Commander Fury

Big month for free-to-play games! Rocket League made the switch late in the month, but it was enough for it to race to the top of the download chart. Newcomers Spellbreak and Genshin Impact rounded out the top three, there. NBA 2K21 and FIFA 20 topped the US and EU PS4 charts, respectively, with strong showings from Marvel’s Avengers, Fall Guys, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. Finally, Vader Immortal and Beat Saber battled for the top spot, with Vader landing at #1 in the US and Beat Saber taking the win on the EU side. So, here we are in October. Which games do you think will close out this console generation at the top of these charts? PS4 Games US EU 1 NBA 2K21 EA Sports FIFA 20 2 Marvel’s Avengers Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout 3 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 NBA 2K21 4 Madden NFL 21 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 5 Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Marvel’s Avengers 6 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare eFootball PES 2021 Season Update 7 Grand Theft Auto V Grand Theft Auto V 8 Minecraft Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 9 EA Sports FIFA 20 Mafia: Definitive Edition 10 Marvel’s Spider-Man Minecraft 11 Red Dead Redemption 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 12 Ghost of Tsushima Days Gone 13 Mafia: Definitive Edition Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege 14 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition 15 PGA Tour 2K21 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey 16 Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Red Dead Redemption 2 17 God of War Need for Speed Payback 18 Dead by Daylight: Special Edition Marvel’s Spider-Man 19 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey The Forest 20 Jump Force Gran Turismo Sport PS VR Games US EU 1 Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series Beat Saber 2 Beat Saber Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series 3 Superhot VR Superhot VR 4 The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Blood & Truth 5 Creed Rise to Glory Job Simulator 6 Astro Bot Rescue Mission Marvel’s Iron Man VR 7 Gorn Gorn 8 Job Simulator Moss 9 The Walking Dead Onslaught Astro Bot Rescue Mission 10 Marvel’s Iron Man VR Until Dawn: Rush of Blood Free-to-Play Games US EU 1 Rocket League Rocket League 2 Spellbreak Spellbreak 3 Genshin Impact Genshin Impact 4 Call of Duty: Warzone Fortnite 5 Fortnite Call of Duty: Warzone 6 Hyper Scape Hyper Scape 7 Apex Legends Apex Legends 8 Destiny 2 Brawlhalla 9 Brawlhalla World of Tanks 10 Warframe eFootball PES 2020 Lite DLC and Expansions US EU 1 Fortnite – The Street Serpent Pack Fortnite – The Street Serpent Pack 2 Fortnite – Dark Reflections Pack Fortnite – Dark Reflections Pack 3 Fortnite – Corrupted Legends Pack Fortnite – Corrupted Legends Pack 4 Fortnite – Samurai Scrapper Pack Fortnite – Samurai Scrapper Pack 5 Call of Duty: Warzone – Starter Pack Rocket League – Endo Starter Pack 6 Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Fast Food Costume Pack Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Fast Food Costume Pack 7 Rocket League – Endo Starter Pack Call of Duty: Warzone – Starter Pack 8 Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Collector’s Pack Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Collector’s Pack 9 Dead by Daylight: Descend Beyond Chapter GTA Online: Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack 10 Spellbreak – Starter Pack Fortnite – Metal Team Leader Pack View the full article

Fugitive lovers in space I like to pitch Haven as “Romeo and Juliet, but they survived and escaped to a deserted planet to live together.” But that doesn’t say much about the gameplay. So I would like to share more about your experience as you play the game — what you actually get to do. The game experience in Haven is created by the intersection of three systems: Exploration through gliding Combat Preparing for your next expedition in the Nest The story is told during these three types of gameplay sequences. But let’s dive a little deeper in these systems. Play Video Gliding over the tall grass In a Japanese RPG, what we call “traversal gameplay” is usually pretty simple. You just move your character without any challenge, until you start a fight or reach your destination. With Haven, we wanted to reinforce the feeling of being a couple, even during exploration. We wanted to make it feel relaxing, beautiful and fun. Going down a ski slope with a friend can really feel like that. Gliding over the tall grass is Haven’s version of skiing together. In order to explore the planet, you follow “Flow threads” that will fill your boots and gauntlets with Flow, the natural energy that powers pretty much everything in their world. It’s also used to get rid of the Rust, the red crust that corrupts the planet and creatures. Gather Flow, clean the Rust and discover resources: food or medicinal plants, materials for combat or to repair the Nest (your spaceship/home), or even souvenirs and items for your home. Following a Flow thread is usually as chill as going down a simple ski slope, but sometimes you can find more difficult ones that will require to drift, and anticipate tight turns. Exploration by gliding will also open up new “bridges” that connect one floating fragment to another, and allow you to reach new areas. Combat and pacify rusted creatures While exploring the fragments of the planet, you might encounter aggressive creatures and have to fight them. Combat is, again, thought of as a couple’s experience. It’s pretty much necessary to coordinate Yu and Kay’s attacks, or have them protect each other. Combat happens in real-time, but you charge orders by holding buttons. Sometimes you have to react quickly to shield yourself, sometimes you have to time an attack performed by both characters, and sometimes it’s better to chain attacks, one weakening the creature and the other dealing the heavy damage. That combat system is thought to make you want to optimize your chain of actions so that everything flows, a bit like in a rhythm game. When you’ve found the right pace, it feels very satisfying to chain actions one after the other, minimizing the hits taken and maximising the damage to the rusted creatures. At the end of the fight, the creatures are “pacified,” meaning they are cleaned from the rust and they go back to a peaceful state. Cuddle and prepare for your next expedition Eventually, you need to go back to your ship to either heal yourself, cook some tasty meals or bring back the stuff you found. The ship is called The Nest for a good reason: it’s a place for nesting. In the Nest you can craft different things: cures for improving your health, combat capsules that’ll prove helpful against the rusted creatures, and of course you can cook delicious meals. As the characters have meals, they are not hungry anymore (when they are hungry they complain and are less efficient in combat). But most importantly, cooking and having meals together is the time for bonding. Cooking, sharing a good meal and taking a little break is when they grow, as characters and as a couple. It develops their relationship, and leads to levelling up. In Haven, you won’t gain that many experience points in combat, you gain more by just spending good time together. That really makes Haven different, as it’s usually skipped in RPGs. You never see your heroes in their intimity. In Haven, you do. Be with them at all times The story is a key element in Haven’s game experience. Are they going to settle quietly on that deserted planet? Will the Apiary find them and come to separate them? But the pace of the story comes from that intertwined game experience of gliding together to explore the valleys of planet Source, fighting and pacifying creatures and coming back home for resting, cocooning and preparing the next expedition. All in all, Haven’s game experience is about living with Yu and Kay, every minute of their adventurous daily life. We’re hard at work to finish the game and we will soon be able to let you know when you can play Haven, so stay posted! View the full article

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout has been bringing ‘bumble royale’ action to the masses, with millions of players taking the technicolour tumble to the Blunderdome! With today’s release of Season 2, jelly bean fans can delight in a whole new (well… old?!) world of medieval magic, featuring a fresh selection of Rounds, whimsical costumes and a feudal fortress full of fun. Here’s all you need to know, plus insider tips from the Mediatonic team on mastering this obstacle-strewn domain of witches and wizardry! Grab your lute, it’s going to be wild. Play Video Let’s introduce the Season 2 Rounds you’ll encounter on your road to the coveted crown. Listen well, these tactical tidbits could be all the difference between glorious victory and slimy elimination… Hoopsie Legend – Teamwork (sometimes) makes the dream work This fiendishly fun solo take on Hoopsie Daisy may make you think that it’s all about you. But with cooperation required to nab precious points, things are definitely not all they seem! Ben Nizan (Game Designer) explains… “In Season 2 we’ve added objects that players can move around which is really cool! They create the sort of short-lived alliances you see in See Saw which we all know and love. What makes Hoopsie Legends special is that as players move blocks to reach the hoops, they’ll cut off other paths in the process—so the landscape of the arena constantly changes in a way we’ve never seen before in Fall Guys.” Looks like some dizzying diplomacy could be the key to victory. Here’s Ben’s insider tips.. “Look out for the Golden Hoops! These are worth bonus points and will yeet you toward victory (in a sophisticated, numerical way). Also, be sure to work with others to reach platforms with many hoops. That way you’ll get there quicker and then you can all share the points!” Knight Fever – our most challenging gauntlet yet! Balance, well-timed diving and having the heart of the bravest of knights all come into play in Knight Fever, a bean-busting stumble to the finish line. Building on the chaos of ‘Slime Climb’ and ‘Fall Mountain’, this Round takes players on our most treacherous race to date via the wildest of medieval obstacles. Fábio Martins (Game Service Engineer) gives us their take… “The team were really keen to build on the excitement of our race Rounds. On the face of it, each bean is faced with a straightforward race to the end, but that simple concept gives us the space to really put our imaginations to work on some of the funniest obstacles we could think of!” Intriguing! You may well have already spotted the humongous spiky roller. Fábio suggests caution. “My biggest piece of advice for this Round is for players to try and remain calm when tackling the roller. Try to walk on at a diagonal angle, moving contrary to its movement as it spins. You’ll still have to be mindful of those huge spikes, but getting your movement on-point is the most important part of avoiding the slime!” Egg Siege – Tactical scrambling action You’ll be familiar with the joy and drama that comes from grabbing eggs from your fellow beans, but this new Round throws in a perilous castle full of moving parts, adding a whole new tactical layer to proceedings. “At the start, players will see gameplay that may feel similar to Egg Scramble,” explains Krisztina Toth-Vizer (Lead QA), “but they’ll soon meet the numerous new elements that can be used to their advantage…or to disrupt the best laid plans of the other team!” Moving drawbridges, a frankly ridiculously-sized axe and other outlandish fortifications make Egg Siege a Round to be reckoned with. Here’s Krisztina’s insider tips on sealing victory… “If you run around carelessly, there’s a big risk that you’ll be hit by the giant axe, swinging your eggs right into enemy hands. But if you bide your time, it’s possible to cross the drawbridge to reach the precious Golden Egg without anyone being able to follow you! Utilising the ramps to sneak out with your haul is a good early tactic—but over time, expect players to stay behind to defend the narrow passages, creating some tasty choke points”. Wall Guys – Build it up, tear it down! Movable objects also play a pivotal role in Wall Guys – a new take on competitive stumbling where intrepid beans need to build their own route to victory! But with cooperation as important as nimble jumping, the real battle is figuring out whether to be a friend or foe. Alex Whaley (Client Engineer) tells us more… “You’ll need to work together to build a makeshift ‘staircase’ of blocks to clamber over the walls. However, it can pay to be lazy; you can even sit on top of blocks and let other players do the hard work of moving them into place to get ahead of the crowd!” However (spoilers) it’s probably not just your bean who’s had that bright idea. Here’s some of Alex’s top tips… “Always keep an eye on alternate paths! Players often bunch up on a path that’s already been made, which may seem smart, but it makes it hard to climb on and, crucially, stay on a wall without getting pushed off. Sometimes it’s faster to be brave and trailblaze your own way by building a new route!” Beyond the latest Rounds to test your bean dexterity in Season 2, but there’s plenty more medieval mayhem on offer! Show Selector – Rounds for every bean’s mood Our all-new Show Selector lets you pick a carefully selected roster of ‘shows’, including some extra nifty limited-time events! Each show features a themed playlist of Rounds to suit different playstyles, such as Gauntlet and Survival Showdowns. Playing with pals and want to test your mettle against other squads? How about getting into some Fall Ball Frenzy? In a strictly race-only mood? The Show Selector has got you covered. Costumes – The hottest Fall looks It wouldn’t be Fall Guys without oodles of highly desirable swag for fashionable beans, so you’ll be pleased to know that Season 2 is fully stocked with costumes for every occasion. From adorable dragons and feisty knights to wondrous witches and mischievous wizards, our latest costumes are brimming with medieval mysticism. Plus, you can expect plenty of exclusive collaborations and crossovers to compete for your attention, kudos and well-earned crowns. All will be revealed super soon. Fall together now! There’s plenty of small but mighty quality of life changes, making for smoother stumbles and an overall better Fall Guys experience. A big one in terms of feedback from the community is party falling! You can now queue and descend together with your pals — never more will your bean have to fall alone. Additional controller options for PS4 – including inverting the X/Y axis and the ability to tweak sensitivity to get you stumbling just right. Random Outfit Generator – ever have those days where you just don’t know what you want your bean to wear? Us too. Now can get random combos with every click. Visual upgrades – you’ll spot our original Season 1 levels have had a fresh lick of paint, including spicy new tile effects. Nice! Nameplates and Banners – compliment your costume with customizable flair! All viewable in spectator mode for other beans to admire. For all the latest updates and the full patch notes, be sure to follow the official Fall Guys Twitter account! And let us know how you’re enjoying the new content via our community Discord server. We can’t wait to see you all in the Blunderdome for Season 2! View the full article

