Commander Fury

Today we are pleased to reveal the newest colors to join the PS5 family of color accessory offerings: Nova Pink, Starlight Blue, and Galactic Purple. Adding to the previously released Cosmic Red and Midnight Black DualSense wireless controller colors, the latest galaxy-inspired colors will launch globally starting in January 2022 at participating retailers. Play Video We’re also introducing new PS5 console covers to match all of the galaxy-inspired DualSense wireless controller colors in Midnight Black, Cosmic Red, Nova Pink, Starlight Blue, and Galactic Purple. These new console covers are beautiful and easy to use — simply remove your original white PS5 console covers and click your new ones into place. The PS5 console covers will be available for both the PS5 with the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive and the PS5 Digital Edition and are sold separately from the PS5 console and DualSense controller. Play Video The Midnight Black and Cosmic Red PS5 console covers will become available starting in January 2022 at participating retailers in the following locations: USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines. The Nova Pink, Galactic Purple, and Starlight Blue PS5 console covers will also launch in these locations during the first half of 2022. We plan to launch the PS5 console covers in additional territories during the year, and we’ll announce those details as they become available. The exact launch dates for both the new DualSense wireless controller colors and the new PS5 console covers in select regions may vary by location, so be sure to check your local retailer for availability. We hope you enjoy the look of the new colors. Find out more about the DualSense controller colors here and PS5 console covers here on PlayStation.com. direct.playstation.com Purchase Information In the US, UK, France, and Germany, a number of these new products will be available via early access for direct.playstation.com customers. The DualSense wireless controller in Galactic Purple will be available on direct.playstation.com starting January 14 (while supplies last), and will be offered at other participating retailers starting February 11. Additionally, the PS5 console covers in Midnight Black and Cosmic Red will be available on direct.playstation.com starting January 21 (while supplies last), and will be offered at other participating retailers starting February 18. Stay tuned to direct.playstation.com for more information. direct.playstation.com Purchase Information In the US, UK, France, and Germany, a number of these new products will be available via early access for direct.playstation.com customers. The DualSense wireless controller in Galactic Purple will be available on direct.playstation.com starting January 14 (while supplies last), and will be offered at other participating retailers starting February 11. Additionally, the PS5 console covers in Midnight Black and Cosmic Red will be available on direct.playstation.com starting January 21 (while supplies last), and will be offered at other participating retailers starting February 18. Stay tuned to direct.playstation.com for more information. direct.playstation.com Purchase Information In the US, UK, France, and Germany, a number of these new products will be available via early access for direct.playstation.com customers. The DualSense wireless controller in Galactic Purple will be available on direct.playstation.com starting January 14 (while supplies last), and will be offered at other participating retailers starting February 11. Additionally, the PS5 console covers in Midnight Black and Cosmic Red will be available on direct.playstation.com starting January 21 (while supplies last), and will be offered at other participating retailers starting February 18. Stay tuned to direct.playstation.com for more information. direct.playstation.com Purchase Information In the US, UK, France, and Germany, a number of these new products will be available via early access for direct.playstation.com customers. The DualSense wireless controller in Galactic Purple will be available on direct.playstation.com starting January 14 (while supplies last), and will be offered at other participating retailers starting February 11. Additionally, the PS5 console covers in Midnight Black and Cosmic Red will be available on direct.playstation.com starting January 21 (while supplies last), and will be offered at other participating retailers starting February 18. Stay tuned to direct.playstation.com for more information. View the full article

Pre-order for “Horizon Forbidden West” physical editions (Release Date: 18th February 2022), will start from 14th December 2021 at all PlayStation®Authorised Dealers and Sony Stores. Customers who pre-order any edition of “Horizon Forbidden West” Blu-ray Disc™ Version will receive the Nora Legacy Outfit and Spear to use in the game which can be redeemed via PlayStation™Store. Additionally, physical pre-order customers will stand a chance to get one of the 3 different physical pre-order incentives: “Focus Keychain”, Horizon Forbidden West Cap or “Tremortusk 3D Puzzle”. Please check with local retailers for details of the physical pre-order mechanic. PS4 PS4 PS5 PS5 PS5 PS5 Countries Standard Physical Edition Special Edition Standard Physical Edition Special Edition Collector’s Edition Regalla Edition Singapore 79.9 97.9 97.9 109 279 359 Malaysia 249 299 299 339 839 1,099 Thailand 1,990 2,290 2,290 2,590 6,490 8,390 Indonesia 879,000 1,029,000 1,029,000 1,179,000 2,899,000 3,799,000 Philippines 2,990 3,490 3,490 3,990 9,990 12,990 Digital version pre-orders for “Horizon Forbidden West” are now available on PlayStation™Store. You’ll have the option to choose between the Standard Digital Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition – both of which include the full game and the Nora Legacy Outfit and Spear as bonus incentives for pre-order purchase. Learn More Physical Premiums (please check local retailers for details and availability): Focus Keychain, Horizon Forbidden West Cap, and 3D Puzzle STANDARD PHYSICAL EDITION Pre-order Bonuses: Digital in-game bonuses (unlock via story progression) o Nora Legacy Outfit o Nora Legacy Spear Content: • Horizon Forbidden West (Physical) PS4 or PS5 version Country PS5 PS4 Singapore SGD 97.90 SGD 79.90 Malaysia MYR 299 MYR 249 Thailand THB 2,290 THB 1,990 Indonesia IDR 1,029,000 IDR 879,000 Philippines PHP 3,490 PHP 2,990 SPECIAL EDITION Pre-order Bonuses: Digital in-game bonuses (unlock via story progression) o Nora Legacy Outfit o Nora Legacy Spear Content: • Horizon Forbidden West (Physical) PS4 or PS5 version • Horizon Forbidden West SteelBook Display Case • Mini Art Book • Digital Soundtrack Country PS5 PS4 Singapore SGD 109 SGD 97.90 Malaysia MYR 339 MYR 299 Thailand THB 2,590 THB 2,290 Indonesia IDR 1,179,000 IDR 1,029,000 Philippines PHP 3,990 PHP 3,490 COLLECTOR’S EDITION Pre-order Bonuses: Digital in-game bonuses (unlock via story progression) o Nora Legacy Outfit o Nora Legacy Spear Content: Horizon Forbidden West (Digital) PS4 and PS5 versions Horizon Forbidden West SteelBook Display CaseDownload code for the game will be supplied via voucher in the box. A custom sculpted Tremortusk and Aloy statueStatues will require some assembly; detailed instructions will be provided with the box Mini Art Book 2 Special Outfits (Carja Behemoth Elite and Nora Thunder Elite) 2 Special Weapons (Carja Behemoth Short Bow and Nora Thunder Sling) In-game Resources Pack including ammunition, potions, and travel packs In-game Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike Piece Exclusive Photo Mode pose and face paint Digital Soundtrack*1 Digital Version of The Sunhawk, the first Horizon Zero Dawn graphic novel Country Collector’s Singapore SGD 279 Malaysia MYR 839 Thailand THB 6,490 Indonesia IDR 2,899,000 Philippines PHP 9,990 REGALLA EDITION Pre-order Bonuses: Digital in-game bonuses (unlock via story progression) o Nora Legacy Outfit o Nora Legacy Spear Content: Horizon Forbidden West (Digital) PS4 and PS5 versions Horizon Forbidden West SteelBook Display CaseDownload code for the game will be supplied via voucher in the box. A Regalla-themed, custom sculpted Tremortusk and Aloy statueStatues will require some assembly; detailed instructions will be provided with the box Replica Focus and custom stand 2 Art Print Cards Replica Sunwing and Clawstrider Machine Physical Strike Pieces Mini Art Book Canvas Map 2 Special Outfits (Carja Behemoth Elite and Nora Thunder Elite) 2 Special Weapons (Carja Behemoth Short Bow and Nora Thunder Sling) In-game Resources Pack including ammunition, potions, and travel packs In-game Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike Piece Exclusive Photo Mode poses and face paints Digital Soundtrack*1 Digital Version of The Sunhawk, the first Horizon Zero Dawn graphic novel Country Regalla Singapore SGD 359 Malaysia MYR 1,099 Thailand THB 8,390 Indonesia IDR 3,799,000 Philippines PHP 12,990 Pre-order digital incentives (all SKUSs) are provided by voucher within package. Voucher expires 17/2/2024. Internet connection and an account for PlayStation™Network required to redeem voucher. Full game voucher, Digital Soundtrack and Digital Deluxe incentives are provided by voucher within package. Voucher expires 17/2/2025. Internet connection and an account for PlayStation™Network required to redeem voucher. View the full article

Last week, we asked you to share some sacred gaming sanctuaries using #PSshare #PSBlog. From temples and tombs to hidden hideouts, here are this week’s highlights: AhmadYuanda_1st shares a serene altar in Shadow of the Colossus. Alien_K121 shares a calm environment in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Sefwick shares a hacker’s sanctuary in Watch Dogs 2. TheoBouillet shares a Seraphite altar in The Last of Us Part II. Yuric83 shares Batman peering out over Gotham in Batman Arkham Knight. tadisteee shares Bayek exploring an ancient tomb in Assassin’s Creed Origins. 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: Endwalker SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on December 15 Next week, embark on an epic quest in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker. Share your greatest moments using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Our take on the beloved 90s-era falling block puzzle genre, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, comes to PlayStation 4 in only three days! It’s a hot mashup of old and new: roguelike dungeon crawler meets puzzle adventure. We can’t wait for everyone to get a taste of what a unique, engaging, challenging experience there is to be found in Pocket Dungeon. But before then, let’s dive into some exciting things to look forward to when you all get your hands on it: Building out a Team Shovel Knight and the strongest warriors have been vanishing lately, trapped inside a confounding cube contraption. Puzzle Knight, a renowned puzzle prodigy, has created a camp for Shovel Knight and his fellow adventurers to team up and solve their way out of this riddle. It’s up to you to recruit this team and bring them back to the camp. Everyone has a completely unique playstyle- check out Shield Knight who is great on defense: Or Specter Knight who flips the game on its head, gaining health from enemies but losing health to potions: Or Mole Knight who makes the game feel even more like a puzzler, with his ability to trade places: To escape, your team at camp must work together through the dungeon and defeat its ultimate ruler – the Pocket Dungeon Master. Crafting a build Shovel Knight crafting? Oh no no… We mean equipping items and relics to create a character build to your liking. In Pocket Dungeon, when you suffer defeat, you lose everything you acquired on your run. It’s imperative you grab gems and find Chester to buy the relics that suit you best. Check out a few of the options below: Mixing and matching what relics you purchase is the difference between life and death in each dungeon. Choose carefully… and have fun experimenting. Bury your friends in split screen duels It wouldn’t be a great 90s falling block puzzle game without a split screen versus mode. The goal here is to not let your opponent bury you. Move fast, stay on top, and dig your way out. A puzzle game with an heartfelt story As with all the Shovel Knight games, you can expect a light touch to the story that gives a big emotional impact, pulling on all of your heartstrings. We went to great lengths to create a story that fits while exploring new characters and themes. Endless fun Similar to many classic puzzle games and roguelites, this is the kind of adventure that thrives when playing it over and over and over. Losing is no big deal: the fun is in the journey. There are tons of new characters to play as, new secrets to uncover, new feats to accomplish, new tricks to learn, new items to unlock, new costumes to reveal, new techniques to master, DLC on the way… the fun never stops. There’s a lot more to discover. We hope you all have a total blast with the game on PS4 when it launches December 13. View the full article

