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The Last of Us gets 'Grounded' with new DLC in early May
PS3 survival horror The Last of Us is getting the last of its season pass content in two weeks' time, just ahead of the upcoming PS4 re-release. The studio said it's releasing the Grounded Bundle DLC in the week starting May 5, which probably translates into May 6 for North America and May 7 for Europe and Australia. The Grounded Bundle comprises a few moving parts, namely one for single-player and four for multiplayer. For solo enthusiasts, a new Grounded Mode ($5) ups the difficulty to a level Naughty Dog's been billing as Everest-like. "The AI is relentless, smart, and brutal," cackled Community Strategist Eric Monacelli, "and survival will be near impossible." On the multiplayer side, there are four maps in the Reclaimed Territories pack ($10), five weapons in the Survivalist bundle ($6), and an assortment of skills across the Survival and Professional bundles ($4 each). For some nittier, grittier info, the PlayStation Blog goes into all the multiplayer content in clinical detail. As ever, if you're a holder of the $20 season pass you don't have to worry about those standalone prices in brackets. If you're not a season pass holder, you may want to get in on the deal before it's discontinued in mid-May, because it also includes the Left Behind and Abandoned Territories content released earlier this year. Or, you could wait for the PS4 "Remastered" edition. It comes with Left Behind, Abandoned Territories and Reclaimed Territories, and it's due to hit sometime this summer. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Naughty Dog announces final season pass DLC for The Last of Us
Naughty Dog will finish out its planned season pass content for The Last of Us with new weapons, additional multiplayer maps, and a new single-player gameplay mode as part of the upcoming Grounded Bundle. Grounded Mode puts a new, difficult spin on The Last of Us' single-player campaign, pitting players against "relentless, smart, and brutal" enemy mobs throughout. Naughty Dog notes that survival in the new mode will be "near impossible," and claims that the "Completed Grounded Mode" challenge will be one of the most difficult Trophies players will earn. The Grounded Bundle additionally features the Reclaimed Territories Map Pack, adding the Wharf, Capitol, Coal Mine, and Water Tower maps to the game's multiplayer component. Players may opt to expand their arsenal with the Survivalist Weapon Bundle, which introduces the multiplayer-only Specter, Double Barrel, Enforcer, and Launcher weapons. Also arriving are the Situational Survival Skills and Professional Survival Skills bundles, which enhance character abilities in online battles. Grounded Mode will be priced at $4.99 as a standalone download. The Reclaimed Territories Map Pack is priced at $9.99, the Survivalist Weapon Bundle is $5.99, and the Survival Skills Bundles are $3.99 apiece. All upcoming content is included as part of The Last of Us' $19.99 season pass, but interested players may want to hop on the deal soon, as the season pass bundle will be discontinued in mid-May. A release date for Grounded Bundle content has not been announced. [Image: Naughty Dog]
Joystiq Weekly: PAX East, The Last Of Us: Remastered, Super Smash Bros. and more
This week's reveal of Charizard in Super Smash Bros.' roster is a bit of a blow to our argument that Squirtle is the best starter from Pokemon Red/Blue. Yes, both pocket monsters were in the Pokemon Trainer's arsenal in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but Charizard flying solo is a whole different level of awesome, one that's left us Squirtle enthusiasts drowning in envy. Playground rivalries aside, there's a lot more going on this week beyond Pokefeuds. Sony admitted that The Last Of Us is coming to the PS4, Borderlands fans are finally going to be able to play as Claptrap in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and we've got a faint glimmer of hope for the Xbox One to eventually be backwards compatible. This is also the weekend of PAX East, which you can treat as a source of news or, if you're attending, a giant game of "Where's Waldo?" Track down Joystiq's away team and say hi! Provided you can catch them between appointments, panels and the lone meal of their day, that is.
