Endure and Survive on Playstation 5

The Last of Us series remains the jewel in Sony’s crown when it comes to big-budget franchises, and this installment sees developer Naughty Dog give the original a ‘Criterion Collection‘ worthy treatment, exclusively on the Playstation 5.

Changes between this full-priced entry and the 2013 original span everything from graphics to gameplay, accessibility to aesthetics, making for a worthy next-gen title nine years in the making.

Amidst the din of gamers asking “why?” and “why now?”, this overhaul of the Playstation 3’s finest exclusive (excusing an initial revamp on the Playstation 4), it will take only a few moments into its iconic – and harrowing – opening segment to remind them as to why The Last of Us: Part 1 is worthy of such a careful and detailed return to our screens.

Fans will be entirely familiar with its sombre story of Ellie and Joel, two people amidst the wreckage of a global pandemic finding solace and struggles in an unlikely partnership that has the potential to save the world…

Those who haven’t played it will be both amazed and engaged throughout, but will also have the opportunity to witness the tale unfold with HBO’s big-budget adaptation, set for our screens in 2023.

Relax as CRISP. gives a spoiler-free overview of the biggest revisions, as well as why this is a must-have for anyone fortunate enough to possess a Playstation 5.

Graphics

The Last of Us: Part I is a fully-fledged remake – the insistence with which we’ve been reminded that this is a ‘from the ground up’ effort by the devs in its lead-up to release only serves to underline that fact.

Now more than matching the visual fidelity of 2020’s sequel (our review here), the detail is nothing short of astounding.

Starting with a raft of rendering options (Performance, Fidelity, and 120Hz), these can be found within the options menu, under ‘display’ upon booting the game.

The default mode is Performance, giving a silky smooth 60 frames per second, and running at a dynamic 4K. This can drop slightly to around 1440p under heft, but the resultant output is a crisp (no pun intended) and clean image of a grimy dystopia.

One step up from this is Fidelity, lending a locked 4K resolution to proceedings, but capped at 30fps.

An arguably more cinematic option, this sacrifices smoothness for an even more refined image, and – provided your TV can handle it – is an incredible option to show off the new texture work.

If you do happen to have a top-of-the-range TV capable of 120fps, and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support, you’re able to unlock the best of both worlds in a Performance mode that can top out above 60fps when in gameplay, and a Fidelity mode (much like that found on Ratchet and Clank’s PS5 entry) which bumps itself up to 40 frames.

Make sure those latter options are amended at a system level to gain access to that last mode, and prepare to be amazed…

What can you see? A whole host of visual tweaks, additional texture detail, and beautiful imagery await those taking the leap back into The Last of Us: Part I.

Character models take on an entirely new level of detail, with the motion capture work now conveying every single flicker of emotion crossing the protagonists’ faces.

Joel and Ellie now look a great deal closer to their sequel counterparts, whilst many of the supporting cast has been brought up to close to the same level of visual fidelity.

Tess is a standout, her captivating performance in the original is now even more arresting – a battle-hardened boss that you certainly don’t want to mess with.

With cutscenes that were previously pre-rendered videos now presented in real-time, prepare for seamless transitions between story and gameplay which draw you into the action like never before.

We’d go as far as to say it’s even a little jarring for those used to the Playstation 3 version, simply due to the sheer scale of how the environments have changed – on an aesthetic level, anyway.

Lighting is more pronounced, accurate and atmospheric, giving an entirely new perspective on established locations, whilst clothing has a degree of realistic movement which is unreal.

Then there’s the enemy…well, let’s just say you won’t forget the first time you need to don a gas mask and venture into hostile territory.

Many scenes in both story and gameplay do play out identically to the original – just with a level of precision that was only in your mind’s eye previously.

Naughty Dog has always been the pinnacle when it comes to impressive graphics, and the excellent technical work undertaken here sees The Last of Us: Part I slot perfectly into their portfolio.

Gameplay

There have also been some meaningful tweaks to how Part I plays – whilst stopping short of introducing the phenomenally versatile mechanics of Part II en masse, it delivers a tailored experience perfectly suited to modern gaming.

General locomotion and movement around the levels is entirely revamped, allowing for smoother transitions between states, as well as a more immersive feel to the gameplay.

Shooting has equally been developed, with destructive elements to environments introduced, as well as leveraging the PS5’s DualSense controller to offer unique physical feedback to every weapon in the game.

You’re going to need every advantage you can get, now that the game’s AI has been overhauled, meaning smarter, more devious engagements with the enemy at every opportunity keeping Joel and Ellie on their toes.

Accessibility

The Last of Us: Part II was a watershed moment in gaming, not just for its heartwrenching story, but for inclusivity.

When it came to accessibility options, it was peerless with everything from colourblindness settings, audio descriptions for the partially sighted, and revised control methods to enable everyone to play.

We’re glad to say that the same level of dedication has been afforded this title, as far as the ability to reduce camera shake and blur for those who experience motion sickness.

Needless to say that all who wish to experience the story in its entirety can now do so, in the way they see fit.

Content

On the topic of entirety, the game does have some gains and losses for the completionist.

Whilst the seminal ‘Left Behind’ DLC – a standalone prequel set in Boston – is included, we lose out on the amazing multiplayer ‘Factions’ mode…although there is word of a fully-fledged sequel on the way which is no doubt set to be incredible.

Verdict

So whilst we haven’t waded into spoiler territory – despite its age – it is a testament to just how genre-defining The Last of Us is, and Naughty Dog’s efforts to go back and create the definitive version of a console (and soon-to-be PC) classic is entirely warranted.

Is it worth the £70 price tag? Die-hard fans will certainly not be disappointed but may lament the loss of its immersive multiplayer.

New players will be captivated not only by the deep story, fantastic exploration and pulse-pounding action, but also by one of the experiences that justify investing in a Playstation 5.

The fact that it comes in the form of a remake of an almost decade-old game is beside the point…simply experiencing Joel and Ellie’s journey once again is entirely worth the contentious price of admission.

Unmissable.