It might be logical to say that there was a remaster (because the PlayStation 4 version was that, and it included the Left Behind add-on), but Naughty Dog has a different explanation.

The studio has redesigned everything in the third version of the game (incredibly, we reached this point nine years after the original!), so it’s not just that they’ve changed different assets (such as textures) to make The Last of Us run better and look nicer on PlayStation 5 hardware, which will be subtitled Part I on PS5. Shaun Escayg, the game’s creative director, explained in more detail why Naughty Dog’s following product should be treated as a remake.

“To me, what makes this a remake instead of a remaster is the sum of its improvements. This isn’t just the same characters, environments, art direction, etc., performing on better hardware. We completely redesigned everything from the art direction, lighting, [lighting] technology to the character designs. We’ve applied everything we’ve learned over the decade since the original and utilized that new technology to create something that stays true to the original but reimagined in an updated way,” Escayg says.

The environments are much more down-to-earth, making them feel alive and offering more immersion: light filters through the canopy of trees; landing on cars causes their suspension to bounce a little; the glass on vehicles breaks and the bodywork is damaged when you shoot into them. It’s all helped by the 3D audio, so from the more peaceful, slower exploration to Joel’s escape (at the start of the game), we’re treated to more substantial sound effects.

In the original The Last of Us, the AI’s combat behaviour was limited by the PS3’s limitations. Still, with a new AI engine and toolset, Naughty Dog has done what it wanted to do, according to lead programmer John Bellomy. Their detective behaviour and topographical awareness (and pathfinding) make combat more dynamic. With AI probing visibility, stealth can be more favourable. There will be more active enemy AI, but it won’t reach the limits of the PlayStation 5 (128). The melee combat system has also been significantly improved, says lead designer Christian Wohlwend.

Players will be able to detect less revealed emotions or gestures, character models have undergone significant improvements, the environment has received new lighting and animation technology, and art director Sebastian Gromann explained that they led “very complex shaders, more complex models, and more fidelity and volume in the foliage to have that feeling of nature reclaiming the city.”

The Last Of Us Part I is coming to PlayStation 5 on September 2, with a PC port coming soon.

Source: PSL