The Last of Us Part I Review

Developer: Naughty Dog

Platform: PS5

Genre: Action

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

The Last of Us Part I is the faithful remake of The Last of Us, which was released, in 2013. You follow the beautiful and bleak tale of Joel and Ellie as they traverse America in a post-apocalyptic and zombie world. The player explores; a host of amazing areas that provide a wonderful backdrop to an amazing; and enthralling story.

The PS5 version of the The Last of Us Part I is a rebuild of the classic. I have played; the original Last of Us a long time ago. The new updated and rebuilt version brings this amazing action-packed game into the present and truly, uses the power of the PS5 to enhance every detail of the game. The fidelity of the game is the modern generation and is more than worthy of a replay of this classic.

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The game, in general across the board, is more polished from the graphics, control, lighting and music too.

From the first scene, the game is a wonderful mix of a dark, beautiful, bleak, and mysterious world. The game is wonderfully cinematic throughout every scene and is worthy of the photo mode. Every transition from building to open area has a sense of tension, and the players become immersed in the Last of Us experience. The core gameplay is a mixture of compromises of stealth and action/shooter elements; the game allows you to choose your approach as it suits your play style. You can be all gung-ho and just go out all guns blazing. Stealth requires a more thought-out and slow approach to the game. Supplies and items are limited in the game, which enhances the core survivor elements of the game but further entrenches the player in this post-apocalyptic world. Your choice of upgrades and use of ammunition all play a vital role in your survival.

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The game uses the dualsense to help immerse the player even further. The haptic feedback helps to wrench the tension further by accenting and being activated during the speech by characters; it helps emphasise the delivery of lines.

A neat teach is the numerous difficulties from very easy to hardcore. Even if you aren’t a veteran of these games, there is a mode to suit you. The easier mode allows the player to focus even more on the engrossing story and beautiful world with only having a limited challenge, but for those who want to experience a tough and challenging game, the option is there too.

For those who want an additional challenge, there is a permadeath mode where death will require you to replay an act, a chapter or the entire game, again depending on which setting you choose.

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Speedrun mode is unlocked when you complete a playthrough of the game. This allows you to track your current playtime and chapter playtime too.

The prequel chapter Left Behind is also included in this version. This chapter explores the relationship between Ellie and Riley in Boston. Another bonus to play in this stunning game and; to explore more of Ellie too.

Fidelity mode lets the game run in native 4K mode while trying to keep a consistent 30fps; this is the mode I used for a vast chunk of my playthrough. I loved seeing every detail in glorious 4K.

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Performance mode targets to keep the game at 60fps while scaling the resolution dynamically, which upscales to 4K, making movement and the combat even more immersive and fluid.

120Hz plus Fidelity mode is supported; on 120Hz compatible displays, this tries to hit the sweet spot between fidelity mode and performance mode, trying to retain 40fps while running native 4K.

Unlocked frame rate Performance mode is only available on a 120Hz display that uses a Variable Refresh rate to support greater than 60fps with a target of 120fps.

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The Last of Us Part I has a truly immersive and immense feel throughout the game. The brilliant story, cast of characters, voice acting and beautiful world make this game such; a brilliant experience. Each element of the gameplay is polished and refined; you feel a part of every action and feel a part of the game. The game intertwines an amazing, engrossing story with fantastic gameplay mechanics. The world is stunning and seems huge too. You can play in either stealth or action; the choice is yours. The game combines all elements of a blockbuster film and a stunning horror survival game that is truly engrossing and immersive. Superb.

Overall: 9.5/10