The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered has been announced by Naughty Dog. The release comes after the studio released The Last of Us Part 1 for PlayStation 5 and PC. The release of The Last of Us Part 1 was a disastrous one for PC.
The game was ridden with bugs and glitches. Not to mention, the optimization made things even worse for the title.
There are several videos already surfacing on the internet that compare The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered with the original one released in 2020. It makes sense that the original does not look dated at all. While the graphical improvements are more or less absent, the game does include some quality-of-life improvements in the remaster. The remaster also includes a new game mode.
Is the No Return Mode The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered’s Only Notable Addition?
The remaster looks more or less the same as the original when compared side by side. That is because Naughty Dog, a studio that usually develops PlayStation exclusives, knows how to make use of the power of Sony’s console lineup. And while the developer deserves credit where it’s due, the new coat of paint that is applied to The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered isn’t impressive at all.
As soon as the announcement of the game was made, fans of the franchise and the studio weren’t amused in the slightest.
If anything, it is underwhelming. A few tweaks in color grading and shaders are all that are visible in video comparisons. Recently, the remaster’s announcement trailer went live, and video comparisons between trailer footage and the original game on the PS5 also came up.
Some cosmetic additions, like new outfits for playable characters, were also added to the game. New gameplay content, like three playable Lost Levels with developer commentary, is also added. There is also guitar-free play. All of this only seems like a different-sprinkles-same-doughnut approach by Naughty Dog.
The most notable addition to the remaster, however, as per the trailer, is undoubtedly the No Return mode.
It is a rogue-like survival mode added to the game. For those unaware, the term rogue-like stands for a subgenre of role-playing games that are characterized by procedurally generated levels. They may also have turn-based gameplay and the permanent death of the player character.
So, since the levels will be procedurally generated, the objective of the mode will be to survive as long as possible.
The mode will also feature several unlockable characters. The world will use the setting based on various memorable locations from the original game.
Judging by the other offerings of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, which seem more like placeholders and fancy decorations, one can naturally argue that the No Return mode’s execution will also make or break the game’s value proposition. That is attributed to both the offerings of the remaster as well as the fact that The Last of Us Part 2 was the sequel to a chart-busting game.
The Last of Us Part 2 sold close to 10 million copies. So maiden players are not expected to be a lot. Also, the backward compatibility between PlayStation 5 and 4 made the game even more accessible.
This means the only incentive for anyone to buy The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered or even upgrade the original copy for $10 on the PlayStation 5 is the No Return mode. There are many more dated games by Naughty Dog itself that would benefit much more from a remaster than The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. And when one keeps this statement in mind, the remaster seems nothing more than a filler, or worse, a money-making, cashflow-inducing shenanigan.
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