I gotta say, I was pretty bummed to not have been able to head to Judges Day this year (as I am every year.) So just imagine my surprise when Sony sent the same build to us today. I basically have about 6 hours for this preview before the embargo lifts, but this is an incredibly small section of the game’s campaign, taking place in 2 distinct areas. I have no idea where this transpires in the story, and as we always do, this will be completely spoiler-free.

The goal for this preview is to detail the gameplay, environment, and pretty much everything BUT the story elements. I’ve opted to turn the lights on as I boot this build up, and actually, I’m pretty stoked that I get to play this on my huge plasma with surround sound, instead of a small monitor and headphones. Let’s get to it!

The first section available is in Lincoln, PA. You start out on a road, but jump into the woods right away. The lighting hits you right away too, as the sun creeps through the tree branches (the sun is at the point that photographers call the “magic hour” which is a great touch for the mood). You can tell immediately that there will probably be a good deal of exploration, as you can search around for items to pick up and add to your inventory. Controls are very responsive, and feel pretty different than those in the Uncharted series. Also, I noticed that I don’t think that you can fire your weapon unless you’re holding L1 to aim (no run and gun.) This probably isn’t a bad thing though, since ammo is scarce.

I come to a fenced-in area, with a small shed off to the side. As I climb to the top of the shed, I find a pipe with scissors taped to the end. This can act as an upgrade to my normal melee attack, and a tutorial pops-up to let me know that I can upgrade any melee weapon, bit that use is limited because items damage when used. For example, I can craft an upgraded melee weapon if I have scissors, a roll of tape, and a Baseball bat. It’s a good use of crafting, especially since it seems pretty simple (unlike some RPG’s I’ve seen.)

I scope a plank resting against a wall, and it seems that’s what I’ll have to use to get farther in to the area. This was tricky since there wasn’t any type of tutorial. I figured that I could use the plank to walk across to the shack that’s inside the fenced area, but I didn’t’ know how to so. I tried a few different things until I put it in the right place, dropped it across the gap between the two shacks, and headed across with Ellie.

At this point, I enter the town, and something spooks Ellie, so we duck into a building. I scrounge a bit, and man, the lighting! The sun is actually heading down into the horizon, and beams shoot through the windows with a glow the permeates anything in its path. Stunning! We go outside, and then I see what spooked Ellie, a zombie-thingy. It doesn’t see me at first, and being me, I shoot at its head (instead of just going past it or melee’ing the hell out of it. My aim sucks, and it grabs me, tearing at my neck… and I’m dead! Yup, this isn’t one of those “I can shake the zombie thingy” type of games. I restart at the checkpoint, and this time, I take the bastard out with a couple of headshots, but another is nearby and makes a run for me. This time, I’m ready and take it out with ease. I can tell already though, that you definitely want to avoid conflicts at all costs.

The town is deserted, and plants have started to grow over everything. As I’m searching a garden for items, I noticed that if there are more than one item in arms reach, you pick everything up at once instead of each individual item (THANK YOU!) There’s nothing going on here though, and the lack of movement is downright creepy. It’s one of those “it’s too quiet” feelings. Then, a slight music cue and I freak out! Of course, nothing was there. Damn you Naughty Dog.

Ack! Another of “the infected.” Since I’m a wuss, I waste a molotov cocktail on it. I’d crafted a couple earlier just in case. I’m sure that I should have just melee’d it to take it out, buuuuut that molotov did the job. I’ll regret this choice later on, or at least I expect that’s the case.

I fall into a trap set by the man we’re looking for, and all hell breaks loose as you defend Ellie while she attempts to cut you down. The infected move in from all around, and running away makes a LOT more sense then trying to kill them all. The action is crazy, and yeah, I died a couple of times along the way. This requires a lot more finesse than straight-up gunplay, so obviously it’s not normally what I play, and that’s a good thing.

