the last time I played this was on PS3 and that was like 8 years ago by now so I thought it was time. even with the wholeinternet seemingly becoming sick of this franchise (and Naughty Dog in general) in recent years I still really like this!

visually it holds up, thanks to a vaguely cartoony style to the character models and slightly oversaturated colors; the former is obviously in part to get around hardware limitations (that this was on PS3 is insane), but the latter is a really striking choice that sets it apart from so many other apocalypse games like it. the colors in outdoor environments are gorgeous, and the green foliage and bright sky really pop next to the gray concrete and rusting cars. indoors, the fungal growths that spurred the pandemic appear in a variety of pastel shades to break up the monotony of looting office buildings and apartments, and the bright orange heads of clickers and their scarlet blood have an odd beauty to them.

the unique art direction is, of course, what takes a big hit in the controversial Part I rerelease for PS5. a little more than a remaster but a little less than a remake, it puts it visually closer to that of The Last Of Us Part II at the cost of any stylistic uniqueness. The tech behind it is undoubtedly impressive -- the facial animations in particular are truly astonishing, and make already emotional scenes absolutely soul-crushing -- but all the narrative heft of nature's deep colors reclaiming the earth from monotone urban decay is lost when striving for realism also inherently dilutes the palette so, so much.

I do wish the AI in Remastered was improved further, though, and that is what still has me excited for Part I. NPC companions who actually realistically hide behind cover and enemies who actively conspire against you in encounters were easily the best thing about Part II, and playing through Remastered has me eagerly awaiting a replay.