I still remember when The last of Us first came out for the PS3. At that time, this game went to the top when it came to delivering amazing graphics with great detailing in both characters and levels on such old hardware. It was next to impossible since no other game came close to delivering something like this on a then aging system.

Then during the PS4 era, we received the 60 FPS remastered version of the game sticking to the original which became an instant hit as new console owners as well as the veteran players rushed to get their hands on the definitive edition giving players better framerate and improved visuals over the original.

Fast forward almost 9 years since the OG release, and almost two years after the release of The Last of Us Part 2, we have with us the remake of Last of Us Part 1.

Unlike the usual remastered version, the Last of Us Part 1 remake offers a proper from-the-ground-up full remake of the first game as well as the prequel DLC ” Left Behind”. Naughty dog has used Part 2 assets and all the engine upgrades that they have learned over the years and has applied all of them to this remake resulting in a beautiful presentation for the modern console while providing optional performance mode at stable 60 FPS.

Changes in the Remake

Since this is a spoiler-free review, I would not cover the story-related details here since both the returning players as well as the newcomers would be immensely helped as the former already know the story and the latter would experience it for the very first time while playing on their own. Details on pricing and opinion on the same will be under conclusion.

Right from the start, you will see a massive difference in quality as you finish the prologue. Almost everything in terms of models, textures, lighting, and characters has changed dramatically.

Every location and asset on the levels seem completely different from the Original just like a true remake. The lighting has been improved upon as well showcasing more depth and detailing on all the assets including the characters.

Outside areas are well lit and look almost photorealistic just like The Last of Us Part 2 did with its lifelike asset use.

Every store, building, nearby room, and walkway has received a complete overhaul and even the vegetation on the ground feels alive. Lighting has come a long way as it lits the insides and provides good depth in the entire level.

Rainy levels react the same as you would expect in real life with proper thunder effects and sounds. Water pouring down from the broken structures/buildings to the ground during heavy rainfall can be properly seen as well.

As expected, the photo mode is available natively and has the same controls as Last of Us Part 2.

We have a new and improved workbench where you can upgrade your weapons and visually change their parts which is again taken from Part 2 directly and implemented here.

All the notes, maps, and posters have better visibility now and provide a bit more depth to them

Aiming and gunplay have improved and having a dot instead of a circle really helps in combat as well.

While the looks and animations of both Joel and Ellie have changed for the better, Bill, Tess, and other supporting characters also got their looks improved. There are new face animations as well to complement the new models.

Left Behind DLC also got the same treatment as the base game with its ground-up visual overhaul.

UI for weapon switching and crafting is again taken from Part 2 with all its visual cues which are not bad at all and complement the workbench nicely.

Weapon UI looks sharper now rest being the same.

Dualsense, HUD, and Accessibility

The last of Us Part 1 remake offers a huge variety of options and accessibility for all the players. Adaptive Triggers are present here as well just like other first-party Sony titles and Vibration frequency for all actions including Melee, gunshots, and enemy attacks can be changed based on how much you want from 0 to 10 which is nice.

HUD options include changing the reticle from default circle to dot for those who prefer the latter alongside other options like awareness indicators for enemies and changing on-screen markers like health/ammo display.

Coming over to the accessibility side of things, we have a lot of options including alternate controls, magnification, and visual aid for those who need them including changing HUD background and translation prompts.

Need help with navigating through the game? Easy, Navigation assistance helps in this regard and is also present under Accessibility including an enhanced listen mode and more options.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Sony India for sending us a game code for this review.

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