I think at some point, discussions will be had about which video game remakes and remasters are completely necessary and where we draw the line. The Last of Us Part II Remastered might not be the straw to completely break the camel's back, but I think it will at least break the ice. What you're essentially getting in this re-release is, technically, a superior - and arguably quintessential - way to now play 2020's award-winning game with some extras, though it also struggles to make a very compelling argument for its existence.




2020's The Last of Us Part II is a very divisive game and that's putting it lightly. The story picks up some time after the events of the first game. Ellie continues to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, making new acquiantances and romantic interests along the way, but she's also wrestling with conflicting emotions about Joel's actions in the last game. Things go south quickly and the sequel ramps up to become a non-stop revenge thriller that peels back the layers of morality.

The combat has been tweaked to near-perfection and the visuals are a stunning display of Naughty Dog's unmatched technical wizardry, but the storytelling takes bold risks that don't always pay off.

There's honestly not much I can say about The Last of Us Part II that hasn't already been said in excruciating detail by either sides of the spectrum. You either love it, hate it or fall somewhere in the middle. Personally, I think it's a good sequel that falls short of being as great as its predecessor. Yes, the combat has been tweaked to near-perfection and the visuals are a stunning display of Naughty Dog's unmatched technical wizardry, but the storytelling takes bold risks that don't always pay off. This leads to an unevenly paced experience with revenge themes that have arguably been done much better - and in Sony's own house (see the God of War games).



Your enjoyment of The Last of Us Part II Remastered then depends entirely on whether or not you liked the game as a whole. If not, you're getting the same game with the same pitfalls and shortcomings, just in a prettier package... but not by much.

The original release of The Last of Us Part II is a graphical powerhouse and I'm honestly shocked that Naughty Dog managed to get it running so smoothly on PS4. With the PS5's added horsepower comes technical improvements that are only slight touch-ups to an already prestinely polished title. In Dragon Ball Z terms, Remastered is the final form of The Last of Us Part II in all its visual splendor and glory. The animations are excellent, the character models are insanely detailed and sharp, the lightning is jaw-dropping, the environments are densely packed and the gameplay is the best it has ever been in the series.



However - and I must stress this point - Remastered simply achieves what could've already been done with a mere PS5 upgrade of the PS4 version. In case I was going crazy, I put The Last of Us Part II Remastered side-by-side with the original game running on a base PS4 and the aesthetic differences are minor. Remastered offers a much smoother framerate with higher resolutions, allowing greater detail to be packed into the screen. That said, this isn't the same graphical leap that we saw with The Last of Us Part I because there wasn't much work to be done in the first place.

This isn't the same graphical leap that we saw with The Last of Us Part I because there wasn't much work to be done in the first place.

So what have Naughty Dog brought to this remaster that's actually new? Well, if you're a die-hard fan, you're in luck. Remastered features pieces of cut content called Lost Levels that are separate from the main campaign. They're basically curated sections of the story that were either cut or left unfinished by Naughty Dog for various reasons. In total, there are three Lost Levels to explore in a mostly finished state (well, as best as Naughty Dog could do with the time and resources). Without spoiling anything, the Sewers was by far my favourite, giving me strong Resident Evil vibes at times. The Lost Levels are a nice inclusion but don't expect anything earth-shatteringly new (or extremely polished) here. You also get some new outfits which are fine if you want to mix things up aesthetically with the characters.



Now let's address the elephant in the room: No Return. This is a new roguelike survival mode that lets players choose a character from the game and pit them against ever-expanding hordes of infected across multiple familiar levels. Like any good roguelike, the kill-die-repeat process is addictive and refreshing to see in this setting as you're constantly doing inventory management, plotting out new routes and coming up with strategies that are going to ensure your survival. Each "run" eventually culminates in a boss fight of some kind, though the randomness of each encounter keeps you on your toes.

No Return's levels, billed as Builds, are short and sweet. Most runs can be completed fairly quickly if you're just playing the list of objectives it assigns for you. Exploring outside those parameters rewards you with additional items, weapon upgrades and other handy trinkets that you can use to your advantage. Choosing a character also plays a integral role in how you tackle runs. Abby, for example, is melee-focused and has buffs that can heal her if she performs melee attacks. Lev is a bow-focused marksman that's quicker on his draw than other characters using a bow. Adding mods to your run keeps things interesting, as mods can change enemy behaviour (like make them completely invisible), place a blood red filter over your screen or enemies can drop pipe bombs when they die, among many other modifiers.



I didn't put nearly as much time into No Return as I imagine other players inevitably will, but for the time that I did, it was fun and engaging. Is it going to blow you away like God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla? No. It's fairly straight-forward and an entertaining detour from the main game rather than an extension of the campaign. I was surprised to see how much depth No Return had to offer, even if it's short-lived and meant to be played in quick bursts.

I was surprised to see how much depth No Return had to offer, even if it's short-lived.

To that end, you might be asking if all of this is worth that $10 upgrade if you already own the PS4 version. Considering its low asking price for entry into side content that simply beefs up the package, maybe. If you're planning on picking it up just to re-experience the story with incrementally better visuals, you might be disappointed by what you get. The technical improvements are miniscule at best which is a double-edged compliment because the PS4 version already looks so good. For many, however, the side content might just be worthwhile enough to give Remastered a go.



The Last of Us Part II Remastered is probably the best way to play The Last of Us Part II, especially if you're a newcomer to the series. At the same time, you really wouldn't be missing out on much if you chose to play the PS4 version instead. Additional side content like the Lost Levels and No Return (along with the new outfits) will freshen up the experience for veteran players and might've worked very well as standalone DLC. Personal feelings on the story aside, the overall package here is pretty good but I'm still not sure if it was entirely necessary. That's up to you to decide.



*PS5 Review code provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment