Naughty Dog has shown off the first official The Last of Us Part 1 gameplay following a series of leaks that developers have described as disheartening, frustrating and hurtful.
The 10-minute features and gameplay deep dive video below includes interviews with the directors of The Last of Us Part I, who discuss “how the team went in and rebuilt the beloved game from the ground up”.
An accompanying PlayStation Blog post confirms the game can render native 4K at targeted 30 FPS or dynamic 4K at targeted 60 FPS
The Last of Us Part I Rebuilt for PS5 – Features and Gameplay Trailer
“The PS5’s powerful hardware drives a host of visual benefits, from denser physics with tons of bumpables and chipables (bullets can now rip apart concrete and environmental objects) and cinematics now transition seamlessly to gameplay,” it reads.
“Motion matching technology means that character animations flow more convincingly, intuitively and realistically; all adding another layer of believability to characters and their interactions with the world.
“Further, AI upgrades mean that characters inhabit the world in a more authentic and realistic way, such as buddy characters navigating cover to avoid enemy NPC sightlines more authentically.”
Naughty Dog has also added permadeath and speedrun-focused modes, plus new unlockable costumes for Joel and Ellie.
The release of the official gameplay follows a number of leaks showing off the game’s intro, combat and accessibility options, among other features.
“Leaks really suck,” said Naughty Dog vice president Arne Meyer after the release of the official video. “Esp when we’re right on the cusp of an asset drop. It’s disheartening and frustrating to teams who have put their hearts making awesome things for our fans.”
Naughty Dog senior editor Samuel Prince echoed Meyer’s feelings about leaks. “They’re extremely hurtful to the devs who work tirelessly to bring you these wonderful games. Public-facing assets take a long time to create, revise, approve, localize, clear legal, ESRB, etc. Be kind!”
The Last of Us Part I will be released for PS5 on September 2, 2022. The game is also in development for PC, although a release date has yet to be confirmed.
