• Breaking Down The Ending in The Last of Us

    Before we even begin to get started here, let's get the ol' disclaimer out of the way.

    This post will contain major story spoilers to the singleplayer mode in The Last of Us. If you haven't played this mode yet or do not want the story spoiled, do not read past the break or you will be very sad.

    The Last of Us is easily the best game released in 2013, both from a singleplayer and multiplayer perspective. At its heart, however, The Last of Us is a story-driven video game that delivers its story unlike any other game released in the last few years.

    From the opening moments to the tail end of the story, The Last of Us grabs you and never lets you go.

  • Get the Most Out of The Last of Us With Our Guides and Tutorials

    At long last, The Last of Us will finally be in our hands tomorrow - June 14th, 2013 - and FPS General has everything you need to get prepared.

    Our survival guide includes in-depth analysis of Joel's abilities, weapons and the enemies he will face as well as some all-around tips and tricks to help you survive the harsh environments that Naughty Dog has created.

    The whole section can be viewed right here, but some standouts include:

    Good luck and enjoy The Last of Us!

  • We've Played Multiplayer in The Last of Us and It's...Different

    We've been spending some time playing The Last of Us recently and as much as we'd like to tell you all about the game right this instant, it isn't worth breaking the embargo over and having Naughty Dog field agents swarming over the office faster than a Clicker can turn you into dinner.

    What we can tell you, however, is that The Last of Us multiplayer is a very unique experience, and pretty different than anything else out there right now. This should be expected, it's Naughty Dog after all, but here's the rundown:

    Note: this post will contain mild spoilers from The Last of Us, you are forewarned.

    The Last of Us MP is called Factions, and requires you to choose an allegiance.

    You have two choices in this; Fireflies and Hunters.

    Two game modes will be available from the outset; Supply Raid and Survivors.

    In Supply Raid, you and your team vie for the supplies strewn about the map. These supplies are vital for crafting weapons and making your team stronger. Your team has a shared pool of lives and the match continues until one side's lives are gone.

    Survivors is a but more unforgiving, as every player has one life per round. The match ends when one player is left standing.

  • DUST 514 Launches, Is It Really That Different From Beta?

    Earlier this morning, CCP officially took DUST 514 out of beta and released the game into the wild. The PlayStation 3 exclusive shooter has spent a lot of time in beta testing, so why take the game out of beta now?

    Has anything really changed from beta to release? Let's take a look.

    Last week, DUST 514 received the Uprising update which was the final step before today's launch. Gameplay updates included:

    Gameplay

    • New Overview Map and Spawn Screen UI.
    • Players are invisible / cloaked upon spawn for a few seconds.
    • New Kill Screen that shows who killed you and his/her statistics.
    • Major improvement to the login flow. Time to merc quarter reduced from 4:30 seconds to 1:30 seconds on average.
    • New character creation screen.
    • Increased EVE Online integration.

    Drop Suits

    • New dropsuit roles and race/role-specific bonuses added:
      • Minmatar: Scout, Assault, Logistics
      • Amarr: Assault, Logistics, Sentinel
      • Gallente: Scout, Assault, Logistics
      • Caldari: Logistics, Assault, Scout

    Vehicles

    Brand new vehicles, including:

    • Enforcer HAV
    • Scout LAV
    • Assault Dropship

    The mechanics and accompanying skills have all been tweaked as well.

    At the end of the day, the just has spoken and the verdict is clear; DUST 514 has truly arrived at a point where CCP can proudly call this a release client. The game feels completely different from our time spent in beta testing and that is exactly how it should be.

    If you played the game in beta, we strongly encourage you to go back and give it another spin because this is not the same game that you played even a month ago. CCP has introduced a wealth of changes to bring this game from its lengthy spell in beta testing to proper release and it's worth a second look.

     

  • DUST 514 to Launch May 14th

    With CCP's Fanfest 2013 this year came many announcements for players worldwide, including a launch date for DUST 514. Indeed, fans were delighted to hear this weekend that the groundbreaking, free-to-play first-person-shooter launches May 14th on PlayStation 3, and players can join the war for galactic supremacy with the ease of a free download from the PSN.

    “Reaching this point has required many years, hundreds of CCP employees, and the engagement of millions of players who contributed fantastic feedback during the beta process,” said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP. “Now we start the real journey, which, decades from now, we will look back on with astonishment at all we accomplished. The EVE Universe will outlive us all.”