Throughout the years, PUBG: Battlegrounds has seen so many changes. We’re proud of all the improvements our little game has seen over the years, but now it’s time for the game to make its biggest leap of all: free to play. Play Video It’s been a long road getting to this point. Back on March 24, 2017, PUBG: Battlegrounds was little more than the hope and heart of a small dev team as it debuted in early access. In a heartwarming and humbling turn of events, fans around the world embraced the organized chaos of our battle royale as they experienced the game’s tension, realistic gunplay, and nonstop, edge of your seat action. Following the unprecedented success, Battlegrounds found its way to PlayStation and other platforms, expanding our community. Throughout our journey, which is approaching five years, we’ve seen more than 14 billion hours of play across our eight maps, which is the largest amount available in the battle royale genre. Battlegrounds free-to-play now gives us the opportunity to expand our community even more and bring all the thrills of PUBG and battle royale to everyone, while providing new friends, and let’s be honest, more targets for our existing player base. In many ways, going free-to-play was our natural next step. Since launch, it’s always been our intention to bring the Battlegrounds to as large of an audience as possible. It’s part of the reason we decided to launch in early access, it’s why we grew into consoles and other platforms, and it’s why we’ve expanded the PUBG franchise into other ventures like esports and entertainment. With free-to-play, we can finally fulfill an important and long standing goal of ours. To show how much we appreciate the support, all players who have owned and played PUBG: Battlegrounds before the free-to-play service transition can receive the PUBG – Special Commemorative Pack, which includes a free Battleground Plus upgrade and various rewards. So, what can new players expect when they drop in next year? Well, they can look forward to 100 survivors parachuting into a winner-takes-all showdown featuring best-in-class gunplay. Players must land, loot, and survive across not only some of the largest maps in battle royale, but the largest variety of maps, which include forest, jungle, snow, desert, city, and countryside environments. Battlegrounds free-to-play will also include several improvements we’ve been working on, with some of those focused on our new players. We can’t wait to reveal more closer to launch and in the months to follow. For our existing player base, we’d like to thank our longtime fans with a special PUBG – Special Commemorative Pack for anyone who has purchased the game, which includes seven cosmetic items and access to Battlegrounds Plus, which unlocks all of the game’s features while providing some account boosts. As the Special Commemorative Pack will only be available from December 12, 11pm PT / December 13, 8am CET until January 10, 2022 11am PT / 8pm CET at PlayStation Store, make sure to grab it before it goes away. PUBG: Battlegrounds free-to-play goes live on January 12, 2022, so stay tuned for more information. We truly believe that now is the best time to play, so bolster your squad and get ready to drop in to win that Chicken Dinner with as many friends as you can. We’ll see you on the Battlegrounds. View the full article

Want a glimpse at what interactive storytelling and entertainment created with Unreal Engine 5 could look like in the future? The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience is a new tech demo that showcases what’s now possible when you combine UE5 with PlayStation 5. Part cinematic, part playable experience, the demo was created by members of the original The Matrix movie team including Lana Wachowski, James McTeigue, and John Gaeta in collaboration with teams across both Epic Games and partners. The cinematic element features digital replicas of Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne-Moss as incredibly realistic digital humans. Then, the demo morphs into an interactive experience of car chases and fast-paced third-person shooter action. These sequences are completely dynamic—the world responds to you in a fully unscripted way. That’s down to Chaos, Unreal Engine’s high-performance physics system that can deliver cinematic-quality levels of destruction in real time and simulate the movement of cloth, hair, vehicles, and more. The team used Sequencer to script the car chase in the demo. They were able to use the simulated universe to explore different creative options for the cinematic content, with crew members driving cars around the virtual city to capture exciting shots. This process mirrored the way live-action movie makers will scout a city to find the best streets to tell their story—but without the physical constraints of the real world. The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience is designed to take full advantage of PS5’s technology— including the super-fast SSD drive, CPU, GPU, alongside console ray tracing. To do that, we’ve built a vast, 16 kilometres square open world city, comprised of seven thousand buildings made of thousands of modular pieces, each of those constructed of millions of triangles and enhanced with props, signage, debris, and more. There are 1,248 simulated intersections, 45,073 parked cars (of which 38,146 are drivable), over 260 km of roads, and 512 km of sidewalk. This huge, dynamic environment is incredibly rich, complex, and photoreal. It’s made up of billions of polygons that are streamed by Nanite, UE5’s virtualized micropolygon geometry system, and processed by PS5’s powerful CPU and GPU to deliver an incredibly high level of detail and visual fidelity. A powerful procedural audio generation system simulates the noise of being in a busy city, heightening the sense of presence in the environment. The result is an interactive experience that is immensely powerful, immersive, and photorealistic. Packed with believable characters and driveable vehicles, you can explore the city on foot, hop in a vehicle, or fly around with a drone’s-eye view. The demo represents a new bar in quality for interactive content—both richer and more engaging. That’s because the open world environment in The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience is a living, breathing city. It’s characters and traffic are not just generated spontaneously depending on where the player is looking—they are actors in a global simulation that is constantly evaluated. In short, they exist whether you are looking at them or not. This means the people and vehicles in the experience act in a much more believable way. The environment also feels ‘real’ in a way that interactive experiences up to this point have not, thanks to new UE5 technologies that dynamically process everything in real time rather than serving up visuals that have been precomputed offline, as has typically been the case up until now. Lumen is a case in point—this powerful global illumination lighting system brings the fidelity of indirect lighting such as reflections from mirrored or wet surfaces closer to the physical world than ever before. Because Lumen renders in real time, you can adjust the lighting in the experience by moving the sun to any angle and seeing the effect instantly. There’s even an experimental night mode hidden in the experience for you to discover. To give the sense of a living, breathing metropolis, tens of thousands of ultra-realistic digital characters populate the city, driven by a sophisticated AI system. In the image above taken from Unreal Engine 5, you can see the hero character IO with the Control Rig being used to adjust the character animation. What’s exciting for game developers about this image is that it shows the asset under manipulation in the context of the live environment. It illustrates that you can create interactive experiences in a much more natural, fluid way—adjusting things like character animation in the city while it’s running in real time and at final quality. The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience showcases what the next generation of interactive experiences will offer: vast open worlds, ever more engaging action, and levels of graphical realism that can match that of cinematic content. Download the experience and explore the future of interactive storytelling and entertainment. View the full article

Hey PlayStation Nation, it’s exciting to introduce you to a game called Rumbleverse, an all-new, free-to-play, 40-person Brawler Royale coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. I’m Keeman45, the community manager from Iron Galaxy, here to represent all the developers who’ve been working to create this social, competitive experience. The setting for Rumbleverse is Grapital City, a place that was built as a monument to the glorious traditions of melee combat. Every citizen of this island lives for the fight and dreams of becoming a champion, and you can become one of them. In this game, you’ll create a unique character to be shot out of a cannon to experience the Rumble. Dash through the city streets in search of upgrades to level up the way you fight and battle all challengers to be the last player standing – either alone or as a member of a tag-team. Rumbleverse is what we call a Brawler Royale. If you’ve ever played a battle royale game, you’re in for some surprises. This is a chance for you to put down the long-range weapons and get up close and personal with your opponents. In Grapital City, almost anything can be a weapon and there is no structure you cannot climb. There is chaos around every corner. You can leap from rooftop to rooftop. You can suplex an opponent from the heights of the tallest skyscraper to the streets below. There is a lot to talk about between now and the launch of Rumbleverse on PS4 and PS5 February 15, 2022. We can’t wait to show you more. Tomorrow, we’ll be playing games with some of our favorite content creators, so you can see the action in real time. We’re looking forward to getting to know the community that forms around this new experience, and we hope you’ll be included! View the full article

In Forspoken, Frey—a modern young woman from New York City—is magically transported to Athia, a once beautiful and peaceful land that has been beset by a corrupting force known as the Break. No one, aside from Frey, strangely enough, is safe from the corruption, which transforms whatever it touches into a twisted, and often bloodthirsty, facsimile of itself. We’ve shown how the Break affects the animals and creatures of Athia in our previous trailers, and there’s no doubt that Frey has her work cut out for her when it comes to taking them on. Today, however, I wanted to dive deeper into the true big bads that stand in Frey’s way: the Tantas. Play Video The Tantas are the former rulers of Athia. Each embodies a different virtue and possesses a unique strength. They were once beloved by the people of Athia, who enjoyed lives of plenty under their guidance. However, without warning, the former protectors mysteriously became oppressors, becoming aggressive and hateful. As the most powerful sorceresses in Athia, they pose a dangerous threat to Frey. Being who she is, when Frey first arrives in Athia, she has very little interest in the Tantas. But after being accused of trespassing on her territory by Tanta Sila, Frey becomes an enemy in their eyes. Unfortunately for Frey, there’s no going back home to New York without defeating them first. We’re excited to unveil the second and very wicked Tanta who stands in Frey’s way: Tanta Prav. Played by The Walking Dead’s Pollyanna McIntosh, you can see Tanta Prav in action in the latest trailer for Forspoken, which premiered at The Game Awards earlier tonight. Nailing the design concept of the Tantas was key to establishing Forspoken’s entire look, feel, and tone. The art director on Forspoken, Yuuki Matsuzawa, played a critical role in conceiving the concept of the Tantas at the beginning of the project, which has remained consistent throughout development. The Tantas were a central theme of the game, so it’s not a stretch to say that all the art in Forspoken was designed around them—their virtues and their corruption, their beautiful, yet terrifying, appearances. Concept art for Tanta Sila Tanta Sila is the “Tanta of Strength” who once commanded Athian troops to protect the land from outside threats. She fought on the front line, displaying unparalleled prowess in battle, and was revered by the people for it. But, unfortunately, she has now become a cruel despot who trusts nothing but her own skill in battle, mercilessly eliminating any and all who offend her. We have an amazing team of designers at Luminous Productions who worked on each of the Tantas. The color choice for each Tanta was important, too, as we wanted this to signify the corruption of the virtue that each Tanta represents. For example, for Tanta Sila, who represents the virtue of strength, Matsuzawa envisioned her dress flailing as she loses herself in battle, so we went with a flamenco dancer-esque dress and an aggressive red color thematically. While Tanta Sila faces her enemies (Frey included) with brute force, our newly unveiled Tanta Prav takes a decidedly different approach. Being the “Tanta of Justice” who administered Athia’s judicial system before the Break, she judged right from wrong with her uncanny ability to perceive untruths and brought order and peace to Athian society. Now she is a callous executioner with a warped sense of justice, trusting only in her own judgment. Matsuzawa also added, the team envisioned her as being unyielding in her own suppression, so she was given a restraint-like outfit that is a resolute blue. Despite Tanta Sila and Tanta Prav’s different looks, it was important to the art team that both Tantas sport dresses with unique lines and elegant decorations that are more modern than traditional medieval European attire, bringing in that mix of modern and fantasy elements that run throughout the entire game. Gold ornamentation is present in both Tantas’ costumes, which represents their magical properties. Because they’re two major boss characters, their very essences and virtues are also woven deep in their actions and the types of magic they use. Early concept art for Tanta Prav Bringing the Tantas to life, from concept art to full 3D models, was no small task, and the art team shepherded each design through three major evolutions. The first when the scan models for each character had been selected, as this informed what each Tanta would look like, and the team adjusted the designs to match the models accordingly. The following stage was the completion of the physical production of each Tanta’s outfit. This might seem a bit extreme, but Matsuzawa and the art team wanted the distinct construction of their dresses to feel as real as possible, so they made them in real life, and 3D scanned them. The final evolution took place when the performance actors brought the characters to life—Janina Gavankar portraying Tanta Sila and Pollyanna McIntosh portraying Tanta Prav. Both actors articulately portrayed the Tantas’ virtues and corruption envisioned by the team, solidifying them not just as characters but as individuals. Although both Tantas are powerful sorceresses with a certain amount of gravitas, our Cinematic Director, Toshiyuki Momose, was careful to present them as ordinary people with semi-ordinary concerns (such as Frey’s alleged trespassing) and not make them out to be godlike beings. On the animation side of things, Animator Kiyoka Hatakeyama kept in mind that as the battles in Forspoken are all about magic and don’t rely on weaponry whatsoever, it was important to keep the movements of the Tantas’ hands and arms graceful to clearly convey their strength, beauty, and corruption. For Tanta Prav, she found figure skating to be a huge source of inspiration for creating her animations. Janina Gavankar in full mocap getup The progression of Tanta Prav’s visual development, from early CG concept art to the final product The Tantas were a true labor of love for us at Luminous Productions. Believe me when I say that the team here is just as excited to see them fully voiced and animated as we hope viewers at home are, who are seeing them for the first time. We’re all also incredibly excited that the time for folks around the world to face off against the Tantas themselves is quickly drawing near. With only a few months to go until the launch, Forspoken will release on PlayStation 5 on May 24, 2022, and you can pre-order the Digital Standard Edition today. By pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe Edition, players can get several exciting bonuses, including the Rare Resource Kit, Mini Artbook, Mini Soundtrack, and Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust prequel DLC*. In addition, pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe Edition will allow players to receive unique gear and items to aid them in their journey through Athia including the No Limits Cloak, Symbol Combo Necklace, Trigger Happy Nails and Crafting Starter Kit. * Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust DLC coming Winter 2022, following the game’s launch. Players who pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition will receive early access to this prequel story DLC when released. View the full article

