Commander Fury

The Battle Royale map that started it all is back! Prepare to drop into Verdansk in a huge launch event celebrating the return of the map. Featuring authentic, back-to-basics gameplay with the latest in fan-favorite mechanics, there’s a wide variety of features coming to the game. Season 3 begins on PS4 and PS5 with Multiplayer and Zombies content coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on April 2 at 9AM PT, followed by the launch of Verdansk in Call of Duty: Warzone 24 hours later on April 3 at 9AM PT. Play Video Verdansk, rebuilt from the ground up Like we never left: 150 players. The original announcer. Shooting during freefall. Original Infil cinematics. All before you hit the ground running. Original game mechanics: Original Supply Boxes, Floating Loot, Armor Satchels and Buy Station menus, coupled with current Loadouts and Perks, with High Value Loot Zones across the map where some premium loot resides. QOL updates: A variety of quality-of-life updates also hits Call of Duty: Warzone, including Squad Redeploys at Buy Stations, Attachment descriptions during Weapon Inspects, detailed death recaps in game, a HUD flag so you know exactly when your Loadout is available to buy, and more. Game modes, events, rewards Game modes Play a variety of modes including returning favorites and new ones: Battle Royale Plunder Quads Bootcamp Plus, get in on the brand-new Battle Royale Casual playlist at launch, featuring 28 players and up to 120 bots, the perfect arena to warm up before the main event. Return to Verdansk launch event Reassemble the Squad and drop back into your former stomping grounds for an exciting homecoming. The Return to Verdansk Event takes the form of a series of challenges scattered across 12 distinct zones within Verdansk. Crack all 12 safes to earn the infamous Kali Sticks melee weapon. Login, Get the Kilo 141 The Kilo 141 Assault Rifle is back and ready to tear it up across Verdansk for old times’ sake. Players will automatically unlock the Kilo 141 for use in Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone after logging in to Call of Duty: Warzone following the launch of Season 3 on April 2. More Verdansk-era Weapons: In addition to the Kali Sticks and Kilo 141, players can earn two more classic Verdansk-era weapons. Get the CR-56 AMAX Assault Rifle and HDR Sniper Rifle, both earnable in the Season 3 Battle Pass. New multiplayer, Zombies content Don’t miss out on the Season 3 content coming to Black Ops 6 on April 2. Play multiplayer maps including a remaster of Firing Range and modes like Demolition and Sharpshooter. Plus, explore a diabolical mansion in the woods in the new Zombies map, Shattered Veil. Season 3 launch intel, Black Ops 6 free trial Black Ops 6 Multiplayer, Zombies, and General game content drops a day early on Wednesday April 2, 9AM PT. Call of Duty: Warzone content launches across all platforms 24 hours later, on Thursday April 3, 9AM PT. Free trial: Play all of Black Ops 6 during 24-Hour countdown Pre-load the game, then access Black Ops 6 as a premium player or via a Free Trial with the entire Season 3 premium game accessible for 24 hours, allowing you to grind out some of the new weapons, including the Kilo 141, CR-56 AMAX, and HDR. Season 3 launches April 2. View the full article

Protect the streets of Detroit, survive a family of horror icons, and turn digital detective with April’s PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup. RoboCop: Rogue City, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory will be available to PlayStation Plus members from April 1. Let’s take a closer look at the games. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image RoboCop: Rogue City | PS5 Become the legendary part man, part machine, all cop hero and bring justice to the dangerous, crime-ridden streets of Old Detroit. With your powerful Auto-9 or one of a range of weapons available, eradicate criminals throughout this explosive first-person adventure. Your cyborg strength and cybernetic abilities can be upgraded as you progress, to make you an even more formidable law enforcement officer. Explore open areas and complete your objectives according to your own sense of justice. Finding evidence, interrogating suspects and maintaining public order are just some of your daily tasks as a police officer. But don’t take decisions lightly: your choices can determine the fate of citizens and the result of your mission. Your investigation leads you right into the heart of a shadowy conspiracy in an original story that takes place between RoboCop 2 and 3, with striking locations to explore and familiar faces to meet. Peter Weller, the original RoboCop actor, is even back on duty to voice the cybercop. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | PS4, PS5 Take on the role of one of the notorious Slaughter family, or their victims, in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a third-person asymmetrical horror experience based on the groundbreaking and iconic 1974 horror film. As a victim you must use your wits and stealth to stay out of the Family’s reach and find the tools you need to lead to your eventual freedom. Slaughter Family players must seek out, track down, and stop their guests from escaping. Players of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre can finally find out if they have what it takes to survive. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory | PS4 After being accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Keisuke Amazawa has no choice but to dive into the Digital World and investigate to prove his innocence. Even if that means joining a group of hackers and helping them to solve the troubles threatening this mysterious universe. Discover the mysterious backstory to the events that happened in Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth as you dive into a deeper and darker adventure, at crossroads between real and digital and experience the perfect mix between Adventure, Raising and Battle with over 320 Digimon to discover. All three games will be available to PlayStation Plus members on April 1 until May 5. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Last chance to download March’s games PlayStation Plus members have until March 31 to add Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Sonic Colors: Ultimate and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection to their game library. View the full article

Gran Turismo players! Update 1.57* for Gran Turismo 7 available as of Wednesday, March 26 at 10:00pm PT / March 27 at 5:00am GMT / 2:00pm JST. Play Video Three new cars added this month View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Aston Martin Vintage ‘18 (Can be purchased from Brand Central) This lightweight cornering machine has been called the best Aston Martin ever. The ‘Vantage’ name had long been used by Aston Martin to represent their high performance model grades, but in 2005 the Vantage became its own separate model. Relatively compact for an Aston Martin model and equipped with a V8 engine, the car would become a hit being the best handling front-engine rear-wheel drive model in the line-up. The next generation Vantage introduced in 2017 carried on the core concepts of the model. Though sharing a platform with the DB11 V8, the Vantage body has a shorter wheelbase and is 120 kg lighter which results in a cornering machine that has been lauded as the best handling car in the history of Aston Martin. The powerplant is a Mercedes-AMG 4L V8 producing 502 BHP. With a 0-62 mph time of 3.7s, and a top speed of 195 mph, the car is also capable of supercar speeds. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Mazda CX-30 X Smart Edition ‘21 (Can be purchased from Brand Central) This crossover SUV from Mazda features a revolutionary new engine design. During the sport utility vehicle (SUV) boom that swept across the globe during the 2010s, Mazda introduced their CX-3 and CX-5 models, however there was a significant size difference between the two. The CX-30 is a crossover SUV designed to fill that gap in the line-up between the CX-3 and CX-5. While relatively compact, measuring 4,395 mm in length, 1,795 mm in width and 1,540 mm in height, the CX-30 still exhibits Mazda’s flowing, streamlined ‘KODO Design’ aesthetics in its exterior. On the front mask, the signature wing stretches out to the sides, joining the left and right headlights together, while the ripple across the side of the body exquisitely reflects the light as it moves across. The car is provided with a choice of 3 powertrains: The 2L gasoline direct injection ‘SKYACTIV-G’, the 1.8L direct injection diesel ‘SKYACTIV-D’ or the ‘SKYACTIV-X’ a 2L gasoline direct injection engine which uses a revolutionary spark-controlled compression ignition (SPCCI) system. The ‘CX-30 X Smart Edition’ grade seen here was introduced in 2021, based on the ‘SKYACTIV-X’ model. One of the major selling points of this model are its wealth of driver assistance equipment included as standard, like the Active Driving Display which projects information onto the windscreen, and the Smart Brake Support automatic emergency braking system. The introduction of this model grade also saw improvements to the SKYACTIV-X system itself, with automatic models receiving increased throttle pedal resistance to improve driving feel. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Renault Kangoo 1.4 ‘01 (Can be purchased from Brand Central / Used Cars) A popular leisure activity vehicle that started life as a commercial van. In France, there has been a long-running trend of ‘fourgonnette’ style vehicles, small commercial vans, with a number of bestsellers emerging over the years. One such car which stemmed from this trend was the Renault Kangoo, originally debuting in 1997. When developing the Kangoo, alongside optimizing its performance as a commercial vehicle, Renault also added some features that would give it some potential to be an MPV for personal leisure as well. This model included sliding doors for the rear passenger seats and separate rear seats that could be individually adjusted. This strategy proved to be a success and the Kangoo became the forerunner of the ‘ludospace’ leisure activity vehicle segment. The roughly 4 m long body provided abundant cargo space, making it the go-to model for outdoors activities. The Kangoo was available with a variety of different power units to fit its purpose, but the model featured here uses the 1.4L gasoline engine. At only 73 BHP, it offers the bare minimum in power, but the ability to use all the power available is in the true spirit of French automobiles. And with its soft suspension, this makes for an unusually exhilarating driving experience. ​​ Café / Extra Menus The following Menu will be added to the Extra Menus section: Extra Menu No. 45: Suzuki (Collector Level 35 and above) World Circuits (Event) The following new events have been added to ‘World Circuits’: Sunday Cup: Brands Hatch Indy Circuit European Clubman Cup 600: Deep Forest Raceway Reverse Japanese FF Challenge 450: Tokyo Expressway – Central Counterclockwise Play Video 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 Gran Turismo Sophy The next-generation racing AI agent, Gran Turismo Sophy has evolved into “GT Sophy 2.1” and is now available in ‘Custom Race’ (PS5 version only) ‘GT Sophy’ can now be selected as the rival AI in Custom Race on all GT Sophy supported tracks and layouts in World Circuits. ​​ Scapes ‘The Faroe Islands’ has been added as a featured curation in Scapes. *Internet connection and Gran Turismo 7 game required for update. View the full article

