Almost three and a half years after the release of The Last of Us Part II, the title is now entitled to a version optimized for the PlayStation 5 with improved graphics, new tables and a brand new game mode.
Joel and Ellie, the only people who had developed immunity to the Cordyceps epidemic threatening humanity, traveled halfway across the United States to join the Fireflies, a group of resistance fighters, in the first “The Last of Us.” When Joel learned that the only way to find a cure would mean the death of his young charge, he caused a veritable bloodbath to save her, and the two returned to his brother Tommy's enclave in Wyoming.
Four years have passed when The Last of Us Part II begins. Without giving away too much of the story, the past eventually catches up with Joel, and as the plot begins, an event as intense as it is tragic occurs that will shock players and deeply disrupt the peaceful little lives of the survivors in Jackson. Seeking revenge against those responsible, Ellie then leaves the fortified village to make a dangerous journey to Seattle, where an organization called the Washington Liberation Front is hiding to settle their scores.
Picture from the game
Unlike the previous part, where we mainly played as Joel, The Last of Us Part II Remastered introduces Ellie, with whom we spend most of the game. We also occasionally play as Abby, a brand new character member of the Washington Liberation Front, which allows us to better understand the not so different motivations of the two main protagonists. For the rest, the developers have not changed much in an already successful formula and we find essentially the same mechanics in this sequel.
Even if we have a respectable arsenal (revolvers, rifles, shotguns, bows, grenades, etc.), ammunition is scarce and stealth is often the best approach to face the dangers our journey presents. Since the infected are blind and move through noise, and the groups of people outnumber them, it is often better to crouch and approach the enemy from behind to eliminate them without noise and avoid damage. “Alert the rest of the pack.” You can also throw rocks or bottles to create a distraction and sneak through an area without having to fight.
Picture from the game
Exploration is an integral part of The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and it's advisable to search the post-apocalyptic environments and derelict buildings along the way. Different raw materials are harvested there and used to make items that are essential for survival. Alcohol and rags are used for medicine kits or Molotov cocktails. A blade and tape transform into a surin, useful for stabbing an enemy. Sugar and explosives make smoke bombs, and an explosive combined with a blade makes a pipe bomb.
The accumulated stimulants allow us to improve our skills, maximize our health points and increase the effectiveness of healing sets or our mastery of firearms. Getting your hands on training manuals will open new branches in the skill tree. The scrap collected is used to modify your weapons when you find a workbench, and you can improve the rate of fire, the stability of the rifles or the capacity of the magazine, etc. There are also plenty of collectibles in this sequel, although the copies of the Savage Starlight comic from the previous game have been replaced with superhero cards.
Picture from the game
Although the release gap isn't as big as between the first The Last of Us and its remastered version released last year, the graphics in this sequel have still been significantly improved to take advantage of the PS5's power, and the graphics are some of what they are currently looks best on console. Winter landscapes covered with breathtakingly realistic snow, the flashlight beam illuminating dust particles suspended in the air, the texture of dirty and worn clothing – the depictions help create believable and immersive post-apocalyptic environments.
The developers haven't just given the experience a new coat of paint. We also find three new tables that were removed from the original version and are playable in this version. The biggest innovation is the roguelike game mode called No Return, in which you have to survive as long as possible against increasingly numerous waves of infected. This time, owners of the PS4 version of The Last of Us Part II can update the game for around ten dollars, which was not the case with the remastered version of the previous work.
By improving the graphics and adding new content, developers at Naughty Dog have managed to improve an experience that was already close to perfect, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered is nothing short of a masterpiece worth playing at least once must have your life.
9.5/10
The Last of Us Part II Remastered
developer: Naughty dog
editor: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 5
Game available in French (on-screen text and spoken voices)
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Picture from the game
Picture from the game
Picture from the game