The Last of Us: Remastered may be official, but its first trailer is a bit shy
Don't expect to see too much of how The Last of Us: Remastered looks on PS4 in its first trailer. It's a bit shy on content unless you really like footage of game of the year awards - hey look, there's ours! For something a bit meatier to keep you satiated until the summer, check out Sony Europe's video interview with Naughty Dog. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Sony confirms The Last of Us Remastered is coming to PS4 [Update: Summer]
Update: Sony Worldwide Studios chief Shuhei Yoshida tweets the following message from SCEA's PR team: "SCEA can confirm The Last of Us Remastered is coming to PS4, and we'll be sharing more details with you shortly." The PlayStation Blog offers some of those details and lists a release window of summer 2014. The game will feature commentary from Creative Director Neil Druckman, Joel voice actor Troy Baker and Ellie voice actress Ashley Johnson for all of the game's cinematics. Pre-orders receive a lineup of bonuses. Original Story: The Last of Us is coming to PS4 in a "Remastered" edition, according to Sony's own advert on the Sony Entertainment Network Store. The banner, spotted on NeoGAF and verified by ourselves this morning, appears on the US storefront noting a $60 price tag and a "Day 1 Digital" release, although clicking it takes you to a broken link. Sony has yet to formally announce the PS4 version of Naughty Dog's PS3 survival horror, although this is the second time it's let slip of a potential re-release. Sony Eurasia executive Sercan Sulun told CNN Turk last month that a PS4 version was on the way in the summer, with the Left Behind' DLC included. When we approached Sony about that, a representative told us, "At no time have we announced that The Last of Us is coming to PS4 and therefore, have nothing to say on the subject." Unless whoever's in charge of Sony's US Store is playing the worst kind of joke, today's news is all but confirmation that a PS4 version is indeed on the way. I expect Sony will probably fill in the blanks in the near future, and it wouldn't be a surprise if what Sulun said last month proves to be accurate. We'll wait to hear more from Sony and will update this post with any further details that spill today. [Image: Amazon]
Listing for 'The Last Of Us Complete Edition' pops up on XtraLife
A listing for "The Last Of Us: Complete Edition" for the PS4 has appeared on Spanish retailer XtraLife with a launch date of June 19. The page was spotted by Twitter user "JuanraUP" and includes a The Last of Us-branded satchel, presumably for carrying no more than three of any one item. The bundle is available for reservation at €64.95, just under $90 USD. The listing follows comments from Sony Eurasia Software Marketing Manager Sercan Sulun about plans for The Last of Us to reach the PS4 this summer, with its Left Behind DLC bundled in the purchase. While XtraLife's listed release date of June 19 isn't an official confirmation, it would line up with the summer window mentioned by Sulun. Following Sulun's comments, Sony stated that "at no time have we announced that The Last of Us is coming to PS4." It would be odd for XtraLife to mock up a bundle and take reservations for a non-existent product, even one as critically acclaimed as last year's hit from Naughty Dog. Still, without an official confirmation from Sony, it might be best to proceed with guarded expectations for now. [Image: XtraLife]
Report: The Last of Us is coming to PS4, says Sony Eurasia exec [update: Sony statement]
The Last of Us is making the trek to PS4 if comments from a Sony Eurasia executive are to be believed. Sony hasn't formally announced a port of Naughty Dog's PS3 survival horror, but Software Marketing Manager Sercan Sulun appears to have let slip of the PS4 version on a recent CNN Turk video interview. According to an IGN translation, Sulun told CNN Turk, "There is no information about a new The Last of Us game but I can share this knowledge: As of this summer, The Last of Us will be on the PS4. Both on PSN and physically. The PS4 version will also include the DLC so you will be able to play Left Behind as well." To reiterate, Sony hasn't announced a PS4 version of The Last of Us; yesterday the company published a list of the games confirmed as coming to the system this year, and there was no sign of Ellie and Joel's adventure. We've contacted Sony to clarify Sulun's comments. That said, Naughty Dog has been cautious on the subject. When queried on the possibility of a PS4 port by Eurogamer, Creative Director Neil Druckman said last month, "We have such limited resources, and it's a question of where you put the resources. It's something where we can have a feel of where the demand is, and where our time is best spent. It's something that we'll figure out as we move forward." Update: When approached, a representative for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe provided Joystiq with the following statement: "'At no time have we announced that The Last of Us is coming to PS4 and therefore, have nothing to say on the subject." [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Papers, Please and The Last of Us honored at GDC awards show
Designer Lucas Pope came close to apologizing for his frequent appearance on stage at 2014's Indie Games Festival Awards, collecting award after award for Papers, Please. The dystopian game of bureaucracy and hard-earned immigration was recognized by a panel of industry peers for its considered narrative, game design, and ... downloadability? Pope couldn't help but poke fun at the vestigial "Best Downloadable Game" category, noting the distinct advantage of making a game that's a quick 40MB download. Papers, Please also won for innovation in the Game Developers Choice Awards, the more mainstream half of the evening's show. Naughty Dog's own take on dystopia, The Last of Us, won here for best design, best narrative, and best overall game of the year. (This despite fellow nominee Super Mario 3D World having some pretty sweet overalls.) For the rest of the winners, including some gongs for Device 6, Risk of Rain and Grand Theft Auto 5, please see below.
