Kurt Margenau, a game director at Naughty Dog, recently likened The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's Chronological mode to Christopher Nolan's Memento. Margenau has previously worked on several Naughty Dog titles, including Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and The Last of Us Part 2. He is currently part of the team developing Naughty Dog's upcoming project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, alongside the studio's renowned head, Neil Druckmann.
Recently, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered received an update for both the PS5 and PC editions, introducing the new Chronological mode along with two nostalgic Uncharted-inspired skins. This mode presents a recut version of the story, letting players experience the events of the entire game in chronological order, hence the name.
Interview: The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered Devs Go Behind the Scenes on PC Port
The Best War Games sits down with Naughty Dog and Nixxes to discuss what went into The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's PC release.
While introducing the new Chronological mode to fans, game director Kurt Margenau shared some insight. He explained that the team had always been intrigued by the idea of an option, similar to the special DVD editions of Nolan's Memento, that lets fans experience the story in strict chronological order. The DVDs in question are typically known as the alternate edition of Memento. They feature a secret recut of the film, presenting the events linearly instead of the original non-linear format. Margenau drew a comparison between that specific version of Memento and The Last of Us Part 2's new mode, as both offer a sequential take on an otherwise complex narrative.
TLOU Part 2's New Mode Has More in Common With Memento Than Just a Linear Recut
Known as one of Nolan's best movies, Memento hinted at timeline shifts using black-and-white and color scenes. As a result, the alternate recut still featured two distinct sequences of scenes, one in color and one in black-and-white. The only difference was the order in which they were presented. A similar issue arises in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's Chronological mode. Due to the chapter rearrangement, some gameplay mechanics may appear before their official tutorials. Additionally, the mode may not be fully compatible with certain bonus skins, which is why players are encouraged to use the default outfits for the best experience.
Naughty Dog says the new update is meant to celebrate recent milestones and achievements of The Last of Us. So far, though, the Chronological mode has received mixed reactions. Some critics argue the developer should move on and focus on new projects, while others believe the mode undercuts one of The Last of Us Part 2's strongest elements: its distinctive non-linear storytelling. Still, many fans have welcomed the new mode and appreciate the studio's continued support, which gives them new reasons to revisit the game. As more players try it out, it will be interesting to see how the broader fanbase responds to the game mode in the coming days.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- January 19, 2024
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
EXPERIENCE ELLIE AND ABBY'S EMOTIONAL JOURNEYS, REMASTERED FOR PS5 Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closure.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Franchise
- The Last of Us
- PC Release Date
- April 3, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- January 19, 2024
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
