Developer – Naughty Dog

Publisher – Sony Interactive Entertainment

Platforms – PlayStation 5 (reviewed)

Review copy given by publisher

One of the most divisive games to ever exist just got a shiny new remaster and an exclusive release on the PlayStation 5. Yup, it is none other than Naughty Dog’s sequel to their critically acclaimed The Last of Us, which follows protagonists Joel and Ellie across a post-apocalyptic America. It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 4 years since The Last of Us Part II was released, but now we have an overhauled version with improved visuals, smoother performance, and never-before-seen content. Yeah, it’s probably too soon to remaster a game that isn’t even that old, but what the heck, we’re already here aren’t we?

This review isn’t going to touch much on the narrative aspects since that part of the game remains undisturbed. If you’re looking for an opinion on the narrative, there are plenty of reviews on the game from when it was originally released that you can refer to. But for me, The Last of Us Part II will always be an experience I hold dearly in my heart, as the game tells an emotionally charged story that challenges the status quo. It’s one about love, betrayal, and ultimately what it means to act on our emotions and be the main character in our own story.

Alright, so what are the new features included in this re-release of The Last of Us Part II? The most notable one is probably the new roguelike mode named No Return, which has you picking a specific character with a unique loadout to push toward a culminating boss battle and survive. For example, Abby excels at melee attacks and even heals from them whereas Ellie can craft Molotovs from the get go. You’re limited to the aforementioned two to start off, but quickly unlock the ability to play as Joel, Tommy, Yara, Lev, and even Manny. To crank up the replayability factor tenfold, Naughty Dog has included tons of cosmetic and weapon skins to unlock for those completionists, along with online leaderboards and daily challenges.

No Return presents character-specific challenges along with universal ones for you to complete before more new content is unveiled. You start a Standard Run by picking from 1 of 6 predetermined difficulty levels (yes, Grounded is still there) or choose to go on a Custom Run by customizing individual settings such as player health, enemy damage, and resource availability. Each run is divided into a branching tree of different nodes that each contains a different encounter type and modifier. Would you rather be hunted by Seraphites or launch an assault on the Infected? The choice is yours. The modifiers can vary between defeating waves of enemies or surviving until the clock runs out. Completing a run always ends with a recycled boss battle from the main game, such as a Bloater or the Rat King. I was really looking forward to new enemy types or bosses, and ultimately felt like this was a missed opportunity.

The rest of the new content falls under the extras section, and it includes guitar free play, Lost Levels, concept art, behind-the-scenes videos, and director commentary. Lost Levels lets you explore 3 early development levels that were ultimately scrapped in the final product: Sewers, Jackson Party, and Boar Hunt. It’s a neat concept that I wish more games would incorporate, as it’s interesting to hear what the initial ideas were and understand why they were dropped. Those who enjoyed playing the guitar in the 2020 release of the game are sure to be delighted with the addition of free play, as now you can play the guitar at any time from the convenience of the main menu. The developers even included additional instruments such as the banjo, jazz guitar, and rock guitar! Pretty cool.

To be frank, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is more of a Definitive Edition or Director’s Cut than remastered because the technical upgrades are undoubtedly minimal. The Last of Us Part II on PlayStation 4 already looked breathtaking when it came out 4 years ago. Playing the PS4 version of the game on PS5 through backward compatibility is already phenomenal, especially since Naughty Dog already added in a free 60fps patch a few years ago. Though the game boasts that the remastered edition has increased texture resolution, finer shadow quality, and better animation sampling rate, among other improvements, the regular consumer such as myself can’t really notice it.

What I do notice and appreciate, though, is the unlocked framerate option on VRR-enabled televisions and full DualSense controller support. The frame rates don’t go quite as high as 120 fps as they might in some other unlocked games, but getting a solid 80-90 fps throughout is a treat nonetheless. The haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the DualSense need no introduction and both are fully utilized here with the Remaster as it envelopes an extra layer of immersion during gameplay segments. Load times, on the other hand, aren’t the fastest, but a vast improvement compared to the PS4 version, which took over a minute to load from scratch. Here, it takes around 10 seconds to launch the game from the main menu, which is decent.

Accessibility features have always been at the forefront of Naughty Dog’s previous titles, and it’s commendable to see even more added in this re-release. It now includes descriptive audio and speech to vibrations among the already generous suite of modifiers present in the base game.

If this is your first foray into The Last of Us Part II, then the Remastered Edition is hands down the best way to experience it. It’s $50 if you’re looking at an entirely new purchase, or just $10 if you own the PS4 version of the game. Regardless, it’s a great reason to revisit a gaming masterpiece if you haven’t touched it again in the past 4 years. You even get another full set of PlayStation trophies for upgrading (this is for you Platinum hunters out there)!

The Last of Us Part II Remastered might not be the remaster that players have asked for, but surely one that everyone can appreciate. Both games in The Last of Us franchise are now easily accessible side by side on the PlayStation 5 and can be enjoyed by returning and new players alike. The added visual flares and technical improvements are the cherries on top, but the addictive No Return roguelike mode among intimate commentary and pre-alpha levels are what make this the definitive sequel experience.