Before we actually get into the update, this is my first time to really sit back and reflect: Sony killed it at E3. Never did I expect such a positive outlook for the PS4, and I’m a Sony loyalist through and through. Okay, nuff’ said.

This week the PS Vita gets some retail on PSN content, while the PS3 gets some leftovers. But hey, we’re all still reeling from E3, right? And you’re probably still playing The Last of Us—do you agree with my ten out of ten score?

Use the visual buttons below to easily navigate to each platform.

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Before we get into our extensive preview coverage of all the PlayStation 4 games coming out of E3 this week, we wanted to focus on what you will use to play these amazing games: The DualShock 4 controller. Normally, the look, feel, and functionality of a controller isn’t all that important, but this is the first time Sony went with a new controller design since the original DualShock was released for the PSOne back in 1998—meaning PlayStation gamers have used the essentially same controller design in fifteen years.

The DualShock 4 may look very different, but it instantly feels familiar. So familiar, in fact, that I had to look closely at it while I had it in my hands to really catch what’s so different about the design. The handles of the controller are more cylindrical in shape, making for a better grip in the hand. The surface also has more of a matte finish that’ll prevent slippage during long, sweaty-handed gaming sessions. And the DualShock 4 is less angular, while being larger overall, adding to the comfort of holding it.

Functionally speaking, though, the new clickable touchpad is a major change. It’s located toward the top of the controller, but still on the face so it’s easy enough to reach. My thumbs didn’t do the best job reaching and swiping, but taking your finger off the rest of the controller for some quick swipes didn’t detract from gameplay or put my playthrough at risk of losing. And it felt rather natural after all the swiping and tapping we do on a daily basis with our smartphones and tablets. It provides developers with a canvas for any optional input scenario they desire. For example, Killzone: Shadowfall used it for commanding an Owl attack drone (but more on that when our Killzone: Shadowfall preview goes live later).

The D-pad and iconic Square, Triangle, X, Circle face buttons remain mostly the same, but are a little more similar feeling to the PlayStation Vita than the PS3. The D-pad seemed to catch the crease of my thumb better for more precise control. The analog sticks have this concave-ish indented ring that also allows for better thumb placement and finer tilting of the sticks. If you have no problem reaching the Triangle button or the up segment of the D-pad without stretching your thumbs, then the controller’s Share and Options buttons are little more than a slight twist of your thumb socket. They’re right within reach, and feel much more naturally placed and easier to access than the Select and Start buttons ever were. This, I really liked.

But the change that everyone is most certain to appreciate are the new shoulder buttons that now more accurately mimic a trigger as you might find on the Xbox 360 controller currently. This was always the Xbox fan’s favorite part of the Xbox 360 controller, and it’s something that the DualShock 3 was sorely missing. You may not even have noticed just how badly it was missed if you never used it before, but you’ll be glad you have it once you get your hands on the DualShock 4. The trigger part of it is more subtle than the 360′s, and has a nice spring to it.

It’s new, and it packs in plenty of features and a layout not found in previous iterations of the DualShock lineage, but I promise you it lives up to the DualShock and PlayStation legacy, and will make any PlayStation gamer feel right at home from the moment they pick it up.

Before E3 kicks off tomorrow, take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the PlayStation brand’s biggest E3 announcements of all-time. Plus, get a preview of this year’s festivities as we take a look at E3s of year’s past and present.

E3 1995

SEGA, after having two poorly-received hardware offerings with the SEGA CD and 32X, needed to impress the crowd at the very first E3. SEGA had previously announced the SEGA Saturn before the show which had a scheduled release date of September 2, 1995. However, at the SEGA Keynote, it was announced that the SEGA Saturn was secretly shipped to retailers the night before, and was now on sale for $399. A move that left retailers unhappy, and gamers without many launch titles to choose from.

This, shortly after, was completely overshadowed by Sony. Steve Race took the stage at Sony’s keynote and announced the release date for the Sony PlayStation. The real shocker, and what could have been the death blow to Sega before the PlayStation was even released, was the announcement that it would release for the price of $299. Also shown during E3 were what soon became PlayStation franchise mainstays: Ridge Racer, Tekken, and WipEout. This marked the beginning of Sony’s reign over the gaming industry.

