Commander Fury

Hello everyone! This is Naoki Yoshida, producer for Final Fantasy XVI. Everyone here in the development team is currently working together on a massive scale to bring you an all-new game worthy of the Final Fantasy name. Our next major announcement is planned to take place in 2021, but ahead of that, we revealed the Final Fantasy XVI teaser website today. In the teaser website, we’ve included a lot of new information and artwork to introduce you to the world in which the story takes place, and also some of the main characters of the game. So, let me briefly introduce the content of the site! A Land Blessed in the Light of the Mothercrystals Final Fantasy XVI’s adventure takes place in a land called Valisthea, which is studded with colossal mountains of glittering crystal called Mothercrystals. These Mothercrystals have towered over the realms around them for generations, blessing them with aether. This blessing of the Mothercrystals has allowed these realms to thrive, and their people to live in comfort. Countless wars have been fought over the Mothercrystals all around the land, leading to the rise of nations such as the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, the Kingdom of Waloed, the Dhalmekian Republic, and the Iron Kingdom, each with their own culture and ideology. Ongoing skirmishes have forged an uneasy peace between these nations, but with the emergence of the ruinous Blight, that fragile peace is starting to deteriorate. Three characters swept up by the winds of fate There was a lot of speculation, but yes, the young knight and the tattooed man in the “Awakening” trailer are one and the same. His name is Clive Rosfield, and he’s the main protagonist of this game. The firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria, Clive is a Shield who protects his younger brother Joshua, the Dominant of the Phoenix. Joshua bestowed the Blessing of the Phoenix upon him, giving Clive the ability to wield a part of the Eikon’s fire. However, as the story unfolds, he is swept up into a great tragedy. Joshua Rosfield is Clive’s younger brother and also the Dominant of the Phoenix—Eikon of Fire. Dominants are special beings who have the power of an Eikon residing within them. As a Dominant, Joshua transforms into the Phoenix and fights to protect his nation. Even though he was born into royalty, Joshua treats everyone with kindness, but he does have his childlike side, too, with a particular dislike of carrots. The two brothers find a confidant in Jill Warrick, who was raised alongside them. At an early age, Jill was taken from her homeland in the Northern Territories—a nation that swore loyalty to the Grand Duchy of Rosaria—to become a ward of the duchy, securing peace between the two realms. She spends her childhood years with Clive and Joshua as a member of the Rosfield household. The Eikons and the Dominants that threaten the world For those familiar with the Final Fantasy series, you may know Eikons as “Summons”, and they are without a doubt the most destructive and lethal creatures in Valisthea. Wielding powers that can level nations, Eikons reside within special beings called Dominants. How Dominants are treated depends on the realm—in some they are revered as royalty, while in others they are sent to the frontlines as weapons of war. In the “Awakening” trailer, Eikons such as the Phoenix, Titan, Shiva, and Ifrit make an appearance. As for questions about how many other Eikons there are in Valisthea, who they are, and what will happen when they come to blows, well…you’ll just have to wait for a future reveal to find out! I hope you get a chance to visit the newly launched Final Fantasy XVI teaser website, as you’ll find plenty more information and artwork there. Our next big announcement will be in 2021, so please look forward to it, and please keep looking forward to Final Fantasy XVI! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/DWBRYgLnb4QView the full article

Today we’re introducing new ways to amplify your connections with friends and the games you love to play even when you’re away from your console. We’re pleased to unveil the updated PlayStation App, reimagined to enhance your gaming experiences on both PS4 and PS5. Starting later today, the PS App will begin to roll out globally through updates on iOS (12.2 or later) and Android (6.0 or later) mobile devices. The PS App introduces fresh features such as voice chat, native PS Store integration, and a smoother experience delivered in an all-new design. Here’s a list of the key features for PS App: Updated user interface – The first thing you’ll notice is the sleek new user interface of the redesigned PS App. The new home screen lets you quickly see what your friends are playing and access details about your recently played games, including your Trophy List. Messages integration – For a unified experience, the PS Messages app feature will now be integrated in the updated PS App so you can seamlessly message your friends all in one place. As part of this integration, PS Messages will no longer be available as a standalone app. Your existing messages and threads in PS Messages will be carried over to the updated PS App. Voice Chat and Party Groups – You can now create party groups from PS App, and voice chat with up to 15 other friends though your mobile phone. Also, a note to fans: the PlayStation team is looking into your feedback around the Parties changes introduced in the PS4 system software update 8.00. There are no updates to share today, but thanks for speaking up about your concerns – we’re listening and evaluating. Natively integrated PlayStation Store and remote downloads – The new native PS Store experience enables fast and smooth shopping and browsing, with the ability to remotely download games and add-ons directly to your PS4 and PS5. New features for PS5 – When PS5 arrives, you’ll be able to remotely launch games, manage storage on your console if you run out of space while downloading a game, and quickly sign in to PS5 straight from the PS App. All the latest PlayStation news – The Explore tab surfaces Official News from game developers and PS Blog content to help you stay up to date with the world of PlayStation. If you don’t have the PS App yet, you’ll need an account for PlayStation Network to access the updated app. If you don’t have an account yet, please visit this link and follow the steps to sign up. The new PS App can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. Our team of dedicated designers and engineers has worked tirelessly to deliver our best companion app yet. Take it for a spin and let us know what you think in the comments! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/60ukirHkoi0View the full article

Surprise! We here at Young Horses are very stoked to announce that Bugsnax, our colorful game with half-bug half-snack creatures (and that catchy earworm of a theme song), will be available at launch on PlayStation 5 to PlayStation Plus subscribers at no extra cost until January 4, 2021!* Starting today, you’ll also be able to preorder Bugsnax on disc for PS4 and PS5. Both versions are available for preorder at Fangamer right now and coming to other retailers worldwide very soon. We’ve been building this charming, weird game for the past six years, with the majority of that time spent working in complete silence. So it’s pretty surreal that not only will our game finally be out in the world in just a few weeks, but also that thousands of players will be able to enjoy it on day one of owning their new PS5. It’s been a pretty wild ride. With the big news out of the way, we wanted to share a bit more about the design of Bugsnax to help prepare you for your time on Snaktooth Island. But maybe this is the first you’ve heard of these mythical bugs that are also snacks? Bugsnax is a first-person, narrative-driven adventure that has you setting off to the mysterious Snaktooth Island in search of the truth behind the tasty creatures known as Bugsnax. As a journalist hungry for that next big scoop, you accept the invitation to the island from the intrepid explorer Elizabert Megafig, who has now gone missing! But you’re not alone. Fuzzy and eccentric pioneers known as Grumpuses have also followed Elizabert in search of Bugsnax, and have created the cozy settlement of Snaxburg. Capture and discover Bugsnax, make new friends, find Elizabert, and maybe you’ll get that big breakthrough story you’ve been after. So, what does it mean to be a Bugsnax hunter? In order to capture all of the delicious Bugsnax of Snaktooth Island, you’ll have to learn all the tricks of the trade. Scan Bugsnax with you Snaxscope for clues about how to capture them, and record these observations in your Bugapedia. Drop your Snak Trap in the path of unsuspecting Strabbies to scoop them up. Can’t reach a flying Bugsnak like the Cheepoof? Use your Lunchpad to fling your Snak Trap into the air! But what if you’re dealing with a Flamin’ Cheepoof? That spicy boy will set your Snak Trap ablaze! But if you can find a way to bring the Flamin’ Cheepoof together with a frosty Bopsicle, that Cheepoof will be yours for the snacking! All of the Bugsnax you discover interact with the player’s traps and with each other to create satisfying strategies and delicious surprises. The Grumpuses of Snaktooth Island all have their own unique cravings for Bugsnax. It’s your job to catch and feed them those Bugsnax, but how you hunt those snax is up to you! We also wanted to provide some insight for the Trophy hunters out there: Bugsnax will have standalone Trophy lists for both PS5 and PS4, which means… you get double the fun, and double the Trophies! We’re also looking into supporting save transfers from your PS4 to your PS5, which would be added in a future update. Our tight-knit team has put a lot of love and elbow grease into getting Bugsnax to the finish line. We want to sincerely thank our pals at PlayStation for helping us bring Bugsnax to PS5 and working with us to share it with so many players come November 12. *PS5 console only. Benefit not applicable for Bugsnax on PS4. Bugsnax on PS5 is available to play in U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea on 11/12, and available to play everywhere else on 11/19. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/a9VdsxLazMgView the full article

