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@NoHope The article has been updated and comments have been posted by Push Square staff clarifying that reviewers were provided with a list and cost breakdown, but told they would not be available for purchase until launch.

Unfortunately, a lot of the commentary and sentiment in the comments before that was corrected is too late to reign in. 😅

I understand the contention around microtransactions and, despite the “just don’t buy them argument” being fair, it’s also fair to levy feedback about the many ways microtransactions have become rampant industry-wide.

This isn’t solely criticism aimed at DD2. Rather, it’s a symptom of a larger issue. DD2 is just the latest to be caught in the crosshairs.

Gaming, like any other form of entertainment, is an industry. Businesses need to turn a profit. However, how they go about doing so when gaming is a form of active (vs passive) media means they’re going to get more impassioned reactions when anything they do interferes with the reason many of us play in the first place: to have fun.

There’s a balance, and the industry seems off-balance in many ways as of late.

I’ve been waiting to start my New Game+ playthrough (aka. Final Fantasy Mode). Seems like doing so is going to pay off a bit with these QOL improvements. 🙌🏼

Curious to see what direction this film goes in. There better be plumbobs and simlish. 🙊

I’m still super early on in my playthrough, but it’s nice to see the updates rolling out steadily.

I’m actually quite pleased with the roster overall, but DLC serving up additional players would certainly be a nice surprise in the future.

Hmmm. I’m in the US, but it doesn’t seem to make much sense why the Explore page would be US Only… ESPECIALLY after this many years. 🤔

Please please please let this be great! 🙏🏼

I’m seated for a gameplay-focused trailer, but this cinematic trailer left me full of intrigue.

I feel like, despite it being reiterated in the article, a lot of comments are misreading “we do not plan to release any new major existing franchise titles” as “we do not plan to release any first-party titles.” Comprehension and distinction are important.

While this is concerning, the prevalence of similar headlines across media formats almost ensures there will be lawsuits and regulations eventually put in place to protect digital purchases. I just hope that occurs sooner rather than later.

I’m curious to see who these additional options end up being. 👀

Nonetheless, I fully intend to experience every option.

This better not be a prank, Han. If it is, someone’s going to have to understand the palm of Emily’s hand. Boom. Butterfly Effect. 🦋

@KundaliniRising333 Oh, I totally understand your disappointment and the trend is rife in film, tv, gaming, and even books. It also tends to be cyclical and this isn’t the first or last time we’ll see this type of output. It’s not always a bad thing but I can see how it gets tiring. However, we will still see our fair share of original ideas in the coming years. Some expected. Some unexpected.

As for this PS5 “remaster,” it was only a matter of time and I’ve been waiting for it despite having played the PS4 original multiple times in its PS4 and PS5-compatible iterations. TLOU is my go-to series for replayability at this point so that’s my bias.

I’m grateful for a native PS5 experience, but I will likewise be disappointed if this is all we hear from ND this year aside from additional news about TLOU S2 on HBO.

@KundaliniRising333 They have no obligation to continue serving you, me, or anyone else with “original ideas.” They either will or they won’t. If they do, it’ll be on their own terms/timeline.

If that upsets or annoys you, you’re entitled to feel that way. It still doesn’t make them any more obligated. Sorry.

What I think people fail to acknowledge with the whole “the game is already like a movie” discourse is WE are gamers and the industry is growing, but there’s a larger audience out there who has absolutely no interest in active media and prefers their stories to be served in the form of passive media.

The same was said about The Last of Us on HBO, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being able to discuss it with family and coworkers who will never play the games.

“ Take the alien exoticism away and you’ve got…”

I really don’t like when reviewers make their point by suggesting a selling point or main characteristic be ignored.

I didn’t expect this game to be a universal smash, but I’m glad there seem to be enough good things to say.

@Mauzuri Your lack of confidence in them doesn't prove anything. Your negativity, doubt, and skepticism aren't a source. You'll find out the same as the rest of us if any new IPs are coming from their studio, but just because something hasn't been announced doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Buy this remaster or don't. It's not that big a deal.

How often do I use remote play? Before the Portal, very rarely. Now? It’s what I’m intending to use quite often. I want that cozy experience of gaming in bed while still being able to play my PS5.

I love reading the comments and realizing they predominantly boil down to people who have a use-case and people who don’t.

On another note, I’m fine with people being skeptical, but speaking as if your assumptions about the product are proven fact is… a choice.

Not sure what this article is getting at. It’s significantly smaller. 👀

"Are you optimistic about The Day Before?"

Not at all. I was looking forward to it when it was first announced, now I'm only here to say my goodbyes.

