Highlights

  • The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered offers more than just visual enhancements, with additional content such as a new roguelike mode.
  • The inclusion of lost levels and director's commentary provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the game, enhancing the overall experience.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, scheduled to release on January 19, 2024, is about more than giving fans a better-looking version of the game. TLoU2 on the PS4 still looks and runs great, and if it had simply received some minor performance patches for the PS5 rather than a remaster, few fans would have complained. The original release was a complete experience and told its story effectively, leaving little to fix in this re-release. Naughty Dog and Sony understood this, and as such, much of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's value comes from its additional content. With a new roguelike mode, a speedrun mode, and lost levels accompanying the visual enhancements, the remaster has plenty to offer both new and returning players.

The lost levels and director's commentary are the most exciting new features in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. Both entries in The Last of Us franchise are beloved because they provide tightly woven experiences. Neil Druckmann and his team at Naughty Dog crafted each game to be largely linear, allowing all players to experience the same events in roughly the same way. This tight curation of the experience allows for unparalleled cinematic storytelling, the likes of which are hard to come by elsewhere in the gaming medium. Seeing cut levels and listening to developer commentary will provide a rare look at the creation of TLoU2.

Lost Levels in TLoU2 Remastered

  • Boar Hunt
  • Jackson Party
  • Sewers
Last of Us Part 2 Remastered Expect 2024
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Director's Commentary Will Set The Last of Us 2 Remastered Apart

The Last of Us part 2

Director's commentaries are something that fans of cinema have come to enjoy in-home releases, but they are still a rarity in the gaming medium. Commentaries provide transparency and can explain why pieces of art are the way they are. Additionally, they can provide insight for those hoping to work on games themselves. Cut scenes and outtakes are also a rarity in extra content for games. The inclusion of commentary and lost levels in TLoU2Remastered will make the game a richer experience for those who consume them, and the cinematic ambitions of The Last of Us franchise make the series a natural fit for this content.

The Last of Us' Neil Druckmann is an Auteur

Neil Druckmann, co-creator of The Last of Us, has cemented his legacy as a video game auteur. Over 2000 people worked on TLoU2, but Druckmann's approach to storytelling and pacing is still felt throughout it and the other games he has created. This is another factor that makes a commentary track an obvious inclusion for the new remaster. Given the controversial nature of the story told in The Last of Us Part 2 and the way it deviated heavily from the expectations of fans, commentary tracks and lost levels could provide insight into how Druckmann, alongside his team, approached the game and how he and Craig Mazin might translate the story into the second season of the show.

More Games Need Commentary Tracks

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The Last of Us Part 2 isn't the only game that could benefit from behind-the-scenes content. Gaming is filled with beloved creatives who are crafting unbelievable experiences. Elden Ring and other games from Hidetaka Miyazaki feature spellbinding worlds that fans would clamor for insight into the creation of. Other game makers, like Yoko Taro, Tim Schafer, and Hideo Kojima, have also created transformative works in the medium that would be fascinating to learn more about. While popular games with a clear auteur behind them are the most obvious candidates, any remaster could benefit from providing fans with a look into its creation.

Video games are one of the great modern art forms, and behind-the-scenes content like commentary tracks allows the creators behind them to share the spotlight with their art, if only for a moment. The inclusion of this content is good for the medium and for fans who want more insight into their favorite games. Game development and those who participate in it are worth celebrating, and the bonus content like that included in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is one great way of doing that outside of shows like The Game Awards. Hopefully, more games will follow suit and provide a behind-the-scenes look into their creation with commentary tracks and ways to explore cut content.