Commander Fury

Calling all survivors! We’re Survios, a virtual reality game studio and creators of PlayStation VR classics like Creed: Rise to Glory and Raw Data. We’re excited to announce The Walking Dead Onslaught is coming to PS VR September 29. Today, we released a brand new gameplay trailer full of heart-pounding combat action featuring a few survivors you just might recognize. You can watch the full video below. Play Video In The Walking Dead Onslaught, there’s no rest when survival is on the line. Step into AMC’s The Walking Dead and prepare for an onslaught of walkers as you assume the roles of your favorite characters from the show, and confront the horrors and humanity of this apocalyptic new world. Reclaim your humanity The Walking Dead Onslaught is set shortly after the Savior War in an Alexandria devastated by the fighting, and struggling over its ideals. It will take risk and sacrifice to mend this broken society and rebuild the Alexandria Safe Zone for future generations. Are you prepared to do your part? Step into the shoes of Daryl Dixon for an intense campaign mode, as he recounts a fateful encounter with a mysterious stranger. The game’s infinitely replayable Scavenger Mode challenges you to embark on supply runs as Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Carol, where they’ll encounter overwhelming hordes of walkers and collect resources to rebuild their community, upgrade and modify iconic weapons from the show, and unlock new quests. Ultimate combat freedom Using PlayStation Move controllers, you will test the boundaries of VR combat physicality to shoot, sever, and decapitate walker hordes in ranged and close-quarter encounters. Experience our visceral Progressive Dismemberment system that realistically depicts your every attack against the undead. You’ll have a robust arsenal of 24 weapons to discover and bring back to Alexandria, each with realistic handling and a variety of customizable modifications to fine-tune and suit your personal combat style. Fast-action survival Leave nothing behind. Every trip beyond the walls of Alexandria means a chance to collect valuable weapons, food, materials, and other resources for the community. But beware: every supply run provides unpredictable walker encounters, resource availability, and obstacles to test your sense of flight or fight. We hope you’re as excited as we are to have you play The Walking Dead Onslaught. Follow our journey on Twitter, and sign up for our newsletter to be notified when PlayStation pre-orders go live. View the full article

Hello PlayStation fans! A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to take a closer look at FIFA 21 and what Career Mode has in store for you this year. Running us through the big improvements in that — as well as Volta mode, which also makes a return — is Alex Constantinescu, Senior Game Designer. Read on to find out what we learned from our interview with Alex. 1. Interactive Match Simulation One of the first things you’ll notice is the new launch screen pre-match. Here you’ll find plenty of useful information to help you make the best strategic decisions for your squad in the match ahead. Once you’ve weighed up and made your choice, it is time to get into the game. And simulations are more comprehensive than ever to give you more agency and control. Players’ stamina, stats, match ratings and game plan options are at your fingertips, letting you keep to the sidelines and make on the fly tactical changes. Alternatively at any point during a game, as many times as you want, you can jump in and take direct control of the on-pitch action. The game will even suggest opt-ins at key moments, such as when a goal is scored. The studio has worked hard to make the transition from sim to actual match super-fast. Coupled with the game suggesting the probable lineup of your opponent’s team before the sim begins, you’ve an incredible array of tools at your disposal to plan your team makeup and formation and counter any on-pitch tactics. And If you so wish, you can simply skip the watch (or play) and get the full-time score and stats. 2. Player Development Last year, Dynamic Player Potentials was added to Career mode, helping you track the growth and evolution of the player. Building on that success, this year the studio is giving you an even more layered and flexible approach to player development. In FIFA 21’s Career mode, you will be able to plan the way your player develops skills and decide in which areas a player’s growth should happen. Example: choose a young, inexperienced player and push them into developing their dribbling or finishing skills. Or, take a veteran player and decide which of their already developed abilities should be kept at their peak level in order to maintain a spot on the team. However, it isn’t as simple as choosing which abilities need to grow. They are balanced against other parameters, such as a footballer’s play time, their match ratings and the difficulty level of your opponent. All factor into your players’ development and how quickly they can reach their maximum potential. Answering one of FIFA fans’ most requested updates, this year you’ll have the ability to change a player’s field position. There’s a caveat though: depending on specific player development, some position changes can be more difficult to make than others. Turning a centre-back into a striker is not an easy feat, but there if you really want to take on the challenge. 3. Active Training System & Match Sharpness Another new feature is the Active Training System. This adds an extra layer of depth to your performance management. In the same way that Player Potential focuses on long term development, Active Training is all about the immediate match readiness of your players, giving you a lot of control over your team’s pre-match preparation. Sharpness will be the new indicator of player abilities. The bigger the Sharpness value, the better the player will perform in the upcoming match. Paired with player Morale, these will affect performance. One way to increase a player’s Sharpness is training sessions. However, be mindful that extra training will tire out your chosen footballer and lower their Fitness level. It’s up to you to strike a balance between Sharpness and Fitness, both essential attributes required to secure a victory. Training offers different drill scenarios. Conditions like difficulty level, intensity and number of players will vary depending on what you pick to practice. While players will be pre-populated based on who is in your starring line-up and who is on the bench, you can customize the line-up if you so wish. In order to get the maximum benefit for your team, you must master all training drills at least once. 4. Player Feedback System The studio has strived to create realistic outcomes based on your team management choices. Your approach to each player’s Sharpness, Fitness and Morale impacts and adjusts their attributes accordingly. Change a player’s position to that other than his preferred one and expect to see his Morale and Sharpness take a hit. You won’t be left in the dark though: these stats will always be accessible, letting you know your individual players’ feelings about the choices you’re making. So, play wisely. 5. Schedule Planning Aside from player development, you will also be able to customize your team’s schedule. You will have to decide when it’s the best time to train or rest your players. There are two approaches you can take: you can set global parameters that apply to the whole season calendar or you can fine tune on a weekly basis, dropping training or recovery days as needed. It makes for an incredibly detailed and personalized schedule tailored to your team’s specific needs. Those are just some of the improvements that FIFA 21 is ushering in. Additional changes to Career Mode include an improved onboarding experience for first time players, more realistic transfer and setup options as well as an enhanced opposition AI. We’ll get to see how it all comes together on October 9, when FIFA 21 launches on PS4. View the full article

Major League Baseball is back in action, and we too are back with another MLB The Show 20 seasonal tournament. The PS4 Tournaments: Fall Circuit is available to those in the U.S. and Canada, and offers 5 open qualifiers ahead of the final, giving fans plenty of chances to compete to become the best. With Stubs giveaways for those who complete all their matches on day one of a qualifier, we’re bringing even more reason to compete. The tournament is open to all eligible participants*, and there are multiple opportunities to qualify for the finals and earn a shot at $25,000 USD in total cash prizing, as well as MLB merch prize packages. The first qualifier begins August 22, and the last one ahead of the finals begins October 17. Participants will compete in a Swiss tournament system through the qualifier rounds. The Top 8 finishers in each weekly tournament qualify directly for the final. The Grand Final will be a seeded bracket determined by season-wide points and finishes throughout the tournament. Additionally, make sure to check out the Competition Center, the home of all PlayStation competitive gaming content, to register and view all the unique prizes you can win during the Fall Circuit. You can also read up on all the player and game settings so you are well prepared for the first pitch! Remember, no matter your skill level, you will be able to compete against both friends and others in the PlayStation community. For more information on all PS4 Tournaments, visit compete.playstation.com. Sign up today! *MLB The Show 20 PS4 Tournaments: Fall Circuit – must be 18+ and resident of the US or Canada. Begins August 22 – ends October 17. Active PS Plus subscription required. Void where prohibited. Rules: https://esl.gg/MLB20-FC. View the full article