PlayStation Store’s Spring Sale begins tomorrow, Wednesday March 26. For a limited time* you can enjoy deep discounts of up to 75% off across a wide selection of games and add-ons. That includes Elden Ring (40% off), Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – Cross-Gen Bundle (30% off), Baldur’s Gate 3 (20% off) and many more*. What other games are included? Well, it’s a list so big we can’t fit everything in this PS Blog post, but we can give you an early preview of some of the titles which will feature below. When the promotion goes live tomorrow, head to PlayStation Store to discover the full lineup as well as your regional discount pricing. A Plague Tale: Innocence A Plague Tale: Requiem Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – Season Pass ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN – TOP GUN: Maverick Ultimate Edition Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition Alan Wake Remastered Alien: Rogue Incursion Alone in the Dark – Digital Deluxe Edition Ambulance – Deluxe Edition Anno 1800 Arizona Sunshine® 2 Deluxe Edition ARK: Survival Ascended Arken Age ARMORED CORE 6 ASIA/EU/NA ARMORED CORE 6 Deluxe Edition ASIA/EU/NA Assassin’s Creed Mirage – Standard Edition Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – Season Pass Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – Ultimate Edition Assassin’s Creed Origins Assassin’s Creed Origins – Gold Edition Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Complete Edition Assassin’s Creed Valhalla PS4 & PS5 Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla – Season Pass Assetto Corsa – Season Pass Assetto Corsa – Ultimate Edition Assetto Corsa Competizione Assetto Corsa Competizione PS5 Astroneer Atomic Heart – Premium Edition Atomic Heart – Standard Edition Atomic Pass Avatar – Frontiers of Pandora Avatar – Season Pass Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Ultimate Edition Back 4 Blood: Standard Edition PS4 & PS5 Back 4 Blood: Ultimate Edition PS4 & PS5 Baldur’s Gate 3 Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Batman: Arkham Collection Batman: Arkham Knight Batman: Arkham Knight Season Pass Battlefield 1 Battlefield 2042 Battlefield 2042 (PS5) Battlefield 4: Premium Edition Battlefield V Bendy and the Ink Machine Bendy: Studio Collection Beyond the Dawn Edition Big Helmet Heroes – Base Game BioShock: The Collection Blasphemous 2 Blasphemous 2 – Mea Culpa Bluey: The Videogame Bob’s Tall Tales BodyCamera Shooter Borderlands 3 PS4™ & PS5™ Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition PS4™ & PS5™ Borderlands Ultimate Edition DLC (SP1/SP2) Brothers Remake Builders Beach and Ball Clothing Pack Bully (Canis Canem Edit) Burnout Paradise Remastered Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – Gold Edition Call of Duty: Ghosts – Gold Edition Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – Legacy Edition Call of Duty: WWII – Gold Edition Call of the Wild: theAngler Cat Quest III Chivalry 2 King’s Edition Chivalry 2 Special Edition PS4 & PS5 Cities: Skylines – Season Pass Cities: Skylines – Season Pass 2 Civilization VI Anthology Upgrade Conan Exiles Conan Exiles – Architects of Argos Pack Conan Exiles – Blood and Sand Pack Conan Exiles – Complete Edition October 2021 Conan Exiles – Debaucheries of Derketo Pack Conan Exiles – Isle of Siptah Edition Conan Exiles – Jewel of the West Pack Conan Exiles – People of the Dragon Pack Conan Exiles – Riders of Hyboria Pack Conan Exiles – Seekers of the Dawn Pack Conan Exiles – The Imperial East Pack Conan Exiles – The Riddle of Steel Conan Exiles – The Savage Frontier Pack Conan Exiles – Treasures of Turan Pack Conan Exiles – Year 1 DLC Bundle Conan Exiles – Year 2 DLC Bundle Conan Exiles: Isle of Siptah Crash Bandicoot™ 4: It’s About Time Crash Bundle 2021 Anniversary Crash Bundle 2021 Quadrilogy Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled – Nitros Oxide Edition Crusader Kings III: Fate of Iberia Crusader Kings III: Friends & Foes Crusader Kings III: Northern Lords Crusader Kings III: Royal Court Crusader Kings III: Royal Edition Crusader Kings III: Tours & Tournaments Cult of the Lamb: Cultist Edition Cyberpunk 2077 Cyberpunk 2077 — Phantom Liberty DayZ DayZ Cool Edition DayZ Frostline Dead by Daylight – Gold Edition Dead by Daylight: Churros Chapter Dead by Daylight: Eclair Chapter Dead by Daylight: ECLIPSE Chapter Dead by Daylight: ORION Chapter Dead by Daylight: Special Edition PS4™ & PS5™ Dead Cells: Medley of Pain Bundle Dead Island 2 – HAUS (DLC 1) Dead Island 2 – SoLA (DLC 2) Dead Island 2 – Ultimate Edition (formerly Gold) / Release Dead Space Deadside Deadside Supporter Pack Deadside: Deluxe Edition Deadside: Deluxe Upgrade Deep Rock Galactic Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles Character Pass Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles Deluxe Edition Destiny 2: Legacy Collection 2024 Destiny 2: Lightfall Destiny 2: The Final Shape Destiny 2: The Final Shape + Annual Pass Destiny 2: The Light & Darkness Collection Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Devil May Cry 5 + Vergil Devil May Cry 5 Deluxe + Vergil Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition Devil May Cry HD Collection Devil May Cry HD Collection & 4SE Bundle Diablo® II: Resurrected™ – Standard Diablo® IV Base Game + Vessel of Hatred Bundle Diablo® Prime Evil Collection – Upgrade Digital Deluxe Edition DiRT Rally 2.0 DiRT Rally 2.0 – Year One Pass DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part One (Add-On) DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part One (Standalone) DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part Two (Add-On) DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part Two (Standalone) Dragon Ball FighterZ Dragon Ball FighterZ – FighterZ Pass 3 Dragon Ball FighterZ (PS4 product) Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot – Deluxe Edition Dragonage: The Veilguard – Deluxe Edition Dragon’s Dogma 2_FullGame Dreamcore DREDGE – Digital Deluxe Edition DREDGE – The Iron Rig DREDGE: Expansion Bundle Drug Trader Simulator – Urban Dealer Dying Light – Platinium Edition Dying Light 1 + Dying Light 2 Bundle Dying Light 2 Stay Human PS4&PS5 ELDEN RING Expeditions – Supreme Edition Expeditions: A MudRunner Game Fallout 4 – Season Pass Bundle Re-Launch Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition Fallout 76: Gleaming Depths Deluxe Bundle Fallout 76: Gleaming Depths Upgrade Far Cry 3: Classic Edition Far Cry 5 – Gold Edition Far Cry 6 – Season Pass Far Cry New Dawn Far Cry Primal – Apex Edition Far East Furniture Pack FINAL FANTASY FINAL FANTASY I–VI Bundle FINAL FANTASY VI FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH Digital Deluxe Edition FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE & REBIRTH Digital Deluxe Twin Pack FINAL FANTASY XIV Online – Complete Collector’s Edition Ex5 FINAL FANTASY XIV Online – Complete Edition Ex5 FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail – Collector’s Edition FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail – Standard Edition FINAL FANTASY XVI COMPLETE EDITION For The King 1 & 2 Bundle For The King II Forspoken Forspoken Digital Deluxe Upgrade Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust (Story DLC) Funko Fusion Funko Fusion – Invincible Pack Funko Fusion – Mega Man Pack Funko Fusion – The Walking Dead Pack Funko Fusion – Wicked Movie Pack 1 Funko Fusion – Wicked Movie Pack 2 Funko Fusion & Wicked Movie Pack Bundle Gas Station Simulator Goat MMO Simulator Goat Simulator 3 – Multiversal Traveler’s Edition Goat Simulator DLC Bundle Goat Simulator: GoatZ Goat Simulator: Payday Goat Simulator: Waste of Space God of War III Remastered Gotham Knights Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition Grounded GTA Online + Single Player Unlock PS5 GTA Trilogy PS4 & PS5 Digital Bundle Guilty Gear -Strive- Hell Let Loose Hell Let Loose – Ultimate Edition HELLDIVERS™ 2 Hello Neighbor Hello Neighbor 2 Hello Neighbor 2 Definitive Edition Hello Neighbor Bundle Hello Neighbor: Hide and Seek Hello-copter DLC HITMAN World of Assassination Hunt: Showdown – Azure Arsenal Hunt: Showdown – The Rat Hunt: Showdown 1896 – Ghost Face Rampage Hunt: Showdown 1896 – Starter Edition Hunt: Showdown 1986 – Premium Edition Insurgency: Sandstorm Insurgency: Sandstorm – Gold Edition Insurgency: Sandstorm – Year 1 Pass Insurgency: Sandstorm – Year 2 Pass (SP setup) Insurgency: Sandstorm – Year 3 Pass (SP setup) Interior Decorator Pack JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE ALL-STAR BATTLE R DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION Just Cause 3 Kingdom Come: Deliverance – DLC Collection Kingdom Come: Deliverance – Royal Edition Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 L.A. Noire LEGO Harry Potter Collection LEGO Jurassic World LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 – Deluxe Edition LEGO Marvel’s Avengers Deluxe Edition LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Galactic Edition Liar’s Pub Lies of P Life is Strange Remastered Collection Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name bundle pack Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – Deluxe Edition LOLLIPOP CHAINSAW RePOP Lords of the Fallen – Deluxe Edition Lost Judgement Digital Premium Edition Lost Judgment Season Pass Bundle Mad Max Madden NFL 25 – Deluxe Edition Mafia Trilogy Bundle Mafia: Definitive Edition Maneater Apex Edition Bundle Marvel’s Midnight Suns for PS4™ Max Payne Merry Saintsmas Cosmetic Pack Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Metaphor: ReFantazio Atlus 35th Digital Anniversary Edition Metro Awakening Metro Awakening + Arizona Sunshine® 2 Metro Exodus – Expansion Pass Metro Exodus: Gold Edition Metro Saga Bundle Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind Monopoly 2024 Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 6 PS4 & PS5 Monster Jam™ Showdown Monster Jam™ Showdown – Big Air Edition Monster Whisperer Mortal Kombat 1 Mortal Kombat 1 Kombat Pack Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Bundle Mortal Kombat 11 Kombat Pack 2 Mortal Kombat X Mortal Kombat 11 Kombat Pack Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Expansion MotoGP™24 PS4 & PS5 Moving Out + Moving Out 2 Bundle Moving Out 2 Moving Out 2 – F.A.R.Tastic Four DLC Mutants Unleashed – Season Pass [PS4] Mutants Unleashed – Season Pass [PS5] MX vs ATV Legends – Deluxe Edition My Time at Sandrock My Time at Sandrock Deluxe Edition NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER Ultimate Edition NBA 2K25 All-Star Edition NBA 2K25 Standard Edition Need for Speed – Deluxe Edition Need for Speed Heat: Standard Edition Need for Speed Payback Need for Speed Rivals – Complete Edition Need for Speed Unbound (PS5) New World: Aeternum NHL 25 Deluxe Edition Nine Sols No Man’s Sky No Man’s Sky PS4 & PS5 Nobody Wants to Die Overcooked! Overcooked! 2 – Gourmet Edition Overcooked! All You Can Eat Pacific Drive Payday 3 Main Game Persona 5 Royal Persona 5 Royal – Digital Ultimate Edition Pet Pack: Lil Gecko PGA TOUR 2K25 Deluxe Edition PGA TOUR 2K25 Legend Edition Pilgrim Pack Planet Zoo: Deluxe Edition Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Portkey Games Hogwarts Legacy Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown – Standard Edition Raft Rayman Legends Red Dead Online Red Dead Redemption Red Dead Redemption 2 Red Dead Redemption 2: Story Mode Resident Evil 2 – Deluxe Edition Resident Evil 2 – Deluxe Edition (PS5) Resident Evil 3 – Raccoon City Edition Resident Evil 3 – Raccoon City Edition (PS5) Resident Evil 4_PS5(Maingame) Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – Gold Edition PS5 Resident Evil Village Gold Edition PS4 Resident Evil Village Gold Edition PS5 Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Deluxe Edition Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Episode Four: Metamorphosis Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Episode Three: Judgment Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Episode Two: Contemplation Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Extra Episode: Little Miss Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Extra Episode: The Struggle Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – Season Pass RIDE 5 RIDE 5 – Special Edition Riders Republic – Complete Edition Riders Republic – Standard Edition Riders Republic – Year 1 Pass Risk of Rain 2 Ronin Digital Deluxe Edition Rust Console Edition – New Cobalt Employee Welcome Pack Rust Console Edition Dark Camo Bundle Saints Criminal Customs Saints Row: The Third Remastered Season Pass Session – Year One Complete Edition Session – Year One Pack Session: Skate Sim Session: Supporter Pack SGWC2 Ultimate Edition SH2R DIGITAL DELUXE Shadow of Mordor GOTY + Shadow of War Definitive Edition Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance DDX Edition – Digital Shredders Shredders – 540INDY Edition Shredders – 540INDY Outerwear Pack 2024 Shredders – 540INDY Snowboards Pack 2024 Shredders – 540INDY Supporter Pack 2024 Shredders – Exclusive 540INDY Invitational 2023 Board Sid Meier’s Civilization VI Sifu Deluxe Edition Skyrim Anniversary Edition + Fallout 4 G.O.T.Y Bundle Skyrim Anniversary Edition Upgrade Slitterhead Sniper Elite 5 Complete Edition Sniper Elite: Resistance SnowRunner – 3 Year Anniversary Edition SnowRunner [NEW BUNDLE] Sonic Frontiers Standard Edition (Main Game) Sonic Origins Plus Sonic Superstars – Digital Deluxe Edition Sonic Superstars – Digital Deluxe Upgrade Pack SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS Digital Deluxe Edition Soulcalibur VI Soulcalibur VI – Season Pass Soulcalibur VI – Season Pass 2 Spider-Man 2 Spyro + Crash Remastered Game Bundle Spyro Reignited Trilogy Standard Bundle Star Wars Battlefront II Star Wars Battlefront II: Celebration Edition Upgrade Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Deluxe Edition Star Wars Outlaws Star Wars Outlaws – Season Pass Star Wars Outlaws – Ultimate Edition Star Wars Outlaws – Ultimate Upgrade Starship Troopers: Extermination Stellar Blade Stellaris: Console Edition Stellaris: Starter Edition Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Summer Heat Collection 1 Summer Heat Collection 2 Summer Heat Collection 3 Super Furniture Pack Survivors of the Void Taxi Life – Supporter Pack Taxi Life – VIP Vintage Convertible Car Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator Tekken 7 Tekken 7 – Definitive Edition Terminator: Resistance Enhanced Terraria TESO: NEW PS5 Base Edition The Crew Motorfest Cross-Gen Bundle “PS4 Title ID” The Crew: Motorfest The Crew: Motorfest Ultimate Edition Year 2 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Season 1 PS4 & PS5 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR The Kaito Files The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak Digital Deluxe Edition (NA/EU) The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak Ultimate Edition (NA/EU) The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition The Quarry The Sims 4 – Cats & Dogs Plus My First Pet Stuff Bundle The Sims 4 – Discover University The Sims 4 – Essential Bundle 2 (EP11, GP10, SP16) The Sims 4 – Essential Bundle 3 (EP5, GP5, SP13) The Sims 4 – Get Famous The Sims 4 – Get Together The Sims 4 – Realm of Magic The Sims 4 – Spa Day The Sims 4 – Vampires The Sims™ 4 Snowy Escape Expansion Pack The Walking Dead: Destinies The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition theHunter: Call of the Wild theHunter: Call of the Wild™ – Emerald Coast Australia theHunter: Call of the Wild™ – High Caliber Weapon Pack theHunter: Call of the Wild™ – Labrador Retriever Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: Chaotic Great Edition Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: Season Pass Titanfall 2: Standard Edition Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands – Standard Edition Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands – Ultimate Edition Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands – Year 2 Pass Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™ 1 + 2 TopSpin 2K25 – Cross-Gen Edition TopSpin 2K25 – Full Game TopSpin 2K25 – Grand Slam Edition Train Sim World® 5: Deluxe Edition PS4 & PS5 Trepang2 – Deluxe Edition Tropico 6 – Caribbean Skies Tropico 6 – Caribbean Skies PS5 Tropico 6 – Festival Tropico 6 – Festival PS5 Tropico 6 – Going Viral Tropico 6 – Lobbyistico Tropico 6 – Lobbyistico PS5 Tropico 6 – New Frontiers Tropico 6 – Next Gen Edition Tropico 6 – Return to Nature Tropico 6 – Spitter Tropico 6 – Spitter PS5 Tropico 6 – The Llama of Wall Street Tropico 6 – Tropican Shores Truck Simulator 25 – American Driver Truck Simulator Cargo Driver 2024 – EURO UFC 5 – Super Deluxe Bundle Ultimate Chicken Horse Undisputed – Full Game Undisputed – The Problem Child (DLC #1) Undisputed – WBC Pack (Digital Deluxe) Unicorn Overlord Monarch Edition Unravel Yarny Bundle V Rising V Rising Complete Edition Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – Ultra Edition Watch Dogs 2 – Deluxe Edition Watch Dogs: Legion – Standard Edition PS4 & PS5 Watch Dogs: Legion – Ultimate Edition PS4 & PS5 Watch Dogs: Legion PS5 Way of the Hunter – Elite Edition Wolfenstein II: The Freedom Chronicles Season Pass Wolfenstein® II: The New Colossus™ WRC 10 FIA World Rally Championship Yakuza Complete Collection *Sale refreshes at 23:59pm PT/GMT on April 9 and some deals will be replaced by new offers. Sale ends on April 23 at 23:59 PDT/GMT. Certain deals end before 23 April. Check PlayStation Store for details of individual deals. View the full article

