The Last of Us Part I (2nd September 2022)

[Hero-of-Time]

Quote

Get The Last of Us Part I Firefly Edition, only available to buy as an exclusive directly from PlayStation®.

Experience the emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters of Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us, winner of over 200 Game of the Year awards and now rebuilt for PlayStation®5.

Enjoy a total overhaul of the original experience, faithfully reproduced but incorporating modernized gameplay, improved controls and expanded accessibility options. Plus, feel immersed with improved effects and enhanced exploration and combat.

The Last of Us™ Part I Firefly Edition includes the complete The Last of Us single-player story (PS5™) and celebrated prequel chapter, Left Behind; limited edition SteelBook® display case; The Last of Us: American Dreams #1 - #4 comics reprint with new cover art; and early in-game unlocks*.

Yeah, someone is getting fired for pulling the trigger on this news far too early.  

[Hero-of-Time]

Trailer

https://media.direct.playstation.com/is/content/sierialto/ps5-the-last-of-us-part-1-game-announcement-trailer

[Hero-of-Time]

Comparison shot.

Old

New

 

[Julius]

[killthenet]

Still don't think it's entirely necessary but I suppose it'll be nice for to have the same aesthetic and polish as Part II

Do we think they'll incorporate Left Behind into the main narrative somehow?

[Ronnie]

What a pointless waste of time this entire project is. Yet another remake. Of a game from 9 years ago. That's already been remade once before. Whyyyyy.

[martinist]

19 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

What a pointless waste of time this entire project is. Yet another remake. Of a game from 9 years ago. That's already been remade once before. Whyyyyy.

[Jimbob]

Looks nice to see the game looking (graphically) as good as Last of Us Part II, but kind of a waste really.  Doesn't look like they'll have an upgrade path either for owners of the Remastered edition on PS4, so looks like it'll be £69.99 (or wait until it "might" pop up on PS+ 6 months to a year from now)

[Hero-of-Time]

37 minutes ago, Jimbob said:

Looks nice to see the game looking (graphically) as good as Last of Us Part II, but kind of a waste really.  Doesn't look like they'll have an upgrade path either for owners of the Remastered edition on PS4, so looks like it'll be £69.99 (or wait until it "might" pop up on PS+ 6 months to a year from now)

Yeah, the price they are asking for this is just ridiculous. The general feeling from majority of gamers is that this game simply didn't need to be remade and I fully agree. 

[Julius]

The Digital Foundry comparison of the trailer has arrived (also comparing the game to Part II):

Looks incredible.

It's a tough one for me, as while I think I agree with the general sentiment that it's expensive at £70 for what it is as a consumer - compared to other similar remake projects, and with this being as close to 1:1 visually and in its story as you can imagine - it wasn't a project Naughty Dog have headed since the beginning, and so if "blame", I guess, is to be out anywhere for me with this project getting the focus it has when other studios have been abandoned (Japan Studio) or not given a second crack at something (Bend with Days Gone), it lies with the now closed Sony San Diego and Mumbaur and other leads on the project trying to get this going to begin with as a secret project. I've said this before, but I don't think my biggest problem with this is that they're remaking the game, it's that big names at Sony not in the boardrooms but on the studio floors are the ones seemingly proposing projects such as these. As an internal tech demo to get them up to speed on TLOU II's engine and expand Naughty Dog, or just as a showpiece, cool, but it knocks my confidence in the ambition of some of their creatives if anything. 

Anyways, this is a long way of me saying I'm in. Day 1. Yeah, it's pricey for what it is, and I won't argue with anyone about that, but it's basically doing *exactly* what I thought Star Wars should do with the prequels and go back and revitalise the animated/CGI aspects of those films, because hey, that's a huge bonus with tech being so heavily used in them. Same goes for the appearance of some characters in the films and shows, having the option to update them because of new tech and not needing to completely redo things (in the case of TLOU they're using the same performances and line reads) is just the smart thing to do. If The Godfather were a game you know they'd do it too, and heck, 4K restorations/releases of films these days aren't exactly cheap either. 

