Commander Fury

Last week, we asked you to talk the talk and share conversational moments in your favorite games using #PS4share and #PSBlog. After sifting through all the chatty captures, here’s this week’s highlights: Geralt and Yennifer have a heart to heart in this moment from The Witcher 3 shared by JamesACL. Aloy chats with fellow Nora tribe member Sona in this Horizon Zero Dawn share by Longleglens. MinNay_99 shared this conversation from Red Dead Redemption 2. Max and Chloe spend hours talking in Chloe’s room during Life is Strange, as shared by NVirxz. Bruce has the tech for long distance conversations, like in this share from Batman: Arkham Knight shared by PinheiroRener. Markus as a conversation with a fellow android in Detroit: Become Human, as shared by Sefwick. 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: The Last of Us Part II Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, June 24 Next week, endure and survive. Share your favorite moments from The Last of Us Part II using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Revisit a classic in Star Wars Episode I: Racer, launching Tuesday on PS4. The definitive version of the Podracing hit features a new, DualShock 4-optimized control scheme, higher resolution FMVs, and Trophies (yes, including a Platinum). Read on for the rest of next week’s new releases — enjoy! Assetto Corsa Competizione — PS4 — Out June 23 Bounty Battle — PS4 — Out June 25 (EU only) Coaster — PS4 — Out June 22 (Americas only) Conan Chop Chop — PS4 — Out June 23 (EU only) Covert — PS4 — Out June 23 (EU only) Firefighters: Airport Heroes — PS4 — Out June 24 (Americas only) Hunting Simulator 2 — PS4 — Out June 25 (EU only) Jump, Step, Step — PS4 — Out June 22 (EU only) Indiecalypse — PS4 — Out June 26 (Americas only) Little Town Hero — PS4 — Out June 23 (Americas only) Mad Runner — PS4 — Out June 23 (Americas only) Octonaut — PS4 — Out June 23 (Americas), June 24 (EU) Pancake House — PS4 — Out June 23 (EU only) Pawarumi — PS4 — Out June 24 (EU only) Party Pumper — PS4 — Out June 25 (EU only) Pushy and Pully in Blockland — PS4 — Out June 24 (Americas), June 26 (EU) Rugby Challenge 4 — PS4 — Out June 24 (EU only) SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated — PS4 — Out June 23 (EU only) Star Wars Episode I: Racer — PS4 — Out June 23 Super Toy Cars 2 — PS4 — Out June 26 A Summer With the Shiba Inu — PS4 — Out June 24 Tower of Time — PS4 — Out June 23 (Americas), June 24 (EU) Ultracore — PS4 — Out June 23 (Americas), June 26 (EU) Pardon our dust! In the coming months, you may notice the occasional discrepancy in this post as we’re updating the back-end systems we pull game info from to populate our list. Game release dates should be correct at time of publication but we will strive to correct any mistakes as they arise. Thanks for your patience! View the full article

These words have been years in the making: The Last of Us Part II is out now! When we set out to make this game, we knew it would be risky. We’re fortunate that so many of you loved The Last of Us and that it left a lasting impression. These characters and their stories mean so much to us, as we know they do to so many of you. Which is why we didn’t take lightly the task of returning to their world for another story. In fact, we debated this for a while whether we should, but the problem was that we had landed on a story concept that inspired us. It felt thrilling and intrinsic to the world of The Last of Us, but more importantly, it felt like a story that needed to be told. On the surface, it may seem like a simple “revenge story,” but as you dive into the game, its deeper themes will emerge. This is a story of obsession and the lengths we will go to for justice and the ones we love — when is it time to let go? And when should you hold on at any cost? This is a story of trauma, redemption, and empathy. Seven years ago, we set out to create a video game that would explore these challenging themes. Since then, hundreds of talented developers have dedicated their passion to bring this vision to life. We crafted a character driven story, focusing on flawed individuals and the difficult choices that they make. As you experience it with them, we hope you’ll laugh, cry, and even feel their struggle through heavy moments that are designed to be emotionally challenging. Most of all, we hope this game inspires in you the kind of philosophical debates we had while making it. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, thank you for being a part of this journey. Until next time, endure and survive! -Neil View the full article

Star Wars: Squadrons just had its big reveal, and we’re thrilled to finally show you and talk about this immersive Star Wars piloting experience, coming October 2 on PlayStation 4. Star Wars: Squadrons puts you in the middle of intense 5v5 multiplayer space dogfights, monumental fleet battles, a unique single-player story set after the events of Return of the Jedi, and in the cockpits of iconic Star Wars starfighters. The pilot’s perspective As your journey begins to become one of the galaxy’s finest ace pilots, the game’s first-person perspective puts you right in the cockpit and close to the action. The instruments in front of you provide vital intel about your starfighter and the surroundings, such as power management, targeting, and shields. By default, you’ll have additional HUD elements to guide you in combat. But for the bravest pilots who are looking for a challenge, there’s an option to fly only using the in-cockpit dashboard! If you want to take the pilot immersion one step further, there’s the option to play the whole game – yes, both single-player and multiplayer – in Virtual Reality (VR) with your PlayStation VR. Immerse yourself in the pilot’s seat completely and feel the connection to your starfighter with just a thin hull of metal and glass between you and the perils of space. Step into the cockpits of starfighters from both the New Republic and Imperial fleets and fight in strategic 5v5 space battles. Four legendary starfighter classes Star Wars: Squadron’s eight starfighters are divided into four classes. The Fighter class is the most flexible and a great choice for rookies and aces alike. The X-wing – the workhorse of the New Republic – is sorted into this class, packing a good balance of firepower, durability, and maneuverability into its distinctive frame. The Empire’s TIE fighter is more agile than its New Republic counterpart, and also versatile enough to serve in multiple roles. Imperial starfighters from top-to-bottom, left-to-right: TIE reaper, TIE surface assault bomber, TIE interceptor, and TIE fighter. The Bomber class includes the heavy hitters, capable of dealing massive damage to flagships and starfighters. Conversely, they are slower and less responsive than other classes. The New Republic’s variant, the Y-wing, shines during assaults on capital ships, where its toughened hull and devastating loadout can be deciding factors. The Imperial equivalent, the TIE surface assault bomber, is similarly designed for bombing runs, and can weather a storm of turbolaser fire to lay down a swath of destruction on escorts and flagships alike. The Interceptor class includes the fast and highly maneuverable A-wing and TIE interceptor, both built for dogfighting. The A-wing is fragile, but its speed and maneuverability allow it to fly circles around its opponents. The TIE interceptor is an equally excellent choice on the Imperial side for taking out enemy starfighters, and for strafing turrets and subsystems on capital ships. New Republic starfighters from top-to-bottom, left-to-right: U-wing, Y-wing, A-wing, and X-wing. Both part of the Support class, the U-wing and TIE reaper keep their allies safe and stocked up. The surprisingly agile New Republic U-wing supports the squadron with life-saving supplies and repairs. It can also disrupt enemy systems, making them easy targets for allies. One of the few Imperial starfighters equipped with deflector shields, the TIE reaper trades some firepower for similar squadron force-multiplying abilities. Assemble your squadron and prepare for battle! Choose and modify your starfighter to suit your playstyle. Adjust the composition of your squadron for the objective. Plan ahead in the briefing room before taking off to space battles across the galaxy. You’ll need to complement each other and work as a team to triumph in battle. Together, you’re the galaxy’s finest! Plan skirmishes with your squadron in the briefing room before taking off to space battles across the galaxy. Star Wars: Squadrons arrives on PlayStation 4 this October 2. View the full article

