The Last Of Us Part 1 Remake Release Date, Trailer, And Gameplay - What We Know So Far

Although a big leak confirmed what fans already suspected bout its existence, the official reveal of "The Last of Us" remake was an exciting part of 2022's Summer Game Fest opening night. Dubbed "The Last of Us Part 1," the remake is looking much more in-depth than anyone might have guessed before. Rather than a simple upgrade to visuals and performance, it has been described as being rebuilt from the ground up, and an extensive amount of work has gone into more accurately capturing the original facial performances of the actors.

Neat details like this (and more) were lightly discussed as Neil Druckmann, the original director behind "The Last of Us" spoke with Summer Game Fest's host Geoff Keighley and game actors Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker. As the actors behind Ellie and Joel, respectively, their reactions to the remake's trailer were emotionally charged. As fans of the game themselves, they'll likely be just as keen as players to revisit the dramatic story that started it all when the next-gen remake launches later this year.

Fortunately, "The Last of Us" fans won't have long to wait before they can embark upon their favorite fungal zombie-filled adventure once more. Releasing for the PlayStation 5 on Sept. 2, 2022, "The Last of Us Part 1" remake will be available to the tune of $69.99 for the base game or $99.99 for the Firefly Edition. According to the official PlayStation Blog, those who purchase the Firefly Edition can expect to receive bonuses such as six weapon skins, a speedrun mode, a "dither punk" filter, and more.

The game's reveal trailer also details that a PC version of the remake is also in development. However, it's important to note that "The Last of Us" series is finally leaving the PlayStation 4 behind. While this isn't too surprising, it could be disheartening for those who have been unable to acquire a PlayStation 5 as of yet. However, Sony's continued efforts to bring more of its first-party games to PC is always exciting to see.

The official announcement trailer for "The Last of Us Part 1" manages to simultaneously show off its gorgeous new visuals and revisit some particularly exciting scenes from the original game, all without spoiling the events for those who may have missed it the first time around. According to Neil Druckmann, "We wanted to give people the definitive version of the first game that wasn't encumbered by any technology. We wanted to find a way to get even closer to our original vision, and we were able to do it on PS5 and PC." 

The trailer, a sizzle reel of the game's iconic locations, characters, and action, clearly shows just how much work went into making sure the game looks not only like it is staying true to the artistic vision of the original game, but also taking full advantage of the PS5's hardware to create some beautiful visuals. 

While it's very safe for fans to expect a similar gameplay experience to the original version, Druckmann did reveal an interesting detail during the Summer Games Fest. "We could talk about, like, this brand new AI. Like, all the combat is redone." This tantalizing hint seems to suggest that the remake will incorporate some of the impressive AI seen in "The Last of Us Part 2," which introduced new ways of guiding enemies and their behaviors, making for an even more engaging experience.

Gameplay will certainly remain an over-the-shoulder, third-person shooting affair, but with the game being remade from the ground up for a modern console, there will likely be plenty of tweaks that make the experience smoother. And of course, being developed for the PlayStation 5, there will probably be some exciting additions made for the DualSense controller's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Only time will tell, but the possibilities are definitely exciting.

With its launch speedily approaching, "The Last of Us Part 1" is looking like it will be a great way to revisit the original story before "The Last of Us" TV series really gives fans what they want next year.