The Last of Us™ Part II Remastered
" Immersive action-adventure with bold narrative and stunning visuals but occasional pacing issues "
The Last of Us™ Part II Remastered Review
The Last of Us™ Part II Remastered delivers a deeply emotional and challenging experience that divides players but stands out as a technical and narrative achievement. The game builds on its predecessor with enhanced gameplay mechanics, improved stealth, and fluid combat, offering a satisfying and immersive journey. Players praise the game's stunning graphics, detailed environments, and realistic NPC interactions, which enrich the post-apocalyptic world.
Story-wise, it boldly explores themes of revenge, loss, and morality through multiple perspectives, particularly Ellie and Abby, eliciting strong emotional responses. While some players find the narrative powerful and thought-provoking, others criticize its pacing, character development, and controversial plot choices. The PC port is generally well-optimized but has occasional performance hiccups and minor bugs. Overall, it is a masterpiece in storytelling and gameplay, though the story's divisiveness and pacing may impact enjoyment for some.
Highlights
Players widely praise the gameplay mechanics for being more refined and immersive than the first game, with stealth and combat improvements adding depth and replayability.
The graphics and audio are described as stunning, with exceptional attention to detail, lighting, and atmosphere, making it one of the most visually impressive games on PC.
The storyline is bold and emotionally charged, offering complex character perspectives and moral ambiguity that challenge players and provoke deep reflection.
Criticisms
Common criticisms focus on the story pacing and structure, with flashbacks and non-chronological scenes sometimes disrupting emotional engagement.
Some players find certain characters underdeveloped or unlikable, and the narrative choices, especially around Abby’s arc and the ending, controversial or unsatisfying.
Technical issues include occasional crashes, stuttering, and minor bugs, particularly in the PC port, which can affect immersion. Some also mention AI inconsistencies and uneven gameplay loops.
Pros
- • Gameplay mechanics are significantly improved and highly satisfying throughout the game.
- • Graphics and audio design are masterpieces, with stunning visuals and immersive sound.
- • Story offers a bold, multi-perspective narrative that challenges player morality.
- • Stealth and combat systems provide varied and rewarding play styles.
- • NPCs have realistic behaviors and names, enhancing immersion.
- • The game world is richly detailed with rewarding exploration opportunities.
- • Multiple difficulty modes allow customization for different player skill levels.
Cons
- • Story pacing and flashback structure can disrupt emotional engagement.
- • Some characters lack depth, making parts of the narrative feel forced.
- • Controversial narrative choices may alienate certain players.
- • PC port experiences occasional crashes and stuttering issues.
- • AI behavior can be inconsistent and unfair at times.
- • Some gameplay loops and mechanics changes feel unbalanced.
- • Lengthy cutscenes may slow down gameplay flow for some.
Rating Criteria
Experience the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, now on PC. Discover Ellie and Abby’s story with graphical enhancements, gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, and more.