Commander Fury

It’s almost time! One of the most iconic characters in PlayStation history will step into a strange and perilous new realm when God of War returns April 20 on PS4. To mark the big day, we’re celebrating on live.playstation.com with Countdown to Launch: a week of new videos, giveaways, and a launch-night livestream brimming with special guests. Read on for details on what you can expect over the next seven days leading up to the launch of God of War! Launch Night Livestream There’s plenty of good stuff happening next week, but you can’t miss our livestream on launch night. We’ll go inside the development of God of War with a look at early development materials, and we’ll speak with special guests including Cory Barlog, Bear McCreary, Christopher Judge, and Sunny Suljic. What: God of War Launch Livestream Where: live.playstation.com When: 7:30 PM Pacific, April 19 Why: Gameplay! Special guests! Giveaways! Giveaways What better way to join the excitement than bedazzle your account with new PlayStation avatars? We’ll have three God of War avatars available as giveaways during the countdown for US, Canada, and LATAM. The first goes live on April 13. Complete a simple quest on live.playstation.com between April 13 and April 19 to earn the avatar. The second avatar goes live on April 15, and also requires completing a quest. But! The third avatar is a little more exclusive. To earn it, you’ll have to watch our livestream on April 19 at live.playstation.com to complete the quest. And it’s only available that night! Don’t miss it. Check out full details and rules at the official site. Win a PS4 Pro God of War Bundle For those of you celebrating God of War launch week in the United States, you can enter to win a PS4 Pro bundle! Log in to live.playstation.com between April 12 and April 19, complete a quest, and then watch our livestream on April 19 to click on the sweepstakes tab. You’ll be entered to win this amazing bundle, alongside a few other prizes — like a Gold Wireless Headset. Join us for this milestone in the long history of the God of War series, and we’ll see you on April 19! Click here for official sweepstakes rules. View the full article

For longtime fans of the Yakuza series, Kazuma Kiryu has always represented justice and strength. He’s a good man who never says no to those in need and his willingness to take decisive action brings out the dragon in all of us. It’s ironic that a man like this would come from a criminal organization – but that, of course, reminds us of the goodness in people. To celebrate the release of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, we partnered with Liquid Advertising’s creative team and director Christopher Ewing to explore the legend of the Dragon of Dojima from an unexpected point of view – through the eyes of a few memorable characters who had small but important parts to play in Kiryu’s adventures over the course of the series. Fans will remember Tatsu, Yuina, and Haruka from the substories “Prodigal Son,” (Yakuza Kiwami), “The Bouncer” (Yakuza Kiwami), and “Another Haruka” (Yakuza 5). In this series, we catch up with each of these characters as they remember the time they crossed paths with the Dragon, who not only put himself in harm’s way to save them from danger, but also demonstrated a generosity and resolve that changed their lives for years to come. But what happened to them after their encounters with Kiryu? That is what these shorts aim to answer. Tatsu pieces together tattered memories while wandering the streets of the business district he calls home. Yuina, a respected club owner, deals with an unruly customer as she recalls the time she met Kiryu. Haruka takes us back in time through the streets and playgrounds of the neighborhood she grew up in. To create an authentic sense of place, we filmed each of their stories on location in Japan, capturing the unique light, grit, and beauty of the world that has captivated fans of the series for over a decade. Together, these recollections give us a new look at the legend of Kazuma Kiryu, as those who live in his world see him – a kind and strong protector who will always answer a cry for help. View the full article

In Detroit: Become Human, players will be able to control three very unique characters. Although Kara, Connor and Markus are all androids, they are of different makes and have a very different background and function in society. To emphasize these three very different stories, we decided to entrust the original soundtrack to three composers with the aim to create distinct musical colors fitting our main characters’ identities and to sustain their individual arc. To stress Connor’s very cold and mechanical behavior, we chose a primarily electronic soundtrack. For Kara, we wanted a music that would be emotional and moving, underlining her quest for identity, love and empathy. For Markus, we needed a soundtrack that would be epic and represent the grand aspect of his journey. We were very fortunate to find three very talented composers who accepted this highly unusual approach. Kara Main Theme Composer: Philip Sheppard We first contacted Philip Sheppard, a composer and cellist who composed Kara’s soundtrack. We had chosen one of his compositions early on in the development when searching for a track for the Detroit announcement trailer. David was particularly moved by a track called Wind Storm and which featured very pulsating cellos. Philip is a cellist and has been composing soundtracks for film and television for many years. Connor Main Theme Composer: Nima Fakhrara We then contacted Nima Fakhrara who worked on the movie The Signal (dir. Will Eubank), which had attracted our attention. We were particularly intrigued by the fact that Nima created custom instruments for his projects, something we thought could be very interesting for Detroit: Become Human and Connor’s very special characterization. Markus Main Theme Composer: John Paesano John Paesano’s epic orchestral compositions on Daredevil (Netflix) and The Maze Runner (Dir. Wes Ball) got us interested in his work. His approach felt like the perfect pairing with Markus. We contacted each of them, met them in LA or London, and explained to each what we had in mind for the project. Together with Mary Lockwood (music supervisor) and Aurélien Baguerre (lead audio) we setup a collaborative framework allowing each of them to be fed creatively with game assets exchanges with writer/director David Cage on a regular basis, and communication with the two other composers to be able to create unique scores within the same world. It has been a complex endeavor but also an incredibly gratifying journey to work with each of them, resulting in a very unique soundtrack for the game, which we hope players will enjoy starting 25th May. Be sure to take advantage of the limited timed pre-order offer of the Digital Soundtrack, or the Collector’s Edition Soundtrack (Upgrade) within the Digital Deluxe Edition. View the full article

