Call of Duty’s Zombie mode
- Similar: Holdout mode action feel Holdout is compared to Call of Duty’s Zombie mode because it turns infected defense into over-the-top action.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for No Return, polished combat, strong extras, and the best-looking version of Part II. Skip it if you only want major story changes, dislike grim violence, or already played it and don’t value roguelike replay.
Best for
Best for players who love The Last of Us Part II’s combat and want a replayable No Return mode, richer extras, faster loading, haptics, and the most complete version of the campaign.
Not for
Not for players expecting major new story content, a dramatic graphical remake, a relaxing tone, or a family-friendly game; returning story-only players may find the additions less essential.
Verdict
Reviewers frame The Last of Us Part II Remastered less as a dramatic visual overhaul and more as a strong special edition. The campaign’s brutal story, performances, combat, environments, and accessibility remain the foundation, while PS5 features such as faster loading, haptics, 3D audio, and smoother modes add polish. The clearest new reason to return is No Return, praised for turning the game’s tense stealth-combat into a replayable roguelike loop with characters, modifiers, bosses, and custom runs. The tradeoff is that visual gains are often described as modest, Lost Levels are short, and several reviewers still find the story exhausting, divisive, or unevenly paced.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
God of War Ragnarok DLC
- Better: story integration No Return is described as less story-driven than the recent God of War Ragnarok DLC.
God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla
- Compared: roguelike mode structure and value The reviewer compares No Return with God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, saying they serve different purposes.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
58 reviewed features- Very positive 4.5-5.0 47% 27 features
- Positive 3.5-4.4 40% 23 features
- Neutral 2.5-3.4 10% 6 features
- Negative 1.5-2.4 3% 2 features
- Very negative below 1.5 0% 0 features
Pros
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Emotional impact was extremely strong, with reviewers repeatedly describing the story as gutting, heartbreaking, or emotionally shattering.
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Voice acting earned unanimous praise from scored reviews, especially for the main cast’s performances.
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Character development was praised for its heavy character work and risky perspective structure.
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Facial animation was praised as industry-leading and central to the emotional performances.
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Atmosphere was praised as masterful, especially for its oppressive tension and survival-horror mood.
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Boss design stood out in one PC review, which highlighted major fights as some of Naughty Dog’s best.
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The No Return loop was praised as a high-stakes, rewarding way to experience the game’s encounters repeatedly.
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Resource balance was praised for keeping ammo and materials scarce enough to make survival tense.
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Level design received strong praise from one reviewer for making linear spaces feel flexible and meaningful.
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Platform-specific support was praised for PS5-native upgrades such as load times, DualSense features, and 3D audio.
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The soundtrack was praised as atmospheric and emotionally effective.
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Environmental detail drew strong praise for scenery, foliage, world texture, and dense visual craftsmanship.
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Accessibility options were strongly praised, with reviewers calling the expanded descriptive audio, speech-to-vibration, and broader tools meaningful additions.
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Sound design was praised for 3D audio, directionality, anxiety, and stealth-tension cues.
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World-building was praised for Seattle’s detail, environmental storytelling, and the way the sequel frames grief and factions.
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Load times were consistently praised as much faster and a clear quality-of-life upgrade.
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Horror tension was praised for causing anxiety, dread, and memorable scare sequences.
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Haptic feedback integration was strongly praised for bows, weapons, bandaging, traversal, and added immersion, though one reviewer found extended use tiring.
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Stealth mechanics were widely praised as tense, flexible, and improved, especially when No Return encouraged new approaches.
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The character roster in No Return was praised for bringing secondary characters forward with different loadouts, traits, and playstyles.
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Combat was one of the strongest areas overall, with reviewers praising its brutal feel, polish, resource pressure, and ability to shine in No Return despite a few dissenting takes.
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Controls were usually described as smooth, responsive, and solid, with PC mouse-and-keyboard support adding precision for some players.
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Remaster quality was generally praised as a definitive or worthwhile edition, though the visual upgrade was often called modest and content-focused.
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Progression in No Return was praised for unlocks, challenges, and longer-term rewards that kept runs moving.
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Aiming precision received specific praise on PC, where mouse input gave reviewers strong control for headshots.
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Crafting was praised as part of the game’s excellent survival-combat foundation.
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Handheld suitability was praised in one PC review because the Steam Deck version ran well enough to deserve verification.
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Replay value was one of the strongest remaster arguments, driven mainly by No Return, daily/custom runs, unlocks, and added extras.
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Graphics were widely praised as excellent or stunning, but reviewers often stressed that the jump over the PS4/PS5-patched version is modest.
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Fun factor was strongest in No Return and combat-focused extras, though the main story’s grim tone made it less relaxing for some reviewers.
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Performance optimization was generally strong on PS5 and many PC setups, though one PC review reported stutter and texture issues.
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Polish was a consistent strength, with reviewers describing the package, presentation, and bonus modes as well-crafted.
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Frame rate stability was mostly praised, especially in performance mode, with some caveats around 30fps fidelity mode and certain PC scenes.
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Value for money was strongly positive for the $10 upgrade, with more mixed views for first-time or double-dip buyers at full price.
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AI behavior was praised in combat-focused reviews for swarming, faction pressure, and strong arena behavior.
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Narrative quality remained divisive but mostly positive, with many reviewers calling it profound or masterful while others criticized its structure, bleakness, and execution.
