Commander Fury

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is showing a lot of promise. My recent hands-on time with an early build of the game pointed to a more confident, more polished follow-up to 2014’s subversive hit Wolfenstein: The New Order… which still stands as one of the best story-driven shooters on PS4, by the way. With Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, developer MachineGames is shifting the fight overseas to a Nazi-occupied “United States of Amerika.” The themes are heavy, and MachineGames doesn’t pull any punches in its depiction of this dark alternate history — though the studio wisely punctuates the tension with moments of shocking humor, such as the infamous milkshake scene shown at E3. The New Colossus picks up with William “BJ” Blazkowicz recovering from the crippling injuries inflicted by Wilhelm “Deathshead” Strasse during their duel at the end of Wolfenstein: The New Order. The Resistance leadership has survived by commandeering an enemy U-boat, but the bad guys have finally tracked them down. In the first sequence I played, Blazkowicz has to fend them off while confined to a wheelchair. This impressive scenario wasn’t just a graphical reskin or an on-rails affair. Though the wheelchair’s movement and handling felt more rigid, more tank-like, I maintained a good deal of mobility as I carefully rolled through the corridors of the surprisingly accessible U-boat, ambushing the invaders and carefully navigating a maze of tricky microwave traps. Later, I went undercover to transport a nuke around occupied Roswell, New Mexico. I wandered around town while taking in the disturbing sights and sounds in a sequence that reminded me some moments in Bioshock Infinite’s Columbia. Even though this sequence was unsettling, I enjoyed being able to slow down and explore at my own pace. The game is riddled with bits of lore: books, propaganda, audio recordings, and overheard conversations add meat to the game’s narrative bones. As for the actual shooting gameplay, expect a more refined approach to combat. Building off one of The New Order’s most satisfying features, BJ can pretty much dual wield any weapon, or combination of weapons, in the game. Dual shotguns? Dual sticky bomb launchers? One pistol, one assault rifle? All possible, and all with unique benefits and drawbacks. You’ll also find weapon upgrade kits that can trick out your favorite guns in multiple ways. But because they’re scarce, you’ll need to choose carefully. Magnum bullets or a suppressor for your pistol? Armor-piercing rounds or reduced recoil for your assault rifle? The upgraded Perk system also grants more passive benefits for hitting certain tiers of headshots, grenade kills, and so forth. In general, the character customization here is far deeper and more satisfying than in Wolfenstein: The New Order. All in all, a promising early showing here from MachineGames, complete with the excellent writing and performances that made the last game such a pleasure. Look for Wolfenstein: The New Colossus to hit PS4 October 27, and the studio already has big plans for post-release content. View the full article

Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon! The iconic rhythm RPG marches onto PlayStation once again with Patapon Remastered, which brings the classic adventure to PS4 on August 1. Behind the Patapon tribe’s cute exterior beats the ferocious heart of a warrior. Pound the drums of war and lead the Patapon tribe into battle against the evil Zigoton army. Every command, from surging attacks to strategic retreats, requires the rhythmic beating of the drums. Campaign across more than 30 missions to discover 100+ items and weapons in the Patapon’s noble quest for victory. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation, read on. And enjoy The Drop! New Releases: Week of August 1, 2017 Aven Colony PS4 — Retail Build a new home for humanity. Discover Aven Prime — an alien planet of deserts, tundras, and jungles lightyears from earth. CastleStorm VR Edition PS VR — Digital Catapult yourself onto the battlefield like never before in CastleStorm VR, an exciting new take on the tower-defense action-RPG phenomenon! Pit knights, soldiers, archers, and even griffins against formidable foes in full VR castle versus castle combat. Demetrios – The Big Cynical Adventure PS4 — Digital Demetrios is a quirky adventure game packed with tons of humor! Bjorn Thonen, a slob of an antique dealer living in Paris, is robbed one night after coming home drunk. Forced to conduct his own investigation with the help of his neighbor Sandra, he ends up involved in a murky, mysterious affair. Will these unlikely heroes be able to rise up and discover ancient secrets? Dino Frontier PS VR — Digital Build and manage a frontier settlement in a world where the wild west and jurassic collide. Dino Frontier is a virtual reality simulation where players assume the role of Big Mayor. They must carefully balance resources while growing their town and surviving bandit attacks. Drawfighters PS4 — Digital Drawfighters is a turn-based combat game with funny, amazing visuals. Fighters face each other in their struggle for victory in the Great Tournament of the Three Volcanoes. Frisky Business PS4 — Digital You are Mr. Falco Frisk, private detective of Frisk Investigative Solutions! Develop your relationships with your team as you take on your very first case. The Long Dark PS4 — Digital The Long Dark is a thoughtful, exploration-survival experience that challenges solo players to think for themselves as they explore an expansive frozen wilderness in the aftermath of a geomagnetic disaster. Patapon Remastered PS4 — Digital Patapon returns to PlayStation with all new enhancements taking full advantage of PS4 and PS4 Pro! For years the Patapon tribe has lived in the desolate frontier, driven from their home by the evil Zigoton army. Finally, their wait has come to an end as the drums of war are heard once again. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun PS4 — Digital, Retail Japan, 1615. A new Shogun seizes power over Japan and enforces nationwide peace. In his battle against conspiracy and rebellion, he recruits five specialists with extraordinary skills for assassination, sabotage and espionage. But how much are they willing to sacrifice in the name of peace? Vic Mensa – The Autobiography Joywave – Content Cage the Elephant – Unpeeled Alien: Covenant (plus Bonus Features) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul Alien: Covenant/ Prometheus Bundle People of Earth – July 31 at 10:30/9:30c (TBS) OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes – 6:30/5:30c (Cartoon Network) The Sinner – August 2 at 10:01/9:01c (USA) The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

PlayStation peeps, Lordy, we’re nearly there. Our LawBreakers launch on August 8 is coming up soon… um, in less than two weeks. TWO WEEKS. Madness. Really quick, I want to drop some tips and tricks on you PS4 players to put to use in our open beta this weekend. That’s right, I said it! OPEN BETA! Everyone, come in and try the game and help us test our servers one last time before we ship it. It’s important, especially since we want to make sure servers are in order for launch. We’ve only done one closed beta on PS4 previously, so the playing field is relatively untapped – time to get an edge, right? A few pointers: We do have some aim assist on PS4 but it’s pretty minimal, so you’re going to have to, uh, aim and earn those kills and cap those objectives Enforcer’s “run” isn’t just a run, it’s a DISTORTION FIELD BUBBLE that speeds up everything in it, including your shots and teammates Assassin’s grapple has some “wiggle room” to adjust as you zip through the maps The Titan may seem slow but if you blindfire (d-pad) you can fly through low-gravity maps like you’re Mary Poppins, y’all Gunslinger’s “warp” is omni-directional — so look anywhere, hit it, and you GO THERE Juggernaut’s run ability also doubles as a butt stomp when you’re in mid-air – and yes, you can get kills this way Our Battle Medics are surprisingly powerful on offense, so make sure to shell, shell away Vanguards can create a giant zero-G bubble for their ultimate – make sure to use it for extra air time Wraith can triple jump and wall jump, making this role pretty much “the floor is lava” all the darned time So there you have it, a few key tips that’ll help you play better. Please, get the hell off the ground for godsakes. =) The team and I will be watching and playing this weekend, so go to PlayStation Store, download LawBreakers now and play it this weekend! If you like what you play, you can support us before August 8 — pre-order the game now to snag some exclusive skins. We’re happy to give ya something special for doing so. See you online, -B View the full article

