Commander Fury

Are you ready to test your mettle against players around the globe? Samurai Shodown V Special launches tomorrow on PS4 and PS Vita! The game will be priced at $14.99 and is both cross buy and cross play. We have prepared a special launch trailer for the game which gives a breakdown on some of the game systems, along with some of the new features and options added for this release. Let’s jump right in! The PS4 and PS Vita versions of this NeoGeo masterpiece add online multiplayer to the game for the first time, along with a Gallery full of unlockable art and illustrations. We also added a setting to allow players to set their favorite music track as the Menu BGM. This release will of course feature Trophies and Leaderboards, too. As you can see in the launch trailer above, the game has a lot of technical gameplay systems which will make most fighting game fans feel right at home. The trailer only covers the more critical systems, and there is even more depth in the game system for fans who want to dig deeper. SNK has always been known for fighting games with a lot of technical depth, and this one is definitely no exception. We wanted to take this chance to break down a few other interesting tips and strategies that will help players reach their peak potential when battling online. If we went through all of the various strategies and technical aspects, we would be here all day so we narrowed down a few entry level ones that can quickly help players step up their game. Deflect: This move will deflect most normal moves besides kicks, low attacks, and overheads. A successful parry will leave your opponent open for a counter-attack. This is a key strategy in high-level play as an opponent can quickly turn the tables on you if you carelessly attack. However, it does have a recovery animation on a miss, so it cannot be carelessly spammed either. Blade Catch: One mechanic that players will quickly realize is that the Weapon Flipping Techniques that are possible to use with a full Rage meter will send your opponent’s weapon flying if they land. This obviously puts the disarmed player at a huge disadvantage but this simple command can actually be used to catch your opponent’s blade and disarm them as well, leveling the playing field. Special Movement: The D button (Special) in Samurai Shodown V Special is used for a variety of actions, including some very important dodges and movement options. In a game where every single hit means a lot of damage, these movement options are all the more important. Here are a handful of examples of what you can do! Short Hop: Just as it sounds, this allows your character to hop in place and dodge low attacks Forward Leap: This is a short hop forward that also allows you to dodge low attacks while either approaching your opponent or even jump over/through your opponent. Lie Down: This command puts your character in a prone position, allowing you to dodge overheads. Suicide: This mechanic basically forfeits the current round. This may seem like a completely useless mechanic at first, but it does have its uses in high level play. This ties into the Rage mechanic which increases your damage substantially before its timer runs out. That buff and timer will actually carry over to the next round, so if it looks like you are going to lose a round while still having a full Rage meter, you can then use this suicide mechanic to quickly forfeit that round and start the next one with an advantage. It’s not something you will see very often, but it is still an interesting and unique mechanic. And some characters do forfeit in style as you can see with Galford in the screenshot below. Poppy doesn’t seem very happy with the decision though! These are just a handful of the techniques that will come into play in high-level matches. Samurai Shodown V Special is a technical fighting game, and the more you dig into its plethora of systems the more you will be rewarded with exciting and tense matches. View the full article

Tooth and Tail comes out tomorrow, and whether you are new to the real-time strategy genre or you’re already a Grandmaster, you’ve got a chance to dominate. I’m Andy Schatz, Creative Director of Pocketwatch Games, and I’m gonna tell you how to git gud at Tooth and Tail in preparation for our launch tomorrow on PS4. The game has plenty of ways to play competitively — Play in Ranked, Unranked or Offline split-screen matches. Try playing mixed split-screen and online to dominate in a 2v2 match against online opponents. You can add bots, spectate ongoing matches, you can even spectate a bot vs bot match! And when you are done, save and watch replays of the match to find out how you lost, or to revel in your win over and over and over and over. Enough about the feature list, let’s talk about the strategies that will make you a winner on launch day. Army Composition The mind games start well before the match even begins. Prior to match start, customize your army with six hidden unit types. Players can pick warrens, which are structures that produce mobile units, or stationary defensive structures. There are three tiers of warrens that vary in cost, build time, production time, and unit cap. Typically, players will pick at least one unit from each tier of warren, and at least one defensive structure. The Tier 1 warrens are good at the beginning of the match, and form the basis for your army. Squirrels, also known as The Distillery Brothers, are your standard ranged infantry, but their health is low. Lizards, AKA Nomads of the North, are fast and tankier than squirrels but they have a shorter range. Watch out for Moles (Engineers For Hire) — they can be built anywhere on the battlefield, including behind your base. Pigeons (The Volunteers) are the medics, and Toads (Morning Light Croakers) can self-destruct, taking out large numbers of weak units. Most players will want to start with either Squirrels or Lizards in your army, and then pick 5 other units of varying types to fill out the rest. One of the top players from our Alpha testing, Zeno Akoop, recommends these two Army comps: Tier 1: Squirrel, Lizard / Tier 2: Ferret, Skunk / Defense: Machine Gun Turret, Landmines This army is designed for fast aggression and long range attacks, and then for a quick retreat behind defenses when the counter attack comes. Tier 1: Lizard, Toad, Mole / Tier 2: Chameleon, Falcon / Tier 3: Fox Speed and deception are the name of the game. Use Lizards and Moles for early harassment, and try to build a sniper Fox as soon as you can. Match Start When the match starts, the first thing you might notice is that the maps are procedurally generated. That means that after you build your first farm (farms produce food, which is the currency in the game), you should go explore the map. Find out where your opponent is and then burrow home. Build a couple more farms, and then decide whether you want to be aggressive early or whether you want to invest in your farms. No matter what you pick, go scout your opponent so that you can react to their choices intelligently. Many players’ first instinct is to build defenses first. This is usually a mistake. If you build defenses blind, your opponent will instead invest in their farms, and they will eventually overwhelm you. Build defenses in order to control important choke points, or to protect your base when your army is away, or when you believe your opponent is stronger than you and you need time to grow your economy. Try to think of stationary defenses as an offensive tactic. Turtling only wins if you can starve the opponent of resources! How to Win I’ve got good news and bad news. You can win any match, in any procedurally generated map, with any army composition against any enemy. The bad news? The same is true for you opponent. Whomever is in the lead typically controls the pace and dynamics of the match. If you want to play defensively, you’ll need to find ways to make your opponent attack you. Claim some territory right outside his front door and pop up some turrets. He’s sure not to like that. If you want to play aggressively, sustain pressure. Win a skirmish? Don’t rest on your laurels, build an even bigger army and attack again! If you want to play sneakily, you’ll need to find ways of keeping your opponent busy. Feign an attack on his economy while you are building a massive Tier 3 Badger on a hidden plateau behind your base. Winning in Tooth and Tail requires creativity and strategy. You’ll need to be unpredictable and reactive to the unique environment and opponent. There’s plenty of other tools you can use to learn the game: Single Player, Replays, Split-Screen, Skirmish matches against bots, the in-game unit encyclopedia, and the friendly community on the Pocketwatch Games Discord channel are all great resources for those looking to dominate on launch day. See you on the battlefield tomorrow, September 12! View the full article

Tomorrow, September 12, sees the launch of Manifest 99, a story-driven, interactive experience for PS VR. Set on a train ride through the afterlife, Manifest 99 explores a dark and beautiful world through a gaze-based gameplay mechanic. Our team at Flight School Studio is interested in how game mechanics can reinforce narrative themes, particularly when they create experiences that are only possible in VR. As many VR enthusiasts have learned, locomotion mechanics (how the player moves within the virtual world) are difficult to implement in a way that is seamless to the experience, intuitive, and also doesn’t cause simulator sickness. In Manifest 99, there is a certain level of emotional unease we want players to experience; but, the last thing we want is someone to take their headset off because they’re not feeling well! Research has told us that one of the main reasons that players feel nauseous is because they are moving or sliding in the virtual world, but their body doesn’t experience the right acceleration in real life to match such movement. To avoid these issues, we decided that we would use a teleportation technique to allow the player to move about their environment. We then thought, how can we pull this off without using a controller at all, and in a way that works harmoniously with our story? Narratives to Support VR Mechanics On a basic level, using the player’s gaze to “look where you want to go” seemed like a very simple and natural place to start. In Manifest 99, you are aboard a train that is full of crows, and you can teleport to any crow by peering into their glowing eyes. Connecting the gaze-based teleportation to the narrative meaning of locking eyes with another living creature created the marriage of mechanic and story that we were looking for. You quickly learn that the crows aren’t the only ones on this train: there are other weary travelers that you will encounter. Our mechanic continued to evolve from the notion that we cross paths with many other lives every day, but often don’t even look into each other’s eyes, even if for just a moment. Sometimes, it’s easy to connect with someone and immediately feel compassion for them. Other times, there’s tension as we avoid others. The difficulty of the interactions with each character on the train varies as you progress. Maybe we don’t look people in the eyes or we attempt to hide from them. That experience is at the core of Manifest 99: you discover and connect with your travel companions. Their resistance creates tension with the mechanic and narrative that’s only possible with the power of platforms like PS VR. Flight School is incredibly excited about expanding the kinds of experiences that exist for players in VR. I personally believe that games and stories can add meaning to your life and the rich storytelling methods in VR can enhance those experiences. We’re excited to hear what you think of Manifest 99 when it becomes available for PS VR tomorrow, September 12th, 2017, at PlayStation Store for $5.99. View the full article