Discover The Creators is a PlayStation Store curation program in which we’ve asked some of the biggest names in the biz to pick their favorite PS4 games in order to help your find your next game to play. It’s an honor to be able to share some of my favorite games on PlayStation 4 with all of you. The games below are just a few of my favorites, but this list is by no means exhaustive — PlayStation 4 has one of the most robust and diverse games libraries of any console to date. Thanks to the tens of millions of dedicated players and fans, and the tireless work of amazingly talented developers around the world, we’ve entered a golden age in gaming. Please enjoy the list of games below, and I look forward to playing with all of you on PS4! Rocket League In many ways, Rocket League embodies every game developer’s aspirational goals – it is an unbelievably fun game that relies on simple, easy to understand, mechanics that are incredibly deep and difficult to master. Rocket League’s simple mechanics coupled with an outrageous premise makes this one of the quintessential multiplayer games to experience. Rainbow 6 Siege Intense. Tactical. Strategic. Competitive. Rainbow 6 Siege is my favorite multiplayer FPS of this generation. Its unique combination of tactical gameplay with a refreshing take on classes, perks, and abilities makes for an unbelievably tense and competitive experience. If you’re even remotely a fan of first-person-shooters, Rainbow 6 Siege is a must play. Fortnite Battle Royale… a term we were probably all unfamiliar with until recently, now it’s a multiplayer gaming phenomenon. Fortnite is arguably at the forefront of the Battle Royale genre – offering up a slew of unique features, modes, and mechanics that separate it from its competitors. With the ability to build on the fly, and its fast-paced game flow, Fortnite offers up non-stop action and emergent gameplay as 100 people attempt to be the last-man-standing. Join me, and millions of others, in Tilted Towers the Game… wait, no, Fortnite – sorry, but seriously; I hope to see all of you at the basketball court in Tilted Towers. Cities Skylines City building games are often thought about in the past tense – as a genre that was once synonymous with gaming, and now non-existent. However, Cities Skylines represents the best in a modern city building simulator; with slick UI, a realistic simulation engine, and a sublime orchestral soundtrack, you can melt away hours upon hours as you build the city of your dreams. Gran Turismo Sport Is it even possible to have a list of the best games on a PlayStation console and not have Gran Turismo on the list? I think not! There are few things in gaming that are as rewarding and frustrating as making a gold time on every license test in Gran Turismo. And Gran Turismo Sport continues to keep its racing tradition alive, while also entering a new era with online competition and eSports. If you’re a racing fan, or perhaps just a competitive oriented player, there’s no excuse not to try the latest entry in the storied Gran Turismo series. Okami HD Okami HD is one of my favorite games from the PS2 era. Okami’s visual aesthetic has proven to be timeless, and it’s one of the few games to combine both gameplay mechanics and visual aesthetics together in a meaningful way. As you paint your way through Okami’s beautiful and challenging world, you’ll experience not only beautiful visuals, but also one of the best action adventure games ever released on a PlayStation console. Grim Fandango Remastered I grew up playing point and click adventure games as a kid, so it’s no surprise to see Tim Schaeffer’s Grim Fandango on this list. Grim Fandango is one of the most delightful point and click adventure games ever made; its sly sense of humor, quirky characters, and clever puzzles make it a blast to play through. If you’ve never played a classic point and click adventure, give Grim Fandango a shot – es maravilloso! Metal Gear Solid 5 Metal Gear Solid 5 is one of the best examples of a “textbook” masterpiece. Yeah, the story is crazy, and I’m still not quite sure what’s going on, but it really doesn’t matter. MGS 5 is a fantastic game that provides you with a set of tools and a sandbox in which to use them… from tactical stealth gameplay, to absolutely hilarious traps and decoys, you can spend hundreds of hours playing with this game’s world, its AI inhabitants, and its unique set of mechanics. Limbo/Inside Normally, I’m not that excited about story driven games – I’m not a fan of cut scenes, I dislike dialogue boxes, and, more importantly, I really dislike when a game forces me to stop playing in order to tell a story; which is why Limbo and Inside are on this list. These games tell a riveting story without a single spoken line of dialogue or cut scene. Limbo and Inside highlight the intrinsically unique ways in which video games can tell a story through interactivity and everyone should experience their wonderfully crafted narrative. Hitman Hitman is one of my favorite long running franchises, and it’s one of the best stealth games available on PlayStation 4. Hitman is a game that will challenge your ability to be creative… how do you want to accomplish this objective? Should I steal a guard’s uniform to sneak past the security detail? Or maybe I’ll set off a decoy and force them to relocate. Or, better yet, maybe an incredibly rare and unfortunate “accident” will take the guards out of the equation. In Hitman, all of these possibilities – and many more – are readily available at your fingertips, and it’s up to you to decide how to complete the mission. Resident Evil 7 (VR) Let’s be honest – exploring a creepy, dilapidated, mansion in the backwoods of Louisiana probably isn’t on the top of many bucket lists, but Resident Evil 7 on PlayStation VR certainly makes a strong case for why it should be. Every creak, wisp of wind, banging shutter, and ghoulish sound will make you wonder if it’s really a good idea to turn around. Resident Evil 7’s incredible atmosphere highlights the impressive ways in which PlayStation VR can transport you to a completely different world. Head over to PlayStation Store now to browse Lance’s list as well as picks curated by Ed Boon, YOKO TARO, Cliff Bleszinski, and more. View the full article

We’re celebrating the year of Mega Man’s 30th anniversary later this year with the upcoming release of the brand new Mega Man 11, and even sooner, we’ll be revisiting the iconic storied history of the post-apocalyptic Mega Man X series on PS4. All eight X games will be playable across Mega Man X Legacy Collection and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 when they debut on PlayStation 4 — with some all-new features — on July 24. I hope you’ll join me in reflecting on the unique history this series shares with PlayStation, where many of these games made their first debut. The letter “X” is significant. It can represent unknown variables, mark hidden treasure, and holds an important place in fields of study like aerospace and genetics. In the field of technology, the “X” moniker can also signal the next phase of powerful hardware. The original PlayStation was codenamed “PS-X” before its launch – a mysterious and exciting codename that hints at new graphical potential. Speaking of powerful hardware, “X” is the name given to Dr. Light’s enhanced robotic successor to Mega Man in the Mega Man X series. The etymological connection is a fun one, but PlayStation and the Mega Man X series also have a deeper connection. Mega Man X3 Before the first PlayStation hit the market, Mega Man X dashed onto the video game scene in 1994 during the 16-bit era as an evolution of the classic Mega Man formula. The titular blue robot jumps and shoots his way through eight varied stages, steals a weapon from the Maverick boss at the end, and takes down an evil mastermind. In addition to a more sci-fi aesthetic and grittier tone, Mega Man X layered on exciting gameplay enhancements, like dashing and wall jumping. These new abilities opened up new combat possibilities for players, and made the 16-bit reinvention much more than a fresh coat of paint. This pitch-perfect gameplay extended through Mega Man X2 (1994) and X3 (1995) in the 16-bit era, delivering a trio of tough-but-fair adventures featuring X and his ally Zero in their fight against the maniacal Sigma. In 1997, following the 16-bit era, the Mega Man X series deployed exclusively onto CD format consoles – including PlayStation – to thrilling results. X and his mysterious Maverick-hunting friend Zero came to life in beautifully animated cutscenes of Mega Man X4, solidifying the X series as far darker and grimmer than the ever-endearing classic Mega Man series. For the first time from the outset of the game, players could choose to blast through stages as X with his trusty X-Buster, or slice and dice through Mavericks as Zero with his nimble Z-Sabre. Players could further enhance X with discoverable armor sets that offered benefits such as improved mobility or defense, allowing players to customize their play style, while Zero learned new, powerful special moves with each defeated Maverick. Mega Man X4 was just the beginning of a long-running alliance between X and Sony’s powerful machine. Mega Man X6 PlayStation became the sole destination to experience the Mega Man X series as it evolved following Mega Man X4. Mega Man X5 (2000) iterated on the tried-and-true eight-boss formula by adding new objectives such as crafting a spacecraft and enormous laser cannon to help combat mounting forces. Mega Man X6 (2001) tasked players with rescuing fellow Maverick Hunters before they became corrupted by the deadly “Nightmare” virus. Mega Man fans experienced more than intense, satisfying gameplay throughout these sequels – they also watched beloved characters die, and witnessed surprising story connections between the X series and the original Mega Man lore. We could never look at Dr. Wily the same way again. The launch of PlayStation 2 marked the beginning of a new era of video games, and the ever-trustworthy X ventured into this new frontier. PS2 opened up new possibilities for 3D video games, and Capcom capitalized on the new tech by debuting the first (and only) Mega Man X game to expand beyond the two-dimensional plane. Mega Man X7 (2003) allowed X, Zero, and their new blaster-wielding friend Axl to explore a more immersive version of the series’ world with increased depth and a new auto-aim system. Mega Man X8 (2004) returned the series to purely side-scrolling roots while retaining the detailed 3D character models and environments PS2 made possible. The latest entry in the series introduced new features, such as the ability to call on partners mid-battle for huge, screen-filling attacks, and the ability to mix and match armor pieces to fit your needs. The all-new X Challenge mode lets players face off against two Maverick bosses at once! Looking back is important and insightful, but playing these classics is the best way to enjoy them. On July 24, you’ll find Mega Man X Legacy Collection includes: Mega Man X, Mega Man X2, Mega Man X3, Mega Man X4, and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 includes: Mega Man X5, Mega Man X6, Mega Man X7, Mega Man X8. Both collections will be available digitally or at retail in a two-disc bundle. Each collection includes the full games, along with a huge collection of archived art and historic trailers, and the new X Challenge mode that pits X against two deadly Maverick bosses from various X games at once. A skilled Maverick Hunter is only as powerful as his tools enable him to be – so reach for that trusty DualShock 4 controller and its familiar directional buttons on July 24. It feels like home. View the full article

