The Third of Us?
In a ravaged civilization, where infected and hardened survivors run rampant, Joel, a weary protagonist, is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of a military quarantine zone. However, what starts as a small job soon transforms into a brutal cross-country journey. Includes the complete The Last of Us single-player story and celebrated prequel chapter, Left Behind, which explores the events that changed the lives of Ellie and her best friend Riley forever.
I’ve reviewed the original TLOU and the PS4 Remastered version, both of which were incredible when they launched and still are. I was a little bit surprised to see it get the PS5 treatment, but not completely since it has been 8 years since the PS4 version and the new tech of the PS5 can definitely improve things overall, though I cant help wondering if Part II will also end up getting an enhanced version down the line.
The PS5 remake is without a doubt, the most visually stunning game to grace the system so far. The attention to detail is staggering, especially on an OLED screen with an unlocked framerate if you can do so. I found myself just staring at the environments, the weather effects, sun pouring in through windows or reflections in puddles and so on. I genuinely don’t believe words can do justice to just how incredible this game looks, especially when compared to the original PS3 or PS4 versions. It’s not just a step forward, it’s a leap.
It just goes to show that 2 years in to the PS5, we’ve only begun to see what the system is capable of and to top this in terms of performance and visuals is going to be tough to do. The game also adds in a whole range of accessibility options that go above and beyond what I had expected. These include getting the DualSense to vibrate to each word spoken so you can feel the delivery of the words, as well as audio descriptions for cutscenes as well as visual assists to help with motion sickness or colourblind players. A full list can be found here and it is impressive, but it can also help with those who didn’t like the stealth element and so you can essentially find a setup that works for you.
Speaking of the DualSense, Naughty Dog definitely know what they are doing here with its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The latter works really well when using a bow or heavy weapon like a shotgun, plus the feedback feels really satisfying overall. If your flashlight runs out of power, you’ll need to shake the controller to recharge it too. Overall, the controls feel tighter and more responsive while feeling great at the same time.
The visuals for the weather and locations are all massively improved as I mentioned, but the actual character models are something else too. The facial expressions from characters are incredibly realistic, you can feel the emotion behind whatever is going on or being said. Its simply incredible, not to mention the attention to detail to things like hair or skin, as well as how realistic the clothes look. The voice acting remains as outstanding as it did before with great performances from the likes of Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson. Plus, the soundtrack is still as atmospheric and emotional as ever.
The Verdict
A lot will question if another remake of The Last of Us was necessary and honestly, I don’t have an answer. What I do know is that regardless of opinion, this is the best-looking game on the PS5 and brings the game to a fresh audience with production values that could rival any Hollywood blockbuster. It’ll be interesting to see if Naughty Dog decides to give Part II the same treatment or what else they decide to do, but the future is definitely looking bright for the series, Naughty Dog and the PS5 itself.