The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered: How much is the PS5 version of the cult game worth?

Many high-quality adventure games have left their mark on the PS4’s history, but none have impressed as much as 2020’s The Last of Us Part 2. Four years later, Naughty Dog studio is at it again. With a remaster designed specifically for PS5.

This version offers additional content as well as improved graphics. we can We delve into the topic to give you a complete insight. Should you go for The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered on PS5? Are plugins worth checking again? Reply immediately.

Is The Last of Us Part 2 a remake or remaster?

Before getting to the heart of the matter, it is necessary to touch upon a small semantic point. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is not a remake. As the name suggests, it is a Remaster. Truth, The fundamentals of the core game are left untouched. This is the exact same title as in 2020 and has newly improved graphics. At this point, it differs from The Last of Us Part 1 (2022) on PS5. In the second one, Naughty Dog certainly kept the gameplay from 2013, but completely reworked the visual aspect. The difference between the two concepts is sometimes subtle, and The Last of Us saga is a perfect example of the confusion this can cause.

The Last Of Us Part 2 Remastered is not sold as a “new” game. Those who already have this game on PS4 do not need to spend money, because they only need to pay 10 euros to benefit from it (compared to 50 Euros for the whole game). It’s even possible to import your backups. Naughty Dog studio seems obsessed with the idea of ​​making The Last of Us a timeless work and therefore keeping its two games “up to date”. The remastering of Episode 2 fits this project perfectly.

An adventure that is as bloody as it is gripping.

Today, The Last of Us is an iconic video game license. The first episode, published in 2013, shocked the players. This success was repeated with this second work in 2020. The license even managed to reach a new audience with a quality series produced by HBO in 2023. A fresh audience What does Naugthy Dog want to target with this new regulation?

For the two people in the back who aren’t keeping track, The Last of Us Part 2 is an action/adventure game where the player must navigate “hallway” levels while eliminating enemies (infected or human) that get in their way. . He can either choose an aggressive approach or use common sense to achieve his goals. Frankly, the latter is more recommended, the “survival” aspect encourages us to preserve resources. A classic scheme, but wrapped in a gripping story and extremely careful staging.

Even knowing this by heart, this Episode 2 still hits the mark. We marvel at this narrative mastery, this absurd quest for vengeance that guides our steps in post-apocalyptic Seattle, even questioning our actions as players. We always enjoy an adventure that knows how to manage its pace perfectly, expertly balancing exploration, action, tranquility and moments of absolute terror. Nautghy Dog’s sheer mastery in terms of level design and atmosphere never fails to leave us breathless, with each environment being both credible and fun to navigate. Finally, we are still amazed by the mastery of the gameplay and the animations that accompany it. The Last of Us Part 2 is a great game, a very great game, and manages to keep us on our toes for nearly thirty hours. A game that is geared for the largest number of people, but also knows how to take risks sometimes in its writing or in certain game scenes. This is an important game, a bold blockbuster that has left its mark on the medium’s history and remains relevant in 2023.

Of course, not everything is perfect. We can point to some sometimes clumsy gameplay, some arenas that look a little artificial, and even a slightly long final act that can be a handicap in the fights, but nothing can really tarnish an otherwise excellent picture. This refactoring It doesn’t change the adventure as we know it in any way. TLOU 2 is still indispensable.

What does this Remastered version bring?

This PS5 version aims to technically update a game released on the previous generation. If there’s a graphical gap between TLOU 2013 and its 2023 remake, the difference here is slimmer. And for good reason: The original game is still amazing on PS4 today!

Naughty Dog still reworked the copy. Lighting effects are more careful, graphics are higher quality, and the image benefits from native 4K definition. Subtle improvements that further enhance the already amazing game, especially thanks to its ultra-expansive environments. The fine adjustment is so light that it evenly It’s hard to see the difference between this PS5 version and the original PS4 version. Yeah yeah! Note that the headset has traditional Fidelity and Performance modes and does not support ray tracing.

This PS5 version also gets its share of new features like costumes, a clearly unnecessary free guitar mode, a speedrun/permadeath mode for hardcore gamers, haptic feedback support from DualSense, and more. but also, and above all, the No Return mode. The latter is clearly the big part of the remaster. It takes the form of Rogue Lite. The player must survive waves of enemies until reaching the final boss in different random arenas. If he dies, he loses all upgrades he gained during his run, while if he survives, he unlocks new playable characters, costumes, and tougher bosses to encounter. A beautiful and interesting game mode. This will satisfy challenge fans, but there remains additional content on the fringes of the main adventure. You would understand this TLOU Part 2 Remastered shines even brighter with No Return mod hidden but present, with only graphical improvements. A shame!

Let’s also note this existence of “missing levels”. These are unfinished sequences that were cut from the final game. There are three of them, they are definitely not for entertainment purposes (because they are still far from completed), but they serve a “construction” role. In fact, it is punctuated by various comments from the developers, which are often informative. It’s enough to keep fans satisfied for half an hour, nothing more, but we appreciate this addition.

So should we buy it?

The real question to ask is this: Should you go for The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered? ? If you’ve discovered the license for the HBO series, we can’t recommend it enough to pursue the PS5 versions of Episodes 1 and 2. If you know the first game but not the second, this remaster is the ideal opportunity to fill that gap.

If you already own the PS4 game and want to repeat the adventure with better graphics, the answer to this question is less clear. Frankly, the PS4 version patched on PS5 is very close to this remaster, so the 10 euros invested are not necessarily necessary. On the other hand, if you’re a completionist and/or a fan tempted by the very good No Return mode, it’s worth the upgrade. In summary, a quality remaster, but not necessary.