    DUST 514 brings intense infantry combat, large scale warfare and rich character advancement to the PS3 in a system-exclusive free-to-play persistent shooter set in, and integrated with, the massive universe of EVE Online. Wage war in the next generation of first person shooters, where your next victory could prove the crushing blow to a galactic empire of thousands of online gamers.

    Stay tuned to our DUST 514 center for future DUST 514 discussion. We're busy rounding up all you want to know about this year's Fanfest, so be sure to visit http://www.curse.com/tag/eve-fanfest-2013 to stay on top of coverage.  

  • Two Things Naughty Dog Might Be Teasing in this Screenshot

    Earlier today, the screenshot above - click to expand - surfaced online. The image is taken from a section of The Last of Us, Naughty Dog's upcoming third-person adventure game due out in June of this year.

    As you may notice, on the billboard that The Last of Us protagonist Joel is standing next to, it reads:

    ALL RESIDENTS OF AMHERST COUNTY AND ALL OUTLYING AREAS ARE REQUIRED TO EVACUATE BY:

    [8:00PM 10/17/13]

    The thing that is catching the attention of folks in the PlayStation community is the incredibly specific date of October 17th, 2013. Is this just an arbitrary date that Naughty Dog chose to include? Not bloody likely in our opinion.

    Here are two things that we think Naughty Dog may be teasing with this date.

  • The Beautiful Wasteland of The Last of Us

    Check out the latest developer diary from the folks at Naughty Dog as they take another in-depth look at their upcoming third-person survival game The Last of Us. This was one of our most anticipated games of 2013, and nothing has changed - we're just as excited to finally get a look at the game as we were at the start of the year.

    Take a look at the video and visit our Last of Us hub for more information on the game.

  • The Last of Us Demo Coming May 31st in God of War: Ascension

    Quick note this morning that Naughty Dog has announced that players who purchase God of War: Ascension will receive exclusive early access to the demo for The Last of Us. This demo will be available on May 31st.

    We're unsure at this time when the demo will be available for people who do not pick up God of War but the game itself is scheduled to launch on June 14th, so presumably the demo will launch shortly after the May 31st exclusivity date for God of War purchasers.

    There's a bit of confusion currently as other information had given early April as a release date for the demo, so stick with us while we follow the story as it develop. Doubtless the May 31st date is set in stone as the official Naughty Dog Twitter account has announced it themselves, as you can see above.

  • The Last of Us Now Releasing in June

    Amid rumors and speculation that Naughty Dog would be pushing back The Last of Us, the team has taken to the PlayStation Blog to confirm that they would, indeed, be pushing The Last of Us back to June. 

    Said Naughty Dog Creative Director Neil Druckmann: 

    The Last of Us is an ambitious project. In many ways it may be Naughty Dog’s most ambitious project to date – brand new universe and cast of characters, brand new tech, brand new genre, not to mention it’s easily the longest campaign Naughty Dog has ever made.

    As we entered the final phase of development for The Last of Us, we came to realize just how massive Joel and Ellie’s journey is. But instead of cutting corners or compromising our vision, we came to the tough decision that the game deserved a few extra weeks to ensure every detail of The Last of Us was up to Naughty Dog’s internal high standards.

    ...

    The extra wait will be very short and your patience will be rewarded. Update your calendars. You won’t even have to change seasons. The Last of Us will be available June 14th, 2013.

    As far as we're concerned, Naughty Dog can take all the time they need. The Last of Us looks amazing and we'll be there on opening night, giving them our money.

    Source: PS Blog

  • Geoff Keighley Goes Hands-On With The Last of Us

    Over on GameTrailers, Geoff Keighley had the chance to get some time playing the full demo of The Last of Us - the same demo that will be available later this year, we believe - and they've put together a 10 minute gameplay video for our enjoyment.

    In the video, which you can find below, Keighley is joined by Naughty Dog's Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann to discuss the game and show off some brand new gameplay from the demo. As they discuss in the video, The Last of Us has a very different feel from Naughty Dog's previous third-person series Uncharted. We haven't had a chance to play the demo, unfortunately, but you can see in the gameplay trailers that the game is much more tactical when compared to Uncharted. Players have to choose if they want to try and go quietly and pick off their enemies one by one or maybe make a bit of noise and gun them down in a hail of bullets. In Uncharted, Nathan Drake was more than a little reckless and while that made for some of our absolute favorite third-person shooters, it will be nice to see the pace slow down a bit.

