In just a few short months, The Last of Us will launch and put the fate of Joel and Ellie into your hands, as they embark on a brutal journey across a post-pandemic United States.

May 7th, 2013 might seem like a long way away, so to help assuage the excruciating wait we’re announcing today that players who pick up God of War: Ascension will be able to get their hands on a demo of The Last of Us when it becomes available at a later date.

We teamed up with the development crew at Santa Monica Studio to include access to a chapter of The Last of Us in every copy of God of War: Ascension, so you won’t have to wait too long to get your hands on two of the biggest games of the year. Just load the God of War: Ascension disc into your PS3 and find The Last of Us listing on the main menu. There, you’ll find details on how you can obtain The Last of Us demo for free as soon as it becomes available.

We hope you’re as excited about this news as we are, and we know what’s likely on your mind now — what will you be able to play? We’ll have more news about what’s in store for you after God of War: Ascension launches in March. We hope your wait just got a little easier!

Ever wanted to get your hands on the action? Killzone 3 may not be out until 02.22.11, but we’re giving you a chance to hop into the “Icy Incursion” level that takes place halfway through the campaign.

• February 15th is the day that Killzone 3’s Single Player demo hits the PlayStation Store.
• PlayStation Plus members will be able to download the demo on February 8th!

Strap on that jetpack and take flight through the arctic environments of Helghan.

There will be two separate downloads available from the PlayStation Store: one in 2D and one in 3D. Both versions will take place on the “Icy Incursion” level. Don’t worry – downloading the 3D version and playing it on your 2D TV won’t break anything … you’ll just see a message saying “No 3D TV detected.” The 2D version has splitscreen coop as well, a feature not available in the 3D demo.

All PlayStation Plus subscribers who have automatic downloads enabled will receive the 2D single player demo of Guerrilla Games’ upcoming blockbuster. As a reminder, PlayStation Plus subscribers can turn on the Automatic Download feature under “System Settings” on the XMB. This feature will update your PS3 with firmware updates, patches to recently played games and other select videos or game demos.

These demos will be PlayStation Move enabled, giving gamers a chance to experience Killzone 3 with the most immersive controls. When you get your hands on the demo, be sure to try out one of my favorite new mechanics, the Brutal Melee attacks! Get close to your enemy and hit the melee button (or thrust your PlayStation Move motion controller at the screen).

The aiming and movement mechanics have been tightened since Killzone 2. Play around with it and let us know what you think!

Stay tuned to the blog as we give out more details on the upcoming multiplayer Open Beta. While you wait, bone up with this full list of weapons to get a day-one edge.

To get you amped up for the games release, we’re posting a demo of The Shoot later today on PSN. Check out the fast-paced shooting action today by sampling the Outlawed level before you buy the game.

For those of you who aren’t up to speed, The Shoot is a new game for PlayStation Move that lets you become the ultimate action movie hero. In order to earn that title, you’ll have to impress the director who’s cast you in his latest blockbuster.

Hit the studio lot and get ready to blast through elaborate sets featuring massively destructible environments. On location at the Haunted House Party, Outlawed, Robot Rebellion, Deep Perils and The Mob sets, you’ll be able to shoot out subway tiles, blast through warehouse windows and even trigger special effect explosions by firing at barrels of TNT. Then get down to serious business and take aim to annihilate sinister villains ranging from aliens to robots to zombies.

Accuracy is key in The Shoot if you want to keep the director happy. Use the PlayStation Move motion controller’s precision to take down your targets on cue, and you’ll earn special moves to help you pull off extreme action sequences. Stay sharp, because being a star on the set of The Shoot is a hazardous job. During your takes, you’ll have to hit your targets while dodging attacks from enemies as they throw knives, fire off rounds and launch missiles.

Prove that you’ve got the skills to make your movie a box office smash, and rise through the online leader boards. Then, share the spotlight by inviting a friend to get in on the fun and co-star in a co-op showdown.

We hope that you enjoy the demo on PSN, and be sure to pick up The Shoot and the Shooting Attachment for PlayStation Move today for the full experience.

Here’s what we talked about during the demo, and some extended gameplay video to hammer home the points he makes about the game’s detail and frenetic gameplay.

