The Last of Us Part II Remastered Launches for PS5 on January 19, 2024

by
William D’Angelo
, posted 5 hours ago / 975 Views

Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Naughty Dog have announced The Last of Us Part II Remastered for the PlayStation 5. It will launch on January 19, 2024.

The remaster includes a new roguelike survival mode called No Return, a new Guitar Free Play mode, graphical improvements, DualSense integration, and more.

Those who own the PlayStation 4 version of The Last of Us Part II will be able to upgrade to a digital version of the remaster for $10 at launch. Upgrades for disc copies of The Last of Us Part II will only be available for those who have a PS5 with a disc drive and owners must insert the disc into the PS5 when they want to download or play the remaster.

View the announcement trailer below:

Read details on the game below:

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 PS5 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.

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 Run2. We’re excited to share more about No Return as we get closer to launch.

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.

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.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered will feature enhanced graphics, including native 4K output1 in Fidelity Mode, 1440p upscaled to 4K1 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 PS5’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.

We’ve ensured Part II’s award-winning suite of accessibility options returns for the PS5 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.

We’re so excited to natively bring The Last of Us Part II to the PlayStation 5 as the definitive way to experience the sequel and everything it has to offer, while also offering fans new and returning deeper levels of appreciation for the work that went into it. Pre-orders will be available beginning December 5, both for the standard edition, as well as The Last of Us Part II Remastered W.L.F. Edition, which will be exclusively available direct from PlayStation in select markets (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Benelux, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Austria). It includes a SteelBook® display case, four enamel pins, a Washington Liberation Front Patch, and a total of 47 Society of Champions trading cards, including eight holographic cards. These were a favorite of Part II players to collect in-game, and we’re so happy we could bring these to life. Check it out below:

And good news for existing owners of The Last of Us Part II on PlayStation 4! You will be able to upgrade to a digital version of The Last of Us Part II Remastered for $10 USD at launch. You’ll also be able to import your saves from the original game to Part II Remastered.

A life-long and avid gamer, William D’Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

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