    Naughty Dog has said that they will be releasing a demo for The Last of Us but they're keeping quiet on a specific release date for that. As this was one of our most-anticipated shooters of 2013, you can imagine that we're excited to get our hands on the game.

    Check out the new gameplay video below and visit http://thelastofus.com/ for more information on the game.

  • God of War: Ascension Shipping With Early Preview of The Last of Us

    Naughty Dog has revealed that folks who pick up a copy of God of War: Ascension on March 12th will receive access to a chapter from The Last of Us. This will be the earliest that anyone can get access to the upcoming demo of The Last of Us.

    How it works is simple. When you pick up a copy of God of War: Ascension in March, there will be a menu option for 'The Last of Us'. Just go into that menu and they'll spell out exactly how you can get early access to the demo as soon as it becomes available later this year. The Last of Us doesn't ship until May of this year, and there's no word yet as to when the demo will be playable. We're also not sure what the demo will entail, outside of the fact that it will contain access to a chapter from the game. Needless to say, more information will be forthcoming!

    Make sure you stay connected with FPS General on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates on The Last of Us, including future updates on the demo and how you can get access to it!

  • Naughty Dog Details The Last of Us Special Editions

    Naughty Dog has released some information on the special editions of The Last of Us, available this May 7th, 2013. To start with, the standard edition of the game will be available for $59.99, but that's no fun. We want in-game bonuses, Naughty Dog, we want collectible statues and trinkets for our desks!

    Enter the Collector's Editions:

    Survival Edition

    The first collector's edition available is the Survival Edition and comes bundled with in-game DLC and The Art of The Last of Us, published by Dark Horse. The full contents include:

    • Full size hardcover artbook by Dark Horse - Over 170 pages
    • Steelbook edition of the game
    • The Last of Us - American Dreams #1 Comic (Variant Cover)
    • Sights and Sounds DLC pack (Voucher Download)
    • Official Game Soundtrack
    • PS3 Dynamic Theme
    • PSN Avatars: Winter Joel and Ellie
    • Naughty Dog Sticker sheet

    The Survival Edition is going to be available for $79.99. The Art of The Last of Us will be available separately from Dark Horse (price at $39.99) and can be found at your local comic books store or major retailers like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

    Keep reading for information on the Post-Pandemic Collector's Edition of The Last of Us!

  • DUST 514 Launches in Open Beta January 22nd

     This post originally published on DUST514.org on Monday, January 14th.

    The Dust 514 open beta begins on 22nd January 2013, CCP Games has announced. Everyone to download Dust 514 first-person shooter and play for free on their PS3 from that day. The news comes a few days after CCP merged Dust 514 Eve Online.

    "The launch of the Dust 514 Open Beta is another step towards our long-term vision for CCP and Eve," said CCP boss Hilmar Veigar Pétursson. "But this is just the beginning. As we have done with Eve Online, in the coming weeks, and for years to come, we will continually improve upon and add to the Dust 514 experience, as well as add deeper integration between the two games and their communities."

    Meanwhile, CCP confirmed that those in the closed beta will face no further character resets, so all play from now on counts. Those not in the closed beta can get a head start before the open beta begins through the Dust 514 Mercenary Park, which you can buy now from the PlayStation Store. 

    In addition, anyone who plays a match before 22nd January gets a 100,000 Skill Point bonus to use in the open beta.

  • An EVE Player's Take on DUST 514

    I played EVE on and off for nearly a decade so it’s reasonable to assume that I’m pretty excited for DUST 514. Or at least I was...at some point during 2012 I got sidetracked and stopped following the development of the game. Maybe it was my workload or maybe it was evolving tastes, but if I really had to, I would say that I lost interest somewhere around the time when it was announced as a PS3 exclusive. For starters, I didn’t have a PS3 at the time and secondly I just couldn't wrap my head around how a game with aspirations of major MMO integration could accomplish what it wanted to do on a console.

    But in a few days the DUST beta will merge with EVE online’s servers, so I figured it was time to give it a shot. I purchased the mercenary pack and downloaded the game on PlayStation Network. By the time I reached the character creation screen I was already pleasantly surprised, they had kept some of the most hardcore facets of the MMO such as skillpoints, ISK and races. After much deliberation I opted to play as a Caldari Civire, a capitalistic and conventional soldier. I was eager to see how EVE’s almost limitless character appearance customization would fair in the switch to the PS3. But to my surprise instead of plethora of morphable attributes I was left to choose between four different avatars selectable by any race.

