Commander Fury

In celebration of the launch of Gran Turismo 7, we’ve partnered with popular fans of the franchise to bring you the GT7 Design Competition. This is your chance to win an opportunity to race against Bring Me The Horizon, Davido, T-Pain, Unspeakable, or Grefg in GT7. And it gets better! Contest winners will have their in-game designed car livery showcased for two weeks within Gran Turismo 7. We invite you to flex your design skills by creating a custom livery inspired by one of our featured artists or creators. To enter: Design a livery inspired by one of the artists or creators using the Livery Editor* Capture a picture of your creation using the Scapes feature* or Race Photo Submit your livery on Instagram and/or Twitter by tagging the artist or creator you’ve designed a livery for (Bring Me The Horizon, Davido, T-Pain, Grefg or Unspeakable) and include the hashtag #GT7DesignCompetition It’s as simple as that, and you’re in. Each artist or creator will judge designs assigned to them and pick one custom in-game livery designer to race against. Each winning design will also be showcased in Gran Turismo 7 for two weeks. The competition runs from now until March 23 in select countries around the world. Keep up to date with the competition and see announcements this week by following the featured artists and creators on social media. To learn more about the competition and entry rules, please read the full terms and conditions. To learn more about the competition and entry rules, please read the full terms and conditions. Tips to Get Started Wondering how to get started, or just looking for design inspiration? Here are 5 tips to help maximize your car livery design potential. Learn basic photography tips using the My First Scapes tutorial, which displays a number of specifically selected spots and guides you through various camera controls and features. Choose from thousands of Scapes locations around the world to find the perfect setting, available Scapes include Yosemite National Park in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains all the way to Dunlop Corner near the iconic Fuji International Speedway in Shizuoka, Japan. Personalize your ride by adding a decal to your car’s window and helmet visor using this new feature in the Livery Editor for GT7. Make use of the Livery Editor’s Duplicate/Flip tools to effectively apply your decal on both sides of the car based on your preference, which is useful if you’re looking to save time and avoid the hassle of designing the other side manually. Make your mark by using the Decal Uploader feature, where you can upload your own logo and use it in-game**. For additional information, visit the Gran Turismo upload manual. *Internet connection and game progression required to access Livery Editor and Scapes feature. **Decal file must be in SVG format and no larger than 15kb in size. View the full article

When it rains, it pours, huh? February saw a veritable deluge of quality video game releases, including long-awaited open-world follow-ups Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Dying Light 2, and the PS5 version of Cyberpunk 2077 — not to mention martial arts adventure Sifu — all of which filled out the top five on the US/Canada and EU PS5 charts. Where did your top picks for February land? How do you think March will shake out? Let us know in the comments! PS5 Games US/Canada EU 1 ELDEN RING ELDEN RING 2 Horizon Forbidden West Horizon Forbidden West 3 Dying Light 2 Dying Light 2 4 Sifu Cyberpunk 2077 5 Cyberpunk 2077 Sifu 6 NBA 2K22 F1 2021 7 Madden NFL 22 FIFA 22 8 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Assassin’s Creed Valhalla 9 Call of Duty: Vanguard NBA 2K22 10 It Takes Two Among Us 11 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla It Takes Two 12 STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales 13 FIFA 22 Madden NFL 22 14 Among Us STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order 15 Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach Riders Republic 16 Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT Call of Duty: Vanguard 17 Mortal Kombat 11 Kena: Bridge of Spirits 18 Riders Republic FAR CRY 6 19 THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV Resident Evil Village 20 FAR CRY 6 Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach *Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not included PS4 Games US/Canada EU 1 ELDEN RING FIFA 22 2 Horizon Forbidden West Horizon Forbidden West 3 Dying Light 2 Dying Light 2 4 Grand Theft Auto V ELDEN RING 5 NBA 2K22 Grand Theft Auto V 6 Madden NFL 22 Minecraft 7 Sifu Horizon Zero Dawn 8 Minecraft F1 2021 9 Red Dead Redemption 2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 10 Horizon Zero Dawn Red Dead Redemption 2 11 FIFA 22 NBA 2K22 12 Call of Duty: Vanguard Among Us 13 Gang Beasts God of War 14 God of War Sifu 15 Batman: Arkham Knight Gang Beasts 16 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Assassin’s Creed Valhalla 17 Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection The Sims 4 18 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Call of Duty: Vanguard 19 Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach Dying Light 20 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection *Naming of products may differ between regions PS VR Games US/Canada EU 1 Beat Saber Beat Saber 2 Creed: Rise to Glory Creed: Rise to Glory 3 Job Simulator Job Simulator 4 SUPERHOT VR SUPERHOT VR 5 Zenith: The Last City Sniper Elite VR 6 Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality The Room VR: A Dark Matter 7 Vacation Simulator Gun Club VR 8 GORN Zenith: The Last City 9 Gun Club VR Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality 10 Swordsman VR Swordsman VR Free-to-Play (PS5 + PS4) US/Canada EU 1 Fortnite Fortnite 2 Apex Legends Rocket League 3 Call of Duty: Warzone Rec Room 4 Rec Room Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel 5 Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Call of Duty: Warzone 6 Rocket League Apex Legends 7 Destiny 2 eFootball 2022 8 Genshin Impact Genshin Impact 9 Brawlhalla Destiny 2 10 Rogue Company Brawlhalla View the full article

Hello New Survivors! Since Ark: Survival Evolved is included with March’s PlayStation Plus lineup, many new Survivors will be experiencing this vast adventure for the first time. There is an endless amount of information about Ark which can be overwhelming for first-time players, so we wanted to share some extra-helpful tips to give you a solid start on your upcoming adventure. If you’re new to Ark: Survival Evolved, prepare to live off the land of a mysterious island. You’ll have to scavenge, craft, build, and contend with primeval creatures to survive and escape The Island. Build a Bed – Fast New Survivors don’t have access to much armor so a few bites from a raptor, or getting overwhelmed by an angry pack of dodo birds, is likely to wear you down fast. Building a bed quickly, even without a fully enclosed hut, is invaluable early on in your adventure, as it allows you to respawn at the same point every time. Otherwise you’ll be randomly placed on The Island without access to stored gear, which is a very dangerous situation. Don’t Neglect Speed Whether by accident or by poor decision making (probably the latter), you may find yourself being attacked by a dinosaur far beyond your skill level. In those instances the best defense is to…..run! When upgrading your character, the increased health and attack power sure look tempting, but applying your character upgrade points to speed gives you the ability to outrun many lower level dinos. This will save your skin more times than increased health will in the early goings. It’s also important to remember the golden rule – you don’t have to outrun a dino…you just need to outrun your friend. Your First Tame After getting your bearings and leveling a bit, you’ll be ready to begin taming the creatures around you. It will be tempting to ride on the back of a Raptor or obtain a cute little Dodo as a pet. However, utility is key early on. The Triceratops (Trike) is a great option for a first “tame”. It’s not aggressive so it doesn’t attack on sight. It’s an herbivore so it can be fed easy-to-find berries during the taming process. It’s hearty with a large carrying capacity perfect for those extended resources harvesting treks. Get one early on and you won’t regret it. Defend Your Base You’ve gathered resources. You’ve crafted materials. You’ve worked hard to build a humble home. The last thing you want is for a rogue dinosaur or other Survivors destroying all that you’ve built! A tamed creature can help protect your base. Use the “anchor tame” positioned at the back of your house to secure your tame. Now your beastly ally will help fend off would-be attackers. Simply whistle after them when they’re done and they’ll return to their defensive position. Know Your Enemy There are a lot of creatures in the world of Ark. It’s vital to know which ones are docile most of the time, which ones attack if provoked and which ones attack on site. It’s safe to say that a Raptor is going to be aggressive most of the time, but what about the Parasaur? Knowing the temperament of the creatures in each new area you explore will help you quickly traverse the Island safely. If you’re unsure how aggressive a certain creature is you can also run up and punch it in the face. Since you didn’t neglect speed (wink), just outrun it…or your friend. Hopefully these tips will help new players with their early journeys. There is so much more to learn and explore throughout the world of Ark. Good luck, Survivors! *Add March’s PlayStation Plus titles to your game library before they leave on Monday, April 4 to continue to access them while you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. **Online multiplayer requires a PlayStation Plus membership. PS Plus is subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/PSPlusTerms. View the full article

