Commander Fury

It’s a pleasure to meet everyone. I’m Hokuto Okamoto, the producer of Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. I’m ecstatic to announce the release date for the latest installment in the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest XI, for everyone in the West: Septebmer 4, 2018! Dragon Quest XI was developed so that it would become a culmination of sorts for the series up to now, a title that essentially represents “a new beginning” despite it being the latest game in the Dragon Quest series. The game itself has been received quite favorably by consumers since its release in Japan, and I believe the title has shaped up to become something “both nostalgic and new” for existing fans of the series, and something that ignites the desire to play the other titles in the series upon completing the game for those experiencing Dragon Quest for the first time. The game’s scenario amounts to one of the most epic narratives in the series. Much time was spent localizing the game in an effort to properly communicate and deliver the rich localities that amass “Erdrea”, the world of Dragon Quest XI. But, reflective of the time spent, it is truly shaping up to become a wonderful game. Of course, it does not end with localization. Some arrangements are being made throughout the game to ensure greater accessibility for Western players, including voice overs and adjustments to the UI design such as the menu. For example, the Equipment screen in the Japanese version reflects the traditional text-only UI, familiar to Japanese fans, but the Western version adopts a UI that displays icons so that it is easier to visually grasp certain information such as the weapon type. The scenario, characters, and overall universe were particularly praised in Japan, but I’m especially excited about hearing what kind of sentiment and impressions everyone overseas will have towards the game! Please look forward to Dragon Quest XI! PSN Pre-orders Start Today Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is coming to the West on September 4, 2018. Pre-order now on PSN to receive the exclusive “The Legend Reborn” Theme (shown above) as an instant reward, along with in-game DLC items when the game launches (Vest for Success, Seed of Skill x15, and Über Agate of Evolution x3). View the full article

Hi there! David Leon here, studio director from the Lince Works team. We’ve got some great news that we’ve been really edging to tell you for quite some time now, so here goes. Over the last few months we’ve been hard at work on a new expansion to Aragami. We’ve called it Aragami: Nightfall and it’ll be releasing very soon. First off, all of us from the team want to send an immense thank you to all our fans who supported the original game. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to remain independent and develop our games in the way we want and we’d never have been able to even do something like Aragami: Nightfall if the game didn’t reach so many people. So again, from the bottom of all our hearts, thanks for joining our stealth ninja family! For those new to the game, let me catch you up quickly. Aragami is a 3rd person action stealth game where you play as an undead assassin with the power to control the shadows. It’s built on our love of the true stealth classics – Tenchu, Metal Gear Solid, Mark of the Ninja. They delivered a real sense of tension and strategy, which we believe has been missing over the last few years. To us, there is something special about being outmatched, outnumbered, and alone. Not having any ability to gun down waves of enemies in one swoop or relying on regenerating health. Your main weapons are your cunning, your sword, and darkness. You can use your powers to play as a Ghost, remaining undetected and getting to your target without a whisper. Or you can play a total Demon, slaying everyone in your path and using your powers to wreak havoc on those who would stand against you. Aragami: Nightfall is all of this with more added in. So, what’s new in this expansion? What is Aragami: Nightfall? Aragami: Nightfall is a whole new story and campaign that takes place before the events of the original game. You will play as either Hyo or Shinobu, two deadly shadow assassins who are looking for a mysterious ‘Alchemist’. Their journey will take them through all new areas, challenges, and scenarios, answering many questions and mysteries from Aragami along the way. For Aragami: Nightfall, we gave Shinobu and Hyo all new moves and powers. If you played Aragami before, you will notice that both new protagonists have new weapons and finishing moves, which they can use to dispose of their enemies in creative ways. To go along with the new kills, we’ve introduced new Shadow Powers. One of the new additions is the Shadow Grenade — perfect for blinding a group of enemies. The Kunai is making a comeback – but with an explosive twist. And finally, Twin Shadow will allow you to call upon your teammate to assassinate a specific target you marked. The best part? Players can ninja their way through everything in single player mode, or together with a friend in online co-op. Once again, we want to thank all of our fans for allowing — and encouraging — us to create more content for Aragami. Nightfall will be here soon, and we will show you more footage as we get closer to launch. We are always looking for comments, feedback, questions, and ideas, so don’t be shy: let us know what you think! View the full article

AG Pilots, the time is upon you. It’s time for you to experience Wipeout in a way you have never experienced it before. Suit up and put on your PS VR headsets, because this is a rollercoaster ride like no other! With a free update available today, your copy of Wipeout Omega Collection will be playable in PS VR. Simply update your game, switch on your headset and your main menu will transform into a 3D world with ships zooming right past you. You can select any game mode, be it Racebox or Campaign, and play the full game in virtual reality from start to finish. We’ve added three new VR exclusive ships in HD, Fury and 2048 classes for those with PS VR headsets. Look in amazement as you are placed into a cockpit and can zip around your favourite tracks from a brand new perspective. Not only that but you can also enjoy the game’s soundscape in full 3D audio, making this the most immersive way to play Wipeout. The update will also feature the new remix of Shake It by competition winner Vieille Griffe. For those of you who haven’t yet picked up Wipeout Omega Collection, now is the perfect time. View the full article

We have some great news for those who have been waiting to jump into PlayStation VR. Starting tomorrow, March 29, we’re reducing the MSRP of PS VR, now starting at $299.99 USD/379.99 CAD (MSRP). This new pricing provides an even greater value for PlayStation fans at a perfect time, with must-play PS VR titles like Moss and Sprint Vector. There is also plenty to look forward to this year like Firewall Zero Hour, Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, WipEout Omega Collection, Blood & Truth and many others. Here are the PS VR bundles included in the MSRP reduction. PlayStation VR Doom VFR Bundle $299.99 USD/379.99 CAD (MSRP) Originally $399.99 USD/499.99 CAD (MSRP) Includes a PS VR headset, PlayStation Camera, PS VR Demo Disc 2.0 and the Doom VFR Blu-ray Disc. Doom VFR brings the fast-paced, kinetic gameplay fans of the series love as an all-new virtual reality experience. PlayStation VR The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR Bundle $349.99 USD/449.99 CAD (MSRP) Originally $449.99 USD/579.99 CAD (MSRP) Includes the PS VR headset, PlayStation Camera, two PlayStation Move controllers, the PS VR Demo Disc 2.0 and the Skyrim VR core game and all official add-ons. Skyrim VR brings to life the epic open world of The Elder Scrolls in an immersive virtual reality experience. This year on PS VR it’s all about the content, with more than 180 games and experiences expected to launch by the end of the year, adding to a catalog of 220 PS VR supported titles already available in the U.S. Check out our list of games coming this spring. Whether you’re into action/adventure, horror, puzzles or racing, PS VR’s deep content lineup will allow you to discover an entirely new world of play. So, which PS VR titles are you looking forward to playing? View the full article