It’s been nearly one month since the release of Monster Hunter Wilds on PlayStation 5! Thank you to all hunters around the world for your incredible support. Whether you’re a series veteran with many hunts under your belt, or started your hunting journey with Wilds, we hope you’ve been enjoying making your way through the game and putting in many hours of hunts in High Rank, long after the credits have rolled. Today, we’re excited to share what’s next for Monster Hunter Wilds by taking the wraps off of the game’s first Free Title Update: Play Video The graceful Leviathan Mizutsune makes its way to the Wilds View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Equal parts dazzling and dangerous, Mizutsune moves almost as if it’s dancing, and skillfully attacks foes with debilitating bubbles. Get your gear ready to take on this returning monster for the first time in Monster Hunter Wilds. Mizutsune also comes with stylish new armor sets to forge for your hunter and Palico. An eight-star Tempered Mizutsune will also appear. To start the Mizutsune hunt, talk to Kanya in the Scarlet Forest Base Camp at Hunter Rank (HR)21 or above. Arch-tempered Rey Dau appears in an Event Quest View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Currently, Tempered monsters present the highest threat in Monster Hunter Wilds. That all changes with Free Title Update 1, as an even more powerful Arch-tempered monster will arrive to test your skills. Take on Arch-tempered Rey Dau at HR 50 or above, when it arrives in an Event Quest on Tuesday, April 30. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image New Rey Dau γ (gamma) and Felyne Rey Dau γ (gamma) sets will be available to forge by hunting Arch-tempered Rey Dau. Make sure to prepare your gear and polish up your skills until then, so you’re ready for this new challenge. Take on Zoh Shia once more View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image The fearsome Zoh Shia returns in High Rank with Free Title Update 1. Previously, hunters could only fight Zoh Shia one time during the story, but now the quest can be attempted repeatedly. After the update arrives on April 4, a new mission will appear for hunters that have reached HR 50 and above. Complete it to take on the Zoh Shia quest by selecting in the Environment Overview. Zoh Shia can also seldomly appear and be made into a quest during the Wyvern’s Wakening in the Ruins of Wyveria. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image And of course, materials from Zoh Shia can be used to forge brand-new High Rank hunter and Palico equipment. Gather around in a new locale: The Grand Hub View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Welcome to the Grand Hub, a new social space for hunters to interact with one another, communicate, and participate in fun activities unique to this new locale. The Grand Hub has long served as a place of worship for the people of Suja. At night, you might catch the Diva occasionally singing in offering, so be sure to listen in. Hunters, let’s go bowling. Roll barrel bombs into targets in the new Barrel Bowling mini-game, available at the Grand Hub. Earn a score based on your rolls and win useful items and pendants for your hunts. Play using Barrel Bowling Vouchers, which can be obtained in multiple ways, such as login bonuses. Felynes are ready to cook up some delicious meals for you in the Grand Hub. Also, you can hang out and communicate with other hunters around the table in the Grand Hub. The Grand Hub is accessible at Hunter Rank 16 and above by talking to Tetsuzan in Suja, the Peaks of Accord. Once unlocked, the Squad Information Counter will move from the Windward Plains Base Camp to the Grand Hub, allowing you to manage your squads from there. Compete for the fastest completion times in the Arena Arena Quests make a return in Monster Hunter Wilds. These are quests where up to two hunters aim to complete a quest as fast as possible using predetermined equipment. See how your hunt time stacks up against others around the world by checking the world rankings at the Expedition Record Board. Challenge Quests and Free Challenge Quests View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Take on special limited-time Event Quests where you can earn pendants as rewards. All participants will receive pendants; however, you can earn special pendants based on your personal time and world ranking. Like Arena Quests, Challenge Quests require predetermined equipment and are limited to two hunters. Free Challenge Quests are new to Monster Hunter Wilds and have no restrictions on equipment and for up to four players. Both types of quests can be taken on alongside Support Hunters too. Change Alma’s outfit An option to change Alma’s outfit will be added to the camp’s Appearance Menu. By completing certain side missions, you will also be able to change Alma’s glasses. A free outfit for Alma will be available, so give it a try. Downloadable content View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image An outfit for Alma’s outfit and classic Monster Hunter series gestures will be available as free downloadable content at PlayStation Store after the release of Free Title Update 1. Cosmetic DLC Pack 1 will also be available for download when Free Title Update 1 releases. This paid DLC will be available for owners of the Cosmetic DLC Pass, which is included in the Premium Deluxe Edition or can be purchased separately. Seasonal event Festival of Accord: Blossomdance View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image April 23 – May 7, take part in the Festival of Accord: Blossomdance in the Grand Hub. During seasonal events, the decor and food in the Grand Hub will change, and you can obtain limited equipment, gestures, and pop-up camp decorations. That wraps up the major content additions for this first Free Title Update. In addition to what we’ve shared above, the update will include some fixes and adjustments. We’re also planning to release another update in May featuring a collaboration with another Capcom game and other additional features. Free Title Update 2 will arrive this summer, so stay tuned for more details to come. In the meantime, enjoy this small tease of what awaits you. Happy Hunting! View the full article

There’s more to being a Hobbit than fleeing for your life and trying to survive increasingly hostile environments. This is why Wētā Workshop invites you to a taste of adventure that’s a little more… wholesome. I had a cozy chat with Stephen Lambert, Tales of the Shire: A Lord of The Rings Game creative director, to dig a bit deeper into why this particular Hobbit hole will feel like a home away from home when it launches on PS5 on July 29. Play Video How would you describe the main pillars of gameplay in Tales of the Shire? Stephen Lambert: So much of the game is about community. We’ve got four main areas that we focus on while living your idyllic life as a Hobbit: how you spend your time cooking, gardening, fishing, and doing peaceful activities. The other aspect is exploring by water, so looking around the environment and discovering little secret moments and lovely little glades and areas to hang out within the world. And then there are obviously the tales within the community. So getting to meet new people and help them along their journeys. How important is relationship building in terms of progression? It’s pretty important. Every thread of the story is going to help you not only expand what’s available to you as a player, but also broaden the depth of the characters and storylines. But you can explore the game at your own pace. So you can either dive deep into those stories or just live out your own little life along the side. It’s all about enhancing your feeling of peace and tranquillity. Can you go into more detail about the game’s shared meals? With meals being a central part of Hobbit life, it was really important to be central to our game. You’ve got to find a new recipe, grow ingredients or go to the market for them, or fish or forage for them. And then you’ve got to go through the process of cooking, and that’s not just a case of putting the ingredients together. It’s how much of something you add, how much you stir it, and how much seasoning you add that adds characteristics to the food. You want to make sure your food is to your guests’ taste, because the closer you get to their peculiarities the more you’ll please them and build stronger relationships. And like in the real world, the act of actually having food together helps build community. So presenting the food and enjoying it with people is huge. One of our 3D artists who modeled a lot of the meals used to work as a chef so they’re all beautifully plated up. Can you describe the decorating system and highlight what inspired the grid-less placement system? The biggest thing about Hobbit holes is they’re not really square or rigid shapes. Everything’s kind of curved and a bit more organic, so the idea of having something that goes on a grid just didn’t fit. It just made sense to build something that allows for a huge amount of expression, to be able to tinker with things and put them in exactly how you want. You can put things on top of tables, and on top of or in bookshelves, and then move those things around together. It’s about freedom of expression, more than anything. How have Tolkien’s works inspired some of the choices made in terms of gameplay? We really wanted what we made to fit within Tolkien’s world, so we positioned it just after The Hobbit and before the events of The Lord of the Rings. Our artists spent a lot of time researching the families, events, and histories of what was written and weaving everything they could into that particular framework. The other thing was creating sort of Hobbit-sized problems in a Hobbit-sized world. It’s fun trying to think of those small-town problems that cause conflict and drive their story forward. What were the sort of challenges that you faced in creating a game in such a beloved IP? It’s hugely intimidating, but it’s also quite exciting to take on a world like this. The beauty of the written word in books is where your imagination takes things. My imagination obviously took me in a different way with some things, and it’s lovely to be able to kind of explore different directions. How do you want players to feel when they’re playing the game themselves, whether they’re fans, or not as familiar with The Lord of the Rings? I very much wanted the storyline to carry itself. We didn’t want you to have to be a Tolkien fan to enjoy it, even though there are lots of references. This game was very much born out of the COVID period, a world that was so full of stress and anxiety. We wanted our game to be that place of peace and relaxation. Hence, The Shire meets a cozy game. We felt a strong idea centered around cooking and community felt the best match for that theme. Is there anything in particular that you’d like players to pay attention to in the game? [We spent] a lot of time putting in lots of little easter eggs, details, and researching the history of the world. So it’s very subtle, but one of the things we really focused on is worldbuilding. You might be given an asset to design or an artifact, and it’s not just about making it look interesting – it’s about who owned this? Where did it come from? How was it made? What was the world like when it was made? You start asking so many questions about what goes into making and creating a final object so that it feels grounded, and we wanted to apply that same methodology to what we did. What was your favorite moment in developing the game itself? The IP is such a huge part of my childhood because it inspired my love of goblins, dragons, and all those kinds of things. So that’s what’s brought me here. To get a chance to put my own spin on things and have a heavy influence on a new take on that world has been hugely satisfying. It’s really important to us to make something that we felt Tolkien would be happy with. He’s been quoted as saying he wanted other hearts and minds to add to his world like a real mythology, and we wanted to be part of that. View the full article

