Commander Fury

Hey guys! Kaydie from Sega here reminding you that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s mystery thriller, Judgment remastered, hits the PlayStation 5 this Friday, April 23. From the creators of Yakuza, Judgment is a free-roam action brawler that puts you in the shoes of Takayuki Yagami, a street-fighting private eye that defends those that the law fails to protect. If you’re coming from Yakuza: Like a Dragon and want more hard-boiled drama full of intrigue and larger-than-life characters packed into a single experience that only Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio can deliver – sleuth no further. Here’s why you’re bound to dig Judgment if you loved Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Judgment is a cinematic crime drama You’ve seen through the eyes of Ichiban Kasuga how his former clan, the Tojo Clan, runs Kamurocho. Law enforcement turns a blind eye to corruption out of fear or a wad of cash in the pocket. In comes Detective Yagami. Caught up in solving a serial murder case with evidence against a Tojo Clan branch family stacking up, Yagami must hunt down the truth while the forces of Kamurocho try to cover it up – otherwise, no one else will. Camaraderie between eccentric characters …But he can’t do it alone. If character interactions that oscillate between absurd and sincere in Yakuza gripped you by the heart, you’ll appreciate the brotherhood Yagami forms with those he meets through the investigation. Yagami is capable but still depends on those around him, especially Kaito, his best friend and “brawn” half of the Yagami Detective Agency, when it feels like the entire town is out to get them. Freestyle city exploration Like in Yakuza, every inch of Kamurocho’s neon-lit streets is yours to roam. Yagami has his own tastes, so there are plenty of restaurants, activities and even games in Club Sega to check out that Ichiban and company didn’t see. (Hot tip: L’Amant has free drinks!) Don’t forget to make the rounds at your Yakuza favorites like Smile Burger and Gindaco for old time’s sake. Over-the-top martial arts combat Judgment’s action is up there with your favorite martial arts flick and within the vein of Yakuza’s flashy, brutal, veering into absurd combat. While not turn-based like Yakuza: Like a Dragon, you can level up Yagami’s skill trees much like you would job classes. If brawlers aren’t your thing, no sweat. There are several difficulties to choose from that let you enjoy the combat at your own pace without missing any of the flashy moves. Tokyo Drone (Kamurocho Boyz) If Dragon Kart was a big hit with you, sign-ups for Kamurocho’s high-speed drone circuit are in the Millennium Tower lobby. When you’re not using Yagami’s drone to collect evidence, take flight in the Drone League Kamurocho and soar through the ranks – but not before souping it up with mods and a fresh dip of paint, of course. Judgment remastered is available for PS5 on April 23! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/5hFPjjmo4q8View the full article

Are you a fan of murder mysteries and courtroom dramas? Then we’ve got the perfect game collection for you: The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, coming to PlayStation 4 on July 27! This collection contains The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve, both being released for the first time outside of Japan as part of this collection. Set at the turn of the 20th century Japan and England, Chronicles introduces a robust cast of quirky and unusual characters, with tons of drama, comedy, and mystery. Get ready to crack some of the wildest legal cases in the world of fictional courtrooms. Those familiar with the Ace Attorney games may already know that The Great Ace Attorney isn’t the first in the series, but if you’re new to or curious about it, let’s catch you up a bit and look back towards the series’ history. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – The original blue–suited, spikey-haired lawyer The Ace Attorney series dates all the way back to the original release of Gyakuten Saiban (literally “Turnabout Courtroom”) in Japan in 2001 and, much like The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, the games center around courtroom drama, murder mystery, and even some supernatural antics, all presented in an anime art style. The star of the show is Phoenix Wright, the main protagonist of the original trilogy of games. This spikey-haired defense attorney always fights for those who can’t defend themselves. He quickly rises to fame, becoming a veteran defense attorney that manages to turn things around in even the worst situations to secure a “not guilty” verdict! There are many characters who support Phoenix on his journey. The plucky spirit medium Maya Faye, his stoic childhood friend and courtroom rival Miles Edgeworth, and the bumbling but kind-hearted Detective Gumshoe, all help – or hinder – Phoenix and company along the way. Throughout various cases and stories, Phoenix and his friends investigate various murder cases while meeting suspicious and unusual characters and grilling witnesses for clues. Investigations end up in the courtroom, where you use gathered evidence in heated trials to cross-examine witnesses and present evidence you’ve found. Throughout the cross-examinations, you’ll press for more info and raise objections after you find contradictions in testimonies. You may recognize some of the classic finger pointing from Phoenix and co., or the popular “OBJECTION!” and “HOLD IT!” speech bubbles. All of this brings the perfect combination of courtroom action with a “Whodunnit?” style story! Throughout the years, the Ace Attorney series has continued with various sequels and side stories. Let’s take a trip back in time and meet an old, but just as astute, blood relative of Mr. Wright… Enter Ryunosuke Naruhodo The Great Ace Attorney – New gameplay with familiar mechanics Rewind the clock to the turn of the 20th century, and set the stage for The Great Ace Attorney. Introducing Ryunosuke Naruhodo, ancestor of Phoenix Wright, and an up-and-coming defense attorney studying at a legal academy. Much like previous games, Ryunosuke will also investigate criminal cases with his comrades, such as his legal assistant Susato Mikotoba, and overeager detective Herlock Sholmes. Herlock Sholmes on the scene While retaining the classic investigations and trials gameplay, new features have been added to the mix incorporating more variety to investigations and courtroom battles. For example, the Dance of Deduction gameplay has you working together with Herlock Sholmes, identifying contradictions in the detective’s overeager (and usually incorrect) logical deductions to uncover new facts about the case. Summation Examination is a new feature that takes place during courtroom trials. Analyze the arguments of jurors, and correct discrepancies in their thinking with persuasive arguments and evidence, all while proving your client’s innocence. Summation Examination will pit your wits against the jurors Brand new to the Ace Attorney series is the optional “Story Mode” feature. You can toggle this mode on and off during the game, which lets you watch the story unfold as the game automatically advances through investigation and courtroom phases. Just want to chill out to a visual novel? Have it play for you! This is just a small taste of what’s coming with The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. In addition to the two games, there is a plethora of bonus content! Access the gallery content to view artwork, modify the characters’ outfits with alternate costumes, and play the eight bonus Escapade cases. While you wait for this collection of two incredible games to come out on July 27, how about jumping into the Ace Attorney series right now? Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy contains the first three games: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations, available now for PlayStation 4. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/JqOZUiYhxGAView the full article

Greetings, Travelers! Genshin Impact’s dev team here, eager to announce that the PlayStation 5 version of Genshin Impact will be arriving on April 28! We would like to share some details about the PS5 version of the game with all of you — we just couldn’t wait any longer! For anyone new to the game, Genshin Impact is an open-world action RPG that takes place in the vast magical land of Teyvat. You play as a Traveler from another world who has been separated from their twin. You embark on a journey to find them, and along the way you gradually discover the secrets and fate of this exotic world. Play Video The PlayStation 5 hardware provides an ideal platform to experience Genshin Impact, making the world of Teyvat even more detailed, more vivid, and more immersive. That’s why we wanted to bring the PS5 version to players as soon as we could. At the same time, we’ve been working to develop various functions to fully utilize this next-gen console in the long run: we created a graphics library completely from the ground up, and we built a customized file-loading system to take advantage of the powerful SSD of the PS5. So in future updates, we will have much more potential to elevate the visual quality and game performance – we are only scratching the surface. With Genshin Impact, we want to transport you into a visually stunning and culturally diverse world. The all-new graphics library allows us to pack even more details into the game world. Look closely at your surroundings, and the high-res texture will tell you a unique story in every tiny detail; raise your eyes to the horizon, and the enhanced Level of Detail distance will bring you an impressive view of landmarks near and far. Even better, the PlayStation 5 allows you to run all these details in native 4K resolution. If you have an HDR display, with our HDR support, you can enjoy an even more vibrant look at the world Genshin Impact features massive and changing landscapes. So when you traverse the open-world and domains, faster loading will make your adventure so much smoother. With the PlayStation 5’s SSD and our tailor-made file-loading system, teleporting from one place to another now takes just seconds. You can jump right into domains almost instantaneously, ready to explore and fight! But to truly approach the next-gen experience, we realize the DualSense controller will be a game-changer by showing how the game world responds to your actions within. The DualSense controller adopts very different technologies, and we’re still redesigning the controller support from scratch to explore it’s full potential. You may notice that the controller vibration feels different from that in the backward-compatible version of the game. We can’t wait to integrate even more of the controller’s features to better reflect your immersive experience in Teyvat. We’ve also prepared an exclusive version of Qingyun Peak only for PlayStation 5 players! This mountain peak has been one of the most popular places in the game among both our players and team. So we’ve given this location a bit of a makeover. We hope you like the surprise! The release of Genshin Impact on the PlayStation 5 is just the beginning of the new console experience. We’ve only been to two of the seven major cities in Teyvat so far, so there is so much more content to look forward to. Okay, Travelers, that’s it for now! Don’t forget to come check us out on April 28! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/A2hzhaWNWEEView the full article

Hi everyone, I’m Jonathan, Lead Designer at Streum On Studio! We are a small team made up of passionate FPS and Warhammer 40K fans. We can’t wait for you to get your hands on our biggest game yet. On behalf of the entire team, let me take you through Necromunda, one of the nastiest places in the galaxy. You’re going in with little more than a gun and a dog for company, and a whole lot of people interested in getting you dead. We want that experience to be the most fun you’ve had in a shooter in years, and the key to that is agility. Wall-running, double-jumping, mantling – they’re all fast, they’re all fun, and they’re all in pursuit of violence and bounties. Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. Play Video Your bounty hunter in Necromunda: Hired Gun – chosen at the start of the game – is a badass, a loner, and generally sick of the number of people trying to kill them on a daily basis. The complicated machinations of the universe that have led to them being filled with cyber – augmetics mean there’s a wonderful blend of aggression you need to work out as you go hunting for your targets. Running & gunning You’re fast. Faster than almost anyone else. Fighting is a whirlwind of gunfire, close-range executions, and bullet-dodging. Many of your opponents are trained and ready grunts of their respective houses, but decidedly outgunned. You can dash around an arena, double jump to high places, run along walls to dodge enemy fire and reach new locations – all of it far beyond the capabilities of your average ganger. Coming into contact with a Hired Gun is usually the last thing that happens to anyone in their way, and you can really feel that through the way you play. Grappling with victory A past accident has left this Hired Gun with a variety of body modifications and enhancements. Along with heightened reflexes and a mechanical heart, you now have your very own grappling hook arm. This is great for getting you into the action, where you’re at your most deadly, as well as disarming opponents. It can also be used to zip around levels, making otherwise-impossible traversal of great chasms and huge towers a sinch. Taking a good boy for a walk You’re not the only one in the field. Your best bud and partner for life, the honorable cyber-mastiff, is with you on this journey. He’s just as jacked up on bionics as you are, and equally as keen to rid the world of bad guys. He’ll take gunfire for you, climb walls with you, and rip out throats on command. He loves treats, and is at your side with a squidge of his squeaky toy whenever you like. Bringing the world to life As you will have seen in our trailer above, we’ve put a lot of love into creating our little corner of Necromunda, so there’s plenty of reasons to explore. As well as all the sights, sounds and thankfully not smells of the city, you’ll also be fighting against and alongside the iconic gangs of the Necromunda tabletop game. In addition, Kal Jerico, bounty hunter extraordinaire and last guy you’d ever want to trust, just so happens to be deeply involved with your mishaps and adventures. We won’t spoil anything, but you’ll be seeing a lot of this particular rogue. Be ready to enter Hive World Necromunda With power comes choice, we’re pretty sure the old saying goes. How you play Necromunda: Hired Gun is up to you – there’s a whole host of combat styles to go with exactly what brand of violence you wish to bring to those in your way. Every limb can be upgraded, alongside your heart, brain, eyes, and more. This is alongside weapon choices that run the length and breadth of the weird and wonderful armoury of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Combine the two to express yourself on the battlefield. So gear up and prepare yourself for a thrilling and violent new experience in the universe of Necromunda. Thanks to your cyber augments, you’ll run across the darkest reaches of the hive city, fly with your grappling hook and hunt the most notorious gangers alongside your cyber mastiff. We hope you’ll enjoy this new adventure in Necromunda: Hired Gun. Necromunda: Hired Gun is currently available for pre-order with special bonuses and will release June 1 on PS5 and PS4. The retail version will be available on June 30. Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/-hTt0kfnIYoView the full article

