TEST The Last of Us Part I: no, no, it’s not a remake

PS3 players still remember it, in 2013, a new exclusive landed on the shelves: The Last of Us. The baby of Naughty Dog marked the spirits and charmed without difficulty. A year later, the title was entitled to a “Remastered” on PS4, showing off more polished and pleasing graphics to the eye. 2022, the adventures of Joel and Ellie are back in a new version. Her name ? The Last of Us Part I to fit perfectly with the title of the second episode. During the communication, the developers spoke of a completely redone production, which is why the word “remake” was used excessively. The first videos appeared, inevitably, the players could not help but compare all the editions. Results ? This Left was gently tackled. Sony Interactive Entertainment so took advantage of the launch trailer to say that we have there, in the end, a game “remastered for PlayStation 5”. What is it really? Let’s look at the question.

A graphic slap.

Well yes, let’s not beat around the bush, it is indeed a new gen remaster. Thus, absolutely everything has been preserved. The cutscenes, the gestures, the progress, in short, in other words: it’s the same. Where is the great otherness? The visual part. The team has still turned the neurons to bring a flashy and modern image. Character modeling has been redone, facial expressions are more natural, and environments are crowded with various elements of all kinds. We’re getting nicely close to rendering The Last of Us Part II. Another point that struck us, the title is much more gory. More hemoglobin twirling in all directions, the work done on the laceration and shredding of bodies is phenomenal. Despite this impressive overhaul, especially in terms of textures and light effects, there are still imperfections, namely countless collision bugs, popping of textures and omissions from the PS3 era. Be careful, this new version is nevertheless a graphic slap, but just tell yourself that it’s a new look for the base game.

Speak little, speak well, it is possible to modify the resolution (two possible choices) in the parameters. To start, Loyaltywe have native 4K with an image oscillating in the 30 and 40 fps. The rendering is… incredible. And for good reason, the second shots are sharp and clear, and we discern the slightest detail in the sets; special mention to the spores swirling through the air, crazy! Next, Performance, we can enjoy a dynamic 4K image running at 60 fps. The title becomes slightly blurry, mainly in the environments, but the fluidity brings a not insignificant comfort. If you have a decent TV at home and don’t mind 30 fps, you’re bound to go for dynamic 4K. The difference is visible.

In addition, a huge effort has been made regarding theAccessibility. There are a whole bunch of options for people with difficulties. It is then possible to modify the controls to play at your convenience, to change the visual aspect to zoom certain parts of the screen, to adjust the contrasts and many other things. The point that surprised us was “Dialogues en vibrations”. To put it simply, for the deaf and hard of hearing, the controller vibrates in a certain way, more or less strongly, to make the intonations of the dialogues feel in the palms of the hand. It’s really surprising and well thought out.

And the gameplay In all of this ? Has he changed? And for good reason, the developers specified in dedicated videos that the handling would include elements of The Last of Us Part II. Well, as a player who has completed this journey a number of times, we did not see big differences. To give an example, the team promised a much more developed AI, but this is not really the case. How many times have enemies passed us by without ever seeing us. How many times we made handling mistakes, exposing ourselves to the (human) enemy who didn’t even see us. So yes, their field of vision seems wider, but the artificial neurons do not seem connected at times. Shame.

A video game masterpiece remains a video game masterpiece.

Regarding the controls, the movements are more flexible, our character is lighter, but that’s it. Overall, apart from 2 or 3 small things, we have there a gameplay which does not surprise us. Beyond that, the DualSense is put to use. Thereby, the triggers adapt according to the weapon we are holding. We feel the string when we bend our bow, we discern the clicks of a trigger, in short, it’s excellent. Not to mention the vibrations that harmonize with the action in the image or the moments of calm; like the passage with the giraffe, a real pleasure in the hands.

We have some interesting mods around, such as “Realistic” which offers an extremely high difficulty. Several elements have been changed in the game, the Listen mode or even the ATH disappear for example. We also have “Permanent Death” which, as its name suggests, offers a Gamer Over final in case of defeat; mode intended for those who know the game by heart. Finally, there is “Speedrun” which displays a timer for players who want to finish the title quickly while having a timer. Enough to keep a few extra hours in front of the screen, just a shame that some of these modes only unlock once the final credits have passed… speed run from the start, it would have been nice for those who know this journey inside out.

So finally, what to succumb to again? The Last of Us Part I is The Last of Us for the PS5 ; to give you a little idea of ​​the thing, it is in the same spirit as Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered. You are going to say to us “but why this high rating? “. Because a video game masterpiece remains a video game masterpiece. The story, the twists, the universe are so gripping that it’s hard to turn off the console. If you are totally untouched by this adventure, it’s the first time you’ve started a game, you simply won’t come back. On the other hand, for fans who have already closed this production many times on PS4 and PS3, the desire to go back to checkout again is not necessarily there. And it’s not the few visual additions, bonuses and other parameters that will push you to go out 80 € for something you already know.

You can pre-order The Last of Us Part I on Amazon for €79.99.

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