Hey everyone! I’m Phil Crifo, game director on Tchia. We just released a really cool gameplay trailer during The Game Awards and we’re excited to dive deeper into our Soul Jumping mechanic. Soul Jumping allows Tchia to take control of animals and objects around the world, opening fun and emergent exploration and combat gameplay opportunities. In this blog I’ll elaborate a bit on how this mechanic evolved over the course of development and how it works in the final game. Play Video The Basics of Soul Jumping Soul Jumping in Tchia is straightforward, you press a button and Tchia enters a sort of trance — in this mode, time is slowed down considerably, allowing you to aim precisely. Objects and animals you can Soul Jump to are highlighted in green. Aim, press the Soul Jump button, Tchia is warped to the target… You’re in! Notice how Tchia’s tiaré flower transfers onto animals’ ears while you’re controlling them. Tchia discovers her Soul Jumping abilities early on in the game, but that doesn’t mean she has full control over her powers from the start. At first, you’ll be able to take control of things for a short amount of time only, but as you progress through the game, you will discover special challenges that, once completed, will grant you an additional slot on your Soul Meter, allowing you to use your abilities more extensively and start experimenting with complex combos. Usages and Abilities Once you’re controlling an animal or an object, you’ll notice Tchia’s Soul Meter slowly draining depending on what you do. This allows us to balance locomotion and abilities. For example, simply rolling around as a coconut will drain your meter very slowly, while covering long distances with a bird will be a bit more taxing. Animals have very diverse abilities. Some are unique actions, for example dogs are able to dig up buried treasures and crabs can destroy locks and chains with their crazy pinchers. Other animals offer locomotion advantages such as flying or being able to swim super fast and deep, very useful for exploration. Animals are fun to control, but objects can be very useful, too. When Soul Jumping to any object, you are able to control it and roll around using a fun physics-based movement system. From there, you can perform a Soul Throw; this technique allows Tchia to aim and shoot the object at a target while warping out of it at the same time. This is very powerful when used with explosive or flammable objects for example. Behind the Scenes Soul Jumping is a core mechanic of Tchia, and we’ve been refining it since the early concept days of the project, here is a glimpse at its evolution throughout development. At first, Tchia had a simple telekinesis ability. It was fun to move objects around but wasn’t very dynamic and didn’t feel super fresh. Later on, we refined the mechanic to actually give direct control to the player while Tchia was stuck in place in a trance state. This was instantly more fun, but we realized it didn’t allow for dynamic combos or locomotion perks, as you would always go back to Tchia’s initial location when unpossessing. It also left Tchia’s body vulnerable and that didn’t allow for on the fly, quick evasive uses of the ability. From there, the natural next step was having Tchia warp into her target in a quick and snappy motion, and jump out of it in location when unpossessing. This allows for very cool and dynamic combos, incentivizes the use of the ability in evasive and offensive maneuvers, and is just overall super fun! Soul Jump onto our Social Feeds Please let us know what you think of our new gameplay trailer, and shoot us a message if you’re excited about the game (We need the encouragement as we reach the late stages of production). Stay tuned for more deep dives into our sandbox mechanics in the near future, and give us a follow on Twitter for regular updates. I hope this overview of our Soul Jumping mechanic sparked some interest and made you wanna explore the world of Tchia as a crab, a bird, a shark or any of the 30+ playable animals and tons of objects present in the game. Tchia is coming Spring 2022 on Playstation 4 and Playstation 5. Cheers! 🦜🦀❤️ View the full article

Hey again, this is Chad from Studio MDHR! The last time I had a chance to write something for the PlayStation Blog, we were announcing Cuphead’s surprise launch on PlayStation 4. Since that time, we have been heads down on the continued development of our game’s upcoming expansion, The Delicious Last Course, and I’m thrilled to be able to announce a bonafide release date: this next adventure will be coming to PlayStation 4 on June 30, 2022!! I’m so proud of our amazing team and I can’t wait for PlayStation players to get their hands on The Delicious Last Course. When we originally announced this expansion, we cheekily chose to name the game with a title that shortened to “DLC”, and while this isn’t a sequel, I can confidently say The Delicious Last Course has taken on a life of its own during development, and that it isn’t just your bog standard game expansion. On that note, let’s talk a little bit about what the game is, and what you can expect. The Delicious Last Course sees Cuphead and Mugman setting sail for “D.L.C. Isle”, an untamed and previously undiscovered island off the coast of the main Inkwell Isles. In true Cuphead fashion, however, they find that the island is host to a new cast of fearsome, larger than life bosses, all of whom are tied to a quest they must undertake on behalf of the jubilant and jolly Chef Saltbaker. What this quest is and where it will take our intrepid heroes is something we want to keep secret for just a little longer, but it’s fair to say that it might be our brave little cups’ most challenging adventure yet. Luckily, Ms. Chalice is there for more than just moral support. Fans of the original Cuphead will recognize her as The Legendary Chalice, but in this new form, Ms. Chalice packs a wallop of her own, including unique abilities that will help you overcome some of the biggest bosses we’ve ever designed! Be sure to keep an eye out for grumpy shopkeep Porkrind as well, who’s never one to pass up an opportunity for commerce and might just have all new weapons and magical charms for you to experiment with. In fact, if you take a closer look at the trailer we debuted at this year’s Game Awards, you might just spot a few. Major announcements like this are always a chance to reflect on a game’s development, and something I’m really excited for Cuphead fans to see with The Delicious Last Course is the way our team has really honed their craft during development. From our designers to concept artists to animators and engineers, everyone spent the development of this game challenging themselves to innovate, and we have pushed to make The Delicious Last Course a true high watermark of everything we do at Studio MDHR. There are individual phases of single bosses in this game that contain more attacks and frames of animation than entire bosses from the original Cuphead. It’s often said that “any video game that releases is a feat,” and that’s something I think our whole industry has felt doubly so making games amidst these unique times. In our case, we have been especially challenged by things like safely and securely assembling a live orchestra to perform our game’s soundtrack. However, our guiding principle through the whole experience has been the game’s quality, and we are so excited to see what everyone thinks of The Delicious Last Course when it releases next year. I hope you’ve saved up an appetite… for adventure! View the full article

Alan Wake was the first Remedy Entertainment game where we were planning on a sequel already when working on the first game. It was a lesson learned from Max Payne, our breakout hit game, where the idea of a sequel never crossed our minds before the game was out. With Max Payne, it all worked out great in the end, even if the first story wasn’t planned with a follow-up in mind. But so, with Alan Wake, we were thinking about a sequel early on. When we, at the end of the game, left Alan Wake off in the supernatural nightmare dimension of the Dark Place, it felt like a fitting end to our horror story, but also like a cool cliffhanger of things to come. Alan Wake is about the laws of drama, and we knew that for the story to continue, for Alan Wake to survive, it would have to be a hard journey for him. We didn’t know that it was going to be a hard journey for us at Remedy as well. But looking back now, it’s clear that it had to be a hard journey, because if anything, Alan Wake is about the struggle to create a work of art. Fiction becoming reality. And it’s also the reason, for its themes of an artist’s process, that Alan Wake has always meant the world to me. Images within this article are from CG trailer, not actual gameplay. For over a decade, after Alan Wake, in between every project we have made, I have eagerly worked on Alan Wake 2 with a small core team, dreaming up different incarnations of the concept. But getting a large game project funded and greenlit is a complex effort that depends on many things, some of which are beyond our control. We never gave up hope. If anything, we grew more determined as years passed. Each version of the concept felt better than the previous one. It is easy to feel happy and excited now that Alan Wake 2 is finally happening based on our latest iteration of the concept, and not the ones that came before that. We’re so happy to be at this point, after so much hard work, sharing our excitement with you. With Control, our game from 2019, we established the Remedy Connected Universe, where both Control and Alan Wake exist in the same universe. AWE, the second expansion of Control, builds a crossover event between the two games, and hints of things to come. Control was the first Remedy Universe game on PlayStation. And after it, we had the perfect opportunity to release Alan Wake Remastered also on PlayStation this fall. It’s been wonderful to see so many of you visit the small town of Bright Falls for the first time. I also want to make it clear that playing our previous games is not required in any way to fully enjoy Alan Wake 2, but to those interested it will add to the backstory of it. We have now announced Alan Wake 2. This is a monumental moment for us at Remedy. For me personally. Leading up to the announcement, our internal codename for the sequel has been Project Big Fish. David Lynch has said: “Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper.” Alan Wake 2 is our big fish. We are diving deeper than ever, into an ocean of darkness. Whereas the first Alan Wake had horror elements in it, it was an action game. Alan Wake 2 is Remedy’s first survival horror game. Our take on the genre. Our opportunity to truly connect the gameplay and the story. It is a deep, layered mystery. So, Alan Wake 2 confirmed and coming in 2023 presented by Epic Games Publishing. Thank you, our long-standing fans, this is what you have been waiting for, and welcome to those who are just discovering Alan Wake’s story. View the full article

