Commander Fury

Traveling the abandoned highways of the Farewell Wilderness is deadly. You’ll pass through thick forests of ponderosa and pine (filled with wolves), venture into naturally formed lava tube caves (filled with Freakers), ride up steep trails to snow-covered peaks offering spectacular vistas (mind the Marauders — and Freakers — and cougars). Riding the broken roads through Days Gone offers landscapes that change quickly and dramatically, a living, breathing world — filled with things trying to kill you. The breathtaking natural beauty of Oregon’s High Desert, scarred by ancient volcanic activity, shaped in modern times by a dubious history of mining and logging, has long been a recreational area for outdoor enthusiasts who love to hike, camp, fish and backpack. During the pandemic that killed the world, tens of thousands of survivors fled into the wilderness not realizing that it was no safer than the homes, cabins, truck stops, saw mills and small towns they left behind. Freakers, drawn to mass graves dug throughout the Farewell Wilderness, were everywhere. Swarms of Freakers, Hordes of Freakers — all looking to feed. Throw in marauding groups of human enemies looking to rob and pillage everyone in their path, wildlife — infected or not — starving for food, and crazed cultists terrorizing anyone who won’t join them — and our love letter to the region begins to sounds more like a eulogy. Today, in the first of a series of three videos, we offer you a look at the Farewell Wilderness, the setting for Days Gone, a unique landscape that is as beautiful as it is dangerous. Keep an eye on the PlayStation YouTube channel over the upcoming weeks for more videos highlighting other key features in Days Gone. Pre-Order Bonuses Head over to your favorite retailer and pre-order the game now. At launch you’ll receive a voucher to unlock for the Drifter Crossbow and upgrades for your drifter bike’s Nitrous, Gas Tank, and Shroud early in the game which will help you survive as you ride the broken road. As an added bonus, pre-order from PlayStation Store and you’ll receive a Days Gone Sawmill Dynamic Theme immediately after pre-ordering. Check out the video below to see these bonuses in action. Special Editions In addition to the standard edition of Days Gone, we are proud to offer a Collector’s Edition and a Digital Deluxe Edition. The Digital Deluxe Edition features a digital mini artbook, digital soundtrack, three additional drifter bike skins, and an additional early skill unlock and theme. The Collector’s Edition features everything from the Digital Deluxe Edition and a Collector’s Edition Statue, set of patches, six pins, four Decals, a Steel Book, physical soundtrack and a 48 Page Mini-Art Book by Dark Horse Comics. View the full article

Hello! We’re very excited to announce that Wandersong, the indie musical adventure game, is arriving at PlayStation Store on January 22! In the world of Wandersong, everything was once sung into existence by the almighty goddess Eya. And every epoch or so, she sings a new song to reset reality — effectively ending the universe. That’s just the way it goes! But you play as a bard whose goal is to stop the world from being erased, by collecting pieces of the mysterious Earthsong. In Wandersong you play as a walking musical instrument, using the control stick to sing melodies while you run and jump around! Different things in the world will react to your music in different ways, so it’s up to you to sing your songs, solve puzzles and make friends all across a 10+ hour adventure! Photo Gallery Wandersong is all about the story and the journey, so we wanted players of all types to be able to experience it. That’s why we designed it with deaf and colorblind players in mind from the beginning! Every note of music is expressed with sound, color, and direction, so players of any type can play and enjoy seamlessly. We also don’t punish the player for failing a given sequence — the point is always to play and have fun with music, so even when there’s a “right” answer, we’ll let you try and try again until you pass without setting you back or taking progress away from you. Ultimately, this is a game about good vibes, but don’t let that fool you! The story and characters go through dramatic twists and turns (no spoilers!) which reviewers like Destructoid called “a rollercoaster of emotion” and “the most emotionally satisfying game of 2018… one I’ll never forget.” PC Gamer said it’s “a game about loss, acceptance, regret, friendship, and the intimacy of colliding with another person’s life.” And RockPaperShotgun said it’s “as if the developers are hugging you from the opposite part of the screen.” For us personally, it’s so exciting to be on PlayStation! Our fans most often compare Wandersong to Night in the Woods or Undertale — we’re excited to follow in their footsteps! If you’re also a fan of indie adventure games with heartfelt stories and amazing soundtracks, we hope you’ll check it out on January 22! View the full article

Hey everyone! We are Andrew and Brian Allanson, creators of YIIK: A Postmodern RPG, which releases tomorrow at PS Store. It’s been a long journey developing YIIK and we’d like to tell you a little about our journey and the influences behind the game. YIIK is a Japanese-style RPG that follows the journey of Alex, who witnesses a woman vanish from an elevator in the late ’90s. Alex summons a band of misfits from the Internet to search for the woman and the truth behind her disappearance, which leads them towards a surreal new millennium filled with brain-bending dungeons and turn-based combat driven by minigames. For many of you, you first heard about the game on December 6, 2014. It was a very important date for us: It was the first PlayStation Experience, our first time traveling on a plane, and the first time showing off the game, simply known as Y2K at the time, with just two months of work put into it. Now, just over four years later, the game is finally complete. This feels like both a lifetime, and no time at all. So many things have changed in the four years it took to develop the game. We’ve both moved around a lot, left the US for the first time to travel to Asia and Europe to show off the game, Andrew got married, and our mother lost her battle with pancreatic cancer. The one constant during this turbulent time of life-changing events was our relentless commitment to create a full-fledged Japanese-style RPG — a modern game that looks to create something fresh, while honoring the rich history of PSone and PS2-era RPGs, such as Wild Arms (our main gameplay influence), Shadow Hearts, and Persona 4. This sole focus kept us grounded even as these changes in our lives made us feel like the fabric of reality was ripping apart. We began the development with some clear goals: create an RPG set in late 90s New Jersey (as RPGs rarely are set in modern times), strike a healthy balance between humor and a compelling plot, as well as make a world with depth. We looked outside of games for inspiration, particularly to author Haruki Murakami. He is an incredible writer, our favorite living author, and someone who makes you feel as if he’s writing your dreams. We made sure everyone on the team read his entire collective works before we began development. The novels The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and 1Q84 were our biggest direct inspirations, taking cues from Murakami’s frequent themes of missing people, sprawling conspiracies, and magical realism. The themes and tone fit perfectly with what we wanted to achieve, and analyzing his works gave us interesting insights on how to accomplish it. We used the writing techniques of postmodern authors and paid homage to these techniques in the name of the game. As for gameplay, we looked to some RPGs that modern gamers seem to have forgotten; Lufia 2 and Wild Arms for their compelling use of tools inside dungeons mixed up with turn-based battle modes, and the PS2 game Shadow Hearts for its inventive Judgement Ring battle system. The YIIK battle mode features eight playable characters. Each party member has a unique mini-game for their primary attack and additional mini-games for their skills and spells. The more skilled the player is at the mini-game, the more opportunity to deal damage and dodge oncoming enemy attacks! We use these mini-games as a way to keep players engaged and immersed when fighting enemies. However, our mini-games made the battles longer than your average turn-based RPG, so we tweaked the game to have less frequent battles, and we prevented enemies from respawning after they’ve been defeated. Ultimately, we reckon we’ve delivered a surreal dream wrapped around a JRPG with charming characters, catchy tunes, and outlandish visuals. We hope you consider checking out YIIK: A Postmodern RPG on PS4. It’s been a long time coming for those of you who’ve been waiting, and we believe it’s worth the wait. Andrew and Brian View the full article