Have you ever thought that MC Escher’s art should include more rainbow roads? The team behind Destiny 2’s new Prophecy dungeon thinks so. For some creators, there’s an alchemy in video games that draws them to work in this space. There are unique experiences that can only live in this interactive medium. Within the universe of Destiny, some of those experiences look like Scourge of the Past or the Leviathan. Behind each of those projects are hundreds of people in the pursuit of something unexpected – something new. Two of the people involved in those raids are Brendan Thorne and Andrew Hopps. Over the last seven years, they’ve worked together on more than 10 raids and dungeons that have pushed the boundaries of what an action MMO like Destiny 2 can do. The latest project they worked on went live a week ago with the launch of Season of Arrivals and takes players into a pocket universe created by the mysterious entities known only as the Nine. Welcome to Prophecy. The rules that govern this pocket universe allowed the team at Bungie to experiment with a bunch of exciting mechanics and ideas that players have never seen before. To call this dungeon unique would be an understatement. We had a chance to sit down and talk to Brendan and Andrew about the new dungeon and how it fits into Season of Arrivals – the latest chapter in Destiny 2’s evolving story about the last of humanity raging against the dying of the Light. It’s nice to meet you both. Can you give us an idea of who you are and what you’ve contributed to at Bungie? Andrew Hopps: I’m the world lead on the Raid team. I’ve been at Bungie for almost eight and a half years. I started out on the Cosmodrome, but eventually worked on the Dreadnaught which naturally led to working on the King’s Fall Raid – I never left the Raid team after that. Brendan Thorne: I’m a senior designer on the Raid team and I’ve been at Bungie since a year before launch – so almost seven years. I think Crota’s End was the first thing Andrew and I worked on together. No wait, it was Vault of Glass. Wait no, King’s Fall was the first thing we started. Sorry. Welcome to quarantine day 3000 — everything is starting to blend together. Speaking of quarantine, what’s it been like working from home? Andrew: Efficiency feels really good, playtesting is definitely the most challenging. Brendan: It helps because the whole team already knows each other and we understand each other’s personalities. That’s good to hear. Can you give us an idea of how Prophecy began? It’s such a different take on a Destiny dungeon. Andrew: It started with us aligning with the Creative Leadership team to figure out where this dungeon was going to take us. We were really excited about going to talk to the Nine. The Nine’s realm is a really cool place that we haven’t explored a lot. We have The Reckoning and some PvP maps but that’s about it. Some wild stuff came out of the prototypes and it worked really well with the Nine theme. After that, we went to Robbie Stevens (creative lead) and Tom Farnsworth (design lead) and started talking to them about how to integrate it into their plans for the Season. How did those conversations go? Can you talk about how the dungeon fits into that larger Season of Arrivals and Beyond Light story? Brendan: We know the Darkness is coming back and we finally get to explore the question, “what exactly is the Darkness?” This is something that’s still shrouded in mystery. So, when Eris and the Drifter send you to the Nine for answers – as wild as that sounds – it’s a smart trail for Guardians to follow. Andrew: It’s intentionally vague because we didn’t want to spoil the mystery. We put clues into the dungeon knowing that players will theorize over the meaning. Later on, we’ll be able to help them understand. Brendan: I hope players are going to look at this dungeon and realize that Bungie has been telegraphing this for a while. Like those major events with cataclysmic ramifications that reverberate throughout the universe and change everything. It’s surprising in the moment but when you look at it in reverse you can see exactly how it came to be. Did working with the theme of the Nine give you an opportunity to do anything you wanted or was it constraining because of how mysterious they are? Brendan: I think it was an opportunity. We wanted this to be extraordinarily different from the previous two dungeons, Shattered Throne and Pit of Heresy. Those have a distinctly old school dungeon crawler feel to them – with descents through all these forbidden places. Generally, when we start with a project, we talk about what the themes are. I think for this one it was “new perspectives,” right? Andrew: Yeah. That came about after some prototyping. Once we started experimenting, we knew we wanted to go off the deep end with the abstract look. The Nine are all about that. Brendan: We try to pick a really understandable set of thematic experiences and verbs – in the last one, it was “use a sword in different ways to defeat enemies.” In Prophecy, the thematic experience is “use Darkness and Light as a tool.” Andrew: That fit really well into the “new perspectives” theme as well. When we started talking about how the Darkness is coming, it all tied together. Brendan: Other than going into a dark tunnel and your Ghost turns on its light, I don’t think we’ve ever used light as a game mechanic. Like actual volumetric lights. Andrew: Right. I don’t think so either. Brendan: I can’t wait for people to see what Madison Parker (senior lighting artist) did – it’s like a dungeon in a really awesome modern age art gallery designed by MC Escher. Did you run into any snags or interesting challenges? Brendan: There are challenges with playtesting that come about when working from home. Andrew: Something that helps is having experts in the studio to help test. We started calling them the Kraft Singles because they’re individual players from Team Velveeta – internal expert players that try to find cheese. They’re some of the best players in the studio and they helped test the dungeon so we could better tune the difficulty. Brendan: Even if players end up finding cheese, sometimes that stuff is so cool. We want people to use the dungeon like a playground. I’m expecting a lot of YouTube videos and GIFs. Andrew: Someone is going to sword-fly across this whole thing and we’ll think it’s really cool. It really sounds like the kind of dungeon that people are going to want to play over and over again because of how unusual it is. Andrew: There are plenty of reasons to play the dungeon more than once a week, so I’m pretty happy how that went. Brendan: Yeah, I am too. One thing that’s going to suck about working from home is that we’re not going to be able to be in the Bungie theater watching players run through the dungeon and experience it for the first time. Because there’s some really cool stuff in this dungeon – not just mechanically. It’s so visually breathtaking and disorienting that I can’t wait for people to see it. I’m going to have like ten Twitch streams up on the first day. The Prophecy dungeon went live on June 9 and is free for all players. Hop in today to earn the dungeon-exclusive Daito armor. View the full article