E3 2000

History repeated itself a bit with E3 2000. The Sega Dreamcast had been released in North America the prior year and was off to a rough start. Its CD-based software medium constrained the visions of many developers.

While the PS2 had already been announced in Japan, there hadn’t been a release date set for the American market. Sony took the opportunity to do so at E3 2000, and set the big day for October 26 of the same year. Although this time around, Sony’s console was priced higher than SEGA’s by $100; it offered DVD playback, as well as DVD-ROM as the software medium, allowing for larger games. The inclusion of the DVD player may have been Sony’s most genius idea yet. It helped introduce the PS2 into the homes of anyone interested in DVD players, as it offered a decent quality DVD player, along with PlayStation brand gaming for around the price of your average DVD player at the time.

E3 2000 wasn’t all about hardware, in fact it was the software that really stole the show. One title in particular had fans and media floored. That title was Metal Gear Solid 2, the follow up to the fan favorite Metal Gear Solid on the original PlayStation (now known as the PSOne). The sheer detail of MGS2 is what impressed the crowd, and it really showed of what the PS2 was capable of. While MGS2 didn’t make the PS2′s launch, Sony had plenty of other titles to show, 51 of which were scheduled to be available by Christmas of 2000.

E3 2003

Kaz Hirai took the stage at Sony’s Keynote during E3 ’03, and had plenty of major announcements to discuss. He started off with the announcement of a revised PS2 in the works. The revision boasted progressive DVD playback, a built in IR port for use with a remote, reduced fan noise, and would be bundled with a Network Adapter.

Sony continued to strut its planned online strategy, which was a direct response to the undeniable success of Xbox LIVE. Games that were shown included Final Fantasy XI, SOCOM II, and pledged support from EA Sports’ future lineup.

Of course Sony wasn’t done there. Dr. Richard Marks then took the stage and demonstrated the PS EyeToy. The EyeToy was a USB web cam that allowed for interaction with images on-screen by moving your body and appendages; no controller was needed, long before the Kinect became a thing.

Lastly, Sony announced its plans to take on Nintendo and its stronghold over the handheld gaming market with the PlayStation Portable. No Hardware or Software was shown, or demoed, but the announcement was big enough to shock gamers.

E3 2005

The PlayStation 2 was in its prime; a large amount of AAA games were shown. The current king of consoles was easily overshadowed by the announcement of its successor, the PlayStation 3. The PlayStation 3 was debuted, boasting some of the most impressive specs ever seen by console gamers. Specs at the time included the cell processor, 1080p High Definition gaming, 3 Ethernet ports, 2 HDMI outputs, 6 USB ports (4 front, 2 rear), Wi-fi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a built-in Blu-Ray drive.

Even with the massive listed specs, the thing that generated the most buzz was the new controller. The new controller wasn’t yet another iteration of the DualShock, it was a boomerang-shaped controller. Jokes galore hit the internet about how if you were angry after losing in a game, you couldn’t throw the controller, as it might come back and hit you.

There was no actual software, however there was plenty of technical demos ready to go that were running on PCs that had specs similar to that of what the PlayStation 3 would have. PlayStation staples such as Devil May Cry, and Tekken were shown (ironically, both went multiplatform). The biggest splash came from the confirmation of Metal Gear Solid 4 being in the works, and the showing of a technical demo of Final Fantasy VII. This immediately sparked excitement from the crowd, as fans thought a FFVII remake was in the works. However, that wasn’t true, as Square quickly make it clear that it was a tech demo only.

E3 2006

Not all E3 announcements are good announcements, despite how large they may be. In 2006, Sony announced the price of the now “gimped” PS3, which was set for $599. Although there was a less-expensive 20GB model announced, which was even more gimped with its removal of wi-fi, card readers, and a lower-capacity internal hard drive, the price shocked the world. Both Sony’s previous consoles had been released for $299, and history had shown that expensive consoles never fared well.

