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'The Last Of Us Part II Remastered' Reviews: The Upgrade Is Worth It
After basking in critical acclaim for the original "The Last of Us" on the PS3, the folks at Naughty Dog decided to revisit both the setting and characters five years later in the fictional apocalypse, and, unfortunately, during our real pandemic nightmare.
"The Last of Us Part II" ended up launching in the middle of the COVID-19 lockdowns during June of 2020, so the wild time distortion makes it seem like a much more recent release. In fairness, three and a half years is so much longer than the 13 month gap between the original PS3 game and its own PS4 remaster.
More than 40 reviews are included in the OpenCritic aggregation, and it's sitting at an average of 91/100. That's quite a bit higher than 2022's 82/100 ground-up remake of "The Last of Us," but is pretty comparable to the 93/100 average for the original "Part II" PS4 release.
If you don't have a copy of the PS4 game, this remaster is priced at $50. However, owners of the existing game can upgrade for just $10 — not bad at all. Let's see what the critics are saying, and decide if it's worth revisiting.
It looks better, but not by much
Overall, the two versions of "The Last of Us Part 2" look fairly similar. Naughty Dog has definitely tweaked and touched up some aspects of the game's visual presentation here and there, but players shouldn't go in expecting a broad visual uplift relative to the patched PS4 code that we've had for the last two-and-a-half years. The biggest upgrade here over playing the game on a PS4 system is still the ability to play at 60fps, which the Remastered version and the patched version of the original both offer on PS5 systems.
Visually, "The Last of Us Part II Remastered" is an uptick from the base PS4 version I played in 2020, if a pretty minor one. Having spent a lot of time with the "Yakuza" series lately, I was surprised to notice that the finer details on "Part II's" faces and clothing felt a little lacking. On RGG Studio’s goons, you can see individual pores and imperfections, and individual threads of fabric textures on shirts and suits. Granted, that series gives greater attention to flash and extravagance, but I was surprised to have even a small quibble to make about anything in a Naughty Dog remaster.
The new roguelike mode is the most interesting addition
There's also been a roguelike mode titled "No Return" included, and it's as feature-filled as it is exhilarating. You're put through randomized levels where your objective is to remain alive regardless of what's been thrown at you.
You can play as different characters, including folks like Dina and Tommy, who have unique abilities. Your base game upgrades don't transfer, and you'll have to work from scratch to get your pistols and other weapons back to an optimal level.
"No Return" alone is worth the $10 upgrade fee for returning players. It's a highly replayable mode thanks to its randomized nature. And there's meaningful progress in the form of unlockable characters and cosmetic skins, as well as mods and gambits that change the conditions of levels. "The Last of Us Part II" was always a joy to play, and "No Return" stands as the best way to enjoy its exceptional combat in its purest form. You'll be returning frequently.
You'll want to play around with the extras
There are a few other minor extras for the remaster, such as a freeplay mode for Ellie's guitar and a built-in speedrun mode, as well as a commentary track for cut scenes, that you unlock once you've beaten the story (you can import your PlayStation 4 save if you want access to it instantly).
A small, fun new mode is the Guitar Free Play. This allows you to mess around with the guitar interface with no time limit or aim. There are multiple styles, such as a banjo, rock guitar, or nylon stringed guitar. You can even play around with effects and soundscapes. It's a fun mode to spend some time in and just a nice thought to include.
There's also content such as new skins for Abby and Ellie, a speedrun mode that helps you keep track of times on your playthroughs, and new photo mode options. One highlight to me is the addition of lost levels to play through. These are unfinished, of course, but they're a fun look at "how the sausage gets made" so to speak. Combine them with the behind the scenes content and director's commentaries for cutscenes, and it offers all new insights into the experience. I feel like director's commentaries have become a lost art form, as I used to love to listen to the director's commentary of my favorite movies, and it was fascinating to listen to them here.
TL;DR
I guess the beauty is that even without "No Return" and all of this extra content, "The Last of Us Part II" is still a phenomenal title that warrants playing if you haven't already.
You may love it, you may hate it, but trust me, you'll never forget it.
"The Last of Us Part II Remastered" releases exclusively for PS5 on January 19, 2024.
Need something fresh to play? That new "Prince of Persia" game is getting glowing reviews.
[Image: PlayStation]
