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The Last Of Us Part II Remastered Gets New Chronological Mode

Naughty Dog has updated its remaster of The Last of Us Part II to feature an entirely new mode for fans to check out. Dubbed Chronological Mode, this new way to experience the game's story arranges the sprawling campaign into an organized timeline, allowing players to see it and its characters in a brand-new light.

A post to the PlayStation Blog reads, "Through the new Chronological mode, we believe players will gain even deeper insight into Part II’s narrative. Players will be able to see how Ellie being gifted a guitar flows so neatly into her learning to play, for example, while the journey through Seattle will showcase the fascinating parallels between Ellie and Abby’s crisscrossing journeys."

The changes introduced via this Chronological Mode will now chart their journeys at about the same time, darting between their perspectives from their early adolescence to their similarly harrowing odysseys in Seattle. The notion of experiencing both Ellie and Abby's final days in Seattle back to back with nothing to break up the onslaught of violence is already overwhelming.

Depending on who you ask, this move could be inspired or downright heretical. The Last of Us Part II was released back in 2020 to no shortage of acclaim and controversy over its story and non-linear structure. Infamously, a contingent of players at the time panned the decision to break from the perspective of Ellie, one of the franchises main characters, about halfway through the game in order to drop players into the shoes of Abby, an entirely new character that players had become familiar with as one of the sequel's villains. This change in perspective is also being applied to the ongoing TV adaptation of The Last of Us on HBO, whose upcoming third season will center Abby just like the second half of the sequel game.

In addition to Chronological Mode, the new update for The Last of Us Part II Remastered will feature new trophies and skins for players to unlock. The remaster, which was released just last year, also features a roguelike mode called No Return, where players can pick from among the game's cast and brawl through brutal, randomized encounters across the game's different backdrops.

With this latest update, Naughty Dog has added two new skins for players to pick from, and both are nods to Naughty Dog's other major franchise, Uncharted. As long as players complete the game's story in Chronological Mode, they should be able to unlock Joel dressed as Nathan Drake, as well as Joel's brother Tommy dressed as Nathan's brother, Sam, from Uncharted 4.

This update is available as of today on PS5 and PC.