Rumors about a potential remake forThe Last of Ushad started a while ago now, butThe Last of Us Part 1was only officially announced last month at Summer Game Fest. In this announcement, updated graphics were demonstrated with higher fidelity than the original, as well as a promise that AI and gameplay have been completely overhauled for the remake.The Last of Us Part 1bears a considerable faceliftin an effort to make it the franchise more cohesive and modern, at least in comparison to the obvious leap ahead in fidelity and performance thatThe Last of Us 2embodies. Now, fans do not have long to wait beforeThe Last of Us Part 1arrives, and another special announcement helps cement the excitement around its upcoming release date.RELATED:The Last of Us 2 Video is Explosive Reminder of Just How Useful Trap Mines AreThanks to a post on Twitter from developer Naughty Dog, fans now know thatThe Last of Us Part 1has gone gold and represents a quality or condition that Naughty Dog is happy to distribute it with. This likely means that enough polish has been given to it in order to have it perform well, but that the developer will still have an opportunity to iron out bugs or any other issues until launch, which could result in a day-one patch. Having hit gold nearly two months before launch, however, is an impressive feat and speaks to the dedication Naughty Dog has put toward the remake.
Recentclaims about howThe Last of Us Part 1may be a cash grabhave since been disputed by Robert Morrison, the remake’s Cinematic Animator, who argues that it is “the most meticulously built and crafted project” they have worked on. Further, Principal Environment Artist Anthony Vaccaro states that crunch was not necessary to complete work onThe Last of Us Part 1.
The omission of crunch, while at the same time being such a monumental overtaking, seems like a notable and remarkable accomplishment, even ifThe Last of Us Part 1is ultimately a remake of an original game. There has yet to be any discernible gameplay from the remake shown to truly ascertain what changes have been made and how significant they are, but the way that Naughty Dog developers have described the experience make it sound likeplayers can expect gameplay to echo that ofThe Last of Us 2.
This is exciting to imagine as it may change how encounters or environments are approached inThe Last of Us’ original story. However, fans will still have to wait a bit longer if they are anticipatingThe Last of Us Part 1’s launch on PC.
The Last of Us Part 1is scheduled to release on September 2 for PS5. A PC version is also in development.
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