Playstation

Calling all PlayStation players! The sequel to 2019’s blockbuster Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is almost here. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will kick off a new era for the franchise when it releases worldwide on October 28 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. PlayStation players will witness and experience what made Task Force 141 become the legendary squad that it is as the action picks up following the harrowing and breathtaking action from the 2019 game. Play Video Developer Infinity Ward has left no stone unturned to create a new heart-pounding experience for players. Task Force 141’s next global Campaign. Immersive, world-class Multiplayer. An evolved Special Ops experience. All carefully crafted with gameplay and technical innovations that will introduce PlayStation fans to the new era of Call of Duty. Campaign and Special Ops Task Force 141 faces its greatest threat yet — a newly aligned menace with deep, yet unknown, connections. In a direct sequel to Modern Warfare (2019), familiar heroes return and new allies are formed as the globe-trotting operation spans Europe, Asia, and the Americas.. This Campaign is set to be an incredible experience on numerous levels: offshore sieges with underwater combat, all-out explosive assaults from 30,000 feet above enemy strongholds, and high-stakes, low-profile stealth missions. Deploying alongside you are iconic squadmates: Team leader Captain John Price; seasoned sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick; the lone wolf himself, fan-favorite Simon “Ghost” Riley; fearless Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish; as well as the newest team member, Colonel Alejandro Vargas, an incorruptible Tier 1 Operator and member of the Mexican Special Forces. After the Campaign, PlayStation players can join up with their duo for an evolved Special Ops experience, the tactical co-op mode that advances your team-building skills and sets the table for the near endless hours of gameplay you can experience in Multiplayer. Multiplayer: Next Generation Innovations Those who drop into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Multiplayer at launch will be the first to try out and level up multiple base weapons, explore a wide range of maps and modes, meet an international cast of Operators, and more. With new ways to play and numerous gameplay innovations, including a revamped Gunsmith that offers more customization than ever before, Modern Warfare II will hit the ground running on day one. PlayStation players who jump in right at the start will also be well-prepared for an incredible post-release calendar, set to include a massive amount of free post-launch content drops featuring new maps, modes, and blockbuster special events that players won’t want to miss. Modern Warfare II — Technical Upgrades Modern Warfare II will be the most advanced Call of Duty in history, with a truly immersive experience with stunningly realistic sound, lighting, and graphics. Navigate more lifelike environments via the game’s enhanced rendering and photogrammetry technology. It will be a treat to experience this game on PlayStation 5 with incredible visual fidelity, 3D Audio and DualSense support that heightens the experience overall and will make you feel you’re right in the middle of the action. The game also features a new advanced AI system. Enemies and friendlies alike across Campaign and Special Ops act tactically using combat and cover maneuvering techniques that would be second nature to a Tier 1 Operator. Warzone in the next generation for Call of Duty Development on an all-new, dynamic Warzone experience is also being led by Infinity Ward along with Raven Software. The new, free-to-play battle royale Warzone also features the same technology powering Modern Warfare II, so both titles leverage the Call of Duty engine that first debuted with Modern Warfare (2019), providing the most seamless and advanced Call of Duty experiences ever. The new: Warzone is scheduled for release later this year on PS5 and PS4. Pre-orders Available Now Pre-order your copy of Modern Warfare II today at PlayStation Store or via the in-game Franchise Store in Warzone, Call of Duty: Vanguard, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, or Modern Warfare (2019). All pre-order versions grant access to the full game at launch and to Open Beta Early Access, first on PlayStation. Now onto the pre-order editions: Vault Edition Day One Operators: On Day One, Vault Edition owners will receive four playable Multiplayer Operators — Ghost, Farah, Price, and Soap — each wearing a special masked outfit for each. All of them are themed around the legendary mercenary Ghost, custom-made to get the job done. FJX Cinder Weapon Vault*: The ultimate weapon is team, and great teams need the right tools for the toughest missions. We plan to share more details on the FJX Cinder Weapon Vault and the new Gunsmith closer to Modern Warfare II’s launch. Season One Battle Pass and 50 Tier Skips**: Following the launch of Modern Warfare II, Vault Edition holders will receive the Season One Battle Pass and 50 Tier Skips (or its equivalent) for free. Ghost Legacy Pack***: Get the Ghost Legacy Pack featuring 20+ items for immediate use in Modern Warfare (2019) and Warzone. This pack contains a collection of previously released Modern Warfare Bundle content crafted to celebrate the Task Force 141 icon, including 12 Ghost Operator Skins and 10 Assault Rifle Weapon Blueprints. Double XP: Pre-order from the in-game Franchise Store in Warzone, Call of Duty: Vanguard, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, or Modern Warfare (2019), and receive 10 hours of Double XP Tokens and 10 hours of Double Weapon XP Tokens for use in Modern Warfare II. Hit the ground running on launch day. The Vault Edition is the highest tier of Modern Warfare and is available for $99.99 (MSRP) or your regional equivalent. Cross-gen Bundle and physical copies With the pre-order of the digital Cross-Gen Bundle, you’ll get access to the base game at launch, early access to the Open Beta, and other instant rewards to be revealed later. The Vault Edition and Cross-Gen Bundle give players access to Modern Warfare II on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. If you prefer a physical disc copy of Modern Warfare II, preorder the physical Cross-Gen Bundle for PlayStation 4 or the next-generation version for PlayStation 5. These digital and physical versions are available for $69.99 (MSRP) or your regional equivalent. Preorder and get Early Open Beta Access**** Every digital and physical edition pre-order of Modern Warfare II includes early access to the game’s Open Beta, first on PlayStation. Beta-specific dates and details will be revealed in the coming weeks. Stay frosty. *Weapon Vault design limited to Weapon Vault contents at launch. **Battle Pass and Tier Skips, or equivalent versions, will be accessible in Modern Warfare II once the Season 1 Battle Pass, or equivalent system, is made available in-game. Battle Pass redemption applies to one season of Modern Warfare II Battle Pass, or equivalent system, only. ***Call of Duty: Modern Warfare / Call of Duty: Warzone required to redeem Ghost Legacy Pack. Sold/downloaded separately. Must be redeemed by October 28, 2023. ****Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of MP Beta subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/beta for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only, while Early Access Beta Codes last, at participating retailers. Online multiplayer subscription may be required. View the full article

