The Last of Us Game PC Review: A Flawed Port That Falls Short of Expectations

Experience Joel and Ellie's iconic story on PC with The Last of Us Part 1, but be prepared for a less-than-ideal encounter with this beloved game.

Originally released in 2013, The Last of Us quickly became a sensation, spawning a franchise that includes a sequel, an HBO adaptation, and more. For years, the game remained exclusive to PlayStation consoles, making it inaccessible to PC gamers. However, the arrival of the PC port of The Last of Us Part 1 has changed that.

The PC version of The Last of Us Part 1 aims to bring the award-winning 2013 original to modern standards. It offers enhanced graphics, improved accessibility options, and new game modes. Originally a PS5 exclusive, this remake received widespread critical acclaim, establishing itself as the definitive way to experience The Last of Us.

The game faithfully recreates the gameplay, story, and general content of the original, with a few exceptions. Unfortunately, it lacks the Factions multiplayer mode present in the original, which was a strong addition to the game. The absence of Factions in The Last of Us Part 1 may be due to the upcoming Last of Us multiplayer game, but regardless, it's disappointing that it didn't make it into the remake.

A notable addition in The Last of Us Part 1 is the inclusion of the Left Behind expansion, which provides additional insight into Ellie's backstory. This expansion, with its substantial upgrades, is accessible from the start, allowing newcomers to the franchise to enjoy a more comprehensive experience compared to those who played the original and had to wait for the release of Left Behind.

With the story of The Last of Us told, retold, remade, and adapted for television, players who have already experienced the game or watched the show might want to focus primarily on gameplay. Fortunately, most cutscenes in The Last of Us can be skipped, although there are still moments where control is temporarily taken away for brief, unskippable cinematic sequences. While it would have been preferable to have the option to skip every scene in the game, at least the longer ones can be bypassed.

Returning players might find the initial hours of Last of Us Part 1 to be somewhat sluggish, but first-time players should be captivated right from the beginning. The game opens with a heart-wrenching prologue and transports players to a post-apocalyptic world where Joel and Ellie's harrowing adventure unfolds. Throughout the game, players will engage in stealth combat, confronting enemies with brutal executions, battling terrifying Clicker monsters, and participating in intense shootouts that will leave them on edge.

The action in The Last of Us is unparalleled, offering a realistic portrayal of violence that imbues each fight with a weight rarely seen in video games. It can be unsettling to witness enemies choking on their own blood after being shot, but it is these disturbing details that set The Last of Us apart. The game goes the extra mile to make every character feel authentic, elevating the combat to a level rarely achieved in the gaming world.

While there have been some tweaks and improvements, the core gameplay experience in the remake remains largely unchanged from the original 2013 version. The major selling point of the remake is the greatly improved graphics, featuring stunning environmental details and more lifelike character models. The game truly shines when played on High or Ultra settings, but unfortunately, even players with powerful gaming rigs may need to settle for lower graphics settings due to current technical limitations.

Despite surpassing the recommended PC requirements for The Last of Us, the game struggles to maintain performance on High and Ultra settings. Issues such as flickering textures and graphical anomalies are prevalent, with Ultra settings causing the most frequent problems. Adjusting the graphics to High alleviates some of the issues but does not entirely eliminate them. Surprisingly, the game only crashed consistently when played on High settings rather than Ultra.

To ensure a reliable experience, PC players must lower the graphics settings to Medium. This may disappoint those who have invested in high-end PC hardware, but it is currently the only viable option to avoid significant technical issues. Naughty Dog is committed to addressing these problems with future updates, but as of now, The Last of Us PC port suffers from poor optimization.

While The Last of Us Part 1 on PC offers more graphics and performance options compared to its PS5 counterpart, it currently fails to realize its full potential. Additionally, playing the game with a mouse and keyboard lacks the immersion of using a DualSense controller, though the PS5 controller is compatible with PC. This compatibility comes at an added cost. At present, the only advantage of the PC version over the PS5 release is the lower price, but this benefit becomes nullified when considering the need to purchase a DualSense controller for optimal gameplay.

Undoubtedly, The Last of Us is one of the greatest games in the industry, but the PC port falls short of being the definitive way to experience it. While the game's technical issues overshadow its true brilliance, PC gamers willing to compromise on graphics settings may still find enjoyment in the game's exceptional story and gameplay. However, for those who can wait, it is best to hold off until the issues are addressed, and the PC version reaches its full potential.