The Last of Us has been out for a few months and people that bought the $20 Season Pass have yet to see one part of the three promised DLC packs, until now. October 15th will see the release of The Abandoned Territories Map Pack with four new maps including: Suburbs, Bus Depot, Hometown and Bookstore.
Naughty Dog has not forgotten about the single player DLC that was announced as part of the Season Pass. The good news is that they are hard at work on it, the bad news is that it will not be ready until December or possibly early 2014. The main reason I bought the Season Pass was for this and while the wait may be long, I have faith that Naughty Dog will make it worth it.
The third piece of the Season Pass will another multiplayer pack and will not be available until the first half of next year.
This video is just another reason to love everything and everyone involved with the making of The Last of Us. Creative director Neil Druckmann shows some behind the scene footage of an integral part of the final part of the game. The ending has since changed from what is shown, but what is truly remarkable is what happens during the performance from Troy Baker who plays Joel and Merle Dandridge who plays Marlene.
I promise you can not guess what it is and after you will want to watch it again.
We were all hoping [amazon_link id=”B007CM0K86″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Last of Us[/amazon_link] would be a hit and Sony has confirmed that it indeed is just that.
In the first three weeks of release the Naughty Dog title has sold 3.4 million copies which include digital download numbers from the Playstation Store. It has become the highest selling PS3 title of 2013 and should have no problem passing 5 million copies by year’s end.
It is good to see such an amazing game with sales numbers like this and I am sure it is a matter of pride for Naughty Dog that it has been received so well.
Let’s all be honest, when we were 14 we were talking the same way right?
No? Well maybe I am just fu**ed in the head then.
How about this?
Let’s all be honest, if we were 14 and lived in a post-apocalyptic society where fungal creatures were turning humans into walking death and all we had to protect us was a shiv we made out of some metal and tape we would be talking the same way right?
No? Well sh**. Aren’t you the patron saint of clean mouth?
I don’t know whether to smile with delight or cringe in horror knowing what awaits Ralph and Vanellope. What I do know is that this mash-up from Digital-Tuls is wonderfully made and something I would have never thought about in a million years.
When I begin to think about it I can totally see Vanellope going Ellie-style and hopping on someone’s back like a spider monkey and shivving the sh** out of someone.
In 1996, a game developer called Naughty Dog released a game starring a bright orange bandicoot that spun, wore talking tiki masks, had a super-hot girlfriend, and loved “wumpa fruit.” Crash would soon become synonymous with the PlayStation brand, and that mascot-level connection would only grow across the next two generations with Jak & Daxter on the PS2, and Uncharted’s Nathan Drake on the PS3.
As such, it is fitting that in the twilight before the PlayStation 4 launches in November, Naughty Dog is releasing a game entitled The Last of Us. While this is not actually the absolute final big exclusive for the PS3 (Beyond: Two Souls isn’t until October), it is almost certainly the most anticipated one. Feel free to disagree with that statement in the comments, but only after you’ve read my thoughts below.
1. Presentation
In all my years of gaming, few things have ever left me as slacked-jawed as The Last of Us. The character models are incredible, the voice-acting sounds phenomenal, the lighting effects are a sight to behold, the details on the Infected makes me what to throw up, etc. Take note, because I almost never say this: Here is a PS3 exclusive that might not be graphically possible on the 360.
2. Atmosphere
Graphical prowess aside, the world that Naughty Dog has crafted feels like a very real, very terrifying place. The Infected are horrifying to behold, but the other survivors are arguably more threatening; you have to wonder how far you would go to survive in a similar situation. I’ll also give kudos for the fact that this world doesn’t look empty or dead just because the people are gone; other life would just have more room to roam.
3. Character Stories
The Resident Evil series started losing fans when it became clear that Capcom was more interested in storytelling about their various viruses and conspiracies than their characters. Thankfully, The Last of Us appears to be much more focused on Joel and Ellie’s personal struggles and triumphs; of course, I am interested to know what makes Ellie so important to everyone involved. The best sci-fi has always been more about people than anything else, and I’ve got my fingers crossed on this one.
Photo courtesy mashable.com
4. New Mechanics
Most big games have this-or-that new cover feature, AI system, or shell casing shininess engine that marketing loves to hype. The Last of Us is no different, but videos have shown both the “Dynamic Stealth” and “Balance of Power” systems to be more than just hot air. The former refers to the countless different ways players can approach any given situation or obstacle; the latter is the system that governs how enemies react not just to the player, but to the world around them.
5. The Infected
Holy *@&^ these things are terrifying to behold, and the noises they make in the trailers almost make me rethink picking up the game. If you’ve never looked up Cordyceps fungus, hit this link and then get back to me. The concept of these things evolving to infect humans is bone-chilling, and the way the physical changes to the hosts have been conceptualized for The Last of Us is exceptional. It won’t be easy to dethrone Necromorphs in terms of terror, but the Infected have the best shot I’ve seen yet.
