It’s been a running joke in the industry that Naughty Dog keeps remastering and re-releasing its games, and next on the list is The Last of Us Part 2. Hot on the heels of a leak confirming its existence, the company officially unveiled the remastered version of the game, slated for release on 19 January 2024.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered promises various visual enhancements, including improved shadow quality, better animation, sampling rates, and more. It will also feature two graphics modes, Fidelity and Performance, running at 4K and 1440p upscaled to 4K respectively, as well as faster loading times and several accessibility options.
In addition, the title brings a behind-the-scenes commentary track to the story campaign, an unlockable Speedrun Mode with leaderboards, a new roguelike survival mode called No Return, and a Guitar Free Play mode. No Return allows players to “chart their own course on each run, choosing between various stealth and combat encounters…against a range of enemies, with unique twists that can add new, unexpected factors”, alongside a range of playable characters — some of whom where never playable in the franchise and possess unique gameplay traits.
More notably, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered will be available as a US$10 upgrade for anyone who already own the original 2020 sequel on the PS4. However, Naughty Dog clarified that the perk is only applicable for users who have a PS5 with a disc drive. “Owners of PS4 disc copies must insert them into the PS5 every time they want to download or play the PS5 digital version,” the company writes in a blog post. Save files will carry over as well.
The upgrade certainly softens the blow, especially with the gaming community questioning if a remastered version is needed for a three-year-old game, which has spawned posts like the following:
A Washington Liberation Front edition of the game will also be available upon release, containing a display case, four enamel pins, a WLF Patch, and 47 Society of Champions trading cards, including eight holographic ones.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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