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The Last of Us Part II is being Remastered for the PlayStation 5, developers Naughty Dog have announced. The studio is promising a slew of technological improvements, new game modes, and other additions in a bid to make the remaster for a game, that came out on the PS4 in 2020, worth picking up on the PS5. Notably, the sequel to The Last of Us is playable on Sony’s current-gen console via backwards compatibility and had already received a PS5 update in 2021 that added support for 60fps. The Last of Us Part II Remastered will be coming to the PS5 on January 19, 2024, Naughty Dog has confirmed.
After the remaster leaked on PlayStation Network, the Sony-owned studio announced the upcoming title in a blog, alongside an announcement trailer, on November 17, calling it the “definitive way to experience” the game. The biggest new addition to the remaster is a new roguelike survival mode called No Return, which lets players take on enemies in randomized encounters. In addition to series protagonists Joel and Ellie, the No Return mode will also bring new playable characters from the game, each with their distinct abilities and traits that suit specific playstyles. “Players will chart their own course on each run, choosing between various stealth and combat encounters that will pit you against a range of enemies, with unique twists that can add new, unexpected factors to any given encounter,” Naughty Dog said in the blog.
The ‘No Return’ roguelike survival mode will include several playable characters
Photo Credit: Naughty Dog
Each roguelike run in the No Return mode will let players decide rewards for each encounter and how to upgrade their characters. New characters and skins can be unlocked with progress in the mode.
The game is getting a visual upgrade, as well. The Last of Us Part II Remastered will get native 4K output in Fidelity Mode, 1440p upscaled to 4K in Performance Mode, and an Unlocked Framerate option for TVs that support variable refresh rate. The remaster will also include increased texture resolution, increased Level-of-Detail distances, improved shadow quality, animation sampling rate, and more, according to Naughty Dog. The game also promises improved immersion with faster load times and haptic feedback and adaptive triggers support on the DualSense controller.
The upcoming remaster will also pack in some cut content from the original game. Players will be able to explore a new set of unfinished ‘Lost Levels’ in playable sequences that Naughty Dog says will provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of the game. Lost Levels will also include embedded developer commentary to provide context on the parts of the game that didn’t make the cut.
Additionally, The Last of Us Part II Remastered will bring a Guitar Free Play mode that will let players show their musical talents across a variety of unlockable instruments. The mode will include different characters and a number of in-game locations to let players strum away wherever they want, with whomever they choose. The game will also feature an unlockable Speedrun Mode, bonus character and weapon skins and additions to the photo mode.
Pre-orders for The Last of Us Part II Remastered will begin December 5 for both standard edition and a new W.L.F. Edition, which includes a steelbook display case and other in-game trinkets. All existing owners of the original game on the PS4 will be provided a $10 (about Rs. 833) upgrade path for the remastered version on the PS5. Players will also be able to import their PS4 saves to TLOU Part 2 Remastered.
Previous leaks had hinted that Naughty Dog was working on a remaster for The Last of Us Part II, with a developer at the studio accidentally stating it in a LinkedIn post in October.
Naughty Dog also released The Last of Us Part I, a full remake of the original game from 2013, on the PS5 in September last year, carrying a $70 (Rs. 4,999 in India) price tag. The game was ported to PC earlier this year in March, launching with several performance and graphical issues.