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When we decided to reunite the full Sex Bob-omb lineup for Scott Pilgrim EX – Back in the Band, available now, we knew that simply adding three new playable characters wasn’t enough. Stephen Stills, Kim Pine, and Knives Chau each needed to feel like they had always belonged in the game, both mechanically and visually. Play Video At Tribute Games, animation is never just about making a character move. Every pose, transition, and tiny reaction is an opportunity to communicate personality. Those subtle details are often invisible at first glance, but they’re what make a character feel alive. With contributions from Samantha Lhoir and Artem Samoilov, 2D Animators at Tribute Games. Building a Character Select Screen With Personality The first challenge was updating the Character Select screen to welcome the three newcomers. Our artist, Artem Samoilov, began by considering the overall composition, ensuring the expanded cast still felt balanced while naturally drawing players’ eyes toward the new additions. Since these are beloved characters, simply standing in place wasn’t enough. Every idle animation had to communicate who they are before players even pressed a button. “Each selection animation was designed as a tiny performance.” – Artem Samoilov Kim Pine carries herself with quiet confidence and just enough attitude. Knives Chau radiates restless energy, always looking ready to spring into action. Stephen Stills appears relaxed on the surface, but careful observers might notice a subtle moment of surprise… a tiny expression that lasts only a fraction of a second. It’s a detail many players may never consciously notice, but that’s exactly the point, explains Artem. Those fleeting moments are part of our animation philosophy at Tribute Games. Rather than simply moving a sprite from point A to point B, we look for opportunities to inject emotion, personality, and humanity into every action. Sometimes it’s a quick facial expression. Sometimes it’s a tiny secondary motion or a subtle visual effect that gives an animation a little extra sparkle. Individually, they’re almost imperceptible, but together they give our characters far more heart. Early concept sketches helped establish each character’s silhouette, posture, and personality before our art team refined them into the pixel art seen in the final game. Even small adjustments like changing a stance, exaggerating a pose, or tweaking an expression can dramatically improve readability while staying faithful to Bryan Lee O’Malley’s iconic characters. Seeing the concept work alongside the finished sprites highlights just how much iteration goes into making every animation feel natural. Designing Knives Chau’s unique fighting style Knives Chau was one of the most exciting characters to develop because she brings a completely different rhythm to combat. Designed as a fast hit-and-run fighter, Knives thrives on speed, mobility, and relentless pressure. Her scarf becomes both a stylish visual element and a weapon, extending the reach of her attacks while emphasizing her acrobatic movement. Combined with rapid knife strikes, she can quickly weave through enemies before darting away. As with every character added in the Scott Pilgrim EX – Back in the Band DLC, our goal wasn’t simply to recreate an existing personality; it was to translate that personality directly into gameplay, animation, and every frame players see on screen. Scott Pilgrim EX and the DLC Scott Pilgrim EX – Back in Band are available now on PlayStation. View the full article

Hello, PlayStation players! I’m Zhicheng, producer at GD Studio. Our team has always been fascinated by the quiet stories that live inside ordinary rooms: the cup left beside a bed, a plant turned toward the window, or a dusty letter tucked behind a stack of books. These small details can tell us who lived there, what they cared about, and what they may be trying to forget. That idea became Whisper of the House, a cozy organizing game where tidying is more than a satisfying task. It is also a way of listening. Today, we are opening the doors of Whisper Town to PS5 players. Play Video A room can tell a whole story In Whisper Town, you take on the role of the town’s all-around housekeeper. Residents ask for help moving into new homes, clearing cluttered rooms, preparing shops for opening day, arranging treasured keepsakes, and sometimes finding a missing cat. Each request begins with a practical problem, but the objects you touch gradually reveal the person behind it. We designed rooms as small portraits of their owners. A carefully preserved object might suggest a memory someone cannot let go of. A half-finished corner can reveal an abandoned plan. Even the placement of something ordinary can change the feeling of a space. We wanted players to experience the pleasure of making a room functional while also wondering why it looked that way in the first place. This is why we do not treat organizing as a checklist with only one correct answer. Some commissions ask you to understand what a resident needs; others give you more freedom to create a space that feels right. As you