The Last of Us Part II Remastered is a third-person action-adventure survival horror video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is a remastered version of the 2020 game The Last of Us Part II, featuring visual and technological improvements, new modes and content, scrapped levels, developer commentaries, expanded accessibility options, and more. It was released on January 19, 2024, for PlayStation 5.[1]
Plot[]
- Main article: The Last of Us Part II#Plot
Gameplay[]
Similar to the original game on PlayStation 4, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is an action-adventure game with survival horror elements played from a third-person perspective. The remastered version features improved graphics, including native 4K output in Fidelity Mode and 1440p upscaled to 4K in Performance Mode for compatible displays, an unlocked framerate option for displays that support VRR, increased texture resolution, increased level of detail distances, improved shadow quality, animation sampling rate, and more.
Leveraging the hardware of the PlayStation 5, the game also includes improved loading times and incorporates haptic feedback and adaptive triggers integration with the DualSense wireless controller. Accessibility options were also expanded, including descriptive audio and a speech to vibration feature, using the DualSense controller to indicate character speech and cadence.
The game introduces a number of new modes, including No Return, a roguelike survival gamemode featuring randomized encounters that allow players to experience The Last of Us Part II's combat in new ways. The mode includes a variety of playable characters (some of which are playable for the first time in The Last of Us franchise) who each come with their own traits to suit different playstyles. Players chart their own course on each run, choosing between various stealth and combat encounters against a range of enemies and bosses, and offers them a chance to decide what rewards they get after each encounter, how they upgrade their character, and more. Playable characters, along with their own skins, are unlocked as the player progresses through the mode. Players can also compete on a global leader board as part of a daily run.
A second new mode, Guitar Free Play, is a standalone version of The Last of Us Part II's guitar minigame that was occasionally played throughout the story. It allows the player to freely play the minigame across a host of unlockable instruments, including audio FX pedals to modulate their performances. Additionally, players can play as different characters and customize the backdrop with several in-game locations from the story. Also included is a mode known as Lost Levels, which allows players to check out three unfinished playable sequences previously cut from early development of the original game. Each level includes embedded developer commentary to give them richer context.
Several new features were adopted from the release of The Last of Us Part I, including an unlockable Speedrun Mode that allows players to record and post their best times. New unlockable bonus skins for Ellie, Abby, and their weapons were also added. Photo Mode also received additions, including dynamic lighting, frame forward, and gaze direction, as well as new frame and logo options. Additionally, the game includes newly-recorded director's commentary across the story's cinematics featuring director Neil Druckmann, narrative lead Halley Gross, and actors Troy Baker (Joel Miller), Ashley Johnson (Ellie Williams), and Laura Bailey (Abby Anderson).[1]
Development[]
Release[]
Announcement[]
On November 17, 2023, Naughty Dog announced The Last of Us Part II Remastered as an exclusive title for the PlayStation 5 with a set release date of January 19, 2024. Pre-orders were also announced, with availability beginning on December 5, that includes two retail editions: a Standard Edition with the base game and a W.L.F. Edition that includes a SteelBook display case, four enamel pins, a Washington Liberation Front patch, and a set of 47 Society of Champions trading cards, including eight limited edition holographic cards.
Naughty Dog also revealed that players with the original PS4 version of The Last of Us Part II need to only pay $10 USD to digitally download the game on a PS5, with their save files importable onto the remastered version as well. However, owners of Part II's physical copy must own a PS5 with an optical drive for it to work, and must ensure they input their PS4 disc into their PS5 every time in order to download or play the remastered version.[1]
Reception[]
Metacritic summarised that The Last of Us Part II Remastered received universal acclaim from critics and players alike.[2] According to OpenCritic, 89% of critics recommended the game.[3]
Gallery[]
Promotional[]
Screenshots[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Dornbush, Jonathon (November 17, 2023). "The Last of Us Part II Remastered Coming to PS5 on January 19, 2024". Naughty Dog. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ↑ TLOU Part II Remastered, Metacritic reviews, (Accessed February 28, 2024).
- ↑ The Last of Us Part II Remastered, OpenCritic, (Accessed February 28, 2024).