What’s up, 2K community! Well, it has been a rollercoaster year on many fronts, and we know it hasn’t been easy for everyone being cooped up at home with most everything in your life going virtual. Hopefully this short blog will give you something to look forward to in the virtual world as you get ready for a new year of 2K hoops with NBA 2K21! It has been a busy year for us at Visual Concepts as we’ve been working hard to bring you the best hoops experience on both the current and next gen consoles. I can’t tell you how excited the team is to reveal all the new tech and amazing advances we’re bringing to 2K basketball with the power of the next gen systems; but for today, let’s take a look at some of the gameplay improvements coming your way for the current-gen version of NBA 2K21 launching on September 4 for PS4. Best of all, you’ll have the opportunity to check out how the game plays for yourself when we release the NBA 2K21 demo on August 24 for PlayStation 4. Dame time I had the opportunity to jump on a Zoom call with cover athlete, Damian Lillard, a few months back. He is a huge 2K gamer and had a ton of great feedback and ideas for 2K21. But his biggest request? Being able to make an oversized PG in MyCAREER. So, for all you Penny Hardaway wannabes, you have Dame to thank for that as we have upped the max height for PG to 6’8″. Dame continued to share his likes and dislikes of gameplay, which we then added to the running wishlist that we already had from the community. After compiling all the feedback, we came away with a great list of items that we knew the community wanted to see improved (e.g. long passes downcourt sailing out of bounds) and came up with skill-based solutions that would be more fun and fair for everyone. We’ve always prided ourselves as being the most authentic basketball simulation on the market, and that will never change. But one of the challenges that we face is striking the right balance between simulating real life and making a game that’s fun and enjoyable for a wide range of fans. That’s where the debate on Skill Gap vs. Accessibility comes into play The target we shoot for is to create a game that’s easy to pick up and play for new users while also providing enough of a skill gap for veteran users to really showcase their talent. One way we set out to accomplish this was through building out a robust set of sliders and carefully mapping the appropriate settings to all the various modes in our game. So whether it’s your first time playing against the CPU in Quick Play, messing around with your buddies in the Park, or battling in a high stakes Ante Up or competitive Pro-Am match, there’s a wide range of gameplay experiences and definitely something for everyone in NBA 2K21. So to sum up this section, I don’t really have a fancy back of the box marketing name for the work that went into gameplay balance and “fun-ifying” the on-court experience, but I’m pretty confident that longtime fans of 2K basketball will notice the improvements and appreciate what the team was able to accomplish. The Pro Stick The Pro Stick has been a staple of 2K basketball for years now, and for the most part, has largely gone unchanged since its inception. For NBA 2K21, we saw this as a big opportunity to freshen up the game on the offensive end. In past games, you could hold the Pro Stick in any direction to take a jump shot. That was limiting us from utilizing the right stick as a fully featured dribble stick. So this year, we’re making a pretty significant change to how the Pro Stick works. In a nutshell: Hold RS down = jump shot Hold RS left or right = escape dribble moves Hold RS up = signature size-ups Tap the RS = quick 1-to-1 dribble moves Tap the RS with Sprint held = quick momentum dribble moves With this change, we’ve been able to greatly expand the dribble move arsenal and give you access to more moves in a more intuitive control scheme. After a game or two, it will feel second nature and will have you breaking ankles in no time! Along with the remap, the moves themselves have been overhauled to be much more responsive and chain-able. Street moves have been moved to a tap of the left trigger as well, so you won’t be firing them off by accident when you’re breaking down defenders in the Park. And for the NBA size-ups, we’ve added several new signatures like Harden’s around the leg dribble, a new version of Kobe’s dance, and Durant’s patented hesi cross. Another NBA legend, Nate Robinson, came in for motion capture this year and gave us some really unique moves that I’ll leave for you to find as well. You can also perform size-up dribbles on the move by holding the Pro Stick Up and using the left stick to move your player in any direction. Altogether, you can choose from a list of 14 Park and 36 unique NBA Size-ups. And when you factor in all the 1-to-1 size-up packages and new customizable escape dribbles, there’s really no limit to the types of combos you can pull off in NBA 2K21. Shooting Dribble moves weren’t the only thing that benefited from the Pro Stick upgrade. Jump shooting and finishing at the rim were points of emphasis as well. We really wanted to make scoring the basketball a skill both from the perimeter and at the rim, so we brainstormed and prototyped a number of various shooting mechanics for this year’s game. What we settled on was an idea conceptually similar to something we tried in NBA 2K17… Shot Stick Aiming. Aiming didn’t really work that well in NBA 2K17 because it was a bit buried, didn’t have much skill built into it, and didn’t give the user any feedback. We took those learnings and used them to create a better solution this time around. For NBA 2K21, when you shoot with the Pro Stick, the shot meter changes from a timing bar to a targeting system. So instead of trying to stop the shot meter when you reach the perfect release window, you adjust the Pro Stick in real time to hit the ideal center aim point. The target window resizes dynamically based on player ability, shooting range, and how well the shot is contested and can also shift to the left or right based on the shot’s degree of difficulty. If you miss the target too far to the left or right, your shot will miss in that direction. And as I mentioned above with the new slider sets, even the slightest degree might be the difference between a make and an airball on Hall of Fame, while it’s quite a bit more forgiving on the easier difficulties. You also won’t be penalized for using the entire shooting motion to find the sweet spot. In other words, you don’t have to time your release when you’re shooting with the Pro Stick. But if you want to take it to the next level and know your release, you can lock in your timing and aim by either centering the Pro Stick or by tapping one of the triggers when you reach the apex of the shot. The lock in will be indicated by a brief flash on the shot meter. If you can time and aim well, you will give yourself the best chances at making the shot. The aiming concept also applies to finishing layups, replicating the idea of having “good touch” around the rim. As you’re driving you can still hold the Pro Stick in any direction to start a layup, but this year, you’ll want to quickly swing the stick to move the aiming tick to the center of the target. Aiming layups well can help overcome shot contests and help you finish through contact. Personally, it has been hard for me to go back to the Shot Button after getting used to Pro Stick shooting. And because shooting with the stick offers a bit more complexity than just holding and releasing a button, it also carries a greater risk/reward. If you can master shooting with the Pro Stick, you’ll have a higher ceiling for getting greens and making tough shots, so I’m pretty sure it’s going to be the shot method of choice for many competitive 2K players. But since I know some will ask… yes, there is an option to disable Shot Aiming if you really want to go back to last year’s controls. On the shooting animation side, you can expect a plethora of new shot types, including Harden’s unique 1-foot running fadeaway. And a quick note for all the Park players… we’ve added over 40 new Park Jump Shot Landings for you to show off with when you hit from outside. On the defensive end, you can expect a much stronger presence from bigs in the paint. Block targeting has been improved so it will be easier to send weak shots back and we’ve loaded up more coverage for contact in the paint to slow down overpowered moves like last year’s hop step layup. Motion styles Last year we introduced signature dribble styles, which gave Magic Johnson his unique upcourt waddle, Steve Nash’s finger licks, and much more. This upgrade has now made its way onto the defensive end with signature defensive motion styles. Here’s the list of players you can model your player’s movement after: Russell Westbrook, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Pat Beverly, Andre Iguodala, and Draymond Green. In addition to this, movement has undergone several refinements, both with the ball and without, to provide a more consistent and responsive feel on the sticks. Badges Seemed like everybody was a big fan of how we redesigned the badge system last year with the ability to swap badges in and out as you upgrade. That’s returning for NBA 2K21. Throughout the life of NBA 2K20, we collected telemetry data that gave us a detailed breakdown of what badges people were equipping for certain build types, and which ones weren’t being used as much. This was very useful in helping us redesign and tune the badges for NBA 2K21. I think you’ll find that more badges will have merit and fight for a spot in your badge loadout, giving you more effective tools to take over games in a more varied fashion. And here’s some good news that I know the community will appreciate. We removed Quick Draw and put release speed back into the Jump Shot Creator. So that’s one thing you won’t have to waste your precious badge points on. Closing thoughts As always, I want to give a huge shout out to all the gameplay engineers and producers, as well as the talented team at VC South, who worked (and are still working) tirelessly to deliver the best basketball game to date. The current gen versions of NBA 2K21 are a great step forward for virtual hoops, and stay tuned in the coming months for all the goodies we have in store for you on the next gen platforms. The future is very bright for 2K fans, and you won’t want to miss what we’re cooking up for you! But until then, thanks so much to all of you for your ongoing support and feedback year in and year out. NBA 2K has always been a collaboration between the most passionate fans and dedicated developers in the industry, and we couldn’t do what we do without you! Stay safe and healthy, and we’ll see you in the virtual streets! View the full article

Step into the octagon tomorrow with the latest and greatest MMA gaming experience, EA Sports UFC 4. In UFC 4, the fighter you become is shaped by your fight style, your personality and your achievements. In this blog we’re going to dissect your fighter’s options both inside and outside the octagon — your fight style, which lives inside the all-new gameplay system and your personality, which is represented by your created fighter and the all-new connected player profile. In UFC 4, the dev team focused on improving gameplay every phase of the fight. With more control in striking, Real Player Motion Technology integrated into grappling exchanges, a new submission system and devastating ground and pound, your fighter has a multitude of ways to finish the fight. Play Video Ground and pound specialist? Take advantage of the new devastating ground and pound overhaul, which gives you more tools for your fighter to inflict damage on the mat. Whether you are working from a postured-up position in your opponent’s guard, have earned side control, or have passed to full-mount, you will have greater control to aim and fire, picking your spots to find the finish. BJJ Technician? The new submissions system presents a new way to flex your Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills and force a tap-out. Depending on your position and the submission you are trying to execute one of two new mini-games will trigger. In both, the attacker and defender work against each other in a game of cat and mouse… oh, and in UFC 4, you can execute strikes from the clinch allowing you to strategically deal damage during the interaction. Prefer to dominate with control and precision up close and personal? Fluid clinch control introduces Real Player Motion Technology into the art of the ‘clinch’, allowing you to control the octagon with superior offensive positioning. Once you’ve earned these close control positions you can inflict damage through a more complete clinch striking system than ever before. Highlight reel striker? Dynamic striking inputs allow players to access combinations with greater ease than ever before. Using a new tap vs. hold mechanic on every button input players can quickly switch their striking cadence between quick shots to open your opponent up and heavy blows to put them on their back. No matter which phase of the fight your fighter specializes there are new tools to dominate. But, in UFC 4, your in octagon ability is only part of the experience… your fighter’s personality and achievements round out the depth of the experience. With the new Connected Player Profile everything you do in the game ladders up against a singular progression system. Completing challenges across the game earns XP, which unlock rewards, like custom gear, accessories, or player card backgrounds. The connected player profile system complements the deep created fighter vanity system, which will feature over 1,600 new pieces of gear and more than 120 emotes at launch. Use the XP from your achievements across the game to earn the gear and truly create a one of a kind fighter. Every MMA fighter has an extraordinary personality and in UFC 4 crafting your character’s is just as important performing in the octagon. EA Sports UFC 4 is available for digital download tomorrow. For those that decide to get in today, you have the added bonus of receiving boxing superstars Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Hope to see you all in the virtual octagon. View the full article

