Exploring the roguelike survival mode, No Return – PlayStation.Weblog

The Final of Us Half II Remastered arrives for the PlayStation 5 console on January 19, 2024. With it comes a slew of latest behind-the-scenes content material, technical enhancements to leverage the PS5 {hardware}, and new modes to make sure that whether or not you’re experiencing the award-winning sequel’s story for the primary or fifth time, there’s one thing new to find.

Preorders for each the usual model of the sport, bodily and digitally, in addition to the W.L.F. Version, can be found beginning immediately. And to mark the event, we’re excited to focus on one of the expansive new additions: No Return, a single-player roguelike survival mode. Earlier than we leap in, take a look at our trailer for the mode under.

No Return is a brand new foray for the world of The Final of Us, constructed to highlight Half II’s nuanced and engrossing gameplay in a singular approach. Let’s dive a bit deeper into what you may count on from the mode.

What Is No Return?

No Return permits gamers to decide on their very own path and check their abilities throughout runs of randomized encounters, throwing you into acquainted areas from The Final of Us Half II’s marketing campaign, like Jackson, the Channel 13 Information Station, and lots of extra. These situations might be unfamiliar and even surprising, although, with distinctive gameplay twists. However be warned: demise is everlasting in No Return, so when you fail a run halfway, you’ll lose all weapons, gadgets, and upgrades amassed for that run and start once more with a recent set of randomized situations. The way you progress throughout any given run isn’t pre-defined – all through a run, gamers should select between completely different encounters, which is able to decide not solely the kind of gameplay mode you deal with, but in addition what rewards it’s possible you’ll unlock, what potential modifiers you’ll encounter, and extra. And in between every fight state of affairs, you’ll return to a Hideout, the place you may prep and select your subsequent combat through a path laid out on a corkboard in these acquainted places.

Must you make all of it the way in which to the tip of a run, you’ll come up towards one among six successively unlocked boss encounters (and after you’ve conquered all of them, they may randomly cap off future runs) towards a few of Half II’s most memorable foes, however not essentially within the methods you first fought them. Runs, whether or not they finish in a victory or by the hands of a Clicker or Hunter halfway by means of an encounter, culminate in a rating and also you’ll obtain a rank based mostly in your efficiency.

That subsequent run might be distinctive from the one earlier than it, providing a recent set of encounters every time you play. No Return’s challenges fall into 4 differing types – Assault, which pits you towards waves of enemies; Seize, by which it’s important to break right into a protected filled with priceless provides enemies are guarding; Holdout, throughout which you and an AI-controlled buddy defend towards Contaminated swarming round you; and Hunted, by which it is advisable to survive till the timer runs out towards steady enemy reinforcements.

Every kind can happen in a wide range of places, and to proceed making certain every run feels recent and distinct from what’s come earlier than, Mods will randomly be utilized to encounters. Selecting to tackle modded challenges impacts the rewards you’ll obtain. We don’t need to spoil the complete checklist, however these will check your abilities in some enjoyable and shocking methods, together with mods like enemies dropping pipe bombs upon demise, a thick fog enveloping the encounter map, and extra. We’re excited for followers to expertise the complete suite of Mods in-game, as they provide some actually thrilling twists to any given encounter.

Gambits are optionally available dynamic challenges that may additional boost any given spherical. From needing to land numerous headshots to dodging melee assaults, Gambits can each provide help to solidify a plan going right into a problem or provide up a chance to broaden your technique whereas working towards further assets for that run.

Talking of assets, as gamers of The Final of Us Half II will already be accustomed to, the marketing campaign options numerous upgradeable weapons for Ellie and Abby’s arsenal, in addition to talent improve bushes. These concepts carry over to No Return, however upgrades reset after every run, so that you’ll need to make tough selections as you progress about which weapon upgrades to spend your acquired assets on or what abilities you suppose would possibly provide one of the best edge in upcoming encounters. Which weapons drop additionally varies from run to run, which is able to additional influence which improve paths it’s possible you’ll need to, or must, take to make sure survival.

No Return’s Metagame

Along with purely making an attempt to outlive a run, No Return provides a number of metagame targets and unlockables that carry over from run to run, in order that even when you can’t fairly make it to a boss combat, you’re nonetheless working towards new characters, skins, and extra.

No Return begins off with Ellie and Abby as playable characters, however one of many methods we needed to supply participant alternative is with a wider suite of characters you may unlock, together with some playable for the primary time within the franchise. By progressing by means of numerous Challenges, you may unlock Ellie’s fellow Jacksonites Dina, Joel, Tommy, and Jesse, whereas Abby’s companions Lev, Yara, Mel, and Manny are all additionally unlockable.

Every character has distinctive traits that provide completely different playstyles. Dina, for instance, comes outfitted with entice and stun bomb recipes from the leap, and has an improve in her talent tree to craft double the quantity of bombs, whereas Abby comes with a melee improve recipe and heals on melee hits. We hope the range permits gamers to not solely spend money on the playstyles they love but in addition check out mechanics they might use much less usually.

Problem tracks are related to every playable character and the mode general, and finishing these targets will unlock every thing from new playable characters to new skins to gameplay twists like Gambits, Buddies, and extra.

Although runs are randomized, you may individually tackle customized runs that can help you toggle on or off numerous components that have an effect on No Return’s gameplay. And when you’re feeling aggressive, a brand new Every day Run might be obtainable daily to show your abilities towards the world.* Each participant can have one shot on the identical randomly generated run with the identical character. See the way you truthful towards different Half II Remastered gamers because of a leaderboard the place you may monitor how your rating and runtime stack up.

No Return might be playable as quickly as you boot up The Final of Us Half II Remastered, although we encourage newcomers to play the marketing campaign first to get a deal with on gameplay. For each new and returning gamers, this mode is designed to problem your abilities, and whereas it does provide tutorial data, having a strong foundation of the basics of our fight system is advisable. No matter your prior expertise with The Final of Us, we hope No Return will provide one thing recent and surprising.

Should you haven’t already, make sure to learn our The Final of Us Half II Remastered announcement weblog for a broader take a look at what the remaster contains. Gamers who already personal The Final of Us Half II on PS4 will be capable of improve for $10 USD to the Remastered model**.

However when you’ve by no means performed earlier than, Half II Remastered is obtainable for preorder beginning immediately. That features the bodily The Final of Us Half II Remastered W.L.F. Version, obtainable direct from PlayStation in choose markets (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Benelux, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Austria, which incorporates 47 Society of Champions buying and selling playing cards, a SteelBook show case, and extra.

Whichever approach you determine to play, we will’t anticipate you all to expertise for the primary time or relive The Final of Us Half II Remastered when it arrives for PS5 on January 19, 2024.

*Every day Run requires web connection.
**Worth proven in U.S. foreign money and will differ by nation. Test PS Retailer at launch on January 19, 2024 for native pricing.
Upgrades for disc copies of the PS4 model of The Final of Us Half II are solely obtainable you probably have a PlayStation 5 console with a disc drive. Homeowners of PS4 disc copies should insert them into the PS5 each time they need to obtain or play the PS5 digital model.