Despite being in production for several years now, Naughty Dog broke the unfortunate news recently that its multiplayer project set in The Last of Us universe would need to be delayed. Considering that the game has been in the works since even before The Last of Us Part 2 released, there has been some concern about the overall status of The Last of Us multiplayer. Since not much has been shown aside from vague interview tidbits and a few pieces of art work for the game, fans have been left in the dark and will seemingly remain there for the time being.
However, with all clouds come a silver lining and this turn of events may present an opportunity for Naughty Dog to release a long desired remaster of The Last of Us Part 2. Based on the continued popularity of the series and fans clamoring for new content to enjoy in this post apocalyptic franchise, bringing the original game to the PS5 as well as announcing a PC port would be a worthwhile venture for the studio.
Bringing The Last of Us 2 to PS5 and PC
Technically speaking, The Last of Us 2 is already playable on the PS5 via backwards compatibility with PS4 games. Since it was released so late into the PS4's lifespan, the game is still a graphical beauty even by today's standards, and a PS5 performance patch released in 2021 only elevated its ability to take advantage of the new hardware. That being said, a proper re-release on PS5 and PC with platform-specific modifications would help the sequel shine even brighter.
The Last of Us has blossomed into a juggernaut on the gaming scene, easily standing among the biggest blockbusters in PlayStation's first party repertoire. While it is true that modern game development is time-consuming and it can take years to produce new content, it would be unwise for Sony and Naughty Dog to rest on The Last of Us for too long without releasing anything new for players. After all, The Last of Us 2 is already three years old, and now with word of the multiplayer game being delayed, some good news for the series is desperately needed.
Buying Time for The Last of Us' Multiplayer Project
Thankfully, The Last of Us has remained in the public eye this year not because of a new game, but rather a smash hit HBO show starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. As popular as the game already was, this TV series introduced many to the franchise for the first time, generating even more interest for the IP. For this reason, while not technically a 'new' game, a proper PS5 upgrade of The Last of Us 2 with enhanced visuals and performance would make the game feel as fresh as ever. Combine this with the already stellar PS5 remake of the first game in The Last of Us Part 1, and that gives new fans a one-two punch of these adventures on one console.
If Naughty Dog needs to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate the direction of its multiplayer The Last of Us project, then that is completely fine. The studio should take all the time it needs to make sure that its game is in the best shape that it can be for its eventual release. However, its unclear just how long that this procedure will take, as the amount of progress made on the game remains a complete mystery. Bringing the game over to PS5, as well as announcing a PC release to open doors for even more players to jump into the action would certainly help Naughty Dog kill some time while it continues to work on the multiplayer game.
The Last of Us Part 2 is available on PS4.