Hey everyone, this is Hernan Lopez from Epic LLama and I’m excited to finally say this: Darkestville Castle is coming to PlayStation 4 tomorrow! It’s been a long journey and we’re happy that you’ll be able to experience our fun little adventure with a PlayStation controller in hand. Darkestville Castle’s story follows the tale of Cid — a mischievous demon that loves being evil, turning his town upside down and fighting heroes, demon hunters and all that kind of stuff. Do you remember classic point and click adventure games? Think of the games where you have an action token to talk, grab and see… Well that’s how Darkestville Castle works! Oh and of course, there’s a lovely inventory to save all the stuff you collect… usually by stealing. We at Epic LLama always loved point-and-click adventure games. Back when we were kids we used to play them kind of in a “multiplayer way.” Together with a bunch of friends, we sat in front of the computer guessing how to solve the puzzles… Oh man, were we slow at progressing because there was way more debate than action but we had lots of fun regardless. So when we grew up and became game developers, we wanted to make our own point-and-click. Our road to the game industry was through “flash games” as we started making really short and fun small games for websites like Newgrounds… And we had a blast making flash games, but we wanted to make something bigger and better! We felt we were ready to make the point-and-click that could become a classic in the future. And that’s when we started working on Darkestville Castle. Few people know this, but the first demo of Darkestville was actually flash-based. However, as the project started to grow, we had to port it to Unity3D to be able to make it as big and good as we wanted and also to be able to port it to everything. PS4 in particular! :D We wanted to make a point-and-click with the best elements of the beloved adventure classics we grew up loving, but with its own distinctive flavor, and that’s when Cid stepped in. We wanted to make him as iconic and distinctive as possible, he even looks like an icon if you think about it. He has a big permanent smile on his face all the time and he is not the regular hero at all… In fact, he is not even a hero! He is evil, pure lovely chaotic evil! Cid was inspired by so many characters we love — he’s like a bit of a Skeletor, a bit of Jack Skellington, of course there’s some Guybrush Threepwood and a lot of our inner evil essence. Yes, Cid is a character that is bad… but he owns it so much and has so much fun just being evil. But why would we tell a story about a bad guy? I mean, Cid is a demon, he clearly loves making everyone around him miserable and is always scheming and plotting in that way, yet we found it somehow charming. I think because there is a lot of fun in mischief and chaos. Every time someone likes and shares a “Funny Fails Compilation” video they prove this. Cid’s evilness is also a force of his nature. He is evil, because he is a demon and evil is all he does. We can’t judge Cid’s evil actions using our human morals. This is somehow reflected on Darkestville denizens as they accept Cid’s nature. And while they don’t like to be the targets of his evil deeds, they are not going to hunt him down, which is something they could easily do since everyone here knows where he lives. However, we should consider the fact that the locals found him as a baby and raised him up so they gradually got used to Cid being more and more mischievous, and sometimes they even benefit from his plans going backwards. Don’t get us wrong, Cid isn’t some kind of a tormented evil person who wants to make the world feel the pain he once felt. On the contrary, he is happy and upbeat. A very happy and optimistic monster. What a great companion for a journey full of problems and puzzles to solve! We understand that a big part of beating a point and click adventure game is solving puzzles by thinking and trying all ways that do not always work, so we tried to keep that in mind while writing Cid. He is optimistic and ever smiling, and will always tell us an anecdote or something that is fun to listen to, so even if we didn’t solve a puzzle, we still had some cookie, some piece of information or some joke to make us chuckle. Wanna know more about Darkestville Castle and Cid? Try out the Demo(n) Version or the full game tomorrow and tell me what you think! View the full article

On Friday August 14 at 8 a.m. PDT (4 p.m. BST) – or your regional equivalent time – the gates of the Warehouse demo will be swung open for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 digital pre-order skaters across the globe to shred until the full release on September 4. It’s time to bring back Tony to the Warehouse – here’s everything you need to know about this demo: What’s in the Demo? In this pre-release experience carved out from the full game, you get to skate as Tony Hawk in the level that started it all for the franchise; the Warehouse, straight out of the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. For this demo, you’ll be taking part in a classic, no-frills Single Session. You have two minutes – unless you go into Overtime by keeping a combo going past the time limit – to rack up as much score as you can as you explore the Warehouse. Want to try again? Just hit the Retry button. There is no limit to how many sessions you take. Following each Single Session, you’ll see a breakdown of your final score, longest combo, and more individual stats based on how you skated within that session. All Tricked Out Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 (and this demo) doesn’t just include tricks from the original two games; Vicarious Visions is bringing in more moves from sequels within this storied franchise that you can use. Here are all the notable tricks you can do in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2: Manual – While a skater has their board on solid ground, rapidly flicking the commands for up, then down (forward and back) will make them lean on the board’s back truck so that only two wheels are touching the ground. This stance must be balanced by using the same commands, or else the board’s front wheels will hit the ground and end the Manual, or the skater will fall back and bail. Nose Manual – Similar to a Manual, except it is done by rapidly flicking the commands for down, then up, for the two front wheels of the board to be only touching the ground. Flatland Tricks – While performing a Manual or Nose Manual, pressing buttons mapped to grind, flip, and grab commands will let the skater perform tricks such as a Casper, Pogo. Revert – “The Revert became one of the great staples of the franchise, we knew from day 1 that we wanted to include them.” says Leo Zuniga Lead Designer at Vicarious Visions, and you can be sure that the Revert is included in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 and this demo. As a skater is landing a trick on a vert surface, e.g. a half-pipe or bowl, pressing either (or both) buttons mapped to switching stances will allow the player to pivot the board 180 degrees, adding to their current combo and potentially extending it with a Manual or Nose Manual. Spine Transfer – If there is another vert surface opposite a skater’s current vert surface, e.g. two bowls or half-pipes next to each other, pressing the same Revert command while in mid-air will allow them to seamlessly “transfer” from surface to surface, which directly adds to their current combo and potentially could be key to finding extra points via Gaps. Acid Drop – If a skater Ollies, No Complies, Boneless, Nollies, or Fakie Ollies over a vert surface and presses the command used to Revert, they will land in the transition, allowing them to gain serious momentum and could let them start or continue a combo with a Revert into a Manual or Nose Manual. Wall Ride – Veteran skaters already know this but it’s worth repeating: If a skater jumps alongside a vertical surface – e.g. a wall – and presses the button normally used to Grind, they will have their board skid along the wall while they ride it, allowing them to gain points and start or continue a combo. Wall Plant – If a skater jumps directly into a vertical surface and presses the command used to perform a Boneless move, they will come off their skateboard and use their feet to leap off the surface with serious momentum in the other direction as they return onto the board, rather than slam themselves into the surface face first. Trick Transitions – A skater can transition between tricks by double tapping either the grind, grab or flip buttons while doing pretty much any trick, especially grinds. Tricks Old and New Along with other customizable features within this demo, such as in the Settings, you’ll be able to fully customize and remap Tony Hawk’s trick list. In other words, Tony will be ready to ride with The 900, Kickflip McTwist, and 5-0 Overturn Grind. However, there are two other Special Trick spots that are open. Want Tony to hit a Rowley Darkslide, as made famous by street skating icon Geoff Rowley? What about Tony trying some insane tricks from new skaters, such as Aori Nishimura’s Hardflip Backside Nose Pick? All those, and many, MANY more, are available to select in those open slots, or as a replacement to Tony’s original Specials. Special Tricks aren’t the only fully customizable ones; Grab, Flip, and Lip Tricks are also customizable and re-mappable. So, if you want to swap out Tony’s Grab Tricks, so that he pulls off a Cannonball instead of an Indy, it’s possible. Download Information Ready to experience it for yourself? First, be sure you pre-order the game digitally at PlayStation Store (U.S. and EU). For those who have already pre-ordered, you will be able to preload the Warehouse Demo starting on August 12 at 8 a.m. PDT (4 p.m. BST). Go to your Library where you will see the Demo available to start downloading. Once downloaded, your demo will be unlocked to play starting at 8 a.m. PDT (4 p.m. BST) on August 14. If you pre-order after the demo launches you will be prompted to download the demo in the checkout flow. Stay tuned for more information on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 as we roll closer to launch on September 4. Warehouse Demo availability and launch date(s) subject to change. Internet required. View the full article

Hey bus drivers, today I’m happy to announce that the next installment of the popular Bus Simulator franchise is under development and will be released in 2021. Get ready to discover new bus brands and models, explore a brand-new open world set in the United States, and enjoy a host of fresh features that will make your life as a bus driver even more comfortable. Look forward to the most comprehensive part of the series to date with an impressive number of officially licensed and faithfully modelled buses by world-famous manufacturers such as Alexander Dennis. We will reveal even more brands on our road to release with the months to come. Bus Simulator 21 will not only offer the most modern vehicle fleet, but also introduce a double decker and electric buses for the first time in the series. Introducing a double decker was the next logical step to realize our vision of delivering the most comprehensive and modern bus fleet in the series. By evaluating our customer’s feedback from the predecessor, we found out that the majority of the players wish to drive a double decker. That’s why we teamed up with Alexander Dennis to implement the Enviro500 in the game. Adding a double decker to the game was definitely a challenge as we had to create new character animations (walking upstairs, moving around the bus while driving, slightly crouching as the second floor is a bit smaller in terms of height, pathfinding, and more). In addition, we also had to pay attention to designing the game world, e.g. the height of bridges and the road network to work with the new bus size. With the Bus Simulator franchise we aim to deliver a relaxing feel-good experience. Following the European setting in the predecessor, we believe that sunny California is the perfect fit for this approach. Since our developers have attended GDC in San Francisco several times in the past, they already had the chance to feed their inspiration and capture material for reference. The San Francisco Bay Area offers a beautifully diversified playground featuring an impressive coastline, and interesting districts like Chinatown. Explore the city of “Angel Shores,” a brand-new US-American setting, which finds its inspiration in the San Francisco Bay Area, or revisit Bus Simulator’s Seaside Valley including Kerststadt as well as Sonnstein from the Official Map Extension amplified with the new features. Experience the everyday life of a bus driver like never before while making your rounds within the industrial district, the peripheral areas, downtown or lively Chinatown thanks to the new and even freer open world concept. We have enlarged the map and included way more possibilities directly within the game world instead of navigating through numerous menus. For instance, buying new buses is no longer handled exclusively by a menu but can also be done by traveling to the bus dealer, where the player can first try different bus models and then decide which one to buy and add to his fleet. So the player can choose and decide for himself which of the given options suits him best. We have improved the AI and added a host of side quests to offer more variety during the players’ everyday life as a bus driver. And last but not least, we have significantly enhanced the visual quality of the game allowing us to have true dynamic weather and a day and night cycle now. The core gameplay has been significantly expanded, so that the player can now also trigger so-called paydays, adjust waiting times or focus on peak times and so-called bus loads. Furthermore, there is now the possibility that the player can take over NPC buses in the world or fast travel to certain points. However, he can still found his bus company, create routes, drive them, hire drivers, and connect the city by building up a local public transport network – just like in the predecessor, all of this is possible in both casual or simulation mode. Play with your friends in the cooperative multiplayer game mode, drive the lines of your self-created route network and build up your team’s joint public transport empire. The game’s sophisticated management systems will offer more freedom, numerous new and expanded features and, for the first time, the option of setting up detailed timetables for your own bus fleet. If you are a pure bus driving enthusiast who prefers to drive instead of taking care of the micromanagement of your company, you can rely on the smart AI to handle all the planning tasks for you. Bus Simulator 21 will deliver the most extensive bus driving experience yet. We cannot wait to release the game in 2021 and welcome your bus company in Angel Shores. View the full article

