Commander Fury

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, launching August 28 on PlayStation 5, is a remake of the 2004 PlayStation 2 classic, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. I had a conversation with the developers during a Tokyo press event to discuss the upcoming remake and its development process. ​​ Faithfully replicating the thrill and impact of the original PlayStation Blog: How important was it to your team to create a game that stayed true to the original? Noriaki Okamura (Metal Gear Series Producer): We began this project with the intention of bringing a 20-year-old game to the present day. While we updated the graphics and certain game mechanics to ensure today’s players could fully enjoy the experience, we wanted to stay true to the original as much as possible. What challenges did your team face during development, and what specific adjustments were implemented? Okamura: I had no intention of altering the original story, so I insisted that we can just update the game graphics. Korekado disagreed and warned me that that approach will not work, but I initially had the team re-create the game just with new character models. Although the graphics improved, they appeared doll-like and unrealistic, so I finally realized that my plan was inadequate. Yuji Korekado (Creative Producer): We began by reworking the animation and game mechanics. We implemented animation programming that didn’t exist two decades ago to make the game more realistic, but that also meant we couldn’t reproduce the original game mechanics. Metal Gear is a stealth game, so it’s crucial for players to be able to make precise movements. We put in a lot of effort to replicate the same feel as the original, while maintaining realism. Are there any areas of the game that you wanted to recreate as faithfully as possible? Korekado: We made sure that the jungle looked as realistic as possible. We devoted a lot of time modeling every fine detail like leaves, grass, and moss covering the ground. Since the perspective shifts along with the character’s movements, players will get a closer look at the ground when they’re crouching or crawling. To make sure the environment was immersive from every angle, we carefully crafted every element with great precision. ​​ Have any enhancements been made compared to the original PS2 version? Korekado: We enhanced the visuals to be more intuitive. Thanks to increased memory and much faster speeds the user experience has improved significantly, including faster transitions to the Survival Viewer or having a quick menu to swap uniforms. On top of that, the audio improvements are remarkable. Sound absorption rates vary depending on the materials of the walls and floors, which allows players to detect enemies behind walls or nearby animals intuitively. In areas like caves and long corridors, unique echo parameters help distinguish different environments, which I think is a major advancement for stealth gameplay. Extra content for players to enjoy diverse gameplay The remake features Fox Hunt, a new online multiplayer mode. Why did you include this in the game instead of Metal Gear Online (MGO)? Yu Sahara (Fox Hunt Director): The remake features significantly enhanced graphics, so we explored various online modes that aligned with these improvements. We decided to focus on stealth, sneaking, and survival, since those are also the key pillars of the main game. We landed on a concept that is based on hide-and-seek, that is classic Metal Gear, while also being reminiscent of the stealth missions featured in the earlier MGO. Can players earn rewards by playing the Fox Hunt mode? Sahara: While there are no items that can be transferred to the main game, players can unlock rewards like new camouflage options by playing Fox Hunt multiple times. Were there any challenges or specific areas of focus while remaking Snake vs Monkey mode? Taiga Ishigami (Planner): Our main goal was to make Pipo Monkey even more charming, cute, and entertaining. We developed new character actions, including the “Gotcha!” motion, and each animation and sound effect were carefully reviewed to ensure it captured Pipo Monkey’s personality. If anything felt off, we made changes right away. I heard the new Snake vs Monkey mode features an Astro Bot collab. Ishigami: Yes, a couple of bots from the Astro Bot game will make an appearance, and you can capture them just like the Pipo Monkeys. Capturing these bots isn’t required to finish the levels, but you’ll receive unique rewards if you do. Depending on the level, either a standard bot or a Pipo Monkey bot will be hidden away, so be sure to keep an eye out for them. ​​ Do you have any final words for new players as well as longtime fans of the original game? Okamura: I rarely cry when playing games, but I remember bawling my eyes out while playing the original Metal Gear Solid 3. The development of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater was driven by our goal to faithfully capture the impact and thrill that players felt two decades ago. Metal Gear Solid 3 is the ultimate example of storytelling in games, and having dreamed of making a game like this, I now feel a sense of fulfillment. I hope everyone enjoys the story as much as I do. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater arrives on PS5 on August 28. Read a new hands-on report with the game. View the full article

Hello everyone! Before unveiling what we’ve prepared for PC players when Lost Soul Aside hits PC and PS5 on August 29, I want to share the journey that brought us here. Play Video Behind the scenes – Meet the team and the journey behind the game What began as a solo prototype has grown through years of iteration, the incredible support of the China Hero Project, and the encouragement of a passionate community into the full-scale action RPG you see today. In our new Behind-the-Scenes developer video, you’ll meet the talented team at Ultizero Games and hear, in our own words, about the passion, challenges, and breakthroughs that shaped every strike, combo, and boss encounter. It’s an inside look at the creative process that brought Lost Soul Aside from a single idea to the game we can’t wait for you to play. Play Video From our story to your screen – the PC experience As we approach launch, I’m excited to share that Lost Soul Aside is now in its final polishing stage for PC—releasing worldwide alongside the PlayStation 5 version. We’ve worked hard to ensure that PC players enjoy a true next-generation experience, and we’ve prepared four special features unique to the platform. These enhancements take full advantage of PC hardware so you can experience the game at its best, and I’m thrilled to finally reveal them to you. Full DualSense controller support Connect your DualSense controller via USB-C or Bluetooth (note: full functionality requires USB-C) and enjoy native support—no extra drivers needed. Adaptive Triggers: Each weapon and mechanism delivers unique resistance curves for a tactile, responsive feel. Haptic Feedback: From the clash of steel to explosive impacts and the rush of running through water, every vibration is precision-tuned to match the on-screen action. Just plug in and play. 4K + HDR visuals Experience Lost Soul Aside in native 4K (3840×2160) resolution with multi-monitor support for maximum immersion. High Dynamic Range (HDR) brings out deep shadow details and vibrant neon highlights, delivering stunning contrast—“one glance, and your soul is hooked.” Ray Tracing Ray-Traced Reflections: Crystal-clear water surfaces, polished armor, and metallic weapons reflect their surroundings in real time. Ray-Traced Global Illumination: Sunlight breaking through clouds and neon glow diffusing through the air add incredible depth to every scene. Ray-Traced Shadows: High-resolution, soft shadows shift naturally with light, enhancing realism in both exploration and combat. All ray-tracing effects are optimized with DLSS 4, FSR, and Frame Generation, ensuring smooth 4K 60 FPS gameplay—even on more modest hardware. PlayStation account linking — Cross-Platform Trophy Sync When you first launch the game, you’ll have the option to link your PlayStation Network account. Once connected, all achievements earned on PC will sync instantly with your PlayStation Network profile—and vice versa. It’s truly “unlock once, show off everywhere”—your Platinum Trophy journey continues seamlessly across platforms. Wondering if your PC can handle Lost Soul Aside? Here are the system requirements: PC Specs for Lost Soul AsideMinimumRecommendedHighHigh (RT On)Ultra (RT On)GPUNVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 5500 XTNVIDIA RTX 2060 / AMD RX 5700 XTNVIDIA RTX 3070 / AMD RX 6800 XTNVIDIA RTX 4080s / AMD RX 7900 XTNVIDIA RTX 5070 TiCPUIntel i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600Intel i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600Intel i7-11700 / AMD Ryzen 7 5700XIntel i7-11700 / AMD Ryzen 7 5700XIntel i7-13700K / AMD Ryzen 7 7800XRAM16 GB16 GB16 GB16 GB16 GBOSWin 10/11 64-bitWin 10/11 64-bitWin 10/11 64-bitWin 10/11 64-bitWin 10/11 64-bitStorage80 GB SSD80 GB SSD80 GB SSD80 GB SSD80 GB SSD The PC version of Lost Soul Aside launches August 28 at 5pm PDT / August 29 at 8am CST (Beijing) and is now available for pre-purchase on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Lock in your platform and brace for the ultimate fusion of razor-sharp action and next-gen audiovisuals! Lost Soul Aside PlayStation 5 Pro enhancements I know many of you are excited to experience Lost Soul Aside on PlayStation 5 Pro, so I’m happy to share what we’ve done to make the most of its powerful hardware. On PS5 Pro, you’ll be able to play in dynamic 4K with enhanced ray-traced reflections, shadows, and global illumination, bringing every scene to life with incredible depth and realism. We’ve also taken advantage of the Pro’s boosted GPU to push higher texture quality, more detailed particle effects, and even faster loading through the ultra-fast SSD. Additionally, players will benefit from a higher and more stable frame rate, ensuring fluid, responsive gameplay even in the most intense battles. The result is smoother combat, sharper visuals, and an even more immersive adventure from start to finish. I want to thank all of you for your patience and support throughout this journey. It’s been many years in the making, and every step has been driven by your passion for Lost Soul Aside. Whether you choose to play on PC, PlayStation 5, or PlayStation 5 Pro, my hope is that you’ll feel the heart, detail, and care we’ve poured into every moment. The launch is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to see your reactions, your gameplay clips, and your stories from this world we’ve built together. See you at launch! View the full article

We love summer music festivals, so here at Wargaming, our team at World of Tanks Modern Armor has made it a mission to bring you a hard-rockin’ annual music event that truly shakes the battlefield: Metal Fest. New tanks, new 3D Commanders, new Challenges and events: they’re all part of what Metal Fest offers each summer. But this is our third year of the event, coming to you on PS4 and PS5 starting August 26. We knew we had to go bigger and louder than ever. To borrow some lyrics you might know, we wanted the best—and we got the best. This year, our featured act is none other than the legendary band Kiss! Not only that; we’ve got the actual voices of core members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in the game. This is how it all shook out. Play Video Shout It Out Loud Ever since the band’s shows at The Daisy in March 1973, when they debuted the character designs they’d become known for, Kiss has been more than a group of skilled musicians. They’ve been icons and personas. So even though Metal Fest 2025 features four new Kiss-inspired Premium tanks, we knew specifically that the 3D Commanders representing the four classic Kiss personas (The Demon, The Starchild, The Spaceman, and The Catman) had to be absolutely right and larger than life. Fortunately, as World of Tanks’ senior producer JJ Bakken explains, the band was all in. “Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] were gracious enough to give us some of their time for the game, as they represent the highest profile characters in Kiss … Both Gene and Paul saw all our concepts as we created them for characters and tanks. [They] brought the idea to us to really lean into the fantastical elements of each character.” Our art team worked to get those fantastical elements down, whether we’re talking the feline claws and nimble animations given to The Catman 3D Commander or the enormous pair of bat-like wings that Tanks’ art director Andy Dorizas suggested for The Demon 3D Commander. But as any tanker knows, when it comes to our 3D Commanders, it’s not just about the look. Our players’ favorite Commanders speak with custom-written voiceover lines, so of course that’s the case for all four of our Kiss Commanders. “Kiss themselves made the decision to have Paul and Gene featured as voices in the game,” says the game’s audio director, Brendan Blewett. “They were very particular in that the Kiss ‘characters’ are just that—characters, not real-life individuals. Each of them has traits and those are portrayed, in the instance of The Starchild and The Demon, by Paul and Gene.” So what was it like, working with legendary musicians to bring the voices of their world-famous characters to our console battlefield? “Working with Paul and Gene was an absolute blast,” says Blewett. “These guys are obviously seasoned studio vets and really made the sessions fun and engaging.” He adds, “Gene lived up to his reputation as a master of trivia and kept us entertained between takes regaling us with stories from the road and factoids. Paul was absolutely a gracious, friendly individual and belted out an incredibly intense vocal performance and kept it going for the whole session. We even quipped that it was ‘like six months of shows in two hours.’ Impressive!” As for the voiceover for The Starman and The Catman, tankers and Kiss fans should rest rock out assured that these Commanders have received the same attention to detail. According to Blewett, “We worked with Kiss to understand the character profiles of The Catman and The Spaceman and came up with casting guidelines from there. For instance, The Catman is a smaller guy, witty and agile, while The Spaceman is older and wiser. The word ‘sagacious’ was used in session to describe the personality of The Spaceman.” War Machine(s) If you think the Kiss 3D Commanders sound impressive (and yes, I’m biased, but they are), be sure to recruit them during Metal Fest, and pair them up with our four Premium Kiss tanks, also inspired and named after the characters: The Demon, The Starchild, The Spaceman, and The Catman. Each of these tanks not only takes visual inspiration from Kiss; it also has abilities inspired by a specific band member’s persona. You’d better believe that The Demon is a tank that mounts a flamethrower! All of this is in addition to the Challenges, special event battles, daily login rewards, and more that Metal Fest offers. Rock out while you can, and don’t miss any of it—Metal Fest takes place in World of Tanks Modern Armor from August 26 through September 15 on PS4 and PS5! View the full article