We are excited for the launch of The Last of Us Part II, and to get ready for the game’s upcoming launch on June 19, we are thrilled to reveal a range of apparel, drinkware, collectibles, custom-made and limited-edition guitars, and even cosplaying rubber ducks. Let’s take a look at the items available now and for pre-order on PlayStation Gear Store. To kick things off, we’re proud to reveal a special partnership with the legendary guitar makers at Taylor Guitars. Any fan who’s been following the game will know that music is core to The Last of Us Part II, so the developers at Naughty Dog teamed up with Taylor to produce a limited edition one-to-one recreation of Ellie’s guitar, as well as a limited edition GS Mini Guitar. Designed and developed in collaboration with the development team, The Last of Us Part II Replica Taylor 314ce is the ultimate collector’s item and features a beautiful rich tobacco sunburst top and a custom moth fretboard inlay. Pre-order starts June 18 @ 8 AM PT – July 31 @ 11:59 PM PT Price: USD $2,299* Ships August 2020 to US, Canada, and Mexico The limited-edition The Last of Us Part II GS Mini guitar features Ellie’s distinctive tattoo in a beautiful black finish and The Last of Us Part II logo displayed on the headstock. The GS Mini style is one of Taylor’s most popular guitar series. Players love its comfortably compact size and its vibrant tone with impressive volume and projection. Pre-order starts June 18 @ 8 AM PT – July 31 @ 11:59 PM PT Price: USD $699* Ships August 2020 to US, Canada, and Mexico Ellie’s journey in The Last of Us Part II begins in Jackson, Wyoming and we wanted to pay tribute to this beautiful locale with our first-ever outerwear workman’s jacket. Dress the part playing The Last of Us Part II as you patrol the surrounding areas as Ellie in this rugged, sherpa lined jacket. The front features a beautiful embroidery of Ellie’s distinct tattoo and The Last of Us Part II logo stitched on the back. Pre-order starts June 18 @ 8 AM PT Price: USD $149.95* Ships July 2020 to US, Canada, and other select countries** Next, we have a brand new t-shirt available in a deep rich indigo blue. The artwork featured is inspired by The Last of Us logo itself with silk screen textures aged and worn by the treacherous world of the game. Available to order now Price: USD $22.95* Ships to US, Canada, and other select countries** As you travel with Ellie to what remains of Seattle, you might notice the Ruston Coffee chain along the way. To celebrate the game’s launch, we wanted to bring this part of the game to life with a pair of Ruston Coffee mugs— a 16.9 oz stainless steel, insulated travel mug and a 12oz cork-based ceramic mug featuring the subtle blue of the Ruston Coffee Logo. PlayStation Gear—The Last of Us Part II Ruston Camper Mug Pre-order starts June 18 @ 8 AM PTPrice: USD $24.95*Ships July 2020 to US, Canada, and other select countries** PlayStation Gear— The Last of Part II Ruston Cork Mug Available to order now Price: USD $14.95*Ships to US, Canada, and other select countries** Nothing like sitting down with a cup of coffee and taking the time to jot down your thoughts. Do so with this faux leather journal with “The Last of Us Part II” debossed on the cover. Then, keep everything together in this The Last of Us Part II 2-in-1 backpack that is eco-friendly made with 100% recycled material, and includes a front pocket that converts into a bumbag. Pre-order starts June 18 @ 8 AM PT Price: Faux Leather Journal USD $19.95*; The Last of Us Part II 2-in-1 backpack USD $54.95* Ships July 2020 to US, Canada, and other select countries** Additionally, here are some other great apparel, collectibles, and accessories from other authorized online retailers (shipping regions may vary): The wait is over — The Last of Us x Funko has finally arrived. We’ve heard your calls and we’re excited to finally share the Ellie Funko Pop! Vinyl figure from The Last of Us Part II— the perfect addition to your Funko collection. Pre-order starts June 18 @ 8AM PT Price: USD $11.99*, CA$14.99*, AU$ 20*, NZ$ 25* Ships July 2020 to US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand We love the chibi style of Good Smile Company’s Nendoroid line, so we couldn’t wait to have Ellie from The Last of Us Part II join their iconic collection. This figure comes equipped with two unique faceplates and Ellie’s trusty weapons from the game. Pre-order starts June 18 @ 8 AM PT – August 19 @ 7 AM PT Price: USD $53.99* Shipping Worldwide December 2020 Insert Coin— Ellie: Winter Hoodie Available to order now Price: USD$51*, £44.99* Ships to US, Canada, Europe (excluding Russia), Australia, New Zealand Insert Coin— Ellie: Seattle inspired button up Pre-order starts June 18 @ 8AM PT Price: USD$57*, £49.99* Ships August 2020 to US, Canada, Europe (excluding Russia), Australia, New Zealand Last but not least, we cannot forget about our roots and some of the characters that started it all. Check out The Last of Us Tubbz Cosplay Ducks Collection featuring characters from the first game. Each character sold separately Available to order now Price: USD $12.99*, CAN $16.99*, £12.99* Ships to US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand We hope you enjoy the product lineup for The Last of Us Part II, and we can’t wait for the game to launch on June 19! *Plus applicable tax and shipping. **Other select countries include Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay. View the full article

Hi! I’m Brian Horton, Creative Director at Insomniac Games. Last week, we were so thrilled to introduce you to the beginning of your Marvel’s Spider-Man journey on PlayStation 5 – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. This standalone game lets players experience the rise of Miles Morales as he discovers new powers that set him apart from his mentor, Peter Parker. The reaction we received last week was nothing short of incredible. But we wanted to take a little bit of extra time to talk about the game and the trailer you saw and point out some things you might’ve missed. Take a look above. At Insomniac Games, we’ve loved the character of Miles Morales for a long time. It started years ago, when Bryan Intihar (Creative Director, Marvel’s Spider-Man), suggested that we should have Miles Morales be a part of the same universe as Peter Parker. We sneakily introduced him at the end of our E3 2017 demo, surprising the audience when they thought the PlayStation Briefing was over. As we continued with the Marvel’s Spider-Man universe, we knew that Miles’s origin story as a Spider-Man was something that needed its own game. Miles’s multicultural background reflects a more modern, diverse world and we wanted to give players a new story, with new set-pieces, fresh villains, and unique quests across Marvel’s New York City. This had to be a can’t-miss next adventure in the Marvel’s Spider-Man universe. Let’s set the scene for the game a little more. It’s now wintertime, about a year after the events of the first game. Marvel’s New York is covered in snow, and just before Christmas break, a war between an energy corporation and a high-tech criminal army has broken out. Miles’s new home in Harlem is at the heart of the battle. We know a lot of you want to know how big this game is. Our team at Insomniac has been working incredibly hard to bring you a fantastic Miles Morales adventure since we concluded development on Marvel’s Spider-Man. You’ll experience a full story arc with Miles, one that’s more akin to a game like Uncharted: The Lost Legacy in terms of overall scope. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is an important, heartfelt, emotional and essential experience to expanding the Marvel’s Spider-Man universe. And we hope it will be for you as well. We are also excited for the game to demonstrate the power of PlayStation 5 this holiday. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will show off near-instant loading, ray-tracing, 3D audio and the DualSense controller. We’ve upgraded our characters with 4D scans and improved skin shading for more realistic looking characters and spline-based hair that moves far more naturally. Many of the city’s assets have also been updated to take advantage of the new console. As you experience Miles’s story, you’ll see, hear, and feel things in a whole new way, all thanks to PS5. It’s been amazing to be creative director on Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, working with such an incredible team. I joined Insomniac near the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man, and being able to collaborate with our team and Marvel to create a new story and experience all around Miles Morales has been a career highlight. It’s been great to also work with Bryan Intihar, who directed the first game, as he continues to imagine big things for the Marvel’s Spider-Man universe. Oh and one last thing: Many of you fans have wondered if Peter Parker is OK. Don’t worry, we still have much of Peter’s story left to tell. But this game is all about Miles, a critical part of our Spider-Man universe, and you won’t want to miss what happens. Thank you so much for the incredible reaction to our game last week, and for all of the kind words on social media. We’re so looking forward to getting to spend more time with you in the coming months to reveal more of the game we’ve all been working on. We can’t wait to see you swinging through a wintery Marvel’s New York City this holiday. For all the latest, be sure to follow Insomniac Games on Instagram and Twitter. View the full article

