Commander Fury

What’s up, PlayStation fans! My name’s Dain and I’m one of the creators of Skater XL, a new skateboarding game that we’re excited to announce will be coming soon to PS4. It’s been ten years since a new, authentic skateboarding game hit the market, and a lot has changed in that time. Skateboarding franchises were some of the most played and beloved video games of the 2000’s — many of us have fond memories of Friday nights chilling on the couch with a few buds passing the controller around playing EA’s Skate or the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series. Fans of the genre have famously been clamoring for a new Skate and a revival of an old franchise, but the question we’ve been asking ourselves at Easy Day Studios is — what would a skateboarding game designed from the ground up today look like? We’ve spent the last few years looking to answer that question, designing and improving Skater XL through Early Access, and now moving towards the full launch of the complete 1.0 game. The most important thing to understand about Skater XL is that it’s designed to be fun in the same way that skateboarding is fun. The core of the gameplay is designed more as an expressive and creative tool than a traditional video game with pre-set challenges to complete. The game is unique in that it doesn’t have any tricks programmed into it, only control of the movement through the thumbsticks. Each thumbstick is connected to the character’s corresponding foot — the right stick controls the right foot, the left stick controls the left foot. This control scheme is consistent through all parts of the gameplay, making it easy to learn and rely on when inventing new tricks and movements. See below where the same movements have been made on the sticks in different modes of the gameplay. The front foot is pushed left and the back foot is pushed right, creating the same movement of the board in each situation. While jumping While rolling While jumping and grabbing and while grinding There are a range of basic movements, with a ton of freedom in how they are performed. Skater XL uses physics controlled by the thumbsticks to drive all movement in the game, which is a big step away from traditional ‘canned animation’ based systems. Precise movements made through the thumbsticks will make your tricks look and feel different each time, adding a level of expression, personalization, and style to the gameplay. Below is an example of flipping the board while jumping to create tricks like kickflips and heelflips. How you flick the front foot creates different movement during the trick. Flicking the front foot fast And slow… Flicking diagonal-forward And diagonal-backward This same level of control is available in all types of tricks including jumps, flips, grinds, powerslides and manuals. As your level of skill and creativity grows, you can combine and chain these tricks together in any way you like. For example, see here three different trick lines possible using just three basic tricks – kickflip, powerslide and crooked grind. Grind to powerslide down the bank… Powerslide to bank drop-in Big kickflip down the bank gap There are so many ways to combine and style the same few tricks, and there are a lot of tricks possible in Skater XL! The resulting gameplay is very much free-form, sandbox and creative in nature. Think of it more like a musical instrument than a conventional game. The final piece of the puzzle is the environment. You can take this set of basic skills and tricks and re-invent the environment any way you like. Whether you push yourself, perfecting the subtle nuances of a highly technical trick, or just want to catch some air, our environments are yours to leave your mark on. This creativity in reinventing real-world environments is a big part of skateboarding and the final release of Skater XL will contain several real-world locations based on iconic skate spots from California and the West Coast. Here are a few more of the limitless tricks and combos possible in different areas of the levels: Kickflip backside smith grind Hardflip hippy jump Nollie flip back tail backside flip out At its core, Skater XL is about the journey of challenging yourself and expanding what you can do each time you play — whether it be trying to perfect a line with a tough sequence of moves or a just chill and free-skate, doing what you feel like in the moment. The freedom and depth in the controls is something we think that every skate game fan has been wanting since the birth of the genre. When we saw a Skater XL modding community spring up with more than 50,000 players and thousands of “very positive” reviews on Steam with some playing for more than a thousand hours, we felt humbled, but also that we were onto something. We’re constantly finding amazing new things that the community has created, including an onlinezines, video parts, fake skate brands and hundreds of mods. It’s crazy and awesome. Our work on the core game is just one part of a bigger ecosystem and our goal is for Skater XL to be the home for digital skateboarding. We can’t wait to discover where the players, modders and content creators will go next, and are really excited to bring Skater XL to PS4 and PS4 Pro. I hope you’ll sign up for our email list as we have lots more to announce very soon. View the full article

Hello, PlayStation Now fans! We’re excited to announce a new batch of PlayStation 4 games joining the PlayStation Now library in March. Starting March 3, PS Now subscribers can enjoy 11 new games, including Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Control, and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, which are available to stream and download. These games will join the PlayStation Now library of more than 800 PS4, PS3, and PS2 games in all. Shadow of the Tomb Raider Experience Lara Croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya Apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be. Available to download (PS4 system only) and stream through Monday, August 31 Control After a secretive agency in New York is invaded by an otherworldly threat, you become the new Director struggling to regain Control. From developer Remedy Entertainment, Control is a supernatural third-person action adventure which will challenge you to master the combination of supernatural abilities, modifiable loadouts, and reactive environments, while fighting through a deep and unpredictable world. Available to download (PS4 system only) and stream through Monday, August 31 Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Play Video Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus sends players to Nazi-controlled America on a mission to recruit the boldest resistance leaders left. Battle in iconic American locations, equip an arsenal of badass guns, and unleash new abilities to fight your way through legions of enemy soldiers, and spark the second American Revolution. Available to download (PS4 system only) and stream Here is a full list of games joining the PlayStation Now library in March: Control (available until Monday, August 31) Dead or Alive 5 Last Round Nascar Heat 3 Nights of Azure Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 Shadow of the Tomb Raider (available until September 7) Toukiden 2 Toukiden Kiwami Warriors All-Stars Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Enjoying PUBG on PS Now? Well, good news: the genre-defining battle royale experience is getting an extended stay on PS Now, meaning users can continue to download and stream PUBG on PS Now. Haven’t played it yet? Find out more here. Don’t forget to check out January’s games including Horizon Zero Dawn and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which are available until April 7, 2020. If you haven’t tried PlayStation Now yet, now’s the perfect time to give it a spin with the seven-day free trial* for PS4 and PC. Download the more than 300 PS4 (and PS2) games in the service to play on your PS4 or PS4 Pro system, or stream any of the 800+ PS2, PS3, and PS4 games to your PS4 or PC. Stay tuned for more updates on PS Now. Happy gaming! *Terms apply. New Subscribers only. Credit card or PayPal required. See here for details. **Ongoing subscription with a $9.99 recurring fee charged every month until cancelled. Other terms apply. See here for details. ***Ongoing subscription with a $59.99 recurring fee charged every 12 months until cancelled. Other terms apply. See here for details. View the full article

Hey all, my name is Seth Sivak and I’m the CEO of Proletariat, the company developing Spellbreak. In my previous post, I gave you an overview of what Spellbreak was and how we want to bring bombastic magic combat to PlayStation. Since we’re releasing the beta tomorrow on PS4, I wanted to give you a closer look at the six classes you’ll be able to play as in Spellbreak. At the start of every match, you can choose your class. Each class in Spellbreak has a unique playstyle and set of skills that can be learned as you level in a given game. Every skill offers you a significant upgrade to the playstyle and serves to further differentiate the classes as the match progresses. While you’ll start each match as a powerful spellcaster, by the end you will be a destructive force. The Pyromancer specializes in fire magic, allowing them to do large swaths of damage across the battlefield. They specialize in mid-range combat with their Fireball spell, which can leave burning puddles of fire on the ground, or they can use Flamewall to create a wall of fire to harm their opponents or defend themselves or an area. Above, you can see a Pyromancer using the Firefly skill to literally take flight by entering a Flamewall, allowing them to quickly cross gaps and distance or make a hasty retreat. Do a barrel roll! A Stoneshaper is a defensive earth mage who can sunder the ground to brawl up close or lay siege to their far-off quarry by throwing giant boulders over the horizon. Their primary spell is Shockwave, which tears up the ground and sends it zooming toward their opponent. With each cast, they siphon a portion of the earth’s power to shield themselves. You can see them repeatedly casting Boulderfall in the gif above to rain down destruction from afar. If you’d prefer a somewhat sneakier playstyle, focused around burst damage, perhaps the Toxicologist will quench your thirst. Using their vials of toxic goo, they can cast Toxic Spray to cover the field in sticky puddles. Get in close with someone for maximum damage. They can also summon large clouds of gas to cover the landscape which can be lit on fire or electrified, but more importantly, by entering one, they can use Vanishing Mists to launch themselves through it and become invisible. While invisible, their damage is greatly increased so your opponents will always be on their toes. How are your reflexes? A Conduit can cast Lightning Bolts, summon storms, and shock other players. When a player is shocked, they can’t attack back, so time your spells, disable them, and strike like lightning! On top of their elemental powers, Conduits also specialize in runic magic and control over mana, allowing them to make more frequent use of both compared to other classes. The high-flyer of Spellbreak, the Tempest takes to the skies on the wings of the winds to rain down destruction from above. Their Wind Shear lets them launch themselves off the ground and walls to maintain maximum advantage over their opponents or they can use their Tornadoes to fly even higher into the air or pull in their enemies (or both!). While skyborn, Tempests infuse their attacks with the power of wind to deal even more damage than while they’re grounded. Finally, the slickest of the classes: Frostborn. A fast-moving sniper who’s capable of creating paths of ice to quickly traverse the world along with their team. Their Ice Lance spell is tremendously damaging, but requires great care in aiming. If they get themselves into a bind, they can use their Flash Freeze to ward off attackers and skate away. On top of choosing a class, you can further customize your build with different spells, sorceries, runes, talents and more that will ensure each match has a different flavor where you can adapt to both your surroundings and opponents, but that’s a subject for another day! The Spellbreak Closed Beta will be available on PS4, starting tomorrow. Join the Closed Beta now by purchasing a Founder Pack and unlock exclusive items at full launch. Check out Spellbreak’s page at PlayStation.com for the latest news and updates. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you in game! View the full article