Rev your engines, racers, there’s new Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds news that just dropped at Gamescom. Over the past few days, Sonic has dominated the newsfeeds with not one, but two trailer drops, featuring huge reveals. Play Video The first was a crossover no one saw coming – two iconic retro gaming heroes coming together in a universe-shattering collaboration: Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man playable in each other’s upcoming games. Sonic joins Pac-Man in Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac for an explosive birthday celebration, featuring Sonic-inspired levels, costumes, and more. Then, Pac-Man and Team Ghost put their racing skills to the test in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds as part of the growing roster of guest characters included in the Season Pass. Players can venture through Pac-Village, eat up Pac-Dots, & escape the iconic Maze in the Pac-Man Mobile. Play Video The all-new Competition Trailer showcased even more Sonic Racing action and detailed the various game modes players can look forward to experiencing once the game is released. In Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, there are tons of ways to compete: Grand Prix – Compete solo or with friends in local splitscreen co-op for first place in one of 7 cups (comprised of 4 races each). Racers are awarded points based on their placements at the end of races, and the racer with the most points at the end wins. World Match – Test your skills and compete online against 11 other players. Earn Rank Points, increase your World Rank, and aim for the top. Friend Match – Play with up to 11 other players online in custom lobbies where you can control all aspects of a race such as Speed, Team Size, Course/CrossWorlds, AI Difficulty, Frenzy Gates, Items, and Rule Sets. Race Park – Change up the rules and teams online and offline in this party mode that features six unique race formats. Time Trial – Compete for the best time on individual courses and aim for the top of the Leaderboard Rankings. Custom Match – Play with up to 4 players offline split-screen where you can control all aspects of a race such as Speed, Team Size, Courses/CrossWorlds, AI Difficulty, Frenzy Gates, Items, and Rule Sets. Eagle-eyed fans will also notice that the trailer revealed a few new tracks based on Sonic’s most recent adventures. Kronos Island from Sonic Frontiers makes its debut, featuring iconic ancient architecture strewn across the open fields. Northstar Island from Sonic Superstars arrives colorfully on the scene, with many nods to stage obstacles, local fauna, and even a… giant mechanical dinosaur whale? And Shadow fans, rejoice. The White Space from Shadow Generations has been recreated in glorious detail, down to the Doom’s Eye looming menacingly overhead. On the racetrack, there’s no shortage of competitive trash talk. Just as Sonic, Shadow, Espio and Jet are shown jockeying for first place and taking their rivalries to the next level, players can look forward to over a thousand voice lines and interactions between their favorite Sonic characters. Ever wonder what a race between Amy and Big the Cat would sound like? You may find out. On top of all that, it was announced that fans can get their hands on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds a little sooner than expected during the Open Network Test. This free, limited-time event will take place from August 29 to September 1. Players on PS5 will be able to race online with 12 iconic Sonic characters, compete on 16 courses (9 main courses & 7 CrossWorlds), and mix and match 42 gadgets to create the ultimate racing machine. Put your driving skills to the test against players worldwide. There might even be a couple of surprises in store… Come Race on our level when Sonic Racing CrossWorlds zooms onto PS5 and PS4 on September 25! View the full article

Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment. As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. starting on August 21. The updated recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. are as follows: PlayStation 5 – $549.99 PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – $499.99 PlayStation 5 Pro – $749.99 The recommended retail prices for PlayStation 5 accessories remain unchanged, and we have no other price changes to announce for additional markets. View the full article

I’m Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz, Creative Director at Rebel Wolves, working on The Blood of Dawnwalker — a story-driven, open-world RPG set in 14th-century Europe. We recently showcased a closer look at the gameplay at gamescom and wanted to share some of the exciting new details with you. Entering the narrative sandbox You play as Coen, the game’s protagonist and the titular Dawnwalker. While the exact circumstances remain a mystery, an attempt to turn Coen into a vampire fails. As a result, he exists between two worlds — human during the day, vampire at night. This duality sits at the heart of the gameplay, with each form offering distinct skills and abilities. Most quests can be approached during either day or night, creating significantly different experiences. One of the key mechanics is what we call the “narrative sandbox.” Once the prologue concludes, you have 30 days and nights to rescue Coen’s family from Brencis, a centuries-old vampire and former Roman senator, and his inner circle. Only major actions move the clock forward, and you’re always informed how much time an activity will consume. Roaming the open world does not advance time, giving you the freedom to explore without pressure. Time works more like a currency than a countdown. What truly defines the narrative sandbox is the freedom it gives you to shape the story on your own terms. Quests can be completed in any order, skipped entirely, or even never discovered at all depending on your choices. Many characters can be killed, with their absence reshaping events and relationships. There are often multiple paths to achieve the same goal, and even inaction is a choice — one the world around Coen will recognize and respond to. The result is a deeply reactive narrative structure that encourages experimentation and makes every playthrough unique. Human by day. Vampire by night. The newly revealed quest takes place on day eight of Coen’s journey. By then, several quests have been completed and Coen is visibly more powerful. We first see him at night, navigating the capital city of Svartrau and using vampiric abilities like Shadowstep — a short-range teleport that lets him instantly reposition. It’s invaluable not only in combat, allowing him to flank enemies or close the gap on patrolling guards, but also for exploration and stealth. With Shadowstep, Coen can reach scaffolding high on the cathedral’s walls, leap between rooftops, or slip into otherwise inaccessible balconies and ledges, opening up new routes and opportunities to approach objectives. Combat remains fluid and dynamic, blending physical strength with supernatural powers. His vampire form isn’t overpowered, but it adds a distinct tactical layer. The quest involves infiltrating the city’s cathedral, where Coen encounters Xanthe — an ancient Greek vampire and Brencis’ most powerful ally. To show how time of day affects gameplay, we then reload a save to experience a daytime version of the quest. This time, the goal is to locate the legendary sword of Saint Mihai, the cathedral’s patron. In his human form, Coen leans more on swordplay and dark human magic, unavailable as a vampire. Combat is fast and responsive, with directional attacks and flexible blocking. You can block easily with a single button or use directional input for more precision and control, accommodating both story-focused players and those seeking a challenge. Fighting the living, the dead, and everything In between Once the enemies are defeated, Coen enters Svartrau during the day. The streets are bustling with life — townsfolk fill the squares, merchants trade goods, and ambient conversations hint at the uneasy coexistence under vampire rule. After roaming the vibrant streets, Coen goes to the cathedral. Inside, we witness a chilling ritual called the Blood Baptism, one of Brencis’ ways of twisting existing traditions to maintain control. After a tense dialogue sequence that nearly exposes Coen, the sword quest resumes. This leads to a battle with Muron, a creature born from a failed vampire transformation. Unlike Coen, Muron does not become a Dawnwalker but a wild, unstable monster with unpredictable powers. Another hex in Coen’s arsenal – Compel Soul – allows Coen to speak with the dead, helping him uncover clues and eventually locate a hidden crypt believed to hold the sword. What he finds is far more disturbing: Saint Mihai, once revered, had been entombed alive after villagers discovered he was also a Dawnwalker. Starved during the day and regenerating at night, Mihai slowly lost his sanity. When freed, he attacks Coen using the full range of Dawnwalker abilities. If you find him at night instead, Mihai appears in his vampire form, offering an entirely different encounter. The nearly 50-minute demo offers an extended look at The Blood of Dawnwalker’s design — from its dual gameplay loop and time-based structure to its focus on player agency and narrative depth. There is no single path through this story, and every decision, including inaction, shapes the journey. Slated for release in 2026, The Blood of Dawnwalker aims to deliver rich storytelling, immersive combat, and an open world where narrative truly takes the lead. The Blood of Dawnwalker is coming to PlayStation 5 in 2026; wishlist it now to stay updated and be among the first to step into Coen’s journey! View the full article

Capcom is storming Gamescom 2025 with three huge games set to release in 2026: Resident Evil Requiem, Pragmata, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword. I got a chance to go hands-on with all three to flee from terrors, hack robotic foes, and slice through demons. Let’s dive in. Resident Evil Requiem With the ninth mainline Resident Evil game, on February 27, Capcom is set to return to where it all began: Raccoon City. Capcom’s announcement trailer focuses on FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, and I played the demo from Resident Evil: Requiem’s June reveal that ties directly into it. The hands-on demo supports both a first-person and a third-person perspective, but being a fan of the intense survival horror that Capcom managed with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, I opted for first-person mode. It started with Grace upside-down and tied to a gurney. After managing to cut through her straps, she found herself in an empty hospital room, where I took control. Exploring the narrow, dark hallways revealed some locked doors and a gate that seemed to lead to clean, well-lit freedom—but only if I could find a fuse to open it. Pretty classic Resident Evil, with a key to find and other puzzles to complete. But as I explored the claustrophobic space, a towering creature in an ill-fitting hospital gown appeared and I sprinted into the shadows to hide. Like in RE7, you can hear the monster hunting you in the tight space as you search for the items you need. I struggled to climb to a toolbox high shelf by moving a rolling cart, sending objects falling to the floor with a clatter. I found a bottle and threw it into a distant, shadowy corner with the square button, drawing the monster’s attention before it found me. Finally, I had to make it past the monster in a tight hallway to go for the fuse, and used nearby light switches to throw the hallway into darkness to keep from being seen as I sprinted away. But just as I found the fuse, the creature suddenly slithered down from the ceiling in front of Grace, caught her, and clamped its teeth down on her shoulder. Luckily, I’d found a green herb earlier and was able to keep Grace’s health up as I ran for the gate and plugged in the fuse. The demo ended with my knuckles white and my teeth gritted. This short look at Requiem delivered a whole lot of tension and a few big jumps—just what I love about RE7. Pragmata Third-person shooter Pragmata is a new IP for Capcom launching next year, putting you in the space suit of Hugh Williams as he investigates a lunar station overrun by killer robots. Luckily, Hugh has the help of Diana, an android with the appearance of a young girl who can hack the bots. Pragmata’s combat mixes quick shooter action with fast-paced puzzle-solving. The robots Hugh encounters are well-defended against his guns, but Diana can remotely hack them to drop their defenses. The hacking interface is grid based with players trying to reach a green node that disables the defenses of the bot you’re fighting. Moving a cursor around the grid is done with the Square, Triangle, Circle, and X buttons, and some nodes can only be passed through in a certain direction. But every encounter becomes a battle of reflexes because you have to complete the hack in real time, while still dodging incoming attacks. It gives combat a fun, harrowing tension, like trying to defuse a bomb while playing dodgeball. After a few minutes of solving puzzles to make our way to the bridge, the demo culminates in a tough boss fight against the SectorGuard. This machine is outfitted with missiles and turbo thrusters—a new addition for Gamescom that hasn’t been seen before. Keeping clear of its attacks required a whole lot of dodging using Hugh’s own limited thrusters, and I had to pick my moment to execute the hack. I managed to get it done thanks to an energy net launcher that slows enemies down, and once I had my chance, switched to a powerful shotgun to lay into the boss. But apart from Hugh’s pistol, all the weapons in Pragmata break when they run out of ammo, forcing you to seek out more. Taking the boss down requires a lot of quick movement and careful hacking at just the right moments. It highlights the way Pragmata freshens up third-person shooting with a hacking mini-game that elevates both systems and makes for exciting combat. Onimusha: Way of the Sword Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the fifth main entry into Capcom’s long-running third-person action series. Capcom’s first-ever hands-on with Onimusha was a demonstration of all the subtle elements of its combat system you’ll need to master, and how great they feel when they come together. Square and triangle execute a light and heavy sword attack, respectively, but the real battle is in the defense. Tap L1 just as a blow falls and you can parry it, but push L1 and X instead, and you’ll deflect the strike, knocking your foe off-balance. And if you time your own attack just right as an enemy would hit you, you can go on the offensive with an Issen counter. All these defensive techniques are useful in different ways. A parry enhances your sword to make your attacks more powerful. Deflecting an enemy does damage to their stamina, and if you deplete that, they’ll suffer an Issen Break, opening them to a devastating execution. The Issen counter has the biggest risk and reward: it’s by far the toughest move to land—I only managed it once—but it does huge damage. I made my way toward a village under attack by the demonic Genma, slicing through swordsmen, archers, and supernatural creatures. After learning the ropes, I reached a boss fight with Musashi’s rival, Sasaki Ganryu. Both Musashi and Sasaki wield Oni Gauntlets, powerful artifacts that can absorb souls left behind by slain enemies, and with enough souls, you can execute a powerful Oni Armament attack with R1. Sasaki was faster and more formidable than any of the Genma, with the fight requiring quick thinking and lots of parries. Sasaki can also be knocked off-balance by deflecting his blows to knock out his stamina, and it was here that the combination of different defensive moves came together. Each technique has a specific use; parrying to power up my sword let me do even more damage when I followed it with a deflection to earn an Issen Break. Against a boss, you even get a strategic choice of execution—attack one spot to do massive damage, or another to get souls to charge your gauntlet and health to help you recover. After some fast parries and brutal executions, I managed to take Sasaki down. The speed and intensity of Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s combat made for some really exciting battles in the demo, and should put action game fans through their paces. With three great demos, Capcom has made a splash at Gamescom 2025 and its lineup is looking to offer a wide variety of great experiences in 2026. View the full article

