Love it or leave it, The Last of Us Part II: Remastered is happening, and one of the more mysterious aspects of the debatably necessary package is its Lost Levels, which were cut from the original release, and perhaps for good reason.
This reveal comes from the game's updated description directly, which has some fans recalling past trauma, and anticipating more in the future. Lost Levels will enable players to "explore early-development versions of three new levels not seen in the original The Last of Us Part II: Sewers, Jackson Party and Boar Hunt. Enjoy hours of new developer commentary about The Last of Us Part II’s development as you experience the game."
Now, before going any further, we should state aren't exactly sure what format these Lost Levels will take, as from that description, it's hard to say whether this will be bonus content accessed from the title screen or content actually incorporated into the game. Still, it's fun to speculate and see where these scenes would slot into place.
As GamesRadar reports, internet super-sleuths have cross-referenced footage from the reveal trailer, and with this new info, vaguely positioned where these Lost Levels will be placed. Jackson Party seems fairly self-explanatory, extending the section at the start of the game, and Boar Hunt is referenced in Ellie's journal, where she ultimately corners a wounded boar in a general store.
Over on The Last of Us subreddit, fans are already dreading what the Sewers might hold, as Part I's take on that environment was one of the most suspense-filled sequences in the game. Further, it appears like the Sewers would chronologically slot in after the first stalker encounter but before running into Scars for the first time. Players would then immediately hit the Hospital, where probably the second most infamous encounter in the game takes place. We could see how that might have made for an intensely harrowing sequence of events that perhaps needed a lull in pacing.