There was the argument that you get what you pay for, and Sony’s newest console was surely a beast. While that was indeed true, the massive price tag scared away many long time PlayStation fans over to the other HD console on the market, the Xbox 360. The price tag was the target of media outlets, which soon started questioning Sony’s motives about the console, claiming it was more about Blu-ray penetration than making another successful gaming console. To this day, the PlayStation 3 is the most expensive console. Anyone can see that because of this, the sales have been less than Sony (perhaps foolishly) hoped for in comparison to the ridiculously fast-selling PlayStation 2.

E3 2009

2009 was a major year for Sony, or at least it seemed that way at the time. Not so much in the way of software announcements, since we already knew Uncharted 2 and God of War III were coming, both of which were highlights of E3. The only surprises in terms of software came from Rockstar with their PS3 exclusive Agent and Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIV. Both of which have yet to be released on the PlayStation 3. What did make a big impact was the announcement of the PlayStation Move (then called simply PlayStation 3 motion controller) and the on-stage demo of Dr. Richard Marks. The PSPgo was also officially revealed for the first time, despite being leaked many times during the weeks leading up to E3. Too bad the PSPgo never really found its legs and has succumbed to some seriously lackluster sales.

Here we are, years later, the two biggest game reveals of the show never even released on the PS3; Agent in particular has all but gone completely missing (at least it is still in development). PlayStation Move has been, for the most part, a dud. Not just in sales, but in the software line-up. Tacking it on to regular PlayStation 3 exclusives isn’t enough to drive the format. The PSPgo… is dead. Turns out 2009 was a terrible year for Sony’s E3 plans.

E3 2010

Sony took a strange approach to E3 in 2010. They revealed most of their biggest titles — LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, inFamous 2 — before E3 even began. Many wondered what Sony could possible have left in store. That’s when David Jaffe took the stage and revealed a new Twisted Metal, making one hell of an entrance in a Sweet Tooth ice cream truck.

It wasn’t just Jaffe taking the stage. Valve’s Gabe Newell made a surprise entrance to announce that Portal 2 would be coming to the PS3, with Steam support, for the first time ever. This was such a shock because Newell had been very vocal against the PS3, saying Sony should just cancel it and start over. Although, Kevin Butler may have stolen the show; Sony’s VP of Everything “mascot” was full of jokes and digs.

The PlayStation Move official name was already revealed earlier in the year, but there were still plenty of questions surrounding Sony’s new motion controller: How much will it cost, when will it release, and what about games? Sony cleared the air and provided details to all unanswered questions. As for games, Sorcery was shown, and wowed the audience in attendance. But sadly, that didn’t end up turning out so well.

E3 2011

In 2011, Sony played it safe with the PlayStation 3, focusing on already known titles such as Uncharted 3, Starhawk, and God of War: Origins Collection. But that’s because almost the entire show was spent solely on the PlayStation Vita, revealing games and hammering out launch details such as the price. The crowd cheered aloud at the Vita’s $249.99 price tag, but just as loudly jeered and booed when Sony mentioned that they would be partnering with AT&T for the Vita’s 3G data plans.

It was a slower year for Sony at E3, and the company was apologetic and still reeling from the major PlayStation Network hacking fiasco that preceded the annual event in Los Angeles.

E3 2012

If it weren’t for The Last of Us stealing the show, E3 2012 wouldn’t have made this list. And all it had to do was demonstrate some gameplay. It went on to winner a number of Best of E3 awards, including ours, and just look at how the review scores turned out for that game. It’ll go down as one of the best games available on the PS3, if not across all consoles, in all generations. Beyond: Two Souls also made a big splash, which was quickly washed away by Wonderbook. Sony spent far too much time on it, and… did anyone even buy it? The PlayStation Vita was mostly shunned, and left to wither away.

E3 2013

Not only could this year’s E3 be the biggest E3 for Sony ever, it’s also the biggest year for the industry and Sony’s competitors. The Wii U is in danger, so Nintendo is going to come out swinging (at Nintendo Direct). The 3DS is really picking up steam, a stark contrast to Sony’s handheld, which has been mostly a dud. Sony needs to come out big and show why the PlayStation Vita is worth owning, on top of making it more affordable to do so.

