So far, the gameplay portion of The Last of Us has stayed pretty tightly under wraps.  Thankfully, this doesn’t mean that Naughty Dog hasn’t thrown us a few bones in the form of some amazing cinematic trailers.  This past week, they’ve released their second cinematic trailer after about five months.

This new trailer focuses more on giving us a glimpse of the world that Joel and Ellie live.  I love the tranquil beauty of the ruined world.  There’s something kind of gorgeous about the world full of overgrown grass and trees filled with abandoned cars surrounded by skyscrapers.  The video doesn’t give us long however, before the ugly side of the world rears its head.  The challenges that Joel and Ellie have to face seem to be everywhere and it’s not just the creatures that they have to fear.

Even with just these two trailers, my thirst for this game is growing.  I can’t wait to dive into this world, get to know the characters and experience the story of how this catastrophe came to be.  All that notwithstanding, the trailers and screenshots of the game are among the prettiest I’ve seen.  Do yourself a favor and check out this trailer below.

Hooked now?  Naughty Dog is going to be at E3 this year and ESH will be there as well.  If this is the kind of thing you’d like us to cover, head on over to the Land of ESH page on Facebook and let us know.

While in his Bomb Shelter, Blueonic was able to crack open the special edition of Max Payne 3. Check out the video below to see what comes in that giant box.

Be on the lookout for a full review of Max Payne 3 very soon...

After dealing with the ho-hum old-school return of the world's most famous blue hedgehog in Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode I and the above average nod to just about every Sonic title released in Sonic Generations I was starting to suspect that the fastest thing alive would forever be subjected to a life of mediocrity. Episode II of Sonic The Hedgehog 4, however, puts those misgivings to rest, bringing us a true spiritual successor to the side-scrolling days we all fell in love with.

Unlike in Episode I, where the game takes place after the events of Sonic & Knuckles, Episode II finds our hero after the events of Sonic CD, as Dr. Eggman has revived Metal Sonic and is set to build a new Death Egg to wreak havoc on the world. It's up to Sonic and Tails to stop Dr. Eggman yet again, bringing peace to their planet once again.

Taking place between five worlds, Sonic and Tails run, fly, swim, and even snowboard down snowy hills, underwater labyrinths, and cloudy skies filled with Badniks and other hazards that wish to take you down. Each world (with the exception of Death Egg II) is split into three stages, followed by a Boss Battle that will have you facing off against either Dr. Eggman or Metal Sonic. As it was in the Sonic games of the Genesis era the name of the game is collecting rings and clearing each area in the fastest time (or highest score) possible.

Episode II acts in a way as a successor to Sonic The Hedgehog 2, as you have the capabilities to use the advantages of both Sonic and Tails to  conquer the worlds you run and fly through. On occasion you'll find yourself using Tails to help you reach bigger heights and use a super spin attack that can clear away any enemies and debris that will keep you from reaching your destination, thanks in part to some wildly new combo maneuvers. By pressing the Square button you can pull off these combo maneuvers, though you might find yourself accidentally using one instead of the other during a dire moment (especially during boss battles).

As you progress through the stages, the difficulty level tends to spike a bit. In one level you might find yourself clearing it in just over two minutes, whereas in the next stage it might take you close to seven with a couple lost lives here and there. (This was evident in Stages 2 and 3 of the White Park Zone.) Boss battles will also take a lot of strategy to conquer, as no two bosses are alike. Sure, you have to hit it a number of times to defeat it, but it's about how you go about doing it as you avoid lasers, falling boxes, Balkiries (first seen in Sonic 2), and robotic vines that will attempt to slam into you.

One of the nice additions to the game is the usage of Tails's plane the Tornado during the Sky Fortress Zone. In these instances you will be both flying the plane with Tails while taking out enemies with Sonic. The plane also has its own rendition of a barrel roll, which can be used to rid the screen of pesky crates that will block your way or Badniks that are overcrowding your area. It's during the boss battle against Metal Sonic and his hovercraft where the Tornado shines the most.

As it is customary in side-scrolling Sonic games, Episode II wouldn't be complete without a trip down some special levels that must be played in order to collect the seven Chaos Emeralds. Fortunately, these levels bring us back to the classic bonus levels found in Sonic 2, where Sonic and Tails must collect a specific amount of rings before reaching a specific checkpoint. The 3D-twisting tunnel that also has its share of bombs and electric orbs that will keep you from collecting that much-needed emerald, which when collecting all seven will help you to become Super Sonic.

