Next Monday, July 28th, on the eve of The Last of Us Remastered‘s PlayStation 4 launch, Geoff Keighley, in partnership with Naughty Dog and Sony, will be hosting a special one-night-only stage event.
Appropriately titled One Night Live, the event will bring together Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us cast members including Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, Merle Dandridge, Hana Hayes, and Annie Wersching, and composer Gustavo Santaolalla. Under Druckmann’s direction, the actors will live read select scenes from the game while Santaolalla performs tracks from his masterful score. A live audience Q&A session is also planned so fans can interact with the creative forces that made The Last of Us such a memorable experience.
The Last of Us: One Night Live will take place in Santa Monica, CA at the Broad Stage at 7:00PM PST / 10:00PM EST. Unfortunately, tickets to the event are already “sold out” (they were claimed pretty much right after Sony put out the announcement earlier today, admittance being free and all). For those who weren’t able to beat the rush to reserve a seat, the event will be live streamed via Twitch, YouTube and PlayStation Network’s Live Event Viewer.
Source: The Last of Us: One Night Live [PlayStation.com]
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When Diablo III originally launched on PlayStation 3 last year, it came packaged with exclusive bonus items themed after Journey and Uncharted. Blizzard’s offering similar perks with the upcoming PS3 and PS4 versions of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls — Ultimate Evil Edition, which launches August 19th.
Believe it or not, this time around the bonus content is even more awesome. As revealed during Sony’s E3 2014 presentation, there will be a Nephalem Rift randomized dungeon covered with a yellow spore fog effect and populated by a terrifying horde of Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters from The Last of Us.
Additionally, PlayStation gamers will receive transmogrification plans for Guise of the Colossi, a six-piece armor set themed after the behemoth bosses in PS2 classic Shadow of the Colossus. Now that’s sweet.
I didn’t care much for Diablo III when I first tried to trudge through it on PS3, but this bonus content makes me want to give it another shot on PS4. I’m a sucker for anything Team Ico related.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls — Ultimate Evil Edition is available for pre-order now at Amazon.com
Source: Diablo III PS4 Exclusive PlayStation Content Detailed [PlayStation.Blog]
Source: PlayStation Exclusive Content Revealed at E3 [Diablo III]
Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic PS3 survival horror thriller is ready to emotionally scar and blow the minds of PS4 gamers on July 29th with the launch of The Last of Us Remastered. I’ve completed the PS3 version like three times already, and this is still the game I most want to play on my recently purchased PS4. It’s just that damn good.
A new E3 trailer has been released, but before you go running off hitting the play button without a care in the world, let me warn you that this trailer is absolutely loaded with spoilers, the biggest appearing right during the opening seconds. If you have not played the game yet, I strongly advise sitting this one out. But of course I know that’ll be hard to do–especially since it’s a spectacular trailer. (Sorry to rub it in for those of you who don’t want to risk watching!)
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Naughty Dog today revealed the full slate of downloadable content coming to The Last of Us as part of the Grounded Bundle, the last add-on to be included with the season pass.
The Grounded Bundle will provide content for both single and multiplayer, new trophies included. For solo survivors, Grounded Mode will add an even tougher challenge to playing through the single player campaign. The description isn’t entirely clear, but Grounded Mode sounds like it will be just another advanced difficulty setting. Naughty Dog says that the “AI is relentless, smart, and brutal, and survival will be near impossible.”
Four new multiplayer locales will be added in the Reclaimed Territories Map Pack, including Capitol, Coal Mine, Water Tower, and Wharf. New guns, including the Specter, Double Barrel, Enforcer, and Launcher, as well as the Full-Auto Rifle–which will be free even for non-season pass owners–will expand the weapon arsenal for custom loadouts. And finally there will be two different survival skill bundles. The Situational Survival Skills pack will contain new survival skills Agility, Awareness, Fortitude, and Scavenger. The Professional Survival Skills pack will provide Gunslinger, Bomb Expert, Executioner, and Damage Marker.
All content in the Grounded Bundle comes included in the $19.99 season pass, which also features previously released DLC Abandoned Territories Map Pack, the Left Behind single player campaign, and multiplayer head items. If you don’t own the season pass, which will no longer be sold on the PlayStation Store after May 13th, expect to be nickeled and dimed to death by the standalone DLC prices. On its own, the Grounded Mode will cost $4.99. The Reclaimed Territories Map Pack will sell for $9.99, the Survivalist Weapon Bundle will cost $5.99, and the two survival skill packs will cost $3.99 each.
Or you can always just wait for The Last of Us Remastered as the PlayStation 4 re-release will contain Left Behind, the two map packs, and the Grounded Mode.
