I wasn't really sure whether I should review this as simply how The Last of Us holds up in 2023, or based on the value of buying this new PS5 version of a PS3 game. It's pretty ridiculous that Sony decided to charge $70 for this version when base level PlayStation Plus subscribers can play the PS4 version for free. This was actually my first time playing any version other than the original PS3 release (shoutout to my friend Matt for letting me borrow his copy), and when I replayed that in 2020 I really didn't have any issues with the way it looked. Obviously this new version is a significant visual upgrade but, like it usually goes, once you really settle in the prettier graphics don't really matter so much.

Naughty Dog has pitched this as a remake of the original game but outside of some very modest tweaks here and there (I noticed bow mechanics more akin to Part II), the gameplay is very largely the same. You won't see the added movement options from the second game here, or redesigned combat encounters. There's a commentary track that's weirdly locked behind game completion- I would've liked this right off the bat considering I've already beaten The Last of Us maybe five or six times.

While it's not an impressive remake, The Last of Us is still the incredible game we all fell in love with in 2013. Sure, the Naughty Dog environment traversal feels a bit silly at times with repetitive situations like "Ellie jumps on the pallet to cross the water", but the combat, stealth, and crafting systems are just as solid as they were when the game first came out. While I've challenged myself on more recent runs by stealthing my way through the higher difficulties, this time I set the game to normal and just had a good time being more aggressive and letting loose in combat.

The game has a great propulsive pace to it that has you feeling like you went on a whole journey with these characters, but it at the same time its hard to put down. I really like the way the narrative handles its time jumps as Joel and Ellie move across the country toward their goal.

The Last of Us is one of the most powerful and effective post-apocalyptic narratives ever told, and while it leans heavily into tropes it brings a depth that is frankly still ahead of most narrative-driven video games ten years later.

Credit also has to go to Gustavo Santaolalla's soundtrack for really giving this game its distinct personality. At this point it's easy to take his work for granted but I'm stoked that they've got him back for the promising television series about to debut at the time of this writing.

The Last of Us: Part 1 is only a package I can recommend for diehard fans or with those with plenty of funds to spend on games- but at the same time it's the new best way to play one of the greatest video games. While it might not be my personal favorite Naughty Dog title, I think that it is probably their best and a game everybody should experience. It's just that you'll probably be fine with the PS4 version.

Still the same amazing game I loved as a kid but slightly better!
(Some parts of my review are from my review of the original TLOU)

I remember being a kid approaching my teenage years when my best friend's dad got us a copy of the game for the PS3 and it was an incredible experience back then. Graphics are noticeably better and it look amazing and visually impressive. This game has some of the best animation I've ever seen for a video game. The facial expressions are so realistic to how actual humans would react and I was so amazed by it. Still love the beauty and designs of the environments in the game as there tons of details and even more detailed than the original. This game step ups in being more gorey and show more dismemberment adding another layer of realism. Other than that this game pretty much feels the same. I heard the AI was more intelligent and immersive but I barely noticed a difference on that aspect. I'm so used to tlou2 controls and I kept forgetting that I can't dodge. I wish there was dodging and crawling, I understand that they would have to redesign some areas and levels and that would take more time. However, that's what a remake is supposed to do. It's supposed to make changes to better improve from the original and I honestly wouldn't have minded waiting longer for this remake since I've played it on PS3 and PS4 already. I do wish Naughty Dog took more time to make these considerations instead of rushing it. Still love the combat, it's generic but I never get tired of it since it doesn't drag on more than it needs to. Also they didn't bring over the Factions mode, that really doesn't bother me since I didn't really play it back then but I'm sure it does bother others.

The story is still emotional and impactful as ever. TLOU is what got me to really love the setting of a post-apocalyptic future. There's many interesting characters and a lot of detail in the world which tells a story in itself, some of which can be very tragic. Still appreciate Left Behind which gives us much needed character development for Ellie. And Joel is easily one of the best protagonist in all video games because he truly showed us a story of what a human would do, not a hero.

It was nice playing this game again with today's modern day graphics. I can't wait to see what Naughty Dog does next. I also do want to give my opinion on this game being called a remake. This game is easily a 5 stars if you haven’t played it before, for me this is a 4 stars at best. This is a game I’ve played many times on PS4 and besides the graphical and visual improvements for the PS5, you pretty much get the exact same experience as you would for the Remastered PS4 version which I can play on PS5 for cheaper. My point being this game doesn’t feel like a remake and instead only looks like a remake. Other than that, if you haven't ever played TLOU do yourself a favor play this game. I can't guarantee if you'll like the game or not but it's worth playing at least once.

The fact that this game was $70 at release is not great--the PS4 remaster of this game is an excellent game in its own right, and I don't think they changed the game enough to justify that sort of price tag.

That being said--this is easily the best way to play this masterpiece of a game. It's still the best story in gaming to me, period. It looks gorgeous, the movement feels much more fluid, and the enemy AI actually had me sweating a few times. The amount of detail that you can appreciate with these updated graphics is astounding and the use of the DualSense adds another layer of immersion.

