Why $70?

By Jose Anguiano – Cinematic Bandicoot

thecinematicbandicoot.com

October 11th, 2022

That is the question concerning “The Last of Us Part I” for the PlayStation 5 – One of the most critically acclaimed games of the 2010 decade that elevated interactive storytelling to a whole new level.

Back in 2013, video game remakes were a drop of water compared to today where they are reliable investments for developers and publishers.

Even so, games like “Skyrim” and “Grand Theft Auto V“ received backlash for adding nothing new with every subsequent re-release.

Furthermore, “The Last of Us” is available on past generation consoles at a $50 discount.

PlayStation 4 owners received a free copy in October 2019 via the PlayStation Plus subscription, and it’ is also included in the new PlayStation Plus Premium subscription.

Subtract the multiplayer component from this $70 game, and there is little incentive to buy this for a third time.

Nearly every aspect of this game takes the “Shadow of the Colossus” route in preserving the experience to a fault, except “Shadow” only cost $40.

With publishers’ adamant about increasing game prices to $70 in the new console generation, customers are paying more for less.

As far as the story is concerned, there are no new chapters outside of the “Left Behind” downloadable content, no connections to the sequel, not even an alternate ending for those who disagreed with Joel’s decision to save Ellie.

It’s still emotional, thought provoking and terrifying, but for veterans who have played this for two console generations, there is nothing to persuade them to fork over so much money.

As for the graphics, everything is overhauled to suit the console.

The black screen transitions between cutscenes and gameplay are gone, character models fit the evolved realism and loading time are near non-existent upon entering new areas or suffering a gruesome death.

The locations benefit from the new coat of pain as each vista glows with new lighting, coloring and shading.

The gore is more prevalent with every shotgun blast and exploding nail bomb while the enemies are more frightening as they try to eat your veins.

To Naughty Dog’s credit, their vision benefited from the upgraded hardware.

Unfortunately, the unchanged gameplay does not add anything new to justify this price hike.

On the one hand, the flexible survival horror options give players unlimited approaches to dangerous situations.

On the other hand, so much cut content could have been implemented since everything is recreated from the ground up.

Apparently, an infected elephant remains locked in the cutting room.

Imagine outrunning or even battling one of the largest land animals when it is covered in fungal armor.

It worked for the bloaters, so why not for an additional boss battle?

Even the implementations from “The Last of Us Part II” are inconsistent.

All the combat upgrades like the dodge mechanic, the cover mechanic and the updated crafting system are omitted, which is baffling since they improved the stealth and action sequences.

Instead, the time padding weapon upgrade and safe cracking animations enforce the wrong kind of realism that adds up in the double digits and wastes everyone’s time.

Furthermore, all the accessibility features barely impact the experience unless anyone at this point has not played this almost decade old title.

For all the resources at Naughty Dog’s disposal, this goes against everything a video game remake should strive for.

Granted, the audio commentary with co-director Neil Druckmann and cast members Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson remains untouched if New Game Plus looks attractive.

Aside from that, there is no reason to buy this when there is a cheaper alternative.

But for the sake of argument, let’s pretend there is a significant audience that has never played this game.

First, the $70 price tag goes against the inclusive intentions compared to the cheaper PlayStation 4 port.

In fact, one could accuse Sony and Naughty Dog of exploiting disabled people with this higher entry fee, whether it is intentional or not.

Second, Sony increased the console price after dealing with scalpers for two years.

While this does not affect customers in the United States, it inflates the already high entry fee everywhere else.

Third, Sony refused to refund customers for the damaged firefly editions that cost $100, taking away creditability to increasing game prices when the bare minimum of customer service cannot be met by one of the biggest publishers in the video game industry.

As interactive media, “The Last of Us Part I” remains one of the best experiences of all time.

As a remake, it is one of the most pointless re-releases that cannibalizes its good intentions.

Video game remakes need more than just a new coat of paint to justify a price increase, especially if they want to accommodate various accessibility needs.

They need new content, possibly discarded from the original, to bring a new experience and become the definitive edition like 2019’s “Resident Evil 2” or 2020’s “Final Fantasy VII”.

With reports of “Horizon: Zero Dawn” getting a remaster/remake, this is setting a horrible trend for Sony where players pay more money for the same experience while older games will likely be lost to time because the industry does not care about game preservation.

