For the PlayStation platform, few other franchises have had as grand of an impact as The Last of Us. Even despite some backlash toward The Last of Us 2, the series is considered among the pinnacle of quality for not only PlayStation, but gaming as a whole. Naughty Dog is hard at work on a fully fledged multiplayer offering set in the world of The Last of Us, but beyond that, it is unconfirmed what exactly the studio plans to do with this post apocalyptic series.
Rumors began to swirl early last year that a remake of The Last of Us was in production, a decision that was met with equal parts excitement and confusion. On one hand, the original game is nearing a decade old, and a considerable amount of progress has been made with gaming technology, so it could benefit from these advancements. At the same time however, The Last of Us is considered pretty perfect as it is, so the notion of a remake has been dubbed as a redundant effort. There are arguments to be made for both sides, with the following being among the most prime examples.
The Last of Us Remake - Better Technology (Pro)
As mentioned above, the most obvious benefit to a remake of The Last of Us would be the more advanced hardware in the PlayStation 5. While the PlayStation 3 original still looks solid even by today's standards, it is compelling to wonder what this apocalyptic world would like with modern visuals. Just two years ago, The Last of Us 2 pushed the PS4 beyond its limits to deliver one of the most photo realistic games ever, so it's mind-boggling to wonder what Naughty Dog could pull off with an even stronger console.
The lush forests in the Spring and Fall sections of the game would look even more vibrant whereas the thick snow storms in the Winter area would be even more intimidating. The PS5 would bring more than just added visual fidelity, but boosts to audio performance as well. The PS5's 3D audio technology could bring a whole new level of tension to the gameplay when avoiding Clickers.
The Last of Us Remake - Unnecessary Changes (Con)
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As great as all of these additions would be, from one perspective they would merely be icing on an already perfect cake. Despite releasing almost 10 years ago, The Last of Us still holds up as a thrilling adventure. The PS4 remaster from 2014 also added a nice level of visual polish and some mild tweaks to the gameplay, making it an already ideal version of the game to experience.
Shiny graphics and even more small additions to the gameplay would always be nice, but the foundation is already rock solid as it is, making updates seem somewhat superfluous. Remakes and remasters need to tread a careful line of knowing what needs fixing and updating, as opposed to what is already fine as it is. Resident Evil 2 warranted its existence for completely overhauling the 1998 original, whereas the recent PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X edition of Grand Theft Auto 5 felt more like a cash grab than anything else.
The Last of Us Remake - Bringing Everything Together (Pro)
A cool upside to revisiting The Last of Us would be to retroactively change aspects of the storyline so that it ties more neatly into The Last of Us 2. The sequel takes some ambitious risks when it comes to character arcs, heart-wrenching revelations and narrative twists, some which may have felt a bit jarring or forced to some. Naughty Dog has the opportunity to remedy this by making the remake's storyline fit more closely into what would later be seen in the sequel, helping to bridge the two and create a complete narrative.
Characters like Abby can now be included in the original game, creating more setup for the payoffs that eventually come throughout The Last of Us 2. These changes don't even need to be huge or that different, but just small details in the background or new NPC's gamers can interact with may work wonders to help link the plots of both games more closely.
The Last of Us Remake - Hurting the Original Vision/Upsetting Fans (Con)
On the flip side, there come some negatives to counteract the positives. The Last of Us is a hugely beloved game, with the plot even being applauded by those who may not even be that into gaming in general. Many players hold the 2013 original closely, with it often being cited as one of the best games ever made. Every element of that title feels so meticulously placed into the world, as if everything has a purpose and a reason for being there.
To go back and start rearranging the pieces in order to benefit a new plot outline may hurt the vision of the original. Naughty Dog must walk a very careful line in this regard when it comes to retroactively altering moments and scenes in The Last of Us to more naturally lead in to The Last of Us 2. The sequel was already met with its fair share of negativity, and it being the reason why a remake of the original suffers certainly wouldn't help matters.
The Last of Us Remake is rumored to be in development.
