Remasterful: The Last of Us Remastered (Review)
The Last of Us Remastered is an enhanced version of one of the greatest games ever made
What, then, would compel you to play The Last of Us? The beautiful visuals, the haunting soundtrack, the wonderful script, the exciting, well-paced gameplay? All great reasons, but it really is the plight of Joel and Ellie that kept me hooked. I took a break during my play-through to spend time with friends, and found myself itching to return to Joel and Ellie’s world, to help continue their journey, to make sure they reached their destination safely. Whenever I messed up, and watched as Joel was horrifically savaged by an infected person or gunned down by a hunter, I felt awful – and it’s not helped by Ellie’s screams of horror or pained shouts as she realizes Joel has died. I cared for these characters — Joel who has been through so much and who has fought so hard to survive, and Ellie, who holds the future to humanity in her DNA and who has experienced too much for someone so young. I had to finish the game to see their journey through to its conclusion. The characters are what make The Last of Us such essential playing.
Of course, it’s also bolstered by some excellent additions on PlayStation 4. If you’ve played the game already, there’s still a lot to enjoy here. Not only are you getting the upgraded visuals and sound of the campaign, developer Naughty Dog has tossed in a bunch of extras and DLC on top. Remastered offers single-player DLC Left Behind, which explores Ellie’s backstory prior to her being entrusted to Joel. There are new maps for TLoU’s surprisingly addictive multiplayer, which pits players against one another in faction-based combat. There are advanced audio options and director’s commentary for the game’s cutscenes. For those who’ve completed the PS3 version and scored every Trophy, The Last of Us Remastered has its own list of trophies to unlock.
For me, I’m just glad that I finally sat down and played through the world Naughty Dog so painstakingly crafted. Sure, there were moments where I wanted to turn off the TV and hide under the covers, but they were always cancelled out by my need to move to the next set piece, the next cutscene, the next interaction between Joel and Ellie. Exploring the world is similarly addictive, such as finding notes left behind by survivors. It can also be harrowing: I stumbled across a small room, with a decomposed body slumped next to a tarpaulin, underneath which were several smaller, similarly decomposed bodies. Around the room lay beds, children’s toys, unopened food. A note revealed that they had been trapped inside, with infected trying to break down the door – the adult wrote that if help didn’t come soon, he would have no other option but to “make it quick.”
It’s not a fun world. It’s not filled with whimsy and happiness. It’s a brutal, harsh, cruel, terrifying place to be. It’s also one of the most well-crafted, fully realized, incredibly beautiful and utterly haunting games ever made. If you’ve yet to experience The Last of Us, don’t do what I did when it launched on PS3. Don’t deny yourself the experience of playing this game.
The Last of Us Remastered is $49.99 and available exclusively on PS4. Available on PSN and at Amazon, Gamestop and other retailers.
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