Next month is an extra special one for PlayStation Plus members. As we approach the launch of PS5, we are pleased to share more information about the PlayStation Plus Collection*, along with your monthly PS4 games. In November, PlayStation Plus members will receive two PS4 action-adventure games – Middle-earth: Shadow of War and Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition – dropping on Tuesday, November 3. We’re also thrilled to announce PlayStation Plus members who own a PlayStation 5 console will receive Bugsnax (PS5)** when PS5 launches, beginning November 12.*** Let’s get to the games… PlayStation Plus Game Available for PS5 Owners November 12 Bugsnax (PS5 Version) Play Video The very first PS5 game to join PlayStation Plus is Young Horses’ ultra-charming, whimsical first-person adventure Bugsnax! Play an investigative journalist who has set out to explore Snaktooth Island, home to legendary half-bug half-snack creatures, Bugsnax. Discover, hunt and capture all 100 critters while also tracking down and reuniting the island’s inhabitants. Bugsnax (PS5 version) will be available to PlayStation Plus members beginning on Thursday, November 12*** until Monday, January 4, 2021. PlayStation Plus Games Available for PS4/PS5 Owners In November**** Middle-earth: Shadow of War (PS4 Game) Play Video Set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Middle-earth: Shadow of War beckons you once more into JRR Tolkien’s iconic world of wizards, orcs and elves. Go behind enemy lines to forge your army, conquer Fortresses and dominate Mordor from within. Experience how the Nemesis System creates unique personal stories with every enemy and follower, and confront the full power of the Dark Lord Sauron and his Ringwraiths in this epic new story of Middle-earth. Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition (PS4 Game) Play Video In Team Cherry’s engrossing 2D explorative platformer, descend into a sprawling underground world of Hollownest to battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs. Unlock new skills and tailor your power sets to fit your playstyle to help you explore twisting caverns, ancient cities and deadly wastes. Uncover a kingdom’s ancient history, taking on epic bosses that’ll challenge your combat and platforming skills as you strive to solve the mysteries buried at its heart. Both PS4 games will be available from Tuesday, November 3 to Monday, November 30. PlayStation Plus Collection Play Video At PS5 console launch, we are pleased to add new benefits to your PlayStation Plus membership at no additional cost. This includes the recently announced PlayStation Plus Collection. PlayStation Plus Collection PlayStation Plus members will be able to enjoy a special new offering on the PS5 console – the PlayStation Plus Collection. PS5 console owners with PlayStation Plus will be able to redeem and play a curated library of PS4 games that defined the generation, like Batman Arkham Knight, Bloodborne, Fallout 4, God of War, Monster Hunter: World, Persona 5 and many more. The PlayStation Plus Collection will be available* on November 12 when the PS5 console launches in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, and November 19 when the PS5 console launches throughout the rest of the world, including Europe, Middle East, South America, Asia and South Africa. Here are the games available in the PlayStation Plus Collection. From Worldwide Studios: Bloodborne Days Gone Detroit: Become Human God of War Infamous Second Son Ratchet and Clank The Last Guardian The Last of Us Remastered Until Dawn Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End From our third-party publishers and developers: Batman: Arkham Knight Battlefield 1 Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles Edition Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy Fallout 4 Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition Monster Hunter: World Mortal Kombat X Persona 5 Resident Evil 7 biohazard The PlayStation Plus Collection will be an added benefit to the existing PS4 benefits that PlayStation Plus members receive for a single subscription price – no additional membership fee required. Once you redeem a game from the PlayStation Plus Collection, you can keep the games for as long as you are an active PlayStation Plus member. PS4 games redeemed from the PlayStation Plus Collection and played on the PS5 console will see benefits such as increased loading speed and improved or more stable framerates with PS5’s Game Boost****. Also, as seen in our user experience video tour, Game Help is a new feature on the PS5 console, and a benefit for PlayStation Plus members. Game Help is available for supported PS5 games and allows players to easily access hints without having to do a web search (and accidentally seeing spoilers!). Check back with us on PS Blog for our monthly PlayStation Plus announcements. Additionally, you can also check our website as details will be updated regularly about our PlayStation Plus offerings, including the PlayStation Plus Collection. *Number and availability of PlayStation Plus Collection titles may vary by country. The PlayStation Plus Collection is not available in China. **PS5 console only; PlayStation Plus benefit not applicable for Bugsnax on PS4. ***Bugsnax (PS5) available to play in U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea starting November 12, and available on November 19, when PS5 launches throughout the rest of the world. Country availability may vary. ****PS5 console is backwards compatible with a majority of PS4 games. See here for more details. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/Lvcsiz5LqtkView the full article

Gather your tribe and stand against Ragnarök in Tribes of Midgard! Coming to PS5 in 2021, this co-op survival action-RPG pits you against the end of the world. Prove yourself as a lone Viking or form a tribe of up to 10 players. The odds are against you, but Valhalla can wait! Play Video Explore the beautiful wilds, encounter mythical beasts, and face mighty Jötunn (Giants) to gain the strength you need to protect the Seed of Yggdrasil. Hunt animals, harvest resources, and fight all manner of enemies to gather what you need to craft weapons, armor, potions, and your village’s defenses. Plan ahead, because when night falls, Helthings emerge and attack the Seed. And with each passing day, they’ll grow stronger as Ragnarök — the end of the world — approaches. Discover new environments as you explore, each with their own resources, enemies, and challenges. Cross winding rivers and deep seas by constructing bridges and ramps as you search for new lands and more powerful resources. Each map is procedurally generated, so you’ll always find new and exciting things to uncover. The fast-paced, action-packed combat is key to Tribes of Midgard. You’ll battle trolls, dark elves, wolves, and more as you explore the beautiful and dangerous wilds. You’ll even encounter sudden events across the world, such as storming a camp to rescue a prisoner from a cursed elf witch or battling mythological beasts for unexpected rewards. And as your enemies fall before you, they drop souls which you feed to the Seed of Yggdrasil to keep it alive. With each action you take, your Viking gains experience, turning you from naked villager into a true force of nature. Choose from one of four classes, each with its own special perks, and equip armour and weapons that fit your playstyle — from hunting bows, to hammers that deal devastating blows, or spell-slinging swords. But of all the challenges you face, none will compare to the Giants. Drawn from their slumber by the approaching doom, these colossal bosses seek to destroy the Seed. To defeat them, you’ll have to play smart and put all your preparation and skills to the test. Each Giant presents a unique challenge. Whether it’s a fiery sword slamming down with otherworldly fury, a snowball hurtling towards you with the might of a blizzard, or an encounter with a shape-shifting thunderstorm, you must be ready to fight. With the right gear, teamwork, and a little luck, you just might defeat them and receive powerful rare loot. And if the Seed falls and the world goes to ruin, just start over and try again! No matter how you play, your tribe has a home for you. So stand together explorers, builders, Giant slayers, and defenders of the Seed — Ragnarök awaits! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/j0CwUBS2OeAView the full article

After eight months on PC, and over 19 million Tems tamed, Temtem is making its console debut exclusively on PlayStation 5, with Early Access beginning on December 8. The game will feature crossplay between the PS5 and PC communities. If you haven’t read our announcement post yet, here’s a quick recap: Temtem is a massively multiplayer creature-collection adventure where you seek adventure in the lovely Airborne Archipelago alongside your Temtem squad. Players can catch every Tem, challenge other tamers, customize their house, or join a friend’s adventure in a full co-op experience. What to expect from Early Access The world of Temtem is divided into six main islands. Players can access four of them at the start of Early Access. Temtem’s main campaign will carry you through these islands in a journey spanning more than 30 hours, in which you’ll be able to capture over 100 unique Tems! The whole campaign is playable in co-op, and since Temtem is an always-online world, you’ll constantly meet other players around you and will be able to battle, trade, or just chat and get to know fellow Temtem tamers. You can pre-order Temtem today at a discounted price and receive an exclusive in-game title, PSN avatars, and Early Access on December 8! Competitive, customization and aspirational activities Once you’ve completed the story campaign, what you want to do next is up to you: there are plenty of activities and features to focus your attention on. If you’re a competitive Tamer, you can test out your skills in ranked matchmaking battles featuring competitive rule sets. These encounters demand strong tactics and strategic thinking to win. Don’t expect luck to save you. Skill is the defining factor of the best players. If you prefer to live your online life stylishly, you can focus on fully customizing your character or even your own house. In Temtem, each player can have their own home located in Atoll Row, an infinite neighborhood where players can walk through and visit every house in the game with no load times. Temtem also offers some more activities, catered to the more hardcore players out there. Attempt to take on Dojo leaders in new increasingly difficult battles in weekly challenges, hunt for ultra-rare, specially colored Temtems called Lumas at the Saipark, or fish for one of the many (10,368 to be exact!) variations of Koish at the Nuru Lodge. Why jump in during Early Access? With each major Island update to Temtem the base price will increase. After full release Temtem will flatten out at $44.99 / €37.99 for Standard and $64.99 / €54.99 for Deluxe. Meaning, the earlier you buy in, the cheaper the game will be! Additionally, players with the Deluxe Edition that dive in early will receive an exclusive pack of camouflage cosmetics, including a uniform, bandana, and backpack. What’s coming after Early Access? Temtem will continue to receive updates periodically while being in Early Access until we reach 1.0. Some of the features that you should expect in the coming months are: More story content: Two brand new islands that will guide the player to finishing the game’s story arc. Dozens of new Temtem, including three very special mythical Tems. New multiplayer features like the trading house that will allow server-wide trading or the long-awaited clan wars. More aspirational activities for the most dedicated players, including a whole new island dedicated to end-game activities and a hardcore game mode. Stay tuned for major island updates as we’ll be increasing the size of the game all the way through Early Access. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/YhUZsUNAfkIView the full article

In Haven, you play as two lovers who gave up everything and escaped to a lost planet to be together. It’s a romantic RPG about love and freedom, but a strong characteristic of the game is that you play two characters at the same time: Yu and Kay. It’s first and foremost a solo game, in which you play these two characters, but with such a duo for main characters, we couldn’t pass on the opportunity to make it also a couch co-op experience. In this blog post, I’ll dive in details about the co-op experience for the first time. Play Video Haven can be enjoyed solo, it’s designed for that. But at any time in the game, another player can join by simply taking another gamepad and pressing a button. The UI will show that co-op has started, it’s completely seamless. Here, the UI shows another player just joined and triggered the co-op play. An important part of the gameplay makes Yu and Kay explore the deserted planet gliding over the grass, collecting flow and food, and cleaning the rust in search for resources and new paths (learn more about the gameplay in our previous blog post). While gliding, one player is leading, and the other is following. The character that is following has the freedom to roam around the lead one. Each time you stop, you can exchange the lead, and “take the wheel” like it’s your turn to drive. However, the following player is not just a co-pilot. They can control what we call a “flowblob”, a circle of flow on the ground that they can project around them to interact with the world as they glide. They can use the flowblob to clean the rust or gather resources. The lead character chooses where to go and the following character helps clean the area. The flowblob can also be used to slow down a creature that’s chasing you: In solo combat, the game pad is split in half. You use the dpad to load Kay’s actions and the buttons for Yu’s. In co-op, each player controls their character. The players have to combine their actions. For instance one can be shielding while the other prepares an attack. You can exploit temporary weaknesses by having a player stun a creature, while the other prepares an attack that will make critical damage. Or you can synchronize two similar actions on each character to make powerful duo attacks. Last but not least, if one of your heroes is down, the other one can help them stand up again. While it’s common to see co-op mechanics for action gameplay, it’s much more unusual to see them intertwined in the storytelling. Narration-wise, when the characters talk, the player regularly has dialog choices to make, which sometimes have an impact on the game. When playing co-op, both players have to agree and validate the same dialog choice to progress. From what we’ve seen, it’s very engaging and creates heated discussions between the players on the couch. We wanted to make a game that can be enjoyed by everyone: solo for a deep immersion with Yu and Kay, or co-op with a friend or a romantic partner. As you read this we are adding the finishing touches to the game. Haven will release December 3rd 2020 on PS5 and early 2021 on PS4. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/ihiQP-4mHfsView the full article

