Few games stress me out. Resident Evil VIII in virtual reality is one of them, as slowly traversing through creepy settings and then running for one’s life will surely cause some distress. Another game is Elden Rings, which stresses me out due to the far and few between save points (you can include every Dark Souls game in that as well). And then there is The Last of Us. Yep, that might cause me the worst stress. It’s a good game but my nerves are always high-alert.
The Last of Us series informs gamers right out the gate that any character isn’t safe in its story, and at any given time your character can be ransacked by enemies or fungi. This is where the uncomfortable gameplay environment starts and never lets up throughout as the stakes are constantly shown as high around every corner. It’s like watching an HBO drama, where you can’t fully relax. And yet, the game is so damn good this way.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered by developers Naughty Dog, Nixxes Software, and Iron Galaxy Studios, and all its stressful story, made it to PC this past week. After a few updates that improved some Quality-of-Life elements and bugs, the game is probably close to being the top-tier version when compared to its original console versions. In other words, if this game on PC was a bourbon, it would most certainly be Weller’s.
So, sit back, don’t relax, and keep your ears out for clicking. We’re about to get through this review with extreme prejudice toward clickers.
You know this game, you know what you’re getting into
Just like that read, you know exactly what this game is about. The story doesn’t pull punches, and the gameplay is intense from beginning to end for a variety of reasons. If you wanted a real experience that brings the brutality and savagery, and imagery, of a post-apocalyptic diseased world, then you’re in the right place.
The story follows two main characters, Ellie and Abby. The former is hellbent on tracking down Abby and her group for revenge reasons. The latter is trying to survive and make the best out of tragedy, anger, and a whole lot of baggage. Both characters and their worlds present a unique perspective, and while fans may not like it, both are justified in their plights.
While I won’t get too deep into the story, although I’m sure everyone knows what goes on in it by now, let me just say that it takes some chances that pay off. It’s a tough sequel that follows a tragically jarring beginning. Overall, the story works, and it does go in unpredictable directions, a refreshing shift that keeps you on your toes from beginning to end, and one that may not leave you satisfied or lying in a happy moment.
Tragic. Intense. Perfect.
On the gameplay side of the tracks, it still works on the PC just like it did with its previous console entries. Moving around, hiding, shooting, and all the precise mechanics you may have loved on the console version are still intact with the PC release. Getting full haptic feedback with a PlayStation 5 controller does help with the adventure as well. It’s like a seamless version of the console game except with upgraded visuals and re-tuned sound.
Anyway, the game feels good, it never fights during intense action sequences and does a good job of representing those intense moments better than most third-person action titles of this type. For example, crouching and moving at a silent pace to surprise clickers feels accurate in its execution, though I’ve never seen a clicker in real life (other than in the classroom – LOL…ahem) to compare those movements. I’d prefer not to ever see one. Regardless, the game feels good when you’re moving characters around and the accuracy of movements and the intensity of the world through those movements only stand to reinforce the story.
The game’s huge world gives enough elbow room for Ellie (and other characters) to explore on rails of the story. You’ll find yourself wandering and enjoying the world-building that Naughty Dog and crew have set up for you in the game. The world in this game is massive and while you don’t get full control of where you go, because the story is vital and can’t be twisted or turned too much, it still feels big and explorative.
To help maintain this girthy feeling, the world is filled with dangers, guns, and monsters, while also dragging along characters into explorable areas that make you feel as if you’re in real cities and places. The size of the game, especially in cities like Seattle, feels like the actual city when you enter it. That big world hooks you into believing that this game is huge. And for the most part, the game is huge.
Now, while traveling through cities like Seattle, gameplay elements are also integrated into the story. For example, when Ellie bumps into a workbench where she can upgrade guns and materials, a nice way to get more bang from your gun, it’s done in a tasteful way that fits right into the story. A certain character’s crib features a workbench, and that character is someone always prepared to find new ways to deal with clickers and humans. That workbench flawlessly slides into the adventure. It’s a smooth way to keep your players in the game and the story’s moment without saying, “Hey! Look! A way to upgrade things. Isn’t that randomly cool”. It’s cleverly planned and well-executed in this type of gameplay design. And you’ll see these smooth little upgrades, crafting, and such built into the story and exploration.
Beyond story, world, and characters, the game’s underbelly isn’t particularly complicated, as the story takes priority over everything else. If you’re looking for a God of War or Ghost of Tsushima backend with a huge number of upgrades and skill trees, then you’re looking at the wrong game. Naughty Dog wanted the story at the forefront of gameplay and, as I said above, made it a priority from beginning to end. That type of love and respect for their design and world helps to hook and engage the player like no other story out there can. If you need proof, check out how pissed off players were when this game launched and how they felt about the demise of certain characters. The complaints might be valid at times, but they also show how powerful the story is and how meaningful the characters are in the series.
Anyway, it’s a damn fun game. It’s story-driven with gameplay dragged along. I’ll honestly take that over a lot of AAA games these days. Weave a good story, attach my emotions to the characters, and send me on a roller coaster ride. That’s worth any price of admission.
PC-ing
While there are some glitches here and there that are still being worked out, the game performs a helluva lot better than the first remastered The Last of Us that hit PC. I think that Naughty Dog and Nixxes learned their lesson about that and went back to the drawing board on how to best transfer a PlayStation game to PC. They have found smoother methods with this sequel, although there are still some hiccups now and again. That is to be expected and it’s nothing that breaks the game.
I reviewed this game on a high-powered Alienware laptop that had the following specs:
- AMD Processor Ryzen 9 7845HX
- 64 GB of DDR5 RAM
- 4070 NVIDIA GPU
Those specs should have been enough to send this game into ultra-high mode with all the bells and whistles. This system made it to high mode and fluttered with ultra-high. I can live with that and I thoroughly enjoyed 60fps at a highly detailed level with environments, characters, and cutscenes. This game was positively gorgeous.
The only hiccups here and there, and they didn’t happen nearly at all this weekend, were some frame dragging and texture breaking. It mainly happened in big environments with lots of clickers in them and detailed animation (wavy grass, trees, etc.). Again, it’s a lot smoother and cleaner than the first game, and the visuals, even on high, were far superior to any console output. It’s a gorgeous game that shows its feathers well.
Anyway, in its current form, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is a fantastic PC release. Tragedy and trauma wait for you on PC.
Conclusion
The Last of Us Part II Remastered from developers Naughty Dog, Nixxes Software, and Iron Galaxy is a better PC translation than its console versions. It brings high-end graphics, superb sound, and all the story you could ever want to carry with you for a long time.
