The Last of Us is my favorite game. I previously played the PS3 version five times, platinumed it, and then played the PS4 remastered version a couple of times. Now I have the chance to play it once more. I know people are upset that Naughty Dog is even working on a The Last of Us Remake. I get it. There are so many other games they could remake or be working on, however, as a big The Last of Us fan, I couldn’t be happier to jump back in. It’s the Skyrim dilemma. I’ll play it with each release simply to see it run on the best hardware. The Last of Us Remake is coming out on September 2, and we got a small trailer showcasing the new visuals. Eyeing the trailer and my love for The Last of Us, here are five reasons to be excited about the remake.
5. Preparation For the Show
PlayStation has dived into the film industry, and even though I wasn’t a fan of the Uncharted movie, I still have my hopes up for The Last of Us TV show on HBO. From what I can tell, or at least what marketing is telling me, the show is authentic to the game. Neil Druckmann (Mr. The Last of Us himself) is involved and even directed an episode. It will be nice to come to the show right off the definitive version of The Last of Us and see how it compares. Additionally, those who are introduced to The Last of Us through the show, will have the remake waiting for them.
4. Left Behind Inclusion
Left Behind was a downloadable prequel to the original The Last of Us that juxtaposed the present with Ellie’s past. The backstory is a solemn exploration of Ellie and Riley’s relationship in the quarantine zone, which gives us a deeper understanding of Ellie. With the inclusion of Left Behind and the content of The Last of Us Part 2, Ellie’s full arc can be experienced in the best possible way.
I hope Naughty Dog incorporates Left Behind into the flow of the story instead of keeping it a separate piece of content. It fits perfectly into a section of the game and ultimately makes the original a little better. My usual strategy is to play up to the point where Left Behind takes place in the main game, exit the game, load Left Behind, and play through it before finishing the main game. Instead of doing that, it would be nice if Naughty Dog just implanted Left Behind into the main story. Either way, its inclusion is still a plus in my book.
3. Consistency Across the Franchise
With the font and rebranding of the title from The Last of Us Remake to The Last of Us Part 1, it’s clear that Naughty Dog is creating consistency between the two games. Although Naughty Dog stated clearly that Part 2 was a continuation of the original, it was hard to believe since the technology was so different. Several scenes in The Last of Us Part 2 flashbacked to the original, however, it looked entirely different because the graphics significantly improved. Because of the remake, the two games can be played back to back as they were meant to be, without any discrepancies.
2. The Definitive Way to Play
Another reason it’s difficult to return to the original The Last of Us is its outdated and rather clunky gameplay. To be clear, I think the clunkiness and wobbly nature of the shooting intentionally captured a grounded and pulse-pounding tone. Thus, The Last of Us Part 2 captured that feeling while also being more user-friendly in terms of button responsiveness and faster combat. Now, we can finally transmit that combat style into The Last of Us Part 1, making it the best of both worlds.
The best gameplay (The Last of Us Part 2) and the best story (The Last of Us) will join to make the definitive The Last of Us experience. The Last of Us Part 2’s gameplay was enhanced by the realistic AI that genuinely searched for you and cowered in fear after witnessing Ellie’s rage. The upgraded AI alone will be a big boon for the original. Also, it was super nice to play The Last of Us Part 2 on the PS5 with 60 frames per second, and I can’t wait to experience the original at its peak gameplay performance.
1. It Looks Better Than Ever
The final point is the most obvious, but it needed to be said. The original PS3 version looked good for its time, but now, with The Last of Us Part 2 released at the end of the PS4’s life cycle (not to mention the PlayStation 5 upgrade) it’s a little hard to go back too. The original version and even the PS4 version look muddy and lack the detailed textures we’ve come to expect from games. Take a look at Joel from the remastered version and see how much better he looks in the remake.
From the trailer, we see puddles of water with fully retraced reflections as the camera slowly pans above the apocalyptic Pittsburgh streets. The resolution is crisp and clear, and most notably the facial expressions are realistic. Neil Druckmann, when he presented the game, said the remake could capture every aspect of the mo-capped actors. There is nothing more exciting than seeing your favorite game in an all-new way. To top it all off, I can confidently say the remake will be the best-looking game of the entire series.
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