Dead Space
- Compared: remake/remaster trend The review places this remaster within the broader recent wave of remakes and remasters.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for No Return, excellent combat, extras, and the $10 upgrade value. Skip it if you only want major story changes, dramatic visual upgrades, or an easier, lighter replay.
Best for
Best for players who want the definitive package, especially fans who value No Return's combat sandbox, developer commentary, lost levels, faster loads, DualSense features, and replay tools. It also suits newcomers who have not already played the campaign.
Not for
Not for players seeking a new story campaign, a dramatic visual remake, multiplayer, co-op, or a lighter experience. Reviewers repeatedly note the unchanged, violent, emotionally heavy story and the absence of the canceled online mode.
Verdict
Reviewers frame The Last of Us Part II Remastered as a strong special edition rather than a transformative remake. No Return repeatedly emerges as the standout because it isolates the tense combat, stealth, unlocks, bosses, and modifiers into a replayable mode, while lost levels, commentary, guitar free play, faster loading, DualSense support, and PC/PS5 options add substance. The tradeoff is that the campaign is largely unchanged: its bleak story, heavy violence, and pacing still divide reviewers, and the visual jump can look modest to people who already played the patched PS4 version. PC coverage is generally positive but notes occasional stutter or glitches on some systems.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
God of War Ragnarok
- Better: roguelike depth and story content No Return is said to compare unfavorably with Valhalla's free story-driven roguelike DLC.
God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla
- Compared: roguelike mode positioning No Return is framed alongside Sony's other recent roguelike expansion.
Feature Scorecards
Pros
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World-building is praised through Seattle's detail, environmental storytelling, and the expanded world of the sequel.
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Facial animation and capture are repeatedly praised as best-in-class or amazing, preserving the campaign's emotional delivery.
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Voice acting is consistently praised, with reviewers calling the cast superb and the performances central to the story.
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Gameplay mechanics are praised for fresh combat, stealth, top-notch play, and improved action systems over the original.
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Remaster quality is strong as a special edition, not a remake: reviewers praise the package while noting visual changes are modest.
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Animation remains a major strength, with industry-best combat animation and varied contextual actions supporting the game's brutal presentation.
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Environmental detail is consistently praised, from photorealistic detail to Seattle's scenery, overgrown environments, and accurate city recreation.
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Horror tension is strong, with reviewers mentioning anxiety from headphones, clicker sounds, and overall atmosphere.
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Sound design is a major strength, especially stealth audio, clicker/stalker cues, and anxiety-enhancing headphone play.
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Emotional impact is one of the strongest consensus areas; reviewers repeatedly describe the story as heavy, upsetting, and memorable.
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Reviewers praise the expanded accessibility suite, especially descriptive audio, speech-to-vibration support, and broader options that make the game easier to experience.
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The game maintains an oppressive, visceral atmosphere, with reviewers calling out its tension, revenge story, and masterclass sense of mood.
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Soundtrack quality remains strong, with reviewers praising the score and music's emotional impact.
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The art direction is praised through scenic, atmospheric landscapes that reviewers repeatedly stop to admire.
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Load times are a clear improvement, with reviewers noting fast or seamless loading compared with older versions.
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Character development is supported by reviews praising Abby's humanization, character arcs, and the emotional impact of the main cast.
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Stealth mechanics are praised as improved, tense, and central to both campaign and No Return.
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Graphics remain a major strength, with reviewers praising PS5 and PC visuals even when they call the upgrade modest.
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Enemy behavior is praised for unpredictable patrols, strong aim, and AI that can swarm the player, especially in No Return encounters.
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Immersion is helped by DualSense, 3D audio, haptics, and environmental presentation that reinforce the harsh world.
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Frame-rate impressions are mostly positive, especially on PS5, though PC coverage notes some scene-dependent or configuration-specific issues.
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Platform-specific feature support is strong, spanning DualSense, 3D audio, VRR, FOV, ultrawide, HDR, PC options, and save carryover.
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Writing quality is mixed but high-impact, with praise for intentional storytelling alongside criticism of some script choices.
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Cross-save support is supported by a review noting that PS4 saves and achievements can be carried over.