Only time will tell if this trend continues but until then, save your money and play the remastered version on PlayStation 4 at a $50 discount or play “Horizon Forbidden West” which comes with both accessibility features and a gameplay evolution.

What are your thoughts on “The Last of Us Part I”? What older game do you want to see remade? Whatever your thoughts are comment and discuss with others!

And if you enjoy reading our content, be sure to like and follow our website and social media pages! This is Cinematic Bandicoot saying stay tuned for more Halloween content!

Works Cited

Articles

Brian Roberts – PlayStation Blog – Accessibility features in Horizon Forbidden West: https://blog.playstation.com/2022/02/10/accessibility-features-in-horizon-forbidden-west/

CinematicBandicoot – Dissecting The Last of Us Part II (In-Depth Spoiler Review): https://thecinematicbandicoot.com/2020/08/03/dissecting-the-last-of-us-part-2-in-depth-spoiler-review/

– Resident Evil 2 (2019): https://thecinematicbandicoot.com/2019/10/31/resident-evil-2-2019/

– Shadow of the Colossus (2018): https://thecinematicbandicoot.com/2018/02/28/shadow-of-the-colossus-2018/

– The Last of Us Remastered (In-Depth Spoiler Review): https://thecinematicbandicoot.com/2020/05/26/the-last-of-us-remastered-in-depth-spoiler-review/

– The Best Unreviewed Games of 2020: https://thecinematicbandicoot.com/2021/02/01/best-unreviewed-video-games-of-2020/

Rollin Bishop – Comicbook.com – The Last of Us Remastered Is Now Available for Free via PlayStation Plus: https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/last-of-us-free-ps4-playstation-plus-october/

Books

Naughty Dog – The Art of The Last of Us: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D7JQJFG/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

– The Art of The Last of Us Part II: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Last-Us-Part-II/dp/1506713769/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5AQ3D32GUSQQ&keywords=the+art+of+the+last+of+us+part+ii&qid=1665275608&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjE0IiwicXNhIjoiMC43OCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMjgifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=the+art+of+the+last+of+us+part%2Caps%2C232&sr=8-1

YouTube Videos

Astrosive – The Last of Us Remake – All Safe Codes and Combinations (All Safe Locations): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsa7Ix7AIME

Babyzone – The Last Of Us Part 1 Remake – All Weapon Upgrade Animations PS5 4k 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx0igHBdMQ8

Binge Gaming – Ellie & Joel Find A Giraffe (Emotional Scene) – The Last of Us Part 1 PS5 Remake 4K ULTRA HD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYZifLyOJhE

Digital Foundry – The Last of Us Part 1 PS5 vs The Last of Us Remastered PS4 Pro Improvements Detailed!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPyyrlxEBkQ

DreamcastGuy – Gamers will “Happily” Pay $70 for PS5 Games? NO!!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4iaMY4381s

DYKGaming – The Last of Us – Did You Know Gaming? Feat. Caddicarus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=six7mrrBI4s

HBO Max – The Last of Us | Official Teaser | HBO Max: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBRRDpQ0yc0

Jim Stephanie Sterling – The $70 Price Tag Is Actually Indefensible (The Jimquisition): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7kaK2-725w

Joshscorcher – Top Ten Worst Endings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eZiSDQfW5o&t=1331s

RabbidLuigi – Can Video Games be TOO Realistic?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxEJYg4KmEM&t=160s

ReviewTechUSA – PlayStation Can’t Stop Pulling Anti-Consumer Stunts #TheLastofUsPartI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9dU-fF5k34

Speclizer Clips – Joel & Ellie’s Argument – The Last of Us Part I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZfwOzUCy9M

Stop Skeletons From Fighting – The Video Game Industry Can’t (and Won’t) Preserve Its Own History | Past Mortem [SSFF]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBqYrmbDBgs

Uncle Al – Currently at Nintendo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfBEj9BW_ok

YongYea – GTA 5 Players & Modders Are Fed Up With Take Two & Rockstar, Next Gen Trailer Mass Downvoted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5TVrEYHsY8

– Bethesda Charge Ridiculous $70 For Skyrim Anniversary Edition On Switch + Poor Performance Reported: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuySYuyf-OQ

– Sony Confirms Every PS5 Is Sold Out, Scalping Gets Out Of Hand As One Group Snags 3500 Units: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHN6m8X1bKM

– Sony Is Increasing PS5 Prices Across The Globe In Markets Outside US, Face Backlash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSGRxdBao2k

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