Jeff Rubenstein, PlayStation.Blog: What are we seeing here?

Julian Mehlfeld, SEGA of America: This section of the game takes place in a forested area. In the last section you’re in a transport escaping from what I will not describe – you can see it from yourself when you get the game when it comes out. You’ve crash landed in a park. A lot of areas of the game are very industrial – if you’ve played through the demo, you’ve got a good sense of that. In this section there’s more trees and grass, and kind of a change of pace both in color and environment.

You’ll have different cover points, different environmental obstacles. So you’re working your way deeper and deeper into a facility, and towards a larger dam area.

PSB: Something that immediately pops out when seeing this game is attention to detail, especially in the character’s armored suit.

SEGA: The detail in the suit is incredible. Whenever I demo this game, I have people take a look at the character, take a look at the suit, and take a look at the weapons. If you’re not familiar with Vanquish, the suit is developed by Darpa, and your character, Sam Gideon, has created it. It has a couple of key features: a dash that gets you around the environment very quickly, and one where you can slow down time using the Augmented Reaction System.

These two abilities open up the suit. The dash in particular, you’ll see a larger jet and vents on the legs too. As you move through the environment the suit opens up, the jet comes out. If you use up your “juice,” the suit opens to let out the exhaust. You’re a bit vulnerable at that point so there’s a nice color change to make you aware of that. You can see an indicator on your back when it’s ready to go again and you’ll see the suit come back together – it’s a very nice, very clean effect. When the action is so intense, it’s a very key point of information for you as well.

Also the weapons, they work off a kind of “keyring” system called the Blade System. Basically, any time a weapon is picked up, you can slot it into your keyring. You can have 3 weapons at any given time. As you switch weapons within the ring, it basically forms from one core, and the weapon builds out to form the weapon you’ll be using – machine gun, heavy machine gun, sniper rifle, shotgun – you can just see bit by bit as it comes together. It’s a quick animation that looks really, really good. [play the video above to see it in action]

PSB: Bayonetta was really over the top, as well as other Platinum Games produced titles. What’s larger than life in Vanquish?

SEGA: What we’re playing through right now, there are two very big baddies who do all kinds of crazy stuff. In Vanquish, in both environment and enemy, you’re going to find yourself in a lot of unique situations different than you’ll find in any other shooter. Basically, it is very fast, very intense, and very action oriented. Even the mid-level guys you’ll come across, they do not stand back, they do not wait for you to come to them – they come to you. So you’ve constantly got to be on your feet, constantly be ready to take on whatever the game is going to throw at you.

PSB: Speaking of Bayonetta – that was a great game, but the PS3 version of the game had some technical issues. Tell me that Vanquish be different.

SEGA: Vanquish was developed on PlayStation 3 first and foremost, and then ported over to other systems. The experience you’ll get on PlayStation is incredible. It runs really clean, it’s very smooth. I know there were concerns after Bayonetta, which is totally understandable. I wrote on the Blog for you guys, and there were a lot of questions about this. My feeling is: play the demo, it runs just as clean as it does in the demo. It’s not like there’s a fakeout.

PSB: Why is there no multiplayer?

SEGA: That comes up a lot for Vanquish, and my feeling is that this is a mikami game with Platinum games. Mikami made Resident Evil and really intense single player games. Platinum Games is known for making really amazing experiences. Merge the two and you get a really good title in Vanquish. If you’ve seen the game, seen the videos or played the demos, you know this. Both the boost mechanic and the way it’s laid out, it’s very fast it’s very intense it’s very action oriented. You take those same mechanics, the Augmented Reaction System, the boost, and tie that into multiplayer, you have a slowdown mechanic and a very fast boost mechanic. It’s hard to put into a multiplayer format, I would say. It’s not impossible, but you’d have to pull back in a lot of ways on how those mechanics work. In the single-player game, those features are integral to the experience, and if you dilute those, you change the game. The single player game as they’ve come up with is amazing.

PSB: We’ve got some questions from our readers via Twitter. @jamaican27 asks: Will vanquish have alternate costumes?

