TITLE: The Last of Us™ Part I
DEVELOPER: Naughty Dog LLC
PUBLISHER: PlayStation PC LLC
RELEASE DATE: Mar 28, 2023
GENRE: Action, Adventure, Horror, Open World, Survival
The Last of Us Part I is a “rebuild” of the survival action-adventure game of the same name released on PlayStation 3 in 2013. However, it is actually the third version of the original game if we include the remastered version for PlayStation 4. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that this game showcases the full potential of the successive PlayStation hardware generations, delivering an excellent gaming experience in nearly every aspect and beyond.
Fundamentally, The Last of Us Part I is a remake that remains faithful to the original in most aspects, including the dialogue. It offers a cinematic gaming experience with a memorable story. The game is set in a world where the Cordyceps fungus mutates and poses a threat to humanity, turning them into “zombie” Infected. Cordyceps is the scientific name for a genus of ascomycota fungi, consisting of around 600 species, most of which are parasitic on insects and arthropods, while a few live on other fungi.
Although Cordyceps is distributed worldwide, it is mostly found in Asian countries, including Vietnam, where one of the species of this fungus is commonly known as dong trung ha thao. Interestingly, scientists have discovered that Cordycepin, the main bioactive compound of Cordyceps fungus, is highly effective in slowing down cancer growth by inhibiting the development of cancer cells. However, in the game experience, things are quite different.
The Last of Us Part I puts players in the shoes of Joel, a survivor who goes through many hardships in life until fate leads him to encounter Ellie, a special girl. From the player’s perspective, the game features an excellent script with unexpected twists and turns, captivating players right from the first “film” sequences. The issue is that due to the remake’s faithfulness to the original, the game experience no longer evokes the same powerful emotions as the first playthrough.
Furthermore, having prior knowledge of the fate of the characters in the sequel, The Last of Us Part II, also negatively impacted my emotions throughout the game experience. Of course, this is not a fault of the developers or an issue with the game itself. It depends on each player’s perception, but the consequences can be difficult to predict. Instead of the mix of joy, anger, and love for the characters that I felt when completing the original or remastered version of The Last of Us, I was left with a rather uncomfortable feeling.
The gameplay of The Last of Us Part I remains unchanged from the original or remastered version that I played before. The game experience still revolves around stealth action, scarce gunfights with limited ammunition, and interspersed moments of navigating the environment to solve puzzles related to ladders and long wooden planks. Therefore, in this article, I primarily focus on the differences introduced in the remake.
The biggest difference compared to The Last of Us Remastered is the completely overhauled graphics and support for the DualSense controller. The initial impression is that the visuals are incredibly impressive, resembling a live-action film. This is evident not only in the meticulously detailed game environments and effects but also in the redesigned character models. From facial expressions to gestures, everything looks incredibly lifelike, especially the Clickers and familiar enemies.
For example, Joel appears older and more weathered in the opening sequence after the ups and downs and the passing of years, compared to the original. He looks more rugged and stern, exuding a somewhat nonchalant demeanor in The Last of Us Remastered. The character’s aura is also more impressive. This can be observed through the facial expressions and movements during dialogues. From the gaze to the details on the face, it all.
Even when zooming in on the screenshots taken in the Fidelity mode, which prioritizes the highest graphic quality, the writer notices reflections of light in the characters’ eyes. Not only Joel, but other characters in the story such as Bill and Tess also have new appearances, combined with impressive motion capture, bringing not only a different visual experience but also fresh emotions for each character in the gameplay, especially for those who have played the original game, the remastered version, or both.
In fact, the character that undergoes the most noticeable change is the young girl, Ellie, with detailed facial scars and watery eyes that look very authentic. Even the smallest details have been adjusted to breathe life into the facial expressions and character designs. For instance, you can clearly see the pores on Joel’s face when experiencing the game on a large TV screen. Or the color of his clothes gradually turning silver over time, rather than appearing greasy as in The Last of Us Remastered.
The color palette has also been adjusted in The Last of Us Part I. Specifically, dark and indoor scenes tend to have a pinkish hue, while mornings have a more pronounced greenish tint, no longer uniformly yellow as in the remastered version. Some scenes have also been “rebuilt” to better suit the storytelling, such as the segment where the trio of characters emerge from a sewer pipe near the beginning of the game. In the remastered version, the background is a house, whereas in the remake, it is under a bridge.
Not only colors, but also lighting effects and visuals, and even the field of view have been further tweaked, enhancing the cinematic feel of The Last of Us Part I. For example, during the segment when Tess, Joel, and Ellie cross a plank to reach the other side of a barrier. In the remastered version, the brownish background building is blurred, making the plank blend into the background, giving the illusion of Ellie floating in mid-air. In the remake, the gray building behind stands out, making Ellie’s image more prominent.
Thanks to the utilization of the PlayStation 5’s hardware capabilities, The Last of Us Part I no longer uses CG cutscenes for transitions as it did before. All visuals are rendered using the game engine, ensuring a more consistent artistic and tonal experience. This is a very subtle adjustment, avoiding the emotional disconnection that players might have felt when the game switched between CG cutscenes and the game engine due to differences in color and graphics as in the past.
The environments also have interesting adjustments, with the most noticeable being the green moss partially covering the exteriors of buildings in The Last of Us Part I, creating a sense of long-abandoned decay and better aligning with the narrative setting. These details are absent in the remastered version. Furthermore, the control mechanics have undergone slight refinements, making the combat experience less clumsy, and the interface has been updated to have a more consistent look with the sequel, The Last of Us Part II.
The loading times in the remake are also very impressive, being much faster, which helps to reduce frustration when having to replay after making mistakes almost instantly. Notably, The Last of Us Part I supports the ‘adaptive trigger’ feature of the DualSense controller, making moments like shooting a bow very satisfying. However, in many cases, I found that the ‘haptic feedback’ feature was somewhat overused, as not everything needs to vibrate to create emotional experiences through the DualSense controller.
There were times when the controller was vibrating, but the on-screen situation had no connection to the vibrations in my hands. Similar instances were not uncommon, giving me the impression that the haptic feedback was applied without much visual or subtle cues. In fact, halfway through the experience, I decided to completely disable the features of the DualSense controller to enhance the overall gameplay experience. Alongside this contradictory issue, The Last of Us Part I also introduces some interesting changes and additions.
One of them is the Speedrun mode and a new difficulty setting that were not present in the remastered version. The remake also removes the trophies related to completing the game on different difficulty levels, making it less time-consuming for trophy hunters to achieve the Platinum trophy. Additionally, players have the ability to customize various elements of the difficulty settings. Furthermore, the game includes a few accessibility options, making it easier for players to locate collectible items and more.
The combat system in The Last of Us Part I is not significantly different, except for notable improvements in the AI of allies, who now have better judgment of when to take cover and when to attack. On the other hand, I also observed that the game now calculates stealth mechanics based solely on the player’s behavior. This minor change, though, prevented me from getting frustrated every time young Ellie, in her naive nature, impulsively ruined Joel’s “sneak up behind the soldier” moment.
Overall, The Last of Us Part I showcases significant graphical enhancements, refined gameplay mechanics, and additional features, making it a more immersive and enjoyable experience compared to the remastered version
In conclusion, The Last of Us Part I delivers a remarkably unique action-adventure survival experience, not only in terms of its inherited storytelling but also in its impressive aspects. The biggest drawback of the game is its relatively high price, seemingly targeting a specific group of players without offering upgrade or discounted options for owners of the remastered version. In other words, this is a title that cannot be missed in the game library for hardcore fans and those who have never played the original or the remastered version before.