The ever-adventurous Adol Christin continues his long journey next week with a new chapter in the beloved RPG series. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana launches September 12 on PS4 and PS Vita. The latest in a series of action RPGs, Ys VIII once again follows Adol in a new, self-contained story on a cursed island. Guide Adol and his allies in fast-paced battles and perilous quests to unravel the riddle of the island, and divine the truth behind the mysterious maiden known as Dana. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop! New Releases: Week of September 12, 2017 Baja: Edge of Control HD PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 9/14) Baja: Edge of Control HD is the carefully remastered version of the original off-road racer from 2008 and contains more than 1,000 miles of the toughest terrain including the steepest mountains, thickest mud, and deepest canyons known to man. Blackguards 2 PS4 — Digital Release date updated. Bloody Zombies PS4, PS VR — Digital Fight the undead plague across the ruins of London using refined free-form combat, taking down a variety of mutated zombies. Butter & Friends: Babysitter Sim PS4 — Digital Bread & Butter make their gaming debut! Grabbed from their popular themes, you and three friends can now grab them yourselves as you guard them (and their friends) from all sorts of abductors. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 9/15) From the award-winning developers at Arkane Studios comes Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, the first standalone adventure in the critically-acclaimed Dishonored series. Be a badass supernatural assassin and take on the role of notorious Billie Lurk as she reunites with her mentor Daud in order to pull off the greatest assassination ever conceived. DreamBreak PS4 — Digital DreamBreak is an adventure set in an alternative post cold war USSR. A quirky and unique mix of clashing gameplay genres. Get Over Here PS4 — Digital Get Over Here is a fast-paced battle arena game! Choose one of the 12 over the top characters and get ready to finish your enemies! Happy Dungeons PS4 — Digital Tear your way through a variety of dungeons with up to four friends in Happy Dungeons, the cooperative action RPG stuffed with multiplayer fun! Inside Limbo Double Pack PS4 — Retail Two of the most critically acclaimed 2D puzzle-platformers of all time come to retail. Maize PS4 — Digital Maize is what happens when two scientists misinterpret a memo from the U.S. Government and end up creating, uh, sentient corn. And did we mention the angry condescending Russian robotic teddy bear or the unhinged albino corn stalk with an underbite? It’s a lot to take in. Manifest 99 PS VR — Digital Manifest 99 is an ominous and eerie VR story set on a train rumbling through the afterlife. Accompanied by a murder of crows and four mysterious travel companions, you must uncover the reason why they — and you — are on this train traveling into the great beyond. NASCAR Heat 2 PS4 — Digital, Retail NASCAR Heat 2 brings the most authentic and intense stock car and truck racing of all time. NBA Live 18 PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 9/15) NBA Live 18 introduces The One, an all-new dynamic career experience defined by the choices you make with the freedom to play how you want, with whom you want and where the respect you earn in The Streets matters just as much as the rings you earn in The League. elegantly brightened NHL 18 PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 9/15) EA Sports NHL 18 delivers the speed, creativity, and action of today’s young NHL superstars with new Creative Attack controls and an all-new Defensive Skill Stick. Planet of the Eyes PS4 — Digital An atmospheric narrative-platformer about a service robot stranded on a mysterious planet, Planet of the Eyes features a stunning visual mix of puzzle and platforming challenges, an original musical score, and fully voiced audio logs left by another survivor. Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 PS4, PS3 — Digital “Where Legends Are Made” encapsulates the return of PES, with new features, modes, and an unparalleled gameplay experience. Samurai Shodown V Special PS4, PS Vita — Digital Heralded as one of the most balanced fighting games ever created by SNK, Samurai Shodown V Special is finally releasing in its original uncensored form on PS4 and PS Vita! Live by the katana, die by the katana. Time Recoil PS4 — Digital Kill to slow time, experience slow motion gunfights, and trigger spectacular special moves! Break through walls and dodge bullets in epic slow motion to complete your mission: Kill Mr. Time! Tooth and Tail PS4 — Digital Lead the revolution with an army of flamethrowing Boars, mustard gas-lobbing Skunks, and paratrooper-puking Owls. Tooth and Tail is a real-time strategy game featuring single-player play, online competitive, split-screen, and more. Build a base, lead your army, eat your enemies! Transcripted PS4 — Digital Discover this unique mix of twin-stick shooter and match-three with its twisted mechanics and original story. Trulon: The Shadow Engine PS4 — Digital Dive into Trulon: The Shadow Engine! Featuring a unique card combat system that combines traditional deck management with random elements, the tactics are intuitively activated using more than 50 cards in an easy-to-play way. VR Karts PS VR — Digital The checkered flag is about to drop on a new VR racing experience! Get in the driver’s seat of your own customized kart and race against other players. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana PS4, PS Vita — Digital, Retail Ys returns with a brand new adventure for the first time in eight years! Adol awakens shipwrecked and stranded on a cursed island. There, he and the other shipwrecked passengers he rescues form a village to challenge fearsome beasts and mysterious ruins on the isolated island. IT: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Jack Johnson – All The Light Above It Too Odesza – A Moment Apart Transformers: The Last Knight (plus Bonus Features) Baby Driver (plus Bonus Features) Transformers 5-Movie Collection (plus Bonus Features) American Horror Story: Cult- September 12 at at 10/9c (FX) 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards- September 17 at 8/7c (CBS) Vice Principals- September 17 at 10:30/9:30c (HBO) The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

Welcome back! August was a heck of a month for game launches — let’s see who came out on top (besides people who like to play good games, of course). Madden NFL 18 was the most downloaded game on PS4, followed by Hellblade and Sonic Mania. Undertale (a recent favorite of mine) led the PS Vita list, and Superhot VR topped the PlayStation VR chart. Miss any of the games on this list? Head over to PlayStation Store to pick ’em up! At least one of them will fill you with determination! PS4 Games 1 Madden NFL 18 2 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice 3 Sonic Mania 4 TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX SIEGE 5 UNCHARTED: The Lost Legacy 6 Grand Theft Auto V 7 Friday the 13th: The Game 8 Undertale 9 Minecraft: PlayStation4 Edition 10 EA SPORTS UFC 2 11 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy 12 Rocket League 13 Need for Speed 14 LawBreakers 15 Absolver 16 For Honor 17 Life is Strange: Before the Storm 18 The Evil Within 19 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered 20 Overcooked PS3 Games 1 Grand Theft Auto V 2 Minecraft: PlayStation 3 Edition 3 EA SPORTS FIFA 17 Standard Edition 4 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 5 The Last Of Us 6 Dishonored 7 The Evil Within 8 Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 9 Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 10 Fight Night Champion 11 Need for Speed Most Wanted 12 Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion XL 13 Gran Turismo 6 14 Grand Theft Auto IV 15 LittleBigPlanet 3 16 MLB The Show 16 17 Devil May Cry HD Collection 18 Enemy Front 19 Sonic Adventure 20 Jak and Daxter Collection PS4 Add-ons 1 Call of Duty Black Ops III: Zombies Chronicles 2 Just Cause 3: Air, Land & Sea Expansion Pass 3 Black Ops III – The Giant Zombies Map 4 Diablo III: Rise of the Necromancer 5 Dead by Daylight: The HALLOWEEN Chapter 6 Batman: The Enemy Within – Season Pass 7 Battlefield 1 Premium Pass 8 Just Cause 3: Reaper Missile Mech 9 Rocket League – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Car Pack 10 STAR WARS Battlefront Season Pass PS VR Games 1 SUPERHOT VR 2 Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul 3 Arizona Sunshine 4 Job Simulator 5 Apollo 11 VR 6 Archangel 7 PlayStation VR Worlds 8 Dino Frontier 9 NBA 2KVR Experience 10 Until Dawn: Rush of Blood PS Vita Games 1 Undertale 2 God of War: Collection PS Vita 3 Jak and Daxter Collection 4 Odin Sphere Leifthrasir 5 Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition 6 Rockstar Games PS Vita Collection 7 Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair 8 Ys Origin 9 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc 10 FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD Remaster PS Classics 1 Destroy All Humans! 2 2 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 3 METAL SLUG ANTHOLOGY 4 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy 5 Destroy All Humans! 6 Bully 7 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy 8 The Warriors 9 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night View the full article

Hey everybody! We’re Tim and Jay from High Horse Entertainment and we’re excited to detail our latest patch and announce Disc Jam’s first new character: Kahuna! Kahuna is the strongest character in the game, but unlike other power throwers, he can put a good amount of spin on the disc as well. Defending Kahuna can be a challenge, but he’s the slowest character in the game so be sure to move him around the court and keep him sliding when you face him! To unlock Kahuna, you’ll have to spend some Jamoleons. Disc Jam’s new characters will always be unlockable with in-game currency, but if you’re running a low balance you can visit the new Jam Store and purchase all the Jamoleons you need! There have been a number of other updates in this patch including a significant change to the slide mechanic and some tweaks to the character balance. We’ve been having a lot of design chats in our discord about the current state of Disc Jam’s core gameplay. Thanks to our players’ excellent feedback, we have a good idea about what we want to address and with this update we are taking a small step towards further refinement of Disc Jam’s balance. The slide “early-out” mechanic was making baseline play far too safe. Players could hang back and farm perfect throws so long as double-slides were still faster than sprinting. As we’ve mentioned in the past, sliding is a defensive maneuver that should have no offensive potential beyond traversing the court. With this patch, throw timing is no longer tied to the slide-out delay and all characters recover at the same rate. The throw timer will begin the instant the player has full movement returned after the slide. We’re eager to see how the competitive landscape shifts with this latest update! Disc Jam has also seen some significant engine upgrades in this patch. There have been a number of graphical improvements including a new tonemapper which matches the ACES (Academy Color Encoding System) standard. Load times have decreased, post processes have been overhauled and our cloth solver has been updated for performance. There have also been a number of bug fixes and minor improvements. Since our launch in March, we’ve added skill-based matchmaking, global rankings, leaderboards, dedicated servers, cross-play, and completely revamped our unlock system. Starting with the release of Kahuna, we’re now focused on delivering new characters, maps, modes, and other in-game content so stay tuned for future updates! View the full article

This is the biggest season yet in the world of EA Sports. Whether you’re a veteran of the games or if you just love sports and want another way to express your fandom, this year’s lineup will offer something for everyone. From introducing all new ways to team up and play with friends to reinvented career experiences that change how you shape your legacy to story modes that take you on a journey through the highs and lows of the sport, these games capture the passion, competition and intensity of the sport like never before. Here’s an overview of what to expect this year: Madden 18 Available Now EA Sports Madden NFL 18 provides fans a deeper Madden NFL experience than any previous edition of the storied franchise. Madden NFL 18 touts a long list of new enhancements including its debut on the celebrated Frostbite gaming engine, and features such as exciting new ways to team up and play with friends in MUT Squads, and the first-ever story mode “Longshot.” Longshot takes players through an emotional, immersive and cinematic gameplay experience where players will determine the fate of Devin Wade, a forgotten NFL prospect, on his journey to the Draft—on and off the field. The brand-new mode features branching dialogue, high school and 7v7 football play, and new gameplay mechanics. It also features recognizable, big name Hollywood talent like Oscar award winner, Mahershala Ali, and Friday Night Lights star, Scott Porter. NHL 18 September 15, 2017 EA Sports NHL 18 introduces NHL Threes, a bold new take on fast-paced, over-the-top 3-on-3 hockey action. The all-new, arcade-inspired hockey experience features faster gameplay, bigger hits and high-scoring action that’s easy to pick-up-and-play. Enter unique NHL Threes arenas with all-new commentary and pick your style of play, from fast-fun couch co-op to fully competitive online team play where you choose the game rules and modifiers. Take on the NHL Threes circuit-style Campaign Mode and play through regional circuits, from minor leagues to the big show, completing challenges and unlocking surprises along the way. NHL Threes combines the best of arcade-era fun with authentic 3-on-3 overtime action that is made to be played with friends. NBA Live 18 September 15, 2017 NBA Live 18 introduces The One, an all-new, dynamic career experience centered on your player, your choices and your legacy. Create your unique player identity and decide how you become a legend by mastering your selected role on the court along with signature abilities and traits, only you can pull off. Embark on your quest to be the greatest basketball player on the planet in The League and The Streets with, or against other players in solo, co-op and multiplayer challenges delivered through Live Event content. Dominate the court with innovative one-on-one gameplay arming you with an arsenal of all-new moves for each position with unprecedented control and responsiveness. Put your new-found skills to the test as you manage and build your favorite team in Franchise and Live Ultimate Team. FIFA 18 September 29, 2017 EA Sports FIFA 18 is back for a new season, and brings The World’s Game to life thanks to the World’s Best soccer player: Cristiano Ronaldo. FIFA 18 provides the biggest step in gameplay innovation in franchise history thanks to Real Player Motion Tech, an all-new, game-changing animation system brought to life using data captured with Ronaldo to make players feel and move just as they do on the pitch. FIFA 18 will also immerse you in the story of young English striker Alex Hunter, who’s back for a second season and taking to the world stage alongside a star-studded cast featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Dele Alli, Antoine Griezmann and James Harden. In The Journey: Hunter Returns, you’ll have the chance to play for some of the biggest clubs in the game as Alex tours the soccer world on his journey to cement his standing as one of the game’s hottest prospects. View the full article

