Summary

  • The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is more than a standard remaster, improving the game's graphics but also providing a host of new content.
  • The most fascinating new content is the Lost Levels, which are unfinished game segments that were cut mid-development, repurposed with developer commentary.
  • The Lost Levels are the perfect addition for a rerelease, and would be great bonus content for other remasters as well.

roguelike game mode, but it also includes three Lost Levels, galleries of concept art, new skins for characters and weapons, a developer commentary track for the main game, and a few more odds and ends. Developer commentary piques interest, and its implementation in the campaign is middling, but the Lost Levels, which also include it, are a revelation.

Developer commentary for a video game is a bit of an odd idea, especially since the practice has fallen mostly out of vogue in movie home releases. Especially in The Last of Us Part 2, which is by no means a short game, and one that's very heavily narrative-driven, it ultimately feels like an odd way to re-experience Ellie and Abby's story. The Lost Levels, however, which don't have a traditional commentary track, are incredibly interesting, and they're the kind of bonus feature that would be welcome in many other video games, and would have been a great addition to The Last of Us Part 1 on PS5.

TLOU2 Remaster Review
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The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is a relatively small graphical leap, but a host of new additions make it an attractive rerelease for longtime fans.

TLOU 2 Remastered's Lost Levels Are Cut Content

A screenshot behind Ellie in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. She's walking through Jackson while it is snowy and string lights are wrapped around all the trees. People are milling about and talking in groups.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered includes three levels cut from the game at various points in development – Jackson Party, Sewers, and Boar Hunt. They each fit into TLOU 2's story, but were cut for a myriad of reasons. Jackson Party would have seen the player spend more time in Jackson before her fateful kiss with Dina at the dance; Sewers was intended to be an extended puzzle and platforming sequence after Ellie's first run-in with Stalkers in Seattle; and Boar Hunt was going to be an extended opening to the Farm sequence, focusing on Ellie tracking an injured boar.

Each Lost Level has an introduction from director Neil Druckmann, in which he explains where the level was intended to fit into the story, what players can expect in its unfinished state, and some of the reasons it was left on the cutting room floor. Inside the Lost Levels, however, are interactable icons that trigger developer commentary with a wide array of insights. The Lost Levels are still playable to a certain degree (animations, voice lines, and general polish might be missing in places), and the commentary gives fascinating insight into the design process.

More Games Should Include Unfinished Levels With Developer Commentary

A screenshot showing Ellie's back in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. She's walking down a hill, out of the woods toward a general store. Derelict cars and an RV are parked in the overgrown lot out front. Ellie is wearing Joel's oversized jacket and carrying a rifle.

It's a lot to ask – developing and shipping a AAA game is a tremendous collaborative effort – but playing through unfinished levels with explanations from the developers is the kind of extra content that would be fascinating in a number of games. TLOU 2 Remastered's Lost Levels walk players through what Naughty Dog was hoping to accomplish with each, why items and objects are placed where they are, difficulties the development team encountered in design, and more. It's the kind of insight usually reserved for development documentaries or the like, but pared down to be easily digestible as additional gameplay.

While cut levels included in brand-new releases is a tall order, it's the exact kind of bonus content that would make remasteres like Part 2's, or the various Definitive Editions and Director's Cuts that have become all too common, more worthwhile. To the average consumer, the ins and outs of game development are largely a mystery, and even these quick peeks behind the curtain are delightful. The Lost Levels are by no means comprehensive in understanding how a famously meticulous studio like Naughty Dog operates, but at least The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered offers a glimpse into previous visions for the game prior to its final state.