From the developers of Disgaea and Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk, Nippon Ichi Software brings The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 exclusively to PS4 today! For those of you who are worried about not having played the first game, fret not! The stories may take place in the same world, but they are standalone tales. The game is set in a beautiful land known as Kevala, where powerful witches use terrifying sorcery to threaten residents of small villages. These witches are borne from an epidemic known as the witch disease. Unfortunately, Amalie’s younger sister, Milm, falls ill with this disease, and the helpless little girl is subsequently banished from her village. Seeking help, Amalie takes Milm to the Weisse Ritter, an organization whose mission is to eradicate the witch disease. They attempt to cure her, but the procedure fails, and Milm awakens as Chelka, a powerful witch that gives life to Milm’s doll, Hundred Knight. In The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2, you will take on the role of Hundred Knight to do Chelka’s bidding. However, due to an incomplete awakening, Chelka is still burdened with Milm’s emotions and pain, so you must mow through lands brimming with enemies and monsters while Chelka attempts to rid herself of Milm. With several facets that give Hundred Knight different weapon and build options, the player can enjoy a variety of gameplay styles. Want to swing a huge hammer at enemies with the Power Fortress facet? Or cast a ton of devastating spells with Marginal Gaze? Additionally, Hundred Knight has some more tricks up its sleeve in the form of Tochkas that offer extra skills, and it even has a finishing blow called Depletura! New to this game, Depletura deals additional damage to the enemy while allowing Hundred Knight to gain Giga Calories, which gives it energy to recover HP (picture eating a huge burger and having that burger feed you for days…). These additional features make battles a ton more fun, because so many skills, so many weapons, and so many enemies make for a brawl you won’t wanna miss! Of course, it wouldn’t be a Nippon Ichi game without multiple endings! And The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 is no exception. Your choices will alter the ending of the story, so there are plenty of reasons to replay and see how the tale unfolds in your hands. Will you rid Kevala of the witch disease, save Milm, or just stand by as witches destroy the world? The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 arrives exclusively on PS4 today, and we look forward to seeing you in the mystical land of Kevala! Till next time, dood! View the full article

For Far Cry 5, Ubisoft Montreal are beefing up their post-launch support to deliver a lasting experience that will take the Far Cry franchise to places it’s never been before. Building on the philosophy that made Far Cry 3’s Blood Dragon expansion such a roaring success, the team are aiming to deliver not one, but three huge expansions, while offering players the chance to create their own varied experiences in the ever-evolving Far Cry Arcade. We caught up with Associate Producer Phil Fournier to find out more. 1. Different but connected The three main DLC expansions, which will take players to wild new locations, time periods and even into space, won’t be a direct continuation of events in Hope County, but they’ll still have their own place in the Far Cry universe. “The essence of Far Cry, for us, has always been to put players in a context or situation they’re not really expecting and I think our three story expansions for Far Cry 5 are really a great statement to that effect,” explains Fournier. “All of the three DLCs really have their own identity – Mars, the Vietnam War, a post-apocalyptic, zombie scenario – but, at the same time, we found ways to tie them into the main Far Cry 5 narrative. You might find, or hear about characters you met in the main game in these strange new places – even on Mars! I can’t elaborate too much on that, but let’s just say there’s a character in Far Cry 5 who believes we’re being ‘watched’ and, you know, maybe they’re right!” 2. More than just a ‘re-skin’ While some expansions are designed to simply elaborate on what already exists, Far Cry 5’s DLC expansions will each constitute a deliberate deviation from what can be found in the mainline story. “Each expansion feels like something new: you’re going to be playing with different features and new toys in uniquely-realised open-world scenarios. We’ve really invested a lot of time and effort into that ensuring these were not simply ‘re-skins’, but that that each represents its own distinct experience,” elaborates Fournier. “We had entirely different teams, like Ubisoft Shanghai, running the development from start to finish and they really did an awesome job of capturing the essence of Far Cry 5 in brand-new scenarios and environments that deliberately turn things on their head.” 3. Everything connects back to Far Cry Arcade A major new feature for Far Cry 5 will be Far Cry Arcade, a bold evolution of the series’ popular Map Editor mode that encourages players to take familiar assets – not just from the main game, but from past titles and partner Ubisoft titles, like Assassin’s Creed Black Flag – and build new levels themselves. Aside from their own narrative-driven adventures, the three expansions will have something of their own to add to Far Cry Arcade. Fournier didn’t want to give too much away, but he put it like this: “We’ve got some surprises for people who are into Far Cry Arcade. There are going to be a lot of tie-ins between the DLC expansions and Far Cry Arcade: we can’t wait to give players the tools to dream-up crazy new scenarios. What’s more, if players want to create an environment that you can’t find in any of our main games or the the expansions, it’s really up to them: they can create something brand new.” 4. Far Cry Arcade will keep the game keep evolving The diverse sandbox of possibilities offered by Far Cry Arcade mode is designed to bring the players themselves into the creative experience and expand the world in unexpected ways. The team at Ubisoft Montreal are planning to support this in the long term… “With the addition of Far Cry Arcade you can expect a lot more content dropping more regularly, so players can really get creative and get to build their own maps and game modes. You’ll be creating your own rules in the Far Cry universe and there’s really no limit to your imagination. I mean, you can create a map full of… bears, if you want, and stick Cheeseburger in the middle that and see what he does – maybe he’ll make friends! “If the mainline Far Cry 5 game is a cake – with all its layers – then Far Cry Arcade is our cookbook. We give you all of the tools and ingredients and then it’s up to you, the player, to make your own scenarios, anecdotes and moments that you can share with rest of the community.” 5. The experience is designed to be collaborative One of the things the developer seems keen to achieve with Far Cry Arcade is to break down some of the walls between the professionals who build the games and the communities that interact with them. The ambition is simple: let players be the builders for a change and let the developers do the playing. Fournier explains how this will work: “Once the game releases there’s gonna be a lot of maps, scenarios and missions created by various Ubisoft teams – Montreal, Toronto and others – and we’re gonna plant the seed of what’s possible with Far Cry Arcade. Then we’re gonna step back and just let everybody else loose.” At the same time, the team are keen to avoid a free-for-all scenario where great maps and levels get buried, so you won’t just be creating, you get to champion the levels you love. “As you finish every map there’s a rating system: if you liked it or maybe didn’t like it so much, you can let the community know. We want to promote the ideas that are the most interesting, or crazy or innovative. We want to engage the community through Far Cry Arcade and I think it’s a really great way to get a glimpse of what it takes to make a game – a complex game, like Far Cry. “You can also expect our teams in Montreal and other offices to be running different live events to encourage the community to engage and create – in previous games we had things like Map Challenges, where we’d create a voting system to expose the work that players had done, allow people to vote for their favorites and then give out some swag.” The system promises to create masses of community-curated gameplay scenarios that allows players to not only share their own ideas, but to promote other talented creators around them. After five years of hard work, seeing just what wild ideas will be thrown up by this is one of things Fournier is most looking forward to: “I’m really interested to see what the community comes up with here, to see their creations being shared online and to sit down and play them myself – hopefully at home on my couch, when I finally have some time off after the game ships on March 27th!” Here’s hoping Phil gets a well-earned break once the game is finally out in the wild! You can get all of the forthcoming season pass content, along with Far Cry Arcade and the story-driven mainline campaign with the Far Cry 5 Gold Edition, available now on PlayStation Store. View the full article

