The Last of Us Part II Remastered arrives for the PlayStation 5 console on January 19, 2024. With it comes a slew of recent behind-the-scenes content material, technical enhancements to leverage the PS5 {hardware}, and new modes to make sure that whether or not you’re experiencing the award-winning sequel’s story for the primary or fifth time, there’s one thing new to find.
Preorders for each the usual model of the sport, bodily and digitally, in addition to the W.L.F. Edition, can be found beginning at this time. And to mark the event, we’re excited to spotlight one of the expansive new additions: No Return, a single-player roguelike survival mode. Before we bounce in, try our trailer for the mode under.
No Return is a brand new foray for the world of The Last of Us, constructed to highlight Part II’s nuanced and engrossing gameplay in a singular approach. Let’s dive a bit deeper into what you possibly can count on from the mode.
What Is No Return?
No Return permits gamers to decide on their very own path and take a look at their expertise throughout runs of randomized encounters, throwing you into acquainted areas from The Last of Us Part II’s marketing campaign, like Jackson, the Channel 13 News Station, and plenty of extra. These eventualities might be unfamiliar and even sudden, although, with distinctive gameplay twists. But be warned: loss of life is everlasting in No Return, so in case you fail a run halfway, you’ll lose all weapons, gadgets, and upgrades gathered for that run and start once more with a contemporary set of randomized eventualities. How you progress throughout any given run isn’t pre-defined – all through a run, gamers should select between completely different encounters, which is able to decide not solely the kind of gameplay mode you sort out, but additionally what rewards it’s possible you’ll unlock, what potential modifiers you’ll encounter, and extra. And in between every fight situation, you’ll return to a Hideout, the place you possibly can prep and select your subsequent battle through a path laid out on a corkboard in these acquainted areas.
Should you make all of it the best way to the top of a run, you’ll come up towards one in all six successively unlocked boss encounters (and after you’ve conquered all of them, they are going to randomly cap off future runs) towards a few of Part II’s most memorable foes, however not essentially within the methods you first fought them. Runs, whether or not they finish in a victory or by the hands of a Clicker or Hunter halfway by way of an encounter, culminate in a rating and also you’ll obtain a rank primarily based in your efficiency.
That subsequent run might be distinctive from the one earlier than it, providing a contemporary set of encounters every time you play. No Return’s challenges fall into 4 differing kinds – Assault, which pits you towards waves of enemies; Capture, wherein you must break right into a secure stuffed with worthwhile provides enemies are guarding; Holdout, throughout which you and an AI-controlled buddy defend towards Infected swarming round you; and Hunted, wherein it is advisable to survive till the timer runs out towards steady enemy reinforcements.
Each sort can happen in a wide range of areas, and to proceed making certain every run feels contemporary and distinct from what’s come earlier than, Mods will randomly be utilized to encounters. Choosing to tackle modded challenges impacts the rewards you’ll obtain. We don’t wish to spoil the total listing, however these will take a look at your expertise in some enjoyable and stunning methods, together with mods like enemies dropping pipe bombs upon loss of life, a thick fog enveloping the encounter map, and extra. We’re excited for followers to expertise the total suite of Mods in-game, as they provide some really thrilling twists to any given encounter.
Gambits are non-compulsory dynamic challenges that may additional boost any given spherical. From needing to land various headshots to dodging melee assaults, Gambits can each make it easier to solidify a plan going right into a problem or supply up a possibility to develop your technique whereas working towards further assets for that run.
Speaking of assets, as gamers of The Last of Us Part II will already be accustomed to, the marketing campaign options various upgradeable weapons for Ellie and Abby’s arsenal, in addition to ability improve bushes. These concepts carry over to No Return, however upgrades reset after every run, so that you’ll need to make troublesome decisions as you progress about which weapon upgrades to spend your acquired assets on or what expertise you suppose would possibly supply the most effective edge in upcoming encounters. Which weapons drop additionally varies from run to run, which is able to additional impression which improve paths it’s possible you’ll wish to, or must, take to make sure survival.
No Return’s Metagame
In addition to purely making an attempt to outlive a run, No Return affords a number of metagame targets and unlockables that carry over from run to run, in order that even in case you can’t fairly make it to a boss battle, you’re nonetheless working towards new characters, skins, and extra.
No Return begins off with Ellie and Abby as playable characters, however one of many methods we wished to supply participant alternative is with a wider suite of characters you possibly can unlock, together with some playable for the primary time within the franchise. By progressing by way of varied Challenges, you possibly can unlock Ellie’s fellow Jacksonites Dina, Joel, Tommy, and Jesse, whereas Abby’s companions Lev, Yara, Mel, and Manny are all additionally unlockable.
Each character has distinctive traits that supply completely different playstyles. Dina, for instance, comes outfitted with lure and stun bomb recipes from the bounce, and has an improve in her ability tree to craft double the quantity of bombs, whereas Abby comes with a melee improve recipe and heals on melee hits. We hope the range permits gamers to not solely put money into the playstyles they love but additionally take a look at out mechanics they might use much less typically.
Challenge tracks are related to every playable character and the mode total, and finishing these targets will unlock all the pieces from new playable characters to new skins to gameplay twists like Gambits, Buddies, and extra.
Though runs are randomized, you possibly can individually tackle customized runs that help you toggle on or off varied components that have an effect on No Return’s gameplay. And in case you’re feeling aggressive, a brand new Daily Run might be out there each day to show your expertise towards the world.* Every participant can have one shot on the identical randomly generated run with the identical character. See the way you truthful towards different Part II Remastered gamers because of a leaderboard the place you possibly can observe how your rating and runtime stack up.
No Return might be playable as quickly as you boot up The Last of Us Part II Remastered, although we encourage newcomers to play the marketing campaign first to get a deal with on gameplay. For each new and returning gamers, this mode is designed to problem your expertise, and whereas it does supply tutorial data, having a stable foundation of the basics of our fight system is really helpful. Whatever your prior expertise with The Last of Us, we hope No Return will supply one thing contemporary and sudden.
If you haven’t already, make sure to learn our The Last of Us Part II Remastered announcement weblog for a broader take a look at what the remaster contains. Players who already personal The Last of Us Part II on PS4 will be capable to improve for $10 USD to the Remastered model**.
But in case you’ve by no means performed earlier than, Part II Remastered is out there for preorder beginning at this time. That contains the bodily The Last of Us Part II Remastered W.L.F. Edition, out there direct from PlayStation in choose markets (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Benelux, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Austria, which incorporates 47 Society of Champions buying and selling playing cards, a SteelBook show case, and extra.
Whichever approach you determine to play, we will’t anticipate you all to expertise for the primary time or relive The Last of Us Part II Remastered when it arrives for PS5 on January 19, 2024.
*Daily Run requires web connection.
**Price proven in U.S. foreign money and will differ by nation. Check PS Store at launch on January 19, 2024 for native pricing.
Upgrades for disc copies of the PS4 model of The Last of Us Part II are solely out there in case you have a PlayStation 5 console with a disc drive. Owners of PS4 disc copies should insert them into the PS5 each time they wish to obtain or play the PS5 digital model.
