The Last of Us, one of the games that stood out for a long time and topped the charts. It was no surprise that a sequel was coming… The Last of Us 2 appeared and gave us another adventure to remember. For some players, the storyline felt off as there were some drastic changes, and for some, it was for that kind of drama, the story that they needed. Only 4 years later and the game comes out in a newer version of itself, the remastered edition. Aside from the storyline, the game’s core mechanics are far better executed, and the game shines even brighter when it comes to the graphical representation. Let’s check it out!
The Last of Us 2 is perfectly playable on the PS4, but with the PS5 in our hands, the developers has some extra power to utilize, to enhance their game to a state that has grown even further. The game is probably developed to give some PS5 owners their worth’s money out of a newly produced system. So you could say, the remastered edition wants to end up in the hands of new players who aren’t familiar with the franchise. However, the remastered edition has a certain discount for players who have the PS4 edition. With only a couple of euros, you can get the unlocked PS5 edition when you own the PS4 edition. For the price of 10 euros, you get deleted gameplay levels, graphical enhancement, DualSense extras, a roguelike survival mode, and a new guitar. Sounds like a good deal for me!
“Either way, the story is a story that needs to be told, even if it gives the fans something to think about.”
First, let us talk about the elephant in the room: the story. The remastered version doesn’t come with an alternate ending. Without spoiling too much, it’s the ending that’s being titled as one of the worst changes in a popular franchise like this. The storywriters did their best to come in with the big guns and flicker up some bad feelings with the player. It’s just a kind of “You either hate it or you don’t” kind of situation. Either way, the story is a story that needs to be told, even if it gives the fans something to think about. Being human in an infested world of mutants is the central thought process. You laugh, you cry, make the best out of the life you (still) have, and the bad thoughts a human can have. It truly is an emotional rollercoaster when you think about it. Characters within the game can react very harshly and can come off very strong. Your first initial thought is probably: Why would you do that? But at the end, you kind of think: It may not be the best decision you’ve made, but I get it. I would probably do the same thing, with that kind of history. The whole experience is all about “ignoring clichés” and “impactful moments”.
A remastered version also comes with graphical enhancements to make the game shine brighter than it ever has before. The game just looks very good and very cinematic. This cinematic experience makes the game ‘storyline come out even stronger, because of the realistic graphics. The basics have been enhanced: textures, resolution, 4K with 60 fps, and probably a couple of more that I’m forgetting at the moment. You can be sure that the games run smoothly, and (almost) without any kind of loading screens, which makes the game flow smoothly. The details are in the natural environment. It truly makes the player stand still and enjoy the atmosphere of a forest, a snowy mountain, or a half-destroyed urban environment. With the crisp resolution and added texture overlays, the game’s visuals just stand out.
“It’s very satisfying when you survive an infested part of the building.”
For those who haven’t played The Last of Us franchise, the game is a third-person action game where you play as Joel or Ellie. You’ll have to traverse different parts of the map without being noticed by the infected (a virus spread by infected crops onto the humans), survivalists, and outsiders. You’ll be able to scout ahead and loot different components from buildings that eventually can be turned into weapons, items or traps. Along the way, you’ll find different skill books that strengthen your skills. There’s stealth and normal combat. When in stealth mode, you can almost instantly kill enemies and make your way throughout the different environments a lot easier. However, you’ll have to be skilled enough to figure out the enemy’s walk patterns and to move silently. It’s very satisfying when you survive an infested part of the building.
Why satisfying? Because the combat in The Last of Us franchise can be difficult and doesn’t give you a lot of room to make errors. Yes, there are weapons available to you, but these are very loud. Shooting an enemy can alert other enemies, and believe me when I say, you’ll be surrounded very quickly. The chances of survival are zero at that point! Also, you won’t have an unlimited amount of ammo, so you’ll have to either loot buildings constantly or be very thoughtful about when to use your weapon. Each enemy also reacts differently, so plan ahead. We also talked about a couple of new levels, but these levels don’t bring the game to a higher level when it comes to gameplay experience. They are fun, if you just want some more levels to do in the game, but it’s not like you’ll miss out on a lot of things. You do have a roguelike mode added to the remastered version of the game, and it’s called: No Return. It’s all about fending off hordes of enemies.