Last week, we asked you to focus your lens on the various monsters of Monster Hunter Wilds using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: shimo_ps shares their hunter taking on an Arkveld in the desert xenobitz shares a Lala Barina in the dark forest SyrenSigh shares a slimy Nu Udra Lny_Trpr_EE7 shares an angry long-horned Rey Dau Photoingame shares a Guardian Rathalos LeeeshP shares a Arkveld attacking in a cave Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? THEME: Assassin’s Creed Shadows SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 26, 2025 Next week, leap into Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and share epic moments of Naoe and Yasuke exploring feudal Japan using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Hello, Rovers! I’m excited to share new information on upcoming Wuthering Waves content on behalf of the entire dev team. Cross-platform open-world ARPG Wuthering Waves has been live on PS5, with support for data-sharing across PS5, PC, and mobile devices, offering a seamless gaming experience on different platforms. With the new version 2.2 Tangled Truth in Inverted Tower set to launch on March 26, the game will introduce new characters, maps, gameplays, and more content—plus, players will receive a free 5-Star weapon as a reward for completing the Main Quest. New main quest: Venture into Avinoleum to unveil the truth behind Cartethyia and Sentinel In reflection on the story of version 2.0, the mysterious girl Cartethyia and the missing Imperator harbor deep secrets that remain to be uncovered. The upcoming version 2.2 will feature the new Main Quests: The Maiden, The Defier, and The Death Crier. This adventure kicks off at Beohr Waters, located behind Porto-Veno Castle, and leads Rover to an inverted region in mid-air known as Avinoleum—an exploration that uncovers the past. The history of Rinascita and the truth about Sentinel will gradually come to light within this inverted seminary. During the quest, rovers can obtain the 5-Star Sword Bloodpact’s Pledge for free. New Resonator-Cantarella & Rover: Aero The new 5-Star Resonator Cantarella, known as the 36th Lead of the Fisalia family, will debut in version 2.2. As a Havoc Resonator armed with a Rectifier, she embodies the deep-sea and poisonous themes that define her family. In combat, Cantarella wields her umbrella, launching attacks with the aid of highly toxic jellyfish. Her unique attack method allows her to gather a special energy Trance. Once she harnesses this energy, executing heavy attacks on the ground can trigger the Mirage state, creating a surreal effect reminiscent of an underwater realm. When Cantarella consumes her Forte Gauge for attacks against foes, she can heal all team members. When certain conditions are met, her Resonance Skill can hinder enemy movement. Upon activating Resonance Liberation, she can carry out coordinated attacks for an extended duration, while her Outro Skill amplifies damage for both Havoc and Resonance Skills for the incoming Resonators. In version 2.2, following Spectro and Havoc, Rover will unlock a new attribute: Aero. Rover: Aero can conjure a one-handed sword, swiftly maneuver through the air, and strike their foes. Upon meeting specific conditions, Rover’s aerial attacks can also heal the entire team. Aero Rover can unleash Resonance Skill while airborne, and transform all Negative Status effects on enemies into Aero Erosion Effect. Activating the Outro Skill further increases the maximum stacks of Aero Erosion Effect. When Rover builds up enough energy during battle, they can summon a massive sword to crash down from the sky onto their target. After releasing Resonance Liberation, Rover will inflict Aero Damage on enemies while simultaneously healing all teammates. New Companion Story: Cantarella – A Fleeting Night’s Dream Cantarella’s Companion Story, A Fleeting Night’s Dream, will also become available in version 2.2. In this tale, a mysterious letter from the Ghost Girl guides Rover to a celebration—Night of Remembrance, taking place in Egla Town. Here, a girl in a red hat will unveil the hidden past tucked away in Porto-Veno Castle. Join Cantarella as we journey to the Sea of Ghosts, lifting the veil on the untold story waiting to be discovered. New map, new gameplay As the story unfolds, Rover will journey to a new region—Avinoleum. Once celebrated as the most magnificent seminary in Ragunna, it now towers towards the heavens alongside Sentinel, nearly out of reach. This area still bears the scars of the past, with countless Tacet Discords lingering from the Dark Tide outbreak. To protect against these Tacet Discords and prevent the Dark Tide from descending from above, the gravity in this region has been entirely reversed, with the dome now facing down toward the ground. Rover will face new gameplay challenges, including Gravity Adjustment, while delving deep into the Avinoleum. This area is home to numerous Gravity Calibrators, and as long as they are activated, players can alter the direction of gravity. In the year 2024, Wuthering Waves reached the milestone of 30 million downloads worldwide in the first month of its official release, garnering numerous accolades, including PS Blog’s Players’ Choice. This is just the beginning. Following the game’s launch on the PS5, we’re striving through unremitting efforts to bring thrilling content to players worldwide. Version 2.2 will live on March 26—Rovers, embark on the adventure into the inverted tower with Cartethyia and Cantarella to uncover the hidden truth and Rinascita’s untold past. View the full article

Slender: The Arrival VR by developer Blue Isle Studios is the unholy union of a horror phenomenon and an innovative gaming peripheral. Together, they deliver a holistic horror experience to players looking for a game that can shake them to their core. On May 13, Slender: The Arrival VR will utilize the platform-defining features and capabilities of PS VR2 to summon the horror icon in its most terrifying incarnation yet — and I’m excited to share what makes this upcoming release the best way to experience our title! Play Video Immersed in virtual terror It’s been over a decade since the release of the original Slender: The Arrival, and the 10th Anniversary Update significantly enhanced the graphics and elevated the overall gameplay experience. Every shadow, every model, and every hair-raising encounter with the mysterious Slender Man was rendered in stunning detail using the latest Unreal Engine 5 technologies. Slender: The Arrival VR remains true to the original game while adapting elements to the full-scale immersion VR. The PS VR2 is a groundbreaking peripheral, and it allowed us to enhance the strengths of Slender: The Arrival further. Atmospheric, gameplay, and audiovisual stimulation combine to transport the player to another dimension. A key part of the Slender: The Arrival VR experience is the feedback received when The Slender Man is in your area. The detailed haptic feedback in the PSVR2 Sense controllers won’t be the only way you feel Slender Man’s presence, as the PS VR2 headset vibration feedback makes it seem like he dwells within the player’s own mind. Oh, and the vibration function isn’t reserved for Slenderman. There are other enemies to fear in Slender: The Arrival VR. With all these new additions and more, The Slender Man’s presence is more eerie and intimidating than ever before. Knowing that he is nearby is scary enough in flatscreen, but in VR, he can appear anywhere in your field of vision. Sound queues are also more realistic and immediate, adding to the immersion and tangible sense of gnawing dread. A Slender reimagining Slender: The Arrival VR features all of the new additions included in the 10th Anniversary update, from the enhanced visuals to the brand-new storyline and characters. The team has also implemented a range of VR accessibility options so that all players who want to step into the world of Slender: The Arrival VR can do so comfortably. There’s a bespoke interactive menu for VR and multiple comfort settings, including standing/seating modes, snap and continuous movement, and sensitivity sliders. The Slender Man is a paranormal icon that has long terrified the curious-minded worldwide. It stands tall (really tall, actually) alongside long-established horror mainstays. Similarly, the original Slender: The Arrival remains the official, proven, and definitive adaptation of The Slender Man to the gaming world. By expanding and deepening its gameplay with the PS VR2 headset, we’ve provided players with a unique and engaging experience that creates a more intimate connection with the world they explore — something arguably most important… and frightening… in the survival-horror genre that they will get to experience on May 13. View the full article

Hi everyone, I’m Julius Fondem, Community Manager here at Remedy Entertainment. Today I’m very excited, jazzed even, to talk to you about a brand-new feature in our upcoming game FBC: Firebreak – Altered Augments. If you’re not familiar with FBC: Firebreak, it’s a cooperative first-person shooter for three players set within a mysterious federal agency under assault by extradimensional forces, in the iconic Control universe. Battle through hordes of otherworldly monsters with up to two friends, customize your gear and level up as you fight back against this ever-growing threat. This being our first multiplayer, we’re very excited to bring it to you, the community, and to that end, we’ve designed FBC: Firebreak to be as easy as possible to get into. This is a game best played together with your friends, having a great time laughing while chaotic and wacky things happen! This isn’t a new hobby that you need to log onto every day for rewards. None of that FOMO stuff here. Just get together with your friends over the weekend for a good time. Play Video As a Firebreaker, you are a badass combat engineer who descends deep into The Oldest House to solve paranatural crises, and to achieve this, you are given an assortment of normal and, well, not so normal tools by The Federal Bureau of Control. These come in the form of three bespoke Crisis Kits, each containing a unique Tool like the Crank-Operated Fluidic Ejector, an improvised device like the BOOMbox, and an Altered Augment. Altered Augments are Altered Items that the Federal Bureau of Control has contained and harnessed for approved use by the Firebreak Initiative. So basically, the Federal Bureau of Control is in deep trouble and decided to make weapons out of paranatural objects they barely understand and gave them to their brave first responders. Surely, nothing can go wrong. Each Altered Augment possesses unique abilities and is the pinnacle of each Crisis Kit’s repertoire. Let me introduce you to our Altered Augments! The Garden Gnome (AI9) is a regular looking garden gnome that is all but normal. You can attach the Garden Gnome to the Electro-Kinetic Charge Impactor which allows you to fire it towards your enemies. Once it lands, it will summon a lightning storm around it, damaging and stunning all creatures in its area and draining all energy from surrounding batteries. However, be careful! The Garden Gnome walks around and doesn’t discern friend from foe. Unless you want to play a teeny tiny prank on your crewmates. In that case, no need to be careful. The Piggy Bank (AI16) attaches to the end of the Wrench, and when you swing your Wrench around, it deals massive damage in a large arc in front of you and shatters, releasing a paranatural coin tornado that damages all creatures in it, but don’t worry, the Piggy Bank reassembles itself back together after the tornado makes its way back to you! Just be sure to not hit your friends with the tornado as getting hit by a multitude of coins in the face is considered rude in some cultures. The Teapot (AI44) attaches to the top of the Crank-Operated Fluidic Ejector (COFE) giving it the ability to shoot boiling water at enemies. When the Teapot is attached to the COFE, the tool deals the burning condition and cannot overheat. Do note that this also means that the COFE now damages teammates and cannot clear any other conditions from them except the cold condition. Lastly, the Teapot does not actually come with any real tea. Sorry, tea lovers. We’ve been hard at work on FBC: Firebreak with our 50-person strong development team and can’t wait to show you more of the game and get it in your hands! FBC: Firebreak is slated for release in Summer 2025 for PlayStation 5, with day one availability for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members, and we’ve got plenty more to share with you before then. View the full article

Metal Eden is coming out May 6 and we can’t wait for you all to enjoy this shooter fans paradise! To make the wait even more exciting, we’re launching a free demo on April 8 at PlayStation Store. Get ready to experience Aska in action—stay tuned! Now, let´s focus on her. In a world ravaged by war and technology, only the strongest survive. Aska—a battle-forged android with the power to rip through enemies, evolve beyond limits, and dominate the battlefield in Metal Eden is ready to meet you. If you crave high-octane combat and devastating power moves, Aska is your perfect warrior. What makes her truly unstoppable? Let’s dive into her unique abilities and progression system. Unleash your hyperpower and customize your playstyle Aska’s signature move, Core Ripping, is the foundation of her combat strategy. With this ability, she can instantly kill enemies and absorb their power, unlocking game-changing skills like: Super Punch – A devastating strike that shatters enemy armor. Core Explosion – Harness explosive power to wipe out foes in an instant. Healing & Armor Boost – Rip cores to replenish health and fortify defenses Aska isn’t just powerful—she’s incredibly mobile. Her agility allows players to chain together wall runs, high jumps, and jetpack boosts for seamless movement. Whether you prefer fast, aggressive playstyles or tactical evasion, Aska’s mobility gives you the upper hand. Play Video Aska’s evolution system lets you tailor her abilities to match your preferred combat style. Using the Skill Drone, you can enhance her powers by choosing between offensive, defensive, or balanced upgrades. Here’s how it works: Core Power Path: Focuses on explosive energy and high-damage attacks. Body Suit Upgrades: Enhances mobility, defense, and slows time for precise attacks. Core Ripping Enhancements: Boosts efficiency, allowing ASKA to extract more power from her enemies. Best Upgrade combos Different upgrade combinations affect Aska’s combat efficiency in many different ways. It depends on the strategy chosen by the player to support playstyle and boost efficiency. Players may choose a more defensive or more offensive path, increase movement and agility or invest in exploding cores. There are a lot of options and possible combinations. High Damage: Iron Fist + Double Punch Agility & Precision: Combat Focus Mode + Synaptic Suppression Core Ripping Mastery: Magnetic Field + Core Eruption Mixing upgrades is the way to create a unique set of enhancements matching the player’s playing style. For more offensive players, prioritizing Soniferous Explosion and Core Power upgrades will maximize damage output. Defensive ones should focus on Synaptic Suppression, Healing Explosion, and Armor Reconstruction for sustained survivability. For those who prefer a balanced approach, mixing upgrades across multiple paths allows for a versatile Aska build that adapts to various combat situations. Aska’s full potential New abilities and modules can be unlocked using Upgrade Drones, typically found at the end of intense enemy encounters. Choosing the right upgrades will significantly impact late-game challenges, making some encounters easier based on your selected evolution path. Aska’s evolution system makes Metal Eden a dynamic and immersive experience. Whether you prefer brute force, high-speed maneuvers, or strategic defense, Aska adapts to your playstyle. The key to mastering her abilities? Experiment, upgrade, and find the perfect balance between power and agility. Are you ready to evolve Aska into the ultimate battle android? The battlefield awaits—choose your path and rip some cores out! View the full article

