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Sony is kicking off the new year with a return to easily their most divisive PlayStation exclusive since the days of the PS4. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is a significant upgrade for the PS5 exclusively, and it is coming out in less than a week. One of the best aspects of the remaster is extra playable characters in the new No Return mode, but some PS5 fans have blasted Joel as ‘unplayable’ thanks to his animations in leaked The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered gameplay.
Fans of The Last of Us have plenty to anticipate. Although it’s a shame that TLOU Online was cancelled, there is the upcoming TLOU2 Remaster that is imminent along with HBO’s Season 2 pegged for 2025. In a bombardment of news to kick off the new year, HBO has revealed the actor that will play Abby in their season 2 live-action adaptation.
Abby is one of the most divisive aspects of TLOU2, but the good part about The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is that you can kick her to the curb in favor of playing as Joel in No Return. Unfortunately, though, not everyone is impressed with the reused animations.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered leaked Joel gameplay
No Return gameplay featuring Joel for The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered has leaked online. It all comes courtesy of Reddit user Terriosss65 who says they were able to buy the game six days before release. They have uploaded several clips of gameplay, but the most controversial so far is Joel.
Arguably the biggest addition to TLOU2 Remastered is No Return. This is a roguelike wave mode where you get to play as characters other than Ellie and Abby. Joel is a massive fan-favorite so it’s understandable that he is the most eagerly anticipated. Unfortunately, some fans have criticised his animations with one Reddit user branding him ‘unplayable’. This is all because he doesn’t have unique animations and ‘looks weird’ moving, walking, and running like Ellie.
In addition, Terriosss65 has uploaded gameplay starring Tommy and Lev. Tommy’s gameplay has also been criticized for running like Ellie, meanwhile, Lev has been criticized for being too tall compared to his stature in the story. Despite the complaints, none of these are really dealbreakers as it’s understandable that unique animations couldn’t be made for every playable character in No Return. Still, some fans argue an exception should’ve been made for Joel as he is a fan favorite.
Over on the GamingLeaksAndRumors subreddit, most of the complaints are instead levied at the game looking the exact same. However, this too isn’t a dealbreaker as it’s only a $10 upgrade rather than a mandatory full-priced AAA release. It comes with new skins for Ellie and Abby, the No Return mode, three cut levels to explore, and many enhancements.
For more of The Last of Us Part 2, check out this insanely awesome Abby cosplay that packs the dream physique for HBO Season 2. You can also find the original Abby concept art vs. the final design that has fans so divided.