After almost 3 years, it returns to PS5. However, sleuths will know that a PS5 patch is already available for The Last of Us 2. Yes, but no. There, we’re talking to you about a fully remastered version, an actual original PS5 version and all the promises that come with it, plus some bonuses. Is The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered necessary? Tough question, as many have criticized the Opus remake before, which goes much further in the redesign work than a rerun of TLOU 2. So let’s see what this remastered has in its belly.
Note: This test usually focuses on the new features that this remastered version brings. Since the new features don’t disrupt the experience in any way, we invite you to read our The Last of Us 2 on PS4 review in detail to learn more about the original game.
Why change the winning team?
We take the same and start again. As mentioned, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is just a massive update of the original version and not a remake like TLOU Part 1. This impressive revision will only cost you ten euros if you own the PS4 version. Also note that saves, progress and trophies will also be transferable. Excellent points but that also reveals one thing: this update won’t have any major new features other than a lot of polish. The game looks better than before, but nothing else changes.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is still a pure masterpiece. It is a lesson in storytelling and directing. Ellie’s discovery, her dramatic increase in power and her violence are as successful as ever, without forgetting Abby’s other integral aspects of the same play. A work that can be felt from beginning to end, that can be (re)discovered with courage. Naughty Dog is a studio that has built its reputation on its ability to create universes that are not only compelling but believable. TLOU 2 is full of details everywhere, at all times and at all levels. From the simple interactions between the characters, to the reactions around our heroes in the heat of the action, the game surprises us at every moment and the recipe always works.
On the other hand, he is not very old. It was released late in its life on the PS4 which would give way to its older sister a few months later. At that time, TLOU 2 was already a graphic and technical masterclass and it was not three years that it showed wrinkles, on the contrary. And if that’s cool, it’s also a problem when you want to charge for a remastered version, or rather, optimized for current machines.
The Last of Us 2 looks better than ever on PS5
Remasters, when games become outdated, require a graphical overhaul or a gameplay update to revitalize a dated title. But what about a game that was two to three years ahead of what was being done at the time? This is the question we will ask ourselves when launching the story mode of this TLOU 2 Remastered to the extent that nothing changes in a single person. No new features or anything, Masterpiece is immaculate.
On the graphic part, we obviously notice an evolution, or rather, an optimization. We are switching to native 4K which will please the discerning gamer’s eye, better framerate for those who want it and compatibility with VRR, variable refresh rate, a very good explanation for these people’s game. The result is nothing short of transcendent, let it be said. It’s not a failure, not at all, but in reality the game was already pretty good. There, it is even more. After Sublime ++, but that’s about it. We’re told that animations have been slightly adjusted, various graphic effects have been improved…
We believe them, we see it in the image, the game is great. And yet cool is sometimes too small a word for the creations of staging or level design enough to vibrate our artistic sensibilities enough to make us widen our eyes with giddiness. It is like that. But once again, this feeling, the original game already causes it. It’s impossible for the average gamer to spot every pixel changed by this remaster. Details, always details, this is how the mischievous dog purged his child for the last time. An optimization that makes it better, if not completely surpasses the experience.
Bonuses and new features galore
PS5 obliges, the game is now completely symbiotic with its support. Every feature of the machine and its dualsense have been utilized. Haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, 3D audio and everything you want. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered plays the role well and we’re not going to complain about that. But the real innovation is found elsewhere. They are located in the main menu. For example, note the possibility to add developer comments during certain cutscenes to learn more behind the scenes. Fans of the franchise will surely appreciate. There is also a famous lost level.
Parts of the game, three to be exact, were scrapped along the way. A different introduction, a passage through the sewers or even a chase that turns sour… The unfinished sequences that can be played here are dotted with audio notes to explore to learn more about the development once again. It’s amazing to go behind the scenes like this, to understand the development process and the secrets that led to certain decisions. But how short it is! The sequences in question only last a few minutes, a little more if you take the time to listen to all the audio notes, but that’s it. We obviously would have preferred to see them in the final version, perhaps in the director’s cut? Here it is a bonus, nothing more, unfortunately.
We’ll also note the free guitar game mode that allows you to play as Joel, Ellie, or Gustavo Santaolla, the composer of the original soundtrack. Great on paper, but… but that’s only because there’s nothing to sink your teeth into. There’s no rhythm game-style score or anything to unlock other than an acoustic guitar and some additional instruments. There was definitely something to be done here, but we’ll never see it unfortunately. Same thing for some game modifiers after the main plot is over, cheat codes we’re not gonna lie, or a speedrun mode that will please scoring fans.
Sense Retor, a super-effective rogue mode
Although we’re not going to be picky, because there are plenty of bonuses here, The Last of Us Part 2 is full of them, especially thanks to its new No Return game mode. A roguelike experience that will allow you to unlock an astronomical amount of cosmetics for the main game or this same secondary mode. No multiplayer, even though it lends itself well to co-op, but a solo mode that gives us the chance to play otherwise unplayable characters. Tommy, Lev, Jessie and Dinah can also be unlocked to replace the iconic duo of Ellie and Abby on the field.
The principle is simple, we launch a run (a game) which will be randomly generated. A multi-branched campaign then takes the shape of several random missions with a boss to defeat at the end. The objective is simple: complete the campaign and start over to unlock a whole bunch of bonuses. Each game will allow you to unlock new missions, new challenges to complete in the meantime, but also new bosses to defeat.
There’s no narrative plot here, unlike for example God of War Ragnarok’s roguelike mode, which is also free. Campaigns on TLOU 2 Remastered are random and environments have no consistency between them. All the missions will take us to narrow locations taken directly from the story mode and somewhat reworked to adapt to the roguelike. After that we will have several objectives to complete which will only last a few minutes.
Avoid hunting, eliminate waves of enemies, loot resources, etc. The objectives are varied and we’ll unlock them as we progress, as well as some mission modifiers that can offer bonuses or penalties. Sometimes it also happens that it has no use other than adding a photo filter for example. Roguelike mode is based on efficient and well-executed operations, if not truly original.
Nothing too sublime, especially when we know that in the end, there is no big carrot at stake. However, the experience remains very interesting because it fits perfectly with the universe and most of all because it is well designed. Between each mission, we develop our skills, each character has strengths and weaknesses that are often linked to weapon handling or survival skills, and we can even create new equipment to carry from one mission to another.
Knowing that death is final and exploring some new game mechanics (we’ll surprise you), No Return mode is especially intense. The action is still visceral, the penetration is harrowing, and yes, it’s still extremely sublime. What I ultimately regret is not being able to share this experience in co-op, such as campaign mode. Rise of the Tomb Raider, for example. A game that also offers a super well-designed and quickly time-consuming secondary mode, but can be played in multiplayer.
Same thing here with this no return mode of The Last of Us 2 Remastered. You get lost quickly, you’ll need several successful runs to unlock everything unlockable, but you’ll only be able to do it alone when the extra heroes aren’t obviously killed, especially since it was totally worth it. But we get it, TLOU isn’t for tomorrow in multi, that’s too bad.