Since our last PS Blog post about Mages of Mystralia, we ran a successful Kickstarter campaign and have been hard at work polishing up the game and even adding a few new modes to the game that we’ll share in a future update. For now, we just wanted to announce that we’ve locked in our launch date on PS4. Mark your calendars, because Mages of Mystralia is hitting your favorite console on August 22! As we mentioned in our last post, we wanted to capture the feeling of what it might actually be like to be a mage. To us, this meant that our spellcrafting system had to be both deep and intuitive. By our internal definition, “deep” meant that there needed to be a very wide range of possible spells you could design, and “intuitive” meant that new players would be able to understand the system and play around with it without feeling overwhelmed. It is said that good design seems obvious in retrospect. When you look at a well designed user interface, you might think to yourself, “Well of course they designed it that way. How else could you do it?” As it turns out, most elegant user designs are the result of hundreds of iterations – removing what’s unnecessary, clarifying functionality, streamlining, and testing, testing, and more testing. The majority of our team comes from the AAA space, so we put a high value on polish and usability. Here’s how it works. When you begin the game, you are introduced to the four spell categories: Immedi (for close range spells like melee attacks), Actus (which creates orbs that persist over some amount of time), Creo (for conjuring spells), and Ego (for spells that affect yourself). Each of the spells can be modified by runes that you collect on your journey. There are three categories of runes: Behaviors, Augments, and Triggers. Behavior runes make the spell do something. For example, if I add the Move behavior to an Actus spell, it will make the orb move. Simple enough. You could also add the Move rune to the Ego spell, which would make you move in a quick dash. (And not to worry – when you discover the Move rune, you can use it in multiple spells. You won’t need to take a rune off of one spell to put it on another.) Behaviors stack, so you can add, say, Duplicate and Bounce, which will make it a multishot fireball that bounces off of walls. The more runes you add, the more mana it costs to cast the spell, so you have to balance the cost and benefit. If Behaviors are analogous to verbs, then Augments are adverbs. Augments only affect the rune they’re directly attached to, so the same Augment rune can have a very different effect depending on where you put it. An example of this would be if you add the Right augment to the multishot fireball we made. Depending on where you put it, it can make it do exactly what you want. The Triggers are used to connect one or more spells together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. For example, we can make a decoy of ourselves by adding the Duplicate rune to the Ego spell. We can then add a Period trigger – meaning that we want this Ego spell to call another spell periodically. The system will ask what spell we want to call, and we can select the multishot fireball we made. We can also play around with things further by connecting a Right Augment to the Ego + Duplicate to make the decoy rotate around. And now we’ve got ourselves a spinning fireball-shooting turret! Here are some other spells that we came up with. See if you can figure out how we made them! In contrast to the way the current spell system works, here are some screenshots of earlier attempts at it from older to newer. If you don’t understand how they work, don’t worry! Neither do we anymore! We’re very proud of how we were able to keep iterating on the spellcrafting system to the point where our playtesters were coming up with interesting spells and strategies that had never occurred to us. One person made a shield that pushed enemies away and shot lightning bolts at them. Another created a 1-2-3 punch in which he shot a fireball at an enemy, which in turn conjured up a sheet of ice and froze the enemy in place, and then rained down boulders on its head. We’re looking forward to seeing what you create when Mages of Mystralia launches on PlayStation 4 on August 22! View the full article

Hey everyone. My name is Med, and I’m Thunder Lotus’s QA tester and resident speedrunner. As you can imagine, I’ve played Sundered quite a bit. In total, I think I’ve logged more than 1,000 hours in the game! Today, I’d like to go over some advanced techniques that you should definitely learn if you want to master Sundered. In case this is the first time you’re hearing about the game, Sundered is a horrifying fight for survival and sanity. You play Eshe, a wanderer in a ruined world, trapped in ever-changing caverns filled with hordes of terrifying enemies. We’re the same studio that made Jotun, a hand-drawn epic set in Norse mythology. Sundered launches today on PS4, so let’s get started! Elite Techniques I’ve always loved the idea of “elite techniques” in games. Hidden moves that occasionally slip through as bugs, but end up as core features of the game. Great examples include “wavedashing” in Smash Bros. or “skiing” in Tribes. One of my greatest pleasures in Sundered’s development has been discovering these strange interactions and convincing the team to leave them in the game. A bug is not a bug if it’s a feature. For reference, dodging and using the Cannon effectively are critical to your enjoyment of the game, but the following techniques are meant for advanced players! 1.) The Cannon The Cannon’s knockback might seem like a downside, but it is actually one of its best assets when used properly. You can use the knockback’s momentum to your advantage by firing, immediately dodging, then jumping to keep your speed going. The momentum will be kept regardless of the dodgeroll’s direction. Using this technique, you can zoom through the levels with record pace as well as entering Ability-gated areas you aren’t suppose to be in. 2.) Air Attacks The mid-air up-attack has more than an offensive purpose. You get an extra sliver of vertical lift every use, so it comes in quite handy for platforming. It resets every jump, and your double jump is reset when an enemy is hit. Use it wisely. You can scale high walls by wall-jumping/up-attacking/side-attacking back towards the wall. The mid-air up-attack can also be reset with good enough timing, enabling Eshe to essentially fly away by spamming the up-attack, but it is really hard to maintain a good streak. 3.) Momentum Never stop moving. Movement is important as it is what makes you progress through the levels and keeps you alive. A way to create speed is through using the Strength Amplifier, an Ability that grants you chargeable heavy attacks. Charge them towards flat or upward terrain, immediately roll mid-smash, then jump. This creates a massive swing that launches Eshe forward if used with proper timing. Using this technique, you can skip entire sections, fly into areas you should not be able to reach, and utterly break the intended progression of the game with record time. The gun can also be used for this purpose, but requires ammunition and an extra Energy charge. That’s it for now. We can’t wait to watch people play and completely break the game! I’m sure there are many more undiscovered interactions hidden deep within Sundered’s code. We’ll find out soon enough, since Sundered launches today on PS4! Make sure to tell us what your favorite “bugs that became features” are in the comments! Resist or embrace. Med and the Thunder Lotus Team View the full article

Hello friends and welcome back to another episode! On today’s show, Sid interviews Machine Games on Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus — a game that is equal parts blistering action and heart-pounding narrative. We apologize in advance for the quiet echo, but recording in secret underground bunkers produces less than ideal results for our audio quality. Enjoy the show! Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Stuff We Talked About Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Destiny 2 Beta final thoughts Pyre Busy week at the ol’ PlayStation.Blog Recent Episodes 256: Destiny’s Child 255: Kill it With Pyre 254: Sid Deleted the Intro The Cast Sid Shuman – Director of Social Media, SIEA Justin Massongill – Social Media Manager, SIEA Ryan Clements – Sr. Social Media Specialist, 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