The Last of Us: Grounded Bundle Detailed [PlayStation.Blog]
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The worst-kept secret of the past month or so is now officially no longer a secret at all. Naughty Dog has finally confirmed that The Last of Us is coming to PlayStation 4!
The Last of Us Remastered is scheduled to launch this summer. Among its list of upgrades over the PS3 original, the PS4 edition will feature 1080p, higher resolution character models, and improved shadows, lighting and textures. Additionally, all cinematics will offer an exclusive director’s commentary by Creative Director and Writer, Neil Druckmann, as well as Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, the voice acting stars Joel and Ellie.
But that’s not all, folks. The remastered edition will also contain $30 worth of DLC, including the Left Behind single player story add-on and the eight multiplayer maps offered in the Abandoned Territories and Reclaimed Territories packs.
Even more details about The Last of Us Remastered will be revealed in due time, but I’m sure at this point you know enough to commit to a pre-order. Hell, I’ve already played through the PS3 version three times and this is the first game announcement that actually makes me want to finally get a PS4. That speaks to just how phenomenal the game is–and how lackluster the current PS4 lineup is.
If you’re ready to pre-order, you will receive these digital bonuses from participating retailers:
– 100 Supply Points (XP) for use in Factions mode
– Two special bonus skins for Joel and Ellie which will be unlocked after your complete the single player campaign
– Increased Crafting Speed for use in the Single Player Campaign
– Increased Healing Speed for use in the Single Player Campaign
– 9mm Reload Speed Increase Upgrade for use in the Single Player Campaign
– Rifle Clip Capacity Increase Upgrade for use in the Single Player Campaign
Or if you prefer going digital download over a retail disc copy, these three extras come included with pre-orders from the PlayStation Store:
]]>– Early Access to the Brawler Survival Skill in Factions Mode
– Early Access to additional Loadout Points for use in Factions mode
– Early Access to the Jeep Cap and Surgical Mask for use in Factions mode
BradyGames pretty much has a shared monopoly on the video game strategy guide market (with Prima). This year, unless you’re gaming on a Nintendo system or need tips for the latest games from Ubisoft or EA, guides from the vast majority of the big blockbusters are brought to you by BradyGames. Call of Duty: Ghosts. The Last of Us. Grand Theft Auto V. Diablo III. Batman: Arkham Origins. Saints Row IV. Tomb Raider. Dead Rising 3. Name the game, and BradyGames likely has the guide you’re looking for.
In many instances you even have the option between standard and limited edition guides. Typically, for an extra $10 over the price of a basic Signature Series guide you can upgrade to a limited edition featuring a hardcover format similar to that of a coffee table art book (they sure look a whole lot nicer sitting next to the living room entertainment center). In fact, the limited edition offerings come packaged with some form of collectible, whether it’s a keychain or a lithograph, or maybe even a bonus art gallery chapter you won’t find in a Signature Series book. Overall, Brady’s guides are of the highest quality, whether you need the aid of a walkthrough to complete a campaign, tips for surviving multiplayer competition, or a cheat sheet reference for collectibles, Easter eggs, and Trophies/Achievements. But even if you don’t particularly care for strategy guides, owning one of Brady’s limited editions is more like adding a true collector’s item to your gaming stash. They are a great supplemental gift to buy with its matching game, or to buy for someone who already owns and is a fan of a particular game.
Through December 5th, BradyGames is running a Cyber Monday special on select strategy guides. Just enter coupon code “BRADYCYBER13” at checkout for a 60% discount. We were already preparing to feature Brady guides in our holiday coverage this season, but in light of the sale we thought it might be more helpful to dedicate an entire article to the subject. So, yeah, this is a guide about guides! Read along for a quick look at some of the guides that we got a chance to sample.
Grand Theft Auto V – MSRP: $17.49 (Signature Series) or $25.89 (Limited Edition) – Buy From: Amazon.com
The Grand Theft Auto V limited edition contains an additional 20 pages of character illustrations, plus an exclusive lithograph of the game’s three playable antiheroes tucked inside a nice logo-stamped slip-folder. The guide itself is jam-packed with reference material to help you navigate the massive open world of Los Santos, including an impressive collection of maps showing where all the collectibles, stunt jumps, random events, weapon/armor pickups, hobbies and pastimes are located. GTA gearheads will also love the the vehicle showroom chapter which contains about 30 pages of thumbnails charting each vehicle’s price and attribute ratings in speed, braking, acceleration and traction.