Greetings, brave adventurers and budding swordsmiths! We’re thrilled to announce that Where Winds Meet—our epic Wuxia open-world action-adventure RPG game – will be launching on November 14, 2025. After five years of dedication, we’re finally ready to let you loose in a world filled with legend, danger, and endless adventure. But first, we have some exciting news to share about the game and a special pre-order bundle for PS5. Let’s dive in! Play Video In our latest trailer, we give you a taste of the story and setting, offering a sneak peek into the heart of this chaotic world. Please see the video below. Set in 10th century China, a time rife with dynastic battles and unrelenting war, Where Winds Meet places you at the crossroads of history during one of the most turbulent eras. In the chaos, all kinds of legendary figures rise to fame, their stories shaping the very course of history. You’ll step into the boots of a young swordsman or swordswoman who, raised in the tranquility of a quiet village, who is inspired by stories of martial arts heroes and the excitement of the Jianghu (the martial arts world). However, everything changes when tragedy strikes. After a series of unforeseen events – betrayals, attacks, and the collapse of everything you once knew – you are forced to leave the only home you’ve ever known. This painful departure marks the beginning of a journey into the unknown, where you must confront both personal loss and the brutal realities of a world in turmoil. In such a troubled time, a warrior has only one sword, but there are tens of millions of people in the world. You decide the path you will travel and as you make these decisions, so the story unfolds. With your step into the Jianghu, it’s no longer just about seeking adventure; it’s about survival, truth, and ultimately discovering who you truly are in a world that’s as fractured as your past. However, there’s more to this world than meets the eye. While the main quest will draw you into the heart of the action, the world is brimming with smaller, hidden tales that will reveal themselves as you journey deeper. The more you explore, the more pieces of the puzzle you’ll discover, and it’s up to you to put it all together. (Don’t worry, we won’t spoil it for you here—we want you to experience the excitement firsthand in the game!) Along your journey, you’ll encounter legendary figures, battle with them, and uncover the secrets that lie beneath the surface. As you explore freely, you’ll learn new Chinese martial arts (Kung fu) skills, join powerful factions, and choose your path in this sprawling world. Want to follow the way of a wandering swordsman, or do you dream of forging alliances with the mysterious figures that roam the land? In Where Winds Meet, it’s all about creating your own story. We’ve crafted this game with care, pouring our hearts into every detail over the past five years, and we’re beyond excited to share it with the world. And now, the PS5 pre-order bundle is available right now, and here’s what you’ll get: In-game Appearance Set: Appearance Customization Pack (choose from Red Dust Book, Ink Deep Dan Zhu, or Penglai Feather) x1 In-game Player Name Card: Astral Trail Name Card Background x1 In-game Common Currency: Coin x10,000 In-game Draw Item: Lingering Melody x2 For details about the bundle, please see here. We have tried our best to create an immersive martial arts world in this game. We can’t wait for you to explore, battle, and experience the life of a warrior in this unforgettable adventure. The official release on November 14, 2025 is just around the corner, and until then, may the winds guide you! View the full article

Just announced on stage at Gamescom Opening Night Live, Ghost of Yōtei Legends is coming in 2026! Legends is our cooperative multiplayer mode featuring a fantastical, supernatural setting in contrast to the grounded world of Ghost of Yōtei. And just like Ghost of Tsushima Legends, Ghost of Yōtei Legends will be free DLC for all Ghost of Yōtei owners.* Play Video Ghost of Yōtei Legends will offer two-player story missions and four-player survival matches. This time around, you’ll play as one of four character classes and try to defeat demonic, giant versions of members of the Yōtei Six, plus a variety of new enemies that fight alongside them. You can see a glimpse of a few of those enemies in the concept art below. 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 Stay tuned for many more details about Ghost of Yōtei Legends as we get closer to its launch in 2026. And in the meantime, we’re only six weeks away from the launch of Ghost of Yōtei for PlayStation 5 consoles on October 2 and can’t wait until it’s in your hands! If you missed it, be sure to check out our State of Play gameplay deep dive for a look at exploration, combat, special modes, and more, and visit our official site to wishlist or pre-order ahead of launch! *Available via patch update. Internet connection and account for PlayStation Network required. PlayStation Plus subscription (sold separately) required for online play or multiplayer. PS Plus is subject to recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms . View the full article

Greetings, Lampbearers. At Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025, we finally lifted the veil on Lords of the Fallen II – the braver, bolder and undoubtedly bloodier sequel to our 2023 dark fantasy action-RPG. The announcement arrived with a brand new cinematic CGI trailer – a glimpse into a world where light wanes, shadows darken, and the line between the living and the dead is all but gone. Play Video The trailer sets the stage for what lies ahead: a kingdom fraying at its edges, ancient powers awakening, and a lone hero burdened with the impossible. All the while, the Umbral darkness spreads like a tide that cannot be stopped… And perhaps it can’t. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. Building on V2.0 Already in development for well over a year, Lords of the Fallen II continues to evolve the community celebrated update that was Lords of the Fallen v2.0, released in March 2025. The culmination of over 50 post-launch updates made to the original 2023 game, v2.0 represented a labour of love from the development team as they continued to refine our dark fantasy experience in response to the wealth of community feedback received since its launch. Lords of the Fallen II will take into account all the learnings and experience, building further on everything players loved about the original game, while also elevating it to a new and altogether more threatening place. We think you’re going to be surprised. A Century later Lords of the Fallen II takes place a hundred years after the first game’s events, and while we won’t reveal exactly what’s happened during this period, we can confirm the stakes are higher than ever. The Umbral calamity has continued to spread, as the veil between realms is now fragile enough for the horrors of the dark to slip between worlds. With life itself hanging by a thread, even the Gods hide in fear of the encroaching gloom, leaving humanity utterly forsaken. A sharper blade Building on the fan favourite formula introduced as part of v2.0, combat continues to evolve for Lords of the Fallen II. Fights are faster, more decisive, and increasingly punishing for those who hesitate. The flow between strikes, dodges, and counters is designed to reward precision, but also tempt risk, while all-new executions up the brutality like never before. They really help take the ebb and flow of the soulslike dance to an all-new level, and give that all-important shot of dopamine like never before. And of course, boss encounters remain at the heart of the experience, but we guarantee these climactic showdowns will feel more epic than ever. The Two Realms The Umbral Lamp returns, a beacon and a curse in equal measure. It grants passage between the living world and the Umbral realm — a place of hidden paths, strange treasures, and creatures born of nightmare. But crossing over is never without consequence; the dead notice the living, and the longer you remain, the closer they draw. However, new and darker powers are presented to the player in Lords of the Fallen II. We wanted to intensify the presence of Umbral in the sequel, and look forward to seeing how players interact with some of the new abilities bestowed upon them. The road ahead This reveal marks the first step in the journey ahead – one that will take us deeper into the story, the world, and the dangers awaiting you. Lords of the Fallen II arrives in 2026 for PS5 and PS5 Pro, and you can wishlist it today on PlayStation Store. Until then, remember: the darkness watches. In light, we walk. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. View the full article