With God of War mania in the air, Kristen, Justin and I trade notes on Santa Monica Studios’ divine action epic, hitting PS4 on April 20. Plus: Far Cry 5 impressions, Fortnite talk, news you can use, new releases, and so much more. Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Stuff We Talked About Our initial God of War impressions Kristen’s ongoing journey through Final Fantasy VII Justin’s futile attempts to git gud at Fortnite Far Cry 5 (out next week, pre-order now!) Recent Episodes 284: Wayfaring Stranger 283: Fast-Forward 282: Blogcast and Quill The Cast Sid Shuman – Director of Social Media, SIEA Justin Massongill – Social Media Manager, SIEA Kristen Titus – Social Media Specialist, SIEA Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] View the full article

Step up to the plate. The long-running, critically acclaimed baseball series returns next week with MLB The Show 18 on PS4. Developed by San Diego Studio, MLB The Show 18 expands on the meticulously crafted gameplay of the franchise with refined pitching, hitting, catching, throwing, and tagging. The Road to the Show mode also returns alongside new home run celebrations, dynamic crowds, and more than 1,000 new gameplay animations. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop! New Releases: Week of March 27, 2018 Atari Flashback Classics Vol. 3 PS4 — Digital (Out 3/29) Atari Flashback Classics Volume 3 brings more classic arcade, Atari 2600, and 5200 games to the latest generation of consoles and – for the first time – vintage hits from M Network. Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings PS4 — Digital, Retail Lydie and Suelle are twin sisters, who are also alchemists, living in Merveille, the capital of Kingdom of Adalet, and they aim to make their atelier the best atelier in the kingdom. bit Dungeon + PS4, PS Vita — Digital You and your beloved friend were captured by demons. You wake up what seems like hours, maybe even days later trapped in a prison cell, and your friend is missing. You find a sword in your cell and vow revenge against the beasts who took your friend Bridge Constructor Stunts PS4 — Digital Stuntman and engineer in one? No problem with Bridge Constructor Stunts! Build imposing ramps and loops to reach your goal in the diverse stages. Code: Realize Bouquet of Rainbows PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 3/30) Cardia, alone in a mansion on the outskirts of a 19th century steampunk version of London is a victim of a mysterious affliction that makes her touch lethal. Cardia is pursued by the Royal Guard, kidnapped by the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, and joined by a myriad of other handsome men from the best of western literature. Code: Realize Future Blessings PS Vita — Digital (Out 3/30) The Romance(s) continue! Experience new scenarios taking place after the main story as well as more in-depth looks at events that happened in the shadows of Cardia’s previous adventures. Far Cry 5 PS4 — Digital, Retail Hope County, Montana, has been overrun by a fanatical doomsday cult – The Project at Eden’s Gate. On your arrival, you must spark the fires of resistance to liberate the community. MLB The Show 18 PS4 — Digital Your team. Your rivals. Your buddies. Your hometown. No matter why you play or why you love baseball, MLB The Show 18 is for a fan like you. MX vs. ATV: All Out PS4 — Digital, Retail Choose between bikes, ATVs, UTVs, refine your rider style at your private compound and blast across massive open worlds to compete head to head in various game modes! Preta: Vendetta Rising PS VR — Digital (Out 3/29) Preta: Vendetta Rising is a true hack-and-slash action RPG on VR! Build up your characters, craft powerful items, battle fierce monsters, raise pets to fight along your side, and challenge epic bosses with up to two other friends! Reverie PS Vita — Digital (Out 3/29) Save an island in peril on a childhood holiday. With restless spirits threatening the safety of Toromi Island’s inhabitants, Tai must venture through dangerous dungeons and across a variety of environments to put the spirits to rest. All in a summer holiday! RollerCoaster Tycoon: Joyride PS4 — Digital (Out 3/28) Soar through the sky with RollerCoaster Tycoon Joyride, a fully immersive coaster builder and rider exclusively for PS4 and enhanced for PS VR. Tempest 4000 PS4 — Digital (Out 3/28) Tempest 4000 is a visually stunning, action-packed tube shooter based on the classic hit arcade game, Tempest. The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 PS4 — Digital, Retail The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 is an action RPG in which you use weapon combos, skills, minions known as Tochkas, and armor types called Facets to battle your way through unique worlds. Lorne Balfe – Pacific Rim Uprising (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Led Zeppelin – How the West Was Won (Live) [Remastered] Various Artists – Isle Of Dogs (Original Soundtrack) Jack White – Boarding House Reach Proud Mary DCU: Suicide Squad Hell to Pay Don’t miss the series premiere of Billions, Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT on SHOWTIME Silicon Valley, March 25 at 10p/9c and Barry March 25 10:30p/9:30c on HBO The Pied Piper crew is back and getting reckless as they return for a new season of the hit comedy series, Silicon Valley, on Sunday, March 25 at 10p/9c on HBO. And at 10:30p/9:30c, don’t miss the all-new dark comedy series, Barry, starring Bill Hader as a low-rent hitman from the Midwest who falls in love with acting while on a job in LA. PlayStation Vue has your favorite sports, news and must-watch shows. The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

Last week, we asked you to bring the lens a bit closer by creating portraits from the game of your choice. You shared shots of your favorite characters with us using the hashtags #PS4share and #PSBlog, and we’ve looked through the stunning entries to choose this week’s highlights. @misterbayek caught an intimate moment between Bayek and Aya in Assassin’s Creed Origins. Aloy peers out from the shadows in @fox_hzd’s submission from Horizon Zero Dawn. Lara has been through the wringer in this survival portrait of the Tomb Raider from @merry.gone.round. @chxrkenne shared this detailed shot of a steely-gazed Senua from Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. We couldn’t resist sharing another stunningly detailed shot of Aloy, shared by @Darkshinfei. Search #PS4Share and #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in next week’s Share of the Week? Theme: Action Shots Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, March 28 This week, share your best moments of characters in the middle of an action shot, taken from the game of your choice. We’re talking chase scenes, mid-air leaps, thrilling fight scenes — share anything that happens where the action is to #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