Developers at Nightdive Studios will be the first to tell you no two projects are alike. Nowhere is this more true than the soon-to-be-released remaster of System Shock 2. Announced six years ago as System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition, Nightdive reannounced the project under a new name — System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster. Play Video This name change offered eagle-eyed fans a clue as to the remaster’s release window, which is only accurate preceding August 11 when System Shock 2 celebrates its 26th birthday. Sure enough, during today’s MIX Spring Showcase, Nightdive shared the exciting news that System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster will release on June 26 for PS4 and PS5. As exciting as it’s been for System Shock fans to hear they’ll soon be able to play Nightdive’s long-awaited System Shock 2 remaster, one key question remains: why did it take six years? Good things take time Nightdive has been chipping away at its remaster of System Shock 2 in the years following its announcement, working on it in conjunction with other projects. While many of these harbored their fair share of challenges, System Shock 2 was unique in regards to the number and type of complexities the team encountered. One of the biggest according to Nightdive developer Alex Lima was a lack of access to the game’s complete source code. To piece everything together, “extensive reverse engineering” was required. “The codebase is a complex amalgamation of various legacy libraries developed by Looking Glass, along with some more recent contributions from both Irrational Games and Looking Glass,” Lima explains. “There’s virtually no consistent coding standard. As a result, we had to depend extensively on debugging and breakpoints to understand its functionality.” Working with System Shock 2’s original engine was also tricky, especially when it came to porting the game to consoles. “The game engine that System Shock 2 uses is large and complicated,” notes Nightdive developer, Lexi Mayfield. “It was originally designed for PCs from the late 1990s with a mouse and keyboard, and was only used for three games. As a result, porting the game to PlayStation was a long and arduous process, from both a coding and interface perspective.” In general, remastering a beloved classic like System Shock 2 naturally takes time and attention to detail to get right, as highlighted by Larry Kuperman, VP of Business Development at Nightdive. “While the game remains a classic, the code and graphics needed a considerable overhaul. The Dark Engine, developed by Looking Glass Studios for System Shock 2 and the Thief games, provided features way ahead of its time, which is one reason these games remain classics, but which also made the game challenging to work with. To fulfill our vision, it required meticulous re-coding in order to preserve all the aspects of the game that are important to players. Our team worked very hard over a long period of time to accomplish that goal.” Old game, new tricks Not only did the rigorous six-year remastering process allow for more effective improvements, it allowed the team to better leverage modern features on consoles. “The porting process allowed us to make improvements along the way and take advantage of some of the modern features PlayStation offers, allowing us to run the game with a level of fidelity and playability that was previously out of reach,” says Mayfield. Fans will have no trouble spotting these improvements on PlayStation. The game’s graphics have received a significant boost with the addition of advanced shader support, enabling previously unavailable graphical effects and improved lip-sync animation. GPU-accelerated 3D transformations and high refresh rate support also lend to smoother performance, particularly on modern displays. System Shock 2 was originally a PC release, but don’t worry, the 25th Anniversary Remaster features full controller support for DualShock 4 and DualSense controllers. “If you’ve played FPS games with a controller, you’ll feel right at home playing System Shock 2,” confirms Mayfield. “Abilities like leaning, quick-swapping between weapons and psi powers, and toggling weapon settings were all streamlined for the DualSense. We also added a customizable quickbar, allowing players to quickly swap between individual weapons and psi powers.” Inventory items now offer a context menu to allow players to quickly examine, equip, apply and split items. “From there, it was a matter of going through every security computer, every replicator, every access keypad and weapon modification screen ensuring the player could interact with the world in every way they could in 1999 — except now from the comfort of their DualSense.” If there’s still doubt over whether System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster lives up to the amount of time it’s taken to complete, Nightdive founder and CEO, Stephen Kick, assures: “I’ve been closely watching the development and have been particularly close with the art team to ensure the original art direction and designs are brought to their horrifying conclusion. I cannot wait to share what we’ve been working on and hope fans and newcomers enjoy their time aboard the Von Braun.” Get ready, insects… System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster arrives June 26 for PS4 and PS5! View the full article

We’re just a few weeks away from The Last of Us Part II Remastered arriving on PC on April 3, and we here at Naughty Dog wanted to make sure players were prepared for the journey ahead. Whether it’s your first time experiencing Ellie and Abby’s acclaimed stories, or you’ve previously played and are excited to jump in via a new format, we have plenty of quality-of-life features and even new content in store. PC features detailed The PC version of The Last of Us Part II Remastered brings with it all the improvements and new features added in the PlayStation 5 version released in 2024, such as the roguelike survival mode No Return, Guitar Free Play, and hours of developer commentary. And in partnership with our friends at Nixxes Software and Iron Galaxy, Part II Remastered has been brought to PC with plenty of PC-centric quality-of-life features that further bring the snow-covered mountains of Jackson, Wyoming, and the rainswept streets of Seattle, Washington to beautiful life. This version of The Last of Us Part II Remastered is optimized for PC with: Nvidia DLSS 3 Super Resolution and Frame Generation support1 AMD FSR 3.1 and AMD FSR 4 support with upscaling and frame generation1 VSync and framerate cap options, including an uncapped framerate option2 DirectStorage support, and more. It has been developed with features designed specifically for PC, including: Adjustable Texture Quality LOD Distance Range Volumetric Quality Shadow Quality Ambient Occlusion Reflections Quality and more The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC will feature support for Ultrawide monitors3, so players will be able to take in the stunning vistas of Jackson and the harsh streets of Seattle with gameplay supported in 21:9 ultra-wide, 32:9 super ultra-wide and even 48:9 resolutions with compatibility for triple-monitor setups. And take in every chapter of Ellie and Abby’s journeys in stunning 4K resolution2 while playing either via various supported controllers as well as keyboard and mouse controls. And immerse yourself in the story with 3D audio surrounding you in every tense moment of action and each quiet scene of exploration.4 Keyboard and mouse control support includes a host of new control customization options, like full control remapping, primary and secondary bindings for keyboard and mouse control, an adaptive mode that allows players to combine keyboard and controller inputs, and more. Part II Remastered on PC will feature full gamepad support, while DualSense controllers are supported and feature full haptic feedback5. As our team and partners have been hard at work on this version, we’ll also be introducing a host of bug fixes and various improvements to offer as smooth a play experience as possible. The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC offers a wide range of graphics settings and presets, to ensure the best possible experience on hardware ranging from high-end PCs to handheld gaming devices. Below you’ll find an overview of recommended specifications for a variety of graphics presets. New No Return content Additionally, coming at launch for The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC will be a host of new content for our fan-favorite No Return mode. Two new characters are being introduced for the mode – The Last of Us Part I’s Bill and Marlene. Like with each No Return combatant, these characters offer their own unique playstyles, and should offer both new and returning fans an exciting new opportunity to test their mettle. Bill is a “Smuggler” playstyle who can access a custom pump shotgun from dead drops, and receives double rewards from drops as well. He’s stronger against melee attacks but can’t dodge. Marlene, meanwhile, features a “Risk Taker” playstyle that includes a Custom Assault Rifle, “All or Nothing” gambits, can reroute her No Return path once per run, and more. Four new maps have also been added to No Return. Overlook, which is set high above the city of Seattle and features plenty of verticality, is the memorable site of a Seraphites encounter in the campaign. School is, during the campaign, the abandoned elementary school in which Ellie and Dina face off against the W.L.F. Streets is set in the overgrown Seattle neighborhood of Hillcrest, while Nest will be familiar to players who have played as Abby through an Infected-infested building. We’ve been so overjoyed about the reaction to this mode since Part II Remastered debuted on PS5 last year, and we hope these new maps further offer more variability and thrills as players tackle new runs. Speaking of PlayStation 5 players, fear not – this new No Return content, as well as accompanying new Trophies and additional bug fixes – will be available day-and-date with the PC launch via a free downloadable 2.0.0 patch.6 PlayStation Network log-in bonuses Last but not least, Part II Remastered on PC will support PlayStation overlay and PSN Trophies with an optional account for PlayStation Network log-in. While not required, those on PC who do sign in with their account for PlayStation Network will also gain access to 50 in-game points to activate bonus features, as well as a new skin for Ellie featuring Jordan A. Mun’s jacket from our new game in development for PS5, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Get a first look at the skin below: PS5 players will also be able to unlock the Jordan’s jacket skin, as it will be included in the 2.0 patch and unlockable via in-game bonus points. We can’t wait for PC players to experience this incredible journey, and for both PC and PS5 players to enjoy our new suite of content in just a few weeks. For now, you can pre-purchase The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store ahead of the April 3 release. 1Compatible PC and display device required. 2Compatible TV or display device required. 3Compatible PC and graphics card required. 43D audio via built-in TV speakers or analogue/USB stereo headphones. Setup required. 5Wired connection required to experience the full range of in-game DualSense controller features. 6Internet connection required. View the full article

The Gran Turismo World Series 2025 is set to be a classic with a live events calendar that includes London, Berlin, Los Angeles, and culminates with World Finals in Fukuoka, Japan in December. Play Video Anyone with a copy of Gran Turismo 7, an internet connection, and a PlayStation Plus membership can compete to try and qualify for a place (subject to eligibility criteria) at the thrilling Gran Turismo World Series international events, where they will race in front of an in-person and global broadcast audience. Players can sign up in Sport mode in Gran Turismo for the Nations Cup – racing to represent your home country or territory – and/or the Manufacturers Cup, racing for your favourite manufacturer. The action gets underway with the Online Qualifiers, starting with: Manufacturers Cup – Wednesday, April 2 to Saturday, April 19 Nations Cup – Wednesday, April 23 to Saturday, May 10 The calendar for the Gran Turismo World Series 2025 live events is as follows: Round 1 – London, UK | Saturday, 7 June Round 2 – Berlin, Germany | Saturday, 20 September Round 3 – Los Angeles, USA | Saturday, 8 November World Finals – Fukuoka, Japan | Saturday, 20 and Sunday, 21 December All the live events will be open to the public and details of how to buy tickets will be posted on the Gran Turismo website and social channels. Full details of the Gran Turismo World Series 2025 and how to get involved can be found here. A more in-depth look at the rules and a link to the terms and conditions can be found here. Fans unable to attend the live events won’t miss any of the action, with each round set to be broadcast live on https://www.gran-turismo.com/world/live/ and https://www.youtube.com/@GRANTURISMOTV . A fantastic 2024 season saw Team Lexus, comprising Spain’s Coque López, Kanata Kawakami of Japan, and Chilean Harald Walsen (who stepped in to replace the absent Igor Fraga of Brazil), crowned Manufacturers Cup Champions at the World Finals in Amsterdam. Japanese driver Takuma Miyazono re-took the Nations Cup crown that he last won in 2020 with a masterful performance in front of a sell-out crowd. The action in 2025 should be no less exciting and will be watched closely by Gran Turismo World Series partners Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), Mazda, Brembo, and Fanatec. View the full article

A new year is filled with new possibilities for games, and the indie scene is a great place for innovation to thrive. Today, we showcased five indie titles coming to PlayStation, revealing release dates, updates, and a surprise or two. Forever Skies | Coming to PS5 April 14 Play Video Far From Home showcased some new co-op gameplay for Forever Skies, along with the official release date. Survive the skies with your friends and brave new worlds filled with threats that desire to halt your progress. Players who pre-order now will be gifted with the Supporter Pack DLC and 72-hour early access. The studio digs further into the game’s co-op in a new PS Blog post. The Knightling | Coming to PS5 August 28 Play Video For those looking for a classic adventure of a hero’s journey, The Knightling is here to scratch that itch. We were introduced to the mysterious land of Cornered Bosk in the new trailer to celebrate its summer release date. A sprawling forest with a giant whirlpool in the middle that is swallowing everything. Can you become the knight you’re meant to be in this tale from Twirlbound? See the type of enemies you will encounter and the abilities of legendary shield Magnustego. Possessor(s) | Coming to PS5 later this year Enter the dystopian ruins of Sanzu City in Possessor(s) as you fight to survive as a human who is possessed by a demon. The pair attempts to form a symbiotic relationship to survive this hellscape, finding themselves in battle with other demonic hybrids. This fast-paced action side-scroller from Heart Machine blends high stakes and art. Check out the studio’s deep dive into combat. Ruffy and the Riverside | Coming to PS5 June 26 Play Video Learn the origins of the magical Swap ability and see how swapping textures in Ruffy and the Riverside changes how you approach platforming and combat in this completely hand-drawn world. Zockrates Laboratories adventurous bear will hit the ground swapping this June. Learn how to use the Swap ability to fight enemies and explore the world. Skate Story | Coming to PS5 this Summer Play Video This labor of love by sole developer Sam Eng, Skate Story is coming to PlayStation. To mark the announcement, they’ve shared a new gameplay trailer, which shows the demon made of glass you’ll play as shred through obstacles in the Underworld on their quest to consume the moon. Be prepared to meet a cast of zany characters and sell your soul for the best board. Get to know your board and how to combat bosses. We hope you enjoyed this preview of upcoming indie titles coming to PlayStation and look forward to more updates, news, and surprises in the future. View the full article

