In 2013, the team of naughty dog I leave behind the Uncharted franchise, which had given them so much joy in the previous years, to offer something new. Far from the action movie proposals starring Nathan Drake, to offer a proposal of stealth, action and horror elements with the launch of The Last of Us. Despite being one more “zombie” story, Joel and Ellie’s adventure managed to mark a large number of players. After all this time, the team at Sony Interactive Entertainment has wanted players to be able to relive the experience but with technical innovations with the launch of The Last of Us Part I. After a few days testing the game, thanks to the PlayStation Spain team, we leave you our analysis.
The same history
The Naughty Dog team wanted to be very faithful to the original material, so in this new version we will not find any news in terms of content. Although completely rebuilt from the ground up for PS5, the game features no changes to the story or level designs. And it is not that you need it, because the formula continues to work perfectly. Joel and Ellie’s adventure on their journey across the US to find the Fireflies continues to surprise both in terms of plot and mechanics. The story is brutal and emotional, focused on the fantastic evolution in the relationship between the two protagonists. As the shocking moments unfold, their relationship shifts from barely putting up with each other to a close father-son relationship. After almost a decade, some of the scenes continue to make hair stand on end. In addition, as happened with the Remastered, the Left Behind expansion is also included.
The Last of Us Part I is inspired by the genre of stealth and third-person action games. Ammunition is more or less limited, so we will have to use the environment to our advantage to catch enemies off guard. Once discovered, it is when the shooting begins, or we can also use melee weapons of limited duration, or throwing weapons such as Molotov cocktails. The gameplay has incorporated a series of improvements that place it between a hybrid of the original The Last of Us and Part II. And it is that, the control has become more agile, although without losing all the tank-style control that the original had. It has not been possible to incorporate all the gameplay of Part II, since it does not have the same level of freedom as the second part. In this installment there are no grass fields and the areas are less open, which eliminates a certain level of exploration for combat from different angles. Melee combat is now more visceral, with a more action-focused camera and grittier animations. Also, it is now easier to grab and throw an object at an enemy (brick or bottle). We’ll also be able to use the DualSense gyroscope to adjust your aim, which is a nice help but still doesn’t work perfectly. As for the PlayStation 5 controller, other new features are also included, such as the adaptive triggers, which are very well implemented.
Another novelty is the improvement in AI. And it is that, now the allied AI they will have a more realistic interaction and will not be stuck in surreal situations. There is still a time when you can stay in a forced position, but not as exaggerated as it could be in the original. The Last of Us Part I incorporates new modes, such as the Speed Race Mode, where we will have a timer that records our current duration and our record. The timer stops during cutscenes and scene transitions. In addition, it also includes the mode permanent deathwhich we can select regardless of the difficulty and to activate in the full game or by sections.
Another novelty is the new accessibility options. As happened in the sequel, the development team has worked to incorporate aids for players with visual, hearing or motor problems. In addition to text-to-speech information and audio tracks, this new installment will have visual, sound or motor accessibility functions, visual and magnification assistance, help against dizziness or help with navigation and travel. It will feature three accessibility presets that configure all recommended visual, hearing and impairment settings, which can be customized to the needs of gamers. In addition, the options of the PS5 DualSense controller can also be fully customized, remapping the commands to other buttons, including the trackpad swipe and controller vibration. Although most players are not affected by it, additions so that more players can enjoy the game is always welcome.
New technical section
The game has two graphics modes, Fidelity and Performance. The former offers native 4K and a framerate of 30fps. The second offers 60 fps with dynamic 4K or – depending on your screen – 1440p. Despite being remastered for the PS4, the improvements in The Last of Us Part I are instantly noticeable. The cut-scenes and game sequences demonstrate the great work of the development team. Animations, lighting, reflections, textures demonstrate Naughty Dog’s attention to detail. Facial animations are much more realistic and support the drama of cutscenes. The lighting improvements are the most prominent of the visual updates. With both graphical and gameplay implications, the lighting supports the fantastic setting, especially in the most terrifying areas.
The Last of Us does not have too many changes at the sound level. And it is that the audio design was already very good. But to make it a little better, PlayStation 5’s 3D audio features have been incorporated, so we’ll have more details on where the enemies are. The dubbing remains the same, both in Spanish and English. Although the Spanish version is not bad, the interpretations of Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson are still as incredible as ever, giving life and emotions to their characters.
Conclusion of The Last of Us Part I
You can debate whether or not this remake is necessary. The PlayStation 4 version could already enjoy a good experience with its Remastered version. Despite this, what does not generate any type of debate is that this is the best version of the game that can be enjoyed. The great work on a technical level makes The Last of Us Part I a wonderful experience. Fans of the franchise, or those who want to discover it for the first time, can enjoy a masterpiece with quality graphics and other quality of life improvements.
