Despite having owned each PlayStation console ever launched, I’ve by no means really performed The Last of Us. Or any of the sequels. I’ve owned the primary recreation on each the PS3 and the PS4 and but, by no means really sat down and performed it.
Then got here the TV present. Knowing nothing of the lore, I went in with an open thoughts and, like so many others, completely fell in love with it. It’s the most effective TV reveals I’ve seen lately.
So when it completed not lengthy earlier than the long-awaited PC port of The Last of Us Part 1 was because of launch, I used to be hyped to lastly play. I figured it was value going for the PC model as a result of, actually, I anticipated it might afford alternatives to get pleasure from it in a manner the console model would not.
And then it arrived. And all of the hype become immense disappointment.
The Last Of Us Part 1 on PC is a textbook catastrophe of a launch
Is it a coincidence that the PC launch was slated so near the tip of the present? Probably not. But let’s face it, the present did the advertising and marketing for the sport. I’m fairly constructive I’m not the one one who determined to play after watching and loving it.
So all the things ought to have been nice. The hype was there, a legion of recent followers was there able to go, and the items have been in place. And then the launch really occurred.
The first seeds have been sown when the press did not obtain advance evaluate copies. Windows Central included. Sure, it is hardly a brand new recreation, however opinions do not simply cowl the story, graphics, and so on. On PC particularly, opinions are a vital early indicator of simply how effectively a recreation performs. There are extra variables to contemplate than on a console.
I assume now we all know why no person had evaluate copies. This recreation is horrible on PC. You’ve in all probability seen the memes, and the closely damaging opinions on Steam, Reddit, and social media feedback, and so they’re all true.
The launch of The Last of Us Part 1 on PC ought to have been a momentous event. Instead, it is a straight-up catastrophe.
The port is simply plain unhealthy and there is loads of work to do
I nonetheless purchased the sport. And proper now I want I hadn’t bothered and simply fired up the PlayStation. But past the promise of taking part in this recreation on some high-end PC {hardware}, the opposite draw was taking part in on the Steam Deck.
Even although it is not verified, being playable on the Steam Deck was talked about forward of time, and, effectively, it form of works. But the problems are removed from restricted to the Steam Deck.
I’ve performed The Last of Us Part 1 on each the Steam Deck and on a gaming laptop computer packing a 24-core i9-13950HX CPU and RTX 4090. And the expertise is unhealthy throughout the board. Throwing {hardware} at it does not appear to assist, so it simply seems like a nasty port. I’m hoping it will get mounted, however there’s lots to do, and it ought to not have shipped on this situation.
It’s not all unhealthy, I’ll admit. On max settings, it is a handsome recreation. And the story, as anticipated, is excellent, and so is the voice appearing. But the method of bringing this recreation from console to PC is the place all of it went flawed
On my Steam Deck, I did not make it by way of the prologue earlier than the entire thing crashed. Not simply the sport, however the Steam Deck itself. It went to a black display and was completely unresponsive. So I’m not even going to attempt it once more proper now.
On PC, to this point I have never seen any crashes. But it is hardly a very good time. It simply feels poor. On a gaming laptop computer with essentially the most highly effective internals that it is potential to have proper now, I had to make use of DLSS to get comfortably above 60 FPS at 1440p operating on the best settings. That won’t sound like a catastrophe, however the RTX 4090 ought to have the ability to do this with out breaking a sweat.
It’s very VRAM-heavy, it appears, and dropping the decision to 1080p did not appear to make as a lot distinction because it ought to. Certainly on this {hardware}. There are loads of settings that may be tinkered with, however that does not actually rescue issues.
What’s notably unhealthy is the fixed stuttering. There are not any elements of my time taking part in to this point which have felt clean, whatever the body charge. It consistently feels jittery, even in areas the place there is not a lot occurring. It’s simply irritating.
It did not should be this fashion
Sony has some good PC ports. Spider-Man, for instance, is de facto good and reveals off how being on PC could make these video games actually shine. But The Last of Us wants a lot work to rise up to this customary. As it sits proper now I simply can’t convey myself to play anymore, as a result of I’m simply not having fun with it.
Fingers could be pointed in quite a few instructions. The studio that dealt with the PC port on behalf of Naughty Dog has been within the crosshairs earlier than. Iron Galaxy dealt with Batman: Arkham Knight on PC, and all of us do not forget that. The Last of Us Part 1 hasn’t improved that repute.
Naughty Dog is doing its due diligence and investigating the problems, which is anticipated. But the studio additionally snuck out an announcement across the launch of the sport that it is formally a PC developer now as effectively. And this isn’t a very good first have a look at that future.
For me, and I’m certain many others, all that continues to be now’s to attend. And to hope. Hope that it will get mounted and that we will all start to get pleasure from this recreation as meant. Naughty Dog has mentioned the subsequent spherical of fixes will start quickly, so it is time to cross all the things and hope.
