Review: The Last of Us Part 1 is the definitive version of one of the best games ever
There’s a notable difference in the way that video game and movie fans discuss home releases.
While releasing the same film a multitude of times on VHS, then DVD, then HDDVD, then Blu-Ray and then UHD Blu-Ray is an accepted practice, in games, the sheer idea of releasing The Last of Us for the third time in under a decade has generated a level of anger and dismissal that seems strange for what is one of the most critically beloved games ever.
There are legitimate holes one could poke in the idea of The Last of Us Part 1. For one, the price is a lot for any game, no less one that you probably own in some form. It’s also worth noting that it’s arguably a lesser package than the PS3 or PS4 versions as it’s missing multiplayer (although a Last of Us multiplayer project is currently in development).
But it’s in the third camp that we find our biggest difference of opinion. The idea that it’s a “pointless” remake and that it’s “barely different” to the PlayStation 4 version. The Last of Us Part 1 isn’t a pointless remake. The Last of Us Part 1 is an essential remake that uses the sheer power at its disposal to make the best elements of the game even better.
There’s a scene around fifteen minutes into the story (and if you’ve played the game, you know what we’re talking about) that was a perfect case study for why the game should exist.
While that scene was moving on the PS3 and PS4, and really set the tone for the powerful emotional heartstrings that were yet to be tugged throughout, on PS5, it’s practically unwatchable. Not only is the sequence itself horrific, but the reactions from Joel and Tommy are so heightened, so much more impactful, and so realistic, that it feels like a milestone moment for performance capture in games,
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