I’m not saying The Last of Us is the last great video game ever, or the last great Naughty Dog game ever, or even the last great PS3 game ever (again, Beyond in October, and it looks amazing). But I do genuinely feel like it represents the end of an era, and a culmination of things born on the original Playstation and refined for the last seventeen (!) years of development. I’ll leave you with the trailer below until June 14:
We are still a bit over a week away from the release of Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic adventure, [amazon_link id=”B007CM0K86″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Last of Us[/amazon_link], but today the first reviews began rolling out and it seems that the long desired game is living up to the massive hype. We will have our review ready for you as soon as we get our copy and undoubtedly lose ourselves in it. Until then, take a look at what other media sites are saying about The Last of Us.
“The Last of Us seamlessly intertwines satisfying, choice-based gameplay with a stellar narrative. It never slows down, it never lets up, and frankly, it never disappoints. It’s PlayStation 3’s best exclusive, and the entire experience, from start to finish, is remarkable”
“The Last of Us is a brutally realistic and often shocking depiction of a world in crisis, but is undeniably fun to play. It perfectly captures a civilization on the brink through its believable and hellish atmosphere. It represents one of the strongest console exclusives in a long time and is absolutely a must-have experience for mature PlayStation 3 gamers.”
“The relationship that grows between Ellie and Joel as they fight to protect one another is the most genuine I’ve ever seen, brought to life by superb writing and excellent performances. It’s more than a father-daughter archetype, more than an easy ploy to tug at the heartstrings. A deep love blooms between the two of them, tinged with a sadness that sometimes makes it difficult to bear.”
“In other words, as with so many post-apocalyptic stories before it—Hello, zombie clichés!—The Last of Us‘s fungal pandemic is really just table-setting for a much more intimate, human story. Like last year’s The Walking Dead game, this isn’t actually a tale of zombies and bandits and the end of the world. It’s a tale of loss and hope and friendship and family that just happens tofeature zombies and bandits and the end of the world. And it’s a fine, worthy tale, at that.”
“The Last of Us is a deeply felt, shockingly violent game that questions what we’re willing to sacrifice and, more disturbingly, what we’re willing to do to save the ones we love. The conclusion offers no easy answers. You won’t forget it.”
“The Last of Us is a bold work, especially for a developer recently known for strapping us into cinematic roller coasters. The Last of Us is not fun, at least not in the traditional sense, and that’s exactly why it’s so interesting.”
“There is more to The Last of Us than just combat and “emotional” story tropes. To touch on its setpiece moments, to detail its beautiful changes in pace, would be to spoil too much. It cannot be said enough, however, that Naughty Dog’s new best creation is complete, and when I saycomplete, I mean it to pay the highest of compliments. I do not want more from The Last of Us: I do not need more. As the last line was uttered and the credits ushered in the close, I was done. The Last of Us had achieved everything it needed to achieve in order to provide me with everything I wanted.”
” It achieves incredible emotional high points about as often as it bumps up against tired scenario design that doesn’t fit its world. Survival in the post-apocalypse requires compromise, but The Last of Us has given up something vital.”
We here at Nerd Rating are on official countdown to The Last of Us. 16 days until Naughty Dog’s much anticipated post-apocalyptic story is finally in our hands.
Today the studio announced that the game will be getting a Season Pass that will have three DLC packs, two for multiplayer and one for single player. Exactly how the DLC will fit into the single player story is very much a mystery.
The Last of Us Season Pass will cost $20 and will also give buyers character boosts like increased crafting and healing as well as weapon upgrades and a 90 minute documentary titled “Grounded”.
Damn you, Naughty Dog. Damn you in the best possible way.
Now that we are approaching the release of [amazon_link id=”B007CM0K86″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Last of Us[/amazon_link] we are seeing more and more gameplay and exactly how Joel and Ellie will interact in this post-apocalyptic society. The newest developer diary titled ” Death and Choices” shows how the crafting system works as well as deciding to make it a real time event and how important it was to make it easy to use.
I love how the choice of “flight or fight” will affect you in the game. Do you sneak past a group of guys and lose everything you could loot from them and the environment or do you risk death to scrounge all you can?
Naughty Dog has released the second video diary for [amazon_link id=”B007CM0K86″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Last of Us[/amazon_link]. “Wasteland Beautiful” focuses on the creation of the environment in this world where humans are on the verge of extinction. A lot of time is spent on how important the lighting is to convey exactly how hauntingly beautiful this world is that has been reclaimed by Mother Nature.
Naughty Dog is able to draw so much power out of the PS3 it makes me excited for when they finally unveil their first PS4 title. (Uncharted…cough cough.)