Sony will also have to prove that the PlayStation 3 is still going to be a viable platform long into the PS4 launch, and will do so by boasting about The Last of Us review scores and the upcoming Gran Turismo 6. We may even hear about The Last Guardian.

But the biggest news of all, will be surrounding the PS4. We’ll find out what the console looks like, what other games will be available during the launch window, and beyond, and Sony will finish off announcing all the available features it’ll have. Three systems, one E3. Sony’s got a lot on their plate, and I don’t think they’re going to disappoint. The Xbox One on the other hand…

For all our in-depth Sony E3 2013 predictions, go here.

In The Last of Us, a “video game” where humanity is on the brink of extinction, you’ll find the most human situations you’ve ever come across. It’s when times are toughest that our species makes it obvious why we’re at the top of the food chain. We adapt. Even against the gravest circumstances, we find a way to keep on going. The Last of Us explores the deepest rooted instincts within the human race: Fight or flight, endure and survive.

The game starts right off with a gripping prologue that instantly sets the tone not only for the entire game, but for the relationship to be built between Joel and Ellie. Not even twenty minutes into The Last of Us, my eyes welled with tears. The bond between you and the characters themselves is built immediately.

The world as we know it has essentially ended, and all that’s left are pockets of civilization that are probably better off dead. The way they live isn’t any way to go about your day. Forget about a 9 to 5. Forget about health care. Forget about all of the luxuries we know all too well. There is nothing. Barely enough food to go around. Life means next to nothing. All that really matters is survival, but in a world where everything and everybody is out to get you, surviving ain’t easy.

Humanity faced an outbreak of a deadly, brain-infecting strain of fungus that’s as real as you and I, called Cordyceps. The fact that it’s a real fungus that turns insects into mindless zombies with the sole purpose of spreading these spores makes the possible reality of such a fate all the more frightening. Currently, Cordyceps cannot infect humans—we even take it as a supplement for its purported health benefits. But a mutated strain isn’t outside of the realm of possibility.

The fungal infection has multiple stages, each more horrifying than the last. First is a state called the Runner; still some human left, but unable to control their aggressive, violent outbursts. Runners, being in the first stage of infection, somewhat knowingly turn on and attack their closest friends and family members. Once the infection takes hold of the host’s brain, they’re known as Clickers. Blind, and much more monster than mortal, these mindless ‘zombies’ only purpose is to infect others. They use echo-location to track their prey, and the clicking noise they make is chilling to the bone.

Although there are plenty of Clickers in The Last of Us, the first few you encounter in Boston in the underground MBTA subway stations leave a lasting impression. It’s unlit, the air is thick with smoke and spores, the hollowness of the abandoned station echoes the horrific clicking sound, and you realize just how imposing these monsters can be. Do you really want to go up against something like that? That doesn’t feel, doesn’t think, and will end your life in the blink of an eye. The answer is no, but Joel and Ellie have little choice. It’s the Clickers, or it’s them.

As vile as these Clickers are, you soon realize that it’s the other humans in The Last of Us that are the worst, and the most capable of evil. See, the Clickers can’t help what they’re doing. You almost feel bad for the lost souls suffered so much and become something so awful. The humans, though, knowingly make the choice to hunt, kill, pillage, and commit the most atrocious of acts. Some of them have their hand forced—it’s kill or be killed after all—while others go far out of their way to make the already hellish lives of others all the worse.

Late in the game, you see just how evil humanity can get in one of the most memorable performances I can recount—game, novel, film, or otherwise. This person made me sick at the sight of him, but I’ll leave the details for you to discover on your own. Many of the examples I’d like to use for this review are so deeply ingrained in the storyline that using them here would spoil key moments important to experiencing the weight of it all.

Troy Baker as Joel and Ashley Johnson as Ellie do an amazing job bringing these characters to life. I felt their pain and sorrow. And I genuinely cared about what they went through and faced. I often found myself wondering what they were thinking at any given moment—a truly unique experience. Only in film have I ever made a connection like that. Fortunate for my curiosity, Naughty Dog fills exploration and downtime with opportunities for extra dialogue and banter between the cast members, answering most questions you might have. This alone had me wanting to play through the game again, because I know I missed plenty of chances to get the full story.