    I was slightly miffed, but that didn’t last long as I was greeted with a loadout editor and an almost fully realized suite of menu options. Things like skillpoint queues, marketplaces tabs and even in depth load out editors reminiscent of ship loadouts in EVE. After I was sufficiently satisfied with my skill point placement and loadout I headed into the game to be immersed in the chaos of battle.

    About an hour later I was back at my computer browsing Reddit and procrastinating about my next video. That's as long as I lasted, just an hour.

    While the game is still in beta and I don’t want to condemn it just yet, I will say that my personal opinion is that DUST 514 was an idea with a lot of potential that has been partially, if not entirely, lost in translation. It’s free to play so you should definitely experience it for yourself, however I wish you the best of luck in overcoming the control scheme, the frame rate, aiming, limited weapon selection, a lack of map diversity and an inevitably short lifespan due to the impending death of this console generation.

    So I will stop backhandedly complaining and cut to the point. DUST 514 should be a PC exclusive and should furthermore reside within the EVE client. Period.

  • Update: Do You Play EVE Online? We're Giving Away 15 Billion ISK!

    Update: The winner has been chosen! By random number generation, with bonus points for sheer awesomeness, BeauEnnui is walking away with 15 billion ISK! Congratulations, Beau, don't spend it all in one place. 

    FPS General is giving away a massive amount of in-game currency for all of you EVE Online fans - wait, EVE Online? Isn't this a shooter blog...didn't I click...

    Okay, before you get too worried about why we're talking about an MMO on an FPS blog, here's the deal; FPS General is giving away an absolute smorgasbord of EVE Online currency - known as Interstellar Kredits or, simply, ISK. Now, you know us. When we host giveaways, we host giveaways. That's why we're giving away 15,000,000,000 ISK. That's 15 billion in-game dollars. Not million, but billion. Three extra 0's on the end there.

    If you haven't played EVE Online, winning 15 billion ISK would be a great way to get yourself started. This is easily one of the most popular and durable MMO's, allowing players to build their own massive empire in space, buying ships and making the choice to subjugate everyone you come in contact with or to set up strategic alliances with established corporations. EVE Online is a massive offering and even more so when you remember that it has a sister game; DUST 514, the PlayStation 3-exclusive first-person shooter. DUST and EVE players can work together, with both games being hosted on the same core servers, allowing some really fascinating interaction across the games. EVE players can issue contracts to DUST 514 soldiers and will actually be responsible for coordinating air strikes (that will take place in DUST 514) to help the DUST mercenary get their job done.

    For the EVE player, 15 billion ISK will go a long way towards building your empire and getting yourself in a position where you can begin to offer DUST 514 players various contracts, assigning them missions to help further your galactic power.

    All you have to do to be eligible to win is:

    Good luck!

  • Naughty Dog Reveals Tess in The Last of Us

    Naughty Dog has revealed some background information and character details on Tess, who you may have seen in the recently released story trailer for The Last of Us.

    Tess is a street-smart survivor who has partnered up with the player-character Joel. In a brand new post on the PlayStation blog, Naughty Dog community strategist Eric Monacelli has revealed a little bit more about Tess, saying:

    A hardened survivor living in one of the last remaining quarantine zones, Tess operates in the black market of a city under martial law. Partners with Joel, they have become known within the criminal underworld for their ruthlessness. Street smart and confident, Tess is a savvy strategist and negotiator. Her ability to generate intelligent plans to secure the contraband for their trade is second to none.

    Tess and Joel subscribe to the same dog-eat-dog philosophy. They survive by being willing to do what others can’t or won’t. Her trust in and loyalty towards Joel runs deep. However, secretly, she questions whether Joel shares the same emotions that she feels for him.

    We're looking forward to seeing the story progress between Joel and Tess, and learning where Ellie fits into the mix. The Last of Us is set to ship on May 7th, 2013 so be sure to visit http://thelastofus.com/ to learn more.

    Take a look at Tess' Cinematic Progress Trailer below, as well as a new screenshot from The Last of Us.

  • The Last of Us Releasing in May of 2013, Multiplayer Not 'Tacked On'

    Naughty Dog has confirmed that The Last of Us, their upcoming third-person shooter exclusive to PlayStation 3, will be shipping on May 7th, 2013.

