When rumours began to swirl about a possible Last of Us Part II remaster, many in the gaming community were left scratching their heads, seeing as the game was only released back in 2020.
A swansong of sorts for the PS4, the game was already impressive on the ageing console. With a 60 frames per second (FPS) patch released for PS5 back in 2021, it felt like it was set for the next generation.
Now that the remaster has officially been released, we can finally evaluate whether a remaster of a four-year-old game is truly worth it.
Whether you are paying the full price (€49.99), or just upgrading to the remaster (€10), it definitely feels like a more substantial product compared to the remake of The Last of Us Part I, which came out last year.
Along with native 4K performance in fidelity mode and variable refresh rate, there are the expected DualSense features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
Playing through the main story is impressive with a smooth framerate and the amount of visual fidelity on show, but there is not that much of a leap over the version already on PS5.
The gameplay and world design still hold up and whether you play as Ellie or Abby, every gruesome detail of combat is painstakingly rendered.
Thankfully, there is an option to reduce the amount of gore if you are not comfortable seeing dismembered bodies or bloodied faces.
Beyond the main story, there is tons of fan service on offer, like new skins for Ellie and Abby as well as commentary from game director Neil Druckmann and various cast members.
There are also three 'Lost Levels' which give insight into parts of the game that were left on the cutting room floor.
As Druckmann explains in a video before each, they are very much rough drafts.
They often don't have dialogue and miss the polish you would expect from a final level, but they give a fascinating look behind the curtain.
Each one has commentary from one of the developers guiding you through the level. It is a welcome addition and one I wish more developers would do as it demystifies the whole process of game development.
Another new mode is Guitar free play, where you can play as either Ellie, Joel or the game's composer, Gustavo Santella.
You could only play guitar at certain points in the original game, so it is nice to be able to mess around in this mode and try out other instruments like the banjo or electric guitar.
Given how creative players got with the original game, it will be interesting to see what they come up with this time around.
The real star of this remaster is the new game mode No Return. As a Roguelike, you start each run with limited weapons at your disposal and upgrade as you progress.
There are four different types of levels: Assault, which pits you against waves of enemies; Capture, where you have to break into a safe surrounded by enemies; Holdout, where you and an AI-controlled buddy defend against infected; and Hunted, where you need to survive until the timer runs out against waves of enemies.
No Return
Once you complete a level, you choose the next on a branching path which is displayed on a board in your hideout. So, if you choose to do an Assault level, for example, you miss out on doing a Hunted level.
You unlock new companions by completing runs with different characters and, eventually, you can do new runs with those characters as well.
You start off as either Ellie or Abby before unlocking Dina, Jesse, Joel and Tommy etc. Each character starts with a particular weapon and a unique skill.
Both Joel and Tommy cannot dodge, unlike Ellie or Abby, but they can sustain more damage from melee attacks.
Tommy comes with his trusty sniper rifle, which means you have to play differently to characters who are more aggressive.
It is an excellent mode with tons of things to unlock and plenty of variables (or mods) to mix things up.
What makes it so impactful is that in the main game you can restart from a checkpoint, but in No Return one wrong move and you have to start all over.
It means the tension of every encounter is ratcheted up to 11, so deciding whether to craft a health kit or a Molotov cocktail is a crucial decision.
Ultimately, with these new additions, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is a comprehensive package that will please fans of the series, new and old.
Just don't expect a major upgrade on the original or PS5 version, as there is only so much you can do to update such a recent release.