To me I'm okay with it because it's not like every game gets this treatment, so far, if we're talking 1:1 stuff like this, it's only really been Bluepoint pushing that with their remakes. The Last of Us isn't any old game, it's in my - and many other people's, including many here's - opinion one of the strongest narratives in video games and one of my favourites. Now if they do this with Knack, or Days Gone, or Ghost of Tsushima, then I think it becomes a problem because it cheapens such a treatment, and if any game from Naughty Dog needed this treatment, I still maintain that it should have been the first Uncharted. 

But it seems like they've got the right people onboard to get even closer to their original vision of a fantastic game, and I'm all for it. I can't wait to play this at the start of September and then roll straight back into Part II now it's going to look and feel so consistent. Again, I 100% agree it's expensive - then again, like 4 games locked in for GOTY discussions at the end of year are delayed to next year, so my own personal perspective is that I'll been spending less thanks to those delays and so don't mind dropping some money on this - and I absolutely worry that it's another sign of Sony going the way of tripping over their own pride, but the game itself, Part I, I'm totally here for. 

@killthenet interesting question about Left Behind, I've got to say, I don't know how well it would work weaved back into the story of the main game. I think it works really well as a standalone piece of content because of the period it's set in within the game and because it retrospectively adds more depth and nuance to Ellie and her struggle, feels like a great bookend to the TLOU experience (in how it gives us Ellie's beginning at the end to mirror Joel's beginning at the start), but if it's inserted into the main story itself, I feel like it makes the excellent pacing of Silver Lake and some of the later moments of the game a bit more shaky. Would love an option for it to be weaved in though, maybe as something which can be unlocked after a first playthrough? That'd be neat 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Julius

[CrowingJoe79]

Well for myself, quite frankly, I am more interested in the new PS5 multiplayer game. We'll probably not be getting any further news about it for a while, but it's great that Naughty Dog can finally focus on new characters. Not that I wouldn't want to see Ellie, Abby or Lev again. Maybe they could all turn up in the third, official entry.

I'm assuming this game set in San Francisco, is meant to be a separate, side story kind of adventure.

[Hero-of-Time]

I was listening to last weeks episode of Sacred Symbols and the topic of this game came up. There was a bit back and forth between the guys about whether the game needs to be released again and how much it should cost. Dustin made such a good point about the price. Both the original game and Remastered versions launched at a cheaper price, had a multiplayer mode and the Remastered version had all the DLC included. Unless they add extra content to this release, we are now paying double the price of the other versions but with less content. Chris was saying that this release is the equivalent of when George Lucas released the awful Star Wars special editions with all the unnecessary CGI changes. I thought it was a good comparison.  

 

[Julius]

The game's gone gold!

And we've still yet to see any actual gameplay. Which is pretty nuts to think about, hopefully we get to see something sooner or later, lord knows some of the AI needs it 

On 6/27/2022 at 11:40 AM, Hero-of-Time said:

this release is the equivalent of when George Lucas released the awful Star Wars special editions with all the unnecessary CGI changes. I thought it was a good comparison.  

Oh yeah, this comparison definitely works

Sidebar: sometimes I do wonder if the universal love for Empire compared with A New Hope and Return of the Jedi is somewhat skewed today by it escaping the awful Special Edition seppuku George committed with those films, whereas Empire came away virtually unscathed. I kind of like to see it as one final display of gratitude to his teacher, Kershner, by gutting those other two films to make Empire shine just that bit brighter 

EDIT: also, this looks to be good news – apparently the first time in 13 years this dev (an environmental artist) hasn't had to crunch at Naughty Dog. 

 

Edited July 11, 2022 by Julius

[Julius]

This is super weird: here's a 10 minute long video on the game's features and our first official look at gameplay in the middle of the night in Europe, afternoon/evening in America, and early on in Japan.

If you haven't played the game before, I'd recommend giving this video a skip and just reading the PS Blog stuff below, because they show and talk about a lot more than I think they needed to in terms of story elements. 