God of War is almost here! By now, you’ve watched the videos, read the hands-on articles, and pored through the message boards. Now, why not hear directly from the man himself? Series veteran and creative director Cory Barlog joined me for a special PlayStation Blogcast episode. Listen to the whole conversation below, and check out some choice excerpts from the entire 20+ minute conversation. PSB: First of all, kudos. And I gotta say, this game is kinda not what I expected. Are you hearing that a lot? Cory Barlog: Yes. And honestly, that was the response we were hoping to elicit. We wanted, as developers, to flex our imaginations, our brains a little bit more. We wanted to expand this world, we wanted to see what would happen by changing little things, and how they would cascade into larger changes. PSB: I noticed a lot of little homages. They’re everywhere. Opening chests… shimmying across ledges… wall climbing… all these hallmarks, the things I associate as the mechanical foundation of God of War, I’m still seeing them reflected in this game. Was that a conscious decision? “There are secrets and references hidden everywhere.” CB: Oh yeah. I’m a lunatic when it comes to that stuff. There are secrets and references hidden everywhere. And I mean literally everywhere: We’re talking about physical packaging, menus, load screens when you hit the Options button, and stuff like that…. That’s one of the things I hope for a long time after, people saying “Did you know…?” I think that’s awesome. That’s the fun part about making games. There is a lot of complexity, but that complexity allows us to hide things that are really interesting and some that are really deep cut. PSB: This is a Kratos we have not seen…. [in past games] he was cruel, not really sympathetic. Tell me how you took this character who might have been a little bit two-dimensional and showed us a side of him we’ve never seen. CB: Yeah. Honestly, that is my favorite challenge we took on for this. As hard as it is to create a brand-new character….it’s harder to take a character everyone thinks they know and show a side of him that they don’t know. To show a sense of growth, and change. I think that’s very difficult. From a dramatic standpoint, that is an excellent challenge. He is part villain, part good guy. “Kratos? Subtler moments? That sounds insane!” As we developed through the later games we realized, too late I think, that hey, we’re not really growing with this. Going into this game, it was very deliberate. I said, “I really want to see what it would look like for a character like this to change.” It didn’t necessarily need to be a tectonic shift that suddenly rotates the poles of the Earth. It is more about small moves that show this kind of dimensionality, these sort of smaller, subtler moments… Which makes people scared too. “Kratos? Subtler moments? That sounds insane!” But it is possible. It’s just hard to explain to people, but then when you show them, [they say] “Oh, I totally get this.” PSB: You’re seeing this wiser Kratos, kind of a powerful thing if you know the character. But I also like this sense that Kratos recognizes himself a bit in Atreus, and it concerns him. This anger is a really interesting element for me. “That’s such a weird splash of cold water to the face, when you see the worst parts of you coming out in your kid.” CB: Yeah… honestly, that is such a weird splash of cold water to the face of a new parent, when you see the worst parts of you coming out in your kid. Oh, man. That just takes my breath away. When I see that in my son… I’m super neurotic, right? Sometimes I have a tremendously difficult time with patience. I’m probably a giant pain in the ass to work with…. I’m demanding at times, and very focused, and at times closed off. And I see that in my son, and it breaks my heart. And these are very minor things when you compare who Kratos is, and when he starts seeing the roots of what ruined his life manifesting in his kid. And he doesn’t understand or know how to fix that! Because none of us do. I don’t know how to fix that! It is not an easy path. I think that struggle, that constant failure, is so interesting to watch, right? Stay tuned to PlayStation.Blog for more God of War coverage leading up to launch on April 20. View the full article

“Look, Kratos needed to change.” Creative director Cory Barlog has a deep history with God of War. He served as art director on the original 2005 game, then as creative director for its acclaimed sequel. He even wrote Ghost of Sparta, the well-regarded PSP game developed by Ready At Dawn. Living with Kratos for so many years gave Barlog a deep perspective on the character and his motivations. “We intentionally made him loathed, an antihero. Now we’re trying to make him a character you care about.” But how? Barlog knew fans wouldn’t buy into a sudden tonal shift for the character. “It’s hard to believe somebody who’s a bad guy suddenly wants to change. You need a reason.” That reason, Barlog reckoned, was family. By tasking Kratos with responsibility for another life, a more nuanced, sympathetic character could gradually emerge — thus multiplying the dramatic potential. Enter Atreus, Kratos’s son and in-game companion. “Atreus is the mirror that shines on Kratos that makes him realize that he needs to change…. Atreus will pull the humanity out. Kratos will be shown his own humanity, and he’ll figure out how to embrace it.” Barlog was adamant that Atreus always be a benefit to the player, never a detriment. “It is not an escort mission. You never have to take care of him.” “It is not an escort mission. You never have to take care of him.” Crafting an effective companion took an enormous group effort, and plenty of research. “We looked at everything,” Gameplay Engineering Lead Jeet Shroff explained. “For me personally, Elizabeth [Bioshock Infinite] and Ellie [The Last of Us] stood out as areas of inspiration.” “We were cautious about what it would mean to introduce a companion character to a game of this scale,” Shroff elaborated. “Atreus will never steal a kill from you… he will always complement what you are doing.” Barlog is fully aware that some players may view Atreus with skepticism. “There are times when [kids] can be a little annoying. Then they start to endear themselves to you.” “Players in the playtests… they come in saying they hate children, this kid is such an annoyance, I don’t want him.” “Halfway through, they say ‘he’s alright.’ All the way at end, they say ‘I really wanted to hate this kid, but he’s my favorite character in the game.’” “I really wanted to hate this kid, but he’s my favorite character in the game.” Indeed, based on my recent hands-on time with the game, Kratos’s son Atreus stood out as one of the game’s best new elements. His quips and arrows land with equal impact, and he never comes off as a burden or a chore. He points out secrets, proactively disables enemies, and remarks on the changing battlefield conditions. And, tellingly, he seems to have the same anger management issues as dear old dad. “There’s this fantastic arc that they go on that’s paralleling so many of our own lives,” Barlog teased. “Our own relationships with our children, or our parents. It’s so universal.” I expect the relationship between Kratos and Atreus to be a key highlight when the final game finally lands on PS4 April 20. View the full article

Hello PlayStation fans, My name is Étienne Carrier, technical artist at Ubisoft Montréal. Far Cry 5 will be available in a few days and I can’t wait for everyone to start exploring the beautiful world the team has created. With Far Cry 5, the team deployed state-of-the-art tech to recreate the magnificence of our fictional world of Hope County, Montana. The sheer size of this world was quite a challenge for us. We needed solutions to fill up these large open spaces beautifully, quickly and with the flexibility to support numerous iterations. At the same time, we also needed to allow fine tuning of smaller locations to deliver tight gameplay experiences. Filling up empty space is easy, but filling it up so it looks natural was an even bigger challenge. Therefore, in order to reproduce the richness, variation and complexity of Mother Nature we saw in Montana, we developed a sophisticated procedural pipeline using Houdini and Houdini Engine. These tools are typically used in the cinema industry to create complex visual effects, but we harnessed them to push the boundaries to the next level. In nature, everything is tied together. Mountains will funnel the rainfall into streams, rivers and lakes, which in turn erode the land and affect the surrounding vegetation. That’s why we built an ecosystem of procedural tools to generate freshwater networks, cliffs and vegetation. When observing Montana’s distinct features, we were able to quickly identify some key visual aspects we needed to replicate. Large grasslands thrive on exposed hills, while Ponderosa forests creep through valleys. On the northern side of mountains, forests are spread thicker where the soil humidity is protected from direct sunlight. Each species of vegetation has its own reason for growing at any specific location. The conditions have to be just right, and then several species will fight for the ground where they can grow and thrive. The new biomes procedural system we developed simulates all of these phenomena and more. Our system allowed us to build biome recipes that react to the physical features of the land to ensure coherence throughout the world. It also gave us natural-looking vegetation patterns that can fluctuate with all the chaos that Mother Nature can muster. We wanted to reach a degree of realism never before seen for the Far Cry franchise, so we spent time on every detail, including reflecting the terrain humidity through the grasses and orienting grass assets on a wind vector map. Those familiar with the Far Cry franchise will remember that some plants are used as crafting ingredients. For Far Cry 5, we generated these plants through the new sophisticated vegetation system. Each species of plant can be found in its own specific type of environment. So when you dive into Far Cry 5, take the time to observe the environment where you pick up a particular type of crafting plant. The new world generation systems helped us deliver amazing results, but we’ve only barely scratched the surface. Hope County is beautiful and wild and we can’t wait for you to check out Far Cry 5 on March 27. View the full article