Another year, another month, and another free content update for GT Sport is right around the corner! From tomorrow, drivers will be able to download patch 1.32 (internet connection required) — featuring a huge selection of eight new cars as well as the return of an old-school fan-favorite track: Special Stage Route X. New Vehicles Rolling into Brand Central are eight new vehicles, from 50’s classic open-top roadsters to enthusiast Japanese Coupés. Porsche 356 A/1500 GS GT Carrera Speedster ’56 Aston Martin DB3S CN.1 ’53 Shelby G.T.350 ’65 Ferrari Dino 246 GT ’71 Nissan Fairlady Z Version S (Z33) ’07 Honda Integra Type R (DC2) ’98 BMW Z8 ’01 TVR Tuscan Speed 6 ’00 New Track: Special Stage Route X This massive oval track of roughly 18 miles in length has been hugely popular in license tests and high-speed races in the past editions of the Gran Turismo series, and has now returned for GT Sport. With a simple layout consisting of two seven-mile straights and two banked corners, drivers can enjoy top-speed challenges and extreme high-speed battles where utilizing slipstreams is essential. GT League This month, we’re introducing a new event where the “Z” takes the leading role, and we’ve updated four existing events with new rounds. New Event: Z Heritage (Beginner League) Two additional rounds added to “Stars & Stripes” Two additional rounds added to the “Vision Gran Turismo Trophy” Two additional rounds added to the “X2014 Nations Cup” One additional round added to the “Gr. 1 Prototype Endurance Series” Finally, we’ve added the “Tokyo Expressway — South Inner Loop” from last month’s update to the Circuit Experience. And in Scape mode, we’ve added Cambridge — a stunning British city of historical architecture and cutting-edge science. We hope you enjoy this month’s update, and remember you can find all the latest GT info here on PlayStation Blog and on the official Gran Turismo website. Until next time, drivers, we’ll see you out on the track. View the full article

Eden-Tomorrow is a story driven sci-fi action adventure inspired by classic science fiction films of the 70‘s and 80‘s, that also grapples with present-day fears of what could happen if an artificial intelligence gets out of control. I don’t want to say more, as I don’t think there’s anything worse than having a story spoiled before you experience it yourself. And you’ll be able to do just that today, as we’re releasing a free demo of the game at PlayStation Store. The basic concept for Eden-Tomorrow was born several years ago, but as a realistic, fully CGI sci-fi movie. I knew that completing such a project was about as realistic as building my own space station, but that didn’t stop me from trying. We produced an elaborate trailer with the last of my own savings. The film wasn’t produced, but I couldn’t shake the idea. At the same time I was, and still am, an enthusiastic gamer. I have been playing video games for decades, and from the beginning it was my dream to be in a game instead of just in front of it. Fast forward to 2014 as I slipped on a VR headset for the first time. The experience was a revelation, and the idea struck me like lightning: you could really be in this world and experience adventures yourself, instead of just looking at them passively. Back then, we were just an independent animation studio for film and TV productions and had no experience with game engines. Creating and animating assets in 3D was our daily business, but coding and game design required completely different disciplines, and only one person from our small team of five was able to program. Over the next two months, we set about creating a VR demo, which proved very popular. That gave us the motivation to continue down this path, even if we didn’t know exactly what lay ahead of us. This was especially true of virtual reality: there was no rulebook to follow, no other work you could research to see how someone else solved a certain issue. Some things that sounded great as an idea in the script were either not possible or just not as cool as we thought. On the other hand, there were things that sounded totally unspectacular as an idea but proved to have a massive gameplay impact. A good example is when you nod or shake your head to communicate with Newton — it felt wholly natural and increased the game’s immersion considerably. Everyone who tried it broke out in a wide smile on experiencing it the first time. The idea came about from a real world experience: I was at a sushi shop and the cook didn’t speak a word of German and I didn’t speak Japanese — he just pointed to the ingredients and I nodded or shook my head — bam! We’ve also spent time developing multiple comfort settings so everyone can fine-tune the game to create their own perfect settings. The Music of Eden-Tomorrow One thing I’d like to mention specifically is the game’s music. Early in my career, I created the score for two games and initially planned to do the same for Eden-Tomorrow. But I quickly realized I would never be able to achieve the quality of the compositions I had in my head. Fortunately, I found someone, Dirk Ehlertwe, who created pieces with the exact sound and emotional depth of the soundscape I’d imagined. While penning the game’s story, I’d listen to certain pieces to put me in the right mood. The game’s score means a lot to me. To celebrate the work of our composer, we produced these two videos that went behind the scenes of the soundtrack’s creation: The Extended Cut: It’s true that Eden-Tomorrow’s three years of development sometimes felt like a journey into the unknown — just like what the player experiences in the game today. It was by far the most exhausting — but also the most beautiful — time in my life. I am very happy that we had the chance to realize my dream, my idea. Sounds kitschy, I know, but that’s the way it is. We can’t wait to see PS VR players’ reactions to Eden-Tomorrow after playing the demo! View the full article

Aces! It’s almost time to suit up and return to the skies over Strangereal. When Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown arrives on PlayStation 4 it will feature several gameplay modes and campaigns, including a campaign designed specifically for PS VR. Ever since the announcement of PS VR, series producer Kono-san has been interested in doing an Ace Combat game in VR. His main objective for this mode was that he wanted the player to experience every facet of the VR Mode through the eyes of the pilot. VR has the ability to simulate the experience of piloting a fighter jet and we’re pleased to say that team at Project Aces has succeeded on every level in this regard, from the moment you see your cockpit to when you shoot down your first bogey, everything feels smooth and responsive. Before actually boarding your fighter jet, the Project Aces team placed a tangible importance on convincing the player that you’re about to experience something wholly unique in an alternate reality. You’ll get an up close and personal look at your aircraft, see your maintenance crew wave you off into the wild blue yonder as you approach takeoff position, and experience 360 degrees of freedom as you fly above the clouds. The PS VR campaign features a dedicated single player mode that’s totally different from the main story campaign. Your mission starts in the year 2014, five years prior to the events of Ace Combat 7. You play as the legendary Mobius 1 fighting against the insurgency of Free Erusea. To say anymore would be spoiling things, but expect some callbacks to Ace Combat 4. ;) The biggest difference when playing in PS VR is the amount of awareness you have to exhibit. You’ll constantly be looking around your cockpit to note your position and the position of your bogeys — make sure to watch your six! The other benefits of the PS VR cockpit view include seeing your ammo count, radar, flares and damage done to your aircraft. Immersion is the name of the game here! Indicators, gauges, switches all move in real-time as they would in an actual aircraft cockpit. Same goes for the pilot, you’ll see his hands grasp and move the stick as your jet accelerates and decelerates or moves left and right. Your pilot’s legs move left and right as you yaw with the pedals and you’ll notice other small details such as the pilot’s oxygen mask. Need to take a break from all the dog-fighting action? Take in an airshow. In the Airshow Mode, you’ll stand on the deck of a carrier as several aircraft perform death-defying maneuvers overhead while classic Ace Combat tracks blare in the background. Which maneuvers will they perform? That’s up to you; you’re the conductor of this heavy metal orchestra. All this and more is included with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown when it arrives on PS4 this Friday. See you in the clouds! View the full article