With 29 years of experience in game development, Bend Studio has had a rich legacy in video games. From the iconic Syphon Filter series to Resistance: Retribution, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Days Gone, we strive to provide our players with high-quality experiences that create a lasting impact. As we reflect on our past and look toward the future, we are thrilled to unveil the new Bend Studio logo to you all. “The wordmark and symbol were designed to be graphic and bold, so that we utilize numerous variations in colorways and stylised treatments of the symbol (exampled below), while still maintaining an identifiable brand identity. Because the Bend Studio logo is split into a symbol and a workmark, we have more flexibility with the symbol.” – Shay Casey Our new Bend Studio logo represents an abstract and modern interpretation of the studio’s history, location, and lifestyle. Located at the base of the beautiful Cascade Mountains in Central Oregon, Bend provides us with a unique lifestyle where we can work in tech, but live life analog. After a day in the office, we like to plug into adventure and use our extra life to shred the slopes at Mt. Bachelor, drag a line in the Deschutes River, or take a long hike in the wild. “We set out to create a new identity that would be cutting-edge, abstract, and minimalist. It should feature simple, high-tech geometry but also represent the constant motion of creativity. Ideally it would be the kind of logo that is recognizable to gamers on the street without the need for a wordmark. Over time it should be easily identified as a symbol of gaming just like a certain swoosh is of sportswear. With those objectives in mind, we are illustrating Bend Studio’s technical innovation with a forward directional look. The letterforms are cut to run parallel to the leading edge of the outer symbol triangle but still maintain the stability of our mid-weight non-italicized font. The Cascade icon in the center of the symbol is an abstract representation of the many mountain peaks that are the center of our lives in Central Oregon and define our skyline. Additionally, there is a small break in the “I” that represents one of the lumber mill smokestacks that speaks to Bend’s history as a logging town before its current existence as an outdoor enthusiast destination.” – Shay Casey Associate Art Director (Branding & UI) “The new logo allows us to be creative with stylised treatments. We had a lot of fun concepting the above.” – Shay Casey 1993: Origins of Bend Studio Bend Studio traces its origins to 1993, under the name of Blank, Berlyn and Co. The company released several puzzle games for the Apple Newton, including Columbo’s Mystery Capers, Dell Crossword Puzzles, Motil, and Notion (List Maker). Shortly after, we hired Christopher Reese, the current Studio Head at Bend Studio, who helped release the first of a series of sports games, starting with Live Action Football in 1993 on PC. Following these releases, the company had the ambition to evolve and push into the world of console gaming. 1995: Learning the 3D Landscape In 1995, the founders renamed the company to Eidetic. Shortly after, the eight-person development team released its first console and 3D game, Bubsy 3D. From a technical standpoint Bubsy 3D was one of the few original PlayStation games that launched with a higher resolution and increased draw distances. Eidetic’s first title put the company on Sony’s radar. It proved we could develop a game on the newer PlayStation console, and that we already had an built-in engine that could run the next game. That next game was Syphon Filter. Eidetic Logo (1995-2000) 1999: Gabe Logan’s First Mission Syphon Filter is a third-person shooter and stealth-action game starring the character of special agent Gabe Logan. Syphon Filter released shortly after Metal Gear Solid and secured its place in the stealth genre. Bend Studio is known for its third-person action games, and that DNA began with Syphon Filter. We made sure that the camera’s angles were smooth, adapting to the player’s movement around obstacles in missions or while taking cover behind a building. While taking cover, Gabe’s head would also become invisible, giving the player a slight edge on an approaching enemy. Syphon Filter (Original PlayStation, 1999) Syphon Filter was all about the weapons and gadgets, giving the player multiple options to complete levels through a combination of both action and stealth. Syphon Filter offered a wide array of weapons in Gabe’s arsenal to help take down enemies. The most popular amongst them was the infamous Air Taser. It was a one-of-a-kind weapon that had infinite rounds, able to electrify enemies and even send them into flames. The taser was designed to provide the player an option when they were low or out of ammo and be effective during stealth approaches. Syphon Filter was the beginning of a legacy, not just for the IP, but also for Bend Studio. Syphon Filter (Original PlayStation, 1999) The team grew from eight to thirteen people during the development of the first Syphon Filter game, which hit the shelves in February of 1999 to critical praise. It immediately became a fan-favorite for years to come. After the success of Syphon Filter, Sony acquired Eidetic in 2000 and gave it the name you know today, Bend Studio. Bend Studio Logo (2000-2022) 2000 – 2007: Legacy of Syphon Filter In seven years, Bend Studio developed six additional Syphon Filter titles spanning across three PlayStation platforms. With the release of Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain the series jumped platforms to PlayStation 2, following the releases of Syphon Filter 1, 2, and 3. Syphon Filter 2 (Original PlayStation, 2000) In 2006, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror drove the team to the portable world of PlayStation, followed by Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow and Syphon Filter: Combat Ops, which also released on PSP. Both Dark Mirror and Logan’s Shadow were later ported to PlayStation 2 after their initial release. The formula of Syphon Filter continued to evolve through story, design, gameplay, and tech. With each release came more unique missions, providing the player with new challenges and problem-solving puzzles. Starting with Dark Mirror, Syphon Filter’s graphical detail and variety noticeably improved. Each character model’s clothing had tags and buckles, along with variation in footwear. Those same details were applied to the different environments scattered throughout the game. From seeing footprints left in the snow, to dust clouds in Peru, our team took full advantage of the PlayStation Portable’s (PSP) technical capability and pushed the game to its limit, displaying what the platform could do for a player’s experience. The team turned it up one more notch with the epic finale of Gabe Logan’s storyline in Logan’s Shadow. Logan’s Shadow was the culmination of the Syphon Filter series and displayed the smooth controls, improved gameplay elements, and the deep multiplayer system that continued from Dark Mirror. Bend Studio still regards it as the best Syphon Filter experience. Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (PS2, 2007) Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror – Refinery Concept (PS2, 2007) Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow (PSP, 2007) Underwater combat introduced for the first time in the series Gabe Logan’s underwater attire Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow – Bitar’s Dam – Concept Art (PSP, 2007) ‘Shadowed’ is a bonus mission where Gabe’s infiltration is seen from Trinidad’s perspective. This mission is unlocked by completing the story on Hard difficulty mode. 2009: A New Direction For the first time in ten years, Bend Studio reached beyond the Syphon Filter series to develop Resistance: Retribution for the PSP. Resistance introduced a new protagonist to the series, James Grayson, offering newcomers an entry point to the established series. Grayson immediately became a fan favorite with his stylish bomber jacket, which takes on a deeper meaning for players who finish the engaging single-player campaign. Resistance: Retribution – Luxembourg Lower Tunnels – Concept Art (PSP, 2009) Resistance: Retribution – Chrysalis Lair Birthing Chamber – Concept Art (PSP, 2009) Mission: Retribution Lost – final level in the campaign Resistance: Retribution (PSP, 2009) In Resistance: Retribution, we applied our expertise in creating third-person action games to the traditionally first-person Resistance franchise. We further smoothed and improved those controls with added features, such as the Aim Assist box. This feature aimed to give players an accessible playing experience by snapping the weapon’s reticle directly to an enemy located inside the Aim Assist box. One of the best features implemented in Resistance: Retribution was the PlayStation 3-like multiplayer system on the PSP. It provided a deep playing experience to share with friends, using the PSP to put up to eight player matches into the palm of your hand. The goal was to take the quality of the single-player campaign and merge it with the online system to create one polished experience for the player. 2012: Uncharted on the Go At Bend Studio, we always push technological boundaries to bring unique experiences to our players. With Uncharted: Golden Abyss, we were one of several PlayStation studios that participated in demonstrating the capabilities of the PlayStation Vita, helping to shape the early development of the portable device. To evaluate some of these early ideas for Uncharted-style puzzle solving and aim assist options, our team had to get creative. Early on, this included duct taping together prototype OLED screens with cameras and a DualShock 3 controller. These early experiments helped our team shape and implement the key features that Uncharted: Golden Abyss is known for, such as holding the PS VITA up to a bright light to reveal a mystery from a piece of parchment paper in-game. Bend Studio Team (2012) Uncharted: Golden Abyss also gave the studio an opportunity to refine our skills in performance capture. We wanted to bring the same level of quality and fidelity to the PS VITA that Uncharted was known for on console. During this development process performance capture was still relatively new, but we were able to learn from and build on the expertise of our friends at Naughty Dog and PlayStation Visual Arts Teams. Uncharted: Golden Abyss (PS Vita, 2012) Uncharted: Golden Abyss (PS Vita, 2012) Uncharted: Golden Abyss – Concept Art (PS Vita, 2012) 2019: Days Gone Bend Studio’s first original IP after Syphon Filter produced our most ambitious game yet – Days Gone. Following the launch of Uncharted: Golden Abyss on the PS VITA, the team embraced our next big challenge by creating a dynamic open world with varied systems that launched on the PlayStation 4. Developing a brand-new IP on the next generation of consoles took time, but it showed the capability and talent of our Central Oregon team. Bend Studio Team (2019) In Days Gone, the bike was a huge developmental shift on how the team approached the entirety of the game. How do you get from point A to point B? What random encounters can you face along the way? If the road is blocked by abandoned cars, what paths can you take off-road to maneuver around it? These were a few of the early questions that we answered while developing this large open world. Days Gone – Drifter Bike Concept Art (PS4, 2019) One of the biggest features of Days Gone was the hordes. The hordes pushed the limitations of the PlayStation 4, displaying an impressive number of enemies on screen at one time while showing our advancements in AI. When we shared Days Gone to the world in 2016, we highlighted the largest horde of them all, and it immediately grabbed player’s’ attention. Reactions ranged from “how am I going to face that?” to “wow, that looks like so much fun!” Those emotions were exactly what we were aiming to evoke from players, and where the tagline, “This world comes for you,” stemmed from. Days Gone – Old Sawmill Concept Art (PS4, 2019) Days Gone (PS4, 2019) 2022: Future of Bend Studio First off, we want to thank our players for all your support over the years. From the Syphon Filter series to Resistance: Retribution, Uncharted: Golden Abyss to Days Gone, your passion for our games continue to inspire us to create and bring new experiences to you. We carry each game we have developed as a badge of honor that reflects our past accomplishments and builds an even better future. The new Bend Studio logo is just the beginning of Bend Studio’s future. As part of the PlayStation Studios family, we promise to continue bringing you quality experiences that aim to leave an everlasting impact with you. Today, we are excited to share just a snippet of news on our current project. We are currently working on a new IP that includes multiplayer and builds upon the open-world systems of Days Gone, but brings you a whole new world that we are extremely excited to craft for you. We cannot wait to reveal it to you when the time is right. Come join our growing team and help shape the future of Bend Studio! We are hiring across multiple departments, including options to be fully remote. Visit bendstudio.com/careers to learn more! View the full article

With Yurukill: The Calumniation Games less than a month away from release, we’re happy to announce that the demo is available for free download starting today at PlayStation Store. Given the unique blend of genres, we wanted to shed some light on how everything flows together to create a cohesive and exciting experience. Also, if you pick up Yurukill: The Calumniation Games on PS4, you can upgrade your copy to the PS5 version digitally for free. Play Video What are the Calumniation Games? Calumniate (verb): to utter maliciously false statements, charges, or imputations about. ca·​lum·​ni·​ate | kə-ˈləm-nē-ˌāt Yurukill: The Calumniation Games centers around Sengoku Shunju, a man who wakes up in a prison cell with no recollection of how he got there. A masked woman named Binko suddenly appears before him and explains the situation at hand: “Prisoner, Sengoku Shunju: convicted of murder! He’s serving a 999 year sentence! That’s far and away the longest sentence out of all our Prisoners!” You must survive the various “attractions” in a certain “amusement park.” If you succeed, your crimes will be pardoned. “No, you’ve got it all wrong, I’ve been falsely accused! I’m innocent!” Sengoku asserts that he is innocent of the crimes he’s accused of, but what complicates matters is the appearance of the victim of one of his alleged crimes: a woman named Rina Azami. “Sengoku Shunju. A name I will never forget. You killed my entire family. For that, I will never forgive you.” Sengoku is charged with arson and murder—for the death of 21 people by immolation, including Rina’s family. And now he finds himself in Yurukill Land, the aforementioned ‘amusement park’ where accused criminals (Prisoners) and the victims of their crimes (Executioners) must pair up to face its twisted attractions and trials. Besides Sengoku, there are four other groups of Prisoners and their respective Executioners who find themselves in Yurukill Land: the Death Dealing Duo, the Crafty Killers, the Sly Stalkers, and the Peeping Toms. There are six Prisoners and five Executioners taking part in the games, comprising five teams total. The Prisoners hope to overcome the challenges so that they may be pardoned. But should the Executioners win, their wishes will be granted, and at long last they will be able to avenge their loved ones. Along the way, all manner of secrets will be unearthed as the teams face each attraction. Life or death awaits everyone who plays the game. Who will survive the cruel, twisted place that is Yurukill Land? Mystery meets action Yurukill presents a unique blend of mystery solving and intense shooter action. Players will move back and forth between cinematic moments of intense dialogue and high-octane shooting sections that will put both their minds and their reflexes to the test. Though each stage presents its own twists and turns, the following trials are typically present in each of them: Escape Adventure: Explore the attractions and find clues and evidence to prove your innocence.High Speed Quiz: Dive into the details of your alleged crimes as you fly through a futuristic sub-space.Shoot ‘Em Up: Put your piloting skills to the test as you destroy enemy ships, dodge attacks, and gather power-ups, all while continuing to unravel the details of the case as you fly along.Prejudice Synapse: Use the evidence you acquire during the adventure sections to destroy the prejudices lurking in their heads, and free them from the notion that you, the Prisoner, are guilty.Mind Maze: Complete the sentences relating to each incident and clear a way through the labyrinth of thoughts.Boss Battle: Survive your Executioner’s interrogation and prove your innocence. Blast your way through defenses and weapons generated by the Executioner’s doubts, assumptions, and force of will in order to prevail and unveil the truth! The creators of Calumniation Of course, the unique offerings of Yurukill would not be possible without a team of talented minds and creators. The multi-layered story writing comes courtesy of Homura Kawamoto, known for his work on the manga Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler, and Hikaru Muno. Together, these two expertly weave a web of mystery and intrigue punctuated by intense exchanges of dialogue between complex characters that players learn to both root for and condemn. The shoot ’em up (“shmup”) gameplay is just as engaging, with renowned developer G.rev taking the helm for these sections. Formerly of Taito (G-Darius, RayStorm), the team at G.rev have quickly carved out a name for themselves with a formidable catalog of high-quality shmup titles, and bring that same level of commitment and excellence here. Anyone who enjoys arcade-style top-down shooters that test your reflexes will feel right at home in Yurukill. Ready to play? Yurukill: The Calumniation Games flies onto PS4 and PS5 on July 5, 2022. View the full article