The writing has been on the wall for a while that they no longer intended to make good on the free-to-play promise. Good on anyone who has paid and had fun, but I'll enjoy the free-to-not-play experience myself.

I'd like to see a lawsuit to discourage this type of bait-and-switch practice. It doesn't matter how much fun the game is... The "early access" to what was supposed to become a free-to-play game clearly isn't in the room with us.

I'm sure the available and upcoming content is worth the cost without spending more on cosmetics, but they should have had the wherewithal to forego any mention of free-to-play from the start. They let the promised (eventual) free-to-play release hang in the undetermined future for several months of regular updates, and now this...

It's "just a game," but this is bad business and they need to own up to that.

🤷🏽‍♂️ This isn’t really an upgrade for current owners unless they’ve been struggling to fit their current PS5 into a specific spot. If a PS5 Pro ever drops, that’s when upgrades will likely be sought after by more current owners.

@Th3solution It's "choke-a-bow." The only reason it's pronounced "chock-a-bow" in FFXVI is because of the British accents employed. Just like yogurt is "yoh-gurt" in American English and "yog-uht" in British English.

That’s awesome! Congratulations! 🥳

“ In space no one can here you snooze” - Seems like the wrong form of “here” here. 🤔

It's always possible they'll still move forward with this concept under a new IP, especially considering how much of a departure it'd have been from the first game.

Don't buy a game you've already played if you don't believe it's likely to improve the experience you already had. It's that simple.

Anyone who hasn't already bought the game can decide for themselves and should be able to do so without being called "fools" by pessimistic egocentric cynics. The same goes for anyone who chooses to pay full price to buy the port despite already owning a previous version.

I'm still very much intrigued by the mixture of sci-fi and fantasy. However, I don't know enough based on what has been shown so far. I'm also not well-versed in first-person gameplay. I hope they roll out a demo in the coming weeks.

@Smiffy01 “Do not be the judge of people; do not make assumptions about others. A person is destroyed by holding judgments about others.”

@__jamiie That’s called narcissism. You can hold whatever beliefs you want, but claiming it’s your place to judge and dissuade others is wrong.

This isn’t about who’s spending their money where. This is about people like you who don’t understand what boundaries are and who think they deserve to have influence over other people. You have no power over anyone other than yourself.

I’m sure you’ll have some authoritative retort that matches the others you’ve posted. I don’t care. Hold whatever opinion you want, but learn how to respect people who disagree with you. All the best. ✌🏼

The price is going to make or break this thing’s success. I like to play games in bed sometimes and my bed isn’t in view of my TV.

To anyone saying “just get a Switch,” that defeats the purpose of this being for PlayStation games. Whether someone already has a Switch or not is entirely irrelevant if you want to play The Last of Us without using the TV. 😂

If this runs more smoothly than other Remote Play solutions, that’ll be a selling point for sure.

I personally don’t care for the discourse from anyone who already knows this device isn’t for them. I respect that. However, you have no place judging or trying to dissuade others from purchasing it.

@Palleon My intent wasn’t to patronize. Rather, it was to contest your assertion that an adult male would have no reason to be interested in the film. You’re not obligated to check out the trailers, but that also means any assumptions made have a probability of being incorrect. That’s all.

@Palleon The trailers have made very clear the Barbie film is not made for young children. It’s PG-13 in the US and 12A in the UK. Congratulations on being a male adult, though, I guess.

@Shepherd_Tallon Wow! Thank you so much for the kind words. ☺️

I'm just VERY passionate about The Last of Us and believe it's important to look at the facts vs leaning too far into anecdotal assumptions or generalizations.

We all have our personal beliefs and opinions, and we all want to experience entertainment in ways that appeal to us, but there's a bigger picture to consider as well.

@PlayStationGamer3919 I can't imagine them making any changes to the storyline, but I could see them doing something with Joel's character from an earlier point in time. Whether that would be part of a remaster of TLOU2 or a completely separate entry in the series, I'm not sure.

@Jimmer-jammer I'm absolutely with you on that! I'm a huge fan as well. I'm hoping we don't have to wait as long as we did between the OG Part 1 and Part 2 for something new.

7 years vs 3 (so far), but there's also so much more going on with the franchise than ever before and that can lead to strain on resources. The show, whatever is going on with the multiplayer game, and the "brand new single-player experience" that was alluded to back in May (which may or may not even be TLOU-related). Time will tell... 🙈

When it comes to the discussion of whether or not TLOU2 "needs" an upgrade or remaster... Frankly, video games don't "need" to exist in the first place. They're a luxury and provide entertainment, escapism, and stimulation.

