The Last of Us 2 Remastered's director doesn't understand the mixed response to the re-release: it's "the best way to play"
Matthew Gallant knows the re-release hasn't been everyone's cup of tea
The Last of Us 2 Remastered's director doesn't understand the mixed response to the re-release, arguing, "it's the best way to play."
In an interview with VCG (via Eurogamer), Matthew Gallant told the outlet that he doesn't understand "some of the consternation about what The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered offers," as it is "the best way to play" the Naughty Dog sequel. "If you’re a new PlayStation owner and new to the franchise, we want to get you the best experience with all the hardware features on a PS5 native version of the game"
One of the biggest takeaways from the remaster's announcement is that some players thought it was too soon after the sequel's release to warrant a re-release of any kind. The Last of Us 2 originally launched on PS4 in June 2020, and later received a PS5 patch in 2021. Now, just over two years after the patch, we've got the remaster - which adds a roguelike mode, lost levels, improved visuals and performance, and more.
"My sense is there's an audience for this for whom the idea of a PS5 version is thrilling," Gallant continues. "I'm also speaking for myself, I'm excited we can bring this to the fans, and if it's not for everyone, that's fine." Speaking on the topic previously, the director had the same stance, explaining that the sheer amount of new content in the remaster justifies the re-release after only three years.
There's just a couple more days before The Last of Us 2 Remastered gets released to PS5. Even before its release, fans have discovered a truly disturbing new element to one of the game's lost levels - a harrowing flashback for Ellie.
About to jump into the Naughty Dog game for the first time? Use our The Last of Us 2 tips to prepare yourself.
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After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training. My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.