Commander Fury

Just in time for the launch of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy next week, we’re excited to announce a new update for Uncharted 4 Multiplayer that adds new Uncharted: The Lost Legacy character skins, an all-new playable character, and a new cooperative challenge mode: Survival Arena. Arriving alongside Uncharted: The Lost Legacy on August 22, the update will introduce new skins for Chloe and Nadine featuring character models and outfits pulled directly from Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. We’ll also be adding Asav, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy’s antagonist as a playable villain character for Multiplayer and Survival, complete with his own uniquely menacing VO. It will also include Survival Arena – a new take on our cooperative Survival mode that adds over 100 new waves with new enemy types, new Siege zones, and all-new wave modifiers. Survival Arena offers thousands of potential encounter combinations for you and up to two additional players to take on. For your efforts, you can also earn our new Savage Starlight Skeleton skins, unlockable through Survival Arena. Best of all, the update will be available for both Uncharted 4 owners and for those picking up Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which comes with all Uncharted 4 Multiplayer content (PlayStation Plus membership required, sold separately). The community is also unified, so regardless of which game you own, you can team up and play with your friends. Alongside the announcement of the Survival Arena update, this week, our friends at PlayStation Store are kicking off their countdown to the launch of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy with new updates to live.playstation.com every day. Check it out to see new videos and earn unique rewards. On Monday, August 21, you’ll also be able to tune in for a special live stream direct from Naughty Dog that will lead up to the moment Uncharted: The Lost Legacy unlocks on the PlayStation Store on PS4. Last but certainly not least, this week Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Stickers for Apple devices arrive on the App Store. Get the message across in your conversations with a little help from illustrated versions of Chloe, Nadine, and Asav—from OMW to YAS QUEEN and plenty in between. In the meantime, follow Naughty Dog on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get the latest on Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. View the full article

Attention, pilots! Today, we’re thrilled to announce Warzone – the first major expansion for EVE: Valkyrie, heading your way on September 26. Enter the Warzone The Warzone expansion introduces a huge range of exciting new features, with the biggest game changer being support for both standard and VR gameplay. PS4 and PS VR gamers will be able to fly and fight alongside each other in EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone, both in and out of virtual reality. We look forward to seeing the already intense competition between Valkyrie pilots going up a notch, as more players from around the world will be able to join existing pilots for all-action space-dogfighting battles. But that’s not all – not by a long shot. This expansion is a complete overhaul for the game, making EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone an entirely fresh experience. Better yet, it will be a free download for all existing Valkyrie pilots, with the complete package coming down in price to $29.99 SRP for new recruits. First-person Spaceship Shooter Set against the glittering darkness of space in the unforgiving corner of the universe known as New Eden, EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone is a visceral and immediately accessible first-person spaceship shooter, where you can jump straight in and heroically turn the tide of battle. Guiding you through your Valkyrie journey is Rán Kavik, leader of the Valkyrie, brought to life by critically acclaimed actress Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, Longmire). Next-generation fleet The cockpit of your spacecraft is an immersive bubble and your window onto a battlefield among the stars. It’s from here that you’ll enjoy multiple competitive multiplayer modes, co-op and squad-based gameplay as well as getting involved in Leaderboards and, later this year, Leagues. Choosing from one of the four distinct ship classes – Assault, Heavy, Support and the all-new Covert class ship, the Shadow – your awesome vessel becomes your avatar, where using the intuitive controls to combine great firepower with agility provides genuine tactical depth. When chasing the thrill of victory, just remember that your next kill – or death – may lie above or below as well as behind you. New features and improved gameplay EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone brings with it enhanced and refined gameplay features across the board. Each ship within a class will have a more distinctive role to play in battle and all ships will be available from the first time a pilot enters the Clone Vat. This new, open hangar will allow pilots to experiment and find the ships that best fit their playstyle within a few matches. There will be new weapons and abilities to inflict upon each other, including powerful ship-specific Ultra abilities that, when timed correctly, can turn the course of battle. Ultras facilitate a deeper combat experience, being fuelled by the performance of you and your team. Pilots will be able to explore a new modular progression system that introduces multiple new modifications for each ship. With unique abilities and meaningful upgrade paths for each ship, you’ll have more control over how you evolve and customise your fleet. Warzone introduces the brand-new ‘Extraction’ game mode – think capture the flag in outer space – that mixes combat and navigational challenge in new and exciting ways, encouraging pilots to use the environment to their advantage. Most importantly though, it makes team-play – and team-tactics – a key component of success. In addition, the Warzone expansion will also feature two new maps; ‘Fleet’, a Sisters of EVE space station, and ‘Outpost’, a mysterious Drifter base, that will bring even more aspects of the rich EVE universe to the world of the EVE: Valkyrie. There will also be new weekly Wormholes to fight for, where established reality is twisted for a fresh gameplay experience. New rewards system In Warzone, we’ve simplified EVE: Valkyrie’s previously complex in-game economy with the removal of Gold and the reduction of surplus Silver. You’ll earn XP per ship and use only XP to craft a Modification for that ship, which is far easier to follow. Salvage picked up during a battle by you or your team now has a more immediate effect by fuelling your ship’s Ultra gauge. You can also fight over Spoils of War to earn Reward Capsules, enabling you to unlock a hangar-full of personalization options for your ships and pilot. Each item rewarded is categorised as Common, Rare or Epic to convey its sense of worth and desirability, plus a random element ensures that the content of each capsule remains a surprise. Join the battle EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone is for everyone. If you can play first-person shooters, you can pilot one of Warzone’s amazing ships. Not having access to VR hardware will no longer hold you back from diving weapons-first into intense and highly competitive space combat with your friends. It’s fast, it’s fun and there’s a ship with your name on it. Fly safe and fly together! View the full article