Battlefield V is less a destination than a journey — one that will take you through some of the most unexpected battles of World War II. We call that ongoing journey the Tides of War, and with each upcoming Chapter, you’ll be introduced to new gameplay, experiences, battlefields, and game improvements. And the best part? There’s no paid DLC with Battlefield V; every bit of that content is free for all players. Hopefully, you had a chance to check out all the incredible content introduced in Chapter 1: Overture. From the brutal, mechanized Panzerstorm map to the single-player War Story, “The Last Tiger,” Chapter 1 was packed full of new combat experiences and rewards. And Chapter 2: Lightning Strikes is bringing even more. Skill, squad play, and speed If you like fast-paced, intense combat, you’re going to love the additions coming with Lightning Strikes. Let’s start with a more streamlined and aggressive version of the classic Conquest mode. Squad Conquest is an eight vs. eight map domination mode where the defenders start with control of all the flags. With limited respawns, they must try to hold their ground against an onslaught of determined attackers or risk being wiped out. The pace doesn’t let up in March, either, with the return of a re-vamped fan-favorite, Rush mode. As the name implies, this one’s all about staying one step ahead of your opponents. Attackers press forward attempting to arm multiple bombs with only a limited number of respawns. Defenders have unlimited respawns, and they’ll need them in this frenzied 16 vs. 16 mode. Both Squad Conquest and Rush mode are only available for a limited time, so don’t miss out. The Chapter also brings a new Grand Operations, featuring the power of the German war machine as it attempted to crush Allied resistance in Belgium. What’s a Grand Operation? It’s the ultimate multiplayer experience in Battlefield V, letting you experience vast historical battles across several maps and modes over several in-game “days.” In Lightning Strikes you’ll start with air combat and end with brutal close-quarters fighting. When it comes to skill and squad play, the new co-op Combined Arms mode gives players the opportunity to work on both, with up to three friends. With endless variation regarding objectives, locations, and challenges, players can set their own difficulty levels and work on playing the objective, learning the subtleties of each of the Classes, and how best to work with your squad. It’s a perfect place for anyone new to the game to get the hang of the fundamentals or for vets to challenge themselves on hardcore. Weekly challenges, rewards, and more Each week will bring you the opportunity to take on Chapter Events; these are sets of challenge trees where you choose your path and work your way toward fantastic rewards. What kinds of rewards can you win? Weapon unlocks, visual customizations, Company Coin (in-game currency), and more. Everything you do during each Chapter helps you earn XP and work toward increasing your Chapter Rank. The more you play, the more you can earn, and the better you’ll get at Battlefield V. What else will you find in Chapter 2? A wide variety of new weapons, skins, Dog Tags, and Emblems for you to unlock, to start. And an added class of vehicles is coming your way as well — the Tank Hunters. As the name implies, they’ve got one job, and they do it very well. Want to join the hunt? Get ready to climb into a Mosquito combat aircraft, the Archer Tank, or the fearsome Sturmgeschütz — they’ll be joining the fight soon. There’s more to discover on the ever-evolving front lines of Battlefield V. Enlist now and join the fight as Lightning Strikes. Deploy now on PS4 with the Battlefield V Deluxe Edition or the Battlefield V Standard Edition. View the full article

With special thanks to all of our friends and colleagues at PlayStation, we are thrilled to announce that starting right now, Rocket League has entered the PlayStation Cross-Play Beta program! Players on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Steam PC can now randomly matchmake with or against each other in all Online match types (i.e. Casual, Competitive, and Extra Modes). To make sure that Cross-Platform play is enabled (it is by default), head to the Main Menu, select Options and then make sure the Cross-Platform Play box is checked in the Gameplay tab. And that’s all there is to it. You are now ready to play against gamers on other platforms across the world! But what about cross-platform parties? In our first update this year (more information coming soon), we will release our cross-platform party system, which allows you to partner up with friends on any platform with the push of a few buttons. Should you want to play with friends on other platforms before cross-platform parties release, however, you can! Just select Play from the Main Menu, then Private Match, followed by Create or Join Private Match, and you’re set from there. Today’s announcement is an important one for us here at Psyonix, because we know how much our community has wanted full cross-platform support for quite some time. It’s because of you, our fans, and our generous partners on all systems and services that have made this possible in the first place. On behalf of the entire team, THANK YOU for your passion and persistence as we continue to do our best to make Rocket League the best experience we can. We’ll see you out on the field! View the full article

A desert stretches before you, vast and mysterious. You’re a black bird, perched on a branch, swaying in the gentle breeze. The lands before you roll outward, and here and there old ruins jut out from the sand, signs of some previous habitation. You take wing, and soar across the land in search of the hidden keys that turn this world… This is the beginning to Vane, a game built on the conviction that players should find their own way in this mysterious world. You take the role of a black bird, alone in a desert, but there’s a secret depth to this windswept wasteland. A mysterious golden dust can cause you to transform into a child, and the same substance causes further changes to the world around you. Finding the secrets of this place will require the use of both perspectives. Find Your Way In Vane, you’ll be navigating open deserts, mysterious caves, and stormy, dark places full of mystery. You’ll use the golden material to transform, going from bird form to survey the area, changing into a child to affect a change, and back again. As you move through the world in this way, a strange momentum accumulates, and the world begins to transform as well. It’s in this transformation of the world itself that the story of Vane shows through, and it might take some unexpected turns. Vane is an exploration game where you, the player, decide where to go. The game offers little explicit guidance. There’s no HUD. Text is at a bare minimum. The game has no spoken dialogue. We present this world to you bare, and invite you to explore it at your own pace, using your own intuition and perceptions. It’s your will to move forward, your desire to see what’s next, that will propel the story of Vane. A Labor of Love Four years in the making, Vane comes from a veteran team with stints at companies like Guerilla, Sony Japan Studio, and EA. We started Friend & Foe with other worlds on our mind, and our goal has been to preserve these strange visions through the rigors of the development process to ensure players can experience them. Vane is our first work together under our own banner, and we’re so excited that it’s seeing the light of day. In a sense we’re setting out into our own desert exploration, and this is the first step. With Vane we want to make a surreal audio-visual experience that doesn’t lead you by the hand. It’s a little bit different. We hope it leaves an impression, one that you remember for a long while. Vane will be available at PlayStation Store starting January 15. View the full article

Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Welcome back! How was your holiday? This week, we talk the top downloads of 2018, games we played over the break, the excellent Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and more. Enjoy! Stuff We Talked About Our holiday break gaming Rhythm games Astro Bot Rescue Mission The most-downloaded games of 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse The Cast Sid Shuman – Director of Social Media, SIEA Justin Massongill – Social Media Manager, SIEA Kristen Titus – Social Media Specialist, SIEA Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] View the full article

