Some of you may already be aware, but in case you were in any doubt, it’s Summer right now.  This means two irrefutable facts: the temperature is far too high and there aren’t enough games-related things happening to write about at the moment.  I don’t want to hear any of The two may possibly be related.  Now we have even longer to wait until this situation is resolved, since Dragon Age: Inquisition has been delayed for another month or so.  I can’t even remember another upcoming game, it’s so hot.

But games are still being released.  Later this week, us Brits are going to see the release of The Last of Us: Remastered.  I loved the original and this souped-up version looks absolutely amazing, but I’m not going to be buying it.

Make no mistake, if you’ve not played the original, then you should definitely be buying this when it comes out.  In fact, the only circumstance that I can think of when I wouldn’t recommend buying this game is one that I unfortunately find myself in.  I already own the game on the PS3; the graphical boost and included DLC aren’t enough to justify buying it again.

It’s been confirmed that the gameplay is identical in both versions, so the only benefit (assuming I eventually buy the DLC for my PS3 copy) would be getting is the increased graphical fidelity offered on the PS4.  I have two main problems with this.  First of all, the original game is barely a year old: it’s too soon to be offering an improved version at full price.  Secondly, I am of the firm belief that graphics are a largely tertiary concern, behind gameplay and story (not necessarily in that order).

For owners of the PS3 version, there’s just not enough to warrant the expense of getting it again on PS4.  I had expected Sony to offer a special deal to people in my situation, perhaps giving a significant discount to people who effectively already had the game.  But Square-Enix didn’t do this with Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, so I can’t say I’m too surprised.  If a game does this well, it’s only natural that a business would want to squeeze every single penny it can out of it.

That’s not to say it’s not worth buying in nearly any other circumstance.  Sony and Naughty Dog have made the decision easy: if you own a PS4 and don’t already have the PS3 version, you should be buying The Last of Us: Remastered.  No ifs, no buts.  No, you shouldn’t go buy the PS3 version instead because it’s cheaper.  No, I don’t care what I said about graphics not being paramount: it’s a silly person who intentionally buys an inferior product to save a few quid.  No matter which way you slice it, the PS4 Remastered version is the one to get.

Unless you already own it, of course.  In which case, you would be equally silly to buy it again.  Maybe if Sony drop the price by 50 to 75%, but not until then.

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