Beta Game Testers Needed: preview

There are a lot of reasons why someone might want to check out a guide like T Dub Sanders'. One might be interested in the underside of the game testing field. Others might just want to know what they can gain from a guide that is written to help people understand their role in the gaming industry. Others still are just pining for that ultimate career working alongside game developers and designers.

Whatever the reason, T Dub Sanders has put together one of the biggest and best game testing guides on the market – one that shows the underpinnings of the career in their raw, real format. There are no false promises of automatic testing or sitting at home and playing the newest games for hundreds of dollars a day.

That stuff is all pretty much a pipe dream and most people know it – yet many guide writers try to tell everyone that they can become the biggest and best new game testers in a field that doesn't really exist every day and too many fall for it. On the other hand, what T Dub has put together is a much more realistic, much more comprehensive look at what game testing is really about – the hard work and dedication that goes into becoming someone in charge of all that code each day.

By showing what it really takes to be a game tester, T Dub opens up an actual, realistic path to getting into the industry. He showcases skills needed to get started as a tester, the classes or college majors that people better be willing to invest in if they want to be a professional in this field and much more to help them figure out not only if the career path is right for them but if they are going to be cut out for it. That means a great deal for someone who may or may not know exactly what a game tester does and how it operates.

For anyone that is thinking about taking the path toward becoming a game tester, one of the first things that needs to be done is to learn more about what the career entails. Those people should pick up T Dub's newest guide and get a real insider's look at the job and how it really works. If you're serious about doing what T Dub shows you, you'll be on the fast track toward game testing in no time flat.

Showing posts with label preview. Show all posts

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Thief E3 preview: Staying unseen never looked so good

You are here: Home » Previews » Electronic Entertainment Expo [E3... » Thief » Thief E3 preview: Staying u...

Posted June 23rd, 2013 at 11:48 EDT by PSU Staff0 Comments

by Jonathan Ottman

Thief--a series reboot rumored to be in the works one minute, then scrapped the next--has faced more issues coming to market than its predecessors (which is saying something). But now, stealh fans and open-world gamers can rest easy. Thanks to Eidos Montreal, the studio that brought you Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I was able to see the demo for Thief on an actual PlayStation 4. I can assure you, it was one of the best-looking games shown at E3.

The game takes place in an unnamed city where the people are on the verge of a full-blown revolution against a tyrannical Baron and his regime. You play as Garrett, the anti-hero thief who, in the demo, takes advantage of a riot to sneak into the Baron’s mansion and steal a precious heirloom, the Heart of the Lion. The demo stars off in a dark garden area outside of Northcrest Manor, which seems to resemble something like 18th century upper-class English scenery: statues, brick walls, hedges, and lamppost-illuminated areas. This type of hubris allows for many different approaches for infiltrating the mansion, from a full-out assault to playing the perfect thief. You are encouraged to play as the latter, with the idea being that you are a master thief and should avoid detection at all costs. After all, a good thief isn't noticed until it's too late.

During the demo, there seemed to be a lot of climbing atop walls and pillars to get a better view of what you will have to deal with: torches to douse, patrols to evade, etc. This will be a constant theme, so Garrett is equipped with different types of arrows to help with various situations. Water arrows can put out the aforementioned torches, rope arrows allow you to reach better viewpoints or escape detection, while another type of arrow is used to distract nearby guards.

You also have Focus mode, which, similar to the Arkham series' “Detective Mode," allows you to see interactive objects, move in slow motion (which in turn helps pickpocketing and sneaking), aim with better accuracy... Basically, improving the performance of most things that you do. Focus, however, is a finite resource so it is not to be used constantly. You are able to replenish your supply of Focus by picking poppies, but don’t expect poppies to be everywhere--it seems they will be few and far between.

Thanks to the Thief franchise’s light gem overlay in the lower left corner, you are able to notice how far the shadows extend and whether you are mostly hidden at any given time. You also have the ability perform takedowns on enemies, which usually trigger brutal third-person animations. Hiding the bodies, so as to not be discovered, is paramount.