It's still The Last of Us you know and love, just with a fresh coat of paint and some minor quality of life improvements. There's an argument to be made that this version should be the way a new player experiences this story but it's hard for me to recommend buying this game at full price when an amazing remaster already exists on the PS4. It's definitely a judgment call as you can't go wrong with either. But to me, this is the definitive way to play The Last of Us.

It certainly is still The Last Of Us (Part 1). To focus on the positive first, this game looks amazing, it's a massive improvement over the original and remaster, the new models and facial animations add so much to certain moments, especially ones involving Tess and Ellie I noticed. The new accessibility options are great as well! It also has fun new gameplay modifiers and skins included! It is simply the best version of The Last Of Us, with every change and addition being a positive one.

Now on the more negative side of things, did this remake need to happen? Absolutely not. The improved visuals and facial animations are great, but it still looks a little weird at times. Most body animations seem the exact same and they just look kinda stiff sometimes. Joel's still got his same dorky and clunky looking crouch walk which you'll have seen enough of if you've played the original, and you'll see it just as much in this remake. Besides visuals, every other positive thing really should've just been added to the remaster, a game that's already playable on PS5. Accessibility options, while fantastic, aren't enough of a reason to remake a game when they should've just been added to the previous version.

This remake still plays almost identically to the original, which I enjoyed gameplay wise and still do, but it's a game that came out almost a decade ago and before Part 2 vastly improved the gameplay. It's disappointing they didn't use this remake as an opportunity to rework the gameplay and make it as smooth of an experience as Part 2. The AI also doesn't seem that much better than the original game but I can't decide if it's due to the level design constricting the AI more than it does in Part 2, or if it's actually just hardly an improvement compared to the original. They really had the chance to make the best possible version of this game, and instead they just made a version that's the best by comparison.

Even though it's disappointing they didn't push this remake as far as it could've gone, it is still The Last Of Us and it's still one of the best games I've ever played, but improved. Is the game going to be worth it for most people who've already played the game? Nah, but if you're someone who really loves this game and replays it from time to time it might be worth it for you. For me at least I know I'll have no reason to go back to the original over this remake. Is the game worth it if you've never played the original before? I would say yes, and if the price is a a concern I would recommend waiting for a discount on the remake, over purchasing the remaster or original as I consider it a big enough improvement.

I just want to add that giving this game a low score since it's a "lazy remake" is dumb. It was a great game when it came out, and it still is now. It's like giving a collection a low score since they're all old games that have been released, that doesn't change the quality of the actual product. This remake is strictly a better version than the original, so I'll give it the same score I gave the original, 5/5 stars.

Good lord, what a game!

I'm not going to be able to express much here that hasn't already said. Naughty Dog seemingly fumbled through the first two or three Uncharted games before hitting gold with the original release of The Last of Us, and this remaster only serves to elevate the excellence. Seriously, look at some side-by-side images or videos and tell me that shit ain't positively remarkable.

It's genuinely impressive how well I could get this to run while still looking great on my potato-esque PC. The sound design, which I understand was extensively overhauled from the original release, is perhaps some of the best I've personally encountered in a game. It was so accurate that I rarely found myself having to use the "Listening Mode" when engaging in stealth. Just really cool.

Looking forward to a release of The Last of Us Part II on PC!

i totally get the price discourse but as soon as i heard this was coming to the PS5 i had no doubt it would be a day one pick up for me.

I played through the last of us countless times on the PS3, it blew my mind back and still does to this day.

Experiencing one of my favourite stories and games with the insane graphics on the PS5 was so satisfying and the facial expressions and animations impressed me so much i would often just be staring in awe at what i was witnessing.

also Joel’s new face (?) looks so good , much prefer it over the original one.

Estou finalmente jogando e finalizando depois de 7 anos. Em 2016 tinha jogado em um PS3 emprestado, não gostei tanto na época e nem cheguei a finaliza-lo, mas jogando hoje em 2023 percebo que realmente é muito bom.

Gostei muito de como Joel e Ellie vão se aproximando, é muito orgânico e sutil, a jornada é muito emocionante e cativante com diálogos muito bons. Todos os personagens que aparecem, mesmo os que tem pouco tempo de tela são marcantes, são muito bem trabalhados na trama, o meu favorito foi Bill, simplesmente adoro esse personagem. O final, apesar de deixar um gosto amargo, é absurdo. A ambientação pós apocalíptica é incrível, até nos dias de hoje é difícil ver jogos com esse tema capricharem tanto nesse quesito, as mecânicas e os gráficos são de cair o queixo.

As coisas que me desagradaram foram poucas: Primeiramente o PÉSSIMO port pra PC, que fez o meu jogo crashar umas 50 vezez(sem exagero) e gerou alguns bugs durante a gameplay, chegando a desanimar de jogar as vezes. Outra coisa que não me agradou tanto foi a parte da neve, a cena final é muito emocionante e um dos melhores clímax do jogo, mas aquela ''boss fight'' achei muito forçada e sem sentido, fora esses 2 detalhes, gostei de tudo no jogo.

Revisitar TLOU foi uma das melhores decisões que tomei, mesmo que tenha sido bem desconfortável joga-lo no PC.