Nihon Falcom has been in operation for more than 35 years. The small, passionate team has produced some of the most beloved adventures out of the Japanese development industry. The first entry in the quietly renowned Ys series launched in 1987, and now — three decades later — Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is set to launch September 12 on PS4 and PS Vita. We had the great pleasure and honor of corresponding with Nihon Falcom President Toshihiro Kondo-san about the company’s rich history, dedication to RPG development, and how the team rises above the challenges those projects entail. PlayStation.Blog: Nihon Falcom has a long history of developing role-playing games. What drew the studio and the original team to this genre in the first place? Toshihiro Kondo: Honestly, because we like RPGs. Many of us grew up playing RPGs and we have memories of being emotionally moved by them and enjoying the feeling of expectation they created. We want to give those feelings to players today. RPGs have story, music, gameplay, and graphics — in other words, they contain every element you can have in a game. It’s a genre that offers a lot for creators. Other genres, of course, have their own draws, but RPGs are special to us. PlayStation.Blog: What separates Nihon Falcom from other Japanese developers working on role-playing games? Toshihiro Kondo: I’m not certain how other developers approach their work, but when we design games we have the freedom to do what we want. We’ve always emphasized making something that we can be proud of, and this approach has been consistent since the beginning of the company. We’re invested in this approach so much that we will not release a game that we don’t believe in. Of course, games are developed under various restrictions and deadlines. But within these limitations we always make games that we’re proud of. We can do this thanks to the relatively small size of the company, and the fact that we do nearly everything in-house. This philosophy was, of course, laid down by the people in the company that came before us. You could call it our “secret sauce,” which allows us to create games with that “Falcom Flavor.” PlayStation.Blog: The Ys series has a passionate following of fans. What qualities make Ys unique? And how does Lacrimosa of Dana differ from previous entries in the series? Toshihiro Kondo: The main characteristic of the Ys games is that the action is simple and the controls feel great. Originally it was Adol by himself and he would just bump into enemies. Of course now we have the party battle system; this might seem like the game has evolved into something different, but the Ys games have consistently made fighting even the most normal enemies fun and exhilarating. We will continue to focus on this aspect in the future. Some of the details, like the party system or the setting, might change according to the times, but so long as we follow this rule of fun combat, the game will always be an Ys game. What we focused on with Ys VIII, more than the story, was the gameplay. This is in contrast to the Trails series where the story is the main focus. At the core of Ys, as I mentioned earlier, is the fun gameplay, so we build the story elements around that. For example, in Ys VIII, you have to develop a village and defend it throughout the course of the story. This allows even the narrative elements to bring the main focus back to the action and gameplay, and this further feeds back into the story. This creates a nice cycle that I think hasn’t been seen before in the series to this degree. PlayStation.Blog: What do you think is the most important thing an RPG needs to get right? Toshihiro Kondo: Playing an RPG means that you take on the role of the main character and it’s extremely important to make sure that the player is invested in the world, setting, and story. In the case of Ys and Trails, even though the approach might be a bit different, they both offer fascinating worlds for the players to get lost in. PlayStation.Blog: What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned during your time at Nihon Falcom? Toshihiro Kondo:You encounter many roadblocks during game development. Despite this, it’s extremely important to keep at the issues you face. With anything in life, people succeed when they think carefully about their problems and tackle them from several different angles. For any trouble you face there are various ways to approach it, and even things that seem insurmountable can be overcome if you keep at it diligently. People who understand this will grow in life, whereas those who give up and stop thinking carefully about the issues they face will not. A person’s growth or lack of growth doesn’t have as much to do with his or her natural abilities or talents, but rather how willing he or she is to keep thinking about the problems ahead. This is something that I always tell staff and this is probably the most valuable lesson I’ve learned from my time at Falcom. PlayStation.Blog: How do you stay motivated through challenging times and keep your team’s energy high? Toshihiro Kondo: There are very few things in life that are truly impossible. Whenever we reach a challenging moment, I remind myself and the team about what I said above, and encourage them to keep at it. It’s very important that we come together and not just spin around in circles in the same thought patterns by ourselves. Japanese people have a habit of not saying that something is impossible, so we hold those thoughts back when we discuss problems with one another and one person’s potential solution can be the key for solving another person’s problem. PlayStation.Blog: Why do you think the Ys series has found such a devoted community in the United States, and other western countries? Toshihiro Kondo: I’m not American, so I’d actually like to turn that question around on you. (Laughs) Recently, more people in the West seem to have the same reaction to our games as Japanese fans. When it comes to Ys, a big positive reaction is to Adol, who is a very appealing main character. Another thing is the simple but exhilarating action that I mentioned before. PlayStation.Blog: Who is your favorite hero in Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana? Toshihiro Kondo: My favorite character is Dana, and that is perhaps because of the amount of difficulty I had in creating her. Compared with previous installments, Ys VIII essentially has two scenarios. In the case of Memories of Celceta, players felt that the heroine was weak, so we tried to make Dana a good enough character to beat even the fan-favorite Feena from Ys I. To do this, we allowed players to control her as well as focused a lot of energy on her scenario, so I have a deeper appreciation for Dana compared to past heroines. PlayStation.Blog: What makes a great story? Are the rules of storytelling different in role-playing games compared to books and movies? Toshihiro Kondo: The feeling of wanting to know what happens next all the way up to the end of the game is the hallmark of a good story. If you can easily guess what’s going to happen next, you lose motivation. Games require a lot of time, so it’s important that they keep players motivated by keeping them invested in the story and wanting to know what happens next. For the Ys and Trails series, problems that come up throughout the course of the story are solved, but at the same time the solutions lead to deeper mysteries and this is the best way for a story to proceed. And yes, [the mediums are] different. Novels and movies, compared to games, are passively received by the reader. Games, on other hand, reflect a lot of the player’s will. Understanding this difference is the basic rule of how to make different types of stories. With games, you can’t explain everything. To a degree, you have to leave things up to the player to decipher. You can’t say a lot of things directly like you can in novels and movies, because the main character is an avatar of the player thinking what they are thinking. Therefore, you have to write in a way that anticipates how the player will think and that, in turn, changes the rules of storytelling. Translated answers have been edited for brevity and clarity. View the full article

The Brawlhalla PlayStation beta is entering its final stage, and on August 1st we’re celebrating with the exclusive Founders Pack. Brawlhalla Founders get all Legends forever! This means all thirty-two current fighters, plus all the fighters we release in the future are automatically unlocked for you. Founders also get exclusive rewards: the sleek new Personal Sentry IV sidekick, the Founder’s avatar, and the Founder’s nameplate. Together these items forever identify you as an honored Brawlhalla Founder. On top of everything else, Founders get instant access to the Brawlhalla beta. In this update we’re opening up Mallhalla—the in-game store—to spend your earned gold, rank points, and Mammoth Coins. Show off your favorite skins, color schemes, KO fx, and more! Furthermore, the friends list arrives, connecting you in-game with all your Brawlhalla playing PlayStation friends. Finally, we’re introducing our newest legend, Caspian, a gauntlet and katar wielding rogue. Sure that’s a lot, but we have more huge news. It’s been a long road to get here, but we are very happy to announce that on release, Brawlhalla will feature cross-play! This means that soon, PlayStation players will be able to invite PC friends to join them in Brawlhalla, and vice versa. Imagine brawling in a wild eight-player free-for-all with three friends on your couch, two friends on their PlayStation across town, and two more friends playing on their PCs! Getting cross-play working has been quite a project. Among other challenges, we’ve had to get gameplay to work exactly the same on both platforms. Brawlhalla uses predictive networking for responsive online play, and for that to work, each player’s inputs have to produce precisely the same results on both platforms—down to the thousandth of an inch—or the differences build up over time and cause havoc. I’m really proud of the job our tech team has done getting the game ready. And now that we’ve solved the technical hurdles, we’re beyond excited to get this feature into your hands. Some of you are wondering, “What is ‘Brawlhalla’ anyway?” Brawlhalla is a classic, high-energy platform fighter you can play with your friends on a couch or online. Set in Valhalla, a golden hall filled with the greatest warriors from every time and place, Brawlhalla is the Grand Tournament Odin created in a vain attempt to keep his warriors from tearing Asgard apart. Brawlhalla has it all – couch co-op, vikings, triple jump, cowboys, great online play, ninjas, ranked ladders, pirates, team battles, aliens, fun game-modes, weekly updates, explosions, a worldwide tournament scene, and much more. We’re really excited for the next phase. A huge thank you to everyone who’s joined the beta so far. You can still sign up at beta.brawlhalla.com to get into the beta queue. Or pick up the Founders Pack for instant access! We’ll see you in Brawlhalla. View the full article