Hey everyone! We were so happy to finally announce Worms Rumble to our PlayStation fans back in July, and we have some more fantastic news to share with you today – Worms Rumble is launching December 1 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4! We can’t wait for you to jump in and join the fun! Play Video And that’s not all… We are also happy to announce that Worms Rumble will have an open beta this November 6 – 8! Free to all PS+ subscribers, you can start honing your skills ahead of launch. We made sure that this real-time version Worms is easy to pick up and play but has a high skill ceiling, so it will take some time to master. Join us and get in early ahead of the competition come launch day! Our beta version will have a small taste of what is to come in December, featuring: Three Game Modes (Deathmatch and our take on Battle Royale “Last Worm Standing” and “Last Squad Standing”) One Arena and Training Level Our Full Launch Arsenal of Weapons (more information coming soon on these!) Two Brand New Utilities – the Jetpack and Grapple Gun! That’s right! Our fan favourite Jetpack returns, allowing you to jet away from incoming fire and around the map, or swing into action with our new take on the classic Ninja Rope – the Grapple Gun! With Worms coming into its 25th year, and fifth console generation for PlayStation, the mayhem has never looked so good. Harnessing the megaton power of the PS5, we have created the first 4K Worms experience with full crossplay support. Play with friends on PS5, PS4 and PC at launch! We still have lots more to share with you all and can’t wait for you to get your hands on the first ever real-time version of Worms. It’ll be total Worms carnage – or should I say Total Wormage? View the full article

Hey snak fans, I’m Kevin Zuhn, Creative Director at Young Horses. Today I’m excited to announce that Bugsnax will be available for PS4 and PS5 on November 12 with the launch of the new console! I’m also very excited to talk a bit about our journey into finding the amazing voice cast of Bugsnax! We knew early on that we wanted a fully voiced game to truly get across all the things that make our characters funny, unique, and tragically relatable. On Octodad: Dadliest Catch we handled auditions and voice direction ourselves, but Bugsnax was shaping up to be much bigger in scope with a cast of at least 15! Stumbling through the process, we realized that we lacked experience. We enlisted the help of Brightskull for casting, voice directing, and even audio mastering. With their help, we put together audition sides that captured each character’s most iconic lines, across the broadest spectrum of emotion. We were overjoyed (and overwhelmed) to get thousands of auditions, hundreds per character! After weeks of re-listening, and passionate internal debates (our usual process), we arrived at our awesome cast. We’re thrilled to be working with them, and even more thrilled to finally introduce them to you in the video below. Play Video Full cast: Wambus Troubleham – Fred Tatasciore (Overwatch) Wiggle Bigglebottom – Kenna Ramsey Chandlo Funkbun – Yuri Lowenthal (Marvel’s Spider-Man) Filbo Fiddlepie – Max Mittelman (Saitama in One-Punch man) Gramble Gigglefunny – Sam Riegel (Duck Tales) Shelda Smellywag – Debra Wilson (Jedi: Fallen Order) Floofty Fizzlebean – Casey Mongillo (Evangelion) Eggabell Batternugget – Fryda Wolff (Loba in Apex Legends) Beffica Winklesnoot – Cassandra Lee Morris (Persona 5) Snorpy Fizzlebean – Roger Craig Smith (Sonic the Hedgehog) Cromdo Face – Rick Zieff (Terminator 3) Clumby Clumbernut – Barbara Goodson (Rita Repulsa) Elizabert Megafig- Helen Sadler (Battlefront) Triffany Lottablog- Haviland Stillwell (Devil May Cry 5) It took a lot of restraint not to geek out around so many industry icons gathered into one place! And speaking of, we managed to put them all in a room together for some ensemble recordings (pre-pandemic, thankfully). It turns out this is pretty uncommon for games to do, especially with a cast this large. But that’s one way our naivete can be a strength, because seeing them all play off of each other’s energy was wonderful. I think this sort of collaborative atmosphere really brings home the idea that, however absurd things are, the residents of Snacktooth are a community. As you explore the world of Bugsnax, you’ll meet and befriend these colorful characters, and learn just what it is they’re looking for on Snacktooth Island. There are a ton of goofy and heartfelt moments to uncover, and we’re super excited for you to experience the full story when Bugsnax releases on PS5 and PS4 this holiday season! View the full article

Fellow fighters, at long last, fan-favorite characters Mileena and Rain are joining the fight! Along with the classic action hero, Rambo, they all join the roster as part of Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, the definitive, all-in-one Mortal Kombat 11 experience. Our designers and artists have polished every detail of each character’s presentation. The gameplay is awesome, the Fatalities are gruesome and the looks are killer. Rain now wields a katar, which he uses to slash and stab his opponents. Rain can also use his magic to open a rift to a previously unknown watery realm. Here, all of his classic moves are reimagined. His water powers are also expressed in new and unique ways. Play Video Along with her traditional sais, Mileena now also has razor-sharp claws. They come courtesy of the gloves that she wears in to kombat. The gloves and her other gear look stellar. My favorite look is that of Kahnum Mileena, where she gets her own Shao Kahn style helmet. Playing as Rambo is like time-traveling back with Kronika to 1982. Our character artists have perfectly captured Rambo’s look from “First Blood.” They, along with our design and cinematics teams, drew great inspiration from that film, as well the subsequent sequels. Of course, having Sylvester Stallone voice one of his most iconic characters is an absolute thrill. We worked hard to make sure that every line of dialogue was true to the Rambo that fans know and love. In addition to these three amazing new characters that make up Kombat Pack 2, Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate is stuffed with all of the great content that has been released thus far. It includes every mode, every character and every feature from the main game, Kombat Pack 1 and the Aftermath Expansion. Those who purchase Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate will also receive both of the cinematic story campaigns – the base game’s original story and the story expansion released with Aftermath, continuing the epic Mortal Kombat 11 saga. Additionally, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is PlayStation 5 Upgrade Available, delivering 4K dynamic resolution, enhanced visuals, improved loading times and cross-generation console compatibility for select modes. And current Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate owners and new buyers on PlayStation 4 can access a free upgrade to the PS5 version of their game at no extra cost, available in conjunction with the Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate launch. There’s also Krossplay support, allowing PS5 and PS4 players to fight against other players on opposite platforms in select modes. Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate will be available globally beginning Nov. 17 on the PlayStation Store via the web and console, as well as other retailers. For new players, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate pre-orders will be available beginning October 15, providing immediate access to Mortal Kombat 11, Kombat Pack 1 and the Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Expansion upon purchase. If you already own Mortal Kombat 11, you can upgrade your experience by pre-ordering Kombat Pack 2 beginning October 15, or by purchasing Kombat Pack 1 or the Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Expansion. And don’t forget, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and Kombat Pack 2 preorders will receive the Time Warriors Skin Pack at launch featuring three new character skin variants, including “Dark Web” Noob Saibot, “HCF” (Halt and Catch Fire) Liu Kang and “Blood Moon” Skarlet. Stay tuned for more info on Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate as we get closer to launch! View the full article

