“The Last of Us Part 1” for PC — a remake of the beloved post-apocalyptic action-adventure video game — lacked a sufficient release because of its glitchy performance, including frequent crashes, low frame rate and broken visuals.

These catastrophic bugs result exist in an overwhelmingly negative rating on the game’s Steam page, and loyal fans deemed the game unplayable less than 24 hours after its release on March 28.

Developer Naughty Dog raced to implement repairs and patch bugs after seasoned gamers expressed their outrage.

Released originally on the PS3 in 2013, “The Last of Us” was an instant success and garnered a devoted fan base, a sequel and a TV series adaptation, all in the last decade.

It received universal praise for its breathtaking graphics and riveting narrative. 

The game follows hardened smuggler Joel and brave orphan Ellie as they navigate a world rotted with despair after a mutated fungus spreads, transforming humans into wretched, barbarous creatures. 

Users must wait approximately two hours for the game to build its shaders upon launch, which essentially means the game is syncing with your PC to prepare shadows, lighting and textures.

Typically, this process takes a few minutes the first time you launch a game.

If it takes hours to configure the game’s shaders, that means some players cannot request a refund because Steam only allows refunds for games that have been played for less than two hours.

Considering the game is a whopping 80 GB and $60, this is a major disservice to faithful fans and curious newcomers. 

The problems only become more excruciating from here.

As you dive into the gameplay, the frames-per-second drop significantly, and the screen freezes at random moments. Tinkering with the settings does not soften the poor performance. 

To make matters worse, the game also routinely crashes, most likely due to shader-building errors happening in the background.

Players have reported numerous amusing bugs, including Joel’s smuggler buddy Tess levitating and Joel himself having abnormally bushy eyebrows.

Although Naughty Dog apologized for the low quality and attempted to repair the excessive crashing, it was disheartening for those who patiently waited for the game’s release, which was delayed for 25 days to ensure maximum performance.

Eager-to-play gamers instead met a buggy, underdeveloped replication of a masterfully created game.

“The Last of Us Part 1” PC port is undeniably a cinematic experience for those seeking nuanced character arcs and an original glimpse into how humans adapt to a pandemic.

Its world is unlike most zombie post-apocalypse video games; its “zombies” are technically not dead but infected humans transformed into grotesque savages.

This element is a clever and disturbing twist on the classic horror trope and makes it more gut-wrenching to have a virtual stake in the murder of people who cannot be cured of the mysterious infection.

However, it is not a carefully crafted third-person shooter video game designed for users craving an immersive technical experience, complete with a smooth frame rate and optimized performance.

It is a disappointing reiteration of an iconic game known for its fluidity that has left gamers with a bad taste in their mouths.

“The Last of Us Part 1” for PC is currently available for download via Steam and the Epic Games Store