Hello! This has been such a busy year for the small team behind No Man’s Sky. We have already put out five separate and sizable updates to the game. Our most recent update, Origins, has seen a large resurgence of travellers coming back into the game to witness first-hand the huge amount of new things there are to discover. As busy as this year has been though, we still have ‘one more thing’ to reveal. Today we are thrilled to announce that a PlayStation 5 version of No Man’s Sky will be available at launch just a few weeks from now. Taking advantage of the next gen hardware, the PS5 version offers enhanced visuals, audio and more. Current No Man’s Sky players will receive this PS5 upgrade for free – and be able to transfer their save game between consoles – when they decide to continue to explore their universe on next gen. Play Video Here is a closer look at just some of the features and upgrades that players can expect in the PS5 version of No Man’s Sky. Haptic controls: From the satisfying feeling of firing your boltcaster, to the gentle nudge of a building part slotting into place in a space habitat or the firm click of the trigger in your interstellar ship – haptic controls allow players to feel immersed in an alien world as never before. Fuller worlds: Next generation hardware allows No Man’s Sky’s procedural generation to create lusher, richer and more densely populated universes than ever before. Planet surfaces are even more detailed, with thousands more rocks, alien grasses, and exotic flora on screen at any time. 32 player multiplayer: For the first time on console, up to 32 players can join forces to build, survive, fight and explore the galaxy together. Advanced audio: Immersion has always been a pillar of No Man’s Sky. Thanks to PlayStation 5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, players will be able to soak in the ambience of an alien planet, or feel a ship fly overhead like never before (You can find out more about PS5’s 3D Audio here.) 4K* at 60FPS: On PlayStation 5 players can experience the universe in pin-sharp detail at higher framerates. Ultra visuals: Explore alien vistas with improved shadows, greater draw distances, thousands more objects on screen and improved lighting and volumetric effects. Vast base building: Players can now work together to build huge off-world colonies, with the ability to construct and render far more vast and complex bases on screen. Warp-speed load times: Explore the universe instantly with 5-10x reduction in loading times. On PS5, you can warp from solar system to solar system in an instant. Crossplay: PS5 explorers will be able to join together with other adventurers on all other platforms, including previous generations. Upgrading from PS4 to PS5: Not only will previous owners of No Man’s Sky on PlayStation 4 be able to upgrade their game to PlayStation 5 at no extra cost when PS5 launches in their territory, but their progress can be carried across to their new console. PlayStation VR: No Man’s Sky is fully playable in PS VR on PlayStation 5 by virtue of its backwards compatibility functionality. An evolving game: Just another step on the evolution of the best-selling title, No Man’s Sky Next Generation will come preloaded with the previous four years of huge upgrades from day one. Join in the journey at our most important moment yet. Our next generation journey begins. We hope you are excited to join us. *4K compatible TV required. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/NT_OL6vPiRMView the full article

We are just a couple weeks away from the launch of PlayStation 5 and we can’t wait for you to experience the next generation of interactive entertainment. The launch of each new PlayStation console is a special moment in time. Today, we want to give you a first look at our new global launch spot. For launch, our goal has always been to create a spot that feels epic and iconic; a spot that truly celebrates our desire to push the boundaries of what is possible and evokes the excitement that you will have through the unique experiences made possible with PlayStation 5. The theme of the spot is centered around the idea of exploration. There is a desire in all of us to explore and discover new possibilities, whether it’s in gaming, or in our everyday lives. We all want to go to places we’ve never been, see what’s never been seen. We tell the story by paying homage to explorers of the past who stood on the threshold of the unknown and pushed past their limits to achieve the extraordinary. Finally, we needed an iconic voice to narrate this unique spot, we went with our new strategic creative partner – Travis Scott. We hope you enjoy, and we look forward to continuing to explore new and exciting worlds with you through PlayStation 5. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/HexPiF8E5TcView the full article

Hi! I’m Nick, ex-Blogcaster, but today I come to you as the writer of Carto, which launches on PS4 today (and will be PS5-compatible!). And in the spirit of the game, I’d like to tell you a bit about our journey to launch. I originally came to the project as a fan, having loved developer Sunhead Games’ previous projects: A Ride Into the Mountains, a Shadow of the Colossus-esque journey built around a clever bow-and-arrow mechanic, and The Swords, a beautiful slashing puzzle game inspired by sumi-e brush painting. Not only were they visually stunning games, but Sunhead specialized in taking an innovative central game mechanic and expanding on it in all sorts of interesting ways over the course of their games. So when I saw an early demo of their first console game, Carto, a few years ago at the Game Developers Conference, I already knew it would be great – and I was excited to be a part of it in any way that I could. Carto is a chill, world-shifting adventure game that finds young Carto separated from her Granny during a storm, and must use her innate cartography powers to rearrange the world around her using an innovative map mechanic. Our publisher Humble Games wrote a nice overview back in July when we announced the game, but today I’d like to give you a peek behind the scenes of how we shaped the story of the game. And for some context, please check out our brand-new launch trailer! Play Video Sunhead Games had been working on Carto for a few years already by the time I came on board, and while much of the game content was built, and many storylines for the different characters roughly developed, there wasn’t yet an overall story framework to give context to the greater adventure. Who was Carto, exactly? How did she have this world-altering power? And what was her goal within the game? We talked through a few ideas, and found that themes of family (and friends) were already a part of the game, and meaningful to us personally, so when I visited the rest of the team in Taipei last year we finalized the details of the story together. Carto would come from a long line of cartographers, who were able to see the world differently than others, and Carto’s Granny would possess a special map that let them literally rearrange the world around them. In the opening cutscene of the game, Carto accidentally uses the map to summon a storm around their airship, separating them and scattering pieces of the map across the lands below. Players must find the scattered pieces throughout the game to continue expanding their world, and help Carto on her quest to reunite with Granny. We’re really happy with how it turned out! I also thought it could be fun to show some of the storyboards it was based on next to the final art. Mainly, I’m just so impressed how our artist – Kuan Hung Chen – was able to take my horrible stick figure sketches and reimagine them as something so beautiful and expressive. Granny’s airship! Carto seeing the effects of the map for the first time, as a portion of the land below them breaks away Carto naughtily playing with the map, accidentally bringing a storm to their airship! The storm is suddenly around them, wreaking havoc on the airship! Carto is sucked out of the airship, as Granny struggles to hold on to the other end of the map! Pretty big upgrade, right? Thanks so much for reading about Carto, we’re so excited to share it with you. Good luck on your adventure! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/gjSYkzcOsDQView the full article

I tell you what everyone needs right now: a good old fashioned end-of-the-world apocalypse story. And whew boy is that exactly what we have here for you today. It’s weird, making video games. I’ve never been one to just make another variant on a game you’ve already played, I’ve always been interested in doing something different. I prefer making games that play at the very edges of what video games are “allowed” to do. That’s how Lair of the Clockwork God came about: what if you took two different video game genres, and kind of smushed them together? A character from a platformer teaming up with a character from an old-school point and click adventure game, and they had to work together, each using their unique skillsets? That’s the crux of what we have here: Ben is the Adventurer, Dan is the Platformer. Ben’s feet never leave the floor, but he’s perfectly happy stealing things, talking to people, that kind of stuff. Dan thinks that sort of thing is lame, and that these days there’s no money to be made from those types of games any more, so he’s going to be a new-fangled indie darling Platformer instead. He’s happiest jumping around the place at speed, or shooting a lovely Big Gun. So: Ben will combine some items in his inventory in order to make some cool new bit of kit for Dan, who can use his new-found running-jumping-bouncing abilities to unlock new areas for Ben, with new puzzles to solve, all in an effort to try and stop all the apocalypses from destroying Earth at the exact same time. You see, Dan and Ben find themselves into a bit of a pickle whereby all the apocalypses are happening at the exact same time (you know, tornados full of broken glass, wasps with swords, all the clocks are telling slightly the wrong time, that sort of thing) and they’re deep underground trying to half-heartedly find some way to remind a Big Computer why it should reverse these apocalypses, and ultimately save humanity. I am aware, it’s quite a lot. There’s so much more to it than that, of course. There’s plenty of clever, funny, fourth-wall-breaking stuff in the game, but if I revealed it all here the joy of experiencing it for yourself would be gone. As a creator, I desperately want you to see this stuff for yourself, firsthand, before some cheeky young herbert on Twitter goes and spoils it for you. Designing fun puzzles around all this, of course, is a nightmare. Which is why Clockwork God has been in development in some form or another for over a decade, while we chewed over the puzzles and the story and refined them over time into something that hangs together really tightly, in a coherent and satisfying way. Lair of the Clockwork God has been hugely well received, to the point that we’re up for Best Indie Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards. I cannot express how hugely excited I am to bring the game to PS4 on November the 6th, and I hope it will keep you entertained in the long cold weeks until your shiny new PS5 arrives. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/67jJYyyrHb8View the full article