Greetings Simmers! I’m thrilled to announce that The Sims 4 is finally coming to PlayStation 4 November 17th! Over the last couple of years, we have heard from many of you about how much you want the game to come to console, and I have been right there with you. I love our PC game, but what I’ve really wanted is to plop down on my sofa, and play with my Sims at a larger than life size. And in just a few months, you can do just that right alongside me on PlayStation 4. For those of you unfamiliar with The Sims, it is a game that gives players the imaginative power to create and control virtual people and play with moments of their lives. You can create and customize who you want; find your first love; land your dream job; build the perfect home; start a family; and more. The Sims offers you a sandbox for you to tell, observe, or influence life’s little dramas, while offering one of the most sophisticated character creation tools in the market. And soon, you’ll be able to jump in the game to create yourself, your friends, your family, or maybe something a little more out of this world on your PlayStation 4. The only limit to what you can create is in your imagination. To be clear, this is not the first time we have brought The Sims to console – but it is the very first time throughout the history of the franchise that you can experience the gameplay and content that the PC game offers. The current generation of hardware has enabled us to translate code to PlayStation 4 without any major system changes, so that it is no longer about which platform has the superior version, but where you like to play. Right now, the team is currently preparing for launch (looking for bugs, and making little improvements that will ensure this is the best Sims game EVER on console). It is certainly no small task to try and bring a PC game over, but we are doing a lot of iteration and testing to make sure we meet your high standards and deliver an experience we will all enjoy for years to come. In the meantime, pre-order The Sims 4 Standard Edition on console and get The Sims 4 Perfect Patio Stuff Pack*, offering hot tubs, more fashion, and bonus décor to customize your Sims experience with. And for those looking for even more fun, pre-order The Sims 4 Deluxe Party Edition* to get the same great Stuff Pack as well as: Unlocking Early Access to the Full Game, up to three days in advance of the worldwide launch on November 17; Life of the Party Digital Content, featuring the Flaming Tiki Bar and sleek, stylized outfits for your Sims; Up All Night Digital Content, featuring the Laser Light Show, fun decorations, and outrageous party costumes; Awesome Animal Hats Digital Content, featuring a collection of fun animal hats for your Sims to wear and show off. We are so excited to share more with you over the coming months, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts when you get to experience the game on PlayStation 4 this fall. Happy Simming! *Conditions and restrictions apply. See www.ea.com/the-sims/the-sims4/console/disclaimers for details. View the full article

Call of Duty WWII’s PS4 beta is just one month away, which will represent the first time the massive Call of Duty community will experience Divisions, the game’s new approach to COD’s iconic create-a-class system. Here’s an overview of the five Divisions, all of which will be included in the beta hitting next month. Armored Division This Division specializes in laying down a withering offense to buy their team breathing room. Their bipod-equipped light machinegun shreds lightly armored targets, while their armor protects them from enemy explosives, tactical equipment and flamethrowers. When extra punch is required, the Anti-Tank Grenade sticky bomb is the ideal choice. Division Skill LMG Bipod III: Protect territory by mounting your machinegun on ledges or while prone for less recoil Division Training Armored III: Immune to Shell Shock and Tactical Equipment. Take less fire damage. Take less explosives damage. Mountain Division Remaining undetected, this Division excels at covert operations and stealth gameplay. When armed with sniper rifles, the Mountain Division prefers to stay at a distance, waiting patiently for the perfect shot. If detected, smoke grenades and the S-Mine 44 “Bouncing Betty” provide opportunities to escape or retaliate. Division Skill Sniper Sharpshooter III: Block out your surroundings and in return acquire aim assist and enemy names while holding breath. Division Training Mountain III: Invisible to enemy Recon Aircraft while moving. Hidden to player-controlled Streaks. Quieter Movement. Airborne Division This maneuverable Division is usually the first to the fight, parachuting into the thick of the action. Armed with suppressed submachineguns, these frontline fighters excel at taking and holding enemy positions until more heavily armored reinforcements arrive. Division Skill SMG Suppressor III: Hides muzzle flash and prevents gunfire from appearing on enemy mini-maps, but reduces range of weapon. Division Training Airborne III: Sprint for longer distances. Climb over obstacles faster. Increased sprint speed. Expeditionary Division Armed with a hearty supply of explosives and tactical equipment, the fighters specialize in sabotage, infiltration, and close-quarters combat. Their special Division Skill loads devastating incendiary shells into their shotguns to set fires and terrorize their opponents. Division Skill Shotgun Incendiary Shells III: Shotgun shells that spark flames that burn enemies. Division Training Expeditionary III: Select a piece of Tactical and Lethal Equipment. Throw equipment faster, farther & while sprinting. Resupply equipment from killed enemies. Infantry Division As all-around combat specialists, the Infantry Division emphasizes marksmanship and rarely misses their shots. Special training on the use of the bayonet makes Infantry riflemen a threat at all ranges. Division Skill Rifle Bayonet III: Special training on the use of the bayonet makes Infantry riflemen a threat at all ranges. Division Training Infantry III: Additional attachment on Primary Weapon. Extra magazines. Move faster while aiming down sights. View the full article

Greetings PlayStation Nation and welcome to another PlayStation Plus Free Games Update. But first, have you tried That’s You! yet? All PlayStation Plus members can get this game as part of their membership. Set off on a journey of discovery with up to five of your friends and family, and find out what you really think about each other. Joining the fun is easy: just have your TV, PlayStation 4 and Android/iOS phone or tablet ready. That’s You! is the perfect summertime party game, so download it for free today before this exclusive download offer ends! Now, on to our other games this month. First up, we have the excellent and chaotic Just Cause 3. Take Rico Rodriguez on a truly wild ride to liberate Medici from military dictatorship. Your greatest weapon is your ingenuity. And explosions. Next we have Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry, a standalone adventure set after the events of Black Flag. Guide Adewale on an emotional story, using his skills as an assassin and his deep convictions to free oppressed people. Full lineup: Just Cause 3, PS4 Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry, PS4 Super Motherload, PS3 Snakeball, PS3 Downwell, PS Vita (crossbuy with PS4) Level 22, PS Vita And those are your free games for August. But wait, there’s more for PS Plus members. PS Plus Summer Movies are here! Enjoy six weeks of 99¢ rentals – selected for you from this summer’s hottest blockbusters. Starting us off with a bang, The Lego Batman Movie – handpicked for the whole family to enjoy. Check out the full schedule of movies below, then head over to PS Store each week to enjoy 99¢ rentals. You can download the PlayStation Video app on Android or iOS devices and watch your movies on the go. Once rented, your unwatched movies stay in My Videos for up to 30 days. Hot right? For Free-to-Play, Dreadnaught, launching in open beta on August 1st, will be offering a $20 PlayStation Plus pack starting August 15th. All PlayStation Plus members will also get the Ravenswood Plus Pack free. There’s lot of great stuff to look forward to, but if you want something immediate, this weekend only, PlayStation Plus members can play Doom for free starting tomorrow, Thursday the 27th until the 30th. Play all weekend long, then save 50% on the full game purchase in the PlayStation Store with a PlayStation Plus exclusive discount, which is available through August 3rd. And there you have it! See you next month. View the full article

Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper, and Ape Escape are some of my fondest PlayStation memories. That’s why I’m thrilled to announce that our cute-as-heck 3D platformer A Hat in Time is the first of many games coming to PS4 through our new publishing initiative “Presented by Humble Bundle.” We’re working with Denmark studio Gears for Breakfast to bring Hat Kid and all her adorably stitched hats to you this fall for $29.99. It’s amazing to see how much time and effort goes into making such a huge platformer with tight mechanics, gorgeously visuals and music, and a wacky story. Years ago, Gears for Breakfast threw its hat into the development ring, helping create a resurgence of 3D platformers. Since then, the Gears team surprised itself with just how big an adventure it could make. In A Hat in Time, you play as a tiny space-travelling girl with a big top hat. Her adventure is halted when all her fuel (Time Pieces) is lost and scattered across a nearby planet. Hat Kid must now jump, fight, and talk her way into every nook and cranny of this new world to restore her fuel and resume her journey. Throughout her adventure you can expect more than 35 acts, including an island full of mobsters and food, a murder mystery to investigate and platform while riding a high-speed locomotive, and some that only the most dedicated collectors will reach. Hat Kid is agile despite her young age. She can double jump and climb up walls, as well as propel through the air using her speedrunner-appropriate dive. Hat Kid gains even more mobility and abilities with her heaps of adorably adorned hats, provided she finds enough yarn hidden throughout the world for her to stitch. For example, her witch hat allows her to brew potions that harm enemies and break through environments. Her fox mask allows her to peek into the dweller dimension, and her snow hat lets her turn to ice and crush her enemies. Hats can become even more powerful by attaching badges that are found, sold, and traded by the locals, too. Hope you like a little metroidvania in a 3D platformer, as these new abilities will let you explore and conquer new places and puzzles you could not previously. With such a grand scope, Gears for Breakfast is rightfully working hard to push A Hat in Time across the finish line. As this is Humble’s first published title on PS4, we’re working with the top-notch magicians at Hardsuit Labs to make this an ideal console experience for you. While there’s so much more to say about A Hat in Time, including details on Mustache Girl and her sublime British accent, I don’t want to spoil it. Fortunately, it’s only a matter of time until we explore more of this ultra witty and cute adventure together. View the full article