Embrace the madness as Treyarch and Raven Software deliver the most mind-bending Black Ops experience to date on PS5 and PS4. Dig into the narrative plus major features and innovations and stay tuned for more info as we get closer to release. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches on November 14. Play Video A Gripping Co-Op Campaign PlayStation players—step into 2035 where the world teeters on the brink of chaos. Raul Menendez has returned and as his threat rings out across the world, The Guild, a global tech giant led by CEO Emma Kagan, vows to step in and protect humanity. In this Campaign designed for solo play or up to four player co-op, join David Mason and his JSOC team of elite Operators as they seek their own answers within the sprawling city of Avalon. While there, they encounter a weapon engineered to turn fear into an instrument of war. David and his team must uncover the truth behind Menendez’s return and how this horrific weapon will be used to incite global terror before losing themselves to madness. Traverse a wide spectrum of locales including Japan, Nicaragua, Los Angeles, and Avalon, sometimes in the blink of an eye. With the JSOC team trapped in this world of chaos, there are no limitations to where you might end up. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Unleash the Endgame As you push deeper into the story, you’ll master new abilities to deploy in the Campaign’s epic Endgame, where you’ll reach new levels of power to survive overwhelming odds in a brand-new PvE experience. This is the culmination of the Co-Op Campaign, where each Endgame run is a new step in the power journey as your squad is forced to adapt under pressure throughout all of Avalon. Global Progression For the first time in the franchise, Global Progression is coming to the Campaign! Player and Weapon XP, challenges, and Weapon Camos earned by playing the Co-Op Campaign will transfer over to Multiplayer and Zombies, as well as Call of Duty: Warzone starting in Season 1. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Multiplayer: Overclocked and Enhanced Explore 16 signature 6v6 maps, including 13 brand-new battlegrounds and three Black Ops 2 classics, plus two large-scale 20v20 Skirmish maps that blend a variety of objectives with new abilities like wingsuits, grappling hooks, and intense vehicle warfare. Battle across a wide array of locales including covert Guild facilities in Japan, David Mason’s childhood cabin in Alaska, and a high-tech solar array in the Australian Outback. Near-Future Weaponry, Overclocked Gear Choose from an arsenal of 30 weapons at launch, including a mix of brand-new armaments and Black Ops 2-inspired favorites, tuned for optimal lethality across multiple combat styles and mechanics. Customize your Scorestreaks, Field Upgrades, and Equipment using the new Overclock System. The Cluster Grenade, for example, can be upgraded with the ability to further cook the fuse or pack in two additional mini grenades for extra destruction. Next-Level Omnimovement Execute swift wall jumps, mantle high ledges for tactical advances and fine-tune your sprint and combat options through the updated Perk system. Open up creative movement possibilities with these new features, adding fresh dynamics to gameplay. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Zombies: Round-Based Zombies Returns! With Weaver, Maya, Carver, and Grey trapped within the Dark Aether after the events of Black Ops 6 Zombies, they now come face-to-face with alternate versions of Richtofen, Dempsey, Nikolai, and Takeo. While new alliances may (or may not) be formed, these legends return alongside the crew from Black Ops 6 to face a new kind of nightmare… though in the Dark Aether, nothing is ever what it seems. The Largest Black Ops Zombies Map Ever Drop into a haunted hellscape fearing a multitude of threats, secrets, and horrors at every turn. Battle the undead, unearth secrets, and dig in the shadows of a forgotten world. Zombies fans should look ahead for more details in early September! Survival Maps, Dead Ops Arcade 4 Survival maps return! Play Round-Based Zombies with the sole purpose of surviving against the relentless undead in tighter, deadlier spaces. For a top-down, twin-stick Zombies experience, load up Dead Ops Arcade 4! Packed with power-ups, traps, and waves of enemies, this is pure co-op chaos for up to four players. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Weapon Sharing and Weapon Prestige Build it, share it: New to Call of Duty, players can now share or import Weapon Build Codes to try out their friends’ weapon builds with ease. Classic and Weapon Prestige: Experience classic Prestige leveling alongside the deepest and most rewarding Weapon Prestige system yet, awarding unique Prestige Attachments and Weapon Camos along the way. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Call of Duty NEXT, Open Beta Dates Mark your calendars for the worldwide Multiplayer reveal at Call of Duty NEXT on September 30, followed by the Open Beta! Players who pre-order will get early access to the Open Beta, beginning on October 2. Pre-order Black Ops 7 Now Pre-order any digital edition of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on PlayStation 5 and 4 and receive: Early Access to the Open Beta*, beginning on October 2 Reznov Challenge Pack** – Immediately unlock the SOG Reznov Operator Skin in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone. Plus, get access to unlock the Stalingrad Reznov and Memory Reznov Operator Skins. Black Ops 7: Vault Edition Players who pre-order the Vault Edition from the PlayStation store will unlock: BlackCell*** (1 Season) – Includes Battle Pass, 20 Tier Skips, 1,100 CP and more Operator Collection – 4 Operator Skins: Harper, Karma, T.E.D.D. and Reaper EWR-3 Mastercraft Collection – 5 Mastercraft Weapons Ultra GobbleGum Pack for Zombies – 8 GobbleGums of Ultra rarity for Black Ops 7 Permanent Unlock Token – Available in Black Ops 7 at launch Embrace the Madness. *Actual launch date(s), time(s), and platform availability of Beta subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/beta for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only. Internet connection required. PlayStation®Plus subscription may be required for Beta. **Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 or Call of Duty®: Warzone™ on PS4® / PS5® required to redeem. Sold / downloaded separately. Must be redeemed by November 14th, 2026. ***BlackCell, Battle Pass, Call of Duty® Points, and Tier Skips will be accessible in Black Ops 7 upon availability of the Season 1 Battle Pass in-game. Redemption applies to one Season of the Black Ops 7 Battle Pass only. Content, features, services, online play, and support not available in all regions, and may vary, change, or terminate. Requires an Activision account and acceptance of the Activision Software License and Services Agreement. A mobile phone number linked to your Activision account may be required to play Black Ops 7. Additional storage space may be required for mandatory game updates. For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com. ©/TM/® 2025 Activision Publishing, Inc. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software (‘Id Technology’). Id Technology © 1999-2025 Id Software, Inc. View the full article

The Galactic war rages on… Countless Helldivers have laid down their lives to protect Managed Democracy. The call was put out for more recruits, and it’s been answered. Introducing the Legendary Warbond*, Helldivers 2 x Halo: ODST. Play Video Enter The Obedient Democracy Support Troopers (ODST), AKA The Helljumpers! This new equipment set from the Ministry of Defense will give your Helldivers the look of the fabled unit every Super Earth citizen had on their school lunch box as kids. Jam-packed with iconic weaponry, armor, patterns and more. Are you ready to jump in? Firepower View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image MA5C Assault Rifle An iconic rifle; the definition of reliable and having taken down countless aliens bent on wiping out humanity, it is time to turn its sights on enemies of MANAGED DEMOCRACY. It comes equipped with the convenient ammo counter and a built-in compass – let it guide you to victory. M6C/SOCOM Pistol They say keep your friends close and your sidearm closer. Well, we say that. The standard-issue ODST sidearm is your silent ally in the field -equipped with a built-in laser sight, flashlight, and, for the first time in Helldivers 2, a suppressor to support stealth gameplay. Because sometimes the best way to enforce PEACE is quietly… M90A Shotgun This powerful shotgun carries a kick and has a handy flashlight mounted on it so you can see the fear in your enemies’ eyes before you teach them a valuable lesson about LIBERTY. ​​ M7S SMG Silent and deadly, this SMG is the model ODST’s primary weapon. With caseless ammo and a non-removable suppressor; this weapon is ready to spread FREEDOM to every corner of the galaxy. Armor A-9 Helljumper Armor Set Step into the armored boots of a legendary Lance Corporal who served the ODST with immense bravery and courage under fire. Passive boost – Feet First. A-35 Recon Armor Set Sleeker and stealthier than the A-9 Armor, this set is made to move and groove, with a helmet modeled after an iconic intelligence officer’s headgear. Passive boost – Feet First. Feet First passive Make less noise from movement Range when finding points of interest increased by 30% Immune to leg injuries Capes Honored Heirloom This cape, emblazoned with the ODST logo, is passed down to a Jumper’s bravest child in the event of their untimely demise. Eye of the Clandestine Some soldiers fight on the front line, and some from the shadows. Wrap yourself in secrecy with this sleek, subtle cape, and slip away from the light. You can also honor the Helljumpers with ODST-themed player cards, a new player title, and the Mean Green vehicle pattern for your hellpod, shuttle, exosuit, and FRV. Helldivers 2 x Halo: ODST lands August 26 at 5am PT / 1pm BST The Legendary Warbond marks a brand-new tier in the Warbond lineup, and we’ve gone all-in to make sure it lives up to the name. This one’s a tribute to a long-requested crossover, packed with details that fans will love to discover. The Helldivers 2 x Halo: ODST Legendary Warbond lands in the Acquisitions Center for 1500 Super Credits – a step up from previous Warbond tiers, and packed with gear worthy of the legend. A quick heads-up: Legendary Warbonds aren’t compatible with the new Premium Warbond Token launching August 26. So if you’re planning to deploy with ODST gear, make sure your Super Credits are locked and loaded. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. Squad up, drop in, and let’s crush every enemy of Freedom and Managed Democracy TOGETHER. Move out! *Requires base game, paid purchase of Super Credits, and game progression to unlock. View the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here Hey friends! This week Tim, Brett, and Sid are back with exciting PlayStation Plus Game Catalog news for August, some early Battlefield 6 thoughts, and ideas for gaming-themed tattoos. Stuff We Talked About Next week’s release highlights: Sword of the Sea | PS5 (PlayStation Plus Game Catalog) Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution | PS5, PS4 Discounty | PS5 Herdling | PS5 Midnight Murder Club new update — Bring up five friends to play the new PvE mode Graveyard Shift and keep gameplay fresh with wildcards that shuffle the rules PlayStation Plus Game Catalog August Extra and Premium Mortal Kombat 1 | PS5 Marvel’s Spider-Man | PS5, PS4 Sword of the Sea | PS5 Earth Defense Force 6 | PS5, PS4 Unicorn Overlord | PS5, PS4 Atelier Ryza 3 Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key | PS5, PS4 Indika | PS5 Harold Halibut | PS5 Coral Island | PS5 Premium Resident Evil 2 | PS5, PS4 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis | PS5, PS4 Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, System Shock 2, Resident Evil 1 Director’s Cut, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Gaming tattoos – the team shares gaming tattoos they have or would like to get, and ask listeners to write in with pics of their gaming tattoos The Cast View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Tim Turi – Content Communications Manager, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] View the full article

Last week, we asked you to hop into your favorite game’s Photo Mode and pick a filter using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights using a stylized filter: Dunaaa5 shares a red-tinted sideeye from Cyberpunk 2077. CarrotsCaptures shares Jin raising his katana in Ghost of Tsushima with a whited out background. fwto_ shares the red filtered atmosphere of a BT watcher from Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. secondcapture shares a movie poster style shot of Julianna from Deathproof. KeenEyeVP shares a red-filtered shot of Naoe sneaking around a corner in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. sednin shares a black and white polaroid style portrait of Eve from Stellar Blade. Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? THEME: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on August 20, 2025 Next week, overcome darkness in Senua’s Sage: Hellblade II. Share moments from Senua’s brutal journey for survival using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

After five months of Early Access updates and playtesting, it is my pleasure to present the full release of Midnight Murder Club. Play Video I’m Eric Feurstein, Game Director on Midnight Murder Club from Velan Studios. First thing’s first, I want to thank everyone who participated in all the open betas, playtests and the Early Access phase of Midnight Murder Club. Without you all hunting each other in the pitch-black halls of the Wormwood Manor, we couldn’t have gotten the game to where it needed to be. And for anyone joining us for the first time. Let me be the first to welcome you to the Midnight Murder Club. Slip on your mask, turn on your flashlight, grab your gun, and invite your friends… The shadows are waiting. You’re cordially invited… Midnight Murder Club is a game of hide, seek, and shoot in a pitch-black mansion. We wanted to make a first-person shooter that felt just as much like a party game, where it’s tense and spooky one moment, then chaotic and hilarious the next. When you’re alone in the dark, sound becomes everything. With our dynamic proximity chat, every whisper, scream, and footstep gives away your enemy’s position as well as your own. And while your flashlight gives you information, it also paints a target on your back to anyone nearby. Half the fun is that risk-reward calculation: do you flip on your light, hoping to catch someone by surprise, or do you stay in the dark, hoping someone else gives away their position first? Either way, when the gun smoke clears and the bodies hit the floor, laughter fills the room as the tension’s released and players respawn in the darkness, planning their revenge. Co-op PVE mode: Graveyard Shift With today’s release, we are proud to introduce a brand-new game mode: Graveyard Shift. Graveyard Shift can be played single player or with a friend. In Graveyard Shift, you must search the shadows for cursed Golden Relics hidden all throughout the mansion. Once found, you must quickly bring them back to the waiting Vault and throw it in where it will be cleansed of the curse and you will be rewarded with a Blessing. All the while, demons from the very depths of hell will be hunting you, trying to prevent you from cleansing the curse. Fend off demons like Flaming Skulls that fly through the air and explode into giant fireballs, or Shadow Men who are completely invisible except for their shadow, hiding behind doors to stab at you from the darkness, or Hunters who have night vision, a knife, and a thirst for your blood. Cleanse the cursed relics and receive rewards that push back the shadows, take too long and the mansion will become more and more cursed making your job even harder. Search the shadows, defeat the demons, and cleanse the cursed artifacts from the mansion. Shuffle the rules with wildcards Wildcards is a game mode designed specifically for Midnight Murder Club that allows you to bend and break the rules of the game based on a set of cards selected before a round. With dozens of cards categorized into fun Game Modes, weird Toys, helpful Blessings, and punishing Curses, there are literally millions of wild combinations waiting to be experienced. For instance, playing the Bear Trap Trouble Wildcard fills the mansion with Bear Traps that lock you in place and make you a sitting duck. The Falling Chandelier Wildcard gives you the ability to attach a chandelier to the ceiling that falls on anyone who walks under it. With the Fire Trap Wildcard activated, every kill explodes the victim in a giant fireball catching anyone in the immediate vicinity on fire leading to unpredictable chain reaction kills. The Shrink Shot Wildcard gives you a second chance at life because when you get shot, you shrink to half size, complete with a squeaky voice to match. Mixing and matching Wildcards lets you discover fun new ways to play with your friends. Play with your friends, on the house We designed Midnight Murder Club to be played with friends, and we know how hard it is to convince your friend group to buy a new game. That’s why we wanted to try something new with the Guest Pass. With the Guest Pass, only one person needs to own the game to have everyone else join the fun at no additional cost. Players can download the Guest Pass Edition of Midnight Murder Club on PlayStation 5 or Steam at no cost and join full purchasers via an invite or Lobby Code*. Play together for as long as you want in any mode. Welcome to the club Midnight Murder Club started out as a weird idea I had almost exactly 10 years ago to this day. Back in 2015, I hacked together a small prototype in my bedroom and emailed it to my friends to play together. I never really knew what would become of it and a decade later I finally decided to pitch it to Velan and it was amazing how more people saw the potential of this strange idea of a shooter in the dark. In some ways the game is very similar to that small prototype, but also extremely different thanks to all the feedback we received over Early Access and the various playtests with everyone. Very few people get to enjoy this feeling of pitching a game idea, seeing it grow, and then playing the game with the public like we have with Midnight Murder Club. We built this game for you, I hope you enjoy it. See you in the shadows! View the full article