Sæl! (Norse Hello and happiness.) After our last massive update, not only bringing Predator: Hunting Grounds a new map but a whole new form of gameplay with Clash… we asked ourselves, why stop there? For this October’s paid DLC and free updates – we are throwing it back to Norse lore. That’s right. You’re getting a new class of Predator, a new weapon, and over twenty new updates to the game as a whole based on your player feedback, to make your time in the jungle as thrilling and competitive as possible. The newest Predator class, the Viking, is the Paid DLC for October. The Viking Predator can be traced back to when the Viking raiders consumed lands far from their own borders, and by doing so managed to draw attention they never imagined. The death and destruction throughout the world would bring a gift from the sky to challenge the most powerful and honorable warriors in battle. As the legends of this Yautja spread, Norsemen saw an opportunity to gain an honorable death by way of this wanderer, so they continued to pursue glory. Over centuries, the strongest, bravest warriors would journey out raiding to lure this great force into ritual combat with hopes of feasting in the halls of Valhalla. The perks of our newest Nordic extraterrestrial hunter is found in his strength. The Viking is insanely strong, even more so than the Berserker but be forewarned; he is slower. As the Viking, you will be a ferocious adversary that won’t rely on additional gear, but more on your abilities as a player… and the use of your new trusty Battle Axe. As part of the Paid DLC you get early access to the Battle Axe*. You can’t be a true Viking without a proper Battle Axe, and boy did our creative team deliver. Wielded by the Viking Predator of the north, this powerful two-handed battle axe was forged for devastating close range attacks against ferocious Norsemen. The secondary attack provides a heavy overhead swing with increased damage to any prey it finds. Few would ever look upon this blade without it cleaving their skull. This axe is Predator’s interpretation of classic Nordic weaponry mixed with Yautja ancestry. Not only is the weapon devastatingly brutal, but its two major power moves provide versatility the gamer needs during a fight. To hit fast but deal a moderate amount of damage, use the two-hit combo, but if you have time to set up your strike go for the over-the-head smash, leaving nothing but desolation in your wake. Players will not only find the axe animation to be fluid and second nature, but the weapon has some real weight to it, giving off that genuine melee feel. Fun fact – our fierce team has been hard at work for about twelve weeks to bring you this new class of Predator and its weapon companion. We have also been hard at work, making updates to gameplay. We want to highlight a few changes and additions that are coming in the Free Update for October. First, players will see a new quickplay menu when selecting to play Hunt or Clash. Look closely; if you are in the pursuit of XP, you can now choose a lower population queue that will offer you a +20% bump in XP earned during that match. This update will also encourage players to create more class diversity within their Fireteam at the start of a match. Each class: Assault, Support, Scout, Recon, will have a total of 16 new bonus perk possibilities to select from, in addition to your current loadout. That’s right; this perk is on us. Ideally, stacking your Fireteam with each class will provide four new perks for all to enjoy, in addition to your current loadout abilities. A sample of bonus perks range from: Assault – Deadly – 15% increase to assault rifles Support – Field Medic – 30% increased revive speed, and revived soldiers always revive with 80% HP. Scout – Liberator – Heal 50HP and gain a 20% damage boost after disabling a camp alarm for seven seconds Recon – Sniper – 15% damage increase to spotted targets In addition to these items, we balanced the game’s weapons. For example – grenades are 400 times more potent in Clash, while the shotgun and the grenade launcher have also seen a significant damage increase. We are thrilled players are having fun with Clash. One new addition can be found when you’re selected to play the Predator. Clash will automatically prompt your loadout selection to encourage the player to try out different perks to help influence and enhance your team’s chance at winning. For a full list of updates and new perks be sure to check out the patch notes on October 27 in the forums. We cannot wait to see the Viking Predator roaming the jungle. And take a look at the updated roadmap. We have some exciting stuff planned for the holiday update, and more into the new year! Internet connection and PlayStation®Plus membership (sold separately) required for online multiplayer. *Battle Axe unlockable to all via gameplay by December 2020. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/BARLp0C5JGYView the full article

