The Last of Us Part I review: It never hurts to polish perfection

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Score: 10/10 
Platform: PlayStation 5
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: September 2, 2022
ESRB: Mature

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When folks find out I review games for a living, the first question I’m typically asked is: “What’s your favourite game?” For a long time I had no real answer. Then The Last of Us came along for PlayStation 3 back in 2013, and my problem was solved.

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A masterful blend of action, world design, and storytelling, Naughty Dog’s horror adventure is a cross-country roadtrip through a world obliterated by a spore-based disease called Cordyceps Brain Infection, a fictional affliction based on a real-world fungal infection that attacks and takes over the brains of certain insects, essentially turning them into zombies. 

Twenty years have passed since the outbreak, leaving the world unrecognizable. The designers used Alan Weisman’s excellent The World Without Us — a scientific perspective on how our planet would change if we suddenly disappeared — as a kind of reference manual in their quest for maximum authenticity. Verdant vegetation is eagerly reclaiming urban spaces, bringing with it animals and streams that carve their way through the empty ruins. Weather-beaten houses filled with artifacts of their long gone owners tell quiet tales of anguish and escape. Picking your way through this beautiful desolation filled with infected monsters and murderous survivors – looking for scarce ammunition, scraps of food, and crafting resources along the way — is a terrifying delight.

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In most games, such a stunning world would be the show stopper, the thing that grabs everyone’s attention. And yet Naughty Dog’s exquisitely researched and realized environments somehow take a back seat to the character-driven story that unfolds within it. 

It’s anchored by Joel — a grieving father who has come to live in the morally grey lands of survival — and Ellie, a 14-year-old girl who may hold the key to ending the plague. He’s been hired to safely transport her to scientists still looking for a cure. It’s a tale of twilight and dawn. Can Joel, pushing 60, find his way back to being human before it’s too late? Can Ellie come of age without losing her spirit in a world teeming with things that want to kill her? A pair of unforgettable performances by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson brings heartfelt emotion to these characters’ unique bond and eventual dependence on each other. Think Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, but with just a dash more humour and hope.

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By the time the credits rolled on this 20-hour adventure I was emotionally drained, and instantly knew The Last of Us was the best piece of interactive entertainment I’d ever encountered.

And so it was with excitement (and just a tad of trepidation) that I eagerly dove into The Last of Us Part I, a visual remake built to take full advantage of the PlayStation 5’s graphical prowess. 

Naughty Dog wisely chose not to mess with the story, making no discernible changes to writing, voice acting, or captured performances. Instead, the American developer brought the full weight of the medium’s modern graphical innovations to bear, rebuilding the visuals from scratch (and ever so slightly tweaking some play mechanics) to create an experience that captures all of the narrative magic of the original and rewraps it in the finery of ninth-generation console eye candy.

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Make no mistake, The Last of Us Part I is a gorgeous game. From wonderful little off-the-cuff moments — like Ellie’s squinting, frowning expression should you accidentally shine Joel’s flashlight in her face–to sprawling vistas of city ruins covered in trees, vines, and weeds, it stands toe-to-toe with the very best looking games currently available for PlayStation 5. Rediscovering these environments filled with new and enhanced details — including faded fashion and film posters, debris-strewn coffee shops and toy stores, and rusting car hulks that perfectly capture the world as it was when it came to an end in September and October of 2013 — in 4K at up to 60 frames per second (I stuck with a 30fps cap in order to see more detail) with HDR enabled makes for an entirely new visual experience.

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While the optical upgrades are definitely the main draw for returning players, there are some other goodies as well. 

For starters, this edition includes a fully remade version of The Last of Us — Left Behind, the heart-wrenching story of what happened to Ellie just prior to the events of the main game. It’s four hours of teens struggling to hold onto their childhood in a world hostile to kids, but the pair are also cautiously embracing what might come next as they come of age. It remains the most engaging narrative-driven game expansion I’ve ever encountered.

We’re also given a new “Speedrun” mode for hardcore franchise fans interested in putting their game knowledge to the test, some new accessibility features — such as descriptive audio for narrative scenes — and lots of great optional commentaries from the game’s makers, including creative lead Neil Druckmann.

Simply put, there’s never been a better time to explore The Last of Us than right now — perhaps doubly so, since it arrives in time to act as a primer/refresher for the Pedro Pascal-led HBO series The Last of Us — which Druckmann is co-writing, co-directing and executive producing.

The Last of Us never needed fixing. Everything from combat to crafting has aged remarkably well. Still, it never hurts to polish perfection. And this beautifully enhanced edition works hard to ensure Naughty Dog’s masterpiece will remain my favourite video game for some time to come.