Hey PlayStation fans! Once again, it’s great to be back here on the blog to talk to you about Need for Speed Payback. We all know that there are few things better than creating your own one of a kind car, but what if you could take it that one step further? In Need for Speed Payback we’re adding a new type of car, something we’re calling Derelicts. Derelicts are cars that you build up, from nothing but scrap, to stock and ultimately, into a supercar. Upgrade your Derelict all the way to Tier 3 and you’ll be able to turn it into a Super Build. Allowing you to unlock more extreme visual customization, turning what was once a piece of scrap into an absolute beast. Need for Speed Payback | PlayStation.com You’ve built up your dream car, it’s looking like a work of art but now it’s time to add those personal touches to truly make it yours. Need for Speed Payback sees the inclusion of vanity items that you can apply to your car, including; Underglow, Tire Smoke, Nitrous Flames and Air Suspension. Say you’ve built your monster of a car, decked it out in a nice blue colour scheme. What better way to finish the look than with some blue Underglow? Performance Parts in Need for Speed Payback provide you with some of the deepest and most strategic choices seen in a Need for Speed game to date. Parts come in six categories; Block, Head, Turbo, Exhaust, ECU, Transmission and you’ll be wanting upgrades across the board to ensure you remain competitive. There are many ways to acquire parts, such as winning events which will award parts at random. You will also be able to purchase items through the Part Shops ever changing stock. There’s also the Targeted Roll system which allows for a little more choice in terms of your chosen part, but comes at the expense of a few of your unwanted parts which need to be recycled. Your home away from home, the garage is where the magic happens and more importantly, it’s where you store your cars and parts. What’s better than one garage…multiple garages! As you progress through Need for Speed Payback you’ll have the ability to purchase new garages, increasing the number of cars you can store in your virtual warehouse. Once you’ve acquired all five garages you’ll be granted access to the unlimited virtual warehouse space, allowing you to own an unlimited number of cars and the ability to create your dream line-up. Need for Speed Payback launches worldwide, November 10. As an added bonus for all pre-orders we’ve just included the exclusive Platinum Blue Underglow, which will match the Blue Tire smoke perfectly. Next stop for Payback is gamescom, and we can’t wait to see you there. View the full article

Here at CCP Games’ Atlanta studio, it gives us great pleasure to announce that Sparc – our energetic, competitive virtual reality game – will be coming to PlayStation VR on Tuesday, August 29. With the release coming up, we wanted to share some recent developments. Background to Sparc Sparc is a virtual sport – a unique full-body experience only possible in virtual reality, where your VR equipment is your sports gear. The game play is fast-paced and physical. Players use their two PlayStation Move motion controllers to throw projectiles across the court at their opponent*, while also dodging, blocking or deflecting incoming shots. *Always wear your wrist straps**. **Seriously, put them on. Your television will thank you. Sparc impresses at E3 2017 We had a fantastic time showing Sparc at E3 at the PlayStation booth. We released a new trailer and Thomas, our Community Lead, had a great interview recorded live. We’re always excited to see how players and press respond to Sparc’s gameplay and we’ve been given a lot of positive feedback, which is a continuing inspiration for us as we wrap up development. Developing Sparc for PlayStation VR Working on a multiplayer competitive VR game has been an inspiring challenge for us and we’ve been busy developing the experience for PS VR. We’ve been focused on delivering solid throw and deflect mechanics to enable physical gameplay that is intuitive up front while allowing for some compelling exhibitions of skill and personality. Each mechanic on its own needs to be fairly simple and “just work” because once a match gets rolling, things can quickly get intense. Tracking both projectiles in the court, timing your deflections and throws to put pressure on your opponent, all the while making split second dodges as your last line of defence. We can’t wait to see what tactics the players come up with during their matches. Gamescom and Launch We’re looking forward to showing off some more features at Gamescom in August just before launch. With character customization, players will have a range of options available to design the look of their avatar. From the cut of their compression suit to the headgear they wear, the look of their “Gloves”, and the colors of pretty much everything, we think players will be able to achieve some very interesting styles. We’ll also be demoing Sparc’s single-player challenges, a series of timed events that test throwing and deflection accuracy in an environment designed to improve skills and help prepare players for human opponents. Learning how best to ricochet a ball off multiple walls while maintaining accuracy is a valuable skill in competitive play and our challenges have been designed to help teach those fundamentals. Virtual sport. Real competition. We’re excited to see how PS VR players develop and refine their skills once they get their hands on (and head in) our vSport. Grab your gear and we’ll see you Courtside! View the full article

Hi there! I’m Mo, founder of Vertex Pop, an independent video game studio based in Toronto, Canada. I’m excited to introduce you all to our side-scrolling arcade shoot-em-up, Graceful Explosion Machine. You may have played it at PlayStation Experience last year, and I’m happy to announce it’s coming to PlayStation 4 on Tuesday, August 8th. Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM, for short) goes light on story and all-in on intense action gameplay. Sure, you’ll face an overwhelming swarm of enemies, but to help you out you have access to four unique and devastatingly powerful weapons at all times. Each weapon is mapped to a face button, so switching between them is instant and effortless. Before you know it, you’ll be chaining weapons attacks together, building stylish combos, and racking up huge scores. But it’s not just fun to play, the whole thing looks gorgeous in motion. GEM features only the most vibrant of colours, a distinct, stylized aesthetic, and lots of explosions. (It’s in the name, after all) See for yourself in our new trailer at the top of this post. For score chasers and Trophy hunters, the mechanics are approachable, but have lots of room for mastery. You’ll want learn which weapon works best against specific enemies and situations, the importance of positioning, and the subtleties of every enemy’s behaviour. Once you start getting those A and S-Ranks, don’t forget to hit that SHARE button and start totally harmless rivalries with your friends. Since our initial launch earlier this year, we’ve added an all-new score screen with more stats, scores and more pie charts than you’ll ever need. And if that wasn’t enough, we also designed an AI system to pinpoint the most exciting moment of your run, which we automagically screenshot and display on the score screen. We are thrilled to be bringing these features to PS4. There’s something in GEM for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a stylish action game, your next high score chasing obsession, or just a colourful arcade experience, we hope you’ll enjoy Graceful Explosion Machine when it comes to PlayStation 4 on August 8th. View the full article

At PlayStation, we’re serious about unearthing new talent to make sure we bring you the freshest, most innovative experiences across each of our platforms. At the ChinaJoy expo in Shanghai, four new titles for PlayStation VR took center stage, the result of a partnership between Sony Interactive Entertainment and some of Asia’s most exciting developers. ChinaJoy is a huge annual celebration of the latest video games and industry advancements. So we took the opportunity to share some of what we’ve been working on, as well as spotlight some of the most creative game makers in Asia. Whether it’s an epic, story-driven adventure or an indie masterpiece, we want to make sure every angle is covered for our players. The PS VR line-up shown in Shanghai included: Stifled Taking on the role of a character who is battling the eerie consequences of a tragic event which has darkened his world. But this is no ordinary horror game. The twist is that making noise is the only way you can see the environment around you. This immerses the player in the world and encourages tactical sound play using echolocation to reveal your surroundings. Thanks to the headset’s built-in mic, you can use your voice to help illuminate the way, as well as interact with items you find. As you progress through the game, you’ll discover the importance of strategic gameplay as the sounds you make not only help you to navigate, they could also alert lurking enemies to your presence; it’s an audio awakening in which enemies hear your fear. The Walker From Chinese developer Haymaker comes The Walker, a fantasy combat tale that plays out in virtual reality. You are the distant descendant of an ancient family, whose mystical mix of swordsmanship and sorcery hasn’t diminished through the ages – which is just as well: the world needs saving from a demonic militia. You’ll need to uncover and master spells and charms to defeat these invaders, and infuse weapons with special powers. Set in historic Shanghai, the unique sights and sounds will envelop you as you battle between sweeping boss showdowns. Kill X Adding to China’s burgeoning reputation as a PS VR hotbed comes Kill X, from VIVA Games. A claustrophobic thriller set on a secret island, you’ll uncover horrifying experiments on human subjects by an organization determined to realize immortality, no matter the cost. As you veer between the past, present and future of these experiments and their after-effects, you’ll battle through swarms of the island’s unfortunate inhabitants. There are puzzles to be cracked and ever-more powerful weaponry to be found as you dig deeper into this heart-stopping mystery. Legion Commander In this real-time strategy game from ChangYou Games, you’ll select a commander and form an army, picking units with specialized attributes to steamroll the battlefield. You’ll also use special cards to cast spells on the battlefield, brought to life by PS VR. With three races — Orcs, Humans and Elves — pitched to fight against one another under the evil influence of an ancient demon you must find the right blend of skills to defeat enemy armies and restore harmony to the world. This is just a small sample of the PS VR experiences we have in development in our talented studios around the world. We’ll have more to share soon, so keep a close eye on PlayStation.Blog for more information and updates. View the full article