It's worth noting neither TLOU1 or TLOU2 rank within the 50 best-selling video games of all time on their own. Even combining unit sales for all TLOU games to date would only put the sales on par with the lower end of the top 20... against games that sold that many copies on their own.

The success and brand recognition of TLOU is undeniable, but there's still a massive market of potential new players out there.

When it was suggested TLOU1 didn't "need" a remake, and now with further rumors stirring about a TLOU2 remaster (and more sentiments that one isn't "needed"), I can assure you PlayStation Studios and Naughty Dog disagree. If they can increase profits while also creating tons of new fans of the franchise, it's a win-win. IMO, TLOU is an incredibly special franchise and deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

@GorosBat With 38 million PS5s sold and counting, a massive number of PC players (+ Steam Deck), compared to upwards of 10 million copies of TLOU2 sold as of the last count, there's enough of a potential new audience who might be seeking a more current-gen catered experience.

@Jimmer-jammer I love the analogy! With that said, when there are 38 million PS5 owners, a projected 3 million Steam Decks sold by the end of this year, and an estimated 1.83 Billion PC gamers, I reckon there might be a fair few individuals who haven't had a Naughty Dog cookie yet at all. Also, thanks for giving me a cookie craving. Darn it! 🍪

@GamingFan4Lyf That's understandable. Nothing wrong with speculation, or healthy skepticism for that matter. I tend to adopt a more "I don't know what I don't know" approach, so I'm trying to wait and see before I really decide how to feel or react.

@GamingFan4Lyf With all due respect, where has it been mentioned, confirmed, or hinted at that a TLOU2 rerelease would solely include "a resolution and potential framerate boost?"

Is the premise of this article not that something we didn't expect might be enhanced to provide a new experience to anyone who wishes to invest in a future version of the game?

I'm not going to tell you "well you don't have to upgrade." What I will say is you seem to be presenting speculations and reacting to them as if they're fact. Perhaps it's your way of lowering your expectations so you'll be pleasantly surprised if you're wrong?

@Shad361 Yes. TLOU2 (PS4) is available and accessible to all PS4/PS5 owners. If they want to buy/play it now, they can.

It's entirely feasible a large number of buyers of a TLOU2 remaster would be existing fans of the series. However, it's also very likely a PC port will follow, introducing a massive new audience who don't currently have access to TLOU2 unless they own a PS4/PS5.

As a subsidiary of PlayStation Studios, it's highly unlikely Naughty Dog would opt for a PC port without also wanting to fine-tune the PS5 experience. The PS4 version may look and run great on PS5, but a native PS5 experience affords added immersion. Based on the rumor this article touches on, it seems within the realm of possibility that a myriad of embellishments could be introduced to further refresh the core experience.

Will those who already own the PS4 version need to pay full price? That remains to be seen...

@Americansamurai1 Yeah, I agree. September would be quite unlikely for a release. It's more like wishful thinking for the time being.

I won't get my hopes up, though a mention on TLOU Day would be great at the very least.

@GorosBat I've never understood these arguments against rereleases based solely on the previous titles being introduced on the preceding generation console.

If you don't feel the need or desire to experience the game or story on an updated platform, nobody is saying you have to. If you want to and your concern is just with the price, wait for the inevitable sales.

When it comes to remakes or rereleases, there are new audiences who can enjoy the games for the first time. To discount their experience based solely on the fact that you and/or others have already played a version of the game is mind-boggling. Especially when, in the case of TLOU Part 1, a PC release was being developed alongside the PS5 version.

Help me understand what your actual problem is. I'm genuinely curious.

@Americansamurai1 With both the Writer's Guild of America on strike since May (and the Screen Actors Guild joining them as of today), we likely won't be seeing the next season of TLOU for quite some time.

My prediction would be a PS5 native upgrade or re-release sometime in September, followed by a sale on all TLOU titles upon release of the next season in 2025 or beyond.

Craig to whatever the script ends up looking like:

Dropping FFXVI DLC would be truly Eikonic. 💁🏽‍♂️

There's almost no way the second half of the year will be able to top the first half for me, and I'm ok with that. 2023 has been SOLID!

@tameshiyaku I know how that is! Haha. Life keeps on lifing.

"...what we have to imagine is a statuesque six-pack"

About that... there's a certain scene just a handful of hours in that negates the need for imagination. 🙈

@tameshiyaku I absolutely loved TOTK and I'm also loving FFXVI. I'd love to know your thoughts as you get further in the game, just out of curiosity.