You’ve all heard that satisfying sound when a Trophy pops up on the corner of your screen. There’s the sense of accomplishment when that ultra-rare Platinum trophy is unlocked after hours of pursuing. Trophies were first introduced on PlayStation 3, and have been an integral part of the PlayStation gaming experience. Today, we’re excited to announce we’re bringing some enhancements to the Trophy system. New Trophy Levels The first thing you’ll notice is the big change to your Trophy level. We’re increasing the Trophy level range from the current “1-100” to “1-999,” so following this update, your Trophy level will automatically be remapped to a new level within this new range based on the Trophies you’ve earned to date. For example, if your current Trophy level is 12, your new level will jump to somewhere in the low 200’s. The exact level will depend on the number and grades of trophies you’ve acquired. There will be no changes to the Trophies already earned or Trophy information, such as unlock requirements. New Level Calculation Structure We’ve implemented a new Trophies level calculation system that is more optimized and rewarding. Players will progress quicker through the early levels, and levels will increase more consistently. Platinum trophies will count more toward your level progression, making them even more valuable. New Trophy Level Icons With an expanded level range, we’re also updating the trophy level icon on PlayStation 5, as well as PlayStation App at a later date. Currently the Trophies icon is just a single gold star, but we’re adding a few variants: Bronze: levels 1-299 Silver: levels 300 – 599 Gold: levels 600 – 998 Platinum: level 999 The icons will also have a subtle distinction to visually suggest how close you are to the next level. Lastly, just for clarity, Trophies that you’ve earned on previous PlayStation systems will come with you to PlayStation 5, just as they have in previous generation transitions. The new Trophy levels will be reflected in all locations that Trophy levels are shown, including past systems, PS App and My PlayStation. All of these updates will be automatically implemented on the system side, starting later tonight (North America) / tomorrow (Europe). We’re committed to offering an even better experience for our fans as we head into the next generation of gaming. We can’t wait for everyone to start racking up trophies in all the amazing upcoming games that are launching on PS4 and PS5! View the full article

It’s getting close to November, and we are very excited for the launch of PlayStation 5 console. Today, we wanted to give you a sneak peek at the console’s interior, so you can take a look at all of the magic happening inside the PS5 that brings out the beautiful games you’ll experience this holiday season. We began conceptualizing PS5 in 2015, and we’ve spent the past five years designing and developing the console. Our team values a well thought out, beautifully designed architecture. Inside the console is an internal structure looking neat and tidy, which means that there aren’t any unnecessary components and the design is efficient. As a result, we’re able to achieve our goal of creating a product with a high degree of perfection and quality. In this teardown video of the PS5 console, you will be able to see how we have thoughtfully integrated our technology into this console. We felt it was inevitable to make a generational leap in terms of performance in order to deliver a new, next-generation gaming experience. However, to do so, we had to balance every aspect of the system, from focusing on reducing the noise level to enhancing the cooling capacity, more than ever before. We’ve also highlighted the mechanism in the video below that we’ve incorporated into the PS5 console to make the operating sounds even quieter. After an extensive and complex trial and error process, we were pleased with the end result and I can not wait for our fans to get their hands on the PS5 console and “hear” it for themselves. Play Video Although we have faced unprecedented challenges this year with many of us working remotely from home throughout the world, we are pleased to be able to deliver a new transformative experience to you with PS5 this November. *Do not try this at home. Risk of exposure to laser radiation, electric shock, or other injury. Disassembling your PS5 console will invalidate your manufacturer’s guarantee. View the full article

Following the largest Alpha in Call of Duty history on PlayStation 4, the community has another chance to experience the next generation of global combat early before the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on November 13. Over the course of the two weekend Beta, experience signature Black Ops combat across traditional 6v6 modes, more competitive VIP Escort, vehicle-fueled 12v12 Combined Arms, and the brand-new mode Fireteam: Dirty Bomb. The Beta will feature a selection of the game’s Multiplayer maps set in distinct global locations during the Cold War. Players can progress and rank up in the Beta-specific levelling system where loadout items, including new weaponry, covert spytech through Field Upgrades, and badass Scorestreaks, can be unlocked by earning XP. New content will roll out across both beta weekends, so make sure to stay tuned in. The Black Ops Cold War Open Beta will be free on PS4, with players who pre-ordered gaining early access. Play Video Read on for details on pre-loading, downloading, schedule, and what’s included in the Black Ops Cold War Beta: Open Beta Dates and Times: Time to Play There are two weekends of the Black Ops Cold War Beta. Each “weekend” is scheduled to begin on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. PDT and ending on Monday morning at 10 a.m PDT. Weekend One (October 8 – October 12): PlayStation 4 Exclusive The first Beta weekend is exclusively for PlayStation 4 owners, and is scheduled to run from Thursday, October 8 to Monday, October 12. Early Access (October 8 – October 10): Available only to players who pre-ordered Black Ops Cold War digitally on PS4. Players who pre-ordered will be able to preload the Beta starting on October 6 at 8 a.m. PDT. Open Beta (October 10 – October 12): The rest of the Beta period is free to all PS4 owners*. If you have a PS4 and an internet connection, ready up for Black Ops combat and join in during the Open Beta. After Weekend One concludes, the Beta will remain available on the PlayStation Store so players can download in advance of weekend two. Weekend Two (October 15 – October 19): PS4 Open Beta The second Beta weekend is open to all players on PS4, and it’s scheduled to run from Thursday, October 15 to Monday, October 19. What’s Inside the Beta The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Beta will feature a mix of maps, modes, and playlists. Similar to past Betas, the Black Ops Cold War Beta will also include a progression system where players can earn XP in order to unlock new content for their Loadouts including weapons, equipment, Create-a-Class slots, and Scorestreaks (note: progression will not carry over to the final game at launch). Earn an SMG Weapon Blueprint for Reaching Level 10 All players who reach Level 10 within the Beta will receive an exclusive SMG weapon blueprint at the launch of Black Ops Cold War. A weapon blueprint is a variant of a weapon family within the game, complete with its own unique name and cosmetic differences. Weapon blueprints may also come pre-equipped with attachments, allowing you to use them on that specific weapon without needing to level it up to unlock those attachments organically. These attachments can be swapped out in favor of other attachments earned by levelling up the weapon normally. Access the Beta As mentioned through the schedule, digital pre-order customers will be entitled to early access (Thursday and Friday) through their account on which they purchased the game. All other players can still access the open portion of the Beta (Saturday through Monday) for free. Download the Beta from PlayStation Store and follow the prompts to download. Pre-Order Now on Digital to get Early Access Pre-order players can secure early access to the Open Beta* and receive instant rewards like the Woods Operator Pack** for immediate use in Modern Warfare and Warzone. Pre-order now at PlayStation.com. *PS4 owners in Germany will need a PS Plus subscription due to the game’s age rating. Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of MP Beta subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/beta for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only, while Early Access Beta Codes last, at participating retailers. Internet connection required. Online multiplayer subscription may be required. **Call of Duty: Modern Warfare / Call of Duty: Warzone on pre-order platform required to redeem Woods Operator and Blueprint. Sold/downloaded separately. Must be redeemed by Nov. 13, 2021. View the full article

Just in time for Halloween, all manner of horror descends onto PS Now today. Fight for your life in the post-apocalyptic open world frontier of Days Gone. Embody the undead hero of Sir Dan Fortesque as you fight to bring peace back to your village. Outwit one of cinema’s most iconic boogeymen in multiplayer Friday the 13th. Buddy up for some medieval puzzle platforming work in Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince and tackle Double Fine Productions’ own brand of roguelike in the wastelands of Rad. With the games launching today, let’s take a look at what awaits you. Not a PS Now subscriber? Find out more here. Days Gone Play Video Step into the dirt flecked shoes of former outlaw biker Deacon St. John, a bounty hunter trying to find a reason to live in a land surrounded by death. Scavenge through abandoned settlements for equipment to craft valuable items and weapons, or take your chances with other survivors trying to eke out a living through fair trade… or more violent means. With humanity ravaged by feral creatures known as Freakers, any mistake could be your last in your attempt to carve out a new life in the hostile Pacific Northwest high-desert. Days Gone is available until January 5, 2021 MediEvil Play Video Sword swinging, perilous puzzles and enchanting environments are brought back to life in this full remake of the original PlayStation action-adventure. Step into the bones of Sir Daniel Fortesque, an inept — and long-dead — knight accidentally resurrected by the evil sorcerer Zarok, 100 years after his embarrassing demise. With the kingdom of Gallowmere under threat by Zarok’s demon hordes, only the skeletal Sir Dan stands in his way. A second chance for the toothy grinned, undead adventurer is at hand — can you defeat Zarok and grant Sir Dan the honour he lost in the flesh? Friday the 13th This asymmetrical multiplayer title captures the heart-pounding terror of the iconic film franchise from which it takes its inspiration. Play hunter or hunted as up to seven Camp Crystal Lake counselors strive to use the tools to survive, escape or even try to take down Jason Voorhees, the man who cannot be killed. If you are randomly selected to play the killer instead, use unique abilities to track down and terrify those unfortunate enough to cross your path! Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince Play Video Lush, fantasy-themed 2.5D puzzle platforming awaits as three heroes must pursue a wayward prince whose nightmares are becoming monstrous reality and terrorising the lands. To overcome the very real forces of darkness, you must juggle the abilities of each hero: conjure platforms with Amadeus the Wizard, strike distance targets with thief Zoya and fend off attackers at closer range as the knight Pontius. With cooperative multiplayer available both offline and online, team up to take on the challenge ahead and save the realm. Rad Play Video Developed by Double Fine Productions, Rad is a 3D action rogue-like set in a post-post-apocalyptic world, where humanity has faced Armageddon not once, but twice. Playing as a teenage protagonist, you must venture into the Fallow — an ever-changing, radioactive wasteland filled with unknown and unspeakable creatures. Go grab that sweet bat and help save the world… or what’s remaining of it anyway! View the full article

