Commander Fury

In celebration of International Women’s Day earlier this week, we asked you to share the amazing women in games that have inspired you over the years using #PSshare #PSblog. We didn’t just ask for your shares, but to tell us what about these heroines and anti-heroes struck a chord with you. Here are this week’s inspiring highlights: “Remaining strong after a great loss in her life, Aloy is nothing short of a strong heroine. All while projecting kindness to others. Something I relate to and try to do daily.” – @kaytanaa on Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn “Lara Croft will always be special to me – This character has genuinely helped and inspired me.” – @XxPAGZxX on Lara Croft of the Tomb Raider series She is a supporting antagonist in Ghost of Tsushima. She is not samurai, but she is a born killer. Strong & Beautiful.” – @azuazu1202luna on Tomoe from Ghost of Tshushima “Jesse takes in so much and adjusts her perspective on reality without fully understanding what’s going on. All she knows is that if she doesn’t fix things, the world is in danger.” – @MdeavorVP on Jesse Faden from Control “A unique female character that held her own with her brother and ended up becoming his savior from Jack the Ripper. She had strength, smarts & leadership skills. BONUS: We also got to play older Evie!” – @MisthosLiving on Evie Frye of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate “Seeing Raven overcome her past hardships and grow as a person was amazing to see and carries a meaningful message. Her teaming up with Kat in Gravity Rush 2 was one of the game’s highlights.” – @Draikin on Raven from Gravity Rush 2 “Not all strong women in video games need carry a weapon. Hailey Cooper is know in East Harlem for her talents in street art as well as a community organizer. Although she is deaf, it’s her impact on her community that defines who she is!” – @BarryPaust on Hailey Cooper in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales 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: Little Nightmares II SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on March 17 Next week, we’re sneaking through the spooky world of Little Nightmares II. While helping Mono and Six escape their terrifying tormentors, share your best shot 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/~4/5LkdR6P_KfIView the full article

Everybody’s favorite Bandicoot spins onto PlayStation 5 today with Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. The dev team at Toys for Bob is thrilled about the improved graphics and performance, DualSense controller features, and all the other enhancements on the way. Of course, Crash and Coco also have a host of colorful skins fans can unlock by playing. To mark the occasion, I run down my favorite outfits from Crash 4, in no particular order. Also, in celebration of Crash Bandicoot’s 25th anniversary, with the franchise’s original entry launching all the way back on the original PlayStation in 1996, players can enjoy the Bare Bones skins in Crash Bandicoot 4, available for free upon completion of the game’s second level. That, of course, is in addition to the Time Shattering skins that players can get first on PlayStation (pictured at the top of this article).* Through the Ringer Crash The inspiration for this one was how at the end of every Jackie Chan movie, there were always out takes and bloopers where you would get to see how injured Jackie would get pulling off these incredible stunts. So, we thought it would be fun to award a skin upon completion of the main story, showing that Crash and Coco “went through the ringer” and came out the other end of this adventure a little worse for wear. I think this one is hilarious, and the stickers the art team added to the casts push it over the top for me. General Rule Coco This Skin is one of the many skins we added in the game that touch on a reference or idea from previous Crash Bandicoot games, but with a fun, unique Toys for Bob spin. The idea behind this one was a fun “what if” scenario – What If Neo Cortex Successfully trained Crash and Coco to lead his mutant armies? What would they look like? The concept for this is just so much fun with the old-school evil villain details all over – I especially love the Neo Cortex “N” on the brim of the hat and Coco’s boots here. Chicken Suit Crash / Party Pony Coco The Chicken Suit Crash and Party Pony Coco skins were ideas that honestly came from throwing spaghetti at a wall, but we immediately saw them and thought they were hysterical. As a set, I started to call them the “Party Animal” skins because they pair so well together. That said, they almost didn’t make the cut as were originally planning on having every skin match up with the world setting that you unlock them in. We ended up having so many fun ideas that we freed up that restriction and immediately put these into production. Bright Now Crash I want to give a shout out to our friends at Beenox for this skin. When I first saw the concept for this, I immediately fell in love because of just how cool it was. They just knocked the retro future vibe of this screen way out of the park with this one, and the colors are mesmerizing. This skin really pops on screen whether you are playing in the neon N.Verted mode or in the regular adventure levels. Warped Biker Coco One of our mantras when making Crash Bandicoot 4 was to not treat Coco as a side-kick, but to ensure that she had equal billing with Crash. So when we had the idea of having Crash’s iconic biker outfit (from the Crash Warped game cover) as a skin, we jumped at the chance to imagine what it would be like for Coco to have been the cover star of that game and give her an iconic biker look of her own. Floater Crash and Coco Come on… do these need an explanation? THEY ARE BALLOON ANIMALS! You can practically hear the squeaking just looking at them. Fun fact… they have their own specific death animation. Because really… how could we not pop them? Willy / Wanda the Wombat Similar to the General Rule Skin this is a look at what could have been. Some fans know that before he was called “Crash Bandicoot” he was initially thought up as “Willy the Wombat.” That said, he didn’t really look any different, so we thought it would be a fun bit of speculation to dream up what a Willy the Wombat character would look like running alongside Crash Bandicoot. We also then had a fun time imagining what Willy’s sister “Wanda the Wombat” would have looked like as well. Who knows… maybe in an alternate dimension like the ones you explore in the game, these two are franchise mainstays. Thanks for taking this journey through the lovingly crafted skins players can unlock in Crash 4. On behalf of the entire team at Toys for Bob, we hope you have a blast unlocking them all, and enjoy all the other benefits of playing Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Available now on PS5 and PS4. *Available upon completion of the game’s second level. Available on other platforms no earlier than December 31, 2021. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/DbIqMdG6-XsView the full article

What is up PlayStation fans! We are very excited to be back on the blog, this time with the announcement of a new map that is near and dear to many skateboarder’s hearts. Skater XL has always been about giving access to skateboarding to as many people as possible, including the mechanics, culture, and history that makes skateboarding so special to so many. When it comes to landmarks in skateboard history, you’d be hard pressed to find more hallowed ground than San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza during the 1990’s era. Everyday, SF locals and skaters from across the globe would come to EMB to write new pages in the book of skate history daily on the red bricks, stairs, blocks, ledges to the infamous ‘Gonz’ Gap. Play Video Our ode to this era, is a tribute to this iconic location packed full of all of the features that made it famous. Created by the Easy Day team, this all new map is now available for download in the Mod Browser on PlayStation 4 consoles. While we have added DIY elements around the map to include new lines and additional gameplay options, Embarcadero’s most notable features are true to the time and ready for you to make your mark. The ‘Gonz’ Gap Ollied for the first time and made famous by skateboard legend Mark ‘Gonz’ Gonzales in 1986, the ‘Gonz’ Gap became the proving ground for early ‘90s skateboarding. From 1990 through 1996 there was almost no surer way of gaining legitimacy in skateboarding than to successfully land a trick over ‘The Gonz.’ Find the ‘Gonz’ Gap above the “wave” wall, and put your name into the digital skate history books. The Fountain Easily one of the most recognizable features of the Embarcadero Plaza, the Vaillancourt Fountain is appealing both for its aesthetics and its skateability. Grind the surrounding ledges, or skate them as manual pads. We have also added a skateable brick bank and a little surprise coming out of the pond. The “C” Block Given its nickname after its letter-like shape, the “C” block saw ledge skating innovation on a daily basis. SF legends like Mike Carroll and Henry Sanchez, among others, pushed the boundaries of technical street skating to new levels on these crusty cement slabs. The ‘Seven’ Though commonly referred to as ‘The Seven,’ this stair set was actually six steps with a lengthened third step, or a three-flat-three double-set. Back then, stair counting was less important but that doesn’t detract from the impressive tricks that went down this set. What are you throwing down this? Will you recreate one of the classics, or take your own path? The Bricks Most skaters will tell you that brick is not the ideal platform for skateboarding, but there is just something about the ‘clickety-clack’ of rolling through EMB that is part of its special sauce. We have included brick textures and sound effects throughout the map, to make it feel like you’re really there. FTC Gear And our homage to SF wouldn’t be complete without a special drop of gear from FTC. Throughout its 25+ year history, FTC has kept the San Francisco skate scene thriving, sponsoring countless skateboard legends. The capsule is now available in the mod browser on all platforms, sporting Bay Area colorways of the iconic FTC logo. We are very excited to put this piece of skateboarding history in the hands of PlayStation players and explore your creativity. Whether it’s technical ledge lines or Gonz Gap glory you’re after, Embarcadero Plaza for Skater XL is a blend of nostalgia and newness with endless possibilities. Download the Embarcadero map now in the ‘Maps’ section of the Mod Browser on PS4. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/lWAOTfa67gcView the full article