Hello everyone! We hope you’ve been well, staying safe, and enjoying The Last of Us Part II. We’ve loved seeing all of you share your experience playing the game, whether it’s by posting your thoughts and impressions on social media, sending us your fan art, or capturing your favorite moments in masterfully choreographed gameplay videos. However, that’s not all that’s been keeping us busy. We’ve been preparing a new update* for The Last of Us Part II, which introduces new features, gameplay modes, Trophies, and more — including the much-requested return of Grounded difficulty. Best of all, it arrives August 13, so let’s get straight into what the Grounded update includes. Grounded difficulty returns, plus new Permadeath mode For veteran The Last of Us fans, Grounded difficulty represents the ultimate test of skill. This difficulty raises the stakes by not only making enemies deadlier and ammo, upgrade, and crafting materials incredibly scarce, but also removing invaluable tools for survival, such as disabling Listen mode, deactivating elements of the HUD, and more**. Beginning with the update, Grounded will become one of the base difficulty options available when starting the story, so you won’t need to have beaten the game once already to access it. As an additional layer of challenge, we’re also introducing a brand new Permadeath mode***. With this custom mode enabled, there are no second chances — you must complete the entire game without dying or start over from the beginning. However, if taking on the whole game is too daunting, you can choose to enable Permadeath mode with checkpoints on a per-chapter or per-act basis. In other words, if you die at the end of Day One, you’ll have to play the entire day over again. You’ll also be rewarded for your efforts. The Grounded update introduces two new Trophies: one for completing the game with any Permadeath mode enabled and another for beating it on Grounded difficulty. Don’t worry, though, neither of these Trophies will be required in order to earn the Platinum. New graphics, audio, and gameplay modifiers Have you ever wondered what The Last of Us Part II would look like as a cel-shaded adventure or if it was made in the retro 8-bit era? How about if it was a black and white noir thriller or sepia-toned classic? With this week’s update, we’re adding nearly 30 new graphics rendering modes, as well as several new audio modifiers that allow you to change the look and feel of the game. We’re also debuting new unlockable gameplay modifiers, like One Shot or Touch of Death that enable one-hit kills or Infinite Ammo, Infinite Crafting, or Infinite Listen Mode Range to add a new twist to gameplay: Mirror World Mirror on Death Slow Motion Bullet Speed mode Infinite Ammo Infinite Crafting Infinite Melee Durability Infinite Listen mode Range One Shot Touch of Death 8-bit Audio 4-bit Audio Helium Audio Xenon Audio All of these modifiers can be accessed via the Extras menu and unlocked after completing the game. New options and improvements Alongside these new modes, we’re excited to introduce a number of frequently requested improvements to the game, including the option to disable Listen Mode, adjust Film Grain levels, additional display options, improvements to accessibility features, and more. For our friends in the speedrunning community, we’re also adding the ability to see playtime up to the second in the saves menu, making it easier to track and verify your runs. Here’s a quick overview of the new features that will be added with the Grounded update: Saves now display playtime up to the second Film Grain Adjustment option Disable Listen Mode option Motion Sensor Function Aiming option Arc Throw HUD Display option Aiming Acceleration Scale option Aiming Ramp Power Scale option Accessibility improvements to Ground Zero encounter, collectible tracking, Enhanced Listen Mode for collectibles, and rope gameplay We hope you enjoy everything coming to The Last of Us Part II with the Grounded update and we can’t wait for all of your awesome gameplay videos and live streams as you take on Grounded difficulty and Permadeath mode. Be sure to keep sharing them with us by following and tagging Naughty Dog on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. *Available via patch 1.05. Internet connection and an account for PlayStation Network required. **In-game pre-order bonuses and some options and gameplay modifiers are disabled during Grounded difficulty gameplay. ***Some options and gameplay modifiers are disabled during Permadeath mode. View the full article

Hello everyone! This is Natasha “Kiwikopo” Cheng from the Final Fantasy XIV Online (FFXIV) Community team, here to bring some exciting news — we are launching our next major Patch for FFXIV, Reflections in Crystal. This update is special as not only is there a ton of new content for the latest expansion, Shadowbringers, but we also have exciting updates for those looking to join our ever-growing community of Warriors of Light. Updates to the Final Fantasy XIV Free Trial First, there are some big changes coming to the Final Fantasy XIV Free Trial tomorrow, which is being expanded to not only include the full base game, A Realm Reborn, but also the complete first expansion Heavensward and all content updates through Patch 3.56! This means you can experience the equivalent of two full Final Fantasy games for free, with no limit on the hundreds of hours of playtime that you can enjoy with fellow adventurers! In addition, there are a number of other features that will now be accessible to all Free Trial players: The level cap for all classes and jobs for the free trial has been increased to level 60. Players can now try out a total of thirteen different jobs and classes, including the three jobs added with Heavensward — Dark Knight, Machinist, and Astrologian. The Au Ra race is available to play as. The Palace of the Dead has now been fully unlocked, and players can traverse as far as the deepest floor. What if you already own A Realm Reborn? Great news, because existing owners, or those planning to purchase the Starter Edition, will also have access to the Heavensward expansion and all of the above benefits as well! Updates to the A Realm Reborn main scenario questline The Free Trial expansion isn’t the only exciting change coming with tomorrow’s update — A Realm Reborn’s main scenario questline will be updated and streamlined to allow new players to experience the best of the story while also advancing to Heavensward and beyond just a bit more quickly! We hope that whether you are playing for the first time, or going back to experience this updated story again, you will enjoy the excitement of A Realm Reborn with this new update. On top of this, we will be adding the ability to fly using flying mounts in A Realm Reborn areas. Players will need to complete the A Realm Reborn main scenario up through The Ultimate Weapon quest but can enjoy new views and much quicker travel through these areas. This all sounds like a lot, but this is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can experience in this next update! We hope that we can meet even more Warriors of Light in Eorzea than ever before. Download the Final Fantasy XIV Free Trial now. We’ve also put together a few useful tips for any of our new Warriors of Light — check them out below! New to Final Fantasy XIV Online? No problem! Most of us have had the nerve-wracking experience of stepping into unknown territory and embarking on a new adventure in a fantasy world is no different. There is a lot to explore and learn, so grab your adventurer’s boots and let’s jump straight in! Level and play as any role One of the toughest choices when creating a character is choosing a class or job and sticking to it. Not in Eorzea! Upon picking a starting class and reaching level 10, players are able to unlock and switch between classes or jobs simply by changing their main weapon. There are eight battle-focused starter classes: Gladiator, Marauder, Arcanist, Archer, Lancer, Pugilist, Thaumaturge, and Conjurer. There are more classes and jobs to unlock as players progress through the main scenario, so keep on levelling to experience new gameplay! If you need a break from fighting, then you could try your hand at crafting or gathering! Eorzea offers a huge landscape rich with sea life, greenery, and minerals, where players can gather materials and craft their own gear. UI and cross hotbar Players need to set skills or actions to utilise them in battle, and on the PlayStation you can take advantage of the cross hotbar. The cross hotbar in Final Fantasy XIV was designed specifically for controller gameplay and has intuitive UI and controls that are easy to master, even for players new to the game. Players can customise a number of hotbars with all of the abilities they need, and can quickly switch between them with the press of a button! Players can customise their hotbar settings through [OPTIONS] > System > Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings. The HUD is fully customisable as well – click here for a more detailed UI guide. Main scenario quests and sidequests Progress through the story of FFXIV by completing the main scenario quests! To unlock quests, maps, and many other functions, players must advance through the main scenario quests. Need help on finding the next step in your main scenario quests? Just select this bar on your UI, and it will direct you to the next step of your journey! To pick up a quest, players can speak to NPCs with a quest symbol above them. There are different symbols for different types of quests, such as the main scenario quests, feature quests (quests that unlock additional features, such as job quests), sidequests, and more. Main Scenario Quest, Feature Quest, and Sidequest Icons Upon visiting an area, players are able to see all the quest markers available to them by opening the map with the □ button. If you have an active/ongoing quest on your current map, you are also able to see a waymark for the next step on your minimap. Travelling and Mounts One of the most important tools while travelling in FFXIV are the Aetheryte Crystals, which allow players to teleport to different areas in-game. Activating teleportation to an area is simple — simply attune yourself to Aetheryte Crystals you find in each area by interacting with them. The list of areas may be accessed via the teleport icon on your cross hotbar or from the “Travel” tab in the main menu accessed via the [OPTIONS] button. Upon reaching level 20 and completing the sidequest “My Little Chocobo,” players can unlock mounts. Mounts are an essential part of travelling around as they make journeying a lot more efficient, and you’ll even be able to unlock the ability to fly on your mounts as you progress through the game! Duty Finder and matchmaking Many of your adventures will come in the form of instanced dungeons, which are unlocked by progressing through the main scenario and feature quests. Players can queue and enter instances through the Duty Finder by pressing [OPTIONS] > Duty > Duty Finder. Players will then be automatically placed into a queue based on their selected job, where they will be matched with other players to form either a Light Party of four players or a Full Party of eight players, depending on the content. Combat Aside from solo fights in the main scenario quests, most instances require a composition of roles, including at least one tank, one healer, and two damage dealers (DPS). Generally, tanks are responsible for holding target enmity and soaking damage; healers keep the party alive; and the DPS burn down the targets’ health as swiftly as possible through skill rotations. Other tips Not only are you able to change jobs freely, but you can also switch up your wardrobe through the game’s glamour system! Have an outfit or specific piece of gear you would love to wear despite its stats? The glamour system is how you can project the look of gear onto your character’s current armor! If you ever need a break from quests, take a quick trip back to town, stock up on those glamour prisms, and switch between different glamour options as you please. Want more advanced tips on the combat system? Here are some useful tricks: ↑↓ to cycle through Party List ←→ to cycle through enemies (visible on screen) L1 + ↑↓ to circle through Enmity List (very useful when targeting one specific enemy and/or an enemy that is off-screen) □ when targeting a party member/an enemy to open sub-menu (gives access to a variety of options) L1 + R3 enables/disables Mouse mode. Use the right analog stick to control a virtual cursor, and press R2/L2 to perform a left/right “click” respectively With these tips, we hope you’re feeling ready to embark on the journey to becoming the Warrior of Light, and we look forward to seeing you in Eorzea! View the full article