It’s time to brush up on your geology because everyone’s favorite part Tower Defense, part Racing, part Art History lesson, and all smashing game from ACE Team is back. That’s right, Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder will be digitally available worldwide for PlayStation 4 on August 28! Let’s talk a bit about what’s new in the sequel to 2011’s Rock of Ages. This time around Atlas (no relation to Atlus), the Greek Titan tasked with the eternally dreary job of holding up the sky, has literally dropped the ball and must run through different periods of Art History to escape the consequences. The only problem is that some very notable figures and works of art are trying their best to stop him. With art periods ranging from Early Renaissance to Surrealism, take a look at some of the foes that would love nothing more than to keep Atlas from rolling away. Recognize any of them? Of course, in order to get past each stage, Atlas must rock and roll his way to victory in classic Rock of Ages action. Not familiar with how disputes between mythological figures are resolved? Don’t worry! The basic idea of it is quite simple: repeatedly roll a boulder to your adversary’s castle on the other end of the map, bash open the gates, and then flatten them into a pancake. Ok, maybe it’s not that simple because your enemy is trying to whittle down your boulder with various defensive obstacles. Oh, and they’re trying to smash through your castle gate to crush you into oblivion as well, so it would be wise to set up some obstacles too. And yes, it’s just as fun and frantic as it sounds, especially with the updated visuals and graphics courtesy of Unreal Engine 4. So what’s new in ROA2? Besides new stages and characters, there’s now a bigger selection of customizable units. From the humble but essential Catapult to the deadly range of the Battleship, there are plenty of new and improved units to help protect your castle. There’s also a gneiss selection of boulders that would make any petrologist blush. Want to blow things out of proportion? The Gunpowder Boulder is what you need. Looking for something that hits like a tank? The cubed Block of Ages is the way to go! Trying to sabotage your enemy’s tiles with something grimy? Say no more because the Tar Boulder will accomplish that. Each boulder has unique stats and uses, so pick and utilize them wisely as you smash your way through the ages. Oh, and gold can now be accrued through special resource nodes on each stage, so be sure to exploit and protect those! Smashing things with friends has never been more glorious because ACE Team have also enhanced the multiplayer features of the game! You can now play with up to four players online or locally in 2v2 War matches or free-for-all Obstacle Course races that will test just how solid the bonds of friendship are. Battle it out with customizable banners and colors for your army and see who cracks under pressure. Additional quality-of-life changes like a Quick Match function and a map voting system after matches have also been included. Get ready to have the most fun you’ll ever have rolling rocks down a hill when Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder… rolls to PS4 on August 28! View the full article

Do you like war games, but get confused by all that chaotic running around? Do you like tabletop gaming, but get tired of staring at little bits of pewter that don’t actually do anything? Then you’ve come to the right place. The talented folks behind the popular League of War franchise have been working nonstop to bring their tanks, flamethrowers, helicopters, and commanders into the wonderful world of VR. After many long nights, and more than a few burned-out motherboards, we’ve emerged with League of War: VR Arena. Remember those forty year-old sci-fi movies with those cool holographic chess boards? VR Arena is a lot like that. Only with tanks. And you’re standing in the middle of the chess board. And things are exploding. It’s a deceptively simple game. You and your opponent have armies of twelve military units, which randomly become deployable in groups of four. Each unit takes a certain amount of energy to deploy, depending on how powerful it is. When a unit is ready to deploy, simply pick it up, put it down on the battlefield, and watch it go zipping off to destroy the enemy’s base. Simple, right? Only it’s not that simple, because your opponent is doing the same thing. As the seconds tick by, and the enemy’s troops get ever closer, you begin to wonder whether it’s worth it to wait for that big, powerful tank to charge up, or if you should send out an inexpensive recon to distract the enemy. Should you deploy that anti-infantry helicopter, or wait until you can pair it with some artillery? Simple to play, difficult to master – it’s practically our company credo. You can play League of War: VR Arena in both a single player Campaign Mode (and hear our commanders’ voices for the first time!), or in an Arcade Mode. We like Arcade Mode a lot because you can play head-to-head on the Social Screen, and build your own custom armies. We hope you have a lot of fun playing VR Arena. We here at MunkyFun have enjoyed the challenge of creating our first VR game, and our first game for PSVR in particular. Sony has been a wonderful partner in getting VR Arena out the door, and their support and vision has been invaluable. League of War VR Arena will be available this fall for PlayStation VR. View the full article