The release of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin’s (SOPFFO) is just around the corner on March 18. For those who are too excited to wait, we’re pleased to announce that a free demo is available for download right now. Your save data will carry over to the full game once it’s out, but even better, this demo supports three-player co-op, so there’s no reason why you and two friends shouldn’t get a head start on the action-packed battles to come. To get your blood pumping, we wanted to shed some new light on how multiplayer is handled in our game. Multiplayer Overview Kumabe-san: In SOPFFO, the host player will control Jack, and the guest players will control the two companion NPCs which the host selected ahead of time (between Ash, Jed, Neon, and Sophia). Jobs and equipment will not be restricted by character for your companions during multiplayer, allowing you and your friends to freely determine your ideal party composition. To make multiplayer enjoyable for everyone involved, mission progress will carry over for all players. Furthermore, the MP from performing Soul Burst on enemies, gear dropped by enemies and experience points earned will all carry over to each individual player, ensuring once the multiplayer session is over, everyone leaves feeling rewarded for their efforts. Inoue-san: Our in-world explanation for the multiplayer system is that your friends are sort of like Garland’s thoughts from a parallel world who are coming to save Jack in the host player’s world. Teamwork is a big theme for SOPFFO, so even with more utilitarian systems like multiplayer, we were keen to have a lore-based approach, too. On balancing multiplayer Kumabe-san: We approached balancing both single and multiplayer together in parallel to ensure that both gameplay experiences would be fun for players. Even during solo gameplay, players have their NPC companions, so we aimed for a balance that gives a sense of the fun that awaits in multiplayer. At the same time, we aimed for a balance that ensures that the difficulty isn’t mitigated too much in multiplayer, so we made quite a few adjustments while having various staff try out the game. Developing multiplayer and the team’s inspirations Inoue-san: From the very start of development, we knew we wanted to include multiplayer in the game. I had experience working on past games that also incorporated multiplayer, so from the get-go I was motivated to create something that would be enjoyable to play with friends. Early on, though, we did consider the idea of a four-player co-op since we see a party of four in the original Final Fantasy, and it’s fun to romp about in multiplayer, but we found that the space could also get too chaotic when there are too many players. We also considered a two-player co-op at one point, but felt that players would sense a high risk towards participation since the responsibility of failing a mission will unilaterally fall on the guest when participating, so ultimately, we decided three players would be best. Kumabe-san: The team drew inspiration from various sources for SOPFFO’s multiplayer, including Nioh, where the high difficulty in single player can be mitigated through multiplayer. Personally speaking, I was a core player of Final Fantasy XI, so that was a big reference for me, in terms of the synergy between companions and jobs to tackle formidable foes. The team is really pleased with the system we’ve created where players can progress with friends in multiplayer through trial and error, without fear of the party disbanding, even in the case of a wipe. Development challenges overcome Inoue-san: As we alluded to above, optimizing the multiplayer in SOPFFO was not an easy thing to do. Possibly the most challenging aspect to nailing our multiplayer experience was having our job system. In single player, the companions basically have one job, and those controls can be imagined to some extent by the developer. In multiplayer, however, each player has two jobs, so potentially we could have six jobs total in a single space, which could make it rather difficult for players to keep up with. Despite the difficulty (or chaos) having six jobs in one space would create, we felt it was important to create room for players to enjoy the game and show off various jobs in their own way. We also wanted to give players the freedom to fully consider their job compositions and team synergy, and not be limited in their job selection. Team NINJA took great care in adjusting the system to ensure that all of this was possible in the final product. Creating the perfect party Kumabe-san: As the game isn’t balanced like an MMORPG, where certain content may be drastically more difficult unless you take on the challenge with a particular job, there really isn’t an ideal composition players need to abide by each time they team up with friends. Inoue-san: That said… players may find it beneficial to use jobs that excel at long range attacks and support abilities, if they’re having a rough go. Support-type jobs like White Mage and Red Mage would be good for players who don’t feel very confident with action games, and they’ll get to provide support to their party members and hang back from the action. As you gradually get used to the action, it may also be good to start thinking more about the job composition, such as switching one to a job that excels in melee combat so you can lay down an attack at an opportune moment. Kumabe-san: As for any personal recommendations to try out, I always took on a tank role in Final Fantasy XI, so I like to draw the enemy’s fire as a Knight or Void Knight while masterfully using Runic. That frees up my companions to use whichever jobs they personally enjoy. Inoue-san: I find pairing the Knight (which makes it easier to build a party for aggressive hand-to-hand combat) with the Dark Knight (whose true strength is revealed when the player is running out of steam) to be really enjoyable. Perhaps a party that has Knight control enemy aggro up front, and then when their energy is running low, they have a Berserker go on the offensive could also be fun. Kumabe-san: Party composition aside, we’d like to stress that the best approach is probably just diving in without thinking too much. If it seems like the enemies are getting a bit stronger, or if you have a job you’d like to advance or gear you’d like to collect, that might be the perfect time to give multiplayer a shot. So, now that we’ve talked a bit more about multiplayer in SOPFFO… why not go try it out for yourself? Players of the demo will be matched with other players of the demo, so even after the game launches on March 18, demo players will be able to team up with others who are at a similar level and with similar experience with the game. You can download the demo right now by going here. As a reminder, Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin launches on March 18. By pre-ordering either the Digital Standard or Digital Deluxe editions, you’ll be entitled to various goodies, including early access to the game on March 15. We can’t wait for everyone to fully experience the game in just a few days’ time – and maybe we’ll even see you in game! View the full article

During PlayStation’s latest State of Play, we revealed Valkyrie Elysium – a fresh entry in the acclaimed Valkyrie series. The Valkyrie series depicts the end of humanity and their encounters with the gods through a unique world inspired by Norse mythology. This thrilling new action-RPG brings this franchise to PS5 and PS4 in a brand-new standalone adventure. We have a lot to tell you about, but before we introduce about the game, let’s take a look at the announcement trailer: Play Video What is Valkyrie Elysium? Valkyrie Elysium is an action-RPG featuring an epic story, beautiful environments, and a new fast-paced combat system that combines strategy, action, and a unique combo system that will test your ability to think and react. The game takes place in the distant past, in a world where Ragnarok – the End Times – looms large upon the realms. With the last of his strength, the All-Father creates an emissary of redemption – a lone Valkyrie who can become the salvation of this doomed world. As this brave warrior descends into the ruined land, she encounters many challenges… and uncovers the hidden truth behind its impending destruction. What will she think of this irrational world… and what end will she choose for it? The gameplay of Valkyrie Elysium Valkyrie Elysium also incorporates elements of the Valkyrie series’ classic gameplay, such as the Einherjar – recruitable warriors who will join the hero and fight at her side when summoned. It’s a beautiful game, too, with incredible art design that captures the spirit of the series in an exciting, modern way. On PS5, it’s also running in 4K and 60 FPS, making for an adventure that looks and feels beautifully crisp. And, of course, we must mention the music. Series composer Motoi Sakuraba returns and contributes to the game’s stunning score. RPGs are always better when they have a strong soundtrack, and this one is going to be… well, literally music to your ears. Launching later this year Valkyrie Elysium releases for PS5 and PS4 in 2022. We’ll have more information to share later on the triumphant return of the Valkyrie this year, so watch out for that! View the full article

From Square Enix comes a gritty and immersive story brought to life on PS5 and PS4. Introducing The DioField Chronicle and its Real Time Tactical Battle (RTTB), a new, deeply strategic, real-time battle system. The beginnings of a new strategy RPG, crafted by a skilled and experienced development team. The team includes Character Designer Taiki (Lord of Vermillion III, IV), Kamikokuryo Isamu (Final Fantasy XII, XIII), and Sound Composers Ramin Djawadi and Brandon Campbell (Game of Thrones). An all-new Square Enix strategy RPG The DioField Chronicle is an epic tale of war and honor. Featuring a unique and beautiful world that blends fantasy, medieval and modern-day influences with a deep yet innovative real-time battle system. Deep, strategic real-time tactical battles The battles in this game are defined by real-time assessment of battlefield conditions and issuing decisive orders that take advantage of your troops’ strengths and weaknesses to gain advantage over your foe. Make clever use of a variety of skills, classes, and equipment to complete your mission. Realistic diorama-style battle scenes Richly detailed depictions of the environments and cultures of the island of DioField combine with unique diorama-style visuals to create a beautiful yet easy to follow spectacle. The era of myths gives way to great turmoil… War looms dark over the Rowetale mainland… Commanding a disciplined army and versed in modern magic, the Empire is a power to be reckoned with. Despite the combined strength of the Alliance, they were largely powerless to resist the Empire’s advance. The continent was ravaged by the devastating war between the Empire and The Alliance. However, one nation remained unaffected by the chaos, The Kingdom of Alletain on the isle of DioField, situated off the north-western coast of Rowetale. Jade, the precious resource used to power modern magic and technology, is believed to be abundant on DioField, bringing it to the attention of both the Empire and the Alliance. The Kingdom of Alletain looked destined to have its soil stained with the blood of battle. The legendary Blue Fox mercenaries will leave their mark on history The royal house of Shaytham has ruled the Kingdom of Alletain, and the isle of DioField, for two hundred years. Suddenly their position is suddenly thrown into uncertainty by the conflict raging on the mainland. A band of elite mercenaries calling themselves Blue Fox arise amidst the flames and the chaos, whose legend will echo through ages yet to come. Fredret – possessed with great strength and a desire to right the course of the nation Iscarion – a progressive thinker with a warm and virtuous heart Waltaquin – a powerful magic user with equally potent charisma Andrias – the brains of the company who is always planning one step ahead Will the name “Blue Fox” come to signify hope or darkest tragedy? Find out when The DioField Chronicle releases on PS5 and PS4 later this year. View the full article