The DualShock 4 wireless controller family has continued to grow since its launch almost seven years ago. We’ve introduced more than 25 colors in total globally, ranging from the classic Jet Black and Wave Blue to the eclectic Sunset Orange and Red Crystal. Today, we’re happy to announce that we’re bringing back some of the more recent stylish designs this August at participating retailers globally, including Berry Blue, Red Camouflage, Rose Gold, and Steel Black. Check with your local retailers for availability and price. Alongside the returning styles, check out the full range of DualShock 4 colors that are currently available right here. Let us know which colors are your favorites in the comments below! View the full article

Greetings, PlayStation fans! I’m Atle from Palindrome Interactive, and I’m excited to share with you this new behind-the-scenes featurette looking at the storyline, characters and setting of our upcoming strategy game Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars, launching on PlayStation 4 on August 28. The game takes place in the mythical land of Nemire, where three rival vampire clans have ruled their respective territories for centuries – but war is looming on the horizon, and each of the clans are preparing to stake (sorry) their claim for the Bloodthrone. Here at Palindrome, we’re huge fans of vampire lore – and so we’ve tried to take influence from all sorts of vampire mythos and combine them into one dark and twisted fiction for players to enjoy. Alongside the new featurette, I’ve also prepared a rundown of the different characters and clans you’ll be playing as in the main campaign. As well as having their own histories, motivations and storylines, each clan also plays very differently in the game – I hope you enjoy discovering them all as much as we did creating them! Dracul The Dracul are the first playable clan in Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars, descended from the first vampire and led by the immortal monarchy of Vlad and Cecilia Dracul. For as long as anyone can remember, they have been the dominant force in Nemire, with control of Warmont – the seat of the Bloodthrone. They live in partnership with humans, offering eternal life and military protection in exchange for their loyalty – and their blood. Those who taste vampire blood become Thinbloods, half-human, half-vampire creatures that will only ascend and become true vampires if they prove themselves worthy in battle. Vlad himself is a headstrong, proud, and noble ruler, who governs strictly but with a degree of fairness. He is several centuries old but still relatively young for a vampire, and as such, is relatively unfamiliar with the clans’ histories, especially the Nosfernus. Cecilia Dracul is a fierce warrior. She was human once, before becoming Vlad’s most trusted general and eventually his wife. Together they brought peace to Warmont and united humans and vampires, but in truth, Cecilia longs for battle once more. Moroia The Moroia live in the frozen north, a land known as Esain. They’ve lived in solitude for centuries, devoting themselves to the pursuit of magic and blood alchemy. Ambitious, cunning, and hidden behind a façade of nobility, the Moroia possess magical might greater than any other clan and are a force to be reckoned with. These mystical nobles are led by Elizabeth Moroia, a former witch who uses the vampiric curse to enhance her magical abilities. A selfish and ruthless individual even by vampire standards, Elizabeth is not to be trusted and lives only to serve her own interests. Many years ago, the Moroia were involved in a devastating conflict, and have been working to further the study of their dark magic ever since. Nosfernus The Nosfernus are a broken clan – a dark shadow of their former selves. Their armies mainly consist of mindless monsters, bestial vampires, other undead, necromancers and converted human death cultists. They await the return of their leader, Urhammu – the mythical king of the dead. Their background is shrouded in secrecy, but legends tell of a history with the equally mysterious Moroia. Now that you know about the main players in the war for Nemire and have watched the featurette, you’re all set to pick a side when Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars launches on August 28 on PS4. The main campaign will see you play as all three clans while this dark tale unfolds – but whose side are you on? View the full article

One look at Dragon’s Crown or Odin Sphere and it’s obvious that the defining characteristic behind Vanillaware’s games is the painterly art style, beautiful backgrounds, and characters so realistically animated that they feel like they’re breathing on screen. Vanillaware’s upcoming sci-fi epic, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, is no different! So, how does Vanillaware do it? I’m super excited to bring 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Producer Akiyasu Yamamoto to today’s PlayStation Blog to answer that! Arianne Advincula: Compared to previous titles, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim has a completely different setting, in metropolitan Japan. The backgrounds are so beautiful and detailed, it really feels like you’re in Japan! What would you say are the defining visual characteristics of this game? Akiyasu Yamamoto: As someone who’s worked very closely with the Vanillaware staff watching the creative process unfold, one challenge that particularly stood out to me early on concerned the visuals. Unlike previous games set in more medieval fantasy worlds, this one takes place in a more modern world composed of concrete buildings, which at first glance lacked the vibrance and life of past settings. After trying several methods, the answer we reached was an approach where we leveraged the light sources in each scene for atmospheric effect, like the sunset and the city’s neon signs. AA: Within this new approach that redefined what Vanillaware games could be, what was something that you felt the team was able to achieve with this title? AY: Much like in our previous games, the camera’s set in a fixed perspective to recreate the feeling of watching a theatrical performance unfold. But by placing objects within a layered three-dimensional space and incorporating strong backlights to add a sense of depth to the scene, I feel we not only achieved a very unique style for our background art, but also created a very effective, thematic storytelling device that ties the story paths together through underlying feelings of nostalgia and longing. AA: This is the fifth Atlus X Vanillaware title released on PlayStation. Vanillaware is known for their 2D art style, but how would you from the Atlus team, describe what drives their artistic vision? AY: Atlus’s partnership with Vanillaware began all the way back in 1997, when Princess Crown released on the Sega Saturn. That game, created in 2D, was released during a time when 3D polygons were seen as the future of gaming. Thanks to the love and support from fans of Princess Crown, we were able to release Odin Sphere on the PS2 in 2007. Since Odin Sphere, Atlus and Vanillaware have always had the shared belief that we need to be strategic about what elements of the game we want to focus on and polish. We lack the manpower and resources that most AAA titles have in the West, but we don’t want to lose the mindset behind our work: we simply want to create games that we, ourselves, would want to play. I think our current partnership was born out of these shared ideas. AA: I loved Odin Sphere, so this is definitely another Atlus X Vanillaware game I don’t want to miss out on. Thank you for your time and this insider’s look, Yamamoto-san! AY: Of course. Creating 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim was, in a way, a new frontier and a creative challenge for Atlus X Vanillaware, and something totally different from our previous titles like Odin Sphere and Dragon’s Crown. It’s based on an ambitious idea we had where we thought, “How great would it be if we could replicate that feeling of solving numerous mysteries while finding answers in a whirlwind of information, like in Western thrillers… but in a game?” I hope many players in the West can experience this unique title, and share the joy of playing it all throughout the world. I also wanted to mention that this title was recently nominated for the Media category for the “Seiun Awards,” which many consider to be the Japanese equivalent of the Hugo Award/Nebula Award. I think many people consider this game one of the hottest works of contemporary sci-fi in Japan right now. To those who love American TV shows like we do, those who love games, and those who love sci-fi, we hope you can try 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, and make it a global sensation that truly transcends borders. Thank you so much for all your love and support! You can get a closer look at 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim’s art yourself when you digitally pre-order the game from PlayStation Store! This will give you access to an exclusive, digital artbook filled with gorgeous, high-definition character art at launch. Or, pre-order 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim from physical retailers to secure an artbook featuring Vanillaware’s painterly art. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim releases on September 22 for the PlayStation 4! Check out our latest Doomsday Trailer here: Play Video View the full article