Greetings! We’ve got one more chart for ya before the end of the year. And since it’s the end of the year, I’m going to keep this intro short ‘n sweet. Without further ado, feast your eyes upon PlayStation Store’s Top Downloads for November 2021: PS5 Games US/Canada EU 1 Call of Duty: Vanguard Call of Duty: Vanguard 2 Battlefield 2042 Battlefield 2042 3 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition 4 NBA 2K22 FIFA 22 5 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy 6 Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Farming Simulator 22 7 Madden NFL 22 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales 8 Far Cry 6 Far Cry 6 9 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition NBA 2K22 10 FIFA 22 DEATHLOOP 11 DEATHLOOP The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition 12 Riders Republic Resident Evil Village 13 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order 14 Back 4 Blood Jurassic World Evolution 2 15 Demon’s Souls Assassin’s Creed Valhalla 16 Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT Riders Republic 17 STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order Demon’s Souls 18 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart DOOM Eternal 19 DOOM Eternal It Takes Two 20 Resident Evil Village F1 2021 *Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not included PS4 Games US/Canada EU 1 Call of Duty: Vanguard Call of Duty: Vanguard 2 Battlefield 2042 FIFA 22 3 NBA 2K22 Battlefield 2042 4 Madden NFL 22 Grand Theft Auto V 5 Grand Theft Auto V Farming Simulator 22 6 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition The Last of Us Part II 7 FIFA 22 The Crew 2 8 JUMP FORCE Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition 9 Red Dead Redemption 2 Minecraft 10 Minecraft Red Dead Redemption 2 11 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales JUMP FORCE 12 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint The Sims 4 13 Far Cry 6 NBA 2K22 14 The Crew 2 Need for Speed Payback 15 UFC 4 UFC 4 16 The Last of Us Part II A Way Out 17 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition 18 NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER Cyberpunk 2077 19 Farming Simulator 22 Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout 20 Back 4 Blood Far Cry 6 *Naming of products may differ between regions PS VR Games US/Canada EU 1 Beat Saber Beat Saber 2 Gun Club VR Sniper Elite VR 3 Job Simulator Gun Club VR 4 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR Job Simulator 5 Sniper Elite VR Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality 6 Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality 7 Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality GORN 8 GORN Drunkn Bar Fight 9 Swordsman VR Swordsman VR 10 SUPERHOT VR The Room VR: A Dark Matter Free-to-Play (PS5 + PS4) US/Canada EU 1 Fortnite Fortnite 2 Call of Duty: Warzone eFootball 2022 3 Rocket League Rocket League 4 Apex Legends Call of Duty: Warzone 5 Rec Room Genshin Impact 6 Genshin Impact Apex Legends 7 Destiny 2 Brawlhalla 8 Brawlhalla Rec Room 9 eFootball 2022 Destiny 2 10 Splitgate Enlisted View the full article

Includes the music and costumes of characters from the Yakuza series. In addition to costumes, this special pack also includes newly arranged music from Virtua Fighter 3 and additional stamps to hype up the fights. Play Video Includes: ・650 Character customization items ・19 Character costumes ・19 Yakuza series character costumes ・20 Yakuza series BGM ・20 “Virtua Fighter 3” arranged BGM ・40 Spectator stamps Compete against fighters across the world and create a new Virtua Fighter legend! Details Product： Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown Genre：Fighting Players：1-2 players (Up to 16 online players*) *For Room Matches, if the host creates the room as a spectator, 17 players (1 spectator and up to 16 players) will be allowed. Release：June 1, 2021 Official website：https://virtuafighter5us.sega.com/ ©SEGA View the full article

We’re excited to share our latest trailer for Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, remastered for PS5 and coming to PC for the first time ever in the series. Our upcoming release includes the single-player experiences of the award-winning Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, which features Nathan Drake’s weary return to his old ways and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a breakout story for antagonist turned ally, Chloe Frazer. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection will be available on PS5 on January 28. For those of you who cannot wait to get your hands on the PC version, stay tuned for more details from us on specs and the upcoming release date. Play Video Of course, experiencing the over-the-top blockbuster action and adventure that both games are renowned for has been greatly improved to compliment and take advantage of the features the PlayStation 5 console is known for so let’s get into just that. Graphics First off, graphic updates. Here’s a look at the options players can select from: Fidelity Mode – For those of you who have a 4K display and want super sharp resolution above all else to enjoy the stunning environments and details the Uncharted series is known for, select Fidelity Mode and play in native 4K resolution with a 30fps target framerate. Performance Mode Performance Mode targets a 60 FPS frame rate. Performance+ Mode – If you’re all about the smoothest gameplay possible and don’t mind a resolution drop, try out our first ever Performance+ Mode which targets 120fps* at a 1080p resolution. *Requires a compatible 120hz display. Features Thanks to the power of the PS5 console, the load time is near instant so you can jump into the action faster than Nate or Chloe can draw their weapons (which, if you’ve seen Chloe take on a band of mercenaries before, is pretty fast). Enjoy Spatial 3D Audio* and know where the shots are coming from and immerse yourself in the ambience of the locations across both games. With the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, we’ve fine-tuned the rumble and resistance here: feeling the 4×4 vehicles roll along in your hands or landing a punch and then rope swinging to safety has never been so rewarding. *3D Audio via built-in TV speakers (setup and update to the latest system software required) or analogue/USB stereo headphones. Pricing and Upgrades The Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection will be available physically and digitally for the PS5 console for SGD67.9 / MYR209 / IDR729,000 / THB1,690 / PHP2,490 / VND 1,249,000. You can pre-order digitally here. Players who purchased Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, or Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End & Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Digital Bundle have the option to pay SGD13 / MYR40 / IDR150,000 / THB400 to upgrade to Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Digital Version. The upgrade will be available starting at launch on January 28, 2022. Owners of PS4 disc copies must insert them into the PS5 every time they want to download or play the PS5 digital versions. PS4 game disc owners who buy the PS5 Digital Edition disc-free console will not be able to get the PS5 version for the discounted price. PlayStation Plus members who claimed Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End via their PlayStation Plus subscription are not eligible for the SGD13 / MYR40 / IDR150,000 / THB400 digital PS5 upgrade. Please note that the multiplayer mode included in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy will not be a part of this new collection. PC Update PC players, wishlisting for Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves can be done on the Epic and Steam Stores, and rest assured, we will be revisiting and revealing more pertaining to the PC launch as we head into 2022. We are thrilled to be able to bring both epic adventures to returning and new Uncharted fans. View the full article

There have been many amazing weapons throughout Destiny’s history. Some have achieved notoriety for their effectiveness in combat or their startling beauty. A handful have earned legendary reputations for their unique traits or memorable backstory. Then there’s Gjallarhorn. The Exotic Rocket Launcher, introduced in the original Destiny, has become a hallmark for players since its debut in 2014. As Bungie celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2021, we’re celebrating in the only way we know how: By continuing the party in Destiny 2 with our amazing community. As part of that celebration, we’re bringing back Gjallarhorn with a new Exotic quest that will grant players the opportunity to add the powerful Rocket Launcher to their arsenal. While the Gjallarhorn of Destiny 2 will feel familiar to long-time fans, the team behind its return have included some fun twists that prove that even old… ahem, wolves can be taught new tricks. Recently we caught up with the Destiny development team to learn more about what went into the return of Gjallarhorn. Legacy of Boom “Gjallarhorn was one of the first Exotics that really made you feel overpowered, especially against bosses,” said Bungie designer Brandon, who led the gameplay design on the weapon’s return to Destiny 2. When asked about the legacy of the weapon he added, “It was also incredibly elusive for players that didn’t buy it from Xûr in the early weeks of Destiny.” [Editor’s note: “Why would I waste my heavy slot on an exotic rocket launcher?”] Those who managed to snag Gjallarhorn from the vendor were lucky indeed; most players found it as a rare drop at the end of raids such as Crota’s End or Vault of Glass, among other sources. But even then, it remained elusive and (as such things are wont to be) highly sought after. As Brandon puts it, “Who didn’t scream out loud when they finally got the weapon to drop after months of grinding?” Bungie’s Mark Flieg, a senior artist who worked on the visual effects (VFX) on Gjallarhorn in Destiny 2 as well as on the original weapon in 2014, thinks there are several reasons for its hallowed reputation. “It was one of the first Exotic weapons in the game, meaning there were far fewer other ‘hero assets’ to choose from (since you can only equip one Exotic at a time). It’s a beautiful weapon with a unique and regal look that set it apart from the others; and the ability to clear the playing field with a few shots made it a fun tool in your arsenal.” That ability to clear a room is thanks in no small part to its intrinsic Wolfpack Rounds, where rounds fired splinter into multiple clusters of explosives tracking down their targets. As a result, a fireteam full of Gjally-equipped Guardians in the original Destiny would cause even the staunchest foes to cower in fear. For the weapon’s return in Destiny 2, the team gave the Rocket Launcher some timely updates that make it just as effective. Lead designer Brandon said the goals were to maintain that feeling of being overpowered that the original Gjallarhorn offered, while also giving it a touch up to compete with the Exotic Rocket Launchers found in the modern sandbox. “There was no question that the Wolfpack Rounds perk from the original was a crucial part of the weapon’s identity, so we kept it as the intrinsic perk in Destiny 2,” he said. “We also wanted to update the weapon by adding a new perk called Pack Hunter which would give it even more power when using it in a fireteam.” That new Pack Hunter perk is one of the prime examples of how Bungie can update a weapon for the modern sandbox, while still maintaining a weapon’s original flair. With Pack Hunter, Gjallarhorn extends the Wolfpack Rounds to Guardians in range who are wielding a non-Exotic Rocket Launcher. In addition, the Destiny 2 Gjallarhorn catalyst enhances the perk to create more Wolfpack Rounds when the initial round gets a final blow, and also gives the weapon two rounds in the mag. “The Pack Hunter perk came about when we were thinking about the player experience in the original Destiny,” Brandon said. “Often fireteam leaders would require that everyone in the group have Gjallarhorn equipped for harder content such as raids, much to the dismay of players that didn’t have the weapon yet. I thought it would be fun to turn that idea on its head by making the perk require only a single person to have the weapon equipped while still allowing everyone in the group to ‘have’ Gjallarhorn.” Beneath the Ice The work of bringing Gjallarhorn into the modern age was a careful balance of past and present. As Bungie staff artist Matt Lichy says, “I wanted to try and keep the overall look that was crafted back in Destiny 1 as much as possible but bring it up to the current quality standards that we use now.” Lichy said he referred to the original textures of the weapon (built by former Bungie artist Mark Van Haitsma) and updated it for the modern game’s higher geometry budgets and new PBR (physically-based rendering) shader methods. Though the Destiny 2 Gjallarhorn does have some additional detail to the front of the weapon and its upper cowling, Lichy said the goal was to maintain the iconic look of the original. “Weapon reprisals are what I’d consider ‘iceberg assets,’” said VFX artist Mark Flieg. “The final product that players see represents only a fraction of the work that goes into each one.” So what, then, was the “work hidden beneath the surface?” “My primary focus [was] to drive the design and provide players feedback to their actions. If people are focusing on the VFX after the first few shots, however, I’ve missed my mark – my intention is to help you feel your shots, without taking away from the action.” True to its namesake – the mythical Norse horn blown by Heimdall – Gjallarhorn is more than just its iconic look; it needed to sound great too. Bungie sound designer Noah Sitrin worked on making the wolf howl. “We wanted to make the weapon feel as special and powerful as players remember when they first got ahold of it in D1,” Sitrin said. “We also wanted to distill the weapon’s audio theme and spread it across every sound it makes. This meant leaning heavily into the ornate, wolfish, and larger-than-life qualities of the Gjallarhorn.” While much of Gjallarhorn’s fundamental sounds – such as firing and its associated explosions – are relatively unchanged from the original Destiny, some of the secondary sounds were significantly upgraded. “I started from scratch on secondary sounds, such as reloads, handling, and targeting and packed a lot of character in to make it feel like a finely crafted, but brutal weapon. We used plenty of heavy mechanical elements, and animal growls morphed with synthesized basses to give it that intense, animalistic quality.” If you already think the Wolfpack Rounds perk is cool, just wait until you hear it. Sitrin explained, “A big part of the fun in this new Gjally is being able to share the Wolfpack Round perk with your teammates. Initially, the only way you could tell if the perk was active was the short growly sound that plays when teammates get in range. This indicator gets the job done, but we felt that there was an opportunity to go for some stronger theming here. “We thought, ‘What better way to let you know wolfpack rounds are active than for everyone’s Rocket Launchers to howl as they fire?’ This change was really well received in playtests, and personally made me smile as soon as I got it working, so of course it had to stay.” A labor of love – that’s what the return of Gjallarhorn has been for the entire team at Bungie. We look forward to seeing Guardians enjoy this reprised weapon and watching the videos of all those Wolfpack Rounds creating chaotic beauty across the solar system. Enemies of humanity, consider yourself warned! Bungie’s 30th Anniversary Pack is available now. View the full article

