The Last of Us was without a doubt a game that surprised the entire world. It succeeded in delivering a very emotional story combined with solid gameplay. It was no surprise that the original game won over 200 industry awards. Now the game is remastered for PlayStation 4 but is it still worth playing?
Basically, the remastered version is the same as the original that appeared on PlayStation 3. We gave the original version a solid 9 out of 10 in this review. Now, we won’t be telling you the same story, in this review we’ll focus on the new elements in the remastered version.
DLC included and more playable maps.
The first important fact you’ll need to know is that The Last of Us: Remastered doesn’t included any new gameplay. You’ll get the same game as you did on PlayStation 3 but included with the ‘Left Behind’ DLC and eight new maps. This is a pretty sweet deal if you haven’t played the game before. The Remastered version is without a doubt to most complete package of the game.
The DLC and the eight maps result in longer gameplay. It’s still a shame that the developers didn’t add some new levels to the game but they wanted to remaster the original instead of changing it.
Difficult times to live in.
Another new aspect in the game is a new level of difficulty. If you thought the original game was a little too easy, you’ll be pleased with this new, higher, level of difficulty. Believe us when we say that this new difficulty is extremely hard to play. Die-hard fans will be pleased with this extra challenge without a doubt.
The tension remains.
So that’s really it for the new elements. Eight new maps and a new difficulty level. Doesn’t sound that much of an improvement but the new graphics on the other hand really are. Thanks to the amazing power of the PlayStation 4, you’ll be sucked into the world of ‘The Last of Us’ even more than in the original version.
Thanks to the improved graphics, the tension in the game is insanely high. Just like in the original game, it’s all about surviving in a post apocalyptic world. This means you’ll never have enough ammo to take down a lot of enemies at once. Discovering your environment step by step is key to surviving the situation. Thanks to the new graphics, you’ll really feel the fear of the main characters when they’re walking trough the gorgeous and threatening environments where a new enemy could be around each and every corner.
A hybrid of a great game and horror movie.
A photorealistic experience.
As said before, the graphics are without a doubt the biggest improvement in this Remastered version. It’s something you really can’t explain on paper, you’ll need to play the game to witness it for yourself. This is more than a game, it’s a hybrid of a great game and horror movie.
The visuals of our main characters, Joel and Ellie are very close to photorealism. This means you’ll see the slightest emotion on their faces while they cross the post apocalyptic America in order to find a cure. Reading the emotions on their faces, even when they don’t speak adds a very realistic atmosphere to the game.
Not only the emotions are improved, the visual effects of the game are improved as well. Enemies all look very realistic as and wounds would feel like real wounds thanks to the realistic blood. Combine this with gorgeous blooming and lighting effects and just enjoy the gorgeous scenery.
Conclusion: Just a facelift?
So all in all we can concluded that the new graphics are the biggest improvement compared to the original. The eight new playable maps and extra level of difficulty are nice but probably aren’t enough to convince gamers who played the original. If you never played the game before, don’t hesitate, just run to your nearest gamestore and buy this amazing game without thinking twice. Played the original? Then you’ll need to wonder if it’s worth buying this Remastered version. Thanks to the improved graphics you’ll definitely relive the adventure in a gorgeous way but is it really enough? We think that this version is without a doubt the best version of the game and that’s why we give this Remastered version a higher score than the original.
9.5/10
Tested on PlayStation 4