The remaster of the Atlus classic is essentially two games in one – The first version of the game released in 2003 for Japan only brought in Raidou Kuzunoha from Atlus’s Devil Summoner series. Then a second version, the only version released for the West, known as Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne (or Lucifer’s Call for the European folks) featured Capcom’s Dante from the Devil May Cry series. For the release of the Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster, Raidou is included in the base game and Dante can join the party as DLC! From HD character models to in-game backgrounds, we’ve remastered everything—even the iconic meme. For the first time ever, here’s the “Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series” sticker in HD. Download the #FeaturingDante image above (or from here), and feel free to paste it on anything – even your very own copy of Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster for the PS4! The Featuring Dante sticker lets people know whatever you slap it on… truly has it all. *Disclaimer: Artists’ rendering only, does not represent the final packaged product. The Atlus and Capcom collaboration of the unique meme comes from a simple idea: “Dante is a ‘Devil Hunter’” and Demi-fiend is “part human, part demon.” It just made sense. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster Director Kazuyuki Yamai looks back on the original release and recalls, “The dev team initially thought it was a crazy idea to pursue a crossover across two different publishers. However, they were also captivated by the idea of the two characters’ encountering one another and their ensuing battle. So they brought the proposal to Capcom, and the rest is history!” Play Video Learn more about Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster with our Factions & Choices trailer The Maniax Pack is included with the Digital Deluxe Edition of SMT III, or as Paid DLC. Face off against Dante with the Maniax Pack, included in the Digital Deluxe Edition of SMT III Nocturne HD Remaster. Launching on PS4 May 25. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/zafd0Yt7WoMView the full article

Hi again! Back in March, we shared the news that PlayStation fans can get 10 free games this Spring to help make time spent at home a bit more fun. We were really excited to highlight some of our favorite indie partners and I really hope you had a chance to download these amazing games (and I’d love to hear what your favorite is so far, if you want to drop a note in the comments). Did you forget to download your free games for PS4 and PS VR? No worries, we have you covered. This amazing selection of PS4 games and PS VR games will be available for free download until April 22 8:00pm PT / April 23 04:00 BST / 05:00 CEST. I also mentioned that Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition is coming to PlayStation fans for free as part of Play at Home 2021. Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition is available to download free between April 19 8:00pm PT / April 20 04:00 BST / 05:00 CEST and May 14 8:00pm Pacific Time / May 15 04:00 BST / 05:00 CEST. Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition In an era where machines roam the land and mankind is no longer the dominant species, a young hunter named Aloy embarks on a journey to discover her destiny. In a lush, post-apocalyptic world where nature has reclaimed the ruins of a forgotten civilization, pockets of humanity live on in primitive hunter-gatherer tribes. Their dominion over the new wilderness has been usurped by the machines – fearsome mechanical creatures of unknown origin. Plus, expand the vibrant, post-apocalyptic world of Horizon Zero Dawn with this stunning new add-on included in the Complete Edition. In The Frozen Wilds, Aloy travels to the borderlands of the survivalist Banuk tribe to investigate a mysterious new machine threat. Only by enduring the harsh landscape and earning the respect of the Banuk, will Aloy gain the allies, abilities and knowledge she needs to uncover a secret from the past – and stop a threat to the future… Funimation / Wakanim Don’t forget: in participating countries, we’re also offering an extended trial of Funimation (or Wakanim, depending on region), a joint venture of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex of Japan. The anime-focused subscription service includes shows such as My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Attack on Titan, and Fruits Basket. This extended trial is available through April 22****. Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to check out the Play at Home content drops this Spring. There is more to come, so please stay tuned and check out the Play at Home page. And remember: stay safe, stay socially distanced and wear a mask! Thanks again to the community — and stay tuned, we’ll have another Play at Home update to share soon. ****FUNIMATION — On top of the standard 14-day trial, new users can get an additional three months. WAKANIM — New users will get 90 days. Unless you cancel your subscription before the end of the period, your subscription will automatically roll into a paid-for, ongoing subscription with a recurring monthly fee. Age restrictions apply. Offer available from March 25 8pm PDT – April 22 11:59 PDT. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/pIg7DFWt34cView the full article

Hey PlayStation Nation! The future is here, and Rose, the Soul Powered Savant, makes her destined return to Street Fighter V today. A Street Fighter veteran originating from the Street Fighter Alpha series, Rose is an Italian fortune teller imbued with Soul Power, and is also Menat’s master. Let’s peer into the crystal ball and see what Rose has in store for us in SFV! Play Video As you can see, Rose has undergone quite a transformation since her last appearance. SFV Director Takayuki Nakayama has more on her new design: “With the appearance of her apprentice, Menat, we strengthened her presence to become more master-like. Rather than giving her a sense where she’s constantly ready for battle, we made her footwork more relaxed, and made her walking animation more elegant. Her new moves are meant to control her opponent, and we kept in mind her style of creating an advantageous situation to counter against the opponent. “Please pay attention to her scarf, which is infused with her Soul Power. Depending on the strength of the special move she performs, her scarf will change color.” “Her back throw is her “Soul Drain” from the SFA series. Since it was such a unique move, we decided to bring it back in SFV.” New moves Rose returns in SFV with a handful of new moves at her disposal. She’s no stranger to fireballs, having one of her own: the “Soul Spark” projectile. And now, she can even execute this move in mid-air for some new offensive and defensive strategies. Each punch button throws the Soul Spark at a different angle in the air to cover various areas of approach. Soul Spark goes airborne! Rose has also mastered a new anti-air move called “Soul Bind.” This move has Rose utilizing her Soul Powered scarf to snatch opponents out of the air. The EX version will throw opponents into a wall, causing a wall bounce and allowing for an extended combo. That’s one powerful fashion accessory! Rose also has a new move called “Soul Punish,” which has Rose summoning an orb on different areas of the stage. Depending on the button you press to execute the move, the orb will be summoned to a different location. You can use the orbs offensively by adding extra hits to combos or defensively by absorbing opponent projectiles.The EX version can send opponents airborne for more combo potential! Use Soul Punish offensively or defensively! SFV Director Takayuki Nakayama Nakayama also has some background on Rose’s new move: “The animation of her new move, “Soul Punish” is a recreation of the same movement from the opening of Street Fighter Alpha.” She summons an orb… And unleashes it! Rose’s Critical Art is called “Fate Aura Spark.” With it, she performs a quick combo that launches her foe into the air… only to slam them down on the floor again and unleash a giant blast of Soul Power directly into them. Rose unleashes all of her Soul Power! A quick note about this move from the SFV Director: “You may have also noticed this, but her powerful blast of Aura Spark from her CA, “Fate Aura Spark”, is the same move that she used against M. Bison to finish him off in the ending of Street Fighter Alpha 2.” Seems like Rose utilizes that same power she used to finish off M. Bison on anyone bold enough to face her in SFV! Rose’s V-System Rose’s V-Skills and V-Triggers bring back old favorite moves as well as new ones! Lets start with her brand new moves and V-System. Rose’s V-Skill I is a new move called “Soul Fortune,” which utilizes one of four potential tarot cards embued with Soul Power that can either strengthen herself or weaken her opponents. Press Down + Medium Punch + Medium Kick to execute “Fortune Shuffle,” which changes the card she has in her hand. What do the cards say about your opponent’s future? The white card, “The Magician,” increases Rose’s V-Gauge. Hold down the V-Skill and she will continuously gain V-Meter. The red card, “The Chariot,” will increase Rose’s attack damage, making all her moves stronger while the effect is active. And for her debuff cards, Rose will throw them straight at her opponent. These cards are a single-hit projectile and will still affect blocking opponents. The green card, “The Tower,” decreases an opponent’s damage while the purple “Death” card increases chip damage and gray life that the foe will lose upon getting hit with other attacks. The Magician increases V-Meter The Chariot increases Rose’s damage The Tower lowers an opponent’s damage output Death increases chip and grey damage “Soul Fortune” will give you many different ways to play Rose, utilizing her tarot cards to apply buffs and debuffs and gain the upper hand in a match. We also have some behind the scenes footage of how this new move was created! Check out the video below of some of the motion capture work done to make “Soul Fortune” in SFV: Speaking of tarot cards, when Rose wins a match, she will toss one of 23 different cards toward the screen, each featuring a different Street Fighter character who is represented in the tarot deck. Take a look at some of the cards that can appear: Cammy – The Empress Sagat – Death Chun-Li – Justice G – The Fool Rose’s V-Trigger I is called “Soul Dimension.” Upon activating this V-Trigger, Rose gains the ability to teleport backward away from her opponent or behind them, on the ground or in mid-air. This teleport can cancel most special moves on the ground or in the air and gives you great offensive options to mix-up and trick opponents, as well as extend combos! Rose performs a disappearing act and reappears somewhere else! V-Skill II is the fan favorite “Soul Satellite” from Street Fighter IV. Just like before, Rose will summon a ball of energy that will orbit around her for a short period of time. She can have two orbs out at once, but can only summon one at a time. Since the move is a V-Skill, you can use it freely during a fight… just beware of its slow summon animation. You can use this move offensively to keep the pressure on opponents, or defensively, having the orbs absorb single projectile hits. Fan favorite Ultra II from SFIV returns! Returning from the Street Fighter Alpha games, “Soul Illusion” is Rose’s V-Trigger II. When activated, Rose will create a mirror image of herself that mimics her, allowing all of her moves and special moves to hit twice and combo more easily. It also powers up her projectiles for added damage! Hitting twice is very nice! Just like in SFA, this V-Trigger makes Rose a combo beast and can allow you to combo moves that wouldn’t connect otherwise. And if you use the same normal move twice in the same combo, you’ll launch your opponent into the air, leading up to an extended combo! With new moves combined with some of her classic tricks, Rose is prepared to face any future in SFV! Rose’s new costumes For her return to SFV, Rose brought a sweet wardrobe with some old and new costumes. Check out these amazing outfits as well as some behind-the-scenes concept art and info on each costume from SFV Director Takayuki Nakayama! Default Costume “This is a recreation of her costume from the Alpha series. Previously in SFIV, the way her scarf was wrapped differed from the original due to difficulties with actually recreating this with a 3D model. However, this time we were able to get the scarf close to her original design. The Art Director worked tenaciously to accomplish this and multiple attempts were made.” Story Costume “We recreated the dress that she wore in past titles during her victory pose. The design of her scarf was made to match her dress.” Battle Costume “We had a concept of an adventurer or a person in training for this costume. Maybe it’s an outfit from a time when she was younger.” Nostalgia Costume “You might ask, why is this her Nostalgia costume when her Alpha series costume is set to her default? The answer for that lies with the title, Capcom Fighting Evolution. This was a title from 2004, which Rose and Demitri from the Darkstalkers series appeared in. This is her appearance when she gets hit by Demitri’s famous Midnight Bliss, and when we discussed costume design ideas, I immediately said, ‘Yes! That’s the Best!’” Summer Costume “This is her vacationing in Costa Smeralda off the coast of Sardinia. It’s a very elegant swimsuit that fits her perfectly. Rose focuses her Soul Power to her scarf when fighting. This scarf is coordinated to match her swimsuit, but just because the material is different, doesn’t mean there will be different effects. I sense a willingness to face the truth.” Rose vs. Rose: gameplay Now that we’ve dug into her mechanics, how about seeing it all in action? Check out this exclusive footage of Rose in SFV: Play Video New stage: Marina of Fortune Along with Rose’s release comes her stage called “Marina of Fortune.” This is a revamped version of the same stage from Street Fighter Alpha 2 and is located in Italy. In the background you can see a giant ship as well as smaller gondolas floating in the water. This stage is available now in the PlayStation Store or earned in-game for 70,000 Fight Money! You can also get “Marina of Fortune” as a part of the SFV Season 5 Premium pass: Spring Sale promotion In addition to Rose’s release, SFV is currently on sale as part of the PlayStation Spring Sale! Get your hands on all versions of SFV and SFV: Champion Edition at a discount! Free Trial With Rose’s release, we wanted to give all of you a chance to try out Street Fighter V: Champion Edition with a Free Trial! From April 18 through April 28, everyone can play all characters from Seasons 1-4! We want to thank you all for supporting SFV over the past 5 years! Rose is available now as part of the Season 5 Premium Pass and Character Pass, or can be purchased separately in the PlayStation Store or in-game for 100,000 FM. We hope you enjoy Rose and the new “Marina of Fortune” stage. And stay tuned for more news on Season 5 soon, as we still have Oro, Akira, and a mysterious fifth character to be revealed at a later date. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/D4tcl3qPDlwView the full article