At the end of each level, you are rewarded for things like not being spotted, amount of treasure found, and taking a non-lethal approach. You CAN take the “Rambo” approach, but you will find that most NPCs are very difficult to attack head-on; Garrett is far more talented at stealth than fisticuffs.

All in all, Thief has a variety of tools, paths, decisions, and environmental situations to keep you entertained and wanting more. With a steadfast hold to true stealth gameplay, complimented by a detailed graphical design that verges on being one of the best visual demos at E3, Thief hearkens back to the design sensibilities of hits like BioShock, Deus Ex, and Dishonored. It's definitely one to watch for on the horizon.

Thief is scheduled for release in 2014 on PlayStation 4.

This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!

Connect to PSU's social reader to share articles and see what your friends are reading. [ More info ]

PSU has some of the best PlayStation content on the internet, and we want you to take part in sharing it with the world! This app will share your news reading activity with your Facebook friends, and allow you to see what they are reading. You can remove the app at anytime, and continue to read the news you love. We won't bug you!

Facebook social sharing is - Toggle
View Your Recent Activity

My Recent Activity No Recent Activity

Connect to facebook, so you can not only help share the best PlayStation content on the internet, but to see what your friends are reading too. The PSU staff thank you kindly for allowing the app permissions, and completely undersand (and won't bug you again) if you don't.

The Facebook Platform

6,009,440 Posts | 281,648 members

View the original article here

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The Witness E3 preview: beauty in the bare

You are here: Home » Previews » Electronic Entertainment Expo [E3... » The Witness » The Witness E3 preview: bea...

Posted June 20th, 2013 at 19:50 EDT by Kyle Prahl2 Comments

Warning: minor spoilers about The Witness' setting and world lie ahead.

What I saw of The Witness, Jonathan Blow's first post-Braid effort, at E3 2013 was refreshing in several ways.

In a week dominated by carefully constructed demos and pre-recorded gameplay footage, The Witness was an exercise in spontaneity. Blow informed me and several others during a behind-closed-doors screening that the early build we were seeing was the game's most recent version, packed up on Tuesday for the trip to E3.

Blow proceeded to take the controller reins and jump right into the game, periodically using debug commands to jump around the game's vibrant, diverse island to parts both finished and unfinished. He pointed out the important stuff as we went, frequently tinkering on his own puzzles with genuine, "Hey, here's my game" transparency.

He even showed us the game's "end": a towering structure near the island's center that opens when seven triggers are activated across the island. Just a mess of pixels and disjointed cubes at this point, the structure was made even more enigmatic by the teasing nature of its existence. We were brought to the edge of meaning, tantalizingly close to what this whole Witness thing is about, before being told that the game's secret--Blow's original vision, and his reason for making the game--will only be revealed when players find it after release.

All the better, because I left our demo with high hopes for The Witness and a keen interest in playing it myself come Spring 2014. Of course, my interest was piqued by its presence at the PS4 reveal back in February, but what little we saw of The Witness then seemed like a series of mechanically simple puzzles wrapped in colorful environments and surreal animations. At a very basic level, that's still an apt description--but The Witness is actually about so much more.

Think of it like a thought experiment. Blow and his 14-person team want to capture the sensation of epiphany. Easing players into a world with no tutorials--ever--and letting them discover the importance of their surroundings is tantamount. The 30-hour journey will take players to every corner of a mysterious island, and each of ten themed areas will use a little of what players already know to encourage a unique mode of thinking specific to that area.

For example, while every panel puzzle in the game requires moving a line from one point to another across a maze, a calm garden area requires you to do it while hitting other markers along the way. Elsewhere, in an abandoned monastery atop a hill, the solutions to panels (which have many possible paths) are subtly hidden in the environment: a nearby tree whose branches extend in the shape of a panel's maze; an intricate window design that, when looked through, reveals another solution. Across the island, through a windswept desert, lilac forests, and a ruined castle, the wrinkles keep coming. All the while, you're steadily learning--on your own, without any helping hand--to look beyond the panels and notice the world around you.

