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The Last of Us Remastered update adds new weapons, multiplayer battlegrounds
Naughty Dog will launch a title update for the upgraded PlayStation 4 version of The Last of Us today, adding a batch of new content to the game's Factions online multiplayer mode. Patch 1.08 for The Last of Us Remastered introduces the Variable, Scoped Semi-Auto, Scoped Full-Auto, and Scoped Burst rifles, along with a collection of loadout presets and weapon-specific missions. The update additionally lays the groundwork for two new Factions maps premiering later this week. The PlayStation 3 version of The Last of Us will also see a new patch implementing a long list of fixes and balance tweaks, bringing it up to speed with the PlayStation 4 port. [Image: Naughty Dog]
The Last of Us picks up two new, free maps
Naughty Dog is handing out two new maps for the Factions multiplayer mode in The Last of Us on both PS3 and PS4, the developer announced today. The maps will be distributed for free "in appreciation for all of your continued patience" in regards to issues plaguing the game's online matchmaking. "We know this can be frustrating and the team here at Naughty Dog wants everyone in our community to know that working on this issue continues to be our number one priority," a post from Naughty Dog's Arne Meyer reads on the developer's blog. A release date for the free maps has not been revealed. Although improvements have been made to the matchmaking process in The Last of Us, Naughty Dog says there is still work to be done. Utilizing teams "inside and outside of the studio," the developer anticipates new updates to alleviate further issues will be rolling out "on the short side of weeks, rather than months." A specific date has not been solidified, the blog post notes. "In the meantime, if you find yourself waiting to get into a match, the best thing you can do is exit matchmaking and select 'Find Match' again," Naughty Dog suggests. [Image: Naughty Dog]
The Last of Us Remastered's Photo Mode helps spawn a beautiful trailer
The Last of Us Remastered's Photo Mode isn't just useful for capturing those little moments of perfectly-framed opportunity, you know. When used to string together a series of 3D portraits set against the game's haunting guitar theme, it can help make a pretty darn good trailer for the game. Thankfully, the situation we've just described isn't hypothetical; YouTube user Grant Voegtle has done precisely that, and you can see the results above. As beautiful as the trailer is, you might want to hold off on watching if you haven't yet played Naughty Dog's romp through post-fungal-pocalypse America, as there are plenty of major spoilers shown. Of course, even if you have played through The Last of Us and know what's coming, sometimes it's worth it to take another trip. [Image: Naughty Dog]
The Last of Us Revisited: Hearts of darkness
If you're experienced, playing The Last of Us again is not easy. For any PlayStation 3 owners who already marched through the dark recesses of Naughty Dog's post-civilization adventure, you know just how hard it is to play. Ellie and Joel's journey across America, chasing a faint hope for a cure to a decades-old mushroom-zombie epidemic, cannot be described as happy fun times. The peaks and valleys of their friendship are Naughty Dog's most affecting story beats, its desperation-inflected combat and exploration expert lessons in linear game making, but all its many pleasures don't change the fact that The Last of Us is relentlessly grim. Darkness, ugliness, and authentic brutality haunt every hour of the game Joystiq dubbed its favorite of 2013. If you've already played The Last of Us and its downloadable chapter "Left Behind," it's not an essential purchase on PlayStation 4, though it does have its merits. If, however, you're among those newfound PS4 owners who skipped out on PS3 and you're willing to brave an emotional abyss in search of catharsis: The Last of Us: Remastered is the best game playable on the console for a variety of reasons.