Hello PlayStation gamers! My name is Rick Lico, Animation Director for Polyarc. I’m here to talk with you all about Quill, the protagonist of Moss. Let me kick this off by asking you a question, dear reader. If you had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring your own character to life in your own game, who would that character be? Would your character be a bold hero? A physical representation of societal tropes? A disco assassin wearing fish tank platform shoes tearing up Studio 54? Our answer to this question is Quill, a confident, secure, self-reliant, impetuous young mouse. We’re eternally grateful to our fans for their overwhelming support of her. In fact, I’ve never seen people have such a stark, emotional reaction to a character that I’ve worked on before. Numerous reviews for Moss often mention how real Quill feels. People are genuinely building an emotional bond with her. But what is it about Quill that inspires this reaction? “Not only does this show that she’s aware of your presence… it implies she has a soul.” Part of her appeal comes from the fact that she’s inside of virtual reality. For those of you who have used a VR headset, you know what a powerful experience it can be. A well-crafted world in VR with realistic character performances can really immerse players. And to make Quill feel real, we focused on what makes VR unique and natural. Things like giving her the ability to make eye contact. This mutual acknowledgement really helps players build a relationship with the character. Not only does this show that she’s aware of your presence, but it also implies she has a soul. Providing the player with more natural gestures, such as waving, can also be very powerful. When you see your friend from across the room, and you want their attention, what do you do? You certainly don’t press the X button. So, we wanted our players to be able to wave to Quill and have her respond in kind. This helps to elevate her beyond a simple gameplay avatar. But the most meaningful form of communication between people is touch. It’s an act of intimacy on many levels which can evoke powerful emotions. Therefore, we’ve provided our players the opportunity to reach into the world to pet Quill and give her a high five. Actions such as these demonstrate how deeply Quill trusts the player. She’s allowing herself to be vulnerable and inviting the player to feel how she feels. It’s not just a gameplay mechanic, it’s an emotional bond. But beyond VR, defining Quill as a believable character was just as important. I wanted to avoid a performance full of overt, outlandish, cartoony exaggerations. Instead, I wanted Quill to deliver a performance ripe with honesty and nuance. The best way to do this was to have Quill directly communicate with the player through realistic gestures and sign language. By doing this, we could not only imply a history and an elevated level of intelligence, but also support an often-overlooked group of gamers. Quill’s identity also needed to carry over to gameplay actions. Not only should she obey player intent, instantly respond to button inputs, and feel fluid when performing actions, but she needed to do so in a way that was uniquely “Quill,” carrying her personality through all her actions. So, that’s our character. I ask you again, dear reader: who would yours be? We here at Polyarc would love to read your responses in the comments below. View the full article

Calling all Ghosts! Ghost Recon Wildlands begins Year 2 with a bang on April 10, when the first new content update arrives for PlayStation 4 owners. Called Special Operations I, this free update features a new PVP mode called Sabotage and a full assortment of new PVP goodies, including the first of six new classes, five new maps, and new perks and weapons. On the campaign side, new teammate customization options will let you snazz up your AI teammates with any cosmetic items you’ve unlocked. And if you’re a Splinter Cell fan – well, you might want to sit down, stand up, or cling to a pipe on the ceiling. Special Operations I also features the return to action of Sam Fisher, voiced by Michael Ironside, in a special stealth-focused nighttime PVE mission where Sam and the Ghosts will have to work together. “The Predator mission was about the ultimate hunt. It was about who is the best hunter,” says Nouredine Abboud, Senior Producer at Ubisoft Paris. “Here, it’s not about the opposition. It’s about partnership. We didn’t want to propose a new enemy for the Ghosts, but rather, a great partner.” For the Ghost Recon Wildlands team, bringing Sam Fisher into the fold is an incredible opportunity to combine two of Ubisoft’s most popular Tom Clancy games, but they remained aware of what makes Sam Fisher a special character as they plotted out the story details of the mission. “Sam has a good sense of humor, but he’s a bit cynical, with a strong sense of duty,” says Abboud. “We wanted to see that in the story, the cutscenes, and his conversations with the Ghosts.” Of course, the introduction of Sam to Ghost Recon Wildlands also means the team had an opportunity to create a stealth-heavy mission. You’ll begin by quietly infiltrating a Unidad camp under cover of darkness, with a deadline and a no-kills objective, before eventually joining forces with Sam. Once there, you will have to protect Sam from waves of enemies as he attempts to extract sensitive information from a terminal within the camp. “This is a stealth mission, so breathe, do recon, and take your time,” Abboud explains. “Use all of the recon and stealth tools at your disposal, especially your drone and night vision goggles. Divert enemies with diversion grenades. Call in the rebels when you need assistance, or try to play the mission in co-op with your friends if you need extra help.” Successfully complete the mission, and you’ll be rewarded with Sam’s three-lensed night vision goggles and more. Current Ghost Recon Wildlands owners will get free access to this mission, along with the rest of the PVE content included in the Special Operations updates, while PVP content will be available to PlayStation Plus subscribers. However, Year 2 Pass owners will get seven-day early access to the six Year 2 Ghost War classes, as well as a customization pack and eight Battle Crates. The Year 2 Pass is available on the PlayStation Store for $29.99. If you’ve yet to play Ghost Recon Wildlands, we’ve got even better news: Beginning April 12, you can download and play the game for free through April 15. During that time, you can play the entirety of the Ghost Recon Wildlands base game, the Predator mission, and Special Operations I and its Sam Fisher stealth mission solo. A PlayStation Plus subscription will be required to access any co-op functionality or Ghost War PvP content. Standard and Deluxe versions of Ghost Recon Wildlands will also be on sale for 60% off during that time period. The Gold Edition, which includes the Year 1 Season Pass content, will be available for 67% off, while the standalone Season Pass will be available at 50% off the standard price. Also, save data from the free weekend will carry over to those who purchase the full version of the game. Whether you’re veteran or a newcomer, we hope to see you out in the Wildlands! View the full article

Hello, PS Blog! This is Ben Throop from Frame Interactive. Last time I posted here was when we brought you Headmaster for PS VR. Now I want to tell you what we’ve been up to since. So, we heard you like horror games… but we also heard that some of you might want something that is not, how do you say, pants-crappingly intense? Maybe something a little more mysterious? A little more psychological? Well I’m excited to tell you that we’ve been hard at work with the horror wizards at indie studio Robot Invader to bring their hit VR title Dead Secret to PS4. Most importantly, we’ve designed it for BOTH VR and non-VR which means way more of you can enjoy it. However you choose to play you’re up for a good dose of the willies without being permanently traumatized. The best way I can describe Dead Secret is that it’s a horror-mystery adventure where you’re investigating a murder. It’s got a twisted, fantastic story you’ll uncover as you skulk about a recently abandoned home, uncover secret documents, and decipher the mystery of an eccentric man’s bizarre past before you get… well I don’t want to ruin it. This was a really exciting opportunity. Not only are these guys my friends, but the devs at Robot Invader are like walking horror game encyclopedias. They’ve collectively played through over a hundred horror games, from blockbuster hits to obscure rarities. So when we had a chance to work with them on this, I knew that not only would it be a great education in horror design, but also an awesome opportunity to take a quality game over to PlayStation for all of us to enjoy. You’ll get the chance to solve the mystery yourself when Dead Secret lands at PlayStation Store on April 24th, 2018. View the full article