We’re excited to share our latest trailer for Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, remastered for PS5 and coming to PC for the first time ever in the series. Our upcoming release includes the single-player experiences of the award-winning Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, which features Nathan Drake’s weary return to his old ways and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a breakout story for antagonist turned ally, Chloe Frazer. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection will be available on PS5 on January 28. For those of you who cannot wait to get your hands on the PC version, stay tuned for more details from us on specs and the upcoming release date. Play Video Of course, experiencing the over-the-top blockbuster action and adventure that both games are renowned for has been greatly improved to compliment and take advantage of the features the PlayStation 5 console is known for so let’s get into just that. Graphics First off, graphic updates. Here’s a look at the options players can select from: Fidelity Mode – For those of you who have a 4K display and want super sharp resolution above all else to enjoy the stunning environments and details the Uncharted series is known for, select Fidelity Mode and play in native 4K resolution with a 30fps target framerate. Performance Mode – We carried over the high framerate PS4 patch with Performance Mode, which targets a 60fps frame rate. Performance+ Mode – If you’re all about the smoothest gameplay possible and don’t mind a resolution drop, try out our first ever Performance+ Mode which targets 120fps* at a 1080p resolution. *Requires a compatible 120hz display. Features Thanks to the power of the PS5 console, the load time is near instant so you can jump into the action faster than Nate or Chloe can draw their weapons (which, if you’ve seen Chloe take on a band of mercenaries before, is pretty fast). Enjoy Spatial 3D Audio* and know where the shots are coming from and immerse yourself in the ambience of the locations across both games. With the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, we’ve fine-tuned the rumble and resistance here: feeling the 4×4 vehicles roll along in your hands or landing a punch and then rope swinging to safety has never been so rewarding. *3D Audio via built-in TV speakers (setup and update to the latest system software required) or analogue/USB stereo headphones. Pricing and Upgrades The Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection will be available physically and digitally for the PS5 console for USD $49.99/€49.99 MSRP. You can pre-order digitally here. Players who purchased Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, or Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End & Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Digital Bundle have the option to pay $10/€10 to upgrade to Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Digital Version. The upgrade will be available starting at launch on January 28, 2022. Owners of PS4 disc copies must insert them into the PS5 every time they want to download or play the PS5 digital versions. PS4 game disc owners who buy the PS5 Digital Edition disc-free console will not be able to get the PS5 version for the discounted price. PlayStation Plus members who claimed Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End via their PlayStation Plus subscription are not eligible for the $10/€10 digital PS5 upgrade. Please note that the multiplayer mode included in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy will not be a part of this new collection. Uncharted Movie Ticket Offer Between now and February 3, 2022 11:59pm PT, players in select countries can purchase or upgrade to Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PS5 via PlayStation Store and receive a voucher code for one standard ticket to see the Uncharted movie in participating theaters starting from February 2022.. Must be a resident of Australia, New Zealand, UK, or US. Age restrictions apply. Ticket code delivered via email on or around Feb. 9, 2022. Full terms here. Stay tuned for offer availability in additional countries. PC Update PC players, wishlisting for Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves can be done on the Epic and Steam Stores, and rest assured, we will be revisiting and revealing more pertaining to the PC launch as we head into 2022. We are thrilled to be able to bring both epic adventures to returning and new Uncharted fans. View the full article

This past weekend (December 3-5) marked the fourth FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships World Finals and our last on GT Sport before we switch to GT7 next year. This impending change was highlighted as Porsche unveiled their exciting new, all-electric Vision Gran Turismo car for GT7 as part of the Nations Cup broadcast on Sunday. It was also great to see Lewis Hamilton make an appearance to congratulate our 2021 Nations Cup champion. All in all, the World Finals were a great success again – raced and recorded remotely for the second year in succession. The freedom we have in the series makes it fascinating that we can create very different races in different cars for the finals, and those scenes really make an impression. You can also identify the different characters of our competitors. It really struck me at the weekend how high the level of the competitors has become. All of them are so fast, and so it all comes down to very small margins, having the strength to drive 100% for the whole race and, dare I say, a little bit of good luck at times. The weekend started on Friday with the Toyota Gazoo Racing GT Cup. While not part of the official Championships, close action is always guaranteed in the Toyota GR Yaris and new GR86 cars. The final race around the famous Circuit de la Sarthe saw experienced Japanese driver Tomoaki Yamanaka (yamado_racing38) take victory by a mere four-tenths of a second from last year’s champion, Takuma Miyazono (Kerokkuma_ej20). It was also very pleasing to see another Japanese driver, Rikuto Kobayashi (TX3_tokari71), take third. Not because he is Japanese, but because he is only 16 years old and a really exciting prospect for the years to come. Saturday’s Manufacturer Series World Finals was set to be another really exciting climax to the Series with Team Toyota and Team Mazda tied on points after the World Series events this year. In the end, Mazda could do nothing in the face of three impeccable performances from Team Toyota’s Igor Fraga of Brazil (IOF_RACING17), Coque López of Spain (coqueIopez14) and Japan’s Tomoaki Yamanaka. For Fraga and Yamanaka it was their second Manufacturer Series victory for Toyota, having lifted the Boccioni-inspired trophy in 2019. López started them off with victory in Race 1 on the Autodrome Lago Maggiore – GP II before Yamanaka – starting from the pole secured thanks to the Race 1 victory – drove beautifully and benefited from taking a different tyre strategy to the rest of the field to win on the Tokyo Expressway – East Outer Loop. Igor Fraga has shown himself to be a huge fan of the Nürburgring 24h circuit, and he held his concentration, and the lead, throughout the five laps of the 25.4km track. You can hear on the team radio that these three compete very much as a team and work hard for each other behind the wheel or working on strategy. Team Mazda finished the year second in the points standings having found it hard to come back from a disappointing seventh place in the opening race, despite taking third in Race 2 and second in Race 3. Rounding out the top three was Team Porsche with a single point advantage over fourth-placed Mercedes-Benz. The World Finals of the Nations Cup on Sunday saw 32 competitors representing 18 different countries and territories. Three regional semi-finals would create the 16-driver field for the Grand Final. The Asia-Oceania semi-final played out on an intriguing combination of the Mazda Roadster Touring Car on Australia’s Mount Panorama circuit and produced some extraordinarily tight racing. A thrilling finish saw 2020’s Nations Cup champion Takuma Miyazono (Kerokkuma_ej20) take the race win by three-tenths of a second. Next up it was the turn of the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region that contained three of the top four in the points table, including Italy’s Valerio Gallo who has been in incredible form all year. Only the top six finishers would proceed to the Grand Final and anything was possible in a 15-lap race around Autodromo Nazionale Monza No Chicane in Gran Turismo’s take on a 1980s formula car, the F1500T-A. A daring tyre-strategy from Spain’s Coque López almost paid off, but it was Gallo and his closest rival in the points table, Spaniard Jose Serrano (PR1_JOSETE), who enjoyed a stunning last-lap battle. Gallo took the chequered flag by four-hundredths of a second to add to his lead in the points table. The North, Central and South American semi-final was an incident-packed affair around the Blue Moon Bay Speedway – Infield A in identical Ford GTs. With only five places up for grabs in the Grand Final, another close finish saw Lucas Bonelli (BRA) (TGT_BONELLI) cross the finish line first, followed by Igor Fraga (BRA), Angel Inostroza (CHI) (YASHEAT_Loyrot), Juan Hernandez (GUA) (TX3_Kangreti) and Andrew Brooks (CAN) (PX7-Deafsun), who took the final spot in the Grand Final. The Gran Turismo original Dragon Trail – Seaside circuit was the scene for the Grand Final with another Ford GT car, this time the LM Spec II Test Car, providing the hardware. The top 16 Gran Turismo drivers in the world lined up on the grid. Serrano had done all he could to stay in contention by taking pole position by just three-hundredths of a second from arch-rival Gallo. Gallo enjoyed a strong start, but with different pit stop strategies at play it was a hard one to call. On lap 18 of 22 a mistake by Miyazono allowed Gallo to retake the lead. Incredibly, however, on the penultimate lap, Frenchman Baptiste Beauvois (R8G_TSUTSU), who had started last on the grid after a costly mistake in qualifying, passed Gallo and took the lead on the softer compound of tyre while Gallo had to run to the end on the mediums. A small error allowed Gallo back past on the final lap and he was able to cling on through the last few corners for victory in the race and the Championship. Fourth on track for Serrano secured him second overall in the series. Miyazono’s drive to third in the Grand Final put him third in the points, just ahead of Beauvois, whose inspired drive promoted him to fourth overall. Once again, it was a really exciting World Finals weekend and congratulations to all our Champions who will be honoured during the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony in Paris later this month. I would also like to say a huge thank you to all of the drivers who have taken part this year in the Online Series and the World Series events. View the full article

The PS Blog Game of the Year 2021 Polls are now open! These awards are driven entirely by players’ choice, so cast your vote to nominate your favourite PlayStation games of the past year. All 16 categories recognise the best of PlayStation through 2021, across PS4, PS5 and PS VR to celebrate great games, captivating new characters, fantastic soundtracks, graphical showcases, and much more. As ever, there are a few rules for categories and their nominees. This year, some are new: Every category includes a write-in option in case there’s a title absent that you think should be considered. Due to the polls closure date, some titles aren’t eligible for inclusion. These will be eligible for next year’s nominee selection. As with the majority of the other categories, Best Multiplayer Experience focuses on titles released in 2021, but also recognises multiplayer-centric games that have seen significant new content or game-changing updates over this past year (such as Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker). There are a number of highly anticipated games on the horizon. Some have launch dates, while others have yet to even officially confirm the game’s name. As such, we’ve chosen to keep the selection for the Most Anticipated Game of 2022 and Beyond category to games that have official titles. Best Re-Release is a new category recognising remasters and remakes. Qualifying titles showcase enhancements like quality of life gameplay changes, graphical upgrades, and more. If a title won a Platinum in a category any previous year, it won’t be eligible for inclusion in the same category this year. Polls are live now and close on Monday, December 13 at 11.59pm Pacific Time, so scroll below and get clicking. We’ll collect the results and announce the winners later this month. Good luck to all the nominees! Best New Character Best Story Best Use of the DualSense Wireless Controller Best Multiplayer Experience Best Sports Game Best Accessibility Features Best Graphical Showcase Best Art Direction Best Soundtrack Best Re-Release Independent Game of the Year PS VR Game of the Year PS4 Game of the Year PS5 Game of the Year Most Anticipated Game of 2022 and Beyond Studio of the Year View the full article