Back in November, we launched Yaga, a game born out of our love for roleplaying games and Slavic folktales. We were thrilled to see players praising its art, characters, storytelling and music and saying things like “it feels as if I’m playing a folktale” or “Yaga will immerse you in an engaging world of Slavic folklore.” This meant we managed to fulfill our core goal of making players feel like heroes in a slavic folktale. But we also got strong and passionate feedback about some of our gameplay systems, so we realized we might have missed the mark for our gameplay goals. Plans change We always knew we have more stories to tell in Yaga’s world, but fixing the frustrating bits had to come first. We watched lots of Let’s Play videos, talked with the players, read all the emails and we built a list of things we could add or change in the game. Most of the systems we wanted to improve were strongly interconnected, so instead of just making small patches over time, we made plans for a big “better gameplay” update to deliver as soon as we possibly could. Choosing what to work on The guiding questions that we used to decide what to include in the game were: Will this actually help decrease player frustration? Will this hurt players who are happy with how things are? Can we add this feature without needing expensive resources? Will this feature take away from the game’s atmosphere? With those in mind, let’s look at some of the things we changed. The Bad Luck System The Bad Luck System was designed to put players in Ivan’s shoes, who is cursed with Bad Luck from the start of the game. In hindsight, we probably recreated that experience a bit too well… To solve this, we put more control over when and how Bad Luck strikes in the hands of the players. You can now pay witches to clear it for you, you can stay longer in the Bad Luck state to take advantage of it, you can raise it intentionally using magic items, and when you decide to embrace it and let your weapons break, you’ll be rewarded with a short period of Good Luck and bonuses. Crafting, Breakable Weapons and Runes Closely related to Bad Luck was the system that broke weapons. Since Ivan’s defining trait is his bad luck, having his weapons break was always an important part of the game. But players were frustrated to randomly lose a weapon they crafted with great effort. The game now allows you to repair weapons before they break. If you embrace the Bad Luck System, rest assured that all enhancements are now recovered when the weapon breaks, giving you the freedom to make new combinations and new weapons. We also changed how Runes work. Runes are now activated when a weapon breaks and they invoke the powers of gods and magical entities. Coupled with a bunch of new magic items, talismans and enhancements, the freedom of expression is now much bigger. In no time, you’ll want to break your own weapons and unleash their powers, laughing in the face of Bad Luck! Uninspired Combat The combat system took a beating coming from players. We wanted each tool and item to have something special that gave players more options to express themselves, each creature to have something unique about how they interact with the player and each perk to feel useful to some players. Tools got new abilities, improved effects, and dedicated upgrade perks. Enemies got new weaknesses and abilities, some of them got shields, and others learned to work together against the player. All of them with a single purpose in mind: provide an exciting and fair challenge to the hero coming to smash them to pieces. The Small Things Besides the three big pillars above, we focused on lots of quality of life additions to the game. Here are some of them: “Ivan moves too slow!” — we added fast travel via flying ovens and Ivan can now Sprint “Exploration is boring” — we added secret treasure caves and dead-end treasures “The game is too easy” — we added Hardcore mode with permadeath “The game is too hard” — we added Story Mode, for a more casual experience “Shame on you! Romanian developers, but no Romanian translation!” — we added Romanian translation “I keep getting lost!” — we added trails of breadcrumbs to guide you on your way “The mini-map it too small” — we added a larger mini-map “This swamp is ugly and slow” — we remade the whole art for the swamp region “I wish I could skip the tutorial” — Wish granted! What’s next for Yaga? This version of Yaga is definitely the best version of Yaga we’ve made so far, and whether this is your first time playing Yaga, or you’re returning to learn what’s new, we hope you enjoy playing! We are now busy making even more content for the game, and we will soon be able to share more with you the story of a peaceful village invaded by rabid creatures, a money-hungry arsonist, and a very clever but trickster fox! View the full article

Following the activation of Midas’ device at The Agency, did he successfully push back the Storm for good? No! As you dive into Chapter 2 — Season 3 of Fortnite, you’ll immediately notice the major changes wrought by the Storm’s vengeful flood. Play Video As the flood envelops the Island, you’ll see environmental changes to popular landing spots as well as all-new ways that life on the Island is staying afloat. Just don’t expect to be a lonely castaway: in addition to your teammates and opponents, the Island is now populated by Marauders and item-hungry sharks. Along with a new Season, the latest Battle Pass has come ashore, bringing new Outfits, Pickaxes, Emotes, and more. And with this Season’s flood, Aquaman will soon arrive with new Challenges to take on. As the water level recedes over time, you’ll see even more changes to the Island. Not only will new locations be uncovered, but so will new ways to get around. Stay tuned for more details down the road! View the full article

Port Royale 4, the latest entry in our trading simulation series, is coming to PS4 on September 25. We’re putting in a huge amount of work to make the Caribbean setting as beautiful as possible, so we thought we’d give you a behind-the-scenes look at how the key art has progressed from initial concepts to the finished visual. The key art is the most important graphic for representing a game and will be used for online stores, cover art, social media and more. For many it’ll be their first impression of the game, so we have to get it right. As you can see, the final piece features two sailing ships locked in a ferocious sea battle – pretty straightforward and obvious for a game like Port Royale 4, right? Well, maybe not. Getting to this point was a detailed process with some important questions: 1) Should we show a character, or a ship? Whenever you start a new game in Port Royale 4, you will choose a character to suit your play style. There are two male and two female characters that each represent different ways of playing — so we thought it might make sense to use these characters for the cover design as well, as characters are more approachable and have more of a personal connection than ships. If you look at the illustrations below, you can see how the characters evolved from rough sketches to coloured drawings and finally to full concept art: While I love the character work, the alternative to this would be to show a ship, which is a more crucial and prevalent gameplay element that potentially gives a better impression of the setting and era of the game. 2) Should we show a quiet scene, or lots of action? Port Royale 4 is by nature a pretty chill game where you spend a lot of your time buying and selling goods or planning trade routes, which led to this concept art: However, sea battles are a core part of the gameplay too. Maybe your nation is at war with a rival, or you’re hunting for pirates – or er, maybe you have raised the black flag yourself. And since the key art represents the game at all points of sale – be it as a banner at PlayStation Store, or on the physical cover itself in stores, we decided that a graphic with a more action-packed scene might be more fitting. 3) What kind of colour scheme and lighting should we use? Alongside the bright skies, crystal clear blue water and lush green islands of the concept above, we also wanted to see if scenes at dusk could work, with their warmer colours and gradients. It’s amazing what difference a variation in colour can have on the feel and mood of an otherwise (mostly) identical motif: Fun fact! All the sketches and concepts of the characters I’ve shown you are in the final game, and even the ships are exactly the same as the 3D models you’ll be using when the game hits shelves in September. So we haven’t shown anything in the key art that you can’t also find in-game. For the final key art, we decided to use two ships locked in a naval battle at dusk. If you take another look at the concept art above, you’ll see that none of them exactly matches this final result. Instead, we took the idea of having the two ships from concepts 1 and 2 but had them facing different directions. We then went with the colour scheme of concept 5. By showing two ships, we were able to show the contrast of a pirate ship and one serving a nation, representing another core game mechanic, while the warm, dusky sunlight and action-packed scene give a more striking visual impact — hopefully catching the eye of anyone that sees it. We hope that this article has given you an idea of the importance of the key art, the creative process and how we got from a set of very different ideas to the final graphic. You’ll be able to see the final piece at PlayStation Store and box art very soon, when Port Royale 4 releases on September 25. See you on deck! View the full article

Hey everyone! I’m TamTu, community manager at Vertigo Games and today I have some exciting news to share with PS VR fans. After surviving the desert landscapes of the zombie apocalypse in Arizona Sunshine, exploring conquest and wargaming in Skyworld, and solving mind-bending puzzles in A Fisherman’s Tale, we’re announcing an all-new PS VR game: bring rhythm to traffic chaos in Traffic Jams! Traffic Jams is a tongue-in-cheek VR game developed by our amazingly talented friends at Little Chicken Game Studio that we are bringing to PS VR in September of this year. In the world of Traffic Jams all traffic lights have gone out and you are the only one who can keep traffic flowing in the face of outrageous events and flagrant road rage. Starting out on a quiet corner in a small town, traffic control job offers soon start pouring in from iconic cities around the globe. Using intuitive VR controls on dual PS Move controllers, it’s up to you to guide rude pedestrians, impatient drivers, and the occasional meteorite along before road rage strikes. Sound easy? Think again! This chaotic VR game is full of monsters, (un)natural disasters, and something called… ‘cheese bowling’? And that’s not all, because aside from the beefy single player career mode we’re proud to reveal Traffic Jams will sport a couch party mode that will let you share the fun of VR with up to four friends, locally, on mobile devices! In Traffic Jams, you’ll be taken under the wing of Dennis, the self-proclaimed world’s best traffic controller… EVER!!! He comes from a place called Jam City, which gets its name from its many flash mobs and packed intersections. Armed with dreams of superstardom, a sassy attitude and fresh dance moves, he has taken it upon himself to teach you the ropes of traffic controlling (although between you and me, he’d rather be dancing). If you give him a chance, he’ll take you on a jam-packed global adventure to become the Ultimate Traffic Showman. We hope to see you out on the crossroads this September on PS VR. View the full article