There are a few stealth elements at your disposal. You’ll have the ability to pick up things like bottles and bricks, and instead of throwing them directly at someones head, you can throw it in an opposite direction to distract them, allowing you to slip by. Also, there’s an ability (deemed ‘Listen Mode’, which can be disabled) to hold R2, making the screen fade to black & white, and activating a sort-of sonar. You’ll be able to see outlines of your enemies through objects and walls. You’ll be relatively vulnerable while doing so, but it’s an excellent way to strategize what you’re going to do next. As seen in past demos, the enemy AI is completely contextual, so if you show that you have skills with your gun, they’ll actually back-off and either run away, or attempt to regroup and flank you. From what I played, this feature is the real deal too. They reacted quite differently in the two playthroughs.

On to Pittsburgh now. It starts at a point seen in one of the trailers, with a man acting as if he’s injured. Joel guns the truck to get away only to be rammed by a bus. The action gets intense immediately, as Joel and Ellie are both accosted before they can get out of the truck. A lucky headshot on another enemy, and they quickly back off to rally themselves. This gives me time to creep a bit and get into a better position. I only have 2 shells in my shotgun but I figure that if I take one out with it, the others may scatter.

After I take them all out, Ellie and Joel explore a couple of the buildings, and we find a workbench, offering me a chance to upgrade my weapons etc. The crafting system is very straightforward and easy to use, which makes me happy. That ends the second area of the preview.

What ‘The Last of Us’ is not is derivative. It’s not simply Uncharted with infected enemies, it’s not Resident Evil, and it’s not the standard “Zombies” game. The gameplay is much more deliberate, requiring you to scrounge for supplies as much as possible. There’s a good deal of exploration, and unless you hold L2 all the time, you won’t be running everywhere by default. The dialogue between Joel and Ellie doesn’t feel forced, and fits the mood of the situation nicely.

In the short amount of gameplay that I experienced, it hits every note in terms of pacing and mood. The use of sound has a drastic impact on your psyche as you move through the overgrown areas that you need to traverse. Sounds are used sparingly though, which actually affects the player even more. The action is visceral and impactful, and the brutality of your situation makes you feel the . ‘The Last of Us’ plays with your head, and as a hoard of infected race toward you, just try to remember that shooting them is the last thing that you’ll want to do, especially when you realize that you only have 2 bullets.

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The full reveal looks to be happening on May 21st, but you can check out the first trailer for Japan Studios ‘Panopticon’ now. It looks to be a Vita title, but who really knows?

It’s finally official, and not surprising, it’s coming to PlayStation 3. With promises of all-new physics, a “more compact engine” to speed things up in terms of load times and flexibility, 200 more cars on the disc, 7 new tracks in 17 variations, and now even using adaptive tessellation in the visuals, it probably still won’t seem like too big of an update on the surface. From the looks of it though, there’s a lot of “new and shiny” under the hood. Also, they’re definitely expanding Gran Turismo’s reach outside the confines of the PS3, with interactivity with not only the website, but with portable devices like phones and tablets.

Check out the trailer:

and the PR Speak:
“Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. today announced Gran Turismo®6 (GT6™), the latest version of PlayStation®’s best-selling franchise, will be released in Holiday, 2013. The news was revealed today by legendary Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi at an event held to celebrate 15 years of the 70-million-selling series.

GT6 for PlayStation®3 will bring new levels of authenticity to ‘the Real Driving Simulator’ as well as introducing stunning new tracks and cars and a revised user interface. A new compact game engine will improve operation and increase the flexibility to expand it with downloadable content. Meanwhile, the game is also set for expanded connectivity with other devices such as smart phones and tablets and increased social and community functions.

All of the cars and tracks from Gran Turismo®5, which has sold over 10 million copies since launching in 2010, will be retained in GT6. But notable new additions to the already impressive line-up of historic cars, road cars and the latest race cars, brings the total car list to 1,200 at launch, with new cars set to be continually added online. Several thousand aerodynamic parts and custom wheels will be available for almost all cars, and players can personalize their own custom cars in game to the greatest ever level possible.

The UK’s famous Silverstone Circuit will be just one of seven new locations in Gran Turismo 6, taking the total to 33, with 71 different layouts available, 19 of them brand new. There will also be regular additions of new tracks set to be made available online. The improved course maker function will provide gorgeous scenery spanning several tens of square kilometers including the magnificent backdrop of Andalucia.