Hello. I’m a solo indie game developer about to release my first PlayStation game, Separation, an ambient adventure launching this Wednesday on PS VR. I’d like to take this opportunity to reveal the inspiration behind the game, along with some of the challenges I faced developing it. Firstly, you may be wondering exactly what I mean by ‘ambient adventure.’ I’ve never felt comfortable with the term ‘walking simulator’ and reasoned that an equivalent to the musical genres of ‘ambient’ or ‘downtempo’ also existed in games. Separation’s gameplay is relaxed — exploration based with some puzzle elements, and no time pressure. Atmosphere and ambience are emphasized, details kept deliberately sparse. My mood board was heavy on Fumito Ueda’s PS2 classic Ico and the 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, Caspar David Friedrich (whose works often evoke a sense of epic desolation). I wanted to bring that feeling to VR, so I could lose myself in it. I had personal reasons for doing so. Since losing my father in 2010 I have struggled with episodes of depression. I wanted to create a space where I could explore the feelings of emptiness and loss, perhaps finding some meaning in reflection. Hopefully, other people will be able to relate to that too. There is very little narrative – it’s a symbolic journey and you are free to make up your own conclusions about the experience. I feel VR is particularly suited to this end. The immersion reinforces the player’s experience of isolation, providing an experience of solitude that is increasingly rare in today’s hyper-connected world. Of course, game development is seldom straightforward. I had never made a game in VR before and my limited resources meant I would spend long months struggling with technical issues beyond my expertise, trying to solve problems that normally require a team to effectively navigate. The journey took me well beyond my comfort zone, but I persevered, even as the game went twice, three times over its development schedule. I had a lot to learn and spent much of the time simply trying to achieve a stable framerate and shaders that rendered without issue in VR. When funds ran out, I took on part time jobs to pay the rent. I composed and recorded the soundtrack at night, headphones on, sitting at the kitchen table after my family had gone to bed. “You will get there in the end,” gamedev friends told me at the local meetup in York, but it was hard not to feel that life was passing me by during the four long years of solo work on the game. It’s hard to take a break or go through illness when there’s nobody else to carry things forward in your absence. Despite many setbacks, I did make progress and as the game neared completion and I wandered the desolate landscapes of my imagination, I began to feel a sense of peace and acceptance in the virtual world I had made solid. So, where does this lead? I hope players will find something worth exploring, even if it’s just to watch the virtual sun setting behind those desolate rocks, the light fading on the water to an ambient soundtrack. I’ve learned much, and hopefully if the game is well received, I’ll get the chance to continue building upon it, perhaps with a small team. I hope at the end of it all, somebody will discover their own special place in Separation. View the full article

Welcome back! We’ve opened up the Players’ Choice polls for February — take your pick from a series of new releases including Dreams, Bloodroots, Mosaic, and more, and cast your vote below. We’ll close the polls Sunday evening, then reveal the winners next week. We also spruced up the art we’ll be using for this post each month. Hope you like it! What are you voting for this month? How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year. What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Shadow of the Colossus and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted. Players’ Choice: What Was February’s Best New Game? View the full article

By now you’ve likely seen the news – you can finally play Final Fantasy VII Remake in your own home via the just-announced PS4 demo. If you’re at all curious about this beautifully reimagined adventure, download the demo and run through the memorable “bombing run” mission for yourself. It wowed PS1 players back in 1997, and I’m happy to say the 2020 interpretation is just as riveting. If you missed the PS1 original or any of its subsequent re-releases, think of the bombing run as a cold open for the entire game. You’re thrust into a death-defying mission to take out a Mako reactor, a device the omnipresent Shinra Electric Power Company is using to fuel all sorts of modern marvels. The catch is this process may be siphoning energy right out of the planet itself, a fact Shinra chooses to ignore. Naturally this doesn’t sit well with some folks, namely the initial heroes of Final Fantasy VII. A NEW EXPERIENCE The demo – and main game – begins with Barret, Cloud, and the AVALANCHE group rolling up to the facility, breaking inside, and planting a bomb on Mako Reactor 1. A tense boss battle unfolds, the reactor blows, and the demo concludes. It was effective 23 years ago, and it’s a wild ride today. But where that demo ends, our hands-on experience begins. Immediately after the blast, Cloud and crew escape underground and then scatter into the streets. This sequence takes perhaps 10 minutes in the original game, with just a handful of scenes and camera perspectives to sell the action. In the remake, Cloud is hoofing it through alleys, up fire escapes, and across rooftops with Shinra soldiers at every turn. Civilians lie injured in the streets, chaos reigns in all directions, and you’re left to wonder, was the bombing worth all this? And this sequence is what really made FFVII Remake click for me. I see how Square Enix plans to not just lengthen, but also enrich the original experience with moments and events that further sell the aftermath of such a momentous attack. While the original did an excellent job in 1997, 2020’s remake fully conveys the destruction with flames, injured NPCs, collapsing infrastructure, and an overall chaotic tone as you’re fired upon by Shinra goons. There are so many pivotal moments within the city of Midgar that could benefit from this treatment, so I can’t wait to see how they play out in the remake. Chapter 2 also adds an encounter with Aerith and, believe it or not, a flashback / hallucinatory manifestation of Sephiroth. This entire segment is new, and does a great job cementing Sephiroth’s looming, villainous presence within the FFVIIR world. He towers over Cloud not just in physical stature, but also confidence; as capable as Cloud seems in these opening moments, he’s clearly outclassed by this specter from his past. I won’t get into the words exchanged or what exactly happens, but it’s interesting to see just how much FFVIIR is going to play with existing fans’ assumptions. The end result seems to be a game that’s welcoming to new players, but fresh even if you know the original front to back. THOSE WHO FIGHT From this point we move to another save file further into the game. Melee expert Tifa joins Cloud and Barret, and we’re ready to take out another reactor. As you can determine for yourself via the demo, the battle system has you attacking to build up ATB charges and then spend said charges on Abilities, Spells, or Items. Each character also brings something unique to the fight, such as Barret’s long-range bullets or Cloud’s powerful Punisher stance. Some enemies are pushovers. Others require smart positioning, efficient use of ATB, and using all three characters to push enemies into a staggered state. Once staggered, you can really pour on the pain. Players are also given the option to choose between this action-oriented approach (complete with evade rolls and controller shortcuts to Abilities and Spells), or a Classic Mode where characters attack automatically and you direct the usage of ATB. The save we played had access to powerful Summon Materia as well. Materia grants characters spells and other abilities, while Summon Materia gives the equipped character access to that particular Summon – in this case, Final Fantasy mainstay Leviathan. Once summoned, the monster will fight alongside your party on its own, or you can spend ATB on powerful attacks (while still having access to your own ATB abilities). If the enemy you’re fighting is weak to the Summons’ powers, you can dish out a whole lotta damage in short order. Case in point is a battle against Abzu, a boss we fought later in the demo session. In this instance I had Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith in my party, with the latter having access to Ifrit. He bursts onto the scene with fiery… flare… and really tears into this boss, giving me time to heal and build charges. I didn’t sample Classic Mode but can say the default approach really makes you consider each action. Mashing Attack is good and all, but bosses and enemies have all kinds of tricks that make you change tactics quickly. MORE MIDGAR By the time our session wrapped up, I was eager to find new Materia, experiment with battles, and further see just how much content Square Enix has added to the original experience. Almost any moment I could recall from the past – President Shinra’s encounter with the trio near one of the reactors, or a simple button-pressing minigame, for instance – has been totally reimagined and dramatized in a way that makes even familiar moments feel new again. Love what I’ve seen so far and can’t wait to see the rest of what Midgar has to offer. View the full article