Hello PlayStation fans! Today, we’re happy to announce that The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos will be launching next week on March 17. This is the second and final expansion to our critically acclaimed sci-fi role-playing game, and we hope you are excited to check it out. I wanted to give you a bit of a sneak peek into the expansion as well share some interesting details about our journey in making this DLC. Play Video In The Outer Worlds you awake from hibernation on a colonist ship lost in transit to the edge of the galaxy. Early on, you assume the role of captain of the infamous ship, The Unreliable, and as you traverse through the corporate-owned Halcyon colony you discover it is your job to either ultimately save or doom the system. You determine if you will be the hero, the villain, or just an uncontrolled maniac. We’ve always felt that a core component of Obsidian RPG’s is this element of putting you in control of the story. In Murder on Eridanos you remain in the driver seat of the narrative, but now you must solve who killed the renowned actress Halcyon Helen. When creating this expansion, we knew we wanted to put our own unique spin on a murder mystery, but it also presented some singular challenges. For example, in The Outer Worlds, your freedom of choice means we must account for many details while you are playing. What skills have you improved? What perks and flaws do you have? Which companions are accompanying you? What clues do you find and what suspects do you interrogate, and in what order? Play anyway you like, and we will unfold the mystery before you. Like we mentioned, the core of Murder on Eridanos is to solve a crime… and murder is just the beginning of what you will find. You will have to interrogate witnesses, learn about potential alibis, and argue who you believe is responsible. This also leads to some entertaining outcomes as it is up to you to decide what to do. Do you falsely accuse an innocent spectator? Do you present a poor case with lack of evidence? How will others respond? What happens if you try to convince people that you somehow are responsible for the murder? Yes, even that is possible! Through this DLC, you will meet iconic characters in The Outer Worlds universe like the frequently-cast actor Spencer Woolrich and the legendary tossball player Black Hole Bertie. You may recall Spencer from prior movie posters as he was one of Helen’s co-stars, and Bertie is one of the greatest players to ever grace the game. It is up to you to find out what these characters were doing and decide their fate. To assist you in your new role as inspector, you will have access to a completely new tool known as the Discrepancy Amplifier. This amazing device uses Science to reveal clues in your immediate surroundings. Not only does it expose details which will unlock new quest options, it also provides its own humorous analysis of those details. We know you will enjoy this marvelous scientific partner, and we cannot wait to see everyone’s reactions as they use it throughout the expansion. Finally, it wouldn’t be an expansion for The Outer Worlds without additional perks and flaws, new scientific weapons, armor variants, and plenty of additional quests and choices to make along the way – so you will find those too in Murder on Eridanos. And while there is much to uncover, feel free to also stop and take a moment to appreciate the scenery, especially at corporate-approved scenic overlooks. Your adventure takes place at a luxury tourist destination run by the Rizzo corporation. This premiere locale consists of a collection of drifting islands being pulled through an ever-constant storm in the planet’s upper atmosphere. Our artists and designers did a great job in beautifully crafting this amazing setting, and we hope you enjoy it too. We are so excited to be launching this final expansion next week and can’t wait for all of you to join us. You can get the expansion via the PlayStation store on March 17; if you do not already own the first expansion, Peril on Gorgon, that is also available, and you can get both at a discount with The Outer Worlds: Expansion Pass. So, in the meantime, brush up on your sleuthing skills and get ready to solve the greatest murder mystery in the Halcyon colony on March 17 when The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos launches. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/2MTbD4wEYyYView the full article

On February 25, the Outriders demo landed on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The demo is a huge slice of the full Outriders game, offering the opening chapter and first three hours or so of the game, with all four classes available to try out, single-player, co-op, and the option to transfer progress to the full game. It’s a hefty appetiser for the full course, which arrived on April 1. As it’s the start of the game, there’s a good focus on story, as the world of Enoch – and humanity’s struggle to colonise it – is introduced to the world. But what were the events that lead to the start of the game? In a brand-new animated trailer, we can see how the Outriders journey began, as we follow their expedition to Enoch from Earth. Play Video And this is where the demo – and start of the game – picks up. The Outriders demo is tremendous in terms of its scale and scope, and so we wanted to talk to Bartek Kmita, Creative Director at People Can Fly, about how it went down and how it’s helping in the run up to the game’s full release on April 1. Toby Palm: At the time of writing, the Outriders Demo has had over two million downloads. What’s been your reaction to the reception of the demo? Bartek Kmita: It was a real rollercoaster of emotions to be honest. At first, I was excited that so many people wanted to play as soon as the demo was live, but this was followed by a brief panic-moment when servers were not scaling fast enough. When the server situation was resolved we started to see first impressions of the game itself, and the whole team has been watching as many streams, Let’s Plays and think-pieces as we can – it’s been amazing to see what everybody thinks so far. In the end, I’m extremely happy that so many people played the demo and that they are enjoying it. TP: Some players have managed to rack up, 20+ hours in the game. Several players on the Outriders Discord have played for over 100 hours! Does this surprise you, and what does it say about the size of the full game? BK: It’s very encouraging for us because a huge, sprawling RPG journey was in essence of our designs. To give people a game with almost endless possibilities around how to build your character and make the whole process of character development as satisfying as possible. And looking now at how people are playing the demo, and how they experiment with all the loot they found gives us a lot of satisfaction. I hope that after the full release, when our players get their hands on all our toys, they will stay with us for a very long time. TP: The game straddles a really interesting line between shooter and RPG. Are players taking to the game how you would expect them to? Have there been any surprises in terms of how players are interacting with the game? BK: That has always been a little bit of worry to us – the idea that some people may lump our game into one genre-camp and ignore some of our design-decisions that are integral to the other. Players coming straight from the shooter camp might ignore skills or RPG mechanics – which I fear will make their overall playing experience not quite as compelling. On the other side of things, players only in it for the loot-chase might forget about story etc. That’s why in the beginning of the game we try to tutorialize everything and explain the full breadth of Outriders’ core mechanics. Seeing how players have approached the demo, we are happy with the results, but of course there’s always room for improvement when it comes to onboarding and our messaging here. TP: What are your biggest learnings from the demo so far? Can we expect to see any of these learnings make their way into the full game? BK: We received a lot of feedback from the community. We focused on things that bothers players the most – motion blur and camera-shake, for example – and are putting all our efforts into fixing them. We have already posted information about what we are fixing and what we are planning to improve. We strive to be as transparent as possible when it comes to these initial teething issues, and we see a lot of support from the community in return. TP: You’ve made some changes to the loot in the game after players started farming a lot. What was your thinking behind that? BK: We had a long discussion on how to approach legendary gear and their associated drop-rates. On the one hand we could see certain problems and long term consequences with how players were getting items but on the other hand we didn’t want to take away players’ fun from the demo. In the end, we decided that since we are ultimately a game built around a really engaging loot-loop, we should support the farming methods based on that with some additional encouragement to also complete the side-quests. TP: Some players are spending a lot of time in the demo collecting mods and preparing for the full game, how are these mods going to affect character builds in the full game? BK: The mods are designed to be the crucial part of the player’s build and the biggest factor of your playstyle. We already see players creating their first builds, but the real fun is yet to come. With four more skills for each class come more combinations, skill synergies and potential playstyles. New skills mean also new tier one mods and even higher degree of customization not to even mention new possibilities unlocked by tier two and three mods and ability to move them around in crafting. TP: For somebody that’s played and loved the demo, what should they be most excited about in the full game? BK: This is quite interesting, usually when the game releases the demo or beta players get to see the best part of it to encourage them to purchase the full game. In the Outriders Demo, you’re really only seeing the tip of the iceberg; the starter that only gives you a taste of what’s yet to come. So whatever part of the demo you enjoyed, I can safely say that there is way more of that yet to come! You enjoyed the story, cinematics, characters and lore? There is plenty more to come. You enjoyed creating your first build? There’s far more depth and complexity to come here. You enjoyed the combat? Oh we definitely have more on this front; the demo encounters are relatively small compared to the rest of the game… Huge thanks to everybody that’s checked out the Outriders Demo so far. As Bartek said: you’ve only seen a glimpse of what’s to come, and we can’t wait to see you all on Enoch for the rest of the journey on April 1. See you then! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/VrkKSNzMJqYView the full article