The game doesn’t feature alternate costumes. Sam’s suit is an integral part of the game. There are secrets in the game, little things that you’ll find – I’m not going to spoil it for you, you can experience it for yourself. But there are things that you’re go through and discover along the way.

PSB: @Disturbed932 wants to know: What is Platinum doing for Vanquish that will extend the replay ability? I remember the demo having timed missions.

SEGA: As you go through the game, based on time, based on how many enemies you kill, based on how you kill them, your score is going to go up. We’ve got a leaderboard system, you’re going to want to play through again and again for better scores if that’s what you’re into. If you’re not into leaderboards, you just want a more challenging experience, you can get that out of the campaign; once you beat the game the difficulty will become harder and harder. In addition to that, there’s challenge modes which unlock throughout the story, which are based on time. It’s your raw skill – you have to know that stretch of the environment, know the enemies, know the waves, and it’s based on how well you can do it. They’re fun, they’re intense, there are some that I’m still having trouble getting through. It’s kind of a very fast, strategically how-am-I-going-to-get-through-this mode.

PSB: @r2wadhwani asks: When is Vanquish coming?

Vanquish is launching on October 19th, and post launch we’ll have another demo, which will show that challenge mode. So you can actually get a chance to see how intense things will get and what kinds of things it’ll throw at you. It’s a really good representation of some of the more intense areas of the game.

*****
Any more questions for SEGA about Vanquish? Julian promises me he’ll be around to answer them today.

For those still haven’t pre-ordered, be sure to keep a close eye on our weekly update of “Six Reasons to Pre-order God of War: Ghost of Sparta” as we provide PlayStation.Blog readers an in-depth look at each of the exclusive pre-order items from the ultimate bundle. Each update will include a behind-the-scenes look, including developer interviews and audio-video for reference with the best saved for last – highlights from God of War Live, our Game Directors roundtable discussion and a glimpse at the brand new Ghost of Sparta PS3 Dynamic Theme – both have yet be revealed so stay tuned.

Remember, for those planning to purchase the Ghost of Sparta UMD version or Entertainment Pack of God of War: Ghost of Sparta, you must pre-order the game before November 2nd, 2010 in order to take advantage of the six exclusive pre-order items for free. PSPgo owners will be able to take advantage of the pre-order exclusives by purchasing God of War: Ghost of Sparta from November 2nd, 2010 to November 9th, 2010

Every End, Must First Begin!

One of the key changes we made this year was introducing all-new Hands-On Control. This puts the control of the player in your hands, and gets rid of the dice-roll shooting, canned animations, and loss of control you’ve experienced in past NBA Basketball video games. Like putting in time at the gym, there’s a learning curve with Hands-On Control. But once you feel the difference, you’ll know why we changed everything. To compare Hands-On Control to the old button configuration, you can switch back in your Lakers-Celtics game in the demo through Pause-> Menu -> Setting -> Control Setting. We really encourage you to put in the time in Practice Mode with the Hands-On Control and feel the difference versus our old controls.

We’ve also introduced an all-new Become Legendary – Be A Pro mode. In the demo you’ll be able to create your own legend and start your career in the Jordan Draft Showcase game. You can carry your pro into the retail version of the game and create your own path to becoming a legend. If you pre-order at GameStop, you can also get an exclusive Jordan Brand boost pack for your Become Legendary player.

This is only a small piece of what we’ve done to change the game this year, and bring you the ability to actually control the outcome of the game. With all this, Real AI, Real Physics, and EA SPORTS Basketball Association, we hope you enjoy what the development team has worked so hard to bring you this year, the next generation in NBA video gaming.

And don’t forget, when you purchase NBA ELITE 11 you’ll get three modes of NBA JAM included free.

So check out the demo soon on PSN, practice your skills in the open gym, and then bring your game to the retail version of NBA ELITE 11 available October 5.

Utilizing the extreme precision of the PlayStation Move motion controller (as well as the PlayStation Move navigation controller and the PlayStation Eye camera), players can become completely immersed in the search for the Origami Killer through controls that mimic real-world motions.

For those of you who already have a copy of Heavy Rain, we will be releasing the Heavy Rain Move patch on Wednesday, September 22, 2010. Just boot up Heavy Rain (assuming you also have an internet connection) and it will automatically download to your PS3. This FREE patch will allow current owners of Heavy Rain to play the game with the new PlayStation Move controls and experience a whole new way of playing Heavy Rain.

