Is The Last of Us Part 1 Actually Worth Buying? Yes, and Here’s Why

Since The Last of Us Part 1 was announced, people have hotly debated whether it deserves to exist. A complete remake of the original 2013 game, The Last of Us Part 1 has been made from the ground up for PS5 and takes advantage of the console’s powerful graphics and engine. It’s being marketed as the definitive way to experience Joel and Ellie’s story, but many fans are angry that a game that was first released nine years ago is now being sold for $124.95 on the PlayStation Store and $98 on Amazon.

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Their main argument is that there isn’t anything new in The Last of Us Part 1. To some, the fact that developers Naughty Dog has completely rebuilt the game and added a revolutionary number of accessibility features doesn’t make up for the fact that Part 1 is an old story remade in a new engine. This vocal group also like to argue that remaking a PS3 game nine years and one PS4 remaster later is a cash grab.

Admittedly, paying $100 or more for a game you’ve already played is a tough sell. But The Last of Us Part 1 is worth buying for so many people — people who didn’t have a PS3 or PS4 and especially people who couldn’t play the original game because it wasn’t accessible.

If you’re still on the fence about buying The Last of Us Part 1 at launch, we’ve broken down every new feature and improvement that makes the PS5 remake worth your hard-earned money.

More Than 60 Accessibility Features

The Last of Us Part 2 had an astonishing 60+ features that removed barriers for players with a variety of disabilities, and The Last of Us Part 1 builds on this. There are 93 accessibility features and options in Part 1, from DualSense and HUD customisation to screen readers and traversal cues.

“The biggest new feature we have are audio descriptions for cinematics,” game director Matthew Gallant said in a post on the PlayStation Blog. These provide blind and low-vision players with a description of the visual details in cutscenes, like what characters are holding, looking at or what their facial expressions are communicating.

“Another, which started as a prototype but ended up being really successful during playtesting, is a feature that plays dialogue through the PS5 DualSense controller as haptic feedback. That way, a deaf player can feel the way a line is delivered can feel the emphasis, along with the subtitles to give some sense of how that line is delivered.”

Thanks to this and features like it, The Last of Us Part 1 will be an accessible experience for blind and deaf players as well as players with motor accessibility needs — and it might be the first time these players have been able to play the game.

Related: We’ve Found the Best Deals on The Last of Us Part 1 on PS5 So You Don’t Have To

Related: Don’t Be Late: Here’s When The Last of Us Part 1 Unlocks In Australia

More Detailed Character Models and Animations

The most noticeable improvement is in the character models, which were rebuilt in the new engine for maximum fidelity. And even more impressive is that the super high-quality models you see in cutscenes are also what’s used in gameplay, with seamless transitions between the two.

Better Combat and Smarter Enemies

The Last of Us games have always emphasised how dangerous Joel and Ellie’s journeys are, and combat in Part 1 will be more challenging to reflect that. Enemies will be better at hunting you during encounters and will try to flank you more often. Encounters will feel less scripted, with lead programmer John Bellomy saying that enemy behaviour “doesn’t play out at the same time, every time.”

Permadeath and Speedrun Modes

To make the combat even more challenging, The Last of Us Part 1 is getting a permadeath mode. You’ll get to choose whether death sends you back to the beginning of a chapter, an act or even the beginning of the entire game. Upon death, you’ll be shown a record of how long you survived and what killed you.

The speedrun mode will automatically time how long it takes you to complete each section of the game, which is ideal for people who have played before and want a unique challenge.

Outfits and Weapon Skins

The Last of Us Part 1 has added more skins for Joel and Ellie, including new outfits, backpacks and weapon skins that you can unlock. Anyone who pre-orders the Digital Deluxe Edition will unlock six weapon skins early.

Play on 4K at 60 FPS

Thanks to the power of the PS5, The Last of Us Part 1 can render native 4K at 30 FPS or dynamic 4K at 60 FPS, as long as you have a capable TV. It also benefits from other exclusive PS5 features like DualSense haptics, trigger effects and 3D audio.

Is The Last of Us Part 1 Worth Buying?

If you’re not a fan of long and tense action-adventure games, or if you’ve already played The Last of Us and feel content with your playthrough, then maybe Part 1 isn’t for you. But if you’re only unsure because of the price, then The Last of Us Part 1 is definitely worth buying if you can. Here’s everywhere you can pre-order it in Australia ahead of the unlock times on Friday, September 2.

Want more The Last of Us news and features? Check out these stories:

• The Last of Us Part 1 Gets an Incredible 7-Minute Gameplay Video
• Watch the First Trailer For HBO’s The Last of Us Series Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey
• Don’t Be Late: Here’s When The Last of Us Part 1 Unlocks In Australia
• We’ve Found the Best Deals on The Last of Us Part 1 on PS5 So You Don’t Have To