“This can definitely be a plus for the die-hard fans.”
Let’s dive a bit deeper into these modes. The first mode: you start by choosing one of the known characters in the game with their own set of skills and weapons. They’ll have to traverse different environments that will eventually lead them to the boss fight. Between the maps there’s this little hub where you can plot the next part of the route and the available weapons that can be upgraded. You continue the different routes until you get to the boss fight or until you die from the enemies on the route. Every session is different because the enemies and available weapons change randomly.
You also have the Hunters mod,e which leads to a horde mode where you have to survive for a couple of minutes before you can claim victory. Assault is a mode where you have to defend between waves, but still get the opportunity to stock up. Holdout is a mode where you have to defend your holdout with an NPC. Last but not least, there’s Capture. A mode where you have to break open a vault by eliminating opponents first. There are a couple of roguelike modes to choose from, and these modes can also be altered by mods. For example: you can have extra resources, enemies only killable by headshots, explosive enemies, fog, … These different alternations can extend the game’s longevity. The remastered version also comes with commentary bits by the development team. This can definitely be a plus for the die-hard fans. It can give you some insights into the development of the game. You’ll get to know about the decisions the development team had to make, to do what they wanted to do. It’s very interesting.
Conclusion:
The Last of Us 2 Remastered seems to be a fair addition to the game, even with the price tag or reduced price tag for PS4 owners. It comes with graphical enhancements that are very noticeable, and it just brings out the game even better. The different modes that come with it are definitely a blast to play and has some for everyone. After the long story, you can still get some hours of gameplay just by playing these (alternate) modes that focus on the core mechanics of the game. It’s a must for new players, and a must for the die-hard fans.
8,5/10
tested on PC
Review: The Last of Us 2 – remastered (PC)
The Last of Us, one of the games that stood out for a long time and topped the charts. It was no surprise that a sequel was coming… The Last of Us 2 appeared and gave us another adventure to remember. For some players, the storyline felt off as there were some drastic changes, and for some, it was for that kind of drama, the story that they needed. Only 4 years later and the game comes out in a newer version of itself, the remastered edition. Aside from the storyline, the game’s core mechanics are far better executed, and the game shines even brighter when it comes to the graphical representation. Let’s check it out!
The Last of Us 2 is perfectly playable on the PS4, but with the PS5 in our hands, the developers has some extra power to utilize, to enhance their game to a state that has grown even further. The game is probably developed to give some PS5 owners their worth’s money out of a newly produced system. So you could say, the remastered edition wants to end up in the hands of new players who aren’t familiar with the franchise. However, the remastered edition has a certain discount for players who have the PS4 edition. With only a couple of euros, you can get the unlocked PS5 edition when you own the PS4 edition. For the price of 10 euros, you get deleted gameplay levels, graphical enhancement, DualSense extras, a roguelike survival mode, and a new guitar. Sounds like a good deal for me!
“Either way, the story is a story that needs to be told, even if it gives the fans something to think about.”
First, let us talk about the elephant in the room: the story. The remastered version doesn’t come with an alternate ending. Without spoiling too much, it’s the ending that’s being titled as one of the worst changes in a popular franchise like this. The storywriters did their best to come in with the big guns and flicker up some bad feelings with the player. It’s just a kind of “You either hate it or you don’t” kind of situation. Either way, the story is a story that needs to be told, even if it gives the fans something to think about. Being human in an infested world of mutants is the central thought process. You laugh, you cry, make the best out of the life you (still) have, and the bad thoughts a human can have. It truly is an emotional rollercoaster when you think about it. Characters within the game can react very harshly and can come off very strong. Your first initial thought is probably: Why would you do that? But at the end, you kind of think: It may not be the best decision you’ve made, but I get it. I would probably do the same thing, with that kind of history. The whole experience is all about “ignoring clichés” and “impactful moments”.