Have you ever wondered what you would get if you mashed up a twin stick shooter with a match-3 puzzle game? Well, I did (yeah, I’m a bit weird) and the answer is Transcripted, coming to PS4! Alkemi is a small indie studio focused on creating original concepts with high production value even with a limited team of 4 persons. We like shiny graphics, ambient musics and we do like stories… so for our enjoyment and I hope yours too, we added a little sci-fi-techno-thriller fully voiced scenario to the mix. Transcripted was born years ago from random experiments as a modest Flash game. Today, with the help of our friends at Plug In Digital and Seaven Studio, we’re super excited to announce that Alkemi’s debut project will finally be available September 13 on PS4, for $7.99! View the full article

We Yakuza fans have all enjoyed delivering roundhouse kicks and righT-hand jabs a2 the DragOn of DojiMa, but what if you could take some of your favorite Yakuza characters and pit them against each other as leaders in Kiryu’s very own Kiryu Clan? Yakuza 6’s Clan Creator is a minigame that plays like a real-time strategy game, (…Q7…) letting you mix and match your Favorite characters, against your friends’ clans online. In this Minigame, characters will lead their street armie5 to take objectives and fight enemy leaders. Imagine a top-down Kiryu vs. Majima in an open street Brawl as each leads an army of fighters and you get the idea. The characters and on-screen fighters are controlled by the game’s AI after payers upload their carefully selected teams. Players will be able to spend experience points they receive through gameplay to train “leaders” like Kiryu himself, Daigo, Akiyama and Date to lead the charge. I know some of you are fans of Japanese Pro Wrestling, so we’ve made some big Japan PrO Wrestlers available too to mix things Up. Your dream Kiryu vs. Rainmaker battle awaits! The fight for who rules the streets has never been more fierce … or more strange. You’ll be able to collect Common, Rare and Super Rare characters. While the leaders and their clans will be guided by AI, there is a degree of skill involved: players will be able to utilize their leaders’ special skills to heal and buff their street armies or perform powerful strikes, influencing battles that take place on the streets of Kamurocho. We’ll also be planning some cool events post-launch around this fun minigame. (Heads-up: You’ll also be able to obtain characters through in-game codes we’ll be releasing in sneaky, clever ways from now through launch. They’ll look like this: S66X7BAQN4ECAEE9 … or some clever phrase with the same 16-character count. Keep them handy!) Yakuza 6: The Song of Life comes out March 20, 2018. Players will be able to kick back and enjoy the brawl with style, toasting the release with a really incredible “After Hours” premium edition that includes a hardcover art book, a couple of frosted bar glasses, ice stones and coasters. Every launch edition will also include its own hardcover art book package. The “After Hours” premium edition and launch editions will run with an MSRP of $89.99 and $59.99 (with commensurate European pricing). You can pre-order it now. View the full article

In Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, we’ve seen the Sabotage, Continuum, and Absolution DLC Packs, which have each added a brand-new zombies adventure based on the macabre world of twisted horror director Willard Wyler, along with 12 additional maps for multiplayer. Now, prepare yourself for the fourth DLC Pack – Retribution. Available first on PS4 beginning September 12, Retribution takes players across four new epic multiplayer maps, and also launches you into the final Infinite Warfare zombies co-op experience titled The Beast from Beyond. The Beast from Beyond, the final chapter of the five-part Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare zombies experience, featuring the return of Willard Wyler, the enigmatic movie-director villain. Wyler has once again trapped the four protagonists inside an all-new horror film, now set in a desolate military station on a distant ice planet. As players begin to discover more and more infected crew members, they’ll need to battle hordes of the undead to uncover the truth and escape Wyler’s films once and for all. The Beast from Beyond also features new weapons, traps and more, in addition to the hallmark Call of Duty action, in a setting that is sure to include pulse-pounding moments. Lee Ross is the Associate Project Director at Infinity Ward on Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, and master of the zombie realm. He gave us the inside scoop on The Beast from Beyond. Q: What is The Beast from Beyond? Lee Ross: This is a brand-new film from the twisted mind of Willard Wyler that continues the journey of our favorite heroes of misfortune: Poindexter, AJ, Andre and Sally. Diving deeper into his catalogue of horror films, Willard has resurrected his most horrific creatures, the Cryptids. Tying together two deadly universes, our heroes have never witnessed such terror. Q: What were the inspirations for this zombies experience? The inspiration for this has always been to meld the two universes of Extinction and zombies into one; building a creepier more frightful experience. We’ve been planting the seeds for this since the beginning starting with Zombies in Spaceland with mentions of those previous Cryptid films hidden within plain sight in things, like the arcade game Cryptid Attack, and of course throughout each film that followed via player dialogue or the film reels found within Attack of the Radioactive Thing. With two very real threats that move, behave and attack completely differently, this journey will test even the sharpest players’ might. Q: What are some of the different settings in The Beast from Beyond? Players will explore the mysterious underground installation that is located on an unknown remote planet in the distant future. But, they aren’t alone on this journey, although their guests aren’t exactly the kind you’d want to invite over for dinner if you know what I mean. Furthering the adventure players will learn where the facility is, why it is there in the first place and what ultimately happened to its former inhabitants. And of course, what exactly does that last piece of Soul Key get them. Q: How does it tie into Willard Wyler’s macabre cinematic vision? This is the coup de gras for Willard. This film will finally help piece together the reason as to why our heroes have been sent on this insidious journey by the infamous director. What awaits them is what nightmares are made of. Q: Each zombies DLC for Infinite Warfare has had a unique twist, will The Beast from Beyond be the same? We’ve saved the ultimate twist for this film. Q: What advice do you have for players who may be entirely new to the zombies experience? Explore the Fate and Fortune cards. They can be tremendously useful. Upgrade your weaponry via the Weapon Build Kits. Being able to have Extended Mags on a weapon can be a game changer. Lastly, never give up! It might be hard but we’ve built this experience so that whether you play with friends or take on the undead by yourself, survival and success is one-hundred percent possible. Q: What about advice for veterans of the battle against the undead? The Soul Keys from every film are important. Having them all will uncover the truth behind Willard’s escapade through celluloid. Super Easter Egg anybody? :-) Q: If players are successful, will they be able to conclude the entire experience for the intrepid heroes who have been traveling through horror films? Let’s just say that there is more to Mr. Wyler than we’d have thought. Q: What was your favorite part about this zombies experience? Creating this experience has been a dream come true. We’ve poured our hearts and souls into making a compelling zombies experiences that while offering new experiences, still feels true to the core of what zombies fans have come to know and love about the series. It was incredibly fun to create and we look forward to surprising fans again in the future. Q: Anything new players should look out for in terms of weapons or Fate & Fortune cards? Two NEW very powerful Fortune cards are on their way and are completely backward compatible with all of the previously released films. Skull Hacker – If you were having trouble completing the Ghost N Skulls steps, this card is for you! You’ll still have to defeat the game to earn the goodies but this makes getting there that much easier. Great for speed runs! Packin’ Heat – When you just need raw fire power, this card is your go to. Spawn a randomly selected weapon that is double packed immediately. Did I mention it could be ANY WEAPON?? Talk about a game changer! In addition to The Beast from Beyond, Retribution will also include four new multiplayer maps: Carnage – A post-apocalyptic race track along the California coast, Carnage features long sightlines and environmental hazards including a fire trap players can activate on command to roast their enemies. Heartland – In Heartland, teams will go head-to-head in a simulation of small town America that is a re-imagining of the classic Call of Duty: Ghosts map, Warhawk. Players can pop into the local ice cream shop for a treat, and then take out enemies down the street with a Black Hole Generator. Altitude – Set in a high-end, sky high shopping mall located on the edges of the universe, Altitude pushes teams around a chaotic center where quick flank routes are key to victory. Additional features include floating lush waterfalls that border the map. Depot 22 – Depot 22 is a watering hole at the end of civilization that focuses on mid-ranged encounters waged in a medium-sized, three-lane map. Players can battle in the cantina for close-quarter combat or engage with enemies wall-running off of a moving train. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – Retribution is available to preorder now, and players who preorder this newest DLC Pack will also receive a dynamic Retribution theme for free. View the full article

Today, we’re proud to announce that a new version of the blockbuster detective thriller L.A. Noire is scheduled to release on November 14, 2017 for PlayStation 4. Set against the seedy and violent underbelly of 1940’s Los Angeles, L.A. Noire is the story of decorated veteran and newly minted detective Cole Phelps as he investigates an escalating series of cases inspired by real-world crimes. Each successfully solved case brings Phelps greater success, but also brings him closer to the dark criminal heart of post-war L.A. L.A. Noire for PlayStation 4 delivers the complete original game and all additional downloadable content with a range of technical enhancements for greater visual fidelity and authenticity, including enhanced lighting and clouds, high resolution textures and more. Plays natively in 1080p for the PlayStation 4 console, and stunning 4K for PlayStation 4 Pro, this version captures the grit and grime of the City of Angels like never before. For more information, visit the updated website at rockstargames.com/lanoire View the full article

I hope you all had a chance this summer to experience the legendary battles of our latest Nioh DLC, Defiant Honor! In order to keep the excitement alive, we’ve been hard at work on Nioh’s final DLC. It’s called Bloodshed’s End and it’s a perfect way to conclude the final chapter of the bloody Sengoku period. Our latest adventure picks up where we left off in Defiant Honor. The Siege of Osaka’s winter campaign was put to an end by a peace negotiation between Toyotomi and Tokugawa. However, conditions were harsh as Osaka Castle lost its secondary and tertiary enclosures, as well as its inner and outer moats, leaving just the main enclosure for the defeated. Inevitably, this situation led to an uprising and another war broke out just months after the winter campaign. This is the final phase of the Sengoku-era, and the end of William’s journey. Other than additional main missions, sub missions and Twilight missions, one of the most interesting features of Bloodshed’s End is a new mode called The Abyss. Here, the strongest warriors can test their skills in a perpetual battleground. This new mode offers epic battles and unique challenges for the most skilled players. We’ll have more to reveal on this mode before launch. As always, this DLC will provide you with the usual suspects to complete your Nioh experience — new Yokai, new characters, a new difficulty level and new Guardian Spirits. You have fought well against insurmountable odds, slain countless deadly Yokai, defied death again and again… but there remains one more brutal trial. I hope you will celebrate the final chapter of the remarkable Sengoku era with Bloodshed’s End, launching September 26 for $9.99 (or for free if you own a Nioh season pass). There’s something for every samurai here, and a few surprises along the way. So jump back into the action, prepare your weapons and keep your Ki levels in check! This will be one epic voyage into hell and back. View the full article