The moment many of you have been waiting for is here: The Final Fantasy VII Remake demo is out now! Visit the demo page and download now! While you’re waiting for it to download (or get home to play it), we can give you a little information about what to expect from this exciting glimpse into the game. What’s included in the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo? The new demo features a lengthy segment from the very beginning of the game: the iconic bombing mission against the Shinra Electric Power Company, and the subsequent escape. You’ll control two of the game’s cast – spiky-haired ex-SOLDIER Cloud Strife, and the ballistically-limbed Barret Wallace – and enact a dangerous plan to infiltrate and destroy Mako Reactor 1. It’s a very large complex, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore, find secrets, soak in the richly detailed environments and, of course, bash Shinra Security troopers with a giant sword. When you reach your target, you’ll encounter the Scorpion Sentinel. It may be the first boss of the game, but don’t expect this mechanical monstrosity to give you an easy ride. If you manage to beat it, don’t think you can relax – you still have to escape from the complex before it collapses around you. But did you give yourself long enough to do so…? What you need to know about combat in Final Fantasy VII Remake When you play the demo, you’ll get to experience Final Fantasy VII Remake’s combat system first-hand. It combines real time action and menu-based commands to create something that feels brand new, but still hearkens back to the original game. You’ll see what we mean when you play it. Everything revolves around ATB. As you attack foes with the Square button, you’ll fill a gauge underneath your character’s health indicator. This is the ATB bar – and when a segment is full, you can spend it to perform an action. For example, you can use an Ability – a special attack that deals damage or fills the enemy’s stagger gauge. Alternatively, you could heal with an item or cast a spell – magic can be devastatingly effective when used properly. We think it’s a really exciting system, but if you prefer strategy to action, you can also try Classic Mode. In this mode, the characters will attack automatically, so you can focus on giving them commands – similar to command-based RPGs like the original FINAL FANTASY VII. However you like to play, remember that spending ATB is the key to combat. Basic attacks don’t do much damage, and enemies can hit surprisingly hard, so make sure you experiment with all the tools at your disposal to find what works best. To get you started, here’s a pro tip that fans of the original game might remember: Shinra machinery hate electricity, so bring the Thunder! We hope you enjoy the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo. When is Final Fantasy VII Remake out? If you’re excited to play more, the good news is that you don’t have long to wait. Final Fantasy VII Remake releases April 10, 2020 for PlayStation 4! You can pre-order now at PlayStation Store. View the full article

We’ve just wrapped up our Panel at PAX East, where Lead Writer Joshua Rubin and Lead Narrative Designer Szymon Barchan spent some time talking about the work that has gone into creating the universe of Outriders, as well as discussing the space that Outriders intends to carve out for itself in the RPG shooter genre. If you missed the panel, you can watch a VOD of it here, but I also wanted to take the time here at PlayStation.Blog to expand upon some of thematic ideas behind Outriders, which releases Holiday 2020 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. If you’d like to find out a bit more about some of the thought processes in the early days of new-universe creation, have a look at the short video above, which also includes some previously unreleased concept art. One Question that we’ve seen be bounced around a lot is: How does the science fiction setting of Outriders differ from everything else that’s already out there? Simultaneously, I’ve also seen a handful of observers insist that we seem to be “doing sci-fi wrong.” Where are the beam weapons, lasers and shiny suits of armor!? But that is exactly the heart of the Outriders universe. When People Can Fly first envisioned Outriders and started putting the first pieces of it all together, the idea was to do sci-fi a little differently to the current day trend. One of the game’s basic principles is to meld the science fiction frontier setting of an unexplored, alien planet, with the visceral grittiness of warfare. That being said, buckle up for a moment everyone, we’re about to get a little cerebral. One of the fundamental aspects of science fiction is the exploration of ideas, particularly with a view towards potential consequences of innovations or changes in science and technology, but also society. These notions all lie at the core of the Outriders universe and narrative. From day one the team had a strong focus on narrative and story and with Outriders we wanted to craft a science fiction universe which was far more than just window dressing. We want to build lore that has depth and creates discussion and conversation. You may already be familiar with the game’s tagline: “Leave Humanity Behind.” The true meaning behind this phrase contains several different layers that you will encounter and have the chance to mull over in your travels across Enoch. There are other themes worth considering as well and keen observers may draw parallels with aspects of works such as Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.” Finally, there are some more overarching themes and metaphors in the Outriders universe that we, for the sake of spoiler avoidance, don’t want to delve into just yet. The cornerstone of a rich science-fiction world also lies within the effort dedicated to world building. Much of this was already done at the very outset of the Outriders project: People Can Fly wrote almost 200 years worth of “pre-universe lore,” from 2020 through to 2209 — it’s the History of the Future and is enshrined in our game’s design bible. Dozens of pages chart the political and economic landscapes that led to the demise of planet Earth, as well as the work done to save what was left of the human race. All of these events occur before the actual game narrative of Outriders begins. As you progress through the game, you will uncover a treasure trove of lore that will reflect upon this history, all of which you can explore and read at your own pace should you be so inclined. When humans first land on Enoch, the planet upon which the Outriders game takes place, they encounter a storm henceforth referred to as “the Anomaly.” This storm renders all the high tech equipment of the new arrivals useless, forcing them to fall back upon relying on the most basic of remaining technology and ballistic weaponry. This same set-back also means that colonizing the planet as planned is no longer possible — all the equipment and resources needed for this are still stuck in orbit, waiting for an uplink signal that cannot be sent now that anything more advanced than a two-way radio has been fried. Here’s an excerpt from the Journal that explains the Anomaly a bit more: Knowing this, and bearing the themes mentioned further above in mind, you may already be able to discern some of the narrative elements that Outriders may touch upon. In particular, how does a generation of humans who have experienced the pinnacle of human advancement on planet Earth fare when thrown into the savagery of a primitive new world? Stripped of everything that gave them an advantage in the old world, how far will they go to maintain, save or sacrifice their humanity? And how does an Outrider who awakens from cryo-sleep 30 years too late find their way in this changed society and deal with the children of Enoch, who have been born into a world of conflict and struggle, and raised on the propaganda of war and hate? What sacrifices will need to be made to give the human race a second chance on Enoch? That’s the setup for the universe of Outriders and where our story really begins… We’re looking forward to seeing you delve into the universe People Can Fly created and for you to experience the rich story that they’ve crafted when Outriders releases Holiday 2020 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. For more information about Outriders, be sure to follow the Outriders social channels! View the full article

Set forth on a journey into an abandoned world in Separation, a meditative new adventure created by solo developer Recluse Industries. Featuring an ambient soundtrack and a desolate world to explore, the game should take players around two hours to complete… though you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop! 60 Seconds! PS4 — Digital (Out Mar. 6) 60 Seconds! is a dark comedy atomic adventure of scavenge and survival. Collect supplies and rescue your family before the nuke hits. Stay alive in your fallout shelter. Make difficult decisions, ration food and hunt mutant cockroaches. And maybe survive. Or not. Amoeba Battle – Microscopic RTS Action PS4 — Digital Amoeba Battle is a new breed of real-time strategy game where you control versatile amoebas in the battle for the microscopic world. Unlike other RTS games, there are no bases to build — new amoebas are created through the miracle of binary fission! Breeder Homegrown: Director’s Cut PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Out Mar. 6) Breeder Homegrown is a short horror game about a family dealing with a strange creature over several generations. You will encounter some puzzles but the game relies mostly on atmosphere, music, and dialogues. In this Director’s Cut version, dialogues have been streamlined, some issues have been fixed, and if you look close enough, you might find some new little surprises. Dogfighter – WW2 PS4 — Digital New sky battle royale has arrived — real dogfighting battle royale based on WW2! Be part of the grand sky battle with warplanes such as mustang, spitfire, messerschmitt, zerosen, customized the way you want with 40 people. You are the ruler of the sky! Granblue Fantasy: Versus PS4 — Digital, Retail Take the fight to new heights on the PS4! Legendary fighting game studio Arc System Works and Cygames team up to bring the Granblue Fantasy universe to the home console in an action-packed, head-to-head fighter. Granblue Fantasy: Versus features a colorful cast of their most popular crewmates, each with a unique fighting style that is easy to learn but hard to master. Holfraine PS4 — Digital Holfraine is a third-person hero shooter with different characters to choose from. Play with your teammates and defeat the opposing team through matches full of dynamic elements. Join your teammates to gain control of Holfraine, the most valuable and coveted energetic resource in the entire universe. Pathologic 2 PS4 — Digital (Out Mar. 6) Pathologic 2 is a narrative-driven dramatic thriller about fighting a deadly outbreak in a secluded rural town. You are a healer, and to save anyone, you’ll have to survive in this bleak and strange world, where even food and medicine are scarce. Separation PS VR — Digital (Out Mar. 4) Separation is a first-person adventure at its most ambient and atmospheric. A meditation on solitude, loss, and the spiritual path, Separation is a unique journey to a place of epic desolation. Featuring a sublime electronic soundtrack by Vector Lovers, Separation is the ultimate chill out trip. Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Cross-Buy, Out Mar. 4) Syrup finds a candy golem in her basement. Could the two become friends, and finally complete the Ultimate Sweet? In a magical town there lives a candy alchemist, Syrup, who one day discovers a candy golem in her basement. Where did she come from? Who could’ve made her? Go find out! Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late [cl-r] PS4 — Digital (Out Mar. 5) Rule the Night! Control a deeper, darker fighting experience than ever before. Battle with 21 unique characters, including the all-new Londrekia with his original moves, story, stage, and music. Master devastating new combos and dazzling special attacks in online, arcade, story, and training modes. Fiver Finger Death Punch – F8 Prince Royce Reggaeton Takeover Jumanji: The Next Level Richard Jewell Titans | Season 2 The information above is subject to change without notice. Pardon our dust! In the coming months, you may notice the occasional discrepancy in The Drop as we’re updating the back-end systems we pull game info from to populate our list. We will, of course, strive to correct any mistakes as they arise. Thanks for your patience! View the full article

Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Welcome back, Blogcastronauts! We’ve got a fun one for ya this week, featuring plenty of talk about Capcom’s upcoming remake of Resident Evil 3, along with some wonderfully intriguing listener letters and an honest-to-goodness brand new segment: the Blogcast Game Club. Listen in! Stuff We Talked About Game Club! Let’s play Kentucky Route Zero Acts 1 & 2 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Ruby Weapon in Final Fantasy XIV Borderlands 3’s romantic new DLC The Sonic the Hedgehog movie Dead Cells Final Fantasy IX Mint chocolate chip ice cream vs. regular chocolate ice cream Our favorite cheats in games The Cast Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE Justin Massongill – Content Communications Manager, SIE Kristen Zitani – Content Communications Specialist, SIE Tim Turi – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] View the full article

Last week, we sent you on a virtual vacation to show off gaming locations you’d love to travel to. From crystal clear lakes to towering cityscapes, you shared your favorite gaming travel spots using #PS4share and #PSBlog. Here’s where to catch a ticket to next: fabianhazuki would like to settle into a quiet visit to the town of Rhodes in Red Dead Redemption 2. GravityShifters would like to float across the skyline of Lei Colmosna in Gravity Rush 2. kasimarieDC would like to coast along the river of Ancient Eygpt in Assassin’s Creed Origins. lorsteibel would like to travel to new and unknown worlds like in Journey to the Savage Planet. Sefwick is ready to hit the big city in Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. vikingdad278 is ready to head to lakes of Oregon in this shot from Days Gone. Search #PS4share and #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: Horizon Zero Dawn – 3rd Anniversary Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, March 4 We’re headed back to the world of Horizon Zero Dawn to celebrate its 3rd anniversary today! Share your favorite moments with Aloy using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

1971 Project Helios is a turn-based strategy game coming to PS4 in Q2 2020, which combines modern warfare military tactics and close combat. Firearms and vehicles are scarce, conflicts and hostilities have no end, and the freezing cold annihilates both friends and foes caught in its path. An Earth gripped by a new ice age In early 1942, huge meteors crashed into Earth, the resulting climate change kickstarting a new ice age. Fast-forward to 1971 and extreme temperatures and violent storms are now part of daily life. Those who have survived the dramatic changes wrought by the strikes have done so thanks to Fulgor, a unique substance carried to the planet by the same meteors that so dramatically changed its environment. In Europe, a new society was born from the remains of the German army and its intelligence services. Calling itself Wintersöhne (Sons of the Winter), it has pursued research into refining Fulgor for human consumption and developing it for military purposes. Out of the ashes of the devastation to the north is born an ultra-religious cult, one that worships Fulgor as a divine gift. Forsaking technology, the Kaphirite cult believe the alien artifacts are the ultimate judge as to who deserves to live. Initiation into its ranks requires Fulgor to be absorbed into the system intravenously… a process that few survive. Those who do are believed to be divinely chosen. A quest that unites eight strangers Into this inhospitable world comes eight disparate souls, united by a common purpose to bring humanity back from the brink. Their quest – your quest – will see you travel through military enclaves and medieval dungeons, encountering and battling different factions, each boasting unique combatants, strategies and strengths. Balance your group’s individual skills to strategize a response in turn-based fights and survive another day on the tundra. Do so and you’ll gradually unlock new skills and upgrade equipment, letting you customise each character’s, and ultimately the group’s, build to develop new ways to counter any danger you may face. As much as your choices are key to your success in every conflict, so too are the personal decisions made during your journey essential to deciding how it ends. With the game’s story offering multiple endings, the fate of the world lies in your hands. View the full article

Hey Vault Hunters! Today we’re super excited to reveal Guns, Love, and Tentacles: The Marriage of Wainwright & Hammerlock, the second campaign add-on for Borderlands 3. releases March 26, so while you wait, here’s your first look at what to expect from this expansion. Wainwright Jakobs and Sir Alistair Hammerlock are getting hitched and have invited you to their engagement party. After the bombastic glitz and glamour of the casino setting in the Moxxi’s Heist of The Handsome Jackpot add-on (which launched back in December), we wanted to go in a darker direction for this one, so the celebration will take place underneath a gargantuan monster’s corpse on a harsh new ice world named Xylourgos. You’ll meet plenty of creepy characters on Xylourgos, but one of the first faces you’ll see after arriving by drop pod is a friendly one: Gaige, a wanted fugitive turned wedding planner who fans may remember from her days as a Vault-hunting Mechromancer in Borderlands 2’s DLC. With her robot BFF Deathtrap at her side, Gaige will do whatever it takes to ensure that the Jakobs/Hammerlock shindig is a success. We like to think of Guns, Love, and Tentacles as a cosmic horror rom-com that puts the “love” back in “Lovecraft.” Expect to get into plenty of wedding planning shenanigans as occultists, curses, and creatures with more teeth and tentacles than nature intended threaten to derail the betrothed couple’s plans for a happily ever after. Some of the mutated enemies that you’ll have to overcome are unlike anything that we’ve thrown at you before, and they’ll drop some crazy otherworldly loot too, including new Heads and Skins, new Interactive Room Decorations, and of course, new Legendary Weapons, Shields, and Class and Grenade Mods. Players who haven’t progressed far enough through the Borderlands 3 story campaign to unlock interplanetary travel will have the option to jump straight into the new content when creating a new character. Anyone taking advantage of this option when will automatically complete all of the story missions up to and including “Taking Flight,” in which they leave Pandora aboard the spaceship Sanctuary III for the first time. At this point, they’ll already be level 13 and ready to set a course for the party on Xylourgos. Guns, Love, and Tentacles is our second piece of premium add-on content for Borderlands 3, included with the Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe edition and in the Season Pass. We’ve also been supporting the game with frequent free updates, and we revealed a few more of those during our PAX East show as well. In the coming months, players can look forward to another in-game seasonal event called Revenge of the Cartels, which will be similar in scope to the Bloody Harvest event we did for Halloween. Those of you who have braved the ultra-difficult free content addition of the Takedown at the Maliwan Blacksite will be happy to know that another free, raid-style Takedown is on the way, this time themed around the mysterious Guardians. As with the Maliwan Takedown, you’ll be able to tackle this new Takedown solo, but the “true” Takedown experience is designed for maximum endgame challenge that’ll push a co-op party of four max-level Vault Hunters to their limits. Speaking of endgame, we’re also gearing up for a complete overhaul of Mayhem Mode that we’re calling Mayhem Mode 2.0. This free content update will refocus Mayhem Mode, the galaxy-warping system you unlock after finishing the main story, to put an emphasis on surprising buffs that encourage new playstyles rather than restrictive modifiers. There’s so much still in store for Borderlands 3, so be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and borderlands.com to stay up to date. For now, enjoy that new trailer, and we’ll see you on Xylourgos on March 26. View the full article

MX Nitro: Unleashed is out today on PS4, and we’re excited to bring you old school motocross action! Take to the skies and pull off insane tricks… and some epic crashes. The game is all about achieving death-defying stunts as you race others across over 40 tracks, battling bosses along the way. Here are our top five tips to get you started in your motocross career in the 40-hour campaign mode. Bust a Wheelie You can Wheelie right from the starting line to get Nitro for the first jump – it’ll become second nature soon enough. The same goes for long flat track sections of tracks and drag racing. Use Nitro The key steps to remember are: Release – Jump – Trick – Land – Release. For maximum effect, use Nitro a couple seconds before the jump to accelerate and fly even further. Land Firm Landing is crucial — align both of your wheels to match the ground level for a smooth landing, and then add just a tad of Nitro to keep the flow going. Hang in There Each track is a puzzle to solve — failing and trying again is absolutely OK (just use the quick restart button). It all pays off when you beat it! Be Greedy for Nitro Use one-button tricks, even on small hops, to get some precious Nitro. MX Nitro: Unleashed is an expanded version of the original MX Nitro with new tracks, new bosses, new outfits, and several game improvements including visuals. We’re looking forward to you getting on the tracks! View the full article