If you’re like me, a good chunk of your journey through Naughty Dog’s vision of a ravaged Seattle was spent with time frozen. Heightening emotions etched on faces in story beats, fists balled and bodies stretched taut come fight scenes, gazing at the quiet beauty of a city partially reclaimed by nature. All opportunities to pause and activate Photo mode. Compositions framed, settings played with and – finally – the click: a moment in time memorialised into your PS4 Capture Gallery. Post-campaign, The Last of Us Part II’s Chapter Select allows you an easy way back to your favourite haunts and sequences, to find new moments worth capturing or achieve a more polished pass of a shot you weren’t quite happy with the first time round. Maybe you’re looking for tips to improve your skills or challenge yourself with more creative approaches. And who better to give guidance on perfecting your in-game photography than the creator of The Last of Us Part II? Naughty Dog has kindly found time between judging the best community photos via its own Photo Mode contest* to offer up top tips for those who want to sharpen their photographic eye on a return road trip through the Pacific Northwest**. Spoiler Alert: Warning: the following article contains heavy story spoilers for The Last of Us Part II John SweeneyReleArt Director, Naughty Dogase Date “When using our Photo Mode, I tend to stick to some basic numbers when dealing with things like Depth of Field (DOF) and Motion Blur. Keeping those in tandem around 10%, and then adjusting the intensity of the DOF and various Filters simultaneously will get some really nice results as a base.” “Keeping the Noir filter at 10-20% can add a nice filmic contrast to the image, especially for our overcast levels in Seattle. From there, I’ll then mess with Saturation and Exposure to fine tune. In most cases, pushing Saturation or Exposure to the extreme in tandem with the filter modes will create some really striking results.” “I think once you get those basic settings in, it all comes down to experimentation. You’ll notice that most of the filters in the game are fairly monochromatic, but the intention was to give you the full range from 1 to 100 so you can find what works best for you.” “Compositionally, I stay conscious of the thirds grid we’ve given as an overlay to help me compose cinematic looking shots. As you can probably tell from the shots I’ve taken, I’m a big fan of the black cinema bars to help this aesthetic, as well. Finding areas in the environment that have controlled lighting (like a light shaft coming in through a window) will be a big contributor to what kind of sculpting and compositional shapes you’ll get. Lastly, be sure to check out the Slow Motion options in the Accessibility settings menu. Having the game at half speed will help you nail those perfect moments of an explosion or an action pose for more dynamic shots and moments from the game.” Keith PacielloEmotional Systemic Facial Animator, Naughty Dog “Portrait: Under Filters, I played with Filter and Intensity to adjust the color. Then adjusted the Depth of Field (DOF) to blur out the background slightly, as well as added Vignette to help focus the eye on Ellie. I also used the 1.33 Ratio under Frames for a stronger composition.” “Portrait – 1 Pose, 3 Different Approaches: I started with a Portrait Shot (Top Left Image). Then played with different Camera Angles, DOF, Framing, Filters and Vignette settings (Top Right and Bottom Images), making sure to take pics along the way, so I can go back and compare to see which one(s) I liked best.” “Cinematic Shot: I started with finding a strong pose and an appealing camera angle, then I played with DOF to really blow out the background, which helped put the focus on Ellie (Distance was 5 and Intensity was 60). Next, under Display, I brightened the image overall to about 60, as Ellie was a bit silhouetted due to the light source being behind her. I also adjusted Sharpness (Under Display) and Film Grain (Under Screen Effects) to make Ellie feel a bit more in focus. After that, I played with Frames and found that the 2.75 Ratio added a bit more dynamic and cinematic feel to the shot overall.” “Cinematic Shot: I found a camera angle and framing (2.75 Ratio) that I felt was intriguing, then I adjusted the DOF and Vignette settings to help direct the viewer’s eye a bit more.” Ashleigh DaleQA and Dev Support, Naughty Dog “Let the lighting do the work. All those gorgeous god-rays and moody lighting the lighting artists put in gives you a really great place to start from. In this shot, I pulled the camera out as far as I could go and tried to focus on silhouetting Ellie against the flare light. Then, I wanted to see what kinds of interesting shapes would be left if I knocked out more light by turning on the black and white filter.” “This shot lineup is pretty similar to the one I used the black and white filter on. For this one I was focused on how I could get more painterly looks by using the filters and then knocking them back a bit from full strength. This filter is Blue Orange set to around 85%.” “For this shot I wanted to play with camera roll in order to achieve a dutch angle and make the shot feel much more dynamic than the standard camera angle. I also used the Trinity filter here and knocked pretty far back to add some vibrancy to the trees and help play up the cold light coming through the trees from the overcast sky.” “For this shot, I relied heavily on the grid overlay to align the camera into an interesting composition, according to the rule of thirds. I also used a filter here (either Blue Orange or Vintage, if I remember correctly) knocked back to around 75%. I also really like to use the Depth of Field settings to make the point of interest a bit sharper than everything else. It’s hard to necessarily see what it’s doing unless you really crank the strength all the way up and then change the depth to decide where you want it, then pull the strength back down to a level that looks good. I also did this in the shot of Hillcrest.” “I was also really focused on the lighting in this shot, as well as playing with the big S-curve that the Brontosaurus skeleton has. I put the camera low to the floor to emphasize the scale of the skeleton and used the grid overlay as a guide again for the composition. I put on the same filter I used for the museum shot with Ellie and pushed the Depth of Field to focus on the skeleton’s head. Using the Depth of Field setting this way also helps to push a painterly quality within the shot when using a filter.” Matt NeapolitanCinematographer, Naughty Dog “I wanted to add a sense of motion in this still image. With the camera moving at a fast clip, an open shutter would smear the image sensor with the reflected light over time, resulting in the blur seen in the foreground here. So, I turned Motion Blur up to emulate the longer shutter speed and added a vibrant filter to exaggerate the colorful palette of the sky.” “You generally want to leave open space in front of moving subjects, so I’ve framed the shot to “place” the horse screen left with nothing but negative space to the right for balance.” “While the principles of art and design, like placement and balance, are important to understand, you don’t want to feel constrained by them. There are no hard and fast rules of what makes a good image. It depends on the subject, the timing, the artist, and the context. What in the field of view is most important? What’s the point of the shot? What moment in time am I choosing to expose the film to light?” “One of the pillars of design for The Last of Us Part II was adherence to physical properties of the real world. This is a gritty, nearly photoreal depiction of life in a relatively bleak future. Accordingly, our cinematography tries to obey the behavior of real world lensing and light. Photo Mode approximates the effects of key factors like aperture size, shutter speed, and ISO with parameters like Field of View (FOV), Depth of Field (DOF), and image adjustments like Brightness, Saturation, and a variety of filters.” “One behavior of real lenses is that generally the closer you are to the subject or the higher the focal length, the stronger the depth of field effect. A longer focal length (a smaller FOV in Photo Mode) usually results in a shallow depth of field. So, to add realism, when you use a smaller FOV, increase the intensity of Depth of Field correspondingly to get your subject sharp in focus with a soft, blurred background.” “It’s golden hour here, so we have a warm glow on the scene, and Ellie is backlit so we see her only in silhouette, just enough to convey a sense of her inner mind at this point of time. These are some of the things we consider when choosing light angle, hue, and intensity.” “Photography and Cinematography involve so many disciplines – painting, lighting, color theory, drawing, perspective – it’s often useful to limit the number of factors you’re trying to keep in mind and focus more purely on the lines and forms. Set the Saturation to 0 or use the “Noir” filter to explore a more abstract, less literal attempt at capturing the 3D scene in two dimensions. I’ll often compose shots in black and white, focusing on the shapes and poses in silhouette, knowing that if the composition doesn’t work in grayscale, all the beauty lighting and rendering in the world won’t make it work in color. This is a low light image, so I’ve turned the Grain setting up to 90 to emulate the film grain or noise that results from the higher ISO settings necessary in low light conditions. The lack of color, extra grain, and extreme aspect ratio give this image a classic horror film look.” “I love the crop feature. You shouldn’t necessarily shoot images with the knowledge you’ll crop it later, you should usually try to get the best shot in the moment. But the ability to crop and try different aspect ratios can really change how the image feels. Here we have a vertical subject, the waterfall, so I wanted a less horizontal aspect ratio. The diagonal lens flares of the sun break up the verticality of the waterfall and trees nicely. Several choices makes this a somewhat surreal image – an unnaturally narrow aspect ratio, chromatic aberration, a large FOV that distorts the vertical lines a bit, and a fast shutter speed (Motion Blur = 0) that freezes the motion.” “I call this kind of shot a “storytelling” shot, where I use a large FOV and a wide aspect ratio to show as much information as possible. Accordingly, I’ve reduced the Depth of Field to nearly zero as large FOVs generally have deep focus, allowing you to see everything in crisp focus from the foreground branches to the cabin in the distance. I used the concept of Fibonacci divisions to divide the frame with overall balance in mind and then some added Brightness and Saturation to increase the contrast of the orange glow from the cabin with the cold blue of the exterior. Everything from the dynamic diagonals of the foreground branches to the footprints in the snow to a slight vignetting at the corners points to the subject of the frame, the cabin.” Drew WilsonQA and Dev Support, Naughty Dog “This was the first Photo Mode picture I took, as this was a level I worked on. I knew people would really connect to this iconic moment in the game. To have Joel stand there, the player must interact with the capsule and then pick up a helmet, in that order. The lighting here is really great and the small tweaks included adding a Depth of Field to smooth out the background, upping the Saturation, and turning down Film Grain. In fact, those three tweaks are my go-to’s for the type of images I like to capture.” “This is another one I took early on. I wanted to capture the awe of the first time players see the big T-Rex reveal here. I also wanted to make sure Joel was in the shadows, quietly watching. My tweaks included adding Saturation and sharpening the image. I also use R3 to pull up the grid often to align the characters. One of the first things I did here was pan all the way out with R2 just to see how far back the camera can go and adjust from there. I added a 2.75 ratio frame for a cinematic look.” “Another area for great lighting here and I wanted to showcase that. I turned up the Film Grain and added a higher Chromatic Aberration for a distorted effect. It was also important to light Ellie’s face here.” “To capture this one, I was looking for an open area with contrasting colors where I could zoom far out and have a nice landscape piece. Here we have the green from the forest, the blue/grey from the buildings and street and also the orange from the fire. I wanted to draw the eye to Ellie, so much of the background is blurry with Depth of Field turned on and Film Grain is at around 40.” “I wanted an action picture this time and I knew this Seraphite fight in particular has a lot of interesting areas. It did take me a few tries to freeze-frame on something I was happy with. For the wetness effect, it’s possible to go prone and fully submerge underwater here. For Ellie to hold the axe this way, I believe I was dodging with L1. I blurred out the background with Depth of Field, turned Film Grain off completely, turned Saturation up, and also turned the sharpness up slightly so the detailing on the axe can be seen.” *The contest is open to fans who are 18 years or older and legal residents of the United States (excluding Arizona) and Canada (excluding Quebec). Void in Puerto Rico, all U.S. territories and possessions and overseas military installations and where prohibited or restricted by law. For full T&Cs, visit naughtydog.com/TLOUDayContest. **All screenshots in this article were captured on PS4 Pro. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/KFXkdqaozrgView the full article

Everyone at Counterplay Games is pumped to be launching on PlayStation 5. The process has been a thrilling ride as we’ve had the new tech presented and demonstrated to us pretty much every step of the way. We made the decision early on that we would leverage PS5’s capabilities as much as possible to help showcase the magic behind the hardware. We wanted to be pioneers. The result is a unique melee combat system that will engage players in new and exciting ways. With the next-gen console comes next-gen features. Here are a couple we want to touch on today that are prominently showcased in Godfall: Haptics and SSD. At a high level, the DualSense controller really lends itself to a more engaging gaming experience. I personally can’t wait to see how other developers are leveraging the haptics to enhance their game’s core experience. I have had a lot of fun imaging all the use cases in platformers and shooters. But that’s a discussion for another time! Not only have we been tuning the haptic feedback on a per weapon class basis – we’ve dug into the individual attacks and tuned them to get the feel just right. We really wanted to challenge ourselves to push the limits of this system, aiming to have the players feel each and every swing. We all know the rhythm of combat in action melee games can make or break the experience. Prior to working with the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback, you could see the rhythm of Godfall’s melee combat. But thanks to SIE, you’re now able to feel it as well. Since players can have up to two weapons in their loadout at any time, there is a thrill in switching from one weapon class to another and feeling the difference in the palm of your hands. The Dual Blades might feel quick and nimble, whereas the Warhammer will feel powerful and weighty. This feature alone makes playing Godfall on PS5 feel like a whole new experience. There is nothing worse than falling in battle and having to wait to get back into the action. Players are all too familiar with disruptive load screens as their character’s state resets after defeat. Players will be able to quickly resume honing their combat prowess thanks to the power of the PS5’s SSD. Lightning fast means never missing a beat. If you fall in combat, get right back up with near instant loading times. We built Godfall to challenge players, and you likely won’t conquer every encounter on your first attempt. We want to ensure that death never feels like a punishment to players but instead becomes an opportunity to learn and grow as a Valorian Knight. It is also important to us that players are able to quickly load into the various elemental realms as they ascend the Skybreaker Monolith. PlayStation 5 ensures the player is never stuck waiting around their Sanctum (homebase). Once a destination is selected from the Holomap, players will be quickly sent to their mission. Our entire environment department did a stellar job bringing the beautiful world of Godfall to life. As developers, it is a massive win for us to be able to push the limits of our environments without having to concede to absurd loading times. With the PS5 hardware, we were really able to have our cake and eat it too. Godfall’s environments are all one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Once you are at your Holomap, you are merely seconds away from experiencing each and every one of them! We can’t wait for everyone to check out Godfall when it launches on November 12 (and 19 across the globe) on PlayStation 5. Pre-order now to be one of the first to start your ascent of the Skybreaker Monolith to challenge Macros! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/1idYDEyd5yEView the full article

Hi everyone – we wanted to share a quick update on our plans for Destruction AllStars. We’ve decided to move the game’s release from November 2020 to February 2021, where it will be included for two months in PlayStation Plus at no additional cost. Destruction AllStars is a multiplayer game that’s at its best when you’re competing with gamers online from all around the world. We want as many people as possible to experience the mayhem on PS5, and what better way to do that than to provide the game to our PlayStation Plus members? Next week, we’ll return with a brand-new trailer and more details on the game, so you’ll know exactly what to expect when you download it in February. This may be disappointing news for some of you who were looking to play the game at launch, but we hope you understand the decision. For those of you that have already pre-ordered the game, be it via PlayStation Store, PlayStation.com, or at retail, your purchase will be refunded. Thank you for your continued support, we look forward to seeing you in the arena in February! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/lo4ZskQK04kView the full article

