The Last Of Us Part 1 Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs

5. New Animations & A.I. Improve Feel Of Combat

While sticking closely to the original blueprint of The Last of Us' mechanics might disappoint some, the subtle gameplay tweaks Naughty Dog have introduced still have a profound impact on the way The Last of Us plays.

The new animations and enemy A.I in particular enhance combat encounters, making them all around more visceral and immersive. Enemies here are smart, and will have you on your toes thinking of ways to avoid being overwhelmed. By constantly trying to out-flank you and get the upper hand, combat encounters are more dynamic than they were originally.

Again, it’s subtle and not a flashy re-tooling, but the difference is substantial when playing The Last of Us Remastered and Part 1 side by side, and, again, adds an extra layer of immersion and tactical thinking to the combat.

The overhauled gore system heightens the intensity of these sequences as well. Explosions tear enemy limbs to shreds, headshots leave a puff of blood splatter, while the character models drop dead in grisly and realistic fashion. Generally, there’s a real ugliness to the game’s violence, and honestly kind of a demented level of detail in this regard.

Overall though these changes mean that while The Last of Us Part 2’s mechanics may not have been transferred to Part 1, the impact of its combat absolutely has been.