After a week of leaks, Sony-owned developer Naughty Dog has announced a re-release of The Last of Us – Part 2 for the Playstation 5. The remastered version is set to bring several technical improvements.
On the PS5, there will be a quality mode offering native 4K resolution. Alternatively, the performance mode will render at 1440p and upscale to 4K, likely running at a 60 fps frame rate, although the developers haven’t explicitly mentioned this in their company blog. Those with a VRR-capable monitor can completely disable the frame rate limit in the game.
Textures will be enhanced, the level-of-detail distance increased for better long-range visibility, optimized shadows, and animations rendered at a higher sampling rate. Additionally, loading times are expected to be shorter, and full support for the DualSense controller will be included.
The remaster of Part 2 will also feature additional content. The biggest addition is a roguelike survival mode called ‘No Return,’ where players engage in randomly generated battles against enemies, allowing control of previously unplayable characters alongside the familiar main figures.
Also included is a mode called ‘Guitar Free Play,’ enabling players to create music on Ellie’s guitar to unlock additional instruments. This will be accompanied by ‘Lost Levels’—sections initiated by developers but left unfinished.
The remaster aims to shed light on the creative decisions made during development, offering audio commentaries from chief developer Neil Druckmann and some of the involved actors.
TV series and game: What’s next for The Last of Us?
As of the current information, The Last of Us – Part 2: Remastered is set to release on January 19, 2024, for the Playstation 5. The original was released in mid-2020 (Reviewed on Golem.de) (g+).
Since August 2022, an updated version for the PS5 of the first installment has been available.
Regarding a third installment, there are vague indications that Naughty Dog is working on a continuation. However, what’s confirmed is that filming for the second season of the series will commence in January 2024. No airing dates have been specified, with chances of episodes not being seen until around 2025.
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