Let’s get straight to the good news: We’re excited to announce today that Pistol Whip will launch on PS VR July 28 with its current 15-scene soundtrack, including fan-favourite DLC scenes like Full Throttle and the brand-spanking new Religion. As we built out the earliest prototypes for Pistol Whip, our first-of-its-kind action/rhythm FPS, we imagined the game timed entirely to the John Wick soundtrack. So when we found Kannibalen Records, a music label (and Canadian indie like us) known for their hardcore but cinematic electronic sound, it was love at first listen. This is the music of action movies — the music of Pistol Whip. Black Magic Make sure to turn sound ON for the gifs below! Black Magic was the first Kannibalen track we put in the game, and we instantly knew it fit our John Wick vibe. A hard, driving bassline and an Army of Darkness “Come Get Some” sample hits you in the face with the energy of an unstoppable action hero. For most Pistol Whip tracks, we made some custom edits to better suit the song to the game, cutting out slower tempos, dead zones, and anything we didn’t feel fit the action hero style. For Black Magic, we edited the beginning to start with an instrumental thrumming that gave us the atmosphere of a sprawling Chinatown — what would become our first Pistol Whip scene setting. Once we had the song and setting, the design team would listen on repeat and begin to map out the structure and motifs of the music, creating the building blocks of the level. Different sounds in the music would infer different types of enemy engagements and region sizes; quieter zones translated to alleyways with long-range engagements, while busier areas of the music encouraged flurries of enemies in all directions. From there, the music was brought into the game engine and designers could begin adding additional flourishes to the map, such as obstacles or animations. Everything is hand-placed and synced to each beat of the music, with enemy behaviours and pathing manually set for that Time Crisis-inspired arcade style. Obstacles can be used to force you to dodge, weave, and dance; to guide you in a certain direction; or to simply introduce more distractions during a gunfight. As the music builds in Black Magic, we layer in more enemies on each beat, increasing the pacing of their spawns until a pre-drop climax challenges you with a wall of death. Finally, on the moment before the drop, an armoured enemy appears that can be pistol whipped perfectly to the beat. And that’s only some of what goes into just a single Pistol Whip scene. We’ll be launching on PS VR with 15 handcrafted scenes and even more to come in the months to follow. Not just a rhythm game, Pistol Whip is an action FPS driven by music, with elaborate scenes and unique environments for you to fight your way through. Sync up to the music and become the ultimate action hero badass when Pistol Whip launches on PlayStation VR July 28. View the full article

Hi humans, GigBot here! We hope you’ve been enjoying your stay on Vacation Island. After long shifts the Bots are determined to experience — RELAXATION — and have all decided to go on vacation which means we need your helping hands around the resort to keep it running smoothly. In order for Bots to reach [MAXIMUM RELAXATION] it’s up to you to join the new on-demand workforce on Vacation Island and get JOBBING in our new DLC, Vacation Simulator: Back to JOB. As a gig associate, you will have the fabulous opportunity to operate the Vacation Simulator poolside Cantina! Fret not human — The Algorithm™ has assigned yours truly, Gigbot, to assist you with your journey as one of our valued partners. Our Gig network will give you the chance to meet an exciting array of different Bots, all of whom are relying on you to make sure their Vacation Experience is [MAXIMUM VALUE]. We need you to cook, advise, entertain, and do whatever it takes to provide 5 star service. We know you will gesture right and put the serve in server! Vacation Simulator Back To JOB will be available for free this fall on PlayStation VR! We look forward to working independently contracting with you, human! View the full article

So many of you have taken to the mound in MLB The Show 20 since March, and now it’s time to apply all those hours of practice to the PS4 Tournaments: Summer Circuit in the U.S. and Canada. This tournament offers five open qualifiers ahead of the final, giving fans plenty of chances to compete to become the best. The tournament is open to all eligible participants*, and there are multiple opportunities to qualify for the finals and earn a shot at $25,000 USD in total prizing, as well as weekly digital rewards and MLB merch packages. The first qualifier begins June 20, and the last one is August 1. Participants will compete in a Swiss tournament system through the qualifier rounds. The Top 8 finishers in each weekly tournament qualify directly for the final. The Grand Final will be a seeded bracket determined by season-wide points and finishes throughout the tournament. Additionally, make sure to check out the Competition Center, the home of all PlayStation competitive gaming content, to view all the unique prizes you can win during the Summer Circuit. You can also read up on all the player and game settings so you are well prepared for the first pitch! Remember, no matter your skill level, you will be able to compete against both friends and others in the PlayStation community. For more information on all PS4 Tournaments, visit compete.playstation.com. Sign up today! *MLB The Show 20 PS4 Tournaments: Summer Circuit – must be 18+ and resident of the US or Canada. Begins June 20 – ends August 1. Active PS Plus subscription required. Void where prohibited. Rules: https://esl.gg/MLB20-SC View the full article

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories that explores the ways games can address varying types of subject matter. Read the first story, about forging connections with other people in Night School Studio’s Afterparty, here. The ocean is vast! Back in 2014 we made a game called Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) with the Iñupiat people that highlighted one of their oldest stories. We were very fortunate with the success of the game and it brought us to the attention of the BBC Studios. Shortly after Never Alone’s launch they contacted us to see if we’d be interested in making a game that was inspired by their upcoming Blue Planet II and we were thrilled to say “Yes!” Though what would that kind of game look like…and how would we comb through the thousands of hours of footage that they provided? At the end of the day, and at the end of a multi-year development cycle, we believe that we have successfully answered those questions. It became clear at the very beginning of the project that we needed to bring in the experts. To bring in the scientists who lived, breathed (often with SCUBA gear), and loved the ocean as deeply as we did. Also to bring in editors who wouldn’t mind becoming underwater aficionados. Making sure we got it right Pairing those elements lets Beyond Blue feature what we proudly call Ocean Insights. These are sixteen original mini-documentaries that speak to the themes that are being explored within the game. Players will have the opportunity to play as Mirai, an ocean researcher and explorer who is seeking to develop and share a better understanding of the ocean than ever before. What better way for us to celebrate that fact than include conversations with the real-world scientists? The passion and love that these professionals bring to their fields is infectious, along with being great fodder for a game. What does a scientist who is spending 3+ hours traveling to the bottom of the ocean do while they wait? Turns out that they listen to Miles Davis, so we developed a soundtrack that reflects the international nature of these expeditions. What are the critical challenges facing our oceans today? Let’s see how players would navigate those waters. For a majority of the game’s development we had our resident scientist with us every day. She was a part of stand-up meetings, worked with the artists and animators to ensure accuracy of the creatures players would find, and steer us in the right direction when it came to little nuanced science facts that would lend authenticity to the game. Helping the planet heal The Earth’s oceans are as fantastic in nature as any that can be imagined – and they need our help. At the deepest depths scientists are finding things like plastic bags and balloons, creatures who have had the same migratory patterns for centuries are finding food scarce, and we’re still discovering all the ways that the ocean takes care of other environmental factors across the Earth. At E-Line we wanted to be sure that we were addressing the many challenges that are affecting our planet today, but to do so in a manner that would help inspire hope. The themes in the game are very much real and so are the resources that the game shares for those that want to get involved in affecting positive change. We want to inspire players to engage in things like World Oceans Week, where leading experts speak to not only the challenges facing our greatest resource, but also share the amazing discoveries that are still being made on each expedition. We want players to not only think about their impact on the planet, but also find their moment of zen as they explore a world that so few people get to experience first hand – all while listening to a little Miles Davis while they’re at it. View the full article