Ready to be the boss in the world’s most thrilling motorsport? F1 Manager 2022 comes to PS5 and PS4 from August 25. Players can pre-order right now, and doing just that with the digital version will mean you can play five days early, ahead of the official launch on August 30. Not only that, but if you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you’ll also get a 10% discount. Not too shabby, right? Play Video It’s incredibly exciting for the whole team at Frontier Developments to be working on a title for a sport that continues to surge in popularity. With a new generation of drivers, gripping storylines, and sensational on-track action taking F1 to new heights, we’re delighted to be giving everyone the chance to enter this thrilling world of motorsport. More people than ever are interested in not just the cars and drivers of an F1 team, but the entire team and process that go into the ground-breaking performance we see on the circuit. Using Frontier’s experience of designing deep, nuanced, rewarding management experiences, we’re allowing players to see the sheer detail of what goes into running a successful constructor, and then giving them the keys to control it all as the Team Principal. Whether it’s putting together a race strategy for your drivers, using your budget to expand your facilities and develop your car, or scouting the database of real-world drivers and staff for new recruits, the fate of your team will rest solely in your hands. As you can tell, there is a lot to get stuck into with F1 Manager 2022 – far too much to cover in one post! For now, let’s shed some more light on the role you will play during the race weekend. Whilst you’ll spend plenty of time as a Team Principal handling matters away from the circuit, you’ll also control many factors of the on-track aspect of F1 – all within an authentic, broadcast-quality experience, allowing you to watch the drama unfold from every angle. Taken your seat on the pit wall? Then let’s begin… Getting to grips Every F1 race weekend begins with practice sessions, beginning on a Friday. This is valuable track time for your team, particularly your drivers, to prepare for the weekend ahead. Just like in the real sport, every time your cars are on track in F1 Manager 2022 is a chance for you to gather data and turn the odds in your favour. Over three practice periods, run your cars to assess their performance, increase your drivers’ familiarity with the circuit and any new parts you’ve installed, and receive feedback about each car’s setup. As your team will also include a reserve driver slot, you can even choose to put that backup driver in one of your cars for a Practice session, to help boost their development. The art of the flying lap Here’s where things get more competitive. F1 qualifying sessions establish the grid for the race, and any slip-ups here can seriously hinder your optimal strategy for Sunday. Qualifying is all about giving your drivers the best possible chance to record the fastest possible times – which is easier said than done… With nine other teams vying to avoid elimination, you’ll be tasked with ensuring your cars are out on track at the right time. Once you’ve chosen tyres and fuel loads, you’ll need to watch the session timer, gauge the on-track traffic, grip levels, and even the weather conditions to ensure you’re not caught out. If you nail all of this, and your drivers are confident behind the wheel thanks to all that practice running, you’ll have a good shot at qualifying in a strong position. Race day: strategising for success A strong qualifying session means you’re in good shape for Sunday’s race, but there’s some more prep to be done. Use the data and knowledge you’ve gathered to formulate a race strategy for your drivers, covering pit stops, tyre selection, and even dictating how hard your drivers should push during each stint. During all on-track action in F1 Manager 2022, you’re provided with an array of information and options, delivered in authentic broadcast-quality presentation, to keep on top of the action. Cycle between on-board and track-side cameras of every car, watch the live timings of the entire field, keep an eye on track conditions, and so much more to help guide your team to the finish line. Instruct your Race Engineers to deliver specific instructions to your drivers, such as going easy on their tyres, staying off the kerbs, and avoid battling their team-mate. Many of the real-world drivers and engineers in F1 Manager 2022 even have real-world audio calls that you’ll hear as the action unfolds. Your race strategy can be tweaked at any time – which may well be vital, as each race can deliver unpredictable moments that Team Principals must react to. From a sudden rain shower, to a crash that brings out the safety car, a reliability issue, or even a red flag that halts the race, you will need to be ready to adapt your approach on the fly when an incident occurs. Handle all of that, and make use of all the options we haven’t even scratched the surface here, and you might just end the event watching your drivers celebrate on the podium. Drive every decision Plotting a path to glory on race weekends is just the beginning of your role as Team Principal in F1 Manager 2022. Between the races, you’ll be in charge of expanding your team’s HQ, developing new car parts, maintaining team morale, scouting and hiring top talent, keeping the board happy by hitting expectations and much, much more. In the exhilarating world of F1, success is the objective for everyone – but how you try to achieve that in F1 Manager 2022 is up to you. We can’t wait to see the paths you take and the stories you create from August 25. View the full article

It’s time to celebrate with Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3: Vibin’! Bounce around in the new Reality Falls, ride creatures and the new Screwballer coaster, and enjoy a new arsenal. Celebrate the good vibes in Season 3. Play Video Have fun(gi) A new biome called Reality Falls has formed, featuring the freshly bloomed Reality Tree.This lush forest boasts bouncy mushrooms, beauteous trees, and a cavern beneath its waterfalls containing loot. Don’t forget to harvest Sprouting from the Reality Tree are the Reality Seed Pods. Plant these seeds to grow a Reality Sapling — which grows in the same place match to match. Be sure to return to these planted Saplings as they bear better loot each time you weed them, even up to Mythic quality. Open the Map page to see your sapling’s status, including when it’s time to weed it again. Have a sapling already planted? Throw a Reality Seed to teleport the sapling to where it lands! When your sapling eventually wilts away, it’ll leave behind a Reality Seed for you to plant. Be a High Roller Ballers have returned to the Island. To keep the good times rolling, ride a Baller on the newly-constructed (and totally safe) Screwballer coaster. The Baller’s received some updates since it was last on the Island. It’s got improved Health, it floats on water, and it now runs on Battery charge. Board a new Baller if your current one runs out of juice. Take a wildlife ride The high-speed fun doesn’t end with Ballers. Track down a wild boar or wolf, jump on its back, then prepare for a wild ride. Taking enemy fire? No worries! Don your weapons while riding for mounted combat. Gear up Show your combat ability with brand new and returning weapons. Slam your opponents with the Hammer Assault Rifle (powerful at many ranges), land a double tap with the Two-Shot Shotgun, and take aim with the Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR), a new weapon class altogether. Also, grab some returning favorites in this Season like Heavy Sniper Rifles, Striker Burst Rifles, Shockwaves, and Rift-To-Gos. The Storm rages The Storm’s power has increased in Season 3. Spending too much time in it cumulatively will inflict you with Storm Sickness, which accelerates the Storm’s decay on your Health. Storm Sickness makes itself known before it afflicts you, as you’ll receive a warning if you’re close to getting it. Fortunately, the cure for Storm Sickness is to simply exit the Storm. If you re-enter it, however, you’ll immediately feel its rotting effect again. Chapter 3 Season 3 Battle Pass Now’s not the time for dispute on the Island. With this Season’s Battle Pass purchase, you can unlock Darth Vader himself plus the following characters preceding him: Evie, unlocked immediately with the Battle PassSnapAdiraStormfarerMalikSabina Later on in the Season, you’ll be able to unlock world famous archaeologist Indiana Jones in the Battle Pass. Create Your Snap This customizable Outfit can be found on Page 1 of the Battle Pass. Once unlocked, you’ll gain access to Snap Quests, which become available throughout the Season. Complete these Quests to unlock heads, arms, legs, and torsos for Snap. Mix and match to create your customSnap in Chapter 3 Season 3. PlayStation Plus Pack In the coming weeks, be on the lookout for the new PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack featuring the new Blizzard Bomber Outfit. View the full article

When building Horizon Forbidden West, a massive focus for the team at Guerrilla was making the world feel alive and authentic. To create the feeling of a living world, we offered more ways than ever for the player to interact with it. This meant going beyond just offering breathtaking action and adventure, also including smaller moments that flesh out the culture of the tribes dwelling within the Forbidden West, adding an extra layer of realism. Please note this article contains some spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West.  As Aloy explores this new frontier, she discovers many exciting things to do: Melee Pits in settlements, Salvage Contracts in the wilds, Outposts and Camps teeming with rebels, Cauldrons, Ancient Ruins, and of course: Machine Strike.  A tactical approach Machine Strike is a piece-based board game that Aloy can play against characters across the Forbidden West. In this tactical game, players move miniature pieces representing iconic Horizon machines around the board, ‘battling’ them against one another. Invented by the battle-minded Tenakth, the aim of Machine Strike is to clear the board of your enemy’s machines. To claim victory, the player must not only hold the strongest pieces but also execute a strong strategy. And the further west you go, the more challenging your opponents become. Bart van Oosten, World Design Lead at Guerrilla, is one of the masterminds behind this mini-game that is new to the sequel. “We started prototyping right after the Frozen Wilds! Many open world RPGs use these types of activities to create immersion into the world, which always speaks to a group of players, so we decided to flesh out the concept from there.’  ‘Initially, it was just random cubes with random rules, but we wanted to incorporate individual machine statistics, meaning the board had to be scalable to accommodate those ideas. That’s how we arrived at the tile system. Each tile has an assigned value that influences the stats of any machine piece that lands on them, for example, increased attack from the Grassland tile. Next, we created a paper prototype of the game, which we played a lot! This helped us figure out the ruleset and reasoning. It took us almost a year to finalize the entire mini-game.”  “We stripped back the design to be as minimal as possible. This kept the board overview clear and allowed players to create their own strategy,” says Bart. “Readability was important, so with the art direction, we tried everything from simple discs to ornate designs and landed somewhere in the middle: the game feels like it was made — and played — by the artisans of the Forbidden West.”  Authentically crafted in the Forbidden West  Implementing Machine Strike into the game itself was a collaborative effort between various teams, from AI and Visual Design to Narrative and UI. Concept Artist Christian Auer was part of the team that helped define the visual look of Machine Strike. “All the pieces had to look appealing without being too connected to any particular tribe, as this game is played by a wide variety of the Forbidden West’s inhabitants — whether it’s an Oseram tinkerer or a battle-hardened Tenakth. We also wanted each piece to feel special, like a collectible, so they had to carry some prestige in their design.’ ‘The scale of the pieces made this a fun challenge for us. The metal components on each piece were far smaller than anything else we typically see on our props, so we decided to go for simpler details that enhanced the overall design. The wooden material started much rougher to showcase the traces left by the artisanal tools that carved each piece. However, later on, we decided that the hand-whittled look distracted from the core design, so we ended up with a more sanded-down treatment. This better conveyed our overall goals for the pieces.’  ‘We also introduced wear and tear to the pieces so that the wood gradient would not be so monotone. You can see this in how the carvings are lighter in areas with dust buildup and darker at the bottom, where the wood has been burned or waxed. These details help establish the authentic craftsmanship that would have gone into each piece from the artisans of Forbidden West.”  The learning curve Before Aloy enters the Forbidden West, one of the first settlements she explores is the Oseram mining town Chainscrape. Inside the lively brewery at its center, Aloy can meet Salma, a friendly and upbeat Oseram who’s more than willing to explain the game’s rules. “A tutorial was crucial to get people interested in Machine Strike,” says Bart. “We wanted to make it as casual as possible, like a friend sharing their latest hobby with you over some drinks. Our Narrative team did an amazing job of conveying the information in a warm and understandable way.’  ‘As with any board game, there is still a lot of information even though the basics are fairly straightforward. Some people might not be inclined to sit through a long explanation, so we broke the tutorials up into a few parts. The most basic concepts are explained upfront, and the rest are learned through playtime, the glossary, or additional tutorial sessions — you can even press L3 during Machine Strike to get easy access to all this information.”   Ready for a challenge?  Machine Strike is one of the many activities you can stumble upon in the Forbidden West, but it’s one Bart and Christian are particularly proud of. “It’s been great to see people enjoying the game,” says Bart. “I am very happy with what we managed to accomplish and hope many more people will enjoy it in the future. We knew Machine Strike might not be for everyone, so we tried to make its inclusion as unobtrusive as possible.’   ‘And if you’re stuck against a certain character, my top tip is always to seek out the best position for your units, be that high ground or getting your pieces out of range. And don’t be afraid to overcharge. As Salma said: ‘It’s often the best way to turn a game in your favor.’”  Christian agrees that it’s been lovely to see our community’s reaction to the game. “As artists, to try and make something look and feel as believable as possible, this was the best reaction we could have hoped for. I’m just glad players are enjoying the game as much as we enjoyed making it!”   The many inhabitants of the Forbidden West are keen to test Aloy’s skills – are you up for a challenge? View the full article

