The Last of Us Part 1 is coming to Playstation 5 on September 2, 2022 , so we suggest you find all the essential information here to help you understand what it's all about, and choose whether you plan to buy it or not.
What is The Last of Us Part 1?
The Last of Us Part 1 is the remake of The Last of Us, released in 2013, that is to say its complete recreation, with a new graphics engine specific to the Playstation 5. This allows you to have a magnificent game, much more detailed and efficient on PS5 than a remaster. The story, gameplay, dialogues and environments are almost unchanged, although there are improvements here and there. It's kind of like The Last of Us released for the first time today. The DualSense is managed, and accessibility options have also been integrated.
The Last of Us Part 1 Remake also includes the Left Behind DLC.
A sequel, logically named The Last of Us Part 2, was released on PS4 in June 2020. Find our tests below.
Story and main characters
The story of The Last of Us (translation "The last of us") takes place in the USA, in a post-apocalyptic world. Twenty years ago, a parasitic fungus mutated and began to affect human beings, profoundly altering their behavior. This created something akin to the infamous, aggressive, hungry runner zombies that transmit infection by biting another human. The long-time infected continue to mutate, becoming increasingly dangerous mushroom-headed horrors. Much of the world's population has succumbed to the pandemic, and survivors are herded into quarantine zones that are heavily fortified and tightly controlled by the military. The desperate situation has exacerbated the brutality of the military, who abuse their power, giving rise to the Fireflies, terrorists who do not hesitate to use violence in response to oppression. Add to that humans paranoid, or forced to engage in unspeakable acts to survive outside the zones, and you have the universe of The Last of Us.
Joel
We can consider him as the protagonist of part 1. This family man lost his daughter at the beginning of the pandemic, in the introduction of the game . Twenty years later, now in his fifties (or sixties?), he is old, tired and disillusioned. He is nevertheless a survivor, and he knows the risks and the environment well, since he is a smuggler in a quarantine zone. He's far from being a kid at heart, and he's also an excellent fighter in every way. The fact that he finds himself forced to escort Ellie does not fail to awaken conflicting feelings in him, with his past traumas .
Tess
Joel's teammate at the start of the story. She too is a smuggler, but she is much more sociable and strong-willed than him. She therefore has plenty of contacts, both inside and outside the zone. She's the one who agrees to escort Ellie initially and takes care of it while Joel does the dirty work, but her death will force them to cooperate.
Ellie
This 14-year-old girl has only known the world destroyed by the pandemic. She's lived in the Quarantine Zone all her life as a bonus, so she's inexperienced and ignorant at the start of the story. She also behaves in the way one would expect for a girl of her age. However, Ellie quickly develops her talents through her adventures on the outside with Joel, and she quickly becomes a vital part of their team, rather than just a little girl to escort in a hostile environment. The reason Tess and Joel are tasked with escorting her to the Fireflies base is because she has developed immunity to the infection, which makes her potentially vital in developing a cure.
Languages and dubbing
If the language barrier scares you, fear not. The Last of Us Part 1 is translated and dubbed into many languages, including French and English. The voice acting is also of excellent quality. You can feel it's a big production.
Gameplay
The Last of Us Part 1 mixes different types of gameplay. There is a fairly important narrative aspect, with many dialogues between the characters, but they have the good taste to be exchanged during the movements and the exploration phases. So there is very little dead time during which you are forced to listen to people tell their stories. There are a few cutscenes and cutscenes, but their number and duration are rather reduced. In summary, the game tells its story by showing you the events and accompanying the progression. There's a bit of exploration and little puzzles too, like building an improvised bridge with a plank, or using a cart to scale a wall. You can pretty much ignore the story and go for it if you feel like it, a Speedrun mode is even present.
However, this is not the main thing, the heart of the gameplay being in survival horror mode. It is necessary to search the places crossed to find resources, in order to manufacture very useful consumables such as a Molotov cocktail, a chisel, a nail bat, or homemade bombs, it remains nevertheless simple and light. When you encounter enemies, you'll almost always have the ability to use stealth to quietly take them out without taking damage or using your precious ammo. When you are spotted, or if you prefer to rush into the heap, you can make the weapons speak, from the simple brick to the Assault Rifle. Death can happen instantly, during fights, if some enemies reach you in melee, so you better be careful.
Different difficulty modes make it possible to modulate all this according to the experience sought. The story mode allows you to enjoy the scenario without risking death, while the realistic mode will ask you to be incredibly discreet, careful and methodical, since the objects are almost non-existent, while the enemies are numerous and overpowered. There are also other intermediate difficulty modes to find the balance that suits you.
Single and Multiplayer
The Last of Us Part 1 is an exclusively single-player game. You can't play it cooperatively, although the story format might have sometimes lent itself to it. A standalone multiplayer mode is planned for next year, but it is considered to be a separate game, and the gameplay should be quite different, since it will not involve the campaign or its story.
On what platforms will it be possible to play it?
The Last of Us Part 1 is exclusive to Playstation 5 for now. A PC version is reportedly in development, but currently has no release date. It is unlikely to see it arrive before at least 6 months, and it can be much longer.
You can play the original title, The Last of Us, on PS3, PS4, and PS5. The Last of US Remastered is also available on PS4 and PS5 for a much more modest price: €19.99 (compared to €79.99 for the remake). It is also included in the Playstation Plus Premium, which makes it possible to obtain it without paying anything more if necessary.
Prices and versions of the game
Standard Edition - €79.99
Includes The Last of Us (PS5) Complete Story and Prologue Left Behind DLC. It's the most basic version of the game, but the price stings severely all the same.
Digital Deluxe Edition - €89.99
Includes the same items as the Standard Edition, in-game power bonuses, and cosmetics:
- Two skill upgrades
- Pistol/Rifle Upgrade
- Explosive Arrows
- Filter "Punk Vibe"
- Speedrun Mode
- Six weapon skins
Firefly Edition - $99.99 and up
The collector's edition of the game. It includes the same elements as the Digital Deluxe Edition listed above, as well as some physical goodies. As it is not officially available in Europe, and stocks are very limited, you will probably have to turn to third-party resale sites like Ebay, with a much higher price.
- steel book
- The 4 volumes of The Last of Us: American Dream comic
Pre-order bonus
Pre-ordering the game before its release on September 2 entitles you to the following items:
- Bonus Stimulants
- Bonus Weapon Parts
All our guides on The Last of Us Part 1
As the game is largely unchanged from the original, its content is already well known. If you need a helping hand, either on the remaster or the remake, you can check out our guides.
- Trophies Guide
- Beginner's Guide
- Position of Skill Manuals
- Comics position
- Position of tools
- Position of gates in Surin
- All Collectibles
