Compare The Last of Us Part II Remastered vs Saros

Reviewers praise the expanded accessibility suite, especially descriptive audio, speech-to-vibration support, and broader options that make the game easier to experience.

Accessibility evidence is strong for difficulty modifiers, attack recoloring, control remapping, HUD options, and challenge customization.

Evidence points to mature-only suitability: reviewers cite an M rating and warn that younger players or those without a strong stomach may not appreciate it.

Enemy behavior is praised for unpredictable patrols, strong aim, and AI that can swarm the player, especially in No Return encounters.

Aiming is helped by precise PC controls and performance modes, with one technical review emphasizing fast aiming precision and dodging.

Aiming is helped by generous tracking and auto-aim options, while some weapons demand more precision; reviewers generally find the system supportive without removing challenge.

Animation remains a major strength, with industry-best combat animation and varied contextual actions supporting the game's brutal presentation.

Animation quality has a notable caveat, with stiff character animation outside cutscenes called out despite strong overall presentation.

The art direction is praised through scenic, atmospheric landscapes that reviewers repeatedly stop to admire.

Art direction stands out through marble, statues, alien architecture, and disturbing visual motifs.

The game maintains an oppressive, visceral atmosphere, with reviewers calling out its tension, revenge story, and masterclass sense of mood.

Atmosphere is a standout, with reviewers describing dread, nightmares, unease, and an entrancing alien mood.

Boss encounters are supported mainly through No Return and Abby-focused PC coverage, with reviewers highlighting memorable boss fights and final-run showdowns.

Boss design is a major strength, with reviewers calling bosses memorable, challenging, spectacular, and often the highlight of the experience.

Bug and stutter reports are limited but present in PC coverage, including texture glitches, foliage pop-in, and stutter entering dense areas.

Camera praise is mostly cinematic rather than mechanical, with reviewers noting strong camera shots rather than camera problems.

Camera behavior is positive in limited evidence, with fast rotation that avoids disorientation.

Character development is supported by reviews praising Abby's humanization, character arcs, and the emotional impact of the main cast.

Character development centers on Arjun and is generally compelling, though one reviewer frames him as flawed and difficult to like.

No Return's playable roster is a major positive, bringing Ellie, Abby, Joel, Dina, Lev, Jesse, Tommy, and others into the mode with distinct traits.

The character roster is larger than Returnal’s and includes a wider crew, though reviewers differ on how much depth that cast receives.

The checkpoint system is praised through teleportation shortcuts back to base after bosses.

The co-op experience is essentially absent; one review explicitly notes that the gameplay bones are there but the online infrastructure is not.

Combat is one of the strongest areas, repeatedly described as dynamic, brutal, satisfying, and mechanically solid in both campaign and No Return.

Combat is the strongest point: reviewers repeatedly call the shooting, shield use, projectile reading, and boss battles thrilling, tactile, and finely tuned.

Community features are light but present through Daily Run-style shared challenges and leaderboard comparisons.

The remaster is praised for its extras: No Return, Lost Levels, commentary, guitar free play, skins, speedrun tools, and other options.

Content variety is positive around weapons, variants, power weapons, bosses, and combat options, though evidence is concentrated in a few reviews.

Controls are generally praised as responsive, smooth, and especially strong on PC mouse and keyboard.

Controls are widely praised as precise, responsive, and fluid, with reviewers highlighting reliable jumping, dashing, shooting, and defensive timing.

The core loop is highly praised, especially the tight combat-survival rhythm and No Return's distilled version of the game's mechanics.

The core loop of repeated runs, permanent growth, and high-intensity combat is described as compelling, satisfying, and more approachable than Returnal, with some repetition noted.

Crafting remains important, with reviewers tying it to survival, stealth, ammunition scarcity, and No Return upgrades.

Cross-save support is supported by a review noting that PS4 saves and achievements can be carried over.

Dialogue quality is split: one reviewer says no line is wasted, while another says some dialog exchanges stumble and bore.

Dialogue quality is uneven, with useful crew conversations but some optional dialogue or hub exchanges feeling stiff or unnatural.

Difficulty is framed as challenging but fair, with selectable difficulty helping players ease into No Return while preserving tension.

