After being one of the worst-kept secrets in gaming, The Last of Us Part 1’s release is nearly here. By the time September 2 rolls around, PS5 owners will have access to the classic post-apocalyptic thriller in its latest incarnation.
Despite the fact that September is approaching, Naughty Dog is still keeping its cards close to its chest. To date, only one official cinematic trailer for The Last of Us Part 1 has hit the Internet. Even though the studio’s game has gone dark after its Summer Game Fest debut, fans have been able to pour over plenty of screenshots from the game.
Ellie’s Updated Look
In addition to the game’s announcement trailer, which recreates some of the marketing videos that promoted the original PS3 game, Naughty Dog released several screenshots. It will come as little surprise that Ashley Johnson’s Ellie is the star of most of these pictures. The first, which features the young protagonist holding a bolt-action hunting rifle, does a particularly good job of showing off graphical upgrades to the game's iconic cutscenes.
Horseback Riding
In most post-apocalyptic narratives, when society has collapsed, people look for different modes of transportation. For a lot of would-be survivors, horses end up being the most reliable alternative to gas and electric-based vehicles. It’s little surprise then that The Last of Us has leaned into this idea, as evidenced by one screenshot for the upcoming PS5 remake. What’s striking above everything else in this picture is the lighting upgrades that Naughty Dog has clearly made to the game.
Crossing Boston
When The Last of Us Part 1 launches on PS5, it will be the third time that Naughty Dog’s groundbreaking adventure has been released on a PlayStation console. Even though fans have fully dissected the game on PS3 and PS4, one of the screenshots for the upcoming game demonstrates its capacity to surprise. The scene where Ellie, Joel, and Tess are crossing between two skyscrapers looks as graphically impressive as some of the brand-new games that have been released on Sony’s latest console.
Ellie’s Facial Capture
Even though motion capture technology has become one of the AAA gaming industry standards, Naughty Dog was one of the first studios to actively embrace it. It’s for that reason the early Uncharted games and original The Last of Us still look good. It’s clear from Ellie’s updated face model in the upcoming remake that the studio hasn’t stood still from a technical perspective. Naughty Dog has been able to take the footage captured for the PS3 version and update it so that the characters look more like their real-world actors.
Ellie and Joel Together
One of Naughty Dog’s reported goals when it came to The Last of Us Part 1 was to create a modernized experience that unified the series. While it remains to be seen how the updated game plays, from a visual perspective at least Part 1 looks to be on-par with 2020’s The Last of Us 2.
Car Sharing
Thanks to much of the promotional material being screenshots, most observations that can be made about the game will be centered around its visual fidelity. Pictures like one where Ellie and Joel are sitting in a car together proves there’s a lot to analyze in this department. Beyond showing off how photo-realistic the game now looks, this screenshot does an excellent job of showcasing the depth of field improvements Naughty Dog has made to the experience.
Ellie the Hunter
Even though Aloy has become the poster child for PlayStation protagonists with a bow, Ellie is a proficient archer as well. What’s arguably more impressive about this particular screenshot for The Last of Us Part 1 is the attention to detail. Beyond looking like a clear generational improvement from the game’s PS4 remaster, the picture does a great job of showing off how realistic snow will behave in the remake as it falls on Ellie's clothes.
Ellie and Riley
During the promotional campaign for The Last of Us Part 1, Naughty Dog has stressed how the PS5 remake is the definitive version of its story. There's little surprise that the excellent "Left Behind" DLC will be included within the experience. While it remains to be seen if the expansion will be incorporated into the single-player narrative directly, players can look forward to experiencing Ellie and Riley's relationship all over again.
Part 1's Environments
Beyond its storytelling prowess, Naughty Dog has developed a reputation for creating highly detailed environments. Some of the studio’s work in Uncharted 4 is still held up as the most believable and lived-in locations in gaming. It won’t come as a shock to players that The Last of Us Part 1 will include some equally impressive environmental design, as demonstrated by the dilapidated mall that Ellie and Riley visit during the Left Behind expansion.
Ellie and David
Considering how beloved The Last of Us series has become, it’s understandable that Naughty Dog has been reluctant to mess with the order of Part 1’s story. Even some of the original game’s most uncomfortable and challenging sections, such as those that feature Nolan North’s David, are confirmed to be present.
Joel's New Look
For the last of Part 1’s official screenshots, Naughty Dog highlights the improvements to Joel’s character model. Beyond aligning the protagonist’s age with his appearance in The Last of Us 2, the updated model also bears a slightly closer resemblance to his real-world actor Troy Baker. While some fans have questioned the studio’s decision to age-up a few characters, a compelling case can be made for this adding extra believability.
Part 1’s Trailer
Thanks to the debut trailer for The Last of Us Part 1, a lot of screenshots circulating online have been taken from the video. Several animated side-by-sides have also been published online. Beyond offering more direct comparisons between the PS5 game and its PS3 original, these serve to underline how much attention to detail the studio has poured into its creation. Considering how Naughty Dog will need to show off the gameplay improvements too, fans can hopefully look forward to more media being released soon.
The Last of Us Part 1 releases September 2 for PS5.