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Lore depth is supported by environmental storytelling and optional encounters that reveal wider stories without large exposition dumps.
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Combat is one of the strongest areas, repeatedly described as dynamic, brutal, satisfying, and mechanically solid in both campaign and No Return.
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Fun factor is strongest in No Return, where reviewers repeatedly describe the mode as fun, addictive, and a strong reason to replay.
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Sandbox freedom is strongest in No Return, where custom runs, modifiers, and route choices let players tune combat scenarios.
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Movement feel is praised for nimble combat, large arenas, smoother movement, and improved melee animation.
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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.
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The core loop is highly praised, especially the tight combat-survival rhythm and No Return's distilled version of the game's mechanics.
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Resource balance is a strength, with reviewers praising scarcity that makes ammo, crafting materials, and every shot feel meaningful.
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Side character depth is supported by praise for supporting performances and scenes involving characters beyond Ellie and Abby.
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Controls are generally praised as responsive, smooth, and especially strong on PC mouse and keyboard.
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Progression is praised in No Return through unlockable characters, cosmetics, bosses, modifiers, and an overarching progression track.
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Visual effects remain strong, with praise for lighting, scenery, pop-in improvements, and environmental effects.
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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.
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Enemy variety is supported by No Return's randomized factions and the addition of new enemy types and infected encounters.
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Polish is generally high, with reviewers citing Naughty Dog polish, top-notch PS5 optimization, and a strong PC definitive version.
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Aiming is helped by precise PC controls and performance modes, with one technical review emphasizing fast aiming precision and dodging.
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Boss encounters are supported mainly through No Return and Abby-focused PC coverage, with reviewers highlighting memorable boss fights and final-run showdowns.
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Handheld suitability is supported by Steam Deck impressions, which describe playable performance and a fruitful handheld experience.
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Upgrade systems are praised within No Return through weapon upgrades, skills, recipes, and character unlocks.
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World interactivity appears in optional encounters, environmental clues, and small interactive moments that deepen the setting.
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Difficulty is framed as challenging but fair, with selectable difficulty helping players ease into No Return while preserving tension.
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Innovation comes from the Lost Levels, developer commentary, and rare behind-the-scenes transparency more than from the unchanged campaign.
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Crafting remains important, with reviewers tying it to survival, stealth, ammunition scarcity, and No Return upgrades.
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Mission design is strongest in No Return, where randomized encounters and changing objectives create short, focused challenges.
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Value for money is usually positive, especially at $10, though one review argues the package may not be worth every player's time.
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The remaster is praised for its extras: No Return, Lost Levels, commentary, guitar free play, skins, speedrun tools, and other options.
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Faithfulness is mixed but positive: reviewers call it a fascinating, bold sequel that recontextualizes the first game rather than repeating it.
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Monetization is generally seen as fair because reviewers repeatedly accept or praise the $10 upgrade price.
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Weapon balance is supported by scarcity and weapon tradeoffs, where having ammo for one weapon often means lacking it for another.
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Performance optimization is generally good on PS5 and PC, but PC impressions vary with some stutter and texture-glitch caveats.
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Menu usability is supported by the feature-rich extras menu and speedrun recap tools.
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Mission variety is a No Return highlight, though a few reviewers say encounter types can eventually become samey.
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Learning curve is helped by selectable difficulty and clear No Return progression, though some automated hinting is described as blunt.
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Narrative quality remains the most divisive area: many reviewers call it profound or powerful, while others criticize cynicism, pacing, or its framing.
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Endgame value comes primarily from No Return's daily and custom runs, ongoing boss attempts, and reasons to return after the campaign.
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Exploration is mostly positive because it rewards searching and environmental storytelling, though PC Gamer finds it more constrained than combat.
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Loot systems matter in No Return through randomized shops, rewards, modifiers, and challenges, though this is not a traditional loot-heavy game.
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Skill depth appears in No Return through supplements, upgrade trees, skills, and temporary build decisions rather than a deep RPG system.
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Puzzle design appears mostly in Lost Levels and optional environmental sections, with reviewers calling out light or water-based puzzle elements.
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Replay value improves through No Return, daily/custom runs, unlocks, and extras, though a few reviewers question long-term staying power.
