Summary
A series that revolves around a post-apocalyptic world in which humans are just as abhorrent as the monsters they hide from,The Last of Ushas always embraced elements of horror in its games. From its overall themes of violence andcycles of vengeance, to its incredibly intense combat encounters, to its horrifying Infected visual designs,The Last of Ushas plenty of scares in store, andThe Last of Us Part 2 Remasteredadds a whole lot more to the pile.
On top of letting fans experience the intense story mode ofThe Last of Us Part 2all over again, but this time with slightly better technical features and DualSense integration,The Last of Us Part 2 Remasteredalso comes with a brand-new roguelike mode. Titled “No Return,” this roguelike mode sees players engage in a series of successive combat encounters, earning various upgrades along the way. With permadeath lurking around every corner in this mode, there’s an even greater level of intensity than there ever has been, and that’s made a hundred times worse with one specific No Return game mode: Hunted.
The Last of Us Part 2’s No Return Is Home to a Truly Horrifying Mode
Hunted Is The Last of Us Part 2’s Scariest Encounter Type
There are a total of four unique encounter types inThe Last of Us Part 2 Remastered’s No Return mode, and while each one is suitably gripping, there’s one that stands out for being sheer nightmare fuel. Named “Hunted,” this encounter type sees the player attempt to fend off against an onslaught of oncoming enemies. What sets this mode apart from the rest is that the enemies just keep coming, with the round only ending once the countdown timer at the top of the screen runs out. And the enemies know exactly where the player is, at all times.
Naturally, this leads to some incredibly frantic firefights, with players having to desperately launch into cover, take down as many enemies as possible, and move on before getting swarmed by the oncoming horde. Staying still for even just a second can spell instant death in Hunted, which makes reloading, crafting, and healing all nail-biting procedures.
The type of intensity that comes withThe Last of Us Part 2’s Hunted modevaries slightly between each enemy type. With the WLF, players will be forced into hiding due to constant gunfire. With the Seraphites, players will need to balance both ranged enemies and extremely aggressive melee attackers. And against the Infected, players need to battle their own inner psyche, with the series' excellently stomach-churning audio design being used to great effect to keep the player constantly aware that they’re surrounded at all times. While a few Hunted encounters will let players take in an AI companion, that does little to relieve the mode’s tension, as though the presence of a companion can make players feel less isolated, it also means that players can’t stray too far, as the AI’s death results in a game over.
But the real cherry on top ofThe Last of Us Part 2 Remastered’s Hunted mode is its presentation, and more specifically, the presentation shown in its last few seconds. As the countdown timer hits 10 seconds remaining, a loud, thudding clock sound effect begins to play, repeating every second until the encounter is over, continuing to ramp up the tension right up until the last second. And when that timer hits zero, the game cuts to black immediately, regardless of what was playing out on-screen. This can lead to some electrifying final moments, such as the camera cutting to black during acinematic final kill, or one last perfectly timed dodge, or even with the player-character in mortal danger, leaving a lasting sense of relief after minutes of building tension.
