KEY POINTS

  • Grounded mode and Permadeath setting will be introduced in the new "The Last of Us Part 2" patch
  • Grounded mode was first introduced in the original game in 2013 
  • Permadeath will mean instant game over for players who die somewhere in the game
  • The mode was revealed after Naughty Dog added two new PlayStation Trophies

Naughty Dog is set to revive its super-difficult Grounded mode after updating the PlayStation Trophies for “The Last of Us Part 2.”

Polygon, who posted a screenshot of the recent update, showed two Trophies: “Dig Two Graves” and “You Can't Stop This.” Players will be able to achieve the former once they complete the game's Grounded mode, while the latter will be theirs after they finish the story with any Permadeath setting.

Grounded mode was first introduced shortly after the launch of “The Last of Us” in 2013. It is, hands down, the game's most difficult mode with enemies dealing triple their normal damage, no Listen Mode and Heads-up Display (HUD), limited or no supplies and fewer checkpoints, the outlet added.

The Last of Us Part 2 - Ellie
The Last of Us Part 2's Ellie stands alone in solemn silence. Sony Interactive Entertainment

The Trophies, which will be part of the upcoming Patch 1.03 of “The Last of Us Part 2,” also detailed Naughty Dog's intent to introduce Permadeath. For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar, the setting is fairly simple: dying will spell game over, or should players choose, start from the very beginning. Hardcore gamers will have a ton of challenges when the update rolls out as they pursue to finish “The Last of Us Part 2” in Grounded mode with Permadeath activated, according to Digital Trends.

“The Last of Us Part 2” offers a bunch of settings that players can tweak to make the game easier or harder. Anything from adjusting Listen Mode to skipping puzzles is there to help them finish the game, IGN reported.

With the new update, however, the Trophies will be the dividing line between casual and hardcore gamers, although there is a small window in the wordings of the “You Can't Stop This” Trophy that suggested players can still get the achievement while under “lower difficulty settings,” according to CCN.

It is still unclear how the new Grounded mode will fare against the original version, but players can brace themselves and access the trophies in the DLC menu for “The Last of Us Part 2” in the PlayStation 4 UI. Naughty Dog, meanwhile, is still keeping a tight lip on when they will launch the hardcore modes.

RELATED STORIES