We were very lucky to have been blessed with an embarrassment of long needed remakes and remasters of classic games in 2023. Whether it was your typical remaster like Metroid Prime, GoldenEye 007, Quake II Remastered, or a full blown from the ground up remake like Resident Evil 4 or Super Mario RPG, we were blessed. I can’t really think of a game that was redone in any way that wasn’t warranted. Coming into 2024, I knew that we’d be getting a remaster for The Last of Us Part II and had my reservations. That was hands down the best looking PS4 title and all it was missing was a buttery smooth frame rate of 60 frames per second. Eventually – with the release of the PS5 – we were gifted with a patch that provided TLOU2 enjoyers with a frame rate boost. We got that buttery smooth frame rate we had all been waiting for. It was already in contention for being the best looking game on the PS5 even though it was a native PS4 title. Once they released the early screenshots of the remaster I was even more confused, as I wasn’t able to notice much of a difference. Now that I’ve played quite a bit of The Last of Us Part II Remastered and have experienced all of the new content that has been added to this already incredible game – I’m left with one question… Why?
I would never attempt to say that The Last of Us Part II Remastered is an ugly game, or not worth looking at on current generation consoles, because that’d be a blatant lie. This game is stunning. I would argue that other than Alan Wake 2 (I’ll write about it eventually, I swear) it’s probably the most photo realistic game I’ve ever seen. It’s just that I was expecting to be stopped in my tracks when I saw how good this game looks. However, much like when I saw the screenshots, my untrained eye can’t seem to spot any major differences. I loaded up an old save where I was in a very heavily forested area with sunlight dripping through the foliage. It looked stunning, obviously, but other than the grass appearing to be more dense and detailed, I couldn’t see anything that stood out to me as different. The PlayStation store listing for the game mentions that there are better shadows and other textures, however, I couldn’t see them. I’m really well versed in this game, having beat it three or four times now. I kept an eye out for every time I knew a potential graphically WOW moment would happen, but they all felt very much like I had seen them before.
I played the game on performance mode which has a rock solid 60fps. I never noticed any drops in my time with the game. Given just how gorgeous this looks, it is very impressive that they were able to keep that frame rate locked. There is also a fidelity mode which promises higher picture quality at an unexciting 30fps. Imagine my shock when I couldn’t really see too big a difference from the already stunning performance mode. Why would I sacrifice frames for a slightly sharper image? There is an unlocked frame rate which I’ve heard clocks around 80-90fps if you have a TV that supports it… I do not. I can’t speak on how that looks or feels. Perhaps the difference is jarring and extremely noticeable, but I am not able to experience that.
The Last of Us Part II is gorgeous, we all know that. It always has been and it always will be. That factoid isn’t new to anyone! But you know what is new to everyone? The new roguelike game mode “No Return!”
“No Return” acts as a combat playground for the newbies and for veterans. You can pick between 10 different characters who each have their own special abilities and passives. You choose a character and go through a gauntlet of different combat challenges. Sometimes you’ll be assaulted with waves of Seraphite cult members. Other times you’ll be chased by infected and you just have to avoid them for two minutes. Each one of these challenges are nerve wracking and demand your attention. As you beat each challenge, the difficulty ramps up with different modifications and difficulty spikes. Whether it’s colour filters, enemies who drop pipe bombs upon dying, or even INVISIBLE ENEMIES, you’re going to get your ass kicked in many new satisfying ways. “No Return” feels fresh. It’s exciting to play and it’s fun to have new combat scenarios. It doesn’t entirely heal the wound that is Naughty Dog cancelling the online TLOU game they had in development, but it’s an enjoyable ‘hoorah!’ moment for the game. “No Return” is a brand new way to experience the excellent gameplay already baked into the campaign.
There are also a few additional scenarios that have been added and dubbed “Lost Levels.” These three segments are short and unfinished bits that were cut from the game. It’s nice that these are available for us to play. What’s even nicer is that they have director’s commentary, so you can get insight as to what they were going for, and why these bits ultimately didn’t make the cut. It’s a nice inside look at the ideas they had for the story, and ultimately where it wound up going. Also new to this remaster is the free play guitar mode. You can play guitar, banjo, electric guitar, as well as a few other guitar adjacent instruments. What’s nice is that you can play as Ellie, Joel, or even the game’s own composer Gustavo Santaolalla. You are given free range to play whatever you want. I cannot wait to hear somebody eventually upload a video of them playing Free Bird onto YouTube. There is also a new set of skins for both Ellie and Abby, as well as a few additional skins for each of the playable characters in “No Return.” Seeing those characters in new outfits gives them a new layer of character I really wasn’t expecting.
It’s exhausting talking about The Last of Us Part II. I say this because it has always been one of my favourite experiences with a video game. I was floored by the game, and it never for a second lost my interest. I always have to defend my opinions on it because there are so many people out there who maybe only read the spoilers and never played the game themselves. I’ll say it for the last time – I fucking love The Last of Us Part II. Any moment I am given a reason to return to this moving piece of art is a gift. The nice thing is that in this moment, the gift I am given has even more to enjoy and analyze. Plus, this gift is a lot cheaper if you already own the game. It’s hard to pass up such a good deal. It’s a shame that you need to own a fancy TV to make this game look its best, but that’s just a nitpick.
Ultimately, it’s hard not to argue that The Last of Us Part II Remastered is a confusing release. Do I think a remaster makes any sense even though the game is barely four years old? No. Do I think it looks dramatically better than it already looked? No. Do I think it is worth your time if you’ve never played it? Yes. One thousand times yes. This is officially without a doubt the definitive way to play one of the best games of the past generation.
