The world of
The Last of Us
is bleak, unforgiving, and hauntingly beautiful. The pandemic that brought human civilisation to its knees still lingers, turning people into monstrous shadows of their former selves. Resources are scarce, trust is rare, and death always lurks nearby for survivors like Ellie and Joel. We met them in the original game as Joel helped smuggle a potentially cure-carrying Ellie across the country with a slim hope of saving humanity.
Their bond grew into a father-daughter relationship amidst the horrors around every corner.
The Last of Us Part II
picks up that story years later as Ellie embarks on her own journey for justice and redemption. The path twists down darker roads than ever before as she contends with the violence of others and the violence within herself.
Just like its predecessor, Part II captivates players with a masterclass combination of
gameplay
, visuals, music, and storytelling. This remastered version for the
PS5
adds new depth and perspective to an already phenomenal experience, especially for those playing again after the first or coming to it for the first time from the recent
HBO
show.
Plot, Storyline, and Characters
The Last of Us Part II shakes players right away by killing off a pivotal character from the first game. While shocking, it kickstarts Ellie's quest for vengeance as she pursues those responsible one by one. She leaves her peaceful life in Jackson, Wyoming, behind, descending back into the brutal reality of surviving and killing to reach her goal in Seattle, Washington.
The narrative frequently shifts perspective between Ellie's story and her primary target – Abby. Players experience Abby's side of events leading up to and beyond that inciting incident. Her friends, relationships, and motivations get fleshed out to reveal there is more going on than Ellie understands. She has no idea that Abby feels justified by vengeance as well. Their confrontation builds inevitably even as the truth becomes complicated.
These characters return alongside fresh faces like Dina, Jesse, Lev, Yara, and Emily. Their interactions with Ellie and Abby make the bigger picture clash of foes feel deeply personal on both sides of the vendetta. Top-notch writing and animation deliver gut-wrenching moments between kids protecting loved ones, friends grappling with betrayal, and enemies that gain understanding but not redemption. Melodic guitar ballads accentuate quiet times while tense strings score disturbing kills.
Gameplay
At its core, The Last of Us blends stealth navigation, melee frenzy, gunplay combat, and survival management against animal and human foes. That holds true in Part II across city streets, creepy buildings, and wooded areas. Jump scares often come from the fungal-infected zombies popping out when least expected. Savage human hunters also prove challenging to evade or fight.
Fortunately, Ellie and Abby unlock improved weapons, trap/bomb crafting, and skill upgrades to help counter threats. The workbench system returns to combine parts and supplements into better guns, bows, and melee weapons. Crafting materials scavenged from the world lets you create ammunition, medical kits, smoke bombs, trip mines, and explosive arrows on the fly. There are also supplements to upgrade skills like increased health, listen mode range, and crafting speed.
The DualSense controller adds immersive haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support not present when playing on PS4. Weapons have more believable recoil, stiffness, and vibration based on what you shoot or hit. Stealth passages ratchet up tension through subtle rumbles when enemies draw near, and clicking the adaptive trigger to aim down sights pulls back realistically. These next-gen features make tense fights and quiet moments land stronger.
New to the Remastered edition is No Return mode, offering roguelike Survival across randomised battle zones. Choose Ellie, Abby, or other characters to battle against waves of enemies how you want. Sneaky players can evade foes to grab supply caches for upgrades to improve another run. Aggressive players can shoot their way through, using workbenches between attempts. If you die, it's game over and back to the beginning. Surviving long enough ends in dramatic boss fights before starting anew. It's addictively challenging!
The addition of guitar free play lets one recreate Joel's musical moments through the DualSense controller. Plucking familiar chords on the touchpad aims to mimic Joel's fingerpicking style from iconic songs like "Future Days." The tactile interaction makes a calming escape from the game's pervasive tension. Though a minor feature, the sensory familiarity of producing those guitar ballad sounds fans associate with Joel's memory and bond with Ellie proves evocative. It encapsulates the gentle human connections grounding the story's more considerable turmoil.
The Remastered release also includes behind-the-scenes Lost Levels, chronicling portions cut from the final game, like an extended Seattle sewer sequence. These scenes feature developer commentary explaining what they wanted to achieve and why the levels got scrapped. Gaining that insider perspective into the creative process proves enlightening for better appreciating everything encompassed by the whole experience.
Verdict
The Last of Us Part II Remastered
enhances the visuals, gameplay innovation, and dramatic intensity of 2020's epic masterpiece. The tragic story gains even more emotional weight through enhanced animations and environments viewed natively in 4K resolution. Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers immerse you deeper into Ellie's searing journey of violence, justice, and the costs of revenge. No other game confronts players with such an impactful tale matched by engaging stealth-action combat and survival horror mechanics.
New features expand the experience as well. No Return mode offers endless rogue battle fun, while Lost Levels peel back the development curtain. The Last of Us Part II set impossibly high standards for narrative quality in gaming back in 2020. Now, the Remastered edition provides a compelling reason to replay this seminal PS5 title or dive in for the first time. It stands tall as a genre-defining accomplishment and the definitive way to experience a profound piece of digital storytelling.
English (US) ·