As we’ve entered the 15th year of PlayStation Plus, we’ve got even more great content for members to look forward to. This month, unleash brutal finishers in the reimagined Mortal Kombat 1, swing through Marvel’s New York skyline as the iconic web-slinger in Marvel’s Spider-Man, or gear up to repel swarming alien forces in Earth Defense Force 6. All these titles and more are available in August’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup. That includes Sword of the Sea, which releases day one into Game Catalog. Meanwhile, Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 bring retro survival horror to PlayStation Plus Deluxe. All titles will be available to play on August 19*. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image On the same day, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will also be available as a Game Trials for PlayStation Plus Deluxe members. Enjoy up to 5 hours of gameplay with this time-limited trial, and if you decide to purchase the full game, your progress and trophies will carry over. PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe | Game Catalog View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Mortal Kombat 1 | PS5 Following the thrilling climax of Mortal Kombat 11, the all-powerful Fire God Liu Kang has created a New Era in the hope of bringing peace to Earthrealm and beyond. Through the series’ most cinematic story mode yet, you’ll be reintroduced to a cast of legendary warriors as you’ve never seen them before. Expect twists on classic friendships and rivalries, as well as new backstories that will change everything you think you know about your favourite Kombatants. Discover a host of new offline and online game modes as you master a revitalised fighting system that boasts bone-crunching Fatal Blows, defensive Breakers and the most creatively vicious Fatalities yet. *Mortal Kombat 1 is releasing in Singapore August 13 and on August 19 in other Southeast Asia markets. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Marvel’s Spider-Man | PS5, PS4 Sony Interactive Entertainment, Insomniac Games, and Marvel have teamed up to create an authentic Spider-Man adventure. This isn’t the Spider-Man you’ve met or ever seen before. This is an experienced Peter Parker who’s more masterful at fighting big crime in Marvel’s New York. At the same time, he’s struggling to balance his chaotic personal life and career while the fate of millions of New Yorkers rests upon his shoulders. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered will be available to PS5 players, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition available to PS4 players. *Marvel’s Spider-Man is releasing worldwide August 19. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sword of the Sea | PS5 Surf across magnificent waves of sand and glistening waters on an epic quest to restore a lost ocean in Sword of the Sea. From the visionary artist behind ABZÛ, The Pathless, and Journey – Sword of the Sea is an atmospheric surfing adventure with high-speed Hoversword movement inspired by skateboarding and snowboarding. Carve your way forward on the ancient and powerful Hoversword, which moves like a snowboard, skateboard, and surfboard all in one. Build momentum to reach top speed and catch big air off the crests of giant waves. Pull off radical flips, spins, and grab tricks with ease as you shred halfpipes, ramps, and wall rides. It’s the perfect balance of exhilarating action and fluid, meditative movement. *Sword of the Sea is releasing worldwide August 19. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Earth Defense Force 6 | PS5, PS4 Set three years after the events of the previous entry, Earth Defense Force 6 unfolds in a decimated world on the brink of collapse, where humanity’s population has been nearly wiped out. Take on the role of an Earth Defense Force soldier in this explosive third-person shooter and battle towering alien threats, alone or in co-op. Stand your ground with courage and wisdom. *Earth Defense Force 6 is releasing in Singapore August 26 and on August 19 in other Southeast Asia markets. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Unicorn Overlord | PS5, PS4 From the masterminds that brought 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Odin Sphere, and Dragon’s Crown, ATLUS x Vanillaware presents the rebirth of tactical fantasy RPG. Fight against fate and embark on a royal adventure to regain your reign alongside trustworthy allies. Unicorn Overlord combines the timeless tactical RPG genre with overworld exploration and innovative battle system for a unique epic fantasy experience in the iconic Vanillaware style. *Unicorn Overlord is releasing worldwide August 19. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Atelier Ryza 3 Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key | PS5, PS4 The final summer, the final secret… Ryza’s final adventure is about to begin! The story begins when a group of islands called Kark Isles appear near Ryza’s—the protagonist’s—hometown. Seeing this as a threat to their home, Ryza and her friends investigate the isles and discover ruins with a huge gate. Just as Ryza approaches the gate, a strange voice echoes in her head, telling her to reach the Code of the Universe. What is it that lies beyond the gate, and what does the “Code of the Universe” mean? In hopes of finding a way to save their home, Ryza and her friends set off on a great adventure that revolves around a Key and the roots of alchemy. *Atelier Ryza 3 Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key is releasing in Singapore September 9 and on August 19 in other Southeast Asia markets. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Indika | PS5 Indika is a third-person, story-driven game set in a strange world where religious visions clash with harsh reality. It tells the story of a young nun who sets off on a journey of self-discovery with the most unusual, horn-headed companion by her side. On the outside, Indika seems to be a typical nun attempting to adjust to a difficult and monotonous monastery life. Humble and innocent in her appearance, do not be deceived as this young girl has also made a highly unlikely acquaintance—as she speaks with the devil himself. Indika’s unusual connection with the Evil One leads her on an errand beyond the safe walls of the monastery. The world she discovers can only be described as a wild combination of comedy and tragedy straight out of the novels by Dostoyevski and Bulhakov. *Indika is releasing in Singapore September 9 and on August 19 in other Southeast Asia markets. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Harold Halibut | PS5 Harold Halibut is a handmade narrative game about friendship and life on a city-sized spaceship submerged in an alien ocean. It’s been 250 years since your home – an ark-like spaceship – fled an Earth on the verge of cold war to find a habitable planet to preserve the human race. You are Harold, a young lab assistant for the ship’s lead scientist, Jeanne Mareaux. While most of the ship’s inhabitants have reconciled themselves to a life lived aboard the sunken ship, Mareaux still works tirelessly to find a way for the ship to leave the planet and find a new, dryer home. *Harold Halibut is releasing in Singapore September 9 and on August 19 in other Southeast Asia markets. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Coral Island | PS5 It’s time to leave big-city life in Pokyo behind and start a new chapter of your life on Coral Island! Be who you want and create the idyllic farm of your dreams, where you’ll tend crops, nurture animals, and build a bond with the natural world around you. Help revitalize the nearby town and its surrounding coral reefs, and forge relationships with a vibrant community of more than 70 fellow people who call Coral Island home. Farm. Decorate. Craft. Explore. Relax. Your future—and the future of Coral Island—is what you make of it. *Coral Island is releasing in Singapore August 26 and on August 19 in other Southeast Asia markets. PlayStation Plus Deluxe View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Resident Evil 2 | PS5, PS4 (PS) Two months after the terrifying Mansion Incident, two people made their way to Raccoon City. Leon S. Kennedy, a newly-assigned officer in the Raccoon Police Department, and Claire Redfield, who has been trying to track down her missing brother. Little do they know of what nightmares Raccoon City has in store for them… Experience Resident Evil 2, first released on the original PlayStation, enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters. *Resident Evil 2 is releasing worldwide August 19. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Resident Evil 3 | PS5, PS4 (PS) A little over a month and a half after the Mansion Incident, another nightmare unfolds at almost the same time as Resident Evil 2 as Raccoon City faces destruction due to the threat of the ‘T-virus’. You take on the role of former S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine as she attempts to escape the devastated city while investigating the mystery behind the Umbrella Corporation. Witness the climax of the Raccoon City story with your own eyes. Experience Resident Evil 3 Nemesis, first released on the original PlayStation, enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters. *Resident Evil 3 is releasing worldwide August 19. *PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and PlayStation Plus Deluxe lineups and individual title release dates may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day. View the full article

As we’ve entered the 15th year of PlayStation Plus, we’ve got even more great content for members to look forward to. This month, unleash brutal finishers in the reimagined Mortal Kombat 1, swing through Marvel’s New York skyline as the iconic web-slinger in Marvel’s Spider-Man, or gear up to repel swarming alien forces in Earth Defense Force 6. All these titles and more are available in August’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup. That includes Sword of the Sea, which releases day one into Game Catalog. Meanwhile, Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis bring retro survival horror to PlayStation Plus Premium. All titles will be available to play on August 19*. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image On the same day, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will also be available as a Game Trial for PlayStation Plus Premium members. Enjoy up to 5 hours of gameplay with this time-limited trial, and if you decide to purchase the full game, your progress and trophies will carry over. PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Mortal Kombat 1 | PS5 Following the thrilling climax of Mortal Kombat 11, the all-powerful Fire God Liu Kang has created a New Era in the hope of bringing peace to Earthrealm and beyond. Through the series’ most cinematic story mode yet, you’ll be reintroduced to a cast of legendary warriors as you’ve never seen them before. Expect twists on classic friendships and rivalries, as well as new backstories that will change everything you think you know about your favorite Kombatants. Discover a host of new offline and online game modes as you master a revitalized fighting system that boasts bone-crunching Fatal Blows, defensive Breakers and the most creatively vicious Fatalities yet. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Marvel’s Spider-Man | PS5, PS4 Sony Interactive Entertainment, Insomniac Games, and Marvel have teamed up to create an authentic Spider-Man adventure. This isn’t the Spider-Man you’ve met or ever seen before. This is an experienced Peter Parker who’s more masterful at fighting big crime in Marvel’s New York. At the same time, he’s struggling to balance his chaotic personal life and career while the fate of millions of New Yorkers rests upon his shoulders. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered will be available to PS5 players, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition available to PS4 players to download. In relevant markets, PS4 players can stream Marvel’s Spider-Man (base game). View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sword of the Sea | PS5 Surf across magnificent waves of sand and glistening waters on an epic quest to restore a lost ocean in Sword of the Sea. From the visionary artist behind ABZÛ, The Pathless, and Journey – Sword of the Sea is an atmospheric surfing adventure with high-speed Hoversword movement inspired by skateboarding and snowboarding. Carve your way forward on the ancient and powerful Hoversword, which moves like a snowboard, skateboard, and surfboard all in one. Build momentum to reach top speed and catch big air off the crests of giant waves. Pull off radical flips, spins, and grab tricks with ease as you shred halfpipes, ramps, and wall rides. It’s the perfect balance of exhilarating action and fluid, meditative movement. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Earth Defense Force 6 | PS5, PS4 Set three years after the events of the previous entry, Earth Defense Force 6 unfolds in a decimated world on the brink of collapse, where humanity’s population has been nearly wiped out. Take on the role of an Earth Defense Force soldier in this explosive third-person shooter and battle towering alien threats, alone or in co-op. Stand your ground with courage and wisdom. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Unicorn Overlord | PS5, PS4 From the masterminds that brought 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Odin Sphere, and Dragon’s Crown, ATLUS x Vanillaware presents the rebirth of tactical fantasy RPG. Fight against fate and embark on a royal adventure to regain your reign alongside trustworthy allies. Unicorn Overlord combines the timeless tactical RPG genre with overworld exploration and innovative battle system for a unique epic fantasy experience in the iconic Vanillaware style. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Atelier Ryza 3 Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key | PS5, PS4 The final summer, the final secret… Ryza’s final adventure is about to begin! The story begins when a group of islands called Kark Isles appear near Ryza’s—the protagonist’s—hometown. Seeing this as a threat to their home, Ryza and her friends investigate the isles and discover ruins with a huge gate. Just as Ryza approaches the gate, a strange voice echoes in her head, telling her to reach the Code of the Universe. What is it that lies beyond the gate, and what does the “Code of the Universe” mean? In hopes of finding a way to save their home, Ryza and her friends set off on a great adventure that revolves around a Key and the roots of alchemy. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Indika | PS5 Indika is a third-person, story-driven game set in a strange world where religious visions clash with harsh reality. It tells the story of a young nun who sets off on a journey of self-discovery with the most unusual, horn-headed companion by her side. On the outside, Indika seems to be a typical nun attempting to adjust to a difficult and monotonous monastery life. Humble and innocent in her appearance, do not be deceived as this young girl has also made a highly unlikely acquaintance—as she speaks with the devil himself. Indika’s unusual connection with the Evil One leads her on an errand beyond the safe walls of the monastery. The world she discovers can only be described as a wild combination of comedy and tragedy straight out of the novels by Dostoyevski and Bulhakov. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Harold Halibut | PS5 Harold Halibut is a handmade narrative game about friendship and life on a city-sized spaceship submerged in an alien ocean. It’s been 250 years since your home – an ark-like spaceship – fled an Earth on the verge of cold war to find a habitable planet to preserve the human race. You are Harold, a young lab assistant for the ship’s lead scientist, Jeanne Mareaux. While most of the ship’s inhabitants have reconciled themselves to a life lived aboard the sunken ship, Mareaux still works tirelessly to find a way for the ship to leave the planet and find a new, dryer home. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Coral Island | PS5 It’s time to leave big-city life in Pokyo behind and start a new chapter of your life on Coral Island! Be who you want and create the idyllic farm of your dreams, where you’ll tend crops, nurture animals, and build a bond with the natural world around you. Help revitalize the nearby town and its surrounding coral reefs, and forge relationships with a vibrant community of more than 70 fellow people who call Coral Island home. Farm. Decorate. Craft. Explore. Relax. Your future—and the future of Coral Island—is what you make of it. PlayStation Plus Premium View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Resident Evil 2 | PS5, PS4 (PS) Two months after the terrifying Mansion Incident, two people made their way to Raccoon City. Leon S. Kennedy, a newly-assigned officer in the Raccoon Police Department, and Claire Redfield, who has been trying to track down her missing brother. Little do they know of what nightmares Raccoon City has in store for them… Experience Resident Evil 2, first released on the original PlayStation, enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Resident Evil 3: Nemesis | PS5, PS4 (PS) A little over a month and a half after the Mansion Incident, another nightmare unfolds at almost the same time as Resident Evil 2 as Raccoon City faces destruction due to the threat of the ‘T-virus’. You take on the role of former S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine as she attempts to escape the devastated city while investigating the mystery behind the Umbrella Corporation. Witness the climax of the Raccoon City story with your own eyes. Experience Resident Evil 3 Nemesis, first released on the original PlayStation, enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters. *PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe lineups and individual title release dates may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day. View the full article