BioShock Infinite – MSRP: $15.39 (Signature Series) or $25.89 (Limited Edition) – Buy From: Amazon.com
BioShock Infinite comes with a 4″ replica of the bird/cage Freedom Key on a keyring, plus an exclusive bonus card for the Siege of Columbia board game from Plaid Hat Games (which we will be featuring in another upcoming gift guide article). The Songbird hardcover certainly catches the eye as well. Flipping open that cover will reveal a handy selection of maps clearly diagramming the locations for Vigors, Infusions, Kinectoscopes, Telescopes and Voxophones. The content of each Voxophone has also been transcribed so, in case you have trouble understanding the dialogue or other in-game voices muddle the audio, you can recap by reading the recorded diaries in text form (though I did notice that some of the transcriptions weren’t 100% complete). Another great thing about this guide is its detailed strategies for pulling off Vigor combos, combining Gear pieces to form custom class-style builds, earning some of the more involved Trophies/Achievements and combating the different enemy types. The artwork throughout the guide–particularly the images on the inside of the front and back covers–is absolutely beautiful.
The Last of Us – MSRP: $13.99 (Signature Series) or $24.49 (Limited Edition) – Buy From: Amazon.com
The Last of Us includes an antique-finish keychain modeled after one of the Firefly medals found throughout the game as a collectible. Nothing fancy, but it actually is a keyring you might actually use. The cover, with its embossed logo text and silky smooth black finish, adds a simple touch of class. The Last of Us has some pretty tricky hidden collectibles, so for someone like me, after having completed the campaign twice on my own, having the guide on hand for ongoing endgame mop-up duty has proven invaluable. Maps and sidebars provide collectible locations throughout the main walkthrough pages, but if you’re after specific items and don’t want to spoil the process of playing through the game you can consult the Collectibles chapter at the back of the guide for a complete cheat sheet for all the Firefly Pendants, Artifacts, Training Manuals and Comics (with screenshots for visual aid). There’s even a section to help discover all optional conversations and Ellie’s joke-telling scenes.
Tomb Raider – MSRP: $17.49 (Signature Series) or $25.89 (Limited Edition) – Buy From: Amazon.com
Tomb Raider doesn’t coming with a keychain, but it does have an painted replica amulet like the one Lara wears around her neck in her latest adventure. A tie-string is included as well if you want to wear it the next time you cosplay as Lara Croft. Inside the back cover you will also find redeemable codes for two multiplayer character skins (Scavenger Scout and Scavenger Executioner), if you somehow find yourself caring about the game’s completely unnecessary multiplayer mode. Tomb Raider is another one of those games that’s overflowing with collectible hunting. Part of the fun of being a true tomb raider is tracking down all the treasures and puzzle tombs by yourself, but this is the guide to get if you need a hand finding Relics, GPS caches, Treasures Maps, Documents and each hub environment’s set of optional challenges. Like The Last of Us guide, the main walkthrough maps will help you find things, or you can reference the collectibles chapter for an itemized breakdown. A section with character bios and enemy profiles is a nice addition beyond the reference material for completing the game.
Batman: Arkham Origins – MSRP: $15.39 (Signature Series) or $25.89 (Limited Edition) – Buy From: Amazon.com
Batman: Arkham Origins’ limited edition is perhaps the most collectible of all, offering a set of four lithograph prints, one for the Joker, one for Deathstroke, and the other two for The Dark Knight himself. Unlike the other limited editions, this one also rocks a foil-stamped dust jacket over its hardcover. Inside the cover is a beginning to end walkthrough for the main storyline as well as side missions, with maps, boss strategies, and individual combat encounters listing out the number and type of enemies faced in each battle sequence. Batman fans will definitely enjoy the Personnel Files chapter for the biographical data on the Dark Knight, his friends and allies, and his greatest villains. The guide also offers tips for Dark Knight Challenges, Challenge Mode maps, and multiplayer. And as an added bonus, Brady managed to sneak in a mini-walkthrough for 3DS/Vita companion game Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate. This section only takes up around 15 pages so I’m not sure how thorough the guide is (I haven’t played the portable Batman yet), but the map selection appears to be quite robust.
Diablo III – MSRP: $15.39 (Signature Series) or $25.89 (Limited Edition) – Buy From: Amazon.com
Diablo III gets the node for the most useful bonus–a metal bookmark which looks like a sword thrusting down from the Lord of Darkness’ sculpted head. It looks cool, and it’s functional. Double score! But that’s not all. The limited edition also features an illustrated excerpt from The Book of Tyrael, as well as a bonus chapter containing roughly 20 extra pages of armor art concepts for the five playable classes. Before reaching this section of the guide, you will find a full walkthrough for surviving the campaign’s four acts of hack-and-slash hell and even accessing optional quests, including the magical land of Whimsyshire. The guide is also crammed from cover to cover with charts and tables full of crafting recipes, information for each class’ active/passive skills and runes, and gear stats, in addition to a Denizens of Hell bestiary with more than 70 pages of creature breakdowns.