Three huge new releases, three top spots on the PS4 chart. Ubisoft’s latest open-world chaos simulator Far Cry 5 reigned supreme in PS4 download numbers last month, followed by San Diego Studio’s newest entry in the fabled MLB The Show series. Finally, Hazelight’s bold new co-op prison break adventure A Way Out rounded out the top three. Shout out to my new best friend Quill, whose itty-bitty adventure Moss sits atop the PlayStation VR chart for March. Persona 4 Golden is numero uno for PS Vita, and — surprise! — Fortnite Battle Royale was the most popular free-to-play title for the month. Reminder: These charts are based on number of downloads, not revenue, and you can find them all collected at this PlayStation Store page. See you next month! PS4 Games 1 Far Cry 5 2 MLB The Show 18 3 A Way Out 4 Grand Theft Auto V 5 NBA Live 18: The One Edition 6 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands 7 Battlefield 1 Revolution 8 Titanfall 2 Standard Edition 9 Monster Hunter: World 10 Gang Beasts PS VR Games 1 Moss 2 Job Simulator 3 PlayStation VR Worlds 4 Driveclub VR 5 Superhot VR 6 Archangel 7 Drunkn Bar Fight 8 Bravo Team 9 Knockout League 10 Statik Free-to-Play Games 1 Fortnite Battle Royale 2 Don’t Bite Me Bro! 3 Brawlhalla 4 Paladins 5 Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 Lite 6 Warframe 7 America’s Army: Proving Grounds 8 3on3 FreeStyle 9 Blacklight: Retribution 10 Crossout PS Vita Games 1 Persona 4 Golden 2 God of War: Collection PS Vita 3 Resident Evil Revelations 2 4 Adventures of Mana 5 Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified 6 Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition 7 Jak and Daxter Collection 8 Mary Skelter: Nightmares 9 Secret of Mana 10 Muramasa Rebirth Complete Collection PS4 Themes 1 Monster Hunter: World – Theme 2 Legacy Dashboard Theme 3 80s Synthwave Remix Dynamic Theme 4 Cyberpunk Alley HiQ Dynamic Theme 5 Laser Cats from Space HiQ Dynamic Theme 6 Amazing Aquarium 3D HiQ Dynamic Theme 7 Friday the 13th: The Game Theme 8 BioShock: The Collection Theme 9 Assassin’s Creed Origins – Dynamic Theme 10 Bonfire in the Mountains HiQ Dynamic Theme PS Classics 1 Bully 2 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 3 The Warriors 4 Metal Slug Anthology 5 Star Ocean Till The End Of Time 6 Psychonauts 7 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 8 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy 9 Manhunt 10 Max Payne View the full article

Rumbling out of the tattered pages of legend come the Ravenii – old enemies of humankind that once again threaten the world. Take up the ancient art of the sentinel and defend humanity in Extinction, coming to PS4 on April 10. Extinction places players in the shoes of Avil, a warrior that uses mobility and strength in equal measure to stop the colossal ogres and their minions. Leap between buildings, swing from rooftops, and cut down the Ravenii threat in spectacular fashion. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop! Deep Ones PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Out 4/11) Deep Ones is a retro arcade-platformer with multigenre parts, inspired by ZX Spectrum, Bioshock, and works of H. P. Lovecraft. Dusty Raging Fist PS4 — Digital (Out 4/12) Fight rogue villains, encounter ancient powers, and face life-or-death battles. Extinction PS4 — Digital, Retail Face massive brutes and their minions across a sprawling countryside, defending cities and rescuing refugees torn from their homes. League of Evil PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Out 4/11) League of Evil is an action game where you, as a bionic super agent take on a mission to defeat the League of Evil. Masters of Anima PS4 — Digital Masters of Anima is an original adventure game that takes you deep into the magical world of Spark. Battle against the forces of evil in strategic, action-packed battles, where making tactical decisions quickly is vital. Operation Warcade PS VR — Digital (Out 4/11) Operation warcade is a shooter specifically designed for virtual reality, inspired by the late ’80s classic war arcade that now uses the latest technology to convert it into a unique experience. Owlboy PS4 — Digital Owlboy is a story-driven platform adventure game, where you can fly and explore a brand new world in the clouds! Project Nimbus: Code Mirai PS4 — Digital Project Nimbus: Code Mirai is an exciting mech-based flying game inspired by the Gundam, Macross and Ace Combat series. It features vibrant graphics, blistering action gameplay, and an epic storyline. Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs PS4 — Digital Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs is a tactical RPG about the restoration of a fallen kingdom to its former glory. Embark on an adventure that will remind you of your best JRPG experiences. Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality PS VR — Digital Rick and Morty have teleported into your living room for a cutting-edge VR adventure! Play as a Morty clone as you explore Rick’s garage, the Smith household, and alien worlds. Rogue Aces PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Out 4/12) It’s time to join the Rogue Aces and liberate the islands from The Baron and his dreaded pilots. Will you be able to face the fiercest of foes with only one life and three planes? Starlit Adventures PS4 — Digital Meet Bo and Kikki, the Starlit keepers on Starlit Adventures! Play 64 amazing levels in story mode! Super Amazeballs PS VR — Digital A dexterity puzzle game that’ll twist your brain! Using both hands: tilt, spin, and rotate a giant 3D amazeball to roll a pinball through multi-axis, mind bending tracks. Super Daryl Deluxe PS4 — Digital Super Daryl Deluxe is an RPGvania with brawler-style combat set inside of a perfectly normal, sprawling, multi-dimensional high school. Time Carnage PS VR — Digital Time Carnage is a frantic VR survival shooter. Travel through time and wreak havoc through worlds swarming with dinosaurs, monsters, robots, and zombies. Thirty Seconds to Mars – AMERICA Chicago – Chicago: VI Decades Live (This Is What We Do) Blockers 4/6 – 3 PM ET on ESPN 4/7 – 3 PM ET on CBS 4/8 – 2 PM ET CBS The Expanse returns with all-new episodes on April 11 on 9/8c 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

March was a good month for video games, huh? Ambitious co-op adventure A Way Out won many hearts and minds, freewheeling shooter Far Cry 5 somehow topped the madness of prior installments, baseball sim MLB The Show 18 continued to define the genre, and the long-awaited JRPG sequel Ni no Kuni II dazzled. All in all, March’s lineup had something for just about every type of gamer — we even got an excellent new rhythm / music game in DJMax Respect! But only one of these titles can claim the Players’ Choice crown. We’ve compiled quite the list of nominees, but the final decision lies with you. You might have noticed this month’s poll is opening a bit later than usual — there’s a good reason for that! We’re gathering a group of editors from PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store to decide what their favorite games in the past three months have been. We’ll reveal those Editor’s Choice picks alongside this month’s Players’ Choice winner soon. Read on for rules and more details, or keep scrolling down to cast your vote. The poll closes at 11:59pm Pacific on Tuesday, April 10! How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year. What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Shadow of the Colossus and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted. Players’ Choice: What Was the Best Game of March 2018? View the full article

Last week, we asked you to turn your lens to wilds of Hope County. While you built up the rebellion and fought Peggies in Far Cry 5, you shared your most memorable moments using #PS4share and #PSBlog. After looking through stunning landscapes and many, many solid pictures of Boomer (what a photogenic pup!), here are our highlights. @thyribloodfang shared this very regal portrait of everyone’s favorite pupper. Hope County can look absolutely beautiful, like in this sunlit view shared by @Philt43_Yewone. It can also be a dark place, like in this atmospheric bunker shot from @Ps4_Photomode. @freshboi_88 showed off Hope County’s unpredictability. It’s not every day you see an elephant in the woods. 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: Mad Max Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, April 11 While you take on the savage warlords of the Wasteland, share your most eye-catching moments using #PS4share and #PSBlog. (Psst — PS Plus members can grab this one for free this month.) View the full article

Tripwire is excited to announce the release date for Killing Floor: Incursion for PlayStation VR: May 1, 2018! We’re also happy to announce that Killing Floor: Incursion will be playable by the public for the first time at PAX East in Boston this weekend at the Sony booth. Previously at PS Blog, we shared the news that there was a special bonus level coming for PS VR players. We’re happy to say we can now share details about this level with you. It’s called “The Crucible” — and it’s a blast to play! The map contrasts sharply with the realistic style of the rest of the levels in the game with it’s Tron-style virtual sci-fi aesthetic. The Crucible started out as our development arena for trying out gameplay ideas in the Holdout game mode. When playing it though, we found the map was so fun that we made the decision to fully flesh it out and add it in for PS VR players to enjoy. Killing Floor: Incursion is the first time we’ve done a game with an entire story arc in the Killing Floor universe. This was one of the most exciting aspects of developing the game, as we could bring a depth to the Killing Floor universe that we’ve never been able to do before. Not only that, but the feeling of true presence in VR, that feeling of “Wow, I’m really standing here in this other world,” makes storytelling in VR that much more impactful. Let us set the premise for the game’s story — we’ll do our best to avoid spoilers, but if you don’t want any surprises spoiled go ahead and skip the next paragraph. In Killing Floor: Incursion the player is a Horzine security forces soldier that has been wounded in combat against the zeds. You are placed in a neurological simulation to keep your brain stable while Horzine medics can repair your body. Emma Rose, a Horzine training officer, is your only link with the outside world, and is trying to guide you safely through the simulation. We say safely, because if you die too many times in the simulation your mind might lose coherence and you could die. This would have been a simple task for Emma to guide the player through if there wasn’t some sort of viral corruption taking over the neurological simulation and sending all kinds of genetically engineered monsters at you! Still, something about all of this just seems off to you… When Killing Floor: Incursion launches for PlayStation VR on May 1 you’ll learn who Colin is, why Foster is a giant head, and just how scary four story genetically engineered monsters can be! So grab a friend, get those Move controllers charged up, and get ready to battle through one of the most exciting PlayStation VR experiences to date. View the full article