Hello again everyone! It’s been wonderful to see players continue to enjoy Returnal long after its release. We’ve provided a few patches and updates so far, but this time we wanted to provide something really special for our players: our Ascension expansion. This free update includes two new modes for you to enjoy, and it’s coming later this month. Co-Op While Returnal was designed as a focused solitary experience, the hostile forces of Atropos can often feel overwhelming and leave us yearning for companionship. With our new two-player online co-op mode, players can now combine their forces and brave the challenges of Atropos together. By accessing the Chronosis portal near the crash landing (and in other select parts of the game), you’ll have the option to either host or join a public cycle. Or, if you’d like to share the experience with a friend, you can also choose to host a private cycle instead. Once your connection is established, a Selene from another timeline will join your session and your shared journey will begin. In co-op, the game works in a similar fashion to single-player Returnal. However, if players get too far apart, they will be tethered back together. This is to ensure that the focus remains on cooperative gameplay and both players feel connected to the fates of each other. If one of the players is downed, there is still hope: the other one has the option to revive them. But be wary that this will require some time investment, and in the heat of battle you’ll need to be mindful of the myriad surrounding threats, lest you join your fallen comrade in oblivion. Aside from connecting player stories and building a sense of comradery, the fleeting comfort you get from engaging with other players can also allow you advance in the game if you’re stuck. Progression is tied to the host, so if you’re struggling to overcome a certain boss or biome, bringing in another player to help may open your road to triumph. Client players who join to help will also get to keep some progress they make – such as collecting logs and xenoglyphs – and the more games they assist with the more their Scout Rank will grow. Tower of Sisyphus With Returnal we aimed to create a balance between intense action, exploration and haunting narrative. The procedurally generated biomes of Atropos offer a deep and intricate challenge – with our Ascension update we wanted to offer new content, and also a new way to engage with the game where your survival skills and perseverance will be tested. True to our arcade roots, the Tower of Sisyphus is effectively our Endless mode. Players will strive to ascend the Tower as high as possible – however, much like the tragic story of Sisyphus, there is no end to the climb and players are tragically destined to meet their demise as the mode gets increasingly harder. The only question is: how far can you get before succumbing? One great motivator for pushing forward is a sense of accomplishment. Each Phase in the Tower will culminate with an encounter with Algos, which will also get increasingly harder as you advance through the mode. Unlike the campaign, in the Tower players will also have a score to chase. You can track your progress and highest score on a leaderboard, and compete against your friends and foes for the highest rank. Much like our previous arcade-inspired titles, you will also have a Score Multiplier – keeping this up and increasing it will be the key to racking up the highest possible scores. Your Multiplier will deplete if you get hit or if you don’t deal damage for a while, so you’ll need to be constantly dancing on the knife’s edge to ensure you maintain strong forward momentum. While there are secrets and optional routes to take, the Tower is intended to be Returnal distilled into an arcade action experience, where the emphasis is on survival, skill, and focused progression. Aside from the new levels, our new Boss and some new items to discover, there is also entirely new narrative content to be explored in the Tower as well. I won’t spoil anything here, but players will get another small glimpse into Selene’s haunting past and gain further insight into her state of mind. We hope you enjoy the Ascension expansion when it releases later this month. We poured a lot of love into this new content, and we’re incredibly excited to see how players respond to it. This was our effort towards expanding the lasting power of Returnal, and we hope to see players engage with our new modes for years to come. View the full article

Hello PlayStation fans! My name is Leonard Menchiari, creator of Trek to Yomi, coming soon to PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. As we get closer to launch, I’d like to invite you to join me as we explore more about the story and development of Trek to Yomi and reveal some of the finer details the team as Flying Wild Hog have helped me bring to life. Trek To Yomi’s theme and narrative are built upon two essential pillars: historical Japan and Shinto mythology. Shinto belief is that gods are present everywhere, they live in every rock, tree or flower, so part of our narrative dives deeper into this belief, telling short tales of our hero Hiroki’s kami ancestor spirits, the various eras of Japan they lived in, and the tragic, violent or otherwise undeserved deaths that mean they now endure a torturous half-life in Yomi. Often, these stories reflect Hiroki’s journey and his dilemmas – vignettes to aid him in his final decision about the path he will tread. The original idea for Trek to Yomi came from watching Kurosawa movies, while experimenting with black and white imagery in Unreal Engine. The cinematic experience we ultimately created is heavily influenced by classic Japanese films, from the shot angles, to the length, and even the way the lines are delivered. The initial 2D gameplay approach was inspired by silent movies from the 20s and 30s, where each scene is designed to look more like a magical moving theatre stage rather than a screen. We think this makes Trek to Yomi stand out as something truly unique, and I think part of us hopes that people will want to go watch those old movies after playing! Alec Meer and I wrote the story while keeping in mind the number seven as a reference, not only for its cinematic relevance, but also for its status in Japanese folklore. As such, look out for the number seven playing a significant role in the story of Hiroki. Authenticity is of utmost importance to us, and everything that we did was carefully crafted while keeping in mind ancient Japanese culture, from religious beliefs, to the way the sword is hung on the wall, or the way the kimono is tied. The amazing music in our game is based on ancient material from specific regions of Japan, inspired by the atmosphere that we wanted to create and the feelings that we needed to portray. Some of the instruments used in the recordings are extremely rare, and the musical scales are original to pre-westernized culture. Continuing this theme, when mapping the towns and villages of Hiroki’s world we wanted to reflect the true lifestyle and culture of Edo Japan, including the Dojo, shrines, cemetery, marketplace, and restaurants, and more. A lot of material was inspired by the overwhelming displays at the Edo museum in Tokyo, and we had a lot of help from native Japanese experts in order to make sure every decision we made remained coherent. But our attention to details doesn’t stop there! Trek to Yomi’s world has a very clear geography, with even the lighting and the position of each shot being chosen while keeping in mind the direction of the light, the background elements, and the symbolic connection to the rising and setting sun. We hope you’re as excited for the release of Trek to Yomi on PlayStation as we are, and I’d like to thank you all for taking the time to read my blog and hopefully learn more about the game and the passion and hard work that went into making it. View the full article

Well known for its charismatic heroes, striking art style, and unforgettable catch phrases (“Yare yare daze…”), JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is coming to PS4 and PS5! This year marks the 35th anniversary of the original story and the 10th anniversary of the anime adaptation. Alongside those milestones, the long-awaited fighting game, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R, will be released in 2022! Play Video Stunning visuals authentic to Hirohiko Araki’s Style Many fans of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure are captivated by Hirohiko Araki’s unique art style. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R captures the passionate character expressions that are vintage JoJo, allowing you to experience the JoJo universe with powerful imagery as if Hirohiko Araki’s manga had come to life. Now you can freely move the characters created by Hirohiko Araki with your own hands, and feel as if you’re inside the manga where graphics and text meet to invoke the characteristic “ゴゴゴゴゴ“. 50 playable characters from all JoJo arcs Jonathan Joestar, Jotaro Kujo, DIO, Jolyne Cujoh, and other characters from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure gather across multiple generations! With 50 playable characters from all arcs, you can experience popular battles from each story, and see characters from different universes interact for the first time. A variety of game modes This title consists of All Star Battle Mode, Arcade Mode, Online Mode, Versus Mode, Practice Mode, and Gallery Mode. The main mode, All Star Battle Mode, features not only clashes between characters from the original game, but also new battles that are unique to All Star Battle R. You can play through over 100 battles with various settings and conditions. This mode also offers special cosmetic skins for characters and unique illustrations that can be enjoyed in gallery mode. How the game has evolved from the original All Star Battle This title is based on the All Star Battle fighting system that was released in 2013. The game design of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R reinvigorates the experience with adjustments to the fighting tempo and the addition of hit stops and jump dashes. With new audio recordings from the Part 6 anime voice actors, the full atmosphere of the animated series is realized. Both fans who have played the original All Star Battle and newcomers will be able to enjoy the experience. Stay tuned for more information! View the full article

