Review: ‘Last of Us Part 1’ remake is excellent, but vets might not find it necessary

Did we really need a remake of “The Last of Us Part I”? That’s the question I’ve been turning over in my mind for the past month or so as I crept past infected, navigated rundown buildings and felt my heart ripped out once again — figuratively, of course — while playing the latest version of the Naughty Dog classic.

My answer, at long last, is “yes.” But it comes with caveats.

If you’ve never had the chance to play the original, the remake is a fantastic starting point. Naughty Dog has rebuilt the game from the ground up using its latest PlayStation 5 engine technology. The PlayStation 3-era title now has advanced visual fidelity as well as modernized gameplay mechanics and improved controls.

The result is a game with breathtaking beauty and flow, all of which serves to make the unchanged story hit that much harder. There is real emotion in the facial features of protagonists Joel and Ellie as they struggle to survive and find their respective places in a world upended by a pandemic that turns human beings into monsters.

For the uninitiated, the “Last of Us Part 1” follows Joel and Ellie’s journey across America to find the Fireflies, a faction that is working to find a vaccine for the virulent cordyceps virus. Along the way, the pair encounters hostile military forces, bandits and the infected, as well as others doing their best to survive.

The tale is among the best modern-day games have to offer. It’s so good even that HBO is making it into a series. That being said, a word of caution to our more squeamish readers: as amazing as the story is, it’s one steeped in unblinking brutality.

Let’s get to those caveats.

I’m not certain the remake has a whole lot to offer to veterans outside of the improved graphics and a few other new features, especially considering it wasn’t that long ago the game was remastered — at a lower cost — for PlayStation 4. The story is what matters herem and veterans can get that by booting up an older version.

Perhaps even more crucially, the remake, at least at its launch in September, is missing the multiplayer Factions mode from the original. While it was never my bag, the mode was beloved by many. Its absence makes the game feel incomplete and further undermines the value proposition of paying $70 for a 9-year-old title with a facelift.

Veterans, however, might find some of the aforementioned new features worth the price of admission. The remake offers permadeath and speedrun modes. The latter enables an in-game timer that tracks your current and best play-through length, but pauses during cutscenes. So, it’s possible to go for a record run while enjoying the story.

All editions of the remake also include the excellent “Left Behind” prequel chapter.

Personally, I enjoyed my time with the remake and didn’t find the cost an insurmountable obstacle. Some of that is due to a change in perspective. I wasn’t a parent in 2013. Now I am. The relationship between Joel, a man who has lost a daughter, and Ellie, a teenager who has lost her parents, truly struck a nerve. And without spoiling anything for those who have yet to play, I found myself far more accepting of Joel’s critical decision in the closing moments of the game than I did previously.

If you’ve never played “The Last of Us Part 1” and wanted to, the remake has a lot to offer, especially if graphics are a priority. Veterans might not find as much value, as there isn’t much new outside of the enhanced visual fidelity, but if you missed the remaster and are looking for an excuse to revisit a classic, pick this one up.