Remastered classics, master assassins, and critters with enormous gnashers form December’s PlayStation Now lineup. Relive Liberty City’s 3D debut with Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition, attempt to save Spira from Sin in Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, enjoy tactical gun-fu action with puzzler John Wick Hex, then unwind with some arcade hilarity in Spitlings. Let’s take a closer look at each of those games. Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition Experience the epic open-world adventure that started it all, updated for a new generation with across-the-board enhancements, bringing these beloved worlds to life with all new levels of detail. Enhancements include brilliant new lighting and environmental upgrades with high-resolution textures, increased draw distance, Grand Theft Auto V-style controls including updated Weapon and Radio Station Wheels, updated mini-maps with enhanced navigation allowing players to set waypoints to destinations, updated Trophies, and much more. Grand Theft Auto III: The Definitive Edition is available on PlayStation Now until Monday, January 31. Play Video Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster First released on PS2, relive two of the greatest RPGs of their generation widely acclaimed for their moving stories, endearing characters, and memorable adventures. Final Fantasy X takes you to Spira―a world terrorized by the supernatural monster Sin. The temple of Yevon teaches that the monster is a physical manifestation of mankind’s sins, and following the temple’s teachings and atoning could purge it. Yuna, a young woman from Besaid, is a summoner who embarks on a pilgrimage to defeat this terror. Tidus, a young man from another world, joins her as her guardian. The mysteries revolving around Sin unfold as they set off on a journey to save the world. Final Fantasy X-2 returns to the world of Spira two years after the beginning of the Eternal Calm. Having been shown a mysterious but familiar image in a sphere, Yuna becomes a Sphere Hunter and along with her companions Rikku and Paine, embarks on a quest around the world to find the answers to the mystery within. John Wick Hex Play the professional hitman from the critically acclaimed film franchise in this fast-paced, action-oriented strategy game. John Wick Hex is fight-choreographed chess brought to life as a video game. Featuring a unique blend of strategic time-based action, progress in the main story mode to unlock new weapons, suit options and locations. Each weapon changes up the tactics you’ll use and the manner in which you’ll play. Ammo is finite and realistically simulated, so time your reloads and make the most of weapons you scavenge on the job. Spitlings Spitlings is a chaotic action arcade game for one to four players. It puts you in control of the titular Spitlings: charming rectangular creatures with teeth they can spit at bubbles or use to jump. Your goal is simple, but hard to achieve: Get rid of all the bubbles bouncing around the screen! Enjoy local or online co-op multiplayer, and customise your game mode in Arcade and get spitting! View the full article

Heavenly Bodies is now only a day away from launch! We’re in near disbelief that the time has finally come but are beyond excited to see our game in everyone’s hands. To get everyone prepared for their inevitably troublesome time aboard the station, we’ve prepared a tips and tricks checklist. It’s a must-read for anyone aspiring to be an outstanding cosmonaut. Tips and tricks for mastering Heavenly Bodies Heavenly Bodies has a highly unique physics-based movement system unlike any other game. You must solely use your hands and arms to move your character and perform maintenance tasks in zero-g. Unsurprisingly, some find it tricky, so we’ve got some advice for those struggling to come to grips. Choose your movement style We’ve designed multiple ‘movement styles’ in Heavenly Bodies that present different ways for moving your character. Each offers a different challenge level, and we encourage you to find the one that works for you. Classic: This default style provides a good combination of challenge and fun. You’ll need to keep a firm grip to move around effectively, but we’ve made some exceptions to physical realism which make it easier to spin and ‘swim’ through the air by swinging your arms. Assisted: For players who may appreciate some ease of motion. Simply pointing your hands in the direction you want to travel will effortlessly move the character along. It’s fun… and rather liberating. Newtonian: The ‘physically accurate’ style for those seeking the full zero gravity experience. None of this ‘space swimming’ nonsense. Every action has a punishingly equal and opposite reaction. Hold on! The best way to get the job done is by using your hands. Keeping a firm grip on solid surfaces will help you push and pull your body around and will give you the leverage you need when flicking switches or using tools. Consult the manual When in doubt, the Operations Manual will give you the need-to-knows. Check it out during missions for your next objectives and for key details you won’t want to miss. Plus, it just looks nice. Keep the camera aligned There’s no ‘up’ in space, but you’ll know when you’re upside-down. If you ever find yourself topsy-turvy, hit square to realign the camera with your cosmonaut. Try Grab Toggle and other control options Weightlessness can be taxing on the body, and for extended space missions it’s not unreasonable for fatigue to set in. If you find grabbing/holding too strenuous, try enabling the Grab Toggle option. This will make the grabbing action toggle on and off, as opposed to having to hold it down. This can also be handy when moving objects over a long distance. There are plenty of options to explore in the controls menu, and we encourage you to tune them to find the configuration that works best for you. Bring a friend If the void of space is all too much on your own, try calling on a friend via local co-op. You can also invite them to an online session with PlayStation Share Play. Don’t give up! Professional cosmonauts train for years before taking to the stars, so don’t lose faith! With time and practice you’ll be moving around like the best of them. We hope that you’re now prepared for all the challenges the weightless world will offer when Heavenly Bodies releases tomorrow. See you up above. View the full article

