The Last of Us Part II: Remastered

Played on: Playstation 5
Version: Playstation 5
Edition: Digital

I have found an immense amount of love for Part II (I didn't like it at first). Very ambitious, daring, & is a masterwork in storytelling. The remaster is nothing short of this & then some.

The lost levels are a great bonus & very intriguing. I really think that the "Jackson Party" should have stayed in. The "No Return" mode is extremely challenging but also rewarding making it feel worth your time to play. The new skins (I'm not much of a skins guy) are pretty neat & add a little more bang for your buck.

All in all, this is a great add on to an already masterwork of a title. A $10 upgrade is fair for what you get (to those who already own it) & for those who don't, $49.99 is a great price for what awaits. It is arguably a game that DIDN'T need a remaster as it was already a fantastic looking game, but hey, I always welcome a tune up nonetheless.

Final verdict: Buy it

Not fully collected my thoughts and come to a final conclusion on what I think of the Last of us Part II as of 2024. This was my second playthrough since launch, I do like the game, so I thought I'd check out the unexpected remaster.

Played in fidelity mode with VRR. If you can do that, I'd suggest trying it out. Arguably, the most cinematic and lifelike visuals with exceptional performance I've seen. Improvements from the PS4 version are smaller but noticeable.

Lost levels are interesting, wish they kept them in but it's understandable to see why the removed them etc. No return is alright as well, didn't play much but it is fun.

This was better with the PS5s DualSense, brings the gameplay to life more and adds immersion. The adaptive triggers and haptic feedback were good during gameplay.

You can't really pass this up, an upgraded Last of us Part II that is with loads of new content. Lost levels, new mode 'No Return' commentary, behind the scenes, concept art, outfits, and more etc.

In terms of the rating for this edition of the game. I can't decide due to issues I have with the narrative direction. However, you get a lot for what your paying. So I'll leave that to you reading.

In conclusion, if you haven't played this before this might be something you'd like to try. If you own the game it's a cheap upgrade, despite being divided on the story I did enjoy playing this again, I recommend.

I would do it all over again.

The Last of us part 2 is brilliant but also very very stupid. I am extremely surprised by the visuals, performance, acting and gameplay wise. Every aspect of the gameplay has been improved, and every encounter felt.. Different if I can say it like this. The story is something very sensitive nowadays to talk about freely without being judged,but playing it again for a second time I can say I actually enjoyed it. The themes are strong, but even tho I like the message of the game i don't really think that the characters are that interesting or strong to carry it out Let me break it down why I think so:
1) Tommy doesn't really feel like him through out the whole game. His character just shifts from one decision to another one and it felt extremely off.
2) There are moments that felt rushed and unexplained, from the sake of avoiding spoilers, I will just say that Naughty dog expects you to do the mental gymnastics so YOU can justify the actions of the characters
3) The way the stories are told felt really messy and not as constructive as the first game.
Im giving it like 8-9, just cause the whole thing felt a bit messy, but overall the gameplay is fantastic, the environment and the whole presentation of the game.

While I liked The Last of Us Part II before, I did have some issues with its story. I liked the characters a lot and the visceral emotions, the soul-crushing moments and the lengthy, gruelling crawl through the city extenuating the long, hard road that comes with revenge and the cost of it all. But, like many have said, it seemed at odds with its main theme, the unending cycle of violence, with the narrative contradicting itself by the end. I'd give it a very solid 8.5.

But the remaster just gives more content, contents that's meaty, fun, and complimentary to the main game, offering a quick way to jump in to the games excellent gameplay. These combat encounters give players the chance to mess around with different mechanics and play styles that, due to the main games focus on story, required a lot of patience and down time to do before. That's not to mention all the PS5 upgrades, the extras, like new levels and commentary tracks, plus lots of additional fun unlockables on top of those in the original game. You just get so much bang for your buck here, that I'll easily add that extra 1.5 to get this game up to a 10/10. Not as strong of a 10 as the original, which was a 10 without any extras or fancy bonuses, but a 10 nonetheless.

Fuck you abby!!!!!!!