Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Naughty Dog have announced The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PlayStation 5. It will launch on January 19, 2024. Users who already own The Last of Us Part II for PlayStation 4 can upgrade to The Last of Us Part II Remastered for $10. Save data can also be carried over.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered will also be available in standard and W.L.F. editions. The latter will be available exclusively via PlayStation Direct in select markets (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Benelux, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Austria) and includes a SteelBook case, four enamel pins, a Washington Liberation front patch, and 47 Society of Champions trading cards, including eight holographic cards. Pre-orders for all editions will open on December 5.
Here is an overview of the remastered release, via PlayStation Blog:
Whether you’ve already played and even platinumed The Last of Us Part II on the PlayStation 4 console or have recently jumped into The Last of Us Part I on PlayStation 5 and want to continue the story, Part II Remastered will offer plenty of reasons for new and returning players to revisit a story that means so much to our studio. The engrossing campaign returns alongside technological improvements, new modes, and new behind-the-scenes features that will deepen your understanding of Part II’s creation. But before we break down what’s in store, take a look at our announcement trailer below.
Roguelike Mode: No Return
The Last of Us Part II Remastered is designed to let you dig deeper into both its development and mechanics. Chief among these is a brand-new mode called “No Return,” a roguelike survival mode designed to let players prove their mettle in randomized encounters and experience The Last of Us Part II‘s combat in a fresh experience.
The mode includes a host of playable characters to choose from—some playable for the first time in The Last of Us franchise (which you may have spotted in our trailer)—who each come with their own traits to suit different playstyles. Players will chart their own course on each run, choosing between various stealth and combat encounters that will pit you against a range of enemies, with unique twists that can add new, unexpected factors to any given encounter.
Each run will offer a new chance to decide what rewards you get after each encounter, how you spec out your character, and more. Unlock more characters, skins, and more as you progress to use in the mode, customize your own runs, and compete on a global leaderboard as part of a Daily Run. We’re excited to share more about No Return as we get closer to launch.
Guitar Free Play Mode
For those who have already played The Last of Us Part II, we know the included sections featuring a playable guitar were a favorite for many, and you burgeoning rockstars impressed us with your performances. So we’ve introduced a new Guitar Free Play mode, which will let you strum the strings across a host of unlockable instruments, use audio FX pedals to modulate your performance, and play as different characters in several in-game locations to customize the mood and feel of your set.
And for both new and returning players interested in learning more, we’ve designed Part II Remastered to offer a comprehensive dive behind-the-scenes of how our studio brought this game to life. A new set of Lost Levels in Part II Remastered allow players a unique chance to check out some playable sequences previously cut from the game. These aren’t fully finished levels, but rather early-development slices that not only let you see some new glimpses of Part II‘s world, but also include embedded developer commentary to give them richer context. Explore these spaces and hear directly from the team about the intention of aspects of each level—this is a unique inclusion for our studio and we’re excited to allow players a glimpse into the creative process.
Director’s Commentary
We’ve also included newly recorded director’s commentary across the campaign’s cutscenes from director Neil Druckmann, narrative lead Halley Gross, and actors Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, and Laura Bailey. They assembled to offer insight into the story and its characters that mean so much to both our team and our fans, and we’re delighted to give fans even more understanding of the team’s approach to this story.
Enhanced for PlayStation 5
The Last of Us Part II Remastered will feature enhanced graphics, including native 4K output in Fidelity Mode, 1440p upscaled to 4K in Performance Mode, an Unlocked Framerate option for TVs that support VRR, increased texture resolution, increased Level-of-Detail distances, improved shadow quality, animation sampling rate, and more. It all brings the world of Part II‘s story to life in richer and smoother detail, from the snow-swept mountains of Jackson, Wyoming to the rainy cityscape of Seattle, Washington, and should make a first visit or a return trip to the complex journeys of Ellie and Abby all the more engrossing.
Part II Remastered takes advantage of the PlayStation 5’s power and features in more ways as well, including improved loading times. Part II Remastered also incorporates DualSense wireless controller haptic feedback and adaptive triggers integration to better immerse you in every moment of combat and exploration.
New Accessibility Options
We’ve ensured Part II‘s award-winning suite of accessibility options returns for the PlayStation 5 experience, alongside new additions like the inclusion of Descriptive Audio and Speech to Vibrations, which uses the DualSense controller to indicate character speech and cadence. The unlockable Speedrun Mode, included in The Last of Us Part I, will also be coming to Part II Remastered, allowing players to post their best times. Following The Last of Us Part I, The Last of Us Part II Remastered includes the ability to unlock bonus skins for Ellie, Abby, and their weapons that we’re excited for players to see and take some incredible Photo Mode shots with. You can get a first look at some in our announcement trailer. And speaking of Photo Mode, we’ve made some additions that players of The Last of Us Part I may be familiar with, including dynamic lighting, Frame Forward, and Gaze Direction, as well as new frame and logo options.
And here is the official fact sheet:
About
Experience the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards now with an array of technical enhancements that make The Last of Us Part II Remastered the definitive way to play Ellie and Abby’s critically acclaimed story.
Native PlayStation 5 Enhancements
Built for the PlayStation 5 console, The Last of Us Part II Remastered enhances the original PlayStation 4 game in ways not possible before, including:
- A host of graphical improvements bring the beautiful-yet-dangerous world to life.
- Visual performance now outputs at 4K in Fidelity Mode.
- Improved loading times more quickly let you jump into action.
- Full DualSense wireless controller integration.
No Return: A Roguelike Survival Mode
Experience The Last of Us Part II‘s deep combat via an entirely new mode! Survive as long as you can in each run, as you choose your path through a series of randomized encounters. Play as a host of different unlockable characters, some never-before playable in The Last of Us franchise, each with unique gameplay traits. The variety of challenges feature different foes and memorable locations from throughout Part II, all culminating in tense boss battles.
New Ways to Play
Delve deeper into this beloved adventure and learn how the original game was created.
- Lost Levels lets you explore early-development versions of three new levels not seen in the original.
- Enjoy hours of new developer commentary to hear insights into Part II‘s development as you experience the game.
- Live up to your musical potential with Guitar Free Play, which includes new unlockable instruments, or take on the new Speedrun Mode and post your best times.
- Descriptive Audio and Speech to Vibrations have also been added to Part II‘s suite of accessibility features.
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered also features brand new unlockable character and weapon skins for players to use for both Ellie and Abby.
Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.