Infinity Ward adopts two Naughty Dog employees
Taylor Kurosaki and Jacob Minkoff have joined the list of developers who have left The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog to pursue other interests. The pair will both join Call of Duty series developer Infinity Ward, with Kurosaki taking on the responsibilities of Narrative Director, and Minkoff assuming the role of Design Director. The men each tweeted their respective news earlier today. Kurosaki and Minkoff's departures are the latest chapters in a tale that is starting to feel pretty familiar; former Naughty Dog art director Nate Wells is now with Giant Sparrow, game director Justin Richmond has been summoned to Riot Games, and Amy Hennig, writer of the Uncharted series, is currently working with EA and Visceral Games on an as-of-yet unseen Star Wars game. Last of Us directors Bruce Stanley and Neil Druckmann don't seem to be going anywhere, which is good news for anyone looking forward to the upcoming movie adaptation. [Image: Naughty Dog]
'The Last of Us' brought to life in live stage show
Today, The Last of Us is getting ready to take over PlayStation 4 consoles everywhere, and soon it may also be conquering... Broadway. Well, maybe not so much. But Naughty Dog's popular title did make its debut on the live stage, with a show called "The Last of Us: One Night Live" which took place in Santa Monica, California. Sony explains that the play was in celebration of the game's arrival on the PlayStation 4, so giving fans a way to experience the story through a theatre performance was an obvious choice ahead of the launch. "The Last of Us: One Night Live," directed by Neil Druckmann, featured music from the score, read of "key scenes" and a Q&A from the cast and crew involved in the show. Sure, it probably would have been better to actually be there, but Sony was kind enough to let you re-live the performance in the video after the break.
Watch The Last of Us: One Night Live, but not the unseen epilogue
If you played The Last of Us and thought "hey this would make a really great stage show" then you're kind of weird. But also perhaps a visionary, since a The Last of Us stage show is exactly what Naughty Dog and Sony put on last night in a special one-off performance. It's of course closer to a table read than a grand Broadway spectacle, but if you like seeing voice actors like Troy Baker (Joel) and Ashley Johnson (Ellie) apply themselves to their roles, it's worth a watch. Also, rather than telling the full plot, the show takes select scenes from various parts of Naughty Dog's horror. In short, it doesn't really explain the story but it sure as heck spoils it, so if you've not played the game, go do that first (it's really good!)
The Last of Us Remastered PS4 bundle headed to Canada
Our brothers and sisters to the north will soon have extra incentive to pick up a PlayStation 4, as Sony announced that it will ship a The Last of Us Remastered-themed PS4 hardware bundle in Canada this week. The package includes a PlayStation 4 console, a DualShock 4 controller, and a digital copy of The Last of Us Remastered for $449.99 CAD. Non-bundled PlayStation 4 consoles retail for $449.99 CAD following a region-wide price increase earlier this year, giving the bundle added value over a standalone console purchase. The Last of Us Remastered PS4 hardware bundle will hit Canadian retailers on July 29. A similar bundle is also slated to launch in Europe and Japan. [Image: Sony]
Watch The Last of Us' Ellie reminisce about pushing around another Joel
Sony's pumping out the promos ahead of The Last of Us: Remastered's launch this week, but a new interview between actors Troy Baker (Joel) and Ashley Johnson (Ellie) covers some interesting ground. The best bit is when Johnson talks about recording a heated scene with a different actor going up for the Joel part, giving us a glimpse into how motion-capture can get emotional, and quick. The video also touches on the very enjoyable "alternate" ending - if you've not seen that in full, that footage is waiting for you below the break. The Last of Us: Remastered hits PS4 on July 29 in North America and August 1 in Europe.