The Ashmann Inn will be opening its doors for both new and returning fans of the Remothered series, and everyone is invited to the grand opening on August 25 on PlayStation 4! Stormind Games and Darril Arts have once again come together to revamp the Remothered formula and bring a series of welcome changes to this newest iteration in the franchise. With completely reworked visual and sound design, the Ashmann Inn is more realistic and immersive than any location in the series to date. These improvements have also enabled us to introduce real-time cinematics that will pull players even deeper into the action and narrative. The gameplay at the core of Remothered has seen just as many enhancements. As players control the protagonist Jennifer, they will gain the ability to investigate with new powers, utilize a completely reworked stealth and cover system, and explore a new crafting and scavenging system that puts the survival in survival-horror. Remothered: Broken Porcelain is the perfect entry point for new fans discovering the franchise as well as series veterans craving additional lore surrounding the events and characters of the first game, Remothered: Tormented Fathers. For those unfamiliar with the franchise or just need a refresher of the events of the first game, Remothered is a third-person survival-horror game that features a deep, twisting narrative that requires players to think outside the box to survive the horrors that roam, and an investigative mindset to unravel the deeper story and mysteries that hide beneath the surface. In the first game, Remothered: Tormented Fathers, players followed Rosemary Reed, a 35-year-old woman who sought out a retired notary named Dr. Felton, who is afflicted by a mysterious disease. Throughout the game, players will begin to realize that Rosemary’s true intentions are to uncover the circumstances of the man’s missing daughter, Celeste, and the connection to a terrible massacre that occurred. Rosemary quickly realizes that Dr. Felton and his wife Arianna are the ones who hold the secret to the disappearance, Celeste’s real identity, and their connection to a fanatic cult of cloistered nuns in red. The passionate fans of Remothered have spent the last two years sifting through all the trailers, cutscenes, character dialogue, and hidden secrets to piece together the mystery, and Broken Porcelain will introduce just as many answers as it does new questions. Since this entry isn’t a direct sequel and instead takes place at multiple points in the timeline, it doesn’t matter which game you play first — though series veterans will recognize some familiar faces and enjoy a few extra surprises! Building upon the story arc created by the predecessor, Broken Porcelain follows Rosemary Reed as she continues her search for Celeste which leads her to Ashmann Inn. Players will alternate between Rosemary’s investigation and controlling the new protagonist Jennifer, a young resident of the Ashmann Inn who begins to witness disturbing occurrences within its confined halls. After her friend Linn, another new arrival to the inn, goes missing, Jen must investigate the manor while avoiding the murderous Stalkers that are on patrol throughout the Ashmann Inn – if she can. Remothered: Broken Porcelain is shaping up to be the genre-defining experience it was envisioned to be. Returning and new fans alike will be able to play it for themselves when it comes to PS4 on August 25. View the full article

Who wouldn’t want to play a game that allows you and a friend to live out your most ambitious spy fantasies? Although loosely inspired by Hollywood’s most iconic spy franchises, Operation: Tango was conceived partly in response to fans requesting that co-op be added to our first commercial game release, Leap of Fate. We love games that connect real people to accomplish cool things, and we felt there was ample room for innovation in the co-op space, especially when considering the limitless possibilities in a near-future setting where two elite operatives with vastly different skill-sets work together to bring a global menace to its knees. From a pure development standpoint, creating Operation: Tango has been like building two games in one, crafting a deep experience and robust gameplay for an agent who is physically within each location as well as for a hacker who has access to the far reaches of a digital infrastructure, unique to the network at each location. Although both perspectives on the mission are completely different, players will always feel linked — and not just by voice chat. As the agent, you might notice a camera in the corner of the room you’re scouting. Feel free to wave (or use a few less polite gestures), and the hacker is sure to witness your rudeness on his surveillance cam feed. As the hacker, you might send a message of your own by editing the scrolling text feed on a prominent display. Unlike many cooperative shooters in which not all players feel they have a critical impact on the outcome, Operation: Tango places both players in key roles that fully complement one another in powerful ways. With no pre-defined “support” role — and thus no strict offense or defense — players are free to define their own experience within the world, arriving at solutions in an organic collaborative way. Operation: Tango isn’t a game that can be played alone. Together, you’ll gain access to the mainframe’s server. Together, you’ll outsmart security drones. Together, you’ll escape a facility on lock-down with invaluable intel… Your partner cannot succeed without you; nor can you succeed without them. Each role is designed to allow players the ability to constantly surprise their partner with their unique contributions, and all scenarios are devised to encourage players to cooperate in ways they’ve never experienced within traditional co-op games. Keeping both players constantly engaged, challenged, and communicating is the core mandate for our design team. Understanding how players interact with one another and amplifying the opportunities to do so are both imperative. It’s not enough to entertain one player while the other has nothing to do. Downtime in asymmetrical co-op is never an option! Perhaps that’s why so few asymmetrical co-op games exist. We’re confident that the vast majority of gamers have never experienced anything quite like Operation: Tango, and we hope to disrupt expectations within the genre. Verbal communication is at the heart of the experience, with progression tied to the dialogue between friends. Only by sharing the unique perspective of each role can players overcome the many challenges that stand between them and completing each mission. Playtesting is a critical part of our process, and we love nothing more than watching perfect strangers forge friendships in the process of playing the game. Unlike traditional shooters or other games relying solely on action, we can offer players a plethora of options for meaningful interactions. Whether it’s the hacker trolling the agent by activating horrendous elevator music, or the agent flagging the hacker as a digital virus and forcing the system to delete him, finding your own fun within the experience is as important to the design as the many obstacles you’ll overcome together. The end result is a feel-good spy-thriller adventure that keeps the focus solely on you and your friend. Whether you’re next-door neighbors or live in separate countries across the globe, Operation: Tango is a game that brings people together. Once you’ve experienced it for yourself, you’ll understand exactly why IT TAKES TWO to save the world. View the full article

PlayStation · Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 367: Play Has No Limits Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Welcome back! Following this week’s big PlayStation 5 reveal, we’ve got an interview with Eric Lempel, Head of Global Marketing and Consumer Experience. Plus! Kristen chats with Night School Studio about forging connections in their underworld adventure Afterparty, and we’ve got a special clip from The Official The Last of Us Podcast for your audio enjoyment. Listen in! Stuff We Talked About This week’s PlayStation 5 showcase The Official The Last of Us Podcast Afterparty Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] View the full article