The epic landscapes and ruins of the Forbidden West may be breathtaking, but danger lurks around every turn. Aloy’s enemies, both human and machine, have multiplied since the end of Horizon Zero Dawn. Whether she comes across a convoy of cargo machines and their guardians, a squad of rebel warriors looking for a fight, or a pack of Stalkers cloaked in the forest, the heat of combat will bring new challenges… but also opportunities to turn the tables. Spoiler Alert: Please note this article may contain some spoilers for Horizon Zero Dawn and its storyline. Combat evolved For the team at Guerrilla, one of the goals for Horizon Forbidden West was to significantly evolve the combat design from Horizon Zero Dawn, and to continue to build on the principles of player freedom and choice during encounters in the open world. “Aloy is a smart and agile combatant,” says Charles Perain, Combat Designer. “In Horizon Forbidden West, the tools at her disposal generate a wide array of tactics that allow her to engage with physically stronger opponents — from fully armored humans to very large machines.’ ‘Our changes to combat design stayed true to Aloy’s identity. First, we wanted to add additional depth to gameplay and increase the skill cap for players, through skills like melee combos and Valor Surges. Players who spend some time perfecting their combat skills will find some efficient and stylish ways to dispose of their enemies. Second, we wanted to cater to a variety of playstyles and really focus on freedom of choice. Through new weapons and outfits, which can be upgraded at a workbench, players can adapt their tactics. Finally, we wanted to design challenging enemies that encourage players to use all their abilities and skills. A whole new set of machines as well as advanced human enemies will keep players on their toes throughout the game!” “It was important to us that players feel like Aloy has grown in her skills and confidence coming from her adventures in Horizon Zero Dawn and the Frozen Wilds,” says Richard Oud, Gameplay Animation Director at Guerrilla. “She gained a lot of experience and that needed to show in her animations. Our aim was to show that Aloy is more comfortable traversing her environment – without losing sight of the fact that she’s human, of course, so things don’t always go perfectly for her. The grapple mechanic is a good example of this: she is more agile and resourceful, but at the same time we show the physical struggle when she’s being pulled up on bigger inclines.” The AI team has played a big role in improving the combat system, especially when it comes to increasing the challenge level. Lead AI Programmer Arjen Beij: “We wanted enemies to feel more authentic by improving the fluidity and continuity of motion, like making enemies (and companions) more capable of traversing rugged terrain. The AI in Horizon Zero Dawn already supported some dynamic terrain changes, but we wanted to take this further by adding jumping and climbing as a systemic part of their behavior. As you are playing the game, the AI will be searching for opportunities to take shortcuts, where it previously was a cumbersome detour.’ ‘Another example is that more machines are now capable of swimming and have the ability to dive and chase Aloy underwater. Amphibious enemies can also use jumps to get in and out of the water, so if you are unlucky they will combine this with an attack.” Authentic animation As detailed in a previous blog, the skill tree has been overhauled and restructured, featuring many new abilities that promote and enhance different playstyles or combinations of those. From an animation perspective, increased possibilities for Aloy and her enemies presented some unique challenges for the team. “We extensively research to understand the anatomy and locomotion of a character,” explains Richard. ‘There are lots of differences between animating a human or a machine, however the core pillars for what we wanted to achieve with both were very similar.’ ‘First, we wanted to create clarity for players. Each human class or machine is designed around a clear gameplay function, which the animation team communicates to the player through actions, posture, and motion. We rely on readable silhouettes and behaviors that the player can recognize, so you can anticipate or react to an enemy move. We play around with the timing of those movements to not only create windows of opportunities for the player to strike, block, or run, but also to show some personality traits in the animations themselves.’ ‘Then we have the player and enemy responses. We work closely with the game designers to make sure we end up with fun yet challenging gameplay, whilst maintaining the authenticity of the characters. Enemies usually have some time to show their intention, so the player can respond accordingly and get that fast and (almost) instant response from the input.’ ‘Finally, we look at flow and rhythm for both human and machine enemies to make a combat scenario more interesting. For example, we experiment with different ranges (short or long), multiple directions (forward, sideways, up, etc.), speed and timing (fast or slow strikes) and strength (small or big hits).” Creating clarity and intent in a combat situation was not just a goal for the animation team. “We try to show the state of enemies through acting, posture, and vocalizations,” says Arjen. “The grace period before you are detected is acted out by having the enemy approach you. Enemies will investigate disturbances such as an arrow landing nearby or spotting a machine that you took out silently.’ ‘You can also escape from combat by breaking line of sight and sneaking away. When enemies discover that you are not where they expected you to be, they will start searching. Human enemies team up and search for you as a group, with the team leader giving orders and coordinating the work. Through animation and context-dependent speech, the player will have plenty of cues to figure out their next move!” This can help create opportunities during combat. “There are many ways to efficiently tackle a combat situation in the Forbidden West; how a player chooses to do so has a real impact on the duration of the fight, the risks involved and the cost in resources,” says Charles. “Some players prefer clearing enemies stealthily, while others will use the focus to analyze their opponents and find the best tactics to dispose of them efficiently. Or they might like to go head on with the spear and bow… at their own risk!” Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. Bringing battles to life And those combat cues do not only exist in visual form; Guerrilla’s Audio team plays a pivotal role in breathing life into these epic battles. Senior Sound Designer Pinar Temiz explains how machines, unique enemies to the world of Horizon, have to sound just right. “Our main challenge for the machines was to balance the established sonic characteristics from Horizon Zero Dawn with the freshness and complexity of the new surroundings and machine types in the Forbidden West. There are machines with even more expressive animations and world functions in this new frontier — which required even more detailed sound design to match. We had to apply what worked well in the first game and build a sound palette that made each machine come to life, while keeping them unified in their ‘Horizon-ness’.’ ‘Machines have unique audio cues that are designed to help the player distinguish between a melee or a specific ranged attack. Melee attacks are communicated by a distinct sound that builds up towards the impact moment, while ranged attacks are communicated through their weapon specific charge up sounds, or projectile sounds. Especially in encounters that involve multiple machines surrounding the player, these audio cues will help attract player attention towards the most imminent attacker or source of danger, allowing them to respond in time.” Sound Designer Lovisa Bergdahl explains how Adhesive, an elemental effect, required a very hands-on approach to create: “The Adhesive effect starts off liquid, bubbly and gross, and slowly solidifies until it cracks and dissolves. To get that sound right, I spent several days playing with slime and going through the sound library looking for the slimiest and stickiest sounds. There are both my own recordings of stretching rubber, sloshing liquids and slime, as well as sound library assets and sounds my colleagues had recorded. It was simply put, disgusting and fun.” Awe-inspiring Machines with unique abilities Sound isn’t the only thing that makes the machines in the Forbidden West more impressive and threatening than before. “The team did a lot of research to get to the core personality and character traits of an enemy, as we were looking to make the world as authentic and immersive as possible,” Richard explains. “We’d usually start with a full enemy overview, including its intended strengths and weaknesses as well as keywords and traits that could fit the character. Then we’d start studying nature documentaries, feature films, encyclopedias, comic books, concepts art, and more — anything that will help get to the core of the character.’ ‘Once we have that overview, we create a moodboard video to clearly show the teams the intended personality, motions, and behaviors. For example, the fast and agile Clawstrider is very vicious and aggressive to encounter. They’re alert and calculated, which was a lot of fun to animate: we added small personality gestures so the player can understand what they are all about.” Pinar adds: “When the player alerts a machine, intentionally or not, these vocalizations help recognize the mode a machine is in. If a machine is in an idle, non-alert state, you’ll hear much calmer, more sporadic, and stylized natural vocalization to reflect the personality archetype we came up with within their individual sound design.” New enemies to deal with Aloy does not just encounter many threatening machines in the Forbidden West… She also has to deal with an increased number of human enemies, for example with Regalla’s rebels, a faction of the Tenakth tribe. This led Guerrilla to focus on a more in-depth combat system for encounters against humans, including new enemy classes with their own combat behavior and functions. Richard begins: “The goal was to make human combat as deep and challenging as machine combat. This meant extending the combat system and adding more variety in the way you encounter human enemies in the world. We want to give the player the option to engage in their own playstyle, whether they prefer ranged or close combat encounters. Switching between strategies resulted in a lot of transition animations which feel smooth and reactive.” The combat team added a neat new feature to make switching between ranged and close combat feel even more rewarding, according to Charles. “The resonator blast rewards players for using spear combos: whenever Aloy attacks with melee, the resonator in her spear stacks up some energy. This energy can be blasted at the enemy and will stick to them for a short duration. Shooting it with an arrow before it dissipates will deal a huge amount of damage! This mechanic creates a powerful synergy between close combat and ranged combat, encouraging players to transition smoothly between both.” “Since there are a lot of new archetypes in human enemies, we had different Mocap sessions to help bring these characters to life,” Richards tells us. “We worked with an experienced Mocap actor who knew how to deal with heavy stunt work and was a master in portraying different combat styles and personalities. We would explore idle behavior for specific classes, as this would tell us a lot about the kind of choices we were making for the character. For example, with the Champion class, it was key that the character came across as confident and experienced. So, the actor moved calmly, looking for gaps in the opponent’s defense and circling around while not losing eye contact and continuously closing in. It almost felt like a wolf stalking its prey!” That starting point of idle behavior and linking the acting to a certain animal really helped clarify the different personalities and approaches for the team, Richard continues. “The Rebel Soldier enemy behaves a lot like a hyena, which resulted in a rowdy and versatile personality with a lot of uncontrolled and ungraceful motion. The posture is hunched over and from a behavior point of view we think of them as being aggressive in groups, but at the same time hesitant in small numbers. They don’t always exactly behave like this from a combat and AI perspective, but it gave the team a better understanding of the character and helped us define choices in poses, combat attacks and personality.” Gear up for the Forbidden West Despite all the danger that lurks in the Forbidden West, Aloy will have plenty of opportunities to gear up and prepare before facing the worst of foes. It’s up to you to decide how to approach a situation, by using your skills, the surroundings, and the cues that the world gives you. “There are many things players can do to be best prepared for combat,” Charles smiles. “Have Aloy wear the appropriate outfit and weapons, and use the workbench to upgrade them and unlock additional stats, perks and ammo types.’ ‘The scanning mechanic from Horizon Zero Dawn is still in place, and will highlight your opponent’s weaknesses as well as their movement path. Don’t forget to craft potions and keep your berry pouch filled to the brim in case things go awry. And lastly, mix all the new traversal tools with our combat mechanics to create truly spectacular action!” “We hope players are just going to have a lot of fun fighting these enemies,” says Arjen. “Initially outnumbered, but then to find their own solutions to the obstacles that the enemies provide. The machines can be formidable enemies, each with their own pacing and unique attacks, yet it should be possible for players to take control of the situation and win by using different tactics. Melee combat has gotten a significant upgrade and in combination with the resonator blast system allows you to string together some pretty impressive moves.” Richard agrees: “We’re really looking forward to players discovering new machines and all their capabilities. We’ve focused on variety and different gameplay experiences for players to explore as they head into the Forbidden West. We love to see player reactions as they encounter new human enemies and machines, especially really intimidating ones like the Tremortusk!” If you are a returning player, we hope you will feel a sense of familiarity and appreciate the variety and depth that’s been added to all combat and player progression systems, and for new players, this is a chance to enjoy an immersive and challenging system full of different combat encounters.For more information about Horizon Forbidden West, please visit here. View the full article

Last week, we asked you to capture some glowing creations and share them using #PSshare and #PSBlog. From the setting sun, to vivid particle effects, to lunar light, here are this week’s highlights: @mett981 takes aim in Kena: Bridge of Spirits @mellydarkeyes gives Selene a well-earned moment to relax in Returnal @kimchitraveler catches Star-Lord looking blue in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy @MdeavorVP captures a fetching action shot in Infamous First Light @CaptureControl takes a shot in the dark in Control @SindyJ_B prepares to enter fog in Demon’s Souls 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: Sanctuary SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on December 8 Next week, we’re seeking sanctuary for our Photo Mode creation theme. Share moments that capture the spirit of sanctuary using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

What does it feel like to race the greatest cars in the world, on iconic streets and circuits, whilst dodging crashes and jaw-dropping moments around every corner? Well, in just a couple of months’ time, you’ll be able to find out… The entire team here at EA and Codemasters are so excited to announce today that Grid Legends comes to PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on February 25, 2022 – and you can pre-order it right now from the PlayStation Store. Head there to get full details on everything coming your way, including bonus content for pre-ordering, and a Deluxe Edition option for more add-ons both on launch day and beyond. Oh, and make sure to Follow Grid Legends on PlayStation as well, to make sure you get all the latest news, gameplay and more content straight to your console, as we share more in the coming weeks. Race in the moment But hey, that’s for the future. We’re ready to give you more details right now on what makes Grid Legends a truly unique racing experience – starting with a simple question. When you play an exciting and enjoyable game, what do you remember most from it? Usually, it’s those unforgettable moments ­– those magical instances where the drama kicks in, the jeopardy amps up, and the element of surprise creates something you want to tell the world about. The beauty of Grid Legends is that it’s designed to deliver those amazing moments race after race, time after time. Of course, you will play your part in those moments – getting behind the wheel of well over 100 of the world’s greatest machines and battling for glory against 21 other drivers, on over 130 stunning routes. Intense pack racing is what the Grid franchise is all about, and Grid Legends takes that up yet another notch. That, though, is just the beginning of how this racer consistently delivers those epic moments. Thanks to hundreds of AI personalities, each with their nuances and differences, and a race choreographer working behind the scenes to conjure up some shocks, you’ll never know what’s coming around the corner in Grid Legends. Be ready to squint through the smoke of an engine blowout right in front of you. Keep an eye on the sky for a car launching into the air after shredding a tire. Look out for aggressive AI personalities intent on getting back ahead of your after you traded paint with them earlier. Everywhere you look in a Grid Legends race, there is unpredictability and drama unfolding. That means more surprises, and more of those unforgettable racing moments. Spectacular racing variety What also helps create those consistent instances of delight is the sheer variety of experiences on offer in Grid Legends. The Codemasters team have used their decades of racing game know-how to pack in more cars, locations, and ways to play than we’ve ever seen from this franchise. Prepare to hit the loud pedal in anything from hypercars to big rigs, single-seaters, drift legends, iconic prototypes, and stadium trucks. Enjoy a wide selection of event types, including the tense Eliminator, electrifying Boost races, and the return of stylish, sideways Drift runs. Hosting those vehicles and events is a massive slate of global locations, ranging from revered real-world raceways like Indianapolis, Suzuka, and Red Bull Ring, unique street circuits like the new London and Moscow routes, or even the new sprawling, high-speed Strada Alpina. Hundreds of curated events across multiple modes will be waiting for you, using eye-catching combinations all of this content – but we didn’t want to stop there. Using Grid Legends’ Race Creator, you can take all this variety and mould it into your very own unique and amazing events. Rip up the rulebook of racing and design something you couldn’t play anywhere else, controlling all the key aspects of an event. Want to put together a true motorsport challenge, putting our fastest GTs in a 50-lap race around Indy? Go for it. Fancy something a little more… out there? How about electric hypercars against big rigs, through the streets of London, in the snow? You got it! Just think of the chaotic and exhilarating moments you’ll be a part of via the Race Creator. We have plenty more to share soon on what’s coming in Grid Legends, including fresh info on the ground-breaking Driven to Glory virtual production story, the massively expanded Career, and new online features that make multiplayer races more thrilling than ever. However, all those features flourish thanks to that action-packed, edge-of-your-seat racing gameplay that you’ll feel every time you lay down rubber on the track. We can’t wait to see you creating and experiencing those racing moments, come February 25. View the full article