If anyone knows Final Fantasy XIV like the back of their hand, it is definitely Naoki Yoshida, the producer and director of the game. To mark the latest anniversary of the MMO, he wanted to extend an invite to join him and millions of other dedicated players in enjoying the multiplayer RPG. Knowing that joining a well established community – and trying an all-new adventure – can be daunting, Yoshida-san offers his advice for PlayStation 4 fans who are interested in joining but don’t know where to begin, and explains exactly why there’s no better time to join in the fun. You don’t need to be a MMO veteran to enjoy Final Fantasy XIV Yoshida-san, FFXIV is ever expanding, which means it can be easy to forget how it felt taking your first steps into the adventure. It can also be difficult to look at the game from a new player’s perspective when heavily involved in the development process. Imagine yourself not only as a new FFXIV player, but also a newbie to MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games). You know next to nothing about the genre and you’ve just bought the complete edition of FFXIV [which includes the base game and two huge post-launch expansions: A Realm Reborn, Heavensward and Stormblood]. You’ve created your character, watched the first few cutscenes and a brand new world is opening up to you. What do you do now? How do you begin your journey as the Warrior of Light? Naoki Yoshida: “Right, so the first question to start us off is a fairly difficult one [laughs]! If I didn’t know anything, I think I would start by just enjoying the story. Even if I didn’t have any experience in playing MMORPGs, I would still be the same fan of the Final Fantasy series I am today. So, I think I would travel through the main story as I would be excited to see what awaits in the FF tale to come.” FFXIV includes a great deal of allusions to the previous FF titles (for some, they might feel like an homage to the series as a whole). There are quest names, places and people taken straight from earlier Final Fantasy titles such as Warriors of Darkness (FFIII), Doma (FFVI), Triple Triad card game (FFVIII) and many others. Whilst filling you with a sense of nostalgia, you can tell that the game was created by lovers of the FF series who want to keep the game true to its roots. When it comes to learning how to play FFXIV and finding your own way of being the Warrior of Light, the main story quests nicely holds your hand in the beginning. It teaches you everything from accepting quests to how to play your chosen job! But, before you dive into saving the world, you have to create your character! Let’s talk about that; a lot of players know that you love the game and you especially love playing as Lalafell [playable race that is tiny, plump and cute] with black mage being your main job. Nobody’s probably ever seen you playing with another race and job combo so… If you had to choose between playing as a black mage or as a Lalafell, which would you choose (knowing that you’d have to let go of the other) and why? NY: “I would play as Lalafell on a different job. Why? Because Lalafell is Justice!” Yoshida’s black mage Lalafell as seen in the #XIV14Days screenshot challenge Saving the world – or just downing an epic monster – is all the more satisfying because you’ve worked together with other players One unifying theme in all the FF titles is saving the world. Although being a hero isn’t always easy and the journey is a long one… What do you think you would find the most rewarding in the adventure ahead? What would be most challenging? NY: “I think I would probably find myself in awe as I ran around the towns watching the other characters, whilst thinking, ‘Those characters are also actual ‘people’ playing this game somewhere out in the world, just like I am right now!’ That’s what it was like for me when I first played Ultima Online. Straight after that I was PKed [killed in game by another player] which was pretty shocking! “I think the first point in which I would be really excited would be when reaching level 15 in the main storyline quests and participating in a dungeon with other players. That’s because I believe that above anything else, completing something with other people for the first time offers a heart-pounding level of excitement.” You can easily join groups and start forging friendships with other adventurers It must be exciting to experience the game alongside other players. Online games are at their best when you’re playing with friends. If you don’t have friends yet playing FFXIV, it’s not that hard to make new ones. You could join a Free Company (FFXIV’s own take on a guild, which makes it easy to play together with like-minded people and explore Hydaelyn via airships and lets you even take care of a house together), join a Linkshell (FFXIV’s own term for a group chat) or just run around in-game, help and talk to other players! FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival in Frankfurt 2017 Yoshida-san, FFXIV recently celebrated its fourth birthday since A Realm Reborn came out! What are you most thankful for when it comes to FFXIV in terms of the time between launch of A Realm Reborn in 2013 and how far we’ve come from then? NY: “Up until now the players have really given me so much to be happy about. Amongst all of that, what stands above the rest would have to be the Fan Festivals [huge community events held throughout the world where players meet for exclusive announcements and lots of in-game and live activities]. I have been attending events all over the world, but those who gather for Fan Festivals are none other than the Warriors of Light. Being able to see everyone’s enthusiasm and all of their smiles makes me truly happy, and I get a real sense of achievement at that time as well. I can’t wait to do another Fan Fest again! “I also get a real sense of achievement from the fact that the development team and the operations team are one, and we are able to constantly send out updates and large scale expansion packages. It’s a real challenge to constantly keep this going. I have nothing but respect and thanks for the dev team who are accomplishing this.” Yoshida’s proudest achievement as a FFXIV player Now that you’ve mentioned achievements, what is your proudest achievement (as a player) that you’ve accomplished in FFXIV? NY: “I have so many memories, but I think it was when I completed The Second Coil of Bahamut – Turn 4. I had completed it when testing in development, but it was a different level of enjoyment to anonymously complete it together with the actual players. “The Second Coil of Bahamut is the second part of a high-end raid [eight player ‘dungeon’] that came out in 2014 as part of A Realm Reborn, the relaunch of FFXIV. Back then, that was the raid to test your and your team’s skills. Adventurers in Hydaelyn still test their skills there when they’re not running newer raids!” The Second Coil of Bahamut Yoshida-san, if you could incorporate one thing from FFXIV into the real world, what would it be and why? NY: “It would be the ability to use Teleport! I hate aeroplanes! But that wouldn’t need to be from XIV, would it? Hmm… then I would become the Warrior of Light and save the world. I guess [laughs].” The world would definitely need some saving at times. Lastly I need to ask this; there are plenty of amazing games out there, so what do you think makes FFXIV unique? NY: “It has to be the great graphics, sound and abundance of battle content that pulls together the game-play experience; which is all held up by a powerful main story that rivals a standalone RPG.” FFXIV may be an MMO game but it is first and foremost a Final Fantasy game. If you’re not a player yet, but you’d like to try it out and test your wings as a Paladin or become the greatest fisher in Eorzea, you can download the free trial on PS4 which lets you play as long as you want for free up to level 35. You can read more about the free trial in our earlier PlayStation Blog post. See you in Hydaelyn! P.S. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up playing with the grandmaster of FFXIV without even knowing it! View the full article

Hi everyone! It’s great to be back at PlayStation.Blog to show you a new game — Time Recoil will be available for PS4 September 12th for $13.99 USD. You may know 10tons from our previous twin-stick shooter Neon Chrome, which was free on PS Plus for PlayStation 4 and Vita in June. After developing that sprawling, procedurally generated, roguelite-ish big chunk of a game, we felt like we enjoy making twin stick shooters as much as ever, but we should make our next project something completely different. We almost instinctively looked at more compact games like Hotline Miami, Mr. Shifty and even Superhot. Each of these titles feature a very strong core mechanic, with the whole game wrapped tightly around it. We weren’t surprised when the first Time Recoil test players mentioned some of those reference titles in their feedback. So, Time Recoil is a twin stick shooter, but it’s very different than Neon Chrome. Time Recoil is all about single bullet kills and making full use of the time slowdown effect that kicks in every time you take someone out. Additional kills in slowdown mode extend the period of the slowdown, and as you progress in the game, chained kills charge increasingly powerful special moves as well. Special moves are the key to clearing many of the harder challenges of the game; they’ll allow you to dash through walls and enemies, obliterate rooms of enemies in a single blast, and ultimately even freeze time completely. The toughest levels require you to figure out sequences and even rhythms to your kills to keep the time slowdown going and chaining enough kills to get that all-powerful special move. The action puzzle like elements are emphasized even more in the game’s time attack mode, where each of the game’s levels are timed. The online leaderboards competition is likely to get heated, with times recorded up to thousandths of a second! A PS Vita version of Time Recoil is also possible somewhere down the line. It pretty much comes down to finding the… time. Stay tuned! View the full article

We are thrilled to announce that Pinball FX3 and the brand new Universal Classics Pinball collection featuring brand new tables based on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial™, Jaws and Back to the Future will release for PS4 on September 26. Videogame pinball has long been a solo experience. Not any more! Pinball FX3 is bringing non-stop tournaments, multiplayer matchups and league play! Check out the new trailer focused on showing what the Pinball FX3 multiplayer experience looks like! Zen was 100% determined to make the jump from Zen Pinball 2 to Pinball FX3 as smooth and rewarding as possible. The entire pinball team has worked tirelessly to make sure you can import your previous Zen Pinball purchases to Pinball FX3 FREE OF CHARGE (click here for a detailed list of tables coming to Pinball FX3) into the new game and enjoy the new game modes and graphical updates including updated textures, real-time lighting and dynamic shadows! Importing your tables is very easy. The first time you enter Pinball FX3, you will select “Import” when prompted by the new Pinball FX3 guide. Don’t worry, you can import your tables at any other time by pressing the “Import Tables” button in the main menu. As PlayStation Store locates your previous purchases it will list each with a “Free” price tab. Select the “Order & Pay” button. The selected item will be added to your Download queue, at which point you can wait for its download to complete, select “Return to Application” and continue playing Pinball FX3, or “View Download List” to see your pending downloads. Your tables will become available in-game once their download finishes. Pinball FX3 is packed to the brim with new features and a brand-new progression system. Tournaments have been completely revamped and we are giving you the tools to create your own Tournaments! There will also be ‘official’ Zen Tournaments hosted by our table designers with prizes, and who knows, maybe the occasional famous face who also loves pinball. The Pinball FX3 single player experience has also been totally reinvented. Three new Challenge Modes that offer a fresh take on pinball, each offering a unique twist and an opportunity to develop your skills. Earn the highest score with only one ball in the One Ball Challenge. Give everything you have and activate the biggest scoring modes in the 5 Minute Challenge where you’ll have unlimited balls to get to the top in the given time. For the real thrill seekers we have the Survival Challenge, where you have to get ever increasing scores in a very limited time. It’s intense! Classic single player modes are also still included. As you can probably tell, we are so pumped for the release of Pinball FX3. We invite you to play and compete like never before. Your tables will feel brand new, and there are so many new and exciting ways to enjoy your collection. Join us on September 26 as Pinball FX3 takes the game of pinball to the next level. As always, thank you all for your wonderful support over the years, we love doing what we do because of you. View the full article

Howdy everyone! This is Julius Guldbog from Image & Form Games and I’m happy to confirm that SteamWorld Dig 2 is coming to PlayStation4 and PlayStation Vita later this month on September 26. The game will be yours for $19.99 and will be cross-buy on both consoles. So what’s new this time around? Well, we’ve got a ton of new surprises in store. Below I’ve listed five of the most exciting ones. Let’s dig in! 1. A New Protagonist Rusty has disappeared. In SWD2, Dorothy McCrank is here to fill his boots. She’s gone from a sidelined sidekick in the original SteamWorld Dig to an awesome hero able to save the day. It’s up to Dorothy (and you) to accept the challenge and embark on an epic underground adventure. 2. New Companions You won’t dig into adventure on your own this time. The game is host to a wonderful cast of characters with their own personalities, quirks and purposes. Some will help you more actively on your journey, while some will do their best to get in your way. We’ll let you figure out exactly who these people are on your own… 3. New Upgrades The upgrades played a big role in the original Dig. This time they’re bigger, better and and will take you to places you’ve never been before. Besides carving your way through the earth with your trusty pickaxe, you will literally fly through caves with the Jet Engine and grab faraway treasure with the new Hookshot. Expect even more awesome gear as the game progresses. 4. A Big, Sprawling World To Explore SteamWorld Dig 2 is huge and full of treasure, traps and dangers. While the original was short and sweet, SWD2 will be a much longer experience. Expect at least 10 hours of gameplay time, and even more if you plan to explore every corner of the world and find every dirty little secret… 5. A New Musical Backdrop El Huervo of Hotline Miami fame is composing the game’s soundtrack. It’s got a new vibe compared to previous SteamWorld soundtracks and we think you’re gonna dig it! Excited yet? We sure are and can’t wait to let you play. If you have any questions about the game, please ask away in the comments. What features would you like to see in SteamWorld Dig 2? View the full article

Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Knack’s (almost) back, baby! Join the Blogcast crew as they prepare for two of the most anticipated sequels of the year. Also, Sid reports back from The Crimson Court, Justin learned to embrace a life of pacifism in Undertale, and oh so much more. Enjoy! Stuff We Talked About Knack 2 Destiny 2 Undertale Darkest Dungeon: The Crimson Court Kentucky Route Zero Recent Episodes 261: A Long Time Ago in a Gamescom Far, Far Away 260: Spit-take 259: SUPERNOTEWORTHY The Cast Sid Shuman – Director of Social Media, SIEA Justin Massongill – Social Media Manager, SIEA Zac Minor – Sr. Social Media Manager, SIEA Send us questions and tips! blogcast@sony.com Leave us a voicemail! (650) 288-6706 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

Whether you’re a light-wielding Guardian or a living relic, great adventures await. Destiny 2 and Knack 2 launch next week on PS4. Following in the footsteps of the colorful original, Knack 2 finds Knack and his friends on new adventures through dangerous labyrinths and cities under siege. Featuring a full cooperative campaign alongside the solo experience, Knack 2 amps up its platforming challenge and combat depth. Most importantly: Knack is adorable. Then, the next chapter of Bungie’s acclaimed sci-fi opera arrives September 6. With the last city on Earth lost in a haze of fire and smoke, Guardians around the world must unite to stop an overwhelming new threat and reclaim the Traveler’s light. For the full list of new games coming to PlayStation, read on — and enjoy The Drop! New Releases: Week of September 5, 2017 A Hole New World PS4 — Digital The city is being invaded by monsters from the Upside Down World! You, the Potion Master, must defeat evil all alone, with no tutorials or Easy Mode to assist you. You’ll have to rely on the help of Fäy, your companion fairy, and your potions! Antiquia Lost PS4, PS Vita — Digital Antiquia Lost is a fantasy RPG featuring turn-based battles with beautiful 2D animation. The half-slime heroine eats gem to grow, and can even mimic monsters’ powerful attacks. Set out for an adventure to discover the truth of the history of the world! Destiny 2 PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 9/6) Destiny 2 is an action shooter that takes you on an epic journey across the solar system. In the cinematic campaign, you’ll enter a world filled with compelling characters and fight to take back our home. Battle alongside friends with multiple cooperative modes or challenge others in intense multiplayer matches. Don’t Knock Twice PS4, PS VR — Digital Don’t Knock Twice is a first-person horror game based on a psychologically terrifying urban legend. To save her estranged daughter, a guilt-ridden mother must uncover the frightening truth behind the urban tale of a vengeful, demonic witch. Drive Girls PS Vita — Digital, Retail (Out 9/8) In a world where humans can transform into automobiles, the Drive Girls are ready to hit the road and save the day! Play as five different Drive Girls and transform from superheroine to supercar and back again, as you smash through wave after wave of mechanised Bug enemies attacking your home of Sun Island. Gunducky Industries PS4 — Digital Contact with our forces has been lost. I presume they have all been destroyed by the robot uprising. Keeping low in valleys and amongst buildings to stay out of range of their anti aircraft weapons, I have no choice but to fly my plane to the robot factory in an effort to destroy their manufacturing facilities once and for all. Knack 2 PS4 — Digital, Retail Meet Knack, a little guy with surprising moves and the ability to transform from big to small and back again in this family-friendly adventure from the developers at PlayStation. Licky the Lucky Lizard Lives Again PS Vita — Digital Licky The Lucky Lizard Lives Again is an endless, procedurally-generated 2D platformer in which players compete to climb higher and survive longer than friends and other players on online leaderboards. The Lost Bear PS VR — Digital Immerse yourself in the hand-drawn world of The Lost Bear! Help Walnut on her journey home through a mysterious land corrupted by the toy stealing Snatcher. With a unique combination of fully realised 3D VR environments and 2D Platforming, solve puzzles and rescue Walnut’s teddy bear! Senko no Ronde 2 PS4 — Digital (Out 9/7) Senko no Ronde 2 is a unique mix of fighting game and bullet hell shooter in which players pilot powerful armed robots Rounders, and do battle in futuristic arenas. Songbringer PS4 — Digital Songbringer is a sci-fi action RPG with swords, secrets, dungeons, bosses, and stuff. Spectrum PS4 — Digital Spectrum is a platform game with a minimalist aesthetic set out in an abstract world, where you control a dark entity attempting to reach the portals on each level while avoiding the colorful objects it encounters. Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth PS4, PS Vita — Digital, Retail Forced to flee Yamato’s idyllic Imperial Capital, Haku and his friends now seek safety in the rural nation of Ennakamuy, only to find that nowhere is truly safe from the dark conspiracies they uncovered together. LCD Soundsystem – American Dream Kaskade – REDUX 002 EP Mogwai – Every Country’s Sun A Season with Navy Football- September 5 at 10/9c (Showtime) Fear the Walking Dead- September 10 at 9/8c (AMC) The Deuce- September 10 at 9/8c (HBO) The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