My name is Matt Glanville, and I’m the sole developer of Switch ‘N’ Shoot. I’ve partnered with Huey Games who have worked their magic to bring the game to PlayStation 4 in all its crunchy, retro glory. We’re excited to announce today that Switch ‘N’ Shoot is coming to PS4 on November 4. Switch ‘N’ Shoot is a byte-sized, indie, arcade, score-chasing shoot ’em up in which you face off against endless waves of bug-eyed alien assailants. But there’s a twist! The game is played entirely with one single button. At this point, you might be wondering how you play a shoot ’em up with just one button. Well, it’s actually quite simple… but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Quite the opposite, in fact. In Switch ‘N’ Shoot, your spacecraft automatically moves to the left or right, but every time you shoot you switch directions (hence the name). That’s it. There are no other controls. Just a single button to shoot and change direction at the same time. But don’t let its simplicity deceive you. It’s fiendishly challenging (but always fair, of course). Gloopy space aliens descend upon you constantly and colliding with them spells instant doom, so you must use the game’s ultra-simple control system to time your shots with pinpoint precision and clear a path to the next sector. It’s a nail-biting test of accuracy and endurance which can all be over in a heartbeat (but you can jump back in for another go just as quickly). My love for retro games stems from fond teenage memories of playing PS1 with friends or alone, late into the night in a darkened room. I was a huge fan of the Suikoden games, which inspired me to create some games of my very own: the Legion Saga trilogy, released in the early 2000s. Over a decade later, I found myself working in the games industry and was fortunate enough to become lead game designer of Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty, the 2014 remake of Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee. I’d loved the elegant, minimalist approach to game design since first playing that iconic PS1 demo disc back in 1997, so working on that game was a dream come true for me. The experience also gave me valuable insight into the process of bringing games to the PS4. Soon after that project was completed, I started work on the prototype that would evolve into Switch ‘N’ Shoot. Below you can see some early screenshots from that first prototype, and how the artwork in the game evolved from concept, to sketches, to the final look: I never dreamed that several years later my own little indie game would be hitting the PS4 as well, not to mention finding a place in the indie arcade scene in the form of full coin-op cabinets, courtesy of DSM Arcade. Switch ‘N’ Shoot represents to me a distillation of everything I love in games: simple but elegant gameplay design, a firm-but-fair challenge, a crunchy retro aesthetic, and a cheeky sense of humour in the face of impending doom. Working with Huey Games to bring the game to consoles has been a fantastic experience and everyone involved is proud to deliver you this juicy little arcade experience. We hope you have a great time with Switch ‘N’ Shoot when it blasts off to PS4 on November 4! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/7uPt39c9nFMView the full article

Hi! My name is Ian Jun Wei Chiew, Lead Concept Artist at Sucker Punch Productions, and I was fortunate enough to have worked on Ghost of Tsushima since the very beginning. Ghost of Tsushima is set in 1274 during the Kamakura period, which comes with a lot of challenges as well as interesting opportunities to explore visual designs for the game. Our main story inspiration was the Mongol invasion of Japan of 1274, and the main character was a survivor of that invasion who defies all odds to defend his homeland. This was the core player fantasy that served as an overarching guide for everyone at the studio. We began by exposing ourselves to as much research and content as we could on the Kamakura Era, Japanese culture, old Samurai films and the Invasion of Tsushima, which led to the final designs of our characters, outfits, landscape, architecture, etc. A lot of the references we gathered were from museum exhibits and photos taken by teams that the studio sent out to Tsushima as well as the main island of Japan. Characters We spent a lot of time gathering reference material for our characters, which ranged from Samurai films, online books and resources, to photographing museum exhibits, from the most intricate Samurai and lavish armor, down to poor and rough bandits. Usually the concepts for characters are done well before the actors are cast. We try to invoke a personality fit for the character on the face as well as provide references for the general tone the character should give off. This helps with finding and casting the actors later. Once the actors are cast, we fit their faces onto the outfit designs and from there they do an amazing job capturing the personality and nuances of the character through their lens. The general process was to get a brief narrative of the character, doing research and reference gathering, coming up with some thumbnail sketches, rounds of iterations, and reworks to address any technical issues we faced. Jin and His Allies In the early drawing boards for Jin, we knew that we needed someone that can fulfill the fantasy of hiding in the shadows, but still having a look that feels like it was inspired by some of his samurai armor and aesthetic. While there are some stealthy assassins that actually appear from various points in history, there wasn’t a lot of information about the first warrior of that kind. Knowing that we wanted a character to have to let go of tradition and evolve into something out of necessity gave us this opportunity to tell a fictional story of a new kind of warrior. We avoided going the route of your traditional assassin trope with the iconic black and fully cloth-based outfit, and instead incorporated a touch of samurai armor elements in the Ghost outfit to help add a sense of realism. Jin’s arc of turning from the honorable samurai to the new dishonorable warrior was portrayed by including subtle intricate patterns as well as traditional armor plating pieces to make the Ghost outfit look more believable for that time. For Jin’s more traditional samurai outfits, we looked closely at armor references from the Kamakura and Heian periods. Those radiated a sense of regality which fits Jin’s arc and contrasts well with the dark and muted scheme of the Ghost armor. We started off with Jin as a full-fledged samurai, then a broken samurai, and then to be reborn as the Ghost. The bulky and angular shapes from the traditional samurai armor contrast well with the more light and agile make of the Ghost armor. We also created a lineup of outfits that Jin can acquire throughout his journey, and for these, we had a bit more creative freedom in designing outfits that helped sell the samurai fantasy, such as Tadayori’s Armor, which was inspired by Yabusume (traditional Japanese mounted archery). The more cloth-based outfits such as Kensei and Traveler’s outfit were designed with the intent of making the player feel like a lone wandering ronin, just like in those old samurai films. Since the wind plays a big part in our game, we made sure to always have parts of the outfit that reacted to the wind, such as capes and tassels. This helps make the characters feel more connected to the world. We went through the same process with our other primary and secondary characters. A lot of intricacy and thought was given to each side character, just like our main cast. From the ornate pattern of Shimura’s armor to the scarf and cloudy patterns for Yuriko, which hints at her fading memory. Khotun Khan & His Army Khotun Khan is an intelligent and ruthless leader, and it was important for us to show it in his design along with his fearsome and menacing force that contrasts with the strict and orderly samurai. The Khan has two outfits. One has a more traditional color palette with organic patterning and aesthetics, and the other, which is more armored, is void of color, with more angular patterns that feel oppressive. The Mongolian army consists of five tribes, and we had to differentiate them across the island and acts. The more powerful the tribe, the more armored and fur-laden they are. This is to show enemy scaling as you play through the game, as well as to consider the cold temperatures of the snowy area of Kamiagata as you get closer to the end of the game. Within those ranks are several classes, each with a unique general silhouette that players can hopefully distinguish from a distance, such as the archer having a more triangular silhouettes, while the brutes had more of a bulky rectangular shape. Environments First and foremost, we wanted to create a visually stunning game, and working in a historical setting can often be tricky to find the right balance for accuracy. We always had to think about what to keep historically accurate, and when to break away. ‘Realistic’ is not a word we like using here, our goal was to make sure the game had a sense of style, even though we were making a historical epic. We wanted to create a world that feels like 1274 Japan, but at the same time be more expressive with it. This came in many forms, like bold color choices, stark environment themes, impressive set-ups for the player to stumble upon, etc. In general, what ends up in the game is often a toned-down version of the concepts, so it was important for us to really push and crank up the themes and colors from the concept stage to ensure it was delivered more evidently in the final game. We did a lot of research when it comes to the architecture of the game, from farmsteads, towns and castles to shrines and temples. A lot of the references available online are from later periods and there are not a lot of details on the Kamakura era, which made it a little tricky. We were truly fortunate to have gotten support from Japan Studio as well as cultural experts during production. The Yayoi architecture style in the Toyotama region of the game was unique and hardly seen in other media. It feels very old, ancient looking, and historically works well too since it predates 1274. After building a defined architecture ruleset, we used this to then create interesting themes for the towns, such as the medicine town of Akashima, the Straw Hats hideout of Umugi, and the hot springs of Hiyoshi, to name a few. In general, we would start conceptualizing a town by getting the general narrative and theme set, putting together reference and mood boards that showcased those thematic elements, and then starting to concept the general look and feel and mission beats. Let’s look at the early development of Akashima as an example. We knew we wanted a town that represents healing with a sense of mystery to its identity. We started brainstorming and hunting down lots of references of traditional ancient Japanese medicines and healing techniques together with interesting rural villages and towns, to then doing visual layouts and concept iterations. We wanted the town to look as if there’s generations of teachings being passed down with a peaceful and serene, yet eerie and mysterious feel. We achieved this by having props and set dressing that evoke those feelings such as the white statues, the paper plastered around the walls, the white stone ground, bird cages, foggy time of day, and having the white skunk-cabbage biome be a part of the town. This all helped emphasize the mysterious and bleached color theme across the town to make it memorable and different from other parts of the game. We had the most creative and expressive time when coming up with biome ideas, since biomes, for the most part, are purely for visuals. The concept and environment team came together to brainstorm ideas to help keep each prefecture unique across the island. That involved taking the main key elements of the biome and cranking that up a lot while reducing other less important aspects. This helps make the biome visually striking and memorable, which helps differentiate from other locations. The goal here was to be an expressive art form, and not to mimic what it would look like in the real world. Mongolian architecture and aspects in the game shows areas of occupancy, which primarily consists of traditional yurts, props & set dressing as well as signs of destruction. Farmsteads and war camps are where we show most of the Mongolian themes and we intend to show oppression towards the population of Tsushima together with scarring of the Japanese architecture and landscape. Examples would be showing trampled grass, ruined rice paddy fields, and destroyed and ransacked Japanese buildings. Most Mongolian assets are quite different from Japanese assets, and mainly consist of wooden makeshift structures, fur, and pelt props as well as their unique banners, to name a few. This creates a strong differentiation when you come across an untouched area compared to an occupied one. Visual Identity Early on, we knew we wanted to head toward a more modern and classic aesthetic compared to keeping things purely traditional. Old samurai movie posters, modern and traditional graphic design and packaging were key inspirations when concepting early mockups. We incorporated this look into our UI, logos, 2D cutscenes, and even our merchandise and marketing materials. Below are some concepts we explored for the steelbook cover as well as the end credits sequence. Our 2D ink cutscenes were a fun aspect of the game we worked on. We skewed away from the traditional sumi-e feel and went with a starker and more aggressive look. Using fewer soft edges and thin ink, and more contrast, hard edges, graphic, and thick brush marks. These began with receiving the narrative and script, then storyboarding it out, fully painting each frame, and lastly handing it off for animation and post-production. Final Thoughts Concept art is just one part of the entire development process that starts from the very beginning. When designing the look of Ghost of Tsushima, we worked together with artists from various departments and came together to bring our unified vision to fruition. Achieving that vision was a team effort, with talents from 3D character and environment, texture, lighting, tech, designers, animation, UI, visual effects teams, and more. I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse of how the concept team helped visualize our world of Tsushima! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/3TkEzC4R7aIView the full article

