Should you play The Last of Us Part 2 in Chronological Mode instead of the original way? 

Developer Naughty Dog is not yet done with The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, as a brand new update introduces the all-new Chronological Mode. Available now as part of patch 2.1.0 for PS5 and patch 1.5 on PC, fans can relive the events of the acclaimed survival horror third-person shooter from a new angle.

In other words, this mode ditches the non-linear storytelling of the base game and chronologically rearranges the set-pieces to tell a straightforward rendition of the story. Read on to learn more about this new addition to the game.

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How to play The Last of Us Part 2 in Chronological Mode

Things play out slightly differently in this story mode (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

This mode can be chosen when starting a new game, alongside other traditionally tweakable options like difficulty and control settings.

The original experience tells the story of protagonist Ellie across the campaign as she butts heads with the deuteragonist, Abby in a clash of ideals in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a fungus that turns living organisms into mutants. While a lot of the game's plot beats are told via flashbacks, the Chronological Mode rearranges everything to make it flow smoothly from the start.

As an example, while the original plot started with Joel recollecting how he saved Ellie during the events of the original The Last of Us game, before switching to playing as her in the outpost, the Chronological Mode starts with players stepping into the shoes of Abby during the flashback as she searches for her dad in the woods and then switches to the Joel segment at the start.

Given that the base story was criticized for pacing issues due to interjected flashbacks, this mode will alleviate that issue for players who were bothered by that aspect.

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Is The Last of Us Part 2's Chronological Mode unlocked by default?

Since this new addition arrives as part of a free update, it is available to dive in from the get-go when starting a new game after this update. Aside from that, this is the exact same story as it was before, with no new additions or significant tweaks.

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Which way should you play The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered?

Earn new cosmetics upon beating the Chronological Mode (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

For those yet to dive into the world of The Last of Us Part 2, developer Naughty Dog recommends playing the game in its original rendition first. This should give players an idea of what to expect, including both Ellie's and Abby's roles in this engrossing narrative.

Then, they can switch to Chronological Mode for their second playthrough in New Game Plus. This will allow things to play out more linearly, offering players a further understanding of the plot after having familiarized themselves with it in the original playthrough.

To top it off, those who see it through the Chronological Mode will unlock new Uncharted-inspired skins for Joel (as Nathan Drake) and Tommy (as Sam Drake) in the No Return roguelite game mode in The Last of Us Part 2.

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The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is available on PS5 and PC platforms. While the original game is on PS4 as well, this update, including the Chronological Mode, is only intended for the Remaster, which is unavailable on Sony's last-gen home console.