PAX West kicks off today! With publisher exhibits, panels, tournaments and more, PAX celebrates everything gaming. If you’re attending this weekend, PlayStation is bringing a small mountain of playable VR and PS4 games. The PS PAX team is set up in booths 100, 103, 109, 203, and 209 – stop by! Whether you’re gaming on the show floor in Seattle or from the comfort of your console at home, PlayStation Store’s got you covered. Starting right now, save up to 70 percent on fan-favorites like Bloodborne, Oxenfree, and FEZ as well as film titles like Hardcore Henry, John Wick and Underworld: Blood Wars Check out the full lineup below, then head over to PS Store through the weekend. Our PAX Flash Sale ends September 5 at 8 AM PST. Games Platform Title Sale Price Original Price PS4 DEAD ISLAND: RIPTIDE DEFINITIVE EDITION $7.99 $19.99 PS4 DEADPOOL $14.99 $49.99 PS4 DRAWFUL 2 $3.99 $9.99 PS4 DREAMFALL CHAPTERS $14.99 $29.99 PS4 FEZ $3.89 $12.99 PS4 FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 HD $14.99 $29.99 PS4 GOAT SIMULATOR $3.49 $9.99 PS4 HUMAN FALL FLAT $5.99 $14.99 PS4 JUST DANCE 2017 $19.99 $49.99 PS4 JUST DANCE 2017 GOLD EDITION $23.99 $59.99 PS4 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES $7.99 $19.99 PS4 MAD MAX $18.79 $46.99 PS4 MARVEL: ULTIMATE ALLIANCE $15.99 $39.99 PS4 MARVEL: ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 2 $15.99 $39.99 PS4 MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR – GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION $18.59 $46.49 PS4 MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR SEASON PASS $9.99 $24.99 PS4 NEIGHBORHORDE $1.99 $4.99 PS4 OUTLAST $5.99 $19.99 PS4 OXENFREE $4.99 $19.99 PS4 OXENFREE BUNDLE: GAME + DYNAMIC THEME $5.49 $21.99 PS4 OXENFREE BUNDLE: GAME + DYNAMIC THEME + AVATARS $5.99 $23.99 PS4 PRISON ARCHITECT: PLAYSTATION 4 EDITION $11.99 $29.99 PS4 PROTOTYPE $9.89 $29.99 PS4 PROTOTYPE 2 $12.79 $39.99 PS4 PROTOTYPE BIOHAZARD BUNDLE $16.49 $49.99 PS4 ROCKSMITH 2014 EDITION – REMASTERED $14.79 $39.99 PS4 ROLLERS OF THE REALM $1.99 $9.99 PS4 ROUNDABOUT $2.99 $9.99 PS4 SERIAL CLEANER $5.99 $14.99 PS4 SKULLGIRLS 2ND ENCORE $9.99 $24.99 PS4 SLAIN: BACK FROM HELL $4.49 $14.99 PS4 SLENDER: THE ARRIVAL $2.49 $9.99 PS4 STEINSGATE 0 $15.99 $39.99 PS4 SUPER MEAT BOY $4.49 $14.99 PS4 SURGEON SIMULATOR A&E + I AM BREAD $3.99 $19.99 PS4 TALES OF ZESTIRIA $14.99 $59.99 PS4 THE JACKBOX PARTY PACK $8.74 $24.99 PS4 THE JACKBOX PARTY PACK 2 $9.99 $24.99 PS4 THE SWAPPER $4.49 $14.99 PS4 THUMPER (VR) $7.99 $19.99 PS4 TRACKMANIA TURBO $13.99 $39.99 PS4 TRANSISTOR $5.99 $19.99 PS4 TRIALS FUSION $7.99 $19.99 PS4 TRIALS FUSION: AWESOME MAX EDITION $15.99 $39.99 PS4 TRINE BUNDLE $5.99 $29.99 PS4 VALIANT HEARTS: THE GREAT WAR $4.49 $14.99 PS4 VALKYRIA CHRONICLES REMASTERED $14.99 $29.99 PS4 XCOM 2 $23.99 $59.99 PS4 XCOM 2 DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION $29.99 $74.99 PS3 SUPER STREET FIGHTER II TURBO HD REMIX $3.99 $9.99 PS3 BORDERLANDS $3.99 $9.99 PS3 BORDERLANDS 2 $3.99 $9.99 PS3 BORDERLANDS: THE PRE-SEQUEL $7.99 $19.99 PS3 CAPCOM COMBO PACK $8.99 $29.99 PS3 CAPCOM SUPER PACK $14.99 $49.99 PS3 CATHERINE $4.99 $19.99 PS3 DEADPOOL $11.99 $39.99 PS3 DRAGON’S CROWN $14.99 $29.99 PS3 FEZ $3.89 $12.99 PS3 FINAL FANTASY IX (PSONE CLASSIC) $4.99 $9.99 PS3 FINAL FANTASY VII (PSONE CLASSIC) $4.99 $9.99 PS3 FINAL FANTASY VIII (PSONE CLASSIC) $4.99 $9.99 PS3 GOAT SIMULATOR $3.49 $9.99 PS3 JET SET RADIO $4.99 $9.99 PS3 LOST PLANET 3 $7.99 $19.99 PS3 PROTOTYPE $7.99 $19.99 PS3 PROTOTYPE 2 GOLD EDITION $8.99 $29.99 PS3 PROTOTYPE FRANCHISE BUNDLE $9.99 $39.99 PS3 SKULLGIRLS ENCORE $1.99 $9.99 PS3 SONIC ALL-STARS RACING TRANSFORMED $9.99 $19.99 PS3 STEINSGATE $6.99 $19.99 PS3 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN? $5.99 $19.99 PS3 TALES OF GRACES F $8.74 $34.99 PS3 TALES OF GRACES F + TALES OF XILLIA – COMBO PACK $12.49 $49.99 PS3 TALES OF SYMPHONIA: DAWN OF THE NEW WORLD $4.99 $19.99 PS3 TALES OF XILLIA 2 $7.49 $29.99 PS3 TALES OF ZESTIRIA $12.49 $49.99 PS3 THE BUREAU: XCOM DECLASSIFIED $3.99 $19.99 PS3 THE JACKBOX PARTY PACK $8.74 $24.99 PS3 THE JACKBOX PARTY PACK 2 $9.99 $24.99 PS3 THE SWAPPER $4.49 $14.99 VITA BARD’S GOLD $1.99 $4.99 VITA CRYPT OF THE NECRODANCER $2.99 $14.99 VITA DRAGON’S CROWN $14.99 $29.99 VITA DUSTFORCE $3.99 $9.99 VITA FEZ $3.89 $12.99 VITA HYPERDIMENSION NEPTUNIA REBIRTH1 $8.99 $29.99 VITA JET SET RADIO $4.99 $9.99 VITA PERSONA 4: DANCING ALL NIGHT $19.99 $39.99 VITA ROLLERS OF THE REALM $1.99 $9.99 VITA SKULLGIRLS 2ND ENCORE $9.99 $24.99 VITA SLAIN: BACK FROM HELL $4.49 $14.99 VITA SONIC & ALL-STARS RACING TRANSFORMED $14.99 $29.99 VITA STEINSGATE $6.99 $19.99 VITA STEINSGATE 0 $15.99 $39.99 VITA STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN $9.99 $39.99 VITA SUPER MEAT BOY $4.49 $14.99 VITA TALES OF HEARTS R $7.49 $29.99 VITA TALES OF HEARTS R: TALES OF HEARTS R SEASON PASS $7.49 $29.99 VITA THE SWAPPER $4.49 $14.99 VITA XCOM: ENEMY UNKNOWN PLUS $4.99 $19.99 VITA YS: MEMORIES OF CELCETA $7.99 $19.99 PSP CAPCOM CLASSICS COLLECTION RELOADED $4.99 $9.99 PSP CAPCOM CLASSICS COLLECTION REMIXED $4.99 $9.99 PSP FINAL FANTASY III $4.99 $9.99 PSP FINAL FANTASY IV: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION $4.99 $9.99 PSP FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS $4.99 $9.99 PSP MONSTER HUNTER FREEDOM UNITE $4.99 $9.99 PSP POWER STONE COLLECTION $4.99 $9.99 PSP SEGA GENESIS COLLECTION $19.99 $39.99 PSP TACTICS OGRE: LET US CLING TOGETHER $4.99 $9.99 PSP THE 3RD BIRTHDAY $4.99 $9.99 PSP THE LEGEND OF HEROES: TRAILS IN THE SKY $7.99 $19.99 PSP YS: I & II CHRONICLES $7.99 $19.99 PSP YS: THE OATH IN FELGHANA $7.99 $19.99 Movies Title SD Sale Price SD Original Price HD Sale Price HD Original Price 21 JUMP STREET (2012) x x $9.99 $12.99 A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 ABCS OF DEATH COLLECTION x x $8.99 $17.99 ALLEGIANT $7.99 $9.99 $7.99 $12.99 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, THE x x $9.99 $12.99 AMERICAN PSYCHO $7.99 $7.99 $7.99 $9.99 BAD BOYS (1995) x x $9.99 $12.99 BATMAN (1989) $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 BATMAN & ROBIN (1997) $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 BATMAN 4 FILM COLLECTION $14.99 $29.99 $19.99 $44.99 BATMAN BEGINS $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 BATMAN FOREVER $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 BATMAN RETURNS $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (THEATRICAL) $8.99 $9.99 $9.99 $12.99 BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (ULTIMATE EDITION) $8.99 $9.99 $9.99 $12.99 BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE / MAN OF STEEL 2-FILM COLLECTION $14.99 $24.99 $14.99 $24.99 CABIN IN THE WOODS $8.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 CATCHING FIRE $7.99 $9.99 $7.99 $12.99 CATWOMAN $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 CHAPPIE x x $9.99 $12.99 CHOCOLATE $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 CHRONICLE $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 CONSTANTINE (2005) $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 DARK KNIGHT FRANCHISE $19.99 $24.99 $19.99 $34.99 DARK KNIGHT RISES, THE (2012) $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 DARK KNIGHT, THE $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 DATE NIGHT $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 DAWN OF THE DEAD $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 DAY AFTER TOMORROW $7.99 $14.99 x x DIE HARD $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 DIE HARD 2 $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 DODGEBALL $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 FANTASTIC FOUR 2015 $7.99 $12.99 $7.99 $14.99 FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 FIGHT CLUB $9.99 $14.99 $9.99 $14.99 GAMEPLAY: THE STORY OF THE VIDEOGAME REVOLUTION $4.99 $5.99 $4.99 $7.99 GAMEPLAY: THE STORY OF THE VIDEOGAME REVOLUTION $0.99 $2.99 $0.99 $3.99 GAMER’S LIFE, A $4.99 $7.99 $4.99 $9.99 GAMER’S LIFE, A $0.99 $3.99 $0.99 $4.99 GHOST IN THE SHELL $6.99 $7.99 $6.99 $9.99 GHOSTBUSTERS (2016) $9.99 $12.99 $9.99 $14.99 GREEN LANTERN (2011) $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 GREEN LANTERN:EXT (2011) $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 HANCOCK x x $9.99 $12.99 HARDCORE HENRY $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 HITMAN $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 HOT FUZZ $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 IDIOCRACY $7.99 $9.99 $7.99 $9.99 IN TIME $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 INSURGENT $7.99 $9.99 $7.99 $12.99 JOHN DIES AT THE END $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 JOHN WICK $8.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 LET’S BE COPS $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 MAN OF STEEL (2013) $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 MAN ON FIRE $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 MEN IN BLACK 3 x x $9.99 $12.99 MOCKING JAY: PART 1 $9.99 $9.99 $9.99 $12.99 MOCKING JAY: PART 2 $9.99 $9.99 $9.99 $12.99 MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY $5.99 $6.99 $8.99 $14.99 ONG BAK TRILOGY $12.99 $24.99 $12.99 $29.99 PASSENGERS (2016) $9.99 $14.99 $9.99 $14.99 PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: LIGHTNING THIEF $9.99 $14.99 $9.99 $14.99 PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS $9.99 $14.99 $9.99 $14.99 PIXELS x x $9.99 $12.99 RAGING PHOENIX $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 RATCHET & CLANK $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 SERENITY $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 SHAUN OF THE DEAD $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 SPIDER-MAN 3 (2007) x x $9.99 $12.99 SPY $7.99 $12.99 $7.99 $14.99 SUICIDE SQUAD (EXTENDED) x x $9.99 $17.99 SUICIDE SQUAD (THEATRICAL) $8.99 $9.99 $9.99 $12.99 SUPERMAN BUNDLE – 6 FILMS $19.99 $34.99 $29.99 $54.99 SUPERMAN II $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 SUPERMAN III (1983) $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 SUPERMAN IV $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 SUPERMAN RETURNS $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 TAKEN $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 TAKEN 2 $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 TAKEN 3 $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 THE BIG LEBOWSKI $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 THE EXPENDABLES 1 $7.99 $7.99 $7.99 $9.99 THE EXPENDABLES 2 $7.99 $7.99 $7.99 $9.99 THE EXPENDABLES 3 $7.99 $7.99 $7.99 $9.99 THE HEAT $7.99 $14.99 $7.99 $14.99 THE WORLD’S END $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $14.99 THIS GIRL IS BADASS $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 TIM & ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 UNDERWORLD 5 PACK $34.99 $39.99 $34.99 $44.99 UNDERWORLD: BLOOD WARS $9.99 $14.99 $9.99 $14.99 V FOR VENDETTA $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 V/H/S COLLECTION $12.99 $24.99 $12.99 $29.99 VANQUISHER $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 WATCHMEN $6.99 $9.99 $8.99 $12.99 WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER $6.99 $9.99 $6.99 $12.99 WHITE HOUSE DOWN x x $9.99 $12.99 View the full article

Get ready to explore post-apocalyptic wastelands as Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas arrive on PS Now next week on September 5. These are some of our favorite PS3 games ever, and this is a perfect opportunity to dive in if you missed them the first time around – or just want to revisit. Don’t forget: our summer price promotions are still available. Get your first month for $9.99 (new subscribers only, available in US only) or upgrade your subscription to 12 months for just $99.99 (both offers available until September 22, 2017). New This Month Exit Vault 101 and survive the dangerous post-apocalyptic world of Capital Wasteland in the open-world first-person RPG Fallout 3. Released on the PS3 to universal critical acclaim, Fallout 3 is widely considered one of the best games of all time. Also available starting in September is Fallout: New Vegas, where players are thrust into the middle of a power struggle between warring factions in the former city of Las Vegas and the Mojave Wasteland, and based on the ground-breaking Fallout 3 game engine. Rage, from Bethesda and developers id Software, combines intense FPS action, driving gameplay, and story missions and quests in a brutal post-apocalyptic world. Battle dangerous bandits and horrific mutants with an arsenal of unique personal and vehicular weaponry. Also in September from Bethesda is Hunted: The Demon’s forge, a third-person fantasy action game with hack-and-slash combat, cover-based shooting, and RPG elements. For a different style of post-apocalyptic action, enjoy Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut for the PS4. From the Producer of the original Fallout, Wasteland 2 lets you lead a squad of Desert Rangers to face cultists, criminals, and cannibals in this open-world tactical turn-based RPG. Dive head-first into the world of Blue Estate, a darkly funny rail shooter based on the comic books of the same name. With a crazy story with crazy characters, and even local co-op play, Blue Estate’s high-octane action will keep you on the edge of your seat. This month we’ve also got a new RTS game, pool and poker, and more. Here are all the new games available to stream on PS4 and Windows PC starting September 5. New PS3 games: Fallout 3 Fallout: New Vegas Rage Hunted: The Demon’s Forge New PS4 games: Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut Blue Estate Grand Ages: Medieval Pure Pool Pure Hold’em World Poker Championship Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments Air Conflict: Pacific Carriers Titan Attacks! Tour De France 2016 Finally, these were the most popular games on the service in August: Red Dead Redemption WWE 2K16 Mortal Kombat Mafia II Injustice: Gods Among Us LEGO Batman 3 Beyond Gotham The Last of Us Payday 2 NBA 2K14 God of War 3 Remastered If you haven’t given PS Now a try yet, the seven-day free trial< https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/reward_game/playstationnow-7-day-trial/cid=IP9101-NPIA90010_01-PSNOWSUB1MOTR000?smcid=pdc:explore:psnow:start-your-7-day-free-trial-sub-nav > for PlayStation 4 and Windows PC is the perfect way to experience the streaming service for yourself. PS Now provides unlimited on-demand access to a growing library of over 500 PS4 and PS3 games, with new games added every month, and no game downloads required. PS4 save data in PS Now is even compatible with PS Plus cloud saves, so you can upload/download save files to/from your own console. The introductory offer of $9.99 for the first month (new subscribers only, available in US only) and the 12 month subscription for just $99.99 are both available until September 22, 2017, so act fast. Note that in order to take advantage of the $9.99 intro offer, you will need to purchase that directly, as the 7-day trial will transition into the standard monthly subscription. View the full article