Today, we’re excited to announce Travis Scott has joined the PlayStation family as a strategic creative partner. We heard Travis is a huge PlayStation fan, so we started a conversation with him that led to this unique partnership. Through our mutual passion for gaming and creativity, we plan on collaborating with Travis and his Cactus Jack brand to produce innovative projects that we hope will delight our collective fans. Travis is an artist who is incredibly innovative, constantly surprising, and continues to push boundaries, very much like the PlayStation brand – so we think this is a perfect fit. When we embarked on this collaboration, the most important thing was to keep it as open as possible, to allow space to explore interesting, creative ideas. Travis’ deep knowledge and fond memories about PlayStation as a brand, our products, and games will inspire his work with us from start to finish. He is an amazing creator, and we strive to work with the best creative minds inside and outside of our industry to continue to surprise the world in a way that only PlayStation can. Travis wanted to share a few words: I’m really looking forward to being able to showcase everything that Cactus Jack has worked on with Sony and the PlayStation team. Most importantly I’m excited to see how the PlayStation fans and family respond, and I look forward to running some games with everybody very soon! Today we are excited to share with you a unique video, created by Travis to kick off our partnership. The video features a few of the key people that worked on different aspects of the PlayStation 5 console. Special thanks to Travis, we are thrilled to work with him and cannot wait to share more with you soon. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/EV1l_weKEcwView the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Welcome back! This week Sid and Kristen share their thoughts on the PS5 UX first look, before diving into their favorite spooky games. Stuff We Talked About Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Ray’s the Dead Among Us Amnesia: Rebirth Soma Bioshock The Cast Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE Kristen Zitani – Content Communications Specialist, SIE Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/Fk0h-cWZuQcView the full article

During Requiem’s investigation of Dark Aether anomalies at various, familiar locations across the globe, your strike team encounters a mysterious Orb radiating dangerously high levels of unnatural energy. As your team of two investigates the anomalies, the Orb creates a barrier trapping your team inside a specific zone, and a seemingly unending horde of zombies is unleashed. With nowhere to run, your team has a single goal in mind: stay alive. This is Zombies Onslaught, a two-person, fast-paced Zombies experience for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, exclusive* to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players. Ahead of the game’s November 13 worldwide release, here’s what you can expect in this chaotic and totally unique 2-player co-op Zombies experience with a dedicated rewards system blending the maps of Multiplayer together with the undead masses of Call of Duty’s signature Zombies mode: Onslaught Overview In Zombies Onslaught, you and one other Operator will deploy to one of several locations derived from various Multiplayer maps with your custom loadouts. These are the very same loadouts you’ll carry into traditional Zombies and Multiplayer, complete with your preferred primary weapon, whether it be an LMG, heavy-hitting sniper rifle, or other fully kitted-out tool for zombie destruction. Once you drop in, the onslaught begins; the Dark Aether Orb will confine your duo to a specific space on the map, where the undead will begin spawning in. Killing these zombies will power the Orb. Kill enough Zombies and the Orb will move. While you’re inside the Orb, you won’t take Dark Aether damage from outside the specific map zone the Orb protects, helping keep players alive as they fight increasingly difficult undead enemies, with each “surge” bringing more resilient, faster and deadlier zombies. As the Orb gains power and you clear out more enemies, expect to stay on the move as the safe area shifts to different areas around the map, forcing you to change strategies on the fly while fending off the undying horde. Surges can also include Elite enemies, more powerful adversaries compared to the regular zombified masses. However, don’t count them as cannon fodder: the restricted area can bring them within arm’s length, which is all they need to bring you and your duo down. For the sake of scoring, Elites should be your primary target, as you’ll receive either a Bronze, Silver, or Gold ranking based on the number of Elites you and your partner can defeat. By achieving a specific rank, you will unlock useful rewards for use across Zombies and Multiplayer. Each season, new maps and rewards will be introduced for PS4 and PS5 players. Along with this exclusive bonus experience, Zombies also includes traditional four-player co-op ushering in a new chapter of one of Black Ops’ core experiences. Expect to dive deep into Zombies as well as a mind-bending, blockbuster Campaign and a signature Multiplayer experience only Black Ops can provide. Pre-order the game now and prepare for combat on November 13. *Not available on other platforms until Nov. 1, 2021. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/y-D_KRdi5AgView the full article

Last week, we asked you to share center-focused moments from your favorite games using #PS4share and #PSBlog. From glittering suns to darkly lit corridors, here are this week’s centered highlights: Jesse climbs steps in the Oldest House in this Control share by Comput_ART. Bayek balances before the sun in this Assassin’s Creed Origins shared by Eve_Auditore. The Wolf faces a formidable foe in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, shared by Snapthegame1. Liveevilphotos shared this portrait of a Valkyrie from God of War. Sefwick shares this perfectly balanced shot from Bound. Ulysses_Jack16 brings balance to the force in this shot from Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order. Search #PS4share and #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? Theme: Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, October 28 Next week, we’re focusing on Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. Share legendary shots from the new multiplayer co-op mode using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/sZw5rbNitV8View the full article

Hello, dear Visitor. It’s such a pleasure to have you join us in the Pale City for this introduction to one of the charmingly horrific areas you’ll be exploring in Little Nightmares II, which will be available February 11, 2021. The world of Little Nightmares is a place where adventure and horror travel hand-in-hand. It’s a place that’s not made for kids, and what’ll keep you alive are all the qualities this world tries to destroy. Things like cleverness, courage, and imagination. You play as Mono, a determined child who is tracking down the mysterious Transmission that seems to be warping and corrupting everything it touches. With his companion, Six, he’ll have to run, hide, and even fight to survive a surreal environment that has little care for children. Today, let’s sneak into the trauma unit for a tour of the Hospital. Mono and Six stumble into this run-down building as they seek shelter from a miserable rain pelting the Pale City, but once inside, they quickly discover the cure is much worse than the disease. The Hospital is the home of the Doctor and his Patients, each one a collection of clattering parts that lurch after anything unusual in their environment. Save your sympathy, these hypochondriacs willingly came to the Hospital in search of a medical solution for the boredom infecting their lives. So the Doctor did what he could, taking away some bits and adding others as his artistic sensibilities saw fit. And once the process had begun, it’s not as if the Patients could voice a complaint. It might seem like a benign system, but the search for self-improvement through medical intervention requires fresh treatments to keep the Patients satisfied that they’re getting cutting-edge care. That’s the fate in store for our little visitors if they get caught wandering the wards. Fortunately, the Patients are very sensitive to light during their convalescence, and Mono discovers that his flashlight is just bright enough to stun them for brief amounts of time. But will one little bulb be enough to hold off an entire infirmary? Help Mono and Six stay off the Doctor’s operating table when Little Nightmares II releases February 11, 2021! A free PS5 upgrade is coming in 2021. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/xy1f1Jm_TrIView the full article

