Very few games come and make a massive impact that lasts many generations of gaming. In this case, The Last Of Us delivered a compelling story, with hefty gameplay that made everything much more enjoyable. There are many reasons why The Last Of Us was successful, one of the significant things about it, was the story, being able to convey a heavy story about loss and grief is no easy task, but Naughty Dog was able to do so. The game was so successful, that it didn't just influence the gaming world positively, but also spawned a sequel called The Last Of Us Part 2 that delivered even more and built on what the first game already had
Now, owners of the PlayStation 5 can fully get back into one of the best games in modern gaming, with the remake on the new system. However, players should note, that there was a PlayStation 4 remaster, which just added a new coat of paint, minor gameplay changes, and small improvements. The PlayStation 5 remake is something else, The Last Of Us is rebuilt from the ground up, giving players massive improvements and utilizing the strength of the PlayStation 5. This list should show the many differences between the two versions of the game, and allow players to decide if they want to try it out.
5 Better Frames
Unless owners have the PlayStation 4 Pro, The Last Of Us frames were capped, now owners on the newest system have options. The Last Of Us Remake has two modes that can affect gameplay depending on which visual mode they're on for the better. Players can switch from fidelity mode, which can give players better resolution like 4K, but at a lower frame rate of 40 fps, or they can use the performance mode that is the opposite, meaning 60 fps with lower resolution.
Regardless of which mode players pick, they'll get fully immersed in one of the best zombie games to date. The best part is that the game never goes below 40 fps, so players can really into the world and story, just as they did for the sequel. Having better frames, or visual modes, allows gameplay to feel more fluid and makes the other things on this list have weight. The frames alone can make The Last Of Us feel like a whole new game, and that can be great for new players.
4 Better Gunplay
Not just for the guns, but for other weapons, players get throughout the story are changed more, and feel like they are actually hitting something. With the PlayStation 5 haptic controller, things get even better, the guns when shot actually feel like the players themselves are shooting them. It adds more realism to the fighting mechanics and gets players more immersed. Plus The Last Of Us remake features a permadeath mode, and the new and improved gunplay makes everything a lot more immersive when in that mode.
Additionally, Ellie's bow has been improved, in not just the feel, but also how it acts, and as mentioned before, this comes from the haptic controller. Because now players can feel the tension from the string whenever they charge a shot, this can make fighting a lot more fluid, because the realism allows players to get better during those moments. Even when Joel charges an enemy, and uses hand-to-hand combat, in the remake, this feels like a massive upgrade, to the point where players will want to fight that way more often.
3 Audio Design
One of the things that made The Last Of Us Part 2 a great game for many players, was the sound design. They may notice when playing the remake of The Last Of Us that the game looks a lot like the sequel, which can be attributed to the fact that it's the same engine. Much like the first game using the engine of the second game, it has taken a lot of things from the sequel, sound design is one of those things. While The Last Of Us had a great sound design, the remake takes everything and makes it so much better.
Horror games are great in this department because the sound design helps convey the feelings, and emotions of the character or the atmosphere. The Last Of Us is one of the best horror games set in a post-apocalyptic world, and its sound design emphasizes that. When players are overwhelmed by clickers, they can share the same fear as Joel and Ellie do, which in turn, makes the game a lot more compelling. Plus during firefights, players can tell exactly where the shots are coming from, making them fight more aggressively.
2 Movement Feels Realer
This aspect can be thanked for the high framerate and the resolution. Initially, whenever Joel would enter a room or kick down a door, it would be as if nothing is happening. However, The Last Of Us Part 2 was able to bring more weight to this, everything Ellie did felt impactful because her movements and interactions felt beefy. This is present in The Last Of Us, players can actually feel the weight of Joel's movements.
Whenever he's doing something loud like running, the shakey camera makes things more immersive. Plus, playing as Ellie for a limited amount of time doing stealth feels way more real, like there's more of a stake now. Because of the realism of everything in The Last Of Us, players can get a better understanding of the character, and their strengths and weaknesses, which allows players to get better invested in the story.
1 Better AI
The AI for the two last versions was fine, but for the remake, it takes a whole new life. Now enemies are smarter and will react better to what players are doing, this can make them harder to take down, in turn, makes The Last Of Us a lot scarier. Since the game already has trophies that are quite difficult to get, the new AI will make things even more stressful. This isn't a bad thing, in fact, it can make things even more fun for players because they have to find new ways to take down the enemy, which in turn gives the game a whole new experience.
Having enemies just as smart as players make things interesting, this alone can make things a lot more terrifying. Now, when players get overwhelmed, players can feel the seriousness of that because of the AI, and in turn, helps players get immersed better. This aspect of The Last Of Us makes things a lot more fun and enjoyable because now players can understand the risk that comes when fighting enemies.
The Last Of Us Part 1 Remake is available now on the PS5.