Recently, we notified players that PlayStation Store for PS3 and PS Vita devices was planned to end this summer. Upon further reflection, however, it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here. So today I’m happy to say that we will be keeping the PlayStation Store operational for PS3 and PS Vita devices. PSP commerce functionality will retire on July 2, 2021 as planned. When we initially came to the decision to end purchasing support for PS3 and PS Vita, it was born out of a number of factors, including commerce support challenges for older devices and the ability for us to focus more of our resources on newer devices where a majority of our gamers are playing on. We see now that many of you are incredibly passionate about being able to continue purchasing classic games on PS3 and PS Vita for the foreseeable future, so I’m glad we were able to find a solution to continue operations. I’m glad that we can keep this piece of our history alive for gamers to enjoy, while we continue to create cutting-edge new game worlds for PS4, PS5, and the next generation of VR. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us – we’re always listening and appreciate the support from our PlayStation community. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/0-udIo2q434View the full article

Hello! I’m Balthazar Auxietre, the co-founder and creative director of Innerspace VR, the team behind Maskmaker, a spell-binding PS VR adventure game launching tomorrow. We’re excited to dive into the making of the game, and the adventure awaiting players in the mysterious mask realm. From studying cinema to exploring VR While I was still in school, I had taken a more traditional course in cinema, but after graduating I found that I wasn’t very eager to join the cinema world, as I felt there were a lot of stories that had already been told through the medium. I remember as a child, I was intrigued by the potential of video games to tell different kinds of stories, so after making a few short movies, I moved onto using game engines and exploring that potential. I had heard about this post-graduate art center, where artists were experimenting with new technology to move storytelling beyond the traditional language of cinema, so it was a perfect fit for me. I was able to get there and started working VR for the first time. Right away I spent almost all of the grant I had on buying this really primitive headset, which had a resolution of no more than 800 x 600 pixels and tried to do all sorts of things on it to make it work. It was how VR was in 2010! … pretty underwhelming. But as I started to dig more into the potential of storytelling in VR, and it was very clear to me, even with the limitations of the technology at the time, that there were so many possibilities to tell these amazing stories through this medium. The DNA and philosophies of Innerspace VR Our studio was founded in 2014 in Korea, during the very early stages of the rise of VR. Early on, we started with a really small team that grew organically, project by project, and eventually moved back to Paris. These past few years we have worked on all kinds of VR projects, and have been recognized for our sense of innovation and our artistic approach. A Fisherman’s Tale was our first game, but besides games we still work on many other experiences such as VR art installations. Our DNA is both narrative and artistic, however we’ve always followed closely where gaming in VR was headed. Our goal hasn’t changed much over the years: we strive to explore the medium artistically, especially the storytelling potential through interaction, and try to make great VR, whatever that is! One of our mottos is that if VR cannot bring something significantly transformative to whatever it is that we are creating, whether it is a narrative or gaming experience, then we need to rethink our approach. Learning from the past Our first game was A Fisherman’s Tale, which was a real blessing for us as it is now recognized as one of the best VR narrative games. But of course, as a studio, there is always room for improvement and evolution. With Maskmaker, we wanted to challenge ourselves and expand beyond the little world we had created in our previous game, and get away from the linear structure of storytelling. We also wanted to create a longer experience – which was the most critical feedback we heard with A Fisherman’s Tale. So we started thinking about how we could achieve that and create this rich adventure that takes place in a more open ended world. Maskmaker is definitely our biggest game to date, and it’s certainly not an easy task, especially for a VR game. A fascination with masks I grew up surrounded by masks as my father is a collector of them. As a young boy, I used to spend a lot of time in his workshop, imagining their purpose, the spirit behind them, and thinking of what kinds of people around the world had worn them, their environments, their lives – all of that was peppered with the magic of childhood imagination and its fantasies. But it was only when I later discovered VR and its capabilities that I fully realized the potential of masks as a subject for a game project, and I wanted to explore what that could look like. Then quickly came this concept of playing with magical masks as portals to another world. When we started thinking about Maskmaker, we were aiming to explore something more dark and mysterious than what we had previously done in our projects. What I really like about masks is that there is something really whimsical and wondrous about them, but also something a bit spooky, so the project became this dark fairytale about masks and the magic they hold. We carefully designed the masks and the environments in the game so that each would have a distinct identity to give the players a strong sense of being immersed in different cultures and being almost part of this world. Becoming a craftsman in VR In Maskmaker, the core gameplay lies in crafting the masks that you’ll then use to travel within the mask realm. So it was really important for us to create an experience that helps players feel like they really are crafting the masks themselves in the game. The designs of the mask start off pretty simple in the beginning, but as players progress, they’ll really need to get creative and find the proper materials and blueprints in order to unlock more areas of the mask realm. With the magic of VR, we’re able to mimic these real movements – sculpting the masks using the chisel, painting with brushes and more – and make them really precise to create some of the more intricate designs of each mask to make them feel like they are experienced craftsmen-women! Designing immersive puzzles In comparison to our previous work, Maskmaker is more of an adventure game than a “puzzle game” in the strictest sense. Puzzles are set in the players’ way across the different levels – the biomes of the mask realm – and they’re more a means to challenge the exploration of the users so they can reach for new crafting components, and learn the truth behind the story of the world and its king, Prospero. We designed the puzzles inside the type of natural environment and background story of each biome, so in that sense, they are also more inherently connected to the level design than individual puzzle set pieces. Players will be challenged by different kinds of puzzles: there are puzzles that give access to crafting components to make new masks, enabling players to travel to different parts of the world, there are puzzles that allow progression in each biome by mending some parts of the magic realm that has been damaged or abandoned by Prospero long ago. And there are puzzles linked to what we call rituals, which are based on gestures players have to reproduce to complete steps of their apprenticeship. We really tried to intertwine the feeling of being challenged by the puzzles, being moved by the story and being visually amazed by the environments. It’s been an incredible journey creating this game with the support of Creative Europe, MEDIA programme of the European Union and the Ile-de-France region, as well as the publishing team at MWM Interactive. We’re so excited for players to step into the magical adventure of Maskmaker, and we hope they will fully experience the magical atmosphere of the world and find a feeling of freedom and discovery in wearing those masks and traveling through them. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/GTARqy2wH8sView the full article