Did you see him during State of Play today? The golden dragon kaiju seething with green fire?! That’s Rawa, nicknamed the Extinction Dragon, and one of our newly revealed playable characters for our game, GigaBash! Welcome to our little corner on the internet, friend. We are Passion Republic Games, a Malaysian indie game startup, and today we’re giving you a closer look at GigaBash. Returning to Childhood Don’t we all have that one childhood fantasy? Y’know, the one where we pretend to be a giant lizard monster attacking a city made from stacks of old magazines? Now, let’s recreate that with four players on the sofa, each playing as their favorite kaiju as they beat the living bananas out of each other in a fully destructible city… That’s GigaBash in a nutshell. Colorful Characters inspired by Nostalgia We drew inspiration from classic tokusatsu characters such as Godzilla, Megazord, and Ultraman, as well as games like War of the Monsters and Power Stone. This led us to create a roster of 10 unique Titans, each fitting a certain kaiju or hero trope and having their own playstyle, skillsets, and combos to master. Who will be your favorite? Giga-Size Destruction As you battle your foes, you gain Giga Energy that allows you to transform into a supersized version of yourself called an S-class. Indulge in the power fantasy as you casually destroy everything in your path. Don’t stop there, snatch the Ultimate Ball to unleash your Ultimate and obliterate your foes along with the entire district. An Arena made for Reckless Chaos What’s a Kaiju game without a few buildings toppling over? That’s why we designed every map to be fully destructible. You can step on, destroy, pick up and throw every car, bus, or an entire office building around you. But let’s not limit our imaginations to just cities. You’ll find yourself fighting in ancient ruins in the rainforest, controversial military bases in the desert, and more. Each map also has its own unique map mechanic, such as volcano eruptions or… an intercontinental ballistic missile?! Run! Take Your Fight Online Couch-play is the bread and butter of GigaBash, but what if we want our steak and salad too? It’s time to go Online Mode where you can brawl with other players from around the world. There’s also Competitive Play where you can climb your way up the global leaderboard by dueling other players who rival your battle prowess. May your battles be legendary. Origin of the Titans Despite the game’s multiplayer focus, we wanted to expand the player’s experience of the game to include a single-player mode. Thus, Story Mode was created. Here, players can unearth the characters’ backstory (and misadventures) through four short-and-sweet campaigns featuring four of our playable characters. Mayhem & Chill We strive to make GigaBash easy to pick up, fun to watch, and more fun to play” We invite you and your friends to indulge in Mayhem Mode. It’s a party mode featuring a wacky collection of minigames, hand-made to be ridiculously fun for seasoned players and first-timers. Release the Rampage Although GigaBash is our first venture, we plan to do our best to spread our love for the kaiju/tokusatsu genre and couch-play games. We are proud to announce GigaBash is coming first to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in 2022! Follow us on our social media for the latest news and let’s get ready to GigaBash. View the full article

Hi everyone! We’re glad to finally unveil the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection! Ever since we started releasing collections, the response from our fans has been emphatic on what we should do next – “Give us the Turtles!” Together with Nickelodeon and Digital Eclipse, we’re compiling one of the most comprehensive retro game collections ever. It was clear from the start The Cowabunga Collection needed the entire western release of 8-bit and 16-bit games, their Japanese versions, and of course the TMNT Arcade games. Together we’re bringing all 13 console and arcade games and their regional versions to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in 2022. We could tell right away that Digital Eclipse is a natural fit for this project. Digital Eclipse are adept developers and video game historians, having breathed new life to some of the most beloved video game classics. Beyond their technical capabilities is a genuine connection for the TMNT franchise. Together, we added modern quality-of-life features as well as compiling a load of extras that fans will appreciate. Combined with Rewind and Save Anytime, we’re designing custom game guides harkening to the aesthetic of the video game magazines from the 80’s and 90’s to help get players through some of those notoriously tricky parts…you know what we’re talking about! Our partners at Nickelodeon provided amazing imagery from the original cartoons series and comic books and helped connect the franchise from the different mediums. While bringing our heroes in a half shell back to the surface, we were immediately taken back to a time where we grabbed three other friends to save April from a burning building, struggled to swim through obstacles and prevent the dam from exploding, or discovered that there were secret areas where Casey Jones slammed Raphael into the ground. Instead of pumping a machine full of quarters, the Cowabunga Collection’s Arcade games (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time) lets you and up to three friends have the arcade experience at home on your couch or online. The 8-bit TMNT II: The Arcade Game, TMNT III: The Manhattan Project, and the 16-bit TMNT IV: Turtles in Time, and The Hyperstone Heist will also have all the local multi-player fun of yesteryear. To complete the collection, we included the handheld titles. To some they’re a deeper cut, but these three handheld adventures had some of the best side-scrolling action on any platform. TMNT III: Radical Rescue (1993), employs a gameplay style later popularized by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) and sets players off as Michelangelo on an adventure to free his brothers. Each ninja turtle Michelangelo rescues brings new abilities and opens-up more of the map to explore. A game truly ahead of its time. Finally, the three one-on-one fighting games: Tournament Fighters. We dreamed of pitting our favorite characters against each other, and these games let our dreams come true. The two 16-bit games have been true classics with players mastering every move. But we knew we had to include the last 8-bit game Konami ever released. Considered one of the best fighting games on that console, and one that had been overlooked over the years, we couldn’t wait to give this game the attention it deserves. 30 years is a long to hang on for a collection of these masterpieces, but we hope you’ll find that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection has been worth the wait. View the full article

Attention pilots of all skill levels! Online exclusive Gundam Evolution is coming to PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 in 2022. Claim victory on the battlefield in this new free-to-play FPS where players can pilot Mobile Suits from the Gundam anime series in 6v6 objective-based combat. In early development planning, we established two main concepts we wanted to blend into a new Gundam game experience: “Fast and immersive Mobile Suit Team Battles” meets “The ability for any Mobile Suit to clench victory using their unique of attributes, abilities and boost tactics”. We have been working hard developing this title and are beyond excited to connect FPS fans with Gundam fans. Check out our Western Announcement Trailer, featuring the Gundam Evolution main theme remixed by world renowned DJ and Gundam fan Steve Aoki!. Move Beyond Your Limits Gundam Evolution is free-to-play and features 12 initial Mobile Suit Units all players can pilot for free, each with their own unique attack and support loadouts. Whether you’re a hardcore UC fan or perhaps you have extra “iron” in your blood, there are plenty of units from across the Gundam multiverse for everyone to try. Not limited to a specific class role, players can select their preferred suit from their favorite series freely and adapt their play style to suit the team’s needs. Furthermore, an Auto Repair system (a function that gradually recovers a unit’s HP over time) and cleverly placed Repair Pods throughout the environments allow players greater variation in their team builds and combat strategies. Complementing our intuitive game controls is a unique Boost system, which grants players access to skillful tactics that can assist maneuverability on the battlefield, allow teams to quickly rally support and even dodge enemy attacks in the heat of battle. The Rules of Battle Before you throw down a challenge to your rivals, let’s review the three types of battle rules: Point Capture, Domination, and Destruction. In Point Capture, teams take turns attempting to occupy iterative control points. Players will need to flex all their skills to move to the second point or fiercely hold the line of defense to secure the win. Domination ups the ante, with both teams fighting to control three objectives that are unlocked randomly. It’s a wild battle of points in a constantly evolving battlefield. In Destruction, teams are divided in the Attacker and Defender roles and battle to destroy or defend their objective. Cooperation is the key to turning the tide of battle in this game of suppression and sabotage. Each mode features various Earthly and interstellar map locales for players to explore. Whether traversing a Lunar base or taking up arms deep within a resource quarry on Earth, all six players will need to work together and adapt to every combat situation to secure the win. Join the Evolution: Closed Network Test set for North America This spring, we will be holding a Network Test for PS5 and PS4, and we need your help to test various game and server functions! This is a great chance to have a hand in the game’s development, test your piloting skills, and try out some features like aim assist, ready to help players new to the genre. PS5 players will also get a first look at the gorgeous 4k resolution and performance focused 60 FPS graphics settings. In addition to the initial 12 Mobile Suit Units, two additional units are joining the fray just in time for the Closed Network Test: Gundam Exia* and Marasai [UC]*. One of the four Gundams used by Celestial Being to end war through armed intervention. Developed to excel in melee combat under any conditions. Piloted by Setsuna F. Seiei. Developed by Anaheim Electronics, the Marasai was deployed by the Titans during the Gryps Conflict, and was later used by Zeon Remnants. The Closed Network Test is a great chance to try out these additional units as well as some of the various customization items available to earn in the final release. This test is set to include Japan and North America (US & Canada). Stay tuned as additional schedule information and registration details will be made available on our official website and social channels as soon as they are finalized. We’re beyond excited to be creating the world’s first competitive online Gundam FPS. In addition, we are equally exited to announce we are launching simultaneously in Japan and North America (US and Canada) in 2022. We’re also planning our release in the European region, though we can’t share final details just yet. We appreciate your support and will be sure to share EU release details once our information is finalized. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you on the battlefield later this year! View the full article

