The upcoming remake The Last of Us Part 1 will overhaul the post-apocalyptic epic’s graphics and gameplay, and it will also add a large swatch of new cosmetic skins. Naughty Dog’s 2013 adventure sees survivors Joel and Ellie cross the ruins of America following the outbreak of a deadly fungal infection. The PlayStation 3 classic spawned a 2020 sequel, The Last of Us Part 2, which continued Ellie’s survival story. Now Naughty Dog is set to release a remake titled The Last of Us Part 1, and this updated release will come with a number of upgrades and bonuses.
While the graphics in The Last of Us were extremely impressive back in 2013, The Last of Us Part 1 will bring Joel and Ellie’s adventure up to modern standards. Naughty Dog has rebuilt the game from the ground up, building new environments and character models that match the detail and realism of the world in The Last of Us Part 2. While the story will allegedly go unchanged, the upcoming remake will also tweak gameplay to better match its sequel. Mechanics like bow aiming and weapon upgrades have been changed significantly, and Last of Us remake gameplay will also take advantage of improvements to artificial intelligence for computer-controlled enemies and allies.
On top of graphical improvements and gameplay innovations, Twitter user Naughty Dog Central reveals that The Last of Us Part 1 will add a number of brand-new cosmetic skins for players to equip on Joel and Ellie. The game’s original release included 10 unique skins for Joel and 11 for Ellie, allowing players to customize both characters during a second playthrough. Joel’s outfits mainly fit with his practical survivalist style, but many of Ellie’s skins serve as references to Naughty Dog history or general pop culture. From a backpack and pair of goggles inspired by Jak & Daxter to a yellow jumpsuit pulled from Kill Bill, Ellie’s skins in The Last of Us add some lighthearted flavor to a second playthrough. The upcoming TLOU remake gives Joel and Ellie new looks, and it will also add some new skins that reference other beloved PlayStation properties.
God of War Ragnarok Skins In TLOU Part 1
With its impending launch on September 2, The Last of Us Part 1 will be sharing the spotlight with fellow PlayStation-exclusive title God of War Ragnarok. As a direct follow-up to 2018’s God of War, the game will see Kratos and Atreus embark on another journey through Norse myth as the end of the world draws near. Many fans have drawn parallels between The Last of Us and God of War, and a new cosmetic in The Last of Us Part 1 bridges the gap between the two series.
The new skin being added in The Last of Us Part 1 sees Ellie don a t-shirt bearing the logo of God of War Ragnarok. The logo’s distinct runic details represent the franchise’s new Norse saga, and the blue coloration makes the shirt specifically stand out as a Ragnarok tie-in rather than a crossover into the previous installment. Perhaps when God of War Ragnarok releases on November 9 Atreus will be able to return the favor by acquiring a Last of Us-inspired tunic.
Sly Cooper Skins For Ellie In TLOU Part 1
Alongside Ratchet & Clank creator Insomniac Games, one of Naughty Dog’s closest contemporaries in the gaming industry is Sucker Punch Productions. The two studios have been working on first-party PlayStation games since the PlayStation 2 era, and a new cosmetic skin in The Last of Us Part 1 will pay tribute to Sucker Punch’s beloved platformer series Sly Cooper. The skin includes the titular thieving raccoon’s iconic emblem, which he tends to leave at the scene of his many daring crimes.
Ellie’s Resistance Cosmetic In The Last of Us Remake
Many fans have been waiting for a new Resistance game since 2011, and The Last of Us Part 1 will pay homage to the first-person shooter franchise in the form of a new Ellie skin. Developed by Insomniac Games, the sci-fi trilogy saw players fight through an alternate timeline where the alien Chimera race invaded the planet in the 1950s.
While the Resistance series failed to live up to other Insomniac franchises like Spyro the Dragon or Ratchet & Clank, Naughty Dog still commemorates the series in the form of a t-shirt for Ellie in The Last of Us Part 1. The crossover attire is emblazoned with the Resistance 3 logo, a four-eyed alien skull with teeth that form the Manhattan skyline. Insomniac’s Resistance franchise may be long gone, but The Last of Us Part 1 ensures that the series is never forgotten.
Ellie’s Ghost of Tsushima Shirt In The Last Of Us Part 1
Many of the shrines in Ghost of Tsushima reference fellow PlayStation-exclusive properties, and now The Last of Us Part 1 will be returning the favor. Sucker Punch’s latest title is an open-world adventure that takes players to Feudal Japan during a Mongol invasion of the titular Tsushima Island. As samurai Jin Sakai players must battle across the island and assemble a team of allies in order to rescue Lord Shimura, Tsushima’s ruler and Jin’s uncle. The Last of Us Part 1 skin that references Ghost of Tsushima gives Ellie a t-shirt emblazoned with the game’s logo.
Ellie Has A Returnal Shirt In TLOU Remake
One of the most recently released PlayStation-exclusive games is Returnal, an atmospheric sci-fi roguelike shooter developed by Housemarque. The developer famously included a P.T. Easter egg in Returnal, with the home of protagonist Selene being nearly identical to the house in Hideo Kojima’s survival horror teaser. Now Naughty Dog has injected a Returnal homage into The Last of Us Part 1, allowing Ellie to wear a shirt that pays tribute to the strange shooter and its iconic imagery.
By adding a plethora of new cosmetic skins to The Last of Us Part 1, Naughty Dog can pay homage to its fellow PlayStation Studios developers and Sony’s impressive lineup of exclusive games. Ellie’s new t-shirt designs are a tribute to PlayStation classics like Resistance and Sly Cooper as well as highly-anticipated projects like God of War Ragnarok. The upcoming remake may include other exciting Easter eggs, too, but fans will just have to wait until The Last of Us Part 1 releases in September to find them.