We’re only a few weeks away from the return of Capcom’s survival horror series. Launching May 7 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Resident Evil Village thrusts RE 7’s everyman protagonist Ethan Winters into a new, horrifying scenario. Torn from a blissful family life by events beyond his control, the once settled husband and father now finds himself lost and alone in a remote region of Eastern Europe, driven by a single goal: find his kidnapped infant daughter. With the sweltering heat and horrors of the claustrophobic Baker family estate behind him, the snow-laden sprawl of an isolated village and its surrounding areas present new dangers and fresh mysteries for Ethan. Ever since its initial announcement last June, Capcom has slowly teased what those are. Four months ago, the publisher gave PS5 players a first-hand taste of one of the game’s locales and its ruthless inhabitants with the Maiden demo. Last week, three reveals. First was a new Showcase with fresh gameplay details (including confirmation that bonus game mode The Mercenaries was making a return). Within that was the announcement of a new demo for PS5 and PS4 players (with another on the way April 24). Lastly, we had the opportunity to watch a longer slice of PS5 gameplay taken from across the game’s opening hours. It shows how the franchise’s first-person strand’s mechanics are built upon in both new and series-familiar ways. How exploration is handled. A closer look at the new threats you’ll face. And a surprising hint at, of all things, interfamily politics between the region’s ruling powers. Here’s what we found out. Stay healthy, keep saving Two franchise pillars get tweaked yet again. Your health bar will now fade in and back out at the bottom left of your screen come any change (for better or worse), and be viewable in the inventory menus (like Resident Evil 4, the weapons sub-menu features a briefcase-like, limited space overlay). Village favours ink over analogue saving: RE7’s tape recorders are out, the classic typewriter is back in. No need for ink ribbons though: save as often as you like. Paperback writer Ethan Winters must have wide pockets. Resident Evil Village collects maps and discovered files in a book kept upon your person. Also contained in its own tab is an evolving diary penned by Ethan (with sketches!), tracking his progress. Great as a story recap and quick guide for your next objective when you jump back into the game. Things of note: your map is split into three tabs. The first covers exteriors, the third for buildings. The middle tab is listed as ‘Underground’. A growing threat Crossreferencing Ethan’s journal with a letter recovered in one of the village’s abandoned houses provides wider context to the game’s story and its timeline. In his diary entry, Ethan dates the in-game day as February 9. The letter talks about lost livestock during that winter, snatched repeatedly by something lurking in the surrounding countryside. Even before Ethan arrives, the threat – whatever it is – is widely known and has been increasing in frequency and ferocity. They’re called Lycans The feral beasts that have snarled their way through the trailers to date have an official name: Lycans. They’re the main threat to Ethan and others during our time in the village portion of the demo. Capcom explains these creatures mainly attack in packs, so it’s best to isolate and pick off one at a time. That information is paired with an unsettling image: lone Lycans hunched on the rooftops here and there around the village. Each growls and slowly shifts their position as Ethan passes. It’s incredibly tense. To shoot is to be overrun, yet you’ll never know when they may pounce. And not content to rip and rend with tooth and claw, these bristling killers of muscle and fur can also carry weapons and – in the cutscene that closes out the village section – ride horses. For Whom the Bell Tolls More echoes of Resident Evil 4: that scene ends with a nearby bell calling off the massing Lycans as well as their oversized, hammer-wielding pack leader. They race out of sight. Capcom offers no explanation for the bell, who has rung it or what its ultimate purpose is. They’re probably not heading to bingo… A variety of creative puzzles are scattered throughout the game. Travelling Man The village is a dense network of small roads, gardens, backyards and households. Some of those are multi-floored, rooms containing collectables such as currency as well as recognisable consumables. Another parallel to Resident Evil 4: larger items can be shifted across doors and windows to create makeshift barricades. Tactically deployed, these will stack the odds back in your favour when pursued or surrounded. There’s a suggestion that the village will serve as a hub to pass through as you travel out to other locations, such as Castle Dimitrescu, the exploration of which forms the latter half of the gameplay demonstration. This locale is equally dense and filled with its own unique dangers. Not unexpectedly, access to certain areas are locked until the correct object – bolt cutters, screwdrivers, keys or special items – is added to your inventory. Last Remnants The village isn’t empty. Exploring homesteads uncovers what remains of its populace, such as the shotgun-wielding man spotted in earlier trailers who ultimately hands Ethan his first bit of real firepower: a pistol. In a similar vein, you stumble upon a wounded father and his daughter who refuses to leave his side. This opens up a new mission: escort them to a safe haven nearby. That journey and its fallout gives a great snapshot of Resident Evil Village’s strengths: multiple showcases (both quiet and explosive) of RE Engine’s visuals. The whip-sharp and perfectly paced shift from slow dread to action horror and back. Combat that’s equal thrills and fright. Photoreal environments Capcom’s photogrammetry technology continues to produce stunningly intricate environments. For example, take a simple dilapidated home in the village: detritus litters the yard, from an abandoned animal carrier to tin cans, each rendered in lifelike details. Arrows stab into a fallen wooden beam, the signs of a past battle. Snow blankets the terrain, with strands of dead grass poking through. The dead calm of the densely detailed environments produces a somber yet compelling atmosphere. Keep your head on a swivel for hidden treasures, similar to Resident Evil 4. Shoot, shove, strike, collect, upgrade, repeat As with previous games, aim carefully to conserve ammo and permanently down enemies as efficiently as possible. Ethan can once again throw up his arms to decrease damage taken, but he can also push certain foes back, even deliver a counterattack. A more aggressive playstyle that could come into its own for the time and points-based Mercenaries mode, but kills earn you currency and items in the campaign as well. Resource management is still integral to your survival, but there’s definite rewards for perfecting your aim: cash (and certain collectables) can be traded for upgrades from local merchant, The Duke. Knife, pistol, and shotgun were all deployed during the gameplay demo (unused but spotted in Ethan’s repertoire were mines, and trailers have demonstrated the powerhouse that’s the game’s sniper rifle). All have baseline reload speeds, rates of fire, and ammo capacity that can be bettered with a few coins dropped into the Duke’s palm. You’ve the option to buy ammo from The Duke, find bullets around the world, or combine materials to craft your own. In another apparent nod to RE4, collected treasures like crystal skulls and pendants can be sold for quick cash. Meet the mysterious Heisenberg The Duke is far from the only intriguing character you’ll cross paths with. We run into Heisenberg, the duster-coat and dark glasses-wearing stranger spotted in previous clips. He moves to capture Ethan immediately. How he does this is a surprise: in addition to his intimidating, mammoth hammer, he can also manipulate objects in the environment to surprising results. Stay sharp when squaring off with Heisenberg. Lady Dimitrescu stalks The towering, intimidating matriarch captured horror fans’ attention, yet little has been known about how she impacts gameplay. Within the preview, we saw the Lady stalk Ethan through the castle halls with the slow, steady, confident pace of a classic horror slasher. Her imposing stature and need to duck through doorways harkens to RE2 remake’s persistent Tyrant (a.k.a. Mr. X). Escape appears to be the name of the game when she’s on your trail, sharpened claws extended. Family matters Spotted briefly in the trailer and played out more fully in the demo is a cutscene that introduces us to several key characters, including the infamous Lady Dimitrescu and aforementioned Heisenberg. Without revealing anything spoilery, it’s clear the assembled motley crew have unique personalities and motivations. Similar to RE7’s Baker family members, each of these key antagonists seem to have unique methods for making Ethan’s life hell. “Why the **** is this happening again!?” Ethan Winters is a unique type of Resident Evil protagonist. Following his harrowing experience battling against the deranged Baker family in RE7, Ethan finds himself once again entrenched in a waking nightmare in RE Village. You can’t help but feel bad for the unfortunate man. Unlike other RE series protagonists, Ethan doesn’t have elite supercop training. He doesn’t appear to have a support network outside his shattered family. In contrast, survivors of past RE games banded together, got organized, and struck back against evils like Umbrella. Ethan Winters… is alone. Sure, series hero Chris Redfield is back, but the role he plays in Ethan’s tale is unclear and fraught with aggressive tension. Taken altogether, Ethan’s situation creates a unique sense of isolation and desperation in RE Village that enhances the horror vibe. Capcom leans into a gothic horror aesthetic, complete with gargoyle-esque enemies flying around dark castle spires. The gameplay demo eventually leads us to the halls of Castle Dimitrescu and concludes with a further look at its secrets and encounters with the Lady of the castle and her trio of flesh-hungry daughters. We’re a world away from the Baker family and the Molded, yet Ethan is once more at the mercy of a twisted familial dynamic surrounding itself with vicious monstrosities. Only with a steady aim, quick wits and smarts will he – will we – save his own kin and escape. We wouldn’t have it any other way. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/gl0KF8A393IView the full article

Baseball fans, MLB The Show 21 launches tomorrow! With that in mind, let’s talk about the modes and a few tips to get you started. Road To The Show and Ballplayer Are you interested in more of an RPG experience? Then, Road To The Show has everything you need. For the first time in MLB The Show, your Ballplayer can be a 2-way player – a hitter and a pitcher – which creates flexibility in player position options. Enjoy a revamped player progression system that emphasizes adaptability and variety. Customize your ballplayer to start your career, develop your skills, earn your Major League call-up and make a case to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. At the start of the game, don’t forget to apply your equipment. This may feel like a basic step, but every great Ballplayer needs good equipment on their Road to the Show. March To October Jump into gameplay action when your MLB team needs you the most – in critical moments and pressure-packed at bats. Swing for the fences and shift the momentum during your Postseason run! As you advance through the season, unique narrative commentary content will progressively and dynamically unfold the essential story of your chosen MLB club’s campaign. User performance in these games will really count, as the outcomes of the games you play will swing a “team momentum” factor, influencing how your team performs between each played episode and the next. You will be delivered from episode to episode with maximum action and intrigue, and minimal menu interfacing. It’s all about getting your team to the Postseason and beyond. Can you elevate your performance in the biggest moments down the stretch? Your poise under pressure will determine the fate of your chosen team’s season. Stadium Creator Available on next gen consoles only, MLB The Show 21 gives you the ability to build and customize stadiums with more than 1,000 props ranging from foul poles, signs, buildings and much more. We have designed specific stadium kits ranging from realistic to fantasy, giving players the ability to create bespoke layouts, dimensions, wall heights, and more while being able to use created stadiums in both Diamond Dynasty and Franchise modes. With an internet connection, the fun doesn’t stop. Players can share, edit and play in stadiums created by fellow MLB The Show community members, too. Diamond Dynasty In Diamond Dynasty, you can build your all-time dream team from the ground up. Play single player or online games with more than 150 legends – Ken Griffey Jr., Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron! Mix Hall of Famers into your lineup with current-day players, Flashbacks and your custom Ballplayer. Gain XP by playing anywhere in MLB The Show 21 to unlock a variety of rewards in time-limited Programs. Those rewards help you upgrade your squad and customize your look. Equip yourself with new uniform options or bat skins to play in your dream ballpark in Stadium Creator (Next-gen consoles only). Spend your Stubs (in-game digital currency) to pick up new players in the online Community Market or grab the latest pack in The Show Shop. Our live content* is continuously added throughout the entire year. Ranging from player upgrades and downgrades in Roster Updates to Monthly Awards programs where you can earn Flashbacks of the hottest players in MLB right now. So, who will make your starting lineup? As you get started in Diamond Dynasty, here are some tips: Grab your free Diamond player. Redeem a free pack with new Legend Roberto Clemente (Diamond, 85 overall RF). Add the Hall of Famer to your squad on launch day. The pack is available in The Show Shop until April 26. Team Affinity: Earn rewards quicker by finishing your stat-based missions faster in Diamond Dynasty by building a lineup with players from the same division. Daily Moments: Complete a new moment every day to unlock rewards in the Daily Moments Program. Find important Rookie player items here that unlock Diamond Evolution Programs. We could not be more excited for MLB The Show 21 coming out on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Look forward to a new class of Legends and new ways to play, including with your friends. For more detailed information on MLB The Show 21 including an important update on year to year saves and more please read our announce FAQ here. *Internet connection required. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/FvqnPKsgQZ0View the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here This week the team steps up to bat and chats with Ramone Russell about new features coming to MLB The Show 21 and details on the Jackie Robinson Foundation MLB The Show Scholars supported by PlayStation Career Pathways Program. Stuff We Talked About NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… Final Fantasy XIV Returnal Outriders It Takes Two The Cast Tim Turi – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE Kristen Zitani – Content Communications Specialist, SIE Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/05OiEyfN4SMView the full article

Last week, we asked you to step into the moonlight and share your best moments with the moon using #PSShare #PSBlog. From well framed shots to stunning moonlit creations, here are this week’s highlights: Mudokons stare up at the moonlit sky in this Oddworld: Soulstorm share by NoomiPlay. PatmanVP perfectly frames the moon in this share from Ghost of Tsushima Legends. The moon rises over this solemn scene from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, shared by 3mpireTimes. Spacer’s Choice MoonMan Helmets light up this vendor encounter from The Outer Worlds, shared by Nu_Lupo. The Dark Knight descends over Gotham in this share from Batman Arkham Knight, shared by CaliOcelot. MartinNebelong crafted a beautiful moonlit scene from scratch in Dreams. Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? THEME: Zoomed In SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on April 21 Next week, getting a macro view of your favorite games. Share zoomed in shots from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. Want to share more of your epic photo mode moments? U.S. players can enter the Red Bull Capture Point competition* for the chance to win some thrilling prizes. See full details at redbull.com/capturepoint. *Red Bull Capture Point Official Contest Rules: THIS IS A SKILL CONTEST. MUST HAVE ACCESS TO PS4/5 CONSOLE, PLAYSTATION™NETWORK, TWITTER® ACCOUNT, AND THE PARTICIPATING GAME(S). Starts February 1, 2021, ends May 21, 2021. Open to legal US residents, 18+. To enter, capture in-game image and share on Twitter with #RedBullCapturePoint and #contest. All entries must be submitted by May 2, 2021. Limit: 18 entries per person. For prize categories, judging information, restrictions, and Official Rules: redbull.com/capturepoint. Sponsor: Red Bull North America, Inc., 1740 Stewart St., Santa Monica, CA 90404. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/Hy687MvVqKYView the full article

