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The Last of Us without an argument is one of the best gaming experiences. The game's immersive gameplay and phenomenal story of two strangers finding peace in one another while trying to cope with a harsh world. The game originally came out on the PlayStation 3 and pushed the aging hardware to its limits.
About a year after its PS3 launch, the game was fully remixed for Sony's then next-gen hardware, the PlayStation 4, adding a few quality-of-life adjustments and fine tuning the game's visuals and performance on the new console. The remastered version felt right at home on PS4 with stellar graphics and a smooth 60fps mode that greatly benefitted the game's enjoyment.
About nine years since the game's original launch on PS3, Naughty Dog has announced a full-blown remake of The Last of Us for PlayStation 5, which will also make its way to PC later.
However, given the pricing model, which charges players the full $70 for the remake of this not-so-old title, players are a little skeptical about whether to pick the game up for PS5.
Is The Last of Us Part 1 Remake worth picking up at full price?
The Last of Us Part 1 Remake looks amazing without a shadow of a doubt. Developer Naughty Dog sure put a lot of effort into recreating the assets and textures and redefining the original game's visuals. However, the original game was already way ahead of its time regarding visual fidelity, facial animations and environmental complexity.
The game's remastered version still holds up as one of the best-looking games even on the PS5, which runs using the console's backward compatibility feature. So it's odd that Sony and Naughty Dog decided to remake The Last of Us instead of many other titles in Sony and even Naughty Dog's back catalog that could've benefitted more from a remake.
Naughty Dog wanted to bring the original game closer to The Last of Us Part 2's visuals and art style. The remake looks identical, if not even better than the sequel in all the gameplay trailers PlayStation has released for the game.
The remake will even feature gameplay enhancements to the sequel, like the ability to go prone and the improved stealth gameplay systems with much brighter enemy AI.
Apart from the visual upgrades, gameplay refinements and the usual PS5 enhancements that players come to expect from every other PlayStation title, the game isn't offering much in terms of new content, which for the asking price of $70 is not worth it, especially for players that have already experienced the game with the remastered version.
However, in the same vein, the remake makes for the perfect opportunity for new players who have yet to experience the original game's phenomenal storytelling to finally experience one of the best video games ever created.
What does The Last of Us Part 1 Remake offer?
The Last of Us Part 1 Remake will feature the full main story of the original game, fully remade in the new and Naughty Dog's improved proprietary engine that powered the sequel.
Along with that, players will also get the Left Behind story DLC, a prequel chapter that explores Ellie's past and the event that changed her life.
Along with a host of graphical and gameplay enhancements, the remake will also feature a wide array of accessibility options, akin to The Last of Us Part 2, which features more than 60 accessibility settings, with expanded options focused on fine-motor and hearing as well as new features that greatly benefit players with low-vision or blindness.
The accessibility feature is a massive improvement over the original game as it allows more players that could not experience the original game's masterfully crafted story and gameplay due to certain physical limitations to enjoy it.
All in all, The Last of Us Part 1 Remake is only a worthy investment if players have not played the original game and want to experience the original game's beautifully crafted story and characters. Besides that, the remake doesn't offer much for its asking price of $70 to players that have already played through the story, either on the original PS3 release or the remastered version.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.
