The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered PC Review – The Definitive Experience

The Last of Us Part 2 has consistently proven itself as an outstanding game, evident from our reviews on its initial PS4 release in 2020 and the subsequent PS5 Remastered version last year. Personally, I’ve always felt that the game was somewhat hindered by the PS4’s limitations during its debut. However, with the PC version now available, we may finally witness the optimal way to immerse ourselves in a game often labeled as a masterpiece. The success of this transition depends on how skillfully Naughty Dog, along with Nixxes and Iron Galaxy, have managed to adapt the game for PC platforms.

To start off, let’s address the key points first. The PC version of “The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered” is truly impressive. Given the hardware specifications announced by the studio earlier, it’s clear that this game takes full advantage of a modern gaming computer’s capabilities. For my gameplay during this review, I utilized a PC equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU, an AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU, and 32 GB of RAM. Additionally, having it installed on an NVMe M.2 SSD ensured a smooth gaming experience without any technical issues.

During my playthrough of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, I managed to crank up the graphics to their maximum without needing to enable any image enhancement options such as FSR. This allowed me to maintain frame rates that ranged from 90 to 120 frames per second, all on a 1440p monitor with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Interestingly, running it on the Steam Deck offered decent performance, even with some graphic settings scaled back to keep the frame rate around 60 FPS. While this may not seem impressive, it’s important to consider that many Steam Deck games perform exceptionally well at a frame rate of 40 FPS, striking a balance between visual quality, smooth gameplay, and extended battery life.

“The PC version of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is quite excellent.”

In addition to the larger aspects, this great news extends to the finer details of the gameplay itself. Interestingly enough, the keyboard and mouse combination proves to be an outstanding method for playing The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. This control setup provides players with a high level of precision and control, making it easier to land that crucial headshot. Furthermore, it offers more adaptability when it comes to crafting items on the fly during intense combat situations, like whipping up a molotov cocktail in the heat of battle. However, there is one potential disadvantage to this control scheme – an issue I didn’t encounter while briefly testing the DualSense controller – which seemed to involve some sort of rendering problem.

In simpler terms, during gameplay, UI elements controlled by the mouse can significantly slow down the game’s performance. For instance, my frame rate dropped from 90+ to 40 when using these elements. However, this issue didn’t greatly affect my overall enjoyment of the game as I seldom use the mouse outside of crafting and upgrading abilities. The frame rate improves dramatically once you exit the UI and your cursor disappears. Although I’m not a technical expert, it seems like the problem may lie in how the mouse is rendered within the game. These performance dips are hardly noticeable elsewhere in the game.

Personally, I must say that the PC version of “The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered” has significantly outshone its predecessors, including the PC port of “The Last of Us Part 1” and more recent releases like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The only minor hiccup I’ve encountered is a frame rate issue in user interfaces when using a mouse. However, overall, it’s been a smooth experience.

Even the transition of controls to mouse and keyboard has been seamless, enhancing the minute-to-minute gameplay that combines stealth and action more effectively than ever before. And to top it all off, the title being Steam Deck Verified just adds another layer of enjoyment to an already fantastic gaming experience.

“Even the controls have transferred over to mouse and keyboard quite well”

Five years after its debut, The Last of Us Part 2 remains a remarkable and masterfully crafted game. The story it tells, an epic exploration of how vengeance often harms those we cherish most and ultimately isn’t worth the cost, is delivered with great depth. It skillfully employs numerous smaller details to ensure that its powerful narrative resonates deeply.

In this game, the storytelling technique is skillfully carried out; initially, you may find Abby’s character detestable and invest more time playing as Ellie seeking vengeance. However, there comes a turning point where you switch perspectives, now controlling Abby, and gradually understand her motivations behind the events that set the game’s story in motion. Furthermore, you get to witness the chilling implications of Ellie’s actions from another viewpoint, as her body count escalates throughout the game, offering a grim perspective on the violence she inflicts.

In The Last of Us Part 2, I found Abby’s sections to be more engaging from a gameplay perspective compared to Ellie’s, despite both characters having similar mechanics. What made Abby’s gameplay experience stand out was the variety of enemies you encounter and the exceptional boss fights, which Naughty Dog has excelled in creating.

“You also get to see just how horrifying Ellie’s actions have been from an outside perspective”

In addition, I’d like to highlight one of the most peculiar interactions throughout the whole game: the Rat King. With a vibe reminiscent of an adversary from a Resident Evil title, the Rat King is a formidable fusion of cordyceps-infected enemies, encompassing clickers, stalkers, and even a bloater. Engaging with this foe presents quite the challenge, requiring you to deplete almost all your resources to defeat it. Interestingly, during the battle, players also face a standalone skirmish against a stalker that separated from the Rat King, adding an exciting layer to the fight. Battles like these, including the unforgettable ones against Tommy and Ellie, are some of the game’s most captivating moments, demonstrating how effectively its intense action sequences are executed.

In “The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered” for PS5, the main story is exceptional, but the gameplay truly shines. The overall gunplay and stealth mechanics are so satisfying to play that the release introduced a new game mode called No Return. This roguelite mode offers players an in-depth exploration of the stealth and combat mechanics from “The Last of Us Part 2,” making for a fantastic addition since its debut. With the PC version, more content has been added to No Return, such as playable characters like Marlene. Overall, No Return remains an excellent means of re-immersing oneself in the top-notch gameplay of “The Last of Us Part 2.”

As a gamer, I’ve got to say that the narrative choices in The Last of Us Part 2 continue to spark heated debates, but one thing we can all agree on is its outstanding gameplay. Cranking it up on a top-tier PC with smooth performance, this version offers the ultimate way to immerse yourself in the game.

This game was reviewed on PC.

2025-04-03 22:11

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