The Last of Us Remastered review: the best game of 2014 so far is a game from 2013

2014 is the year of the remaster. We’ve seen a ton of 2013’s greatest (and not so greatest) hits upscaled for a new generation of consoles. Heck, even 2001’s Final Fantasy X got all prettied up as well. But the most high profile of the bunch is the of The Last of Us; this barely-a-year-old Playstation 3 (PS3) exclusive is now on the Playstation 4 (PS4).

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The aptly titled The Last of Us Remastered has you in the shoes of Joel and Ellie as you traipse across America that’s in the midst of a nasty infection that turns people into mindless zombies. There are ruthless bandits to contend with, an ever-vigilant military to evade, and hordes of the walking dead to slay. Without spoiling much, it’s a rollicking plot that barely skips a beat, not surprising given that it’s made by the same people behind the superlative Uncharted series.

So what does buying this re-release net you? The biggest improvement is the move to 60 FPS, which promises a smoother experience compared to the 30 FPS that the PS3 version delivered. You can lock the game to 30 FPS on the PS4 for better shadows and a more cinematic playthrough, but once you’ve enjoyed the fluidity of 60 FPS, you probably won’t want to go back. The resolution has also been upped to 1080p, making for a visually-enhanced edition of an already gorgeous-looking game.

As a result, the difference between last year’s PS3 outing and this year’s PS4 release is palpable. The environments look a lot cleaner than the first time around and there’s a distinct lack of aliasing or jagged edges in the visuals. There’s none of the texture pop-in that the PS3 edition suffered from and the loading times have improved ten-fold.

However the biggest improvement thanks to the jump in technology is the sheer fluidity in terms of gameplay. Be it running from monsters or breaking an enemy’s skull on a dilapidated sink, everything feels a lot quicker. Controls feel a lot tighter and responsive as well, though that’s probably due in part to the improvements of the Dualshock 4 controller over the PS3’s Dualshock 3.

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If the brazen slickness of the experience wasn’t enough, there’s also bundled director commentary and downloadable content, including the “Left Behind” single-player chapter as well as “Abandoned Territories” and “Reclaimed Territories” multiplayer map packs. All of these are worthwhile additions to an already solid base game, especially “Left Behind”, an experience that makes the game’s lore a lot richer. Coupled with a very attractive price and you have a compelling package worth the time and energy of a PS4 owner.

First-timers and fans of the first game have every reason to pick this up. Even if you’ve already played The Last of Us on the PS3, it’s still worth revisiting. Sure, you’ve been through it all before, but the game’s an emotional roller coaster that warrants a second ride through, thanks to all the bells and whistles that come with improved hardware. 2014 is indeed the year of the remaster and The Last of Us Remastered is undoubtedly the best of the bunch.