The Last of Us surpasses 6 million units sold
Developer Naughty Dog revealed today that its PS3-exclusive post-pandemic survival game The Last of Us has sold more than six million copies worldwide since its launch in June last year. The latest sales figure likely includes digital purchases and copies of The Last of Us packaged with PlayStation 3 consoles, including last year's Amazon Black Friday bundle. The Last of Us topped Joystiq's list of the best games released across all platforms in 2013. Naughty Dog's announcement follows up on last month's launch of The Last of Us' "Left Behind" DLC, and accompanies recent reports stating that an upcoming film adaptation will stick closely to the game's storyline. [Image: Naughty Dog]
The Last of Us movie will adapt the game's storyline
The upcoming film version of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us will be an adaptation of the game's original post-apocalyptic storyline, creative director Neil Druckmann told IGN this week. "It's an adaptation of the story of The Last of Us," Druckmann said. "As far as where we go and how we make it fit into a film, how it takes into account the unique properties of film... We're not sure yet. We're only just scratching the surface." Historically, video game-based movies often veer sharply from their source material. The Super Mario Bros. film's reptilian underworld and Street Fighter: The Movie's Bison Dollars linger as reminders of the rocky relationship between the film and game industries, and the difficulties involved in bringing popular games to theaters. Rumors of a film based on The Last of Us began circulating with a pair of URL registrations late last year, and Deadline later reported that Druckmann would write its script with input from Naughty Dog staff. Sam Raimi's company Ghost House Pictures will assist with production.
The Last of Us high-fives at BAFTA awards, indies do well too
The Last of Us only delivered wins on half of its BAFTA Games Award nominations, but since it was nominated ten times, the Naughty Dog game didn't do so bad. The Joystiq Game of 2013 picked up the Best Game award at last night's ceremony in London, along with Best Story, Action & Adventure, Audio Achievement, and Performer - that went to Ashley Johnson for her portrayal of Ellie. Other big-budget games did well with Grand Theft Auto 5 and Tearaway both walking away with three awards, but it was also a good night for indie games. The Gone Home team went home with Debut Game, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons won Game Innovation, and Papers, Please stamped its name on the award for Strategy & Simulation. For the full list of nominees and winners, head over to BAFTA. Also, be sure to check out Steam's one-day-only sale on a selection of the nominated games. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Joystiq Weekly: Batman: Arkham Knight, our South Park review and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Rocksteady revealed its return to the Batman series this week with Batman: Arkham Knight, and we've dug out capes and Batarangs from our Halloween stash to get properly excited. Last year's Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate were the first pieces of the series that weren't developed by Rocksteady. We enjoyed Arkham Origins well enough, but we're ready to move on from its bugs and glitches, especially since not all of them will be fixed with a patch. Arkham Knight is set to be the final game in the Arkham series, and we're eager to see what Rocksteady will do for the finale once it releases in October. There's plenty to read while we wait however, including news of Amy Hennig's departure from Naughty Dog, a preview of Watch Dogs and a review of South Park: The Stick of Truth. We've rounded up those stories and more for you in this week's edition of the Joystiq Weekly. [Image: Warner Bros.]
Naughty Dog presidents defend employees following Hennig departure
Naughty Dog co-presidents Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra have made a joint statement claiming the departure of Uncharted writer and creative director Amy Hennig was misreported. IGN broke the story earlier this week, noting sources who contend Hennig was "forced out" by The Last of Us directors Neil Druckman and Bruce Straley. "Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann were NOT involved in what transpired," posted Wells and Balestra on the Naughty Dog site. "Normally, we wouldn't respond to rumors and speculation on matters that are internal to Naughty Dog, but because the personal reputation of two of our employees is being damaged we needed to set the record straight." Hennig was the creative director and writer on Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. She was expected to continue those duties for the new Uncharted game on PS4. [Image: @amy_hennig]
The Last of Us film moving ahead with Naughty Dog writing
Naughty Dog's stellar PlayStation 3 exclusive, The Last of Us, may soon appear in theaters, thanks to an agreement between the developer, Sony and Resident Evil: Afterlife production company Screen Gems. According to Deadline, the film adaptation will be written by Neil Druckmann who served as creative director on The Last of Us. Druckmann will also join Naughty Dog co-presidents Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra as well as game director Bruce Straley in designing the film's overall creative vision. Ghost House Productions, a company led by Evil Dead auteur Sam Raimi, will assist with general production duties. "Screen Gems' Brian Dukes and Eric Ling brought this game to my attention insisting we go after it, and when I saw the quality of the storytelling, I knew the audience for this project was far greater than just the gaming community and that Neil Druckmann must write the screenplay," stated Screen Gems president Clint Culpepper. Missing from Deadline's report is any info on who might star in or direct the movie. This means you readers get to fill the comments below with speculative casting choices - well, except for Ellie. That one's a no-brainer. [Image: Sony]
