The Last of Us Part 1 Review: ‘Stuck Somewhere Between Remaster and Remake’

Reviewing The Last of Us Part 1 is a tough assignment. The original and the remaster are both critically lauded. GameRevolution gave both of them a 10 out of 10 upon release, and with good reason — logic would dictate that a remake would also get a perfect score.

There’s been a lot of debate about whether The Last of Us Part 1 is really worth its asking price. After all, Sony is charging full price for a remake of a game that’s been available for $19.99 (or free) for almost a decade that has already received a successful remaster. The big question is whether or not the updated content made enough of an impact to justify the $50 price difference —

The Last of Our Wallets

So, let’s get this out of the way right at the beginning: pricing is this game’s primary flaw. If it’d been released at a lower MSRP, or if it had included The Last of Us 2, I’d say it’s a great way to experience the game that started it all.

But this isn’t a simple cash grab. You can tell developer Naughty Dog put a ton of effort into refining the gameplay and improving the graphics. However, it doesn’t feel like there was a holistic approach to remaking The Last of Us. Instead, it seems different game segments were walled off and improved independently of the others.

I always use Resident Evil 2 (2019) as an example of a remake done right. Capcom looked at every facet of the original and looked at how it could expand that story with modern tools. What we got was faithful to the original but wasn’t afraid to do its own thing.

In contrast, The Last of Us Part 1 seems stuck somewhere between remaster and remake; it comes so soon after the release of the 2014 PS4 remaster that a vast improvement isn’t possible. So, while things like DualSense compatibility and improved graphics are welcome, not enough time has passed for it to have that “wow” factor we see with other remakes.

Missed opportunities

Storywise, The Last of Us Part 1 is a 1:1 remake of the original. I didn’t play the two side-by-side, but I’m familiar enough with the source material to notice any noteworthy additions or changes to the narrative. You have access to both the base story and its DLC Left Behind, and you’d be hard-pressed to find something as minor as an adjusted camera angle in a cutscene.

While I’m happy the story remains intact, there were some huge missed opportunities here. For example, it would have been nice to see the beginning expanded to show us more of the Boston quarantine zone and Joel’s smuggling career with Tess.

Alternatively, there are some considerable gaps in Joel and Ellie’s trip west that Naughty Dog could have expanded upon. Are we supposed to believe that nothing happened to them in the 1,800 miles between Pittsburgh, PA, and Jackson, WY, after the eventful trip through the northeast?

A remake is an excellent time for developers to go back and add or tweak aspects of the story they didn’t have the time, resources, or tech to do the first time. It’d be one thing if this were a $30-40 title, but the lack of new content makes $70 a big ask. With all that said, the story hasn’t aged a bit. It’s still a fantastic journey, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Looking the part

On the flip side, everything but the story has been overhauled for The Last of Us Part 1. Pretty much every system has been brought up to the level of The Last of Us Part 2. Combat, animations, graphics, visual effects, and sound are all improved over the original.

There are no longer any scripted fights with human enemies. Instead, when you’re forced to face off against a group of them, the AI will use tactics like pairing up to attack or flanking you, which makes things a lot tougher than they were in the original.

Your partners’ AI is also improved. There are fewer instances of them awkwardly popping out from cover in front of an enemy only to go unnoticed. Of course, it still happens sometimes, but it’s not nearly as immersion-breaking as it was in the original.

The updated animation system is also excellent;  players and NPCs now move through the environment more realistically. For example, they’ll automatically put their hand against a wall if sneaking near one, and they’ll sway their bodies to actively avoid obstacles. All this adds up to make for a more believable environment.

Stuck going stag

But while the action may have had some notable additions, there’s one glaring omission from this package — the original’s Factions multiplayer. Naughty Dog is still working on a standalone version of Factions, so it’s likely that Naughty Dog saw reason to remake the original. However, this brings us back to the price — despite all the gameplay improvements, you’re paying $70 to get less content than was available in The Last of Us Remastered when it launched at $50.

Sure, a smattering of new extras is included with The Last of Us Part 1, like a model viewer and extra outfits. However, they don’t come close to making up for the loss of Factions, and while it’s understandable that Naughty Dog wouldn’t want to encroach on the standalone version, it makes this a less attractive purchase.

The Last of Us Part 1 Review: The final verdict

The Last of Us Part 1 is the definitive way to experience the original story and Left Behind. However, it’s hard to recommend it over the PS4 remaster. I appreciate all the work that went into enhancing the visual and audio fidelity and gameplay. However, it’s just not $50 worth of improvement, and the lack of new content means you’re not missing out too much if you decide to go cheaper.