does this classic PS3 title stand up in today’s market? Can The Last of Us Part 1 Remake be able to do what its prior iteration was able to do? We answer this question below.

Game Name: The Last of Us Part 1 Remake 
Platform(s): PlayStation 5
Publisher(s): Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer(s): Naughty Dog
Release Date: September 2, 2022

How Does The Remake Stand Up In 2022?

It has been said that The Last of Us Part 1 does not need to exist. With The Last of Us: Remastered on PS4, the game can be played in 1080p, and it has improved lighting and character models. It’s certainly a fine way to play The Last of Us in today’s world, but if you’re willing to upgrade to the PS5’s The Last of Us Part 1, you’ll likely won’t be disappointed. 

Each of the game’s settings is vibrant. You can see the moss growing on each abandoned building, water reflecting with stunning wave effects as your character moves, and set piece structures that will help place you into this post-apocalyptic world.

The facial expressions and the texture quality is immense in 4K, creating some striking dramatic scenes when the game calls for it. The lighting on each character is spot on, with some great use of shadows, and the clothing is brimming with detail. The developer Naughty Dog has placed much attention on each character as they react to what’s going on and each strand of hair is physically correct. It’s simply a gorgeous game to play and watch, and what makes it better is that it loads in a couple of seconds, if that.

While I’m not the most knowledgeable on Accessibility Settings in games, it shouldn’t be missed that there are an impressive number of options in the game. You can completely remap the controls, make the HUD bigger for those lacking in sight, and add navigational assistance that tells you where to go next. There are also cinematic descriptions that will tell players what is going on in the screen with traversal/combat audio cues included. 

A Few Cracks In The Last of Us Part 1

Despite a stunning game, the cracks have begun to splinter in The Last of Us Part 1’s game design. The formula feels repetitive. There are many times you’ll need to have Ellie on top of a wooden plank while on water, or setting up ladders to get to the next area. Multiple instances of combat scenarios rarely change the formula as well. You can only take out a grunt so often before it gets super old.

However, AI is smarter than the original game. Getting flanked multiple times shows a greater deal of difficulty than the PS3 and PS4 versions, and support characters are moving to cover alongside you instead of running out in the open. It truly feels like a challenge while going through each level, and you need to strategize your best course of action with your limited supplies. The gameplay format of having to pick up ammo and crafting equipment on-the-fly ups the stakes. 

Something that The Last of Us Part 1 is dreadfully missing is the combat system from The Last of Us Part 2. Every shot doesn’t feel as smooth as it does in the sequel, and the basic hand-to-hand combat from Part 1 now feels passe in 2022. While it may be difficult to transfer Part 2’s combat into this game, the effort could have been worth the hassle. While there are some cool animations with certain objects and walls in The Last of Us Part 1, the combat is not this game’s strong suit; it’s the storytelling. 

In addition, this package is not available in the popular multiplayer mode, Factions. With The Last of Us Part 1 being full price, it should have been considered as an additional option, especially with it being beloved by fans. The Last of Us Remastered on PS4 included it. At least it has the compelling Left Behind DLC to make up for it. 

Still One of The Best Narrative Experiences in Games

One thing that The Last of Us Part 1 gets right that many other games fail at is the human connection. As Joel and Ellie go on this post-apocalyptic adventure, you’re slowly getting to know more about them. For example, we get to find out that Joel used to go to coffee shops religiously every day, while Ellie—despite her chaotic nature—loves reading books. These small dives into each character’s likes, wishes, and fears truly help us connect to them, adding to the dramatic stakes of the storyline. 

As someone who has previously played The Last of Us on the PS3 and PS4, I know where the action will ultimately lead. However, the journey itself has been largely forgotten by me for the past seven or eight years I haven’t played the game since. In my experience, The Last of Us Part 1 still succeeds at entertaining, despite playing it multiple times in the past. The writing is just so thoughtful, engaging, and in some moments, quite charming as Joel acts as a father figure to Ellie. 

On the other hand, the script knows how to splice in those dark elements, reminding you of the hellish landscape that Joel and Ellie are in. Like TellTale’s The Walking Dead series, The Last of Us Part 1 depicts the human population as more terrifying than the zombie-like clicker creatures themselves, making for compelling storytelling. 

Review code provided by PlayStation Canada