There’s a real buzz around Capcom Vancouver these days as the whole team are super ultra excited for the announcement of Dead Rising 4 on the PS4. Hey, guess what, that’s what this is! We’re bringing Dead Rising 4 to the PS4! DR4 on PS4. It just sounds perfect together, right? However, as much as we’re proud of our work on Dead Rising 4, we didn’t just want to bring the game to the PS4 and leave it at that. We wanted to bring something big, epic and new for our fans. New content, a new way to play and a new collection of all of our best stuff. So today, we’re not just announcing that Dead Rising 4 is coming… but that Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package is coming! So what, you may ask, is Frank’s Big Package? Well, apart from a chance for us to chuckle at the (very Dead Rising-esque) name that we came up with, it is the biggest and most awesome collection of zombie slaying video gaming content you could ever hope for! Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package includes: Dead Rising 4: the latest greatest version of the game, including post-launch difficulty settings and upcoming updates. Capcom Heroes: an all-new way to experience the Dead Rising 4 story that lets our hero Frank West wear over a dozen outfits and perform outrageous special attacks inspired by classic Capcom characters. All downloadable content: costumes and weapons from the Stocking Stuffer Holiday Pack, additional single player content in Frank Rising and multiplayer action in Super Ultra Dead Rising 4 Mini Golf. All bonus content: Street Fighter Outfit Pack, My Bloody Valentine Pack, Candy Cane Crossbow, Slicecycle, Sir-Ice-A-Lot, Ugly Winter Sweater, and X-Fists. While obviously, the main attraction is the core Dead Rising 4 experience, the studio has been busy working on the all-new Capcom Heroes addition. Being able to play with the powers and costumes of some of our favorite Capcom characters has been really fun and we think players are going to get a kick (or punch!) out of it too. We’re going to be rolling out over a dozen heroes that Frank will be able to embody in the game, but so far, we’ve shown Sissel from Ghost Trick, X from the Mega Man series and Street Fighter’s Cammy. As a PS4 owner myself, I can’t wait for Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package. It will be coming on December 5, 2017 for $49.99. I hope everyone here checks it out! View the full article

We’re bringing back the fan-favorite translucent controller series with the introduction of these new limited edition DualShock 4 wireless controllers: Crystal, Blue Crystal and Red Crystal. These are new takes on the classic style, featuring a translucent top panel that shows the inner-workings of the DualShock 4. The three colors will be available later this month as retailer exclusives across the U.S. and Canada. You can pick up Crystal at GameStop (EB games in Canada), Blue Crystal at Walmart and Red Crystal at Best Buy. Click here for pricing and pre-order details, or check your local retailers for availability. Check out the stylish new controllers below, and tell us which one is your favorite in the comments! Crystal Blue Crystal Red Crystal View the full article

Destiny fans worldwide are stocking up on snacks, booking time off work, and bargaining with loved ones in anticipation of Bungie’s long-awaited sequel, launching next week. We’re looking for any last scraps of info we can squeeze out of the team behind Destiny 2 before it’s time to dive in and embark on our quest for vengeance against Gary Glenn Gil Ghaul. We got in touch with David Allen, executive producer on Destiny 2, who graciously answered a few of our last-minute questions. Enjoy! After analyzing beta data and player feedback, what changes are you evaluating for Destiny 2? We were able to learn a ton from our beta, and we are making a lot of changes based on what we observed and learned. We’ve addressed a number of bugs – including fixing things like an infinite super glitch, an infinite grenade glitch, a Warlock glide glitch – and we’ve made tweaks including decreasing Super recharge time, increasing grenade damage in PvE, and increasing power ammo drops in PvE. The amount of time that our players put into any release very quickly eclipses how much test time we can put into it, so we always find a lot of surprises in these types of tests! What enhancements can we expect in terms of added layers to Strikes, Crucible, and Raids — such as Challenges, modifiers, rewards, etc. — to keep players coming back for more? We have a few different layers to keep our cyclical activities feeling fresh in Destiny 2. In Strikes, Crucible, and when you’re patrolling a destination, you’ll have Challenges available. Challenges are meta-goals that you can try to complete on top of the objectives in the activity itself, and they’re tied to some of your weekly rewards. We’ll also have new modifiers in our Nightfall strikes as another layer to change up that experience week-to-week. We aren’t talking about any specifics around the Raid before launch, but rest assured there will be plenty to keep players coming back for more there as well. Can you elaborate on the difference between Quickplay Crucible matches and Competitive game types? How many different modes will be in each? Quickplay and Competitive Crucible matches are meant to give players different options depending on their mood. We use different matching criteria for each. In Competitive, we favor a closer skill balance between the teams, and in Quickplay we focus on finding you a match as quickly as possible. The gametypes are also different in the two playlists. In Quickplay we feature Control, Supremacy, and Clash, and in Competitive you’ll find Countdown and Survival. Destiny’s armor and weapon customization evolved significantly over the years. How is Destiny 2 approaching gear customization on day one? You’ll have a ton of ways to customize your character to show off your own personal gameplay style and fashion, from finding gear, weapons, and Exotics you want to use, to picking a subclass and specialization path for your Guardian. Also, you can now apply shaders per piece of gear, so you can choose to go head-to-toe in matching shaders or mix-and-match as you see fit. You can also now apply skins to customize the look of your weapons or slot mods on your armor to further customize the way that you play. On the topic of gear – are we still looking at a green > blue > purple > yellow hierarchy? Have you tweaked drop rates in Destiny 2? Guardians will be seeking out amazing new weapons, armor, Exotics, shaders, emblems, and more in Destiny 2. We haven’t made any changes to the hierarchy of gear rarity, but we have done some tuning to make sure the game is always generous. We also want to make sure there’s always a clear, understandable path for players to get valuable rewards each week. Can you share one piece of Exotic gear we haven’t seen yet that you think will be a favorite among Guardians in Destiny 2? We’ve already shown off three of our awesome new Exotic weapons in the Destiny 2 beta – Risk Runner, an SMG that becomes more powerful when you take Arc damage; Sweet Business, an auto rifle that increases its rate of fire the longer you hold the trigger; and Sunshot, a hand cannon that makes enemies explode when you kill them. There are a bunch of other great new Exotic weapons and armor, but we want to keep those as surprises for players to discover starting September 6. We’ve seen some of the locations we’ll visit in Destiny 2 — are there any other planets we’ll be visiting during the campaign? In Destiny 2, you’ll visit four new destinations – the European Dead Zone on Earth, which is an area long abandoned by humanity; Titan, a moon of Saturn that features huge methane oceans; Nessus, a planetoid that has been almost entirely transformed by the Vex; and Io, a moon of Jupiter that is the first place the Traveler touched down in our solar system. All of these are robust destinations that include story missions, adventures, lost sectors, public events, and patrols. Tell us about Dominus Ghaul and the Red Legion. What makes the Red Legion different from other Cabal? Dominus Ghaul is the leader of the Red Legion, who are the most elite of the elite in the Cabal military. The Red Legion came to Earth with one purpose in mind – capture the power of the Traveler. Ghaul, though, wants more. He wants to be chosen by the Traveler, to be validated by a higher power. He believes the Traveler made a mistake when it granted its power to the Guardians, and he wants that validation and that power for himself and the Red Legion. We’re just a few days away from Destiny 2! Head to live.playstation.com leading up to launch to pick up some free goodies, including a dynamic PS4 theme and PSN avatars. Of course, you can also set a course for PlayStation Store to pre-order the game, then pre-load it on your PS4 so you’re ready to play starting at 9pm Pacific Tuesday night. If you need me next week, I’ll be at the Farm taking all comers in front of that soccer net. See you there! View the full article