We’re excited to show you more about NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…, the predecessor to NieR:Automata, where you’ll follow the journey of a young man on a quest to cure his sister from a deadly disease. During your adventure, which features different endings over multiple playthroughs, you will have many memorable encounters with an unlikely cast of characters, including Grimoire Weiss, a mysterious talking book with a somewhat snooty attitude and Kainé, a fierce fighter with a foul mouth. Speaking of Grimoire Weiss, Square Enix partnered with the PlayStation team for a new episode of PlayStation Underground featuring the verbose tome. Watch below for a new slice of NieR Replicant gameplay: Play Video The original version, titled NIER (also known as NieR Gestalt in Japan), released in 2010 on PlayStation 3, and became a cult hit thanks to its unique setting, engaging storytelling, and outstanding soundtrack. It was followed in 2017 by NieR:Automata for PlayStation 4, which quickly gained vast critical acclaim thanks to its fluid combat and mind-blowing narrative. With the success of NieR:Automata, we’re happy to bring you an enhanced version of NieR Replicant (the 2010 version that was previously only released in Japan), so you can experience the original story with revamped combat, enhanced visuals, newly recorded voice-overs largely featuring the original cast, a re-arranged and re-recorded soundtrack, and more. Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. NieR-ly perfect combat The original release was praised for story and music, but we’re taking that to the next level by upgrading the combat. In NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…, you’ll be fighting a variety of enemy Shades, who are weak to sunlight, as well as large bosses shrouded in mystery. Combat has been overhauled to feel more snappy, refined, and fluid than before, to provide a more NieR:Automata-like experience. In battle, you’ll be able to use combos, by mixing your light and heavy attacks. There is also active dodge, counters, and parrying, which will help you stagger enemies and make them more susceptible to damage. Try mixing these tactics to find your favorite style to dispatch Shades. A unique feature, and difference from NieR:Automata, is the ability to use magic in this world. Grimoire Weiss, a magical tome who joins your team, gradually unlocks Sealed Verses (aka powerful and flashy magic spells) as you progress. While not only providing great banter, he also helps in battle with a variety of ranged combat options, which are especially helpful while you’re busy dodging crazy, bullet-hell-esque attacks. Skills like Dark Lance help knock down enemies, so you can close in and finish them with physical attacks. Sealed Verses use up your magic gauge, but spells like Dark Blast don’t deplete your gauge as quickly as it refills itself, so you can use it in extended bursts to keep you safe from enemy projectiles. You can have two magic abilities equipped at once, so don’t be afraid to mix and match to find your ideal combat style. Of course, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… also includes perspective shifts and different gameplay genres that fans of the series have come to expect—from hack-and-slash to side-scroller platforming to bullet-hell and more. And for those who want to focus on the story or take a break during subsequent playthroughs, we’ve also included Auto-Battle Mode, which can be turned on and off by simply pressing a button. This is available on the easiest difficulty mode, and is comparable to the same function in NieR:Automata. More than just a remaster Whether you’ve played the original or are completely new to the series, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is the best way to jump in and experience an astounding world and characters, while also enjoying significant story and gameplay enhancements and more. We invite you to check out a plethora of new enhancements and extra content added into this release when it launches in a week, on April 23, 2021. Fans who pre-order the game will receive a digital mini soundtrack, which includes three tracks from the White Snow Edition soundtrack CD Disc 1—“Hills of Radiant Wind”, “Song of the Ancients”, and “Kainé”. All editions of the game will also come with an exclusive PS4 dynamic theme and avatar set, featuring the beloved cast of characters. We can’t wait to see what you all think. Thank you for reading! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/9Aws-g3z8ogView the full article

At long last, the battle shall commence! We’re excited to announce that pre-orders are now available for Chivalry 2 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 Both versions come with a guaranteed spot in the Cross-Play Closed Beta on April 23-26. The Chivalry 2 Closed beta is guaranteed with all pre-orders of the game and will be available on April 23, 2021 at 10:00am PT / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST. To download it to your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 system, visit the Chivalry 2 page at PlayStation Store, and simply add the beta to your library. To celebrate the news, we present this special animated trailer that reveals the motivations of the Agatha Knights – one of the two factions you’ll play as in Chivalry 2 along with the Mason Order. Play Video Buy Chivalry 2 on PlayStation 4 and you’ll get a free upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version. Chivalry 2 is enhanced for PlayStation 5 and features 4K visuals and DualSense controller adaptive triggers and haptics. A few examples: On the left trigger, holding block gets harder as your stamina falls The right trigger will increase pressure for bows as you hold back the string Localized haptic feedback on strikes let you feel where every hit lands Chivalry 2 is a multiplayer first person slasher launching June 8 that throws players into the thick of epic, medieval warfare. Fight in massive 64-player battles across a variety of maps that feel straight out of the best medieval movies of all time. Whether you’re sieging a walled city to assassinate the heir to the throne, or setting a village on fire while peasants (and chickens) scream in protest – in Chivalry 2 you’ll use the freedom of traditional FPS-style control to become a whirlwind of steel on the battlefield. Our team Torn Banner Studios is composed of industry veterans as well as members of the original development team for Chivalry: Medieval Warfare (2012). Chivalry 2 began development in 2017 and we’re so excited to finally unleash the full game in June 2021. The Cross-Play Closed Beta (April 23-26) will be a global test with servers available worldwide. Here’s a tease of what you’ll be able to try out in the Cross-Play Closed Beta: Wage war in The Siege of Rudhelm, an epic Team Objective mode map that sees you protect or invade an entire city and its castle Continue the fight in more Team Objective, Team Deathmatch and Free-for-all maps Find your fit: play as 12 subclasses ranging from Skirmisher (hybrid melee/ranged fighter) to Poleman (fighter that keeps opponents away with long melee range) Cut your teeth in a full tutorial- – learn every technique in the book. The full release will include all of the above — and more. In total you’ll fight in five unique Team Objective mode maps, which are sprawling, multi-stage levels where attackers have to push through each stage successfully or risk the entire game ending early. Siege entire cities in this mind-blowing game mode that truly feels like all-out war on a massive scale. Chivalry 2 at full release will also have three additional, normal size maps to conquer in traditional Team Deathmatch and Free-for-all modes. But the conflict won’t end there! Much, much more content will be added after launch, including more maps, weapons and game modes. As the battle approaches, here’s five tips for how to succeed in the Cross-Play Closed Beta: Swing with your hips, not your eyes! Think of the crosshair as the direction your character’s hips face. When you swing a weapon, you can turn your hips to accelerate into a hit. You can hold down a block if you’re feeling overwhelmed — but be sure to aim your block at the point of your enemy’s strike in order to parry, then riposte and earn the advantage. Look around you. Make use of interactive traps including spikes, bear traps, chandeliers and more to kill your enemy without even clashing your swords. No fight is complete without a bit of banter. Cycle the voice line and emote menus to shout out hundreds of hilarious character voice lines on demand. Feeling desperate? Chuck your weapon at the enemy and then pick up anything you can find around you to use as your improvised tool of death. How about a wagon wheel, a giant tree limb, or even a full sized church bell? Anything goes. Onward to glory! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/IF4WuRcm4XcView the full article

Hello Travelers! The Genshin Impact dev team is back once again with some exciting details on Version 1.5, which lands on April 28. In this latest version update, Beneath the Light of Jadeite, you can hone your adventure and combat skills with new events and formidable new enemies, continue your journey with Zhongli, meet new friends Eula and Yanfei, and hang out with more of your favorite characters, creating new memories ranging from the fun to the philosophical. In addition, we are delighted to finally invite all Travelers to Teyvat to set up your very own home-away-from-home, where you can enjoy some much-needed moments of rest and respite from your busy journey through this world. More fun and friendship If you enjoyed the Hangout Events added to the game in Version 1.4, you may be glad to know that Version 1.5 gives you the chance to continue your hangout story with Noelle and start hanging out with Diona, the popular bartender of The Cat’s Tail in Mondstadt. We’d also like to introduce you to two new characters: Eula, the Spindrift Knight from Mondstadt, and Yanfei, a legal adviser from Liyue Harbor. As the Captain of the Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company, Eula is a five-star character, a claymore-user, and the bearer of a Cryo Vision. Her Elemental Skill, Icetide Vortex, increases her resistance to interruption and her DEF while dealing Cryo DMG. Her Elemental Burst deals AoE Cryo DMG to nearby enemies and creates a Lightfall Sword that follows her around for a certain duration, increasing her resistance to interruption. By dealing damage, Eula charges the Lightfall Sword until it explodes at the end of its duration, dealing AoE Physical DMG. Find out more about Eula in her upcoming story quest. Meanwhile, Yanfei is a young half-human, half-illuminated beast born in Liyue during peacetime. She has dedicated herself to studying and interpreting Liyue’s extensive legal code and helping her clients extricate themselves from even the most complicated of legal wrangles. The four-star Pyro-using catalyst-wielder generates Scarlet Seals with her Normal Attack, Elemental Skill, and Elemental Burst. Scarlet Seals provide a stackable buff that decreases Yanfei’s Stamina consumption and can be consumed to increase the power and range of her Charged Attacks. For those of you interested in the culture and history of Liyue, you’ll hopefully enjoy picking up where you left off with Zhongli to explore more legends and relics of the far-flung past. But be warned — sometimes, digging up the past reveals why it was buried so deep in the first place… Get ready to confront new enemies In Version 1.5, a new Trounce Domain and a new Boss Enemy will be introduced, offering perilous challenges for precious rewards. Azhdaha, the “Lord of Vishaps,” is a formidable adversary sealed deep underground, with the power to unleash various elemental attacks and change the environment of the battlefield. Once unlocked, Travelers will be able to challenge the Trounce Domain “Beneath the Dragon-Queller” and claim rare weekly rewards. Recently, a new boss-level enemy has also been discovered in Dragonspine. The Cryo Hypostasis is the latest addition to the Hypostasis series, and as well as bringing its unique combat style to the mix, Travelers will also need to contend with Sheer Cold during the battle. Another enemy worthy of introduction is the Abyss Lector: Violet Lightning, a new enemy from the Abyss. Unlike the Abyss Herald introduced in Version 1.4, the Abyss Lector prefers to use ranged attacks and wields the power of both Electro and Hydro. If that isn’t enough to deal with, some of its attacks also deduct Elemental Energy from the player. There’s nothing like a home brew Still remember that magical teapot owned by a certain adeptus granny? Well, now you will have a chance to get your hands on your very own “Serenitea Pot,” courtesy of Madame Ping. Enter a realm you can call your own and build your dream home! The adepti of Liyue possess a number of miraculous abilities, one of which allows them to manifest an entire realm within a medium such as a teapot. Once you become the owner of the Serenitea Pot, you will be prompted to choose from several realm styles when you first enter: Floating Abode, Emerald Peak, and Cool Isle. Each has either a Mondstadt- or Liyue-style building with several indoor rooms and plenty of space for outdoor recreation. To make your realm into a place you can call home, you will need to remodel it inside and out. Thankfully, Tubby the teapot spirit will be on hand to help you with this task. As you travel around Teyvat, you will discover various furnishing blueprints, which can be used to make furnishings for your home. The more furnishings you make, the more Trust you can earn from Tubby, and the more help and resources Tubby can offer in return. Once your Trust Rank is high enough, Tubby can even help you switch realm layouts. The adeptal power that generated your realm will also generate Realm Currency over time. As you place more furnishings in your realm, the adeptal power will increase further, generating even more Realm Currency. Realm Currency can be exchanged in Tubby’s Realm Depot for furnishings and items, or traded with the Teapot Traveling Salesman, when he shows up, for precious wares and rare resources. You can also invite your friends to visit you in your realm. The Serenitea Pot item and the Realm Within that it provides access to will be added and supported from Version 1.5. Further gameplay and functions will follow in future updates. We’d also like to mention a couple of gameplay optimizations to look forward to in this version. The first three times you claim rewards in a week from Trounce Domains, it will only cost you 30 Original Resin. Also, you will now gain double the amount of Companionship EXP for gameplay completed in co-op mode. New seasonal challenges and events with bountiful rewards will also be on offer, but we’ll save the details on those until a later date. And finally: we are extremely excited to announce that a native version of Genshin Impact for PlayStation 5 will be released on April 28. With native support for PlayStation 5 comes 4K resolution, enhanced textures, and faster loading times. We look forward to sharing more details with you all in the near future, so watch this space. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/7M7119UedgAView the full article

