Review: The Last of Us Part II Remastered Elevates a Work of Art

In 2020, The Last of Us Part II released on the PS4 to critical acclaim. It evoked a wide spread of emotions in critics and fans alike. Now, a remaster is already here to hopefully capture some of the same feelings, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PS5 manages to justify its existence less than four years after the PS4 release.

Much like with The Last of Us Part I remaster, this one makes no changes to the overall plot and storyline. However, this doesn’t detract from a single thing. The plot of The Last of Us Part II Remastered is a nuanced and layered story about humanity and of hatred and forgiveness. It’s a bold swing, but I think it will be remembered as one of the all-time best pieces of fiction ever as we watch Ellie and Abby’s parallel stories as each woman deals with her quest for revenge and the repercussions.

The upgraded visuals in The Last of Us Part II Remastered on the PS5 are jaw-dropping. Scenes look even more beautiful than the original release, and the lighting creates a more cinematic experience than ever. Many set pieces and sequences just felt like Roger Deakins was behind the lens. The detail in character models especially draw the player in. However, it’s not simply that it looks better, as there are new animations for characters’ faces. These make the facial movements even better reflect the motion capture actors’ performances. The small details convey the emotion of characters so much more clearly than on the PS4. I felt it helped enhance the story.

Outside of cutscenes, the upgraded visuals also bring more immersion to the worldbuilding. The tiny details in the world, like CD cases and small notes on billboard, have more clarity to them here. Plus, things like puddles of water rippling and small rocks kicking under feet offer additional depth as somone traverses the world. It was difficult not to keep stopping and just admiring anything and everything I came across.

The other major overhaul in the The Last of Us Part II Remastered is the PS5 DualSense integration. The combat feels completely new while maintaining its overall detail and nuance. I feel like the DualSense effects are best when they’re subtle, but effective. You should feel their absence when playing without them, but not be distracted by them. The Last of Us Part II Remastered may do that better than any PS5 game yet. Aiming the bow and firing weapons now has a weight to it, thanks to the adaptive triggers. Additionally, the small vibrations from walking around feels good and adds further to immersion.

Even if this were all the package had to offer, I would consider it a successful remaster. It is the definitive version of one of the best games in the last several years. However, Naughty Dog added a number of other goodies just to further cement The Last of Us Part II Remastered as the total package.

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.

But perhaps the biggest addition to The Last of Us Part II Remastered, is the new No Return mode. It’s a roguelike experience during which you face randomized enemy encounters through permadeath “runs.” The goal is to progress through five encounters to face a boss and complete the run. Dying starts the whole thing over. There is a surprising amount of content in this mode, from unlockable characters to in dozens of challenges to tackle. There are multiple varieties of encounters that can occur during a section of your run.

Luckily, you have a little control. Between each encounter, you return to base to purchase equipment and make upgrades. From here, you can actually select your path to the boss. Sometimes you will have the choice between two separate encounters. If you find fighting infected easier than humans, you can prioritize encounters with those enemies for example. No Return mode ended up being the biggest surprise of this collection. I expected to try it out a bit and just play around, but I ended up really enjoying tackling the challenges. The combat in The Last of Us Part II Remastered is so satisfying and No Return is far too easy to get into a “just one more run” loop with.

One of the biggest complaints I had about The Last of Us Part I when that remaster released was its price point. It released at full price without any significant additional content. While that version is the definitive one, it was hard to justify that price. Luckily, Naughty Dog listened and did not make that mistake again. The Last of Us Part II Remastered not only provides additional content, but also offers a more reasonable price and an upgrade path for owners of the PS4 version. Owners of the PS4 copy, either digital or physical, can upgrade to the remaster for $10. I’d say No Return mode alone is well worth $10, for those only interested in that.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered does far more than simply justify its existence on the PS5. The new visuals and animations are absolutely stunning, and the added content is significant. With the new game modes and behind the scenes content, there’s plenty here for returning players to enjoy and newcomers to savor. Regardless of your past experience with The Last of Us Part II, this remaster deserves your time.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered will be available on the PS5 on January 19, 2024.