Hi there! My name is Neill Glancy, and I’m the Creative Director of New IP at Aspyr Media. Last month at PS Blog, we introduced the world to Torn, a dark science-fiction mystery in the style of the Twilight Zone and Black Mirror. If you missed the announcement, you can check out the trailer here. Today, we’d like to take you on a brief tour of just a few of the locations you’ll explore in the Mansion of Torn. From the beginning, it was a major design goal that the Mansion be a tourist destination for fans of classic science fiction. We want this mansion to feel alive, to grow and change as the story progresses, to slowly reveal its secrets, just as our characters will do through the narrative. So please, sit back, relax, and enjoy these 360-degree images of The Mansion, exclusively at PS Blog. The Grounds Our team spent a significant amount of time pouring over concept art and movie art books to discuss what we felt were the right DNA characteristics of the Mansion. One of our early inspirations was the mansion seen in Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children. We felt this building most matched the size and scope of the home we wanted to create — not too big, not too small, not too happy, not too creepy, with just enough Willy Wonka style machines jutting out to make you wonder what the heck is going on here. For the mad dimensional scientist Dr. Talbot, it’s just right. The Observatory The Observatory is special location and the mansion’s highest point. This is where, 64 years ago, Talbot and his wife Rena experimented with a radio telescope to locate in galactic space the place they named “The Parallel.” Space is vast and this was no easy task, so they brought the comforts of home to help pass the time as the aimed the telescope at star after star. One of the central puzzles we wanted to player to be curious about in this room was “How do I get upstairs?” The Music Room The Music Room was where Talbot and his wife entertained guests in the Mansion’s heyday. One can only imagine the wild parties and late night card games that took place here. If only the walls could talk! The room features a large and very bizarre looking self-playing organ. We loved the outlandish size and presence this instrument brought to the room, but it’s certainly not the only thing you can play with here. The Parallel The Parallel is the mysterious realm that Dr. Talbot finds himself trapped in. It’s been Talbot’s home for 64 years — home to his consciousness, at any rate. The whereabouts of Dr. Talbot’s physical body are, at present, unknown. The Parallel exhibits strange, physics-defying properties. Here, thoughts are made manifest simply by thinking them. After spending so much time here, the Parallel reacts to Talbot’s emotional state. But what — and where — the Parallel is, remains a mystery. View the full article

Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Welcome back! On today’s episode we discuss games with unusual mechanics, like the recently released Minit that you play one minute at a time. What are your favorite, atypical games? Enjoy the show! Stuff We Talked About Games with interesting / weird mechanics …like Minit! Marvel’s Spider-Man Spyro Reignited Trilogy Final Fantasy VII Octohedron Persona 5 Recent Episodes 286: Triple Preview 285: Like Father, Like Son 284: Wayfaring Stranger The Cast Justin Massongill – Social Media Manager, SIEA Ryan Clements – Sr. Social Media Specialist, 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

Toys for Bob has long admired the original Spyro trilogy. Long before Skylanders, way back in 1998, the very first Spyro the Dragon was an inspiration to us. The level design, the controls, the art style, the humor, the music, the sense of discovery – it was groundbreaking in so many ways. There’s no getting around the fact that the feisty purple dragon is one of the most important and influential heroes in 3D platformer history. Now twenty years on, we are deeply honored to have the responsibility of remastering Insomniac’s historic trilogy, and our most powerful motivator is knowing how important Spyro is to millions of passionate fans across the globe. Spyro Reignited Trilogy | Pre-Order Updating a Classic Remastering a classic is a unique undertaking for a game developer – unlike the creation of a new game where you have to find the fun, you’re starting with a game that already has proven, time-tested fun. The real challenge lies in how to remaster a beloved classic in such a way that is true to the spirit and feel of the original while also maximizing fidelity (art, animation, visual effects, sound effects, music, controls) and integrating quality-of-life improvements that modern players expect (analog stick camera control, auto-save system, more fast-travel options, etc.). Staying True Given the intense passion the fans have for the original trilogy, we are approaching development with reverence—a deep respect for all the decisions that went into making the original games. In the interest of getting the feel right, one of the first things we agreed upon internally was that Spyro’s original movement metrics — speeds and accelerations for walking, running, jumping, charging, gliding, flying, swimming, hovering, and more – should be matched as closely as possible. And in a similar vein, an authentic recreation of the platforming gameplay throughout the expansive and enchanted levels of the original trilogy would require the dimensions and collision details of the world geometry to come very close to matching the originals. Needless to say, the Dragon Realms of 2018 utilize considerably more polygons than their 1998 counterparts. Engineering Magic In the interest of recapturing the enchanted details from the classic trilogy in fine detail, our programming team set out to magically slurp inspiration directly from the original games. Spyroscope was born. This internally developed tool sends fairies into the original games who convert game details into a format that designers can easily interpret, allowing for extremely accurate game object placement and motion. Ultimately, we were also able to leverage many of the original assets such as level models, level collision, animated objects, character models, music, game text, and game sounds through a combination of other in-house tools and a few payments to Moneybags. “Thank you for releasing me!” Upon this solid foundation of data from the original trilogy, we’ve set out to craft a remaster trilogy worthy of Spyro’s 20th anniversary celebration. Each day, we’re working hard to fill the Dragon Realms, Avalar, and the Forgotten Realms with all the magic you remember. We can’t wait to share it with you all later this year. Stay posted for more updates from the team—we look forward to revealing more details with the PlayStation community as the release date approaches. In the meantime, we hope you don’t have too much trouble with the trolley. View the full article

Hey KOF XIV fans, We have some really big news for you today! As most of you may already know, we have a big Ver. 3.00 update releasing for KOF XIV in the coming days, which includes four new DLC characters. Today, I am pleased to announce that the final DLC character to be added in Ver 3.00 is Blue Mary! She was one of the most requested characters by fans, and will now be playable in KOF XIV! For the uninitiated, Blue Mary is a veteran of both the Fatal Fury and KOF series. I was involved in her creation when she made her original debut in Fatal Fury 3, and she quickly became one of the most popular characters from that series. Her popularity meant that she was also selected to make her KOF debut a couple of years later in KOF ’97, after Japanese fans voted for her via gaming magazines. A total of three characters were chosen that way to form the ’97 Special Team, and now that same team can be re-created in KOF XIV! ’97 Special Team Blue Mary has always had a very unique fighting style, with moves that are based on the Soviet martial art, Sambo. Her move set includes a lot of grapple moves and as you can see in the trailer, we worked very hard to faithfully recreate all of those bone crunching attacks in KOF XIV! Blue Mary has always been a challenge to design as a result of how complex her grapple moves are to animate. Back in the day, when we were designing her for Fatal Fury 3, not many people on the team knew much information about Sambo. At one point, one of the designers working on Blue Mary, Youichiro Soeda, actually used me as a training dummy to show off some of the attacks he had in mind to the rest of the team. Just watching this new trailer of hers, I think I can feel my neck hurt a bit… We got to have a lot of fun while creating Blue Mary for KOF XIV thanks to the new engine. It was always difficult to put an emphasis on her grappling moves when they were created with 2D sprites, but with KOF XIV we were able to use the 3D camera and go crazy with the cinematic shots for her flashier moves, which meshed really well with her unique fighting style. Blue Mary is the last DLC character to be announced for this update, and we have previously announced 3 more additions to the roster!! Feel free to check out the previously released trailers below for more info! The new Ver. 3.00 Update will also include character balance adjustments, which we know the fans have been waiting for! These characters will be available for purchase when the Ver. 3.00 Update goes live on April 12th, 2018! View the full article