For the past 15 years, PlayStation Plus has served as a welcoming home for indie games, connecting players with some of the most innovative, heartfelt, and personal experiences the world of video games has to offer. The PlayStation Plus Game Catalog (included with PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium memberships) puts a huge library of indie games right at your fingertips—but with so many games available, it’s possible for even some of the best to escape your notice. As we’ve entered the 15th anniversary of PlayStation Plus, we’ve rounded up 15 of the best indies from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. These are games that you might have missed, but you absolutely shouldn’t. Play Video A Space for the Unbound A Space for the Unbound delves into the lives of teenagers living in Indonesia in the 1990s, at first telling an endearing slice-of-life story about friendship and first loves. Then things start to get weird. As supernatural elements weave their way into the point-and-click adventure of high schoolers Atma and Raya, A Space for the Unbound quickly becomes a powerful, impactful, and highly relatable experience. Publisher: Chorus Worldwide Games | Developer: Mojiken Studio | PS5, PS4 Play Video Abiotic Factor The incident that turned Gordon Freeman into an HEV suit-wearing hero was just another day at the office for everyone else at Black Mesa. Abiotic Factor takes inspiration from the random lab employees stuck at work on the day an errant experiment rips a hole in another dimension, but imagines the experience as a survival game instead of a first-person shooter. Trapped in the facility with up to five friends, you’ll need to seek out resources like food and water, and craft weapons out of office supplies—all while avoiding the otherworldly creatures that are your new neighbors. Publisher: Playstack | Developer: Deep Field Games | PS5 Play Video Another Crab’s Treasure If Dark Souls took place in Sponge Bob’s underwater town of Bikini Bottom, it might look something like Another Crab’s Treasure. As a hermit crab named Kril, you set out to reclaim your shell after it’s repossessed, and soon find yourself scavenging trash to use as armor and weapons to fight off tough creatures. Another Crab’s Treasure tells a lighthearted tale set in an unsanitary sea, but don’t let the colorful palette and funny characters fool you: It also packs some serious boss battles to put Souls-like fans through their paces. Publisher: Aggro Crab | Developer: Aggro Crab | PS5, PS4 Play Video Blue Prince Blue Prince starts with a death. The baron of Mount Holly Manor has passed away, leaving the 45-room estate to you—but only if you can manage to find and enter its 46th room. That’s a challenge, as each door you open leads to your choice of room, forcing you to plot a new course through its halls, bedrooms, and kitchens with each new day. Blue Prince, a Day One addition to the PlayStation Plus Catalog, is delightfully dense with puzzles, secrets, and mysteries that combine to become much more than they first appear. Publisher: Raw Fury | Developer: Dogubomb | PS5 Play Video Celeste Madeline has something to prove to herself, and that’s why she’s going to climb a mountain. It’s not an easy feat, however—though the controls of side-scrolling platformer Celeste are relatively simple to pick up, it takes mastery of precise jumps and dashes to ascend through level after level. Celeste uses its excellent platforming to tell a surprisingly deep and emotional story, as Madeline struggles to fight back her inner demons all the way to the summit. Publisher: Maddy Makes Games | Developer: Maddy Makes Games | PS4 Play Video Citizen Sleeper Sci-fi RPG Citizen Sleeper charges you with finding a way to escape your corporate indentured servitude as a sleeper—a digitized human mind inhabiting a robot body. What follows is a haunting and human story played out through a series of small events, where table top RPG-style dice rolls, coupled with your choices, determine what happens. It’s easy to get lost trying to eke out a living in Citizen Sleeper’s imaginative sci-fi future, one that’s bleak at times, and hopeful at others. Publisher: Fellow Traveler Games | Developer: Jump Over the Age | PS5, PS4 Play Video Cult of the Lamb Touched by a dark god, an incredibly cute lamb is sent into the world to bring its Word to other cuddly critters. Grow your flock and gather resources to build and manage an ever-growing compound where your followers live, work, and occasionally volunteer to be sacrificed to their fell deity. When you’re not building up a home for your followers, you’ll venture out into the world to vanquish other powerful cult leaders, giving Cult of the Lamb a devilishly delightful mix of colony building and rogue-like gameplay. Publisher: Devolver Digital | Developer: Massive Monster | PS5, PS4 Play Video Dead Cells Hacking and slashing has perhaps never been so refined—or so expansive—as it is in Dead Cells. The side-scrolling “roguevania” sends you out into various shifting locales to fight through hordes of creatures, and provides you with a host of inventive weapons to do so. Knives and swords are cool, but how about an automated crossbow turret? How about a crossbow turret that sets people on fire? How about a fiery crossbow turret that sprays poison? With a huge number of weapons to unlock and upgrades to earn, Dead Cells will constantly keep you returning to its speedy, intense combat for just one more run. Publisher: Motion Twin | Developer: Motion Twin | PS5, PS4 Play Video Dredge The gentle rolling seas are calling, and with your fishing boat, you can venture out to haul in a catch and make a decent living. Just don’t worry too much about those twisted abominations that sometimes fill your nets, or the strange shapes that creep in the dark fog. Dredge is sometimes a relaxing fishing game, sometimes a strange tale of supernatural mystery, and sometimes a single boat’s journey into the eldritch unknown; it turns out that fishing and horror work extremely well together. Publisher: Team17 | Developer: Black Salt Games | PS5, PS4 Play Video Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition Inspired by side-scrolling classics like Metroid and Mega Man X, Hollow Knight sends you deep into a fallen insect kingdom known as the Hallownest to put a stop to an infection that has cursed its people. Exploring the tunnels and cities of Hallownest takes you on a sprawling adventure to fight colossal creatures, meet and battle other bugs, and uncover the mystery of what destroyed a once-great civilization. Publisher: Team Cherry | Developer: Team Cherry | PS4 Play Video Paradise Killer This dazzlingly bizarre and stylish murder mystery throws you into a surreal world of gods, syndicates, and cosmic corruption. As Lady Love Dies, you’re tasked with solving a murder on a tropical island outside of space and time. The game’s open-ended investigation, vaporwave aesthetic, and synth-laced soundtrack create an intoxicating atmosphere where every clue matters and every accusation is yours to make. Paradise Killer is a bold, genre-defying detective experience and a must-play for ’80s-inspired synthwave fans. Publisher: Fellow Traveller | Developer: Kaizen Game Works | PS5, PS4 Play Video Tetris Effect: Connected Few games create a more all-encompassing zenlike experience than Tetris Effect: Connected. The classic puzzle game is elevated by captivating visuals and a phenomenal soundtrack that sync perfectly with your play, pulling you into a block-dropping flow state that’s only elevated by the ability to play with up to four other people. Tetris Effect: Connected is the next stage in evolution of one of the best games of all time. Publisher: Enhance Games | Developer: Monstars, Resonair | PS5, PS4 Play Video Moonlighter Ever wonder what the shopkeepers of an RPG town get up to when you’re not around? In Moonlighter, you play a merchant who goes dungeon-crawling by night to find new wares to sell by day. Your skills in capitalism help to fuel your nightly adventures as you delve deeper into the dungeons, taking on hulking bosses in hopes of finally leaving the shopkeep life behind and making it as a full-time hero. Publisher: 11 bit Studios | Developer: Digital Sun | PS4 Play Video Undertale Funny, heartfelt, and unexpected, Undertale might be one of the most beloved indie games ever made. It tells the story of a human who falls into the subterranean world of monsters, but flips RPG genre conventions on their heads with a battle system that gives you the option to talk your way out of fights and spare the many creatures who attack you. Emotional, often-hilarious writing and strange, well-realized characters have made Undertale memorable, but it’s the choices you make that will define your journey. Publisher: 8-4 Ltd. | Developer: Toby Fox | PS4 Play Video Untitled Goose Game A town full of people is just trying to live in peace—unfortunately for them but luckily for you, a goose is loose. Untitled Goose Game finds hilarity in the simple chaos of a goose stealing stuff, honking at people, and generally ruining everyone’s day. Racing around a series of sandbox areas, it’s your goal to get into as much trouble as you can, with a variety of goals to fulfill, puzzles to solve, and angry townspeople to evade and bewilder. Publisher: Panic Inc. | Developer: House House | PS4 These are just some of the great games that are worth your attention—there are a whole lot more in the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Head to playstation.com to see the full library to find a heap of excellent indies worth exploring. Discover more great indies on PlayStation. View the full article

