It’s hard to believe The Last of Us Part II originally arrived almost four years ago, dropping right into the middle of the Covid lockdown period. There was such a haunting irony in the idea of people trapped at home by a global pandemic, playing an apocalyptic video game about … a global pandemic. Well, Covid never went away, and neither did the Last of Us – in 2021, a free upgrade allowed new PS5 owners to play a tweaked version of the PS4 original, then came the critically acclaimed TV drama series, which brought a new audience to the desperate tale of Ellie and Joel.
Now we have The Last of Us Part II Remastered, an overhauled version of the excellent game, which adds a new Fidelity Mode, offering 4K resolution at 30 frames-per-second, as well as a Performance Mode, in 1440p at 60 fps. You’ll need a decent display to spot the differences from the old PS5 upgrade, but they’re there. Movement is smoother, lighting is brighter and the scenic detail, especially on foliage, just has a touch more life to it, making for an even greater sense of immersion in this muddy, ruined world. I felt the impact hardest in the game’s epic fight scenes, which now feel utterly fluid and intense, and in the emotional cinematic moments that the game already did so brilliantly.
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