Greetings, everyone! This is Matt “Bayohne” Hilton from the Final Fantasy XIV Online (FFXIV) Community team, here to deliver PlayStation.Blog readers a behind-the-scenes look at how the dev team brought the Ruby Weapon to life in FFXIV. Final Fantasy fans will no doubt recognize the Ruby Weapon as a challenging boss that players were able to battle in the desert outside of the Gold Saucer in FFVII. FF fans may also be aware that Final Fantasy XIV loves paying homage to the previous titles in the franchise, whether it be with locations, themes, or in Ruby Weapon’s case, even bosses. The most recent update to FFXIV, Patch 5.2 — Echoes of a Fallen Star, introduced the hulking Ruby Weapon as a brand-new 8-player trial for adventurers to tackle in both normal, and high-level difficulty “extreme” modes. We sat down with a few members from the team to discuss the inspirations and challenges they faced to introduce such a unique and iconic foe to the game. How much did the team look to Final Fantasy VII for reference or inspiration when creating the encounter? Whether that be from a visual standpoint or its attacks and movements. And, can you talk about the team balances preserving aspects of the original while providing a FFXIV flair? Would you say that this design is heavily based on the FFVII version of the monster, or is it more of its own thing? Masaki Nakagawa (Lead Battle Content Designer) and the FFXIV team: Let’s talk visual design first. Whenever we bring an existing Final Fantasy series character to FFXIV, there are two general paths we might take in terms of character design. In some cases, we will keep the FFXIV version true to the character’s original design — we don’t add any elaborate or original flair, but rather honor the design as it appeared in the original work. We would aim to recreate the character in a high-quality graphic environment while trying to make sure it doesn’t look unnatural. A recent example can be seen in the characters that appeared in the Interdimensional Rift Omega raid series from patch 4.x. In other instances, we’ll take only the name and basic characteristics of the original and add our original design to help blend the character in to the world of FFXIV. We have quite a few examples of this as well: cactuars, chocobos, Garuda, Titan, Ifrit, Leviathan, Shiva, and Ramuh just to name a few. The Ruby Weapon in FFXIV leans more towards the latter path, but that isn’t to say it is completely original. We still paid respect to its visual appearance in Final Fantasy VII, finding a balance between keeping the original characteristics well-preserved and bringing out some originality. Hiroyuki Nagamine, who handled Ruby Weapon’s art design took inspiration from the Final Fantasy VII version of the monster when he created the artwork for the FFXIV version of Ruby Weapon—specifically Ruby Weapon’s claws, which you might remember look like tentacles. Furthermore, the design silhouette (the overall shape of the monster) is very reminiscent of Bahamut, and I think that adds to the originality of the FFXIV version of this enemy. The reason behind this choice is because Nael Van Darnus, a character from the Binding Coil of Bahamut raid series, ties heavily into the FFXIV version of Ruby Weapon from both a story and lore perspective. Next, let’s talk a bit about the design from a battle perspective. Final Fantasy XIV’s Ruby Weapon has a deeply intertwined lore and story behind it, and the battle content places heavy emphasis on highlighting those points. We spent a great deal of time devising ideas for battle mechanics that would feel fresh and new. Our goal was to make the gameplay experience feel as close to an action game as we could possibly make it within the parameters of FFXIV battle mechanics, and there is a heavy focus on rapid attacks in succession. We poured a lot of time not just into the brainstorming, but also on animations, the creation of visual and audio effects, and programming the fight. However, there are also unique attacks that utilize the Ruby Weapon’s claws and quicksand in the battlefield — both of which take inspiration from the Final Fantasy VII version of Ruby Weapon. I personally thought the claws and quicksand attacks turned out to be especially interesting mechanics for this fight. As we mentioned earlier, the battle is available in both normal and “extreme” levels of difficulty, with the extreme version providing a higher degree of challenge. Where do you feel the extreme version of lands on the difficulty scale, compared to other extreme trials? I think perceived difficulty levels will differ from player to player, so it’s difficult to answer this by simply comparing the fight with other extreme trials. However, I can say that the team who fine-tuned the battle content all said that Ruby Weapon is more difficult compared to Titania (Extreme) and Innocence (Extreme) from 5.0. There are many new battle mechanics in the Ruby Weapon (Extreme) encounter that were never seen in any other extreme-tier trial, so I also feel that it might take a bit more practice in order to get past some of these. At the same time, this means that players get to experience new mechanics and new possibilities when it comes to FFXIV battles, so I hope that it provides an enjoyable gameplay experience that feels both challenging and new. Are you able to tell us some details regarding the creation of the weapons that players can obtain in the extreme trial? During the design and creation process, what aspects of Ruby Weapon did the art team use as inspiration to create these weapons? Are there any designs that you feel bring out the “Ruby Weapon feel”? Yusuke Mogi (Lead Character Concept Artist): Generally, my request to the team for any weapon that players obtain through extreme trials is to include visual motifs that reflect the boss’ design. I believe it’s important to be able to show something to other players that says, “I cleared this boss!” I hope that seeing these weapons will serve as a catalyst for communication between players who haven’t attempted the trial and those who have completed it. Diving deeper into the designs, the weapons for the Ruby Weapon trial were designed with the concept of integrating machinery and organic life forms. As this is close to design concepts that were adopted in Japanese anime in the 80s and the 90s, I was particular about creating a design that felt somewhat nostalgic but also had something that felt new — a ‘je ne sais quoi’ element, if you will. Switching gears over to the music, we have a question for Masayoshi Soken! What inspiration did you look to when composing music for this encounter? Were there any particular points from the fight you had to consider when crafting the music? Masayoshi Soken (Sound Director & Composer): I had some lengthy discussions with Main Scenario Writer Natsuko Ishikawa regarding the music for the Ruby Weapon battle. Ishikawa had two requests: to include an arrangement of Ultima — Ultima Weapon’s theme, and to create a song with a quick tempo to match the battle content. During these discussions, I remember that I also had a recording session planned for The Primals for something completely different. When I told Ishikawa about this, she asked if The Primals could create an arrangement for the Ruby Weapon music. The thought of The Primals arranging Ultima sparked a flame in my creative soul!!! I dove right in and started prepping, creating a mockup version and making edits to mesh with the battle content. I really thought to myself, “This is a perfect match for this battle! This will work!” However, during the recording session the other band members and I went through much trial and error trying to create a track with this quick tempo…and that is where we hit a wall. We were originally supposed to be done with the recording in half a day, but we kept extending our recording session time over and over. We ended up using the whole day, and it was early morning by the time we left the studio…lol. And finally, for our readers who may have tackled Ruby Weapon over the years in Final Fantasy VII, do you have any advice for them as they look to defeat Ruby Weapon? What do you hope those who have also fought the original will enjoy in this encounter? Masaki Nakagawa (Lead Battle Content Designer) and the FFXIV team: As mentioned earlier, some of the attacks that the FFXIV version of Ruby Weapon uses took inspiration from those of the FFVII version. I’m sure players would notice these instantly if they challenge the Ruby Weapon trial. I hope players who have had the experience of taking on Ruby Weapon in FFVII enjoy challenging this FFXIV version, keeping an eye out for these details, and enjoying the trial from a different angle. Of course, in order to ensure players who don’t know the FFVII version of Ruby Weapon can also enjoy the trial as much as possible, the FFXIV version has been linked with a well-crafted story specific to FFXIV. The Patch 5.2 main scenario questline will introduce elements of mystery for the players. For example, the Ruby Weapon this time around was loaded with Nael van Darnus’ system data, but what kinds of systems will be loaded in the future Weapon series that we have yet to see? I hope players enjoy the trial while looking ahead into future developments with questions like these in mind. Huge thanks to the team for taking the time to offer a deeper insight into the creation of the Ruby Weapon battle in Final Fantasy XIV! View the full article

