PlayStation’s online store has leaked the news that Sony is remaking Naughty Dog’s 2013 game The Last of Us. The new version, titled The Last of Us Part 1, will release on PlayStation 5 and PC on September 2, 2022.
Given that The Last of Us was already remastered once for PlayStation 4 back in 2014, what does the new version have to offer? Mostly a decent amount of technical and gameplay improvements. The new version will include “modernized gameplay, improved controls and expanded accessibility options,” along with “improved effects and enhanced exploration and combat.”
The game will also include an updated version of The Last of Us‘s Ellie-focused DLC Left Behind. It will not be available on PlayStation 4.
This will be the first time that The Last of Us is playable on PCs, which lines up with Sony’s recently-discussed strategy of bringing more PlayStation games to personal computers. It also means that once HBO’s TV show based on the game launches, Sony will have an updated version of the original game optimized for modern consoles. Sony is likely hoping that the series will introduce new customers to its pipeline.
According to Bloomberg News, this remake was previously being worked on by Sony’s Visual Arts Service Group before being moved back to Naughty Dog, the original developer of The Last of Us. The move apparently caused internal strife among some branches of Sony Interactive Entertainment.
If this second remaster proves successful for PlayStation, it’s worth wondering what other PlayStation 3 exclusive titles might receive the same treatment down the line, particularly now that Sony wants more of its portfolio released on PC. Eligible titles might include Tokyo Jungle, Sucker Punch’s Infamous, and Insomniac Games’ Resistance series.
