The text below was published on the PlayStation Blog.
It’s been an exciting time for us here at Naughty Dog, especially as we welcome so many longtime and new The Last of Us fans into the franchise. To celebrate all your support, we have a surprise: a free update for The Last of Us Part II Remastered arrives today!
Available to players as part of a downloadable update today, we’re introducing a new way to experience The Last of Us Part II’s story like never before: chronologically.
Those who’ve played know the story is told non-linearly, with Ellie and Abby’s motivations, triumphs, and emotional challenges unfolding through myriad flashbacks and present-day narratives. While this structure is very intentional and essential to the impact our studio wanted Part II’s themes and storylines to have on players, we’ve always wondered what it would be like to experience this tale chronologically. Now, we can finally answer that question.
With the new Chronological Mode, we believe players will gain even deeper insights into Part II’s narrative. Players will see how Ellie’s gift of a guitar flows so perfectly into her learning process, for example, while the Seattle journey will reveal fascinating parallels between Ellie and Abby’s intertwined paths. You’ll witness how close they come to crossing paths, how their actions impact each other, and more.
Reassembling The Last of Us Part II’s story chronologically was no small feat, given how meticulously Part II’s narrative is constructed. We’re thankful to Naughty Dog developers and our partners at Nixxes for making Chronological Mode as seamless as possible. And while we still recommend newcomers first experience Part II’s story as originally crafted, the team’s hard work has paid off with a fresh, compelling way to enjoy this chapter.
We also wanted to reward players for embracing this transformative approach to our story. Alongside new trophies tied to completing the narrative experience in chronological order, this will also unlock two new skins that might look surprisingly familiar…
Yes, that’s right – play as Joel dressed as Nathan Drake and Tommy as Sam Drake in No Return. With this year marking Naughty Dog’s 40th anniversary, we particularly loved having an opportunity to highlight and share our studio’s history, which we treasure as much as we know you do. These skins unlock after completing the chronological narrative and can be worn in Part II Remastered’s thrilling No Return roguelike survival mode.
A new update for The Last of Us Part II Remastered is available today on PS5 (via Patch 2.1.0*) and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store (via Patch 1.5**), bringing Chronological Mode alongside numerous additional bug fixes and performance improvements.
We at Naughty Dog are deeply grateful for all the love and support from The Last of Us fans in recent months. From The Last of Us Part II Remastered’s PC release and The Last of Us Complete on PlayStation 5 to seeing your weekly reactions to Season Two of the TV series, it’s been a joy to share this moment with you.
*PlayStation Network account and internet connection required.
**Internet connection required.