Take the shot with The Last Of Us: Remastered's Photo Mode
When things get frantic in action games, the tension can make it tough to appreciate the scene unfolding at our command. The PS4's Share button has helped players capture moments in snapshots for a while, but The Last Of Us: Remastered's Photo Mode will offer extra filters and camera controls so players can really explore a moment and get the perspective they're most interested in. Once the feature is turned on in Remastered's pause menu, Photo Mode can be toggled with a click of L3. In the video demonstration above, the narrator explains that players can "enter Photo Mode any time other than a cutscene, though sometimes you'll be restricted from moving the camera." While repositioning the camera might not always be possible, there are still options to adjust a shot's depth of field, brightness, surrounding frame or color. Vignettes and film grains can be laid over photos as well, to help emphasize the desired sort of mood. Once a composition is complete, tapping the Share button will share the snapshot as normal, with another tap of L3 returning players to actively dealing with Remastered's Clicker problem. Maybe you can grab an exquisitely-gruesome frame of your future brick-on-the-head kills, or catch Joel mid eye roll as Ellie shares another kneeslapper from her joke book. Either way, you can give the photojournalist thing a go when Remastered ventures onto the PS4 on July 29. [Image: Naughty Dog]
Arya Stark has met with The Last of Us movie producers
Maisie Williams - or as fans of HBO show Game of Thrones might know her, Arya Stark - has met with Neil Druckmann (of Naughty Dog) and Sam Raimi (of Sam Raimi) regarding the in-development film adaptation of The Last of Us, /Film reports. The 17-year-old actress was not in attendance for the Comic-Con panel where she was mentioned, but thankfully there was more to share, including the teaser poster you see above. Raimi, who is set to produce the film, said he's confident in Druckmann's vision and script. It was also revealed that Druckmann was originally planning to write opening and ending scenes that differed from the game, but Raimi convinced him to stick closer to the source material. "I started this process thinking I'd have to protect the story from producers," Raimi said to Druckmann. "And then I had to protect it from you." The film is still quite a ways off, but things seem to be moving at a good pace, with crew and potential cast all sounding confident and excited. [Image: Naughty Dog/Ghost House Pictures]
GameStop offering 50% off The Last of Us Remastered with PS3 copy trade-in
Starting next week, GameStop shoppers can get a steep discount on The Last of Us Remastered for the PlayStation 4 by trading in a copy of the 2013 PS3 edition alongside a pre-order or purchase. Between July 27 and August 2, customers who trade in a PS3 copy of The Last of Us at GameStop will get 50 percent off of The Last of Us Remastered, dropping it to $25 at launch. The Last of Us Remastered includes all content from last year's PS3 version, upgrading the core campaign with a 1080p presentation and bundling a collection of post-release DLC, including the "Left Behind" expansion. The Last of Us Remastered launches on July 29. [Image: Sony / GameStop]
The Last of Us spawns one-night only, live stage show
Having conquered the virtual world, Naughty Dog's smash hit The Last of Us is now headed to the stage for a one-time performance. Before you get excited over seeing Joel decapitated by a fungus zombie in person, know that this isn't a traditional stage adaptation of The Last of Us. Instead, the event (dubbed "The Last of Us: One Night Live") will feature the game's principal actors reading select scenes from the game under the direction of Naughty Dog creative director Neil Druckmann. Additionally, composer Gustavo Santaolalla will perform selections from the game's score. "How this all fits together will remain a bit of a mystery until it happens, but trust me when I say it will be a very special evening," wrote producer Geoff Keighley on the PlayStation.blog. The Last of Us: One Night Live will make its sole appearance on July 28 at Broad Stage in Santa Monica, California. If you can't make it, the event will be streamed live via Twitch, YouTube and the PlayStation Network's Live Event Viewer. [Image: Naughty Dog]
The Last of Us: Remastered includes optional 30fps lockdown [update]
Update: Asked on Twitter if the 30 frames per second (fps) lock indicated any fluctuations from the regular 60fps, Naughty Dog Co-President Evan Wells said, "Not at all. We included it at the request of the purists who wanted the experience as close to the original (PS3) as possible." Original story: Reports this morning confirm new details for PS4 revamp The Last of Us: Remastered, including an option to lock framerate at 30 frames per second. As the PlayStation Blog notes, the polished-up PS4 version of Naughty Dog's 2013 game runs regularly at 60fps and 1080p resolution. Sony's Sid Shuman said he suspects choosing between framerates will "boil down to personal preference," while Eurogamer speculates the option may indicate there's some judder at regular settings. A Game Informer hands-on preview doesn't note whether there are any significant drops. The Game Informer preview provides several other new details. For one, saves won't carry over from the PS3 game to the remastered PS4 version. Similarly, the trophy set is entirely separate, even though the trophies themselves are identical to the original ones on PS3. DLC, however, does carry over to the new version. As revealed previously, the three major released DLC packs - that's Abandoned Territories, Reclaimed Territories and Left Behind - all come as standard with the $50 PS4 game. But Game Informer notes you'll also be able to grab other DLC that you purchased on PS3 and use it in the new PS4 version too.