Resident Evil has always had a home on PlayStation platforms, and we’re happy to announce that the PlayStation Nation is going to be the first to get access to a new demo for Resident Evil Village on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4! This was just one of the many announcements at today’s Resident Evil Showcase, so read on for more info on the demo, the return of the ever-popular The Mercenaries game mode, and more. Miss today’s Resident Evil Showcase stream? Catch up now: Play Video Ethan Winters’s journey takes shape in a new Resident Evil Village trailer Resident Evil Village is less than a month away, so we’re once again entering the world of survival horror to bring you a brand-new trailer that debuted earlier today. The creeping dead of the village is the least of Ethan Winters’ worries as he plunges further into the unknown in order to rescue his kidnapped daughter and seek answers to haunting questions about why the heroic Chris Redfield has taken such a dark turn. Who, or what, will Ethan find waiting for him at the end of his journey, and what terrifying foes will he encounter along the way? The latest trailer provides a few clues, so be sure to check it out. Play Video Resident Evil Village gameplay demo + pre-download We know you’ve been waiting for this one – a new demo is on the way for both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, with a special structure that gives you a limited opportunity to explore the world of Resident Evil Village in the weeks leading up to the game’s launch across three different windows of availability. The demo only needs to be downloaded once, and will only be available during specific dates and times. Check out the schedule below for more info: 30-Minute demos Village: North America: April 17 @ 5pm to April 18 @ 1am (Pacific Time) Europe: April 18 @ 7pm to April 19 @ 3am CEST Asia: April 18 @ 5pm – April 19 @ 1am HKT Castle: North America: April 24 @ 5pm to April 25 @ 1am (Pacific Time) Europe: April 25 @ 7pm to April 26 @ 3am CEST Asia: April 25 @ 5pm to April 26 @ 1am HKT 60-Minute demo Village & Castle: North America: May 1 @ 5pm to May 2 @ 5pm (Pacific Time) Europe: May 2 @ 2am to May 3 @ 2am CEST Asia: May 2 @ 8am to May 3 @ 8am HKT The first demo period allows you to check out the snow-covered remnants of the titular village for 30 minutes, giving you a glimpse into the frost-capped remains of what once was, and perhaps giving you a taste of what the game’s combat has to offer. Better keeps your wits about you. The second demo period will drop you into the halls of Castle Dimitrescu where you’ll be given a separate 30 minute experience that is sure to be a bloody good time. Unlike the expansive village, the castle is full of narrow hallways and cramped corridors that make it difficult to tell what could be around each corner. The final demo period will give you a total of 60 minutes to explore both the village and castle, and you’re free to use those 60 minutes however you wish. How much time will you spend seeking answers in the village, and how long will you brave the castle’s corridors to uncover its dark secrets? That part’s up to you, but we encourage you to share your experience playing and speculate on what secrets the full game holds. Pre-download Demo on PS4 and PS5 Prepare to enter the world of survival horror by pre-downloading the Village demo on PS4 and PS5. The Mercenaries mode explodes in to Resident Evil Village Survival horror meets high-stakes combat in the return of The Mercenaries game mode! This fan-favorite mode has appeared in multiple Resident Evil games since its introduction in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis on the original PlayStation, and now makes an action-packed return in Resident Evil Village. As with previous versions of The Mercenaries, this arcade-style mode tasks you with racking up points and finishing stages quickly, changing the game’s focus to a fight against time to achieve a high score rather than the fight for survival of the main campaign. Just keep an eye on the ticking timer – running out the clock means your time is up. Some new additions have been made to this mode compared to previous games, as well. As you fight your way through locales filled with enemies, you’ll be able to acquire useful bonus skills that can increase firepower, boost your move speed, or provide other beneficial effects. Each skill you add will help you take down enemies and rack up a high score for your current attempt, and will carry over between stages. Once a stage is completed, you’ll be given the opportunity to spend your hard-earned coin with The Duke – a mysterious merchant from the main game – to buy supplies and upgrade your weapons before moving on to the next stage. The Mercenaries is an endlessly replayable mode that you’re sure to want to try again and again. Learn each stage and discover new ways to take down waves of enemies as you chase down the highest rank possible. The Mercenaries will be included as a bonus mode for Resident Evil Village, and you’ll need to complete the game’s story before you can unlock it. We hope you enjoy this exciting twist on what the main campaign has to offer! Upgrade your weapons to increase firepower and more in Mercenaries That’s a lot to unpack from the Resident Evil Showcase! There’s only a few weeks left until fear surrounds you. Resident Evil Village launches on May 7, 2021 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 (with a free digital upgrade to PlayStation 5 in North America). Your purchase of Resident Evil Village also grants you access to download the online multiplayer game Resident Evil Re:Verse for free once it’s available. Be sure to keep an eye out for the demo once it’s live, and get ready to once again enter the world of survival horror with Resident Evil Village on May 7. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/K0juqQuQ44QView the full article

The fate of humanity lies in your hands. No big deal right? We hope you have your time travelling shoes ready people ‘cause we’re super excited to finally share our teaser trailer for Wanderer! Get your first look below at this epic and unique VR adventure – brought to PS VR by our New Zealand-based indie game studios Oddboy and M Theory. Play Video Wanderer takes you back through the ages to reshape humanity’s fortune. Playing as Asher Neumann, you’re thrust into an unexpected journey to change the course of history. You find yourself in an alternate, apocalyptic timeline where the search begins for your grandfather’s lost apartment and the mysterious artifacts that are hidden within. With the discovery of an unusual wristwatch, you forge a friendship and unlock the power to traverse time and space. Wanderer combines a unique blend of escape room-style puzzles and hands-on action sequences that will see you bring together objects and events from various time periods in sometimes unlikely and inventive ways. Take a step back into history, with full motion control on dual PS move controllers, to experience beautifully detailed worlds that come to life with realistic and innovative physics-based interactions. Uncover traitors in the dying days of an arms race as you crack codes during WW2. Prepare intricate machinery alongside frenzied inventor Nikola Tesla as you help prepare his world power machine. Take the stage in 1969 and give the performance of a lifetime to unite a generation. Defend a king and civilization from what seems to be an inevitable downfall in the 1500s. Accompanied by a cinematic score, Wanderer captures and intricately weaves the sounds of these environments with the story as it unfolds Will you have what it takes to navigate the secrets of the past and prevent the collapse of civilization? Do you follow what you know to be true or are there forces at play beyond your control? Now, if only we could all time travel to Q3 2021 when Wanderer is set for release. We can’t wait for you to jump in! In the meantime, let us know what you’re excited about most in the comments below. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/1QYvXKQOGNEView the full article

Days Gone is coming to PC! We cannot wait to see more players experience the epic journey of Deacon St. John, a former outlaw biker now drifter and bounty hunter trying to survive in a post- apocalyptic open world where danger lurks around every corner. Explore the sprawling Pacific Northwest high-desert on your trusty Drifter bike as you try to maneuver around collapsed bridges, abandoned vehicles, ambush traps and blocked tunnels. Scavenge supplies from abandoned buildings to craft assorted items, barter with local camps and gear up for the ride through an infested ever-changing environment. We are very excited to share our first look of Days Gone on PC with our features trailer. Catch a glimpse on what PC features you can expect to see when booting up Days Gone for the first time on May 18, 2021. Days Gone is available now for Pre-Purchase from a range of digital retailers, including Steam and Epic Games Store. Play Video Our team has been hard at work to deliver our new and returning players a unique experience with Days Gone on PC. Here are the added features that can be seen from the trailer: This World Comes For You Take on the relentless Old Sawmill horde with 21:9 ultra-wide monitor support. Come across various enemies in this harsh open world including humans, wildlife and feral creatures known as Freakers, with unlocked framerate. Fighting hordes that range up to 500 Freakers at one time has never felt so real. Be in Control Traverse the vast Farewell Wilderness with our new display customization options that include increased level of detail, foliage draw distances and graphical customization. Play Days Gone the way you want to play. Use 1st and 3rd party controllers, or ride the Broken Road with input support for mouse and keyboard. Photo Mode Capture the realistic and detailed world of Days Gone through the new super resolution photo mode. Share your photos with us across our Bend Studio social channels; Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We can’t wait to see what shots you come up with! Captured on PC using ultra-wide monitor support. Days Gone on PC will release May 18, 2021 on a range of digital retailers, including Steam and Epic Games Store. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/dJ46v95DIdUView the full article

Spring has finally arrived and Tools Up! is back with an all-new DLC, Tools Up! Garden Party. Gather your friends or play it yourself on PlayStation 4, but hop to it because these gardens need your help! Play Video The DLC consists of three, separately-released episodes, each with 15 unique levels, new tools, and mechanics, as well as a challenging opponent. While episodes 2 and 3 are coming soon, Episode 1: The Tree House is ready to play now. What is waiting for you in Episode 1? What is one of the most important things in any garden? Beautiful and lush green grass of course! It’s so nice to lie on it and look at the blue sky, right? Tools Up! Co. love it too, but there’s lots of work to be done before anyone can rest. In Tools Up! Garden Party you’ll grow grass from seed. To get the best results though, you’ll have to first pull up any old grass and prepare the soil well for planting. And of course you’ll have to water your seedlings too. Have you been getting a lot of rain? Because it looks like your lawn is completely out of control! No big deal, just start the lawn mower and give the grass a trim. Wait—we said no big deal, but you know to not run over your friends right? Right? If you find a lawn mower to be too difficult a tool, get back to the basics and use scissors or even your hands. Experiment to discover all the ways different tasks can be completed. Not only does Tools Up! Garden Party introduces a lot of new mechanics and tools to the game, now, some tasks can be completed in more than one way. Anything goes when you’re in the wilderness of the great outdoors! On top of all your gardening duties, you’ll have to solve the mystery of the tree house before you can call the job done. Work your way through all three episodes and uncover the truth hidden in the treetops on PS4. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/upnOZbYGuawView the full article

Hey PlayStation friends, Simon here from the Roll7 team. It is great to be back to talk about our new game OlliOlli World. Some of you may remember us back when we launched OlliOlli and OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood on the PS Vita, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. It was amazing to see the reception to our games, and, not going to lie, it wasn’t bad winning a few awards along the way. While we’ve released other games, we’ve always wanted to return to our roots with another OlliOlli. One that really nails that feeling of laying down a perfect line of seemingly endless tricks while lofi tracks beat in the background creating a harmony of euphoria and endorphins. We knew if we were to make a new OlliOlli, it would have to be bigger, better, and stronger, err I mean brighter than before. We’ve been working on OlliOlli World now secretly for years, and it is so great to finally be able to show it off. Real quick recap for everyone: OlliOlli World is an action platforming game in which you bust tricks with both sticks through a bizarre and whimsical world attempting to achieve high scores, unlock various customizations options, meet wacky and peculiar friends, and ultimately search for the skate gods of Gnarvana. You will need coordination, timing, and some practice to lay down monster combos. Skateboarding can be difficult and while we didn’t want to shy away from that, we wanted to make sure that it is approachable, and you are comfortable cruising around. There is this exhilarating feeling that comes when you stick a hardflip over an especially massive stair set and we want everyone to enjoy that. We hope you get that same feeling in OlliOlli World; the only difference is here those stairs might be over a gushing rainbow river that is home to a colossal squid. Because of course it is… If you are a fan of our previous games, one of the first things you will notice is the big shift in the art. We loved the retro-pixel feeling of our previous titles, but we knew with OlliOlli World we wanted to pursue a bolder, more vivid, animated style. The world is a bit quirky, and we wanted to take the game in a new visual direction that really allowed us to show it off while also emphasizing this is not a sequel, but a totally new game. A major inspiration was to pull in skate culture, street art, and all the unique crossroads that develop around skating. There is a fascinating intersection of psychedelic elements and trippy influences across these communities. We wanted to create a world in which embodies and shares that essence, yet also feels purposeful despite all its oddity. You’ll see walking ice cream people, business frogs, Milk Shake pools, tubing Grizzly Bears, and other bizarre inhabitants. The locations have some real-world influences but then we injected a heavy dose of offbeat humor that we hope brings a chuckle. Another big addition to OlliOlli World is the ability to take multiple different paths through levels. We wanted to provide a new level of freedom to explore this weird and wonderful world so now certain paths will branch off into separate directions. This means you’ll be able to cruise down different paths discovering new side quests and more epic trick opportunities really adding to both the variety and replayability of the game. There are hidden ramps, sneaky jumps, quarter pipes, and other spots in which you can just take a moment to carve as you build up your score or practice your moves. We wanted to emulate that feeling of finding a secret skate spot and figuring out what is the best trick to land there. One major requested feature in previous games was the ability to personalize your character, and we are super stoked to see what you will come up with in OlliOlli World. We’ve designed a ton of customization options: you can wear a bunch of gear and wild accessories, select from different skateboards, and can even change your physical appearance. Over your journey, you will face some wicked challenges which can net you that sweet, sweet swag. You can also alter your characters tricks and gain new moves. Are you more of a method grab kinda dude? We got you. Do you like 360 flips over varial heelflips? Do it up. We always wanted our game to be about how you can really express yourself both visually and how you skate. OlliOlli World will feature a full single-player campaign with multiple locations, tons of levels, side quests, challenges, and more. Then after you’ve trekked across Radland, there are still plenty of spots to master as OlliOlli World features the ability to create and share procedurally generated levels in sandbox mode. We are also packing on high score leaderboards, and if you are truly one of the baddest skaters in the lands check out Leagues, a global competition to decide who is the most gnarly of them all. We hope that with this whole new world we built, ridiculous new art style, creating branching paths and hidden spots to skate, all new mechanics to combine and master as well as other new features, to really make this next iteration in the series extra special. Be sure to take a trip with us this winter when OlliOlli World launches for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/atPOpSFLREEView the full article