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Camera praise is mostly cinematic rather than mechanical, with reviewers noting strong camera shots rather than camera problems.
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Dialogue quality is split: one reviewer says no line is wasted, while another says some dialog exchanges stumble and bore.
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Protagonist appeal is mixed: Ellie is praised as carrying the sequel, but one reviewer says the character became harder to relate to.
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Onboarding is decent through difficulty settings and hint prompts, though some guidance can feel artificial.
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Community features are light but present through Daily Run-style shared challenges and leaderboard comparisons.
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Social features are limited but include friend comparisons on leaderboards for Daily Runs.
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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.
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Tutorial and guidance are present but mixed, with hints and commentary explaining scenes but some prompts feeling artificial.
Cons
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Level design is mixed: reviewers praise design explanations and training of expectations, but one PC review finds navigation unclear.
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Map and navigation design is mixed: No Return's route board is clear, but some campaign navigation is criticized as hard to read.
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Originality is mixed: the core game remains singular, but No Return is described as fun without being a unique roguelike structure.
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Pacing is the most repeated story concern, with reviewers citing excessive length, elongated sections, and short lost levels cut for pacing.
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Bug and stutter reports are limited but present in PC coverage, including texture glitches, foliage pop-in, and stutter entering dense areas.
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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.
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Family friendliness scores very low because reviewers emphasize the game's violence, mature tone, and need for a strong stomach.
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The co-op experience is essentially absent; one review explicitly notes that the gameplay bones are there but the online infrastructure is not.
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Multiplayer design is effectively absent because the Factions or live-service project was canceled.
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Live-service support is poor because the planned online or live-service multiplayer project is repeatedly referenced as canceled.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in AI behavior, stealth mechanics, facial animations, below average in co-op experience, live-service support, multiplayer design.
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| co-op experience | 1.4 | 3.9 | -2.5 |
| live-service support | 1.1 | 3.6 | -2.5 |
| multiplayer design | 1.3 | 3.6 | -2.3 |
| family friendliness | 1.5 | 3.0 | -1.5 |
| AI behavior | 4.7 | 3.2 | +1.5 |
| stealth mechanics | 4.7 | 3.7 | +1.0 |
| age appropriateness | 2.0 | 3.1 | -1.1 |
| facial animations | 4.8 | 3.8 | +1.0 |
FAQ
Is The Last of Us Part II Remastered worth the $10 upgrade?
Across the reviews, the $10 upgrade is usually treated as worthwhile because No Return, commentary, lost levels, faster loading, DualSense support, and extra modes add meaningful value.
What is the biggest new feature?
No Return is the clear standout. Reviewers describe it as a roguelike or survival mode built around randomized combat encounters, upgrades, playable characters, modifiers, and bosses.
Does the remaster change the story?
No. Reviewers describe the campaign as fundamentally the same, with new commentary, lost levels, skins, speedrun tools, and presentation upgrades rather than a rewritten story.
Are the graphics much better than the PS4 version?
The reviews say it still looks excellent, but many call the visual upgrade modest because the PS4 original already looked strong and had a 60 fps PS5 patch.
How does No Return affect replay value?
Most reviewers say it improves replay value through randomized encounters, unlocks, characters, daily or custom runs, and score-chasing, though a few question its long-term staying power.
Is it good for players new to the series?
Reviewers generally call it the best or definitive way to experience Part II, but the story is violent, bleak, and emotionally heavy, so it is not positioned as a casual or family-friendly game.
How is the PC version?
PC reviews are mostly positive about performance and options, with some praising smooth play and Steam Deck viability, while others note stuttering, texture glitches, or UI-related frame dips.
Consider This Instead
If you want better family friendliness
Choose Donkey Kong Bananza. It scores 4.8 vs 1.5 for family friendliness, with a 4.3 overall score.
If you want better co-op experience
Choose Split Fiction. It scores 4.7 vs 1.4 for co-op experience, with a 4.1 overall score.
If you want better multiplayer design
Choose Directive 8020. It scores 4.4 vs 1.3 for multiplayer design, with a 4.1 overall score.
If you want better live-service support
Choose Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. It scores 4.2 vs 1.1 for live-service support, with a 4.0 overall score.
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