Hi PlayStation people! Tommi Hartikainen here, game director of Matterfall. Everyone at Housemarque is very excited that you are finally able to get your hands on our latest game, and I’m taking this opportunity to tell you a bit more of some of my favorite Augmentations, which are some secondary weapons and passive abilities that will help you to survive. When playing the game I like to switch the augmentations quite a bit, as I find certain combinations work best for me in tackling certain situations. That said, once all of the augmentations have been discovered, it’s great fun to return to previously completed levels just to see how much the game changes with an alternate loadout. For me though, my usual selection involves two passive Augmentations and one weapon. My favorite augmentation is the Matter Bomb Probability. This increases the amount of Matter Bombs enemies spawn after they die. This can create these long chain reactions when you burst one with the Matter Jet. If things get too hectic in the later levels, consider using Strike Detonation, which detonates Matter Bombs when Striking through them, without the need to use the Matter Jet. The weapon I use the most is the Grenade Launcher, which takes some time to get used to to properly predict the arc of the grenade, but it’s a great weapon after you get the hang of it! In some levels the Seeker weapon is great fun to use to take care of the waves of enemies that spawn all around the player. In smaller corridors the Railgun is an excellent choice if you make the projectile ricochet from floor to ceiling multiple times, punching through several enemies. Shockwave Radius is an amazing Augmentation and makes Striking an even better move to use in combat. The extended radius of the Shockwave makes it easier to clear out some space around you when enemies are trying to pin you down from all directions. After you’ve knocked the enemies back and stunned them with the Shockwave, use a secondary weapon to increase your firepower and finish the job. Having said that, keep in mind that while these are my favorite augmentations, pretty much everyone at the studio uses a different loadout and have their own preferred abilities. Here are just a few… Tomi Kokki, Senior Animator Favorite loadout: As I love to see enemies exploding, my favorite loadout has to be the combination of Strike Detonation, Matter Bomb Probability and Shockwave Radius. Why: This combination allows me to have an advantage pretty much every time I see a Matter Bomb lingering in the middle of an enemy horde. And by having the Matter Bomb Probability, I can be pretty sure there will be bombs waiting to be detonated. Sometimes I like to switch one of the aforementioned augmentations to the Grenade Launcher. The way I use The Grenade Launcher is, that I usually shoot a bouncing grenade into a corridor first and follow it guns blazing. It’s like giving a cover fire for yourself. Suvi Järvinen, Game artist Favorite loadout: One weapon and two augmentations. Shotgun, Strike Damage and Shockwave Radius Why: I usually just stick to the Shotgun, but I sometimes like to switch things up and use the Seeker. In my opinion Shotgun works nice when you have speedrun approach to the game, and the Seeker works better when you are score hunting. To accompany the weapon of choice I almost always go for Strike Damage and Shockwave Radius. Strike Damage gives me the ability to kill the weaker waves of enemies as I Strike through them and lets me concentrate on shooting the tougher and meaner enemies. As for the Shockwave Radius, it just happens to be a perfect fit with the Strike Damage as it knocks back and stuns enemies that survived the Strike. Ian Monaghan, FPQA Tester Favorite loadout: Grenade Launcher, Shotgun, Overcharge Time Why: Maximum Firepower! This loadout proved to be deadly, cutting holes in waves of attacking enemies. Combining multiple weapon augmentations provided a near constant stream of powerful attacks, each capable of stopping the most dangerous enemies. What is lacked in tactical play it more than made up for with stopping power. Extending the length of the overcharge only increased the damage output as well as providing a useful shield to help survive intense situations. The loadout came into its element when battling the bosses which proved to be challenging. Pete Suen, FPQA Tester Favorite loadout: Seeker, Shockwave Radius, Matter Bomb Probability Why: I always favoured having one weapon and two augmentations as my set-up, as I felt this complimented my frenetic playstyle perfectly. Having an increased Strike shockwave radius allowed me to freeze more of the enemies on screen, whilst my homing missiles would finish them off (regardless of where I was aiming!). The added effect of having more Matter bombs spawn when killing enemies also meant that the chance of chaining Matter bomb explosions was much easier, thus adding to my damage multipliers! Hi-score city, here I come!! But that’s just our own favorites. We have a total of 12 Augmentations – 4 secondary weapons and 8 passive abilities – so try them all to find out which one is your perfect combination! View the full article