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Content variety was broadly praised, especially No Return, Lost Levels, commentary, guitar free play, skins, speedrun tools, and modifiers, though some extras were called short or uneven.
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Mission variety in No Return was praised for randomized objectives and encounter types, with some caveats about uneven encounters.
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Exploration was generally valued for scavenging, optional environmental stories, and player choice, though one reviewer found it sometimes too guided.
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Difficulty was usually viewed positively as tense and intentional, with challenge options and survival pressure fitting the game’s design.
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Writing quality was polarized: several reviewers praised the ambitious, intentional storytelling, while one criticized the script as unsubtle.
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Protagonist appeal was mixed: Ellie was praised as carrying the sequel by some, while one reviewer found her harder to relate to.
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Art direction was praised as visually striking, though one review also noted the remaster could look too dark in places.
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The limited semi-open Seattle section stood out positively to one reviewer, who wished more of the game pursued that feeling.
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No Return’s sandbox-like setup was praised as a fun way to experiment outside the campaign’s narrative constraints.
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Gameplay mechanics drew mixed responses: several reviewers liked the remastered combat tools, but one felt the core stealth-loot-shoot loop had aged poorly.
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Enemy variety was mixed: No Return adds faction variety and AI pressure, but one reviewer criticized the limited number of new enemies.
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Skill systems were split: one reviewer liked the upgrade satisfaction, while another felt No Return upgrades did not meaningfully change play enough.
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Originality was mixed, with one review finding No Return strange and unusual but artistically awkward.
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Visual effects were mostly strong, but one PC review noted distracting upscaling artifacts around transparencies.
Cons
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Bug frequency was mixed: some PC reviewers reported minor UI or texture glitches, while others found the port clean.
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Age appropriateness was limited by the game’s mature themes, violence, and emotional weight, with one reviewer saying younger players may not appreciate it.
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Innovation was limited in one review, which found No Return fun but not especially unique as a mode.
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Pacing was the most consistent structural complaint, with multiple reviewers saying the campaign felt long, bloated, or uneven despite strong moments.
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Map and navigation design drew one notable complaint about unclear progression paths in naturalistic environments.
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User interface design had one PC-specific criticism, where mouse-related UI elements could hurt frame rate.
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Puzzle design was a weak point in one review, which complained that environmental puzzles were too few and underdeveloped.
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Family friendliness scored low because one reviewer explicitly described the game as gritty, intense, and extremely violent.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in economy and resource balance, stealth mechanics, AI behavior, below average in family friendliness, puzzle design.
Summary
8 compared features- Above average 0.4+ pts higher 75% 6 features
- Same as average within 0.3 pts 0% 0 features
- Below average 0.4+ pts lower 25% 2 features
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| family friendliness | 1.5 | 3.6 | -2.1 |
| puzzle design | 2.0 | 3.7 | -1.7 |
| economy and resource balance | 5.0 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
| stealth mechanics | 4.7 | 3.3 | +1.4 |
| AI behavior | 4.3 | 3.0 | +1.4 |
| facial animations | 5.0 | 3.8 | +1.2 |
| boss design | 5.0 | 3.8 | +1.2 |
| aiming precision | 4.5 | 3.3 | +1.2 |
FAQ
Is The Last of Us Part II Remastered worth the $10 upgrade?
Most reviewers say yes, mainly because No Return, faster loads, DualSense support, commentary, and Lost Levels make the package feel worthwhile. They generally agree the visual upgrade alone would not justify it.
What is the best new feature?
No Return is the standout. Reviewers repeatedly praise it for turning the game’s tense stealth and combat into a replayable roguelike mode with characters, modifiers, bosses, and daily or custom runs.
Are the graphics a major upgrade?
Reviewers still call the game beautiful, but many say the visual jump is modest because the PS4 version already looked excellent and had a PS5 60fps patch.
Does the remaster change the campaign story?
No. Reviewers describe the campaign as essentially the same story, with added commentary, Lost Levels, skins, speedrun options, and technical or controller improvements around it.
How is the PC version?
PC coverage is mostly positive about performance and visuals, especially compared with Part I’s troubled PC launch. A few reviewers still report stutter, texture or UI-related issues, so the port is not uniformly flawless.
Is it good for players who only care about story?
Newcomers still get the full acclaimed campaign, but returning story-only players may find less reason to revisit because the main scenario is unchanged and the biggest addition is combat-focused.
Is it family friendly?
No. The reviewed evidence describes it as gritty, intense, extremely violent, emotionally heavy, and better suited to mature players.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Girlfriend Reviews
- Review score
- 4.8/5
YouTube - DreamcastGuy
- Review score
- 4.5/5
YouTube - Electric Playground Network - EPN
- Review score
- 4.0/5
Article Reviews
inverse.com
- Review score
- 3.6/5
thegamer.com
- Review score
- 3.7/5
theverge.com
- Review score
- 4.5/5
Consider This Instead
If you want better family friendliness
Choose Mario Kart World. It scores 4.7 vs 1.5 for family friendliness, with a 3.9 overall score.
If you want better puzzle design
Choose Split Fiction. It scores 4.8 vs 2.0 for puzzle design, with a 4.0 overall score.
If you want better user interface design
Choose Donkey Kong Bananza. It scores 5.0 vs 2.5 for user interface design, with a 4.4 overall score.
If you want better map and navigation design
Choose Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection. It scores 5.0 vs 2.5 for map and navigation design, with a 4.0 overall score.
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