Parents' Guide to

The Last of Us Part II Remastered

By Paul Semel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Horror game remaster is compelling but very violent.

Game PlayStation 5 2024
The Last of Us Part II Remastered box cover

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • The Last of Us Part II Remastered: Like in most survival horror games, The Last of Us Part II Remastered allows you to use guns and other weapons to take out your enemies; just make sure every shot counts.
  • The Last of Us Part II Remastered: A big part of The Last of Us Part II Remastered is figuring out how to get from one place to the next, which sometimes requires you to do some breaking and entering.
  • The Last of Us Part II Remastered: Along with your guns, you can also craft Molotov cocktails in The Last of Us Part II Remastered to set your enemies on fire, be they the infected or just some jerks.
  • The Last of Us Part II Remastered: The Last of Us Part II Remastered also has three unfinished but playable levels that were cut from the original game, along with optional commentary by the developers about why they were cut.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 2 parent reviews

John B.
John B. Adult
July 6, 2024
age 2+

Katherine R.
Katherine R. Parent of 18+, 18+, 5, 8, 9 and 14-year-old
March 1, 2024
age 17+

See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Set after the events of the first game, but during the same zombie apocalypse, THE LAST OF US PART II REMASTERED has people looking to get back at the first game's hero for his killing the doctors who could have saved humanity, which then prompts that hero's companion to seek revenge on them, even if it means ending her life and the lives of people she cares about. All of which happens while everyone is trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B without being attacked by the violent, infected zombie-like people. This version also adds a new combative mode, as well as three cutscenes complete with developer commentary.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (4 ):

By augmenting the original game with some interesting new additions, this slightly updated version of the zombie action/adventure game is slightly more fun than the original. In The Last of Us Part II Remastered, some outsiders are looking to punish Joel, the hero from the first game, for killing some doctors who could have saved humanity. This prompts his companion, Ellie, to seek revenge on them. Hence why you're once again using stealth, weapons, and your problem-solving skills to navigate and survive an apocalyptic world full of zombie-like infected people who have excellent hearing and a taste for human flesh, while also fighting enemy survivors. It's like if someone made a Resident Evil-like game based on The Walking Dead.

As for this remastered version of the game, along with some graphical upgrades for people with 4K screens, it also adds three playable and engaging unfinished sequences that were cut from the original, along with optional developer commentaries that explain why they were removed. It also adds a new survival mode, "No Return," in which you engage in a series of combat encounters. Though given how the exploration and puzzle-solving parts rank among the best parts of the main game, this mode's appeal is rather limited. All of which is why casual fans need not pick up this new edition, but people who really, really loved it—or really, really regret missing it—should seriously consider grabbing The Last of Us Part II Remastered.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the amount of violence in The Last of Us Part II Remastered. Do you feel differently when you kill a person in a game as opposed to a monster? Do you feel differently when that person is a zombie or something similar?

  • Families can talk about revenge. The two main characters in this game are driven by revenge, but this leads them to make poor decisions and to get themselves in dangerous, even deadly situations. What does the game teach us about blindly pursuing revenge?

  • Families can talk about cooperation. One of the reasons people in this game have survived is that they've come together to help each other. Why do you think working together can be so beneficial, even in times when it seems like protecting just yourself may be better?

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