Hi, Tiaan Gerber here, Lead Developer at Skobbejak Games and I just wanted to share with you a little bit of our journey and experience in the creation of our latest title, Tyd wag vir Niemand. It builds on the abstract first-person platforming adventure formula established in our previous title, ‘n Verlore Verstand, and refines it by coupling the recipe with a strong core mechanic… Time-Manipulation. Tyd wag vir Niemand is an Abstract, timing-based, First-Person Platformer in which you have the ability to slow down and normalize time at will and must use this ability along with your running and jumping skills in order to overcome numerous platforming obstacles and solve fun, lite, temporal puzzles. After a devastating catastrophe hits Earth and humanity is forced to live in space colonies outside of orbit, you take on the role of a lone soldier sent to Antarctica to investigate the whereabouts of a missing engineering team that was busy studying a strange, ancient machine that could hold the key to restoring Earth and humanity back to their former glory. Once inside the mysterious pyramid housing the enigmatic machine, failing to find the missing team, instead you find a peculiar small device. This ends up activating the machine and transporting you to a different realm where the laws of time and physics are turned upside down and everything seems to be strangely tied to past memories, future ambitions and personal perception. With the aesthetics and abstract design of the game’s levels we were heavily inspired by the mind-bending visual effects found in films such as Inception and Marvel’s Doctor Strange, this can especially be witnessed in one of our early levels involving a peculiar amalgamation of concrete skyscrapers with fast rotating clockwork formations creating scenery that is not only mesmerizing but serves as a strong basis for a fun and engaging level that takes full advantage of the time-slowing mechanic of the game. According to our Lead Art & Audio Director, Alexander Ehlers, the aesthetic and audio design is meant to invoke mindscapes of ominous yet enchanting auras, as he states “I tried to create a feeling of other-worldliness in not only the soundtrack but the environment and atmosphere itself, to help transport the player to this abstract and logic-defying dimension.” To further elaborate, he continues “One level that I feel really embodies the spirit of the game is one of the later scenes involving the player having to jump to moving floating platforms of broken buildings and cars, resembling an abstract representation of a ruined city, while having to solve a light sequence puzzle moving from point to point. I tried to capture the essence of somber loss yet retaining a hopeful outlook while accompanying it all with a haunting tune to help further set the mood.” On top of weird and wonderful aesthetic and aural experiences, we tried to bolster the core mechanics of the game as the difficulty increases while working in gameplay naturally with the tale being told. Each new level strives to test the player’s platforming, timing, and puzzle-solving skills in a myriad of manners of slowing down time, as well as spinning the narrative of the game in an organic and interactive way. When I sat down to design the levels in the game, I thought to myself, what design philosophies and elements would not only challenge the player in unique and varied ways but would also help convey the mood and themes of the narrative as everything develops. There’s a level that I really liked working on that involves a floating ship, which switches up one of the main mechanics of the game giving the player another object to protect instead of having to protect themself. This also ties into the story as the player’s character is diving deeper into the realm and the abyss are reflecting back to the player a nostalgic memory of a dream that the character once held dear but lost touch with. One of our biggest, though entertaining, obstacles to overcome during development, was finding this balance between the mood and atmosphere created by the art and sound while tying it in an appealing and meaningful manner to both the gameplay and the story of the game. The results of this can especially be seen in our later levels of the game where the narrative and the challenges become more intense. From battling deadly mirror balls reflecting one’s biggest regrets and climbing a literal staircase to enlightenment, to battling the demons of your long lost family in the form of your childhood living room attacking you and then jumping from excuse to derelict excuse in your lost fantasy island. These are just some of the strange realms and experiences we’ve built in this South African indie abstract adventure. Try to tame time in Tyd wag vir Niemand releasing tomorrow on PS4. View the full article

What game made your July that much better? Was it the high-flying action of Marvel’s Iron Man VR, Jin Sakai’s stunning journey through Ghost of Tsushima, the freeform tricks of Skater XL, or perhaps the animated antics of Cuphead? Now’s your chance to let us know. Get those votes in below before Sunday, August 16, at 11:59pm PST / Monday at 7.59am BST / 8.59am CEST, and we’ll reveal the winner next week. See you then! How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year. What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Shadow of the Colossus and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted. Players’ Choice: What Was July’s Best New Game? View the full article

Stonethorn, The Elder Scrolls Online’s upcoming DLC dungeon pack, continues and builds upon the Dark Heart of Skyrim storyline with two challenging new dungeons: Stone Garden and Castle Thorn. “These dungeons explore different aspects of the Greymoor Chapter,” explains Mike Finnigan, ZeniMax Online Studio’s Encounter Lead. “Castle Thorn features a foreboding keep where a Vampire Lord secretly builds a dark army, while Stone Garden is set within the laboratory of a mad alchemist, dedicated to perfecting his monstrous creations.” Both of these dungeons tie into the year-long adventure, building upon the stories you might have already experienced in the earlier Greymoor Chapter or Harrowstorm DLC. “The Dark Heart of Skyrim deals with some of the vilest creatures in the Elder Scrolls mythos and shines a light on the Gray Host, an ancient army composed of Werewolves and Vampires,” explains Finnigan. “With these dungeons, we wanted to explore darker themes and highlight those two aspects of the Gray Host’s army.” All of this carries over to the dungeons’ narratives, too, and while these monsters have always been a part of ESO and Tamriel, this year-long storyline has allowed the team to craft some truly horrific tales and tell a darker story. “Werewolves, Vampires, mad scientists and their abominable creations are all the stuff of nightmares, and now you get to explore more of these classic horror elements in Tamriel, too.” Of course, these dungeons are more than dark tales of monsters and heroes, they’re also challenging PvE experiences in their own right, sure to put you and your group to the test. “We always try and challenge players to use familiar aspects of the game in new and different ways and infuse more exploration moments into our designs,” says Finnigan. “These two areas have culminated in some unique mechanics within Stone Garden in particular, where players can utilize alchemy in ways they haven’t before.” Using the tools available, you might even discover a way to fight monsters with monsters! Even better, should you complete these dungeons, you’ll earn unique rewards including powerful new item sets, collectibles, and Achievements. In addition to the Stonethorn DLC, this release also includes the Update 27 base-game patch. While it will include performance improvements in addition to the usual bug fixes and balance changes, it also features a brand new update to the Homestead system: Character Pathing. “Previously, pets, mounts, and assistants were all stationary when placed in a home,” explains Cullen Lee, one of Zenimax Online Studios’ System Designers. “With Character Pathing, you can now build specific paths for each of these characters to follow, adding new creative ways to make your home feel more alive than ever before.” With Character Pathing, the goal for the team was to help players express themselves creatively within their homes, while keeping it as accessible as possible. “We wanted the system to give as much creative freedom to players as possible, while still keeping it accessible and fun,” says Lee. “For us, this meant allowing people to place path nodes anywhere in 3-D space and doing our best to ensure that the resulting path works as well as it can.” With this focus on the first-time experience, the team has made it easy for you to build a basic path while still allowing you to learn some more of the complex aspects of this new tool at your own pace — have fun! Thanks to two exciting new dungeons and a major addition to the Homestead system, Stonethorn and Update 27 bring challenging new adventures and creative new tools for you to experience in The Elder Scrolls Online. Even better, both The Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edition and The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor are on sale at PlayStation Store now, making this the perfect opportunity for you to begin your Dark Heart of Skyrim adventure in time for Stonethorn. For more on the Dark Heart of Skyrim, visit elderscrollsonline.com, and don’t forget, Stonethorn arrives September 1 for PlayStation 4 — see you in Tamriel! View the full article

Hey Catventurers! I am Anne-Lou, the Product Manager for the game and I will be your guide to the Mew World Update. First things first, in case you’re not familiar with Cat Quest – it’s an open-world RPG adventure in the world of cats. In Cat Quest II, you can play with both a cat and a dog in local co-op, and explore the Lupus Empire to bring peace to the kingdoms. Cat Quest II released last year, but developers The Gentlebros have been working tirelessly to bring out this update that will appeal to everyone: “We wanted to make these changes as a huge thank you to all our fans who’ve supported us since day 1. We never thought our games would be played by so many people! We read every single review, and every message sent to us, and these improvements and tweaks are what we feel would make the game a lot more enjoyable for everyone!” For this momentous occasion, they’ve also designed majestic new art for the game: Now onto the meat of the update itself, which includes a ton of quality of life changes. Some will take effect whether or not it’s your first playthrough, others will require you to have completed the story at least once to unlock the Mew Game modes. The patch is free (isn’t that beautiful?) for everyone, and will be live tomorrow – August 8, also known as International Cat Day (what a happy coincidence) – and it’s also the third anniversary of the release of the original Cat Quest! Top Features Here are some of the top features to discover: The Mew Game After finishing the story, you will now be able to challenge yourself with no less than eight new game modes with some really diverse meowdifiers, such as Fast Furrwards, where everything, including yourself, moves at twice the speed, or Naked Paws, where you cannot equip any armor or weapon for the entire playthrough. Top tip: After finishing the Mew Game, you will get a new armor set. The more you play, the better the gear! Reworked inventory As requested by the fans, the sorting of the inventory is vastly improved and also includes a color code for rarity. Sprinting After running for a few seconds, your kitty and your doggo will now speed up and travel everywhere even faster! Elemental damage Weapons that do elemental damage are now better displayed in the game – and the numbers now change color depending on the elemental damage you do. New Royal Arts The Pawer Smash has been revamped! Each weapon now has a unique and devastating new attack that triggers when you roll and attack right after. New enemies Water enemies are now ready to challenge your crossing of the Pawcific Ocean. These new monsters will be a source of gold or experience for the seasoned players! Defense The Defense stat has also been rehauled – it now works closer to the original Cat Quest (if you’ve been on a catventure before). With the right armor equipped, you will now have a defense bar that will absorb damage before your HP – until it is depleted that is. The bar will slowly recharge when you’re not under attack, so it’s a very useful feature for those of us who prefer a defensive stance. Quality of Life On top of many small tweaks to make the game smoother, you now have a way to delete your save files, the Kingsmaker (the fast travel system of the game) will display the general direction of your teleport, and the map shows what level the quests and dungeons are before you enter them, and you also have Arcane Temples scattered across the land rather than in one place! So catventurers, are you ready to pounce into Felingard and discover the clawsome changes that are coming? We hope you’ll enjoy them and continue to play Cat Quest II with your friends and family! View the full article

