The refreshed version of “The Last of Us Part II” is finally here, with many new features that attract new fans and entice existing players.
The most significant feature is the No Return mode, which offers gameplay in a roguelike style. Users have the opportunity to go through a series of random encounters before facing a terrifying boss. This also gives fans the first chance to play as previously unplayable characters, such as Dina, Jesse, and Lev.
Game director Matthew Gallant gave an interview to Variety to introduce the new additions to this highly anticipated production – from accessibility enhancements to a series of deleted levels that showcase the creative process.
Some people may wonder why a game released in 2020 already needs a refresh. Of course, NaughtyDog released a refreshed version of the first game just a year after its initial release, so there is already a pattern. But why did the studio decide to release this one right now?
The comparison you just made to “The Last of Us Remastered” on PS4 – for us, it’s a very similar idea. When we were creating the original game, we were at the end of the PS3 console cycle. We were experts in using that technology and pushed it to its limits.
When the new generation of hardware arrived, we wanted to offer a refreshed version that could harness the new power. It’s the same now: Part II was released towards the end of the PS4 console cycle. The PS5 is appearing, giving us a bit more possibilities to introduce things like shadow quality, texture quality, LOD distance – things of a rather subtle nature.
That’s what we do for many of our games. We want players to expect the best experience available in that generation. We believe our games are timeless. They always find new audiences. There are always new players, and we want to offer them the best possible experience.
On the PS5 console, it is worth mentioning the DualSense vibrations in particular. I’ll try not to overdo the excitement here. When we created vibrations in the past, they were always a simple tool. We could only use them in very crucial moments.
The vibrations are a whole different testimony. It’s almost like a small speaker inside the controller, allowing us to create very detailed reactions: rain, petting a dog. At the beginning of the game, when Joel cleans the guitar to give it to Ellie, there are subtle vibrations accompanying him as he wipes the cloth over the guitar’s frets. These small immersion details make them accompany the characters. We were delighted to be able to offer this.
What were your main goals when you found out you would be leading this project?
From the very beginning, we knew we had to improve the graphics, add vibrations, and take advantage of fast loading on the PS5. But what was really exciting was the opportunity to offer players something more. What else could we introduce that would be cool?
That’s why we decided to add the deleted levels to show players the behind-the-scenes of game development. Game developers are often very secretive and try to keep the “magic” hidden and keep their cards close. You don’t have the chance to see games at a very early stage of development. That’s something we had up our sleeves.
Another thing we had was designers who worked on the guitar mini-game in the original game – I would ironically call them “music nerds” – they had a lot of really cool ideas. The new ability to add different filters to the guitar mini-game, swap characters, locations, filter sounds, and add wild reverb and distortion was really exciting.
We knew we had highly complex combat and AI systems, different types of enemies, upgrades, and weapons. But in the main story, we can apply them in different ways. We could take these incredibly elaborate systems and offer players different experiences, more in an arcade style. No Return allowed us to throw players into situations they may not have encountered yet.
Let’s now talk about No Return. The challenges and random encounters make it really addictive – how did the structure shape up?
The last five years have been a true renaissance for the roguelike genre. Designers have realized the rich design field these games provide. It’s a very flexible container. And we saw that in “The Last of Us” on two levels. Firstly, the sense of stakes – when you play individual encounters, you can feel the pressure and tension, but you know there is a checkpoint. The penalty for death is not that severe.
In a roguelike, when you’re already on the fourth encounter and sitting behind cover with low health, it fosters an accelerated heartbeat. Your hands start sweating, and the gameplay takes on an exciting character that forces you to think quickly and adeptly handle these desperate situations.
Another thing roguelikes do very well is the ability to randomly reset all variables to offer a completely new game and new challenges every time. This way, even when going through the same levels, we always have the opportunity to mix things up and diversify the action through different combinations of facts, enemies, and maps.
FAQ Section (Frequently Asked Questions):
1. What are the new features in the refreshed version of “The Last of Us Part II”?
Answer: The refreshed version of “The Last of Us Part II” introduces the No Return mode, which offers roguelike-style gameplay. Users have the opportunity to go through a series of random encounters before facing a terrifying boss. Additionally, previously unplayable characters such as Dina, Jesse, and Lev can now be played.
2. Why is the game being refreshed so soon after the first update?
Answer: NaughtyDog released a refreshed version of the first game after a year, so there is already a pattern. However, the studio decided to release the refreshed second part now because it was released towards the end of the PS4 console cycle, and the PS5 provides more opportunities to utilize the new hardware power.
3. What are the benefits for players using the PS5 console?
Answer: Particularly noteworthy on the PS5 console are the DualSense vibrations. They offer very detailed reactions, which make the player more immersed in the game world. For example, during the early moments of the game, when the main character is cleaning the guitar, subtle vibrations can be felt in the controller accompanying this action.
4. What were the goals of the project lead during the creation of the refreshed game?
Answer: The goals of the project lead included improving the graphics, utilizing vibrations and fast loading on the PS5 console. Additionally, they wanted to add new elements and features to the players, such as the deleted levels that showcase the game development process. They also wanted to expand the combat and AI systems and offer new arcade-style experiences.
5. How was the structure of the No Return mode designed?
Answer: The designers drew inspiration from the roguelike genre, which offers flexibility in game design. The No Return mode provides a sense of stakes and tension while also forcing quick thinking and adeptness in handling desperate situations. Furthermore, roguelikes excel at randomly resetting variables to offer new challenges and diversify the gameplay with different combinations of facts, enemies, and maps.
The source of the article is from the blog cheap-sound.com