The Last of Us Remastered PS4 bundle
A PlayStation 4 console bundle featuring The Last of Us Remastered was announced for Europe this morning. The package is priced at €429.99, includes a 500GB console, one DualShock 4 controller and a copy of the hd-ified survival spore-er drama. No word yet on a stateside PS4 bundle featuring the game.
Sony offering refunds in wake of Last of Us pre-order price drop
Usually price drops are seen as a good thing, but not always. When Sony lowered pre-orders for The Last of Us Remastered on PS4 by $10 and it looked as though customers who had already pre-ordered the game for $59.99 wouldn't be able to get a refund for the price difference, there were more than a few people upset. Yet, despite the game's description page warning that customers "may not cancel a pre-order at any time and refunds are not available for pre-orders," it looks like good news is on the way. Sony VP of Publisher and Developer Relations Adam Boyes told an unhappy customer on Twitter that a refund would be coming within the next five to seven days. Assuming Twitter user "Tony K" isn't a unique case and that others will also receive a $10 refund, Sony may have avoided a catastrophe of fungal-apocalypse proportions. [Thanks, Tadeu!] [Image: Sony]
Naughty Dog puts a name to Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, coming in 2015
Naughty Dog's adventure series will make its PS4 debut with Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Sony announced at its E3 conference this evening. The game's debut trailer included a little bit of the game's previous characters, Sully and Nathan Drake. Uncharted 4 will launch in 2015.
Keep on trekking: The Last of Us hits PS4 on July 29
PlayStation 3 hit The Last of Us completes its remastered journey onto PS4 next month. At Sony's E3 conference, the company announced a July 29 release date for the survival horror on Sony's newest system. The announcement wasn't the first The Last of Us-related news of the night. Earlier in the evening, Sony revealed the PS4 edition of Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition will feature a dungeon based on Naughty Dog's game. [Image: Sony]
Uncharted 3 single-player listed as free for everyone on US PSN [update: gone!]
The single-player campaign from Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception has been a PS Plus freebie in the past, but today it's showing up on United States' PSN as free for all users. We've reached out but are yet to verify with Sony if this is correct or some admin mistake. So, just consider this your heads-up with a grain of salt until we find out. Developer Naughty Dog did make the multiplayer side free-to-play just over a year ago, but single-player going free for all would be something else. E3 is just around the corner, so who knows what the Californian studio has up its sleeve? Update: Ladies and gentlemen, Nathan Drake has left the building. Sony has removed Uncharted 3's single-player from the PlayStation Store, so we're guessing - just maybe - it was a goof all along.
Last of Us leads heading up Uncharted PS4 after Hennig's departure
Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann, co-leads on multiple-award-winning The Last Of Us, will be taking charge for the next game in the Uncharted series, Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells revealed to Game Informer. Straley, who served as game director, and Druckmann, who served as creative director on The Last of Us, will be taking over for previous Uncharted writer/creative director Amy Hennig, who departed Naughty Dog for Star Wars-ier pastures at Visceral Games earlier this year. Try not to worry too much that the change in leadership will make Uncharted on PS4 as dark as Naughty Dog's fungal apocalypse drama; both Druckmann and Straley have experience working on the PS3 Uncharted games. Druckmann helped pen Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, while Straley was game director for Uncharted 2 and art director for the original Uncharted. In other words: this won't be exactly ... unexplored territory for the developers. ... Wait, did we mess that joke up? [Image: Naughty Dog]