This year we’ve made a number of significant changes in MLB The Show 18 that we’re excited for you to get your hands on later tonight! Starting at 8PM PT, we’ll be streaming from live.playstation.com and counting down the minutes until the game is available from the PlayStation Store! In case you haven’t see all the latest news on the improvements and changes for this year, here’s a quick summary: Road to the Show New Archetypes and Attribute Caps – Create more believable players and they reflect the various types of players currently found in baseball. Each will have their own suggested primary positions, and there are specific ones for infield, outfield, and pitchers. New Two Part Progression – Road to the Show character progression is controlled by two parts: on field performance and Focus Training choices. On Field Performance – Every on the field action you make will feed into your player’s attributes and you will be able to track these gains, both during the game, as they happen, and at the end of the game, on the Base Gains screen. Focus Training choices – presents a quick choice experience where you choose from short list of options to specifically focus and train your player, in order to improve. You will choose the training exercise that suits your needs and then improve the specified attributes. Franchise Mode New Front Office Phases – We’ve broken Franchise mode down into 19 unique phases that contextualize the important moments general manager’s experience in a typical MLB season to help guide your franchise to success. New Retro Mode – New this year, play at any time with your franchise team in Retro Mode, bringing simplified gameplay controls and a retro presentation package to recreate that nostalgic feeling from past baseball video games. Critical Situations – As the season progresses, you’re prompted to join in on intense gameplay moments that occur during different games. Player Lock – Play as a single player on your team and experience the game from their perspective. Quick Manage – A text-based simulation that unfolds based on your decisions and input. You also have the option to jump in and out of the action at any time. Manage Full game – For our most hardcore fans that enjoy managing a team. You have the ability to jump in game as the manager and make every management decision for your team. Diamond Dynasty New Flexible Program System – Pick your missions and play through small programs to advance to larger programs to acquire highly coveted players like Babe Ruth from his heyday. Immortal Legends – We blew the roof off of the attribute system to support these Immortals in Diamond Dynasty. The cap on attributes now extends beyond 99, meaning the Ryan Express and the Great Bambino will command an unprecedented level of respect New Legends including Babe Ruth Earn new legends like Babe Ruth in Diamond Dynasty or take them out for a couple of swings in Franchise or Exhibition mode. New Batting Stance Creator Batting Stance Creator will allow you the opportunity to tweak and adjust that perfect batting stance to reflect your personal style. We even exposed the values, so you can share these with other people. All of these adjustments to provide a deeper level of customization and uniqueness to created players. As things start to heat up for baseball, check out the top 10 players of each position and their corresponding overall rating in MLB The Show 18 below! Don’t miss out on First Pitch weekend, starting on March 23 and giving early access (up to 4 days) to those who pre-order from participating retailer. You can also stay up to date on all things MLB The Show 18 by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. View the full article

Attention all hunters! The fearsome Deviljho has been sighted in the New World, and we need you to gear up, investigate and control the inevitable damage. With the version 2.00 update for Monster Hunter: World now available, hunters around the globe will be required to exercise extra caution while exploring the New World. The Deviljho, known for its extremely powerful jaws and relentless pursuit of prey, will start roaming all of the environments of the New World, during expedition and quests ranked 6 and 7 Stars. Make sure to pack plenty of Nulberries and Adamant Seeds. Hunters brave enough to track down this terrifying tyrant will have a chance to take on a Special Assignment called “The Food Chain Dominator.” Those that defy the status quo and come out on top will be handsomely rewarded with materials to craft powerful weapons and armor. The version 2.00 update also introduces the handy Dragonproof Mantle (which will be quite handy against Deviljho) as well as some game system changes and a number of weapon balance updates; you can read the full list on the Monster Hunter: World official website. This title update is just the beginning. From April 6th until April 19th, we’ll be hosting the first of our seasonal events in Monster Hunter: World—more details coming soon here at PlayStation.Blog!—and we have more of these big updates planned for the near future alongside our schedule of weekly event quests. The New World is about to get a lot more dangerous. View the full article

Many extraordinary stories have already been told about androids, whether it be in literature, film or television. But after having worked on Kara’s short video, I knew that the story I wanted to tell was different. My first decision was to take the androids’, rather than the humans’, point of view. Instead of the wicked AI who wants to destroy good humanity, I preferred a different angle: my story would talk about humanity on the decline: selfish, dependent on technology, concerned only with comfort. Opposed to this: a new, intelligent species that we created, which discovers the world, feels emotions and asks only to live. I wrote this story with the personal conviction that it was not only a story, but a vision of the future: how will we react when machines we’ve created become more intelligent than us and show signs of consciousness? Moreover, is consciousness only a question of computing power or is it something else? Rather than a single, grand narrative, I chose to tell the story of three androids, three characters who discover their emotions and must choose their destiny. I have been working on “multi-character” storytelling for several years (since Fahrenheit in 2005, even though Nomad Soul in 1999 already allowed control of dozens of different characters). It is a complex and exciting form of writing: it allows the player to stand in the shoes of several protagonists at the same time, to tell independent stories that meet, collide, intermingle, and above all tell the central narrative in a unique way. This approach, originating in literature (Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, for example), popularized nowadays by many TV series, works in my opinion particularly well in an interactive experience: the player passes quickly from character to character, between different contexts and scenes, discovering the story from several points of view, enriching his experience. We pushed this idea as far as we could, having three different composers (one per character) with radically different musical styles, three different moods, three different cinematographies, so that the player has a sense of playing three different games as they move from one character to another. Through the player’s decisions and the intersecting destinies of these three characters, the player tells their own story. Every decision is important because it may impact not only the fate of one character, but also that of the other two, or even change the course of events for the wider world. The destinies of Connor, Kara and Markus will be in your hands on May 25th. It will be up to you to tell their story. CONNOR – RK800 Connor is a prototype, named the RK800, created by CyberLife. His initial goal is to assist human detectives in their investigations by offering them technological assistance. He is also equipped with a social module specially developed to create the “ideal partner”, capable of integrating into any team. He is also equipped with special features, such as a real-time molecular analyzer and a sophisticated simulator that can reconstruct past events. He is exceptionally intelligent, cold and determined, ready to do anything to succeed in his mission. When the first cases of androids with abnormal behavior are reported, CyberLife offers to send this prototype to assist Detroit police. Connor has already undergone field tests involving androids, but this is his first investigation. Connor is sent to join Lieutenant Hank Anderson, a grizzled, alcoholic detective who hates androids. Connor will need to make use of his “psychology” module to earn the respect of his partner and discover the truth about deviants. MARKUS – RK200 Markus is an android who belongs to celebrated painter Carl Manfred, an old man who has lost the use of his legs. If at first Markus was only a machine in Carl’s eyes, a paternal affection has gradually developed. Carl treats Markus as if he were human, teaches him to paint, exposes him to literature and music; develops the android’s spirit a little each day. Eventually Carl comes to think of Markus like a son, much to the dissatisfaction of Carl’s biological son, Leo. Markus’ journey will take him from caregiver in the service of an old man to leading the historic android revolution. But to lead a revolution will be much more difficult than anything Markus can imagine: he must contend with the factitious disagreements of his people, face insoluble dilemmas, moral choices and sacrifice. He must choose a path between violence and pacifism, between a closed fist and an outstretched hand. Through his choices, Markus will write the history of his people and lead them to freedom… or destruction. KARA – AX400 Kara is an AX400 domestic assistant model created by CyberLife. The AX400 is a common model, designed to take care of the housework and look after young children. They can speak 300 different languages, cook more than 9000 dishes, help children with their homework and play with them. Kara is owned by a former unemployed taxi driver, called Todd Williams, a strange and unpredictable character. He is the father of a little girl named Alice, with whom Kara is tasked with taking care of. Under harsh circumstances, they quickly learn that they are not safe with Todd. Both will run away and struggle to find a path to freedom. Becoming fugitives, they will discover a disjointed world falling apart and understand the strange feeling that unites them. They will journey from encounter to encounter, confronting violence and hatred but also the empathy of those who keep hope. View the full article