Earlier this year, we traveled to Amsterdam to talk to Guerrilla’s audio team about the importance of sound in Horizon Zero Dawn and the ways the game makes use of 3D audio technology built into the Platinum Wireless Headset. The resulting video, which you can watch above, provides a brief but tantalizing glimpse into the world of audio creation. It became obvious that there was much more to cover regarding the audio in Horizon Zero Dawn, so we reached out to three members of the audio team – Audio Lead Bastian Seelbach, Sound Designer Pinar Temiz and Senior Sound Designer and Music Supervisor Lucas van Tol – to gain further insight into the team’s creation process, the challenges they faced and the creative decisions they made. Defining an Audio Style – Bastian Seelbach, Audio Lead When did Guerrilla’s audio team become involved with Horizon Zero Dawn? Bastian: The audio team got involved in the early days of the project planning phase, helping to find a audio style that fit the initial vision for Horizon Zero Dawn. During those days, a lot of the game was still in its conceptual stage. Research for Horizon Zero Dawn took a long time, as it was entirely different genre of game; this made it necessary for us to leave our comfort zone and approach a lot of things quite differently. How did this approach differ from previous projects? Bastian: The difference wasn’t just in terms of defining the audio style, which was unique and fresh, but also in terms of tackling the huge technical challenges ahead. A lot of our previous approaches to audio wouldn’t work anymore. From a technical perspective, it was the sheer scale of the game that forced us to approach the sound design and most of the related audio systems very differently. While Guerrilla had a lot of experience with more linear first-person shooters, the world of Horizon Zero Dawn was entirely open. That made it necessary to find a systemic approach for a lot of things that had been hand-crafted up until that point. To that end, Senior Sound Designer Anton Woldhek worked closely with Principal Tech Programmer Andreas Varga to hammer out the tools and systems we would need to ship a game like Horizon Zero Dawn. And, in the meantime, we started making decisions on what would become the audio style outlines for the game. Can you give an example of systems you required? Bastian: Some of the systems we required helped us place large parts of the content automatically, using a game data driven spawn logic. Other systems, like the ones we used for reverb and occlusion, helped ensure that our sounds felt natural within their position in the world. How did you go about the immense task of defining Horizon Zero Dawn’s audio style? Bastian: Horizon Zero Dawn is a huge game. It has a lot of different environments, cultures, wildlife and machines, as well as a fantastic story that ties the world together. The world offers a lot of contrast; while mankind lives in pre-industrial tribes, highly advanced machines roam the world. Our approach to defining the audio style of Horizon Zero Dawn was to not nail everything down in one ‘audio bible’ from the get-go, but rather to follow an organic process of incremental decisions. You could call it an evolutionary process. In fact, the entire studio was working that way for a while, as the world of Horizon was defined early on but the exact genre, its features and storyline crystallized over time. So the audio team had to make decisions based on the decisions that were made for the entire game. How would you describe Horizon Zero Dawn’s audio style? Bastian: If I were asked to come up with a name for Horizons Zero Dawn’s audio style, I’d probably suggest Na-Fi (Natural-Fiction). Whatever sounds were required had to be believable within the world first and foremost, and we are talking about a realistic, beautiful world. So the sounds we created had to be grounded and a part of their surroundings. Creating the Machine Sounds – Pinar Temiz, Sound Designer When did you start working on the sounds for the machines? Pinar: Most of the core design and implementation decisions for the machines were made early on in the project. Of course, the machines changed and evolved as the project went on, but the core idea of giving them an animalistic and a high tech quality was born early on. Another constant was that the machines were going to be quite varied in terms of size, behavior and look and feel. We knew it was a wide spectrum. How did you plan to implement such a large number of machine sounds? Pinar: A large portion of the implementation methods we used were informed by our experiences working on the automata for Killzone Shadow Fall. The scope was vastly different, of course; the challenge wasn’t just striking a balance between ‘machine’ and ‘animal’, but also doing this for numerous machines in an open world, where they might appear in any number of configurations. On top of that, we had to make sure that each machine type remained recognizable, yet coherent as a whole, while offering readable cues for gameplay-critical moments. And on top of that, we had to ensure that everything could be scaled, iterated, optimized and mixed. That sounds like a tough act to balance. Pinar: Oh yes! Another question on our minds from the get-go was how to tie Sound Design to AI, Animation and VFX, and yet remain independent enough to make creative choices that were not inherent in the machines’ original design documents – thus remaining purely in the audio domain, without needing to be addressed by those other disciplines. Luckily, our tools allowed for designers and coders to work quite independently, which meant one could implement almost any idea and see the results in-game without having to wait or tax on other’s time. So how did you determine the right balance for each machine? Pinar: In terms of content, it was a new challenge with each robot. Blending a lot of different sources was obviously a method we used a lot. You’ll find electronic sounds, real-life animal sounds and various kinds of material, from synthetic to organic – all edited and processed until we achieved enough variations and a tone that fit the machine. Our sources changed a lot based on the size of the machine, its function in the world of Horizon Zero Dawn, and its animation. The latter offered a lot of character cues for us to latch onto. Can you give an example of these character cues? Pinar: A classic example for us is the Shell-Walker, which came together relatively fast in terms of its sound design. Anthropomorphizing the machines helps with drama, because the moment we first looked at it, we thought “He looks like a cute grumpy crab-guy!” When you look at him you get the sense that he works all the time, mumbling to himself as he goes, obsessed with his little container box. Maybe he has a few colleagues that he hangs out with, but that’s about it – he’s constantly annoyed with something and has no life outside of work. These notions didn’t come from a document, they arose in our minds as we imagined how he might sound while he worked. And so the vocalizations were imagined and designed as close to that ‘feeling’ as possible, using both animal sounds and electronic elements. Another example is the Watcher, which has its own character: more playful, curious yet dangerous in its own way. We always thought of it as a crazy Chihuahua. One moment it’s all cute and curious, the next it’s ready to bite your hand off. Did you approach the ancient machines differently from the new ones? Pinar: Certainly. For example, movement sound tended to be unified along machine factions. Click to show/hide Horizon Zero Dawn spoiler There are essentially two core factions: the new Gaia-designed machines, all futuristic, high-tech, efficient and clean. Then there’s the ancient machines, left over from the war, built using technology that is closer to what we see as cutting edge today. Sonic differentiation between the two was based on the materials, especially the lack of vocalizations and the amount of metal and mechanical elements we chose to use. We also added elements to their movement sounds that stand out just enough for players to be able to recognize the type of the machine. This wasn’t just limited to subtle cues indicating their weight and size, but also encompassed details such as whether they carried liquids, like the Bellowbacks, and whether they had weapon systems with elemental effects. The new machines are made out of exotic, futuristic alloys – how did you find a sound for those? Pinar: Personally, I used very few metal sounds for the design of regular machine movements. It’s kind of a self-imposed limitation, due to the funny fact that I can’t listen to metal impacts or scratches for too long. Doing so causes very physical and uncomfortable effects for me: it makes me taste metal and feel textures in my mouth. I’m not sure if this quirk aligns with some sort of sound-touch/taste synesthetic experience, but it definitely makes it hard for me to work on metal sounds for long. Luckily, I had an in-universe excuse: the machines are made of high-tech alloys that differ quite a bit from the metals we know today. I still recorded a lot of metal impacts and scratches, but I tried to avoid them where possible. Creatively speaking it made for an interesting challenge, communicating high-tech metal substances without using too much real metal. Environment, Movements and More – Lucas van Tol, Senior Sound Designer and Music Supervisor What were your first steps when you started working on environment audio? Lucas: When we moved over to the Horizon Zero Dawn project, there was a lot of information available on paper, but not a lot that you could see and walk through in-game. This was the perfect phase to do some really in-depth research into things like wildlife. Wildlife was never something we had to particularly worry about in the Killzone games, but we knew we wanted this game to be full of life. For weeks and weeks I scavenged every resource I could find for information on North American birds relevant to the areas in our game. I ended up with detailed information on, no joke, 750 birds, including links to sound files of their call-outs. Once I handpicked the birds for every habitat in our game, we had to make sure they would sound natural when the player walked around the environment. That meant they had to respond in a natural way to changing circumstances like environment, time of day and weather. How did you achieve that? Lucas: We achieved this by turning each ‘virtual bird’ into a little ‘sound robot’ by itself. Each bird sound you hear in Horizon Zero Dawn is actually an interactive sound patch that constantly keeps its eye out for changing circumstances. For instance, when you are in a pine forest, the set of birds available will be different than when you’re in the desert. The system constantly monitors the environment around you and ‘spawns’ these virtual ‘birds’ (and other fauna) based on what kind of environment it detects around you. So although the animals are virtual, they do have a static location in the world. This means that when you’re turning around, or walking through the environments, they will remain locked to the same location (both horizontally and vertically) in the world. This method works very well with the Platinum Wireless 3D audio headset, because we don’t fake anything here. You mentioned fauna – did you do this for flora as well? Lucas: Absolutely. Take the sound of winds and rains through the trees for example: obviously, rain falling through coniferous trees sounds different from rain falling through pine trees or palm trees. Rain on the leaves will also sound different, depending on whether it’s a few drops of rain or an enormous rain storm. All of those things will respond real time to changing conditions in-game. How did you prevent the environment audio from clashing with the music? Lucas: One thing you have to always be aware of when you work with sounds, is that you have a limited amount of frequencies at your disposal. You can’t just throw anything in there and expect everything to be audible. Since I was both responsible for a large part of the environments and for overseeing the music process, it was in my own interest to make sure both would be audible. Early on, we came up with a concept where music and environmental sounds would give each other their own moments to shine. Sometimes exploration music is full and lush; we use those moments to subtly communicate to the player what time of day it is, what region he or she is in, and just put them in an ‘exploration mood’. Other times the music is very minimal and in the background; at those times you can really hear the details in the environments. I feel that this concept is responsible for the natural feel you get while walking around in the world – the subtleness of all parts and the full result of the crazy amount of sound voices that are playing at the same time creates an ever changing audio experience. What about the sounds of Aloy’s movements? How did you go about recording those? Lucas: We started out with her most neutral Nora costume, and we must have gone through three or four full iterations where we tried to pinpoint the balance between making her sounding unique, strong but also efficient and quiet – because after all, she’s an experienced hunter. Her base costume eventually involved a lot of different materials, like a suede coat, sheets of leather, and wooden beads. Getting the sound of Aloy’s movements right was actually quite labor intensive. What made it so labor intensive to record Aloy’s movements? Lucas: Well, every footstep you hear is a combination of a costume sound and a surface material sound, like metal, sand, water, et cetera. We had all those materials available from our Killzone games, but unfortunately the shoes you wear when you record a surface has a big influence on the color of the sound – and the difference between a militaristic boot and a soft-fabric sole shoe is tremendous, so we had to start from scratch. And then we had to do it again when we found out that young Aloy would be walking bare feet. What about non-walking sounds for Aloy, like swimming? Lucas: Aloy’s swimming sounds were largely recorded in a swimming pool in Andalusia (Spain), in March, before the tourist season started. A very minimal setup was used: two mics above the water, two mics under water and a mobile recording rig. This all took place during a holiday break. Sound designers frequently take small recording rigs with them when traveling, because those are the times you’re likely to find cool source material for your personal library. What is your favorite sound in Horizon Zero Dawn? Lucas: People often ask me that! For me personally, my favorite is not a ‘designed sound’, although it is something that I recorded. When my daughter Laura was only 6 months old, I recorded her vocalizations at home, and they ended up being used for the intro cutscene for Baby Aloy. Another thing I love is the indistinguishable ‘walla’ voices in the background of the Proving festival – all the people partying, eating, drinking, and sitting around campfires. They were all recorded from developers that actually worked on Horizon Zero Dawn. We got them in one room and turned those recordings into surround tracks, so you can actually walk amongst our colleagues if you use a surround system or the Platinum Wireless 3D audio headset. To find out more about the Platinum Wireless 3D audio headset, visit the PlayStation website. To stay up to date on Horizon Zero Dawn and its upcoming DLC, The Frozen Wilds, follow Guerrilla on Twitter and Facebook. View the full article

What makes us feel anger, happiness or sorrow when we look at a movie or listen to music? Empathy – the ability to fully immerse ourselves in the emotional universe of another self. When this happens, something clicks at a deeper level, shaking fears and hopes. Last Day of June is an interactive story of love and death, and is a journey into the player’s self, while entering Carl and June’s life from its very end. The question I came up with when I conceived the idea was whether video games (an art form I’ve been devoted to for years) can be a medium as strong as – if not more than – movies or music, when dealing with complex but universal themes such as love and mourning. It was a clear “yes” to me; videogames can mix the suggestions of animated scenes, sounds and music, while enhancing their effectiveness thanks to the immersive experience they offer. Last Day of June was born from the emotions “Drive Home” – Steven Wilson’s song and Jess Cope’s music video – triggered in me. This piece of music art hit me so hard I had to pursue the desire to evolve its history, re-shaping it according to mechanisms and perks of the videogame media. I’ve aimed to transform a video game into an emotional experience, both for me and my audience. To achieve this goal, I tried to combine Steven Wilson’s musical expressivity with the poetry of Hajo Müller’s characters, skillfully re-adapted by Adam Oehlers for the videogame. This way, we could define a new expressive standard, fitting our needs. Our first choice in this direction was a big bet: designing a speechless, eyeless, purely emotional communication. Nonetheless, once players go through the whole experience, we believe they will be able to appreciate even the finest details and emotions of each character, without having heard a single word from them, or having ever seen a single facial expression. This was made possible thanks to the heavy work done by the whole team, who was able to bring my initial idea to life, creating an emotional gaming experience as well an impressionist art expression with attractive visuals and settings. All of this was needed to trigger the empathy required to evoke a spectrum of emotions through each character’s story. We wanted to deal with the theme of loss and death from the point of view of all the people who are, in some ways, witnesses and partakers; and, through their emotions, show that a videogame can become an artistic and expressive form equal to other conventional media. With Last Day of June, thanks to Steven Wilson’s musical ambience, inspired by the deep emotional load of the characters designed by Hajo Müller and animated by Jess Cope in the original music video, we tried to bring Carl and June’s story to a new level. Involving the players directly, asking them to enter this world, to discover their emotions and to live them through the story told with this unique approach, we wanted them think about the answer to the question: “What would you do to save the one you love?” With the game available starting today at PS Store, I will finally be able to collect your views. View the full article