Ellie’s character, in particular, has a very transformative role. Watching her develop from a helpless child into a formidable and self-sufficient sidekick to Joel is quite the sight. One event in the game pits her in some tense situations where she’s forced to adapt and become a ruthless killer like so many others around her. All the while, somehow, despite so much adversity, her innocence and sense of wonder is still very much intact.

The gameplay is well-balanced in every aspect. I can’t say it’s particularly fun, but that’s only because every situation is so tense. The best approach is to use stealth, taking advantage of your environment for cover or to throw a brick for a distraction. However, the best laid plans can go awry, and more times than not the approach I chose didn’t work out as expected and I was forced to improvise—usually by unloading precious ammunition into the bodies of the infected. This formula of trial and error proves to be a success considering The Last of Us is about survival and panic.

Using your surroundings and the supplies you located in place of running and gunning is paramount to staying alive. Ammunition isn’t impossible to come by, but it is scarce. And you find ammo infrequently enough that you may fear using it unless it’s absolutely necessary. This aspect of the game adds yet another layer of survival to a game that constantly challenges you to think, and react, rather than acting first and making up for it later. The Last of Us is far too unforgiving for that.

So unforgiving, that in the end, even on Normal, I died 56 times in my first playthrough. And that’s being careful with every situation, constant exploration for supplies, using ammunition sparingly, and generally performing well at the game. Admittedly, though, I did die at least a handful of times purposefully, just to see how brutal a death scene may be—never disappointing my sadistic curiosity. Make no bones about it, The Last of Us is a challenge.

To truly do well, exploration and effective utilization of supplies are of utmost importance. Exploration also is needed to locate parts and tools to upgrade Joel’s arsenal. And it’s vital to uncovering the entire plot and spoken dialogue between the characters. It may also provide some insight into the struggles of other survivors, both alive and dead, who left behind notes, pictures, diaries, and other legacies. It’s also worth seeing the detail put into the game. No two areas look identical, let alone similar. Even the smallest of children’s rooms in an abandoned house has character to it—you can get a glimpse of the life that used to live there. It’s saddening to see these once happy homes now deserted, or otherwise filled with Clickers.

And even with so much ugly in the world of The Last of Us, there is much beauty to behold. The wilderness has reclaimed the planet, and lush overgrowth fills what used to be paved roads. The sun still sets, and animals can be seen roaming the city streets freely. The Last of Us is one of the best-looking games on the PS3, and it’s the more tranquil scenes that really do showcase this. That’s not to say other areas aren’t well-designed artistically and graphically, but they’re designed to be putrid or dank.

One of the game’s finer points, amid so many, is how well each character is designed, mo-capped, and voiced. Facial expressions show pure emotion, without the need for an entire generation leap. I knew what characters were feeling just by the look on their faces. Still, the shining mark of brilliance found in The Last of Us is in the bonds formed between you and the characters, and also between the characters themselves. And the way their story so subtlety comes together really helps connect you to them. These characters resonated with me; they became people I cared about, and I could easily put myself into their shoes, their situation. And with the game’s world in such a bleak state, it’s not exactly easy to invoke genuine feelings of empathy. But Naughty Dog did it, and they did it so well that from the very moment The Last of Us began, I was captivated.

13 hours and 17 minutes later, the credits rolled and I was left stunned by conflicting emotions, especially by the ending. The Last of Us will have different meanings for different people, but I honestly can’t say I’ve ever been personally moved like this before. Not by a “game”. Multiplayer is damn good too, really highlighting that survival focus and feel. You can read all about it in a multiplayer preview I wrote. But for the sake of this review, I want to focus on how The Last of Us makes me feel, because that’s where its true achievement in design lies.