God of War is GOLD, baby!!! Going gold is an important milestone for a game. In fact, it is one of the ‘big two’ really. You have getting ‘greenlit’, which kicks off the real development of your title, and ‘going gold’ as the two most important milestones in a game’s development cycle. The latter is the rite of passage that lets the team — and, more importantly, the world — know that the game’s development is pretty much complete. All that remains is the manufacturing and shipping part of the process. Going gold means so much more to me with this game. It has been a long and exhausting journey filled with laughs, arguments, and a healthy dose of fear – with a side of doubt. This was the scariest, most wonderful thing I have ever done and I can honestly say it would never have been possible without the full-throated support of Sony and the tireless work of the incredible team at Santa Monica Studio. We have been through a lot together and I would not change a thing. You are the best damn team a director could ever hope for and I am thankful beyond words for every ounce of passion and pride you put into this game. Because this story is about fathers and sons, I wanted to thank my father, James Barlog, a source of inspiration and a great writer, who instilled within me the drive to create and the fortitude to survive the difficulties that come with that vocation. April 20 is fast approaching and I speak for the entire team here when I say we truly cannot wait for all of you to get your hands on this game. Thank you to everyone for your support of an industry that allows me to prolong my childhood indefinitely and make a living telling people stories. — Cory Barlog View the full article

Grab a friend. You’ll need all the help you can get to spring from prison in co-op adventure A Way Out, our on PS4 on March 23. Take on the role of one of two prisoners and work together to make a daring escape that will take you on an unpredictable and emotional adventure. Play locally or invite a friend to play online (even if they haven’t purchased the game). For a full list of games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop! A Way Out PS4 – Digital, Retail (Out 3/23) A prison spree co-op adventure from director of Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons. Ark Park PS VR – Digital, Retail (Out 3/22) Ark Park is a virtual reality adventure, allowing players to get up close and personal with dinosaurs and their immersive primal environments. Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered PS4 – Digital Amid the French and Indian War, a fearless young member of the Assassin Brotherhood undergoes a dark transformation and follow his own creed in this remastered entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Assault Gunners HD Edition PS4 – Digital Join a battle mech peacekeeping force to protect the people of Earth and Mars, with over 100 mech-customisation possibilities and an enthralling horde mode. Attack on Titan 2 PS4 – Digital, Retail Abandon all fear in this gripping sequel to the action game based on the worldwide hit anime series ‘Attack on Titan.’ Audio Beats PS VR – Digital Audio Beats brings classic rhythm games to PS VR in the form of a futuristic drumming kit. Don’t Bite Me Bro! PS4 – Digital Take on the zombie apocalypse in this open-world 1-4 Player couch co-op game. Earthlock: Festival of Magic PS4 – Digital Save the world of Umbra, a harsh planet that stopped spinning thousands of cycles ago, from an ancient cult in this adventure RPG. Floor Plan PS VR – Digital Board an elevator to a series of adventurous puzzles that will keep you guessing. Lunar Stone: Origin of Blood PS VR – Digital (Out 3/21) Work to protect a set of magical moon stones from dark forces in this FPS game designed for VR. Mahjong Gold PS4 – Digital Join in the search for Long John Silver’s buried treasure in this pirate spin on classic Mahjong. Minefield PS4 – Digital Avoid hidden bombs in this modern twist on the classic Minesweeper-style puzzle game. NeuroVoider PS Vita – Digital NeuroVoider is a twin-stick shooter RPG set in a cyber futuristic world about brains shooting around evil robots with nuclear rocket launchers to defeat the master NeuroVoider. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom PS4 – Digital, Retail (Out 3/23) Re-enter the animated world of Ni no Kuni in the sequel to the role-playing masterpiece developed by LEVEL-5. Octahedron PS4 – Digital Take on a precision vertical action game set in a mysterious neon world. You must get into the flow of the pumping, atmospheric soundtrack, as enemies and traps move along with the rhythm. R.B.I. Baseball 18 PS4 – Digital Start a whole new ballgame in R.B.I. 18, with all-new Franchise Mode, Home Run Derby Mode, brand new detailed player models, hundreds of new animations, high fidelity MLB ballparks, and more. Titan Quest PS4 – Digital, Retail Ancient Titans have escaped their eternal prison, wreaking havoc upon the earth. The gods seek a hero who can turn the tide in an epic struggle that will determine the fate of both men and gods in this action RPG. Velocity 2X: Critical Mass Edition PS4 & PS Vita – Digital, Retail (Out 3/23) This sci-fi platformer with top-down shoot ’em-up gameplay takes players to a galaxy ruled by the evil Vokh, aliens who believe they have a divine right to rule the universe. Free enslaved races and stop the Vokh before they can discover and invade Earth. Where Are My Friends? PS4 – Digital (Out 3/21) You’re just an eyeball trying to find your friends in this experimental adventure, where each level is a wildly different gaming style. World of Warriors PS4 – Digital (Out 3/21) Let Battle commence! Coming exclusively to PS4, World of Warriors lets you summon the greatest warriors in history to do battle across the Wildlands. Tomb Raider – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Stone Temple Pilots – Stone Temple Pilots PRhyme – PRhyme 2 Insidious: The Last Key (plus Bonus Features) The Greatest Showman Krypton Don’t miss the series premiere of Krypton, Wednesday, March 21st at 10/9 c on SYFY PlayStation Vue has your favorite sports, news and must-watch shows. The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

Last week, we sent you to India’s Western Ghats to create stunning shares from Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. While you helped Chloe and Nadine search for the Golden Tusk of Ganesh, you shared your best shots with us using the hashtags #PS4Share and #PSBlog. After looking through a treasure trove of submissions, here are this week’s highlights. @DeliRicia captured this lush landscape while Chloe swung into action. Speaking of lush landscapes, @glenlee_92 caught this colorful action shot of our protagonists on the move. We loved the use of color and negative space in this minimalist shot from @ReinaDeErebor. @onlyps4gamer shared this quiet moment of wonder from Chloe and Nadine. Search #PS4Share and #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more stunning entries to this week’s theme. Theme: Portraits Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, March 21 Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? This time, we’re broadening the theme while bringing things in a bit closer. Share portraits taken from the game of your choice to #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured next week. View the full article