Hey sports fans, we’re getting ready for some football with a new Sports Pack that gives you access to NFL RedZone and 13 more top sports channels. With NFL pre-season just around the corner, this is a great way to get your game on. For a $10/month add-on to your monthly Core, Elite, or Ultra plan, the new PlayStation Vue Sports Pack includes the following channels available nationwide: NFL RedZone (Sept – Dec) MLB Strike Zone (During regular MLB season) ESPN Bases Loaded (During NCAA college baseball championship) ESPN Classic (On Demand) ESPN Goal Line (During regular college football season) Longhorn Network Outside TV NESN National (regional sports network national feed) NBCUniversal regional sports networks (national feeds): CSN Chicago CSN Mid-Atlantic CSN New England CSN Northwest CSN Philadelphia NBC Sports Bay Area NBC Sports CA With PlayStation Vue, we strive to deliver the best TV experience, and have made numerous upgrades since launching our service two years ago. For avid sports fans and those new to the PS Vue service, we’ve put together a recap of some of the top features and enhancements that make the sports viewing experience even better. Multi-view on PlayStation 4 One of our most popular features, multi-view, allows users to stream up to three live shows – all on one screen. Just press and hold X on any live TV program from the Guide or Live TV row of the home screen to open up the selection screen for multi-view. Through the pop up menu, choose either two or three multi-view screens. Select any other live programing from the Live TV strand and start viewing multiple programs at once. To switch programs within the multi-view screen, press Square on your DualShock 4. To move a program to the main screen, just highlight the smaller screen and press Square. Live Scores on PS4, PS3, Android, Amazon Fire TV and PC/Mac Web Browsers Real-time sports scores let you keep up with your favorite games at a glance. You can turn the feature on or off in the Settings menu depending on your preference. Simultaneous Streaming for Multiple Devices PlayStation Vue provides the most simultaneous streams at no extra charge. This makes it easy for sports fans to watch several programs at the same time on multiple PS Vue-supported devices. PlayStation Vue is supported on PS4, PS3, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Android TV, iOS and Android mobile devices, and on the web through PC and Mac desktop browsers. Google Chromecast is also supported via compatible Android and iOS devices. Powerful Cloud DVR with No Scheduling Conflicts If you’re unable to catch the games live, you can save programs to My Shows and PS Vue’s powerful cloud DVR will record the games available from that league. For example, if you add NFL to My Shows, PS Vue will record live NFL games available in your area. Additionally, you can watch select recorded games outside of the home with our recently enhanced out of home DVR feature. League Pages on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and PC/Mac Web Browsers You can see upcoming events for a specific league, sorted by schedule order of what’s coming up next. Leagues include: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA Football, Premier League and more. Other User Interface Enhancements We’ve made some additional enhancements to the UI to make it easier for you to see the games that are on TV. Sports section on the home screen gets you to all the top sports programming at a glance. Team vs. team logos let you quickly see the teams that are playing on the program titles. Sports App Authentication You can access programming from dozens of mobile apps or websites, simply by logging in with your PlayStation Network ID. The mobile apps and websites are developed by network programmers and are a separate offering from PlayStation Vue, but can be used at no additional cost. Some popular apps and websites for sports fans include Watch ESPN, Fox Sports, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBC Sports Network, NFL Network, NFL Redzone, and more. For more information, please visit psvue.com . View the full article

Discover The Creators is a PlayStation Store curation program in which we’ve asked some of the biggest names in the biz to pick their favorite PS4 games in order to help your find your next game to play. There is more than one way to skin a cat (don’t ask me how I know that) and there’s also more than one way to tell a great story in games. You can do it with great dialog, or no dialog at all. You can focus on the depth of the characters, or on the richness of the environment. You can bring your hero’s choices to life with game play mechanics that are complex, or extremely simple. And that’s why this list of great PS4 story-telling games is so diverse–they all tackle the problem in their own style. Each one finds a unique way to bring its world, it’s characters, it’s story to life. And no cats are skinned in any of them. I’m sorry I even brought that up. Night in the Woods Came to this one for the art, but found some of my favorite writing in games recently. Really funny, nuanced, and surprising. Unravel A beautiful platforming puzzle game with a story told through environments and photographic memories. Gone Home I admire this game for putting story front and center and committing to that as their prime focus before other games were doing it. Valiant Hearts A story about the war told in a way that war stories are rarely told in games. Oxenfree Naturalistic dialog that can be interrupted, redirected, and played with–still sounding pretty natural. Super hard to pull off, but they did it really well. What Remains of Edith Finch I thought I knew where this was going when it started, and then I was constantly surprised by where it took me. Very memorable. Machinarium Story told without words at all, just art and little comic strip memories. Beautiful! Inside This minimalistic story seemed to present more mysteries than it solved. It felt like anything could happen next. Bleak and harsh and constantly engaging. Wheels of Aurelia A very unique way of telling a story while on a road trip. Make decisions in dialog trees, but also in branching roads. Style and subject matter different from any game I could think of. Bound Mostly a platformer, with a very unique way of visually exploring memories. Until Dawn Recommend you play with a group of friends and not alone–not just because it’s scary, but because this game really invites you to cooperatively work through a story together, yelling and screaming and laughing the whole time. Guacamelee A fighting game with many great, colorful characters, rich with personality. The Last Guardian Incredibly strong depiction of a character and a relationship, using very few words. Head over to PlayStation Store now to browse Tim’s list as well as picks curated by Shuhei Yoshida, Yoko Taro, the team at Supergiant Games, and more: Discover the Creators at PlayStation Store Yoko Taro // Director, NieR: Automata Hermen Hulst // Co-founder & Managing Director of Guerrilla Games Shuhei Yoshida // President, PlayStation Worldwide Studios Siobhan Reddy // Co-founder & Studio Director of Media Molecule Sid Shuman // PlayStation Social Media Director Supergiant Games // Creators of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre Tom Happ // Sole Developer of Axiom Verge Teddy Lee // Designer of Rogue Legacy Drinkbox Studios // Makers of Severed and Guacamelee! kokoromi collective // Creators of SuperHyperCube CAPY // Developers of Super Time Force Ultra & collaborators on #Sworcery Double Eleven // Makers of Goat Simulator and Prison Architect on console Mark Essen // Creative Director of Nidhogg Playdead Developer Team // Creators of Limbo and Inside Koshi Nakanishi // Director of Resident Evil 7 biohazard Yoshinori Ono // Executive Producer of the Street Fighter series Psyonix // Creators of Rocket League Business Division 2 // Makers of Final Fantasy XV View the full article