With Forspoken launching October 11 on PS5, we’re excited to reveal the new Worlds Collide trailer! Forspoken tells the story of a young New Yorker suddenly thrust into the magical, yet cruel land of Athia. Frey tries to come to terms with her new reality as she explores and traverses around the magnificent open world of Athia where corrupted enemies seem to be lurking everywhere she goes. Play Video But with time, Frey is no longer a lost New Yorker. She becomes a confident hero who becomes stronger with the trials she faces and develops her magical abilities against a host of enemies. Frey uses her Burst Shot, fires off electricity with Storm Dart and even commands a barrier of water with her Eagre ability. Forspoken will take players on an adrenaline-fueled journey as they go head-to-head with fearsome creatures, including Gigas, the giant ogre, the flying Apsarivis, plus many more deadly but insanely beautiful enemies. Finally, we hope you enjoyed the sneak peek of the battle against the Dragon. You may have seen this formidable foe teased in our past trailers, and we’re excited to reveal more of this thrilling confrontation that requires Frey to combine her magical combat and parkour abilities to stay alive as she’s blasted with fire and pounded with brute-force attacks. How will Frey escape the clutches of this epic beast? You will have to play the game October 11 to find out. I’m also excited to share a brand-new piece of key art showing Frey in mid-action and surrounded by magic particles as she emerges from an ominous fog (see top of article). This art will be featured on the final packaging of the physical edition of the game. With so much love that we poured into the design, we hope you like it! View the full article

At long last, the release of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is almost upon us, and I’m delighted to announce that we’ve prepared a demo for everyone who’s been looking forward to launch on March 18! Play Video This demo will be available for PlayStation 4 as well as PlayStation 5. It allows you to play the first three stages from the beginning of the game, up to the Western Keep. You can also play the multiplayer mode with other people playing the demo. Additionally, save data can be carried over to the main game, so please feel free to give the demo a play as you await the release date. A new direction for Final Fantasy Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is an authentic action game unlike anything else in the Final Fantasy series to date, and with a villain as the protagonist, it also paints a darker world. If you’ve played other Final Fantasy games, you might be a little unsure of this direction. However, as you play the game, I’m sure you’ll feel for yourself that SOPFFO is unmistakably a Final Fantasy game – in the intricate story that Jack, the protagonist, follows, both tragic yet hopeful; in the dungeons that use past instalments of the Final Fantasy series as a motif; in the job system, and in many other aspects of the game. Gameplay with incredible depth If you progress through the main story at a good pace, you should be able to reach the end in about 40 hours of playtime. However, there are of course gameplay elements you can explore in greater depth. The job system, one of the iconic systems of the Final Fantasy series, has evolved into a form that can only be realised in an action game, with around 30 different jobs included. You can develop the jobs that best suit your playstyle, or you can elect to master them all – the choices are limitless. Additionally, there are side missions that are separate from the main missions, and thanks to the customisation of equipment at the Smithy, you’ll be able to play (for what feels like) forever. Difficulty levels for all kinds of players to enjoy Many people may view SOPFFO as a punishing action game, but it is also possible to play it at different difficulty levels. The most casual difficulty is Story, which allows players who may not be particularly confident with action gameplay to experience the story, whilst still enjoying the action gameplay – which is SOPFFO’s greatest appeal. And for players who want to take on that punishing action, selecting the Action or Hard difficulties should serve to satisfy. SOPFFO is a daring game in the way it shines a spotlight on a “villain”, who views the world from an entirely different perspective from the Warriors of Light seen in previous games, and we hope it will develop into a new Final Fantasy series. I hope that many more players find this direction that SOPFFO takes to be compelling! View the full article

The wait is almost over – gather your resolve and face an entire city of the supernatural in Ghostwire: Tokyo, launching March 25 on PlayStation 5! In but a moment, nearly all of Tokyo’s living population has vanished as beings from myth, folklore, and urban legend manifest all over the city. As Akito, a survivor of the disappearance, players will team up with a ghostly detective named KK to get to the bottom of this worlds-shattering phenomenon and bring its perpetrator – a masked man known only as Hannya – to justice. Itching to see more of Ghostwire’s beautifully haunted Tokyo? Check out our coverage with Tango Gameworks Director Kenji Kimura, featuring an extended look at gameplay. The Man in the Mask Not much is known about Hannya or his objectives in Tokyo, but his distinctive noh-mask speaks more than you’d first expect of the elusive suspect. “We were inspired by the history of the “noh-men” masks that were used in Japanese traditional performing arts,” says Kimura. “A human actor wears [the noh-mask] when performing the role of a non-human being, such as an oni or a ghost. When the mask is worn in a theatre where it is dark, it can create various expressions depending on the perspective you view it from […] such as joy, anger, grief, and pleasure.” “[Hannya’s] body language is showing he is taking action to achieve something big, and one cannot tell if the mask is expressing anger or sadness,” says Kimura. “This can be said not just for Hannya, but also for Akito and KK, that Goethe’s “Faust” was [also] an inspiration in depicting the way a person who achieves supernatural powers […] can face the challenges of pursuing their own beliefs, wishes and desires.” Like his mask, Hannya’s true intent lies behind his perspective and Akito and KK will have to put their collective heads together to foil his plans and, despite all odds, save Tokyo. Pre-order on PlayStation to unlock exclusive gear and early access Be prepared for your supernatural journey by preordering Ghostwire: Tokyo today. Players who pre-order either Ghostwire: Tokyo or Ghostwire: Tokyo Deluxe Edition for PlayStation 5 systems will also receive the Hannya Outfit and platform-exclusive Premium Biker Outfit Pack for use in-game. What’s included in Ghostwire: Tokyo Deluxe Edition? On top of the full base game, the Deluxe Edition features the Shinobi Outfit and Kunai Weapon items, plus the Streetwear Outfit Pack. PlayStation Plus members can also unlock three-day early access to Ghostwire: Tokyo, exclusive to PlayStation 5 systems!* Note that early access is only available for the digital version of Ghostwire: Tokyo. That’s not all: PlayStation Plus members can save 10% off Ghostwire: Tokyo if they pre-order either edition of the game via the PlayStation Store.* We can’t wait to see you March 25 when Ghostwire: Tokyo takes players through a stunningly rendered and otherworldly city on the very brink of reality. Are you ready to face the unknown? Active PlayStation® Plus membership required. Availability may vary by region. View the full article

Introducing Exoprimal, a brand-new IP from Capcom featuring teams of five players in state-of-the-art Exosuits facing off against relentless hordes of history’s strongest and deadliest dinosaurs! There’s a lot to unpack there, isn’t there? Don’t worry – on behalf of the development team at Capcom Japan, I’m here to walk you through this new team-based action game. Let’s set the stage, first: The year is 2043. For reasons unknown, mysterious vortexes have been opening up, unleashing endless swarms of dinosaurs upon the modern world. We’re about to see a vicious fight for survival between the brave Exofighters of the near future, and ferocious creatures from the distant past who threaten to drive humanity toward extinction. Check out the video below to see what I’m talking about. Play Video I know you’re ready for more, so let’s get to it. First up, let’s talk about the Exosuits. While Exofighters are little match for overwhelming numbers of vicious dinosaurs on their own, their sleek, futuristic combat suits give them the mechanized muscle to take on prehistoric swarms. Always outnumbered by their foes, Exofighter teams will need to coordinate and select a strategic combination of suits to overcome the odds. Exoprimal is focused around multiplayer co-op gameplay, with each Exosuit having a clearly defined role. Take the aptly-named Roadblock Exosuit – not only is its massive frame built like a tank, but the Roadblock’s shield can hold off hundreds of raptors to protect their comrades. Every suit is built with team-based gameplay in mind, and each suit has unique abilities and weapons that represent their distinct specializations. Now, let’s talk tactics. There’s no strategy or team composition that can cover every possible situation. We’re talking dinosaurs that appear from inexplicable vortexes, after all! You could face any situation and a prehistoric pantheon of enemies, so you’ll need to expect the unexpected. That’s where the ability to change your suit during gameplay comes in. Players can change their Exosuit at any time during a mission, allowing teams to adjust their composition on the fly or shake things up if their current approach isn’t working. Feeling overwhelmed and need more firepower? Try changing to a different Exosuit! We’ve barely scratched the surface of what Exoprimal has to offer, and with Capcom’s pedigree of exhilarating action games, we’re confident players will be able to enjoy the feel of being an Exofighter. Prepare to enjoy the thrill of controlling Exosuits in the heat of battle to take down massive hordes of dinosaurs… or just massive dinosaurs, in general. Let’s take a minute to talk about those devious dinos in detail, shall we? Fighting tooth-and-nail with hundreds of prehistoric creatures is an all-new experience players are sure to feel through sheer, overwhelming numbers. As a seemingly unfathomable torrent of dinosaurs continues to pour in, Exofighters can enjoy the rush of clawing out a victory against seemingly impossible odds. Joining your teammates to triumph over boundless swarms of the deadliest creatures to ever walk the Earth is an experience you can’t get anywhere else. Before we wrap up for today, there’s one more thing to sink your teeth into: A developer commentary video that provides some insight into how the game is shaping up. It provides some additional information on the high-octane, team-based gameplay you can expect, so check out the video here to see what you’re in for. We have so much more to share about Exoprimal in the future. On behalf of the development team, we’re looking forward to your continued support! Now that you know a little more about the game, why not give the video another watch? If you’re hungry for more, you can also follow the official Exoprimal Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts for all the latest news – and maybe a dinosaur forecast or two. View the full article

