The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered review: The roguelike No Return mode steals the show

Sony and developer Naughty Dog had news in 2022 when they announced The Last of Us Part I, a basic PS5 remake of the 2013 title originally released on PS3 (then remastered a year later for the just-launched PS4). Most of that came down to the $70 price tag. Yes, the game looked amazing, 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 have rightly called this a financial drain.

The good news that The Last of Us Part II Remastered, announced in November, escapes this tag for two important reasons. First, it's a $10 upgrade for people who purchased the PS4 versions (or $50 outright). Second, there's a new roguelike game mode called No Return that's worth that upgrade price alone.

Before we dive into No Return, here's a high-level overview of what we're dealing with. The Last of Us Part II Remastered is, as the title suggests, an improved version of the 2020 PS4 version. I reviewed this game when it launched – and almost everything I said in 2020 still applies here, as the story and gameplay are unchanged.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered
Sony / Bad dog

But, as with any good remaster, the new version is better than the already impressive PS4 version. Part II remastered can operate in fidelity or performance mode. The first outputs at 4K and targets 30fps, while the second targets 60fps and renders at 1440p (with upscaled 4K or 1440p output, depending on your console settings). There is also a “framerate unlocked” feature for TVs that support variable refresh rates.

I usually opt for performance mode. The difference resolution makes is usually minimal to me, and that's the case here as well. I much prefer the smoothness and precision that comes with a higher frame rate. But the fidelity settings with an unlocked frame rate definitely exceed 30 and are a very good balance for those with VRR TVs – although if you're in super-hard Grounded mode or attempting a permadeath pass, you'll probably want to go straight. to the performance parameter.

Regardless, the game is stunning, but not much different from the original. Part II watched on the PS5. Things are sharper and snappier 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 can also reach 60fps when played on a PS5.

Other niceties beyond the visuals include full DualSense controller support, including excellent use of haptics throughout. The very first cutscene of the game shows First part protagonist Joel cleans the frets of a guitar, and you can feel slight vibrations from left to right as his hand moves across the guitar's neck.

There's also full support for DualSense adaptive triggers, so you feel different resistance and feedback depending on what weapon you're using. As with most games, the DualSense features aren't the sort of thing that will be at the forefront of your mind when playing, but there's no doubt that they add a nice extra level of immersion to the experience .

The Last of Us Part II Remastered However, it's not just a visual upgrade: there's a bunch of new content. The biggest is No Return, an addictive combat experience that I've already put a ridiculous amount of time into. The general overview of No Return is that it's a series of random encounters with the game's four main enemy factions: the WLF, the Seraphites, the Rattlers, and, of course, the Infected.

In some encounters, you must eliminate three waves of enemies; in others, you're chased by endless hordes until time runs out. There's also one in which you have to capture a vault against a wave of enemies within a limited time, and another in which you have to defend an ally against a large swarm of infected that keep arriving . After five levels, you will encounter a “boss”. There are six boss levels in total that you gradually unlock by completing a run without dying. But if you die at any stage of the race, you're sent back to the start.

Between each encounter, you can create upgrades for your weapons and purchase new equipment at the trading post to help you survive the increasingly difficult stages. And there are a ton of different changes that affect how each level plays out. For example, you might randomly get a mod that gives you health when you perform a melee attack, or you might end up with a mod where infected enemies are invisible, just shadows in your flashlight. Sometimes the level can be reversed, crafting an item will give you coins to upgrade a weapon or a dark black filter will be applied. These mods aren't present at every level, and only two will appear at a time, so it doesn't feel like there's too much craziness during a run. But they can certainly shake up what might otherwise be a familiar stage.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered: mode of no return
Sony / Bad dog

I'm only scratching the surface of personalizing this experience. There are a total of 10 unlockable characters that you can play as both from Jackson's crew (Ellie, Dina, Jesse, Tommy and Joel) and those you meet in Seattle (Abby, Lev, Yara, Manny and Email). 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 obtain throughout the run, each No Return experience will be extremely different.

There are a ton of details to cover in No Return, but suffice to say it's 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 would still have no qualms recommending fans buy it. I've seen tons of extremely impressive fight videos from Part II since the game's release, and I'm sure we're about to get another wave as people show off their narrow escapes and dominating destruction of Infect's hordes in No Return. It's a lot of fun – although I admit that the extremely violent tone occasionally requires extended pauses to get out of the murderous mindset it requires.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered
Sony / Bad dog

No Return is by far the biggest addition to the game, but there is more new content for die-hard fans. All main cutscenes in the main game now feature 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 has a sprawling, complicated, and sometimes controversial storyline, and hearing behind-the-scenes discussions about how it all came together is a great way to delve deeper into the game's creation.

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 shooting for and why they ultimately decided been abandoned. My favorite is the one that takes place in Jackson before a pivotal scene between Ellie and Dina. In this movie, Ellie walks around a festival, has a few drinks, talks with other characters, plays with the town kids, and tries out carnival games. The setting reuses game mechanics, which are typically used to display violence, and puts them in a completely 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 look rough. These are also fairly quick experiences, probably lasting between five and ten minutes. A treat reserved for die-hard fans, but a treat nonetheless.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered: free guitar game
Sony / Bad dog

Rounding out the package are a bunch of new character skins to unlock, including an adorable one of Ellie in an astronaut suit, complete with helmet. The already comprehensive photo mode has benefited from some improvements, like lights you can place around a scene to enhance the drama. And there's a wacky but fun “guitar free play” mode, in which you can experience 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 you can now switch between multiple guitar types (acoustic, nylon-string, banjo) and add effects that really open up the creative possibilities.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered
Sony / Bad dog

If you are interested in The Last of Us and haven't played it Part two again, this is obviously the best way to do it. I still highly recommend the game – it's an intense, grueling journey that puts a strain on some characters I love, but it's undeniably an epic adventure. It's not “fun” in the traditional sense, but it's compelling. As I wrote in 2020, so much stands out: moments of extreme tension, moments that made me scream in shock or surprise, sobering drama, and even unexpected joy amid the grim reality of Ellie and Abby's double journeys.

But if you've played the original, is this remaster worth picking up? If you're a fan of the series, the $10 upgrade is definitely worth it. No Return is worth the price of admission alone, and all the graphical upgrades, controller improvements, and bonus content are things you'll enjoy. As I said in my review The Last of Us Part I – if you're the type of person who will pick up this game and play it to experience the story every year or two, like me, this is the best way to do it.

This article was originally published 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

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