Hey Playstation fans, it’s Connor Bridgeman from Akupara Games here to slap you across the face and finally yell: The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor Releases August 29th! Wow, that felt great to say, and sorry about the slap. Besides that, what you need to know is that The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor is one-part RPG and one-part rhythm game. What’s a rhythm game without music? Well, it’s probably not very good, which is why we have over 50 rump-thumpin’ songs from some of our favorite artists, including but not limited to: Jimmy Urine from Mindless Self Indulgence, Mega Ran, Perturbator, YACHT and a track from Shiny Toy Guns that is *cough* only currently available in our game *cough*. To really push the high-energy of a, well… dance battle game, our music had to be current, upbeat, and use a mix of various melodies and progressions. Any music genre goes, so long as it gets the body poppin’. Here are a just a few samples of the killer tracks you’ll find in the game! Jimmy Urine – Fighting With the Melody Mega Ran – Miss Communication Perturbator – She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next Gathering all these artists together was no small task. Since we are indie to the core, it took a lot of hustle and bustle to get the music we wanted. The music industry is far from predictable, so we decided to take a “long-shot” and simply cold-emailed some of our favorite artists. To our surprise, there were a ton of bands that responded enthusiastically. The developer and our CEO even met up with one of their favorite artists, Jimmy Urine, for sushi to discuss the original song they wanted for the game. We worked with several record labels such as MonsterCat, Witty Tunes, and The End Records, who opened up their libraries for us to choose from. Lastly, we contacted musicians through music subreddits and dug through Soundcloud. Throughout this whole process, we all learned a valuable lesson. If you want something, ask really nicely, and you might be surprised of the results! Oftentimes, just gathering the courage to ask in the first place can be the most difficult step, but as indies we have to take those chances to be successful. It’s why as indie developers we get so many dates. So, Jessica from 7th grade, will you go out with me? Danny Garfield (left) and David Logan, CEO of Akupara Games (right) with Jimmy Urine of MSI (center) The Metronomicon is Two Full Servings of RPG and Rhythm Game Danny Garfield, lead developer and founder of Puuba, came up with the idea while toying around with two different game ideas. Originally, the idea was to create an “Infinite Runner RPG”. High speed, constant forward momentum, less UIs, no waiting for turns, but still with the strategy and depth that we’ve all come to expect in a role-playing game. On the other hand, he was also looking for more ways to introduce player choice and strategy into rhythm games. To find a way to allow more options and subjectivity during gameplay that went beyond just hitting the notes the player was given. Suddenly, he was struck by creative lightning and realized that music has a pulse, a forward momentum that drives action, which sounded awfully familiar to his infinite runner RPG idea… And Thus, The Metronomicon Was Born. We are all very excited to bring The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor to PlayStation 4! Grab a buddy and play through the entire game with couch co-op! There’s nothing quite like screaming at your teammate for a heal while you jam on a track for that last boss-slaying critical hit. Oh, and you can dig that lonely plastic guitar out of storage to play as well. The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor will be available digitally on August 29th. Mark your calendars! View the full article

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer! To help you cool down and slide back into the action, check out the brand new winter battlefield on our second DLC: Defiant Honor, available now at PlayStation Store. As I’ve mentioned previously, William will be facing off with the renowned samurai Sanada Yukimura. Our director Yasuda-san and many members of the team regard Yukimura as the greatest and last true samurai. His brave heroics and fearlessness in the face of death epitomizes the spirit of the samurai — a perfect warrior in many respects, and for a game that is profoundly focused on life and death we could not think of a better candidate as the toughest adversary in Nioh. Did you know that his clan’s crest is made up of six coins representing the passage of the dead crossing the Sanzu River? A tradition similar to Greek mythology of the River Styx for fallen warriors on their way to the afterlife. We wanted to pay homage to this incredible legend by meticulously crafting his design. We hope you will enjoy battling it out with the great Yukimura! In Defiant Honor, you will also encounter one of the most formidable ninja of this era: Sarutobi Sasuke. Upon mastering multiple ninjutsu techniques from all corners of Japan, Sasuke joined the Togakushi school and became Yukimura’s trusted eyes and ears as well as his most fearsome guard. As fate would have it, Sasuke ultimately will cross paths with the legendary Hattori Hanzo in a ninja confrontation for the ages. In keeping with the spirit of this battle and for those of you who pursue the path of ninja, we have provided you with our latest weapon: Tonfa. This deadly weapon is an effective tool for close-quarters combat and excels in both offensive and defensive situations. The Tonfa may also put a smile on many of the faces of our loyal Ninja Gaiden fans who are surely familiar with this impressive weapon. Lastly, new guardian spirits Enku and Nurarihyon will aid you through this treacherous journey as new types of enemies not only test your skills but add more depth to battles. View the full article

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy plots a bold new course for the time-tested Uncharted formula. Last week I went hands-on with a sequence set in India’s Western Ghats region. The freewheeling, open-ended structure may represent the series’ biggest gameplay evolution since the introduction of multiplayer way back in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Zac and I played the game last week; listen in below to hear our full hands-on impressions. Though you’ll surely hear comparisons to Uncharted 4’s wide-open Madagascar sequence, The Lost Legacy’s wide open spaces are far more interesting to explore, whether by 4X4 or on foot. It’s more than just a larger scope. It’s the attention to detail, the sense of place and the feeling of three-dimensionality. Jutting rock formations and bridges crisscross the lush landscape, begging to be reached and explored. Shrines and fortresses dot the region, each offering combat challenges and narrative moments that further the relationship between unlikely partners Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. Combat sequences feel more varied, too, building on the improvements introduced in Uncharted 4. Stick to the tall grass and focus on stealth, or swing in guns blazing? The choice is yours. Other interesting details abound. Instead of dropping intrusive on-screen waypoints to help players navigate the large environments, Naughty Dog opted to include a (digital) map ala Far Cry 2 that you can pull out with a tap of DualShock 4’s touchpad. It might seem like a minor detail, but it was easy to use and helped ground me in the game’s universe. As Chloe, you’ll also be able to pick the locks of various supply crates scattered throughout the game – you might find a grenade launcher, a silenced pistol, or other gear to help even the odds against Asav’s men. This addition helps mix up your arsenal, and keeps the combat feeling fresh. All the changes add up to an Uncharted game that feels looser, more playful, and if I may be so bold, more interesting to play. Case in point: a navigation puzzle where I used the grappling hook to swing from tower to tower, triggering pressure plates before time ran out. The new locale — India’s lush Western Ghats region — also opens up some of the most beautiful vistas seen in the entire series. Running on PS4 Pro and a 4K TV, the increased resolution and HDR effects made an impression. The chemistry between Chloe and Nadine is also shaping up nicely. Nadine chides Chloe on everything from her impulsive combat tactics to her wardrobe (“Red in a jungle scenario? Seriously!?”). And though I won’t spoil anything here, series fans should know that they’ll learn far more about both Chloe and Nadine — their backstories, their motivations, and how they relate to the world. The game’s open design also impacts the way in which the narrative unfolds, but it’s better if you experience it for yourself. Luckily, we don’t have long to wait: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy hits PS4 on August 22. It’s a standalone title, so you won’t need to own Uncharted 4. View the full article

It’s finally here… Supergiant’s biggest-ever game, Pyre, is out now for PlayStation 4, and you can get it right here! And, if you haven’t seen it, check out our launch trailer! We hope you have a wonderful time with Pyre, meeting all your fellow exiles, discovering the forsaken land called the Downside, and conducting the mystical competition called the Rites! Be sure to stick around for Versus Mode, featuring more than 20 different characters from the Campaign. Here’s a sneak peek at all of them in the Character Select screen: Pyre: Original Soundtrack: Also available today is the Pyre Original Soundtrack, packed with close to two hours of music created for the game by our award-winning composer and audio director, Darren Korb. We’re pleased to offer a variety of free streaming options, or you can purchase the soundtrack either in digital format or in a lovely two-disc physical edition on CD. We’d also like to exclusively debut a track from the album right here and now! Feast your ears on Dread Design! This is the theme of one of the opposing triumvirates you’ll face in Pyre, known as the Withdrawn. They’re the scariest-looking bunch you’ll see in our launch trailer. For this piece, Darren conjured up an appropriately chilling and intense sound, which makes the stakes of prevailing against the Withdrawn feel that much higher. The Pyre Original Soundtrack has close to 40 other pieces of music in store besides this one! Closing Thoughts: Supergiant’s been around since 2009, and we’ve always said that we’re here to make games that spark your imagination like the games you played as a kid. We’re also here because we want to stick together as a team, to keep making games our way. We spent three years creating Pyre — but really it’s the culmination of the seven-plus years our studio has been around, and of a lifelong love of games for each of us. We really hope you enjoy it, and we’re excited to hear what you think. View the full article