Eric Lempel is PlayStation’s Head of Global Marketing and Consumer Experience. And he has a deep history with the company, spanning way, way back to the pre-PS2 days. That made him the perfect guy to shed new light on yesterday’s PS5 announcements and hardware reveal. Listen to our full chat on the new episode of PlayStation Blogcast. Read on for some key excerpts from our conversation, condensed and edited for readability. PSB: Why has it taken so long to see PS5 games in action? Eric: Coming out of PlayStation 4, all of the success we’ve seen, and the fans’ passion for the brand, we really wanted to make sure we delivered strongly with PlayStation 5. As we’ve said many times, PS5 is truly a next-generation console. It’s a leap ahead. And we wanted to wait for the right time when everything lined up. And I think, and I hope, that fans saw that we had a great mix of content from our partners and our studios, and that we delivered on expectations. Eric Lempel / PlayStation’s Head of Global Marketing and Consumer Experience PlayStation · Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 367: Play Has No Limits PSB: We also got our first look at PS5. Can you give us any insight into how the console design made its way out to the public? Eric: I’ll give you a little story. Many months ago, I was in Tokyo. I got an invite to a meeting with Jim Ryan, our President [and CEO], and a bunch of other people. Pretty small group. And it was on a floor in the Sony headquarters building that I’d never been to before. The subject of the meeting was, “design.” So I thought I was going to a design meeting. And I got to this floor, and… there were a few doors you had to get through… you finally end up in this mini vault, a walk-in vault type of thing. There are these nice lights up above shining down. And there it was. Everything you saw today… PlayStation 5 was there, both units. The whole line of peripherals. And while I think everybody got a good view today, with all the shots you saw in the show. When you see this thing in person, there are a lot of nice, surprising features… it’s gorgeous, it’s just a marvel. I think people are going to love having in their home, it’s something they’ll want to show off. PSB: We’ve learned that there are two PlayStation 5 systems. What can you tell me about the logic and the strategy there? Eric: The idea here is, there’s a second [PS5] that represents the growth of the digital business over the years…. And a lot of consumers have shifted the way they interact with our products. Part of my job, and my team’s, is to talk to consumers all the time, understand what they like and what they want. And there’s a segment of consumers that just want to go digital. So this is the answer to that need. It’s a discless version [of PS5]. It’s important to note that, it’s essentially the same product. You’re not talking about any change to features, or any change to power. It’s the same product, with slight cosmetic differences, and no disc drive. So it’s all digital. PSB: What is the strategy with PS5 when it comes to exclusive titles and working with partners? Eric: Similar to what we did with PS4, our teams spoke with developers well in advance of releasing the product. And we talked to developers about what they wanted in a next-generation console…. and a lot of their feedback went into the design of the PlayStation 5 architecture. And with that, we found that along the way, they were creating some great games that matched up so well to the platform and the ambition we’re trying to achieve. So we’re really fortunate because there are a ton of great titles, as you saw today, and a lot of them are exclusive. All in, we showed about 13 titles that are launching exclusively on PlayStation 5. And those exclusive arrangements range from a few months to a couple of years. You saw some great titles: Godfall from Gearbox, Death Loop from Bethesda, Project Athia from Square Enix… What I’m really happy about is that, this time around, there are a large number of independent developers who are also going to be with us around the launch timeframe. So you saw some of those titles today: The Pathless from Annapurna, Bugsnax from Young Horses. And then a franchise that goes back to the first PlayStation, with Oddworld. We have Oddworld Soulstorm from Oddworld Inhabitants… it’s great to see how far that franchise has come, and how it will be introduced to a whole new generation on PS5. PSB: I was somewhat blown away by the number of titles that were shown by PlayStation Studios. Is it the most that have ever been debuted as part of a new console cycle? Eric: This, by far, is the biggest [first-party] lineup we have ever had in the history of PlayStation. We’re so fortunate that we have so many beloved titles and characters that people have grown up with over the years. I’m amazed at how well our studios are delivering against the launch timeframe. Today you saw really big, well-established franchises that people have known for years… Gran Turismo, Ratchet & Clank. Then you’re seeing somewhat new franchises making an appearance on PlayStation 5, like with our big closer [Horizon]. Then we have one of my favorites with Marvel’s Spider-Man, Miles Morales. Miles has become such a beloved character, people are absolutely obsessed with him. And now you’re going to get to play him on PS5. Marvel’s Spider-Man was one of my favorite titles, it’s the last Platinum trophy I received… we can’t wait to get these out. Play Video There was another big one in there, people have been looking for it for years. And that was the Demon’s Souls remake… I’ve been fortunate enough to see it, and play it just a bit. It’s absolutely beautiful, it’s stunning. When people see this… especially if they’re fans, they’ll be amazed. And if they haven’t played it, this is the way to do it. Listen to the full interview on the Official PlayStation Podcast. View the full article

Hey PlayStation.Blog readers! Ari, Comms Manager for Sega for all things Atlus, here. Vanillware, the creative minds behind Odin Sphere and Dragon’s Crown, are back with an award-winning sci-fi story, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, coming to PlayStation 4 on September 8. Pre-order the game from your local, physical retailer to secure a bonus artbook: At release, only Japanese VO will be available, due to the impact of COVID-19 on our production schedules. However, a free English VO patch will be available after launch. We’ll share updates and an exact timing as we near release. Not only is the artwork beautiful in Vanillware’s signature painterly style, the intertwining 13 stories narrative will keep you captivated. Essentially, it’s a deep sci-fi epic (my favorite genre) and it’s already winning multiple awards in Japan, including being nominated for Sci-fi awards normally reserved for movies or books. Here’s a list of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim’s official accolades: Japan Game Awards 2019, Future Division Winner Famitsu Dengeki Game Award 2019, Best Scenario Award & Best Adventure Award (2 divisions) Japan Otaku Awards 2019, Grand Prize IGN Japan Game of the Year 2019, 6th Place IGN Japan User’s Choice 2019, 2nd Place Weekly Famitsu (PS4 Special Feature, sold March 12th, 2020), Ranked in 10th for “PS4 Must-Play Titles,” selected from all PS4 titles ever sold 51st Seiun Award, Media Category, Nominee Everyone who’s had a part in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim loves this game, and we can’t wait for you to play! Which of the 13 protagonists are you excited to unravel the mystery as? View the full article

Last time, we asked you to focus in and highlight depth of field in your favorite games. From looming close ups to blurred backgrounds, you shared your best shots using #PS4share and #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: AjGamingPics1 shared this perfectly framed share from Red Dead Redemption 2. Jesse looms in the foreground of this shot from Control, shared by BBSnakeCorn. Higgs stands menacingly in this share from Death Stranding, by GameonFocus. In.game.photography shares this portrait of Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn, with the background out of focus. Kirill_Skulkin captures the frenzied mood of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifce. Nathan Drake jumps out of harm’s way in this share from Uncharted 4, shared by rmfisher26. 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: Conversation Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, June 17 Next week, it’s time to talk the talk. Share characters having conversations in the game of your choice using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Ghost of Tsushima’s style began with reference trips, thousands of photos, research, watching movies… you name it. It also meant obsessing over the work of artists that pioneered various styles in the samurai genre. Ghost of Tsushima’s setting is meant to transport you and leave an impression upon you with movement, color, and simple compositions. The character designs are inspired by our favorite movies and historical references, while stylistically having more contrast and detail to push through to the foreground. All of this is in an effort to craft a love letter to what has inspired us to make this game, and to deliver the ultimate wandering samurai fantasy with a beautiful, but dangerous world. On our journey to create the style of this game, occasionally we get to work with some of the artists that have inspired us from the beginning. Artists that connect with our audience and bring forth a flavor of the samurai fantasy that we so sincerely want to deliver to people. When we decided to craft a small portion of our world in a manga style, we couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Takashi Okazaki. We love what he did with Afro Samurai and think his style lends itself perfectly to Ghost of Tsushima, which is why we’re proud to announce that he’s created four original pieces of art based on our game. Each piece showcases a different part of Jin’s story: the wind that guides him, the flames that destroy his home around him, the mask he wears as he becomes the Ghost, and his wrath as he fights back against the Mongols. Takashi Okazaki shared the following statement with us about his work: I love to create things I myself want to see or be passionate about. Ultimately, I love it when I see or hear people get passionate through my work. Even before I was offered the opportunity to collaborate, Ghost of Tsushima was something that captured my heart. I love “Gekiga” style mangas, and Ghost of Tsushima had a similar vibe to it. I took some inspiration from this, and took on the challenge of incorporating it into my work which I hope you’ll enjoy! I know the team here at Sucker Punch were excited when we announced this collaboration, and we hope you enjoy what he has crafted. If you want to enter for a chance to win physical prints of them, you can find details of a sweepstakes on Funimation’s blog (rules here)*, or you can download your own mobile wallpaper versions here. Ghost of Tsushima is weeks away from release on July 17, and we can’t wait to share more with you! *NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT IS NECESSARY. Legal residents of the United States or the District of Columbia (excluding Rhode Island and U.S. territories) and Canada (excluding residents of Quebec) who are 18 years of age or older (or the majority in the jurisdiction of their residence, whichever is older) may enter to win beginning 9:00 am PT on 6/12/20 until 11:59 pm PT on 6/18/20. See Official Rules at funi.to/GhostRules for complete details. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Funimation Global Group, LLC. View the full article

