The classic 2013 horror game The Last of Us is being remade for PlayStation 5 and PC, developer Naughty Dog has announced. Retitled The Last of Us: Part I, the new version will be released on 9 September on PS5 and later on PC.
The Last of Us follows widower Joel and teenager Ellie across a ravaged US in the wake of a pandemic that has turned most of its population into zombies, and won acclaim for its unflinching devotion to storytelling as well as the performances of its cast. It was a landmark game of the PlayStation 3 generation, and was remastered for PlayStation 4 in 2014.
Announcing the remake on a Summer Games Fest livestream, director Neil Druckmann explained that the character models and animation have been redone to bring them closer to the real-life performances of the game’s stars, Troy Baker (Joel) and Ashley Johnson (Ellie). The game’s AI and assets have also been remade from scratch, making this a modern remake rather than a remaster of the PlayStation 4 original.
On PS5 it will take advantage of 3D audio and the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback. Visually, it looks in line with the 2020 sequel, The Last of Us Part II, one of the most critically acclaimed games of that year, which has sold more than 10m copies.
Druckmann also mentioned a new multiplayer game from Naughty Dog, which started out as a Last of Us multiplayer mode but is now being developed as a separate title in the series. It has no name or release date as of yet, though the developer did share a piece of concept art.
keep a "lookout" ✌
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) June 9, 2022
Our biggest online experience is coming. More news next year... #TheLastofUs pic.twitter.com/WpsHBX63x3
HBO is also about to wrap up a Last of Us TV series, which will be airing next year, having begun filming last July. It is part of a wave of video game-inspired TV series due to air in 2022 and 2023.