decide where things belong, you are also interpreting a life through its belongings. Making every object worth touching Whisper of the House contains more than 1,800 pieces of furniture and over 10 home layouts. That variety matters because decorating should feel personal, whether you want to build a book-filled study, a sunroom crowded with plants, or a secret base stocked for every emergency. Wallpapers, flooring, and selected furniture can also be adjusted in color or texture, giving you more ways to shape a room’s atmosphere. But quantity alone was never the goal. We spent just as much time thinking about tiny reactions. Press a button on an old gramophone, squeeze a bath duck, or pull a single tissue from a box, and the room responds. These interactions do not always advance a quest. Instead, they reward curiosity and make the town feel handmade, playful, and alive. To make every action feel deeply satisfying, we paired these interactions with rich, tactile sound design. The soft clink of ceramic, the rustle of a turning page, and the quiet breeze outside your window all come together to create a calming, ASMR-like soundscape. Our aim is for picking up, moving, and placing an object to feel immediate and immersive without disturbing the game’s gentle rhythm. Cozy on the surface, curious underneath Whisper Town is warm and welcoming, but it is not completely ordinary. As you help its residents, strange details begin to appear: the number 42 floating inside a museum, a rumor about a mischievous ghost near the well, cracks that seem to hide something impossible, and letters that raise more questions than they answer. We like to call this side of the game ‘cozy snooping.’ You are never forced to rush toward the next revelation. Instead, mysteries sit quietly beside the organizing and decorating, waiting for observant players to notice them. The same attention that helps you find the perfect place for a keepsake may also help you spot something that does not belong. This balance was important to us. The game is a comforting place to slow down and build beautiful spaces. But if you look closer, there is always a reason to stay. The town’s hidden story grows from the same objects, homes, and relationships that make its daily life feel cozy. A home of your own Helping other people is only part of your life in Whisper Town. The rewards and furniture you collect can be used to create a space that belongs entirely to you. There is no single ideal home and no pressure to follow one style. You can make something neat and minimal, cheerfully crowded, carefully themed, or wonderfully strange. That freedom captures what we hope players take from the whole game: organizing is not about making every room look the same. It is about understanding what matters, choosing what to keep close, and creating a place where a story can continue. Whisper of the House is available today on PS5. A 20% launch discount is active for a limited time. We cannot wait to see the rooms you create, the residents you meet, and the secrets you uncover. Get it now on the PlayStation Store and see you in Whisper Town! View the full article

Take aim in Sniper Elite: Resistance, shape a diamond dynasty in MLB The Show 26, buddy up for larks and adventures in Wobbly Life, and enjoy some classically-designed JRPG goodness with Chained Echoes. Together, the four games form the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for September. All be available to PlayStation Plus members* from Tuesday September 1 until Monday October 5. Let’s take a closer look at each of the games. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sniper Elite: Resistance | PS5, PS4 Offering unparalleled sniping mechanics, stealth and tactical third-person combat, Sniper Elite: Resistance turns the attention of the award-winning series towards a hidden war, far from the front lines, deep within the heart of occupied France, in a gripping new story that runs parallel with Sniper Elite 5. The full campaign can be experienced in co-op, and the fan-favourite Axis Invasion mode is back. invade another player’s Campaign as an Axis sniper and engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse. And when you’ve mastered your rifle,customize your character and loadout as you take the fight online in competitive 16-player battles to earn XP, medals and ribbons. If competition isn’t your style, you can also team up with up to 3 other players against waves of enemies in Survival mode. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image MLB The Show 26 | PS5 Create your legacy from the first pitch to the final inning with the most immersive MLB The Show yet. Experience true-to-life gameplay across new and enhanced game modes with evolved features, new stadium effects, and much more. Earn a coveted spot at the MLB Draft Combine or catch the eye of one of 11 additional new college teams as you advance through your career in Road To The Show. Build your ultimate squad featuring MLB players from all eras of baseball, including the all-new Red Diamond rarity player cards, found across multiple card series including World Baseball Classic**, 2026 All-Star Game, and Pipeline Series in Diamond Dynasty**. PlayStation Plus members also get exclusive access to the MLB The Show 26 Jump Start Bundle. Available on PlayStation Store for a limited time***, this bundle unlocks 5 The Show Packs, 1 Equipment Pack, and the Jumpstart Choice Pack in MLB The Show 26 to customize your Road To The Show player and jump start your Diamond Dynasty squad. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Wobbly Life | PS5, PS4 Play solo or with up to three other players online or local split-screen co-op as you explore an open-world sandbox where almost everything is interactive and is filled with mini-games, toys, and secrets. Embark on story missions, each offering unique rewards through fun puzzles and challenges. Unveil the mysteries of the tropical island, uncover the mountain’s secrets, delve into hidden caves and more. Want to take a break from Wobbly Island? Try out Arcade mode! Discover new game modes: Trash Zone, Hide & Seek, Wobble Run and Sandbox. Each have customizable settings for you to play with, multiple mini-games and new areas to have fun in! View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Chained Echoes | PS4 Chained Echoes is a story-driven single player JRPG where a group of heroes travel around the vast continent of Valandis to bring an end to the war between its three kingdoms. In the course of their journey, they will travel through a wide array of diverse landscapes spanning from wind-tanned plateaus and exotic archipelagos to sunken cities and forgotten dungeons. Take up your sword, channel your magic or board your Mech. Chained Echoes is a 16-bit Golden Era style RPG set in a fantasy world where dragons are as common as piloted mechanical suits. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Last chance to download August’s Monthly Games lineup PlayStation Plus members* have until Monday August 31 to add Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Reloaded Edition, Big Walk and Signalis to their game library. *PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day for more information. PS Plus is subject to recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms **Internet connection required. ***MLB The Show 26 Jump Star Bundle available to PayStation Plus members from Tuesday September 1 to Tuesday October 6. View the full article

Over the past several months, Sega has pulled back the curtain on many high-profile projects from its global studios. At Gamescom 2026, six of our titles will make their playable debut for the public: Total War: Warhammer 40,000, Persona 4 Revival, Crazy Taxi: World Tour, Stranger Than Heaven, Alien Isolation 2, and Sonic Pico Park. Here are some first gameplay details of what the attendees in Germany will experience starting today: Persona 4 Revival Developer: P-Studio Persona 4 Revival is set in the peaceful-yet-unsettling rural town of Inaba as it’s struck by a series of bizarre murders. Players take on the role of a teenage transfer student as he and his friends solve supernatural mysteries connected to the Midnight Channel—a mysterious TV phenomenon that reveals dark secrets on rainy nights. The hands-on demo that we are showing is built around three sections – fittingly named Channels – each meant to show off different parts of the remade adventure. On Channel 1, players experience the story from the beginning and are dropped into the eerie Shopping District section. Explore the district and confront the first Shadow, Spiteful Hablerie, and awaken your Persona, Izanagi. Channel 2 offers free exploration of P4R’s modernized dungeons. Set in Yukiko’s Castle, the dungeon’s battles prepare players for the section’s conclusion: a challenging boss fight against Shadow Chie and her Persona, Tomoe. Press and creators have the exclusive chance to select Channel 3, which offers an extended look at daily life in Inaba. After a couple of in-game days poking around the town, players can venture into Yukiko’s dungeon. Within, they will experience the new Prime Time meter and utilize it to unleash explosive, combo-laden destruction. Players around the world can experience this modernized take on the RPG classic when it comes to PlayStation 5 on February 18, 2027. Total War: Warhammer 40,000 Developer: Creative Assembly Total War is heading to the grim darkness of the far future with Total War: Warhammer 40,000. This entry marks the series’ first march onto PlayStation. In the Gamescom demo you take command of the Space Marines across three distinct scenarios that escalate in scale and difficulty. The first scenario throws players straight into the maelstrom of combat while guiding them through the fundamentals of war. It covers core controls and gameplay basics such as camera movement, unit selection, combat, and all-new features such as the reinforcement system which allows drop pods to thunder down upon the enemy. The second scenario opens with the new customization system, letting players forge a Space Marine army that feels uniquely theirs. Choose your colors, select your heraldry, name your force, and prepare them for conquest. From there, players move their army across a limited section of the