Hello, PlayStation community! My name is Sam Eng, and I’m the sole developer of Skate Story, a game about a demon made of glass who needs to skate the Underworld and consume The Moon to fulfill the devil’s contract. Cool, right? I hope so, because today I wanted to share that Skate Story will be heading to PS5. Skate through nine layers of hell and battle larger-than-life bosses as you attempt to free yourself from the devil’s contract that has been placed upon you. As the glass Skater’s story progresses, you’ll dive further into the depths of The Underworld (with help from the Subway system of course, just make sure you have your Millicard handy to get through the gates). You won’t be alone in your journey, as a whole cast of characters is rooting for you. Play Video It has been quite the road leading up to release from when I first started sharing clips of the game publicly on social media five years ago. Today, I wanted to share some fresh gameplay of a few new areas the player will have the pleasure of perfecting. As you skate through hell, you’ll master your board, trick over vicious demons, grind some ledges, and destroy bosses, all while accompanied by an atmospheric original 12-set soundtrack by Blood Cultures with supporting tracks from John Fio, creating a truly immersive environment. Combat and boss battles When demons from the Department of Death terrorize the Skater, sick tricks and fresh lines will be the only way out. Boss fights in particular, are intense skate sessions, each backed by a unique song the music of which you’ll need to keep up with. In the trailer above, you’ll catch a glimpse of just one of these boss encounters – as you face off against the Moon. How do you take down a celestial body? You must skate. When the song comes on, stay in its sight line, keeping your momentum going by skating fast and popping tricks at the right time. The Skater’s tricks deal damage to the Moon. Switch up the tricks to keep it Fresh — doing the same old tricks or going too slow will go stale and deal less damage. You’ll need to have dealt enough before the song ends. Flat and shatter into a million pieces when your soul stays stale, or burn through the stars and set them all on fire. Characters The Skater’s journey through the underworld runs across many unfortunate souls living in the underworld. From a forgetful frog to a pillowy demon who owns a laundromat, each character is burdened by their own impassable debt. Befriend a jittery subway train and experience poetry about the multilight of the Moon. Talk with characters about their own plights and learn the many types of eternal tasks signed off by the Department of Death in this surreal underworld. Stylish street skating adventure Cruise through streets and surreal landscapes full of waxed ledges, unholy gaps, and tortured demons in need of rescue. Push your way through precarious paths and shred freeform skate spots to your soul’s desire. Discover and create your own challenges as you explore the world and master your board. Succumb to the beauty of the board Sell your soul for decks, wheels, and trucks to keep your skating fresh. Plus, with over 70+ skate tricks to progress and improve, complete skate trials to level up, learn new tricks through massive obelisks, and get new gear. That’s all for now – I can’t wait to share more news about Skate Story with you later this summer. View the full article

My name is Patrick, and I am the Art Director for Zockrates Laboratories, the indie studio currently developing Ruffy and the Riverside. Together with our publisher, Phiphen Games, we are proud to announce that Ruffy and the Riverside will be released on PlayStation 5 on June 26, 2025. We are happy to contribute to Playstation`s tradition of representing innovative and unique gameplay. Play Video A platformer adventure with unique gameplay Ruffy and the Riverside is a platformer adventure with truly unique gameplay. When Ruffy isn‘t jumping, running, skating, or gliding, he is using his unique Swap ability. With the Swap, you can copy and paste textures to change the game world, solve puzzles, beat enemies, and eventually save the world. Just grab a texture and throw it somewhere else, and the world will change! It is as easy as it sounds and has huge impacts: Transform water into ice to cross an ocean. Throw a climbing vine onto a waterfall, and you can climb up. With the Swap, you can exchange materials, symbols, the sun for the moon, and all colors. If you color birds the same color, they might end up as a couple. Apples are more yummy when they are red, and some bushes will drop coins if they have a golden look. Of course, the Swap can help in combat, too. Why not freeze an enemy or catch him in flight by turning him into stone? The elements are on your side if you swap them wisely. Use your imagination and make it happen. It really feels magic to swap things. An adventure full of quests and challenges Ruffy and the Riverside is a living cartoon with many side quests, individual characters, and a ton of collectibles. So wherever you go, you can talk to townspeople and animals, pick up side quests, and look for treasures. On his quest to bring back the six golden letters, Ruffy will travel to faraway regions, each with its own challenges. Ruffy has to unravel age-old mysteries, compete in skating contests, and summon sunken islands to the sea’s surface. Wherever you go, you will find new grounds to explore. You can even jump into walls and solve puzzles in 2D levels. And no worries, you won’t get lost, because you will never walk alone. Pip, the sassy bee, is always on your side and can carry you through the air. Sir Eddler, the adventurous mole, knows all the tricks, and Sily, the wise turtle, gives advice whenever you need it. A hand-drawn world Ruffy and the Riverside has a unique art style. In fact, everything was drawn by hand: all characters, all textures, even the UI and the map. Ruffy alone has over 600 individual drawings. Why so many? Well, he was drawn from eight sides for everything he does. No wonder it took seven years to create this world. The result is a vibrant, colorful world, and we hope you`ll have fun exploring it. How the Swap was born Swapping textures and changing the world feels magic. We have often been asked how we got the idea of the Swap, and it is a funny story we want to share here. When we started to work on Ruffy and the Riverside, we did a lot of drawings for the level design. One day, I went through those drawings, and I found this black-and-white drawing of a waterfall. Something about this drawing made it hard to tell if it was a waterfall or a stream of lava. As I wondered what it was, I realized how amazing it would be if it just could be both. What if you could really Swap the textures of the game and transform the environment? The Swap was born. PlayStation memories and PlayStation dreams We have put much passion into Ruffy and the Riverside, and bringing it to PlayStation feels like a dream to us. We all grew up with classics like Crash Bandicoot and Ratchet & Clank, and you can certainly feel those vibes in Ruffy and the Riverside. Seeing Ruffy run on PlayStation 5 now really gives us the same joy as it used to when we were kids. I hope it gives you all the same feeling when the game releases on June 26. View the full article

Possessor(s) is a fast-paced action side-scroller that blends platform-fighter precision gameplay with desperate, high-stakes encounters. Luca must master fluid movement, aerial juggles, and Rhem’s demon powers to survive vicious melee combat with the monsters of Sanzu City. Corporate wasteland When it was built, Sanzu City was meant to be the future—a self-contained utopia where people could work, live, and raise their kids to build a better world… working for the global megacorp Agradyne. But three years ago, something escaped Agradyne’s deepest laboratories. And with it came a flood of horrors: demons seeking human host bodies to possess. Many of them lost control and twisted into grotesque, mutated beasts. Agradyne abandoned Sanzu, sealing its survivors in a hellish maze of abandoned skyscrapers. The monsters we make Luca wakes in the ruins of Sanzu. Before the disaster, she was a lonely teenager growing up in this company town. Going to a high school run by a tech company seemed completely normal to her. Now, the only thing keeping her alive is Rhem, a powerful, bitter demon who escaped Agradyne’s clutches. Rhem agreed to possess Luca to save both of their lives. But all Rhem wants is to return home, so Luca has promised to help. ​​ As Luca and Rhem search for answers, they learn what it means to take and lose control. They witness disturbing and tragic pairings of humans and demons, each reflecting the way people can bind, manipulate, and break one another. They travel tethered together on a journey that will force Luca to confront the horrifying truths hiding behind her city’s friendly corporate face. Gameplay features and systems Luca’s arsenal of improvised melee weapons allows her to explore a variety of combat styles. She starts with simple kitchen knives, but can also beat down demons with a computer mouse, hockey stick…or even a guitar! Luca’s trusty kitchen knives are sharp and fast, allowing her to get in close and quickly slice demons before slipping away out of danger. If she keeps up the pressure, she can stagger them, rendering them vulnerable. Dealing directional damage will juggle enemies in the air… and prolong their suffering. But what’s Luca to do if a demon slips through her grasp? She can channel Rhem’s power to whip enemies and drag them to her. The whip has many other uses, including swinging through the world, moving heavy objects, or propelling herself towards larger, more dangerous demons. Enemies and combat encounters Demons can possess anything – people, potted plants, vending machines, or even an Agradyne Series LC65 Multi-Function Printer Scanner! Luca must tread carefully because enemies are everywhere and hidden in plain sight. To bring Rhem home, she will have to face the most powerful demons in each district of Sanzu. Exploration Navigate the interconnected districts of Sanzu City. Each area offers unique challenges and atmosphere. See the ruins of Luca’s old neighborhood through her eyes, then lose yourself in dense, vertical skyscrapers and laboratories full of secrets and mutated objects. Abilities and progression As Luca and Rhem grow stronger, they unlock new combat, traversal abilities, and weapon modifications. Customize your combat loadout and assign each attack button to a different weapon for a vast possibility of combos. Sanzu is ready to drag you under. Possessor(s) is launching later this year on PlayStation 5. View the full article

Hi everyone! I’m Matthijs, creative director and co-founder of Twirlbound, and we are thrilled to announce that our open-world fantasy action-adventure game, The Knightling, is coming to PlayStation 5 on August 28. We can’t wait to welcome you to the wondrous world of Clesseia, where you’ll take on the role of knight-in-training. When the realm’s great protector, Sir Lionstone goes missing, you must take up his mighty magic shield and traverse the fields and forests to search for him. In our brand-new trailer, we put you in the ever-determined Knightling’s small but mighty boots, sliding, gliding, dashing, and bashing across Clesseia, including a never-before-seen region of the game we’re revealing for the very first time – the Cornered Bosk. Play Video The sprawling lands of Clesseia are known for many things: the bustling city center, full of activity and life; the great aqueduct, winding through the Outskirts to provide power and water to the people; the Great Barrier, which borders the Windtorn Fields, offering both protection and threat; and then there are the seldom-visited, secluded woods in the far corner of the realm known as the Cornered Bosk. Where the Outskirts and Windtorn Fields are familiar and full of helpful allies, the Cornered Bosk is a curveball, conundrum, and enigma all wrapped into one. As our bold Knightling, you must follow the rumored path of your missing mentor Sir Lionstone, through this mysterious region, and there you will quickly find that nothing is quite what it seems. Submerged in mystery For the design of the Cornered Bosk, we were inspired by the element of water. We looked at real-world mangroves and how forests can not only survive but often thrive in very wet conditions. The environment is designed to feel like an underwater abyss, with flora, fauna, and small, ethereal jellyfish that could belong to the deepest of oceans but is floating through the air. The region’s standout landmark is a giant whirlpool, rumbling loudly at the heart of the forest and slowly swallowing everything surrounding it. Through its many mirages and the surrounding Sinking Sanctuary’s angled slopes, the whirlpool lures you to its mesmerizing center. The abandoned crypt is full of formidable monsters and bandits that await you. There is only a fragment of what makes this a more treacherous region than any you have encountered before. Forging your own path Up until this point in the game, you’ve rarely been far from a mentor, a friend, or even a kind local. The Cornered Bosk, however, will challenge you to learn what it means to feel alone for the first time. The people who live here are not exactly the most reliable narrators, as they have slowly gone mad from living in an area where day and night feel the same. You may find navigation confusing here, which is no small thing in a region where monsters run rampant. Due to the limited sunlight available in the forest, monsters have mutated more strongly than elsewhere in Clesseia. The good news is they are easy to spot, as their teeth and claws glow faintly. The bad news, of course, is that they have teeth and claws. And let’s not even mention the daring bandits who lurk in the shadows of these surreal woods. Before tackling the Cornered Bosk, you must upgrade your legendary shield and learn new Knightling moves at the Knight’s Academy. Once adequately equipped and trained, you can help disoriented gardeners, sawmill operators, and farmers protect their plants, dissect mysterious shells, and retrieve their cute (but creepy) Blowbug insects. It’s tough work, but remember: as a knight-in-training, you have to be able to do it all. Shield knows best If you haven’t met, let me introduce you to Sir Lionstone’s legendary shield – Magnustego – your unlikely companion on this adventure. He will make no secret of his desire to be reunited with his true master, offering frequent opinions and sarcastic quips throughout your travels. However, having accompanied the great knight Lionstone on his earlier adventures across Clesseia, Magnus also has a great deal of knowledge and experience. The Cornered Bosk will be the greatest test yet of both skill and patience. Still, as your relationship develops from reluctant partners to a formidable team, you may find Magnus begins to offer more guidance than gripes. This is just a peek at what awaits in the Cornered Bosk and the wider world of Clesseia when The Knightling launches for PlayStation 5 on August 28 from Twirlbound and Saber Interactive. Get ready to slide into a grand adventure to find Sir Lionstone, prove your worth, and save the realm. And never forget – all heroes start small. View the full article