Strap in, pilots! The newest entry in the legendary Ace Combat series is ready for takeoff. Grab your helmet and hop into the cockpit of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, arriving next week. Ace Combat 7 continues the storied flight simulation series with the hardcore aerial combat fans have grown to love. The power of PS VR puts players behind the flight stick in a separate mode created from the ground up for virtual reality. Keep your head on a swivel for incoming bogeys as you soar through the clouds and protect the skies of Strangereal. Read on for the full list of new PlayStation games dropping next week. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 1/18) Become an ace pilot and soar through photorealistic skies with full 360 degree movement down enemy aircraft and experience the thrill of engaging in realistic sorties! Aerial combat has never looked or felt better! Asdivine Hearts II PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Cross-Buy) Picking up two years after the events of their first adventure, Zack and friends find themselves off on another quest, but this time to save the parallel world of Archelio, which is on the verge of being frozen in ice. The Grand Tour Game PS4 — Digital, Retail Ever wish you could get behind the wheel with Clarkson, Hammond, and May from The Grand Tour? One moment you’re watching the hosts attempt some questionable automotive antics… the next you’re at the wheel yourself — same car, same location, same chance to make a massive mess of it. Holy Potatoes! We’re in Space?! PS4 — Digital Space… the final french fried-tier! Set out on an intergalactic voyage of discovery, adventure and potato-based puns in Holy Potatoes! We’re In Space?!, combining hard-boiled battles, mashed management and scalloped simulation into a dish that’s out of this world! Kingdom of Blades PS VR — Digital (Out 1/17) Play as a front-line warrior in the Three Kingdoms Period of China. With nothing to depend on but your swords and your courage, you must slash your way through hordes of enemies and face off against the most famous generals on your path to fame and glory. Onimusha: Warlords PS4 — Digital, Retail Capcom’s riveting samurai adventure returns! This version includes the original game’s intense swordplay and dramatic revenge story, plus improved controls, widescreen display, a new soundtrack, and more. Experience this enhanced version of the best-selling action-adventure classic! Panda Hero PS4 — Digital (Out 1/14) Release the panda in you! Take on the role of the mighty panda and tread your path unerringly. Skilfully dodge your attackers and sweep aside any creatures standing in your way – attack! Planet RIX-13 PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Out 1/16) Planet RIX-13 is a classic 2D adventure with pixel art graphics. You are the pilot of a spacecraft that is exploring worlds potentially suitable for life. After losing control of your ship and making an emergency landing, it quickly becomes clear that you are not the first person on this planet… Resident Evil 2 “1-Shot” Demo PS4 — Digital A deadly virus engulfs the residents of Raccoon City in September of 1998, plunging the city into chaos as flesh-eating zombies roam the streets for survivors. An unparalleled adrenaline rush, gripping storyline, and unimaginable horrors await you. Witness the return of Resident Evil 2. Smoke and Sacrifice PS4 — Digital Smoke and Sacrifice sees Sachi, a mother forced to give up her son, adventure into a grotesque underworld on a quest that will lead her to a darker truth. As she ventures into a hidden land, will Sachi ever discover the truth of what happened to her son? Vane PS4 — Digital In a ruined desert, a strange golden dust transforms a free-spirited bird into a determined young child, setting off a chain of events that will reshape the world itself. From the team at Friend & Foe Games, Vane is a stunning, emotional and unnerving experience. The Walking Dead: The Final Season – Episode 3 PS4 — Digital After years on the road facing threats both living and dead, a secluded school might finally be Clementine and AJ’s chance for a home. But protecting it will mean sacrifice. In this gripping, emotional final season, your choices define your relationships, shape your world, and determine how Clementine’s story ends. YIIK: A Postmodern RPG PS4 — Digital (Out 1/17) In this surreal Japanese-style RPG set in the ’90s, prepare to experience a conspiracy like no other. After witnessing a woman vanish from an elevator, college graduate Alex embarks on an adventure to rescue her, which spirals into an epic quest with stakes higher than he could have ever imagined. The information above is subject to change without notice. Bumblebee Playlist Mortal Engines Playlist Big K.R.I.T. – TDT A Star Is Born First Man Halloween (’18) Season 3 Premiere Sunday, 1/13 at 9PM on HBO Series Premiere Monday, 1/14 at 9PM PT on FOX Series Premiere Wednesday, 1/16 at 10PM PT on SYFY PlayStation Vue has your favorite sports, news and must-watch shows. The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

Last week, we asked you to sift through your gallery and share your personal best photo mode moment from 2018’s year in gaming using #PS4share and #PSBlog. From stunning portraits to lifelike nature shots, here are this week’s highlights: Kratos and Atreus fight back in this epic God of War share from @McSquiggleeo. Bayek leaps into the Egyptian dunes in this Assassin’s Creed Origins share from @efraguirre. Some of your best shots were hyper-detailed, like this dramatic shot of the Scarlet Spider Suit from Marvel’s Spider-Man, shared by @louisylou. Arthur Morgan makes sense winter friends in this Red Dead Redemption 2 share from @Chy_Visual_Arts. @DpDwarf nails dramatic lighting in this stunning portrait of Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn. Water and wildlife take the spotlight in this amazing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey shot from @ilikedetectives. Search #PS4Share and #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in next week’s Share of the Week? Theme: Joy Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, January 16 Next week, we’re highlighting the moments in gaming that make us smile. Share a joy-filled photo from the game of your choice using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

And here we are. The PlayStation Store download charts below reflect a year packed with innovative new experiences, bold reimaginings of classic ideas, and masterclass-caliber execution in the realm of interactive storytelling. But the big winner for 2018? That would be Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, whose multiple Zombies experiences, best-in-class multiplayer, and blockbuster take on battle royale forged a new path forward for the genre-defining shooter. Here’s the full rundown for 2018: PS4 Games 1 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 2 Red Dead Redemption 2 3 Marvel’s Spider-Man 4 God of War 5 Grand Theft Auto V 6 NBA 2K19 7 FIFA 19 8 Monster Hunter: World 9 Far Cry 5 10 Madden NFL 19 PS VR Games 1 Job Simulator 2 Beat Saber 3 Superhot VR 4 PlayStation VR Worlds 5 Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality 6 Arizona Sunshine 7 Moss 8 Until Dawn: Rush of Blood 9 Driveclub VR 10 Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality Free-to-Play Games 1 Fortnite Battle Royale 2 H1Z1: Battle Royale 3 Brawlhalla 4 Warface 5 Paladins 6 Warframe 7 Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 Lite 8 Fallout Shelter 9 DC Universe Online Free-to-Play 10 America’s Army: Proving Grounds PS Vita Games 1 God of War: Collection PS Vita 2 Persona 4 Golden 3 Jak and Daxter Collection 4 Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition 5 Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory 6 Stardew Valley 7 Adventures of Mana 8 Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 9 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – HD Edition PS Vita 10 Undertale PS4 Themes 1 Monster Hunter: World – Theme 2 Legacy Dashboard Theme 3 Friday the 13th: The Game Theme 4 The Last of Us Outbreak Day Theme 5 The Last of Us Part II Ellie Theme 6 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – New Dynamic Theme 7 Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Original Theme 8 BioShock: The Collection Theme 9 Undertale Dynamic Theme (Ruins) 10 Tropical Skeleton Dance HiQ Dynamic Theme PS Classics 1 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 2 Bully 3 Destroy All Humans! 2 4 Destroy All Humans! 5 Metal Slug Anthology 6 The Warriors 7 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy 8 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 9 Psychonauts 10 Twisted Metal: Black View the full article

