The Last of Us Part I (PS5) - Review
by Lee Mehr , posted on 01 October 2022 / 4,779 Views
Reviewer's Note: While I didn’t write VGChartz’s review for The Last of Us, nor the Left Behind expansion, my thoughts generally align with each writer's perspective.
Before getting into the pricing kerfuffle around Naughty Dog’s new “re-make-ster,” I should note that my only time spent with The Last of Us was on PS3 roughly eight years ago. From a distance, anyone can be suspicious of Sony’s avarice when this widely-successful title has now been released, remastered, and now remade for the PS3, PS4, and PS5 respectively. And unlike Bluepoint’s offerings - Demon’s Souls (2020) & Shadow of the Colossus (2016) - part of its original content has been carved out from the transition. These complaints are totally fair for a $70 price point, and that hurdle will be too high for many, including long-time fans. But even after personally internalizing those hurdles, The Last of Us Part I still ranks among my favorite experiences of the year.
As the script remains unchanged, Part I centers on Joel, a smuggler who witnessed the Cordyceps outbreak and suffered a tragic loss from the immediate fallout. 20 years on, the post-apocalyptic hellscape has changed him and many for the worse. Staying alive has to count for something though. His and partner Tess’s survival streak is tested when they're tasked with smuggling a teenaged girl, Ellie, outside of Boston’s Quarantine Zone. This eventually leads to a trek across the United States, following a similar structure to Children of Men by way of The Walking Dead.
Those typical beats are fine thanks to the commendable execution, however. Consider the mutated Cordyceps strain as the framing device: a documented phenomenon in certain insect species that physically alters its host and can further its spread by releasing spores. Just that little touch on the typical zombie phenotype, plus their various stages, goes a long way towards feeling more grounded. It also skirts around the ridiculousness of modern decathlon zombies seen across many games, where broken tibias jutting through calf muscles somehow counts as a goddamn speed boost.
Even the title nestles an overarching motif that's consistent across entries: examining the tension between different social factions. What "Us" means for Joel & Ellie is far narrower than some of the most important side characters. Whether that includes family, what's left of humanity, or something in between, each scenario toys with this concept in interesting ways; in fact, one great example of these group dynamics is exclusively discovered through collectible notes.
Beyond quality subtext and a fresh spin on zombies, Part I's storytelling works from all of its cogs simply clinking into place: characters, dialogue, pacing, and so on. Sure, the post-prologue start drags on longer than I remembered, but once that hill is surmounted it hits a consistent stride between slightly tweaked scenarios, new people, and so on. Compared to Part II's languid attitude, this succinctly navigates writing avenues that never feel inane or useless; it's always finding ways to build up Joel and Ellie's deepening bond.
You don't need to be a prophet to anticipate most twists and turns, but that feels immaterial when you're absorbed by everything else. Beyond just being well-written, maintaining a great tempo, and having meaningful characters, it has a great eye for restraint and maturity that's still not often seen in games today. 
As much as I enjoyed the trip down memory lane, this re-appreciation wouldn't hit quite as hard without Naughty Dog's top-notch presentation. This isn't just limited to refurbished textures and in-game lighting, either. Re-done character models during cinematics add an extra layer of authenticity that the original couldn't quite capture. You know the cliché at this point: the assiduous attention to detail, from non-verbal cues to subtle interactions, look damn near photo-realistic. The extra dishevelled layers to every face, Tess’s precise reactions to some unwanted news, and many more examples couldn't help but draw me in closer and closer.
I couldn't help but drink in its environments as a result. The incredible amount of new technical details add an extra layer of character to every locale. Part of me still can't quite put a finger on it, but things like many secondary rooms (i.e. transitory areas between combat) feel like they have more of a story to tell. The voice acting is the same, the audio design still carries incredible heft, and Gustavo Santaolalla's acoustic soundtrack still delivers, yet the world feels just different enough to feel fresh. Part of me feels compelled to boot up my PS3 just so I can discover those subtler details on my own.
Put simply, Naughty Dog's first PS5 exclusive outing follows the developer's usual pedigree. It's come to the point where the name can be invoked and you can safely have your graphical expectations met.