Hi everyone! After around four years of development, we can finally announce that Forever Skies will be coming to PlayStation 5 on April 14, 2025. Welcome to Forever Skies For those of you just finding out about our labor of love, Forever Skies is a first-person survival game that takes you on a journey across an ecologically ruined Earth, where you must build and pilot a high-tech airship to survive. 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 View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image In the PlayStation 5 demo we released back in November, we gave you a basic taste of what to expect. Gather resources, find food and water, build up and pilot your airship, and explore a handful of locations above the toxic clouds. In the full game, you’ll do all this and so much more. Forever Skies tasks the players to look for a cure for a mysterious illness that has infected the last remnants of humanity who now live in Earth’s orbit. A previous expedition was sent, but all contact was lost, so you’ll need to pick up the trail to figure out what happened and try to complete the mission. Take on the elements and hostile creatures that will try to damage you and your airship. Research and build advanced technologies to advance your arsenal of survival tools and resources. Explore abandoned facilities in the skies like overgrown greenhouse towers and massive workshops where airships were once manufactured. And eventually, you’ll descend below the toxic dust cloud that has drastically evolved life on the planet’s surface now that humanity is no longer at the top of the food chain. So, let’s check out the latest trailer: Play Video Play solo or together with friends in online co-op As you saw, you can do everything in Forever Skies solo or in co-op with up to 4 players all working together on the same airship. Once you pass the tutorial, you can open your game to friends who can come and join whenever they like (provided they’ve finished the tutorial as well). All progress is saved just to the host, it’s up to you how much you want to progress on your own and how much you want to do with your trusted crew. Playing together helps you run a tighter ship with more hands ready to keep things going. But remember, more people means more mouths to feed, the need for more space and extra spots to sleep, so better start upgrading and expanding your ship as soon as you can. Pre-orders open now, come with the Supporter Pack DLC To mark the news of the release, we have also opened pre-orders for Forever Skies, which will let you play the game 72 hours before its official release date. Additionally, all pre-orders will come with the Supporter Pack DLC, a collection of five in-game cosmetics you can use to decorate your airship base. Here’s the full list of items you’ll get as part of the Supporter Pack. Airship Skin – Pearl Emerald Themed Airship Skin – True Blue Themed Fossilized Apex Predator Figurine Digital Picture Frame Laika and Felicetti Tribute Poster 5 Forever Skies-Themed PSN Avatars 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 View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Looking ahead While Forever Skies is set to launch this April, we are already committing to future content and quality-of-life updates to improve and expand the game post-launch. So that’s all from us for now. We’re so excited to finally get the full game into the hands of our PlayStation fans. The reception to our demo has been fantastic, to say the least, so we hope you’ll love the full game just as much. Thanks so much for reading, and see you in the skies. View the full article

When Lunar debuted in North America in 1993, it was a standout in the emerging Western market for Japanese RPGs. Lunar featured detailed, animated cinematic cutscenes, plenty of voice acting, high-quality music, and–most importantly–an endearing story packed with engaging and memorable characters. While it wasn’t the first CD-ROM-based JRPG to hit the market, it was one that left a powerful impact on everyone who played it. A sequel, two PlayStation remakes, a PSP outing and more further broadened the audience for Lunar. More than 30 years after the series’ debut, Lunar and Lunar 2 are coming back to the realm of PlayStation with the Lunar Remastered Collection. To give some insight into what makes the Lunar games special–and to stir fond memories among longtime fans–we talked to Matthias Pergams, Producer over at GungHo Online Entertainment America. Play Video Silver Standard “LUNAR was one of the first JRPGs on the CD-ROM format, with animated cutscenes, in-game voice acting, and even an opening theme song,” Pergams explains. “The series gained a dedicated following both within and outside Japan, paving the way for the genre as a whole. It’s a work that has a unique historical significance.” The original Lunar has been remade and re-released a few times for various platforms (along with Lunar 2, to a lesser degree), so we were curious as to why the PlayStation “Complete” versions of the two games were chosen as the base for the remasters. “Each version is different and possesses unique merits, so we actually struggled quite a bit with this question. Ultimately, the choice came down to which version we felt represented the series best. For us, it was the PlayStation version”. As this is a “Remaster” rather than a “Remake,” we were wondering if there were any major gameplay or story changes that players familiar with the original games would notice. “The overall story and gameplay will remain the same as the original release,” Pergams assured us. “We feel that the original still holds up today, and wanted to preserve the gameplay as it was envisioned by original developer GAME ARTS. We have added a variety of quality-of-life features to make gameplay smoother, such as an adjustable Battle Speed-Up option in both games, a toggleable option for a unified inventory system in Lunar 1 designed to simplify the item management process, and also the ability to customize the behavior of individual character AI during Lunar 1’s battles.” View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image “In this Remaster Collection, we have prepared a Classic Mode for fans who prefer to play the game with the dots as they were back in the day – an environment where you can play the game with almost the same graphics as in the PlayStation 2 era. We have also prepared a CRT filter for this mode, which we hope fans will try and see.” – Matthias Pergams Remastered Luster So what is new and improved in this remaster? “The most visible changes are the graphical updates, which include remastered graphics, in-game effects, UI, animated cutscenes, bromides (in-game collectible card items), and more. Perhaps the biggest feature is the new aspect ratio, as we’ve expanded the size of the screen to accommodate that of modern TVs. All the above features are in the “Remastered Mode.” The other is “Classic Mode”, which allows users to play the games with the graphics of the original PlayStation version. One major topic of discussion among longtime Lunar fans is the voice acting. When the announcement post went up here on the PlayStation Blog, it was revealed that there would be an all-new cast. How did the team select the new voices? “Our priority when recording was making sure that we preserved the identity of each character through their new voice actors. We considered how we wanted each character to sound. Once we locked that down, we started looking at voice actors who were close to that, and then selected them based on how well they captured what we were envisioning. The end product is something we’re proud of.” “We also had all the vocal songs in Lunar 1 and 2 sung by the voice actresses of Luna and Lucia respectively, which we modeled after the original Japanese version of the game,” Pergams noted. “We asked Mr Iwadare to write a new song for this piece. The song is called ‘Looking up at TERRA’. It is used in the game selection screen, so I hope fans will listen to it.” – Matthias Pergams The famous cutscenes are getting a touch-up, too. “One of the key features of Lunar is the animated cutscenes, so we took a great deal of care with them during the remastering process. The original scenes still hold up well today, so our main goal in remastering was to touch them up for modern audiences, rather than change the content itself. We think the results speak for themselves!” All of these updates and changes were done with the blessing and supervision of the original staff. “Throughout development we frequently consulted GAME ARTS, the original development studio, and incorporated their feedback,” explains Pergams. “We also consulted other development staff, including the original composer, scenario writer, and character designer. Their input has been invaluable in maintaining the spirit of the original games during the remastering process.” One such individual who revisited Lunar for this remaster is famed character designer Toshiyuki Kubooka. The team originally weren’t sure if he would be on board. “He’s extremely busy these days, so when we first reached out to him, we didn’t know if he’d accept our offer! But he was kind enough to draw not just one, but a total of three completely new art pieces for the game.” 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 Pergams also passed along a message from Kubooka-sensei to fans. “At first, I was surprised because it’d been a while since I’d worked on anything for Lunar, but I was really happy to have the chance to draw the cast again. Drawing them felt like meeting up with old friends again, so I had fun doing it. The art took longer than I expected, which inconvenienced everyone at Gungho America, but they were very transparent and cooperative so I’m grateful to them as well.” New frontiers Lunar was well-loved in North America and Japan, but–aside from the aforementioned PSP release–Lunar’s presence in Europe was nonexistent. We asked Pergams about releasing Lunar 1 and 2 Complete in Europe for the first time, and if they have anything they would like to say to players thinking about trying these games for the first time. “First and foremost, thank you for considering the Lunar series! I think the core ethos of the series can be summed up in one word: ‘Adventure’. I believe the Lunar series captures the essence of the classic adventure, in which you set out into an unknown world, meet trustworthy friends, defeat evil, and find true love. All adventures are valid and worth having, but there’s something nostalgic and unforgettable about the one Lunar provides.” To finish things off, we wanted to see if Pergams had any advice for new players. “Don’t be afraid to use items! In many games, it can feel like a mistake to spend hard-earned money on temporary items rather than on permanent upgrades like weapons. However, items—particularly recovery items—can make a world of difference in a tough boss fight. We also recommend trying out the games’ Auto Battle system, alongside the new Battle Speed-Up option, for smooth progression. However you decide to play, we hope you enjoy the Lunar games!” View the full article

Howdy, Helldivers! Have you ever wanted to be a space cowboy, enforcing the fair laws of Super Earth on the edges of our galaxy, protecting our most remote colonies from undemocratic threats? Then step up, pardner, and claim your sheriff’s star with the new premium Warbond: Borderline Justice! Play Video We’re heading out to the Wild West with the weapons this time. First up, let’s take a gander at the new R-6 Deadeye lever-action hunting rifle. You can look forward to killin’ time bullseying bugs and rounding up squids and looking cool while you do it. But a lawman is nothing without his trusty sidearm. And instead of individual shots, the LAS-58 Talon “revolver” secondary is energy-based, meaning a slow and steady hand can keep on shooting without overheating. But if you need to bring the kind of heat that can’t be measured by degrees, the Talon can do it. Another classic cowboy loadout item is the TED-63 Dynamite that comes with a variable timer and leaves an explosion that’s sure to straighten the curves, flatten the hills, and take down any roaming patrols among the willows. Do you ever get a hankering to rise up above the herd and get a bird’s eye on the action? Could be that the LIFT-860 Hover Pack is just what you’re looking for–when the joint starts jumping, you can rise and hover for a little while and still aim or use ADS. Helldivers are made out of muscle and blood and that’s why we have to keep you armored up. The GS-17 Frontier Marshal is a regulation standard medium Helldiver set, but it still manages to conjure up the look of hard living on the galactic frontier, hunting Bile Titans for sport. But if you want to look less like a running gun and more like the sheriff of Vernen Wells, I might suggest the GS-66 Lawmaker heavy armor, complete with cowboy holster and bandolier. Both sets of armor look great with either the Reaper of Bounties cape or the Way of the Bandolier cape. No matter which look you choose, you’ll be mighty good with the Gunslinger armor passive, which gives your secondary increased reload speed, increased draw/holster speed, and reduced recoil. With Borderline Justice, you’ll also unlock a new player title, Super Sheriff, to let everyone know you’re their huckleberry–the galactic border colonies can rest a little easier on your watch. We’re also providing player cards that match each cape, and you’ll also get a brand new booster: Sample Extricator! When you put down a big enemy, there’s a small chance it’ll drop a sample to toss in your saddlebags. Cowboy hats might be outlawed by the Helldiver uniform code, but you can still say your howdies and farewells with the Tip Hat emote. If all that doesn’t light your fires, then I don’t know what will. Put the hammer down, divers, and give ‘em hell when Borderline Justice arrives on March 20! View the full article

PlayStation Store welcomes a new promotion: Ramadan Deals! For a limited time*, you can enjoy discounts across a variety of games on the storefront, including the likes of ENDER MAGNOLIA, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, EA SPORTS FC™ 25 and many, many more. Head to PlayStation Store now to see the full list and find out your regional discount. *PlayStation Store’s Ramadan Deals runs from March 12 at 00:00 AM JST until March 26 at 11:59PM JST in Malaysia and Indonesia. View the full article