galactic campaign, interact with basic strategic systems, and carry those choices into a medium-sized battle against the Orks. The final scenario is the biggest test of the demo, putting players in command of a huge force as they take on a massive Ork horde across a grim Imperial battlefield. This is where you feel like a true armchair general: war machines and warriors clash in spectacular style, abilities tear through the environment, and tactical choices mean the difference between life and death. Total War: Warhammer 40,000 arrives in 2027. Crazy Taxi: World Tour Developer: Sega Crazy Taxi: World Tour is playable for the first time with the newly revealed Germany map, one of five international maps in the upcoming game. Announced with a new trailer set to Bad Religion’s “Ten in 2010,” another iconic song returning for the game’s soundtrack, the new map includes familiar regional landmarks as well as some renowned brands such as Puma and Zwilling. The Germany map’s terrains are packed full of winding streets and twisty turns. Drivers hitting the road will be tasked with fine-tuning their driving skills by mastering the game’s “Crazy Moves” – Crazy Dash, Crazy Stop and the new Crazy Drift. Paired with the new Nitro Boost for an added burst of speed, players will soon find themselves drifting around tight corners, tearing across fields, and executing slick combos as they take on a variety of extreme missions and challenges. Players not attending Gamescom have an opportunity to get their own early hands-on of the game by applying for a chance to participate in the Crazy Taxi: World Tour Multiplayer Closed Network Test, taking place September 11 to 13. Submissions for the network test close August 31, so don’t miss out! Crazy Taxi: World Tour dashes onto PlayStation 5 next year. Stranger Than Heaven Developer: RGG Studio Stranger Than Heaven’s hands-on demo highlights an all-new look at three of the five eras & cities in protagonist Makoto Daito’s fifty-year journey across Japan. Whether a bustling train station in the industrial town of Kokura in 1915, or the snow-covered naval city of Kure in 1929, or finally the rain-soaked nightscape of Minami in 1943, this new look at different areas within these cities highlights RGG Studio’s ambitious world-building. Players will also get an updated look at the game’s innovative combat system that uses the shoulder buttons & triggers to control the left and right sides of Makoto’s body independently and intuitively in chaotic street brawls. Stranger Than Heaven heads to PlayStation 5 on January 15, 2027. Sonic Pico Park Developer: Pico Park Inc. Developed by Tecopark and published by Pico Park Inc., fans around the world will be able to experience the signature puzzle-driven co-op action from the original Pico Park titles, but with a Sonic the Hedgehog twist. Players choose from their favorite Sonic characters including Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and Amy along with the new addition of Shadow the Hedgehog. Fans can either work together as a group to finish each puzzle or cause some classic Sonic chaos along the way. Sonic Pico Park will be launching later 2026 with up to 8 players and will have cross platform and online capabilities. Stay tuned for more. Alien Isolation 2 Developer: Creative Assembly Following directly from the original game, the prologue mission of Alien: Isolation 2 drops players into the wild frontiers of Kurosaki, a Weyland-Yutani colony in a far-flung galaxy. It’s here that a section of Sevastopol station – the orbital facility that set the scene in the first game – crashed… and guess who (or what) hitched a ride to the planet’s surface? Players will take their first footsteps in the game as Blake, the game’s new protagonist, as she investigates the wreck and unwittingly releases the Alien from its captivity. What followed was a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse as players tried to escape the ultimate killing machine. Many players made it out intact… but not all. We can’t wait to see what happens next. View the full article

The galaxy far, far way is a ripe battleground for strategy games, although Star Wars has only seen a handful of them over the years. Developer Bit Reactor, in collaboration with Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games, are changing that with its band of misfits and mercenaries taking charge in an explosive turn-based tactics title on PS5 that changes how you engage with the legendary Clone Wars. Set around 20 BBY – near the end of the destiny changing Clone Wars – you play as Hawks, a former Republic officer now leading a squad of mercenaries looking to get out of debt from the brutal Hutt family. But when the so-called Zero Company are recruited for a lucrative operation, they quickly find themselves in a plot involving the Infinite Coil, a deadly, Separatist-aligned cult, rumoured to possess abilities some consider to be… unnatural. I got fired into the fray with the full game ahead of its August 27 launch, to see how Star Wars Zero Company fits into the expansive conflict. Feels like Star Wars With the title screen’s stirring strings and booming horns, Zero