At E3, Tokyo RPG Factory gave fans an early taste of the unique gameplay and beautiful world players will experience. Today, much like the power of memory, new artwork and new announcements have manifested for Lost Sphear. First off, RPG fans can look forward to playing Lost Sphear on… January 23rd, 2018! Lost Sphear is a turn-based JPRG set in a world threatened by a mysterious phenomenon known as Lost. To combat the Lost, the power of Memory awakens within a young man named Kanata, giving hope to the people. As it is too dangerous for Kanata alone, his friends accompany him from his town of Elgarthe: Lumina, Locke and a mysterious person named Van. Every epic quest needs a full party of hearty adventurers, and today we are introducing two new playable characters who will join Kanata and his friends on their mission to restore the disappearing world. Meet Sherra and Obaro. Sherra is a priestess who uses a traditional bow of similar range to Locke’s crossbow. However, while Locke uses crossbows and tinkers with mechanical crafting, Sherra specializes in heal magic and various bow-related abilities. Obaro is an elderly man who came back into existence upon the awakening of Kanata’s power. Contrary to the physical strengths of Kanata and his friends, Obaro specializes in unleashing powerful elemental magic, demolishing large enemy mobs. This last reveal is my favorite: the powerhouse armor you can acquire in the game known as the “Vulcosuit”! The Vulcosuit is mechanized armor gifted to the people from the ancients within the world of Lost Sphear. This armor serves a dual purpose as enhanced in-battle weaponry and tools you can use in certain map environments. Each piece of armor has its own unique capabilities, so make sure to search for all of them! As a last bit for RPG enthusiasts, pre-order the digital version of Lost Sphear at PlayStation Store where you will receive a ‘Memoirs of the Moon’ Dynamic Theme instant reward and two music tracks on launch day: Market Town Marpennig and Town of Elgarthe. If you’re a collector who prefers physical boxes for your game library, the Physical Edition is available exclusively from the Square Enix Online Store! As a gamer who has played various traditional JRPG’s from Chrono Trigger to I Am Setsuna, I’m very hyped to see this latest installment from the studio, Tokyo RPG Factory. Stay tuned for more news to come in the future! View the full article

Hello PlayStation Nation! It’s hard to believe that it’s been 268 days since the release of Titanfall 2. We’ve been very busy since then, and it’s gone by quick! Prior to the release of Titanfall 2, we said we were committed to supporting the game post-launch with free DLC drops and more. Since launch, we’ve released lots of great content that have not only improved the game, but also kept a thriving, dedicated community playing. Last week, we announced our next free DLC update, Operation Frontier Shield. Our biggest (and 7th!) free DLC update, this one is packed with content and sees the return of a fan-favorite mode from the original Titanfall, Frontier Defense. Built for 4-player co-op, you and your team must protect a Harvester from waves of coordinated enemies hellbent on taking it down. Operation Frontier Shield also introduces two new maps, Rise and Live Fire: Township, and more. Squad up and get ready for Operation Frontier Shield when it drops on July 25. As we get ready for the release of Operation Frontier Shield, I can’t help but look back on some of my favorite things we’ve done since launch: Bringing back the classics: We remastered 5 fantastic maps from the original Titanfall and brought them to Titanfall 2. It’s been great to revisit Angel City, War Games, and more. Featured Modes: Our Designers have been experimenting with twists on existing game modes. This has led to some really fun gameplay, er, twists like CTF Nitro, Titan Brawl, and Marked for Death. Monarch: A new Vanguard class Titan that is unlike any of the Titans before it. Capable of playing support or dealing lots of damage, the Monarch evolves on the battlefield as she upgrades her core. She’s a blast to play and adds a lot to the meta of the game. Prime Titans: The Art team at Respawn has created rad new versions of the existing Titans for players to purchase, giving each Titan not only a great new look but also their own executions. Live Fire Mode and Maps: This Pilots only mode is like an espresso shot of adrenaline, featuring small maps and no respawns. It’s tense, fast-paced, and I love it. That’s just a few of my favorite moments, but there are plenty more, and I’m sure our community all have a bunch as well. Thanks for all the support, and we can’t wait to see you on the Frontier when Operation Frontier Shield launches on July 25. View the full article

Aven Colony is a city-building strategy game about mankind’s first colony on a moon orbiting a gas giant ten light-years from earth called “Aven Prime.” You assume the role of the Governor of humanity’s first colonies outside the solar system. Your goal is to build and protect one small, vulnerable human settlement at a time, and grow each one into a sprawling and prosperous sci-fi metropolis. We knew from the outset that we wanted to take Aven Colony to some interesting new places that standard city-builders don’t usually go. While we wanted the core gameplay loop to feel familiar to fans of the city-builder genre, we also wanted to explore new features rarely seen in city-builders, such as a full single-player campaign and a number of sci-fi elements beyond what could typically be done with a modern city in modern times. We particularly wanted to explore themes of survival and all of the science-fiction aspects of a future version of humanity landing on an alien world, learning its secrets, and discovering the traces of a vanished alien civilization. Beginning with the Hyla’s Crescent campaign mission, the Aven Expedition begins to discover awesomely powerful artifacts left behind by the mysterious species that once inhabited this world. After collecting an artifact, storing it at an Artifact Containment Unit, and then researching the artifact at a Research Center, you’ll be able to use it to produce powerful effects to help your colony. There are several varieties of artifact, including the Shielding Artifact, which will temporarily protect your colony from external threats, such as shard storms, creep spores, and plague spores. However, the long-lost denizens of Aven Prime, whoever they were, certainly didn’t leave their valuable goodies lying around unprotected… and those protections still linger. Once your colony is large enough, you can also build an Expedition Center to send your colonists exploring outside the colony. Each Expedition Center will allow you to load up to 10 colonists into an expedition ship, which you can then send out into the surrounding countryside to find and collect abandoned cargo pods, place agricultural scanners, chase down rebels, explore alien ruins, and much more. Among the various points of interest that your expedition ships can discover are robotic remnants of the civilization that once inhabited this world, known as “Guardians.” If your expedition crews survive the encounter with the ship intact, they can sometimes recover an artifact from the vicinity of the Guardian. In other cases, ancient ruins that dot the landscape will also hold artifacts that your expedition ships can carry back to the colony to install, research, and activate. However, once you begin to retrieve artifacts and encounter guardians in your expeditions, some of these robots will initiate automatic attack sequences and attempt to locate the colony. Aven Colony avoids massive, city-destroying mega-disasters in favor of various smaller environmental threats that aren’t likely to permanently damage your colony if handled properly. Shard storms, sandworms, water worms, creep spores, plague spores, and the huge, noxious clouds of toxic gas that can erupt from geothermal vents all look fairly terrifying, but none of these are very likely to annihilate a well-built colony. The Guardian, however, is an exception to this rule. Arriving in an update coming shortly after launch, the Guardian will happily initiate the auto-attack sequence programmed by its long-forgotten creators and use its massive laser to cut through your colony like a knife through butter. If you don’t have a few Plasma Turrets scattered around your colony to take it down, your colony may not survive long enough to tell the tale. Note that the chance of this occurring depends on the game difficulty setting in campaign missions, or the environmental event frequency sandbox setting for sandbox maps. At the easiest settings, it’s possible that you’ll never see a Guardian attack your colony at all. Playing any Sandbox mission with environmental events turned off will turn Aven Colony into a pure city-builder and management sim. For us at Mothership Entertainment, Aven Colony is only the start of the journey, and evolving the city-builder into a new form is only the first step. We hope this post has showed a few of the rarely-seen aspects of Aven Colony that truly set it apart. View the full article