Sony and developer Naughty Dog received criticism in 2022 when they announced The last of us Part I, a PS5 remake of the 2013 title that was originally released for PS3 (and then remastered a year later for the newly released PS4). Most of that came down to the $70 price tag. Yes, the game looked amazing, some new modes were added for super fans, and the enemy ai was improved, but the level design and gameplay were identical to the original. Many people rightly called it a money grab.
The good news is that The Last of Us Part II Remastered, announced in November, escapes that label for two important reasons. First, it's a $10 upgrade for people who bought the PS4 versions (or $50 outright). Secondly, there's a new roguelike game mode called No Return that's easily worth the upgrade price alone.
Before we dive into No Return, though, here's a high-level overview of what we're up against. The Last of Us Part II Remastered It is, as the title suggests, an upgraded version of the 2020 version of PS4. I reviewed that game when it was first released and almost everything I said in 2020 still applies here, because the story and gameplay haven't changed.
But, as with any good remaster, the new version looks better than the already impressive PS4 version. Part II Remastered It can run in fidelity or performance modes. The former outputs at 4K and targets 30fps, while the latter targets 60fps and renders at 1440p (outputting at 4K or upscaled 1440p, depending on your console settings). There's also a “frame rate unlocked” feature for TVs that support variable refresh rates.
I usually opt for performance mode. The difference resolution makes is usually minimal in my eyes, and that's the case here as well. I would prefer to have the fluidity and precision that comes with a higher frame rate. But the fidelity setting with an unlocked frame rate definitely tops out at 30 and is a pretty good balance for those with VRR TVs, although if you're on the ultra-hard Grounded mode or attempting a permadeath trial, you'll probably want to move on. to the performance settings.
Either way, the game looks impressive, but not much different from the original. Part II I looked at the PS5. Things are sharper and more vivid across the board, as you'd expect. And the high frame rates in performance mode are excellent, although it's worth noting that the original version of Part II It can also hit 60fps when playing on a PS5.
Other niceties beyond the visuals include full support for the DualSense controller, including excellent use of haptics throughout. The first scene of the game shows Part I The protagonist Joel cleans the frets of a guitar and you can feel slight vibrations from left to right as his hand moves along the neck of the guitar.
There's also full support for DualSense adaptive triggers, so you feel different resistance and feedback depending on which weapon you're using. As with most games, the DualSense features aren't the kind of things you'll have on your mind while playing, but there's no doubt that they add a nice level of extra immersion to the experience.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered However, it's not just a visual improvement: there's a ton of new content. Most significantly, No Return is an addictive combat experience that I've already invested a ridiculous amount of time into. The high-level overview of No Return is that it's a series of random encounters with the game's four main enemy factions: WLF, Seraphites, Rattlers, and of course, the Infected.
In some encounters, you must eliminate three waves of enemies; In others, you are chased by endless hordes until time runs out. There's also one where you're challenged to capture a safe from a wave of enemies in a limited time, and another where you have to defend an ally against a large swarm of infected that keep coming. After five levels, you will encounter a “boss”. There are six boss levels in total that you progressively unlock by finishing a run without dying. But if you die at any stage of the race, you will go back to the beginning.
Between each encounter, you can craft upgrades for your weapons and purchase new equipment at the trading post to help you survive the progressively more difficult stages. And there are a ton of different mods that affect how each level plays out. For example, you can randomly get a mod that gives you health when you perform a melee attack, or you can end up with one where infected enemies are invisible, just shadows in your flashlight. Sometimes the level can be reversed, crafting an item will give you parts to upgrade a weapon or a dark black filter will be applied. These mods aren't in every level and only two will appear at a time, so there doesn't seem to be too much madness in a run. But they can definitely revolutionize what might otherwise be a familiar phase.
I'm just scratching the surface of how much you can customize this experience. There are a total of 10 unlockable characters you can play as from both Jackson's team (Ellie, Dina, Jesse, Tommy and Joel) and those you meet in Seattle (Abby, Lev, Yara, Manny and Mel). Each has different traits (Ellie gets more supplements, Joel can't dodge but is more resistant to melee attacks, Lev focuses on stealth, etc.). Between the different characters, the different signature weapons they have, and all the different weapons and player upgrades you can earn during the run, every No Return experience will be wildly different.
There are a lot of details to talk about in No Return, but suffice it to say that it is extremely addictive and easily It's worth the $10 upgrade. If they just added this mode to the PS4 version of The last of us Part II, I still wouldn't have any qualms recommending fans buy it. I've seen tons of extremely impressive combat videos from Part II since the game was released, and I'm sure we're about to have another wave as people show off their narrow escapes and dominating destruction of hordes of Infect in No Return. It's a lot of fun, although I admit that the extremely violent tone requires long breaks from time to time to get out of the murderous mentality it requires.
No Return is by far the biggest addition to the game, but there's more new content for hardcore fans. All major cutscenes from the main game now have optional audio commentary from director Neil Druckmann, writer Hailey Gross, and actors Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, and Laura Bailey. The last of us Part II It has a long, complicated, and sometimes controversial history, and listening to behind-the-scenes chats about how it all came to be is a great way to delve into the creation of the game.
Similarly, Naughty Dog included three “lost levels” that are pretty rough but show some ideas that flesh out Ellie's world and character a bit, complete with audio commentary from the developers about what they were filming and why. They were finally abandoned. My favorite is one that takes place in Jackson before a pivotal scene between Ellie and Dina. In this, Ellie wanders around a festival, having a few drinks, talking to other characters, playing with the town's children, and trying out some carnival games. The scenario reuses game mechanics, which are normally used to depict violence, and instead puts them in a totally different light.
These levels are far from finished: the aforementioned Jackson scene has no dialogue, only subtitles. And the textures, facial expressions, and mechanics definitely feel rough. They're also pretty quick experiences, probably lasting five to ten minutes. A pleasure only for hardcore fans, but it's still a pleasure.
Rounding out the package are a bunch of new unlockable character skins, including an adorable one of Ellie in an astronaut suit, complete with a helmet. The already extensive Photo Mode has received some improvements, such as lights you can place around a scene to heighten the drama. And there's a silly but fun “no guitar game” mode, where you can experiment with an enhanced version of the game's interludes in which you strum a guitar to initiate key story beats. Many enterprising players have already made some pretty crazy creations using the in-game guitar, and now you can switch between multiple guitar types (acoustic, nylon string, banjo) and add effects that really open up the creative possibilities.
If you are someone interested in The Last of Us and you have not played Part II still, this is the obvious best way to do it. I still highly recommend the game: it's an intense, grueling journey that puts some characters I love on the spot, but it's undeniably an epic adventure. It's not “funny” in the traditional sense, but it's compelling. As I wrote in 2020, there are many things that stand out: moments of extreme tension, moments that made me scream in shock or surprise, thought-provoking drama, and even unexpected joy amid the grim reality of Ellie and Abby's dual journeys .
But if you've played the original, is it worth purchasing this remaster? If you're a fan of the series, the $10 upgrade is certainly worth it. No Return is worth the price of admission alone, and all the graphical upgrades, controller improvements, and additional content are things you'll appreciate. Like I said when I reviewed The last of us Part I — If you're the type of person who picks up this game and plays it to experience the story every year or two, like I do, this is the best way to do it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-last-of-us-part-2-remastered-review-the-roguelike-no-return-mode-steals-the-show-150006382 .html?src=rss