The theme of Gran Turismo’s innovative collaborations with partner companies will increase with the inception of GT6. A number of exciting new projects that blur the line between the virtual and real will be announced in the run up to the game’s launch. Not least of these is GT Academy, a collaboration with Nissan to unearth real racing driver talent that first ran in 2008. It was announced during the event that the competition returns for its biggest ever year in 2013, with the entry mechanic set to take place on an exclusive GT6 demo in July.

Other notable partnerships in the development of GT6 have been with tire manufacturer Yokohama Rubber and suspension company KW Automotive. Both companies are active in the commercial car industry and in racing, and they have acted as technical development partners for the game’s new physics engine, for its tire and suspension kinematic modeling, creating an even more realistic experience for GT fans.

“It is amazing to think that it is 15 years since we first released Gran Turismo,” explained Kazunori Yamauchi, during the announcement at Silverstone Circuit. “Things have changed a lot since then and now Gran Turismo 6 is a further evolution of my dream. We’re pleased to deliver GT6 to PlayStation 3 as we have a very loyal community on that platform. However, we have refactored the game to make it very flexible and expandable, with a view to making many future developments. I am very pleased with everything about the new game and the new additions, but the launch will be only the beginning for GT6. The game will continue to develop throughout its life. I already have many ideas for things I want to achieve in the next 15 years of Gran Turismo!”

The celebration of 15 years of Gran Turismo event at Silverstone included a demo of GT6 featuring the famous circuit. Guests were able to play the game in the familiar circular Gran Turismo race pods before having a chance to take to the real track in cars provided by Audi, Ford, Jaguar, KTM, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota.

Further news about Gran Turismo 6 will be revealed at the forthcoming E3 and Gamescom events and on http://www.gran-turismo.com/”

Summary of new Gran Turismo 6 features announced by Kazunori Yamauchi:

New Game Engine:
Refactoring
Compact, nimble operation
Flexible expandability
A new rendering engine that pushes the limits of the PS3
New Physics Engine
New suspension and kinematics model
New tyre model
New aerodynamics model
Technical partnership with Yokohama Rubber and KW Automotive

1,200 Cars, abundant custom parts, and on-going DLC

From historic cars to the latest racing cars, the game contains a total of 1200 cars.
Multiple aerodynamic parts and custom wheels will be available for almost all cars.
Players can create their own personalised custom car in the game.
Cars will be continually added online

33 locations, 71 layouts

33 Locations and 71 layouts will be provided from day 1 (7 more locations and 19 more layouts than GT5)
More new tracks will continue to be provided online
New Course Maker

Massive scenery spanning several tens of square kilometers
A new course generation algorithm

Community/Club/Race Organizer:
Players can form their own communities
Various community levels from local and domestic to global
Players themselves can create and manage their own online events
New User Interface

Balancing directional key operation and touch operation
Quick response
Shortening of loading times

Multi Device Compatibility:
PlayStation
Smart Phone
Tablet
PC

At the same time as the PS3 version of GT6 the “Real Driving Simulator” launches, a mobile version and web application version of GT6, will be created to enjoy Gran Turismo’s massive community space.

Real/Virtual “Edge Effect” Activity:
A variety of “Edge Effects”, the chemical reactions between the real world and the virtual world for which the Gran Turismo series is famous, are also planned for GT6. Exciting collaborations between various automotive manufacturers and collaborations with brands crossing different industries will be revealed gradually across the next six months.

Screenshots!:

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SCEE have just confirmed the PS+ offering for June.

As always, subscribers are in for a treat thanks to some fantastic free games. Rayman Origins, which is perhaps the most beautiful looking game so far on the Vita‘s OLED screen, arrives on June 5th. Another title for Sony‘s latest handheld – Coconut Dodge Revitalised, from renowned PSN developer FuturLab – also hits on the same day. Meanwhile, the PS3 selection will be updated with 3 full retail releases on May 29th. The PS Blog also teases that Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is set for a 70% discount on PS+.

