On July 21st, Naughty Dog released a video showcasing the The Last of Us Part I updates coming to the remake on PS5. The remake of the original 2013 game will feature a complete overhaul of AI mechanics, environments, character models, and more. It will also take advantage of the PlayStation 5’s haptic feedback for a more enhanced gameplay experience.
The Last of Us is an action-adventure game featuring Ellie and Joel as they adventure across a post-apocalyptic United States. Along the way, you have to survive humans who are grotesquely mutated by a fungal outbreak. You also encounter hostile human survivors as you explore the decrepit remains of several American cities and towns. Players have a variety of weapons at their disposal throughout the journey including guns, bow and arrow, pipes, and hand-crafted bombs.
The Last of Us Part I was officially announced during the Summer Games Fest this year with a preview trailer showing the updated graphics.
In the features and gameplay trailer, Game Directors, Neil Druckmann and Matthew Gallant, talk about how this version of The Last of Us is more close to the original vision. Before, the PS3 had technical hardware limitations that limited what the team could make.
“The tech of the PS5 is like an open box,” says Creative Director and Writer, Shaun Escayg, “it’s full of tools and goodies we can play from and draw from.” This is made clear throughout the rest of the video where we can see The Last of Us Part 1 updates more closely.
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- Screenshot of gameplay on PS4 Pro
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- Screenshot of gameplay on PS5
The game will take advantage of the the PS 5’s HDR capabilities and its ability to run at 60FPS. The new graphical capabilities of PS5 also allowed the team to revamp character models. They are now higher fidelity down to the minute details. Naughty Dog was also able to remodel the environments, making them more visceral to the player. The designers really wanted players to be able to feel the environments.
Another graphical improvement includes upgrades to the physics engine. The game will feature a higher density of breakables and moveable objects. This will allow fights to feel more frenetic and realistic.
Screenshot showing where playable characters are detectable by enemy AI
Besides updates to the visuals, Naughty Dog also incorporated their AI models from The Last of Us Part II into the remake. This means smarter enemy AI in the way enemies flank you and attack you. Additionally, it means your companion characters are smarter as well. They will be able to detect enemies current and future movement, then base their actions around enemy movement.
There are also a handful of new features that take advantage of PS5’s controller functions. Players will experience haptic feedback on weapon reload and discharge. They will also be able to feel the tautness of the bow and arrow in the adaptive triggers.
Spacial audio will also play a big role in the remake. Players will be able to hear where enemies are approaching from and plan their attacks accordingly.
Additional The Last of Us Part I updates include new render modes, an evolved photo mode, permadeath mode, speedrun mode, character unlockables, model viewer mode, and award-winning accessibility options.
The Last of Us Part I will release September 2, 2022 on Playstation 5. There is a PC version in development currently as well.
SOURCE: PlayStation YouTube Channel