Call of Duty: Ghosts – MSRP: $13.99 (Signature Series) or $24.49 (Limited Edition) – Buy From: Amazon.com
Call of Duty: Ghosts rounds things out with what I would say is the weakest of the limited editions. The cover looks pretty badass with its embossed ghost mask logo, but the pack-in embroidered faction patches don’t exactly move the needle. But hey, if you’re serious about representing your service to the Ghost Team or the Federation you’ll be able to appreciate their collector’s value more than I can. Between the covers, the guide is mostly dedicated to helping you up your multiplayer game with basic training tips as well as detailed maps for all of the multiplayer locales and graphs comparing factors like recoil, damage, rate of fire and reload times for each weapon class. Only about a third of the guide covers the single-player campaign, which makes sense since the story is so straightforward that you shouldn’t need a helping hand to beat it. However, if you are a completist the guide is nice to have around for the Trophy/Achievement tips and Rorke File locations inserted within the flow of the campaign walkthrough.
Disclosure: Review copies of the limited edition strategy guides were provided to VGBlogger.com by BradyGames.
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If you bought a season pass for The Last of Us and are wondering where all the downloadable content is, you can wonder no more. Today, Naughty Dog has outlined the timetable for the releases of all content contained within the season pass.
The first of three main add-ons will be the Abandoned Territories Map Pack, to be released on October 15th. This pack will offer four additional maps for multiplayer, including Suburbs, Bus Depot, Hometown and Bookstore.
Of course for a lot of players the main event will be the second DLC, a story-driven single player expansion that will introduce a new character and tie directly into the existing narrative. This currently mysterious add-on is expected to launch in December or January.
Afterwards, somewhere during the first half of 2014, a third pack will be released, once again focusing on multiplayer. Naughty Dog hasn’t even locked in what this content will be yet though.
Throughout the remainder of the year, beginning with the Abandoned Territories DLC drop, Naughty Dog will also be releasing bonus content for season pass holders in the form of more than 60 new head items, like a Nightmare Mask and a Pigskin Hat, for customizing multiplayer avatars.
If you’re a season pass owner already, you’re all set to access this content as it is released. If you don’t own a season pass yet, you can buy one from the PlayStation Store for $19.99. If you don’t already own The Last of Us, you need to go play it now.
The Last of Us: Future DLC Plans [PlayStation.Blog]
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I always love when video games and fine art collide, as it gives players a chance to appreciate the worlds developers create in a more sophisticated presentation. Art books are one thing, but curated works of art meant to be framed and displayed on a wall take things to a whole new level of art appreciation.
That’s just what the fine art sellers and exhibitors at Cook & Becker have done with The Last of Us. Naughty Dog’s video game masterpiece is the subject of a new museum-quality collection of Certified Art Giclees. The collection consists of 16 limited-edition prints, available unframed or framed in Diasec/Acrylic glass. Each print also comes numbered and signed by the Naughty Dog concept artist behind its creation.
If you want to decorate your home with images of Joel and Ellie, Bloaters or one of many environmental shots, it’s going to cost a pretty penny. Unframed prints start as low as $130 but quickly soar upwards of $200 or more. Having those prints framed jacks the price up to $500 or more, as high as nearly $800 for a couple of the prints. Yikes. You may just have to dip into your PlayStation 4 savings fund to afford one, but if you’re into collecting art it should totally be worth it.
Head over to Cook and Becker’s website for more information on the complete The Last of Us art print collection. But not before checking out our gallery with preview pics for each print.
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The Last of Us Art Prints Out Now, Development Series Episode 6 Debuted [PlayStation.Blog]
Official The Last of Us art print collection now available [Cook & Becker]
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Leave it to LittleBigPlanet to take a graphically violent and brutally depressing game like The Last Of Us and turn it into something cute and cuddly that just makes you want to squeeze its cheeks.
That’s exactly what’s happening now with the new The Last of Us Minipack DLC available for cross-buy in all the modern LittleBigPlanet titles (LittleBigPlanet 2, LittleBigPlanet Karting, LittleBigPlanet Vita).
$2.99 gets you everything needed to dress your Sackboy or Sackgirl up as Joel and Ellie. Yes, Joel’s glorious beard is included as its own costume piece. It’s just too bad there isn’t a Clicker costume in the bundle as well. Now that’d be adorable and terrifying at the same time.
Want that image at the top of the page as your desktop or mobile device wallpaper? Follow the link directly below for access to download it in various resolutions.
The Last of Us Minipack Available Now [LittleBigPlanet.com]
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Here it is, the extended Red Band trailer for The Last of Us, which appeared during last night’s season finale of The Walking Dead as the game’s first official TV spot.
Joel and Ellie’s post-apocalyptic trek across the US begins June 14th.
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