With its robust and detailed Photo Mode, we asked you to move through the world of Ghost of Tsushima, and share animated videos using #PS4share and #PSBlog. From picturesque cliffsides to brutal duels, pensive portraits and intense posters, here are this week’s highlights: Jin plays his flute in this serene scene from glenlee92. JRPyznar shared this red-stained cinematic moment. oPenguo shared a dramatic portrait of Jin in the rain. Jin stands in the middle of a bamboo forest in this share by PepperoniCobra. Virtua_photo captures this intense duel scene. Zimm804 shares Jin scaling this stunning cliffside. 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 – Animals Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, August 12 Next week, we’re focusing on the feathered and foxy critters of Ghost of Tsushima. Share shots featuring animals using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. Need some inspiration? Make sure to check our Ghost of Tsushima Photo mode tips guide. View the full article

Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition launches today for PC. Horizon Zero Dawn is set in a stunning post-post-apocalyptic world you can lose yourself in, led by a courageous hero who inspires the best in us, and full of captivating action against larger-than-life machines. Over three years after its debut, and with its highly anticipated sequel Horizon Forbidden West confirmed to be coming to PlayStation 5, it’s a great time to introduce a new audience to this fan-favorite epic. For anyone who’s never owned a PS4, or those who’ve skipped on a generation or more, it’s a great example of the kinds of games we consistently aim to deliver. Of course, the studio has taken steps to add options and features PC gamers expect: support for mouse and keyboard (or DualShock 4), ultrawide monitor support, higher frame rates and resolutions on sufficiently powerful systems, and more. We’re confident PC players will fall in love with Aloy and her world. Then, when Horizon Forbidden West arrives for PlayStation 5 and it’s time to find out where Aloy’s journey takes her next, we invite them to join along! View the full article

It’s now well over a month since Naughty Dog’s sequel launched worldwide. Enough time for the game to be completed, its heart-pounding events absorbed and mulled over. If you’ve yet to watch the credits roll though, an obvious disclaimer: heavy spoilers from here on in. If the 2013 original focused on the bonds that connect us, this sequel is a study on the cycles of violence that can drive us. Director Neil Druckmann in the foreword of The Art of The Last of Us Part II book asks: “how far would you go to bring justice to the ones you love? How would the experience change you? What kind of repercussions would follow?” Naughty Dog’s answers to those are as disturbing as they are fascinating. They’re also uncomfortably, instantly, familiar. The story may unfold in an alternate, ravaged modern day America; the circumstances that drive these characters extreme. Yet their motivations and responses are soaked in realism and easy to empathise with. No less realistic yet infinitely harder to achieve is understanding another’s perspective: which makes the surprise dual narrative such a masterstroke. It’s tough, that slow realisation that the whiplash switch to Abby isn’t a brief mid-story intermission but in fact the start of the other half of the game. Yet, for me, by its conclusion the studio had achieved its goal: I was as fully invested in her story as I was Ellie’s. And I was now terrified — riveted — as to what would result when these two finally collided. The soundtrack is stellar throughout, be it helping propel the on-screen action, harmonising with character body language in a particular scene or surprisingly pivoting into a touching rendition of an 80’s pop classic. Maybe you were as conflicted as I during that tense theatre fight or the final, desperate shoreline clash. Perhaps you remained ever a staunch defender of one perspective, or found yourself switching loyalties. Ultimately it provoked deep, genuine discussion — at least amongst those I’ve talked to — on themes I would never have expected to have faced in, for all intents and purposes, a summer blockbuster. Unsettling? Definitely. Important? Absolutely. That investment was made all the more easy by one of the most impressive, realistic renderings of video game characters I’ve seen to date. I’d continually fire up Photo Mode and pan in to examine facial reactions. A quiet moment of reflection during Abby’s hunt for Owen. Ellie’s emotional exhaustion evident on her sun-burnt face as she fought for survival once more. It’s the first game I’ve felt like I could see each character internally processing the events around them just by looking into their eyes. If you want to see for yourself, load up the Model Viewer and unlock Ellie and Abby’s first and last character models. Zoom in on their faces: it’s not just the physical scars. The emotional fallout of their respective, twined journeys are wrought there. Sandbox environments pack upgrade secrets and offer multiple approaches to threats. They’re also a visual treat. Most times I explored just to savour the quiet beauty of the ruined cityscapes. Realism permeates the combat system as well. Refined from the first game, the system can sublimely switch from tense stealth to all-out action in a heartbeat. Perfecting either approach takes time though. You’re no better equipped than those you face and the odds are seldom in your favour. As with any title, clumsiness precedes mastery as you settle into its gameplay rhythms. That period of adjustment nicely plays into the sense of panic I’d have in these situations: shots missed as I flinch from fire returned, punches failing to hit their mark as I flailed wildly, struggling to combat my own fear. Crucially the game never glorifies the violence inherent to surviving a post-apocalyptic world. Showstoppers featuring the original’s headline horrors there are (from the simple terror of a wire fence collapsing under the weight of a horde to the gut-clenching dread of the Rat King faceoff) but in Part II, Naughty Dog favours human conflict. With it comes names and faces and tense situations and difficult decisions. Fitting for the game’s narrative, it also allowed the studio to effortlessly play (prey?) on my emotions, sweeping me through the powerful waves of blind revenge and depositing me onto a shore of questionable accountability as anger receded. Joy replaced with revulsion and eventually resignation at the needs for survival. At humanity’s natural schism, tribalism. There is a power fantasy here. You can’t knock out a Clicker with a single punch or stealth past a patrol unnoticed without feeling a thrill. But there isn’t the expected catharsis, as XP unlocks and perfecting combat are carefully juxtaposed against a growing dread of powerlessness. Being — if not fully complicit — at least involved in two destructive paths of vengeance and the unrelenting cycle of violence they unleash. But messaging the tragedy inherent in that is an important one, the hope of self-realisation apparent. For Ellie, Abby and us. This is storytelling at its best and action adventure at its finest. View the full article

Today’s State of Play gave an update on a wide range of PS4, PS5, and PS VR games, kicking off with Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and ending with an extended look at PS5 melee epic Godfall. Check out the list of announcements below, where you can watch trailers and learn more from the game’s developers. State of Play August 2020: All the announcements State of Play August 2020: The complete recap How Godfall brings intense melee combat to life on PS5 Temtem, a new take on the creature-collection genre, comes to PS5 in 2021 Hood: Outlaws & Legends reimagines the Robin Hood legend on PS5 All signs point to The Pedestrian in January 2021 Auto Chess launches on PlayStation 4 October 2020 Control’s AWE expansion shines light into new mysteries on Aug 27th Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR series comes to PS VR Indulge in a look at tasty Bugsnax gameplay The cyberpunk world of Anno: Mutationem comes to PS4 Aeon Must Die ignites the galaxy on PlayStation 4 Genshin Impact hits PS4 this fall Spelunky 2 Launches on PS4 September 15 The Pathless: Gameplay details on this unconventional open-world adventure Announcing Braid, Anniversary Edition for PS4 and PS5 Hitman 3 adds PS VR support for launch in January 2021 View the full article

The first time you see footage of a new looter-slasher, the most natural question is, “How does it feel when you play?” That’s certainly the most common question we’ve received since unveiling Godfall. How is it going to feel as you play? Well, we’re excited to show you. Godfall takes advantage of the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller’s novel mechanics to produce a kinesthetic, tactile combat experience that’s as gratifying in your hands as it is on the screen. We accomplish this in several ways. First, we take advantage of the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback to simulate a variety of surfaces and textures. Imagine walking along a marble floor — the way it feels different through your boots compared to walking over gravel, dirt, or a rain-slicked field. If you were sliding along a fiery molten floor, say in the heat of battle to dodge an enemy attack, you would sense the unique surface without needing to look at it. It was important for us to reflect that difference in your hands. As you adventure through the elemental realms, you’ll be pitted against mobs of enemies in gilded halls with smooth marble flooring. You’ll also clash with fiends in the dirt. As your controller is your connection to the action, the physicality of the controller’s haptics must reflect the different spaces you’ll be fighting in. The second is by using the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers. A unique PlayStation 5 feature, adaptive triggers modulate resistance on the R2 and L2 inputs to give players a real, physical sense of what they’re doing on screen. In Godfall, you will bring the fight to your enemies using five different weapons classes, and we wanted to make sure that each one plays and feels unique. We accomplished this using adaptive triggers, so the piercing thrust of your Polearm doesn’t glide with the same heft as your two-handed Warhammer. By default, light attacks are mapped to R1 and heavy blows to R2. When the hits are coming fast and heavy, X evades an enemy attack and a double-tap executes an evasive slide. This is where Godfall combat comes alive. You are a Valorian knight, a god-like warrior that is unique in all the realm for their ability to don Valorplates, armor sets with legendary history and unique characteristics. A mastery of the Valorplates and the five weapon classes will serve you well through your assent to challenge the mad god at the game’s climax. We have plenty to share about these weapon classes closer to release, but today are excited to get you better acquainted with two of them. The first is the Dual Blades which, as the name suggests, are a pair of light, agile weapons excellent for making quick work of soft, vulnerable opponents. You can combo quick slashes with four consecutive light attacks or hit hard with a heavy Blade Cyclone. As you build up charge over time with the Dual Blades, you’re able to activate Inner Focus, a special ability that buffs attack damage for a brief duration. Another signature move? Mortal Coil, where you throw your blade into an enemy and yank them toward you, closing the distance. The second is the Longsword, a balanced, versatile weapon for a wide variety of enemies. Not unlike the Dual Blades, the Longsword can also string together four light attacks, but stands out with a heavy Attack Finisher to put a devastating exclamation point at the end of the combo. The Longsword has three signature moves. Spectral Flurry is a heavy damage dealer that can’t be interrupted by foes. Spiral Technique works best to take down a number of enemies lined up in a row. Shield Uppercut works only if your timing is just right: at the end of a Longsword swing, a flash of white signals your brief opportunity to land a violent blow. That’s right, your Valorian knight has a shield as well. It is a core part of combat that can block enemy attacks, parry blows when timed perfectly, and even reflect projectiles. A core tenet of Godfall is that the best defense is a great offense. The game rewards you for playing aggressively, and that is reflected in the shield mechanics as well. Your shield can be thrown to deal blows to several targets, swept in a 360-degree arc to petrify the enemies around you, used to deliver a powerful wave attack emanating out in every direction, or employed as a tool to control the space as you shield warp toward an enemy to deliver a Spectral Blow. And for enemies that fall prone to the ground, an R3 ground finisher with your shield is the last thing they’ll ever see. It’s not just these monsters and enemy knights that will counter you on your journey, but also mid-bosses and end bosses intent on cutting your campaign short. These heavier challengers will require a tactician’s eye for noticing patterns, evading strikes and seizing upon opportunities to defeat your foes. The mid-boss we’re showing off today is the Phalanxer, a weightier knight with brilliant, ornate armor and an aggression beyond reason. Miss your timing and you’ll meet the business end of his mace, but use your wit to control the arena and you just might win the day. We’re excited to show you more of the surprises Godfall has to offer in the coming months, but for now this will have to satisfy your sense of feel until you can get a DualSense controller in your hands and a Valorplate on your shoulders later this year. View the full article