Hello everybody! My name is Michael Douse, Director of Publishing at Larian Studios. In 2017 we released a PC game called Divinity: Original Sin 2, a sandbox RPG with the singular goal of bringing interactivity and exploration to new (sometimes ridiculous) heights. Since that release, we’ve been inundated by letters and comments asking us to bring Divinity: Original Sin 2 to PlayStation 4. We heard those requests loud and clear, and we’re very excited that it’s finally happening. If you haven’t heard of Divinity: Original Sin 2, it’s a massive RPG in which you control a party of one to four, chosen from six origin characters with their own personal agendas and histories, or a custom avatar you can build from the ground up. You can play alone or with friends, in split screen couch co-op or online. The game world consists of a fantastic realm built to react to players’ creativity. Combat rewards experimentation, and elemental spells can be layered for max impact. You can cast rain on burning allies, teleport them to safety, and electrify the battlefield to stop enemies in their tracks. If an opponent is too close, you can lash them with temporary tentacles, summon a demon to fight for you, and fly away on your own pair of wings. While Original Sin 2 was highly reviewed we knew we still had room for improvement, and bringing the game to PS4 was the perfect opportunity to introduce a massive number of much-wanted tweaks and additions. We’ll be talking more about the specifics of those changes in coming posts but suffice it to say we’ve been hard at work bringing the entire experience to a new level. So stay tuned for more news on what’s coming to the PlayStation 4 version of Divinity: Original Sin 2, and come chat to us on the socials — we’re always here to say hello! Thanks for reading! View the full article

You all have been waiting for it for a long time – we’ve got emails, phone calls, tweets, Instagram posts, and impassioned pleas. You want to know when Marvel’s Spider-Man will finally be in your hands. Everyone here at Insomniac Games is thrilled to announce that Marvel’s Spider-Man will launch on Friday, September 7, 2018 exclusively for the PlayStation 4 system. It’s been an incredible experience for us to spend the last few years working on this game. From getting to create our own unique universe and story for our favorite Super Hero, to working with our talented collaborators at PlayStation and Marvel Games, to developing relationships with the Spider-Man and Marvel fan communities (#SpideySquad represent!), it’s been an amazing journey thus far. Along with the release date, we get to show you the final box art for Marvel’s Spider-Man! Insomniac has a history of excellent game covers, from Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time to the bold Olly Moss Resistance 3 cover. We went with a pure red background and a striking image of the web-slinger. Our more experienced Spidey in his brand new Advanced Suit can be seen confidently web-swinging against a bold red backdrop. To juxtapose the unique look of our Spider-Man, his pose takes inspiration from over 50 years of fan-favorite Spider-Man comic book art and artistry. Astute fans of the wall-crawler will see nods to the work of J. Scott Campbell, Mark Bagley, John Romita Sr., John Romita Jr., Joe Quesada and (of course) Steve Ditko, as well as many other iconic Spider-Man artists. You’ll see this cover adorning the standard edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man when it is available at retail and digitally for US $59.99 / CDN $79.99 MSRP. While many of you have been asking us to show the cover for the game, many more have wondered: will there be digital deluxe and collector’s editions of the game? You betcha, True Believers — we’ve got both. The Digital Deluxe edition of the game (US $79.99 / CDN $99.99 MSRP) will include a copy of the game as well as new story chapters with our post-launch DLC series – Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps. That’s right, we’ll be supporting the game post-launch and you’ll be getting three new chapters each with new missions, new villains and characters, and additional suits for Spider-Man. More details on that a bit later down the road. Buyers who pre-order the Digital Deluxe edition will also receive by mail a limited edition collectible pin (only available to residents of US and Canada) featuring Spider-Man as he appears on the cover art for the game. Pre-order at PlayStation Store Of course, for those collectors out there who want an incredible Spider-Man collectible alongside Marvel’s Spider-Man, we have just the edition for you. The Collector’s Edition (US $149.99 / CDN $199.99 MSRP, while supplies last) includes all of the digital content from the Digital Deluxe Edition, as well as a Steelbook case featuring the iconic white spider, Mini Artbook from Titan Books, and an awesome Marvel’s Spider-Man statue by Gentle Giant. Pay extra special attention to the statue though and you’ll notice something is obviously missing. We haven’t revealed the entire statue for the Collector’s Edition, just Spider-Man perched on top of something. What could that be? It’s too spoilery to show you now, but stay tuned! That said – no matter where you buy it, or which edition you get, you have a chance to grab these pre-order items. Whether it’s a Spidey-Suit Pack featuring Spider-Punk, as well as a couple suits we will reveal this summer, the Spider-Drone gadget, a PSN avatar, an original PS4 theme designed by renowned comic book artist Adi Granov, or just some extra skill points to unlock faster web-swinging sooner – our pre-order bonus is the total package. Check out this video of Spider-Punk and its suit ability in action below. That’s a lot of info – but I realize some of you have been dying to get your hands on new information about the game itself as we haven’t said much since Paris Games Week and PSX last year. Well, there are a ton more details in the cover story of the May issue of Game Informer. The GI crew came out and got to go hands-on with Marvel’s Spider-Man, talking to the dev team and bringing you the biggest look at the game yet. Plus we got famed Marvels and Amazing Spider-Man cover artist Alex Ross to create this “Amazing” cover painting for the magazine. Game Informer will also be posting stories and interviews with members of the Insomniac Games team all month long, so keep an eye on their website for the latest. That’s all for now – we can’t wait for you to get your hands on the game on September 7, 2018 exclusively for PlayStation 4. In the meantime, get your pre-orders in for Marvel’s Spider-Man at PlayStation Store or a friendly retailer online or near you. And for all the latest from Insomniac Games, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Also for all the latest from Marvel Games, be sure to follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook! View the full article

Hi Playstation Fans! I’m Miguel Sternberg, game designer and art director at Spooky Squid Games. We want to introduce you to Russian Subway Dogs and announce our full lineup of amazing (or at least amazingly weird) guest characters! Russian Subway Dogs is a systemic arcade game inspired by the real life stray dogs of Moscow Metro. These dogs have actually learned to how to navigate the subways and commute from the quiet safe suburban stations to the downtown where they can scavenge for food. Seriously, google it! The Moscow Metro happens to also be an amazing setting featuring some of the most beautiful stations in the world that we’ve meticulously recreated in detailed pixel art. You play as one of these stray dogs, scaring commuters to steal their food, competing with other wildlife, and cooking the occasional meal with highly explosive vodka. If you played our demo at PlayStation Experience, PAX, or other events, you’ll know you can play as more than just a stray subway mutt. We’ve teamed up with other indie creators to bring their dogs, cats and other critters to the game! Our line up of canine and kitty criminals we’ve already revealed include: Meme hero, Question Hound (aka “the This is Fine Dog”) from the comic Gunshow. Revolutionary canines Nacho and Rad Shiba from the PS Vita game VA-11 HALL-A Hybrid trash vermin, the Ratcoon, from action roguelike Ruin of the Reckless. Our own demonic Clawed Kitty, inspired by our previous game, They Bleed Pixels. The Proletaricat, your boss and head feline of the pack. We’re excited to debut several new members of the Subway Dogs crew, many of which will be very familiar to PlayStation players. Half goat, half man, all teacher: Uay Chivo from the game Guacamelee! will be playable in all his goaty glory! Doppler and Kepler, friends to the friendless and your faithful animal companions when playing single player Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, come down to earth to scavenge for food. Fidel, dungeon delving doggo from the turn-based dungeon puzzler Fidel Dungeon Rescue, will be exploring our suspicious subway tunnels. Not a fan of cute fuzzy mammals? looking to play as something with less of a backbone? Nidhogg from multiplayer masterpiece Nidhogg 2 will be playable! We’re honored all these creators trusted us with their creations and we’ve been working hard to capture the feel of each of them. From custom bark graphics, to unique deaths like Question Hound bursting into flames, we want players to have fun unlocking each one and discovering these little touches. We love this sort of crossover and want to encourage other creators to share their worlds with each other. It’s a small way for us to compete with the Big Media Giants() while basically drawing fan art, and it’s fun for both players and creators. In that spirit we’ve also loaned our own characters out to other indies: you can play as The Clawed Girl in Bleed 2 on PS4, and if you look carefully in Guacamelee and other Drinkbox games you’ll find more They Bleed Pixels references. Look forward to stealing food, juggling vodka, and battling bears and babushka on the Moscow Metro as your favorite dog, cat or weird giant worm thing later this year on PS4 and PS Vita! You can also get a chance to check out these new “dogs” later this week at PAX East, where you’ll find us at booth #23105. View the full article