It probably says the most about the game that the "A-ha!!" moments Blow mentioned were something I felt while merely watching. The mechanics, the unspoken teachings, are so simple, yet cleverly woven together with gorgeous environments to craft an experience that's undeniably compelling, even if I'm not yet sure why.

And Blow isn't ready to answer many of my questions. In a post-demo Q&A, I asked if he could share the reason or meaning behind the game's ambiguous title. One vague response about observing your surroundings later, and I'm left with the distinct impression that there's something more beneath the surface. Maybe we'll learn what in the game's audio logs, which gradually reveal the island's history and The Witness' core narrative. I asked Blow if the audio logs would be tied to puzzle completion, largely locked away at points that are initially unreachable. He said that is often the logical design choice, but that finding them is, again, about paying attention to your surroundings and thinking outside the box rather than specifically completing this puzzle or that puzzle.

So what does this all mean for you, the potential PS4 gamer, come early 2014? There's cause to be excited, but like Journey, Bastion, and even Braid before it, you probably won't know a lot about The Witness going in. That's OK. Jonathan Blow's engrossing, hands-off approach to guiding the player is refreshing, and that could be all The Witness needs to be the next generation's first indie mega-hit.

Kyle Prahl thinks anyone who finds Jonathan Blow to be pretentious hasn't met him. You can follow Kyle on Twitter and Facebook for more sage wisdom.

This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!

Connect to PSU's social reader to share articles and see what your friends are reading. [ More info ]

Facebook social sharing is - Toggle
View Your Recent Activity

My Recent Activity No Recent Activity

The Facebook Platform

6,007,512 Posts | 281,594 members

View the original article here

Sunday, September 1, 2013

The Witcher 3 E3 preview: Geralt's final journey is my Game of Show

You are here: Home » Previews » Electronic Entertainment Expo [E3... » The Witcher 3: Wil... » The Witcher 3 E3 preview: G...

Posted June 19th, 2013 at 21:16 EDT by Kyle Prahl3 Comments

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was the very last game I saw at E3 last week.

In a week full of surprises, where each day put a new game at the top of my list for "Best of Show," a 60-minute developer demo was all it took to sell me on The Witcher 3's lovingly handcrafted fantasy world and the rich gameplay unleashed within. The Witcher 3 is absolutely, unequivocally my game of show and the next-gen RPG to beat.

At first glance, it's easy to draw parallels with Skyrim--open world, 100 hours of gameplay, mature themes and branching storylines--but The Witcher 3 is actually more like a next-gen Morrowind. Like that PC classic, every inch of this world--35 times larger than The Witcher 2 and 20 percent bigger than Skyrim--is built from scratch to complement narrative and gameplay with geography and realism. Dynamic weather sends gale force winds crashing through a forest; branches and entire trees twist and buckle under pressure. Ancient beasts of myth terrorize towns and stir up conflict between factions over legends and interpretations. As Geralt of Rivia, the titular witcher, you could sail across the ocean to a port with better fish prices (they're in greater abundance across the sea, obviously) and battle torrential rains while dodging enormous whales that crash up for air off the starboard bow. Across the sea, adventure awaits. Caves, ruins, villages, and immense fantasy cities play host to side quests that exist for a reason.

I make this distinction because one of Skyrim's biggest selling points--randomly generated quests for a never-ending stream of content--actually became its biggest weakness over time. Your optional tasks were vapid, devoid of any personality. Finish all the GOOD stuff, the actual storylines with interesting dialogue and meaningful choices, and you're left with mindless fetch quests thrown at you too rapidly and in poor fashion. The Witcher 3 is the exact, merciful opposite: a world of intrigue, deceit, and magical lore where every event, every character, and every single line of dialogue is painstakingly crafted to achieve the vision of a world wrought with real problems and real consequence.

