The Last of Us has a Bonuses tab where many interesting and optional features are unlocked. The Gallery includes cinematics and concept art, Statistics includes a tally of information from many actions players can engage in, Tags includes accomplishments with niche and precise requirements, and Collectibles includes a list of the retrieved artifacts, Firefly pendants, training manuals, and comics that players have recovered throughout The Last of Us.
However, one other tab within Bonuses is Unlocks, which includes skins, concept art, and a render mode selection, all of which players need an in-game currency for. The challenges found in the aforementioned Tags tab reward players with this currency upon completion, which they can spend on whichever Unlocks they wish. The Last of Us Part 1 is reprising its unlockable skins, and with its enhanced graphical fidelity these cosmetics will surely make for fan-favorite additions in the remake.
The Last of Us Part 1 Introduces Weapon Skins
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The Last of Us Part 1 may not be making extensive gameplay changes, but it is clear that a lot of work has gone into making this remake the definitive way to play The Last of Us. Part of that ambition is its graphical fidelity, with visual reworks and a complete overhaul in art direction to meet the standard of The Last of Us 2. This will result in facial animation and motion-capture performances being enhanced and updated, as well as environmental textures and any other visuals in The Last of Us Part 1. Therefore, bonus skin unlocks are an exciting part of the remake, as Naughty Dog will be able to render them in a more intricately detailed way.
The Last of Us Part 1 introduces skins for Joel’s pistol and shotgun, as well as Ellie’s pistol and bow. The Last of Us Part 1’s Digital Deluxe and Firefly editions, for example, include the Black Gold and Filigree skins for the 9mm pistol, the Sculpted Oak and Rubber Tactical skins for the shotgun, and the Carbon Black and Arctic White skins for the bow.
Further, more were glossed over during blink-and-miss-it footage in The Last of Us Part 1’s Features and Gameplay trailer, including skins such as the Golden Moth and Washington Liberation for Ellie’s pistol. This may be a smaller addition compared to how much work went into the remake’s graphics, but it is still fantastic to see tiny details being celebrated in the characters’ weapons.
The Last of Us Part 1 Features Old and New Unlockable Skins
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In terms of the character skins that will be included in The Last of Us Part 1, the selection seems limited in the same way that the original game was, though there may be more that has not been revealed yet, as the skins tab for Ellie does show some locked and obscured outfits. That said, it does look like The Last of Us’ unlockable skins will be reprised for the remake.
Joel’s skins included a brown shirt, short sleeve denim, long sleeve denim, grey sweatshirt, gold plaid shirt, red plaid shirt, and a purple plaid shirt. For his backpack skins, there was a camper backpack and a military backpack. Ellie’s skins included three Naughty Dog-themed shirts, a Jak and Daxter t-shirt, Jak hoodie, a jumpsuit, red flannel, and an Angel Knives shirt. For her backpacks, there was a Daxter backpack and a punk backpack, and Ellie also received special headwear with Jak goggles.
It is unclear whether all of these skins will return in the remake, but it is nice to see them reprised alongside a couple of new additions that were also spotted in the game’s Features and Gameplay trailer. Many of The Last of Us’ skins reference and pay tribute to Naughty Dog’s previous work, and The Last of Us Part 1’s additions are no different.
Ellie now has at least two Uncharted shirts that players can unlock, with one that features an image of Nathan Drake while the other features an illustrated graphic representing Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. It is also uncertain whether players will earn in-game points similarly to The Last of Us’ Tags wallet or not, but there are surely enough reasons for players new and old to be excited for The Last of Us Part 1’s release this September.
The Last of Us Part 1 is scheduled to release on September 2, 2022, for PS5. A PC port is also in development.