Last week we asked you to turn your Focus onto the colorful characters and NPCs of Horizon Forbidden West. From trusted companions to unknown threats, here are this week’s highlights: BBSnakeCorn shares Erend wielding his hammer. XxPAGZxX shares Varl using his Focus. coalabr14 shares a portrait of newcomer Tilda. SindyJ_B shares a profile portrait of Kotallo. thegaymerTW shares Gaia re-emerging. horizon_addicts shares a portrait of sun prince Itamen. Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? THEME: Deathloop – Photo Mode SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on June 8, 2022 Next week, we’re headed back to the stylish world of Blackreef to explore Deathloop’s newly released photo mode. Share moments as Colt or Julianna using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

What a show. Where to begin? Today’s State of Play gave us our first look at Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 and Street Fighter 6, plus a spectacular new Final Fantasy XVI trailer. And between, nonstop new reveals and surprises, including the debut of titles in development for PlayStation VR2. If you missed (or want to rewatch) the show, you can find it below: Play Video Many studios who have partnered with us on today’s State of Play offer more information and additional insight about their games in the below PS.Blog articles. Click through to get the full story on each, direct from the creators. Resident Evil 4 is coming to PS5 next year: get the first gameplay and story details. Street Fighter 6 has been fully revealed: first details on new fighters coming to its roster, the Drive System, World Tour, and more. Final Fantasy XVI launches summer 2023. See the new trailer and get new story and gameplay details. Resident Evil Village is in development for PS VR2, which promises to be even more immersive. Enjoy a longer glimpse – and some new gameplay details – of PS VR2 exclusive Horizon Call of the Mountain. New weapons and bigger threats are promised for The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution, which is in development for PS VR2. No Man’s Sky will take flight on PS VR 2. Intriguing feline adventure Stray launches this July as part of the new PlayStation Plus. Marvel’s Spider-Man series is Coming to PC. Skate parks turn into bullet-ridden combat arenas in futuristic bloodsport Rollerdrome, by OlliOlli World’s creator. Terrifying sci-fi horror The Callisto Protocol gets its full gameplay debut. Embark on a stunningly tranquil, world-changing adventure with Season: a Letter to the Future. Delightful foxy adventure Tunic is coming to PlayStation later this year. Dating sim meets action adventure in Eternights. View the full article

High in the mountains, there is a village safe from the turmoil of changing seasons. No one has left in a generation, no one until Estelle. In her world, a season is a period of history, an era. This season is about to end. Riding off into the unknown, she leaves her home to try to capture this moment for the future. Estelle navigates through a strange yet familiar world, witnessing life on the brink of an impending but mysterious change. The gameplay of Season: A Letter to the Future focuses on exploring, recording, meeting people, and unravelling the strange world around you. At any point, you can hop off your bike and equip a tool from your bag. Each captures a different layer; sounds and music, art and architecture, voices of old people, vanishing religious practices, the traces of seasons long past. Your tools help you peel back these layers until you’re able to grasp the culture, history, and ecology underneath everything. Your camera can capture anything you see. Your microphone can capture and playback anything you hear, through directional sound recording. This action also prompts moments of reflection and inquiry as you understand your surroundings, sparking thoughts and investigation from Estelle. Use these recordings of the present to unlock answers for the future. Your time spent with other people is crucial. You help them through moments of quiet crisis. In their lives, the change coming to the world is not abstract, it is immediate. They are trying to navigate, to survive, to find a way to live. You help them. You remember them. The choices you make reverberate and the importance of what you’re doing becomes increasingly tangible. Showing your recordings to these characters you meet can also yield useful pieces of information or a moment of connection. It all comes together in your journal, a letter to the future, where you assemble the fragments of the season into a whole. Through snapshots and recordings, you build an evolving expression of your own perspective on what you’ve seen and done on your trip. Via the act of recording, your exploration and investigation are rewarded throughout the story in surprising ways. With the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller, you will feel the terrain under your tires, thanks to the controller’s haptics. When you’re cycling, you feel resistance in the controller’s adaptive triggers when pedalling up steep hills, and then enjoy a relaxing coast downhill. You won’t have to stick to the main road: cycling off the beaten path will lead you to hidden places and new discoveries. Your quest leads you to know the world of Season as you search for meaning for yourself, and for the reader of your journal. You do your best to answer the big questions: what is this season? And why is it ending? Season: A Letter to the Future is coming to PS5 and PS4 in Fall 2022. View the full article

Stranded in a ruined land, and armed with only your own curiosity, you will confront colossal beasts, collect strange and powerful items, and unravel long-lost secrets in Tunic, the celebrated action RPG created by Andrew Shouldice and an all-star team that helped make Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Cuphead, Celeste, Night in the Woods, and Dustforce. Tunic’s journey began in 2015 with Halifax’s own Andrew Shouldice fondly remembering those profound shared experiences of playing strange and inscrutable video games before the age of the internet and fan sub rom hacks. What is this strange item I just found? How do you beat this bizarre boss? Who is this old man in the cave? Is that creature even an enemy? Also, how do you recreate this experience for … everyone? So Shouldice, who helmed the vast majority of Tunic’s level design, characters, puzzles, animation, combat, programming, lighting, and story, started prototyping a little orange triangle-headed hero who had all the charm of a classic retro protagonist but a set of moves that was inspired by the tumbling heroes of modern Soulslike masterpieces. All that remained was to make a “little” world for the fox to explore… …As well as an incredibly detailed in-game instruction manual that doubles as a puzzle book (or triples as a strategy guide), complete with strange notes from some previous owner. It’s hard to summarize how the manual works in this game without spoiling some of the most interesting puzzles to hit video games in a good long while, but it is dense with information, delight, and mystery. The last step was to assemble a team of brilliant collaborators to bring the lush world of Tunic to life. Rebekah and Adam Saltsman (Finji) joined long-time collaborators Kevin Regamey (Powerup Audio), Terence Lee (Lifeformed), and Felix Kramer (Burndown Productions) in 2017 before inviting level artist and programmer Eric Billingsley, Finji’s wonderful QA and marketing staff, the PR team at ICO, the porting engineers at 22nd Century Toys, and various other geniuses to join the party. While Tunic is designed to be a single-player adventure, there’s so much to talk about, and so many puzzles to unravel, that you’re going to want to keep a dedicated party open so your smartest friends can help you decipher the hardest secrets. We’re also designing Game Help content on PS5 to always start with the gentlest of nudges, so that you don’t get anything spoiled even if you get totally bamboozled by one of the terrifying bosses or ancient riddles littering the realm. While Tunic takes big cues from the ultra-challenging games from our past and present, it also includes a range of options that allow players to customize the combat challenge to suit their interests, without actually removing the fun of fighting ferocious fiends. Players can opt out of some of the more technical aspects of the combat, or even enable a “no fail” mode. Whether you’re new to the dodge-rolling action RPG genre and still learning the ropes, playing your first real adventure with a young one, tired from a long week of work, or mostly just here for the incredible puzzles, this game has you covered. Tunic is published by Finji (Night in the Woods, Overland, Chicory: A Colorful Tale) and will be coming to PS5 and PS4 on September 27, 2022. View the full article

Revealed in today’s State of Play, Street Fighter 6 hits the scene in 2023. Experience a brand-new era of Street Fighter with stylish mechanics to express your creativity, vibrant characters, and new modes that will reimagine the fighting game experience. Street Fighter 6 is jam-packed with content and more ways to play for everyone – whether you’re new to the fighting game community or been a part of it since Street Fighterreleased in 1987. Thirty-five years in the making, the Street Fighter series has welcomed fans from all walks of life with different gameplay experiences. From Arcade Mode, online matches, Training Mode, local versus battles, and more (all found within the Fighting Ground), we’re bringing modes present in previous titles – plus two brand-new modes called World Tour and Battle Hub – to Street Fighter 6 to offer an unbeatable gaming experience. Classic Street Fighter Built for a Modern Era After our Teaser Trailer back in February, we hinted at a more hyper-realistic look for Street Fighter 6. We’re proud to announce that this new entry in the series is being developed on Capcom’s own RE Engine – previously used to create Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil Village, and Devil May Cry 5. With the RE Engine, you’ll notice enhanced visuals in every aspect of the game. Beads of sweat will roll down across skin, muscles will tense up when used, and cherry blossom petals will flitter and twirl in line with a character’s movement. Pair this graphics upgrade with the explosive splashes of paint and the striking graffiti treatment, and you’ll end up with an art style distinct to Street Fighter 6. Meet the First Characters And what is Street Fighter without its iconic roster of characters? Returning in Street Fighter 6 are Ryu, Chun-Li, and Luke, all of whom have undergone redesigns for this new era. Joining them is a brand-new face, Jamie who will add his own flair to the game with his unpredictable move set – based on drunken boxing – that incorporates breakdancing and chugging a ki-unleashing drink. Luke uses his background as a contractor for a private military company to teach mixed martial arts. He spends his days off eating junk food, playing video games, and challenging opponents to a good old fight. Nevertheless, he always has victory in his sights. Select Moves: DDT – A powerful throw activated after the first hit of an Overdrive (OD) Flash Knuckle. Useful for when you want guaranteed extra damage.Fatal Shot – Fire an additional shockwave after an OD Sand Blast to secure more damage after trading projectiles. Jamie is a peacekeeper from Chinatown who aspires to walk in the footsteps of Yun and Yang, the Twin Dragons. An expert dancer, Jamie places justice and friendship above all else, defending his town with martial arts. Select Moves: The Devil Inside – Jamie takes a swig out of his ki-unleashing drink to raise his Drink Level. Higher levels unlock access to additional moves.Luminous Dive Kick (Drink Level 1+) – While forward jumping, Jamie extends his leg and quickly drops to the ground. Useful as a surprise attack or a way to close the distance. Ryu continues training on his endless quest to find true strength. Well-mannered and sincere, he travels the globe in search of worthy opponents. Having overcome the Satsui no Hado, he now yearns for something greater. Select Moves: Hashogeki – Ryu concentrates ki in his palms and unleashes it a short distance forward. Useful as a follow-up after block strings and combos.Denjin Charge – Ryu envelops his fists with the Power of Nothingness, enhancing special moves such as Hadoken and Hashogeki. Ryu is vulnerable while performing this move, so careful timing is critical. Chun-Li is a former agent from the ICPO (International Criminal Police Investigation). She now looks after Li Fen, a victim of the Black Moon Incident from Street Fighter V. With Shadaloo now fallen, Chun-Li teaches kung fu classes and has become a beloved member of the local community. Select Moves: Tensho Kicks – Chun-Li rises into the air with a flurry of kicks. Useful for countering an opponent’s jump attack or to close out combos.Serenity Stream – Chun-Li switches to a low, stationary fighting stance. While in this stance, Chun-Li’s normal attack buttons change. A Battle System Built for Creativity With every new Street Fighter comes mechanics you can master to rise to the top. Introducing, the Drive System, a gauge you’ll need to manage wisely and one that is ripe with creativity. You can utilize the Drive Gauge to perform five different techniques that can easily enhance your offense or defense. A Drive Impact is a powerful strike that can absorb an opponent’s incoming attack and can lead to a wall splat. Use Drive Parry to repel your opponent’s attack and refill your Drive Gauge. Cancel out of a Drive Parry or normal attack into a Drive Rush to quickly close in on your opponent. Overdrive Arts are similar to EX Moves from past games that power up your Special Moves. Use Drive Reversal to perform a counterattack to get you out of tight situations. One gauge, five techniques, unlimited possibilities. Use your creativity to choose which technique to utilize and when. It’s all in your hands! Drive System Overview A Modern Control Type for Everyone For those who are worried that fighting game inputs are too complicated and just want to unleash your inner fighter, we have a solution in the form of a new control type option. First off, Classic Control Type is what veterans can expect to use for inputs with its six-button layout. New to Street Fighter 6 is the Modern Control Type, which allows for easier inputs where a special move can be performed by combining the “Special Move” button with one directional input. This is perfect for newer players or those who may have found classic command inputs a bit too difficult in the past. With the Modern Control Type, your character will perform some of their flashiest (and best) attacks with just a few button presses. Modern Control Type is optional, but we highly recommend new players give it a try! Enter the Real Time Commentary Feature Finally, we’re happy to announce a new feature that will add all the hype of a competitive match without actually being in one. Enter the Real Time Commentary Feature. We’re working with well-known FGC (Fight Game Community) commentators and other recognizable faces to incorporate their voices directly into the game! Enter a match and as the fight goes on, their voices will narrate what is happening on screen just like a real tournament. In addition to the added excitement, this feature will also provide easy-to-understand explanations about gameplay. This will help anyone new to Street Fighter have a better grasp of the mechanics to use for future battles! The Real Time Commentary Feature will also support subtitles in 13 languages for more accessibility. The first legendary commentators to join this feature are Vicious and Aru! We’ll announce the rest of the lineup in the future. A New World to Step Into Let’s talk briefly about two of the new and foundational modes you also saw in the latest trailer: World Tour and Battle Hub. World Tour is a single-player immersive story mode that pushes the boundaries of what a fighting game is and allows you to leave your own legacy within Street Fighter 6with your player avatar. And while Battle Hub – briefly shown at the end of the trailer – seems like just a venue for online matches, it will also bring new and unique forms of engagements and communication. Both of these modes will require a deeper dive in the future and we can’t wait to discuss them in more detail. This is what we mean by “Your Moment. Your Fight.” Whether that is through the expansive new modes, tailored options to improve your experience, or through the possibilities of the Drive System, Street Fighter 6 is the future of the fighting game genre. Available in 2023 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4! (Psst, did you notice anything appear on the Battle Hub screen at the end?) View the full article