Hi everyone! We are very excited to be approaching the launch of Returnal, on April 30, and we wanted to share a few more details on Selene’s journey. This time we wanted to talk about some of the hostile forces she will encounter on Atropos. Play Video The planet of Atropos is a dark and mysterious place, and each environment will provide its own unique set of enemies to overcome: from the organic and parasitic creatures inhabiting the Overgrown Ruins, to the cosmic or corrupted entities roaming the sands of the Crimson Wastes, and the mechanical automatons that endlessly patrol the haunting Derelict Citadel… Players will encounter a large variety of different foes, which aside from their unique aesthetics will also provide their own unique gameplay flavor and special attacks. When creating the organic enemies of Returnal, one of the biggest sources of inspiration for me was looking at bioluminescent deep-sea creatures. In many ways they felt like the most alien lifeforms one could find here on Earth. There is something inherently unsettling and foreign about the deep-sea as an environment for us. The way these creatures move deep underwater, with their long tentacles and bioluminescent highlights, can often appear majestic, beautiful and downright terrifying. It’s also not uncommon for these creatures to use their luminous beauty to allure or distract their prey (for example, with a dazzling display of bioluminescence), and suddenly strike when their prey is least expecting it. This combination of chaotic beauty and nightmarish aggression was something we aimed to capture with our organic creatures’ aesthetic. Towards this purpose we ended up creating our own special VFX-driven tentacle tech and used it very liberally. These fully dynamic elements bring that chaotic beauty to the enemies we were after, and also created some really satisfying feedback for players as well. For instance, the bioluminescent emissives on tentacles are strongly highlighted to telegraph oncoming attacks and provide satisfying hit reactions when enemies are shot (or when an enemy is killed, where they blow up in a glorious explosion of severed tentacles). The strong emissive highlights also connect back to our Bullet Hell attacks, where our projectiles naturally inherit this vibrant “energy signature” from our enemies, to create a cohesive aesthetic that strongly reinforces our gameplay intent as well. For our creative process, we wanted to make sure that our enemies looked otherworldly and unique, but also wanted them to provide great gameplay of course. In a few cases, our enemy ideas would start from a particular aesthetic or story we were trying to tell – for example our Mycomorph (pictured above) was the idea of a parasitic organism that festers on Selene’s corpses, so you would see her fractured skull and ribcage amidst the tree-like parasitic growth of the enemy up close. But usually, we followed a very gameplay-first approach when crafting our enemies in Returnal: we’d devise various key roles and archetypes that we wanted to fill for each biome, and start prototyping them not only by themselves, but also in different combinations with each other. While many of our encounters will provide a projectile challenge from afar, some enemies can provide close range attacks that demand precise avoidance timing as well. One example is the aggressive Titanops you can see in the video. This large bipedal creature has one arm completely made of tentacles, while the other is a cleaver-like extruded bone that it uses to land devastating blows. The Titanops takes a lot of damage to defeat, and will chase you relentlessly, often closing the gap on you by leaping large distances directly into melee range. But most other creatures prefer to keep combat at a distance. For example, in the Overgrown Ruins the Mycomorph has a strong emphasis on shooting aggressive homing projectiles from afar. It will often teleport to new locations to find better vantage points, and will also throw out a grenade-style attack that releases a cluster of vines, which will inhibit player movement when within proximity. In the Crimson Wastes, the Gorgolith is a crab-like creature with a penchant for ambushes. This predator is able to fire a barrage of fast-moving projectiles, a direct laser from its tail, and an expanding shockwave blast, but can also surprise you with a tentacle-style melee attack if you get in close and personal. Protected by a hard shell, its only weak spot is the head, so you will have to balance good defensive manoeuvring with a consistent offense, for example by utilizing our Focus Aim, which highlights enemy weak points and also increases accuracy. Ultimately though most of our encounters will rely primarily on highlighting our signature projectile and Bullet Hell gameplay, and our bosses especially will provide a vast array of challenging patterns to showcase this. For example, soaring in the skies of the Crimson Wastes, Ixion has a large variety of different layered attacks to avoid, ranging from patterns that populate the playfield with hundreds of slow-moving bullets to carefully weave through, to fast-speed attacks that provide more reactive dash-focused gameplay, to expanding shockwaves that compartmentalize the space and demand your continuous attention, to majestic bursts of countless homing missiles with long trails which bring some extra intensity to our combat. While many of these combat encounters will prove very intense on their own, it is really when they’re combined that they showcase Returnal’s unique gameplay. While each enemy has its own distinctive personality and its own uniquely identifiable attacks patterns, we have also tried to find the best synergies and pairings between enemies to ensure they work together gracefully. We want to ensure our combat scenarios feel consistently challenging and deeply rewarding, but also avoid veering into the unfair or incomprehensible. On that note, your spatial awareness will be put to the test in Returnal. You’ll need to keep moving and make full use of Selene’s moveset in order to prevail, while staying fully alert of the myriad threats incoming from all directions. Our level layouts have lots of verticality, so you’ll need to be constantly traversing the environment to avoid the onslaught of projectile attacks and try to reach better vantage points to dispatch the enemies. Effective use of Dash will be critical, as it can be used freely as a navigation tool, but also to dash through our projectile attacks without taking damage, and also avoid last-minute melee attacks with some split-second timing. We’ve covered our wide array of weapons and upgrades that Selene can find in a previous post, and players will need to use every tool and navigation option they have in order to survive on Atropos. This is just a small glimpse of some of the various encounters and combat scenarios you’ll find in Returnal. We are very excited and proud for PS5 users to experience Returnal very soon on April 30. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/O3rijCNjh1IView the full article

The Drone Racing League Simulator, the official game of the Drone Racing League (DRL), the #1 drone racing property in the world, is now on PlayStation 4. If you’ve ever dreamed about flying FPV (First Person View), DRL SIM is the fastest, easiest, and most cost-effective way to get the drone skills you’ll need to soar while experiencing the most immersive, out-of-body sensations only FPV drones can provide. DRL drone and simulation engineers built the simulator with true-to-life drone components, physics, and aerodynamics, enabling players to fly, build and race drones exactly the same as in real life (IRL). The world’s best pilots fly in DRL and train, compete and win professional contracts in the DRL SIM — as seen on NBC, Twitter, Facebook and other premier sports networks around the globe. Play Video And now you can, too! Download the DRL SIM today to master these drone skills: Learn to fly The DRL SIM features 54 training missions that’ll teach you how to hover, pitch, yaw, and other skills you’ll need to learn to navigate a drone without crashing and breaking the bank on your new drone. Each mission takes only a few minutes and you can hop around the training as you like, but be prepared: the challenges get harder as you advance. You’ll get real-time feedback to help you improve and once you complete the tutorial, you’ll be able to fly high-speed FPV drones IRL nice and smooth — because as DRL pilots know — slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Design a supercharged drone With the game’s interactive workbench, you can choose from real DRL drones flown by the best pilots in the world or design your own supercharged drone through tens of thousands of different combinations, customizing everything from the drone’s size, weight, thrust, prop colors, and more. Choose from thousands of motors, batteries and props, licensed from top drone manufacturers, to control the air flow, set top speeds, and control launch-to-flight acceleration rates. Plus, you’ll get to unlock over 50 epic drone skins to cover your quad with a sleek canopy. Make your one-of-a-kind drones public to share with other players in the DRL SIM community too, or keep them private and hog that quad for yourself. Race like the pros Race like the DRL pros through a real-time multiplayer mode, battling it out against friends and competitors across more than 20 unique maps — including 18 replicas of real DRL courses as seen on TV — like the sports and entertainment arena, Allianz Riviera in France, U.S. Air Force Boneyard map of a deserted airport, and Hard Rock Stadium, home to NFL’s Miami Dolphins in Miami Gardens, Florida. Navigate nonstop obstacles including diamond-shaped gates, tight corners and real-world forces like gravity and turbulence. Watch your performance in the advanced replay system and compare your times against players and pros on the leaderboard. And take your new drone skills for a spin offline to feel what it’s like to fly like a bird, soaring through the world from a drone’s eye view. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/HPuVtgskHBEView the full article