First revealed in State of Play, and recently playable at Evo Las Vegas 2025, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, brings a fundamental shift to the tag-fighting genre. Arc System Works, Marvel Games, and PlayStation Studios have assembled to create a vibrant, stylized world, and after an intense 30-minute play session this past weekend, I’m counting down the days until I’m a Tōkon fighter again. Play Video Building a 4v4 team “The reason we went with 4v4 is actually because it’s something that’s never been done before in fighting games where players can switch characters,” says Kazuto Sekine, Game Director and Lead Battle Designer, Arc System Works. “We wanted to challenge ourselves to create a new tag fighter.” ​​ During my session, I had access to a set of all-star Heroes to create my team of four: ● Doctor Doom is slow but hits hard with magical and tricky range attacks. ● Ms. Marvel is quick with high-risk, high-reward attacks. ● Storm is an aerial threat with deadly crossovers., ● Iron Man keeps enemies at bay with anti-air and other punishing moves. ● Star-Lord was the most technical with his ability to switch between firearms and insane juggles. ● Captain America is a versatile all-rounder and a great entry point for new players. After some experimentation, I prioritized playing Storm and Star-Lord. I loved how their combos, personality, and flair were true to their characters (at one point, Storm sternly refers to Star-Lord as “Quill” when he’s goofing off, which I adored). Storm’s light and medium attacks are beginner-friendly and combo well into her Quick Skill, which is a character’s unique attack you activate by pressing R2. I also found success rushing in with Star-Lord, using quick blaster and melee combos right into his Ultimate, activated simply by pressing R1. The control scheme is pretty straightforward. Square, Triangle, and Circle are your light, medium, and heavy attacks, respectively, while X is the assemble button. All of your special attacks and skills are reserved for the triggers. L1 enables a quick dash, L2 is a quick Assemble ability, and R1 and R2 provide your unique attack and quick skills. How swapping between characters works Traditionally, in a tag fighter, you have to rotate through your entire team before the match is over, but in Tōkon your team shares one health bar. This means you don’t have to master the whole roster to be effective, and in that sense, can approach the game like a more traditional fighter if you choose to. At the start of the match, you can only control your lead character. As the skirmish progresses, you gain the ability to switch into your assist characters when you lose a round, performing a throw, or knocking your opponent into another section of the stage. It creates an interesting dance of being careful not to give your opponents more options to use against you while making sure you access your extended roster first, and who you would want as your first backup option. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image “Previously for all [tag fighters] in order to play them, you had to be able to control multiple characters,” says Sekine, “However, for our game, it was important for us to design it so that you would only actually need to be able to take control of one character. You only need to learn to play as one character in order to enjoy the game, and you can still see your other teammates coming in and out of the battlefield.” Where you would traditionally have a dedicated button to swap between your party, here you do it during assists. Once you successfully call in an assist you have a brief window to swap to them. This exchange creates a natural swap out in the chaos of battle and some stylish moments between characters. Tōkon cares about what is happening on screen at all times, so switching between characters in the middle of a combo, standing still, or even in the air creates unique animations, such as characters giving each other daps or quipping about needing to step in. Accommodating different players’ fighting styles As I was studying my opponent’s moves, they took a different approach, focusing on supers and trying to bring out their team for full-screen spectacles. Where each character performs a quick combo, sending your opponent airborne while smashing them to the ground, ending in what I can only describe as a superhero pose-a-thon. The methodical vs manic approach created a fun back-and-forth between us, but the game was accommodating of both approaches and provided its own sense of satisfaction. “When it comes to the game’s design, it was very important for us to make this something that’s easy to get into, but has depth beyond that initial entry,” says Sekine. “One thing that we were very careful about when designing the game was to ensure that there is not any kind of mechanic or attack that someone who’s just getting started would not be able to perform. It would impede on the experience of new players.” “When you press the Assemble button, depending on the situation and what’s going on in the match, the Assist will come out and perform a different action that’s suitable for that particular moment,” says Sekine. “By designing it in that way that we’re able to clearly communicate to the player when they should be calling in their assists, and make it easier for them to play.” Anime-inspired Heroes in action “At Marvel games, it’s really important for us to allow developers to put their own unique stamp on the Marvel Universe,” says Michael Francisco, Sr. Product Development Manager, Marvel Games. “In the case of Arc, it’s that fusion of Marvel and American comics with Japanese anime and manga, and you can see that reflected in the art style and the character designs.” All the characters ooze charm, but the backgrounds also pack a lot of exciting details. Eagle-eyed fans should keep an eye out for interesting signage referencing heroes and events, pedestrians reacting to on-screen action, and easter eggs scattered throughout. It’s obvious a lot of care was put into building this world. “It was very important for us to be able to create the visual excitement that should be entailed with [tag fighters],” says Takeshi Yamanaka, Producer, Arc System Works. “Since this is a 4v4 game, that means that we can have up to eight characters out on the screen at one time altogether, so we were careful when creating the visual composition of the screen to ensure that we convey that excitement.” The 4v4 fights begin next year MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls is set to release in 2026, and while I’m excited to see all the heroes, combinations, and worlds the game will take us to,o I asked the team how they felt about creating something new that has never been done before in the fighting genre. “It’s both scary and exciting, exhilarating and terrifying, at the same time,” says Francisco. “From the beginning, we all want to honor and respect the rich history and legacy of Marvel, while also forging our own path forward to create something new and innovative. So, we just hope fans are excited to see what we’ve come up with as a collaboration between all three parties.” View the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here Hey, everybody! Kristen, Tim, Brett, and Sid are back this week to discuss Heretic + Hexen remastered by Nightdive Studios, the multiplayer reveal for Battlefield 6, and much more. Stuff We Talked About Next week’s releases: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II | PS5 Madden NFL 26 | PS5 Midnight Murder Club | PS5 Echoes of the End | PS5 Battlefield 6 — Multiplayer gameplay reveal, deep diving into multiplayer and the various character classes, modes, and other new features. Heretic + Hexen — Hack-and-cast action returns with this enhanced re-release for PS5 and PS4. Learn more about the return of the cult classic fantasy FPS games. NBA 2K26 — A detailed explanation of everything new this year including greater visual fidelity for players, crowd reactions, and realistic plays and shooting. Terminator 2D: No Fate — The developers share details on tuning the difficulty levels for this retro-inspired side-scrolling action game. The Cast View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Tim Turi – Content Communications Manager, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] View the full article

This past week players took a vacation through their favorite games using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: dodgykebaab shares Astro taking a relaxing moment in the sun in Astro Bot. BBSnakeCorn goes jetskiing in Grand Theft Auto Online. mandylorian__ shares their space adventurer exploring a colorful planet in No Man’s Sky. snakemanuele shares Sam riding a coffin board through the desert in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach xenobitz shares a hunter with a giant beach ball in Monster Hunter Wilds. JacoBee___ shares a historical site in ancient Egypt from Assassin’s Creed Origins. Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? THEME: Filter SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on August 13, 2025 Next week, pick a filter! Share moments from the game of your choice that have been stylized with a Photo Mode filter using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play games topped last month’s download charts. July saw sports fans unite as College Football dominated the charts in the U.S., while Ready or Not broke into the top three for both the U.S. and EU for PS5. Newcomer Gorn 2 found itself with the number two spot for PS VR2 in the U.S. Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month? PS5 Games US/CanadaEUCollege Football 26Ready or NotReady or NotEA SPORTS FC 25Grand Theft Auto VREMATCHNBA 2K25Grand Theft Auto VCall of Duty: Black Ops 6Forza Horizon 5Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4MinecraftMLB The Show 25Clair Obscur: Expedition 33MinecraftWUCHANG: Fallen FeathersEA SPORTS FC 25NBA 2K25Forza Horizon 5Cyberpunk 2077DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACHDEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACHREMATCHF1 25Clair Obscur: Expedition 33It Takes TwoWUCHANG: Fallen FeathersCall of Duty: Black Ops 6PhasmophobiaAssassin’s Creed ShadowsMortal Kombat 11Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4Killing Floor 3Gran Turismo 7Holdfast: Nations At WarHoldfast: Nations At WarMortal Kombat 1Mortal Kombat 11Cyberpunk 2077Phasmophobia *Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not included PS4 Games US/CanadaEURed Dead Redemption 2Red Dead Redemption 2STAR WARS Battlefront IIEA SPORTS FC 25Batman: Arkham KnightThe ForestGrand Theft Auto VSTAR WARS Battlefront IIGang BeastsA Way OutCall of Duty: Black Ops IIIGrand Theft Auto VA Way OutUnravel TwoMinecraftBatman: Arkham KnightNBA 2K25Mafia: Definitive EditionMiddle-earth: Shadow of WarMinecraftInjustice 2Gang BeaststheHunter: Call of the WildDescendersDying LightNeed for Speed HeatNeed for Speed HeatThe Last of Us RemasteredMafia: Definitive EditionNBA 2K25Mortal Kombat 11Middle-earth: Shadow of WarMortal Kombat XWatch Dogs 2Red Dead RedemptionAssassin’s Creed OdysseyEA SPORTS FC 25Assassin’s Creed IV: Black FlagCall of Duty: Black Ops 6Mortal Kombat 11 *Naming of products may differ between regions PS VR2 Games* US/CanadaEUBeat SaberBeat SaberGORN 2Metro AwakeningArken AgeAlien: Rogue Incursion VRAlien: Rogue Incursion VRAmong Us 3D: VRJurassic World Aftermath CollectionJob SimulatorAmong Us 3D: VRFlight Simulator Delivery 2025 VRJob SimulatorGORN 2PavlovJurassic World Aftermath CollectionDrunkn Bar Fight 2Kayak VR: MirageMetro AwakeningDrunkn Bar Fight 2 *PlayStation Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included Free to Play (PS5 + PS4) US/CanadaEUFortniteFortniteRobloxRobloxTom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X – Free AccessTom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X – Free AccessMaximum FootballRocket LeagueCall of Duty: WarzoneCall of Duty: WarzoneRocket LeagueeFootballMarvel RivalsFall GuysFall GuysAsphalt LegendsAsphalt LegendsVALORANTApex LegendsStumble Guys View the full article