A remastered version also comes with graphical enhancements to make the game shine brighter than it ever has before. The game just looks very good and very cinematic. This cinematic experience makes the game ‘storyline come out even stronger, because of the realistic graphics. The basics have been enhanced: textures, resolution, 4K with 60 fps, and probably a couple of more that I’m forgetting at the moment. You can be sure that the games run smoothly, and (almost) without any kind of loading screens, which makes the game flow smoothly. The details are in the natural environment. It truly makes the player stand still and enjoy the atmosphere of a forest, a snowy mountain, or a half-destroyed urban environment. With the crisp resolution and added texture overlays, the game’s visuals just stand out.
“It’s very satisfying when you survive an infested part of the building.”
For those who haven’t played The Last of Us franchise, the game is a third-person action game where you play as Joel or Ellie. You’ll have to traverse different parts of the map without being noticed by the infected (a virus spread by infected crops onto the humans), survivalists, and outsiders. You’ll be able to scout ahead and loot different components from buildings that eventually can be turned into weapons, items or traps. Along the way, you’ll find different skill books that strengthen your skills. There’s stealth and normal combat. When in stealth mode, you can almost instantly kill enemies and make your way throughout the different environments a lot easier. However, you’ll have to be skilled enough to figure out the enemy’s walk patterns and to move silently. It’s very satisfying when you survive an infested part of the building.
Why satisfying? Because the combat in The Last of Us franchise can be difficult and doesn’t give you a lot of room to make errors. Yes, there are weapons available to you, but these are very loud. Shooting an enemy can alert other enemies, and believe me when I say, you’ll be surrounded very quickly. The chances of survival are zero at that point! Also, you won’t have an unlimited amount of ammo, so you’ll have to either loot buildings constantly or be very thoughtful about when to use your weapon. Each enemy also reacts differently, so plan ahead. We also talked about a couple of new levels, but these levels don’t bring the game to a higher level when it comes to gameplay experience. They are fun, if you just want some more levels to do in the game, but it’s not like you’ll miss out on a lot of things. You do have a roguelike mode added to the remastered version of the game, and it’s called: No Return. It’s all about fending off hordes of enemies.
“This can definitely be a plus for the die-hard fans.”
Let’s dive a bit deeper into these modes. The first mode: you start by choosing one of the known characters in the game with their own set of skills and weapons. They’ll have to traverse different environments that will eventually lead them to the boss fight. Between the maps there’s this little hub where you can plot the next part of the route and the available weapons that can be upgraded. You continue the different routes until you get to the boss fight or until you die from the enemies on the route. Every session is different because the enemies and available weapons change randomly.
You also have the Hunters mod,e which leads to a horde mode where you have to survive for a couple of minutes before you can claim victory. Assault is a mode where you have to defend between waves, but still get the opportunity to stock up. Holdout is a mode where you have to defend your holdout with an NPC. Last but not least, there’s Capture. A mode where you have to break open a vault by eliminating opponents first. There are a couple of roguelike modes to choose from, and these modes can also be altered by mods. For example: you can have extra resources, enemies only killable by headshots, explosive enemies, fog, … These different alternations can extend the game’s longevity. The remastered version also comes with commentary bits by the development team. This can definitely be a plus for the die-hard fans. It can give you some insights into the development of the game. You’ll get to know about the decisions the development team had to make, to do what they wanted to do. It’s very interesting.
Conclusion:
The Last of Us 2 Remastered seems to be a fair addition to the game, even with the price tag or reduced price tag for PS4 owners. It comes with graphical enhancements that are very noticeable, and it just brings out the game even better. The different modes that come with it are definitely a blast to play and has some for everyone. After the long story, you can still get some hours of gameplay just by playing these (alternate) modes that focus on the core mechanics of the game. It’s a must for new players, and a must for the die-hard fans.
8,5/10
tested on PC
Author : Michiel Vonck, GamingBoulevard