After several leaks about the release of a remastered version of "The Last of Us Part II" drew a lot of attention, Sony made the official announcement with both hands raised: "The Last of Us Part II Remastered" will launch on January 19 on the PlayStation 5.

The remastered version promises significant graphical improvements, but the biggest addition seems to be a new "roguelike survival mode" called "No Return," where "players can prove their mettle in randomized encounters and experience a fresh take on The Last of Us Part II combat experience," Naughty Dog's Jonathon Dornbush explained in a post on the PlayStation blog.

This new mode will feature playable characters, including some that are playable for the first time in the series' history. Each has characteristics suited to different play styles. According to the announcement, players will face off against "a variety of enemies," so it is unclear whether they will be pummeling hordes of infected people, other humans, or perhaps a combination of both.

"Each time you play," Dornbush continues, "you have new opportunities to determine the rewards you get after each encounter and the specs of your character. As is typical of roguelike games, characters and skins will be unlocked as the game is played, allowing players to customize their strategies. Sony said more details will be revealed as the game gets closer to release.

But besides the new modes, perhaps the most important part of the announcement is that players who already own The Last of Us Part II on PlayStation 4 can upgrade to the remastered version for $10. can also be carried over. According to Dornbusch, "The Last of Us Part II Remastered" will output native 4K in fidelity mode, or 1440p upscaled to 4K when played in performance mode. There is also an option to unlock the frame rate for TVs that support variable refresh rates. It is also expected to reduce loading times and improve DualSense features such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggering.

"No Return" is not the only new mode being added; The Last of Us Part II Remastered will also feature a new guitar free-play mode with unlockable instruments and a mode dedicated to speedrunning. In addition, new "Lost Levels" allow players to experience unfinished levels that were cut from the original game, along with developer commentary. A newly recorded director's commentary can also be heard during cut scenes in the main campaign.

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