The Last of Us highlights the human traits in us all: our instincts, our emotions, and the things we do to get by. Recently, I’ve felt troubled. Video games have been my passion for over 25 years. It’s what I do, day in and day out. It’s my escape, but it’s also my job. I haven’t felt that special “it” feeling in a while, but I get by. This industry has grown stagnant, and I’ve been seeking an elevated experience that made me feel, not just play a game. The Last of Us is exactly what I needed. It’s a hallmark of excellence in writing, design, and performance. Naughty Dog and Sony not only have a system seller on their hands, but a game that’ll define an entire console generation—a true classic that’ll be talked about and fondly regarded for years to come.

This week’s highlight, is Capcom’s Remember Me. Aside from that the PlayStation Vita has more new content this week than the PS3, that is if you count Limbo as new content, since it’s already been released on the PS3. However, if you haven’t yet played Limbo, the PlayStation Vita will be the perfect way to do so thanks to how well monochromatic color schemes work so well on the Vita’s OLED screen.

Use the visual buttons below to easily navigate to each platform.

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For a game with as much hype and as big a spotlight shining on it as The Last of Us, it’s incredibly odd that only a week or so before the game hits store shelves is the curtain being pulled back on the game’s multiplayer mode. It’s even more fascinating yet, that with a global review embargo lifting in just two days’ time, an already taxed for time editor like myself (with E3 quickly approaching) is depleting his stock of words—of thoughts—to preview the game’s multiplayer. To truly find out the reasoning behind this course of action, you’ll have to tune back in to PlayStation LifeStyle on June 5^th at 7AM PDT/10AM EDT. But for now, this is Factions mode in The Last of Us.

Strength in numbers. Survival of the fittest. You’ve heard these terms used before, but have you ever really had to put these old adages to task? In The Last of Us Factions mode, these are the words you’ll live and die by.

It’s a couple decades after the initial Cordyceps outbreak, and the population has been decimated. If you’re not infected, you’re left fighting for scraps to survive. And unfortunately for you, there are many others fighting for those same resources. Banding together with other like-minded survivors gives you the strength in numbers you need to survive, but ensuring you’re the most fit for the tasks at hand yourself is still the best way to stay alive. And the best way to take the lives of those that seek to take yours.

Whether you decide to roll with the Fireflies or the Hunters matters little. What ultimately holds more weight is how hard you fight to keep your clan healthy by securing supplies, and so you come out of each situation unscathed and still breathing.

Factions, the multiplayer portion of The Last of Us is split into only two modes—and that’s all that’s really necessary. Supply Raid and Survivors. Both play very similarly, but with a few minor tweaks that drastically affect the approach you might take to survive.

Supply Raid is exactly what it sounds like it is. You and a team of survivors must survey an area to gather supplies—both for you and your arsenal, and to feed and nourish the sick and unhealthy members of your faction or clan. Strewn about each map—well-designed for staying hidden and attacking using stealthy tactics—are supply chests. They’re usually out in the open, making you a sitting duck if an onlooker wielding a lit Molotov happens to be eying that same chest. But each chest contains supplies vital for your clan’s survival, and yours alone.

Aside from the few bullets you begin each round with, locating and securing supplies are the only means to craft health kits to heal you, bombs to take out targets, or to upgrade a melee weapon to be more effective. Each chest also contains parts, which become a currency of sorts to purchase more bullets or better weapons. And with how scarce bullets are, and how quickly you can empty a clip, scavenging these supplies is necessary to surviving a match. Crafting takes downtime, so teamwork becomes vital so you have someone watching your back and protecting your neck while you get to work. This is strength in numbers.

In Survival Raid, there is a set number of lives you either have to take or lose for a winning faction to be chosen, and you will continue to respawn until that number is met on either side. Between respawns, supplies carry over, so fret not if you were shot in the back while crafting a nail bomb; revenge will be yours.

Survivors mode is more survival of the fittest, although teamwork can be a factor in this mode, too. What matters most here, though, is being the last one standing at the end of the match. This means killing everyone else around you to get supplies, because it’s not just chests the hold supplies—the freshly fallen corpses of others do too. And you have to kill to take them. It’s them or you.

