Playing The Last of Us with friends made my favorite PlayStation game feel brand new again

Date:
Sat, 11 Apr 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Description:
My fourth playthrough of The Last of Us was also my friends first heres what I learned by playing it as a group.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Disclaimer This article contains story spoilers for The Last of Us Part 1 . The Last of Us is an institution of modern media Naughty Dogs 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 . From the Backlog Every gamer has a backlog and thats no different for us at TechRadar 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 havent 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. Article continues below You may like 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 PlayStation 5 The 23 best PS4 games to play right now

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 PlayStation 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 heres what I found out along the way. Re-remastered 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. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

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 Bills Town to the spore-addled dormitories of the University section, The Last of Us Part 1 has effectively reset my imagination on whats even achievable when it comes to video game graphics.

Just as I was seeing the game in a new light through Ralphs 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. What to read next Just got a PlayStation Portal? Here are nine games I cannot recommend enough It's been more than two years since I reviewed the PlayStation Portal, and it's still my absolute favorite PS5 accessory here's how some of you can get 5% off Best PS5 games: the 30 top PlayStation 5 titles to play in 2026

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. Its The Last of Us, not The Last of Me "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 whos 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 Ellies 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 Joels injury in Colorado, and felt new hope at that oh-so-iconic giraffe scene. The Last of Us Part 1 (Image credit: Naughty Dog) Original release date: September 2, 2022 Released on: PS5, PC Played on: PS5 Id also forgotten how challenging some of the sections of the game can be, like Ellies escape through the blizzard in Davids 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 DualSense 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 whos 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. Singleplayer is only a recommendation 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 thats held pride of place in your catalogue for a few years, Ive 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 theres 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 cant stand them, finding a whole new perspective on my favorite PlayStation game along the
way. And as for my new gaming crew, something tells me Ralphs PS5 hasnt seen the last of us (sorry, not sorry). The best PS5 games going right now Our top picks for PS5

Read our full guide to the best PS5 games 1. Best overall: God of War Ragnarok 2. Best soulslike: Elden Ring 3. Best superhero: Marvel's Spider-Man 2 4. Superb open-world: Horizon Forbidden West 5. A Kojima banger Death Stranding 2: On the Beach 6. Best multiplayer: Helldivers 2 Follow TechRadar 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 TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/playing-the-last-of-us-with-friends-made-my-f avorite-playstation-game-feel-brand-new-again


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)