Character arcs and interpersonal conflict define “The Last of Us” as a narrative experience, in award-winning games and now as an Emmy-winning HBO prestige TV show. So what happens when you strip all that away?
“The Last of Us Part II Remastered” presents the PlayStation 4’s dark 2020 swan song with a shiny PlayStation 5 coat of paint. But the headlining feature of this rerelease is a new feature called “No Return,” which strips all the story and emotion of the series. Instead, these interesting, complicated characters are chiseled down to become post-apocalyptic action figures of sad dads and angry lesbians, all to be bashed against action figures of monsters and transphobic cultists. And yes, it’s as fun as it sounds.