Gameplay, on the other hand, is a tougher hurdle to consider. I'll be honest, when I first heard Naughty Dog's emphasis on being a "complete remake" and "modernized gameplay," I reflexively thought of Part II's Ellie carrying over. Imagine Joel with a similar combat vocabulary as Ellie crawling under pick-ups or tables. Sadly, the overhaul isn't quite as revolutionary.
Before delving into those critiques, let's briefly explore this template. That cringe-inducing "Citizen Kane of Gaming" line sometimes associated with The Last of Us has always irked me by missing the point: its scavenger stealth-action structure was an example of fusing established 7th-gen concepts, not birthing new ones. Rather than being a vanguard, its confection of third-person cover shooting, Resident Evil 5's real-time inventory management, resource-hunting, basic puzzling, streamlined stealth common for that era, and Uncharted-esque cinematic affectations all gel together and capture a fitting tone for this uncompromising world.
From its incredibly effective balancing of resources on tougher difficulties to the chunky brutality of every melee strike, that visceral feedback has never been better. Beyond the advertised audio improvements, the DualSense bumps up the intensity, especially with the little sensations felt across various weapons. There's also a rolodex of new controllable gameplay options at your command: removing weapon sway, dictating the aggression level of certain enemies, and on and on it goes. When you consider these along with Naughty Dog's prodigious accessibility choices, they certainly paid close attention to the little details afforded by the new hardware.
What of the bigger picture though? Part I meets at an interesting crossroads compared to Bluepoint's titles; namely, tweaking the gameplay formula in noticeable ways. While I personally recall quality fights in the original, enough time has passed to admit the noticeable downgrade from the original's stellar E3 demo. It's also a shame that Part II's more expansive & flexible dynamics haven't completely mapped over; for instance, Clickers still go by sound detection versus genuine echo-location in the sequel. Still, the tactical acumen of your adversaries (human or otherwise) has improved: more legitimate moments of humans flanking your location, far fewer moments of stupidity, and so on and so on. Even then, it hasn't totally handled odd issues like when certain infected will still be in patrol mode despite loud combat occurring near their vicinity.
On the other side of the action, friendly AI does a better job at maintaining immersion. One of the original's funniest qualities was hearing Joel say a canned line like "Shh! Enemies ahead..." and the subsequent THWOMP THWOMP THWOMP steps from your friendlies while sleuthing around. Since your tag-alongs aren't detectable during stealth, it wouldn't take long before seeing Ellie squish an enemy's toes and stomp away without triggering an alarm. Given the consequences of not doing that, I understood that design decision. While not perfect, teammates' pathfinding has been noticeably improved here. They're quieter and more proactive in avoiding an enemy's line of sight.
The best way I can summarize Part I's effort is this: substantive half-measures. When weighing the listed upgrades, along with neat tweaks like Part II's safe-cracking mechanic, it still feels like a missed opportunity while not discounting the successes. No doubt it'd take a tremendous effort to refashion the level design or AI, but when someone invokes the term "remake" today it’s tough not to expect something more. If not overhauling the combat arenas then perhaps by re-evaluating the recycled puzzle breaks. You can practically taste what Naughty Dog could've done with a more thorough reshuffling while keeping the story perfectly intact.
These expectations can't help but be more pronounced by two important factors: the full $70 price point and the removal of the original's Factions mode – Naughty Dog’s best multiplayer effort to date. It's especially surprising given Sony's previous attitude towards value, like dropping The Last of Us Remastered to $50 ahead of its PS4 release.
When you consider this plus Bluepoint's basic approach to "premium remasters," Sony's involvement feels far more rapacious here. Beyond having more expensive versions, the Digital Deluxe ($80) and Firefly ($100) editions push sleazy extras: some early weapon/perk unlocks. Imagine how this would look if a fictitious Shadow of the Colossus: Super-Big Edition's bonuses granted you 50% more stamina; that would ruin Team ICO’s original artistic vision. Even if not damaging to the same extent, the original’s design emphasis on scavenging for upgrades was already well-tuned across various difficulties. Don’t add insult to injury with these unholy mixtures of corporate checklists and game design.