Hello hello hello! Ed here to tell you a little bit about Dreams patch 2.18*, or… THE MUSIC UPDATE! (party horn). We teased this patch during DreamsCom week by playing with some of the new instruments on our livestream. The feedback and anticipation you shared with us was fantastic! Today we’re super excited to announce that the update will be live for all Dreams players tomorrow, October 7. Stay tuned to our social media channels for exact release timings. The update will also introduce a handful of iterations and improvements to elsewhere in the Dreamiverse, including VR**, where we’ll be improving the labelling system. Look out for our full patch notes when the update releases. With that said, let’s take a look at what will be available as part of this update! New instruments The Mm Instrument collection has had a massive upgrade. This update includes hundreds of new orchestral instruments, plus fabulous new synths, new drum kits, pianos, guitars and more – we even threw in some church organs just in time for Halloween! The collections themselves have had a facelift too, with gorgeous doodles from Maja-Lisa sprucing up the place. You’ll also notice we’ve got so many instruments now that many of the collections contain … ANOTHER COLLECTION! This is just to keep things tidy but to also present what we think is the most useful stuff first. All the existing instruments are still here, you might just find them in a new place. We’ve balanced and recorded better previews for every instrument, so browsing the collection and finding the right sound is a much nicer experience now. Upgrades to Effect Fields Effect Fields have two exciting upgrades, thanks to audio warlock Bogdan! Tempo Sync: Effect fields’ ‘movement’ page contains new tweaks that let you sync the effect to the beat of a timeline or instrument. Press the Beatsync LFO (Low-frequency oscillation) button to change from regular wobble rate to one that matches a note length of your choice! This is seriously cool, definitely something I’ll be using loads in the future! There’s also a ‘Bipolar LFO’ button, Bipolar meaning the effect field goes between two values that are not 0, like +1 and -1. With this, you can make effect fields work in both directions. ‘Bipolar LFO’ is on by default and when switched OFF, means a moving effect only wobbles one direction (ie, if you set +12 pitch, it will only go up +12, not up then down -12). Height: In the Options tweak page, you can now change the height in rows (both upwards and downwards) of the effect’s influence. So now when you place an effect field on a timeline, you can have total control over which sounds it affects. No more pointless timelines within timelines to escape effects’ influence! New music clips Clips are the easiest way to make music in Dreams! They are pre-composed loops and phrases, using Dreams instruments, all made in the same key and tempo. You can mix and match any combination of clips to create something unique, without needing to record your own notes. We’ve made loads more of them using the new instruments, and reorganised their collections to make browsing easier. New music tracks Music Tracks are our fully composed pieces, ready for you to use in your creations, or remix into something else. We’ve included loads more tracks and divided the collection into sub-collections, themed by musical flavour. You’ll find the music we’ve written for our recent releases (Inside the Box, Welcome Garden, & Art’s Dream) now lives here too. As well as these fully realised tracks, we’ve put together a collection of ‘Starting Points’. This is something we’re experimenting with and hope you find useful. Starting points are shorter than Tracks, and some of these come from music cues in games like Art’s Dream. You can use them to just poke around in, or maybe develop further into something new. Other important fixes As this is the first change to instruments since launch, we’ve used this opportunity to make some volume balance fixes. If you make music in Dreams, this is important: Existing instruments have had a bit of a balance pass. The default volume of an instrument is important, as it informs other decisions as you create! We’ve aimed to balance the whole collection overall by tweaking the default volume of many instruments (in most cases slightly reducing it). For the benefit of the collection as a whole, it’s an important and overdue fix, but you may notice the palette menu, telling you that instrument elements can be updated. As with all updates, we recommend that if you want to apply updates to elements in your existing creations: apply them one at a time, to make sure that the changes do not impact your creations in ways that you’re not happy with. Well, that’s about it! We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who makes and shares their music in Dreams and online. It’s so brilliant to hear your music, and I hope that you have fun with new features and instruments! Happy music making! *Patch 2.18 requires internet connection and account for PlayStation Network to download. **PlayStation 4 console, PlayStation VR, PlayStation Camera required to experience VR functionality. View the full article

The launch of PlayStation 5 is less than two months away, and we couldn’t be more excited to deliver an all-new and even more immersive gaming experience to our fans. We’ve talked in the past about how the DualSense wireless controller will make games feel more real, but today we wanted to focus on how the PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech will change the way games sound and how you can hear it for yourself. The upcoming Pulse 3D wireless headset has been engineered to take full advantage of PS5’s 3D Audio capabilities (check out a new image above). With a refined design, dual noise-cancelling microphones, and an array of easy-access controls, the Pulse 3D wireless headset offers a seamless experience for both the PS5 and PS4. We think it offers a fantastic audio experience for the PS5, but it isn’t the only way that fans can experience the increased presence and locality that we discussed in our last technical update. On the PS5, you’ll be able to experience 3D Audio with the headphones that many of you already own, either through USB connection to the console, or by plugging your headphones into the DualSense wireless controller’s 3.5mm headset jack. Headphone audio is the current gold standard for 3D Audio on PS5, as Mark Cerny mentioned in his “Road to PS5” talk in March. We’re also in the process of working on virtual surround sound through speakers that are built into TVs. Although TV speaker virtual surround sound won’t be available on launch day for PS5, it’s still a feature we are extremely excited about, and our engineers are hard at work on bringing it to PS5 in the future. In the meantime, I’m happy to say that you’ll be able to enjoy the PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech through your compatible headphones in many PS5 games. Some of the PS5 games with 3D Audio features include Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, Astro’s Playroom, Gran Turismo 7, Returnal, Destruction AllStars, Demon’s Souls, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Horizon Forbidden West, Resident Evil Village, and many others. In case you missed it, check out what some PS5 developers had to say about how Tempest 3D AudioTech is enabling them to push the boundaries of game innovation. We hope you’re just as excited as we are to hear game worlds come to life with Tempest 3D AudioTech on PS5 when it launches this November. View the full article

Hey there action heroes, we’re excited to be back with our first free content update for PlayStation VR, out now! Packed with new scenes, new modifiers, new weapon models and wraps, along with new audio and visual effects, the Heartbreaker Trilogy offers fresh content combinations and styles of play so you can slay a new way every day of the week. New scenes, new mods, new vibe After the fifteen savage scenes served up at launch, this content update is all about chilling out and finding your reason to fight. Featuring familiar faces from our friends at Kannibalen Records and a first-time appearance from our new pals over at label Seeking Blue, these three new scenes are abstract, colourful, and groovy. Try them with the new synth gun sound effect for an intensely immersive and deeply-musical experience. Need something more visual to help you chill out? Well then, say hello to our little friends: the Summer Soaker Collection, including the Bubble Blaster, Mega Douser, and Dollar Drencher weapon models. Combine them with our splashy, er uh, flashy new visual shooting effect for a sure-fire way to cool off. Find these, the synth gun sound effect, and a sweet Heartbreaker-themed weapon wrap in your gun case now. This update also sees a couple of player-requested changes, including increasing gun pitch customization to 360 degrees (up from 45 degrees) and increasing screen resolution for improved visuals on PlayStation Pro. Last but not least, we’ve removed the score penalty on Dual Wield and have added two new modifiers: Vengeance and Disorder. Check out some of our tips below on just a couple of different ways to showcase the new modifiers and shake up your favourite scenes! Dual Wield In testing, we found that even with no score penalty, native accuracy loss associated with dual-wielding negatively impacted scores enough that single-pistol remained competitive. Because of this–and to increase your freedom of choice–we’ve removed the score penalty on Dual Wield, making it score neutral. Some of our favourite scenes for fully experiencing this new unencumbered akimbo mode include Full Throttle, Religion, and Embers. Vengeance With Vengeance enabled, enemies will shoot back at you every time you land a shot. The Fall and Letting Go are both great scene choices for enjoying this new modifier. Fun fact: we consider Letting Go to be the spiritual successor to The Fall. Play them back to back for an easter egg. Disorder Disorder, sometimes known as Developer’s Choice around the studio, shuffles enemy types around for the selected scene. Disorder is one of our favourite modifiers because it makes scene knowledge obsolete and requires improvisation no matter how versed you are in enemy placement. Scenes you know like the back of your hand really make this modifier shine, or try it out on a scene with a healthy mix of armour types like Death, High Priestess, or R U Afraid. Unarmed Foes + Vengeance Extrasensory perception? More like extrasensory projectiles. With this combination, enemies may not be armed, but they’re still dangerous… and a little spooky. Hardcore + Vengeance Want to up your fitness game? Pair Hardcore with Vengeance and dodge for your life. We really enjoy this combination on Embers for a particularly scorching good time. Dual Wield + Disorder + Vengeance Combine both new modifiers and the now score-neutral Dual Wield and experience absolute mayhem. See ya soon! The Heartbreaker Trilogy may be our first update for PlayStation VR, but it’s not the last thing we have in store. We’ve got tons planned for the future of Pistol Whip that we can’t wait to share with you. Stay tuned here or on our socials for more! Virtually yours, Cloudhead Games View the full article