It’s not quite the designated Spooky Season yet, but there’s something about hot summer nights that makes the thought of body-chilling horror hit much harder. Fortunately for fans of the creepy, bloody, and frightening, there are noteworthy PS5 horror games on their way that’ll stick around in your nightmares. Still, true terror is a year-round experience. So, we’ll be looking at releases further forward as well—into the 2025 Halloween season, and even further beyond into the harsh, unforgiving winter months of 2026. Steel yourselves, players, because between atmospheric indies, classic reimaginings, and blockbuster sequels, the next several months will offer a harvest of the finest frights. Play Video Killing Floor 3 Release Date: July 24, 2025 Developer: Tripwire Interactive Publisher: Tripwire Interactive Sometimes, all you can do in the face of massive, encroaching horror is fight back with the biggest, baddest weapons and the bravest companions that you can. Gather a group of up to four friends (or play solo, if you’re brave) and take the role of one of six different types of specialists to lay waste to the hordes of monstrous Zeds. The enhanced M.E.A.T. (Massive Evisceration and Trauma) system makes every shot, slice, and stab interact with enemies and the environment in realistic, satisfying detail. Play Video Cronos: The New Dawn Release Date: September 5, 2025 Developer: Bloober Team Publisher: Bloober Team Time comes for us all eventually, but in the future of Cronos, it looks like humanity’s time is almost up. Surviving the attacks of the hideous, once-human terrors of this bleak future and ensuring their remains are incinerated before they merge into bigger threats is already a challenge, but the only glimmer of hope seems even more impossible: extracting the souls of those involved in The Change from decades ago into the future. As these souls aid and augment you, they also haunt you. Will you be able to endure an ordeal that transcends time? Play Video Dying Light: The Beast Release Date: September 19, 2025 Developer: Techland Publisher: Techland Kyle Crane, the protagonist of the original Dying Light, has a grudge—he’s still dealing with the aftereffects of years of unethical experimentation on his body. He’s left as something not quite human, but not quite undead, and he wants revenge on the Baron who did this to him. The monstrous hordes infesting the once-scenic Castor Woods aren’t going to make this easy for him, either—especially once the sun sets and they get really vicious. It’s up to you to use all of Kyle’s abilities to survive solo or in up to four-player co-op play. Play Video Silent Hill f Release Date: September 25, 2025 Developer: NeoBards Entertainment Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment The all-time great horror series re-invents itself with a new setting, but keeps all of the psychological horror you know and love. Travel back to the ’60s in fog-filled Ebisugaoka, Japan, where young Hinako Shimizu’s ordinary schoolgirl life has been taking some very disturbing turns. Famed visual novel writer Ryukishi07 has developed a setting and narrative that combines the classic atmosphere and madness of the Silent Hill series with the best of Japanese horror traditions. Longtime series fans and newcomers alike won’t want to miss this one. Play Video Little Nightmares 3 Release Date: October 10, 2025 Developer: SuperMassive Games Publisher: Bandai Namco Games The cult classic horror adventure game returns with a new duo of adventurers and a new realm of terror. Two youths, Low and Alone, find themselves in the Nowhere—a world that exists beyond human sleep and is filled with the abominations of our unconscious. Using Low’s bow and Alone’s wrench, you’ll need to figure out how to navigate this wasteland and conquer its threats. You won’t have to face these nightmares alone, however, as Little Nightmares 3 offers co-op play in a series first. Play Video Crisol: Theater of Idols Release Date: 2025 Developer: Vermila Studios Publisher: Blumhouse Games In the alternate-universe Spain of Crisol, faith and folklore have melded to create a realm of twisted devotion and idolatry. As the warrior Gabriel, you have been sent to the accursed island of Tormentosa, where wicked cults hold demonic ceremonies and beautiful yet horrifying graven images move in a mockery of life. Your blood acts as both your life force and your weapon ammunition, adding a terrifying twist to already intense combat. In the end, how will your blood be shed? Play Video Resident Evil Requiem Release Date: February 27, 2026 Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Ahh, Raccoon City, how we’ve missed you. The ninth entry in the trailblazing survival horror series goes back to where it all began, bringing back some classic storyline threads along with it. FBI intelligence analyst Grace Ashcroft takes the starring role this time around. Her mother was murdered while looking for information on the mysterious Wrenwood Hotel, leading Grace into a life of her own investigation. When Grace revisits the Raccoon City incidents, what will she discover? Resident Evil Requiem is due out in February 2026, and we can’t think of a better anniversary celebration. Play Video Reanimal Release Date: 2026 Developer: Tarsier Studios Publisher: THQ Nordic Familial bonds are put to the test in Reanimal. Two young orphans are put through a living hell on a dark, isolated island, facing both mutated monstrosities and representations of their own trauma. Local and online co-op allows you and a companion to fight your way through this oppressive world together, and a dynamic camera designed to constantly ratchet up the fear and tension will keep you on your toes throughout. Play Video End of Abyss Release Date: 2026 Developer: Section 9 Publisher: Epic Games Deep underground lies a seemingly abandoned complex—but a strange message has emerged from its forgotten depths. The technician Cel goes down to investigate the source of the signal, only to encounter a dim, claustrophobic world of tunnels, eerie glows, and aggressive creatures that appear to be both organic and mechanical. The top-down perspective of End of Abyss allows for players to feel the weight of the atmosphere and the tension of exploration, as the mystery beckons them ever deeper. Play Video Directive 8020 Release Date: 2026 Developer: SuperMassive Games Publisher: SuperMassive Games Tau ceti f looked like a potential new home for humanity. Then the ship Cassiopeia crashed there, and our assumptions were proven extremely wrong. The latest in the Dark Pictures horror game anthology series, Directive 8020 puts five heroes with few defenses on an unfamiliar planet, where they’re pursued by a shapeshifting organism. The Turning Points feature allows players to rewind back to pivotal scenes and make different choices to see new outcomes, but will you have it in you to make the hardest choices of all? Play Video ILL Release Date: To be announced Developer: Team Clout/Mundfish Publisher: Team Clout A mysterious fort in a desolate world acts as the setting for the highly-anticipated horror-action game ILL. The narrative will draw you in, but the encounters will leave you shaking. As you explore the fort’s halls, you’ll come face-to-face with some truly unsettling creatures that look and move as though they were torn directly from your nightmares. You’ll need to use your limited resources wisely, wielding and crafting weapons before tearing the freaks apart in physics-driven, ultra-gory combat. Play Video Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival Release Date: To be announced Developer: Saber Interactive Publisher: Saber Interactive Hellraiser: Revival is a single-player, first-person action survival horror experience that will put you into the dark world of Clive Barker’s twisted imagination. Play as Aidan, the protagonist in the story who must fight with various melee and ranged weapons, and use the mystical powers of the Genesis Configuration to take down unholy enemies. Finding a way to survive your bargain with the infamous Pinhead and help your girlfriend Sunny escape is never as simple as it seems in a world filled with Cenobites, cultists, deviants, and the realm of torture and pain that is the Labyrinth. *Release dates shown are correct at time of publish but subject to change. View the full article

1994’s Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders and its 1995 sequel, Hexen: Beyond Heretic forged new frontiers in first-person shooter games. Experience these pivotal games today with Heretic + Hexen, a collaboration between id Software and Nightdive Studios bringing an enhanced re-release of Raven Software’s legendary games to a new generation of players. Play Video From demonic sci-fi to dark fantasy “As one of the original developers back in the ’90s, it’s honestly kind of surreal to see Heretic and Hexen coming back like this,” says Brian Raffel, studio co-founder and co-head of Raven Software. “We built those games on a heavily modified Doom (1993) engine and tried to push the boundaries wherever we could, adding things like character classes, inventory systems, vertical aiming…stuff that was pretty wild for the time. “We were also lucky to be working with our friends at id Software, especially John Romero and John Carmack. Their support and engine tech gave us the chance to build something different. There’s something cool about knowing these worlds still mean something to people after all these years.” Players embark on a journey through monster-filled halls, trap-laden arenas and arcane realms in a unique blend of classic FPS combat with dungeon delving inspired by fantasy tabletop role-playing games. “Both Heretic and Hexen hail from the kind of fantasy that was common in 80s and 90s PC gaming but had yet to be explored much in a first-person shooter,” shares Mike Rubits, Senior Programmer at id Software. “There were a lot of shooters with war, sci-fi, and aliens, but not a lot of maces and wands.” “It was actually Romero’s idea to add character classes in Hexen—a move that really took the franchise to the next level,” says Raffel. “At the time, that kind of RPG element in an FPS was almost unheard of. Each class had its own weapons, stats, and playstyle – that blend of shooter mechanics with fantasy roleplaying was risky, but it worked. It helped set Hexen apart from everything else out there and made the world feel richer and more personal. I think that’s a big part of why people still remember it so fondly.” Heretic + Hexen features include local split-screen and cross-platform online multiplayer modes, the option to toggle the enhanced “Tome of Power” soundtrack from Andrew Hulshult, all-new accessibility options and quality-of-life improvements, behind-the-scenes materials in the Raven Vault and more. That’s not all: in addition to previously released expansion packs for the original release, Heretic + Hexen also features brand-new content! New content for Heretic + Hexen “The two new episodes in Heretic + Hexen cover both games – ‘Faith Renewed’ is a new Heretic episode while ‘Vestigues of Grandeur’ was created in Hexen,” Rubits explains. “They followed in the spirit of the new episodes in our previous re-releases: a whole new experience that uses the original technology, but is not bound by having to run on 30-year-old computers with a very small amount of memory.” “During the planning phases, we figured we’d only have time to do one or the other,” says Xaser Acheron, Senior Developer at Nightdive Studios, “and it dawned on me that these are some of the fastest mappers in the West.” “I already knew there was going to be additional content for Heretic + Hexen, so I started making maps in my free time for fun,” adds Samuel “Kaiser” Villarreal, Level Designer at Nightdive Studios. “By the time the whole thing was greenlit, I had nearly a whole episode’s worth of maps done already.” “Sure enough, each mapper produced nearly an entire episode’s worth of content on their own, with community legend Not Jabba contributing a couple of gigantic maps to round out the set. I also got to sneak in one of my own,” says Xaser. “The gambit paid off, but in hindsight it’s really not that much of a surprise since those folks are absolute powerhouses.” Delve into the fantasy FPS classics today Whether you’re returning to the mystical realm of Cronos or setting foot in its shadowy halls for the first time, the combined teams at Raven Software, id Software and Nightdive Studios invite you to experience Heretic + Hexen and the legacy that helped define a genre. “To the fans—those who were there in the early days and those discovering these games for the first time now—thank you,” says Raffel. “Your enthusiasm, modding, memories and support have kept these worlds alive far longer than we ever imagined. Seeing the community still care about this work after all these years means more than I can say.” Heretic + Hexen releases today for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. View the full article

Hey everyone, this is Mike Tucker, Design Director and Programmer at Bitmap Bureau. We hope you’re all excited for Terminator 2D: No Fate, coming October 31, 2025. On behalf of everyone at the Bitmap team, we’re thrilled to reveal the new Gameplay Overview Trailer! The trailer gives an in-depth summary of T2D’s various gameplay systems, including info about game modes, pickups, the scoring system and more. Play Video Difficulty levels explained Beyond what’s covered in the trailer, we thought this blog would be a great chance to delve into the game even further, specifically covering the different difficulty settings. Hopefully this overview will help you decide which difficulty to choose when picking up the game for the first time. First things first, when you start the game, you’ll be asked to choose your preferred difficulty setting. From easiest to hardest, the difficulties are: Easy Money No Problemo Hasta La Vista Judgment Day (Unlocked only after completing Mother of the Future Mode. Completing Story Mode on Judgment Day unlocks the Cheats Menu.) These difficulty settings are available for all game modes, but for Story Mode in particular, the choice means that the complete T2D story can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of skill level. We recommend first-time players start with the No Problemo difficulty setting for the most balanced experience, while those more experienced with the genre can try their hand at Hasta La Vista; that’s the one most of us here at Bitmap use as our Normal difficulty. Broadly speaking, the differences between the difficulties revolve around enemy placement and damage output, the number of continues and whether the time limit is turned on. The Easy Money difficulty features no time limit (except for one level) and unlimited continues. However, there are more specific differences between the difficulties, affecting enemy placement, environmental trap timings and more. While it would be impossible to go over all of these changes in the span of this blog, below are a few examples to help you get a sense of the kind of differences you can expect between difficulties. The Cyberdyne Factory level is a little different from the more run n’ gun levels in the game, testing players’ platforming and timing abilities with various environmental hazards. This level, set within a top-secret Cyberdyne facility, features automated welding arms, used by Cyberdyne in their early terminator experiments. These arms periodically drop down and ignite their torches, causing damage to the player if they come into contact with the sparks created by the arms or the arms themselves. These arms are scattered throughout the level, but how many of them are active will depend on the difficulty the player has chosen. ​​ This isn’t the only difference between difficulties in this level, however. There is also a section of the level in which flames will periodically shoot out of jet engines. The player must evade these flames to avoid taking damage, and time their upward jumps in the periods in which the flames are inactive. You can see below that choosing harder difficulties increases the number of active jet engines and reduces the period of time between bursts of fire, greatly altering the level of challenge. Here is an example from another level, Freeway Chase, a recreation of the classic chase sequence in Terminator 2: Judgment Day in which John, Sarah, and the T-800 are trying to escape from the T-1000 piloting a stolen police helicopter. In this level, the encounter with the helicopter alternates between two gameplay sections, driving and shooting. In the shooting section, there is a crosshair visible which illustrates the helicopter’s weak spots. As the difficulties get harder, the size of the crosshair gets smaller, meaning that the player has to be much more precise with their aiming to do damage. Your choice in difficulty will also result in differences in the game’s boss fights, including changes to attack patterns, tighter timing windows and more. At the end of the first Future War level, the player will have to battle a Centurion, a behemoth Hunter-Killer quadruped built by Skynet. Below, you can see that in harder difficulties, the Centurion’s ground-sweeping machine-gun attack moves faster, meaning quicker reactions are needed to avoid taking damage. These are just some examples of the kind of the differences you can expect to see between Terminator 2D: No Fate’s difficulties. When developing the game, we aimed to give it a sense of challenge that would feel authentic to the feeling of old-school arcade games. However, we realise that controller-smashing difficulty isn’t for everyone, so we implemented these difficulty choices to ensure that everyone can pick their desired level of challenge, regardless of skill level or experience. Whichever way you choose to play, thank you for reading and we hope you look forward to Terminator 2D: No Fate, coming October 31, 2025. View the full article