Believe it or not, 20 years have passed since a certain courageous teenager and his plucky ottsel sidekick entered our lives. Naughty Dog’s Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy launched on PlayStation 2 on December 3, 2001. True to the “precursor” moniker, this platforming debut predates the duo’s eventual forays into open-world exploration, desert-bound mayhem, and racing exploits. This first game focuses on satisfying platforming, power cell discovery, and the origins of Jak’s story, told with cinematic flair. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy inhabits a fascinating place within Naughty Dog’s gameography, fitting between the pure platforming goodness of the Crash Bandicoot trilogy on PlayStation and the blockbuster adventures of Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series starting on PS3. Despite this first title’s focus on platforming, it’s impossible to overlook Naughty Dog’s signatures, including fluid character animations, richly detailed worlds, and engaging cinematics. I personally have fond memories of collecting every last power cell and hovering in the fantastical Zoomer vehicle. To mark the anniversary, we’ve invited friends from PlayStation Studios and other third-party studios to reflect on the milestone and share their first memories of jumping (and double-jumping) into the world of Jak and Daxter. “The biggest thing I learned was the challenge of designing an open world game without using load times! We set out from the start to design a world and not levels like we were used to coming from Crash, and we made it a rule that if you could see it you could walk (or boat or fly!) to it and that when you reached a building or cave that you could go inside and that the inside would have to fit within the space that the exterior could support. It wasn’t easy!” – Evan Wells / Co-President / Naughty Dog “I remember being really excited about the physics that had been added to the rope bridge by the programmers, because we had rope bridges on Crash Bandicoot, but they did not have physics on them. We were just jumping up and down on the bridge and marveling about how it reacted to Jak jumping on it.” – Charlotte Francis / Senior Technical Artist / Naughty Dog Concept art for Jak, the courageous primary hero of the franchise. “When Jak & Daxter first came out, it really broke a lot of ground. The graphics were top-of-the-line at the time and it allowed you to play through very large areas without loading screens. On top of that, it was great fun. Jak had a lot of traversal and combat options, and Daxter was the comic relief. The crazy celebration animations when you found a Power Cell were half the reward.” – Darren Chisum/ Engineering Manager/ Bend Studio “Jak and Daxter was one of the games I would play at my grandmother’s house when I was little. I remember that she specifically owned a console just for us when we came over to visit and Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was one of the games we would play for hours. I will forever remember how hard it was, as a kid, to cross the Volcanic Crater on the A-Grav Zoomer or how hard it was to catch 200 pounds of fish for that darn fisherman! It was the first game that I truly considered a favorite of mine. I even mentioned Jak and Daxter when I was interviewing for Insomniac because it had such a huge impact on my life and love for games. Never thought I’d get the chance to work alongside such an iconic company but it’s truly a dream come true!” – Heather Finley / Quality Assurance Analyst / Insomniac Games “As a kid, I was amazed by the world Naughty Dog created — the humor, the vibrance, the storytelling. Jak and Daxter is a series about best friends overcoming odds, told through incredible cinematics and gameplay. It opened my eyes to the power of narrative and continuity, while taking huge risks that went from the lightheartedness of The Precursor Legacy to the mettle of Jak II. How Naughty Dog extracted this much heart from a vengeful eco-fueled man and a tutorializing shoulder-weasel (errr… Ottsel) is beyond me. But it’s a series that founded lifelong friendships and brought me closer to the PlayStation community.” – Aaron Jason Espinoza / Senior Community Manager / Insomniac Games “I vividly remember Jak and Daxter playing like a great interactive cartoon. The Disney-like animations, the narrative, the funny relationship between the two main protagonists, it all felt like a new barrier had been smashed. And as always with Naughty Dog productions, it looked stunning and played amazingly well too. Looking at it today, I feel this game sits very naturally between Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted. We could say it was the precursor of a great legacy.” – Nicolas Doucet / Studio Director / Team ASOBI Concept art for Daxter, the lovable, wising-cracking ottsel. “I recall seeing the Jak and Daxter demo at E3 2001 and being blown away by it. It was the first time I’d experienced an open world with such an incredible level of fidelity, seamlessness and personality. Then I was told how Andy Gavin and the team had devised their programming language for the game, so it was pretty clear this was going to be a groundbreaking game in many ways, and it was.” – Thomas Puha / Communications Director / Remedy Entertainment “I was blown away by the freshness of the visuals, the attention to detail on the environments, and the animation on the characters. No loading times was a game changer! Even today, we can see the legacy of Jak and Daxter within the more recent titles from Naughty Dog; the attention to detail, ground breaking technology, superb animation, the storytelling, and character development can be traced back to a game that featured a farm boy and his best friend.” – David McDonald / Artist / Firesprite “What amazed me most about the first Jak and Daxter were the characters — they were so beautifully animated, tightly scripted, and funny. Being a character artist and rigger at the time, I was in awe of the amount of detail the animations had and the liveliness they exuded. When set in such an awesome and strangely believable world, the game just set a totally new benchmark for combining storytelling and gameplay.” – Richard Brazier / Senior Technical Animator / Firesprite What moments from Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy stick with you most? Share with us in the comments below. View the full article

PlayStation®Partner Awards 2021 Japan Asia The PlayStation Partner Awards 2021 Japan Asia will present awards to hit titles sold for the PlayStation, recognizing the creative work of those who made them. This will be the twenty-seventh time for the event to be held since it started as the PlayStation Awards the year after the platform’s birth in 1994. Awardees will be presented with trophies based on the motif of the PlayStation controller’s trademark button icons (△○×□). GRAND AWARD Awarded to the top three titles developed in the Japan / Asia regions with the highest worldwide sales between October 2020 and September 2021*. ■ Genshin(miHoYo) ■ RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE(CAPCOM Co., Ltd.) ■ eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE(Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.) PARTNER AWARD Awarded to titles developed in the Japan / Asia region with top-ranked worldwide sales between October 2020 and September 2021*, with particularly noteworthy activity results**. ■ Tales of ARISE(BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.) ■ FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE(SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.) ■ FINAL FANTASY XIV(SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.) ■ MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM　BATTLE OPERATION2(BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.) ■ NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…(SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.) Special Award Awarded to the following three types of titles: Titles developed by creators from outside the Japan / Asia region that have amassed the highest sales in the Japan / Asia region from October 2020 to September 2021*. ■ Apex Legends(Electronic Arts Inc | Respawn Entertainment) Independent titles developed in the Japan / Asia region that have amassed the highest worldwide sales from October 2020 to September 2021*. ■ Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin(Edelweiss | Marvelous Inc.) Titles developed in the Japan / Asia region with particularly noteworthy activity results** at the release of the PlayStation®5. ■ Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition(CAPCOM Co., Ltd.) * Physical and digital sales through PlayStation®Store are counted in the calculation (including additional content and digital currency sales). ** SIE indices, which include player numbers, also factor into the determination of nominees. GRAND AWARD Play Video Genshin Impact (miHoYo) Step Into a Vast Magical World of Adventure Genshin is a free-to-play open-world RPG where epic adventures await players in the fantasy world of Teyvat. It gained explosive popularity with its beautiful anime-style graphics, expansive and fully explorable map, adventures with captivating characters, and innovative, richly strategic battles. Play Video RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE (CAPCOM Co., Ltd.) A village awash in evil and insanity RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE is the eighth numbered entry in the popular RESIDENT EVIL “survival horror “series. Set in a village inundated by madness, the game portrays a completely new kind of dramatic “survival horror” using a rich variety of fear and compelling characters. Combined with a satisfying volume of play this newest installment in the RESIDENT EVIL series has been praised by fans. Play Video eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE (Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.) A game for all soccer fans eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE is the twenty-fifth title in the popular Pro Evolution Soccer game series, and as its name implies is an update to eFootball PES 2020, the title preceding it, featuring the latest player and club data. This is the second year in a row that the series has received the PlayStation Partner Awards’ GRAND AWARD*. *Last year, eFootball PES 2020 received the GRAND AWARD. PARTNER AWARD ・ SPECIAL AWARD Play Video PARTNER AWARD Tales of ARISE (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.) Challenge the Fate That Binds You Developed around the theme of “inheritance and evolution,” Tales of Arise, the latest Tales of title, celebrates the series’ 25th anniversary. Created for RPG fans everywhere, the game incorporates evolved visuals that integrate picturesque backgrounds with anime-style characters, lighting and atmosphere, and features a story focused on freedom and diversity, engaging characters and scenarios, together with a unique battle system. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE (SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.) The world had become so clear, yet they could not hear her cries. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is a remake of the seventh installment in the FINAL FANTASY series, FINAL FANTASY VII,which was released for the PlayStation in 1997. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE is the PlayStation 5 version of REMAKE with newly added elements that include a brand-new story arc featuring Yuffie as the main character, enhanced graphics and Photo Mode. FINAL FANTASY XIV (SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.) Adventure awaits you beyond the horizon FINAL FANTASY XIV is the fourteenth title in the FINAL FANTASY series and the second MMORPG since FINAL FANTASY XI. Enjoy an epic and massive story and assorted content with players from around the world. A title loved for nearly a decade by numerous fans, it also received a PARTNER AWARD last year at PlayStation Partner Awards 2020. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM BATTLE OPERATION 2 (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.) Become an ace Gundam pilot! Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2 is a free-to-play battle action game. This sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation and Gundam Battle Operation NEXT, lets players enjoy battling it out on new space maps in addition to the highly popular ground maps of the two previous titles. The highlight of the game is the more than 270 Mobile Suits available for play that has been reproduced in stunning detail. NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… (SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.) A thousand-year lie that would live on for eternity… NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is an updated version of NieR Replicant, which was released in April 2010. With new elements, such as full voice acting and new scenarios, it tells the story of a young man whose sister is afflicted with an untreatable disease. The game leads into the world of NieR:Automata, which was released in February 2017. SPECIAL AWARD Apex Legends (Electronic Arts Inc | Respawn Entertainment) BEYOND BATTLE ROYALE Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle-royale first person shooter that takes place eighteen years after Titanfall 2. It portrays the popular Apex Games, which take place on the outer edges of the Frontier. Participants search for and recover weapons and supplies on a gradually shrinking battlefield as they defeat opposing teams to become the last one standing and claim victory. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (Edelweiss | Marvelous Inc.) Rice is Power! A Japanese-style action RPG where the goddess Sakuna, daughter of a warrior god and harvest goddess, faces off against the demons of Hinoe Island. The game is a brilliant fusion of exhilarating and satisfying side-scrolling battles with the island’s demons and a realistic simulation incorporating Japanese traditions that allows players to try their hand at rice farming. It drew significant interest in both the video game and rice industries and became a massive hit, something that is unusual for an indie game. Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (CAPCOM Co., Ltd.) Flashier visuals, crazier action Devil May Cry 5 is the fifth title in the series. Received well by many, its innovative and exhilarating gameplay helped it to win numerous awards in 2019. Reborn on the Playstation®5, not only does the Special Edition add support for ray tracing, 3D audio, high resolutions and high framerates, but Vergil, one of the more popular characters in the game, is now playable, allowing players to enjoy this masterpiece of stylish action to the full. Message from Jim I would love to express my respect and gratitude towards all of the partners’ efforts in bringing great games into the world even under these unusual circumstances, and your enthusiasm and love towards games. I would like to ask for your continued support and cooperation as PlayStation® continues to strive to be “The Best Place to Play” that connects all of our creators and players together. Jim Ryan President and CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment ※ The release date of games and contents may vary by country/region. ※ The contents are subject to change without prior notice. Copyright © 2020 miHoYo All Rights Reserved All copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used under license. ©Konami Digital Entertainment. Tales of Arise™ & ©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. © 1997, 2021 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. CHARACTER DESIGN: TETSUYA NOMURA/ROBERTO FERRARI LOGO ILLUSTRATION: © 1997 YOSHITAKA AMANO © 2010 – 2021 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. LOGO ILLUSTRATION: © 2010 YOSHITAKA AMANO ©創通・サンライズ © 2010, 2021 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Toylogic Inc. © 2021 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, the EA logo, Respawn, the Respawn logo, and Apex Legends are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. ©2020 Edelweiss. Licensed to and published by XSEED Games / Marvelous USA, Inc. and Marvelous, Inc. ©CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2019, 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View the full article