The single player experience of Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II will take you roughly four to five hours to complete the first time around, but that's without revisiting levels to collect the emeralds and red rings hidden throughout each stage; not to mention the twelve achievements that you can earn by doing various tasks. Those that own Episode I will also be able to unlock the four-staged Metal Sonic levels, but you need to make sure you purchase the game on the same console in order to access them.

Players can even go co-op both local and online, taking on all the levels as either Sonic or Tails and using the combos to your advantage. While online mode has its moments, there is a lot of lag happening throughout the stage as this review is being published. (The Tornado-based levels will also take some cunning strategy to tackle, as I found myself falling off the plane more often than not due to the other player being unable to catch me for my landing.)

PROS:

• Feels like playing the original Genesis games
• Combo moves add something distinct to the Sonic universe
• Tornado-based levels

CONS:

• Lag issues while playing online
• Difficulty spikes as you go along
• Doing the Tornado-based levels in co-op mode a major pain

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Episode II of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 manages to sweep away the clunkiness of Episode I, replacing it with smooth gameplay and a truer feel of the Sonic games of generations past. Those that were a tad disappointed with the first part will be happy to know that their beloved blue hedgehog and his two-tailed fox partner have returned to form, finally giving us a real follow-up to the brilliant Sonic CD.

FINAL GRADE: 8.5 (out of ten)

Press copy of PSN version provided by SEGA and Ryan Morgan of TriplePoint PR.

Cartoon Network took note of the huge praise they were given for bringing back its beloved Toonami block this past April Fool's Day. Now it's looking like it's here to stay.

Announced today as a part of the [adult swim] lineup, Toonami is ready to be brought back on Saturday May 26. While it's not clear if old staples like Tenchi Muyo! or Dragonball Z will be part of the redux, it should be guessed that the anime that is currently airing on [adult swim] (i.e. Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist) will be featured in it.

Be sure to keep an eye on the official Toonami page for the latest news regarding its upcoming return.

It is with most regret that the Bastards have to indulge themselves with some, as they say, fresh blood.

This week the B3 crew gripe about how their childhood heroes are all dropping like flies, then jump into their thoughts on the Merrimack Repertory Theatre's production of Ghost-Writer. The week in sports is discussed, the demos for Spec Ops: The Line, Kinect Star Wars, and Minecraft are played, and Tim Burton's remake of Dark Shadows is reviewed.

A spot of tea goes well with this week's show. It's Episode 140: Damn, That Alice Cooper's An Ugly Woman!

The godfather of 3D fighting games is coming to consoles sooner than you think...

In a press announcement released today SEGA revealed that Virua Fighter 5 Final Showdown (the latest in the popular franchise) will be heading to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade on June 5 and 6, respectively. Priced at $14.99/1200 MSP the latest in the game series will feature 20 characters, as well as new costumes and animations for all to give a try. Separately SEGA will be releasing character customization DLC packs for all the fighters, each one costing $4.99/400 MSP, containing 600-950 customization items. Two other customization packs, each one consisting of nine to ten characters’ customization worth, will also be available at launch for $14.99/1200 MSP.

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown will feature two new characters not seen in the regular version: Virtua Fighter 3 favorite Taka-Arashi and newcomer Jean Kujo. New dynamic and interactive fighting arenas will also be intact. New console-exclusive features will include Training Mode, eight player Online Room Match Mode, and a match record feature to replay, save, and upload fights. SEGA and the game's developers AM2 promise that the console version of Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown will bring the storied franchise’s detailed balance, overhauled fighting mechanics, and extreme depth to new audiences and VF veterans alike in what they hope to be the acclaimed series’ best version yet.

The godfather of 3D fighting games is coming to consoles sooner than you think...

In a press announcement released today SEGA revealed that Virua Fighter 5 Final Showdown (the latest in the popular franchise) will be heading to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade on June 5 and 6, respectively. Priced at $14.99/1200 MSP the latest in the game series will feature 20 characters, as well as new costumes and animations for all to give a try. Separately SEGA will be releasing character customization DLC packs for all the fighters, each one costing $4.99/400 MSP, containing 600-950 customization items. Two other customization packs, each one consisting of nine to ten characters’ customization worth, will also be available at launch for $14.99/1200 MSP.

