After months of rumors, Naughty Dog has finally announced the remake of The Last of Us. After making its mark on the world in 2013, The Last of Us became one of the greatest games of all time, winning a myriad of awards for its smooth gameplay and touching story. It's no surprise that Naughty Dog has decided to rebuild the game from the ground up and give it improved graphics for the PlayStation 5, but fans are divided on whether they're willing to purchase it.
The Last of Us already received a remastered version in 2014, just months after its initial release. The upgrade included increased frame rates and optimized graphics for the PlayStation 4, as well as the inclusion of The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC. This is why, for $69.99, fans want to see more to this remake than just graphic improvements. Here are three things that would make the remake worth every penny.
Introduce New Content to The Last of Us
Remakes have been popular for a long time, but developers have started taking more liberties with them in recent years. The Final Fantasy VII Remake and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening are both great examples of modern takes on old games. Both use current technology to enhance the graphics, all while employing better world-building and storytelling techniques. Final Fantasy VII Remake introduces a completely new storyline and focuses on bringing beloved characters to life while Link's Awakening has more quality-of-life improvements. In short, neither remake is a carbon copy of its predecessor, instead opting to enhance and expand on what was already there through meaningful gameplay.
The Last of Us' remake is on track to add the stellar gameplay from The Last of Us Part II and expand existing environments. This shows that Naughty Dog is using this opportunity to not just make a prettier replica of an already amazing game. However, fleshing out the complicated topics that would later be introduced in Part II further would also be greatly appreciated by fans. One example of this would be expanding on the interpretation of The Last of Us' ending, which leads to a portrayal of Joel in the second game as having little justification for his actions as opposed to being Ellie's savior and hero. Naughty Dog doesn't need to rewrite the entire plot per se, but they do need to make it clearer for fans to understand the subtle change in direction.
Address the Retconned Scenes in The Last of Us
One scene that needs attention in the remake is the finale. In The Last of Us, the room where doctors planned to operate on Ellie was dirty and hastily thrown together. It was clear that they were operating with meager supplies and inadequate personnel. However, in The Last of Us Part II, which revisits this same scene in a flashback, the operating room is cleaned up. The walls are no longer dingy and peeling, and the stores of equipment are properly maintained. The most obvious change was the color of the operating gowns, swapping the dingy green for bright blue. While these are small details, some fans were upset that the entire aesthetic of the scene was changed in order to fit Abby's narrative.
Expand on The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC
The remake trailer has confirmed that the Left Behind DLC will also be remade, although it's unclear if it'll be integrated into the game or kept as a standalone. Left Behind depicted Ellie's struggles as she tried to save Joel's life after he was impaled and fell unconscious. The DLC also explained her backstory before she came into contact with the Fireflies and how she discovered her immunity. If Naughty Dog plans to integrate this content chronologically into the game itself, it would be all the better for continuity and player immersion, especially since neither of these topics were covered in the original game.
The Last of Us' remake is on the precipice of being either a great addition to the franchise or a cash grab. After nine years, and with a remaster already available, Naughty Dog needs to focus on making it a more cohesive experience and bringing new content to dedicated fans. There's still time before the September 2 release date to see which direction the remake will be going, but including even just one of these topics would make it worth the investment.