The Last of Us Part I, which launches on PlayStation 5 on Friday, has a retroactive name change, similar to what George Lucas did with the original Star Wars film. 1977 saw the debut of what is now known as Episode IV: A New Hope under the title Star Wars. The Last of Us, which was first released on the PS3 in 2013, is currently being altered by Naughty Dog, much as how Lucas altered Episode IV and its prequels and sequels throughout the years until he sold his Lucasfilm empire to Disney. This isn't even the first time; in 2014, the PS4 remaster of the acclaimed post-apocalyptic survival horror game was released. Naughty Dog refers to The Last of Us Part 1 as a "rebuilding" from the ground up because it is a much larger project. In essence, it's Lucas on steroids.
It looks fantastic, too, boy. The Last of Us Part I now moves, feels, and looks like its Part II, which will debut in 2020. (The latter doesn't currently have a native PS5 version; it was the final Sony exclusive on the PS4 before to the PS5's release, but it plays far better on the next-generation console thanks to mini-updates.) There is better detail in people, textures, and everything else around you in Part 1 on the PS5. The DualSense is now used in The Last of Us Part I, just like in Part II, which heightens the tension in the game's zombie-infested setting.
Part 1 won't impress you if you've just completed Part 2, especially if you played the latter on a PlayStation 5. But when you compare the original and the remake side by side, you can see the difference is night and day. like I did. Since I didn't have a PS3 or The Last of Us disc to transport myself back to 2013, I loaded up The Last of Us Remastered on a PS4 Pro and noticed how basic the environments, lighting, and shadows appeared. This is significant given that the PS4 Pro Remastered version advertised "high-quality shadows" at a 4K resolution. The Last of Us must appear much worse on the PS3, which is beyond comprehension.
It feels like the PS3 era was twenty years ago when playing The Last of Us Part 1 on the PS5. The advancements in video games over the past nine years are astounding. (To be fair, The Last of Us came out in 2013 when the PS3 was nearing the end of its life.)
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To fire is undoubtedly the biggest enhancement over The Last of Us Part I. It's a thousand times better, if I may say so. When Joel and Sarah are riding in Tommy's car during the pre-credits scene, do you recall the burning house? Even the PS4 Pro 4K edition of the game can't match how terrifying the scene is right now. As they enter the city, Austin comes to life right before your eyes, with Sarah watching from the backseat as the city splits apart.
There are more wrinkles and more expressions on the faces in the cutscenes, so they don't appear outdated. On The Last of Us Part 1, the bodies of both players and non-player characters move in a more realistic way. Additionally, enemy AI exhibits more plausible behavior. In comparison to how adversaries would have behaved in The Last of Us, if you sneak up on an Infected and try to kill it while another is watching you, it will look at you and respond as you may anticipate (Remastered).
The Last of Us Part I offers a choice between two graphic settings: "Fidelity," which targets 30 frames per second at native 4K resolution, and "Performance," which targets 60 frames per second at a "dynamic internal resolution" upscaled to 4K. This is similar to the aforementioned remaster on the PS4 Pro and Naughty Dog's recent PS5 remaster of the Uncharted games. You can choose the "Unlocked Framerate" option in the display options, which aims for 120fps, if your monitor runs at 120Hz. (Ensure that Variable Refresh Rate, or VRR, is switched on in the PS5 system options.) Due to my TV's limitations, I was only able to sample Fidelity and Performance. However, considering The Last of Us' leisurely pace, which favors stealth over fast-paced action, I was willing to trade the more frames for the marginal quality improvement that Fidelity delivered.
Remasters need be seen in order to be believed, so I've included a gameplay clip from The Last of Us Part 1 that was recorded on the PS5 in Fidelity mode. You can verify that load times are almost instant.
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leaving behind last of us part 1 ps5 review last of us part 1 ps5 review
In The Last of Us Part 1: Left Behind, Riley and Ellie
Image Source: Sony/Naughty Dog
However, unlike Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, this game lacks ray-tracing or a 4K 60 fps mode, both of which the PS5 is rumored to be capable of. The Last of Us Part I's lack of a multiplayer mode is another similarity between the two remasters. The Last of Us Remastered, which is backward compatible on the PS5, must be played for that. That's at least still on the store (and part of the PlayStation Plus Collection). All of the single-player content, including the complete main story and the DLC campaign The Last of Us: Left Behind, is included with the PS5 remake.