From the PS Blog:

Quote

While the Last of Us Part I can render Native 4K at targeted 30 FPS or dynamic 4K at targeted 60 FPS*, and features PS5 mainstays like DualSense wireless controller haptics, trigger effects, and 3D audio**, it’s clear that there’s a lot more going on here than a simple resolution and framerate bump, it’s a complete overhaul.

From the art direction to the character models, the entire game has been rebuilt from the ground up to take advantage of a new generation of graphical capability, allowing this game to reach the visual fidelity that the studio aspired for when crafting this experience. The PS5’s powerful hardware drives a host of visual benefits, from denser physics with tons of bumpables and chipables (bullets can now rip apart concrete and environmental objects) and cinematics now transition seamlessly to gameplay. Motion matching technology means that character animations flow more convincingly, intuitively and realistically; all adding another layer of believability to characters and their interactions with the world. Further, AI upgrades mean that characters inhabit the world in a more authentic and realistic way, such as buddy characters navigating cover to avoid enemy NPC sightlines more authentically.

The enhancements are all in the name of increasing the game’s immersion, but the improvements don’t stop there. Naughty Dog worked with their community to integrate some fan requests, including a “permadeath” mode, a speedrun-focused mode, and a host of brand-new unlockable costumes for Joel and Ellie. The game also hosts 60-plus accessibility options, outpacing what the developer was able to offer with The Last of Us Part II, and includes a new Audio Description mode, ensuring that play is rewarding and inclusive for all.

I can't think of the last time they dropped something like this at this sort of time – can't help if they're throwing it out randomly in the wake of the recent leaks, or if they're halfheartedly burying it amongst them a little. Either way, I find it super strange. 

EDIT: alright, I've watched it, it definitely looks and feels like the timing of it makes it a response to the leaks. 

While I think it reads and looks like the definitive version to play the game, based on previous wording used about "modernising gameplay", I can see why some might be disappointed by the lack of new things added in Part II, such as going prone or dodging. That being said, I think the game would have needed a much larger scale overhaul if those elements were to be included here (the example I've mentioned before of a certain fight likely being broken by those being added kind of highlights that). 

I'm a little nervous honestly about how it looks, it's already a very different vibe to the original, just looking at things like particle dispersion and density (the nail bomb explosion, the smoke cloud from a fired gun, the explosion of the sack thrown by the Bloater). I can understand why they changed Tess (she looked late 20's/early 30's in the original in my opinion, definitely not as close to Joel's age as I think she was meant to be), but personally, I much prefer the gruffer look of Joel in the original game compared with how he's looked in trailers and stills so far; ditto for Ellie, actually, there's just a timeless stylisation that's been lost I think (in my mind no doubt a result of working backwards from Part II for those assets rather than revisiting Part I's). I also just think there's a lot of lens flare going on and some of the muddiness of the original being lost can give the game a bit too clean and manufactured a look, we'll have to wait and see of course, but like I said recently after beating the game a bunch of times, they art directed the absolute crap of the original game, and some changes here just seem...a little odd, I feel, again just giving it a different vibe. 

To be positive though, I will say that things like customisation for those repeat runs is going to be good fun, I love (and hate!) the idea of a speedrun clock in the corner if I so choose to stick it there, the AI seems to be a huge step up (which is the only actual reason I can give for really wanting this, playing the original on Grounded definitely showed how busted some of that AI is now), and the additions made in the accessibility department are freaking awesome, Part II is still best in class in that regard and it's only right that it's carried over to this game. Oh, and the more in-depth Photo Mode looks great (I love a good Photo Mode!), and the idea of new workbench animations and weapon details inspired by the work they did in Part II is fantastic too. There's also a lot of talk about everything being seamless now, and while it's handled pretty well in the original, there are definitely some spots where it felt rough (there's a hard cut to black from cutscene to in-game in the original that lasts like a second at the end of the hotel sequence after the ladder skirmish which feels completely out of place, so hopefully that's gone, it might've been a directing choice but I don't think it was a great one). 