Hi folks! To mark the release of the official digital soundtrack for Astro’s Playroom later this week, I thought it’d be fun to take a wee “behind the scenes” look at the creative process for the track that players have responded to the most enthusiastically – the GPU song. Most of the music featured in this post doesn’t actually appear in the game or on the soundtrack – it consists of excerpts from top secret, slightly embarrassing sketch material that was never intended to be heard by anyone’s ears other than those of my Team Asobi collaborators. But hopefully that’s also what makes them interesting! The GPU Jungle was the first area of the game that I tackled – whilst it was still a work-in-progress at that point, the gameplay felt the furthest along so it seemed like a sensible place to start. My first attempt was quite a traditional approach to scoring a jungle stage, complete with the requisite panpipes: The feedback from the team was that this was a little too predictable. However, it did have a catchy melody, which is something we strive for in the Astro Bot games because they are, at their heart, ‘old-skool’ platforming experiences. So, before moving on, I had a go at making it a little more “digital” or synthetic sounding: That certainly felt more appropriate for Astro, but we were still concerned that folks unfamiliar with video game music culture might not “get it.” So, I started exploring something a little more contemporary sounding and began playing around with the idea of writing a song. Before I’d even started working on the game I had been thinking about personifying the PlayStation 5 console by giving it a voice. This tapped into the idea that perhaps you’ve always known PS5 or somehow encountered it before, as if it were your true love. But I had been saving this idea for the CPU Plaza area as it felt like the most appropriate spot. But now that I was starting again on the music for the GPU Jungle, I saw an opportunity to introduce this concept to the team. Here’s my first sketch: The lyrics there are: GP-You and GP-Me, here amongst the trees. GP-You and GP- Me, as far as your eyes can see. Voxels and sprites; pixels delight; shaded perfectly. GP-You and GP-Me. GP-You and GP-Me. Which is intriguing, but the overall tone was too closely aligned with the aforementioned “ethereal true love” concept which wasn’t a good fit for GPU Jungle. So I didn’t share that with the team (this’ll be the first time they’ve heard it too – surprise!). But I stuck with it as a starting point and came up with this: The feedback on this version was that whilst it was playful it was missing the fun, had gone too far the other way and become too serious in tone. D’oh! However, the team really liked the main riff at the end and thought that we could find a home for it in the CPU Plaza area. Starting over again, I felt like having tested the waters in a couple of different directions and found where the lines of acceptability were. I could now come up with an approach which would hopefully offer the best of both worlds. I was still keen on trying to make the song idea work, but rather than lead with that and getting side-tracked, I started with the groove of the drums and bass to get the energy right and then worked on the lyrics and melody. Here’s what I sent over to Nicolas Doucet, Creative Director of Astro’s Playroom (with reassurances that I was going to add a vocoder to my voice!): It’s rough and ready, but even at this stage it had something going on and we were excited to try and make it work. When I was writing it I was thinking about the genius graphics coders I know or have worked with and wanted the lyrics to be something that they would recognise as being at least vaguely authentic. But I also knew it couldn’t just be a shopping list of rendering terminology, because that’s not something most people can relate to. I’m not sure at what point I realised that the love song idea I had been exploring previously could be made to fit, but I do remember being excited about getting the lyrics to operate on multiple levels because that’s what chamfers the hard techy edges off and makes the song palatable. Getting the tone of the track right took some iteration – it was tricky to add elements to the core I’d established without them taking something away. Here’s a version from this exploratory production phase: You learn something from every little misstep and, if you persevere, each of them leads to something that clicks. Rinse, repeat. Then at some point you realise it’s baked! Here’s a preview of the final version found on the soundtrack album: I’m incredibly grateful to have such brilliant and trusting collaborators in Team Asobi that give me the encouragement, time and space needed to explore ideas such as this and then use their skills and craft to find ways to incorporate them into the project in a holistic fashion. Not every piece of music I write is subject to such a circuitous or lengthy gestation period – by being the first thing that I tackled, this track had to bear the burden of finding a direction for the entire project. But I also wanted to take the opportunity to shine a light on a creative process which is so often hidden from view – composers have a tendency to discuss work through the lens of the finished product, but our ideas are rarely, if ever, born fully formed. Music direction is arrived at through a journey. Thanks for coming along for the ride! I hope you enjoyed this little insight into my world. The official soundtrack for Astro’s Playroom, released by Sony Music Masterworks, will be available digitally March 12 – happy listening! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/ZqpgWBKStUoView the full article

A new mystery rears its head in the haunted Castle Rock – that’s right, we have a brand new game to announce! We’re thrilled to present a new entry in our co-op puzzle adventure series: We Were Here Forever. As Antarctic explorers trapped in a sinister castle, you and a friend will need to work together to solve puzzles and try to figure out how to escape. Since the release of We Were Here Together we’ve been working on our new game. We Were Here Forever will be the fourth standalone entry in the series- with a focus on bringing the world of Castle Rock to life like never before. At the same time we’ve been coming up with great new puzzles, writing the next part of the story, and preparing to bring you an experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. On top of that, it’s been awesome to take advantage of the power of PlayStation 5 to create some stunning environments for you to explore. After two years of development, we’re delighted to present this announcement trailer to you all. Play Video Don’t worry if you’ve never played a We Were Here game before, because we’ll make sure you can dive right in, but if you did, you will find that the explorers you play this time around will look awfully familiar. Have you ever wondered what happened to those who got left behind… or that creepy harlequin, the Jester? We Were Here Forever will tell you a tale of the past and the future of Castle Rock.. The stage is set – you and a friend are trapped in the realm of Castle Rock with no way out – were you betrayed, or simply not that clever? Be aware, nothing is what it seems – there appears to be a mystery buried deep in the heart of the Keep. Locked up with just a pair of walkie-talkies and your wits, will you be able to escape the Castle… forever?! Of course, We Were Here Forever is about having fun with your co-op buddy, solving puzzles together, and talking over walkie-talkies like you’d expect. We can’t wait to see what you all think of the new areas and puzzles. One of our favorite things is watching streamers play our games, and seeing how differently people experience the world we’ve created, it’s very inspiring as well. We design our games to evoke a range of emotions in players, from laughter and excitement to the satisfaction of solving puzzles… there will be some epic reveals this time round! But no spoilers for now… In Forever you will notice puzzles are even more engaging, more dynamic, and will challenge you in multiple ways. Some areas may even defy logic, and challenge you physically while you still need to stay strong mentally in order to survive. You’ll now find useful equipment to aid your escape – for instance, you’ll be able to carry a torch, meaning you’ll need to consider where to illuminate. We really wanted players to have control over their own adventure within the realm of Castle Rock. That’s why we have designed a storyline that is partially non-linear, so you can decide the order of events and explore the realm of Castle Rock as you please. Maybe even come back another time around and do things differently… More will be revealed at a later date. The release is planned for later this year, and we’ll have more to share as we approach the launch date. Until then, we have just released our three earlier We Were Here games on PlayStation as well – you can already grab the rest of the games and start your adventure within Castle Rock. Every entry in the We Were Here Series is a standalone experience, so you can enjoy the games in any order. However, if you’re invested in the story of Castle Rock, we’d recommend you play Forever after the others. Remember to communicate well, be observant, and keep your cool – if you can… Over and out. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/hJIDOxzp9eIView the full article

Greetings adventurers and Knitted Knights to-be! I’m Joe Thwaites, co-composer and co-audio lead on Sackboy: A Big Adventure, here with our music supervisor James Marshall. We’re thrilled to see Sackboy nominated for a BAFTA Games Award for Music and, now the game has been in the hands of fans new and old for a few months, hopefully you’ve all had a chance to hear all of the music we’ve packed in. It’s the biggest collection of music we’ve put together for a Sackboy title to date. The mix of composed and licensed music from a wildly eclectic selection of different artists and composers posed a unique challenge. How do we stitch all of the musical genres and styles together to give Sackboy a trademark sound? The answer: Sackboy needed a theme! Play Video A Hero and A Friend Sackboy is at the centre of the game and we were really keen to support his characteristic charm and humour with a piece of music that could be memorable, new and yet have a hint of nostalgia for longtime fans. This was a daunting task for such an iconic character with so much history and hours of excellent music already associated with the franchise, from The Gardens through to The Go! Team. The franchise has one of the most unpredictable collections of music ever and distilling that into one piece of music was quite a daunting task! We also wanted the theme to give the game an overarching and unifying sound that would help pull together the narrative and gameplay elements. So at the start of the project Jay Waters and I collaborated on a short suite of melodies which could be integrated through-out the game, sewing together the seams of the musical patchwork we’d begun to piece together. Worlds of Sound The first version of the theme was a simple collection of melodies, inspired by previous Sackboy adventures, which we shared with the team of composers. We really wanted the theme to represent the cornucopia of musical sounds that were explored in the game, so we took elements from each of the worlds to help create a musical jamboree. We came up with a general music palette for each of the worlds, which also helped inspire our choice of composer that would look after that world . These included: The Soaring Summit harks back to the folk, psychedelic songs that longtime fans might find familiar.We worked with George King (also known as Catching Flies) who brought a really contemporary, fresh sound with his compositions. Given the mountain-top setting, music in the world features Eastern elements and instrumentation appropriate to the sub-continent. “Once Upon a Time in the East” was a great showcase for the interactive approach to the music – the track develops not only as you explore areas of the level but will also change depending on how many keys you’ve collected. It’s also one of the first tracks in the game to use Sackboy’s theme, acting as a sprightly counter-melody. George also created “Snowballs, Please!” – a propulsive, energetic track with a hint of danger thanks to the wayward Yetis in Sackboy’s way. Finally, George’s take on “Move Your Feet” was a perfect fit for herding Scootles, complete with record-scratching, Indian percussion and that infectious melody. The Colossal Canopy features authentic South American instrumentation, along with ethnotronica, gospel choir and organic woodwind. Brian D’Oliveira was the perfect fit for this world given his amazing work on games with lush jungles and mysterious temples. Brian has an astounding number of instruments at his disposal and you can hear them shine on his tracks. Levels in the world take place either in the leafy canopy or the darker banana factories, with brighter instruments in the former and wacky synths blending with tribal percussion in the latter. His version of Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough” is a self-described “tour of South America”, veering between the many traditional styles of Brazil, Venezuela and so forth. The Kingdom of Crablantis revolves around new interpretations of older styles of music including classical, jazz, swing and more. The production design of the undersea world featured a lot of antique furniture and shiny valuables, so revisiting older genres of music felt appropriate. Winifred Phillips, a longtime collaborator on the music of the franchise, used lush strings, angelic vocals and bubble-like sounds to bring Crablantis to life as can be heard in “Waltz of the Bubbles”. Her interpretation of “Material Girl” is a standout moment in the game, the song reworked as an orchestral waltz that wouldn’t feel out of place in Vienna concert hall. We worked with Jim Fowler who created a toe-tapping jazz rendition of Grieg and there’s a joyous burst of electro swing courtesy of Glen Brown (including additional brass recordings of the Sackboy theme to really get you in the swing of things!) The Interstellar Junction is a potted history of electronic music, from musique concrete through to the contemporary glitch-hop awesomeness of our composer Opiuo. We knew we wanted an electronic sound that was bouncy but a little more intense, given Sackboy’s journey has become rather more dangerous. Opiuo’s fantastic “Stutter Rut” kicks things off, before a quick detour into his classical remix of Holst’s Planets (well, this is Mars after all!). Both of these tracks respond to Sackboy’s location at times – listen out for the beat building to the drop depending on your location. FInally, Opiuo created the track “Clutch Rocket” for which Joe then wrote a string arrangement. It’s a massively fun track that features a nod towards Vex’s Theme at the start (perhaps hinting things aren’t entirely as they seem) and it dips in and out of an 8-bit version, keeping things tongue in cheek despite the imminent mortal peril! We won’t spoil the other worlds – see if you can guess what their musical inspirations are! As the composers for each world blended the motifs into their content we iterated on the theme, reincorporating sounds and instruments they’d used back into its many melodies. You can hear the gospel choir from the Colossal Canopy enter the mix, spacey synths during the bridge and a mandola from the Soaring Summit bolstering the main melody, to name just a few of the jumble of instruments. Theme Spotting Each of the motifs in the theme represent different aspects of our hessian hero and they are dotted through-out the score. The main melody represents Sackboy’s positive attitude and bravery in the face of danger and plays during triumphant moments, while the bridge serves to score his development on the path to becoming a heroic Knitted Knight. Luckily for us, we worked with some absolutely amazing composers who took the theme and integrated it into their tracks in all sorts of different ways. From Lena Raine’s beautiful world map score where the melodies float in and out, to Nick Foster’s bombastic orchestral treatment in some of the cutscenes the theme is interwoven into the very fabric of the game. So much so that we went to the trouble of creating a little musical stinger for every level that plays the Sackboy motif in the tempo, key and groove of the track that is playing in the level. Details like this really embed the music in the world and tie it all together. So go and play the game, listen to the soundtrack and see if you can spot where we’ve referenced the theme throughout. Some are more obvious than others… Anyway, we hope Sackboy’s theme delivers an uplifting burst of joy you can hum along to as you run, jump and slap your way through Craftworld. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/biknQP9KgRAView the full article