Thank you so much for your support of Ghost of Tsushima! We are so appreciative to all of you who have shared your Platinum Trophy screenshots, Photo Mode captures, fox petting GIFs and beautiful fan art with us, as well as all of your thoughts about the game. We’ve been listening to your feedback, and we’re excited to release a major update for Ghost of Tsushima on October 16, Version 1.1. Version 1.1 is a free update for all Ghost of Tsushima players. This update brings the launch of Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a brand-new co-op multiplayer mode inspired by Japanese mythology, as well as exciting new updates and New Game+ for our single-player campaign! Here are all the details: Play Video Ghost of Tsushima: Legends As we announced in August, Ghost of Tsushima: Legends is a brand new, online cooperative multiplayer experience that will be a free update for all Ghost of Tsushima owners. A classic element of some of our favorite samurai films is warriors standing together, ready to fight as a team. In Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, you can fight side-by-side with your friends, which is such an important part of fulfilling that samurai fantasy in a whole new way. We’re so excited to hear from everyone who teams up with their friends and jumps in. Ghost of Tsushima: Legends features two-player story missions and four-player survival missions, as well as a Raid that we’ll release in the weeks following launch. After you’ve downloaded version 1.1 of Ghost of Tsushima, you can visit the PlayStation Store from your PS4 to download a free unlock for Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, which will allow you to play. Keep in mind that an internet connection and an active PlayStation Plus subscription will be required to play with other players. Once you have version 1.1, you’ll notice a new character at various towns and locations in Tsushima… Gyozen the Storyteller! He’s heard the rumors about the Ghost of Tsushima, but he has a different perspective about what’s actually happening in his homeland. Gyozen is the author and gatekeeper of the stories you’ll find in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, and when you talk to him, he’ll be happy to share one of his transportative stories about the “Ghosts.” Speaking to Gyozen will give you access to the Ghost of Tsushima: Legends lobby, but you can also get there directly from the title menu or the pause menu… or by accepting a PSN invitation from a friend! Classes In Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, you’ll be able to pick between one of four classes. Each one has their own unique advantages. When you start Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, after a short tutorial, you’ll choose which class you want to unlock first. As you rank up, you’ll unlock each of the remaining classes. In addition to each starting with their own unique ability, each class can unlock an alternate ability as you progress, as well as earning class-specific Charms and ranged weapons. While playing with friends, you can mix and match classes however you’d like, whether that’s a party of four all playing the same class, everyone playing as a different class, or any combination in between. Samurai Samurai players can run straight toward combat and stay there, sustaining their health while chopping enemies down left and right. When you’re overwhelmed, use the Hachiman’s Fury ultimate attack to slash through enemies in a flurry of strikes. Hunter As a Hunter, you can stand on the edge of combat and snipe enemies before they even see you. You can also use explosive arrows to slow down groups, and when the combat gets really fierce, the Eye of Uchitsune ultimate attack will unleash multiple arrows straight at your enemies’ heads. Ronin Ronin players can revive their entire team with the Breath of Izanami ultimate ability. You might play Ronin because you want to help your human friends… or you might do it because the Ronin class is also able to summon a Spirit Dog. (And yes, you can ABSOLUTELY pet your Spirit Dog!) Assassin If you prefer doing massive damage with a single attack, you’ll love the Assassin. The Shadow Strike ultimate attack will allow you to teleport across the battlefield and directly strike your enemies. If that’s not intimidating enough, wait until you see the terrifying masks the Assassin gets to wear! Story Missions Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Story Missions are designed for two players, and take you through Gyozen’s stories about what’s really happening in Tsushima. When you unlock higher difficulties, you’ll face new encounters, tougher enemies, bonus objectives, and greater rewards. Survival Missions In Survival, you can team up with three other players to fight off waves of enemies while defending different locations in Tsushima. You and your team can activate blessings to help yourselves, like “ignite enemies” or “summon a Spirit Bear.” The longer you survive and the more bonus objectives you complete, the more rewards you’ll earn! Raid You’ll need all your skill, top-tier gear, and a great 4-player team to be able to survive in Iyo’s realm! The Raid is an epic three-part adventure that will require excellent teamwork and communication to overcome. It will be released in the weeks following the launch of Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. Other Features Ghost of Tsushima: Legends also has a few features you’d expect from Ghost of Tsushima. Our robust Photo Mode is still present here (as long as your teammates opt in) and you’ll be able to show off all the new masks, armor, and emotes you’ve earned. Legends is packed with new cosmetics, and they’re all unlocked through gameplay without any microtransactions. Looking cool is important, but Ghost of Tsushima: Legends gameplay progression really centers around the gear you’ve equipped and the techniques you’ve unlocked. You’ll be rewarded with increasingly rare and powerful gear as you take on greater challenges, and you’ll unlock new techniques as you gain experience with each class. We’ve also added some new Trophies for Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, which will appear in a separate section of your Trophy list and do not count toward Ghost of Tsushima’s Platinum Trophy. Ghost of Tsushima Single-Player Campaign Updates In addition to Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, version 1.1 will include new updates for Ghost of Tsushima’s single-player campaign based on your feedback. New Game+ If you’ve already beaten Ghost of Tsushima, you’ll find the option to re-embark on Jin’s Journey in New Game+. You’ll start New Game+ from the release to the open world, shortly after Jin’s initial confrontation with the Khan. You’ll keep all of the Techniques, Gear, and Vanity items obtained in a previous playthrough, and difficulty will be increased to provide a new challenge (but you can still adjust it down in the menu). You’ll also find yourself with a brand new New Game+ horse, which features a vibrant red mane and unique saddle. There are also new, extremely powerful Charms available that can help Jin unleash devastating attacks and may change the way you play. You’ll also be able to unlock an additional upgrade for your sword, bow, and armor. We’ve also added some new Trophies for playing Ghost of Tsushima on New Game+, which will appear in a separate section of your Trophy list and do not count toward Ghost of Tsushima’s Platinum Trophy. Ghost Flower Merchant Exclusively in New Game+, you’ll be able to earn a new type of flower: the Ghost Flower. This new type of flower can only be earned in New Game+, and is accepted by a mysterious new merchant that you’ll find in Ariake. If you complete a Tale or activity and already have the reward, you’ll earn Ghost Flowers in its place, so even if you’ve completed JIn’s journey before, it’s still exciting to explore Tsushima once again to collect as many Ghost Flowers as you can. You can exchange these flowers for new armor dyes and other vanity gear only found in New Game+, featuring much more elaborate designs than those found in your first playthrough. The merchant will also offer an array of powerful new Charms intended to create new combat experiences, empower existing playstyles, and allow you to customize your experience for even greater challenges! Other Features Once you’ve installed version 1.1, you’ll now find the option to enable Armor Loadouts, which allow you to assign all Charms and vanity items to each armor set to quickly swap between loadouts to match your playstyle and roleplaying preferences. You’ll also find that your total play time is now displayed when you select a saved game file to load, and new options have been added to Photo Mode. These features will apply to your existing game, or to a New Game + playthrough. Version 1.1 is absolutely packed with new content, and we hope everyone enjoys this new update! Thank you once again for all of your support since launch. Version 1.1 will be released on October 16, so whether you revisit Jin’s journey or grab some friends and try out Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, we can’t wait for you to play! View the full article

I’m Adam Johnston, Creative Director at Bamtang games and I’m excited for everyone to start playing the sequel to Nickelodeon Kart Racers! We’ve made a lot of improvements and changes from the first game, and don’t worry – you don’t have to play the first game to understand what’s happening in part two. The biggest, most obvious upgrade from the first game is the character roster. There are now 30 racers and the Pit Crew adds all kinds of familiar Nickelodeon cameos which creates all kinds of new options. You will be able to unlock 70 Pit Crew members that you can add to your team to customize your kart. That means players can really find their sweet spot on the kart and Pit Crew load out to match their driving style. Also, we gave a lot of love to drifting so now it feels way more rewarding. Here’s how the Pit Crew works, which represents a big change from the first game. The Crew Chief gives you a primary powerup that replaces the old turbo charge. It is charged by slime, and there is a wide variety of power-up effects to choose from. The other Pit Crew members bring strategic buffs. They kick in automatically during the race and might leave a trap when picking up a power-up, or give a boost after getting hit, as just a few examples. There are a mountain of options. I don’t keep any single strategy for long, there’s always some other combination to try out. When you change your loadout, you have to change your driving style too. If you want to adopt a more defensive loadout, then that means that you can be more aggressive. Slime is back and we think it’s the thing that sets our kart racer apart, while also being a perfect representation of Nickelodeon. Slime is still your friend! Going for the Green, and filling the Slime bar is one of the best ways to get ahead in the game. The Slime was reworked visually, but otherwise, you’ll still find it splashed all around. The boating part of the first Nickelodeon Kart Racers has been given a rest in the sequel. This time we’ve added Slime Edges. They give the players air, and the chance to pull tricks to get bonus slime and boosts. These really help mix up the race line strategies, depending on the player’s skill (or courage). When we thought about upgrading the Slime bar we realized that it would be awesome to give the player the option to choose how the Slime will impact the race. After that, we wanted the visual impact to be based on the Nickelodeon characters we love so much, and that’s how the Crew Chiefs were born. Some of the team favorites are Tenzin from The Legend of Korra who uses airbending for a big jump, releasing a shockwave when landing; or Powdered Toast Man from Ren and Stimpy who makes the kart drive backwards, with a turbo boost, and it explodes if it crashes! We had a lot of fun making this game which, coincidentally, extended to track creation. Most of the original twelve tracks have been remastered with completely updated art, and Slime Rapids. The new tracks complement the old ones, with wider diversity. We think having so many tracks now, there’s more extreme situations. Jumps, half-pipes, cannons, ramps, slime geysers, and other surprises add verticality, which leads to some pretty stressful situations. In Fast mode, you really can’t relax and the Insane mode lives up to its name. This is a game designed to be fun for all ages, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t strategies that can be employed by more practiced racers. Drifting is still a helpful boost factor, but dominating drifting mechanics or knowing the raceline will only get you so far. Some of the levels were designed to make the player focus on a specific mechanic like drifting or jumping, but there’s no sure way to win every race. We think it’s best to choose a crew that supports your driving style. For example, I would definitely recommend choosing Pearl from SpongeBob SquarePants to anyone that loves performing big jumps and riding the half pipes. She gives you a much stronger turbo boosts after a jump. It’s not all just straightforward racing, of course. In Arena mode, you battle all of the other players in an open arena. Since SpongeBob is so popular with the fans, we added the Golden Spatula mode. In this mode you have to find the Golden Spatula and keep it long enough to earn a point. The other players will be looking to make you drop it. The first player who gets three points takes all the glory. This sequel also adds up to 8 player online multiplayer modes. Either in quick races, or in championship cup races. It’s kind of weird, but we finished this game during the pandemic, so almost all of the testing has been online. Back in the unhygienic old days, we used to play each other sitting next to each other on the couch, split screen. Now we had to set up online sessions to play each other, so online play is probably the core experience now. One of the most fun parts of creating this game, and the excitement of getting into the hands of players, is seeing how everyone reacts differently to the roster. There are the nostalgic players, like me, who like seeing and playing as the classics, but there is a whole new generation of Nickelodeon fans who gravitate towards different racers. Having Ren and Stimpy in Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 is fantastic, but most of the young’uns have never heard of them. I’m embarrassed to say that I am so old that I had never heard of Jojo Siwa, but she is maybe one of the most popular racers with younger players. There is also a game mode (spoiler alert!) where the players have to complete challenges with specific characters and they were inspired by the things those characters usually do in their series. If the players know who those characters are, they will understand why they have to do those challenges. Only the true fans will know that there’s no coincidence in asking you to play as Squidward and win a race full of Squidwards. We really had a ton of fun by making these challenges, and the rest of the game, and we’re looking forward to playing online with everyone on October 6! View the full article