Pre-loading for Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online is now available for those who’ve pre-ordered digitally through the PlayStation 5 console store. Players can get GTA Online for free* exclusively on PS5 for the first three months from the game’s launch on March 15. These new versions of GTAV and GTA Online launch on March 15 and feature new graphics modes including up to 4K resolution, a framerate of up to 60 frames per second, improved texture qualities, HDR options and ray tracing, faster loading times, immersive 3D audio, and more. Plus, you can transfer Story Mode progress from your PS4 or Xbox One now by uploading a save to the Rockstar Games Social Club, and you’ll be able to migrate your GTA Online character** on March 15. Those eager to continue their journey on PlayStation 5 will also get a fully converted Karin S95 souped up by the experts at Hao’s Special Works, along with a Hao’s Special Work Racing Outfit and set of new Chameleon paints usable on all vehicles. The Career Builder As mentioned last week, GTA Online on PlayStation 5 will feature the Career Builder. This is designed to give new players — or anyone who wants to reset their character and get a fresh start — a helpful leg-up in the criminal world of Southern San Andreas. With the Career Builder, you’ll enter GTA Online with a business property, a vehicle, and a weapon — with room to add useful upgrades and a little extra GTA$ to begin. Choose from a selection of the most popular criminal career paths in GTA Online: Biker, Executive, Nightclub Owner, or Gunrunner. From there you’ll receive a GTA$4,000,000 bankroll to put towards acquiring the essentials. Picking one of these four careers will ensure you have a business property and a huge range of missions and gameplay to embark upon immediately — and you can of course expand and dabble in new careers as you progress. After selecting a career, use your newfound GTA$4M windfall to acquire start-up essentials from across a wide range of properties, vehicles, and weapons. You can select from the basics — a non-upgraded business property, alongside a simple weapon and vehicle combination — or you can opt for business properties complete with upgrades and customizations, high-end vehicles, and enough weapons to fill a Gun Locker. It all depends on how you want to spend your dispensation, and you can bring a maximum of GTA$1,000,000 from this with you into GTA Online. Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online will be available digitally on March 15 through the PlayStation 5 console store, with a physical release coming in April. Stay tuned for more details. *Offer available from March 15, 2022 until June 14, 2022. Download from PS5 console store. PlayStation Plus required to play (recurring fees apply). **For GTA Online platform migrations, purchased GTA$ can only be transferred between platforms of the same family (PS4 to PS5). All earned GTA$ will transfer regardless of platform. View the full article

For MLB The Show 22, the team at San Diego Studio have been hard at work innovating one of the core components and features of the in-game experience, an entirely new commentary system and broadcast team featuring Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Chris Singleton for the first time in The Show history. Here’s a look behind the curtain: 128 separate recording sessions occurred, which included 350 recording hours and approximately 45,000 lines of audio. No wonder Boog and Singy cloned themselves in the video with Coach! Commentary systems have been redesigned for several major categories, including game intros, home run calls, post-play analysis, and more A new conversation system has been implemented, allowing for more natural banter between commentators that seamlessly integrates into the live action of each game. Boog and Singy recorded a lot of their lines together to bring this feature to life. Audio stitching enhancements increase the variety of both play-by-play calls and color commentary and improves upon player name integration. An enhanced dynamic range of play-by-play calls has also been implemented to match the excitement of each moment. Content captured from both real-life MLB broadcasts and MLB The Show-called commentary leads to a curated experience unique to each player. Play Video Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Chris Singleton have had stellar careers as MLB broadcasters, with over a decade of experience calling games together, and we are excited to bring their talents to MLB The Show to create an even more authentic gameplay experience. Our new commentators have also taken a moment to share what makes this experience special to them. Check out their thoughts below on what it’s like becoming part of the MLB The Show franchise! How excited are you to be the new commentary team for MLB The Show 22? Singy: “I can’t really express how excited I am to be part of the broadcast team for Sony Interactive Entertainment’s MLB The Show! Sony is a legendary brand and baseball is still America’s favorite pastime in my opinion. To have an imprint on one of the top video games in the world is something me and my family will always reflect on with great joy.” Boog: “Working on MLB The Show 22 has been an absolute thrill and is certainly one the coolest and unique things I have done in my career. Partnering with Singy has made it extra special because I get to share the experience with a friend.” What was the process like working with San Diego Studio to get your voices into the game? Boog: “The San Diego Studio team has been incredible in their dedication and attention to detail; those guys made it fun and are a huge part of why the process was both successful and enjoyable.” Singy: “Working with San Diego Studio over the past few years has truly been one of the most memorable experiences of my career. This isn’t easy work for any of us but we all became a family and enjoyed the grind together. The entire team loves the sport of baseball so much that oftentimes our recording sessions featured passionate “off air” discussions/debates about the sport that consumes us.” Upcoming Feature Premieres Don’t forget, you can watch episodes on Twitch and YouTube or watch them on-demand at your own convenience as we get closer to launch. See below for upcoming schedule: 3/10 – Commentary 3/17 – March to October and Presentation Update 3/24 – Road to the Show and Ballplayer 3/31 – Diamond Dynasty*, Live Content, and Esports We could not be more excited for MLB The Show 22 coming out on PlayStation, Xbox, and now Nintendo Switch! MLB The Show 22 launches April 5, 2022. Get Early Access beginning April 1, 2022 when you pre-order either the Digital Deluxe Edition or MVP Edition. For more detailed information on MLB The Show 22 including an important update on year to year saves and more please read our FAQ here. *Online multiplayer features require internet connection and console-specific online multiplayer subscription. View the full article

A new State of Play is upon us! Join us this Wednesday March 9 at 2 PM Pacific / 5 PM Eastern / 11:00 PM CET for new reveals and eye-catching updates for PS5 and PS4 titles. Note: We won’t have any updates on PlayStation VR2 titles or hardware in this broadcast. The show is clocking in around 20 minutes, give or take, with a special focus on highlighting great games coming from some of our beloved Japanese publishers, though we’ll have a few updates from other developers located around the world, too. You can of course watch our broadcast live on Twitch and YouTube. See you Wednesday! Regarding Co-streaming and Video-On-Demand (VOD) Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you’re planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music. View the full article

