The Last of Us: Part 1 PS5 Review

A masterclass in storytelling with gameplay that still holds up a decade later

Feels more like an “enhanced remaster” rather than a remake

Release Date

September 2nd, 2022

Developed By

Naughty Dog

Available On

Reviewed On

PlayStation 5

Review Disclaimer: A review code was provided by the publisher for this review.

the last of us part 1 ellie holding a rifle

The Last of Us: Part 1 isbloody brilliant,but this “remake” is an almost 10-year-old game that’s coming with no new content, a missing multiplayer mode, and improvements that most wouldn’t be able to notice without a direct side-by-side comparison. At least for the most part.

The Last of Us: Part 1 is an impressive game and some of its visual upgrades are very evident, particularly in cut-scenes where character models have obviously been refined, helping to bring out the performances of the cast even further. Likewise, the new lighting method brings out the beauty of its tragic world. Spores flicker and sparkle through torchlight and the setting sun basks the desolate city streets and deserted suburbs in a warm glow that you can almost feel through the screen. And yet, despite being a remake, or as I’m going to call it, an ‘enhanced remaster’, it’s very difficult to parse this new, more expensive version from its previous PS4 remaster.

the last of us part 1 horse riding

Naughty Dog came out swinging after a leaked video prompted fans to complain about the lack of new features in the game. The studio presented a trailer showing some comparison shots and there was a PS Blog Post with vague details on modernized gameplay, improved combat, and deeper world interaction, such as cars gently moving as they’re shot or leaned up against as cover. I can honestly say I didn’t notice. To be fair, how would I even know if there were new animations? I don’t keep a video catalog of each game’s animations, so if there are one or two new moves, they’ve meshed in with the rest of this familiar outing.

What I can say is that I didn’t notice anything from the sequel being backtracked into The Last of Us: Part 1. For example, you can’t go prone nor can you hide in the foliage. I found the latter out the hard way and ruined my stealthy approach in the process. There is DualSense support, though, and I appreciated the tactile feedback on the bow and arrow, as well as the gyro-aiming - something not enough games take advantage of, sadly.

Outside of the spruced-up cinematics and the in-game character models, most improvements are subtle and had they not already been detailed in some of the pre-release promo videos, I wouldn’t know they were there. I suppose that’s really a testament to the previous versions of the game; they were so well done that my memories of them still hold strong.

Now, all of this is not to say that there’s no value in The Last of Us: Part 1 - there most definitely is, it just depends where you’re coming from. For first-timers who have never experienced Naughty Dog’s finest, it’s the best place to start. For me, a returning player, it’s interesting to see how I relate to the game and its themes after aging (terribly, I might add…) a decade. My tastes have changed and my life experiences have skewed what I find enjoyable and relatable. The Last of Us: Part 1 may be the same game at its core, but I’m not the same man who first played it on the living room floor of my student flat in Cardiff.

It’s a near-perfect experience and a masterclass in video-game storytelling.

Being able to relate to Joel on a paternal level was not possible back when Joel and Ellie were trying to survive in 720p. Now, with crystal clear (dynamic) 4K, and a child of my own, I see what Joel sees - and it’s haunting. That opening scene with Sarah? It never got to me in the past. This time around, my famously stiff-upper-lip definitely faltered. Troy Baker’s pitiful begging as his daughter dies in his arms hit me hard, and being able to paint myself into that picture made the scene all the more harrowing to witness. A decade ago, I just thought “yeah, that sucks - when can I shoot some zombies?”

From that tear-jerker opening to the first “oh crap!” moment where I lost focus and alerted some Clickers, right to the final chapter where Joel finally earns himself a sliver of redemption, I really can’t fault it. Not without needless nitpicking, at least. It’s a near-perfect experience and a masterclass in video-game storytelling. The cinematography is Hollywood-level, as is the acting. The writing can be a little too self-indulgent at times, but it still hits hard when it needs to, delivering emotional blows with Joel’s rugged gruffness and light-hearted moments with Ellie’s naivete and her apparent fondness for the f-word.