Greetings, Travelers! Genshin Impact’s dev team here once again with exciting news and previews of the game’s upcoming version 1.4 update, launching March 17. We hope you’ve all had a wonderful time exploring and taking part in Liyue Harbor’s Lantern Rite. As the chill of winter begins to fade across Teyvat to make way for spring, we’d like to share an inside look at a traditional annual festival in Mondstadt — the Windblume Festival. As the beauty of spring fills the city, we hope that everyone will join the citizens of Mondstadt in a heartfelt celebration of freedom and life. All Travelers who are at Adventure Rank 20 or above and have completed the Archon Quest “Song of the Dragon and Freedom” will be invited to join the cordial celebration of the Windblume Festival. Throughout the festival, there will be numerous mini games to play with tons of rewards and prizes. Players will even have a very special chance to spend time hanging out with Barbara, Noelle, Bennett, and Chongyun, with the possibility of experiencing different endings and memories depending on your choices and interactions with each character. A time for special memories As swirling dandelions begin to fill the warm spring air, the people of Mondstadt gather together to celebrate the Windblume Festival. The festival’s origin can be traced back to the liberation of Mondstadt two thousand six hundred years ago. However, as the traditions of the Windblume Festival were passed down through the generations, the festival has gradually come to signify a cultural celebration of romance and passion. Couples and love birds alike will use the occasion as a chance to spend a lovely time together, and Mondstadt locals will often recommend Cape Oath as the perfect spot to confess one’s feelings and pledge romantic vows. During this time of love and freedom, Travelers will also have a unique chance to spend a special time together with Barbara, Noelle, Bennett, and Chongyun. Choices and interactions that players make with the characters may lead to different endings, with each actual ending awarding players with a Hangout Memory illustration. Festive challenges await In preparation for this year’s festivities, the Knights of Favonius and the Adventurers’ Guild have assembled the most festive mini games the city has ever witnessed, with a variety of activities awaiting both Travelers and Mondstadt locals alike. The majority of the Windblume mini games will support both single-player and co-op mode, so whether you’re playing solo, with a group of buddies, or together with that special someone, the games are sure to leave fun, lasting memories for all that participate. This year, the Knights of Favonius has organized three primary mini games: Bullseye Balloons, Floral Freefall, and Ballads of Breeze. Each mini game will have four different difficulty levels to test your skills in archery, gliding, and ballads. By completing the mini games, players will receive rewards and a certain number of Festive Tour Tickets (rewards for the mini games can only be claimed once through Single Player mode). The Festive Tour Tickets can be exchanged in the Event Shop for bountiful Talent Level-Up Materials as well as two new exclusive gadgets: the Windblume Festival Commemorative Balloon and the Windsong Lyre. If it’s a tougher challenge you’re after, then you may try the Peculiar Wonderland — a special domain recently discovered and renovated by the Adventurers’ Guild as a festival event. Unlike the other event mini games, Peculiar Wonderland is a series of challenges that will demand both mind and muscle from even the most experienced of adventurers. Upon entering the Peculiar Wonderland, players will face three random challenge scenarios. Depending on the performance in the random challenges, players will gain buffs to use in a final boss fight. By completing the Peculiar Wonderland, players will receive Peculiar Collab Coupons, which can be exchanged for Weapon Ascension Materials and a brand-new 4-star bow, the Windblume Ode. All this and much more awaits players in version 1.4. We’ll leave it to you to explore and discover all that the Windblume Festival has to offer. Continue your journey alongside Dainsleif and Rosaria In addition to all the events in the upcoming update, the Traveler will also be continuing their story as they further investigate the Abyss Order with Dainsleif the “Bough Keeper.” As the story unravels, players will find themselves in an all-new domain where they’ll discover a defiled Statue of the Seven and encounter a powerful new enemy — an Abyss Herald. Finally, players will begin uncovering the secrets behind Teyvat’s first Ruin Guard in Stormterror’s Lair. In version 1.4, we’ll be adding Rosaria “Thorny Benevolence” as a new 4-star playable character. Rosaria is a sister of the Church of Favonius who players may have already encountered during their adventures with Albedo in Dragonspine. Bearing a Cryo Vision, Rosaria is a powerful polearm wielder with an Elemental Skill that allows her to instantly shift behind her enemy, piercing and slashing them to deal Cryo damage. Her Elemental Burst allows her to attack with a mighty slash, causing massive Cryo damage and summoning a frigid Ice Lance that deals continuous Cryo damage to nearby enemies. Last but not least, we’d like to share some adjustments and optimizations that will be coming in version 1.4 which will allow Travelers to experience a more fun and enjoyable journey. First, as the Original Resin limit has been previously increased from 120 to 160, the version 1.4 update will allow Travelers to hold up to five Condensed Resin in their Inventory. Also, the new version will grant Travelers the option of lowering their World Level to better suit their needs in single-player and co-op mode. That’s just about everything we have to share about Genshin Impact version 1.4. We hope everyone has a fun and memorable time celebrating the Windblume Festival. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/GnAq5T1xdgkView the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Welcome back y’all! This week we dive deep into some recently announced PS VR titles, and share short and sweet games that can be beat in one night. Stuff We Talked About Doom 3: VR Edition Song In The Smoke Fracked Zenith I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar After the Fall Hitman 3 Maquette When The Past Was Around Outriders The Cast Tim Turi – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/OhYYW9QGVaoView the full article

Last week, we asked you to turn your lens 90° and share some vertically angled moments from your favorite games using #PSshare #PSBlog. From carefully crafted portraits to well-framed action shots, here are this week’s highlights: Eivor’s golden armor gleams in this Assassin’s Creed Valhalla share by Amianan_NiRaGuB. Dante is ready to unleash hell in this Devil May Cry 5 share by schokoshake17. GameonFocus shares the stark landscape of Metro Exodus. A battle fit for the gods plays out in this green-soaked Immortals Fenyx Rising share by Wishful_Flowers. PatmanVP gets up close and personal with a Freaker in Days Gone. The moon rises over this archer in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, shared by galaxyb0nes_vp. 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: Inspiring Women SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on March 10 Next week, in honor of International Women’s Day we’re spotlighting inspiring women in gaming, with a twist. Alongside the share of your favorite heroine (or villain!), share the story of how or why the character inspired you in 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/XCDOzzuDCKMView the full article