Strategy RPGs are gonna get a serious punch in the throat with Disgaea 6 Complete, which will make its explosive debut on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 June 28! This installment marks the continued legacy of the Disgaea series on PlayStation consoles and is a must-have for long-time fans, while the auto-assisted gameplay and customizable features make this the most exciting and accessible entry yet for new players. Also, if you pick up Disgaea 6 Complete on PS4, you can upgrade your copy to PS5 at no additional cost. What a deal, dood! Play Video Meet the cast, Dood! Zed – A zombie boy who uses a powerful spell called Super Reincarnation to travel across Netherworlds on his quest to defeat the God of Destruction. Once a kind zombie, he became rude and violent due to continuously losing to the God of Destruction. Bieko – Zed’s zombie little sister, who has a kind and innocent heart. She adores Zed, who she affectionately calls “Bubby,” and is inspired to never give up because of him. Bieko aspires to be a doctor someday. Cerberus – A zombie dog with the brain of a genius who supports Zed. He apparently carried out too many experiments while he was alive, and teaches Zed the forbidden spell, Super Reincarnation. He accompanies Zed on his journey across the many Netherworlds. In addition, several familiar faces from throughout the Disgaea series join this explosive installment as DLC characters, complete with cosmetic recolors: Valvatorez (Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten) – A Vampire who works as a Prinny Instructor in Hades, the Netherworld’s prison. He used to be a notorious tyrant in both the Human World and the Netherworld. However, ever since a certain incident, he forbade himself from drinking human blood. Mao (Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice) – A demon with an “Evil Quotient” of 1.8 million who takes what he wants and uses force to rule over others. He loves experimenting and studying subjects to gain new information from whatever he finds interesting. Pleinair (Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories) – An anchor for the news program “Nether News.” Along with her co-anchor Usagi, she pops up throughout the game to go over the events that just transpired or talk about an event coming up. This time, however, she appears to be stepping away from the news desk and entering the battlefield. Raspberyl (Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice) Mao’s childhood friend, who refers to herself as the “Heroine of the game.” She is considered a delinquent by demon standards because she performs good deeds and follows the rules. However, it is implied her kind and compassionate nature is insincere, and that she is only doing it to be unique among other demons. Desco (Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten) – Her official name is “Final Weapon: Death/Extermination Submersible Combat Organism.” There was only one reason for Desco’s birth: To become the Final Boss. However, she was put in solitary confinement in Hades before she ever saw the light of day. Fuka (Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten) – A middle schooler who lost her life for some reason. She doesn’t remember committing any crimes, nor will she admit that she ever died. For some reason, she wears a Prinny hat and jacket. Killia (Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance) – A young demon who intends to take revenge against the Demon Emperor Void Dark. He dislikes making allies and fighting together with others. He tends to eat often, due to how fast he burns calories. Usalia (Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance) – The successor of Toto Bunny, where demons that don’t promote violence gather. Due to a spell cast by Void Dark’s army, she needs to constantly eat curry or else she’ll rage. About the game From Grave to Glory Players will experience the story of Zed, a boastful zombie who wallows on the lowest rung on the Netherworld ladder alongside his sister Bieko. When a God of Destruction threatens their way of (un)life, Zed must harness his unique ability of Super Reincarnation to stand against the approaching menace. Along the way, he will unite with twisted and colorful denizens of the Netherworld, face challenges around and within, and see if even an undying hooligan like himself can defy the odds. Undying and Unstoppable Crushing your opponents has never been easier or more rewarding with over-the-top tactical combat, insane special attacks, and a wide variety of allies to choose from. And when things get too hairy, use Super Reincarnation to keep trying until you succeed. A Netherworld for Everyone Gameplay features such as Autoplay and Demon Intelligence let you customize how you play to best suit your playstyle, so both new and returning players can forge an exciting HL-raising experience. Additionally, Disgaea 6 Complete includes new recolor DLC as well as all previously released character and cosmetic DLC, and marks the Disgaea series’ debut on PS5. There’s never been a better time to dive into the Netherworld, dood. Additional technical information: PS4: 60FPS / 1920 × 1080 PS5: 60FPS / 3840 × 2160 Itching for more, Dood? Can’t wait to dive into the action? Visit the official website to watch the new trailer! While you’re there, preorder the Deluxe Edition for PS5 or PS4, which comes with the“Defiance of Dissonance Soundtrack CD and Tales of Super Reincarnation color manga in each physical copy of the game. View the full article

Lost Judgment’s star investigator Takayuki Yagami’s brazen, catch-all sidekick and former Yakuza muscle Masaharu Kaito takes center stage in the upcoming DLC release of The Kaito Files, which goes live on PS4 and PS5 March 28. Taking place after the events of Lost Judgment, this story expansion has Kaito facing a bitter past he thought he’d left behind years ago. Yagami is out of town and Kaito is left to take on the remaining work at the Yagami Detective Agency. Everything changes when Kaito is offered a case with a lucrative reward: 20-million yen to find a CEO’s missing wife. Things take a twist when it’s revealed that the missing person in question is Kaito’s ex-lover, Mikiko. Left to put back together the pieces of his past and discover the fate of a woman presumed dead, Kaito won’t stop until he’s cracked the case for good. Unleash Kaito’s brutal fighting styles If Yagami is the master of graceful, acrobatic fighting styles, Kaito is the king of unforgivingly brutal strength. Choose between unstoppable offense and overpowering defense with Kaito’s two signature battle styles: bruiser and tank. One combines aggressive punches and hooks with rapid evasion skills. The other allows Kaito to endure enemy hits with sheer strength and come back with a counterpunch, as well as grapple and throw foes to the ground. Paired with a unique skill tree of over 70 abilities, Kaito’s fighting style is roaring and suited to his fervent temperament, standing in stark contrast but equal standing to Yagami’s practiced precision. New modes of investigation While Yagami relies on his gadgets, Kaito puts faith in his primal instincts to conduct investigations. In addition to Primal Eye and Primal Ear, Kaito also has the hunting sense of a wolf on the prowl, allowing him to track down imperceptible odors with Primal Nose. But outside of investigations, his senses are just as keen. Scavenge the city through the new lens of Primal Focus to find rare hidden items that would otherwise elude the average person amid the bustling cityscape. Kaito has learned much from watching Yagami conduct stealth operations, but his ways come with a twist. Rather than quietly choking out enemies on stealth missions, he pummels them unconscious and does the same if discovered. Because he finds picking locks too tedious, Kaito uses his Primal Ear to wait for foes to come near a door before smashing his way through. Tailing sequences are twice as hard for Kaito since he’s not as subtle or nimble as Yagami. But the most iconic showcase of Kaito’s playstyle might just be his loud, disruptive methods for conducting a chase, which stand in sharp contrast to Yagami’s smooth and evasive methods. Hidden content Hidden secrets are strewn throughout the city. Put Kaito’s Primal Focus to the test if you hope to find them all and unlock powerful new skills in the process. While traversing the city, discover special locations that make Kaito reminisce on key moments of his past, helping him unlock forgotten skills as he copes with the decisions he made years ago. For challengers keen enough to scour every hidden location, the secret strongest boss awaits. The Kaito Files come to light on March 28, available immediately to previous purchasers of the Lost Judgment Digital Ultimate Edition or Season Pass. View the full article

Dolmen is set in a fictional universe where humans have colonised distant planets across the galaxy; expanding empires, federations, commerce companies and mining colonies. In order to survive the inhospitable conditions, they genetically engineered humans who are vastly different; those descendants are referred to as Xeno species. The player controls a mercenary – hired by Zoan Corp to intervene on the planet Revion Prime – where Driller Xeno humans were performing a scientific and mining operation. Things got catastrophic and the player is the first to arrive to contain the problem and retrieve sensitive data and materials for Zoan Corp. Saving the Drillers is not mandatory… even if some of them survived. As you play through the mission, you’ll discover that the Zoan Corp have been covering up some horrifying secrets and dangerous technology. The name – Dolmen – is used to describe megalithic constructions used in funeral rituals and portals to the afterlife; on Revion Prime, it was used to describe the red crystal found on the planet. This crystal is the focus of the Drillers and they used the name to refer to its capacity to revolutionise travel using portals. To the fans of the genre, Dolmen is an action RPG with Souls-like mechanics and to progress through the game, players must learn how to control their character, timing the enemy’s attacks at the same time he or she manages the resources as energy bar, stamina bar, hit points, block, parry and so on. The game offers a large spectrum of armor and weapons to fulfill different game styles, including ranged, melee and mixed combat. To craft equipment, players need to gather different material found in Revion Prime, combining technologies in different designs to boost character skills and understand how each piece of gear can help to overcome your enemies. The game uses a rock, paper, scissors system, with each enemy being resistant against two elements and weak against the third. Strong enemies – both bosses and champions – may be extra hard to beat if you don’t identify the weakness between fire, cold and acid. A unique mechanic of the game, called Energy Mode, allows the character to expend energy instead of stamina to perform melee attacks. During this energized condition, attacks are enhanced with one of the elements, causing extra damage; however, the best result will occur if the weapon has the elemental damage buff that the enemy is vulnerable to. And if at first you don’t succeed: bosses can be re-challenged multiple times using Dolmen crystals and you can also create a multi-play session to take them down with co-op play. Each additional player will increase the difficulty of the fight, so each battle will remain as a thrilling challenge. The game, of course, is not just about bosses. Regular enemies will also test your skills as they’ll make a concerted effort to put a stop to your mission. The art team tried to pull out every phobia they could find in the books and materialized them into an enemy trying to kill the character. Are you afraid of spider/insect-like creatures? Are you afraid of the undead? Infernal fiends grasping chains while trying to reach you? Gigantic monsters climbing buildings or moving below the earth? Maybe flying terrors or dark matter assassins? Well, this game has them all. The game is divided into three sectors: The Dump, where the main accident occurred; the Wastelands, where the player will find out the extent of the disaster and the Old Lab, where players will try to end the crisis. All through the game, players will get the feeling that no one is welcome, with danger lurking in each corner. Organic tissues and strange fungus grow everywhere; abominable creatures looking for new prey; a planet destroyed in a matter of hours. Pack all this with great voice actors, music artists working to maximize the main battles, text localisation for more than twelve languages, and the additional immersion on PS5 thanks to the DualSense wireless controller’s adaptive triggers, and we have a good overview of what awaits players in this 12-to-16-hour adventure in a Xeno world. View the full article