In addition, we will be releasing the Heavy Rain Move demo on the PlayStation Store during the following week on Tuesday, September 28, 2010. This is a completely FREE standalone demo that features two of the early levels from the game, Sleazy Place and Crime Scene, and is fully playable with the PlayStation Move (note: you will need the motion controller, the navigation controller, and the PlayStation Eye camera).

Heavy Rain has been given a PlayStation Move makeover so expect to be drawn into the action more than ever. Now, your every move will make a difference!

Enjoy playing Heavy Rain again with the PlayStation Move, or for the first time!

…and a demo disc. A rather mysterious demo disc. Today, Rey’s latest video masterpiece gives a tour of the 11 game demos you’ll find on the Blu-ray disc tucked neatly inside your PlayStation Move Bundle or PlayStation 3 Sports Champions Move Bundle come September 19th.

Cool detail: You can install each of the demos onto your PS3’s HDD and park the disc on a shelf or lend it to a friend, if you so desire.

And hey, if you don’t have time for the video tour, direct your eyes to the full list of demos below. Which demo are you most interested in trying?

• Beat Sketcher
• echochrome ii
• EyePet
• Kung Fu Rider
• Sports Champions
• Start the Party!
• The Shoot
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
• Time Crisis: Razing Storm
• Tumble
• TV Superstars

From the creator of Devil May Cry 4, Sengoku BASARA: Samurai Heroes puts you smack in the middle of the war between clans in 16th century Japan. With notable samurai taken from Japanese history, but stylized into veritable war machines, choose a side and form alliances as you battle hundreds of enemies in the effort to unite, divide, conquer, or bring peace to the land. On your way to the final battle, you’ll upgrade your weapons and learn powerful new moves including deadly BASARA arts which allow you to unleash spectacular moves that wipe out multitudes of enemies.

I’ll leave you with a tip: while it’s not always necessary to take down the camp commanders in order to progress through the game, occupying a camp can give you added bonuses such as weakening the final opponent. So fight hard and fight smart.

Hop online, download, and enjoy! Be sure you don’t miss Sengoku BASARA: Samurai Heroes when it arrives in North America on October 12.

Unable to attend the PAX PlayStation.Blog Beyond meetup in Seattle yesterday?

No worries! We’ve got you covered on the God of War: Ghost of Sparta Demo.

We know our Spartan Army members are true die-hard God of War fans, so it only makes sense for us to grant our opted-in registrants all premiums and first access. As part of a ‘thank you’ to our hardcore Spartan Army members, we are emailing out demo voucher codes to each and every GodofWar.com and SpartansStandTall.com registrants today, Friday, September 3rd at 2:00pm Pacific time.

So be sure to check your email inbox for your own access to the God of War: Ghost of Sparta demo experience.

All we ask is that you’re within the United States, Canada or Mexico. You must also be a GodofWar.com or SpartansStandTall.com registrant on or before 08/01/2010. For European residence, please check with PlayStation.Blog.Europe for more information.

For those that couldn’t attend, God of War Live on Wednesday was absolutely incredible! Thank you again for all that attended and making the event a huge success. Over 150 of our PlayStation.Blog community was treated to an unfiltered, non-censored, no-holds-barred discussions with the entire cast of God of War Game Directors. Those who attended could tell you that the responses given by David, Cory, Ru, Stig and Dan were honest and totally unscripted.

Three very fortunate attendees won our raffle prizing at the end of the night, including the God of War: Ghost of Sparta Entertainment Pack, Franchise Bundle, and the mystery prize… the first and only print of the official Art of God of War III from Ballistic Publishing — a 272-page book revealing more than 100 pieces of artwork that didn’t appear in the game. Best of all, it was signed by each of the five God of War game directors, and he took the ONLY public released copy home the same night. Visit Ballistic Publishing for more info.

To witness the recording of God of War Live, be sure to pre-order God of War: Ghost of Sparta at any of our participating retailers to secure your six-item pre-order bonuses.

Every End Must First Begin.