For months, rumours have been making the rounds that Naughty Dog will release a remaster of The Last of Us Part II which was initially released for the PS4 in 2020.
Alas, late on Friday last week, Naughty Dog announced The Last of Us Part II Remastered. There were concerns that this upgrade would be a cheap cash grab, especially as the original sequel was released a few years ago. However, Naughty Dog has gone to great lengths to provide fans with a worthy upgrade for both new and returning players.
Check out The Last of Us Part II Remastered trailer below!
Rather than being a simple PlayStation 5 remaster with 4K visuals and 60 frames per second, The Last of Us Part II Remastered will feature a new Guitar Free Play mode that absolutely no one saw coming, improved DualSense features over the enhancements that were made to the free new gen update for the PS4, a new roguelike mode called ‘No Return’ and even cut content thanks to ‘Lost Levels’ plus added development commentary, perhaps similar to what we had with 2014's The Last of Us Remastered for PS4.
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At this time, Naughty Dog hasn't released details on what cut content we’ll be treated to with the Lost Levels. Personally, I was hoping that we’d finally have a video game adaptation of the comic book prequel series American Dreams. In case you didn't know, this told a story of Ellie and her best friend Riley prior to the events of the Left Behind DLC. If you’ve never read American Dreams, I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
However, judging by the teaser trailer that was released last week, it looks like my hope of American Dreams being adapted into video game form is a no-go, but fans on Reddit are convinced that the Lost Levels will include an epilogue taking place after the main story of The Last of Us Part II.
Of course, before I proceed, there will be spoilers for The Last of Us Part II, so consider this to be your final spoiler warning. “This looks like after the end of the game when Ellie walks off into the distance,” said Redditor cubbies1984 kicking off the discussion on the thread. Obviously, nothing is set in stone as Naughty Dog hasn't confirmed details on the Lost Levels, but other Reddit users have shared their opinions.
“This is very likely the boar hunt that happens before Tommy shows up at that farm,” suggests Yukikaze. “I don't know when or where this is but that's gotta be Joel's jacket Ellie is wearing, the one she smelled in his house after leaving the graveyard,” replied cantwejustplaynice.
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“I imagine it's the hunt before Santa Monica, but I can't recall if she was wearing Joel's jacket,” exclaimed TheMokmaster. “Sure hope these lost levels have some serious playing time.”
Hm, it's a tricky one. It does look a lot like Ellie's hair at the end of the game but then again, it could well - as fan's mentioned - be an elongated part of the Dina/Tommy farmhouse section. An extended epilogue would perhaps be more exciting but I suppose we'll soon find out what's in store.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered will be released for PlayStation 5 on 19 January 2024. What’s more, owners of the PS4 game will be able to upgrade for just $10.
Topics: Naughty Dog, PlayStation 5, Sony, The Last Of Us, The Last Of Us Part 2