The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered: What's New in This Version?

Source: Naughty Dog

There is a new up/release coming to The Last of Us Part 2. To get one thing straight, the standard edition of The Last of Us Part 2 will eventually include all of these feaetures/modes on the PS5. Fortunately, if you already own the base edition of the game for PS5, it's just a $10 upgrade. considering the new modes/features this game has and how it may be bundled with The Last of Us Part 1 Remaster, it's a pretty decent deal.

What new?

The biggest thing that is new is both the addition of cut levels and a new game mode called "No Return." This new mode is a fresh take on the gameplay loop that acts like a roguelike survival mode is preoceduraly generated encountered and areas (presumably). Also, there will be both performace and fidelty modes added to take advantage of 4k TVs.

Cut Levels

They specifically state these levels aren't complete levels, they are more of a early development "slice." From the trailer it looks like we can play a section as Ellie before the dance in Jackson. another shot looks like Ellie going to some kind of convienent store, maybe hunting?

Also, these new missions will have developer commentary that, I'd assume, is activated by specific button prompts. Since these missions aren't fully finished, there may be some awkward downtime and simply unpolished/unfinished objectives. I'm sure this is just to add some interativity with the developer commentary.

"No Return" Game Mode

This is a brand new mode that seemingly uses randomly generated areas and encounters (used throughout the game) and mashes it all together in a PVE side mode.

A few clues we can catch from the trailer is a mode called "Hunted." From the looks of it, there will be a select amount of enemies that spawn in for each wave. As soon as every enemy is eliminated, a new wave spawn. Assuming it's something like a traditional COD Zombies (in difficulty sense) the enemies will grow more numerous and deadly the farther the rounds you progress.

Along with the nice edition of multiple playable characters to choose from, each character will have their own playstyle. For instance, Ellie may be more akin to stealth while Tommy may be more of a marksman. We don't know the specifics of if there will be traits or even stats for the characters (level progresion?). Could the characters be uipgraded and farmed?

The final note of this mode is that there are going to be "unexpected factors at any given encounter." This could mean boss rounds, mechanic limitations (taking away the ability to heal for a breif time), damage multiplier, or even objectives to complete.

Overall

It's also worth mentioning that this mode will probably be bundled with The Last of Us Part 1. So, we don't know how it's going to effect the price of the base game of Part 2. Right now, Part 2 is $40 with an included PS5 upgrade for those with the PS5. That upgrade just increases the frame rate to 60fps, was previously 30fps on PS5. For those who own Part 2 right now, on PS5, the good news is, it's only a $10 upgrade for these new levels, features, and game mode. You can read the full article here.