CD Projekt RED's astounding attention to next-gen detail is evident in the live gameplay section shown at E3. What starts as Geralt visiting a castle in the Nordic-inspired Skellige archipelago becomes a wandering journey over land and sea to eventually reach a village with a problem. People have been showing up dead, and the rebellious younger townspeople blame the slow-to-action elders for allowing the mysterious deaths to happen. But the elders are patient for good reason--they suspect that ancient, long-revered gods of the neighboring forest are responsible. Geralt treks into the trees for answers, but not without the promise of coin--and with no guarantee that he'll bother saving the town when the culprit is revealed.

See, that's another part of what makes The Witcher 3 special. Like the engrossing narrative and branching side quests that impress with purposeful detail, Geralt himself is an abrasive counter to the silent, customizable protagonists of other open-world RPGs. Seething with world-weary cynicism and battling demons of his past, Geralt's brooding personality is nothing short of badass, interesting, and (hopefully) a whole lot more. You'll get plenty of dialogue choices throughout the game, and almost as many opportunities to drastically change the world and narrative, but every bit is delivered in the kind of careful, cinematic way that structured gameplay systems allow.

World-changing consequence can even happen off the beaten path, like during the aforementioned village conflict. Once Geralt uses his Witcher Sense (think Arkham's Detective Mode, with the added benefit of filling out an extensive "Wikipedia of monsters") to identify the creature killing villagers, the player has the choice of informing either the reckless youth movement or the wise elders that a female sacrifice is necessary to kill the beast utterly. The side quest branches radically from here. The CD Projekt RED demonstrator opted to side with the younger faction, who are quick to blame the elders' inaction but hesitant to kill off one of their own. The resulting path--including a boss fight against the monster and life-changing, permanent consequences for the village--was likely a far cry from the alternative, where the traditional elders might've sacrificed one or more community members to avoid confronting the forest gods they've revered for centuries.

The combat-oriented approach gave CD Projekt a chance to demonstrate The Witcher 3's improved battle system, which emphasizes the graceful, brutal swordsmanship that defines Geralt. Entirely real-time, 100 percent visceral, combat in The Witcher 3 is an elegant dance of sword stances, magical Signs, and adaptive AI that reacts to everything from Geralt's fearsome dominance (which can make enemies flee) to the presence of allies. Sidestep wolves to slash as they lunge before following up with a blast of Igni fire to their rear. Dive beneath a giant's club and cast Quen to shield yourself before launching a furious frenzy of sword strikes. Stun pillagers with a 360-degree shockwave, opening a window to exploit elemental weaknesses. Parry stri--you get the idea. I didn't go hands-on with the system myself, but CD Projekt has listened to feedback from The Witcher 2 (which had similar, though frustratingly difficult, mechanics) to craft a system that's more accessible and intuitive without losing its old-school PC depth.

Still, it wasn't the combat that sold me on The Witcher 3, nor the rich world or promises of a layered, mature narrative. It was the graphics.

I'm not ashamed to say it. The Witcher 3's visuals are the first to slap me in the face and make me say, 'Holy shit. THIS is next-gen.'

I could go on for pages with the PR spiel about location ambience, real-time weather generation, REDengine 3, and all its trappings, but you've seen the screenshots, and a single, capstone moment captures my feelings much better. As Geralt cast the Igni Sign against the village-munching Leshen, subtle tongues of flame streaked and arced through the air with breathtaking detail. Then, I noticed something even more astounding. The jet of flame had set dozens of floating leaves ablaze. I watched, mouth hanging open, as each leaf burned away to mid-air ashes and the tiny airborne flames died out.

Was it a visual trick meant to look like real-time leaf-burning? Maybe. Do I care? Not a bit. I haven't been this excited for an RPG in years.

The Witcher 3 is coming to PlayStation 4 in 2014.

