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The Last of Us Remastered is the remastered version of the PlayStation 3's The Last of Us. It was developed by Naughty Dog and was published by Sony Computer Entertainment on July 29, 2014,[1] exclusively for the PlayStation 4.[2]

An enhanced port of the original PlayStation 3 version of The Last of Us, it has all the same content from the original release, but with a 1080p resolution, higher resolution character models, improved shadows and lighting, upgraded textures, 60 frames per second and the removal of several glitches.

All major downloadable content releases were also implemented with The Last of Us Remastered, including Left Behind, Abandoned Territories map pack and Reclaimed Territories. In addition to all the technical updates, included is also an exclusive director’s commentary for all in-game cinematic featuring creative director and writer Neil Druckmann, voice actor Troy Baker, who plays Joel, and BAFTA Award winning voice actress Ashley Johnson, who plays Ellie.

A unique Photo Mode was added to the game exclusively for the Remastered edition. Through this, players are able to take personalized screenshots of the game at any time by freezing the action, except during a cutscene, and then manipulate aspects of the image such as camera position, frame, field of depth, focus and color saturation.[3]

Plot[]

Main article: The Last of Us#Plot

The plot of Remastered is exactly the same as the original, with a new virus turning humans into hostile infected and being set 20 years after such. It follows a hardened survivor Joel and an immune teenager Ellie crossing across a post-apocalyptic United States in order to find a group called the Fireflies, who would be able to create a cure against the disease by studying Ellie's immunity.

Notable differences to the original[]

Gameplay[]

Main article: The Last of Us#Combat

The gameplay has notably changed in a few different ways.

Recordings of collectibles found are now heard through the speaker of the dual shock controller, along with the noise of turning the flashlight on and off; even when shaking it. The recordings also play without forcing the player in the screen to keep listening to it. The health bar color is also shown on the controller, turning from green to orange to red as the player accumulates damage. The dualshock's touch pad is also used to scroll through the player's inventory of items.

The combat of Remastered is essentially the exact same as the original release of The Last of Us, facing against humans and infected with melee combat and weapons such as guns; even the same cover system is used. The artificial intelligence is more or less the same too, along with all the controls. However, activating Listen Mode now requires the player to use the R1 button instead of the R2 button. Although, the player can adjust the game settings to revert to how they were set on the PlayStation 3.

Also, the increased frame rate now makes the combat "smoother" and "more refined"; it flows better now, allowing players to enter combat and not be inhibited by the frame rate. Characters also have extra lines at different points in the game, such as Ellie reacting to Joel – he now replies occasionally to her remarks on killing enemies.

Graphics[]

The graphics of Remastered are enhanced on the PS4 console, enabling players to experience and view the world of The Last of Us in 60 frames per second compared to 30 frames per second on the PS3. The people at IGN, however, are said to have found the change "jarring", many opting to play the game in 30fps instead; an option, allowing for the game to be locked at 30 FPS, is available to players if they don't want to play in 60fps or perhaps want to compare the difference. Some did admit that it was better once they got used to it.

The higher frame rate also came with a bigger draw distance than before, as well as the textures of objects (such as trees) being improved along with shadows of characters becoming more life-like; they now display the outline of the character shown. The graphics for cutscenes are also improved, although it is argued that the graphics still aren't up to standard of what other PS4 games have to offer. Some reviewers from Metro have said that the change isn't really noticeable at all, but the change to loading screens was a "nice touch".

Photo Mode[]

Main article: Photo Mode

There is also the inclusion of a photo mode. This mode enables players to pause the screen and take a photo of what is occurring around them. The game even came equipped with different light settings and textures, essentially allowing players to alter the design to suit their desires.

The new mode only came after an update, so it needs to be downloaded to be obtained. However, players can still take in-game pictures, though they would be unable to pause it and move the camera and so on; it is the PS4's own camera mode, not the game's.

Players could also upload their photos online using the PS4's share button, with the staff putting their favorite photos on Twitter or retweeting ones already obtained shortly after the initial release of the game.

Reception[]

The Last of Us Remastered recieved "universal acclaim" reviews and was tagged as a "Must-Play" game on Metacritic holding a metascore of 95/100 based on 69 critic reviews.[4]

Similar to the original game, The Last of Us Remastered was met with critical acclaim. Metacritic calculated a mean score of 95 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 69 critics.[5] GameRankings also assigned a high average score of 96% based on 43 reviews.[6]

The addition of Photo Mode was well received. TechRadar's Swider named the mode as a standout feature, and felt that the additional controls resulted in a better functioning game,[7] while Digital Spy's Martin felt that it improves the game's combat, commenting that they "increase this sense of immersion".[8] Reviewers also appreciated the addition of the Left Behind DLC and the audio commentary for the cinematic cutscenes.[9] These features led The Escapist Sterling to call Remastered "the definitive version of the game".[10]

By August 2014, The Last of Us Remastered had successfully sold one million copies, making it one of the best-selling PlayStation 4 games.[11] The game was nominated for Best Remaster at The Game Awards 2014,[12] and received an honorable mention for "Best Technology" at the 15th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards.[13]

Many reviewers considered the technical enhancements (like the increased frame rate) a welcome advancement from the original game. Turi of Game Informer felt that the frame rate "dramatically elevate[ed]" the game above the original.[14] Jim Sterling of The Escapist complimented the upgraded frame rate, stating that the original frame rate is a "noticeably inferior experience".[15] IGN's Moriarty stated that, he found the visuals "gorgeous" and approved of the new dual shock controls. Though he felt the change was initially "jarring", he appreciated it through further gameplay.[16] Tom Hoggins from The Daily Telegraph mirorred Moriarty, feeling as though the increased frame rate heightened the intensity of the gameplay.[17] Metro's David Jenkins felt that the increased frame rate is almost imperceptible, though stating that it is "definitely an improvement".[18]

Trophies[]

Main article: The Last of Us trophies

References[]

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