The hugely successful survival horror adventure The Last of Us was originally released in 2013 exclusively for the PlayStation 3 and later as a remastered version for the PlayStation 4. That developer Naughty Dog on a Remake version working for the PlayStation 5 and also PC, was only known in early June.
An announcement with numerous leaks
< p class="p text-width">Sony accidentally advertised the new edition prematurely on its own website before The Last of Us Part I – the Sequel Part II appeared exclusively for the PlayStation 4 around two years ago – was to be officially unveiled as part of the Summer Game Fest 2022. And recently, new information about the game was usually unofficial: numerous leaks with details, screenshots and even gameplay recordings made the rounds. Naughty Dogs Vice President Arne Meyer now expressed his displeasure on Twitter: Leaks frustrated the team behind a video game immensely.
Leaks really suck. Esp when we're right on the cusp of an asset drop. It's disheartening and frustrating to teams who have put their hearts making awesome things for our fans.
That being said, here's a deep dive into what's new for The Last of Us Part I, including some gameplay https://t.co/BxTnroMeWe
— arne (@arnemeyer) July 22, 2022
However, he also referred to a ten-minute video for The Last of Us Part I, in which Sony and Naughty Dog give a first look at gameplay and graphics. It remains to be seen whether this only happened because publishers and developers intended to regain information sovereignty and take away the breeding ground for such leaks, or whether the presentation was planned anyway – although Meyer claims the latter.
Ten minute video preview
In any case, Naughty Dog shows in the video, among other things, the improved animations with motion matching, whereby the game does not play back prefabricated standard animations, but rather the game combines individual, small-step character movements in real time to create a smoother animation. The technique was already used in The Last of Us Part II. The remake of part 1 also has new physics effects: explosions in the area, for example, cause window panes to burst; generally there should be more destructible objects. Many other adjustments include improved enemy AI, new cosmetic content, a “permadeath” mode – in which a single death results in the loss of the saved game – and a “speedrun” mode with time display.
The graphics, which have been drilled out in relation to the original version and also the remaster version, are also visible. There are higher resolution textures, more detail, more realistic lighting, and improved shadow effects. Naughty Dog has already promised two graphics modes for the PlayStation 5, so players will be able to choose between native UHD rendering at 3,840 × 2,160 pixels and 30 FPS or dynamic resolution – presumably based on 2,560 × 1,440 pixels – with upscaling to UHD and in return Choose 60 fps. However, support for a variable refresh rate via VRR or a 40 FPS mode as a compromise between graphics quality and performance were not announced. But at least there is HDR and 3D audio.
Initially only expensive on the PlayStation 5
The Last of Us Part I will be released on September 2, 2022, initially for the PlayStation 5. The price for the standard version is comparatively high at around 80 euros. A deluxe version costs around 90 euros. The game will also be released for PC, but a release date has not yet been announced. Sony has repeatedly confirmed in the recent past that it also wants to develop more for PC and mobile.