The Last of Us Part 1 is a very frustrating game to talk about. It’s impossible to bring up without it’s price point at release coming up. I am already bringing it up at the start here so I am part of the problem. This game gets 5 stars from me because it’s The Last of Us. It’s still the same absolutely amazing game. Except now it looks so so much better. The lighting is much improved alongside the facial animations. Audio is amazing here, shout out to the sound floorboards make when Joel is sneaking up stairs in abandoned houses. Enemy AI has seen an upgrade though I doubt the casual audience will notice. There is a vast multitude of accessibility options added which is only ever a good thing. Opening up this amazing game to much bigger audience and for people with limitations the price point won’t matter seeing as it may be their first time playing. But despite being a remake, it feels and plays exactly the same.
Now that’s the kicker. £65 I paid and I knew what I was getting but many people will see that price point and hear that it’s a remake and they will expect an overhaul of the gameplay as well as the visuals/audio. You don’t get that here. The game plays exactly the same as the original and ps4 remaster version. And so we get the same problems. NPc characters will still get in the line of sight of enemies without being discovered (though this happens a lot less). We still have the pallet and ladder puzzles to bore us. And it’s extremely painful to return to this game after Part 2 and not be able to dodge during melee combat or go prone during stealth sections. But that would require a bigger overall of the base game and I can see why people think Naughty Dog couldn’t be bothered. It’s awfully suspicious in its absence. Why wouldn’t you upgrade basic gameplay elements in a remake?
But if like me you loved the original game despite these problems then you will enjoy Part 1. Your here for the story and now it looks better than ever. With the new animations lending even more weight to the dramatic moments. But I can also see why some people prefer the way the characters looked originally. I quite liked the art style and animation of the original but that’s because I prefer my games to look like games in a world where they move more towards photo realism.
And now that price. I can’t score this game any less than I did the other versions because it’s the same game. Except it looks and sounds better. Price is something that caused offence at release but eventually will go down. And there’s always the chance you snag this game on a bargain or borrow it from a friend. And if that’s the case what are you left with? Well it’s the definitive version of The Last Of Us. And some lucky people will experience this for the first time on ps5.
Now that’s the kicker. £65 I paid and I knew what I was getting but many people will see that price point and hear that it’s a remake and they will expect an overhaul of the gameplay as well as the visuals/audio. You don’t get that here. The game plays exactly the same as the original and ps4 remaster version. And so we get the same problems. NPc characters will still get in the line of sight of enemies without being discovered (though this happens a lot less). We still have the pallet and ladder puzzles to bore us. And it’s extremely painful to return to this game after Part 2 and not be able to dodge during melee combat or go prone during stealth sections. But that would require a bigger overall of the base game and I can see why people think Naughty Dog couldn’t be bothered. It’s awfully suspicious in its absence. Why wouldn’t you upgrade basic gameplay elements in a remake?
But if like me you loved the original game despite these problems then you will enjoy Part 1. Your here for the story and now it looks better than ever. With the new animations lending even more weight to the dramatic moments. But I can also see why some people prefer the way the characters looked originally. I quite liked the art style and animation of the original but that’s because I prefer my games to look like games in a world where they move more towards photo realism.
And now that price. I can’t score this game any less than I did the other versions because it’s the same game. Except it looks and sounds better. Price is something that caused offence at release but eventually will go down. And there’s always the chance you snag this game on a bargain or borrow it from a friend. And if that’s the case what are you left with? Well it’s the definitive version of The Last Of Us. And some lucky people will experience this for the first time on ps5.