It’s hard to review this version of this game as it’s pretty much the definitive version (sans multiplayer) of what’s considered an already amazing game.

But realistically this didn’t need to exist.

Sure this looks absolutely amazing, I’m not going to contest that there are improvements, it’s still an incredible game that everyone should try and play. But attempting to charge current-gen full price again is insane behaviour.

I made sure to only get this game if I could pay as little as possible for it, and thankfully I managed to get it for 75% off. I think for first time players who can get it cheap, sure buy this. But for the price it’s at, I’d still just recommend the remaster that’s sitting pretty cheap in the PS Store.

Not sure I understand the hate this is announcement is getting. Yes, this game has already been remastered. This is a remake. Allow me to be the dumbass with expectations for a minute.

They are rebuilding this game from the ground up, in the vastly superior engine of the second game. We can expect improvements across the board—from the refined feel of movement, combat and stealth, to the enhanced fidelity of characters, environments and weather effects. As well as the inclusion of industry-leading accessibility options, present in the sequel, that will make this an experience enjoyable by all. Not to mention the remake is also releasing on an entirely new platform (PC), where a large amount of players will be experiencing this masterpiece for the first time. These upgrades more than justify this re-release imo.

I understand this release reflects a growing industry trend of remakes and re-releases of perfectly playable games from the last decade. I get it. But this is no trivial 'GTA V Expanded & Enhanced'. Nor a botched 'Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition'. This is as substantial a remake as is possible for a linear, story driven game like this—embellishing all aspects surrounding the story to allow it to shine to its fullest potential. Give it a chance.

If you have already double dipped, this remake probably isn't for you. Those who were hoping for something new can play the standalone TLoU II expansion, which was announced alongside this remake. Perhaps I'm just a Druckmann shill, but I love this series and have full faith in Naughty Dog realising their original ambitions with this remake. I hope others can view things more positively as more is revealed about the game.

The last time I started this game up I promised myself that it was the 5th and last time I’d put myself through the emotional trauma. Any more attempts and I felt that the impact would start to wear off.

That was 2 years ago and this year, just when I thought those bastards at Naughty Dog couldn’t possibly be any dumber, they go and do something like this… and totally re-redeem themselves!

Note: I’m am never playing this game ever again.

When Joel upgrades his shotgun at any of the workbenches in The Last of Us Part I, he meticulously scrubs it, unscrews certain parts, and replaces others as he works to make it a more deadly killing machine. It’s an involved process that’s highly specific to each type of upgrade on every weapon, one that was merely a generic tinkering animation consistent across the game’s arsenal in the PlayStation 3 original and PS4 remaster. This painstakingly crafted upgrading mechanic is, coincidentally, symbolic of The Last of Us Part I’s many upgrades, as it gets the same job done, but does it with a heightened attention to detail and more impressive visual presentation. By carefully tending to the right parts, this remake makes one of the best games of all time even better.

Read the full review here:
https://www.comingsoon.net/games/reviews/1235721-the-last-of-us-part-i-review-ps5-remake-worth-buying

Nowadays, it seems like going anywhere near The Last of Us inspires a hotbed of hot takes, from folks calling its storytelling trite and its gameplay bland to those who boldly claim that it's the greatest thing to ever happen to video games as a medium. Are either of these views correct? I mean, that's perhaps up for debate, though I'd certainly argue that they're both hyperbolic.

However, with the HBO adaptation bringing home 8 Emmys and this new 'Part I' remake taking cues from Part II's gameplay and high-fidelity visuals, it's clear that the franchise has cultural staying power. What's most interesting to me, however, is how these two things have altered my opinion of the first game as a whole.

Despite the truncated length of the first season in comparison to the first game, there are certain changes and contextual additions that the HBO show makes to the story that I prefer. From certain details in character backstories and relationships to different nuances of the performances in comparison to their original actors, it's a case-by-case, scene-by-scene preference between the two for me.

That's not to imply that the game's story or performances are bad by any stretch; far from it. I suppose that's just bound to be the case when a new team approaches the same story a decade later. The narrative and performances of 2013's The Last of Us are still incredibly strong and emotionally resonant, well deserving of the various praise and accolades it's accrued over the years.

The remake only amplifies that, with the original motion capture performances being replicated 1:1 in-game thanks to the updated in-house engine Naughty Dog used for Part II. It's incredibly impressive visually and captivating to watch, yet somehow still without feeling too 'uncanny valley'.

Weirdly enough, though, it's this remake's gameplay that gives me pause in showering it with praise. To be clear, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Part I just takes Part II's upgraded UI, animations, and certain gameplay features, like a more in-depth-looking workbench menu, and retroactively applies them to the original. The result is very impressive and fun to play around with; however, it's not quite enough to justify a full-price purchase without any kind of upgrade path with a copy of the PS4 remaster.

Regardless, Part I is still an incredibly solid package and its improvements to the original are all very impressive. Perhaps not enough to charge full-price but at this point, Sony is as Sony does. Should you play the remake over the PS4 remaster? That's up to you, of course, but if you're willing to put up with the objectively inferior visuals of the PS4 remaster, I would highly suggest you give that a chance instead.

8.5/10