The PS4 launch of the Two Point Hospital: Jumbo Edition is here, and we can’t wait for you to experience the huge amount of new content coming your way. This is by far the biggest release we’ve ever done, including four huge expansions, two massive item packs, and a free update with some of the most popular community requested features. There’s never been a better time to grab a stethoscope and start building your very own healthcare empire! Play Video Head to the Pointy Mountains with local celebrity, Bartholomew F Yeti, in the Bigfoot expansion, blaze a sterilised trail through the tropical islands with Wiggy Silverbottom in Pebberley Island, or take on the latest and greatest challenges in the two newest expansions to hit consoles: Close Encounters and Off the Grid. We know, we know… “Aliens in a hospital game?!”, “eco-warrior politicians in a hospital game!?” It’s probably fair to say you might have some questions before you jump in to solve mysterious alien conspiracies, or help the Mayor make the county green again… for the very first time. So why not grab a packet of the cheesiest gubbins you can find and put your feet up while some of our lovely designers, Harry Puttock and Sam Webley talk you through the new adventures that await you in our beloved little Two Point County. Close encounters Harry Puttock: Alien conspiracies might sound a little “out there” for a hospital sim game, but we really wanted to go for something a little more fantastical and push the boat out, which is exactly what we did for Close Encounters. The basis of the idea came from our Creative Director, Gary Carr after watching far too many conspiracy TV shows on Roswell, Area 51 and the like. Sam Webley: Close Encounters has three brand new areas: there’s Goldpan, a small town where rumours of a UFO crash landing began, Camouflage Falls, a town that doesn’t really exist, housing a massive military base, and Chasm 24, a secret government facility. The levels really do go from strange happenings to full-blown government cover-ups as you get deeper and deeper into this crazy conspiracy. Harry:Throughout the DLC you’ll be encountering lots of different space-themed illnesses. My personal favourite being Lack of Humanity, where you’re actually turning these aliens into people so they can integrate with society in Two Point County. It’s quite a nice twist, because the DLC starts by exposing these aliens that are trying to infiltrate your hospitals, and by the end of it you’re helping them stay here rather than sending them home. Sam: You can’t talk about illnesses in Close Encounters without mentioning Bowhine though. Patients with this illness have become unenamoured with being human, opting to spend their time in fields pretending to be cows. You need to treat them before they get abducted by aliens! I’m not saying you should purposely not treat them… but it’s pretty fun to watch a UFO snatch someone dressed up as a cow. Harry: There are some really cool new gameplay mechanics in this DLC as well, like the Robo-Janitors. In Chasm 24 (the game’s 24th level, did anybody get that…?) you’ll need your Robo-Janitors to maintain big mechanical stabilisers that prevent earthquakes and other bad things from happening in your hospitals. A lot of sci-fi technology seems very impressive, but you don’t always get a great sense of what it does. Sure, it has lots of lights, and an enormous button, but what’s it for? The Robo-Janitors are high-tech, but also immensely practical. Every Robo-Janitor has a unique name. My favourite is Sweepy Leroux. The finest brooms-man in Two Point County. Sam: Don’t forget the actual aliens themselves. Part of your mission in Goldpan is to find aliens trying to infiltrate your hospital. You might notice patients acting strangely, perhaps they’ve not gone to reception or maybe they’re rummaging through bins (because we all know real-life aliens do that… right?), or their cloaking device glitches a little bit. If you see anything like that, you’ll need to send the “patient” home to expose the alien hiding in plain sight. It might seem a little mean, but if they go unnoticed, it can start to mess with your hospitals. Off the Grid In Two Point County, voter research has repeatedly suggested that the public’s number one concern is with the environment. To secure her place in office… ahem, we mean, to support the green-minded community, Two Point County’s ever-present mayor, Tabitha Windsock, founded the Department of Green Things. She recently discovered it pays to go green in this time of poor voter polling, so she goes on a campaign trail to tell the world she’ll provide healthcare for everyone participating in her initiative because frankly…the dead can’t vote. Sam: The core idea for Off the Grid was environmentalism. The first level, Wanderoff, is almost like a big hippy-commune and focuses on health and wellbeing of staff, patients, and your hospital attractiveness to generate money. The second level, Old Newpoint, is a little town where people have opted for an older way of life, to the point where they’ll knock down old buildings and build newer ones to make them look older. In Old Newpoint you’ll grow your own food, which puts pressure on your hospital’s layout and size, as the food and water will require a lot of dedicated space in your hospitals. The final level, Windsock, is a giant eco-city that the Mayor has, very humbly, built using tax-payer’s money. Windsock City doesn’t rely on the usual means of power. Instead, you’ll need to build green energy machines to stay switched-on and self-sufficient. Each of your green energy machines, whether it’s a wind turbine, solar panel or hydro-dam, will increase the power capacity of the hospital. Harry: I’m a big fan of the illnesses in Off the Grid, they’re all very earthy! A lot of camping and nature-based illnesses. I like Woodworms, where sufferers look like little wooden puppets, the cure for this is essentially being eaten and spat out by a giant whale. There’s Roadstool, Bodily Druids, Stumble Bum and my personal favourite, Chocolate Shorts. Forgive the expression, but I was sitting on Chocolate Shorts for about a year before managing to get it into the game. Sam: It’s all about going green in Off the Grid. Ignoring that could lead to penalties. So, always remember to place lots of recycling bins, grow your own food in every level and place lots of greenery around the hospitals, otherwise you might find yourself losing money when an inspector comes your way! We’re super excited for you to jump in and start building your very own healthcare empire, so what are you waiting for! The Two Point Hospital: Jumbo Edition is out today on PlayStation 4. Scrub up, we’ll see you on the ward. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/d_YjpjfEbwsView the full article

Whether in the US, Canada, or Europe, it looks like players on both sides of the Atlantic spent a lot of time with FIFA 21 this past month. The title topped both PS4 and PS5 charts, with Black Ops Cold War, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Grand Theft Auto V also appearing prominently across the lists. Read on for the most downloaded titles across PS4, PS5, and PS VR: PS5 Games US / Canada EU 1 FIFA 21 FIFA 21 2 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Assassin’s Creed Valhalla 3 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales 4 Madden NFL 21 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War 5 NBA 2K21 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege 6 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Mortal Kombat 11 7 Mortal Kombat 11 Hitman 3 8 Hitman 3 Demon’s Souls 9 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Borderlands 3 10 Demon’s Souls Madden NFL 21 11 Nioh 2 Remastered – The Complete Edition Immortals Fenyx Rising 12 Immortals Fenyx Rising WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship 13 Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood NBA 2K21 14 Borderlands 3 No Man’s Sky 15 Godfall Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood 16 Sackboy: A Big Adventure Nioh 2 Remastered – The Complete Edition 17 No Man’s Sky Godfall 18 Watch Dogs: Legion Sackboy: A Big Adventure 19 Dirt 5 Watch Dogs: Legion 20 Dead by Daylight: Special Edition Dirt 5 *Naming of products may differ between regions. *Upgrades not included. PS4 Games US / Canada EU 1 Grand Theft Auto V FIFA 21 2 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Grand Theft Auto V 3 Minecraft Minecraft 4 NBA 2K21 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War 5 Little Nightmares II The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 6 Red Dead Redemption 2 Tekken 7 7 FIFA 21 Red Dead Redemption 2 8 Persona 5 Strikers Little Nightmares II 9 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Ark: Survival Evolved 10 Ark: Survival Evolved Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege 11 Need for Speed Heat Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 12 Mortal Kombat 11 Jump Force 13 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Gran Turismo Sport 14 UFC 4 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla 15 God of War UFC 4 16 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Need for Speed Heat 17 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout 18 Ghost of Tsushima The Forest 19 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 World War Z 20 Madden NFL 21 Star Wars Battlefront II *Naming of products may differ between regions. PS VR US / Canada EU 1 Beat Saber Beat Saber 2 Job Simulator Job Simulator 3 Superhot VR Superhot VR 4 Gorn Swordsman VR 5 Swordsman VR The Walking Dead Onslaught 6 The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Creed: Rise to Glory 7 The Walking Dead Onslaught Gorn 8 Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners 9 Creed: Rise to Glory Arizona Sunshine 10 Batman: Arkham VR Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series Free to play (PS5 + PS4) US/Canada EU 1 Call of Duty: Warzone Call of Duty: Warzone 2 Fortnite Rocket League 3 Rocket League Fortnite 4 Vigor Apex Legends 5 Rogue Company Vigor 6 Genshin Impact eFootball PES 2021 Lite 7 Destiny 2 Genshin Impact 8 Rec Room Rogue Company 9 Brawlhalla Destiny 2 10 Warframe Rec Room http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/i4Fj1GDHTCUView the full article

Today I’m excited to announce – and take a first look – at a new guest character joining our 3D arena battler Mighty Fight Federation: Miriam from action platformer Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night! Miriam will be a free addition to the main game and available to everyone later this spring. As a reminder, Mighty Fight Federation is available now on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Like our other licensed character guest stars such as Yooka-Laylee and ToeJam & Earl, Miriam comes with her own level and remixed music track. She will have one the largest movesets in Mighty Fight Federation, focusing on weapon and shard synergy, with many moves inspired by the entirety of the Bloodstained franchise. See her in action in the below trailer: We worked with Bloodstained’s famed creator, Koji Igarashi, and his team to ensure we did Miriam justice, from her unique design to her wide breadth of weapons and Shard abilities. Both myself and the game’s creative director, Jullian Spillane, are incredibly excited to see what fans of technical-style combatants are able to achieve come her debut later this year. You can take a closer look at the in-game model below, and Igarashi-san himself found the time to share his excitement as well. “Hello, this is Iga. I am pleased to announce that Miriam has been included in Mighty Fight Federation! Miriam is the protagonist of my exploration-heavy side-scrolling action game Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. I am very excited to see what kind of fighting style she’ll bring to the table. Oh, and if you haven’t heard of Bloodstained, please check it out as well~ I wish you all have tons of fun playing both works.” Koji Igarashi Mighty Fight Federation is playable with up to four players, and console crossplay ensures that epic, chaotic clashes can take place locally or online. Comprehensive tutorials and training modes mean players of all abilities and fighting game backgrounds can hit the ground running, while veteran fighters can be sure they are landing every punch in this balanced and highly-competitive brawler thanks to its rollback netcode. Whether it’s one-on-one, a triple threat, or a fatal four-way, competitors can jump into the action and join the foray 24/7. The game boasts 13 outlandish characters (and more to come), each with their unique play-styles, combos, and special moves. It also has a killer soundtrack featuring music by Tee Lopes (Sonic Mania), James Landino (RWBY, No Straight Roads), Vince DiCola (Rocky IV, Transformers), and Manami Matsumae (Mega Man, Shovel Knight). Mighty Fight Federation is available now on PS5 and PS4, so you can join the action while waiting for Miriam’s debut later this year. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/n0JW7I8UFYcView the full article

