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

DOWNS

2. No TLOU 2 Mechanics Or Major Gameplay Additions

There was a lot of speculation pre-launch that developers Naughty Dog may have changed the gameplay and exploration, adding in mechanics featured in The Last of Us Part 2. Sadly, that's not the case. Don’t expect any substantial changes to the combat mechanics or new areas to explore. TLOU 2 features like prone, dodging and jumping aren’t here. This is the same foundation from the original game, with subtle tweaks that do enhance and improve the feel.

While some of these changes may have transformed The Last of Us's core too fundamentally, some would have improved the gameplay without radically changing the encounter design. The addition of TLOU 2's dodge, for instance, would have improved the flow of melee combat, and given the player another tool in their arsenal.

It's also a shame to see other small additions not be added to the combat either. TLOU 2's faster stealth kills would have made stealth in Part 1 more appealing. Hell, alternate stealth kill animations generally would have gone a long way in letting that more monotonous part of TLOU's combat suite feel more dynamic and visually interesting.