Not afraid of heights? Good, as it’s almost time to take to the skies in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown! On January 18, you will be able to strap yourself in the cockpit of the most advanced war planes, navigate through treacherous clouds and engage in fierce dog fights with friends by your side. Or enemies. Ace Combat 7’s multiplayer allows up to eight players to join the aerial battle in either Team Deathmatches or Battle Royale game mode. Of course, before you take flight and rule the skies of Strangereal, you will want to make an impression on your foes: just as in the campaign mode, you will be able to customize your aircraft with a wide range of options, including items exclusive to the multiplayer mode. These items will increase the efficiency of your aircraft and weapon to give you the edge in combat. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown promises intense dog-fighting in beautifully rendered cloud-filled skies and highly detailed cityscapes. The photorealistic scenery enhances the sense of unparalleled speed and sets the stage for the most engaging face-offs in the franchise’s storied 20-year history. To upgrade your aircraft’s capabilities and show off to your rivals while performing daring aerial stunts, you will be able to choose from more than 100 types of enhanced parts, 120 emblems and 190 nicknames. Once you’ve loaded your plane with the coolest arsenal and given yourself a fearsome look and alias, make sure to build a strategy to prove your worth as a pilot. The basic rule of survival in Ace Combat 7? Shoot down, or be shot down. Easy enough to remember. Take down the enemies that come into visual range, but also make sure to find out who you need to target first to come out on top. Your victories will be celebrated — players with the highest rankings will be decorated with a star mark. This will also make them prime targets in battle, as you will be rewarded with high scores for taking them down! So, are you ready to pick your fighter, gather your comrades and pilot the skies of Strangereal? We hope you are, because the wait is almost over — you will be clear to engage on January 18. For further immersion in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown’s realism, solo players will be able to complete exclusive missions developed specifically for PlayStation VR. View the full article

And we’re back! Here are your charts for PlayStation Store’s most-downloaded games of December. Congratulations to PUBG and Beat Saber for topping the PS4 and PS VR charts! We’re not quite done yet, though… stay tuned for a rundown of the most popular titles of the year soon. PS4 Games 1 PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds 2 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 3 Grand Theft Auto V 4 Red Dead Redemption 2 5 Battlefield V 6 FIFA 19 7 Mortal Kombat XL 8 Marvel’s Spider-Man 9 NBA 2K19 10 Madden NFL 19 PS VR Games 1 Beat Saber 2 Job Simulator 3 PlayStation VR Worlds 4 Until Dawn: Rush of Blood 5 Farpoint 6 Arizona Sunshine 7 Borderlands 2 VR 8 Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality 9 Superhot VR 10 Creed: Rise to Glory Free-to-Play Games 1 Fortnite Battle Royale 2 Warface 3 H1Z1: Battle Royale 4 Warframe 5 Brawlhalla 6 Paladins 7 DC Universe Online Free-to-Play 8 3on3 FreeStyle 9 Smite 10 Crossout PS Vita Games 1 God of War: Collection PS Vita 2 Jak and Daxter Collection 3 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – HD Edition PS Vita 4 Trillion: God of Destruction 5 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – HD Edition PS Vita 6 Mary Skelter: Nightmares 7 Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition 8 P3D & P5D Bundle + Megaverse Costume Pack – Day One Edition 9 Bastion 10 Stardew Valley PS4 Themes 1 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – New Dynamic Theme 2 The Last of Us Part II Ellie Theme 3 Lightning Night Sky Dynamic Theme 4 @ Home on Earth Dynamic Theme by Truant Pixel 5 Absolute Space 4K Dynamic Theme 6 Legacy Dashboard Theme 7 Hipster Laser Cat HiQ Dynamic Theme 8 LoFi Valley Dynamic Theme Collection Bundle by Truant Pixel 9 Monster Hunter: World – Theme 10 RetroWave City Dynamic Theme PS Classics 1 Destroy All Humans! 2 2 Destroy All Humans! 3 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 4 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy 5 Psychonauts 6 METAL SLUG ANTHOLOGY 7 Bully 8 The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga 9 The Warriors 10 Tomb Raider 2 View the full article

Thirty minutes. That’s how much time you’ll have with the Resident Evil 2 “1-Shot” Demo when it becomes available for PS4 on January 11! As the name suggests, you can play as much as you like for thirty minutes of in-game time, but once the clock runs out, so does the demo. You’re going to want to maximize your time playing through this unique experience, so we have a handful of tips for players to keep in mind when they sink their teeth into the demo: Scavenge and Survive The Raccoon City Police Department (a.k.a. R.P.D.) is littered with useful items, so take a moment in each room to look around and gather up First Aid Sprays, Green Herbs, and ammunition, and make careful use of the storage box. You’re on the clock, but you might miss something useful or important if you try to rush through! Your map is a great way to tell if a room still has something left to be discovered in it, so be sure to check it often. Red rooms still have something left to find in them, and any item you’ve discovered but not picked up will be highlighted, too. Stay Healthy — And Alive Death isn’t the end in the demo, as you can continue as many times as you like. You can’t turn back the clock, though, so be sure to keep Leon in top shape! The iconic Green Herb from the Arklay Mountains allows you to recover some health, but it really shines when mixed with a Red Herb to boost its restorative properties. A single Green Herb will still do in a pinch if you’re barely clinging to life. If you happen to come across a First Aid Spray, be sure to keep one on you just in case — it’ll bring you to full health, no mixing required. Fight or Flight Zombies are resilient, and just because you put them down doesn’t mean they’ll stay down. While a carefully aimed shot to the head is a good way to stun the shuffling undead and make a quick escape, you may want to try shooting other parts of their bodies for different results. Your end goal is to survive, and sometimes the best course of action is to run away before the situation gets worse! Keep an eye out for wooden boards, too — you can avoid conflict entirely if you blockade certain windows before zombies come crashing in. Seeing Red The R.P.D. is a big place, and it can be a little daunting to figure out where you’re going at first. There’s lots to explore in the full game, but to make the most out of the demo, stick to the first floor at the beginning and look for red lights, such as laptop screens, shutter controls, and exit signs to get around. If you’re really lost, press the Options button to check your objectives and take a closer look at your map. Once you meet a certain police Lieutenant, you’ll have what you need to further explore the building. Inspect Everything Resident Evil 2 has plenty of puzzles to solve and crucial items scattered all over, so be sure to take a moment to take a closer look at the stuff you’ve gathered. The demo clock will stop any time you’re in a menu, so you’re safe to investigate, rotate, and learn more about each object in your possession without worrying about the demo timer ticking down. You just might learn something about what you’re holding on to! Keep these tips in mind to survive the exhilarating Resident Evil 2 “1-Shot” Demo coming to PS4 on January 11! Regardless of whether or not you complete the demo, you’ll be treated to an exclusive, cinematic trailer that sheds new light on what to expect in the full game. If you can’t wait to get your hands on this amazing remake of the survival horror classic, you can pre-order the game now at PS Store for a special pre-order theme. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes an extra DLC pack with additional costumes for Leon and Claire a “Samurai Edge” handgun model, and “Original Ver.” Soundtrack swap, while both Deluxe and standard digital pre-orders at PS Store will receive two additional “Samurai Edge” handgun models and an additional theme when the game launches on January 25. We’ll see you at the R.P.D.! View the full article