Hey everyone, I’m Dan Smith – representing 100% of Dan Smith Studios. I’m a British developer based in Newcastle and today, in collaboration with my publisher Ripstone, I’m delighted to be announcing my first game: The Spectrum Retreat. The Spectrum Retreat is a narrative-driven first person puzzle game coming to PS4 this summer. You wake alone in the Penrose Hotel, with no memory of your past or identity. Only mannequin-like staff are present and their reasoning for wanting to keep you inside the hotel is unclear. The game challenges you to transfer colours, teleport and manipulate gravity to gain a clearer understanding of your current situation, but it soon becomes apparent that not all is as it seems. Check out the reveal trailer above for an insight into the unsettling world we have created. From Bedroom Developer to BAFTA Winner I first began developing a puzzle game prototype in late 2013, at the age of 15. Bored one day, I downloaded the Unity engine and created my first project ‘Spectrum’. I thought I was just going to create something simple, a puzzle game that invited you to look at any object and swap colours around. Swapping colours was fun, but I soon found that you can’t design puzzles with zero constraints. The solution was to limit colour swapping to particular cubes and design levels around those, in turn creating the core mechanic of what is now ‘The Spectrum Retreat’. One of the developers I was fortunate enough to meet during the creation of this prototype was Dan Pearce, who told me about the BAFTA Young Game Designers competition. By the time I submitted the game to BAFTA at age 18, I had a polished 20-minute prototype over three years in the making. ‘Spectrum’ was nominated and won the BAFTA YGD Game Making Award in 2016. Pushing the Boundaries Later that year, I signed a publishing deal with Ripstone. With additional support from them and their internal development team, The Spectrum Retreat has come on leaps and bounds. Over the last year we’ve been able to push the gameplay, art and narrative far further than I could have achieved on my own. Every aspect of the hotel has been meticulously crafted to create a captivating environment to explore, and you can get an idea of the detail involved in the screenshots released today. I’m really excited by how much the game has progressed and what we have been able to accomplish. The game has an intense narrative focus, with a unique vibe and soundtrack. We’ve structured the narrative and puzzles in a different way to other games in the genre and I can’t wait for you to experience it for yourself. The Spectrum Retreat is due for release later this year and I’m looking forward to sharing more details in the coming months. View the full article

Activision recently announced The War Machine, the second DLC Map Pack for Call of Duty: WWII. This pack brings with it three new maps, a new War Mode experience, and a new chapter of Nazi Zombies. We’re definitely excited for players to get their hands on The War Machine, and to help you get prepped for combat, we have a close-up look at the new War Mode map, Operation Husky, developed by Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software. Feast your eyes on this exclusive map image which will provide some tips, and then read on for some key intel to pass along to your troops. Operation Husky takes its historical cues from the real-life Operation Husky, the codename for the Allied invasion of Sicily, that took place in July of 1943. This operation wrestled control of Sicily away from Axis powers and put into motion a course of events that opened up the Mediterranean Sea lanes for the first time since 1941. It also toppled Italian leader Benito Mussolini from power and paved the way for the Allied invasion of Italy. As an Allied participant in Operation Husky in Call of Duty: WWII, you’re a soldier in the town of Ragusa, Sicily. Your mission is to retrieve key intel to initiate a bombing of enemy forces. Or you might find yourself on the flipside of that equation as an Axis soldier, trying to stop the Allied advance, as they try and complete their mission. There are three key objectives for the Allies to complete before they can declare victory, so let’s take a look at what they are. Objective #1: Retrieve the Intel As Operation Husky opens, you and your fellow soldiers will need to collect three key pieces intel under the cover of night. Two of these are located on the upper levels of an Axis-controlled building, while one is in the garage below. Allied forces have access to a finite number of Molotov cocktails that can used to push into the defended areas, while Axis fighters have a limited number of tripwires that can set up to ambush incoming soldiers. On the Axis side, several buildable walls can be constructed to try and stop the opposing side from coming in but be aware that you can’t seal every entrance. Also, the Allies don’t have very far to go in order to return any intel that they’re able to grab, so set up your tripwires, seal up whatever you can, and keep your eyes peeled. For the Allies, those Molotovs are perfect for flushing out foes before you rush in to snatch the intel. Just keep in mind that you only have a limited amount to use before you run out. Make sure you return the intel to the church that serves as your field HQ, which is located just across the street from the Axis buildings. Tip: Be aware that there is a small, upper platform just inside the front doors, which is a perfect spot for enemies to ambush you from as you bring back the goods. Objective #2: Transmit the Intel Once the Allies have secured three pieces of intel, they must push forward and take control of a nearby Axis-held radio station to transmit the information back to Headquarters. This multi-level building is fortified with a machine gun nest, along with two buildable walls. It’s a tough spot to defend but can also be a hard location to capture. As an Allied solider, you’ll need to concentrate on getting demolition charges on one of the buildable walls to create a new path towards the objective, or you can ignore the walls completely and storm the machine gun on the left side, which will secure entrance to the radio station from above. You must completely control the station until the broadcast has been sent out to complete this step of the mission. For Axis defenders, focus on keeping those walls and defenses up, and post someone on the upper level to defend against soldiers looking to skirt the machine gun. A good item to keep in your loadout for this is an s-mine, which you can utilize to close off the upper route. And if you’ve managed to hold onto any tripwires for this long, they make perfect deterrents in all doorways. Tip: Smoke grenades will create a ton of confusion inside the small radio station space on both sides, so keep one handy if you need to create chaos to broadcast or defend. Objective #3: Take to the Skies If the Allied forces are successful in getting the radio intel through to Headquarters, you will find yourself in the cockpit of a fighter plane in the skies high above Sicily, dogfighting against your enemies. Take down the enemy fighters to defend the bombers and achieve victory as the Allies or wipe out the opposing fighters so that you can take down the bombing run and successfully win on the Axis side. As an Allied pilot, you’ll need to keep the skies clear in order to protect your bombers so that they can proceed to the designated target zone. Meanwhile, Axis pilots need to take out Allied fighters to stop them from winning. For a crash course in aerial combat: your left stick controls your airspeed, while your right stick controls your aircraft. L2 will focus your aim directly in front of you, akin to aiming down sights, while R2 will fire your machine guns. Those are the basics, but you’ll find that there’s a lot more to it when you’re in the game. This is a fast-paced level, with very little margin for error. When you have a bandit on your six, your best options are to hit the brakes and hope they sail by, or to try and pull off some evasive maneuvers. Dogfighting is a game of many turns while you try and gain an angle on your foe. You can square off head-to-head but dropping in behind an unsuspecting fighter is key to taking them down, but stay alert because they can sustain several hits, and once they realize you’re targeting them, they’ll do everything they can to shake loose. Tip: While the combat space for dogfighting is very large, be wary of the border that surrounds it. Stray outside the combat zone, and your aircraft will be knocked out of the skies. The War Machine DLC Pack for Call of Duty: WWII is available to pre-order now, exclusively on PlayStation 4. It will launch in just one week on April 10, so study the intel, get ready, and we’ll see you on the field (and in the skies!) View the full article

