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'The Last of Us' looks better on PS4 but it's not perfect
Just over a year ago, Sony and developer Naughty Dog unleashed the emotionally wrenching The Last of Us on the PlayStation 3. And while the post-apocalyptic tale was heralded at the time for its affecting narrative, the game's technical prowess didn't go unnoticed either, with many critics impressed by how well the game looked and sounded on the seven year-old PS3. Tomorrow marks the release of The Last of Us: Remastered on the PlayStation 4, which, as the title implies, is last year's game with a fresh coat of paint afforded by the PS4's more powerful hardware. How much of a leap is it, though? The tech-minded crew at Digital Foundry has put Naughty Dog's latest under their microscope and notes that while there are some aspects of the game that best even PS4-native releases, there are still a handful of bits that betray those advancements: "There are elements that remain far ahead of the majority of next-gen titles, but it is clear that it is a game of its technological era."
What's on your HDTV: 'Sharknado 2', 'Twin Peaks' Blu-ray, TLoU and NFL
Syfy is going to try to capture social media lightning in a bottle one more time, with the sequel to last summer's bad-but-popular Sharknado. We're not exactly sure what Sharknado 2: The Second One is about but suspect has some combination of sharks and tornadoes. Fans of quality TV can grab the entire Twin Peaks series on Blu-ray, complete with some new "missing pieces" extras,. Penn & Teller's old UK show Fool Us is going to be re-aired in the US this summer on CW, while NFL action starts to wind back up with the start of preseason football. Finally, PS4 gamers can enjoy a better-looking version of last year's hit The Last of Us with a remastered version hitting shelves tomorrow, and on Netflix season four of The Killing arrives Friday morning. Check after the break for a list of what's new this week plus a few trailers, and drop a note in the comments if you see any highlights we've missed.
Joystiq weekly wrap-up: Fire-breathing lizards, big bad wolves and giant robots
Welcome to the first edition of the Joystiq Weekly Wrap-up, where we present some of the best stories and biggest news from our beloved sister-publication. After the break you'll find, among other things, Pokémon, the Big Bad Wolf and the final word on Titanfall's ongoing multiplayer examination. Our brothers and sisters in arms are on the ground in Boston this weekend for PAX East too, and you can find all of that coverage right here. Pour a frosty beverage and join us for the week's gaming news, won't you?
The Last of Us coming to PS4 this summer with improved graphics (update: official announce trailer)
A PlayStation 4 port of highly acclaimed title The Last of Us will launch sometime this summer, a Sony spokesperson has let slip. Talking on CNN Turk's Multiplayer gaming show, a PlayStation exec claimed the port will have better graphics than the PS3 version, and will be available both digitally and physically. PS4 copies will apparently include the Left Behind single-player DLC, so newcomers get the whole story upfront, and diehards get to replay a prettier rendition. Additional single and multiplayer content is in the works, too, but even a straight port should keep most superfans happy while they wait for the movie. Update (4/9): Sony has officially confirmed that yes, The Last of Us Remastered is coming PS4 this summer. All of the details above still apply, with the only new information a few details on the pre-order bonuses and a pic of the box art.
Sony's turning The Last of Us into a movie with help from the game's creators
The Last of Us made its debut last year to critical (and commercial) acclaim from the gaming community, and it appears that the film industry's just as smitten with the story it tells. Deadline Hollywood reports that Sony Pictures' Screen Gems production company has decided to develop a "live-action adaptation" of the PS3 version of the game, and Neil Druckmann, who was The Last of Us' creative director, will be writing the screenplay. Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra, the co-presidents of Naughty Dog, the studio that created the game, and the game's director, Bruce Straley will also lend their talents to the project as "creative architects," whatever that means. Naturally, since the deal has just been done, we don't know when to expect The Last of Us to make its way to the silver screen, but at least we know it's coming... at some point.
Necessary violence: The creators of The Last of Us defend its reliance on combat
PlayStation 3 exclusive The Last of Us was the most successful game of 2013. That's not just sales (it sold extremely well, to the tune of 3.4 million in its first three weeks), but also critical reception (an average Metacritic score of 95/100 and it swept game of the year awards across the game industry in 2013). Last week, The Last of Us earned development studio Naughty Dog a whopping 10 wins at the annual DICE awards show in Las Vegas -- considered the Oscars of gaming. With Naughty Dog's past creating hit franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter and Uncharted, The Last of Us leads Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley aren't strangers to success (these guys led development of Uncharted 2, another extremely successful game). Their latest work is a tremendous departure.
Uncharted for PlayStation 4 announced with a brief teaser trailer, new DLC for TLoU (video)
Sony didn't waste any time at its PlayStation 4 launch event, coming right out of the gate with news from Naughty Dog about two of the biggest franchises. Uncharted is coming to the PlayStation 4, and while not much information has been revealed, there is a short teaser trailer complete with vengeful voiceover and treasure map for you to watch. For your PS3 gaming needs, the developer also showed off new "Left Behind" single player DLC coming to its hit The Last of Us, with Ellie apparently taking over the lead role. There's a video for that one too, check out both embedded after the break, or head straight for the live stream to see what else is coming up.
Must See HDTV (June 12th - 16th)
Though delayed by events including E3 and WWDC, our listings are here, and there is plenty still to see on your HDTV this week. House of Cards makes the trek from Netflix to Blu-ray, while USA brings back two of its series for the summer. Then this weekend we have UFC action and the season premiere of True Blood on HBO, while both the NHL and NBA enter the championship round of their playoffs. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. The Last of Us If the reviews are to be believed, then The Last of Us is not to be missed. Coming from the makers of Uncharted, this PS3 exclusive game follows the journey of two people through a postapocalyptic landscape where most of the people have been transformed into monsters. There's a multiplayer component too, but it's garnering most of the attention for a single player experience that Joystiq concludes "is not a cheerful story, but it's a damned good one." ($59.99 on Amazon, June 14th)
Sony starts building PS3s in Brazil, The Last of Us and GTA V to get localized releases
Even as we await next generation consoles, Sony is extending the battlefield for the current generation by focusing on Brazil. In an event today it announced that for the first time it will be building PlayStation 3s locally in Manaus, a move executives stated will inject $300 million into the local economy and drive "significant" price reductions in the region. Brazilian gamers can also expect more game release support, with news that The Last of Us will have a localized version available (you can see a snippet of it in the video embedded after the break) simultaneous with the worldwide launch, and GTA V will be the first game in the series to include Brazilian Portuguese localization. That's a major shift for the area, especially considering the PlayStation 2 (yes, that's a 2) only officially launched in Brazil in 2009. As the company extends its "Viva Em Estado Play" marketing campaign, it will also offer a 250GB PS3 bundled with God of War: Ascension for R$1,099, and is running a contest to win the first Brazilian-built PS3.