With March’s pair of PS Plus games, you’ll embark on a dangerous quest to cleanse a land of its giant-sized inhabitants, and help not one but two versions of a platforming legend save the world. Let’s take a look: Shadow of the Colossus Tales speak of an ancient realm where Colossi roam the majestic landscape. Bound to the land, these creatures hold a key to a mystical power of revival — a power you must obtain to bring a loved one back to life. Shadow of the Colossus is a breathtaking journey through ancient lands to seek out gigantic beasts. Armed with only a sword and a bow, explore the spacious lands and unearth each Colossus, presenting a unique challenge to test your wits, determination, and skill. Sonic Forces In Sonic Forces, the evil Dr. Eggman has conquered much of the world with help from a powerful and mysterious new villain named Infinite. Now, you must assist Sonic and build an army to reclaim the world as they fight against chaos and destruction. Defeat enemies with blazing speed as Modern Sonic, catapult past perilous platforms as Classic Sonic, and create your very own Custom Hero Character equipped with a variety of powerful gadgets. Both titles will be available to download from Tuesday, March 3 until Monday, April 6. February’s PS Plus games As a reminder, you’ve still got time to download this month’s PS Plus games. Bioshock: The Collection houses three fantastic first-person adventures, The Sims 4 lets you unleash your imagination to craft the perfect virtual life, while PS VR shooter Firewall Zero Hour challenges you to survive intense multiplayer matches. All three titles are available to download until Monday, March 2. Not yet a PS Plus member? Find out more here. Predator: Hunting Grounds trial PS Plus members will be able to try out intense asymmetrical multiplayer experience Predator: Hunting Grounds this month with a weekend trial starting Friday, March 27*! Squad-up with friends as part of a Fireteam and take on dangerous missions before the Predator finds you — or become the Predator and hunt your prey. Wield human and alien weaponry in this intense asymmetrical multiplayer experience, unlocking iconic gear and skins as you level up. You can even team up with friends on PC with full cross-play support through the Predator: Hunting Grounds trial. *Trial Weekend starts from 5pm PST / 4pm GMT / 5pm CET / 3pm JST on Friday, March 27th and ends 11.59pm PST / GMT / CET / JST on Sunday, March 29th. PS Plus subscription required to play. View the full article

I am so excited to announce we will be running a trial weekend for Predator: Hunting Grounds, starting on March 27, and running through March 29. The Trial will be open to PS4 players with a PlayStation Plus membership and PC players as well via Cross-play support. Just hop to PlayStation Store, download the Trial, and start hunting! The Trial will be available to download on March 27 in Japan at 3pm JST, in Europe at 4pm GMT, and in North America at 5pm PST. We spent the last part of 2019 taking a demo around to various gaming events around the world and allowing members of the public to try it for themselves. Seeing the fun that everyone has had as both the Predator and the Fireteam has been incredibly rewarding for the dev team. We received valuable feedback through that process and we believe everyone will be excited to see where the game is. We are looking forward to having you test the game out as we are getting closer and closer to launch. The Trial will allow you to play solo as the Predator, or to team up online with three others as part of a Fireteam. Back in December, we detailed how savage and powerful the Predator was. Ahead of the Trial, here’s what you should know about playing on a Fireteam in Predator: Hunting Grounds. The Odds Are Against You Who doesn’t love a challenge? We love that when you play as the Fireteam it really captures that feeling of power, of being the best of the best. You have access to a state-of-the art arsenal and gear that lets you feel like you can take down an army, and you will. Fireteam players have a mission to accomplish and must face lots of AI opponents PLUS another player hunting them as the Predator. Get a Real Sense of Fear The original Predator movie was scary and so is playing this game. You land in the map with a mission at hand and battle AI opponents to accomplish key objectives, and then all of the sudden you hear that ominous clicking noise, A threat that could be coming from anywhere. On top of this suspense, when the Predator attacks, it’s terrifying. The Predator is relentless. It can pounce on you from above, shoot deadly plasma from the shadows, or rip you apart up close. The thrill of being hunted made the original movie so fun to watch, and what makes playing on the Fireteam so fun. Making It Out Alive Just like in the films, you need to regroup with your team, reevaluate your situation, and decide how you are going to get out alive. The game gives you all the tools you need but the tactics and strategy is all on you. Do you escape the Predator or turn the tables and hunt it down? Do you band together and use your collective firepower to fend it off? Do you divide and conquer? Do you use the environment and AI opponents to your advantage? There are so many options and the choice is yours. Figuring out how to survive is at the core of why being on the Fireteam is fun. Lastly, we’re thrilled to reveal our cover art for the game! This piece really captures how we feel playing both the Predator and on the Fireteam. You feel the intensity that the Predator is everywhere and nowhere all at once while hunting the Fireteam. And you also feel that the Fireteam is just as deadly with their arsenal as they work together as a team. They are always alert and ready for anything. Which takes us right back to the film that continues to inspire us, the ’87 Predator. Every gamer, no matter the character you are playing, is ready to hunt and be hunted. We are looking forward to seeing you in the hunt on March 27! Watch the blog for more info and tips! View the full article

The Tomb Raider herself, Lara Croft, has discovered Brawlhalla and joins the fight starting today! She uses her dual blasters, her bow, and a few gadgets (like her grappling hook shot) to knock her opponents off-stage. If you want to start playing Lara Croft by getting as many KOs as you possibly can, then check out these tips. Practice them and you’ll see more victories than losses! 1) Dual Blasters Neutral Light into Signature Lara Croft’s dual Blasters are very good at following up with powerful Signature attacks. Case and point, Neutral Light attack into the Neutral Signature attack. Lara shoots three times, with the last shot knocking her opponent into the air. The Neutral Signature attack is a powerful attack that is aimed up and away to blast foes… up and away. It just makes sense! 2) Bow Gravity Cancel Down Signature Especially right by the edge of the stage, the Down Signature attack on Lara Croft’s bow is incredibly useful. It uses her grappling hook shot to pull enemies behind her and launch them into a pit. Gravity Canceling allows grounded attacks to be used in the air and to stop from falling, basically stopping gravity altogether. To Gravity Cancel, press the dodge button in the air without pressing any directions, then hit an attack button. Gravity Canceling into Lara’s Bow Down Signature attack is bound to get the KO. 3) Dual Blasters Down Light Attack into Aerial A classic Blasters combo in Brawlhalla, the Down Light attack into a jump Side Aerial attack is the bread and butter of Blasters players. The Down Light attack shoots three shots at the ground, which puts enemies in position for a follow up attack. The Side Aerial shoots twice in front of Lara to launch those enemies that were so nicely set up. After getting the timing down, this two-hit combo is great for building damage and knocking out opponents. The Down Light attack makes them dance, and the Side Aerial makes them fly. 4) Dual Blasters Dashing Side Signature As Lara Croft, a good way to cover the distance between opponents is dash then use her Blasters Side Signature attack. For her Side Signature, she does her classic jump-roll and shoots a bunch of shots in front of her. Dashing allows a quick approach, and Blaster Side Signature makes Lara jump pretty far, so combining them makes for a huge leap across the stage. No one will be able to hide from Lara Croft! 5) Bow Down Light into Neutral Signature Finisher On Lara’s bow, the Down Light attack has her jump forward and shoot the ground, which pops opponents up into the air. Luckily, Lara Croft’s bow Neutral Signature attack catches airborne enemies and shoots them with a powerful fire arrow. It’s a set-up attack into a knockout attack, which makes it the perfect finisher and one of the best things to keep in mind when playing as Lara Croft. View the full article

The February content update for Gran Turismo (Patch 1.53) will be available tonight at 10:00PM PST (Internet connection required). New Vehicles Aston Martin DBR9 GT1 2010 Fiat 500 1.2 8V Lounge SS 2008 Nissan 180SX Type X 1996 Featured Car: Aston Martin DBR9 GT1 ’10(Gr.3) The Aston Martin DBR9 GT1 is a racing machine created by Aston Martin Racing to compete in GT1 category races. The base car is the DB9, and its name is taken from the DBR1, the first racing car of the Aston Martin DB series which won the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hour Race with a 1-2 finish, as well as many other sports car races. In addition to reinforcing the road car chassis, the body panels were all changed to carbon fibre excluding the roof. The gorgeous interior characteristic to Aston Martin road cars has been stripped, with even the dashboard replaced with carbon fibre for less weight. The car was made over 600 kg lighter this way, weighing in at only 1,100 kg. In addition to a wider fender, there is an additional front underspoiler, side skirts, rear diffuser and wing, plus the bottom of the car is made fully flat for improved aerodynamics. The 5.9 litre V12 engine has undergone engine ECU tuning, raising its power from the 449 BHP/58.1 kgfm of the road car up to 599 BHP/71.4 kgfm. This is combined with an Xtrac 6 speed sequential transmission. The DBR9 GT1 won its debut race at the 2005 Sebring 12 hour race, and until the GT1 category disappeared at the end of 2011, it had a spectacular career in racing. In 2006 it won the team and drivers’ titles in ACO Le Mans Series, and in the FIA-GT it won the manufacturers’ title. In 2007 and 2008, it won the GT1 class of the Le Mans 24 hour race 2 years in a row. In addition, the following new rounds are added in GT League: Beginner League: 2 new rounds added to the FR Challenge Amateur League: 2 new rounds added to the Group 3 Cup Professional League: 2 new rounds added to the Lamborghini Cup Endurance League: 1 new round added to the X2019 Competition Endurance Series Remember, you can find all the latest GT info here at PlayStation.Blog and on the official Gran Turismo website. Until next time, drivers, we’ll see you out on the track. View the full article