Hi everyone, I’m Jae Yoo, founder of Studio Sai. We are a small, fully remote, independent studio with developers working from several different countries. After working so hard over the past two years on our debut game, it is very surreal to me to finally be able to reveal Eternights to the world! So, what is Eternights? Eternights is a dating-action game where you try to make the most out of life during the apocalypse. So you scavenge for supplies, explore dungeons… and go on dates. Please watch the below trailer to get a flavor of what to expect in our game, coming to PS4 and PS5 early next year, and you can get a sneak peak in our brand-new trailer below. There’s so much to look forward to in Eternights so here’s a taster of what to expect in our game: Face the infected One day, something, or someone, has turned humans into dangerous monsters. All that interests them now is violence and power. They are what stand between you, a cure, and the world you want. Date survivors Some of you might be curious about what the dating part of a “dating action game” is. Dating is… well… dating. When you’re not exploring dungeons, you can choose to spend time growing closer to a cast of five quirky and loveable characters. As you explore their stories and grow closer to them, you also unlock unique skills and spells you can use in battle. Manage your calendar There are deadlines for you to beat the dungeons and it is important for you to manage your time wisely. Will you grow closer to your confidant in order to deepen your relationship and unlock new skills? Will you scavenge the wasteland for supplies? Will you grow stronger by training with your companions? Or will you ignore all of that and go to the dungeon the first chance you get? It’s up to you, but remember, the clock is ticking. Explore Dungeons The dungeons you will explore are filled with mystery and danger. As the deadline looms, you will have to quickly overcome traps, puzzles, and dancing minigames to make it through in time. Luckily, you have your confidants by your side to help you when things get scary. Animated cutscenes With Eternights we want you to immerse yourself and truly connect with the characters you are spending time with. We’ve crafted several fully 2D animated cutscenes that change depending on who you decide to date. I hope you’ve enjoyed this first look at our debut game. As a storyteller, I’ve always wanted to mix a love story with adrenaline-driven action. I wanted players to have a strong, personal reason to drive them forward in combat encounters and to feel they were fighting for more than just their own survival – they were fighting for those they love. Eternights will launch on PS5 and PS4 early next year. We can’t wait to show you more of the game, so stay tuned for more updates between now and launch. View the full article

The year is 2030, and you are a competitor in a brutal new bloodsport – Rollerdrome. Combine stylish skate tricks with devastating slow-mo kills, picking your weapons with care to land the killing blow and make it to the end of the round… and maybe, with enough skill and hard work, to the end of the Championship. To survive the cutthroat world of Rollerdrome, you’ll need to know the rules of the sport and the skills required to give you a competitive edge. Fortunately for you, Creative Director Paul Rabbitte and Lead Game Designer Andreas Yiannikaris are here to brief you, plus explain some of the PlayStation 5 specific features you can enjoy in the game. Skate or die: In Rollerdrome, slowing down or stopping is a sure-fire way to get yourself killed. Chase the adrenaline and keep up the pace at all times – you need to be constantly moving and carving paths through the arena. Focus on dodging enemy attacks and pulling off tricks – both will restock your ammo. You can fire at enemies to reduce their health and stagger them as you go, but don’t be tempted to stop moving! Moves like stagger: Staggering enemies interrupts their attacks, and in the case of the Riot Guard (who protects himself with a large metal riot shield) will put them in a vulnerable state where they’ll take damage from all weapons. Reloading: You gain ammo by performing tricks. The more complex the trick, the more ammo you’ll be able to gain. With the PS5 DualSense controller, you’ll be able to feel the lack of resistance in the trigger when you’re out of bullets – use this to your advantage to let you know when your clip is empty, and plan accordingly to keep your chamber full for next time. Weapons: You’ll have a range of weapons available to you as you progress through the levels – you’ll start with the basic Dual Pistols, but as you progress you’ll unlock other weapons, including a Grenade Launcher and the formidable Z-11 Energy Rifle. Take the time to learn which weapons you gravitate towards, and which are most effective against different enemy types. Artful dodging: While you want to stay moving at all times, you also need to be agile to avoid enemies – or to hunt them down. Use your dodge roll to make quick changes in direction. Keep an eye open for enemies taking aim – with the PS5 DualSense controller, certain incoming enemy attacks will also trigger haptic feedback specific to the strike type. You can utilise the feel of the haptic feedback as a cue to help you pick the perfect moment to roll away. Aim for perfection: The dodge roll and air dodge aren’t just handy for moving around – they’re also the most powerful moves you have, allowing you to dodge any type of enemy attack. You’ll need to utilise dodging as a tactic to evade the highly skilled House Players – enemy combatants who stand between you and your pursuit of victory in the Rollerdrome Arena. If you time it just right, you can perform a Perfect Dodge and enter Super Reflex mode. Stay super: Super Reflex mode allows you to experience the ultimate flow state! As an athlete at the very top of your game, the adrenaline rush of executing perfectly-timed tricks grants you a moment of slow-motion clarity. These brief bursts of slo-mo action are the perfect time to pull off some advanced tricks or blast some enemies, as you also gain a 1.5X damage multiplier while in this mode.. Keep up the combos: Combos are achieved by securing kills in quick succession. The PS5’s 3D Audio provides spatial audio cues to identify the location of enemies around the arena. Use these sounds to help eliminate them as fast as possible and build a lethal combo to finish with a huge score. The sacred texts: If you’re stuck on a certain level – or just hungry for higher scores, check the Tricktionary, where you’ll find details for pulling off new and exciting tricks. You can start small, but as you improve, try to focus on the advanced tricks section – these difficult maneuvers will help boost your score, and they also award more ammo when reloading. Rollerdrome launches August 16 on PS5 and PS4. View the full article

Hello everyone! Finally! After so many years of hard work, we have our release date: Stray will be publicly available on July 19, 2022! And as you may have seen during today’s State of Play, we’re excited to confirm Stray will also be available to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members* at that time. This really means everything to our small but oh-so-dedicated team, and we can’t wait to see people explore this world that we put so much heart and passion into making. The vision for this game – initially named “HK Project” – started seven years ago by Koola and Viv, the co-founders of BlueTwelve Studio. It really is amazing to see that it is now an actual full-fledged game and will be experienced and hopefully enjoyed by so many players all across the world very soon. We have developed and learned so much along the way. Of all the unexpected challenges and discoveries we found, creating an interactive cat was definitely the most tricky one! Trying to control a cat – whether it’s in real life or when making a video game – is definitely not a walk in the park! From the very beginning, we knew that the controls and animations of our star character needed to be absolutely spot-on in order to properly convey this exhilarating feeling of skills and movement. So Miko, our cat animator, took the challenge to heart and spent considerable time looking for images and video references. The good and somewhat surprising thing we found is this: It really seems that the whole internet was basically invented for the sole purpose of hosting loads of cute cat pictures and videos! So we ended up having a lot of very good material to work with for references. Also about 80% of the people from the team are cat owners (or are being owned by a cat depending on how you look at it) and we even have two cats in the studio working with us almost everyday! They are called Oscar and Jun and – even if they are not the most productive employees to be honest – they definitely add a lot of cheerful liveliness to the studio. Seeing them interact with objects around the office (even sometimes shutting down our computers at the worst possible moment!) gave us quite a lot of inspiration for the various cat interactions that are possible throughout the game. And of course they all have been reviewed and approved by Jun and Oscar themselves! But all of those efforts bringing the cat to life were made so that people can properly enjoy exploring as a cat in the game. We are so excited to finally be able to show a glimpse of some new environments like “Antvillage” in our release trailer which is this village built around a huge reservoir. It’s a good example of how the cat’s exceptional abilities allow us to have more freedom in our level design, especially vertically to explore highs and lows in the world. When we decided to add the backpack and the small drone called B-12 that follows the cat everywhere, it opened up a new layer of ways to interact and learn about the environment for us. Especially the ability to talk with the characters of the world was really important to convey some fundamental points about the environment or learn a bit more backstory from several of its inhabitants. Our journey as a small team crafting our very first game is finally reaching its end goal, and we all can’t wait to find out how players will react to exploring this unique world and engaging with its colorful inhabitants on July 19. So on behalf of the whole team including Jun and Oscar: Have fun everyone! *Availability of Classics, Game Trials and Game Catalog varies over time and plan. See https://www.playstation.com/Plus for details and updates on PS Plus offerings. PlayStation Plus is an ongoing subscription subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically (at the then-current PS Store price) at the frequency you choose at purchase until cancellation. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms View the full article

