FA+
Shop
The Last of Us : Part 1 (2022) Review
8 months ago
This is gonna be an interesting review because i'm gonna be comparing the PS5 remake to the PS4 remaster and there's a lot of external factors that go into this game being one hell of an experience. You can't talk about the remake without talking about the TV show, you cant talk about this remake without Part 2, you can't talk about it without talking about Sony's remastered game strategy that dominated the first half of the 2020's, etc.
So with this in mind, lets get into the review
_______________________________________________________________
Platforms: PS5 & PC
The Last of Us: Part 1 (TLOU 1) is a remake of a 2013 game that got a PS4 remaster. the difference between the PS4 remaster and the remake is that the remake updates several character models and environments while also adding in a weapon system and more guns to play with. In my perspective, the PS5 remake is the definitive version of the game.
The game takes place in 2033, 20 years after the Cordyceps fungi mutated and turned humans into mushroom zombies sending the whole world into ruin. You play as Joel, a middle aged survivor who is tasked with transporting an immune 14-year old Ellie to a medical facility run by the Fireflies so they can use her immunity to create a vaccine against the Cordyceps infection.
I can;t go any further without getting into spoilers but the game knows that it;s cliched but uses the cliches effectively to tell a honest story of trying to live and seeking a reason to live after the world just fucking ended. However, I think the game is best experienced after watching the HBO TV show (2023) because there's something horrifying about playing the game knowing exactly what happens to each character including the foreshadowing. I loved this story and its world for how most of the horror is not in the cheap jumpscares but in the collectibles that detail life before and after the end of the world that really drives the horror home. I even used a collectibles guide to get them all just because each and every collectible (besides the firefly pendants) serves as worldbuilding including warning you of future dangers and telling you about possible secrets.
As for Part 1 and Part 2, i also can see why Part 2 happened just because the moment the game ends, you're like "Oh no... oh no no no no... oh FUCK" as the ending is just that shocking in how poor communication and impulsive behaviour kills.
The Left Behind DLC is also one of the better DLC stories i've played with fun minigames and one of the better romantic tragedies that does a great job of making you care more for Ellie and the other main character. It's short, sweet, and heartbreaking at the same time.
Personally, i would have loved for Naughty Dog to make a 3rd mode that is just open world and letting you enjoy the excellent environmental storytelling ND uses in the game to learn more about how people reacted to the end of the world. I just want to see more of the aftermath of the infection not only in the USA but also in other continents such as Africa and Central Asia.
The gameplay is just allright since its a lite version of a survival game played in the 3rd person. It plays more of a stealth game as the combat is more clunky than it should be but it makes sense as the playable characters are not supersoldiers like Nate from uncharted. I ended up playing this game on easy as I don't like survival style games so that I make sure I always have ammo to keep blasting away enemies. What I did like is that they have added new guns to your roster so it keeps the game fresh. I found the original game boring because all I got was just a pistol, revolver, shotgun, bow, and rifle. The remake adds in a shorty shotgun, sniper revolver, and a flamethrower, all which are helpful against regular humans and infected humans alongside a weapon upgrade system that encouraged exploration to get more upgrade materials.
Overall, the gameplay is rather basic with the typical stealth and action sections you see in every AAA action game but i appreciate the fact that the remake improved the weapons and enemy AI especially with the upgrade system.
I do think that remaking the game was a smart move on Sony's part because the original game was stale with their weapon selection and the character models do look better than the original counterparts but if you've already played the PS3 or PS4 game, then you don't need to play this game. If you do, I would recommend that you watch the TV show first and then play the game after just to go through the game with a very subtle feeling of dread enhancing your experience.
Man, it was something else but I'm glad I was able to play the game and enjoy it more than the first time I beat it.
Played on a PS5
So with this in mind, lets get into the review
_______________________________________________________________
Platforms: PS5 & PC
The Last of Us: Part 1 (TLOU 1) is a remake of a 2013 game that got a PS4 remaster. the difference between the PS4 remaster and the remake is that the remake updates several character models and environments while also adding in a weapon system and more guns to play with. In my perspective, the PS5 remake is the definitive version of the game.
The game takes place in 2033, 20 years after the Cordyceps fungi mutated and turned humans into mushroom zombies sending the whole world into ruin. You play as Joel, a middle aged survivor who is tasked with transporting an immune 14-year old Ellie to a medical facility run by the Fireflies so they can use her immunity to create a vaccine against the Cordyceps infection.
I can;t go any further without getting into spoilers but the game knows that it;s cliched but uses the cliches effectively to tell a honest story of trying to live and seeking a reason to live after the world just fucking ended. However, I think the game is best experienced after watching the HBO TV show (2023) because there's something horrifying about playing the game knowing exactly what happens to each character including the foreshadowing. I loved this story and its world for how most of the horror is not in the cheap jumpscares but in the collectibles that detail life before and after the end of the world that really drives the horror home. I even used a collectibles guide to get them all just because each and every collectible (besides the firefly pendants) serves as worldbuilding including warning you of future dangers and telling you about possible secrets.
As for Part 1 and Part 2, i also can see why Part 2 happened just because the moment the game ends, you're like "Oh no... oh no no no no... oh FUCK" as the ending is just that shocking in how poor communication and impulsive behaviour kills.
The Left Behind DLC is also one of the better DLC stories i've played with fun minigames and one of the better romantic tragedies that does a great job of making you care more for Ellie and the other main character. It's short, sweet, and heartbreaking at the same time.
Personally, i would have loved for Naughty Dog to make a 3rd mode that is just open world and letting you enjoy the excellent environmental storytelling ND uses in the game to learn more about how people reacted to the end of the world. I just want to see more of the aftermath of the infection not only in the USA but also in other continents such as Africa and Central Asia.
The gameplay is just allright since its a lite version of a survival game played in the 3rd person. It plays more of a stealth game as the combat is more clunky than it should be but it makes sense as the playable characters are not supersoldiers like Nate from uncharted. I ended up playing this game on easy as I don't like survival style games so that I make sure I always have ammo to keep blasting away enemies. What I did like is that they have added new guns to your roster so it keeps the game fresh. I found the original game boring because all I got was just a pistol, revolver, shotgun, bow, and rifle. The remake adds in a shorty shotgun, sniper revolver, and a flamethrower, all which are helpful against regular humans and infected humans alongside a weapon upgrade system that encouraged exploration to get more upgrade materials.
Overall, the gameplay is rather basic with the typical stealth and action sections you see in every AAA action game but i appreciate the fact that the remake improved the weapons and enemy AI especially with the upgrade system.
I do think that remaking the game was a smart move on Sony's part because the original game was stale with their weapon selection and the character models do look better than the original counterparts but if you've already played the PS3 or PS4 game, then you don't need to play this game. If you do, I would recommend that you watch the TV show first and then play the game after just to go through the game with a very subtle feeling of dread enhancing your experience.
Man, it was something else but I'm glad I was able to play the game and enjoy it more than the first time I beat it.
Played on a PS5