My name is Andrew Reiner, executive editor of Game Informer magazine. I’ve been writing about PlayStation games since 1994, and have had the opportunity to visit many of Sony’s studios, including Naughty Dog and SIE Santa Monica Studio, to see games in various forms of development. My latest opportunity was traveling to Insomniac Games in Burbank, CA, to get my hands on the studio’s forthcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man game. The May issue of Game Informer has Marvel’s Spider-Man on the cover – featuring an amazing custom cover design by world renowned comic book artist, Alex Ross – and offers 14 pages of exclusive details. I played through the first mission in the game – which pits Spider-Man against a familiar foe – and freely explored New York City for an extended period of time. My impressions dive deep into the combat mechanics, web swinging, open-world activities, unexpected RPG elements, and story details. I was also given a brief look at a number of the unlockable Spider-Man suits. In my time at Insomniac, I spoke with a number of people on Spider-Man’s development team, including the project’s creative director, Bryan Intihar. A true Spider-Man fan, Intihar offered great insight into the development of the game, and what fans can expect from it. You’ll be able to get your hands on the print edition of Game Informer’s May issue as early as this Friday, but can read the entire story tomorrow through Game Informer Digital. Our website, gameinformer.com, will also offer a full month of coverage with additional details not in the print or digital edition beginning tomorrow. I hope you enjoy the magazine and extended content for Marvel’s Spider-Man. If you have any questions about the game, I plan on spending a ridiculous amount of time answering them on Twitter (@Andrew_Reiner). View the full article

Hello! I’m Matt Denomme, Senior Product Manager at En Masse Entertainment. I’m excited to introduce you to an amazing new MMORPG experience now available on PS4—Tera! En Masse publishes Tera on PC, but we always saw tremendous potential for the game on console. Two years ago, we set out with the developers at Bluehole to not only bring Tera to PS4, but to deliver an experience equal to the PC experience, if not better. Our efforts have finally paid off, and we’re excited to finally launch Tera as a free to play title on PS4 starting today! Let me tell you what Tera is all about. True Action Combat is Tera’s claim to fame in the MMO world. Your character’s skills don’t matter nearly as much as your skill with the controller. Skills require aiming, timing, and precision to execute correctly. Get sloppy and the fight will take a long time—or you’ll get killed. Position yourself just right though, and your skills will do more damage and speed the fight along. That philosophy was born from action games, so it’s no surprise it feels right at home on PS4. Then there are Tera’s trademark baddies, the Big-Ass Monsters, or BAMs, as we like to call them. These brutes hit hard, can take what you can dish out, and are just fun to fight. A warrior wading in with her swords is going to get a surprise the first time a dracoloth takes to the sky to drop fireballs from above. A party may set up the perfect formation, but a naga battlemaster will leap around the battlefield and devastate players who are not prepared. Battles like this are the core of True Action Combat. Bringing Tera to the PS4 meant making some adjustments, too. We wanted players to have a smooth experience, so the team at Bluehole made lots of tweaks that improve the game without detracting from it. For example, they added a lock-on system to keep the action centered on your screen. They simplified inventory management by automatically sorting items into categories and added a radial menu to give you rapid access to whatever you need. These little quality-of-life changes add up to a streamlined experience. Life isn’t all swordfights and spell-hurling, though, there’s story in this RPG too. The world of Tera was born from a dream. The titans, Arun and Shara, laid down to sleep through the eons and their shared dream became the world of Tera. Their bodies became continents and their children became gods. Children squabble in any family, but when gods battle the results can be catastrophic. The world of Tera is scarred by wars and struggles, and the races are caught in the affairs of the gods. Each race brings their own flavor to the world, too! The mischievous poporis, the honorable aman, the volatile castanics, and the (mostly) noble humans are just part of the diverse tapestry of the game. Tera on PS4 is the result of years of hard work by many people, across vast distances, all passionate about gaming—artists, developers, writers, testers, and customer support all working together. Of course, we couldn’t do it without our players, and so we’re excited to welcome you to the Dream. Pick your class, equip your weapon, and we’ll see you in there, fighting to take down those BAMs! Tera’s is available now at PlayStation Store and is totally free to play from character creation all the way to level 65 and beyond. Create a hero and start your adventure in Tera today! View the full article

This month we’ve got a diverse batch of new action, shooter, racing games and more hitting PlayStation Now, ready for you to stream to your PlayStation 4 and PC. Joining the library of more than 600 games – including more than 150 PS4 games – are Homefront: The Revolution, F1 2016, Saints Row: Gat out of Hell, The Unfinished Swan, Mantis Burn Racing, and more. New This Month You are the revolution in Homefront: The Revolution. In an alternate future, build a resistance against the occupying North Korean army in your hometown of Philadelphia. Explore an open world environment, scavenge supplies and modify your weapons and equipment as you start a new revolution. This month we are upgrading the PS3 version of the open world action game Saints Row: Gat out of Hell to the PS4 version. Play as either Johnny Gat or Kinzie as you tear apart Hell in a quest to save the Boss’ soul. Historical icons, old friends, older enemies, a talking gun, a full length musical number, and a whole lot of other shenanigans all await you in this open world standalone expansion playground. Soar through the air on fallen angel’s wings, and wage war in the five unique districts of hell any way you want. Get ready to create your own legend and go deeper into the world of the most prestigious motorsport than ever before, with F1 2016, the official videogame of the 2016 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. Featuring the full 2016 season calendar of 21 tracks and the full roster of 22 drivers and 11 teams, F1 2016 lets you work with your agent, engineer and team to develop your car in the deepest ever career experience, spanning up to ten seasons. Forge your own path to glory, and rise to be the champion. With the indie hit The Unfinished Swan, explore a mysterious all-white landscape by splatting paint to reveal the world around you. As Monroe, a 10-year-old orphan, you’ll follow a swan that’s stepped out of an unfinished painting and wandered off into a surreal, storybook-inspired kingdom. Each chapter brings surprises, new ways to explore the world, a host of bizarre (and sometimes dangerous) creatures, and encounters with the eccentric king who built this empire. Omega Quintet is a hybrid RPG and idol simulation where five idols wield Sound Weapons against the dark forces of the world. Build up an arsenal of attacks, get the crowd’s pulse racing with extraordinary skills, and then get them on their feet with a live performance! Customize your idols’ outfits, accessories, hair and more, and enter battle where every fight is a performance and the audience always wants more! The race is on in Mantis Burn Racing, where fast-paced bumper-to-bumper racing combines with intuitive, tactile gameplay and stunning visuals in one of the most immersive top-down racers around. With a RPG-style upgrade system providing players with deep tactical choices, this is racing at its rawest but most exciting! Features 4-player local split-screen racing with extensive online modes for up to eight players (PlayStation Plus not required for online play through PS Now). Here are all the new games available to stream on PS4 and PC starting today. We’ve got action, open-world, racing, shooters, puzzle and indie games, unique Japanese imports, and more. April’s New PS Now Additions APB Reloaded Azkend 2 Baseball Riot Dark Rose Valkyrie Dead Island Retro Revenge Dynamite Fishing World Games F1 2016 Homefront Homefront: The Revolution Mantis Burn Racing Mighty No. 9 Omega Quintet PS3 > PS4 upgrades Risen 3 Enhanced Edition Saints Row: Gat out of Hell The Unfinished Swan March’s Most Popular PS Now Titles Red Dead Redemption NBA 2K16 WWE 2K16 Mortal Kombat Fallout: New Vegas Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution The Last of Us God of War 3 Remastered The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Payday 2 Crimewave Edition If you haven’t given PlayStation Now a try yet, check out the seven-day free trial for PS4 and PC to experience the streaming service for yourself. PS Now provides unlimited on-demand access to a growing library of over 600 games, with new games added every month, and no game downloads required. PS4 save data in PS Now is also compatible with PS Plus cloud saves, so you can upload/download save files to and from your own console. Stay tuned to PS Blog for more PlayStation Now updates. Happy gaming! View the full article