Difficulty balance is broadly positive, with tough-but-fair combat and modifiers for tailoring challenge, though one review argues the systems can overcorrect.

Resource balance is a strength, with reviewers praising scarcity that makes ammo, crafting materials, and every shot feel meaningful.

Resource balance is supported by Lucenite pickup pressure and upgrade spending, with one review praising how drops keep players engaged in combat.

Emotional impact is one of the strongest consensus areas; reviewers repeatedly describe the story as heavy, upsetting, and memorable.

Emotional impact is limited and mixed, with some reviewers appreciating the premise but not feeling fully invested in the cast.

Endgame value comes primarily from No Return's daily and custom runs, ongoing boss attempts, and reasons to return after the campaign.

Endgame content is a limitation, with one reviewer wanting a dedicated post-game activity after the story wraps.

Enemy variety is supported by No Return's randomized factions and the addition of new enemy types and infected encounters.

Enemy variety is praised for impressive combinations, late-game escalation, alien creature design, and visually distinct foes.

Environmental detail is consistently praised, from photorealistic detail to Seattle's scenery, overgrown environments, and accurate city recreation.

Environmental detail is praised through gothic architecture, desolate biomes, underground machinery, and striking alien spaces.

Exploration is mostly positive because it rewards searching and environmental storytelling, though PC Gamer finds it more constrained than combat.

Exploration is rewarded through hidden paths, side spaces, traversal unlocks, and reasons to revisit earlier regions.

Facial animation and capture are repeatedly praised as best-in-class or amazing, preserving the campaign's emotional delivery.

Facial animations are a weakness in some in-game conversations, where models fail to match the emotional voice performances.

Faithfulness is mixed but positive: reviewers call it a fascinating, bold sequel that recontextualizes the first game rather than repeating it.

Faithfulness to franchise is strong for Housemarque/Returnal fans, with Saros treated as a confident spiritual successor.

Family friendliness scores very low because reviewers emphasize the game's violence, mature tone, and need for a strong stomach.

Fast travel is a major quality-of-life win, letting players return to unlocked biomes and reduce repeated early-game runs.

Frame-rate impressions are mostly positive, especially on PS5, though PC coverage notes some scene-dependent or configuration-specific issues.

Frame rate stability is very strong, with many reviewers citing near-locked or rock-solid 60fps performance.

Fun factor is strongest in No Return, where reviewers repeatedly describe the mode as fun, addictive, and a strong reason to replay.

Fun factor is extremely high, with reviewers calling play joyful, flow-state inducing, and exciting even after failures.

Gameplay mechanics are praised for fresh combat, stealth, top-notch play, and improved action systems over the original.

Reviewers praise the shield, eclipse, dash, grapple, and parry mechanics for giving Saros a layered bullet-hell foundation, even when some systems feel familiar.

Graphics remain a major strength, with reviewers praising PS5 and PC visuals even when they call the upgrade modest.

Graphics quality is consistently strong across reviews, with praise for image quality, landscapes, UE5 visuals, and overall presentation.

Grind level is a concern in one review, which describes repeated 20-to-30-minute boss attempts as tedious.

Handheld suitability is supported by Steam Deck impressions, which describe playable performance and a fruitful handheld experience.

Handheld play evidence is limited but positive, with one reviewer saying the game played beautifully on PlayStation Portal.

Haptic feedback is widely praised on PS5, especially weapon resistance, bows, subtle vibrations, and DualSense immersion, though one PC review says it feels weaker than PS5.

Haptic feedback is a major strength, with reviewers repeatedly praising DualSense triggers, tactile feedback, and weapon feel.

Horror tension is strong, with reviewers mentioning anxiety from headphones, clicker sounds, and overall atmosphere.

Horror tension is strong, built more on cosmic dread, fear of the unknown, and psychological unease than cheap scares.

HUD clarity is mildly positive because high-level equipment information is visible, though broader HUD evidence is limited.

Immersion is helped by DualSense, 3D audio, haptics, and environmental presentation that reinforce the harsh world.

Immersion is supported by eerie atmosphere, audiovisual spectacle, and the sense of Carcosa bleeding out of the screen.

