Never two without three! After the base release in 2013 and soon after on PlayStation 4, Ellie and Joel’s first adventure returns on PS5 with The Last of Us Part 1. A new version taken from scratch by the Naughty Dog team that has sparked much excitement and questioning. So, in fact, what is it really worth? This is our final opinion.
Find above, in autoplay, our video version of the test of The Last of Us Part 1.
- Testing was done on PS5. The Last of Us Part 1 will be available on September 2, 2022 (later on PC).
The Last of Us is not a post apo game with zombies like the others. Indeed because there are no zombies in the strict sense of the word but monsters infested with a large fungus – an important clarification – and above all because it propelled the Naughty Dog studio to the top, among the corporate staples of modern video games. Now that 2010’s current screen has exploded, with Uncharted 2 and Uncharted 3, why not clearly break the roof and show that we excel at writing heroes? This is the tour that features The Last of Us, which was unanimously praised by the press and gamers when it was released in 2013. The project that interests us today, The Last of Us Part 1, is a remake of that success, which also includes the Left Behind extension. On the other hand, there was no overhaul of the “Factors”, the multiplayer mode at the time.
Born in the United States
Before addressing the novelties and all-new visuals of this remake, Part One of The Last of Us remains above all else the story of Ellie and Joël, rambling along US roads in search of fireflies. A story that did not move an inch. The Naughty Dog team has carefully reproduced every dialogue and every scene here using their new engine – and that’s clearly not a bad thing. Even after all this time The writing of The Last of Us hasn’t progressed a bit, always so true, poignant, overwhelming. What an emotion to see Ellie’s relationship written again | Joel (especially with such sensible faces) upon scenes of rare originality. Of course, it’s hard not to think of the second part of The Last of Us, and it’s even more ambitious in terms of narrative. But the magic of 2013 works, whether it’s the main adventure or the Left Behind DLC, which is often quite heartbreaking. The extension shows a piece of Ellie’s past, before she met Joel, and then accompanied by her best friend, Riley. With these two sides of the same coin, you’ll get your share of feelings and a total of roughly 18 to 20 hours of gameplay.
The Last of Us Part 1 – Long Car Scene (Loyalty Mode)
Tomb of the fireflies
So yes, it is not surprising! The writing of Part One of The Last of Us remains identical to the original project. But what is even more surprising is that the structure and level of the adventure’s design follow precisely the same path – for a less exciting result. Of course, The Last of Us is based on More classic and linear grammar From the second part, it often follows the pattern of “narrative, exploration, combat, exploration, narrative…” which moreover is in narrow levels and is not very conducive to exploration (compared to the second part of The Last of Us). Not to mention the old puzzles based on wooden ladders and planks! Concretely, everyone lacks a lot of breathing, in open areas. And so the first part of The Last of Us seems stuck between two eras, with its structure on one hand and its visuals on the other.
However, keep your feet on the ground. The track of The Last of Us Part 1 may be a classic, but it works well despite everything! Indeed because the crossovers are diverse enough – at least in terms of atmosphere – to revive player interest. But mostly because in The Last of Us, History is a great engine of progress. Whether it’s between a touching two-character scene, an action stage popping out of nowhere or even a situational reversal that calls everything into question, Naughty Dog has no shortage of resources to get us back on the right track. What about Left Behind DLC? It’s almost a dessert you’ll want to eat, within 2-3 hours of playing it. Even knowing the base title well, we fell in love with The Last of Us all over again. It really is there for something.
Technical clicker?
we are here ! “The Elephant in the Room” for Our Last Part One: Repairing the graphics. A redesign with a large “R” in which the Naughty Dog team not only updated the textures, but also overhauled the artistic direction. Let’s not go four ways. In this new version, working on the visuals is quite typical. Here, PlayStation studio once again showcases the full extent of its tech knowledge, with a project that sets the bar higher than the second installment thanks to the PS5’s precision. The Last of Us Part 1 offers two graphic modes. The first, ‘Fidelity’, offers native 4K resolution and a target frame rate of 40fps (with regular drops for rich moments). The second, “Performance,” favors a smooth 60fps with dynamic 4K resolution or – depending on your screen – 1440p. However, note that in the second case, the new visual of The Last of Us is less bright and the mode is especially useful in the presence of smoother battles. The first part of Last of Us allows switching from loyalty program to performance on the go, without returning to the title screen or reloading the game.