Last week, we challenged you to share moments from your favorite games that largely feature one color using #PS4share and #PSBlog. From gloomy green portraits to sandy landscapes, here are this week’s colorful highlights: Choombroom shares this ethereal white moment from Journey. Abby turns her heavy gaze towards a green light in The Last of Us Part II, shared by Emilli96. Jin stands in a hazy field in this Ghost of Tsushima share by fullmetalpsyche. JordynTeeuwe shared this desert landscape from Uncharted 3. An orange glow falls over this landscape in Horizon Zero Dawn, shared by jules_vp_. ManaWarOnline shares this intense red moment from The Division 2. 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: Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, October 7 Next week, bend the rules of reality and share shots of your favorite marsupial in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Make sure to tag #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Creating Amnesia: Rebirth we wanted to make sure that it retained as much of the feel of the original Amnesia: The Dark Descent as possible. At the same time we wanted Rebirth to feel like a fresh experience, and to make use of the expertise gained over the past ten years since the first game was released. Thinking about gameplay systems is a bit different in a horror game compared to other genres. Instead of trying to make things more fun, you want them to increase the game’s immersive aspects. Just like a driving game will spend a lot of effort to simulate the experience of driving a real car, we want to simulate the player being the lead character in a horror book or movie. In our case, we try to simulate Gothic horror, especially of the type from masters like Poe, Stoker, and Lovecraft. These stories usually involve vulnerable protagonists exploring unsettling environments and confronting all sorts of disturbing stuff. So when trying to simulate these sorts of narratives, you want to have systems that support that. The original Amnesia had a bunch of features that aimed to do just this. While these worked well ten years ago, we couldn’t just use them directly. So we had to dig into each system and see how we could make the game better at simulating Gothic horror. One is the ability to light various things. In The Dark Descent, the player collects tinderboxes and can then use these to light torches, candles, and so forth. Being able to light up a dark environment like this is essential to get the feel of exploring an unknown and creepy locale. However, there were lots of issues with bringing the old system into Rebirth. For one, we couldn’t use tinderboxes as they no longer fit with the period the game takes place in (1930s) and it always felt a bit odd to just light candles by clicking on them. The solution we eventually ended up with was to have matches that the player needed to light before using them on a candle or lamp. This allows the player to light many nearby light sources at the same time, and also lets the matches serve as an additional light source. This might seem like a slight change but it comes with a lot of benefits. For instance, when you are in a dark tunnel, players need to choose whether to use their precious matches in order to easier find your way or save it for a light source further ahead. Matches will also blow out faster if you move quickly, so the player is forced to slow down and think hard about their next move. A match might also go out at the wrong moment – just when you hear menacing footsteps approaching. This also allows us to simulate, without using scripted events, the player lighting a match only to stand face to face with some sort of horrible creature. A moment straight out of a Poe story, but all built by dynamic gameplay. This brings us to the next system, which is The Dark Descent’s sanity system. In the original game it worked so that darkness and certain sights made your sanity go down and if it went too low, you collapsed and attracted any nearby monster. The idea was to emulate the Gothic tradition of characters being driven mad the further they went into an unfolding mystery. When reimplementing this for Rebirth, the major updates were not just on a systemic level, but also on a narrative one. While we did a lot of tweaks in order for the whole system to be more reactive, the major change was how it affected the player. Having some generic idea of ‘sanity’ that got lower also felt a bit simplistic to us. In Rebirth, the protagonist Tasi is afflicted by a mysterious disease, which is all part of the story. The more afraid Tasi becomes, from darkness or terrifying sights, the worse the symptoms get. This means that we now give players a much more visceral reason to care about the fear. This draws on a lesson from creating our previous game, SOMA. Here, the main focus of the game was to explore consciousness and what it means to be human. This is not really something that can be done via moment-to-moment gameplay. Instead, we had to let this slowly brew over hours of the game experience. Designing SOMA like this was a major gamble for us. We didn’t know if it would work, and since it required so much of the game to be completed to test, iteration times were long and frustrating. Luckily it paid off, and it gave us the confidence to do something similar in Rebirth. Tasi’s worsening condition is something that unfolds over time. In order to make sure it hits home we weave in some core narrative motivation into it. I am afraid I cannot go into what this part of the story is, as it is something we want to keep secret until release. But it is something we hope to be just as impactful as the mind swapping was in SOMA, if not more so. Another aspect of The Dark Descent in dire need of update was the failure system. An important lesson learned from our early Penumbra games was that forcing the player to repeat the same section of the game over and over greatly reduced their fear. Repetition and frustration took players out of their immersion, replacing fantasies of real monsters with abstract notions of the gameplay system. The Dark Descent approached this in the following way: if the player was taken down by a monster, players didn’t have to do a traditional restart. Instead they were teleported back a bit, and something changed in the environment. Sometimes a new monster appeared, sometimes it was replaced by another scare, and sometimes no threat was left. This removed frustration, avoided repetition, and worked well. That is, as long as the player didn’t catch on to how the system worked. When they did, they could easily bypass any hurdle by simply running straight at it many times. We knew we had to make some changes to this. The solution was to tie it into the fear system. If Tasi becomes too frightened, her affliction will take a harsh turn for the worse. There will be very visible changes to her appearance, and worse still, it will have immense narrative significance. If the affliction goes too far, not only will it threaten the life of herself, but also of her loved ones. The whole fear system has now gone from being a gimmicky addition to being an integral part of the whole story. It really helped us to simulate a looming sense of dread and to capture that feel of character’s descent down a spiral of despair. Finally, I want to note how all of this adds up into a coherent whole. As pleased as we were with SOMA, we never felt that the gameplay closely supported our overall narrative. This was something we wanted to do better. In Amnesia: Rebirth the narrative is supported on everything from the moment-to-moment system to the higher level narrative. It is hard to describe the feeling of all of this coming together. The best way to find out is to give the game a go when it hits PS4 on October 20, and take a chance to live through a horror novel from within. View the full article

Welcome back! PS5 is just around the corner, but developers aren’t letting up on the PS4 front. September saw a glut of excellent new releases, including Marvel’s Avengers, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Spellbreak, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, and Spelunky 2. I know it’s a tough ask this month, but I must insist — please help us decide what the best new game of the month was! Cast your vote below — we’ll close the poll down Sunday night at 11:59pm Pacific, then tally the votes and reveal the winner later in the week. 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 September’s best new game? View the full article

Two months ago, Rogue Company debuted to an overwhelming response from PlayStation 4 players. Your response to our Open Beta was phenomenal – but don’t take our word for it, the stats you wracked up speak for themselves: 500m+ downs. 35m+ revives. 10m+ headshots with the LR15 Fullbody sniper rifle. Every victory was hard-fought, and every mission was another chance to show your skill on the battlefield! Now we enter the next phase of Rogue Company: the free to play Open Beta. This milestone follows our most recent update, Desert Rose, which features our latest map – Lockdown – as well as the much-requested feature of custom matches. Ready to face off against your best friends – or worst enemies – in a game of Rogue Company? Well now you can do just that by setting up your own custom match and competing for the ultimate bragging rights. And what better place to prove yourself than the deep, untamed jungles of Lockdown? A prison built to contain the world’s most dangerous criminals, this is the perfect setting for a high-stakes mission where only one team can come out alive! Play Video Along with our Open Beta release, we are also introducing our newest Rogue, Dahlia. A master of small-squad tactics, Dahlia is a well-rounded support character that excels at pairing up with one other player on the team. She could save your life on the battlefield – or, if you’re on the wrong side, she could ensure that you don’t make it home alive! Open Beta is just the beginning for Rogue Company. Not only are we focussed on rolling out more Rogues, more maps, and more game modes, we’re also looking forward to the continuing feedback we receive from the most important source available: our players. We hope you’ll join us in making Rogue Company the most exciting third-person shooter experience possible with your invaluable feedback. Whether you’ve been playing Rogue Company since Closed Beta or are just joining us, just remember: there’s never a bad time to save the day, look good, and get paid! View the full article

