The Last of Us Part 1: A needed remake?

Looking at the topics chosen for the various Let’s talk about the last few weeks, it may be surprising that the topic has never been dealt with. The Last of Us Part 1at least from the most discussed point of view these days: but was it really needed? The answer is subjective, but by diverting a little from this we meanwhile clarify a question on which we can probably all agree: the operation of remake (or remaster, the definition of the work done by Naughty Dog is another debated element) makes absolutely sense, especially from a commercial point of view, and this is in many ways all that Sony “needs” to give the green light to the project. The reasons are various: it is a game that continues to be discussed, by many considering a real masterpiece and one of the best ever for PlayStation and beyond, it would arrive at PS5, giving the opportunity to savor everything by exploiting new technologies and is launched practically together with the new HBO TV series, thus being able to take advantage of a tow of great effect.

To all this we must also add the exit on PC, so the launch of an updated version provides an excellent opportunity to consider the Windows version and make all necessary optimizations, in order to meet a completely new audience. From a commercial point of view, the operation makes sense, and will probably also achieve the expected success, given that the TV series Added to this is a rather favorable period for sales such as late summer / early autumn and perhaps even an increasing availability of PS5 in stores, which could represent a golden opportunity to push a blockbuster of this genre even further.

That said, it is clear then that the debate on the usefulness or otherwise of a remake of The Last of Us only concerns the field of the most passionate gamers, since in a broader perspective the idea certainly makes sense.

However, finding ourselves immersed in the community in question, we also understand the reasons of those who wonder if the operation is not redundant: we are talking about a game released less than 10 years ago, which therefore has not yet risen to the title of “classic” in the historical sense of the term and still has a very pleasant aspect, even compared to current games. Not only that: it has already obtained a remastered version and runs very well also on PS5, moreover the new remake seems to want to change practically nothing of the story and the script, essentially maintaining the same elements but with a significant enrichment of every technical aspect, from the models of the characters to the scenarios. It is understandable that those who have already played the original and maybe even bought The Last of Us: Remastered, have been a bit annoyed by the announcement of a further reworking, plus at the full price of 80 euros. To this controversy is added, however, also the idea that this operation has taken away resources and time from other projects that could be carried out in Naughty Dog.

However, even hard and pure gamers could find something interesting in this operation: the update to the new shooter dynamics seen in The Last of Us 2 makes Part 1 a rather different game in terms of gameplay, with possible improvements also of the elements. stealth that remained somewhat questionable in the original chapter. The application of the new artificial intelligence of the second chapter, in addition to the various accessibility options, represent important additions also on the “played” front. All this leads us to think that yes, it is true that beyond the big fans of the series, for those who have played and replayed the original and the Remastered this new edition has little appeal, also true that its soul is highly commercial, even at the expense of Naughty Dog’s resources and creativity sacrificed for the operation, but The Last of Us Part 1 may still have something to say to everyone. Rightly not everyone will be willing to invest another 80 euros in it at launch, but we are pretty sure that even the biggest detractors will not shy away from a return to the game (or a new experimentation on PC) when the price has dropped in the future.

Parliamone is a daily opinion column that offers a starting point for discussion around the news of the day, a small editorial written by a member of the editorial team but which is not necessarily representative of the Multiplayer.it editorial line.