Innovation comes from the Lost Levels, developer commentary, and rare behind-the-scenes transparency more than from the unchanged campaign.

Innovation is positive but limited, mainly around evolving Returnal’s formula through shield, eclipse, and run-structure changes.

Learning curve is helped by selectable difficulty and clear No Return progression, though some automated hinting is described as blunt.

The learning curve is considered fair because the game teaches through color-coded attacks, trial, error, and repeated mastery.

Level design is mixed: reviewers praise design explanations and training of expectations, but one PC review finds navigation unclear.

Level design is praised for handcrafted chunks, strong arenas, biome structure, and exploration routes, though one review notes some repeated room cadence.

Live-service support is poor because the planned online or live-service multiplayer project is repeatedly referenced as canceled.

Load times are a clear improvement, with reviewers noting fast or seamless loading compared with older versions.

Load times receive limited but excellent evidence, with one technical review calling them close to instant.

Loot systems matter in No Return through randomized shops, rewards, modifiers, and challenges, though this is not a traditional loot-heavy game.

Loot is mixed: artifacts create risk-reward choices, but some reviewers found artifact availability or tradeoffs less consistently satisfying.

Lore depth is supported by environmental storytelling and optional encounters that reveal wider stories without large exposition dumps.

Lore depth is supported by hidden paths, logs, and interpretive horror details that encourage players to uncover Carcosa’s secrets.

Map and navigation design is mixed: No Return's route board is clear, but some campaign navigation is criticized as hard to read.

Map and navigation are mixed, with clear minimap markers in one review but late-game destination guidance criticized in another.

Menu usability is supported by the feature-rich extras menu and speedrun recap tools.

Menu usability is adequate but imperfect, with one reviewer noting unclear equipment-screen navigation.

Mission design is strongest in No Return, where randomized encounters and changing objectives create short, focused challenges.

Mission variety is a No Return highlight, though a few reviewers say encounter types can eventually become samey.

Monetization is generally seen as fair because reviewers repeatedly accept or praise the $10 upgrade price.

Movement feel is praised for nimble combat, large arenas, smoother movement, and improved melee animation.

Movement feels smooth and empowering, letting players dash, jump, evade, and reposition through dense projectile patterns with strong flow.

Multiplayer design is effectively absent because the Factions or live-service project was canceled.

Narrative quality remains the most divisive area: many reviewers call it profound or powerful, while others criticize cynicism, pacing, or its framing.

Narrative quality is divisive: many reviewers enjoy the mystery and character study, while others find the story underdeveloped, opaque, or less effective than Returnal.

Onboarding is decent through difficulty settings and hint prompts, though some guidance can feel artificial.

Onboarding is approachable for a demanding roguelite, with reviewers noting quick mechanical learning and early hands-on comfort.

Originality is mixed: the core game remains singular, but No Return is described as fun without being a unique roguelike structure.

Originality is mixed, with one reviewer saying it feels like a familiar Returnal retread despite refinements.

Pacing is the most repeated story concern, with reviewers citing excessive length, elongated sections, and short lost levels cut for pacing.

Pacing is mixed: shorter runs and 30-minute chunks are appreciated, but some reviewers cite repetition or long stretches before another boss attempt.

Performance optimization is generally good on PS5 and PC, but PC impressions vary with some stutter and texture-glitch caveats.

Performance optimization is strong overall, especially on PS5 Pro and base PS5, though occasional dips are reported.

Platform-specific feature support is strong, spanning DualSense, 3D audio, VRR, FOV, ultrawide, HDR, PC options, and save carryover.

Platform-specific support is strong on PS5 Pro, where the technical review says the game truly excels.

The parry timing and platforming-adjacent precision receive positive but limited evidence, mainly around timing red attacks and execution windows.

Polish is generally high, with reviewers citing Naughty Dog polish, top-notch PS5 optimization, and a strong PC definitive version.

Polish is generally positive, especially around the tight overall package, but some balance and communication issues remain.

Progression is praised in No Return through unlockable characters, cosmetics, bosses, modifiers, and an overarching progression track.

Progression is one of the clearest strengths, with permanent upgrades, the Armor Matrix, and repeat-run growth making failure feel productive.