Hello everyone! I know how long you have been waiting for this, so it gives me great pleasure to announce the release of our latest trailer “Dominance.” In previous interviews and updates, we didn’t delve too deep into details about the game system, but hopefully with this preview, you all were able to get a better picture of what actual gameplay will entail—namely, high-octane battles featuring our protagonist Clive Rosfield wielding a full arsenal of attacks unique to the game’s many Eikons (summons). Not to mention epic clashes between the Eikons themselves that put you right in the action. The team, under direction of Hiroshi Takai, has entered the final leg of development and is focusing on polish as they continue their march toward master up and launch. I, for one, would like to personally thank them for all the hard work they’ve put into the project. With the power of the PlayStation 5 behind us, we’re looking to take you on a seamless, story-driven, white-knuckle ride that will rival even the most thrilling roller-coaster. So buckle up, the wait is almost over! Yoshida Naoki Final Fantasy XVI Producer First, allow me to apologize for making everyone wait so long for new information on Final Fantasy XVI…but the good news is it’s finally here! In our latest trailer, we’ve introduced several new Eikons, as well as provided a more detailed peek at our action-packed battle system and the freedom it gives players. As for development progress, I’m happy to announce that the game is fully playable from start to finish; though, from optimization to brush-up, there is still a mountain of challenges to tackle as we head into our final push. Until then, please stay tuned. We’ll do our best to not keep you waiting too long before our next update! Hiroshi Takai Final Fantasy XVI Director Introduction of the Dominants of Titan and Garuda We here on the Final Fantasy XVI team hope you enjoyed the trailer and we wanted to give our fans a little bit more information about the Dominants of Titan and Garuda that you just saw. Permanent Economic Adviser Hugo Kupka’s meteoric rise to prominence was sudden, if not unexpected. Once a nameless foot soldier in the Republican Army, his awakening as Dominant of the Eikon Titan thrust him to the forefront of Dhalmekian politics. It was here he used his newfound position as the most powerful man in the republic to exert influence over both the nation’s armies and its policy making—amassing a personal fortune in the process. Yet while it is said that a man who has everything wants for nothing, Benedikta Harman will teach him money and power are far from all the world has to offer. Having emerged from the storm of youth coldhearted and ruthless, Benedikta Harman—Dominant of the Eikon Garuda, Warden of the Wind—turned her talent for swordplay and subterfuge into a command of Waloed’s elite intelligencers. It is on a mission to find the elusive second Eikon of Fire that she crosses paths with a like-minded Clive and is forced to face her past. Development Staff Introduction Speaking of the team, we would now like to introduce some of the key development team members behind Final Fantasy XVI. There are some veteran members you may already know of and some we are announcing for the first time, but they all share the same passion and excitement for the next standalone entry in the Final Fantasy series. ProducerNaoki YoshidaMain DirectorHiroshi TakaiCreative Director & Original ScreenplayKazutoyo MaehiroLocalization DirectorMichael-Christopher Koji FoxArt DirectorHiroshi MinagawaCombat DirectorRyota SuzukiCharacter DesignKazuya TakahashiComposerMasayoshi Soken Landscapes of Final Fantasy XVI Valisthea— the setting for the protagonist Clive Rosfield’s arduous story. We would like to present a selection of screenshots to leave you with a glimpse into this realm. The development team is currently in the process of further improving the game experience and quality, as well as optimizing the game for PlayStation 5. We hope you continue to stay tuned for more information as it becomes available! View the full article

That’s right, the acclaimed PlayStation action-blockbuster hits Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales are heading to PC. Developed by my Insomniac Games teammates in collaboration with Marvel, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered introduces you to an experienced Peter Parker who’s fighting big crime and iconic villains in Marvel’s New York. At the same time, he’s struggling to balance his chaotic personal life and career while the fate of Marvel’s New York rests upon his shoulders. The same goes for our version of Miles Morales as he rises to the challenge of becoming a new Spider-Man for his community and the city. In Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – currently available on both PS4 and PS5 – Miles is adjusting to his new home in East Harlem while following in the footsteps of his mentor Peter Parker. But when a fierce power struggle threatens to destroy his new home, Miles realizes that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. Miles must take up the mantle of Spider-Man and own it to save Marvel’s New York. Before we further discuss the PC versions of each game, I’d like to pause and express Insomniac’s profound gratitude for those of you reading this post who have already purchased and played the PlayStation console versions of Marvel’s Spider-Man (PS4) and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS4, PS5). Let me tell you, there are a lot of folks to thank for your passionate support! With that in mind, I’m both ecstatic and humbled to share that the Marvel’s Spider-Man series now has sold through more than 33 million copies globally, as of May 15, 2022. Now let’s look more closely at Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC. We’ll divebomb into tech specs another time, but I hope after you watch this trailer, you can envision just how visceral it’s going to be hurtling through the skies of Marvel’s New York and taking on the most sinister rogues gallery around. Look at that gorgeous footage! That’s just a tiny sample of what to expect in Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC. Wait until you get your hands on the sticks…or mouse and keyboard (feature confirmed)! Of course, you can count on additional standard PC-specific features such as adjustable render settings and ray-traced reflections, with more features and details to be announced later. We’re grateful to our PlayStation Studios partner studio Nixxes Software for fully optimizing Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PC. Our production team has been thrilled with Nixxes’ collaborative spirit and commitment to quality. We see a lot of ourselves when working with Nixxes. We asked Jurjen Katsman, Nixxes’ Founder and Senior Director of Development, if he’d like to share a few words about the games’ PC development journey, and this is what he had to say: “I am extremely pleased with our collaboration with Insomniac on the Marvel’s Spider-Man series, the shared support provided between our teams and their dedication to quality above all is inspiring. It allows our team to leverage our technical expertise and focus on creating the best possible PC experience that takes advantage of all the exciting possibilities the PC platform has to offer. Our team has always been big fans of the work from Insomniac and partnering with them to bring Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales to PC in the best way we can is something we are incredibly excited about.” We will have more details to share about both Marvel’s Spider-Man PC games as we approach their respective launches. For now, we can reveal that Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered will launch on PC on August 12, 2022 while Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will launch on PC in Fall 2022. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC will include the full main story and its continued narrative in Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps DLC, which features three accompanying story chapters in Peter Parker’s journey along with additional missions and challenges for players to discover. Thanks for reading, and as always, for supporting our original take on Spider-Man. We love our fans. View the full article

Three years ago we launched our Beyond update and reimagined No Man’s Sky as a true virtual reality experience. It was a huge undertaking, but overnight it became one of the biggest VR titles, as we released it as a free update for every member of our large community. We wanted players to experience our universe from an entirely new perspective and play through its entirety fully immersed in VR. Today we are happy to announce that No Man’s Sky is in development for PlayStation VR 2. (PS VR2 system also currently in development). It’s also a fantastic moment for us to focus on our virtual reality experience. Back in 2019, for the original PlayStation VR, we took the decision to rebuild the game from the ground up, leaving no stone unturned when it came to amping up the VR immersion. Cockpits and control systems of starships and land vehicles were rebuilt, menu systems and interfaces redesigned, teleportation controls, terrain manipulation, warp effects were all redesigned to heightened the dynamism, tacticity and exhilaration of your adventure. No aspect of the experience was overlooked in our drive for maximum immersion. In the years that have passed, looking back on the planet you’ve just left as it recedes from view, staring up as your life-sized ship teleports in above you, or creating a towering base structure in VR solo or with friends, has never gotten old. In a VR headset, creatures seem closer and more familiar, space battles more ferocious and frenetic, planetary vistas more expansive and zen-like. To experience No Man’s Sky in PS VR was a minor miracle, such was the technical challenge we faced bringing an infinite seamless universe into the futuristic headset. Several years later, the technology has taken another major leap forward such that, now, we have the opportunity to immerse the player to a whole new level. The power of PlayStation 5, coupled with the all-new PlayStation VR2 hardware, including the new Sense controllers, combine to take that sense of immersion and believability up by several major notches. We will be talking more about the specific features of No Man’s Sky for PlayStation VR2 in the coming months. Our journey continues. View the full article

In the years since its launch, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners has become a much beloved title on PSVR, with its immersive, survival-focused story campaign, its action-packed wave-based Trial mode, and its end game story expansion Aftershocks. Now, two years after its original release, we’re happy to announce the next chapter in the story of the Tourist; The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution, which is coming to both PS VR (system available now) and PS VR2 (system currently in development). But what does the “Chapter 2” title really mean for Saints & Sinners? As a direct follow up to the first game, Retribution adds a whole new story campaign, new maps to explore, new weapons and tools, and all new challenges. While there are many surprises that we will have to save for later in the year, we’ll dive into some of the key differences you can expect which will make Retribution a worthy sequel and advancement of the groundwork set in Saints & Sinners. All new arsenal Saints & Sinners was first announced with an iconic fire axe teaser image to represent just one of the many visceral weapons players would be able to use. Retribution is no different, the first glimpse of the game being a brutal chainsaw that has sparked great excitement with the community. The physics-based combat and the wide variety of weapons to interact with in Saints & Sinners was one of its greatest highlights, and Chapter 2: Retribution aims to take tactile brutality even further. The gear you find won’t simply be variants of already familiar weapons, but instead be designed to provide unique methods of combat not previously available. Among the new entries to your arsenal, you will find silencers that help you avoid alerting the undead when using firearms, new guns like the SMG and sawed-off shotgun for better ranged horde control, and a chainsaw to tear through anything in your path (at the cost of its bulky weight and its need for fuel). These are just some of the new additions, so stay tuned for more information about how you are about to get a whole lot more dangerous. All new dangers The Axeman, a mysterious post-apocalyptic slasher with goals to take you down, hinted at in the Aftershocks expansion of TWDSS and now seen in our latest teaser trailer, acts as just one of the major ways Retribution plans to reignite a sense of fear and danger into players in unexpected ways. Alongside the looming threat Axeman, who’s actions and schemes across the campaign will always keep you on edge, you can expect greater numbers of walkers to better capture scale of the undead threat, and more complex battles against armed and dangerous human combatants. Carefully crafted missions will work to take all these expanded threats and create new, frightening and memorable encounters. New Orleans Nightlife One of the biggest changes coming to the original gameplay loop of TWDSS is the inclusion of expeditions into the city during the night. With Chapter 2’s goal of making our take on New Orleans as expansive and immersive as ever, every map – both old and new – can be visited after the bells have been rung and the living dead have flooded the area. While this will make scavenging during the night far more dangerous, it brings with it new gameplay opportunities as well as rewards. Stealth becomes far more crucial as you can more easily hide from walkers and by using newly implemented flares, you can lead them away from where you want to go. There are items, such as survival bags left behind by those fleeing or slain, which are only discoverable during the hours of darkness, giving you incentive to make these runs. Just remember that the dark makes it much easier to bump into the increased hordes yourself… Devil’s in the details For each one of the major gameplay changes coming to Retribution, there are dozens of smaller tweaks designed to improve the overall immersion of the game. The walkers are a prime example of where this focus is going, as small but key details make this ever-present threat all the more impactful. We’ve increased the number and detail of visual feature combinations to better help each walker you fight look different from the last. To match the increased weapon pool, the ways that walker bodies react to damage has also increased, making each hit both more visceral and realistic. The animations for these enemies have also been expanded, with walkers now having better reactions to their environment, like when falling from great heights. All of these small changes work together to make Retribution a more believable world to explore. The next step for VR Above all else, Chapter 2: Retribution strives to remain the premier example of tactile brutality for VR gaming and wow players the same way that Chapter 1 of TWDSS did. With the power and new immersive features afforded us by PS VR2, players will enjoy higher quality visuals, more precise hand tracking and larger, more detailed levels with more to find and more to see. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution is currently set to come to PSVR in late 2022 and PS VR2 in 2023. View the full article

