The Last Of Us Part I
With all-new visuals, improved performance and utilisation of the PS5’S unique hardware features, is this remake of The Last Of Us worth seventy of your hard-earned pounds?
Sony’s survival-horror classic has already been remastered once since its initial 2013 release, so a ground-up remake for the PS5 might seem a little unnecessary. But with all that extra power at Naughty Dog’s disposal, The Last of Us Part I (which also includes the excellent Left Behind prequel DLC) elevates the original to new heights.
Developers always say better graphics transform a game and often that’s overselling it, but they really do add to the immersion here. Environments are much more detailed, so revisiting dusty old record stores, empty museums and hotels-turned-indoor-jungles is a joy, while more lifelike facial animations make you feel more invested in the burgeoning bond between Ellie and Joel.
More realistic physics and environmental destruction also add to that feeling of only just emerging from combat sequences alive, with set-pieces now even more breathtaking – particularly with headphones on and the PS5’S 3D audio tech in full effect. The game also makes good use of the Dualsense controller, with built-in vibrations for different weapons and varying levels of haptic feedback for particular moments. The adaptive triggers are at their best when you’re using the bow, gradually stiffening as your string gets more taut and releasing when you fire.
Both enemies and buddies behave more intelligently now, although the game doesn’t lift any of Part II’S gameplay improvements, meaning you can’t go prone. Adding such an ability would have significantly changed how the whole game plays, but its absence does mean that no amount of graphical polish can completely hide The Last Of Us’s age.
What the remake does do, though, is take everything that was already great about this exceptional game and make it better – whether you’re playing it for the first time or the ninth. Matt Tate