The Last of Us Part I Review 2026: Should You Buy It?

What is The Last of Us Part I?

In our view, The Last of Us Part I is a ground-up remake of the seminal 2013 PlayStation 3 title, developed by Naughty Dog and released in 2022 for PlayStation 5 and subsequently PC. It is a narrative-driven, third-person action-adventure game with a strong emphasis on survival horror and character drama. The premise remains one of the most celebrated in modern gaming: in a post-apocalyptic United States decimated by a fungal pandemic, the hardened smuggler Joel is tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across the ruined country. What begins as a simple transaction slowly evolves into a gruelling journey of survival, loss, and fragile hope. This remake rebuilds the original experience using the modern technical foundation of The Last of Us Part II, aiming to bring the classic's visuals, animation, and accessibility in line with current expectations while leaving the core story and level design fundamentally intact.

Gameplay

Playing The Last of Us Part I is an exercise in tense, methodical survival. The core loop alterniates between exploration of hauntingly beautiful derelict environments, scavenging for desperately scarce resources, and combat encounters that are as brutal as they are strategic. This is not a fast-paced shooter. Ammunition and health kits are perpetually in short supply, forcing you to consider every engagement. The combat feels weighty and consequential; a missed shot or poorly thrown bottle can quickly lead to a frantic, desperate scramble. You will spend as much time crouching behind cover, listening for the guttural clicks of infected or the shouted orders of hostile humans, as you will in direct confrontation.

The game excels in offering multiple approaches. You can attempt stealth, using bricks and bottles to distract enemies and execute silent takedowns. When stealth fails, which it often does in heart-pounding moments, combat becomes a chaotic, visceral affair. The enemy AI, particularly of human foes, is notably improved from the original, feeling more reactive and tactical. The learning curve is well-pitched, introducing new enemy types like the terrifying blind Clickers and heavily armoured soldiers gradually. The depth comes from resource management—deciding whether to craft a health pack, a Molotov cocktail, or a shiv to break a Clicker's grip is a constant, meaningful choice. The companion AI for Ellie and other characters is also vastly improved, making them feel like genuine participants in the struggle rather than liabilities.

Who is The Last of Us Part I for?

This is unequivocally a game for solo players seeking a powerful, cinematic narrative experience. It is a linear, story-driven adventure, not an open-world RPG or a multiplayer arena. In our view, it will resonate most with those who prioritise character development and atmospheric world-building over pure gameplay freedom. The tone is mature, bleak, and emotionally demanding, making it unsuitable for younger players or those seeking light-hearted escapism.

It occupies a similar space to other narrative-focused titles like the Uncharted series (also from Naughty Dog, though far more action-oriented), Plague Tale: Innocence, or God of War (2018) in its emphasis on a central relationship. The gameplay shares DNA with survival horror classics like Resident Evil 2 Remake in its resource tension. It is accessible to both casual and hardcore players thanks to a robust suite of difficulty and accessibility options, allowing you to tailor the challenge from a narrative-focused walk to a punishing survival ordeal. However, its primary audience remains those who missed the original and demand the highest fidelity, or dedicated fans wishing to revisit the story with a new level of visual polish and gameplay refinement.

Graphics and performance

Visually, the remake is a stunning achievement on its lead platform, the PlayStation 5. The visual style remains grounded and grimly realistic, but the overhaul is comprehensive. Character models, especially for Joel and Ellie, are reconstructed with astonishing detail, capturing subtle micro-expressions that deepen the emotional performances. Environments are richer, with improved lighting, denser foliage, and enhanced texture work that makes the world feel more tangible and lived-in. The implementation of haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the PS5's DualSense controller is exemplary, adding a palpable tension to drawing a bow or feeling the rumble of rainfall.

The PC port, however, has been a significant point of contention and is a key factor behind the stark discrepancy between its high Metascore (largely based on the superb PS5 version) and its poor Steam rating. At launch, it was plagued by severe performance issues, including shader compilation stuttering, memory leaks, and inconsistent frame rates even on high-end hardware. While numerous patches from Naughty Dog have ameliorated the worst problems, our view is that the performance can still be erratic on some systems. When it runs well, it is arguably the definitive way to experience the game's visuals at high resolutions and frame rates. But potential PC buyers should be aware that achieving a stable experience may require considerable tweaking and a powerful rig, a caveat that heavily impacts its value proposition on that platform.

Value for money

The critical path of The Last of Us Part I will take most players between 15 to 20 hours, depending on difficulty and exploration. The game is strictly linear, with no side quests or alternate endings, though there are optional conversations and collectibles that enrich the world. The package includes the excellent Left Behind story DLC, which adds roughly 2-3 more hours.

Justifying the price, which sits at a premium full-game level, is the central debate. In our view, for a newcomer who has never experienced this story, the PS5 version represents a premium but justifiable purchase. You are buying one of the finest narrative experiences in the medium, presented with best-in-class production values. For returning players, the value is harder to assess. This is a faithful remake, not a reimagining. The story beats, dialogue, and level geometry are fundamentally unchanged. You are paying primarily for the graphical overhaul, improved AI, and modernised gameplay feel. On PC, given the historical and potential ongoing performance hurdles, we find the asking price more difficult to recommend without caution, especially when the original remastered version still provides a compelling, if less polished, experience of the core narrative at a lower cost.

Verdict

The Last of Us Part I is a masterpiece of storytelling, meticulously rebuilt with a level of technical craftsmanship that is often breathtaking. The emotional journey of Joel and Ellie remains as powerful and devastating as ever, now enhanced by performances that feel more nuanced and a world that feels more real.

Our clear recommendation is thus split by platform. For PlayStation 5 owners new to the franchise, this is an essential purchase. It is the definitive way to experience a landmark game. For returning fans on PS5, it is a luxurious, if expensive, revisit to a beloved classic. For PC players, we recommend a cautious approach; wait for a deep sale and ensure your system exceeds the recommended specifications, as the technical experience may not yet match the artistic achievement.

You will love this game if you cherish deeply character-driven narratives, tense survival gameplay, and unparalleled atmospheric world-building. You might not enjoy it if you prioritise open-ended gameplay, dislike linear stories, are sensitive to graphic violence and bleak themes, or—on PC—have a low tolerance for potential technical friction. In our view, as a piece of interactive drama, it remains peerless. As a consistently polished technical product, its status is more complicated, but its soul is undeniable.