Even though multiplayer is out of the picture, at least Left Behind is here and given the same attention as the main campaign. For those who may have missed out on it, Left Behind is a supplementary vignette between the main game’s fall and winter seasons. The same succinct storytelling can be found here alongside a few neat mechanical wrinkles. It was officially the first time players could face human and infected enemies concurrently; plus, it found new ways to explore these characters through game mechanics, like the sneaking & shooting foundation used for an innocent water gun fight. To this day, it remains one of my favorite expansions.
The Last of Us Part I walks a tightrope between exciting time and uncomfortable wedge about quasi-remakes' fair market value. It's not a fun way to lead a conclusion, but I also recognize the circumstances that compelled me to get it won't be the same for others; you have to be excited for what technological advancements can do to these semi-old gameplay & storytelling bones. Despite meeting those specific thresholds, I still yearned for something more... concrete that could match my engagement as the original did back then. Fortunately, those pangs of reserved disappointment don't distract enough from what’s otherwise one of 2022's top titles.
VGChartz Verdict
8
Great
This review is based on a retail copy of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5
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i still do not have a PS5!
I was never into MP. So to me, the game is still a 10, just as it was with the original PS3 release. The remade visuals heighten the tension and emotional beats while the new sound mix and Dual Sense’s haptic feedbacks make things noticeably more immersive especially when using headphones.
The price is an annoyance, for sure. But I personally rationalized it by considering the Remastered [digital] version came bundled with my PS4, then I managed to sell my PS3 disc shortly after getting said PS4, so it’s not like I paid that much for the 3 versions I’ve owned.
Still, I understand why some might be turned off by the premium pricing of the game, yet when you consider what goes on on Nintendo’s side, with their high profile games staying at full price for years (which also include enhanced ports from older consoles), with very few occasional sales periods where you can find them temporarily discounted, I think it is comparable, especially considering the quality of the game and the improvements made to it.
The game feels like a new release, despite its mild gameplay tweaks. And that’s a testament to the original game’s brilliance.
This new version cements The Last of Us’s place as one of my top 5 games of all time.
I’m shocked that a PS game received good score in VGC.
Considering a few recent PS games have received a good score, maybe you aren't paying attention.
I'm pretty sure I'm expected to comment on this review, so I'll try and make it worthwhile:
First of all, great review! You captured a lot of my thoughts on the technical improvements Part I offers over the original version of The Last of Us pretty well really. I sensed ways in which things could've been improved even more in the end (most of which you've pointed out), but was hardly disappointed by the overall package myself.
As to the inevitable price discussion...is $70 an unfair price to charge here? Yes. But honestly, it doesn't feel like the $70 I paid for Star Fox 64 back in 1997 either. I hope it doesn't sound too elitist to say this, but currency devaluation really has made the same price tag feel a little less dramatic to me than it used to, I must admit. Then again, I don't buy a lot of $70 games in a given year, so maybe that warps my perspective on just how high a cost this might be to a more typical gamer. Whatever. (Also I might be looking to justify the slightly embarrassing reality that I'd probably have bought Part I on day I anyway even if it were just a straight graphics upgrade and nothing else; such a sucker am I for this particular franchise because Parts I and II are my favorite video games of all time. I can't both be a perfect consumer rights champion and also honest about the depth of my love for these particular games!)
Alright, with that shit out of the way, let me say this: To me, much of the specialness of The Last of Us lies in just how immersive an experience it was, and while there were countless factors that went into that, one of those ingredients WAS really the state-of-the-artness of the little details, like the way character's faces move and the way the details on their faces add both depth and range of emotion to the situations they're in. I can say that with confidence after playing through Part I a few times because Part I restored to my soul a level of involvement with this story that had unfortunately been lost. The same can be said of both ally and enemy AI behaviors. Some games really DO need to have the technology be there to tell their stories as effectively as they can and this is one of them. (If you don't believe me, try searching for "The Last of Us Part II - PS1 Edition" on YouTube. ;) )
That said, some things can never be recaptured. How do you recapture in 2022 how it felt to play Left Behind as a gay person in 2014, before same-sex weddings were legal in my state? You can't. The social situation has changed and, with it, some of the original magic is gone forever. However, the sheer paucity of the kind of care and genuine creativity that went into that story though ensures that most of it remains. Enough that it persists in eliciting my tears to this day. It's something I'd MUCH rather have in this package than Factions by a mile.