Welcome back, everyone! The art of Mass Effect supports and builds a universe in which rich stories and characters can be fully realized. It may sound somewhat counterintuitive, but as artists—especially on this remaster—we want players to be able to experience the trilogy again, or for the first time, without being distracted by the art. Our goal from the onset was to improve and enhance the visuals while staying true to the original aesthetics of the trilogy that have become so iconic and genre-defining over the past decade. A remaster rather than remake allowed us to build upon the original assets in a way that resembles the polishing phase in a normal development cycle, while also being able to utilize the advantages of much more modern hardware and software. Play Video Within this blog, we’ll give you an in-depth look at our remastering process with a specific focus on key changes and improvements made to the visuals. Here’s what’s included: Building the Foundation Modernization Efforts Rebuilding Worlds For those interested in the technical aspects of game development, it’s probably no surprise to hear that changing almost any asset or system can (and will) break something else. When a game is in its final state, it generally resembles a house of cards. The simple process of blowing the dust off, let alone implementing foundational changes like updating the version of the engine, will undoubtedly cause unexpected issues. Remastering a single game is a deceivingly complex process, so creating a proper plan for how best to mitigate risk while reopening three games to full development was foremost on our minds. We took a three-phased approach to remastering the trilogy. “The Lazarus Project will proceed as planned.” Phase 1: Building the Foundation We started Phase 1 by identifying and cataloguing every asset in the trilogy. How many particle effects, 3D models, textures, levels, GUI (Graphical User Interface) elements, sounds, cinematic movies, etc. actually exist across the trilogy, and on average what are their quality levels? Do the source assets (content creation files) still exist? What percentage of those assets should we improve, and on average, how long will each asset type take to improve? Knowing the sheer numbers of assets and their quality levels shaped our strategy for improving each “type” of asset. The original trilogy was released entirely on a console cycle that allowed up to 1080p resolutions but was often actually running at 720p or lower. Now, the remaster is releasing on hardware that allows 4K resolutions, so the answer for how many textures we wanted to improve was easy: every single one of them. For the trilogy, this is well over thirty thousand individual textures. First, we increased the engine limits on texture sizes, so any textures that were authored larger than could be used on-disk could now use their full resolutions. We then wrote some batch processes that worked along with an AI up-res program to increase the original uncompressed textures to four times their originally authored sizes. Our batch tools made special considerations to maintain the validity of special texture types, like normal maps or masks to ensure colors didn’t contaminate each other. At this time, we also incorporated some more modern texture compression techniques that would allow those textures to hold onto more of their quality on disk. Meanwhile, our programmers were hard at work upgrading our version of Unreal Engine 3 to a more updated and unified version. With the game playable again, and a much higher base resolution to work from, we began to improve assets by hand. “The process is as important as the result.” Phase 2: Modernization Efforts Phase 2 was the beginning of what we would consider full-scale development. The art team was now fully on board, and our content creation tools (many of which naturally changed and improved throughout the trilogy) had been stood up, unified, and made to work with more modern content creation programs. Eager to dig in, we started off where we knew the biggest improvements were needed: the original Mass Effect. Some assets—most frequently, characters and generic props—were shared between the games, and many had already been improved in a later title or DLC. For those cases, we generally used the improved asset as our base, improved it further, and then ported it across the whole trilogy. This resulted in more consistent and higher-quality assets, but we had to carefully ensure this process didn’t flatten the sense of the passage of time and the overall narrative. For characters who appeared in all three games, like Liara, Garrus, Kaiden, Captain Anderson, and more, we maintained slight changes throughout the trilogy as they aged, matured, or…got hit by a rocket. Obviously, we couldn’t let uniforms branded with “SR2” sneak their way back onto the crew of the Normandy SR1, and we still liked how the Alliance Admiralty uniforms became more militarized and sleek as the trilogy progressed, so we improved each version of those outfits individually. Our character artists worked their way through a prioritized list of hundreds of armors, creatures, characters, guns, and vehicles across the whole trilogy. They would frequently take an asset back to its original high-poly sculpt, focus on achieving a consistent texture resolution, add supporting 3D geometry where needed, and fix errors with baked normal maps or texture mapping. Central to our efforts was increasing the sense of realism in the surface response. While the games don’t use PBR (physically based rendering), we could still work with the textures and materials to ensure plastics, fabrics, and metals reacted to light in a more convincing way. Similarly, we dedicated a significant amount of time to improving skin, hair, and eye shaders across the trilogy. Our tech animators then re-skinned (i.e. set each vertex to move properly when attached to an animated skeleton) each improved mesh and imported it back into each game as needed. The VFX (particle effect) artists were busy extending the length and smoothness of animations for things like smoke and fire, while also adding more secondary emitters to beef up the overall look of each effect. A fire might now have secondary smoke trails and sparks, explosions fling chunks of rubble, and the muzzle flash on your weapons now subtly illuminates Shepard and their surroundings. New environmental particle effects were added throughout the trilogy to better enhance the mood and a space’s sense of life. As many of you have already noticed, we also sharpened up and added secondary elements to the trilogy’s iconic horizontal lens flares. Many GUI images also needed extra love and attention. In 4K, smooth flowing lines that once only took up a few hundred pixels on screen now expanded across thousands or tens of thousands of them. We had to completely rebuild many elements from vector images to achieve needed clarity and crispness, while other images could be run through secondary, non-automated AI processes to sharpen and clean up artifacts. We also improved all cinematics across the trilogy. Whenever possible, we completely re-rendered the pre-rendered cutscenes in 4K. When it was not possible to re-capture, we utilized an AI upscale program on the original uncompressed videos. In both workflows, we tweaked the color correction, added or composited additional details and visual effects, and even smoothed out some edges frame-by-frame so they didn’t feel dated when compared to actual gameplay. Cinematic designers fixed dozens, if not hundreds of bugs that occured in live-action cutscenes and conversations. Don’t worry though; the “What’d you just say?” head spinning meme still exists if you know how to look for it. During this phase, environment artists completed passes through each level of the trilogy, performing targeted fixes on any asset or location that visually detracted from the overall experience. This included adding props to exceptionally barren areas, remaking low-resolution or stretched textures, smoothing out jagged 3D assets, and modernizing shaders on surfaces with poor lighting response. At this point, we also began resolving hundreds of bugs, from minor things like floating assets, to major game-breaking collision issues—including a very frequent global issue where players could easily teleport on top of assets and become completely stuck. Our lighting designers followed closely behind the level artists, ensuring that all of the beautified environments and characters were always shown in their best, well, light. Mass Effect’s specific lighting style features high-contrast spotlights and a heavy use of complementary colors. That style was refined heavily throughout the trilogy, so we were able to bring many of those improvements back into the first game. We focused on maintaining that high-contrast look while adding natural bounce lighting to ensure characters are lit more consistently and beautifully. We made systemic upgrades to shadows and added or improved post-process effects such as screen space ambient occlusion, anti-aliasing, and bokeh depth of field (increasing the cinematic quality for out-of-focus cameras). We were also able to bring down engine features that existed in Mass Effect 3, such as dynamic volumetrics, to help unify the look of the first two games. Players will have more opportunities to see their improved characters reflected in-game, as the trilogy also includes new real-time reflections. “Cultural artistic expression reflects philosophical evolution.” Phase 3: Rebuilding Worlds In Phase 3, we began looking at opportunities to make broader improvements to levels and features, rather than just updating the individual assets. By this point, we’d manually improved thousands of assets, but there was still a significant quality jump between the first two games. To guide this effort, we compared the levels we shipped to their original concept art, design intentions, and artistic inspiration. We also took dozens of screenshots of our currently up-res’d levels and sent them over to Derek Watts (the Mass Effect trilogy’s art director), who used them as a base for new concept art paint-overs. These “broad brush” adjustments were much faster to work on in professional photo editing software. Here are some examples: Feros has a few very visually distinct sections, including the colony and the highway that leads to the ExoGeni Corporation building, the aqueducts, and the Thorian lair. The former of these now features stronger smoke and fire effects, more buildings to fill out the skybox, and much more damage and debris to better showcase the attack by the geth. We also leaned into the visual atmosphere of the creepy, dark interiors with directional light shafts guiding players to uncover the mysteries of the Thorian (that sounds creepier than ever, thanks to its new audio mix). Edmontonians are no strangers to brutalist architecture or the blistering cold, so we’ve always felt quite at home in Noveria. Lighting was reworked throughout the level, the storm outside was intensified, and we accentuated the differences between the hotel area and the Synthetic Insights lab to hopefully improve your ability to navigate the mission’s early sections. Eden Prime is the first location you land on in Mass Effect. It’s described to you as a verdant paradise planet under attack by an unknown alien ship, but the sight that greeted players didn’t always align with that image. Luckily, in the Mass Effect 3: From Ashes DLC (which is, of course, included in the Legendary Edition) we’d already revisited Eden Prime, so we could incorporate its overall atmosphere and specific buildings. We’ve moved the sun’s placement so that the player’s path forward is now illuminated by evening light while the burnt red sky looms behind, punctuated by falling ash and tracer fire. We also improved the planet’s surface with additional fire and battle damage, more foliage, and destroyed structures littering the crater Sovereign leaves behind. Numerous quality-of-life changes and expanded features rolled out in this phase, many of which were detailed in our previous blog, so be sure to check that out. Notable improvements include an updated HUD for the first game and UI consistency improvements across the trilogy, such as tech UI elements appearing in blue and biotic UI elements appearing in purple in the first game (they were originally swapped). The custom character creator has been unified and expanded upon greatly, and some of your favourite casual outfits from Mass Effect 3 are now available in Mass Effect 2, as well. “I’m Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store on the Citadel.” When we started working on the Legendary Edition, we were overcome with a sense of nostalgia and curiosity. We know there is really something special in how the art and narrative work together to create this fully realized universe. To us, there’s a sense of “soul” to these games, and we truly believe we’ve been able to strike a balance between making meaningful enhancements while retaining the same atmosphere and feel of the original releases. The launch is now only a month out, and we can’t wait to let you experience these improvements while creating new Mass Effect memories for yourselves! Until then, Good luck, Commander. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/KMCLSrd5HMAView the full article

The benefits of the DualSense wireless controller are obvious given a typical scenario for a skilled ranger. The enhanced haptics emulate power surging through the bow. Adaptive triggers convey the string tension as it reaches maximum potency. The feedback of a killing blow delivered to the player through a satisfying pulse. The reverberation of an explosive arrow fired into a crowd of enemies. These are just some of the advantages provided to those playing Hood: Outlaws & Legends on PS5 as it reinforces the experience when playing as the master archer, but many other areas of the game have also been augmented with new features. Play Video A new, deep look at the intense gameplay of Hood: Outlaws & Legends Combat ready As stamina depletes in melee combat, the resistance on the trigger increases to signify the strain and reduces the effectiveness of performing the action. This is in addition to receiving incoming impacts and dealing damage to foes, both signified by the haptics. The former is very aggressive, helping to convey the sharp strike of an arrow or the crushing blow of a hammer taken during an enemy encounter. In contrast, the latter is more subdued, a satisfying drum accompanies positive actions such as landing a hit, the intensity of which correlates with the damage dealt. These approaches help players’ to focus on the intended target or incoming danger by providing them with an additional layer of feedback and reducing the need to look elsewhere for a status update. Character actions The DualSense controller also helps ground players as they traverse the world. When transitioning into a slide from sprinting, the coarse gravel that litters much of the world grinds against the player as they strive to get back into a stealthy position. This is in contrast to falling from a height which penalises such an action with a forceful thud, reinforcing the damage taken from a harsh landing. Doors, on the other hand, are environmental blockers that can be lock-picked or barged open. Depending on a given character’s approach, the enhanced haptics bolster or suppress the interaction with consequential feedback. For individuality, there is a signifier to convey when each of the playable character abilities has been triggered. Due to their infrequency of activation, this further amplifies their personality and unique appeal for each gameplay role. In the case of The Brawler though, a man mountain of a character, he is also able to lift and withstand the weight of a portcullis, used to bypass defences. The DualSense controller supports the unrivalled strength and power required to perform such a feat which synergises with the interaction. Steal from the rich The predominant goal of the game though, is to escape with the riches found within a multitude of fortified buildings. The Sheriff, a patrolling warden capable of executions, is carrying the key to the treasure vault, and his position in the world is randomised. Thanks to the DualSense controller though, the task of locating him is made a little easier due to the directional haptics that convey his footsteps, the strength of which increases when he is in close proximity. This allows teams to both avoid the significant threat he poses and to strategise their approach in acquiring the key. Once the vault has been accessed, the treasure chest must be slowly carried to the extraction zone. The objective carrier is burdened due to the excessive amounts of gold found inside and alternating footsteps pound on each side of the DualSense controller in sync with the movement. When the treasure chest is dropped, the scattering of gold nearby dissipates in the player’s hand, leaving them to reflect on what could have been earned. Upon successfully depositing the chest onto the winch, our take on a medieval getaway device, the player is tasked with cranking a handle to extract. What begins with a subtle hum in the player’s hands soon ramps up to a rattle which oscillates with the crank as it is rotated at a frantic pace, further adding to the tension and panic of a daring escape. Working on the game in tandem with the DualSense wireless controller has been a fantastic experience and we hope you get to feel the benefit for yourselves upon release. Watch the newly released gameplay overview trailer to take a deeper look into Hood’s medieval multiplayer heists. Pre-order Hood: Outlaws & Legends now for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 to play early on May 7 and receive the Forest Lords Pack! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/R3uzTQYXN8cView the full article