I think I'm still going to bite, but after this, even more than before, I can totally see why some might be willing to skip it. I don't think I should be nervous at all, yet here I am concerned about the art direction and environment design changes made to "modernise" the game potentially having a drastic impact on the vibe of some scenes and locations, which I don't think I should be nervous about in a remake as 1:1 as this is. 

Will just have to wait and see I guess, Endure and Survive and all that 

Edited July 22, 2022 by Julius

[drahkon]

6 hours ago, Julius said:

EDIT: alright, I've watched it, it definitely looks and feels like the timing of it makes it a response to the leaks. 

I was out of the loop so I looked it up.
Ah yes, people harassing the devs because of leaks. Never gets old  

This remaster isn't for me. Looks great and the changes plus accessibility settings are incredible, but I've played the PS3 and PS4 games. No need for another playthrough  

It will be a great start for people new to the series. Already know three people waiting for September to get into it  

[Julius]

13 hours ago, drahkon said:

This remaster isn't for me. Looks great and the changes plus accessibility settings are incredible, but I've played the PS3 and PS4 games. No need for another playthrough

It will be a great start for people new to the series. Already know three people waiting for September to get into it  

Yeah, I think that's the best way to view it to be honest: not for you and a great start for others. Not only that, if/when you're ever in the mood to go back, it seems likely it'll be on PS+ within 12 - 18 months, so  unfortunately I think we'll still see people arguing back and forth about whether this game needed a remake long after it releases. 

Personally, I'm just screwed because I'm already in the mood to play the game again, even though I've played it three times in the last month 

[Julius]

Isolated comparison clips between Remastered and Part I (I honestly can't tell what's appeared where anymore, this game has had a really weird marketing cycle):

If nothing else, this sure looks real purty! 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Julius

[Julius]

Trophy list has leaked and looks very doable, nothing related to difficulty but I think would take at least two playthroughs from what I can remember of the game (mainly thinking about leaving Ellie hanging and that being a conversation/interaction in the original). 

Just a couple of weeks to go 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Julius

[Julius]

Launch trailer hype:

[Fierce_LiNk]

You know, had I not played this when I got it for PS4 on release, I'd be all over this.

It looks pretty. I might keep an eye out and pick it up when it gets cheaper. Love both games. It's a proper treat for those who haven't played the series before.

[Ashley]

This is fucking awesome. Hopefully more studios will start doing this too

 

 

[Julius]

9 minutes ago, Ashley said:

This is fucking awesome. Hopefully more studios will start doing this too

 

Yep, read about this earlier and it put a huge grin on my face. We need more of this. Way more of this. 

Naughty Dog were leading the way with Part II, and it's crazy that Part I is a leap beyond that still. If nothing else, I think the accessibility options added to Part I make the remake a worthwhile endeavour – the original game and Remastered had none of this, so players in need of accessibility options simply would not have been in a position to enjoy the first game before diving into the second, so I'm really hoping to see some reactions to the game from those the added accessibility options will benefit, like we did for Part II!

One of the few memories of Part II I have which is of me with a smile on my face was loading the game up for the first time and just spending 15 minutes or so playing around with the accessibility stuff before diving in. 

Say what you will about Naughty Dog (and some other Sony first party studios), they're seriously putting in the work on the accessibility front, and have been for a while. It's tougher to make arguments for these additions when you get down to lower budget stuff, but I don't think there's any excuse for AAA games to not be doing their damn best to be as accessible as possible. 

[drahkon]

The progress we've seen with regards to accessibility in games always amazes me.

Microsoft made great strides with hardware, i.e. their Adaptive Controller, and Sony is continuously pushing the software based accessibility settings.  

It's awesome to see  

[Julius]

Continues to look fantastic, just a few days to go! 

 

On 8/21/2022 at 1:34 PM, Julius said:

Trophy list has leaked and looks very doable

Just realised that due to the lack of difficulty related trophies, and assuming that Left Behind can't be played until after you complete Part I, the Platinum trophy picture is likely to be either the Left Behind credits or just a random trophy... 

[Julius]

Well, we're only three days from release, and we FINALLY have a good chunk of raw gameplay!