The Last of Us
The 2022 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, The Last of Us Part I, is a remake of the 2013 game with revised gameplay, enhanced combat and exploration, and expanded accessibility options. The single-player story follows Joel, who is tasked with escorting the young Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States and defending against cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus. The game includes the expansion The Last of Us: Left Behind, a single-player campaign following Ellie and her best friend Riley, while the original game’s online multiplayer mode is omitted. The development was led by game director Matthew Gallant and creative director Shaun Escayg, who replaced original directors Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann. The game was rebuilt to take advantage of updated hardware, requiring new animations, art direction, and character models to align with the vision of the original development team. The team expanded upon the gameplay, technology, and accessibility features of The Last of Us Part II (2020), using its game engine and building upon it with the updated technology. The cutscenes feature audio descriptions, and Part I supports 3D audio, as well as the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers of the DualSense controller.
The Last of Us Part I was announced in June 2022 and launched for PlayStation 5 in September, following several leaks. Its graphical enhancements, facial animations, artificial intelligence, and added accessibility, audio, and controller options were highly praised in positive reviews. However, the response to its gameplay and level design was mixed, with some critics questioning the need for a remake, particularly given its price. The game received an award at the Visual Effects Society Awards and was nominated for awards at the Game Awards and Golden Joystick Awards. Unfortunately, the Windows release in March 2023 was plagued by performance issues and received mixed reviews.
The Last of Us:
Joel Miller (voiced and portrayed by Troy Baker) – The protagonist of the first game, Joel is a rugged and morally complex survivor of the post-apocalyptic world. He becomes the surrogate father of Ellie and escorts her across the United States in a quest for survival.
Ellie (voiced and portrayed by Ashley Johnson) – The deuteragonist of the first game, Ellie is a young girl who is immune to the fungal infection plaguing the world. She and Joel form a strong bond during their journey.
Tommy Miller (voiced by Jeffrey Pierce) – Joel’s younger brother, who has established a safe haven for survivors called Tommy’s settlement.
Marlene (voiced by Merle Dandridge) – The leader of the Fireflies, a rebel group seeking to find a cure for the infection. She plays a pivotal role in the story.
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| Based on | The Last of Us by Naughty Dog[a] |
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| Theme music composer | Gustavo Santaolalla |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
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| Production location | Canada |
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| Running time | 43–81 minutes |
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| Network | HBO |
| Release | January 15, 2023 – present |