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After a few leaks, Naughty Dog has officially announced that The Last of Us Part 2 is getting a remaster. This has sparked quite a debate on social media regarding why it was even necessary. Although good games getting remasters is never a bad thing, those remasters do need to be spread apart, not just a few years after the game’s original release on the very same hardware.
But before we discuss whether the new release even makes sense, let us go over what The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered brings to the table that is better than the original release from 2020.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered Features
(Updated on October 3, 2024 – updated links and format)
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered will cost $10 for anyone who already owns the game. It will be coming out on January 19, 2024. Those who own the game on PS4 or PS5 will be able to import their save games as well. As for the new additions, the remaster boasts visual enhancements, Dualsense integration, a Roguelike mode called No Return, a speedrun mode, levels with developer commentary, and some extra bells and whistles like costumes and Photo mode.
The remastered version of the game will run on a native 4K in Fidelity Mode, 1440p upscaled to 4K in Performance Mode, an Unlocked Framerate option with VRR support, hi-res textures, increased LODs distances, improved shadows, animation sampling rate, and faster load times. All of these are minor improvements on an already beautiful-looking game that still outshines the newest releases anyway.
But Does The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered Make Sense?
Not only is the original game very recent, but it exists and is perfectly playable on the same hardware. Remasters and remakes make sense when there are generations in between each release. The Last of Us Part 2 came out on PS4 and PS5 at the same time, and the game getting yet another release on the same console under the guise of a “Remaster” is seemingly a shameless cash grab.
On top of that, other first-party companies from Sony have set the precedent that not every addition and change merits a $10 up-sell. Insomniac Games is a shining example of that fact with its Spider-Man games. The company continued to update the game, adding features, technical improvements, and even free in-game content well after the original release, without re-releasing it. The same treatment was given to Ratchet & Clank A Rift Apart, which continued to get technical improvements including visual enhancements, additional graphical modes, and more.
Naughty Dog is guilty of exploiting its fanbase before as well, the original Last of Us game came out in 2013, got a remaster in 2014, and proceeded to get a remake in 2022. There is no other example in the video game industry of a game getting a complete remake so soon after the original release. Although remakes are great when it comes to creating a new audience if the game is truly old, sequels and new IPs are always better as they push the industry forward.
The Naughty Dog Problem
Naughty Dog has not done much in a long time, other than polishing up old games that they’ve already made. From the outside, it may seem that the studio is out of ideas, but in truth, it is more likely that the developers want to keep working on safe releases that carry little to no risk.
The only upcoming release from Naughty Dog, which was also based in the Last of Us universe was meant to be an online-only experience. Titled The Last of Us Factions, the game was not received well internally when Bungie reviewed it and was put on indefinite hold if the leaks are to be believed. The studio has nothing else in the works as of yet, and the plethora of remakes and remasters shows that the company wants to stay safe and continue to work on creatively bankrupt titles that have an existing following. This may also be the reason why company veterans have started leaving Naughty Dog after working there for well over a decade.