Company sounds just how you’d want a Star Wars game to sound. The emotional John Williams inspired score sets the tone, matching the rich yet dusky space-Western colours of its visuals. If its unmistakable style somehow doesn’t convince you of the game’s Star Wars credentials, Zero Company’s optional character creation menu before you start the game fully seals the deal. A large selection of races, from human and Torgruta, to Weequay and Twi’lek, can be extensively modified across facial details, body types, and outfits. Even their voice and dialogue is affected by which type of personality you choose for them, such as rogue, mentor, or professional. Going a bit deeper, you can select your character’s talent on the battlefield, including the ability to draw attacks, or sabotage and detonate objects, their combat style specialisation, and weapon class – snipers can strap up with a longarm blaster, or if you’re a Han Solo type then a pistol might be more your tempo. Droids on deck Astromechs can be added to your unit, too. Although not as robust or versatile as their more humanoid teammates, they’re valuable support units that can buff allies with AP (Action Points) to provide the opportunity to perform more activities on the field. Oh, and you can tweak their personality as well, if you prefer to be bombarded with sassy chirps and beeps. A great antidote to the hilariously whiney Battle Droids you sometimes fight against. Expansive battle options The bulk of Star Wars Zero Company is spent on detailed and highly destructible arenas where protagonist Hawks and their band of Operatives have to achieve a mission objective while staying alive against a rival squad. AP is used to move, attack, or perform talents specific to class or character, such as a 100% accurate shot for the sharpshooters, or a party-wide stats buff. There are also more generic options including the ability to use overwatch, where you can set an area of retaliation that will trigger an Operative attack if an enemy moves inside of it. But while there are lots of different objectives, from rescuing an injured ally to blowing up a target object, there’s a lot more to Star Wars Zero Company than just its turn-based combat. Exploration home and away Some areas allow you to walk around various hives of scum and villainy, letting you pick up clues and information from its environment and citizens. Particular conversations and investigations have binary choices for you to make, earning you occasional rewards and stat boosts which will play into another important layer of the game – the Den. Acting as a hub for your Operatives, the Den is your home for campaigns, letting you chat to your squad, recruit new members, customize load-outs and appearances, buy weapon mods, and heal any injured teammates. Parts of the Den can be upgraded over time to enhance your utilities or offer more space as your team grows. You can even have a little strum on Hawks’ guitar-like Marfaset. But the real fun comes from the base’s Holotable, where you can select which missions to dive into, whether it’s campaign driven or side quests, including character specific tasks. The Holotable also gives you the option of non-combat Operations for gaining information or loot, which can lead to tricky narrative choices. Some are binary that can affect the outcome of the Operation, while others require a bit more nuance via multiple decisions, and some will affect your influence on the Galaxy Map, where gaining authority in certain zones unlocks rewards. Star Wars Zero Company doesn’t let you wade into everything, though – the story moves forward each time you select a mission, meaning you have to prioritise your jobs. And if you don’t recruit or speak to some characters – or they’re killed in battle via the optional permadeath system – their specific missions won’t be available, either. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Bonds and consequences There are also Dilemmas where you have to make a choice that all your Operatives have an opinion on. Your decision affects a wider system where bonds between each Operative change based on whether you side with them during a Dilemma, if you partner them up to perform assists on the field, if they complete missions together, or if you decide to take up character-driven quests. Good bonds earn Focus points to enhance an Operative’s skills, as well as teaching each other passive abilities and unique tricks – although I enjoyed hearing them complement each other on their good shooting during a battle. A galaxy of Star Wars surprises Of course, there’s a lot more hiding beneath Star Wars Zero Company’s Beskar hardened surface, not least the amount of lore. Early missions feature a monocle wearing Gorga the Hutt and references to the Black Sun Syndicate, while later on… well, let’s just say if you’re familiar with the Clone Wars era you won’t be disappointed by some of the significant events and brutal characters you’ll come across. And that’s not even getting into when Jedi join your party… Start crafting your favourite blaster load-outs when Star Wars Zero Company launches on PS5 tomorrow, August 27. View the full article