The Last of Usis peppered with nail-biting gameplay sequences where players either defend themselves against infected and humans or evade such enemies, wielding the environment and an assortment of crafted items to do so. There is rarely an instance where having a bottle or a brick on hand inThe Last of Usisn’t advised or advantageous, and players who take the time to meticulously search their surroundings will have many more resources than those who don’t. But, whileThe Last of Usexcels in all of these moments,Part 1in particular naturally feels inferior toPart 2now with everything the sequel introduces to the series.
The Last of Us Part 1’s Gameplay is Slow at the Best and Worst of Times
Considering how muchPart 2extrapolates onPart 1’s gameplay,Part 1is incredibly elementary in comparison.Part 1’s action/stealth encounters are sandwiched between lengthy walking sequences that help to establish relationships between characters as players loot environments for resources, ammo, and manuals.
Perhaps the biggest strain on gameplay inPart 1, some sections can’t help but feel dogged, regardless of how crucial they are to developing characters in-game; for example, if not for these slower beats, players might not have easily acknowledged Ellie’s fluctuating body language throughout the game.
The Last of Us’ opening in Boston following the prologue is decidedly slow with much-needed worldbuilding as players are introduced to Tess, Ellie, and Marlene, and it’s not untilBill finds Joel and Ellie in LincolnthatPart 1begins to tighten its pacing. That said, a big component of why these sections may feel sluggish is because of the restriction on players’ movement.
Joel is constantly leashed to a light jog, like when Tommy escorts him through the power plant, and even in gameplay sequences where players can move freely there is an egregious ‘jump’ interaction players can initiate on gaps and ledges. Jumping doesn’t seem intended as an actual mechanic but rather an unprompted traversal method, especially while navigating ventilation shafts in the Salt Lake City tunnel, and it, along with dragging Ellie around on wooden palettes and having to hoist planks and ladders, contributes greatly to such languid movement.
The Last of Us Part 2’s Gameplay Being So Superior Can’t Be for Nothing
Many ofPart 1’s gameplay blemishes could be forgiven if not forPart 2basically rewriting the book onhow players interact with the world ofThe Last of Us. Such improvements and changes include:
None of these gameplay changes are necessarily exciting or fantastic on paper, but they become so seamless and wonderful because of how well they blend intoThe Last of Us’ realism.
The Last of Usobviously has a hefty dose of science fiction in its DNA given that players contend with themutated horrors of the Cordyceps fungus(based on a real disease affecting ants), but there is nothing exaggerated about the way players move around the ruins of society and reach their destinations more than two decades after the outbreak occurred. It would be unfortunate now if noLast of Us Part 3ever came to fruition becausePart 2’s gameplay is a massive evolution on interactivity, progression, and traversal design choices, and seeing how those could be inherited or iterated on by a third game would be terrific.