We’re super excited to announce that Temtem is embracing the next-gen and will be coming to PS5 in 2021. Temtem is a massively multiplayer creature-collection journey where you seek adventure in the lovely Airborne Archipelago alongside your Temtem squad. Players can catch every Temtem, challenge other tamers, customize their house, or join a friend’s adventure in a fully co-op experience. DRAWING INSPIRATION We at Crema have always loved the creature-collection genre and grew up playing endless hours of them; so much so, that creating a new take on the genre has always been a dream to us. Back in 2018 we decided to start working to make our dream a reality by developing an homage to our favorite games, but taking the opportunity to include all the features and minor changes we had always longed for. COMMUNITY DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT When we started creating Temtem, we also made a commitment to always involve the community. This community commitment is something that has helped us shape our development process from the start. We managed to successfully run a crowdfunding campaign and the community has been a part of the game ever since. We’re constantly in touch with our members, gathering feedback and new ideas to improve Temtem and create the game we’ve always dreamed about. Our community is so dedicated and has gone so far as to even name and create a couple of the Temtem creatures in the game! COMPETITIVE FOCUS Temtem was built with the competitive scene in mind. In Temtem, there’s no place for luck, so player skill is the defining factor of top players. Battles are focused on 2v2 combat with few random elements in each attack, meaning less guesswork and more strategic thinking is needed through each encounter. Instead of a classic point system for moves we use stamina. Each move requires a different amount of stamina based on its power. If you overuse your Temtem’s stamina they will take damage for overexertion. This allows for “all-out” attack moments if you see an opportunity to finish off your opponent! We’ve spent a lot of time building the battle system to ensure it is fair to everyone. In Temtem, you don’t need to wait for a lucky dice throw, the only thing between you and winning is pure strategy, training and outplaying your opponents. ONLINE WORLD The days of traveling solo with your creatures are over, as the Airborne Archipelago is a fully online world. Temtem gathers some features from other MMO games and integrates them around a story-based campaign. Chat, battle, or trade with other players you meet along the journey. The online world of Temtem is full of possibilities! Players can join a Club, fight for control of a Club Dojo or just complete weekly quests for rewards and chances of rare Tems. TEMTEM UP! We’re thrilled to be a part of the PlayStation family and can’t wait to share more details about the PlayStation 5 version in the upcoming months. In the meantime, get ready to battle and Temtem up! View the full article

Hi there, I’m Andrew Willans, Game Director on Hood: Outlaws and Legends. I’m incredibly excited to be unveiling our brand-new multiplayer game on behalf of the team here at Sumo Newcastle. What is Hood: Outlaws and Legends? Hood is a multiplayer heist game that blends combat, stealth, and strategy. You will assemble a team of Outlaws as you attempt to steal treasures from an oppressive government known as The State in a dark and gritty reimagining of the Robin Hood legend. This is a PvPvE game that pits two 4-player teams against each other as they attempt the same daring heist in environments populated with enemy AI guards. Without going into spoiler territory (this is a reveal, rather than a deeper dive – more to come soon), we have a wide range of game mechanics and features that can be used to help teammates or hinder rival players. Stealing a treasure chest from a State stronghold is your main objective, but locating and escaping with it will require teamwork and tactics. Our game world is realistic, with believable interactions and consequences. Treasure chests are heavy and must be carried. Ammo is limited to what you can carry, salvage, or recover from your fallen enemies. Noise attracts attention, both from the AI guards and rival players. Combat can be brutal and deadly, so using stealth can often be the optimal approach. Using the unique and varied playstyles of each outlaw will be key to your success. Some are specialised in ranged combat, while others are far more deadly up close in a melee brawl. It’s entirely up to you how you configure and combine your skills. This is a heist after all, and no heist would be complete without assembling the gang to discuss the plan before cracking the vault and making good on your getaway! Who is Hood? Hood is not one person. It is an idea. A symbol to the people. A legend. Because we are retelling a legend rather than being historically accurate, we have created our own version of Dark Ages Britain, a time when old world myth and superstition compete with man-made power. In this time of feudal law, a powerful authority known as The State is trying to bring order to the chaos. But this comes at great cost to people’s liberties, and many consider The State to be as brutal as the ruthless militia who are fighting against their rule. With any legend, the deeds and actions grow with each retelling and so it is with our game. So, while our version of Robin Hood does wield the classic longbow that you would expect, both he and other outlaws have some unique skills and abilities not found in the classic tales. We took inspiration from popular folklore, but introduced elements of grounded fantasy, which you’ll see in the locations, designs and characters imbued with magic. We’re eager for you to discover this gritty, brutal universe where myths seep into every corner. Beneath the Hood Hood is being developed at Sumo Newcastle, and we have been in production for a little over 18 months now. Our studio is a mix of highly creative industry veterans and the superstars of tomorrow. We started our journey as a tech studio that grew into a small, more multi-disciplined team focusing on cutting edge technologies. After releasing EVE: Valkyrie we continued to grow and became part of the Sumo family back in January 2018. Using our experience and passion for creating compelling team-based multiplayer games, we are incredibly excited to be announcing our first new title for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. We’ll have more details to share later on how the game will be optimised for each platform, but I’m sure you can guess that we’ll be making full use of the improved haptic feedback now possible with the DualSense controller. Creating intuitive inputs and empowering sensations between a player and their virtual bow just become a whole lot more achievable thanks to that new hardware. Back into stealth…for now You’ll have to wait a little longer before we drive deeper into the gameplay, but I hope you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek. We’ll be back later in the year to share more details on the game, and when you can get your hands on it. For now, though, I need to slip back into the shadows and work on my bow skills. I hear there’s an angry sheriff looking for me concerning some stolen treasure. View the full article

The Pedestrian is a 2.5D puzzle platformer themed around the public sign system. You play as a 2D character moving through signs in a dynamic 3D world. You progress through the game by rearranging and connecting public signs to explore and advance through each environment. So now let’s take a look at the team behind the game… Meet Skookum Arts Hi! We are three friends in rural Ohio. Daniel Lackey is the artist, his brother Jed Lackey is the programmer and their childhood friend Joel Hornsby is the designer. Growing up together we enjoyed being creative and we were always exploring and dreaming up new ideas. In our early years, we were very much inspired by a lot of movies and games. As we got older we had to ask ourselves the inevitable question, “What do we want to be when we grow up?” We decided to pursue our dream and start our own game studio named Skookum Arts. Game Development With no previous knowledge or experience in game development, we began with the basics and learned as we went. This took a long time because we knew that we wanted to make something unique and high quality. In the beginning we did a lot of prototyping in an attempt to find our unique puzzle mechanic. We discovered while working in our puzzle editor that creating the puzzle was half the fun! So we took the core of our puzzle editor (moving and connecting signs) and turned that into our main mechanic. This created two distinct modes – playmode and puzzlemode. In playmode you control the main character, while puzzlemode allows you to edit the layout of the puzzle. With the main mechanic out of the way we focused on the visual language that would make the game standout. One way we did this was to follow the same concept as the public sign system; using symbols to represent information in a universal manner. We replaced traditional tutorials and menu items with simplistic icons. In addition, we designed the gameplay visuals to be approachable with simple shapes and clean lines to aid in the solution of more complex puzzles. Our sound engineer, Logan Hayes, spent years fine tuning the musical signature of the game, which further developed The Pedestrian into a pleasant cinematic experience. We then packaged everything together in a beautiful 3D environment where the character seamlessly flows through it. In order to achieve our lofty quality goals, we focused heavily on iteration and playtesting throughout the duration of development. We often had pizza playtesting sessions with friends and other game developers to help bring the game to another level. After working over six years to create The Pedestrian we are proud to finally present it to you in our release on PS4 and PS5. We’re so excited to see what you all think of it! View the full article