Hello folks! I’m Ricardo Cesteiro, co-founder and producer at Camel 101. Some of you may recall hearing from me back in 2018 when I wrote my first blog post here, announcing Those Who Remain. Back then, our intention was to release the game later that year, but the complexity of the project grew and grew, as did our ambitions as we committed to making the game better, and better still. Today, I bring much exciting news! as it is with great excitement that I can finally share with you all that the game will release on May 15 — what’s more, I can also reveal that there will be a retail-exclusive Deluxe Edition that will include a digital download of the beautifully illustrated comic prequel story, ‘Those Who Remain: Lights Out.’ So, to recap, what exactly is Those Who Remain? We like to call it a first-person ‘psychological adventure-thriller.’ It’s tense, unnerving, and it certainly gets scary sometimes, but we wouldn’t necessarily consider it a typical horror game. That’s not what we set out to do. The purpose is not to scare the player, per se — we don’t use formulaic jump scares as a driving design principle. We feel that a strong and foreboding atmosphere and an ominous environment can be more powerful — and much more fear-inducing — in the long run, than a random screaming person appearing in front of the screen suddenly, for example. We hope you get a sense of that from the trailer, which we’re showing you here today exclusively. In the trailer we show Edward arriving in Dormont, as he contemplates his life and the mistakes he’s made. This is one of the major themes within the game: actions and consequences. The things that we do in life and how our decisions affect other people. Players will have to make their own choices in the game too — which have consequences. The game has two key defining mechanics: one is that the player can’t go into the dark. There are mysterious shadow figures there that will attack and kill on sight, meaning you’ll need to manipulate light sources in order to clear a path and scare them away. The other is that the player needs to travel through “the other place,” a mirror dimension that’s almost a twisted version of our own reality. What happens in one dimension affects the other, so the player might need to move through dimensions to solve a specific puzzle or situation to progress. There are also several situations where the player needs to make moral choices that will affect the ending. This is a game about choices and consequences, and we want the player to feel the weight of their actions. One of the things that we enjoyed the most about working on this game was creating the story, the characters, the town, and all its surrounding environments. We believe that we’ve crafted a rich universe, and that’s part of the reason we decided to expand it to other media via the comic, which explores events that happened in Dormont when everything went dark. This is a very satisfying project to work on, as it has allowed us to explore human emotions and relationships as the game delves deep into the human psyche. We could have made a ghost story, or a haunted house story (many a fine game has been based on), but we set out to make something a little different, while addressing sensitive topics like bullying, infidelity and suicide. These things unfortunately happen and they’re a part of our lives, and videogames are a perfect vehicle to talk about them. Being horror and “weirdness” junkies ourselves, we drew inspiration from many different sources and media when creating Those Who Remain, and especially from supernatural movies and TV shows. For example, Dormont could easily be compared to Twin Peaks, a small beautiful town where everything seems calm and peaceful, while hiding deep dark secrets underneath. The shadow figures that roam in the dark could have easily stepped out of a Stephen King novel, and the “other place” — the twisted reality that can be accessed by entering strange glowing portals… well, we’ll let you figure that one out on your own from May 15, when you’ll get to delve deep into the twisted reality of Dormont and discover its many underlying secrets… View the full article

The more I try to escape Raccoon City, escape attempts I make, the more it pulls me back in. Capcom recently invited the PlayStation team to go hands-on with the hotly anticipated Resident Evil 3 remake. We spent several intense hours with former S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team member, Jill Valentine, and the hulking Nemesis dogging her attempt to flee Raccoon City. The action-packed preview left us bloodied, singed, rattled, and ready for more. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was originally released on PlayStation in 1999, just a year after RE2. Similar to the 1999 original, Capcom’s RE3 remake ups the action on the chaotic city streets, which reflects in the core gameplay. Prepare for the ordeal with key takeaways from our time with the RE3 remake (no story spoilers here): Capcom’s photo-realistic visuals bring Raccoon City to life with stunning detail. Blazing infernos cast zombie shadows down long alleyways. Faux movie posters adorn corridors. Dirt and abrasions show on Jill as she struggles to survive. The cumulative effect is striking. The RE3 remake dramatically reinvents the sprawling streets of Raccoon City — this is much grander than a one-to-one remaster. Expect larger areas and some reimagined sequences that dwarf those in the original game. New shops and locations flesh out the collapsing city, including an expanded subway station, new labyrinthine sewer section, and a richly detailed donut shop (yum!). City streets are wider and more open, unlike the relatively narrow corridors of the 1999 original. More room to dodge enemies! Speaking of… Jill has a new evade move (R1 + left stick) that lets you dodge lunging zombies and other foes. It works a bit like a parry, and is much easier to execute than in the 1999 original. Careful you don’t juke into the arms of a waiting enemy, though… The seasoned supercop can now perform a Perfect Dodge by precisely pressing X while in an enemy’s clutches. Success scores you a slow-motion counter window to open fire. Jill’s knife doesn’t degrade like the blades of RE2 remake, and it’s no longer used as a self-defense item (practice that Perfect Dodge). Similar to the RE2 remake and RE7, ammo crafting is key to survival in RE3. (Fun fact: RE3 introduced ammo crafting to the series in 1999!) Outwit your enemies with environmental traps. Blast red barrels to topple groups of zombies, and shoot electrical boxes to stun nearby threats. Jill, a known Master of Unlocking, can eventually pick numerous yellow padlocks scattered around the environment. This gives you more reason to canvas areas you’ve already explored as you hunt for extra supplies. Nemesis is bigger, stronger, and more persistent than ever. The brutish bio-weapon packs a heavy punch, ensnares Jill with a tentacle grab, and can cut off her escape routes with a flying leap. Your experience fleeing from RE2’s Tyrant (a.k.a. Mr. X) isn’t enough… When in doubt, run from Nemesis. Especially when fighting in confined spaces or around other enemies. If you must fight, do it on your terms. Lure Nemesis near electrical boxes or explosive barrels to deal damage while saving ammo. Sometimes, Nemesis drops valuable supply cases when you (temporarily) defeat him. Nab these for high-powered ammo and coveted weapon upgrades… Similar to the RE2 remake, there are numerous weapon mods to find. I souped up Jill’s pistol with an extended magazine, laser-dot sight, and silencer. The Hunter Gamma lurks within the bowels of Raccoon City. Stay away from its gaping maw to stay alive. Pack flame grenade rounds and look the devil in the mouth. The skittering, bug-like Drain Deimos creatures return, and can now inject Jill with an unsettling status effect. Pack an extra green herb… Fanny packs are still in style! These inventory-expanding pick-ups are worth their weight in gold. A little overwhelmed? Activate Assist Mode for regenerating health, weaker enemies, more ammo, and a powerful assault rifle (similar to the 1999 original’s Easy Mode). The preview concluded with a boss battle against a flamethrower-wielding Nemesis. The monster swept fire across the construction site battleground, dashed at Jill, and blasted flaming mortar shots everywhere in the epic confrontation. Dismantling Nemesis’ flamethrower with precise shots to its cooling vents and fuel tank isn’t enough to keep the pursuer down. Prepare for a resilient foe… My time with the Resident Evil 3 remake reassured me that Capcom is faithfully enhancing what made the 1999 original unforgettable. While expanding the scope of Raccoon City, it also ratchets up the action and tension. Enemies are more plentiful and ferocious than ever, but Jill also has more skills at her disposal. I can’t wait to plunge back into the madness and outwit the imposing Nemesis when it hits PS4 April 3. Learn more about the online, asymmetrical multiplayer game, Resident Evil Resistance, which is included with Resident Evil 3. View the full article

