Was there a sorer, saltier point of discussion among PlayStation fans in 2022 than the release of The Last of Us: Part I? We reckon only the rants of Sony’s legal team to governing bodies regarding Microsoft’s unprecedented acquisition of Activision Blizzard rank higher. No, there’s no point in ignoring the figurative Ellie-phant [Hah – Ed] in the post-apocalyptic room here: Naughty Dog’s pricey remake was divisive in italics.
It was also brilliant. Well, we knew that already, didn’t we? The original 2013 game is a Hall of Famer for sure: a rare example of a new intellectual property absolutely exploding on its first attempt. This remake doesn’t really deviate from the original at all – it’s a beat for beat retelling, down to every detail like item placement and level design – and it’s still a top-tier title.
The work that Naughty Dog did do is stellar, too. Part I is, without a doubt, one of the best looking games available on the PS5 right now – there’s no question about it. Not only does the release run silky smooth on Sony’s new-gen console, but the art has been overhauled across the board to realise the original intent of the team – key characters like Tess have been totally transformed, and the animations upgraded to add even more #Emotion to every scene.
Look, we appreciate there are very few surprises here: The Last of Us, an uncontested Game of the Year winner in 2013, is still stellar with a visual upgrade nine years later. Shocker! But remakes aren’t always sure bets: developers do, with frightening frequency, f*ck ‘em up. Naughty Dog got this spot on, and we suspect the title’s popularity will only explode with next year’s HBO show on the way.