With Yakuza 6: The Song of Life launching next month, we wanted to celebrate everything that is awesome in the series with the “Essence of Art” exhibit. At Gallery Nucleus in Los Angeles county from March 17th – April 1st, we’ve gathered a collection of artwork from the series and stunning tribute art from fans and Sega staff, all showing their love for the game. The first 200 people to buy something Yakuza-related on-site will receive an exclusive a pin of everyone’s favorite Onomichi mascot, Ono Michio-kun! You don’t want to miss out on opening night (March 17th) as we have a jam-packed schedule. For starters, we have special guests attending including the Producer & Head of the Ryu ga Gotoku Studio in Japan, Daisuke Sato. The person who designed all the tattoos for the game, including the fierce dragon on Kiryu’s back, Horitomo, will also be in attendance. Horitomo’s original tattoo artwork will be publicly displayed for the first time at the gallery AND he’ll also be showing off his skills with a live drawing demonstration. Both Sato-san and Horitomo will be participating in a Q&A and autograph session with fans. Select art prints will be available for purchase as well as exclusive merchandise including these Yakuza 6: The Song of Life t-shirts (while supplies last). Both the launch and premium editions of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life will be available for pre-purchase at the gallery. All attendees who purchased a copy at the show will receive their collector’s art book signed by both Horitimo and Sato-san. There are more surprises in-store that we can’t reveal here just yet, including a “special” announcement. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, be sure to check out the Yakuza 6: The Song of Life “Essence of Art” exhibit starting March 17th. Can’t make it on opening night? We’ll be streaming the event on Twitch! Hollie Bennett from PlayStation Access (one of the biggest Yakuza fans out there) will be hosting, so come join us on Sega’s Twitch channel Saturday evening! View the full article

Roll call, PlayStation Nation! Randy here from Bandai Namco. Today, I’m thrilled to share that everyone’s favorite little witches will be enchanting players this Spring, as Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time releases on PS4 May 15th, 2018! Based on the popular anime series Little Witch Academia, join Atsuko Kagari and her friends in an all-new original story, as they work together to solve a mysterious occurrence at Luna Nova Witch Academy in this side-scrolling action adventure RPG. For those of you unfamiliar with the series or need a refresher, let me drop some knowledge. Class is in Session! Little Witch Academia is an anime series created by famed anime studio, Trigger, known for their work on Kill la Kill. The series follows Atsuko Kagari a.k.a Akko, an ordinary girl who enrolls into Luna Nova Academy after seeing a famous witch, Shiny Chariot, in action at a magic festival. From then on, it becomes her mission to enroll in the same school Shiny Chariot attended and become a great witch just like her. Here you follow her journey from ordinary girl to witch, making a variety of friends and going on adventures along the way. The series is currently streaming on the Netflix app on your PS4s in case you’d like to do your homework. Assignment Time! Now that you have some background, let’s talk about what you’ll be embarking on in Chamber of Time. As Luna Nova quickly approaches summer break, our loveable Akko finds herself getting in trouble (as usual). She ends up getting sentenced to clean the school’s library by teacher, Anne Finnelan. Upon putting a book away, she unlocks a strange chamber concealed behind one of the bookshelves and decides to investigate. The hidden chamber reveals a lounge that leads into a dungeon! After escaping the dungeon, a weird occurrence happens where the day repeats itself over and over again. It’s up to Akko and her friends to solve the mystery and get things back to normal so they can finally start their vacation. You’ll build a party of three witches, choosing from fan favorites like Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Diana, and a few others as you explore dungeons and battle your way through various bosses. Then, you’ll earn points and unlock new spells that you can use to customize each character, including Shiny Arc! If that’s not enough excitement for you, we have a real treat for the fans. Don’t be Tardy! For fans of the series, one of the coolest features of this game is that it allows you to explore the halls of Luna Nova Academy! Watch as characters and areas from the series come to life! Walk, run, and sneak your way through classrooms, halls, and various areas with Akko. Unlock game events as you visit teachers, talk to students, and eavesdrop on conversations! Live the life of a student and immersive yourself in the craft. Once you’re done with classes, we have some extracurricular activities and rewards for you! Come Aboard! Exclusively for our PlayStation fans, we have a special treat for you! When you pre-order Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time not only will you receive the beautiful Chamber of Time PS4 Theme, but you’ll also receive the Magic Knight Grand Charion mini-game. Jump onto the Grand Charion ship and shoot your way to the end where your magic ship transforms into a giant robot! Hone your skills and earn your high score! See you in class! We can’t wait for you to get enchanted with Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time on May 15th! Until then, in the words of Shiny Chariot “Just believe in yourself, that’s your magic.” View the full article

Hello! We’re awfully excited about virtual reality here at PlayStation headquarters, especially with recent releases like The Inpatient, Moss, and Sprint Vector proving that VR can deliver a wide range of immersive experiences across various genres. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of more than 30 games that are currently targeting a PlayStation VR release during spring 2018. Of course, it’s always possible that some of these titles could shift forward or back and end up launching outside of this timeframe, but the list below is what we’ve got on deck as of today. We’ve plucked out a few of our most anticipated ones and highlighted them in the list, but we’d love to hear which ones you’re looking forward to… chime in below! Anamorphine Apocalypse Rider Ark Park Snail Games In a spinoff from the popular action game, ARK: Survival Evolved, Ark Park enables you to engage in various adventures in a dinosaur theme park. Traverse the facility and interact with the various species there; hunt rogue dinos that have managed to get free of the effects of their “taming” devices; and engage in dinosaur breeding by collecting eggs. Chromagun VR CoolpaintrVR Crisis of the Planet of the Apes Twentieth Century Fox The good news: You’re an ape with above-average smarts. The bad news: You’re held captive in a guarded facility while humans seek a cure for the “Simian Flu” that’s ravaged the planet and which threatens mankind’s existence. Can you find your way to freedom and escape the coming catastrophe with the others of your kind? Flatline Experience The Other Side Floor Plan Headbutt Factory Hopalong: The Badlands Island Time Just in Time Inc. Killing Floor: Incursion MLB Home Run Derby VR Nothin’ But Net One Piece Grand Cruise Pixel Ripped 1989 Prana Preta: Vendetta Rising Quar Infernal Machines RadianVR Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality Adult Swim Games Virtual Rick-ality gives you the opportunity to bring Cartoon Network’s Rick and Morty into your living room for a PS VR adventure that involves puzzle solving, intergalactic travel, button pushing, alien fisticuffs, smashing things and Rick occasionally… er, frequently yelling at you. Rooms the Unsolvable Puzzle Separation Smash Hit Plunder Triangular Pixels When a game’s title has “smash” in it and the gamemakers describe the game as a “a PlayStation VR tear-it-up,” you’re in for a fun time. Fresh out of magic school and back at the family castle, it’s up to you to use your new skills to find treasure that’ll you need to pay off your family’s debts. Super Amazeballs Super Kaiju Syren The Perfect Sniper Time Carnage Torn Aspyr Torn, a mystery inspired by classics like The Twilight Zone, is set in the Vermont forest where you discover a house full of secrets. What you find there are numerous experiments, inventions, gear and documentation that reveal a lot about the doctor who lived there — however, they’re also remnants of a man who’s been missing for 64 years. VR Apocalypse War Robots VR: The Skirmish Xing: The Land Beyond White Lotus Interactive Right out of the gate, this first-person puzzle-adventure title tells you that you’re dead. Not a great start. From there, you’ll explore at your own pace in an entertaining trek through the afterlife, with the story revealed mostly through poetry. It promises to be a unique game suitable for new and veteran VR adventurers alike. View the full article