Hi, we’re Owen Goss and Matt Rix, the two-person team that has been making FutureGrind since… *checks watch*… 2014. Back in 2015, we told you that FutureGrind would be coming to PS4. Now we are excited to announce that FutureGrind will be available from PlayStation Store on January 22! In 2015, we showed you some early footage of the game running. We had the core gameplay nailed down, but we knew we still had a lot to do to make the game look and feel the way we wanted it to. We’ve been working extremely hard these past few years to bring you the best game possible. FutureGrind features dozens of tracks spread across different environments. From the sunny beaches of Miramar to the snow-covered peaks of Ralhorn, and everywhere in between, you’ll have plenty to do. Earn different bikes as you progress through the game, each with their own unique style of play. One thing remains constant throughout the game: FutureGrind is a challenging stunt-sport that’s all about tricks, skill, and speed. PS4 leaderboards and trophies will keep you competing with your friends to see who can find the highest scoring runs on each track. When you start playing, survival will be enough of a challenge. But master the basics and you’ll find yourself racing tracks built for the pros. If you think you have what it takes to make it to the top, you’ll need to work at it. FutureGrind has a high skill ceiling and a deep combo system for you to explore, so you can play the game the way you want to. As you play through FutureGrind you’ll encounter different sponsor reps who will guide you in your quest for glory. But be careful. Not everything is as it seems. Someone’s watching your every move. But who? And what do they really want with you? Original Music FutureGrind features nearly 60 minutes of original music by bignic. Starting today you can pre-order the original soundtrack on Bandcamp and listen to a selection of songs from the album for the first time right now. FUTUREGRIND OST by bignic Color Controls One last important thing: when we first showed the game on PS Blog, you asked about support for color-blind players, as the game features a color-matching mechanic at its core. FutureGrind has a color-blind mode that lets you override the game’s default colors and pick the colors that work for you. We realized a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn’t work. We’re putting the color controls in your hands so that as many people as possible can enjoy the game. We have been working hard on this game for over four years, and we couldn’t be more excited to be bringing FutureGrind to PS4. On January 22, grab your bike and hit the rails with us. We’ll see you on the leaderboards. Owen & Matt View the full article

Happy New Year, PlayStation fans! We’ve got a hot lineup of nine new games coming to PlayStation Now this month, including Prey, Project Cars 2, and Metro 2033 Redux. The new titles join the library of over 275 streamable and downloadable PS4 games and over 700 streamable games in all. Leading the pack of new games this month is Bethesda’s atmospheric and intense FPS Prey. You awaken aboard space station Talos I, only to find that you’ve been at the center of a science experiment gone terribly wrong. Use your wits, a unique arsenal of deadly weapons, and an array of mind-bending abilities to survive against horrific aliens and discover the dark secrets lurking within Talos I. Also new to PS Now this month is Metro 2033 Redux. Explore a desolate wasteland and forgotten catacombs in a post-apocalyptic Moscow in a quest that could change the fate of mankind. If racing games are more your speed check out Project Cars 2, a stunning racing sim with over 180 elite race and road cars, a wide variety of tracks and courses to master, dynamic surface and weather physics, racing career progression, and modes including Indy Car, Oval Racing, and rallycross. Other new PS4 games this month include intense Japanese action game God Eater 2: Rage Burst, and the 2D action RPG + tower defense hybrid Lock’s Quest. Here are the nine games joining PS Now this month: Chess Ultra (PS4) God Eater 2: Rage Burst (PS4) Lock’s Quest (PS4) Metro 2033 Redux (PS4) Onechanbara Z2: Chaos (PS4) Prey (PS4) Project Cars 2 (PS4) Skydrift (PS3) Thunder Wolves (PS3) Here are the most played PS Now games during the month of December: Mafia III For Honor Red Dead Redemption NBA 2K16 WWE 2K16 Steep Sniper Elite IV Mortal Kombat The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution If you haven’t tried PlayStation Now yet, now’s the perfect time to give it a spin with the seven-day free trial for PS4 and PC. (Terms apply. New Subscribers only. Credit card required. See here for details.) Stay tuned for more updates on PS Now. Happy gaming! View the full article

Hey everyone! My name is Roman, an indie developer from Australia, and after years of hard but rewarding work, I am extremely excited to announce our studio’s very first title Hyper Jam will be launching on PS4 on February 12! For those of you who don’t know, Hyper Jam is a fast-paced arena brawler with a killer synthwave soundtrack and a dynamic perk drafting system that makes each match different from the last. We are only a small team, but for the past few years we’ve been putting everything we’ve got into transforming Hyper Jam from a humble prototype into a fully fledged game (with online multiplayer!). Hyper Jam is a wild mix that draws inspiration from many places, particularly fighting games and roguelites. We’ve spent a lot of time designing the game in such a way that it’s intuitive and fun for new or casual players, while still having lots of mechanical depth for players to discover in the long term. We’re very proud of how it’s turned out! One of my favorite mechanics is deflecting projectiles back at your opponent using the parry ability. Although parrying is a great defensive option, timing is essential — if you mistime you’ll be vulnerable! This makes for an interesting mind game. Sometimes, it can be better to bait your opponent into trying a parry, then punish the recovery instead of going for an immediate attack. Perk drafting is another central mechanic in Hyper Jam. After every round, each player chooses a new perk that will stay with them for the rest of the match, stacking and combining with their existing perks to create stronger effects. Certain perks synergize better than others, and it’s a lot of fun to try out different strategies. And since it’s a draft, whoever’s coming in last gets first pick of the perks available for that round, leaving the leading player to make do with whatever’s left. The different combinations of perks that players end up with results in many different (and often hilarious) scenarios, guaranteeing a unique experience every time you play. We truly look forward to seeing the different perk combinations and play styles you are able to come up with once the game is out! Our team still loves playing the game despite having worked on it for years, and we hope Hyper Jam can be a staple in your library for years to come as well. See you February 12. Thanks for reading! View the full article

Celeste is a game about believing in yourself and the journey to discover what you are capable of. While that may seem like quite the lofty statement for a 2D platforming game with a retro pixel-style aesthetic, being able to take away such an insightful and empowering feeling from a game is precisely what makes Celeste one of the best games of 2018. Let’s start with the game itself. At its core, Celeste is a precision platformer where your eventual goal is to climb a mountain. Early on, you’re taught two moves: how to dash (press square and a direction), and how to wall climb (hold L2). The controls are snappy and fluid — at any given moment you feel in total control of your character. Jumping and dashing quickly become second nature, which is critical for game like this, because Celeste is hard. Moments after starting the game, players are thrust into life-endangering situations. Bottomless pits, spike-lined floors, seemingly impassable chasms, and other deadly obstacles combine to create an almost overwhelming sense of anxiety at first glance. “How the heck am I supposed to do this?”, players may wonder. This is where Celeste’s brilliant design begins to shine through. Once you start attempting these daunting obstacles, you start to formulate ideas on how it could be possible. “Well, if I just drop here instead of using my dash…” “What if i use this moving platform for extra momentum in my jump?” Celeste rarely punishes you for dying — within seconds of failure, you respawn close to the challenge you were attempting, fresh for another go at it. Having that smooth, almost-instant intermission between attempts encourages you to take chances. You will die a lot in Celeste, but each death comes with a sense of renewed purpose rather than defeat. Eventually, you’ll conquer what you may have initially regarded as impossible and carry that feeling of accomplishment into the next challenge. The game does a great job of layering on additional mobility elements and challenges at a perfect pace, building on what you’ve already learned while also making sure your next goal is clearly in front of you. This results in a continuous sense of being tested to the best of your abilities, so that any glimpses of self-doubt tend to be outweighed by the visibility of success being so close. As you progress through the game, a meaningful narrative starts to develop with the game’s main character, Madeline, who has set out on a journey to climb Mt. Celeste to get away from her life in the city. But the further she climbs, the more setbacks get thrown her way, sowing self-doubt and causing Madeline to question whether she should be attempting the climb in the first place. Memorable characters such as Mr. Oshiro, a ghostly hotel owner who can’t let go of his past, or Theo, a happy-go-lucky selfie chaser, cross paths with Madeline, providing not just conversation, but foils for her own journey of self-actualization. Our heroine interacts with them reluctantly at first, viewing them as obstacles and time-wasters on her own journey. But by lending her assistance, she ends up learning more about herself. Just like Madeline, I didn’t think about the bigger picture of my journey while I was in the middle of it. My first playthrough was hyper-focused on just conquering the video game challenges in the moment. It was only after I had completed the main game that I was able to take a step back and really reflect on how far I had come. I moved on to the game’s challenging post-story “B-Side” levels with a sense of “Ok, this seems doable if I hop here and drop here” rather than “This seems impossible!” The skills I needed to conquer those challenges were already within my abilities, I just needed to discover them. One of the elements I noticed early on, is that the game tracks how many deaths you have on each level. My first inclination as a competitive gamer was defeatist: “Ugh, I have so many deaths. I’m bad at this.” But after playing through the game I developed a new perspective: each one of those deaths was a learning experience. I began to see high death counts as a badge of honor for my perseverance, rather than blemishes on perfection. It’s a mindset I’ve tried to apply to other parts of my life as well. Therein lies Celeste’s greatest achievement — its potential to change a person’s way of thinking not only in playing a game, but outside of it as well. View the full article

