Playing The Last of Us with friends made my favorite Play Station game feel brand new again | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest smartphones
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Details
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
Playing The Last of Us with friends made my favorite Play Station game feel brand new again
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
This article contains story spoilers for The Last of Us Part 1.
The Last of Us is an institution of modern media – Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic zombie shooter escaped the confines of its PS3 game case almost immediately after its initial release in 2013, and has since spanned live events, comic books, remasters, a full-on sequel, and even a TV series on HBO.
Every gamer has a backlog — and that’s no different for us at Tech Radar Gaming. From the Backlog is a series about overdue first-plays, revisiting classics, returning to online experiences, or rediscovering and appreciating established favorites in new ways. Read the full series here.
When a franchise becomes this popular, not to mention this critically acclaimed, it can be a little surprising to find that there are people who haven’t engaged with it. Until recently, one of those people was a good friend of mine – let's call him Ralph, because that's his name – who, despite having The Last of Us Part 1 installed on his PS5, had never really got into it.
As a lover of story-driven single player games, but decidedly not a horror fan, he had found himself stuck in the early chapters of the game, wherein main characters Joel, Ellie, and Tess find face off against the terrifying infected for the first time.
I've spent a month with the Animal Crossing New Horizons’ Switch 2 upgrade
Avowed PS5 review: Obsidian's fantasy action-RPG is better than ever on Play Station 5
I'd never played the remade PS5 version of The Last of Us myself, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to see my favorite Play Station game through a new pair of eyes, as well as a chance to turn this exclusively solo title into a more social experience.
So, for a few weekends, me, Ralph, and whoever else wanted to join us put our gaming skills together to guide Joel and Ellie through their journey across the post-apocalyptic United States – here’s what I found out along the way.
Yep, this game looks good. (Image credit: Naughty Dog)
Before anything else, I need to take a moment to appreciate just how mind-blowingly good The Last of Us Part 1 looks.
My first playthrough of The Last of Us was on the PS3 way back in 2013. I remember it being one of the best-looking games I had ever played, even back then, until The Last of Us Remastered released on PS4 the following year, sharpening up the visuals even further.
However, The Last of Us Part 1 is simply a different beast.
Throughout the entirety of our 12-ish hour playthrough, I was continually blown away by how incredible this game looks. From the verdancy of the outskirts of Bill’s Town to the spore-addled dormitories of the University section, The Last of Us Part 1 has effectively reset my imagination on what’s even achievable when it comes to video game graphics.
Just as I was seeing the game in a new light through Ralph’s first playthrough, I was also seeing it in a new light through the updated textures, expressive new character models, and ray-traced reflections bouncing off each pool of water.
Best PS5 games: the 30 top Play Station 5 titles to play in 2026
A sublime blend of masterful combat and hair-raising horror’ — why four hours with Resident Evil Requiem has sold me on its dual protagonist premise
Resident Evil Requiem review: brilliant action meets terrifying horror and a sloppy plot
This is all stuff our The Last of Us Part 1 review describes, but it still blew me away to play through it all myself.
As for performance, I can hardly remember seeing a long loading screen or a single dropped frame during our playthrough. That might not be surprising for a game that is coming up to 15 years old under the good, but it went a long way in making the game as enjoyable to watch as it was to play.
"I've had some practice": playing with a mix of newcomers and experts can take the pressure out of tough combat sections (Image credit: Sony)
On that note, The Last of Us has always been a pretty great game for spectators. Its outstanding performances and expertly-directed cutscenes give it the atmosphere of a prestige TV show, and the brutality of the combat encounters keeps adrenaline high and eyes glued to the screen.
Even as someone who gets on well enough with horror games and movies, the newly updated visuals and realistic character models had me feeling grateful to not be playing alone – and for Ralph, my friend who’s not so hot on horror, being part of the group unlocked a pathway through the game itself. The sewer section directly after the Pittsburgh escape was especially frightening, thanks to new enemy models and realistically dimmed lighting.
It was really grounding to play through Joel and Ellie’s story with someone who had no experience of the game. I gained a new appreciation for the highs and lows of the story – I felt new fear when battling clickers outside Boston, felt new shock at Joel’s injury in Colorado, and felt new hope at that oh-so-iconic giraffe scene.
Original release date: September 2, 2022 Released on: PS5, PC Played on: PS5
I’d also forgotten how challenging some of the sections of the game can be, like Ellie’s escape through the blizzard in David’s town and the iconic hospital firefight right at the end of the story. As a group, we found ourselves stuck on particularly tough segments, but being able to crack a few jokes or make some conversation went a long way in keeping our morale (and Dual Sense controllers) intact.
Something that the other experienced player in our group and I really appreciated was the improved combat mechanics and enemy AI, both of which take some influence from the more sophisticated systems in The Last of Us Part 2. On the other hand, it was interesting to hear Ralph – who’s most recently played Ghost of Yotei and has pushed through other action games like it – comment on the slowness and gritty realism of each gunfight as he became immersed in the game's survival-focused world.
Better together: The Last of Us Part I is even better when playing as a group (Image credit: Naughty Dog)
As we finished our playthrough, our humble group of gamers came to a few key realizations.
The first is that The Last of Us is still one of the best video games ever created – honestly, if any game deserved to become an icon of modern culture, it's this. From the writing, to the gameplay, to the visuals, The Last of Us Part 1 is airtight (to keep all those spores out, obviously).
The second is that our experience of playing this single-player game had been made measurably better by playing as a group – so much so that we immediately started planning our next playthrough.
So, if you have a game that’s held pride of place in your catalogue for a few years, I’ve got a suggestion for you – the next time you feel like recommending it to a friend, see if they feel like playing it as a duo or in a larger group, especially if there’s something about it that might typically push your friend away.
That social element is how I ended up having my best gaming experience of the year so far on a horror-inspired game with my friend who can’t stand them, finding a whole new perspective on my favorite Play Station game along the way. And as for my new gaming crew, something tells me Ralph’s PS5 hasn’t seen the last of us (sorry, not sorry).
➡️ Read our full guide to the best PS5 games
- Best overall: God of War Ragnarok
- Best soulslike: Elden Ring
- Best superhero: Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Superb open-world: Horizon Forbidden West
- A Kojima banger Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Best multiplayer: Helldivers 2
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow Tech Radar on Tik Tok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on Whats App too.
Jamie is a Mobile Computing Staff Writer for Tech Radar, responsible for covering phones and tablets. A lifelong tech-obsessive, Jamie began his writing career as a music blogger before studying journalism at Goldsmiths College, and joined Tech Radar in 2024. He thinks the i Phone 5S is the greatest phone of all time, but is currently an Android user.
As well as reporting on the latest in mobile hardware, software, and industry developments, Jamie specialises in features and long-form pieces that dive into the latest phone and tablet trends. He can also be found writing for the site's Audio and Streaming sections from time to time, or behind the decks as a DJ at local venues around London.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
1 Playing The Last of Us with friends made my favorite Play Station game feel brand new again
2 Hackers are using leaked Google API keys to ‘go wild’ with Gemini AI for free
3 Amazon's Ring cameras are the perfect solution to secure your home on a budget — shop today's best deals from $25.99
4I've tested every i Phone since the i Phone 12, and Ceramic Shield 2 is the first i Phone glass I fully trust
5 We're getting the DJI Pocket 4 on April 16, with Insta 360 waiting
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest smartphones
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
-
Playing The Last of Us with friends made my favorite Play Station game feel brand new again