Kyle Prahl's opinion of The Witcher 3 has nothing to do with the Polish beer provided by CD Projekt RED at the private screening. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook for PS4 news, opinions, and ravings.

This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!

Connect to PSU's social reader to share articles and see what your friends are reading. [ More info ]

Facebook social sharing is - Toggle
View Your Recent Activity

My Recent Activity No Recent Activity

The Facebook Platform

6,006,349 Posts | 281,551 members

View the original article here

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Batman: Arkham Origins hands-on preview

You are here: Home » News » Electronic Entertainment Expo [E3... » Batman: Arkham Ori... » Batman: Arkham Origins hand...

Posted June 18th, 2013 at 07:04 EDT by PSU Staff0 Comments

Live from E3 2013, Joel Gregory from the Official PlayStation Magazine talks about his hands-on experience of playing Batman: Arkham Origins, the third instalment in the popular Arkham series.

Though gameplay will be similar to previous Batman titles, there’s a brand new fast travel system and a new gadget to get to grips with. In the video, Joel tells us how the game is shaping up and go hands-on with Batman’s new remote claw ability which enables him to target two objects to either traverse the environments or kill enemies.

Batman: Arkham Origins is due for release on October 25, 2013 on PS3, Xbox 360, PC and WiiU.

This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!

Connect to PSU's social reader to share articles and see what your friends are reading. [ More info ]

Facebook social sharing is - Toggle
View Your Recent Activity

My Recent Activity No Recent Activity

The Facebook Platform

6,004,129 Posts | 281,441 members

View the original article here

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

E3 ViDiary: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX preview impressions

You are here: Home » News » Electronic Entertainment Expo [E3... » Kingdom Hearts HD ... » E3 ViDiary: Kingdom Hearts ...

Posted June 14th, 2013 at 05:23 EDT by Mike Harradence0 Comments

Square Enix shocked everyone at Sony’s E3 press conference by announcing two future juggernauts: Final Fantasy XV (formally FF Versus XIII) and Kingdom Hearts III. While both games are a long way off, it’s worth remembering that Square is repackaging the original Kingdom Hearts, plus Re: Chain of Memories and cinematics from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days in high-definition in the U.S. and Europe this fall.

PSU.com’s Kyle Prahl and Jonathan Ottman were lucky enough to spend some hands-on time with the bundle, known as Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, at E3 this week, and have their impressions in our latest Video Diary below.

Enjoy.

This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!

Connect to PSU's social reader to share articles and see what your friends are reading. [ More info ]

Facebook social sharing is - Toggle
View Your Recent Activity

My Recent Activity No Recent Activity

The Facebook Platform

6,000,894 Posts | 281,305 members

View the original article here

Sunday, August 18, 2013

E3 ViDiary: Wolfenstein: The New Order preview impressions

You are here: Home » News » Electronic Entertainment Expo [E3... » E3 ViDiary: Wolfenstein: Th...

Posted June 13th, 2013 at 13:02 EDT by Steven Williamson0 Comments

In the latest of our E3 video diaries, the PSU team have just left Bethesda's booth and take some time to relax and talk about their impressions of Wolfenstein: The New Order.

If you've missed any of the E3 2013 videos, you can catch up via the video hub.

This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!

Connect to PSU's social reader to share articles and see what your friends are reading. [ More info ]

Facebook social sharing is - Toggle
View Your Recent Activity

My Recent Activity No Recent Activity

The Facebook Platform

6,000,894 Posts | 281,305 members

View the original article here

E3 ViDiary: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn preview impressions

You are here: Home » News » Electronic Entertainment Expo [E3... » Final Fantasy XIV:... » E3 ViDiary: Final Fantasy X...

Posted June 14th, 2013 at 05:17 EDT by Mike Harradence0 Comments

Fresh from their victory at a Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn battle challenge at E3 this week, PSU.com U.S. Managing Editor Kyle Prahl and fellow journalist Jonathan Ottman spill the beans on their experience with Square Enix’s forthcoming MMORPG.