Photo Mode has allowed us all to soak in the rich detail of the game worlds we’re sometimes too busy saving to appreciate. It’s also turned us from players to photographers, pouring over the perfect composition and fine-tuning our filters for the most eye-catching shot. In 2018, we asked you to show off your best snaps in our Share of the Week series by sharing on Twitter and Instagram using #PS4share and #PSBlog. Here are just some of our personal favorites. Or, as we like to call them, our new desktop wallpapers. Shadow of the Colossus We started out our Share of the Week series alongside the release of the hauntingly beautiful Shadow of the Colossus. @JerseyAnthony caught our eye with this triumphant final blow to a Colossus. Horizon Zero Dawn We then took a look back at some highlights from 2017 releases like Horizon Zero Dawn. Photo Mode allowed players to get up close and personal like in this portrait of Aloy from @horizonzerodawnworld. Or this gripping attack shot from @LUCKYless11. Assassin’s Creed Origins @Son_of_Sekhmet went up against the Epyptian gods in this Assassin’s Creed Origins share. @videogame_photographer shared this insanely details close-up of your eagle companion. Gran Turismo Sport While most fans focused on the cars, @Philt43_Yewone took a more artistic approach. God of War Kratos unleashes his fury in this heated share from @raffu42. @gatirosho shared this solemn and detailed look at our favorite boy, Atreus. The Stranger got the spotlight in this wickedly crafted share from @DobbyPS4. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Over the summer we highlighted some adventurous shares from the Uncharted series, including this fiery Uncharted 4 shot, also from @DobbyPS4. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy This colorful shot from @glenlee_92 had us ready to jump back into Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. The Last of Us Ellie gets caught in some haunting shadows in this moody share from @carpenoctem_art. She gets the black and white portrait treatment in this detailed share from @Chy_Visual_Arts. Marvel’s Spider-Man September found us swinging into Marvel’s Spider-Man, like in this picturesque shot by @KBStation. We loved all the selfie shots players sent us, like this swinging selfie from @JohnTambanillo. The Vintage Suit made Spider-Man feel like he was swinging off the page of a comic, like in this share from Eazels. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey We leapt into Ancient Greece with a magnificent shot of the Parthenon from @AreeLyBadPun. Red Dead Redemption 2 We finished out the year with some rugged portraits from Red Dead Redemption 2, like this share from @raffu42. What was your Share of the Year? Kick off 2019 by sending us your best shot from the 2018’s year in gaming using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Firesprite’s PS VR horror roguelike The Persistence is not only my favorite VR game to date, it’s now one of my favorite games of the entire PS4 generation. This forward-thinking VR shooter mashes up elements from BioShock, Deus Ex, and Bloodborne in ways that left me gasping. The appeal of a roguelike lies in its heightened stakes, the rush of knowing that each decision you make matters so much more. The Persistence elegantly weaves those tropes into its premise, and the game is far stronger for it. Each time you die, you “print” a new body to carry on with your progress. Harvesting stem cells and DNA allows you to upgrade your future bodies with invisibility, enhanced melee attacks, and other survival perks that will come in handy aboard the crippled spaceship The Persistence. The game offers a smorgasbord of control schemes, each tuned to a specific type of VR player. VR veteran? Proceed directly to full, uncompromised dual-analog stick FPS controls. Prone to VR motion discomfort? Choose the option that reduces camera movement. Not sure which to choose? Try the middle-of-the-road option. They all work great. The Persistence packs a million little UI and UX touches that take advantage of PS VR’s featureset. To pick up an item, you simply stare at it. A brief animation plays, and now it’s in your inventory. It’s a small detail, but it always feels satisfying, and it solves the annoyance of having to hammer the X button to collect loot. Shooting is a pleasure too, because you simply move your head to align the targeting reticule. Ditto with swapping weapons: just hold R1 and glance at the gun you want to equip. This allows you to carry a lot of weapons and quickly decide what’s the best fit for any encounter. You constantly feel empowered, but challenged. The procedurally-designed levels are vastly more convincing than any I’ve encountered in other games. Each run feels like a completely different experience, with weapon fabrication stations, enemies, items, hazards, and rooms sprinkled about in a way that feels handcrafted, rather than generated by some soulless AI. There are even optional, random “event” rooms… but the less said there, the better. It’s even a great stealth game, with a short-range teleporter and brutal melee mechanics that bring enjoyable twists to well-worn genre standards. Add in a massive arsenal of exotic weapons and bizarre experimental gadgets (check out that Ivy Serum) and you’ve got one of the best horror sandbox games ever released. And it’s on PlayStation VR. What are you waiting for? View the full article