On behalf of everyone at Striking Distance Studios, I wanted to let you know how excited we are to give PlayStation fans an exclusive first look at The Callisto Protocol. Some of you may know me as the creator of Dead Space, and I’m excited to be returning to my roots with an all-new take on the sci-fi survival horror genre. I hope you like what we’ve got to show you today! Set on Jupiter’s “dead moon” Callisto in 2320, The Callisto Protocol is the story of Jacob Lee, an inmate at Black Iron Prison who must fight for his life when a mysterious outbreak throws the moon into chaos. Prison guards and inmates are mutating into monstrous creatures called Biophage, and Jacob must battle to survive the horrors of Black Iron and uncover the dark secrets of the United Jupiter Company. Creating terrifying moments in games is hard. To bring the world of The Callisto Protocol to life, the team uses a process we call Horror Engineering to hand craft unforgettable scares. It’s about blending atmosphere, tension, brutality, helplessness, and humanity to thrill players … and hopefully scare the crap out of them. Let’s take a look at how it works. Horror starts with atmosphere. Callisto is an oppressive world that feels desolate, isolated, and puts players on edge. We spend a ton of time designing the lighting to create a sense of dread and keep players guessing about what’s in the shadows. We also take full advantage of PS5’s 3D Audio capabilities and leverage acoustic ray tracing, diffraction, and portaling to fully immerse players in the world. From the monstrous sounds of Biophage echoing down long dark hallways, to the ambient whirring of broken prison machinery, audio is a huge feature in making players feel trapped, isolated, and alone. We also obsess over building and releasing tension. You can’t have jump scares around every corner. Sometimes we space scares out to give players time to catch their breath, and sometimes we hit them with two or three scares in a row. We want your heart to race with every tick of the PS5’s awesome haptics. From the satisfying swing of Jacob’s stun baton, to the heavy footsteps of a massive enemy, the PS5 helps us make players feel every moment of the pulse-pounding tension. What would a horror game be without brutality? Striking Distance Studios has designed a strategic combat system that forces players to get up close and personal with our horrifying creatures. We seamlessly blend melee combat and gunplay with a unique gravity weapon called the GRP. Black Iron guards use the GRP to control the prison population, but it also allows Jacob to get creative in how he battles the Biophage. Players can freeze a rushing enemy in their tracks, or even throw Biophage into a nearby turbine fan or environmental hazard to escape a seemingly dire situation. The Callisto Protocol is a survival horror game, so players should feel helpless. Jacob isn’t a soldier, and every encounter is a life and death struggle. Ammo, health, and weapons are precious, and players will need to scour Black Iron for any advantage they can find. And finally, the game needs to have an element of humanity. We want to give players characters that they care about, and a deep, immersive story that’s going to keep them guessing until the end. The role of Jacob is played by Josh Duhamel, who delivers a thrilling performance that brings the whole world to life. We can’t wait for you to experience the horrors of Callisto yourself later this year! The game comes out around the world on PS5 and PS4 on December 2, 2022. And make sure to pre-order the game on the PlayStation Store to receive a special Contraband Pack to help give Jacob a fighting chance against the unspeakable horrors of Black Iron Prison. That’s all we have for now, but we’ll have much more to share about The Callisto Protocol in the weeks and months ahead. View the full article

In early January we offered you a glimpse into Horizon Call of the Mountain, a new adventure created exclusively for PlayStation VR2 (PS VR2 system currently in development). And now, we’re excited to share a new trailer with you, featuring some of the action and adventure that will take place in this upcoming game — have a look: Meet Ryas, Horizon Call of the Mountain’s protagonist The world of Horizon is spectacular up close. In Call of the Mountain, you’ll be seeing it through the eyes of Ryas, a former Shadow Carja Warrior who hopes to redeem himself by investigating a grave new threat to the Sundom. He is a master at climbing and archery, two skills crucial to survival as you step into his shoes, scaling perilous mountains and taking down mighty machines like the Thunderjaw. Throughout your journey, you’ll master various tools and weapons and use the world’s many materials to craft additional gear, equipping you for any situation. But you won’t be going it alone. Along the way, you’ll meet Horizon characters new and old, including Aloy herself. Alongside the game’s main story, Call of the Mountain will also offer an exciting, immersive River Ride experience. Take a seat and enjoy the gorgeous views of the world of Horizon, but look out; some uninvited machines may try to come aboard! The River Ride is the perfect way for a player using the PS VR2 headset to share the magic of PS VR2 with your friends and family as they watch along on a connected display. Horizon Call of the Mountain has been proudly developed together with the talented team at Firesprite. You can read more about the game at PlayStation.com We can’t wait to welcome VR fans into the Horizon community. Horizon Forbidden West gets a big update Of course, at the studio, we’re continuing to build on Horizon Forbidden West, which launched this past February. We’re so thankful for our incredibly talented community and are happy to announce that a major update will be released today. It includes the much-requested New Game+ feature and Ultra Hard mode for those who want challenge themselves further, but also a host of quality-of-life features that we know our community would appreciate: the transmog feature allows players to easily customize the cosmetics of their equipped outfit to look like any other owned outfit, and with respec players are enabled to freely reset their skill points and redistribute them. Think you can still take down that Slaughterspine? This update also comes with a dedicated trophy pack so you can track your victories as you revisit the Forbidden West on Ultra Hard through New Game+! Additionally, there’s a new Herbalist vendor who sells animal parts, and we’ve revamped Temporal Anti-Aliasing to improve the visual fidelity of our Performance mode on PS5 and rendering on PS4 Pro. We’re already working on an upcoming patch which will include VRR support and a 40FPS Mode, so stay tuned for more. View the full article

The PlayStation 5 version of the award-winning Resident Evil Village is coming to PlayStation VR2! Development is currently underway to bring the story campaign in its entirety to be playable in VR. The PS VR2 system is currently in development, and Resident Evil Village will be able to provide an even deeper immersive experience by taking full advantage of the vivid graphics possible with the headset’s 4K HDR display, PlayStation VR2’s eye tracking, PS5’s 3D Audio* and more. Soak in the gorgeous details of Dimitrescu Castle, from its beautiful chandeliers to the textures of its furnishings, In PSVR2, you’ll feel the castle’s inhabitants’ presence all the more as they stalk you through its hallways, and be prepared to get overwhelmed by its owner, Lady D… In addition to the PS VR2 headset, you’ll use the PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers to represent each hand in-world. Try guarding using both of your arms and Ethan will guard in the same way; hold up a gun and Ethan will hold up his. You are also now able to execute dynamic actions such as firing your gun while holding a knife with the other hand, or holding a handgun with one hand and a shotgun with the other. These advanced controllers increase the player’s immersion with the game. We showed you some special battle scenes we prepared just so that you could get a feel of the battle system in the PlayStation VR2. The ultimate immersive survival horror experience, this game will put you right in the world of Resident Evil Village. Become Ethan Winters and take on this death-defying adventure! Please stay tuned for further information on the release date and pricing. *3D audio via built-in TV speakers or analog/USB stereo headphones. Set up required. View the full article

Hi PlayStation fans! We are excited to finally be able to talk about Resident Evil 4! Resident Evil 4 is a remake of the 2005 game Resident Evil 4. When it first came out, Resident Evil 4 revolutionized the Resident Evil franchise with its new game-style that combined action, shooting, and resource management elements, subsequently setting the standard for future Resident Evil titles. This time, the game is being developed to achieve state-of-the-art quality for a survival horror suitable for 2023, while preserving the essence of the original game. We aim to make the game feel familiar to fans of the series, while also providing a fresh feeling to it. This is being done by reimagining the storyline of the game while keeping the essence of its direction, modernizing the graphics and updating the controls to a modern standard. The story thus far Six years have passed since the biological disaster in Racoon City. Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors of the incident, has been recruited as an agent reporting directly to the president. With the experience of multiple missions on his back, Leon is sent to rescue the kidnapped daughter of the president of the United States. He tracks her to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the villagers. And the curtain rises on this story of grueling survival horror and rescue. Resident Evil 4 is the latest survival horror game where life and death intersect with terror and catharsis. Scheduled to release on March 24, 2023. View the full article

