Thanks to a recent blog post from Sony, we can now see “The Last of Us: Part 1” in action for ourselves. As many suspected, it is now confirmed to be a PS5 exclusive, but it sounds like it will use every one of the PS5’s tricks, including its rapid M.2 SSD storage and its highly tactile DualSense controller, to deliver a cinematic experience more engaging than the original.
Haptic feedback, combined with resistance from the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers, is the standout feature in this announcement. This can very quickly change the way you approach “The Last of Us: Part 1” in certain instances. For example, when using the bow, your trigger finger will receive physical resistance due to the way the adaptive triggers push back on your fingers to simulate an actual bow’s tension. This can rapidly increase the difficulty of combat in tense instances when implemented properly, and it sounds like you’ll be able to feel certain cues in the environment as well. When paired with the PS5’s 3D audio engine, these combined features could add tension to many of the horror-driven moments that pockmark the campaign.
Loading times, AI, and visuals are also getting a huge bump, and it sounds like both enemies and allies will be able to predict the player’s movement in a limited capacity, not unlike how they behaved in “The Last of Us: Part 2”. “The Last of Us: Part 1” will be available to PS5 owners on September 2, and it’s slated to cost approximately $70 at release.