I am excited to share information about today’s free update, and the paid DLC coming later this month. We knew when we started developing Predator: Hunting Grounds that we wanted to make sure we continued to get new content into the community’s hands post launch in April. This is the second drop of many to come! We are still excited, and pinching ourselves that it wasn’t a dream, that we were able to get Dutch’s story into everyone’s hands last month. This month’s free update for everyone will give you the ability to earn Dutch’s QR5, “Hammerhead,” rifle and his knife. In addition, there are many tints, skins, and shaders that once found and unlocked in the field lockers will be added to the customization experience. The customizations are the Obsidian Shader for Predator Weapons, Obsidian Tint for Predator Masks, Crimson Tint for Predator Armors, Sage Tint for Predator Armors, Ivy Tint for Default Predator Skin Patterns, Hydra Tint for Raptor Predator Skin Patterns, Blue Viper Shader for Fireteam Weapons, Digital Tint for Fireteam Outfits, Full Suite of Hammerhead Weapon Shaders, and Special Shader’s for Dutch’s Knife. In addition, we are increasing the level cap to 150. We have heard from quite a few of you that you have hit 100 and we want to make sure there is more for you to do. Also, congrats on hitting 100! To reward players for climbing to these higher levels, we have added chase items that will unlock at milestones throughout the journey to level 150. Platinum Predator armor and mask tints are rewarded for reaching level 100, followed by Fireteam Knives and the Hammerhead assault rifle. Once players reach level 150, they will gain access to the Elder Predator class as well as Golden Predator armor and mask tints. We have also added a special set of Elite Fireteam weapon shaders that unlock once you reach weapon level 10 for each gun. Coming later this month is the second paid DLC. We gave you a new Fireteam member last month so it only seemed right that we launch a new Predator. This month we are excited to introduce you to the Samurai Predator. The Samurai Predator comes to the hunting grounds from feudal Japan, this demon from legend once hunted skilled warriors who protected the island nation. You can find more information and purchase the Samurai Predator on June 30 at the PlayStation and Epic stores. We are excited to see the Samurai lurking in the jungle very soon! View the full article

The best compliment to new hardware is a library of great games to play on it. With nine titles announced tonight, this is the largest lineup of first-party games PlayStation has ever showcased heading into a new platform launch. PlayStation Studios teams have been working hard to develop a wide range of amazing new experiences for PlayStation 5, all of which tap into PS5’s advanced features such as the ultra-fast SSD, the DualSense wireless controller, and 3D audio. We hope you enjoyed your first look at these titles as much as we have enjoyed working on PlayStation 5 to bring them to you! I’m sure you have lots of questions about the games you saw tonight. And we can’t wait to share more! But for now, here’s a brief summary of each game and a collection of trailers in case you missed anything. And of course, you can watch the entire showcase right here. Horizon Forbidden West from Guerrilla Games Horizon Forbidden West continues Aloy’s story as she moves west to a far-future America to brave a majestic, but dangerous frontier where she’ll face awe-inspiring machines and mysterious new threats. Play Video Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales from Insomniac Games and Marvel The latest adventure in the Spider-Man universe will build on and expand Marvel’s Spider-Man through an all-new story. Players will experience the rise of Miles Morales as he masters new powers to become his own Spider-Man. With PS5’s ultra-fast SSD, players can near-instantaneously fast-travel across Marvel’s New York City, or feel the tension of each one of Miles’s web-swings, punches, web shots, and venom blasts with the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback. Highly-detailed character models and enhanced visuals across the game intensify the story of Miles Morales as he faces great, new challenges while learning to be his own Spider-Man. Play Video Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart from Insomniac Games Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a brand new intergalactic adventure from Insomniac Games that showcases what’s possible for games designed around PS5’s ultra-high speed SSD and DualSense wireless controller. Players will seamlessly travel through different dimensions in mid-gameplay, thanks to PS5’s ultra-high speed SSD. The DualSense wireless controller brings combat to life, with haptic feedback and the adaptive triggers adding powerful sensations that increase immersion in combat. Play Video Demon’s Souls from Japan Studio and Bluepoint Games From JAPAN Studio and Bluepoint Games comes a remake of the PlayStation classic, Demon’s Souls.” In addition to beautiful shadow effects and ray tracing, players can choose between two graphics modes while playing: one focused on fidelity, and one focused on frame rate. Play Video Gran Turismo 7 from Polyphony Digital From classic vehicles and tracks to the reintroduction of the legendary GT Simulation Mode – GT 7 brings together the best features from past installments of the series alongside the future. An even more realistic driving experience awaits thanks to haptic feedback, which brings to life what it’s like when the tires hit the road. PS5’s immersive 3D audio allows players to sense the position of other cars and drivers around them. Play Video Sackboy A Big Adventure from Sumo Digital Iconic PlayStation hero Sackboy returns in an all-new 3D adventure with a deeply immersive and expressive control scheme. Players can go on this epic platforming journey solo-style, or they can team up with friends for collaborative, chaotic multiplayer fun. Play Video Returnal from Housemarque Returnal transforms roguelike gameplay into a third-person shooter where players fight to survive a hostile planet that changes with every death. Players can switch instinctively between firing modes by using a single adaptive trigger and can get right back into the action after dying. PS5’s immersive 3D audio brings the alien world to life around the player, helping players navigate the intense positional combat. Play Video Destruction All Stars from Lucid Games Destruction All Stars is an action-packed sports event that pits drivers against one another in an intense competition. The goal? Wreck as many cars as possible. Play Video Astro’s Playroom from Japan Studios Astro and his crew lead you on a magical introduction through PS5 in this fun platformer that comes pre-loaded on PS5. Explore four worlds, each based on PS5’s console components. Each area showcases innovative gameplay that taps into the new features of the PS5’s DualSense wireless controller. Play Video View the full article

The Norsfell team is excited to announce that we partnered with Gearbox to bring Tribes of Midgard to the PlayStation 5 in 2021. Tribes of Midgard is a new game in which players can play solo or co-op with a team of up to 10 players to resist the oncoming invasion of giants during Ragnarök. Set in worlds full of dark creatures, hidden gods, and abundant materials to be uncovered, you play as a Viking living in a village that houses the Seed of Yggdrasil; the last bastion that protects the gods from the other realms. You’ll need to explore the wilderness to craft new weapons and be prepared to defend the sacred center of your village from the grim shadows of Helheim that prey upon its power. All the while, giants stalk ever closer to your village, seeking to destroy Midgard and fulfill the prophecy of the end of the world. While the game is still in development, we have lots of exciting things planned and can’t wait to start sharing more information with you as we get closer to Tribes of Midgard’s console debut on PS5 and release on PC in 2021. View the full article