There’s a clearly defined turning point in PlayStation’s brand over the last decade or so, a point where it doubled down on the third-person, cinematic experiences it’s known for today. Games like Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Zero Dawn epitomize this focus on realistic graphics, fluid action, and a carefully crafted single-player experience. But none of them might exist if it wasn’t for a post-apocalypse survival horror classic released in 2013.
The Last of Us marked a major pivot in PlayStation’s entire strategy, and on September 26, in honor of the gaming brand’s ongoing 30th-anniversary celebration, Sony is adding the definitive version of the classic title via its online subscription service, PlayStation+.
If you somehow haven’t played The Last of Us, there’s no better time to do it. The game follows Joel, a man who lost his daughter when a mysterious viral outbreak suddenly changes the world forever. Some 20 years later, he forms an unlikely bond with a sharp, quick-witted teen named Ellie. Joel is tasked by a close friend to deliver Ellie across the country. What ensues on that journey changes both Joel and Ellie forever.
There’s no shortage of ways to enjoy this now iconic tale. The faithful HBO adaptation (which just got a trailer for its second season) won eight Emmys in 2023, and Sony has re-released the award-winning game every console generation since its debut on the PlayStation 3. But the 2022 remaster built specifically for the PS5 is the best possible way to experience the original version.
This version, dubbed The Last Of Us Part 1, updates the decent-looking character models and environments to the fidelity seen in the game’s 2020 sequel. The clothing that characters wear, the sound design, and the graphical effects have all been redone top to bottom to make the 11-year-old game feel more contemporary. The game’s developer, Naughty Dog, also wisely incorporated all of the accessibility features it pioneered in The Last of Us Part 2, ensuring more people can enjoy this first chapter in Joel and Ellie’s story.
One of the only downsides to the remake is the missed opportunity to update the actual level design and linearity of the original release. It’s by no means a deal breaker, but after experiencing what bigger levels and new traversal and mobility options did for The Last of Us Part 2’s stealth and combat, the first game can feel a little restrictive.
For players who appreciate gaming history, it's also enlightening to revisit Naughty Dog’s 2013 game and see how it changed the platform’s output. The Last of Us has since become the model for most of the company’s first-party games, with critically acclaimed titles like Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man 2, and the Horizon series iterating on this formula to great success. It’s a crucial piece of PlayStation history that holds up extremely well.
The Last of Us is an important part of PlayStation’s legacy and is now more accessible than ever. If watching eight episodes of great television isn’t your thing, then playing (or replaying) the game that started it all is definitely worth a download.
