The Last of Us Part II might be getting a remaster, as accidentally stated by a developer at Naughty Dog. First spotted by Resetera users, Lead Outsource Artist Mark Pajarillo referenced the version in a now-updated LinkedIn experience post. “Responsible for overseeing the production of all outsourced environment art assets, weapons and interactive props for two iconic titles The Last of Us: Part One and The Last of Us 2: Remastered,” the original post read, proving its existence. Hints of an enhanced PS5 version first dropped in July, when composer Gustavo Santaolalla alluded to some new features being added to the remaster.
Pajarillo himself worked on the original The Last of Us Part II as an Environment Artist, so it only makes sense for him to do the same for the PS5 version. That said, the remaster, as a whole, feels pointless, considering the title launched merely three years ago on the PS4 and has since received a PS5 patch that enabled 60fps on a game that still looks stunning and mechanically current. In fact, one of the key reasons the original Last of Us received a full-blown remake, with new visuals and modernised mechanics, was so it could stand toe-to-toe with the 2020 sequel. From a technical standpoint, besides haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, I wonder what Naughty Dog is going to promise this time. Hope we don’t have to deal with the discourse about the game’s controversial narrative once again.
While the LinkedIn post doesn’t serve as an official announcement, historically speaking, PlayStation has never stopped milking the franchise. Case in point, we have three versions of The Last of Us now: the original 2013 version, a 2014 remaster for the PS4, and the recent remake titled ‘The Last of Us: Part I’ for PS5 and PC. (Meanwhile, Bloodborne continues to rot on the old-gen PS4, locked to an inconsistent 30fps. sigh) As mentioned before, the Argentine composer for TLOU, Santaolalla, revealed in an interview that players will be able to ‘make [him] play certain songs,’ which I’m guessing would work similarly to how protagonist Ellie Williams plays a range of iconic music with button prompts for notes. For the uninitiated, Santaolalla’s character briefly appeared in The Last of Us 2, just casually strumming away at his banjo at Jackson City.
If and when it does drop, we can expect it to be available to existing owners as a $10 (about Rs. 830) upgrade, as seen with other PlayStation remasters. Reports from last year also suggested that Naughty Dog was working on a ‘director’s cut’ for The Last of Us Part 2, which would likely make its way onto PC, akin to Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition. The studio itself remains tight-lipped about the remaster and its upcoming projects, which include a ‘brand-new single-player’ experience and a multiplayer game set within TLOU’s post-apocalyptic universe. The latter has been put ‘on ice’ for now, due to concerns about longtime viability, and we also saw 25 employees getting laid off.
The Last of Us Part II is available on the PS4 and playable on the PS5 via backwards compatibility.
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