Hey everyone! It’s great to be back on PS Blog to talk Dirt 5 with you, as we hurtle towards the revolutionary off-road racing game’s launch on current-gen and next-gen PlayStation consoles this November. We’ve been pretty busy in recent weeks and months bringing you all manner of Dirt 5 details – from our star-studded Career, to the brand new Playgrounds arena creator mode, to the game’s all-round style and vibe that brings everything to life. One card we’ve held closer to our chest is Dirt 5’s online modes – until now. Whether you’re new to the Dirt franchise, or a long-time fan who loved some of the more creative online modes in past Dirt titles, we think you’re going to like this… Dirt 5’s gameplay is all about action, fun and excitement around every turn – and we’ve taken that focus into Dirt 5’s multiplayer modes. Once you head into Multiplayer and add any friends to your session, prepare yourself for some thrilling racing and objective-based entertainment, against your buds and the rest of the world! Party modes If you’re a fan of previous online modes in Dirt like Outbreak and Cat ‘n’ Mouse, or keen to see more fun and innovating racing modes, we’ve got you covered. We’ve drawn up a host of unique, purpose-built arenas for each mode, so get ready for a new way to Let Loose in these three objective-based event types: Vampire We gave you a glimpse of the Vampire mode for Dirt 5 at the end of our Playgrounds trailer in August, and now it’s time to reveal all. Those of you who played Outbreak in Dirt 3 will be right at home here – and those of you who didn’t are in for a treat. Vampire events begin with one Vampire car, whose task is to hunt down the other drivers, make contact with them, and turn them into a Vampire, visible by their headlights turning a ghoulish shade of red. Players who are not the Vampire have one objective: Run! Or, well, drive. Really fast. Use your racing skills to evade the Vampires in our event arenas until dawn comes to take the win and escape! King Got what it takes to hold the crown? Good – now you have to keep it. King puts a new spin on a traditional multiplayer event, with each player aiming to hold the crown and avoid coming into contact with other cars, which passes the crown over to them. Racers earn points whenever they hold the crown, and the King will also leave a trail of coins for players to gather as they chase them down – but holding the crown is where the big money is at. Two crowns are placed in the arena and will automatically reset if a player retains it for a set amount of time. Score the most points within the time limit to secure the W and be King for a day! Transporter A racing-focused take on another classic multiplayer game type, Transporter is all about capturing, defending and evading to score the win. Each player is tasked with capturing an object and transporting it to a designated place. Doing so scores you points – but you’ll have every other racer trying to stop you and transport the object themselves! That’s not all, though – holding onto the object longer, before delivering it, will score you more points. Do you race to the destination and bank the points, or try to keep it for longer and rack up a score? Strategy, skill and timing will be key to success in Transporter. Online races in stunning locations Want some more traditional racing alongside these party modes? No problem. Dirt 5’s Multiplayer also brings you an array of off-road racing action, both circuit-based and point-to-point, for you to tear up. We’ve taken some of the best scenarios and setups from single-player modes to create a huge playlist of events to compete in. All 10 of Dirt 5’s stunning locations will be represented across the playlist, with a huge variety of car classes including Classic Rally, Pre Runners, Cross Raid, Rally Cross and more. This is the perfect way to take the off-road racing variety that Dirt 5 has to offer and give it another layer of unpredictability and fun. Private lobbies, meanwhile, is a planned addition for after Dirt 5’s launch. As we assess the performance and feedback on Multiplayer racing, we’ll see how to best incorporate more options to create and search for player-made Dirt 5 lobbies. Cross-generation multiplayer for Dirt 5 Competing in any Multiplayer events in Dirt 5 earns you currency to spend on new cars or other items, and also allows you to unlock personalisation items, such as new designs for your player card and lanyard, or certain stickers to show off on your profile or your car, through Dirt 5’s livery editor. Play more Multiplayer, get more cool stuff – you know the drill, and we’ve created a huge amount of items and style variations to make it worth your while. All Multiplayer modes in Dirt 5 are 12-player events – ideal for close pack racing on our incredible circuits across 10 locations, or for our Party Mode arenas. All track and environment designs in Dirt 5 are created to encourage drama and action on the track, whilst surrounded by spectacular scenery. That makes it the perfect stage to serve up some online fun, and we can’t wait to see what you make of it. Oh, and finally, Dirt 5 online is cross-generational – that means if you’re playing Multiplayer on PlayStation 5, you’ll be able to tear it up with PlayStation 4 players, or vice versa. Enjoy! Whether you’re doing battle in our Party Mode arenas, or racing against the world in our thrilling races, Multiplayer is designed to deliver big on fun and entertainment, just like every aspect of Dirt 5. Got what it takes to take the crown, avoid the Vampires, transport the goods and take home the dub? Come November 6, it’ll be time to prove it, as Dirt 5 launches on PS4. We’ll then be bringing the game to PS5 from November 12, with next-gen enhancements including DualSense controller integration and 120fps options. See you out there. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/qOA9NL9HC3MView the full article

Hey Battlemages! My name is Jesse Kurlancheek and I’m the Design Director on Spellbreak and one of the co-founders at Proletariat, the studio behind the game. Spellbreak is a competitive, free-to-play, third-person spellcasting game where you unleash powerful magic as you fight other players for survival. It’s been about six weeks since we launched and we have our first major release coming out today! It introduces a host of new content, including new Consumables, Talents, and more — but today I want to talk to you about our first new game mode: a 9v9 team deathmatch called Clash. This new mode is one of the first evolutions beyond the traditional Battle Royale for Spellbreak. Clash features two teams of nine players fighting it out to be the first to reach a predetermined score. The game starts the same as the Battle Royale mode, with teams choosing their talents and classes, dropping onto their side of the map (or invading the enemy team’s!), gathering loot, and leveling up. But the circle closes much faster than you’re used to and will eventually settle on a hand-picked location to maximize the excitement. For each exile, your team scores a point. But instead of being eliminated entirely, the exiled player drops a copy of their gear and respawns high above the map, ready to rejoin the battle and keep fighting. They’ll keep their gear and their health and armor will be restored, so watch out; the person you just took out could be coming for revenge! Clash gets you right into the action and keeps you there, highlighting Spellbreak’s unique combat. It’s also a great way to warm up or to cool down at the end of a night in Battle Royale. The stakes are lower, which means you can practice a class with different talents or gear that you might not otherwise risk using in an environment where it’s okay to try and try again. Play Video Spellbreak started as a Battle Royale, but we think of BR as simply one of many game modes and not as a game-defining genre. We’ll be adding more game modes in the future based on your feedback. We’ve got plenty of exploration to do and we’re excited for what the future holds. Clash is just the exciting beginning! Come check out Spellbreak’s Clash mode right now and let us know what you think in the official Spellbreak Discord server. Starting today, all drops are gonna be hot! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/dKMFFsgmk-gView the full article

Hi there! I’m Chris Cobb from Ragtag Studio. The day we thought would never come has finally arrived: our new game Ray’s the Dead has finally come to life, releasing on PS4 today! This game may be familiar to some of you since the game was originally announced seven years ago on PlayStation’s E3 stage, but for those of you that haven’t heard of Ray’s the Dead, let’s tell you a bit about its history. Development History To say the development of Ray’s the Dead has been a rollercoaster ride would be quite the understatement! Back in 2013 we started with a bang when Sony was good enough to announce us on stage as one of the “indie 8” back during the launch of the PS4. That moment remains a dream come true. Development has been very long in the tooth, but we have stuck with it through thick and thin. We have lived a lot of life during that span of time. Failed Kickstarters, successful Kickstarters. Publishers came and went. My partners Matt and Shawn both had their first born child during development. Both of my parents were diagnosed with, and passed away from, cancer. A lot of wonderful things and terrible things have happened during development, and I like to think a little of all of that has been infused in the game and will live on in Ray’s the Dead. We have given this our all and are very proud of this strange game we’ve created. Enough of that, let’s tell you a bit about the game! Gameplay overview Ray’s the Dead is a single-player, heavily narrative-based game with a very unusual gameplay mix. Playing as Ray, you control a squad of minions that follow you around and obey your every command. With the help of your small army you’ll solve puzzles, defeat enemies, pretend to be trick or treaters, ambush enemies through the bushes, manipulate the stock market, rile up a crowd with the sweet sound of your sax, and of course, save the world! Fans of the cult classic Stubbs the Zombie will find a lot to like in Ray’s the Dead. 66.6% of our small team of three were involved in the development of Stubbs and are happy to bring some of what we loved about Stubbs to Ray’s the Dead. Flashbacks The story of Ray’s the Dead takes place over two timelines. In the present day, you start the game as Ray in Zombie form. He rises from his grave slightly more cognizant than your typical zombie. Even so, he has no idea what’s going on or how he’s come to be in the state he’s in. Shortly into your adventure, Ray will start to experience flashbacks in which you’ll experience Ray’s past when he was still alive. These flashbacks serve to tell the story of all the important moments throughout Ray’s life leading up to… *SPOILER!* … the day he dies! The flashbacks are a great way to introduce you to important characters in Ray’s life that you may also encounter in the present… as a zombie! (How’s THAT gonna go?) They also are the method by which Ray learns new abilities. He’ll often encounter a traumatic situation in the present, flashback to a similar experience in the past, remember how he overcame it, and apply that knowledge to his current situation back in the present. It’s a really fun mechanic and a great storytelling mechanism. Mechanics As Ray, you’ll encounter a variety of combat and environment-based puzzle scenarios. In each situation you must effectively use your team of minions to get out of these sticky situations. You’ll add four different types of zombies to your group over the course of the game, each with a variety of different abilities. Some of the abilities are related to how they navigate the terrain, whereas some lend themselves to a unique combat style. Some of your zombies can burrow underground whereas others can dash past speeding bullets to slam into and stun their enemies. Using the right zombie at the right time is the key to success. Both the puzzles and the combat are more tactical in nature as opposed to button mashy and requiring quick reflexes. Zombies are slow and dumb but with the right guidance and patience you and your small army can over come any obstacle! Environments and soundtrack The world of Ray’s the Dead takes place throughout the 80’s in a variety of seemingly mundane environments punctuated with fantastical elements. You’ll make your way through a shipping yard, but find yourself under attack by shipping containers controlled by a giant robot! You’ll sneak through a moonlit forest campsite, while an incredible mountain peak temple beckons from the distance! And throughout these fantastical adventures you’ll be bopping along to an incredible soundtrack. The soundtrack is a mix of original compositions and licenced tracks, all in the 80’s synth wave style. The soundtrack features a wonderful array of musicians such as Jake Kaufman (Shovel Knight), Dale North, Disasteradio, Santori In Bed, and many more! Release day Back in 2013 Sony sent us a complimentary PS4, along with this bottle of champagne and glasses to celebrate the release of the console. Matt, Shawn and I have been holding onto them this entire time, planning to open and drink it together when Ray’s the Dead finally releases. Unfortunately due to the pandemic we will not be able to celebrate together. But instead tonight, my wife and I will crack this open. I am not expecting it to taste good! Ray’s the Dead is now available in North America and Latin America on PS4 for $19.99. It will be available in Europe on October 29. Ray’s the Dead will be backward compatible with PS5. We hope you will check it out! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PSBlog/~4/ReKX7a9QBzkView the full article