When Naughty Dog announced The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered version, it obviously caused many eye-raising moments from the gaming community. Like, really? Just after The Last of Us Part 1 release in 2022 (read my review here), there's going to be a remastered version for the sequel? Which, mind you, isn't that old as it was released in 2020. Is this just another cash-grab attempt?
Well, you would be surprised to learn that actually, many hardcore LoU (Last of Us) fans were looking forward to it. Before we get into the review, let us clear up a couple of things - the original story and gameplay are still the same, it's exclusive for the PS5, and yes, there are minor graphical improvements (such as a 4K + higher FPS mode). But honestly, the original game is already beautiful, so it's hard to tell much difference.
Now that we have gotten that out of the way, you all have heard about a couple of new additions for the LoU Part 2 Remastered - particularly No Return and the Lost Levels, which will be the main focus of this review. So, without further ado, let's start with why No Return is so addictively fun.
No Return - Surprisingly fun
Let's be honest here, the combat in The Last of Us series is quite difficult since there's no auto-aim support enabled. Furthermore, most players (me) would panic and freak out when the infected are swarming towards you and end your life. As a mid-30s gamer, this can be too much for me as I just want to relax and play instead of stressing out to survive. HOWEVER, there's still some competitive spirit in me that just wants to succeed, which is where No Return comes in.
Playing as Lev
As Naughty Dog advertised, No Return contains a series of levels where you play different characters (like Ellie or Abby, and other characters by unlocking them) going through different challenges. You can be the hunter or the hunted, unlock new weapons and items and try completing to the end without dying.
I know, this contradicts what I said earlier. No Return sounds pretty stressful. But I assure you - it's pretty fun. Nobody likes dying too much when they can't perfect their controls, but I do enjoy some challenges. Depending on how stubborn you are, you can unlock a few new characters and each of them has different abilities and weapons. If you don't like fighting through a "Zerg Rush", you can play a heist level, but the modes are random.
Different characters offer different strengths and playstyles
Besides exploring other characters, you also get to try out new weapons, which you don't normally see in the main campaign. And here's the thing - you can't always rely on one type of playstyle since the modes are randomly generated as aforementioned. So, you always have to switch up your tactics. I guess that could be a con if that's not your jam, but I don't really mind. Also, it would be nice to actually get to choose a mode instead of being given a random one.
The Lost Levels - Appreciating the Behind-the-Scenes
Next, Lost Levels is a section where you can play three levels that didn't make it to the final product. Not only can you play these stages, but you can also get first-hand audio commentaries by the designers and Neil Druckmann, the game director, about their thought processes when designing the level. I think this is something LoU fans can enjoy, especially if you're into level designing on even the little details here and there.
While writing this review, it reminds me of fans buying Blu-Ray editions of their favourite movies because most of the time, they would include special behind-the-scenes, interviews and whatnot. This is exactly what Lost Levels feels like and I can appreciate that effort. In fact, I think game studios should do this often because this kind of content will sell regardless of what the general public thinks.
Without getting into spoilers (if you want to be surprised), the three lost levels you can play through are all about Ellie. You can play her at a party before Dina kisses her, hunting a boar, or crawling through a sewer. I'm not exactly a big LoU fan, but I was fascinated by these playable documentary playstyle modes made available in this remastered version.
Other new stuff
Other than that, there are a couple of new stuff in The LoU Part 2 Remastered version. For example, they let you play and PRACTICE your guitar strumming via swiping the touchpad on the PS5 DualSense controller. As a guitar player myself, I'm a bit bewildered about why they would go so far as to add this because the notes and finger positioning are precise and accurate. Nonetheless, it's pretty fun and I'm sure someday, someone will make a video out of singing and playing a song on a guitar in the game.
Seriously, putting so much effort into accurate guitar-playing mode (lol)
Of course, you get a New Game+ mode with new clothing options. Like The LoU Part 1, you get to modify your gameplay with the returning slow-mo mode and others or give yourself new strands of white hair by playing permadeath or Speed Run if that's your kind of thing. There's something for everyone here.
Conclusion - A nice treat for the fans
Considering the amount of content added to the remastered version, upgrading your current LoU Part 2 for RM40 is really cheap and it's worth it. Of course, that's only if you are a hardcore LoU fan and didn't mind the controversial Part 2 story that divided fans who appreciated or hated it (you know exactly why). If you have never played the game and want to give it a go, you might as well just get this remastered version for RM209, which is also affordable for a AAA game.
Overall, I personally enjoyed No Return and appreciate the effort on Lost Levels. There's one thing I don't like though, and that's how you can't really choose a specific mode in No Return. It's also quite a shame that the multiplayer aspect didn't make it to the final product. Who knows how fun it could have been since No Return is generally well received.
That's pretty much what I have to say, but what do you think? And have you played No Return yet? Let us know what you think of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered edition and stay tuned for more gaming content on TechNave.com.
COMMENTS