Revealing itself like a hidden blade, Assassin’s Creed’s razor-sharp and refreshing combination of history, science fiction, and parkour-based action turned heads everywhere when it first emerged on our screens back in 2007. The result was a series rich in lore and unforgettable characters, spanning games, comic books, and even a Hollywood movie. Play Video So with Assassin’s Creed Shadows sneaking up on its March 20 PlayStation 5 launch, here’s the perfect place to arm yourself with everything you need to know about the main strand of the series’ 13 titles. Assassin’s Creed – 2007 – PlayStation 3 – Ubisoft Introducing the world to 12th-century assassin Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, the fresh-faced sandbox action stealth game presented the concept of the Animus, a machine which allows people to relive the genetic memories of their ancestors. In this case, Altaïr’s life during the Third Crusade of the Holy Land is seen through his unsuspecting 21st-century descendant, Desmond Miles, as a winding plot unravels across both timelines. Assassin’s Creed set the tone for the genre for generations to follow, but most importantly, it was a pioneering leap forward for its even more popular sequel… On PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 (via backwards compatibility), the following three titles are available as part of Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection Assassin’s Creed II – 2009 – PlayStation 3 and – 2016 – PlayStation 4 (Enhanced) – Ubisoft Play Video Continuing Desmond’s story, this crafty follow-up surprised everyone by sneaking away from Altaïr and dropping us into the Italian Renaissance Era. Ezio Auditore da Firenze was now the historical recipient of the Animus, delivering a story of revenge that saw the likes of Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli weaved into his quest. Even Desmond himself was granted more agency as he became entrenched within the modern-day Assassin Brotherhood. If Assassin’s Creed cut new cloth for its iconic style and timeless gameplay, the sequel only helped sharpen its impact as Ezio became a fan-favorite character. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood – 2010 – PlayStation 3 and – 2016 – PlayStation 4 (Enhanced) – Ubisoft Set immediately after the events of Assassin’s Creed II, Ezio was the focal point again for this swift and deadly sequel, as he aimed to expand and recruit members into the Assassin Brotherhood across Rome. While retaining the new notoriety system from the previous game that tracked your social infamy and wanted level, Brotherhood introduced the ability to enact assassinations via horseback, perform heavy weapon throws and use a crossbow and poison darts. Ezio could also call upon apprentice assassins for asset-earning missions or help. Most notable was the inclusion of a fantastically devious multiplayer mode for the first time in the series, which let you hunt down friends and then drift away into a crowd like you were never there… Assassin’s Creed Revelations – 2011 – PlayStation 3 and – 2016 –PlayStation 4 (Enhanced) – Ubisoft Play Video Concluding the Ezio trilogy, Revelations featured the now-aged assassin traveling to Constantinople to find five keys needed to unlock Altaïr’s secret library that has the potential to end the war between Templars and Assassins. Meanwhile, a comatose Desmond is forced to achieve full Animus synchronization with Ezio and Altaïr to save his own mind. Revelations granted Ezio even more mobility with zip lines and the new Hookblade, which not only provided quicker traversal but could also be used in combat, yanking targets into a close-range attack, throw or even theft. Random events with NPCs and Templar ‘stalkers’ also kept players on their toes. Assassin’s Creed III – 2012 – PlayStation 3 and – 2019 – PlayStation 4 (Remastered) – Ubisoft Play Video Setting the franchise in North America for the first time, Assassin’s Creed III drew a line under Desmond’s ongoing mission to prevent a global cataclysm. This time, his path to the past was via the memories of an 18th-century Templar called Haytham Kenway, and Kenway’s illegitimate son – Ratonhnhaké:ton, who becomes the assassin Connor. Assassin’s Creed III unleashed a vast number of changes and improvements, with a greater focus on rural environments. Connor could duel-wield, perform a wider variety of counters, combos, and takedowns, and even use enemies as human shields. Animal hunting and naval combat were also introduced, and dramatic weather changes such as snow and rain impacted gameplay. In short, it was an (American) revolution for the series. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – 2013 – PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 – Ubisoft Play Video With Assassin’s Creed III whetting the appetite for travel, Black Flag truly set the player free. Expanding on the previous game’s naval exploration and combat, Black Flag’s focus on the high seas during the Golden Age of Piracy allowed for a wider range of attacking enemy vessels, treasure trekking across underwater shipwrecks, sea animal hunts, and a variety of ocean-based side missions. Combining exploration on both land and sea to such an extent gave Welsh pirate Assassin Edward Kenway unparalleled freedom, mirrored by Kenway’s ability to not only free-aim but also use up to four flintlock pistols together. Not a bad trick to have up one’s sleeve in a world with the likes of Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and Benjamin Hornigold. Assassin’s Creed Rogue – 2014 – PlayStation 3 and – 2018 – PlayStation 4 (Remastered) – Ubisoft Play Video True to its title, Assassin’s Creed Rogue allowed players to control Assassin-turned-Templar Shay Patrick Cormac, offering a dramatic twist of focus for the series. The result was a fascinating spin on expectations across all levels of the gameplay. While much of the previous elements remained – naval combat and exploration, and a vast open world, albeit mostly set across the icy North Atlantic and mid 1700s New York City – Shay has access to a wider access of projectile weapons, and he’s constantly under threat from Assassins. There are even missions where you must intercept and defend an Assassin target from their hooded assailants. Assassin’s Creed Unity – 2014 – PlayStation 4 – Ubisoft Play Video Released at the same time as Assassin’s Creed Rogue on PS3, Assassin’s Creed Unity, brought the franchise to PS4 for the first time, powered by an all-new game engine. While the chilly Rogue focused on a different narrative direction to previous titles, Unity’s jaunt across Paris during the French Revolution warmed things up with a gameplay first for the series: an optional co-op campaign for up to four players. Collaboration, shared resources, and highly customizable weapons and gear that affected your playstyle were all prominent, as you assumed control of Assassin Arno Dorian. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate – 2015 – PlayStation 4 – Ubisoft Play Video 19th Century Victorian era London was the next stop, arriving with two more series of innovations. Not only were there twin Assassin protagonists that players could switch between – Jacob and Evie Frye – but Evie’s inclusion marked the first time you could play as a female Assassin in the mainline titles. Their task to find a piece of Eden and free the Big Smoke from Templar rule was aided by the ability to use carriages as transport, and a ‘kidnapping’ mechanic where the twins could hold an enemy hostage to blend in and access restricted areas. Sneaky. Assassin’s Creed Origins – 2017 – PlayStation 4 – Ubisoft Play Video Jumping all the way back to Ptolemaic Egypt and gently rebooting the series, Assassin’s Creed Origins explored the bloody beginnings of the Assassin Brotherhood (the Hidden Ones) and Templar Order (the Order of the Ancients) conflict. The vengeful Bayek of Siwa is our gateway to the past this time, channeled via former Abstergo Industries employee Layla Hassan in the modern-day era. Offering more role-playing elements than its forebears, Origins featured a greater focus on leveling up systems and progression, intricate crafting, and complex combat mechanics that also allowed Bayek to enter a frenzied state or perform brutal finishing moves. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – 2018 – PlayStation 4 – Ubisoft Play Video Leaning on the more mythological aspects of Ancient Greece, Odyssey continued Layla’s story in the modern day while giving players the chance to become one of King Leonidas’s descendants, Kassandra or Alexios. While the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta was central to its narrative, Odyssey built on the firm foundations set by Origins’ RPG-inspired elements, adding dialogue choices and NPC relationships, branching quests, and even multiple possible endings. Naval combat also made its welcome return, and a ‘mercenary system’ expanded on the earlier game’s ‘stalker system’, with richly written bounty hunters targeting you. Oh, and let’s not forget the tense encounters with mythological creatures such as the Sphinx and Minotaur… Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – 2020 – PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 – Ubisoft Play Video If the title didn’t give it away, Valhalla placed players into the Viking invasions of 873 AD, running alongside the final part of Layla’s globe-trotting modern-day story. Valhalla reintroduced the Assassin/Templar war’s prominence in the series, entangling Viking raider protagonist Eivor – who you can choose to be male or female – into their growing conflict. Further refining the previous games’ mechanics, Valhalla brought back the player settlements mechanics that were last fully explored in Black Flag, as well as offering the chance to enjoy drinking contests, fishing and the hilarious insult hurling flying competitions. Assassin’s Creed Mirage – 2023 – PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 – Ubisoft Play Video With its more direct and linear story, focus on stealth over action, and reemphasis on parkour-based movement, Mirage was a pushback to the series’ roots. Even the modern-day narrative was reduced to give players more time in 9th Century Baghdad with street thief turned Master Assassin, Basim Ibn Ishaq, who we first encountered in Valhalla. And now? It’s not long before we experience the next stage of the Assassin/Templar war, this time in 16th-century Japan alongside shinobi Fujibayashi Naoe, and legendary samurai Yasuke, in Assassin’s Creed Shadows on March 20. But remember: “Nothing is true, everything is permitted.” View the full article

Agent 47 is about to become much more dangerous. With Hitman World of Assassination lining up its PS VR2 shot on March 27, Senior Game Designer Eskil Mohl and Lead & Senior Technical Designer Toke Krainert understood the assignment – and delivered some essential intel on the game. Play Video What are some of the cool things players can do now in the game via VR? Eskil: We now have an incredible amount of new interactions. There’s a scene where you get a safe combination and you can visibly read it in your hand. The tactile sensation of actually looking at a note like this feels amazing. Every little set piece in the game before was a button press, and now you actually reach out and touch stuff. We were initially afraid they wouldn’t hold up visually and audibly, so we were nicely surprised. Another one is that you can look away or use your arm to hide your eyes from flashbang grenades. Toke: There are so many ways of playing the game, and I think it just gets better in VR. It opens up that toolbox even more. Eskil:The other day Toke had one thing in his left hand, and another in his right, and he threw them up and caught them. And he suggested he’d try juggling three things – he was like, technically it’s possible, right? How has combat been changed by putting the game into VR? Eskil: It’s significantly improved. Now you can use an items and weapons wheel instead of pausing the game. And with the weapons you feel way more badass. Before putting it in VR, entering combat was almost a fail state because of how often you’d die, but now it’s a lot of fun. You can holster your gun on your back, and you also need to manually eject the magazine, use your other hand to grab a new one, insert it and then ready the weapon. It took a long time to implement, but it’s so rewarding. Was there a temptation to keep all of the game in first-person? Eskil: Absolutely. For instance, in a scene where you’re stirring soup, we created a first-person prototype, and it felt clunky and a little disorientating. And in other places you couldn’t really get that useful overview of the area you’re in, especially when it comes to knowing where the enemies are. So certain scenes should feel more like a safe spot where you can get a strategic advantage, and it actually felt better in third-person. Did you feel like you had to make more things interactive, given players were now seeing the game world differently? Eskil: Yeah. When you’re in first-person it changes your perception of the game and tactility of what you’re interacting with. But when balancing the game we couldn’t make everything interactive. Toke: We inherited things from the original version of the game, and when I used to be a Level Designer we’d dress locations with items and try to find a good balance of things to pick up. But not all of them, because then you are just littered with props. And if we made everything interactive in VR you would also just have a whole room full of little toy blocks you can throw around. It would be a bit silly! Did you have to tweak the difficulty balance given the players are now using more tactile and intuitive controls? Eskil: It was a huge worry for me. Now you can dual wield anything, and things like the quick throw feature make you way more lethal and agile. Toke: But while you have more freedom, you also have more responsibility for the execution of actions that were previously automated. So aiming requires more deliberate motions, reloading takes time, and you have to keep track of where the items are, physically. Eskil: Yeah, so that is probably part of why it levelled itself out, in a way. Play Video Were there specific points during development where you felt an ‘Eureka’ moment in the transition to VR? Toke: In the beginning, when we were still figuring out the degree of fidelity in the game, we were prying a crowbar in a door for the first time and it cracked open. Suddenly it felt physical. Like, ‘oh, now it’s a VR game’. That became an indicator for how we did all those other world interactions. Eskil: Yeah, that was a really nice moment. And when we were originally using keys in the game, we initially just had the player hold the key to the door and it would spring open. Then Toke took it to the next level and said we could actually have it so you could put the key in the lock and turn it to open the door. It felt amazing. Have any of your favorite missions changed because of how you experienced it in VR? Toke: For me, it’s probably the train level. It’s very linear. Players had mixed feelings about it and so did I, even though I worked on it, but now that you can play with all of these amazing weapons in VR, it’s just turned into a playground. You’re given one cool weapon after the next, and things to throw around, with a lot of armoured enemies coming at you, so you really have to practice those mechanics. It’s really fun now. Eskil: It’s the sort of level which isn’t a typical Hitman level. It’s a bit too action gamey – but now in VR, it rocks. I had the same feeling in the Colorado section of the game. Players often rate it close to the bottom in popularity. But going gun blazing is so much fun. Hitman World of Assassination launches on PS VR2 March 27. View the full article