Alright, no commentary of mine on the subject of The Last of Us would be complete that didn't include a defense of Part II against any negative insinuations that I feel are unwarranted, so you had to know one was coming when ya dared to positively compare the narrative pacing of Part I to that of Part II. ;) I believe that the markers "Part I" and "Part II" are meant to denote that we're supposed to approach The Last of Us as all one big story. That's how I view it. Part I mainly tells Joel's story, while Part II contains most of Ellie's and all of Abby's. All three are of comparable length, albeit with (especially after you factor in Left Behind) Ellie emerging with the overall most screen time and all three stories are closely intertwined. I view it as a whole package. And when I think about the parts of that package that stay with me the most, those are precisely some of the "languid" ones that take the time to let us see the full content of a birthday celebration or what a day of family life looks like or what a "date" looks like. Giraffes. The things in-between the bloodshed that inevitably comprises such a world. The quiet moments where we get to breathe that give the rest their weight. (Hope I made that about as spoiler-free as possible while conveying my basic point with reasonable clarity anyway.)
I'm tempted to go into a whole spiel here about the conclusion of TLOU1 and the role of character agency vs. player agency as a way of illustrating something I think this game has always done right that so many others have not, but I think I've taken up enough of your time at this point and those thoughts feel almost off-topic when we're really supposed to be discussing the new things about this new version of the game anyway. Thus I'll leave it with you here. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and, again, for the thoughtful review of what I consider the definitive version of one of the very most outstanding games ever made!
Mission accomplished on making a worthwhile comment and I appreciate the kind words. :)
I don't think the value assessment is too elitist. I'll admit I wasn't enthusiastic about even reviewing this when the opportunity arose. Even if inflation dampens that $70, that initial sting isn't fun to deal with (esp. when your suspicious of the extent of 'remaking' it). But when I thought of it more as an... 'interactive boutique' I got way more excited for it closer to release. I HAD to see it again for myself and revive some of those old, dormant memories.
-"Alright, no commentary of mine on the subject of The Last of Us would be complete that didn't include a defense of Part II against any negative insinuations that I feel are unwarranted..."
Heh... can't say I didn't expect the pushback. I guess I can follow that emphasis and it kinda ties into some other discussions I've seen with Part II as well. How the more languid attitude and chaotic structure can thematically tie back to Joel's own actions, or symbolizes revenge as the key motivating factor in one's life. I can understand those points, but they're like water off a duck's back after re-appreciating Part I's story. The up, down, up, down tempo of story & gameplay still click so well after all these years.
-"I'm tempted to go into a whole spiel here about the conclusion of TLOU1 and the role of character agency vs. player agency..."
I'm in a similar boat! Although I can't commit to it, I was thinking about doing an anniversary retrospective on TLOU's ending (or perhaps something like the Winter season). If you get around to it, I look forward to reading your thoughts on it.
Again, I appreciate the expansive comment.
No worries!
Yeah, I get suspicious of the idea of fixing things that aren't broken too. But in the view of Part II, it was also easy for me to see ways that the original could be improved upon. I just didn't want any changes to the storyline (or attempt to reinvent it as an open world game with dialogue trees or something, ugh), so YaY!
Anyway, yeah, I feel like the different narrative tempos of Part I and Part II actually fit in well with their respective themes and that's what really matters to me rather than this idea of a specific type of flow being 'right' or 'wrong'.
I'll look forward to the retrospective then! :)
Cash grab,
Would def buy day one if they wasn't so lazy enough to include factions other than that a wasted opportunity to shine,
That 70 bucks doesn't warrant it it ain't complete!
Calling this a cash grab is the comment equivalent of a cash grab. A cheap potshot, I guess? Anyway it is bad and you should feel bad.
