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The Last Of Us Part II Will Get Even Harder (And Easier) On August 13
Update: A new post and trailer on the PlayStation Blog confirms the previous news about harder difficulty options, but also details additional upcoming features in the patch. These include new cheats and gameplay modifiers, like infinite crafting and slow motion. The update hits later this week on August 13, and you can see what to expect in the video below.
Original Story (Published 8/10/20, 6:15 p.m.)
The Last of Us Part II is a brutal game, but not necessarily because of the difficulty. It has plenty of customizable options that allow players to make certain elements more forgiving – but those same options also mean you can make the much harder for those who crave a challenge. If you fall into the latter camp, then you will definitely be interested in what Naughty Dog has in store for the game's upcoming update.
As tweeted by the trophy-focused folks at PowerPyx, the trophy list for The Last of Us Part II now includes two new awards under the "Grounded Mode" category – one for finishing the game on the Grounded difficulty setting, and one for completing the game with a permadeath setting.
Grounded Mode in the original The Last of Us was also a post-launch addition, and its intelligent enemies and decreased HUD elements (like no visible life bar) made it an extremely difficult way to play. If that persists in the sequel, along with the inability to continue if you are killed, The Last of Us Part II could become a masochistic-but-rewarding adventure for the hardcore fans.
Sony and Naughty Dog have not confirmed a release date for the new patch that adds this functionality, though you can see the new trophies in your PS4 menu right now.
For more on The Last of Us Part II, read our review, or watch our spoiler-filled breakdown of the story.
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