Four years have passed since The Last of Us Part II went on sale in the midst of a global pandemic and since then very few games – some would say none – have lived up to it. The post-apocalyptic adventure starring Ellie and Abby left us speechless then and, even today, playing the new version that Sony has just published for PlayStation 5, it achieves exactly the same effect. Now, the title with which this reissue has reached stores – The Last of Us Part II Remastered – can be misleading.
Unlike the remastering of the first installment, which came out in 2022 and offered a complete update to the visual section, the graphical revamp of its sequel has been much more modest. After all, it is a game that came out relatively recently and even then it was – and still is – a marvel. As reflected in the analysis carried out by Digital Foundry, this edition adds a new 4K graphic mode and very slight improvements in visual quality, but those expecting a real technical leap will be disappointed.
With or without retouching, The Last of Us Part II still looks outrageous. In fact, those who have the PlayStation 4 version of the game can play it on PlayStation 5 with an improvement in image fluidity from 30 to 60 frames per second. It is not the graphical improvement that makes this new edition worth it, but everything else that is around it. For example, the use of DualSense, that is, the ability of the console controller to transmit subtle sensations through vibration.
Going into the extras, perhaps the most notable is the new "No Return" mode, a mode that leaves aside the story and takes advantage of the fantastic gameplay of the title to turn it into a roguelike focused on action and survival. The idea is to overcome a series of levels that are generated randomly and in which we are presented with different challenges, from enduring a siege for a certain time to killing all the enemies in different rounds of increasing difficulty. This is a mode that highlights the excellent job Naughty Dog did in fine-tuning the gameplay. Of course, it is quite difficult and – I already warned you – it puts a lot of tension.
As a good reissue, it also has a good portion of deleted scenes or, rather, discarded levels. They are called “Lost Levels” and they are three entire sequences that were not included in the original work and that are rescued here in an unfinished format and with comments from their creators. It is a curious content, but it is also true that it is coffee for very coffee lovers; It is a detail that those people who are more enthusiastic about the series and its world will appreciate.
Finally, and as a curiosity, The Last of Us Part II Remastered also includes a curious guitar minigame that allows you to strum various string instruments using the console's controller. It's a nice addition, but it doesn't go any further.
In reality, it all comes down to a question of nomenclature. If this reissue had been called “Director’s Cut”, perhaps it would have fit better with what it really offers. Ultimately, this new version is still a relaunch whose objective is to reach new audiences after the great success of the HBO adaptation.
In short, if you have not yet played one of the best games ever created, you have three options: either buy the PS4 version and play it on PS5 with the free patch; update the PS4 version to this remastering for 9.99 euros; or, directly, purchase this version for PS5 for 50 euros.
