The Last Of Us Part II Is More Grounded Now

The Last Of Us

A new update for The Last Of Us Part II is here to bring us some more of the classing modes from The Last Of Us and some cool extras

There is no doubt that many of us out there have been having a blast with The Last Of Us Part II since it launched and then seeing all of the little tweaks and updates to make it another staple PS4 title. Now we here with the game's next huge update from Naughty Dog where it looks like we will be getting a load of classic features again and a whole lot of new ones. Classic in terms of one of the things people were glad to have in the original The Last Of Us in the terms of Grounded Mode. Yes, this mode will be added in now from the start and offer up an even more challenging way to play the game from the start and the added option to go with permadeath turned on. Be it through the whole game or just based on the individual days we will be surviving. Not the way I wish to experience this amazing story, but it is something to keep others coming back. Especially when you learn that there are trophies linked to them too.

That is only part of the update The Last Of Us Part II is getting, as it looks like this one will also house a load of replay options for those that want a new experience for it all. There are too many to list out here, but we are looking at various graphical, gameplay, and audio tweaks that we can unlock in the game and then turn on for our multiple further plays of The Last Of Us Part II. We got a cell-shaded option, and 8-bit option, and a noire type of option to name a few. Mix in the ability for speed-runners to have more detail as they go through the game multiple times, then this looks like it will have us back in more than any DLC that is not coming along. As of yet.

The Last Of Us Part II — Grounded Update

Grounded difficulty returns, plus new Permadeath mode

For veteran The Last Of Us fans, Grounded difficulty represents the ultimate test of skill. This difficulty raises the stakes by not only making enemies deadlier and ammo, upgrade, and crafting materials incredibly scarce, but also removing invaluable tools for survival, such as disabling Listen mode, deactivating elements of the HUD, and more. Beginning with the update, Grounded will become one of the base difficulty options available when starting the story, so you won’t need to have beaten the game once already to access it.

As an additional layer of challenge, we’re also introducing a brand new Permadeath mode. With this custom mode enabled, there are no second chances — you must complete the entire game without dying or start over from the beginning. However, if taking on the whole game is too daunting, you can choose to enable Permadeath mode with checkpoints on a per-chapter or per-act basis. In other words, if you die at the end of Day One, you’ll have to play the entire day over again.

You’ll also be rewarded for your efforts. The Grounded update introduces two new Trophies: one for completing the game with any Permadeath mode enabled and another for beating it on Grounded difficulty. Don’t worry, though, neither of these Trophies will be required in order to earn the Platinum.

New graphics, audio, and gameplay modifiers

Have you ever wondered what The Last Of Us Part II would look like as a cell-shaded adventure or if it was made in the retro 8-bit era? How about if it was a black and white noir thriller or sepia-toned classic? With this week’s update, we’re adding nearly 30 new graphics rendering modes, as well as several new audio modifiers that allow you to change the look and feel of the game.

We’re also debuting new unlockable gameplay modifiers, like One Shot or Touch of Death that enables one-hit kills or Infinite Ammo, Infinite Crafting, or Infinite Listen Mode Range to add a new twist to gameplay:

  • Mirror World
  • Mirror on Death
  • Slow Motion
  • Bullet Speed mode
  • Infinite Ammo
  • Infinite Crafting
  • Infinite Melee Durability
  • Infinite Listen mode Range
  • One Shot
  • Touch of Death
  • 8-bit Audio
  • 4-bit Audio
  • Helium Audio
  • Xenon Audio

All of these modifiers can be accessed via the Extras menu and unlocked after completing the game.

New options and improvements

Alongside these new modes, we’re excited to introduce a number of frequently requested improvements to the game, including the option to disable Listen Mode, adjust Film Grain levels, additional display options, improvements to accessibility features, and more. For our friends in the speedrunning community, we’re also adding the ability to see playtime up to the second in the saves menu, making it easier to track and verify your runs. Here’s a quick overview of the new features that will be added with the Grounded update:

  • Saves now display playtime up to the second
  • Film Grain Adjustment option
  • Disable Listen Mode option
  • Motion Sensor Function Aiming option
  • Arc Throw HUD Display option
  • Aiming Acceleration Scale option
  • Aiming Ramp Power Scale option
  • Accessibility improvements to Ground Zero encounter, collectible tracking, Enhanced Listen Mode for collectibles, and rope gameplay

We hope you enjoy everything coming to The Last Of Us Part II with the Grounded update and we can’t wait for all of your awesome gameplay videos and live streams as you take on Grounded difficulty and Permadeath mode.

Will these new updates get you back into the world of The Last Of Us Part II or have you already played it to death and need a break? How much harder do you think that the enemies will be and will it turn up their perception so we are not always able to get a stealth kill? Do you think it will be fun to replay the game with some of these graphical changes or will it take away from the overall experience? Let us all know down in the comments and then feel free to discuss it all. If there is more to share for The Last Of Us Part II, we will certainly do so on the site. Just keep coming back in here to see all of that and everything else we have to offer up.