When reviewing a game like The Last of Us in 2022, there is a lingering quandary at the back of my mind about just how much I could add to the debate. What can one say about a game that has been on every subsequent console since its PlayStation 3 release, and is often regarded as having one of the most influential narratives in the whole of gaming? Many, myself included, have deeply entrenched memories of when they first played The Last of Us and experienced the horrors of a pandemic that, in a post-Covid world, feels altogether all the more pertinent.
While it could be easy to dismiss The Last of Us Part 1 as only being a revamped version of the original, the graphical enhancements and the addition of the DualSense Controller’s haptic feedback altered the way I viewed the game. But, with the ongoing debate about its price point, does it do enough?
The Devil in the Detail
The Last of Us Part 1 once again plunges us into the life of Joel Miller. A scavenger in a post-apocalyptic America, he is haunted by the death of his daughter 20 years prior in what is perhaps one of the most jarring introductory levels in any game. Here, he is tasked with escorting Ellie, a precocious 14-year-old seemingly immune to the infection that altered the world. The story of The Last of Us arguably set the bar for companion-oriented quests in games since. I doubt Kratos and Atreus would be such a recognisably adored duo if it weren’t for Joel and Ellie’s camaraderie. It is a classic, and thus the overarching story has been unchanged here.
What the game does instead, generously alters the way the player views and plays it. While I always remember the original game looking good, Part 1 has done a great deal to rebuild the graphics from the ground up, in keeping with current generation expectations. As someone who has not played since the original in 2013, this felt like a tremendous leap. Never before have Clickers looked and sounded so frightening.
As with most games for the PS5, The Last of Us utilises the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback to enhance the game’s core feel. While the haptics in other games do well to help place the player in the game world, there is something quite harrowing about how they’re used here. Perhaps it is the story’s gravitas and the overall aim to make every bullet count in a world where resources like ammunition are scarce, but having that extra tug on the R2 button as you prepare to take a shot often made me do a double-take. Did I want to continue with this, or would there be another way for me to approach the situation at hand? There were moments when my finger trembled over the trigger as I was forced to make a fight or flight decision, raising the stakes of the journey. Moreover, when the news broke that The Last of Us Part 1 would use the haptics in tandem with the wide range of accessibility options the game accounted for, I had to try them for myself. Feeling the cadence of a character’s voice in my hands was so engrossing, and I was glad to see this step forward in encouraging further accessibility options in future games.
The Price of Legacy
While I would love to continue to heap mountains of praise on The Last of Us Part 1, there must come a point where I address the elephant in the room. Since the day of its announcement, the price point of the game has been a significant bone of contention. This, in part, is because the original game is not even a decade old. While I would love to say that the graphical fidelity, photo mode and haptic additions are enough of a convincing argument to justify the price, I’m afraid I cannot do so.
It may undoubtedly be the future of first-party titles in contemporary gaming spheres to rise in price, but there is room for debate about the cost of remakes in particular. While one could say that the recent Demon’s Souls remake was also the same price at launch, however, did not have a remake in the generation prior, so it left audiences wanting a more enhanced game that they may not have experienced for an entire console generation. It may have been more palatable if, rather than just Part 1, The Last of Us Part 2 had been bundled in as well with the odd tweak here and there. But, while the sequel itself may not be included, Part 1 does also feature the superb Left Behind DLC, which has players take the reigns as Ellie in the days leading up to her infection, and her relationship with Riley.
The Verdict
Nonetheless, The Last of Us Part 1 is undoubtedly the definitive way to play this story. The overall enhancements do a lot of heavy lifting to help justify its high price point but inherently struggle to do so for a game that was released less than a decade ago and had a remaster shortly afterwards. Nonetheless, if the remake was aiming to utilise the PS5 technology to create a more desperate and harrowing experience (in the best possible way, of course), then it has done so magnificently. It is a game that pulls on the haptics, as much as it does the heartstrings.
9/10
Words by Jack Roberts
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.