Previously announced for PlayStation 3, Final Fantasy XIV is now also coming to Sony’s next-generation console, with the PS3 launch scheduled for August. Known for its troubled launch on PC a few years ago, Square’s hoping to iron out all the creases for its impending re-launch – but how is it shaping up?

See below for Kyle and Jonathan’s impressions.

This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!

Connect to PSU's social reader to share articles and see what your friends are reading. [ More info ]

Facebook social sharing is - Toggle
View Your Recent Activity

My Recent Activity No Recent Activity

The Facebook Platform

6,000,894 Posts | 281,305 members

View the original article here

Monday, May 20, 2013

The Last of Us hands-on preview - set to be one of 2013's best PS3 games

You are here: Home » Previews » The Last of Us » The Last of Us hands-on preview ...

Posted May 17th, 2013 at 03:18 EDT by Mike Harradence2 Comments

From our latest hands-on with Naughty Dog’s hotly anticipated The Last of Us, it is abundantly clear that the Uncharted developer has successfully created a gripping action-adventure that is wholly distinct from the treasure-hunting, baddie-capping antics of Nathan Drake. And thank god for that, because The Last of Us is, by a country mile, shaping up to be one of the most compelling games you’ll play this year, let alone on Sony’s aging PlayStation 3.

Our latest hands-on with the game was separated into two distinct chunks: Lincoln and Pittsburgh. Fortunately, it’s clear this wasn’t an arbitrary choice on Naughty Dog’s part, as each ‘level’ offers its own distinct flavours, giving us an enjoyable--albeit brief--look at the different gameplay experiences available in The Last of Us.

To put it succinctly, Lincoln is The Last of Us in full-on exploration mode, with Joel and Ellie starting off in surrounding woodland before skulking through a creepily abandoned town. This being my first hands-on with the game (PSU's own Kyle Prahl went hands-on with The Last of Us in January, which you can read about here), I was immediately struck by the meticulous attention to detail in the visuals and animation. Joel and Ellie remind you right away this is very much a Naughty Dog game; each character boasts some characteristic behaviors, and much like Nathan Drake, they don’t sit around stiffly and lifelessly. Ellie whistles quietly and wipes the blood off her combat knife. A few feet away, Joel adjusts his backpack and tends to his aching muscles. It’s subtle, sure, but it adds to the authenticity and believability of the pair, both superbly voiced and instantly likable.

After trekking through a brief stretch of forest, the pair arrives in town, where things are deathly quiet. The atmosphere is palpable as I explore the dilapidated streets and homes; each wrecked car and ransacked home paints a grim picture of a society long since collapsed, with personal belongings strewn about the place and corpses rotting in the streets. Joel and Ellie’s journey really is a desperate fight for survival--I find myself scavenging for supplies in every nook and cranny. Ammunition is severely limited, forcing me to rely on my wits to make it past enemies. For example, I managed to distract one Infected by lobbing a brick at a nearby wall; as it darted over to investigate the noise, I snuck up behind him and delivered a one-hit kill with rusty scissors jammed through the tip of an iron pipe. Of course, this wasn't my first attempt; I had previously gone in guns blazing, which only resulted in my death. The gunshots had attracted a second Infected, which promptly latched onto Joel and tore out his throat in one swift, deadly motion.

Our previous hands-on offered an in-depth look at the Infected and proved just how deadly they are; the same is obvious from my brief encounters with them here. Still, the emphasis in Lincoln is clearly on exploration, punctuated the occasional scuffle with enemies (I'll get to the particularly thrilling climax later). The crafting system comes into the limelight here, with Joel able to cobble together various items of use--shivs, first-aid packs, Molotov cocktails, and more--by collecting and combining various materials found in the environment. It quickly became obvious to me that this system is paramount to survival, and you’ll have to think carefully about what items to make depending on how well you're faring at the time. It's all very well to make a shiv--which allows you to surreptitiously dispatch foes without fear of alerting anyone else--but if you’re low on health, you don’t want to risk death by assuming the game will chuck you a first-aid kit later down the line. Planning ahead is crucial.