Check out the full list below:

Leaving PS Plus in June:

• 29th May: Hitman Absolution
• 29th May: Joe Danger 2
• 29th May: Dead or Alive 5
• 5th June: Sine Mora
• 12th June: Velocity Ultra

Entering PS Plus in June:

• 29th May: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
• 29th May: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus HD Collection
• 29th May: Demon’s Souls
• 5th June: Rayman Origins
• 5th June: Coconut Dodge Revitalised

Sony have trademarked the slogan ‘Greatness Awaits’, in preparation for their initial PlayStation 4 marketing campaign.

Siliconera spotted the trademark, which fits in with leaks which appeared online last week. The leaks suggested a TV advert – which featured nods to Destiny and Killzone: Shadow Fall – would be centred around the theme of ‘Greatness Awaits’.

Indeed, the commercial is said to end with the quote; “Who are you to deny greatness? If you would deny it to yourself, you deny it to the entire world.” (also via Siliconera).

Now while the overall promotional campaign should still be treated as rumour, there is no denying the trademark. This could be just one of the ideas SCEA are toying around with, but taking into account the apparent leaks, ‘Greatness Awaits’ looks likely to be the first slogan for the latest PlayStation console.

Krieg is coming to Borderlands 2 today! The sixth playable character, which we previewed last week, has a wild launch trailer available here:

The Psycho Bandit will be available to tear up Pandora when the PlayStation Store updates later today for $9.99.

It’s coming this Summer to PSN and PCs everywhere! It’s no longer trying to be sneaky. As a matter of fact, our until-recently-stealthy friends from Lille, France, Seaven Studio, are laying their baby wide open to the elements!

Ethan: Meteor Hunter is a platforming puzzler which revolves around our hero, a mouse who became exposed to fragments of this interstellar interloper. Unlike Stephen King in Creepshow who turns into a plant-man, Ethan becomes telekinetic like Stephen King’s Carrie without the specter of spontaneous gym-shower sanguination. Ethan travels through three different worlds and 50 levels as he tries to reconstitute the pulverized meteor.

When Seaven announced their existence they talked about involving their fans in the process of development. They weren’t kidding. Have a look at the video below and become involved in the development by downloading the Alpha Demo onto your computer and sending the studio your feedback.

This is looking like more than just a simple up-res, as what we’re seeing in these new screens looks pretty fantastic!

The screenshots feature the gorgeous HD versions of the three playable characters Yuna, Rikku and Paine and the world of Spira, two years after the events of FINAL FANTASY X.

FINAL FANTASY X / X-2 HD Remaster is a single disc bundle that will be available on the PlayStation®3 system. FINAL FANTASY X HD Remaster and FINAL FANTASY X-2 HD Remaster will be available for the PlayStation®Vita. These titles will be available in 2013.

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Ok, the series has always been pretty crazy, but with the 4th iteration, Volition looks to take the throne as they best Crackdown with some awesome powers and over-the-top weapons. Just watch…

PR Talk:
“Today Deep Silver and Volition released an in-game walkthrough from the pre-alpha version of Saints Row IV based on the demo shown during the latest PAX East.

Senior Producer Jim Boone from Volition will lead you through the urban chaos of virtual Steelport. In the upcoming Saints Row IV for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC, not only will you greet your citizens as President of the USA with friendly… punches, but you’ll also have some mind-boggling weapons will also be at your disposal. Make your people dance to the funky beats of your Dubstep Gun and literally kill them with music! Weapons now not only can be upgraded; this time you will be also able to change their looks.
In Saints Row IV you will encounter enemies that are certainly…out of this world! Blast them to pieces… either with your super Mech… or your superpowers!”

Saints Row IV launches August 20th, 2013 across North and Latin America and August 23rd worldwide.

Volition and Deep Silver have unleashed the latest trailer for Saints Row IV, with probably the most epic nut-shot ever in a videogame! This one is just looking more and more epic every time they show gameplay, and I’ve gotta say that I’m pretty excited for this one. THey’ve definitely found their niche and are owning it completely.

‘Merica!