Obviously, even before combos, it’s the characters’ faces that benefit from this gain in strength. Ellie, Joël, Tess or Riley’s frown has never been original And believable, which undoubtedly heightens the emotional impact of many viewers. In this aspect, the first part of The Last of Us does not have much to envy in the second part. The same observation of the combinations, more convincing and overwhelming than in the past (special reference to the lavish lighting effects). Yet yes, there are still two or three less satisfying details, such as the NPC animation that came out in 2013, and allies running through the action stages and displaying bugs. But nothing serious! Overall, we can say that the contract was 100% fulfilled, to the point that we wanted to explore beyond the boundaries set by the base title. Moreover, it sometimes makes us forget this powerful reconfiguration act, when the technique becomes less cheerful, especially during the internal stages. An impression that can also be felt through the level design and gameplay.
One on one!
In general, if it is obvious that you want to compare the first part of The Last of Us to the second episode of the license, then we should not forget to take this 2022 edition for what it is. If the level design and structure are more classic, they work well despite everything – the same goes for the gameplay. studio Thus, Naughty Dog offers a more modern gameplay than in the past by relying on all components of the original application. Combat battles are now more in-depth, with a camera that sticks to the action and raw animations. By the same logic, it is now easier to grab an object and then throw it at the enemy (a brick or a bottle). You can also use the DualSense gyroscope to adjust your aim, which is a good help but it doesn’t work perfectly yet. Other than that, The Last of Us Part 1 is a stealth action game that is definitely a classic but quite successful in reversing the urgency and violence of the hits. Not revolutionary, but solid!
The Last of Us Part 1 – High Voltage Infiltration (Loyalty Mode)
In other words, with this new version, you’ll have no problem feeling the spirit of a post-apo survivor, especially on a higher difficulty setting (the challenge can also be customized from the ground up according to multiple settings, as in The Last of Us Part 2 ). The combination of craft, survival and firearms remains a safe bet. Not to mention the nice boost generated by DualSense vibrations, which give each defense a fun character. As a reminder, in The Last of Us ammo is generally limited and you will have to use whatever you have on hand. But appreciation is also a solution! Just like in the base game, you can also improve your hero’s skills and weapons. However, here we would have liked to be able to lie on our stomachs and dodge, as in Part Two. One last point that will avoid frustration during fights.
behind the mountain
On the other hand, the first part of The Last of Us adds a lot of bonuses that will delight fans. Starting with permanent landing option, speed mode, and photos | Never-before-seen 3D models to feature in the bounty list, skins, and even in-game comments from director Neil Druckman and the original cast of Ellie and Joel. The new Picture Mode is also part of it as well as a complete system for customizing the controls. As you understand, there are a lot of things to unlock. But the most important – and most important – plus at this level is undoubtedly the accessibility options. The first part of The Last of Us is definitely the most accessible movie Today, with an array of aids to activate, settings to avoid motion sickness and even a full audio description. It’s an excellent thing to let everyone discover this masterpiece, now at its best on PS5. Come on, it’s time to wrap up.
conclusion
strength point
- Overhaul of the graph
- The faces that make the difference
- Still a touching story
- Magic has not changed
- Classic but strong enough
- More access options
- Lots of rewards for fans
Weak points
- Details remained in 2013
- very superficial print
As you might expect, with The Last of Us Part 1, PlayStation and Naughty Dog have faithfully recreated the core adventure with all that this entailed. On the one hand, the graphics are amazingly beautiful and realistic, while on the other hand, the levels and gameplay are reminiscent of 2010. But in the end, all we remember is the wonderful saga with Ellie and Joël, even though we already know their story. Even after ten years, the script and plot of The Last of Us hasn’t progressed a bit. It is still powerful, influential and attractive. A compression tool so that we forget about outdated stylistic influences and few flaws. It’s more time than ever to rediscover this post-apo masterpiece!
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