Signs of the Sojourner is a narrative card game about connecting with people. It’s the debut release from our studio, Echodog Games, and I’m delighted to share the news that it’ll be available to download on PS4 from March 16. Play Video Deck-building begins We started development on Signs of the Sojourner during the summer of 2018 (at that point it was called ‘Project Thunder’), with a lot of prototyping and experimenting early on. The original pitch was ‘your deck is your character’, but figuring out what that actually meant took a lot of exploration and iteration. How the game looked during the early stages of development By the start of 2019 we’d figured out the core structure, systems, and visual language, and that’s when things really started coming together. We began bringing on external collaborators during that spring and by the fall we had an open alpha and growing community. Involving the community so early was a new experience for all of us, but a fantastic one. Folks were so enthusiastic and bursting with ideas about how the game could be expanded. Designing a narrative At first, we included mechanics similar to those found in games such as Slay The Spire and Magic: The Gathering, but quickly realised it encouraged players to approach card encounters with a hostile mindset. They would regard characters as foes to be defeated, which was not what we wanted at all. We moved in a direction that focused on symbols and stringing together sequences, which we felt was a much better representation of how it can feel trying to connect and communicate. Combined with how your deck develops over time, the new direction also brought more focus to the themes of identity and personal growth that we wanted to explore. Different communities in the game tend to favour certain card and deck types, and it’s up to you to choose how to build your deck as you travel around Signs of the Sojourner’s near-future, sort-of-Earth world. Of course, by curating a deck that allows you to communicate more successfully with one group, it may make other conversations more difficult (even if it’s with old friends!). There is no ‘ultimate’ deck that can bring favourable outcomes in all conversations. Instead, it’s about different decks producing different narrative experiences. There are many possible endings, and players will have to replay the game, exploring different paths and decks to discover them all. The journey starts soon Having launched Signs of the Sojourner for other platforms last year (and seeing it subsequently featured on numerous Game of the Year lists!), we can’t wait for PlayStation players to start their own journeys and relationships within the game. And I’m thrilled to also tell you we’ve introduced five new characters for players to meet and learn about. They include a mysterious stranger, a grumpy neighbour, and someone fighting to save their town. All of us at Echodog Games are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved with Signs of the Sojourner and we hope you will enjoy building your deck, exploring the world, and meeting its colorful characters when it arrives later this month. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/b0SE13aTcGQView the full article

Hey everyone! I’m TamTu, community manager at Vertigo Games and today I have some exciting news to share with PS VR fans. Ever since we first revealed After the Fall, our team has quietly worked away to bring you the most thrilling VR co-op action FPS that will pit you and your friends against a post-apocalyptic VR world in a raging fight for survival. Today we are excited to announce that After the Fall is coming soon to PS VR with full cross-platform multiplayer support. To celebrate, we have released an all-new cinematic trailer which introduces the four heroes of After the Fall as they have left the semi-comfort of their underground hideouts to venture out into the treacherous, ice-covered snowbreed territory above: Play Video Now that you’ve watched the cinematics trailer, we’ll consider your memory refreshed on what snowbreed are – the ferocious, undead creatures that are roaming the frozen remains of an alternate 1980s LA. Though they are undead, they are nothing like the average zombie: snowbreed are terrifying, ferocious monsters that move around in hordes – not unlike a pack of wolves – waiting to strike in big numbers. And while you try to keep your head cool fending off these huge hordes with your friends at your back, you will want to watch (and listen) for the more twisted types; from towering brutes that can instantly flatten you with a strike of their huge ice fist to decapitators that will grab you by the neck to pull you off the ground. Aside from the cinematics trailer, sometime during the next couple of weeks we’ll be revealing an all-new gameplay trailer showing off what to expect when you’re venturing out into the world of After the Fall with your friends, players you meet in camp, or the friendly AI companions that will be at your side if you’re going at it solo. Keep your ice peeled! Armed with full VR motion controls on dual PS Move controllers or the PS VR Aim controller, After the Fall will make you feel like your favorite, slightly overpowered 1980s action hero as you engage in the game’s high-paced combat with real-life movements. Aside from the more conventional weapon types, you’ll be able to gear up with weaponry and tools that are heavily inspired and rooted in 1980s culture. Unlocked that iconic cassette player-turned-missile launcher to keep the hordes at bay? Don’t rest on your laurels just yet, because no mission will play the same twice. We’ll keep you on your toes whether it’s your first playthrough or 50th. Want to prep for the most intense VR apocalypse experience, and take the city’s future into your hands? Round up your friends, head on over to the official website and subscribe to the newsletter for a chance at closed beta access. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/ePyJMVsBJDoView the full article

Our team loves anime, MMOs, and VR but there was nothing out there that combined all three for a satisfying experience. We set out to build Zenith because it was the game we wanted to play, and because we believed that many of you would feel the same way. The World Zenith is a VR MMO that marries a colorful open world with adrenaline pumping action adventure gameplay. Our game has beautiful, hand-crafted environments that you’ll spend hours getting lost in. From lush canopies in the Amarite Forest, to turquoise blue waters at the Radiant Coast, to the hyper futuristic city of Zenith itself, we’ve built a stylized fantasy world dripping with detail. Of course beautiful scenery is only one part of making Zenith feel like a living world, we’ve also invested lots of time on lore, infusing the setting with intricate details that bring it to life. Set generations after a cataclysmic event known only as The Fracture, players will be drawn into an engrossing tale as they fight man and gods alike to prevent catastrophe from striking again. Using the power of Essence, the magical lifeblood of all living beings, players will grow increasingly powerful as they adventure together — meeting a colorful cast of champions and villains along the way. The Movement With such a massive world, we also wanted to give you unparalleled freedom of movement. In Zenith you can climb anything. Use your hands to climb up the sides of skyscrapers or giant cliff faces, discovering secret areas and searching for hidden treasure. You have limited stamina, which increases as you explore the world, so you’ll need to plan your ascent carefully. Soar through the skies using our Gliding system to quickly fly to distant areas of the map, get the drop on some enemies, or just take in the view. The Combat The most amazing open world doesn’t mean squat if we don’t have a deep core game loop to keep you satisfied for hours, and that’s exactly what we aim to deliver with our hyper-immersive combat system that’s only possible in VR. While many MMORPGs feel like spreadsheet simulators, Zenith feels tactile and simple to learn. Instead of learning a million formulas about damage, you’ll be mastering intuitive mechanics like throwing, blocking, and dodging. Parry the cold steel of your enemy’s blade, slam your staff like a wizard, and even dodge arrows while slowing time. Mastery of blade and magic in Zenith takes both time and practice as you learn how to launch the perfect combination of attacks, blocks, and spells while fighting a variety of powerful enemies that will test your mettle. For your perseverance you’ll be rewarded with rare and powerful weapons and abilities that will help you reach the heights of power. Massively Multiplayer No MMORPG would be complete without the “Massively Multiplayer” ingredient and we’re no exception. The social experience is especially important to us as developers because we believe that online games can empower people, and build relationships as strong as real life! (No joke, I got married to my wife in Final Fantasy 14 before we got married in real life) Zenith will feature loads of party content including epic world bosses, public events, and dungeons. Particularly challenging content will require careful coordination, and that’s where our guild system comes into focus. Start your own guild with your friends and rise to prominence, or join an established guild to conquer Zenith’s greatest challenges. Customize classes to fit your playstyle One of the joys of VR is that it gives you a chance to completely reinvent yourself and we crafted our class system to do just that. In Zenith your class doesn’t dictate what role you’ll play. Roles aren’t tied to your class, so you can Tank as an Essence Mage or heal as a Blade Master whenever you want! RPGs are all about choice, so we designed all our systems to provide fun and surprising new combinations to match any playstyle. We love MMORPGs and JRPGs — some might even call it an obsession. Working on Zenith has been a dream realized for all of us. We are honored to have a chance to build this world, and can’t wait for you to visit. Please let us know what you’re excited about in the comments below! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/-IbGQsSWq-oView the full article

Greetings, Agents! Adam Kuta, Community Marketing Specialist at Schell Games, reporting in with brand new intel direct from HQ. I’m honored to announce that I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and The Liar will release for PlayStation VR later this year. It has been more than four years since the award-winning original I Expect You To Die launched on PlayStation VR, back in December 2016, and fans have been requesting more content and missions ever since. “We are thrilled to be coming back to PlayStation VR with the sequel,” Project Director Charlie Amis says. “It was really a no-brainer. Our PS VR Agents are an integral part of our community, and we can’t wait for players – both new and returning – to experience the new twists, turns, perils, and puzzles IEYTD2 has to offer.” Following the events of I Expect You To Die, IEYTD2 sends you back into the immersive world of espionage and undercover danger. Leaving nothing to chance, the Agency has assigned you with the task of going deep undercover and putting a stop to the Zoraxis organization’s new scheme of world dominance. After all, you did stop Zor before and survived the Death Engine! Now, you’ll need to step up your super spy game! Take advantage of your telekinetic abilities in all-new environments and surroundings. Expose the diabolical plot and learn even more about Zoraxis. Risk your life for the greater good; because, remember: we expect you to die. We have plenty more surprises and information in store for you as we get closer to our release. But, until then, there’s more to uncover and decipher in these images – and perhaps even within this very article – for now! Stay sharp, Agents. We’ll be reporting back very soon. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/Mpx49yS8kwYView the full article

