Last of Us 2 Remastered Just Messed With Time... For Science! (And Trophies)
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Naughty Dog surprised us with a free update for *The Last of Us Part II Remastered*, adding a "Chronological Experience" mode so you can play the story in timeline order, plus some cheeky *Uncharted* cosmetics. It's a fascinating experiment for seasoned players, and more trophies are always a good thing, right?
Right, so you know how *The Last of Us Part II* was, shall we say, a bit 'jigsaw puzzle' with its timeline? Well, Naughty Dog's gone and chucked a spanner in the works – or rather, smoothed things out – with a surprise update to *The Last of Us Part II Remastered*. Seems like someone finally asked, "But what if we just… told the story in order?" and the devs, bless their cotton socks, actually did it.
Game Rant (cheers to them for spotting this! - see the source below) reports that this free update drops a brand new "Chronological Experience" mode on both PS5 and PC. Now, before you start thinking this is some half-baked attempt at fixing something that wasn't broken, hear me out. It's a proper chronological run-through, meaning you'll see Joel gifting Ellie her guitar *before* all the, shall we say, unpleasantness kicks off. Makes sense, right?
Now, I reckon there were probably two camps when *The Last of Us Part II* first landed: those who adored the non-linear storytelling (all the emotional gut-punches hitting at *just* the right moment) and those who were left scratching their heads, trying to piece together who was where and when. This new mode is clearly for the latter… and for those of us who just fancy another playthrough with a slightly different flavour.
But hold on, there's more! Because apparently, Naughty Dog isn't content with just rearranging the furniture; they've also chucked in some *Uncharted*-themed cosmetics for the roguelike "No Return" mode. Joel gets Nathan Drake's getup, Tommy gets Sam Drake's. It's like a family reunion gone post-apocalyptic. Noice.
And because no update is complete without a bit of housekeeping, there are also bug fixes and performance improvements. Always welcome, those.
Interestingly, Naughty Dog themselves are suggesting that first-timers stick to the original story order. Which, fair enough. It's like saying, "Try the wizard's original spell first, then mess with the ingredients." This Chronological Experience seems squarely aimed at the seasoned *Last of Us* player, the one who knows all the characters and motivations inside out.
So, will this mode change the way we view *The Last of Us Part II*? Will it somehow retroactively fix any perceived narrative hiccups? Probably not. But it's a fascinating experiment, and I, for one, am keen to see what the community makes of it. Plus, new trophies, innit?
Tags: The Last of Us, Naughty Dog, Remastered, PS5, PC Gaming
Original article: Game Rant