If you are killed, or just wounded (this is my favorite part), there’s anywhere between a few to as much as twenty seconds before you are executed, revived, or you bleed out. In these twenty seconds, though, you don’t just lie on the ground hoping someone comes along to save you or put you out of your misery to respawn. Instead you frantically scramble along the ground, desperately trying to flee from a brutal execution, or to get over to your teammates so they can patch you up. It really adds to the feeling of panic and survival, and gives a sense of finality to the last moments before dying.

Survivors mode is a best of seven rounds format. The supplies go to the team that can win four of the seven rounds by having the last man, or men, standing at the end of the match. There’s not respawning, so using what supplies you do find and are able to craft should be part of the plan each and every round. So should buying up all the weaponry and ammo you can in between rounds to give you the competitive edge.

As with any robust multiplayer offering, winning and performing individual tasks during gameplay unlock points to use to bolster your player, modify his look, and customize your loadout. One time use boosters grant single match abilities, while other boosts are there to stay. Finding out your own play style and customizing your boosts and abilities is paramount for long-term longevity as both a Faction and as a survivor.

The gameplay focuses on stealth, mainly, although the only reason why you shouldn’t go into a situation guns blazing, is that there’s a risk you could be killed too. You can do it, though—should you choose to take that risk. It all compliments the gameplay from the single player mode extremely well. As any tasty side dish might compliment the main course. But multiplayer Factions mode is a delicious side dish you’ll keep coming back for and could easily fill up on, and be satisfied with completely and independently from the entrée.

After days of fletcherizing, I’m still digesting. But I’ll be ready to spill my guts on The Last of Us in my full review, scheduled to go live the moment the global embargo lifts on June 5^th. Only 48 hours and counting.

If you purchased God of War: Ascension, you’re in for a treat this week, as the special demo for The Last of Us is due to go live on May 31st. Look out for our review of the full game on June 5th. The rest of this week’s content is scheduled for the regular weekly Tuesday release, and feature a demo, a PSN titles, something for the Vita, and a couple PS3 games.

Use the visual buttons below to easily navigate to each platform.

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This week’s update is looking thin after last week’s jam-packed update. But what is here is interesting content. The once 3DS-exclusive Resident Evil: Revelations hits the PlayStation 3, and the Vita gets full frontal Men’s room action. Plus, much more in the way of PS3 games and even DLC.

Use the visual buttons below to easily navigate to each platform.

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Fight or flight. The instinct to survive is ingrained into our very existence. And this instinct is Joel and Ellie’s most useful tool in The Last of Us.

Much of the game is knowing when to attack—either full-on, or stealthily—or run for your life. The other part, is about scavenging for tools, supplies, and whatever else you can get your hands on. Even at an Easy difficulty, The Last of Us is unforgiving, because if you’re not paying attention to your surroundings at all time—be it enemies or finding the right supplies to approach a situation correctly—you will surely die.

Recently, I got my hands on an updated preview build featuring Lincoln and Pittsburgh, far from Boston where the journey first begins. This demo introduces a supporting character, Bill, whose welcome isn’t all that warm given the fact that he’s a friend of Joel’s. It also further explores using supplies, this time not to craft items, but to allow Joel to upgrade his weapons.

If crafting new melee weapons, Molotov cocktails, and health items weren’t enough, Joel can use tools he finds along the way with various parts to upgrade weapons to bolster reload speed or ammo capacity. This aspect further enforces the need to explore and scavenge, or risk being too underpowered and thus, easily overwhelmed by advancing enemies.

Being overwhelmed is common, as clickers are extremely powerful and strike fear into your heart, and with their mid-way infected state of barely human being intelligent enough to trap and flank you as they tend to travel in packs. They’re looking to survive just as much as you are, and will kill or be killed just as you would. This means that they’re going to come at you with everything they have, and nothing less.

In one segment, Joel gets his leg caught in one of Bill’s many traps (thanks, Bill), and is strung upside down hanging from the ceiling while Ellie attempts to—very slowly—cut the rope of the counterweight that’s holding Joel in place. All this, while a swarm of infected scurry over a fence and into this abandoned garage and begin attacking both Joel and Ellie separately. Needless to say, it’s an intense situation choosing to save Ellie or yourself, and you’ll likely fail at one or the other at least once—especially because you’re emptying rounds into infected all while hanging and swaying upside-down. The seconds drag on between reloads almost as painfully as the clickers tearing at Joel’s flesh.