Grab your PS VR and Move controllers! A true, trailblazing made-for-VR action adventure is coming this summer! Fracked seamlessly combines fast paced, 1:1 run and cover gunplay with exhilarating free running, skiing and climbing that has never been seen before on VR. You can check out the teaser trailer here: Play Video I love gaming and I love VR – it has so much potential especially for us gamers. Since I started working in VR many years ago I’ve longed for a proper action adventure that includes the gameplay depth and freedom of traditional games with the immersion and control you only get in VR. I don’t just want to play games and watch movies on a TV when I can literally be the hero in my very own VR action movie. I’m also frustrated by the limitations of on-rails and stationary experiences – we’ve moved beyond this. So, with Fracked we set out to create a VR game from the ground up that does all this, seamlessly combining combat and free traversal gameplay in a single experience, just like transitioning between on-foot and driving when getting in and out of cars in an action game. In Fracked, we’ve cast the player as a hero thrown into the fight. Stuck deep inside a mountain fracking facility the region has been taken over by an army of gun-wielding, interdimensional maniacs known as (you guessed it) the Fracked! As the last hope for the world, you must take them down before it is all too late… We’re not going for subtlety here – it is bold, brash and uncompromising in its vision. And so is the gameplay – it is fast, exhilarating, and accessible. Skiing, running, climbing, base jumping and ziplining are all possible and all happen seamlessly and fluidly. No on-rails gameplay and cinematic cutscenes here, everything is 1:1 and driven by the player’s controls, movements, and actions. Combat is unconstrained too, combining free movement for outflanking foes with 1:1 grabbable cover and tactile weapon reloading. What we’ve shown so far is just scratching the surface – we can’t wait to show the breadth and variety of the game in the coming months. Here are a few other nuggets about the game I’d like to share: This is unashamedly a true VR game only possible with PS Move controllers! Climbing, ziplining, reloading and in-world interactions are all driven 1:1 by the player’s hands. We couldn’t do this using a traditional gamepad. Skiing requires you to physically lean to steer and control. As with the rest of the game it is integrated with the combat – we’ll be showing this in the weeks ahead. We have nicknamed the combat “run and cover” gunplay because it mashes run and gun action with an innovative 1:1 grabbable cover system to create an all-new VR-only combat style. Not only does it play differently to what you’ve experienced before, it feels different too. To maximise VR’s 360˚ potential and our free movement vision we have designed arena style combat encounters that double down on verticality. Whilst we have aimed for a new, stylish take on classic action cinema – think a 2021 version of Die Hard or Cliffhanger – below the surface there is a Robocop-style cutting-edge satire about corporate greed and the climate change emergency. If Paul Verhoeven made a VR game (which would be AMAZING), we don’t think it would be a million miles away from Fracked! The game is getting PS5 enhancements! Those playing on PS5 can expect improved framerates, loading times and resolution. For those playing on PS4 and PS4 Pro, never fear, it looks incredible and plays the same. We can assure you that it is a complete coincidence that the name sounds a lot like a popular/unpopular profanity. We can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on it. Fracked will be launching this summer exclusively on PS VR. In the meantime, we’d love to hear what you think! Let us know in the comments below. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/E3-XnhE8ZPMView the full article

The sun is setting, and the dense trees are casting long shadows across the forest. My fire is fading, too, its light flickering in the gloom. From the bushes, I hear a growl, low, and hungry. I have one question. How do I survive the night? That’s the same question we at 17-Bit want you to ask yourself while you’re playing our brand new VR survival game, Song in the Smoke, coming to PS VR in 2021. Song in the Smoke’s world is a beautiful, yet deadly one, but fortunately, it also gives the player a range of options to keep themselves alive for another day. I cycle through them quickly as the monster in the bushes comes closer. I could craft a stronger weapon. I have a tree branch, and could take my knife to it, carve it down into the perfect shape for a new bow, before stringing it with sinew that I dried yesterday. Or should I break the wood, snapping it in two with a motion of my hands, before burning it for vital warmth, hoping that the flames last all night and keep whatever is stalking me at bay. Or I could turn the tables by trying to hunt what is hunting me. I can hide from the beast, and then find it by tracking its scent and following its footprints, taking the time to crouch and sharpen my senses in the cover of long grass, before lining up a shot with my bow and loosing an arrow into its heart. Or maybe I should explore, try to find a new camping spot before the sun goes down. I saw a strange green glow on top of a cliff yesterday, but night was closing in and I needed to get back to the warmth of my fire. There’s still some daylight, I could climb that rock face and uncover its mysteries, taking a torch to light my way and scare off the beasts of the night. Survive or die The first priority is always survival in Song in the Smoke. That means hunting and scavenging for food to stave off hunger, and it means choosing safe campsite locations to sleep at to avoid exhaustion. It also means concocting antidotes and healing tonics for poison and injuries, as well as staying warm, crafting clothes and building fires as I move from forests, through plateaus, to frozen peaks. It also means defending myself against attacks from the predators that share this world with me. Song in the Smoke’s beasts move with a weight that’s only possible in VR, and their attacks feel like being hit by a furry train. But while they’ve got their teeth and claws, I’ve got a weapon of my own – a crafted club – that I can use to block and parry their attacks. Facing down 200 kilograms of angry lion isn’t easy, but if I time my deflection just right, I can disorient the beast long enough to escape his attention. Or I could even strike back, swinging my club with my Move controller to send him running for safety with his tail between their legs. If I’m really lucky, my blow might take him down for good, allowing me to plunder his corpse for trophies and other valuable resources. Hands-on survival It’s a dangerous world, but thanks to PS VR, my survival is put into my own two hands. I eat by bringing food to my real-life mouth; turn herbs into tonics by mashing them with tools and pouring them into containers, and carve wood by taking a knife to its surface. When I need to defend myself – or hunt for my dinner – then I can also rely on human instincts. Firing a bow feels natural: I pull the string with my Move controllers, line my eye up with the arrow, and release. If I’ve aimed it right, then my target is hit in its heart, and I’ll eat tonight. If I miss, then my prey will be spooked, and I’ve wasted an arrow. If I want to eat properly, I’ll need a fire. After I’ve built a pit, I’ll smash two rocks together, hoping for the spark that lights my kindling, before building my precious campfire slowly, tending its embers to become a roaring flame. With enough fuel, I can keep it burning through the night, warding off the creatures that call the dark their home, and ensuring I can wake up fully rested. Are you afraid of the dark? When I’m feeling braver, I can capture some of that fire with a torch, and venture out into the dark. Some of Song in the Smoke’s most valuable rewards can be found under cover of darkness, but I’ve got to be careful. Night, as it was to our distant ancestors, is a real danger, and I’m not the only one padding through the depths of the forest far past my bedtime. Predators lurk in the gloom, watching from the shadows cast by my flickering torch. They’re joined by something else, as well – something truly primal – that stalks the midnight hours. But as I explore my environment, start to learn its secrets, track down its items, and battle its predators, I can do more than survive – I can start to thrive. I can craft better weapons, build tanning and drying racks to upgrade my items, and outfit myself with warmer and stronger clothes. When I’m ready, I can start to make plans to move on to the next zone, towards the mysterious giant tree in the distance, spurred on by visions of a strange shaman who seems to dwell in another world. At first glance, the world of Song in the Smoke is like our own, but spend some time in its starkly beautiful spaces and the strangeness becomes apparent. Deer drink at watering holes alongside dangerous purple-feathered bipeds; odd weasel creatures frolic through foliage before disappearing into the undergrowth, and venture further in your journey and you might catch a glimpse of a beast so large it looks more like a lumbering boulder. Your journey may seem like a solitary one, but if you’re lucky, you might also spy some friendly souls to guide you on your path, or the remnants of people who may have come before. Choose life Every time you play Song in the Smoke, we want you to be asking yourself these same questions. Should I craft a new bow, or make do with old faithful? Is this the perfect campsite, or should I pack up and move into that cave on the cliff side? Am I ready to fight that strange shimmering monster that I saw stalking just over the ridge line? And most importantly of all: how do I survive? In Song in the Smoke, the choice is yours. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/S-fHHXIbxksView the full article

Take a trip to Mars you won’t soon forget with the power of PlayStation VR and Doom 3: VR Edition. The game arrives March 29 for PlayStation 4 and is backwards compatible on PlayStation 5. Take your Aim controller in hand, put on your PS VR headset, and step into the armored boots of The Doom Marine. Fight for your life as one of the few survivors left in a UAC facility overrun by demons. Play Video Doom 3: VR Edition features Doom 3 and its expansions, Resurrection of Evil and The Lost Mission, retooled for PS VR technology. Uncover the secrets of the UAC’s unholy experiments, encounter uncanny monstrosities in claustrophobic environments, and wield an arsenal of iconic (and even otherworldly) weaponry with new textures, shaders and sound effects as you survive against the forces of Hell across over 15 hours of heart-stopping action. Feel even closer to the terror with all-new VR enhancements that allow you to peer around corners, angling your shots with flashlight-mounted weapons using motion controls, 180-degree quick-turn functionality to catch demons sneaking up from behind and an immersive wrist-mounted display to track your health, armor and ammo. Combined with the original Doom 3’s critically acclaimed blend of action and horror gameplay, virtual reality fans are in for one Hell of an experience with Doom 3: VR Edition. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/gPMV-uuFugwView the full article

PS VR Spotlight, which focuses on upcoming games for PlayStation VR, returns today. Unlike last time, we won’t be making you wait too long to find out what the reveals are: all the announcements will be dropping throughout the day. Every half hour in fact, right here on PS Blog, with the first happening imminently: in 15 minutes at 7am PT / 3pm GMT / 4pm CET. Not long to wait. There’ll be six announcements in total and all new reveals of PS VR games launching later this year. We were delighted by the enthusiasm we saw from the community around last week’s announcement of our next-generation VR system for PS5. We’ll have more to share in the future. But in the meantime, stay tuned right here to learn more about some of the amazing PS VR games launching in 2021! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/-54Rbhf7ou0View the full article