The Last of Us adds new difficulty level in upcoming DLC
The final DLC for The Last of Us' Season Pass will contain a new difficulty mode for the game's single-player mode, as well as new maps, weapons and skills for the game's multiplayer component. Naughty Dog only described the upcoming difficulty mode as "new," not necessarily harder. So who knows, maybe it's Lollipop Difficulty, where the infected have been replaced by fluffy teddy bears and sadness is replaced with rainbows. Naughty Dog wrote that they will provide more information "as in-game elements near completion." Naughty Dog also released a new behind-the-scenes video detailing their journey creating Left Behind, the single-player DLC follow-up for a game with roughly a bajillion awards. We've included it after the break since, like the game's Clicker enemies, spoilers can rip your throat out make you have a very bad day if you get too careless. [Image: Sony]
The Last of Us making-of documentary now on YouTube
Grounded: The Making of The Last of Us, a documentary that chronicles the creation of Naughty Dog's post-pandemic PlayStation 3 action game, is now free to watch on YouTube. Previously available as an exclusive bonus for The Last of Us Season Pass buyers, Grounded tackles the game's development from pitch to release, explaining a number of design choices developer Naughty Dog made along the way. This week's YouTube release follows up on Grounded's recent launch on Amazon Instant Video. Fair warning: Grounded occasionally delves into spoiler territory, so you might want to hold off on watching it until after you've completed the game's single-player campaign. [Image: Sony]
The Last of Us Creative Director: '50/50' shot for sequel
Naughty Dog seemingly won everyone over last year (including Joystiq and the DICE Awards) with The Last of Us, its tale of survival in a clicker-ridden world. Its ending felt fairly conclusive, but in a recent discussion (which you should not explore if you're wary of spoilers for the game or DLC) on Reddit, a fan asked what the odds are for a future chance to visit The Last of Us' world once more. "If you're asking about a sequel ... right now I'd say it's 50/50," Creative Director Neil Druckmann responded. If that's not enough to rile people up, Game Director Bruce Straley teased in the same thread that the team is "working on the 3rd DLC drop for MP right now! ... and maybe something else ... we'll see." It's almost like they enjoy teasing fans! Of course, if you missed your date with "Left Behind," the game's Valentines Day dose of narrative DLC, that's an immediate opportunity to spend more time with Ellie. [Image: Sony]
The Last of Us documentary 'Grounded' now on Amazon Instant
Grounded: The Making of The Last of Us, the behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the development of The Last of Us, is now available on Amazon Instant Video. The documentary follows developer Naughty Dog's creative process and provides insight into how the studio successfully cultivated a new IP following Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Formerly exclusive to The Last of Us season pass holders, this 85-minute feature is only available to Amazon users in the US right now, but Sony says it'll also be made available on the company's YouTube channel eventually. Grounded was produced by Area 5, the outfit formed by ex-1UPers in 2009. Area 5 has since produced I Am Street Fighter, a documentary on the community surrounding arguably the most popular fighting game franchise on the planet, and most recently successfully crowd-funded a six-episode series highlighting the culture of video games, called Outerlands. [Image: Naughty Dog]
Joystiq Weekly: Titanfall, The Last of Us DLC and Mario Kart 8 rivals
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Did you see that the Koopalings are going to be new characters targets in Mario Kart 8? The Koopalings, the brats responsible for loads of deaths dealt to Mario and Luigi with lava, twirling hoops and rings of death from magic wands? Yup, we've got new rivals. You're annoying, Baby Mario, but you haven't stopped us from moving on to the next world of a Mario game before. Watch your back, Koopalings. There's something about family-friendly, inclusive Nintendo games that bring our most competitive spirit. Have you ever calmly congratulated a friend after their star thievery earned them the title of Party Champion in Mario Party 2? Have you nodded in admiration of your opponent's strategy in Mario Kart Wii, right after they steal your victory with a red shell a few feet away from the finish line? We have a feeling your dialogue might have been more ... "spirited" than civil. We're not judging though - heck, we just threatened a bunch of baby turtles one graf above this! Of course, a lot more happened this week beyond the Koopalings opening themselves up for a world of hurt. This week brought NPD data for January, a review of The Last of Us' "Left Behind" DLC and video previews for Titanfall and Evolve! There's lots more beyond that after the break though, so jump the break and dive into the biggest stories of the week!
The Last of Us 'Left Behind' review: Memories and motivations
The Last of Us "Left Behind" DLC refers to important moments in the main game's story. As such, this review may contain SPOILERS for The Last of Us. "Left Behind," the first and only piece of narrative downloadable content for The Last of Us, has a strange task ahead of itself. It attempts to tell an impactful story with an ending every player is assuredly already aware of, reaching into the past to tell the story of Ellie and her best friend Riley. Despite the knowledge of Riley's fate – we learned of her death in The Last of Us – I still found myself becoming hopeful for her future, wishing something magical would happen, that I could avert the tragedy. No such luck.