Joel and Ellie’s story is one of survival, parenthood, and redemption. Where The Last of Us: Part 2 focused squarely on Ellie’s dark path to revenge, Joel’s is essentially going in the opposite direction.

Watching, listening, and playing along with Joel and Ellie’s relationship is fascinating as a “proper” adult. Hearing the fatherly concern in Joel’s questions and the arrogant, self-sure retorts from Ellie is something I’ve heard in my living room a thousand times at this point.

Initially, Joel wants nothing to do with Ellie. In fact, this cold, cruel man, who was once a loving father, brother, and friend to many, doesn’t blink at a man eating a bullet for a debt he owes to Joel. Upon learning of what makes Ellie so valuable to the Fireflies - the militant group Joel is tasked with delivering her to - he would just as soon feed her brain a bullet, too.

Witnessing the evolution of their relationship is a true joy, punctuated with moments of true terror. The world’s a nasty place, and outside of the relative safety of the totalitarian quarantine zones, everything goes.

Unlike other zombie games, you’re not playing as an overpowered zombie-killing machine. One wrong move and it’s curtains by way of a selection of gruesome death animations. They really are gory and despite having a strong stomach, I was tempted to turn the gore down in the options.

Every moment is a struggle for survival. Bullets are rare and good people are rarer. I estimate that I spent about half of my time in the game with Joel squatting down low to stay quiet and to better spot any valuable resources that could be used to help me live a little longer. That said, I did play on the easy difficulty setting so that I could just take in the story - I’ve already run the gauntlet before, I don’t need that kind of stress in my life. But if you really want to take the game to another level and for every encounter to truly be life-and-death, you may up the difficulty and even turn on permadeath.

The Last of Us: Part 1’s gameplay is nigh-on identical to its previous versions, but I can’t say that’s a bad thing. The gameplay has aged better than I have…

Encounters with the infected are still tense and deliberately paced. Where other games throw crowds of zombies at the player, The Last of Us: Part 1 strategically places its enemies across its levels, almost in a chess-like puzzle manner. A move in one direction may lead to a big fight you can’t win. A move in the other may result in saving a few precious bullets for later.

An early encounter in the game got me my first “oh crap!” moment. Thinking I was clear in making good on my stealthy maneuver, I got a bit too confident and altered a group of nearby Clickers. My slow, steady and silent approach was in the wind as the click-clack yacking screams of the Clickers blared from my TV. This was the first cock-up on my part, but it certainly wasn’t the last. If there’s a new death animation in The Last of Us: Part 1, I’ve probably seen it.

The Last of Us: Part 1 finds its worth; it’s the best possible version of Naughty Dog’s best ever game.

Naturally, the infected aren’t the only threat - humans are the real bastards, because of course we are. It’s a trope that’s been done a thousand times before and will be done a thousand times again, but I love how The Last of Us: Part 1 keeps its lines deliberately gray, particularly with the main cast, including Joel. He’s not a good guy but in this world where it’s everyone for themself, he’s far from the worst, and the worst really are despicable. I’m looking at you, David, you creepy little git.

Joel’s redemption is bittersweet, and come the end credits, you may wonder what it was all for. I know I did the first time around, but with the benefit of time on my back, I’ve come to appreciate the nuanced storytelling that much more, and for me, that’s where The Last of Us: Part 1 finds its worth; it’s the best possible version of Naughty Dog’s best ever game.

A neat addition to this ‘enhanced remaster’ is the inclusion of the standalone prequel, Left Behind, featuring Ellie in a very short, very sweet, and very sad little prelude story. I would have preferred the multiplayer, though, to give the game some legs to run on in the future, but it wasn’t to be. If you’re a newcomer wondering what I’m blabbering on about, it would serve you well to have a look at The Last of Us Remastered where the multiplayer mode is still actively being played.

The Last of Us: Part 1 is the definitive version of Naughty Dog’s classic. Sadly, I’m afraid the conversation, at least among the old guard who first took Ellie under their wing all those years ago, will hone in on the economics rather than the breakthrough emotional storytelling and the grounded gameplay.