A few environmental puzzles also reared their heads, although to say they weren’t too taxing would be an understatement. In fact, the majority of them involved lugging wooden planks around so Joel can place them across gaps, allowing safe traversal across small rooftops. Still, whereas many adventure games indulge in some odd tasks, The Last of Us’ puzzles feel entirely congruous with their surroundings, allowing for maximum cohesion between the plot and gameplay. Tomb Raider and Resident Evil veterans in particular will know what I mean here.

The climax of the Lincoln demo really upped the ante. Joel is caught in a trap laid by a fellow human survivor, and must be rescued by Ellie. He’s suspended upside down, and Infected are converging on their position fast. Cue some adrenaline-pumping action as you attempt to nail enemies with headshots while Ellie works to extricate our gruff hero from his compromising predicament.

While Lincoln ends on a combat high, Pittsburgh picks up right away on some frantic gun battles and doesn’t let up. Here, Joel and Ellie's truck is ambushed by a group of survivors and ends up crashing into a diner. Amidst wreckage, the two unlikely companions are forced to defend themselves. This playable taster really illustrated the intensity of The Last of Us’ combat and offered a fine showcase for the frankly brilliant AI. Yes, it was horribly short, but if Naughty Dog’s goal was to whet my appetite, mission accomplished. In terms of controls, the combat is strikingly similar to Uncharted, but that’s not a bad thing; Nathan Drake’s adventures had perfectly functional controls, and wielding Joel’s firearms and melee weapons here is a cinch. Hold L1 to aim, press R1 to shoot, and hammer Square to use melee attacks. What really struck me, however, is the aforementioned enemy AI. Your opponents really bust their balls to flush you out, and are crack shots to boot. They’ll flank you, pin you down, grapple with you, and take highly accurate shots at you, all the while keeping you on the move and staying constantly aware of your position.

Don’t think you can just sit tight and knuckle down behind a waist-high wall; Joel must take advantage of all space available and attempt to play his enemies at their own game by sneaking up on them whenever possible. I had to fight tooth-and-nail to dispatch my enemies, and I ran out of ammo fairly quickly. Your foes like to use cover just as much as you, and the window of opportunity to target and shoot them is all too brief. Despite Ellie's brave efforts to help out (she leapt onto an adversary's back to distract him), I was overwhelmed numerous times and beaten to a bloody pulp.

Speaking of Ellie, she’s definitely an asset in battle, and points out the direction foes are coming. As mentioned, she’ll also do her best to aid you when possible. If you've seen the trailers, you know that combat is brutal: blood sprays freely all over the place as your bullets tear through foes, Joel visibly recoils in pain as he’s smacked in the face with a wooden plank, and bodies crumple realistically as they're felled by wince-inducing melee attacks.

Sadly, my demo ends shortly after the last batch of baddies are dealt with, and I watch as the pair presses on. However, there’s no denying that, within these two stages, I’ve caught a glimpse of The Last of Us’ gameplay diversity, a crossroad between tense, exploratory elements and blood-pumping combat. Squeezing something negative out of the action was pretty tough, as even in its beta form, the game is already astoundingly polished. Ellie sometimes blocks Joel's path in particularly narrow spaces, and there were a few instances of visual clipping, but I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here--the few flaws I did find were totally inconsequential.

From my time with the game, I can confidently say that Naughty Dog’s latest outing is going to be one of 2013’s standout titles. But then again, we already knew that, didn't we?

The Last of Us is due worldwide on June 14.

This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!

Connect to PSU's social reader to share articles and see what your friends are reading. [ More info ]

Facebook social sharing is - Toggle
View Your Recent Activity

My Recent Activity No Recent Activity

The Facebook Platform

5,971,827 Posts | 280,438 members

View the original article here