The Last of Us Was Remade “to Have a Definitive Version”, HBO Series Was “Not the Main Reason”

The Last of Us getting a full-priced remake less than a decade after it first came out (for a system where you can already play a remastered version of the game that holds up perfectly well) has obviously generated a lot of conversation over the last few months about whether it was needed at all, but Sony and Naughty Dog, of course, are convinced that it was. 

Speaking with Axios, PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst spoke about the same, talking about how Naughty Dog’s acclaimed 2013 title was “a little ahead of its time in terms of its creative vision”, and that since it was made “against the limitations of the technology at the time”, Sony felt a remake was necessary in order to “have a definitive version.”

While many have assumed that a tie-in with the upcoming HBO adaptation of The Last of Us was the reason for the remake being made, Hulst said that that was “not the sole reason, or maybe not even the main reason.” Though of course, the fact that the remake’s launch has come so close to the upcoming TV show is an obvious boost. “Obviously, if you can let that coincide, that’s the Holy Grail, right?” Hulst said.

Recent reports have suggested that a PS5 remaster of Horizon Zero Dawn, which released for PS4 in 2017, is also in development at Guerrilla Games. 

The Last of Us Part 1 is available on PS5, and is also in development for PC. In our review of the game, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “The Last of Us Part 1 is an extremely faithful remake of the original. It could have benefited with improved gameplay, but what is here holds up extremely well, making it a blast to play through.” Read the full review through here.