Protagonist appeal is mixed: Ellie is praised as carrying the sequel, but one reviewer says the character became harder to relate to.

Protagonist appeal is mixed-positive: Arjun is layered and compelling for some, while another review finds him unpleasant when viewed closely.

Puzzle design appears mostly in Lost Levels and optional environmental sections, with reviewers calling out light or water-based puzzle elements.

Puzzle evidence is light but positive, covering combat-puzzle encounters and occasional environmental switch puzzles rather than deep puzzle systems.

Remaster quality is strong as a special edition, not a remake: reviewers praise the package while noting visual changes are modest.

Replay value improves through No Return, daily/custom runs, unlocks, and extras, though a few reviewers question long-term staying power.

Replay value is high, with reviewers wanting to return after credits, start fresh saves, or keep chasing better runs.

Sandbox freedom is strongest in No Return, where custom runs, modifiers, and route choices let players tune combat scenarios.

Saros offers some combat sandbox freedom through arena layouts, playstyle choice, and flexible approaches rather than a true open sandbox.

Save-system convenience is positive thanks to suspending runs and leaving/picking up later.

Side character depth is supported by praise for supporting performances and scenes involving characters beyond Ellie and Abby.

Side character depth is a weakness, with supporting characters often reduced to descent-into-madness arcs rather than fully developed roles.

Skill depth appears in No Return through supplements, upgrade trees, skills, and temporary build decisions rather than a deep RPG system.

Skill-tree depth is mixed; reviewers value meaningful stat growth but several say the tree is simple, incremental, or lacks buildcrafting depth.

Social features are limited but include friend comparisons on leaderboards for Daily Runs.

Sound design is a major strength, especially stealth audio, clicker/stalker cues, and anxiety-enhancing headphone play.

Sound design and 3D audio are repeatedly praised for making combat, projectiles, and the world feel intense and immersive.

Soundtrack quality remains strong, with reviewers praising the score and music's emotional impact.

The soundtrack is highly praised for oppressive, drone-metal, sci-fi horror, and atmospheric qualities.

Stealth mechanics are praised as improved, tense, and central to both campaign and No Return.

Tutorial and guidance are present but mixed, with hints and commentary explaining scenes but some prompts feeling artificial.

Tutorial quality is supported through enemies teaching boss patterns and mechanics being learned quickly through trial and error.

Upgrade systems are praised within No Return through weapon upgrades, skills, recipes, and character unlocks.

The upgrade system is praised for stat buffs, weapon improvements, resource spending, and permanent growth that makes players stronger over time.

UI is mixed: the Extras menu is feature-rich, but one PC review notes a mouse/UI frame-rate issue and guitar free play clunkiness.

User interface design is serviceable rather than standout, with one review calling the UI good enough.

Value for money is usually positive, especially at $10, though one review argues the package may not be worth every player's time.

Value for money has limited but positive support from one reviewer who would pay full MSRP.

Visual effects remain strong, with praise for lighting, scenery, pop-in improvements, and environmental effects.

Visual effects are a standout, especially the bespoke particle systems, combat fireworks, and PS5 Pro presentation.

Voice acting is consistently praised, with reviewers calling the cast superb and the performances central to the story.

Voice acting is strongly praised, especially Rahul Kohli’s lead performance, with several reviews also commending the broader cast.

Weapon balance is supported by scarcity and weapon tradeoffs, where having ammo for one weapon often means lacking it for another.

Weapon balance is mostly positive because many weapons feel viable, but shotguns and no-autohit variants draw criticism.

World-building is praised through Seattle's detail, environmental storytelling, and the expanded world of the sequel.

World-building is praised for Carcosa, Soltari, cosmic horror, and layered environmental storytelling.

World interactivity appears in optional encounters, environmental clues, and small interactive moments that deepen the setting.

World interactivity centers on eclipses transforming biomes, hazards, and enemy behavior, making the planet feel reactive during runs.

Writing quality is mixed but high-impact, with praise for intentional storytelling alongside criticism of some script choices.

Writing quality is mixed; data logs and media-literacy-friendly storytelling get praise, while repetitive references and silence between beats draw criticism.