You’re Invited to the FUT Birthday Party! It’s time to celebrate nine years of FIFA Ultimate Team! For this special FUT Birthday celebration, look for a wide variety of events including the return of the FUT Birthday squad, End of an Era and FUT Birthday player SBCs, and much more. This year’s FUT Birthday squad is made up of players that dominated at different positions in previous versions of FUT, all of which will be available in packs as special player items for the entire event. These new items open up fresh and inventive ways of FUT squad-building, thanks to position changes and upgraded ratings. You’ll discover all kinds of Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) available during FUT Birthday, including the next End of an Era SBC celebrating a top player that retired from professional football in the past year. Speaking of retired stars, get ready to beef up your FUT squad with the next batch of Prime ICONS in FIFA 18, which will be released during the Birthday event. Not only available in packs, these items can also be obtained by completing SBCs. Even St. Patrick’s Day is included in this year’s massive celebrations! Get in on the Luck of the Irish with Weekly Objectives that reward special Irish player items with upgraded ratings that can be used to complete certain FUT Birthday SBCs. As you dig into the festivities, you‘ll find SBCs that are repeatable over the course of the event, as well as Daily Birthday Wish SBCs that offer high value rewards. Themed Objectives that reward in-game kits and other club items that you can show off during FUT matches are also going to be available. The FUT Birthday celebration might be jam-packed, but some SBCs and other events won’t last long — don’t miss any of it by logging into FUT every day starting today at 11am Pacific! View the full article

Among The Crew 2’s extensive car, bike, boat, and plane line-up, the Harley-Davidson Iron 883 2017 stands out as much more than just another sweet ride. Developer Ubisoft Ivory Tower has been working closely with the legendary bike manufacturer to deliver a unique experience that’s faithful down to the last pixel. Vehicle Designer Frederic Marchetti and Vehicle Physics Designer Sylvain Branchu know the Iron 883’s every detail, and have shared five things their re-creation adds to The Crew 2. A chance to (virtually) test drive one of Harley-Davidson’s most popular motorcycles Frederic Marchetti: The Iron 883 is one of Harley-Davidson’s most popular motorcycles worldwide, with its characteristic blacked-out, stripped down style. Like with all of our licensed vehicles, re-creating the Iron 883 took meticulous work from our design team to make sure the in-game version of the bike is 100% faithful to the original. We’ve had a very tight relationship with the Harley-Davidson team from the get-go; they shared the bike’s technical specs with us, and stayed in touch throughout the whole modeling process. Checking out official Harley-Davidson parts for customization FM: One of Harley-Davidson’s core specificities is customization, and it was crucial for us to do it justice. First, we’ve created a large selection of official custom parts from the Harley-Davidson catalog, and worked very closely with the manufacturer’s team to get them right. Players will be able to take their pick from the original model’s exhausts, seats, and rims, not to mention all of the 2017 Iron 883 official paint colors. So they will get a good idea of things they could add to the bike in real life! Discovering The Crew 2 exclusive custom parts FM: One of the things we really enjoy about working with Harley-Davidson is that they constantly push us to come up with our own creations and ideas for customization. This is what we did with the Iron 883, and I have to say we’re all very proud of the result. Players will have access to exclusive parts that we’ve made specifically for this model in The Crew 2. My favorite is this badass skull-shaped headlight. Of course, the fact that we’re designing these custom parts for a game opens up a lot of opportunities. For example, we went crazy on the design of the exhausts, using shapes and materials that wouldn’t work in real life. It’s ideal ride for navigating traffic Sylvain Branchu: The Iron 883 is swift and easy to handle, which makes it a very versatile ride. We’ve translated this to the bike’s in-game physics by tuning more than 200 parameters, and conducting tests in all kinds of locations and weather conditions. As a result, it gives players an edge when negotiating urban environments and taking on our most daring street racing challenges. The best way to take a road trip across America SB: When you say Harley-Davidson, the first thing that comes to mind for a lot of people is the classic American road trip on iconic cruisers. Although the Iron 883’s style is clearly not that old-school, it’s definitely powerful enough to take you on a long journey. We obviously had to make sure that was part of the bike’s characteristics in The Crew 2, so that players can use it to cross our gigantic open-world version of the United States – that’s basically every rider’s dream! PlayStation owners can hit the road on the Harley-Davidson Iron 883 2017 when The Crew 2 arrives June 29 on PlayStation 4. View the full article

Ready to save the world just in time for dinner? 60-second adventure Minit will hit PlayStation 4 on April 3! Jan Willem Nijman, Jukio Kallio, Dominik Johann and I started working on Minit over a year ago, wanting to make a big adventure with a tiny twist. The main gameplay mechanic in Minit is based around a horrible curse from a mysterious sword washed up on the shore. Picking that up was a bad idea! This curse gives you exactly one minute each time you venture out from your home, after which the clock ticks down and drops you dead right where you stand. But you’ll be surprised: through confident action and clever planning, a lot can be accomplished in just sixty seconds. A huge quest, and only so little time, but there are a few elements working in your favor. Any items gathered during a run will be yours forever, regardless of how many times the clock runs out. Find a heart? Gain more health. Find sneakers? Faster running. Drink coffee? You can… get stronger and push boxes?! Anything you find will give you new abilities, and they all stick with you until the end of time, literally. While you keep restarting from your home, there are other comfortable abodes out there. Once discovered, you can start your next run from any one of them, opening up new adventures in every direction. Minit is filled with unique puzzles that aren’t simply about finding the fastest route from A to B. Hopefully players will enjoy this 60-second world as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it, with its extremely slow-talking NPC, mysterious crocodile shopkeepers, and endless empty desert definitely not hiding a secret temple. The launch of Minit on April 3 is right around the corner, and we can’t wait to see what you think! View the full article

Hey PlayStation fans, it’s Sascha and Jens here from Radiation Blue! We are happy today to show off our latest trailer for our debut title Genesis: Alpha One. In case you don’t know much about it allow us to provide a few more details. Genesis: Alpha One is a revolutionary mix of roguelike, FPS, base building and survival that puts you in the role of an interstellar pioneer. As the Captain of a Genesis starship, you journey into uncharted space on the ultimate mission: find new homes for humanity’s DNA and save the species from extinction. To do this you will need to build and manage your spaceship, discover planets and harvest resources from them, clone new crew members, and create new lifeforms to populate new worlds… and of course defend yourself from terrifying alien infestations on your ship! Nobody said saving humanity would be easy. We are really excited to share with you today that while exploring the universe you will not be confined to the starship that you call home, but will be able to take your harvester down to planets that you discover on your travels. When you touch down on these previously undiscovered planets your trusty crew of clones will set about mining for resources that you need to expand your ship. You can either help them out or explore for artifacts, new weapons, blueprints and transmissions all of which will help you in your quest. You may also have to defend yourself and your crew from any hostile alien life forms that populate the planet. Be careful not to take back any unwanted passengers back to your starship! We would love to hear what you think about Genesis, and we look forward to showing you more about the game between now and launch later this year! View the full article