Essential Picks returns to PlayStation Store on Wednesday, March 3, saving you up to 60% off a range of PlayStation games for a limited time*. That includes the likes of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, NBA 2K21 and Just Cause 4 – Gold Edition. See below for a sampling of titles to come, then head to PlayStation Store tomorrow for the full list of games. See below for a sampling of titles to come, then head to PlayStation Store for the full list of games and your regional discounts. A Way Out Age of Wonders: Planetfall – Invasions Age of Wonders: Planetfall – Premium Edition Age of Wonders: Planetfall – Revelations Age of Wonders: Planetfall – Season Pass Age of Wonders: Planetfall – Star Kings Batman: Arkham Knight – Premium Edition Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – Cross-Gen Bundle PS4 & PS5 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – Ultimate Edition PS4 & PS5 Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! Cities: Skylines – Campus Cities: Skylines – Cities Upgrade Bundle Cities: Skylines – Downtown Bundle Cities: Skylines – Green Cities Cities: Skylines – Industries Cities: Skylines – Mass Transit Cities: Skylines – Mayor’s Edition Cities: Skylines – Natural Disasters Cities: Skylines – Parklife Cities: Skylines – Premium Edition 2 Cities: Skylines – Season Pass Cities: Skylines – Season Pass 2 Cities: Skylines – Snowfall Cities: Skylines – Sunset Harbor Cities: Skylines – Ultimate Content Bundle Code Vein – Deluxe Edition Detroit: Become Human Detroit: Become Human – Digital Deluxe Edition Dishonored Definitive Edition Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Dissidia Final Fantasy NT – Digital Deluxe Edition Dissidia Final Fantasy NT – Season Pass Dragon Ball FighterZ Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture Final Fantasy IX – Digital Edition Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Final Fantasy XV – Episode Ardyn Final Fantasy XV – Episode Gladiolus Final Fantasy XV – Episode Ignis Final Fantasy XV – Episode Prompto Final Fantasy XV – Royal Edition Final Fantasy XV – Royal Pack Final Fantasy XV – Season Pass Final Fantasy XV Multiplayer: Comrades Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition HD Firewall Zero Hour For Honor: Complete Edition Gauntlet: Slayer Edition Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy Jump Force – Ultimate Edition Just Cause 4 – Gold Edition L.A. Noire LEGO Harry Potter Collection Mad Max Madden NFL 21 Superstar Edition PS4 & PS5 Metro Exodus: Gold Edition Middle-earth: Shadow of War Middle-earth: Shadow of War – Expansion Pass Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV NBA 2K21 NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition Bundle Need for Speed – Deluxe Edition No Heroes Allowed! VR Overcooked! Overcooked! + Overcooked! 2 Overcooked! All You Can Eat PGA TOUR 2K21 Digital Deluxe PlayStation VR Worlds Prison Architect – DLC Bundle Prison Architect – Going Green Prison Architect – Island Bound Prison Architect – Total Lockdown Edition Prison Architect: All Day and a Night DLC Prison Architect: Escape Mode DLC Prison Architect: Psych Ward DLC Project CARS 3 Deluxe Edition RIGS: Mechanized Combat League Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Saints Row: The Third Remastered Secret of Mana SnowRunner South Park: The Stick of Truth Steep Stellaris: Apocalypse Stellaris: Console Edition – Deluxe Edition Stellaris: Console Edition – Expansion Pass Two Stellaris: Console Edition – Leviathans Story Pack Stellaris: Console Edition – Plantoids Species Pack Stellaris: Console Edition – Utopia Stellaris: Distant Stars Story Pack Stellaris: Humanoids Species Pack Stellaris: Synthetic Dawn Story Pack Super Stardust Ultra VR Surviving Mars – First Colony Edition Surviving Mars – Green Planet Surviving Mars – Project Laika Surviving Mars – Season Pass Surviving Mars – Space Race Surviving Mars – Space Race Plus Surviving Mars – Stellaris Dome Set The Crew 2 – Gold Edition The Inpatient The Sims 4 – Backyard Stuff The Sims 4 – Bowling Night Stuff The Sims 4 – Cool Kitchen Stuff The Sims 4 – Dine Out The Sims 4 – Fitness Stuff The Sims 4 – Jungle Adventure The Sims 4 – Kids Room Stuff The Sims 4 – Laundry Day Stuff The Sims 4 – Luxury Party Stuff The Sims 4 – Moschino Stuff Pack The Sims 4 – Movie Hangout Stuff The Sims 4 – Outdoor Retreat The Sims 4 – Parenthood The Sims 4 – Perfect Patio Stuff The Sims 4 – Realm of Magic The Sims 4 – Romantic Garden Stuff The Sims 4 – Spa Day The Sims 4 – Spooky Stuff The Sims 4 – StrangeVille The Sims 4 – Tiny Living Stuff Pack The Sims 4 – Toddler Stuff The Sims 4 – Vampires The Sims 4 – Vintage Glamour Stuff The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack The Survivalists Trials of Mana UFC 4 – Backyard & Kumite Customization Packs UFC 4 – Fighter Bundle UFC 4 – Gladiator Vanity Bundle UFC 4 – Rainbows & Unicorns Vanity Bundle UFC 4 – Starter Bundle UFC 4 – Tyson Fury & Anthony Joshua Bundle UNO UNO: Ultimate Edition Until Dawn Until Dawn: Rush of Blood Warface – Cosa Nostra Pack Warface – Essential Pack Warface – Nuclear Pack Warface: Breakout – Deluxe Edition Watch Dogs: Legion – Gold Edition PS4 & PS5 World of Final Fantasy World of Final Fantasy – Maxima Upgrade DLC World of Warships: Legends – Arkansas Brawler World of Warships: Legends – Pocket Battleship WWE 2K Battlegrounds Digital Deluxe Edition Yooka-Laylee – Buddy Duo Bundle *Essential Picks promotion runs from midnight Wednesday March 3 (local time) until Wednesday March 27, 23:59pm (local time). http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/rN2Z1pk_aSQView the full article

Hi everyone, I am super excited to tell you about Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition, coming to PlayStation 5 on March 4. Myself and the rest of the team have been blown away by the positive response to Mortal Shell. Our fans have asked us many times whether an upgraded version of Mortal Shell is coming to PS5, so I am delighted to finally have the chance to tell you everything that the Enhanced Edition will bring to the next generation. Before I do, here is a brand new Enhanced Edition trailer for you showcasing what we’re bringing to next gen. Play Video From the moment we got our hands on the PS5, we have been diving into its power and capabilities to find the best ways to bring Mortal Shell to a new generation. Whether you’re taking your first steps into Fallgrim, or returning to face its most vicious and grotesque adversaries, our goal is to turn up the immersion and make everything feel more brutal than ever. That means fluid 60fps gameplay (targeted), razor-sharp 4K visuals (upscaled, with 4K compatible display), enhanced textures and DualSense controller upgrades that give you more of a physical connection to the game. From mobs to brutal boss encounters in 60FPS As soon as we were able to get Mortal Shell running on PS5, we noticed immediately how the 60fps frame rate made a huge difference. Each perilous swing of your sword seems so much more fluid now. Even the Ballistazooka – the heavy shoulder-mounted ranged weapon that launches spears – is far more responsive as you aim your crosshairs onto your target. Explore Mortal Shell with enhanced textures It was incredibly important to us that Enhanced Edition made the most of PS5’s advanced hardware. Our aim was clear to us: provide players with a version of the game that really shows off the PS5’s power. With a 4K resolution running throughout and improved textures, we’re very happy with the difference, check out the video below to see for yourself. Textures have been enhanced across every part of the game to make the game feel extra sharp. Water glistens, armor shimmers, and your tarnished seal glows in a sleek new 4K resolution. Strategic combat with a DualSense controller touch Mastering the weight and feel of each weapon and piece of armour in Mortal Shell was vital when we were focusing on the development of the game, so when we heard about the capabilities of the DualSense controller we knew it would be a perfect fit for a next-gen version. We can’t wait for you to experience the whispering sounds and heartbeat vibrations resonating from your controller as you approach a new shell, as well as the adaptive trigger feedback when your character takes that final blow and runs out of stamina. Fighting a Brigand ranger for the first time? Get the edge in combat as you feel the haptic feedback of projectiles shooting past – and the added impact if one of those projectiles hits you! Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition is available March 4 as a completely free next-gen upgrade for existing Mortal Shell players who have already bought the game on PS4. For new players, this upgraded next-generation version will keep to its last-gen launch price of $29.99 (€29.99 / £24.99). http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/dTpcHimbLCoView the full article

At SIE, we strive to provide the best entertainment experience for PlayStation fans, and that means evolving our offerings as customer needs change. We’ve seen tremendous growth from PlayStation fans using subscription-based and ad-based entertainment streaming services on our consoles. With this shift in customer behavior, we have decided to no longer offer movie and TV purchases and rentals through PlayStation Store as of August 31, 2021. When this change takes effect, users can still access movie and TV content they have purchased through PlayStation Store for on-demand playback on their PS4, PS5 and mobile devices. We thank our fans for their continued support, and we look forward to further enhancing the entertainment experience on PlayStation. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/6QCfHA8RBgsView the full article