Greetings, Boundless players of PlayStation! What a great couple of months it’s been since the game hit PS4 — we’ve seen some truly mind-blowing builds, epic group hunts, and so much more. I just wanted to check in and let you all know that we’ve still got a lot more lined up for you as we move into the bold future of Boundless. We’ve been working hard on Boundless since launch, with regular updates hitting the game every couple of weeks, and now we’re excited to reveal our biggest release so far, Empires, which makes it easier and more fun than ever to play Boundless with your friends. We’ve also seen two great seasonal events to coincide with Halloween and the winter season, bringing brand-new character customizations and gameplay events to the game. We’ve also recently released some incredibly cool LED blocks, which players are able to use to really let their creativity fly. We’re really excited about the addition of LED blocks. This might sound like a small addition, but these are a real game-changer for builders, as each block can be tinted and programmed to blink at a different rate. These allow for a touch of flair on many builds, and even let players experiment with simple animations when combining several different blink patterns. This is a great chance for the Boundless players to showcase their creativity, and it’s something which we think will really shake up the look of some of the most impressive builds in the game. Multi-colored disco dance floors are just the tip of the iceberg. On top of all this, we’re pleased to announce the imminent release of the most major feature since launch in the form of our guilds system, alongside an universe-wide messaging system which will make communication more seamless than ever. We know that many of our players love to enjoy Boundless together, and as with any Sandbox MMO, the social aspects of the game are hugely important to getting the most out of the fun on offer. Guilds are our way of making it even easier and more rewarding to play with friends, and we’re really looking forward to seeing which groups can rise to power first. It’s a vast, complicated system, but the broad strokes of it are that groups of players can now be formally brought together in a guild. This guild will then control its own resources, with different levels of authority attainable within the group. Prestige will be built up for the whole group through the actions of its members, and beacons or settlements can be assigned to a guild too. The system will allow for huge cooperative builds, massive organized group hunts, and even complex social and political events to be put together within the structured framework of a centralized group of players. Starting as a lowly Operative, a player might eventually rise to the coveted role of Director. We can’t wait to see which groups rise to power first — it’s going to be brilliant to be a part of. We’re really just at the beginning of the road for Boundless. Other features we’ve got in the pipeline include the menacing Hunter creature, which is our first addition to the ecosystem. Of course, we’re not stopping there — our roadmap includes the Boundless version of farming, so look out for news on that soon! We want players to be able to play however they feel, and that goes for how they’re represented in-game too. With that in mind, we’re also working on bringing a new selection of character faces to the game, to go alongside the body paints we recently added. This, along with the new character customizations we’re working on, will allow for some truly unique looks for your in-game avatar. It’s a super exciting time to be a part of the Boundless universe, and we absolutely cannot wait to share the next adventures with you all. See you all in the game folks! View the full article

You know, I’ve never really been much of a hunter. It’s not for lack of trying — I’ve dipped a toe into Capcom’s monstrous waters a couple times in the past, but its myriad systems, weapon types, and nigh limitless ways to take down fearsome creatures made for too feisty a beast to tame. Monster Hunter: World stripped away just enough of the Byzantine quirks accumulated by the series over its 14-year history to seduce me into giving the storied series one more shot. And wow — am I ever glad I did. Let’s get this out of the way early: Monster Hunter is weird. That will probably never change, and I suspect that weirdness is part of what keeps fans coming back each time Capcom releases a new entry. I mean, it’s a co-op action-RPG where players wield swords larger than their own bodies to hunt fire-breathing T-rexes and giant, fluffy balloon bats. Other quirks, like the adorable Palicoes (basically talking cats) that accompany you on quests and cook pre-hunt meals, continue to stack more of this charming weirdness on top of World’s satisfying, crunchy core gameplay and an expertly tuned progression loop to keep players hungry for just one more hunt. Let’s zero in on that progression loop for a sec. It’s a multi-layered affair, starting with players collecting parts from defeated monsters and bringing them back to camp to build new weapons and armor. Simple enough, right? Well, bear in mind that to get certain drops, you need to break certain parts off these critters during an encounter. Hammer wielders, for instance, are especially well suited for cracking off a Barroth’s horn, while a sharp sword will more easily sever that Anjanath tail you’ve been looking for. Unlocking High Rank hunts opens up an all-new, more powerful suite armor to chase, with its own set of required monster parts. And if you play long enough to get to end-game status, you’ll start mixing and matching perks and abilities from different pieces of armor to build loadouts that are well-suited to specific types of battles. You’ll want a high Elderseal stat when squaring up against Elder Dragons, for example, or maybe you want to spec into the “Earplugs” perk if you’re planning to take down the… annoyingly vocal Bazelgeuse. This is all just scratching the surface of what makes Monster Hunter: World tick, but Capcom has done an admirable job putting need-to-know info up front and letting players gradually discover the game’s intricacies as they fall further and further down the rabbit hole. Ongoing seasonal events, franchise crossovers (Geralt is coming!), and the recent announcement of gargantuan new expansion Iceborne tell us that while Monster Hunter: World has already made a name for itself in the PS4 library, it has no intention of resting on its laurels. I may not have been a hunter before, but I’m happy to have, at long last, joined the MonHun ranks. View the full article

Video game prequels are tricky. These games are tasked with simultaneously advancing the gameplay experience while rewinding the narrative. Sometimes we get gameplay mechanics that don’t gel within the world established by the original, or new stories that are about as impactful as dynamite without a fuse. Rockstar Games’ latest opus, Red Dead Redemption 2, not only avoids all these prequel pitfalls, it also pulls off the moonshot of enhancing John Marston’s original genre-defining adventure from the previous game. Like Marston before him, anti-hero Arthur Morgan comes across as a typical cowboy at first, then opens up to reveal surprising depth. The stoic protagonist has a wry wit, refreshing self-awareness, and general nuance that makes him feel believable and relatable. He’s the kind of guy that won’t flinch when busting a fellow outlaw out of jail, but still takes the time to teach a young boy to fish. Arthur’s fellow gang members — like the charismatic leader Dutch and revenge-driven Sadie — offer a colorful, morally fluid contrast to our hero’s development. While John Marston has an important supporting role in Arthur’s tale, this game connects to the original Red Dead with impressive elegance. We won’t spoil specifics for you here, but every moment with John in Red Dead Redemption 2 adds valuable context and weight to the events of the previous game. Don’t be surprised if you feel like firing up PlayStation Now to relive John’s remarkable tale. Red Dead Redemption 2’s trail splits off from the original with its unprecedented attention to detail. The talented Rockstar devs have crafted animations for everything from simply picking up a can of beans to skinning a deer with unnerving realism. Even shop catalogues are elaborate, in-universe ads rather than basic menus. The experience is less traditionally “video gamey” than the original and more of a cowboy life simulation. Adjusting to Rockstar’s new focus on meticulous detail takes some time, but eventually the deliberate nature of the game pulls you deeper into the gang’s hard living. For example, money is scant early on, so you’re encouraged to hunt for game to earn money. You’ll need to track your prey, shoot it, follow its bloody trail through the woods, finish it off, and then either skin it on site or stow the whole corpse on your horse to sell it later. Be careful though, because your meat will spoil if you don’t get it to a butcher in time. This grounded gameplay forces players to be deliberate, and strongly reinforces the vibe of frontier living . Speaking of the frontier, Rockstar’s Wild West is a postcard-worthy spectacle. Beautiful locales like snowy mountain peaks, green-splotched prairies, and swamps canopied with cypress trees offer so many stunning landscapes that Bob Ross himself would blush. These locations are brought to life with realistic weather effects and convincing animal life. Fleeing a pack of snarling wolves snapping at your spurs while a thunderstorm rolls across the planes is just one memorable example of how this world seems so uniquely alive. Rockstar’s interpretation of the Wild West offers more fun beyond the solitary cowboy tale. Posse up with friends in Red Dead Online to take on narrative-driven missions, sometimes featuring characters from the main game. Additional activities like stealing horses or hijacking wagons become more intense when fending off rival players looking to steal your haul. Rockstar has already started refining the economy and overall experience of Red Dead Online, and if GTA Online is any indication, gunslingers everywhere have a lot to look forward to. The gaming world stops to pay attention when Rockstar releases a new game, and it’s for good reason. The uncanny realism of Red Dead Redemption 2’s world, along with its top-in-class narrative, make it one of 2018’s must-plays. View the full article