We’ve teamed up with PlayStation and the legendary Astro is tumbling into the Blunderdome. Yes, that’s correct – you can now be PlayStation’s cutest robot right here in Fall Guys. And because so many of you have asked how our incredible art team put together these designs, we thought we’d give you a crash course on the making of a Fall Guys costume. Enjoy! Play Video The making of an Astro Bot bean Creating a Fall Guys costume is about more than transformation. Our talented team of artists believe that you need to really feel like you’re wearing the costume, not just becoming a totally different character. We think of a Fall Guys costume like real clothes made for your bean’s bulbous body. It’s like a fashion designer’s dream! We pour all of our crazy, silly, clumsy personality into every single one. From the iconic Astro to something cute and cuddly (and also a bit terrifying) with the T-Rex. Without blowing our own trumpet too much… we think we’ve nailed it. Concept art created by the Fall Guys team as they began to imagine how Astro and T-Rex could look as cute little beans. Bringing Astro and T-Rex to the Blunderdome As well as being fun and cool, our costumes are picked because they feel like a marriage made in madness. For example, Astro has become a famous face. But he’s just got so much cute charisma that we took one look at him and knew he slotted seamlessly into our world of wacky. It was the fastest yes we’ve ever said. You couldn’t say anything quicker than how we said yes. The cute vibes, the round bod, the absolutely unmistakable design. It all works. Especially when you consider how popular both games are on the PlayStation system of consoles. But what if you’re not making a costume based on an iconic character? It still has to be recognizable in its own right. And that’s when costumes like the T-Rex come in. At the core, it’s a wonderful design that epitomizes the collectathon buzz we know our players all have. It’s a costume that you want to have in your locker. Early renderings, shaping and mapping of our beloved T-Rex costume. How do you make costumes for a Fall Guy? To get to that stage, we go through a ton of iteration. And it all starts with the art team’s sketches. This is where the madness gets whittled down and ironed out. We explore every angle. What shapes can we use? What colours? Do we want snazzy glow? And how much of the original character do we bring into our Fall Guys design. For example, the design of Astro Bot’s eyes are set lower than our usual designs to match the proportions. It’s this attention to detail that we love. Concept drawings of the T-Rex costume, with a little Fall Guy proudly donning the in-progress costume. From sketch designs and drawings, we head to rendering. Our initial concepts often change a lot at this point, and for many different reasons. From practicality to the fact that some designs simply don’t work as well in 3D as they did in 2D designs. Astro posing proudly after our amazing 3D art team has completed the renders of the most up-to-date concept. Astro is now ready to drop into the Blunderdome. We spend a lot of time here polishing and refining, before heading into the poly sculpt stages. It’s here that we create the 3D shell, then add textures, and finally put our digital sculpting knives down to admire our finished masterpiece. Now onto the sweet event stuff (Sweet Thieves) No Fall Guys costume drop is complete without a new challenge event, right? Sweet Thieves is a huge event with new and immersive ways for play. And a huge collaboration like Astro Bot felt like the perfect way to celebrate the new dose of shameless joy, goofiness and mischief. What’s more, the T-Rex will be available, too. It’ll set you back five Crowns for the Top and five Crowns for the Bottom. Look out for it during the event! And your rewards are: Astro Bot Pattern – 100 Points Astro Bot Nameplate – 200 Points Astro Bot Lower Costume – 400 Points Captain Astro Nickname – 600 Points Astro Bot Upper Costume – 800 Points Astro’s Wave Emote – 1000 Points These adorable rewards are available to unlock via the Sweet Thieves Astro Bot challenges from March 8 – 13 in Fall Guy.! And there’s more! T-Rex will be available to buy in the Fall Guys store from March 10 – 13. Final bit This has been a long time in the making. It’s been a labour of love – from the concepts to sketches to renders to reiterations and finally to the finished costumes. We cannot wait for you to get your clumsy mitts on Astro or T-Rex. Thanks for reading, Beans – and see you all in the Blunderdome for a sugar rush! View the full article

I wouldn’t be here writing this blog if I hadn’t had an original PlayStation growing up. I liked games just fine before getting one but titles like Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid changed my life and set me on a path to a career in the videogame industry. So it gives me huge joy to be able to announce we’re releasing Paradise Killer onto PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 this month – March 16 to be exact! Paradise Killer is an open-world murder mystery set on a bizarre island ruled by a secret society that worship goat headed alien gods. Monolithic crystal statues rise up from the ocean and gaze down on an island full of secrets, demons and shrines dedicated to unspeakable cosmic beings. We knew it would look fantastic on PS5 — withall our gleaming black marble, golden temples, and towering crystal statues were just screaming out to be blanketed in glorious ray-tracing. It also feels very fancy and surprising every time I boot up the game and the PS5’s SSD loads the whole world stupidly quickly. Besides it looking super nice and flying along at 60fps, the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback adds immersive touches to the likes of ladder climbing, turning your torch on, and buying drinks from vending machines (my personal favorite addition). I wasn’t sure what haptic feedback would add to Paradise Killer but now friends, I can tell you it adds a whole lot. So on PS5, you’re looking at 4k, 60fps with ray tracing. The PS4 Pro version is 4k at 60fps, and the PS4 version targets 60fps at 1080p. We were already hard at work on our next game when we got the opportunity to work on the PlayStation version of Paradise Killer so we needed some help. We have been fortunate enough to work with our friend Harry on the port and couldn’t be happier. We wanted to handle the ports of Paradise Killer ourselves but we didn’t have the resources in house. Fortunately Harry came highly recommended by our art director Rachel and could thankfully join us for the project, handling the porting and implementing PlayStation 5 only features like the haptics. It is scary giving something so personal to someone else to work on but Harry has done an amazing job working with our technical director Phil to bring the game to PlayStation. Rachel has now joined the team full time as art director and helped us balance new lighting to improve the game but also keep the style of the original release. Rachel had worked on areas of the original version of the game and the PlayStation release gave her the chance to revisit her work, balancing new lighting that was still in keeping with the original’s style. Here’s what she has to say about the new version: “When we heard that we had the chance to bring Paradise Killer to PlayStation we got really excited about the potential of some of the visual improvements we could add to the game. Now that it’s all ready to go, we can’t wait to show you the new-and-improved Paradise Island. We were conscious not to lose the charm of Paradise Killer’s visual style however, it’s still the nostalgic Paradise Island that players know and love, but with some visual tweaks to polish it up and make a new, shinier version of it. My favorite change is the new and improved lighting and ray tracing, it really makes those sunset island views come alive that little bit more!” – Rachel Noy, Art Director We use Unreal 4 to bring Paradise to life – with the move to PlayStation we’ve made great use of all the very latest technologies on offer, plus a few custom additions to ensure the shiniest rendering at the glossiest of framerates. We’ve taken some things out too – like loading screens. If anything, the world loads too fast now. What if I miss loading screen tips? We definitely didn’t want to just release Paradise Killer with just technical improvements though. We have been blown away by the reaction to the game and wanted to add some extra cool stuff in. I want to be a little cryptic here because I want to surprise players but there is new music, new skins for your investigation assistant Starlight, new collectables, a new side quest giver that is a ghost [REDACTED] and a bunch of rogue AIs trapped in corrupted vending machines. These dreadful cyber wretches hold the key to unlocking the new belting music tracks by Barry “Epoch” Topping. They are well hidden but are extremely worth hunting down. We are overjoyed to be releasing PS4 and PS5 versions of Paradise Killer. When we quit our jobs to make this unique game we assumed we would fail to find an audience but we were wrong. Now we get to introduce all of our beautiful freak children like Lady Love Dies, Sam Day Break and Shinji to a whole new group of players. We hope PlayStation owners enjoy breathing life back into Paradise! View the full article

Salutations! This is going to be a tough one — I can only fit three games in that image up top, but there have been some quality releases these past few weeks. Are you finding time to play everything you want to, or are you having to make some tough decisions? Hit the comments and let us know what’s claiming your gamin’ time… after voting in the poll, of course. How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year. What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Demon’s Souls and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted. View the full article