Having saying that, the gameplay experience offered here is novel. The permadeath feature in The Last of Us Part 1 offers three distinct ways to handle it. When you die, you have the option to reset the entire game, the act you're in (Naughty Dog estimates that you'll lose a few of hours of gameplay), or the chapter you're playing (sending you back 30–60 minutes). Naturally, you cannot manually save the game at any time while permadeath is enabled. Additionally, leaving a "hazardous location" is viewed as dying if you need to go somewhere else in real life.
Permadeath, DualSense, and most importantly, the graphics changes, are all extremely expensive additions. Priced at Rs. 4,999 ($70), The Last of Us Part I is comparable to recent PS5 releases like Horizon Forbidden West and the upcoming God of War Ragnarök. That looks absurd. This game is still a remake of one that was released nine years ago, despite all the upgrades that Naughty Dog is providing. It's an old title. What are PlayStation Studios and Sony smoking?
The PS5 remaster for Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which cost Rs. 2,999 at launch, is undoubtedly superior to The Last of Us Part 1, but Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection also included an upgrade path. You may upgrade to the PS5 version of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, or the combined digital bundle for Rs. 500 ($10), $10, or €10 if you already purchased those titles. Even Ghost of Tsushima allowed you to upgrade to the PS5 version for Rs. 2,497 (a hefty ask, I must say), and it also offered extra content, including a brand-new island to discover.
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Review of the PlayStation 5 version of "The Last of Us" horses Review of the PlayStation 5 version of "The Last of Us"
On the PS5, The Last of Us Part 1 looks magnificent.
Image Source: Sony/Naughty Dog
Currently, neither the 2013 original nor the 2014 Remastered edition of The Last of Us Part I offer an upgrade method. It costs Rs. 4,999 to access it on the PS5, which is an even more absurd requirement when you take into account what Sony's main competition has been doing. (For what it's worth, Xbox's improvement is less thorough than The Last of Us Part 1's. Naughty Dog has made the game again in certain aspects.)
Microsoft has offered free 4K 60fps upgrades for games like Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection since the release of the Xbox Series S and Series X. These come with its arguably superior subscription service Xbox Game Pass as well. Additionally, thanks to Microsoft's Smart Delivery system, you may play those games while switching between your Xbox and PC. The Last of Us Part I won't be a part of any of the new PlayStation Plus tiers, even if Sony retracts and provides an upgrade route. Not for at least a few years. All PS4 and PS5 gamers will now again be required to pay full price for Part 1 when it becomes available on PC, which is expected to happen "very soon".
The sole focus on making money is not only evident in Sony's release and distribution strategies, but also in the very existence of these remasters. The Last of Us Part I was created to support the impending TV adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey from Game of Thrones, whereas the PS5 release of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection was timed to the Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg-starring Uncharted movie. The HBO series will now premiere in early 2023 instead of the original expectation of late 2022.
Sony likely anticipate selling more of The Last of Us universe once the program premieres, as is typical with (successful) adaptations — both Bridgerton and The Queen's Gambit put their respective books back on best-seller lists. And now that this PS5 remake has been released, it has a contemporary offering rather than a by-gone item. Customers purchasing a PS5 and the game together would be the best-case scenario for Sony. In 2023, I can already see Sony attempting to profit by bundling The Last of Us Part 1 with the PS5.
This appears to be the new future for studios whose assets are being adapted, as more and more PlayStation games are being transformed into films and TV shows. The whole focus of Naughty Dog's 2021 and 2022 has been on remasters. There is a separate multiplayer version of The Last of Us Part II in production, but it's unclear how these business endeavors have impacted its creation. Naughty Dog wouldn't have worked on a new entry in years by the time it was released.
This will probably continue. At this point, a Last of Us mobile spin-off is more likely than Part III due to Sony's expansion of their mobile team. And I imagine we'll see The Last of Us Part 2 for the PS5 and PC if HBO decides to give The Last of Us a second season. Be prepared to pay Rs. 4,999.
Pros:
It feels, sounds, and looks wonderful.
Comparable to Part II, if not centuries in advance of the PS4 Pro version.
enhanced AI enemy behavior
New feature for Permadeath
Cons:
priced like a brand-new PS5 game
No upgrade options for owners of the PS3, PS4, or 4K at 60 frames per second or ray-tracing
No separate multiplayer PC port will be sold.