    Alongside that announcement, the team has touched on multiplayer a ltitle bit and has released the Spike TV Video Game Awards trailer that television audiences saw over the weekend. The trailer can be viewed above, but let's talk about multiplayer a little bit. This is something that Naughty Dog has been quiet about for a long time, and that still holds, but they have spoken a little bit about it.

    Naughty Dog's Community Strategist, Arne Meyer, has taken to the PlayStation Blog to talk with fans about the upcoming game as well as dispel fears that multiplayer would simply be 'tacked on' to promote sales.

    "We don’t approach MP in any of our games as tacked on. And we also always have separate teams working on the different components so that we can maintain full focus on making SP and MP up to our standards...we have faith that our MP will stand on it’s own. If we felt like it would be tacked on, we wouldn’t have added it. We want all our game experiences to be of the highest quality and that’s what we work extremely hard to deliver.

    MP has never taken away resources from the SP game in any of our games, always separate teams, separate resources. The folks working on the single player campaign always have the resources and support to complete that portion of the game to the vision they planned for."

    As for the actual content and what shape The Last of Us multiplayer will take on, we're still left in the dark...for now. With the calendar turning over a new year (fingers crossed) in a few weeks, doubtless Naughty Dog will start revealing more and more about The Last of Us and its various game modes and nuances.

    Check out http://thelastofus.com/ to stay connected to Naughty Dog's upcoming third-person shooter, The Last of Us!

    Source: MP1st

  • Here's Your Chance to Win Some DUST 514 Loot

    CCP, the studio working on EVE Online and its sister game, first-person shooter DUST 514, has announced an awesome partnership with PlayStation Universe, giving players a chance to win some epic DUST 514 gear.

    Some of the prizes include DUST 514-themed mousepad, posters and t-shirts. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is submit your best piece of user-created content from the DUST 514 world. They're looking for videos, images, fan art and things of that nature.

    Some of the examples of what you can submit, include:

    • BEST DUST 514 MOMENT: Pull off the impossible head shot? Take out a Dropship with on shot? Risk life and limb to heal a teammate? Share your best DUST 514 moments in less than 154 words.
    • DUST 514 FAN ART: If you are artistically inspired by the action, the assaults and the aesthetic of DUST 514 then please submit your DUST 514 fan art. All mediums will be considered so go wild.
    • MEME: If you find humour and irony in the skirmishes of DUST 514 then express it with a user created, DUST 514 meme!

    The contest runs from now until midnight on November 14th, 2012 so head on over to http://www.psu.com/ and submit your work. Winners will be chosen shortly after the contest closes on November 14th, so don't hesitate if you have some awesome DUST 514 content in mind.

  • Prepare For Battle in DUST 514's New Player Orientation

    Preparing yourself for a life as a galactic mercenary is no walk in the park. Selling your services as a soldier of fortune can be a great way to turn a profit, and a greater way to cut your lifespan in half. Equipping yourself with the right mentality and gear will ensure you live a long and prosperous life of taking other people's long and prosperous lives.

    In DUST 514, that's exactly what youre going to do. Currently in-development by EVE Online studio, CCP, DUST 514 is moving along smoothly in closed beta. The PlayStation 3-exclusive shooter is a lot of fun and packs a hell of a punch for a free-to-play game.

    In the latest video for the game, CCP runs us through everything you need to know to get started in DUST 514, from Dropsuit Fittings to matchmaking options. If you're invited into the beta, this video will prepare you for the experiences that await you.

    Check out http://www.dust514.org/ for more information on DUST 514!

  • Ellie's Story in The Last of Us Being Told as Four-Part Comic Series

    Naughty Dog has teamed up with Dark Horse comics to release a four-part comic book series, telling Ellie's back story from The Last of Us. The Last of Us: American Dreams is being penned by Last of Us writer Neil Druckmann alongside Faith Erin Hicks, who will serve as co-writer and artist.

    Ellie, one of two primary protagonists in The Last Of Us, has never known a world outside the post-pandemic environment in the game. Being shuffled between orphanages, Ellie has resigned herself to the fact that ultimately she will be forced into military service or left to fend for herself. That is, until she meets an older girl who is determined to carve a separate path in the world.

    The Last of Us: American Dreams tells Ellie's story and looks like a must for players (like us) who are more than eagerly awaiting Naughty Dogs upcoming game.

    American Dreams will be a four-part comic series, with the first issue debuting in Spring of 2013. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to The Last of Us hitting shelves.