This is just one of many choices to be made during tense situations of life or death that’ll be found all throughout The Last of Us. Will you survive when The Last of Us hits store shelves on June 14th? I still have a lot more to say about The Last of Us, but I’ll be saving that for our review of the game which you can expect in the coming weeks. For now, check out my more in-depth preview of the Boston demo, or my preview from E3 2012.

Just days ago, the official PlayStation Japan website started teasing a new game with a count-up clock, with the timer set to expire just moments ago. A trailer has appeared in the counter’s place, with another new date placed above it when presumably, we’ll find out more details about what exactly Panopticon is.

What we do know, for now, is that it appears to be a futuristic JRPG or action-RPG from Sony’s Japan Studio. It features an art style similar to that found in the PlayStation Vita’s Gravity Rush. It doesn’t appear to be next gen, with the graphics not matching those of other PS4 titles (although it could be a PS4 PSN title), meaning that the PS3 and PlayStation Vita are more likely options for what platform this might be released for.

The date for more information is May 21st. Stay locked on PSLS and we’ll have more information the moment in comes in.

A press release made waves around the ‘net this morning with an announcement from Sony about Gran Turismo 6. And while the information seems to indeed be genuine, it was leaked early ahead of an embargo—although the site that leaked it denies that they were informed of the embargo ahead of the announcement, and instead were told after they had already released the information. This means GT6 is still technically unannounced, but is expected to be announced officially later today at the Gran Turismo 15th Anniversary event.

The press release states that Gran Turismo 6 will feature all of the vehicles available in GT5, with many new cars added bringing the total at launch to 1200 cars, with more being added frequently via DLC. GT6 will also feature some type of connectivity with smartphones and other devices.

The most intriguing information that was unveiled, is that GT6 is set for a holiday 2013 release on the PlayStation 3. The PS4 was not mentioned, so look for GT6 to be one of the PS3′s last hurrahs before passing the torch to its successor.

Expect the official announcement later today, and when it happens, we’ll update this post with confirmation despite the certainty that this information is valid.

This week’s update is packed with releases on all platforms and in every category. It’s got worthwhile DLC, demos, a free-to-play MMO, and Metro: Last Light. Even the PS Vita joins in the fun with a few notable releases.

Use the visual buttons below to easily navigate to each platform.

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It’s that special time of the year—just before E3—when teasers pop up left and right about new game announcements. Sony’s already been teasing more Gran Turismo, but now a countdown Ustream video has appeared on PlayStation Japan’s official website. [Update] Looks like Sony has opted to remove the embedding option, but we’ll leave the embed live below should that change. To see the teaser, go here.

We don’t really know anything at this point, but we’ll keep watching.

[Via]

Welcome to the start of the Summer drought. There’s not much to say, because there’s not much coming in this week’s update. Still, check it all out—one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  And hey, at least we’ve got some new game announcements coming this week to keep everything interesting.

Use the visual buttons below to easily navigate to each platform.

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In this weekend’s PlayStation Blog weekly recap post, SCEE blog manager Fred Dutton vaguely teased that Sony has some “intriguing game announcements” planned for this week. No further information was given, but it doesn’t sound like we’ll be waiting much longer for some new game reveals.

And don’t write off these games off as less-appealing due to them not being saved for Sony’s E3 press conference. In recent years, Sony has announced new titles in the weeks prior to E3. For example, last year, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was announced on April 26th, and God of War: Ascension on April 19th. In 2010, LittleBigPlanet 2 was announced on May 10th, Killzone 3 on May 24th, and inFamous 2 the week after on June 4th.

In fact, some new evidence points to one of the new titles being Gran Turismo related, possibly the oft-rumored GT6, if the official Gran Turismo website is to be believed. The website states that it’s getting a makeover and having a “relaunch” on May 8th—which just happens to be… you guessed it.

We’ll have all of the new game announcements as they happen. Stay tuned!