In the upcoming PS4 arena brawler One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows, players will get to experience the abilities of Saitama, the titular One-Punch Man, as well as discover the story with their very own custom Hero. Ahead of A Hero Nobody Knows launch on the February 28, we caught up with the Anime producer Chinatsu Matsui, and the game’s producer Yahata Yasuhiro to find out more on what makes One-Punch Man so special. About the Anime Why did you decide to make One-Punch Man an anime? What are the strengths of this series? Chinatsu Matsui: The concept of the world’s strongest man has universal appeal, and I thought people would be drawn to and relate to Saitama because he’s just a regular guy. Besides, I really wanted to see Yusuke Murata’s amazing drawings — particularly the action scenes — in motion, so I decided to produce the anime. Despite the easy-to-grasp setting and plot, the story also deals with complex issues like how to define justice, and delves into the characters and their backgrounds. One of the great things about it is how easy it is to get into, while at the same time being deep and thought-provoking. What are the factors that make One-Punch Man so successful? CM: As I mentioned before, part of Saitama’s wide-ranging appeal lies in him being both the strongest hero and extremely normal; you don’t see that in modern superheroes. Another major contributing factor is ONE’s unique sense of humor, which comes through even in serious moments. How do you see the evolution of One-Punch Man for the future? CM: As long as the manga keeps going, I’d like to continue the anime. It’s already popular internationally, but I’m going to put my all into getting it to reach even more people and to capture their hearts. About the Anime and Game For someone who is not familiar with the universe, what are the factors that make One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows accessible to everyone? CM: I can hardly imagine what it must feel like to control Saitama, the strongest man in the world, so I think that will be a big draw. That and the fact players can explore the world of One-Punch Man as an original hero. What were your expectations when the decision of making a One-Punch Man fighting game was made? CM: Right from the start, we received a proposal suggesting Saitama take enemies out in one punch; I was looking forward to feeling how good it must be to do that. What message would you give to the One-Punch Man community regarding the upcoming game? CM: The game will make you feel like you’ve stepped into the world of One-Punch Man, so I encourage you to give it a try. About the Game What attracted you in the One-Punch Man universe to turn it into a video game? Yahata Yasuhiro: I loved the idea of taking the world of One-Punch Man, with all its cool characters and rapid-fire jokes, and making it into a game; the staff and I really had fun developing it. How did you approach Saitama’s gameplay? Was balancing the game a challenge? YY: We worked extremely hard to find a way to convey the overwhelming power of Saitama, the world’s strongest hero. After a lot of trial and error, we were able to capture his strength from the original the story, while scaling things down to a more even level for PVP — not the usual way of balancing a fighting game! We do also have a mode where players can fight one another with Saitama at full strength. Do you think that letting the players create their own character in the One-Punch Man universe was a must? YY: How could we not? When development started, we considered making Saitama the protagonist. However, he can defeat anyone with one punch, so instead we went for a customizable character who the player uses to dive in to the One-Punch Man world. Was it difficult to turn One-Punch Man into a fighting game? YY: Since the anime features lots of high-quality fight scenes, we tried to aim for that level of quality. We also worked hard to come up with the best way to include Saitama, the strongest hero, in a fighting game. Was One-Punch Man a real challenge to turn into a game regarding the characters such as King? YY: King is a Class S Hero widely respected by other heroes, despite having no real fighting ability — something only he and Saitama know. That made him just as challenging to include as Saitama. After a lot of consideration, we were able to get him successfully in by viewing him as being effective against everyone except Saitama. What makes you especially proud of this game? YY: I’m proud of the quality of the character models. Yusuke Murata, who was in charge of adapting the characters from the manga to the anime, oversaw the process. That’s why the game’s models approach the anime’s level of quality. Do you have any anecdotes or fun facts about the game production? YY: The Hero Arrival system, where playable characters arrive late, came from trying to figure out how to create a fighting game where using Saitama would guarantee victory. Right from the start, we also planned to introduce some sort of a cost system into character selection. What is your favorite character? YY: I’m a fan of Mumen Rider. It’s cool how he’s aware of his own weakness but still isn’t afraid to step up to an enemy he can’t beat. How did you approach the scenario of the game regarding the anime progression? YY: We started the project with the goal of adapting the first season of the anime, so we were less concerned with the story’s progression and more concerned with finding ways to make the story interesting for fans who knew it. Because the player character fights monsters before Saitama defeats them, I think the experience differs from watching the anime. One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows will be released on PS4 this Friday, February 28. View the full article

Playing video games with friends is fun. Beating your friend in Game 7 of the World Series in your own Custom League is even more fun. In MLB The Show 20, you can create or join the gameplay experience that’s customized for you and your friends. Competitive or Relaxed Atmosphere Whether you enjoy fierce competition or something a little more relaxed, there is a league for you. Commissioners can flag their league atmosphere as “Relaxed” or “Competitive” so that you can find the most enjoyable League that matches what you want. Choice of 40-Man Live MLB Rosters or Diamond Dynasty Collection There are two types of leagues in The Show 20: The 40-Man Live MLB Leagues use the 40-man rosters of all 30 teams that are updated frequently throughout the year. If you’re not happy with your current roster, try making some trades! Diamond Dynasty Collection Leagues allows you to use your entire Diamond Dynasty Collection of player items to build your lineup. Commissioners can even set restrictions on team overalls to keep things even. Season long format with Postseason All Leagues offer a Regular Season experience that builds to a Postseason Playoff bracket ending with the World Series. If you didn’t make the Postseason cutoff this season, don’t sweat it. With no limit on the amount of seasons your league can play, there’s always “next year.” Regular Season length is determined during the creation phase of the Custom League by how many teams are in the League and how many times you play each team (1, 3, 5, or 7). Flexible schedule Flexibility is important when coordinating online play. With Custom Leagues’ flexible schedule, you can play your Regular Season games in any order. If your opponent is online, you can knock out those games right now! No calendar generation needed. Set the rules and play against your friends to win the World Series with Custom Leagues in MLB The Show 20. Pre-order now and get Early Access on March 13**: play.st/TheShow20 * Active PS Plus subscription required for online multiplayer. Sold separately. ** Early Access only comes with purchase of MLB The Show 20: MVP, Digital Deluxe, or 15th Anniversary Edition. View the full article

Time to take a deep breath and take the plunge: we’re pleased to announce that the Extended Cut of our submersive adventure VR game, Freediver: Triton Down, is available now for $14.99 USD! Check out our new trailer above. The original cut of Freediver: Triton Down was released on PC VR in May 2019; from the intense underwater escape from a sinking ship, to its gesture-based swimming mechanic, to its nomination for VR Game of the Year, it took players by surprise. Since then, we’ve heard your requests for Freediver on PS VR, and are now excited to share the new Extended Cut with the PlayStation community! Just what does “Extended Cut” mean? While reshaping Freediver: Triton Down for console VR, we had the opportunity to build on what made the original game great, while exploring some of the wild ideas that still kept us up at night. For us, that meant turning the lights out, and the tension up. (Yes, even more than the original.) All-new levels on the ship have been added and plunged into darkness, introducing an extra layer of challenge to the many puzzles you’ll encounter. To help you swim through the murk, we’ve also added a handy flashlight: its beam is powerful, but there are some dangers in the depths that only a cool head and lightning reflexes will save you from. Above all that, we listened to our number one request from the community and expanded the Sci-Fi-inspired story of Freediver: Triton Down even further. The capsized Triton is littered with lost audio logs of the crewmembers’ final days aboard. Are their fates sealed? What caused the rogue wave that sent the Triton plummeting to the ocean floor? And who — or what — is the mysterious specimen named Emi? We had a blast returning to the uncertain underwater world of Freediver: Triton Down, and we hope you love escaping the Triton disaster as much as we loved brewing it up. So grab your Move Controllers, get those swimming arms ready, and most of all: #DontForgetToBreathe. View the full article

Frozen District is proud to announce that our flagship game, House Flipper, finally launches on PS4 tomorrow! House Flipper is a makeover game where all that matters is either flipping a property to bring in some cash, or spending your hard-earned money to design and create the house you’ve always dreamed of. You’ll be able to grab it tomorrow at PlayStation Store for $29.99! It was almost two years ago when House Flipper first saw the light of day. Since then we’ve seen many PlayStation enthusiasts fall in love with our game, but we’ve also felt their disappointment at being unable to play it on their favorite platform. At that time House Flipper was not as polished as it is today. In fact, we’re not scared to admit that back then we were struggling with many issues in terms of game content and stability. But we feel that now after all this time spent on improving and enriching the game, we beat the odds and came out stronger than ever! In House Flipper we wanted to bring you the possibility to transfer your interior design ideas into reality (a virtual one, but still!). To make that happen, we’ve introduced a variety of tools so that you can take on any kind of problem awaiting in tens of properties available for purchase in the game. The tools will also be useful during one of the many orders you can accept from customers that need some kind of help from a real handyman! While tools are very important, they’re still just tools… and even though they can be a lot of fun (oh trust me, just swing that hammer!), it’s all up to you and your design ideas to succeed as a flipper! You can use a tablet to search through hundreds of purchasable items and furniture just to find that perfectly looking fireplace, a rocking chair, or an ideal sink for your stylish kitchen. Make sure to also experiment with different wall paint colors or tiles, and don’t forget to single-handedly assemble a shower cabin for your bathroom! You and your imagination can go wild! After a few successful makeovers, there’s no doubt that you’ll become better at renovating houses — not only in real life, but also in-game! We’ve introduced a skill point system where you can boost your abilities to speed up many activities like cleaning or assembling installations. All of that, accessible through a tablet. We can’t wait to see you renovating all the houses on a new platform, and we hope that everyone looking forward to playing House Flipper on PS4 will have lots of fun with it! Happy Flipping! View the full article