Ready up bandicoots, Crash is back! Developed by Toys for Bob, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is available October 2 on PlayStation 4. Picking up after the events of Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Neo Cortex and Doctor N. Tropy have escaped their interdimensional prison with villainous plans for domination. Now it’s up to Crash and Coco to prevent them from conquering not just this dimension, but all dimensions! Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time marks the first new installment in the Crash series in over 10 years and is a direct sequel to the original trilogy. Read on for more details and highlights before you jump in and experience this all new, original adventure. Quantum Masks join Crash and Coco Playing as either marsupial, players will be able to jump and spin alongside new gameplay mechanics like wall running, rail grinding, and rope swinging to complete levels and defeat tough bosses. The addition of Quantum Masks gives the bandicoots even more abilities to stop Neo Cortex and Doctor N. Tropy and save the multiverse. Known as the Guardians of Time and Space, four Quantum Masks have been awakened to aid Crash and Coco in their quest to save the multiverse: Lani-Loli – Phase Shift Mask. A chronic worrier and slightly prone to panic, Lani-Loli wearers can phase crates, objects, and obstacles in and out of existence. ‘Akano – Dark Matter Mask. Stoic and straight to the point, ‘Akano creates a whirlwind of energy enabling the wearer to break reinforced crates and changes their movement mechanics. Kupuna-Wa – Time Mask. Having seen past, present, and future, Kupuna-Wa allows the wearer to slow down time. Safely jump across fast-moving platforms, Nitro crates, and avoid enemies. Ika-Ika – Gravity Mask. The push and pull of the universe in perfect harmony, use this mask to flip the direction of gravity to go from floor to ceiling and back. Go Modern, Retro, and More – modes of play Crash 4: It’s About Time features multiple ways to play through levels – Modern or Retro. Plus, replay levels in the N. Verted mirror mode, and unlock Flashback levels to learn more about Crash and Coco’s past. Before you hop into the action, you can choose your preferred playstyle – Modern or Retro. When you miss a step or get caught in a Nitro crate explosion in Modern, you’ll restart at the last checkpoint. In Retro, you’ll have a set number of lives. Collect more lives while you play, but if you run out, you’ll restart the level at the beginning. Note that your playstyle (Modern or Retro) does not affect gameplay difficulty or any reward progress, and it can be changed in the Gameplay Options screen at any time. Want some wackier play options? N. Verted mode is a Bumpa Berry fueled mirror mode that gives you a completely new way to experience each level. Encounter a creative revamp with new art styles like a coloring book or old-timey films. Some changes even impact the way you’ll play a specific level. Hungry for the toughest platforming challenges you can get your hands on? Scattered throughout the game, Flashback Tapes lie along various main path levels. However, you can only collect them if you can reach their location without dying. These tapes unlock Flashback levels that take Crash and Coco back in time to the ‘90s to encounter Neo Cortex’s most challenging crate puzzles. Play through a new perspective – Tawna, Dingodile, Neo Cortex Learn more about the narrative and get a new challenge by replaying through a different character’s perspective in Timelines. Timelines are designed for each character’s unique abilities and become available for certain levels upon completion of their main path counterpart. Tawna – This bandicoot has a similar playstyle to Crash and Coco, but she can also wall jump and hook shot to tackle the trickiest platforms out there. Although she prefers to fly solo, Tawna is a key player in the fight against Neo Cortex and N. Tropy. Dingodile – Race to return Dingodile to his culinary dreams. Reformed from prior villainous ways, Dingodile’s unique movements include a tail swipe and a fun, versatile vacuum gun used to boost over large gaps or blast away obstacles and enemies. Neo Cortex – For those feeling nefarious, play with Neo Cortex to help him rid the world of his greatest failure. His ray gun creates sturdy and bounce-able platforms out of enemies and his mid-air dash helps him get across longer gaps. Pass the controller and play with friends Grab a buddy or two and queue up for Bandicoot Battle, a local competitive mode where 2-4 players can compete head to head. You can play for speed in Checkpoint Races or high score in Crate Combo. If you want to save the multiverse together, choose Pass N. Play and take turns progressing through levels. All modes are single controller based, so you’ll only need friends and maybe a snack or two for when the going gets tough. 5 tips to save the Multiverse 1. Look Good, Feel Good. Each level has its own unique skin which can be unlocked. Get on the hunt for gems and play the level in N. Verted mode for additional gem collecting opportunities. 2. Choose Your Playstyle: Retro and Modern modes have the same gameplay difficulty, but in Modern, you’ll restart at your last checkpoint. Consider changing modes in the Gameplay Options screen, if you need it, then get back to business bandicoot. 3. A Fresh Perspective: Timelines take place on the same level but may take you to an entirely different starting point. Look for a unique and fun experience tailored for a specific Timeline (Tawna, Dingodile, or Neo Cortex). 4. Completionist Crate Hunters: Don’t just check the main path. Examine every side path and corner to find some crates that might be hidden along the way . Consider playing with friends to have more eyes looking out for those pesky crates. 5. A N Sane Time. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time has masks, new mechanics, and more for a fun and crazy platforming experience. Get playing and discover expansive new worlds, unexpected allies, larger-than-life boss battles, and oh so much more! Get fresh new looks with Time-Shattering Skins first* on PlayStation Personalize your character to fit your style with wacky skins to match every occasion. Skins are unlocked by collecting gems, which can be earned by completing challenges within each level: destroying crates, collecting Wumpa fruit, and more. Plus, you can earn even more gems when you play N. Verted mode. Players can unlock time-shattering PlayStation skins for Crash and Coco the “Marsupus Erectus” and “Serious Upgrade” when they complete the second level. Join Crash and Coco and save the Multiverse! Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will be available October 2 at PlayStation Store. Get the game digitally and receive the Totally Tubular Skins (available upon completion of the second level), which put Crash and Coco into some digs that shows off their radical 90s roots. *2x “Marsupus Erectus” and 2x “Serious Upgrade” skins available on other platforms no earlier than December 31, 2021 View the full article

With The Pathless closer than ever to launch, I wanted to take some time to share some more about the game and announce some big news! I’m excited to announce that you will be able to play The Pathless on your new PlayStation 5 the minute you get your hands on it. That’s right, The Pathless will be available on November 12 as a PlayStation 5 launch title! You’ll be able to enjoy the game’s gorgeous open world and fast, fluid movement in 60 fps on PS5 while also feeling the force of every arrow shot with the DualSense controller’s haptic trigger effects. Of course, you’ll also be able to enjoy the game on your trusty PS4, launching the very same day as it does on PS5. The wait is almost over. We can’t wait to finally show you the world of The Pathless next month, so here’s a little glimpse of what’s in store. Here at Giant Squid, we’ve been busy the last few months putting the finishing touches on the world of The Pathless. Every corner of the huge open world is handcrafted to provide a truly rewarding exploratory experience. Players will want to leave no stone unturned, as every nook and cranny holds a secret, be it long-forgotten lore or an arcane puzzle to solve. With no map, we knew it would be important for every building, every landmark, every grove and vista to stand out and serve as a memorable spot to help you find your own path through this land shrouded in darkness. You may even meet some of those that walked these paths before you, and hear their last words echo from beyond. The world of The Pathless is brimming with mystery and atmosphere, and we’re looking forward to seeing where your journey takes you when we release November 12! View the full article

Starting October 2, it’s time to master the art of starfighter combat in an authentic piloting experience with Star Wars: Squadrons. These five tips and tricks will take you from rookie pilot to galactic ace at lightspeed! Play Video Hone your power management One of the most fundamental concepts that aspiring starfighter pilots must learn is power management. This system enables you to quickly divert power to your ship’s various systems on-the-fly, giving you the ability to enhance the lasers, engines, or shields. Depending on the starfighter, you will have two or three power systems: Engine Power, Primary Weapon Power, and on certain ships, Shield Power. Using the D-pad to transfer power between the systems, will give you greater speed or quicker recharge for your primary weapons or shields. Just keep in mind that as one system gains an advantage, the performance of the other systems will be reduced. The system with added power will also begin to overcharge, eventually unlocking unique abilities such as boosting and drifting, dramatically increased destructive force, and an extra layer of shields. Choose the right starfighter for the situation There are four classes of starfighters in Star Wars: Squadrons: fighters, interceptors, bombers, and support – and they all have different traits and specializations. In a match of Fleet Battles – Star Wars: Squadrons’ signature mode – you’ll want to pick the right starfighter for the right moment. The beginning of each match is focused on dogfighting between starfighters. An interceptor or fighter might be the most natural choice here. Bombers will come in handy when it’s time to assault the enemy capital ships, and support starfighters are useful in any moment to keep your team alive and stocked up. The composition of your team is equally important as your individual choice. For example, a group of five bombers might not be the most efficient for taking on a capital ship. Having interceptors to strafe turrets and defend your bombers from enemy starfighters, or support ships to provide repairs and extra ammo, will greatly improve your odds of success. Customize your component loadouts Starfighter components allow you to tailor your ship to your preferred playstyle. Components are unlocked with Requisition points, which are obtained by simply playing the game and leveling up. Make your A-wing perfect for stealth tactics with a Reflec Hull that prevents your enemies from targeting you at long distances and use the Targeting Jammer to remain hidden for the last stretch. The Plasburst Laser Cannon will shred your targets at close range. Or, give your TIE fighter anti-capital ship abilities by equipping it with a Burst Cannon to bully your way through defending enemy starfighters, and a combination of both Ion and Proton Torpedoes to apply damage to the capital ship’s shields and hull. Play the objective Fleet Battles is a multi-stage contest between the five pilots on each side of the New Republic and the Empire. Each stage poses different goals and objectives. At the start of the battle, your goal is to engage in dogfights at the center of the battlefield and eliminate the enemy starfighters. Winning the skirmish pushes the front line forward and opens the opportunity to assault the enemy capital ships. When the capital ships are down, you will get a shot at your ultimate mission: to destroy the enemy flagship. The first team to destroy the enemy flagship wins the match. Knowing how to tackle each objective is often the difference between triumph and bitter defeat. Fly in style If you’re an ace pilot you’ll want to show it off, right? In Star Wars: Squadrons, you can customize and personalize all of your starfighters, cockpits, and pilots with cosmetic items from all corners of the galaxy. Cosmetics include starfighter paint jobs, flightsuits, helmets, items for your cockpit interior like an Ewok bobble head (!), and much more – all earned solely through playing the game. Star Wars: Squadrons is an immersive and authentic piloting experience, and it’s one you can bring to the next level with PS VR. So put your “pilot helmet” on, buckle up, take off, and enjoy the entirety – yes, both single-player and multiplayer – of Star Wars: Squadrons in virtual reality. You can pre-order the game right up until its release on October 2nd – more at PlayStation.com. Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM 2020 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. View the full article

