It was recently revealed that a remake of remake, like Jak & Daxter or the first Uncharted. Although The Last of Us may not be the most "worthy" per se, rose-tinted glasses are to blame for the negative responses to the game's development.
It's true that The Last of Us still looks pretty impressive, especially the Remastered version; that's to be expected from a Naughty Dog game. Uncharted 4 will still be visually pleasing eight years after its release as well, despite the lack of ray tracing and other development techniques that will become the norm. It is because TLOU was so incredible for its time that fans are seemingly against a remake. Eight years (or even seven for The Last of Us Remastered) is a long time - especially with how common it is for games to get remade and remastered - and the gameplay in TLOU is definitely dated now that the hardware it was developed for is entirely obsolete.
A remake of TLOU may feel unnecessary because of how fresh it remains in players' minds. The story is impactful and emotional, and the release of The Last of Us Part II has kept it a part of the discourse. The Last of Us' achievements in story-telling and character development almost make it feel eternal, like classic films that perennially make the "top x of all time" greatest lists. If Sony feels a remake of The Last of Us will be successful, and Naughty Dog has a chance to more fully realize its vision for the series, then by all means give it a proper reimagining.
The Last of Us is Not Held Back by Only its Release Date
By the time The Last of Us released on the PS3, the console was nearly seven years old. The Remastered version the next year made it look a bit better, and included all of the DLC, but there were no gameplay improvements or structural changes to the game itself. What Naughty Dog accomplished with TLOU on the PS3 is very impressive. The fact that some gamers are strongly opposed to the game being brought to hardware that could conceivably let it sur its sequel in scope is a testament to how well TLOU was crafted around the resources available two generations ago.
2013, the year TLOU initially released, was also the last time BioShock and Splinter Cell games were made. BioShock Infinite is just as widely celebrated as TLOU, but it's doubtful anyone would complain about an Infinite remake being announced. Super Mario 3D World came to the Wii U in 2013 and was recently welcomed onto the Switch with only some slight adjustments to the base game.
In all fairness, not much could be changed about 3D World to modernize it, since its levels are tightly designed - but Nintendo did add a whole new section of the game with Bowser's Fury. BioShock Infinite, however, is a good analogue for The Last of Us because a remake could overhaul enemy AI, rework combat areas, improve facial animation, and bring more detail to the game world, without sacrificing load times.
The Last of Us may be eight years old, but the console it was developed for is now pushing 15. The game's story has aged fine because it is so well-written, but the gameplay and behind-the-scenes elements could use some improvement because of how limited it was compared to more modern games.
The Last of Us Part II is Proof of Concept for a TLOU Remake
The merits of The Last of Us Part II's story are still fervently debated among players, but the game as a whole is on a completely different scale than its predecessor. The playable areas are much larger, more dynamic, and have a greater level of detail. The first game is essentially an alternating series of combat arenas and puzzle/exposition sections. While the gameplay flow of the sequel remains largely the same, it has evolved into something more organic because of the level design.
Nearly every area in TLOU2 can function as a combat arena, creating suspense and a more genuine feeling of realism when exploring the violent and dangerous setting. TLOU is by no means short on suspense or lacking in its survival horror elements, but the sequel has taken the series to new heights in of gameplay, and a remake of substance could bring TLOU up to par.
Even though The Last of Us 2 is bigger, many of its most important detail additions are smaller, which helps in making it more immersive. Players can hear enemy NPCs calling each other as if they are actually people, and even the dogs used to track the player are given names, creating an internal conflict with one small detail. Little adjustments to how the game interacts with the player like this go a long way in improving the experience.
A vast majority of the enemies in The Last of Us are nameless obstacles that need to be removed. Giving the NPCs names in TLOU2 didn't stop many people from killing them anyway, but creating a well-rounded world by humanizing everyone is an important part of a game that delves so deeply into themes regarding humanity itself.
There were seven years between the two titles, and with game development seemingly taking longer with every ing year, it might be a while before Naughty Dog delivers a third entry. Even the multiplayer component for TLOU2, supposedly a new iteration of the first game's Factions game mode, grew too ambitious, having to be separated from the base game. A TLOU2 PS5 upgrade is rumored, and there's a good chance the multiplayer will be optimized for the new hardware, so Naughty Dog and Sony might be taking the opportunity to bring the entire series up to speed in the new generation.
At first suggestion The Last of Us seems like an odd choice of game to remake, but there's quite a bit of nostalgia involved in that initial reaction. There's plenty in the game that can be improved upon, and it being developed for old hardware means the entire scope can be reimagined. The Last of Us' own sequel shows how much the formula has been improved, and how much detail can still be added to an already intricately-crafted game. The Last of Us may be playable on the PS5 already, but there's still room for the game to be completely remade.
