When The Last Of Us Part 2 launched in 2020, it was horrifying. That hasn’t changed in this month’s remaster. Part of that comes with the territory: it’s set in post-apocalyptic America, where a Cordyceps fungal infection has transformed most of the country into zombie-like infected. But when the most gut-wrenching moments of developer Naughty Dog’s third-person shooter roll around, there are no manky mushrooms to blame – just stupid, impulsive humans.
When we left off in 2013’s The Last Of Us, grizzled smuggler Joel had just trekked Ellie – a child immune to the infection – to a hospital halfway across the country, only to find out that she would be killed to create a cure. Rather than give her up, he chose to murder everyone there and whisk an unconscious Ellie off the operating table.
Though The Last Of Us Part 2 picks up five years later, it’s a decision that haunts both of the sequel’s protagonists. Ellie, now 19, is distant from Joel and feels like she has no purpose in the world. Meanwhile, new character Abby is the opposite – she belongs to the militaristic Washington Liberation Front (WLF), but is completely driven by her desire to kill Joel. When the two collide, it kicks off a gut-wrenching story about the trappings of revenge.
Abby and Ellie are villains in each other’s story, and both are fantastic to play. Most of the game takes place in the flooded city of Seattle, which is not only swarming with infected, but fought over by the WLF and religious cult of Seraphites. You’ll try to pick through most levels in stealth, but in the cases where being sneaky is impossible (or you’re a little heavy-footed), expect to get into some vicious shootouts.
Whether you’re fighting the living or infected, The Last Of Us Part 2 is visceral. Kill someone with Ellie’s knife and you’ll hear the blood choking their lungs. There’s a hollow pop when a neck snaps under Abby’s bulging biceps. If a friend finds their body, they’ll often cry out for them by name. A mushroom-covered Clicker can kill you in a single gory bite. These small, gritty details add up – this was one of the most immersive shooters around when it launched, and it still holds that title now.
However, the story falls short in places. Switching between Ellie and Abby causes issues with pacing, and there will be several times when you think you’re about to complete the game before being pulled into more.
Elsewhere, in the ongoing battle between the WLF and Seraphites, you’re often told that both sides are responsible for their cycle of violence. Yet the WLF’s crimes – torture, massacres – are rarely seen, and they’re humanised by Abby and the time she spends with friends in the organisation.
Meanwhile, the Seraphites are depicted as sadistic killers who sacrificially disembowel their enemies – and yes, that part’s shown. The only ones you get to know are exiles being hunted due to the cult’s transphobia. This lopsided framing undercuts the power of perspective and moral ambiguity that run through The Last Of Us Part 2, which is a real shame as it explores those themes incredibly well when it focuses on Ellie and Abby.
However, this is a remaster – and many people will have already gone through all of this in 2020. It feels odd to be playing a remaster just four years after a game’s release and visually, improvements are minimal. Lighting and textures are a little softer but it’s nothing groundbreaking, though native 4K support and near-instant loading screens offer more marked upgrades.
Yet it’s the all-new No Return game mode that will turn the most heads. In this, you play as characters from the game (including Joel) through a set of randomised fights. In one run, you might have to kill waves of infected in an overrun resort. In another, you could still play the resort level, but this time it’s been taken over by WLF soldiers and your only goal is to stay alive while being hunted.
Complete one of these levels and you’ll move on to the next with currency to upgrade your skills and weapons. Lose, and all of your progress is deleted. Throw in challenges to unlock new characters for your next run, and there’s a decent game mode here – nothing that will blow the socks off fans of similar games like Hades, but a fantastic way of letting players jump into combat without replaying the entire campaign.
If you already own The Last Of Us Part 2 and you’re itching to give it another spin, these upgrades just about earn the £10 asking price. For those jumping in for the first time, it’s an enthralling sequel – but keep a box of tissues on hand.
The Last Of Us Part 2 Remastered launches on January 19 for PS5.
Verdict
The Last Of Us Part 2 Remastered tells a difficult, emotional story with phenomenal character development. This remaster doesn’t make any groundbreaking changes, but better technical support and the neat addition of No Return make a decent case for upgrading.
Pros
- Incredible plot
- Combat feels fantastic
- No Return is simple, but lots of fun
Cons
- Underwhelming visual improvements
- Pacing can make the game drag at times
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