Hi, I’m Matt Bozon, creative director at WayForward and the director of the Shantae video game series. It’s been 20 years since the release of the very first Shantae game! Can you believe it?! For longtime Shantae fans, today will be a brisk walk down memory lane. If you’re new to the series, allow me to catch you up on what you’ve missed! In short: a lot of genies, pirates, monsters, and hair. Shantae, the original indie darling! Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start)! Shantae was created by Erin Bozon in 1994 during a time when it was rare to see a lead female video game character — and when they did exist, it was often as an optional secondary character or a masked heroine. Erin began concepting a new game starring a prominent female lead, in hopes of inspiring more girl gamers, and at the same time, create an action/fantasy game that everyone would enjoy. The result was Shantae, a Half-Genie with a hair-whipping ponytail and the ability to belly dance to transform into a monkey, elephant, and other creatures. Together we formed a husband-and-wife creative team, laying the series groundwork for several years. The first game, simply titled “Shantae,” established a lot of the series’ core gameplay and introduced players to the world of Sequin Land, as well as characters like Shantae, her adopted uncle Mimic, best friends Sky, Bolo, and Rottytops, and arch-nemesis Risky Boots! The world was vast and filled with whimsical townsfolk and monsters. The character animation was fluid, and backgrounds were lush and vibrant, with lots of parallaxing effects, day and night cycles, a massive track list of catchy tunes, and a new gameplay gimmick lurking around every corner. The game was so large, in fact, that it required a prohibitively expensive cartridge. The combination of low manufacturing runs and critical acclaim gave Shantae a sort of “cult status,” making it one of the rarest collectible games out there. Thankfully, it will be made widely available on PS4 and PS5 later this year, so you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg to try this classic! Fun Fact: In Erin’s original design, Shantae could belly dance to charm “animal helpers.” These animals could be summoned and controlled by the player, used to slash enemies, leap across pits, or trample obstacles. Later the idea was changed to allow Shantae to transform by learning magical dance moves. Shantae: Risky’s Revenge! Released in 2010, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge was the long-awaited sequel, and was the first Shantae game to appear on PlayStation. The game opens with a much more capable Shantae, now a fully recognized Guardian Genie, protector of Scuttle Town and kicker of Risky Boots’ booty in the last adventure. Success goes to Shantae’s head, and she’s easily duped into a quest to restore the magical power of a mysterious old lamp — it’s all a trap laid by Risky Boots. Although players save the day in the end, Shantae (the character) must learn to deal with defeat and betrayal. And…yes, this is the “good” ending! But don’t worry…a sequel game isn’t far behind. Fun Fact: To this day, Risky’s Revenge remains the most widely played game in the series! Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse! Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, the third entry in the series, holds a special place among fans. Despite the setbacks of her previous adventure, Shantae starts the game with a fresh-faced “can-do” attitude. After an exciting action sequence, Shantae is faced with even greater setbacks than before, and the lines between right and wrong begin to blur for the young hero. Action, puzzles, bosses, exploration, and soundtrack reach new heights, and the compelling story, humor, and deeper emotional connection struck a chord with players. The game featured multiple endings, allowing for a “bittersweet” or “truly satisfying” conclusion to the story. Definitely one to check out when it arrives on PS5 later this year! Fun Fact: Pirate’s Curse was updated to include a bonus minigame, “Super Shantae Nab!!”, accessed via the arcade cabinet in the shop! Shantae: Half-Genie Hero! The fourth game in the series, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, shifted the series from pixels to HD artwork, and was the first game to be developed for consoles rather than handheld. For this reason, the story is a canonical sequel, but it’s also a fresh starting point for newcomers. It’s something of a “return to form,” with emphasis on belly dancing, hair-whipping, and animal transformations. Because the game would be funded by fans, the adventure was scalable with a central hub-town and separate lands, each featuring a sort of “villain of the week” adventure plot. The 3D environments give the game modern appeal, and combine wonderfully with the hand-drawn HD sprites. The game received major updates — entirely new game modes and storylines, which are all included in Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition! Fun Fact: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition’s Officer Mode is inspired by WayForward’s Mighty Switch Force series! It’s like a game within the game! Shantae and the Seven Sirens! The fifth and most recent game in the series, Shantae and the Seven Sirens, takes Shantae away from Sequin Land when she receives an all-expenses paid trip to Paradise Island to participate in the Half-Genie Spectacular stage show. There Shantae meets brand-new Half-Genies — other girls born with magical powers much like herself — and fast friendships are made. However, all isn’t as it seems. Beneath the mysterious island lies a sunken city, home of the ravenous Seven Sirens. The opening animation for the game was created by Studio TRIGGER, and animated cutscenes play during key moments of the adventure, giving Seven Sirens the feel of a TV show! The game was recently updated with additional play modes (all for free!) and is available right now. Fun Fact: If you perform Shantae’s Refresh Dance near her zombie friend Rottytops, Rotty will briefly regain human form! Here’s Erin! None of this would have been possible without the help of a lot of people, not the least of which is Erin Bozon. She created both the Shantae character and the original game concept, and has worked on the series in many roles, as a game developer, brand manager, artist, animator, and producer. It wouldn’t be a proper anniversary without some thoughts from Erin herself, so…take it away, Erin! “When I started, my focus was on character animation, and Shantae was my first original game pitch. I wanted to see if we could develop it into a full game, and maybe if it caught on, it could expand into TV shows or even a toy. I planned for the possibility of sequel games, with more dances and transformations, and a wide array of characters and creatures. Looking back, it was a lot harder and took many years and multiple games to build up a fanbase. But here we are, 20 years later, and fans are still spreading their love of Shantae. Without them, this never would have come to fruition! “Over the years we’ve been sent a lot of fan letters and drawings, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of the fans in person. I love talking with them at events, and am honored when someone has drawn a picture of Shantae or when I’ve run into someone wearing a Shantae t-shirt. I’ve even met a few people who have cosplayed as Shantae. It’s such an honor to see their versions of the character, and know that Shantae is personal to them. I’m also happy to see an increase in female Shantae fans lately. It’s especially exciting when I see girls and women who connect with the character, since one of my original goals was to encourage more girl gamers.The next generation of girls in my family have also taken a liking to Shantae, which makes me so happy! Of course, I hope Shantae will be enjoyed by everyone!” What’s next? With 20 years of Shantae games behind us, we can only imagine what the next 20 will bring! We hope that Shantae will keep on hair-whipping, belly dancing, and bringing smiles to fans all over the world! Thank you for 20 incredible years! View the full article

The rollout of the all-new PlayStation Plus is well underway, with Asia’s launch last week and Japan launching starting today! Additional markets will launch this month, and we can’t wait for fans to enjoy the new service. Today, we are pleased to share the monthly games that will be included in June for PlayStation Plus. From June 7 to July 4, PlayStation Plus members can add God of War (2018), Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl to their game library. When the all-new PlayStation Plus launches in your region, these titles will be available as monthly games to all PlayStation Plus members including those on the PlayStation Plus Essential plan (which includes the same benefits PlayStation Plus members get today). Let’s take a closer look at the titles. God of War | PS4 Living as a man outside the shadow of the gods, Kratos must adapt to unfamiliar lands, unexpected threats, and a second chance at being a father. Together with his son Atreus, the pair will venture into the brutal Norse wilds and fight to fulfill a deeply personal quest. This staggering reimagining of God of War combines all the hallmarks of the iconic series – epic boss fights, fluid combat, and breathtaking scale – and fuses them with a powerful and moving narrative that re-establishes Kratos’ world. Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker | PS4 The Naruto franchise goes 4 vs. 4, featuring team-based gameplay with 8 ninjas fighting simultaneously. Players cooperate as a team of four to compete against other teams online. Graphically, Shinobi Striker is also built from the ground up in a completely new graphic style. Lead your team and fight online to see who the best ninjas are. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl | PS4/PS5 Brawl it out as your favorite Nickelodeon characters in bombastic platform battles. With a power-packed cast of heroes from the Nickelodeon universe, face-off with all-stars from SpongeBob Squarepants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Loud House, Danny Phantom, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, The Wild Thornberrys, Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, and more to determine ultimate animation dominance. With unique move sets and attacks inspired by their personalities, each character has an individual style of play enabling endless action for Nickelodeon’s legion of fans. Last chance to download May’s PlayStation Plus games Be sure to add the following titles to your game library by Monday June 6: FIFA 22, Tribes of Midgard, Curse of the Dead Gods. Stay tuned to PlayStation Blog for PlayStation Plus monthly game updates. PS Plus is subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Full Terms: play.st/psplus-usageterms View the full article

My name is Takaomi Kaneko from Arc System Works. In the past, I worked on the River City series and Double Dragon 4 as a producer, illustrator, etc. When PlayStation asked me to reflect on the series as it marks its 35th anniversary this year, I decided to interweave stories I personally heard from the game’s creator and then director (1988) Yoshihisa Kishimoto as well as WayForward’s Tomm Hulett. The origins of the original’s co-op mechanics In the 1980s, the video game business’s strategy was focused in the arcade sector, chiefly sales of arcade cabinets. In this way, the number of players for any given game would be determined before development would commence, so the game would fit the cabinet type that needed to be sold. As such, Technos Japan’s in-house sales team – which was very powerful at the time – made a strong proposal to the development team that it should consider creating a game for a two-player cabinet. The result was the first Double Dragon. At a later date and in similar fashion, the team proposed a title that’d use a three-player cabinet, resulting in 1990’s Double Dragon 3. For the first time, the series’ story was altered to include a third brother for the third title. Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. Balancing the game around two players As the game was designed for arcades, there was no plan to balance its gameplay. To encourage players to team up with friends, Double Dragon was designed to be extremely difficult to complete for a solo player, requiring considerable skill. This encouraged cooperative play to make the challenge surmountable – and therefore add more coins to the machine. Cooperative play continues to thrive today, be it local or online, letting players complete challenges by inviting friends to team up to overcome difficulty spikes. The decision to include friendly fire or not Friendly fire was a relatively new concept back in the 1980s. It added a layer of strategy to combat, as players would need to communicate with each other during gameplay to avoid striking each other. However, its inclusion in Double Dragon came about from player interactions during location tests. Location tests in the arcade sector are a way of gaining player feedback. These allow the development team to see how the game performs by bringing the cabinet to a small number of select locations and monitoring players’ reactions. Friendly fire had been designed and implemented in the game at this point. During the US localization tests for Double Dragon, the team observed that many players who started a two-player game not only played cooperatively, but also started attacking each other. The mechanic would remain for the game’s full release. More recently, games have separated cooperative and competitive game modes partly, perhaps, to avoid player frustration at friendly fire. But I believe Double Dragon has been loved for so long partly because of the inherent danger in its implementation of friendly fire. It increased excitement, with a single punch – accidental or otherwise – causing the affected player to cry out, and even retaliate. It also led to one of its most memorable moments, as two players would ultimately face off against the other at the game’s end during a cooperative playthrough. That the brothers Billy and Jimmy could strike each other would inspire players to set out their own rules and devise gameplay strategies. It’s worth mentioning the game’s high difficulty. Double Dragon’s AI and combat was intended to be as true to real life as possible. This, coupled with the nature of arcade games at the time, meant a playthrough – even with a teammate – wouldn’t become too easy. Inspiring generations of brawlers Tomm Hulett is a director at WayForward, which has produced many co-op games such as River City Girls. I asked him about the impact Double Dragon has had on the co-op game genre. “In the late 1980s, the first machine we’d look for in an arcade was Double Dragon,” he recalls “Of course, it was an exciting action game with detailed graphics and a cool setting. But the biggest draw was being able to play side-by-side with a friend, working together to defeat gangs and rescue Marian. Alone, Abobo felt almost insurmountable, but working as a team to topple such a powerful opponent was something very few games could match back then. Double Dragon also had so many different options — punches and kicks, jump attacks, knives, bats, and whips that you actually took away from your enemies! It seems very simple now but at the time it felt like a kung fu movie you could play. Double Dragon was not the first brawler, but it canonized most of the elements players still expect from the genre today — most importantly, two-player co-op.” Exactly as Mr. Hulett said, most of the elements of today’s belt scrollers were implemented in Double Dragon in 1988. It can be said that it was a game worthy of being the original beat ’em up game. I hope you enjoyed this look back at the origins of the game. Stay tuned for more Double Dragon developments in the future. Double Dragon, Double Dragon II, Double Dragon III, Double Dragon IV and Arcade Archives Double Dragon and Double Dragon II are available on PlayStation 4. View the full article