Alongside a mind-bending Campaign and the next generation of Multiplayer combat, Black Ops Cold War will include another signature mode that’s part of Black Ops core DNA: Zombies. This four-person co-op mode is set to take veterans and newcomers alike on a bold and terrifying journey that expands on an iconic part of the Call of Duty franchise. Long-time fans will likely find something familiar with this new chapter, but that’s for players to discover on their journey… What’s canon is canon, but… with Black Ops Cold War, Zombies is starting fresh with a new narrative and a – shall we say, new? – cast of characters. The mode includes new ways to progress, classic fan-favorite Perks, and an arsenal of Cold War weaponry that will help survivors dominate the legions of undead. Play Video The Story of Black Ops Cold War Zombies – Die Maschine With more than a nod to “Nacht der Untoten” – the map that started it all – “Die Maschine” takes place in the early ‘80s, but its roots reach back even further into the past. As part of Requiem, a CIA-backed international response team led by Grigori Weaver from the original Black Ops story, operatives explore a World War II bunker that hasn’t only been ravaged by time… While fighting to suppress the unnatural phenomena at this graffiti-skinned, boarded-up bunker, Requiem team members investigate what lies beneath this structure that’s been left to crumble after decades of disservice. Should they succeed, Requiem may uncover a cache of decades-old secrets that upend the global order. At the same time, a Soviet-led division and rival to Requiem, the Omega Group, enters the fray. The Omega Group also has a keen interest in studying and harnessing the unexplained events and anomalies manifesting around the globe. Between Requiem and Omega Group, there are plenty of characters who may aid or hinder your journey, while others have separate, unknown agendas that will be up to players to discover. Among this cast, there is one particular contact – Sam – who seems eager to share intel discovered from deep within the KGB. Bolstered by various pieces of intel that players can track in-game, this incredible Zombies story will start to unfold in mysterious and unexpected ways… A Connected, Thrilling Experience Across Modes Whether you’re a long-time Zombies veteran who also plays Multiplayer, or a first-time Call of Duty player completely new to Zombies, expect to drop into the fun faster than ever before with friends and the greater community. Here are just some of the updates to Zombies in Black Ops Cold War: Battle Pass Progression and Loadouts Players will now advance through the Battle Pass with time played in Zombies, similar to Multiplayer and Call of Duty: Warzone. Requiem team members can also start the match with their Gunsmith-crafted weapon of choice via loadout support. Weapon Rarity In addition to the return of the Pack-a-Punch machine to transform your weapon, all weapons will now have a rarity associated with them. The higher the rarity, the greater the damage output and attachments for the weapon. For the first time, this will allow any weapon in the game to be sustainable in later rounds. This also adds more variety and fun to finding new weapons through Wall Buys and the Mystery Box. Field Upgrades Outside of weaponry, players can deploy Field Upgrades as proactive abilities that add another layer to squad-based tactics. Charge them up by killing zombies, then deploy them in times of desperate need. From offensive buffs to abilities that aid in evasion or healing and reviving, these Field Upgrades are made to fit numerous playstyles and situations. Equipment Around the map, you can craft and find lethal, tactical, and support equipment. Lethal and tactical equipment are similar to the equipment found in Multiplayer, like Frag Grenades, while support equipment is home to high-powered offensive weaponry. This slot could be where you deploy Grenade Launchers, Sentry Turrets, Explosive Bows and even Chopper Gunners – all tools that can deliver a massive power spike when your squad needs it most. Perks Classic Zombies Perks are back with a reimagined Cold War aesthetic, including the return of timeless favorites like Juggernog and Speed Cola. There’s no longer a limit to how many different Perks you can consume, so go ahead and crack open a six-pack, if you have the points to do so. Exfil Instead of perishing to the horde, Black Ops Cold War Zombies provides a new option to escape with your life when you’re feeling overrun… if you dare. If the whole squad is in trouble, you can opt to exfiltrate the undead combat zone via helicopter. Although zombie spawns will be dialed up to 11, you should expect to earn some rewards if your squad completes this final push to survive. Pre-Order Now on Digital Zombies is just one part of the full Black Ops Cold War experience, which is scheduled to launch November 13. Experience this next generation of global combat early through the game’s Multiplayer Open Beta. Weekend 1 – PlayStation Exclusive Oct. 8-9: PS4 Early Access Oct. 10-12: PS4 Open Beta Weekend 2 – PS4 Open Beta Oct. 15-19: PS4 Open Beta Visit PlayStation.com to digitally pre-order now and secure early access to the Open Beta**, first on PS4 and instant rewards like the Woods Operator Pack* for immediate use in Modern Warfare and Warzone. Execute the mission. *Call of Duty: Modern Warfare / Call of Duty: Warzone on pre-order platform required to redeem Woods Operator and Blueprint. Sold/downloaded separately. Must be redeemed by Nov. 13, 2021. ** Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of Beta subject to change. Limited time only. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Internet connection required. PlayStation®Plus subscription may be required. View the full article

We were so excited to announce that a voucher code for Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered will be included* with the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales: Ultimate Edition on the PlayStation 5 console. This is a full next-gen remastering of Marvel’s Spider-Man – the team has been carefully crafting the definitive version of the game with new assets, technology, and updates. We’re taking advantage of next-generation technologies that the PlayStation 5 console introduces, as well as bringing some additional features to the game, including three new suits. Let’s talk about graphical updates. The team has done the painstaking work of updating the city’s environment to take advantage of the new console. Beyond improved models and materials, one of the biggest things we have brought to the game is ray-traced reflections and ambient shadows. We now have true reflections on the windows of buildings, and it looks stunning with our new skies and weather. But it’s not just the environments; our characters have also gotten a huge upgrade. From higher fidelity skin, eye, and teeth shaders to individually-rendered strands of hair, the new tech and detail brings our characters and their performances to new life. This does bring us to one of the bigger changes. In order to bring the best performances to players with our next-generation Marvel’s Spider-Man games, we have recast the face of Peter Parker. We loved working with John Bubniak on the original game; however, to get a better match to Peter Parker/Spider-Man actor Yuri Lowenthal’s facial capture, we have cast Ben Jordan to be the face model for Peter Parker on the PS5 console. He looks incredible in-game, and Yuri’s moving performances take on a new life. Here’s a clip of one of our most powerful scenes from the first game, when Peter arrives to work to find his boss and mentor, Otto Octavius, working on the arms that will come to define him. Play Video Additionally, thanks to the power of the PS5 console, we’re now able to offer a high frame rate through Performance Mode, which targets a 60fps frame rate! This allows you to experience the beginning of the Marvel’s Spider-Man storyline like never before. It feels amazing to play. Here’s a quick clip. Play Video That’s not all! We take full-advantage of other next-generation PlayStation features like near-instant loading (don’t worry, you can turn back on those humorous fast-travel animations if you miss them), Spatial 3D Audio on compatible headphones, and the revolutionary DualSense controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. We’ve also brought new photo mode features to the game that we developed for Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales: you can now place lights in the environment and change your Spider-Suit after you’ve lined up your shot! Oh, speaking of Spider Suits… here you go: That’s right, The Amazing Suit has arrived as one of three new suits in the game. It’s the perfect suit to wear as you attempt to earn the Platinum trophy in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered. We hope this helps explain why we’re so excited for Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered. Now, how do you get access to Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered? As mentioned above, it’s available as part of the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition. Read on below for more options. Here are your various options for purchasing Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, as well as the pre-order bonuses we are offering. What’s in the package: The Standard Edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be available physically and digitally on the PS4 console and the PS5 console. It retails for $49.99/€59.99 MSRP. You can pre-order digitally here. The PS4 version of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales offers a free upgrade path to PS5 Standard Edition. And if you purchase or upgrade to the PS5 Standard Edition, you can take advantage of a paid-upgrade offer from the in-game menu to download Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered**. In addition, on the PS5 console we have the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition which includes a voucher code* to download Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered. It retails for $69.99/€79.99 MSRP and you can pre-order it digitally here. In the US and Canada only, we have additional “launch” physical editions of the game for both Standard Launch Edition and Ultimate Launch Edition (Launch Edition includes a voucher*)! These copies are available in limited quantities only so don’t delay. The launch edition includes a voucher for early unlocks of two suits, including the T.R.A.C.K. Suit by Marvel Artist Javiar Garrón, and a suit we’ll reveal closer to launch. You’ll also receive an early unlock of the Gravity Well Gadget, and three Skill Points to get a jump start on your progression. For those buying digitally, or outside of the US/Canada, you also can receive those same early unlocks by ordering now. We’re very excited to offer a great pre-order bonus when you pre-order the game from a participating retailer or from PlayStation Store. That includes both suits, the Gravity Well gadget and three Skill Points. We can’t wait to see the photo mode shots the community creates! And we are so excited for you to experience the continuation of the Marvel’s Spider-Man storyline when Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales launches GLOBALLY on November 12, 2020. You’ll be able to download Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered at the PlayStation 5 console launch when you purchase the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition physically or digitally for $69.99/ €79.99 MSRP. We can’t wait to see the photo mode shots the community creates! *Account for PlayStation Network, and internet connection required for code redemption. Code expires 01/01/24. **Owners of the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales PS4 game disc can access this offer by inserting the disc into their PS5 console. PS4 game disc owners who buy the PS5 Digital Edition disc-free console will not be able to access this offer. View the full article

Use four wheels and racing skills to outsmart opponents and stay alive in a city out to stop you and challenge yourself to stalk the fine line between supernatural vigilante and unholy monster with this month’s PS Plus games. With both Need for Speed: Payback and Vampyr launching October 6, you won’t have long until you can turn speed demon or sink your teeth into a thrilling action horror. Let’s take a closer look at what to expect next month. Need for Speed: Payback Play Video Survive thrilling heist missions, partake in metal-crunching car battles, perform dazzling setpieces and more in this four-wheeled action blockbuster. Set in the fictional, corrupt gambler’s paradise of Fortune Valley, choose from three different characters – each with their own unique skills – customise your rides and take on an open world’s worth of events as you seek revenge on those who wronged you. Vampyr Play Video Life is Strange developer Dontnod Entertainment challenges you to embrace the darkness with this 1918-set, third-person action RPG with deep narrative choices. Play a doctor turned vampire ghosting through a London gripped by violence and fear. Use your supernatural abilities, as well as man-made tools and weapons to fight or flee the forces of evil and vampire hunters. Save the city’s populace or feed on them to become stronger, but giving in to your bloodlust can have grave consequences… Both games are available from Tuesday October 6 until Monday, November 2. Last chance to pick up September’s PS Plus games A new wave of titles means we have to wave goodbye to last month’s. So make sure not to miss out on adding Street Fighter V and PUBG: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds to your PS4 library before both exit PS Plus on October 5. View the full article