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown will feature two new characters not seen in the regular version: Virtua Fighter 3 favorite Taka-Arashi and newcomer Jean Kujo. New dynamic and interactive fighting arenas will also be intact. New console-exclusive features will include Training Mode, eight player Online Room Match Mode, and a match record feature to replay, save, and upload fights. SEGA and the game's developers AM2 promise that the console version of Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown will bring the storied franchise’s detailed balance, overhauled fighting mechanics, and extreme depth to new audiences and VF veterans alike in what they hope to be the acclaimed series’ best version yet.

Good afternoon ESH Lovers! I apologize for the delay on this monday...er...day! Had a bit of a rough night but without further ado here is this week's podcast.

First off we hope all you spent some decent time your mamas..especially since they gave birth to you and stuff.

The Sistahs were in rare form this week, as I am sure you'll notice by the their energy level.

Ninja begins with some more Rock Band DLC news, and would have continued with that if Pandalicious hadn't asked her about her progression in Radical's Prototype 2. Ninja did not necessarily spoil anything, so don't fret about that. She also talks a little bit about her latest anime discovery: High School DxD.

Pandlicious briefly addresses her excitement over the EAGERLY-anticipated release of Blizzard's masterpiece, Diablo III.(Which you will all hear about--we assure you!)

Before the fun can start, here's an idea of what goes on in the show. Here are all the the "wish-we-were" titles this week:

So Tell You What You Want, What You Really, Really Want

It Makes You Heller Stronger (Yeah, I Saw What You Did There)

Panda's Birthday Arrives Conveniently the Same Time She Needs a New Game

Looks Like We'll Be Kickin' More Chickens

We Need to Get Back to the Basics in Survival Horror

Here is this week's ESH Podcast Episode # 292: Whose Yore? 'Your Yore or My Yore? Enjoy!

The first game in this month’s veritable avalanche of awesome PlayStation Plus games is platform puzzler Trine 2.  In this game, you play as Amadeus the wizard, Zoya the thief and Pontius the knight as they are reunited once again by the magical Trine to save the world once again.  You control each of the heroes individually and can switch between them at any time to use their unique abilities to solve puzzles and fight enemies.  The thing I love about these games, aside from the amazing soundtrack, is how it really stretches your brain as you come across some of the harder puzzles.  It’s also pretty hard not to laugh at the banter between the characters as you traverse the world.  If you have a heartbeat, PlayStation Plus and love games, there is no reason not to go download this game.

Starting up Awesomenauts on my PS3 was like turning on a television on Saturday morning in the late 1980s.  It’s hard not to fall in love with the campy theme song that very much reminds me of cartoons from that decade.  The game itself is an interesting mixture of online multiplayer and a 2D platforming shooter.  It features an eclectic collection of characters that each have unique abilities that can be upgraded as you gain XP.  One of my favorite things about these 3 vs 3 battles is that you can play either online or locally.  Couch co-op is one of those concepts that seems to be fading away lately, so it’s great to see this game trying to encourage it.  Developer Ronimo Games is promising DLC with new characters down the road, so be sure to check this one out.

One of the best 2D platforming experiences is also made available this month with PlayStation Plus.  Both Castlevania Chronicles and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night are free as PSone Classics.  Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, featuring an awesome soundtrack, is easily one of the best in the extensive series.  Leading the series gameplay towards being more open-ended, as opposed to the earlier titles, it also added some RPG aspects and redefined the series.  If you’ve never played this game before, here’s some fair warning: you will get hooked on this game.  Castlevania Chronicles is a remake of the first game in the series.  It features graphical upgrades and some new content.  The thing I remember most about that first Castlevania game is the unrelenting difficulty.  I’m not crazy about the new character model for Simon Belmont, but it’s easy to overlook.  If you were a fan of the original game, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Coming a bit late to the party, on the 15th of May, Rock of Ages is also being offered for free.  This game is an interesting combination of tower defense and a boulder rolling mechanic.  Two players face off against each other, rolling a giant boulder down a hill towards their opponent’s castle door.  As you play, you can put obstacles to prevent the other player from getting down the hill quickly.  You place money farms as well, to earn more cash to spend on traps for your foe.  Rock of Ages, like many other games involving rolling objects, is a very strange game on the surface.  This bizarre, but beautiful, skin adds great deal of character to a surprisingly deep game.  It’s one of those games that takes a minute to jump into, but quite a bit of time to master.

Every time you download one of these games, as long as you hold onto your PlayStation Plus membership, they’re yours to keep.  Each month they add to that list by making more of these awesome games free.  Try it out, but I’ll warn you right now that if you do, you might just get hooked.