Greetings pilots, aces and rocket loving space weirdos! This is Matt, proud member of WhiteMoon Dreams and StarBlood Arena’s community manager (you may have even kicked my butt on occasion during our community events). It’s a big day for our studio and our amazing partners Sony’s San Diego Studio. The StarBlood Arena demo launches tomorrow, for free at PlayStation Store! I thought I’d use this post to shed some light on the demo’s offerings, fun things to look out for and also throw in some pro tips for the arena. Drumroll please… The tutorial will help get you off the ground, but I’ve also got some major keys to drop that will have you owning the arena in no time: Use your head! One of the unique elements of gaming in VR is the ability to not only use your controller, but your PS VR headset as well to aim. StarBlood Arena makes use of this head tracking technology, so wherever you choose to look – you can shoot! Lock on: The pilots of StarBlood Arena come equipped with many lock-on weapons that will seek out enemies and destroy them. Just make sure your reticle stays focused on your enemy long enough for a lock-on ring to appear around them, then fire away for devastating results! ABDM – Always Be Dropping Mines: Don’t forget to make use of your mines. The more you drop, the more havoc you will wreak! Mines stay active until they’re blown up – so drop them often for maximum carnage. Warning: this will make the arena extremely dangerous. Use your boost: Use your boosters to quickly get in and out of confrontations. Boost time is limited, but it recharges automatically – so time your escapes and attacks with that in mind. In the secondary we trust: Your secondary weapon is your friend! In the case of your demo pilot, Alice, you’ll pull out a vicious grenade launcher. Pound your enemies with a grenade barrage then finish them off your primary and missiles for maximum results. Now that you know how to handle yourself in combat, don’t forget to stop and smell the gun powder! Take your time and have a look around the arena. A couple fun things to pay attention to are: The pilots of SBA – Although Alice is the only playable pilot in the demo, you can still browse through all 9 pilots and check out their stats and animations. Watch TikTakToh fail at building a human pyramid: Or Dregg throw some of his world famous “Whatever” attitude at you: Keep in mind that StarBlood Arena is an inter-galactic bloodsport, being broadcast live for your entertainment! Take a moment to enjoy the digital billboards, powered by the money grubbing sponsors of SBA: This is just a small taste of what the StarBlood Arena experience has to offer, but don’t take our word for it, go play the demo! Before you turbo boost out of this post, I’d like to offer one more big thanks to our partners at Sony for helping carry the vision of StarBlood Arena into reality. PS VR is a very exciting platform to develop for and we’re honored to be a part of this emerging community. Love and Rockets, Matt View the full article

It’s launch week for Agents of Mayhem, the latest over the top game from the creators of Saints Row! To accompany our launch trailer, we thought we’d give you guys a taste of a few things that you can ONLY experience in the open world of Deep Silver Voliton’s latest single-player action game. Enjoy! Triple-Jump A lot of games over the years have utilized physics-defying animations and movement styles like “double jump.” We put our heads together to think about how we could one-up the status quo, and we did exactly that! In order to raise the bar, all 12 playable agents in Agents of Mayhem come equipped with a standard TRIPLE-JUMP to traverse the towering high-rises of our interpretation Seoul, South Korea. Our Game’s Got Seoul Volition has always had kind of a fetish for setting games in cities whose names start with ‘s’ –Stilwater, Steelport, and now Seoul! When creating the hand crafted open-world, we wanted to find a location that conveyed the global theme of the game, and Seoul does exactly that. The fusion of ancient and modern architectural styles allowed us to make distinct districts within the world, and to allow Seoul to be set apart as the technological capital of our universe in Agents of Mayhem. You Can Turn Things Into Cabbits You might be asking yourself, “What’s a cabbit? Is that some sort of weird rabbit/cat hybrid?” Well, the answer is indeed — YES! You’d be exactly right. Funny, and little known fact, Cabbits have made an appearance in almost every single Volition game, and Agents of Mayhem is no exception. You can craft consumable items called “Gremlin Tech” (named after the base agent specializing in R&D) and throw these items at enemies to turn them from violent into adorable (but explosive) Cabbits! Dark Matter Technology Paving the way for innovation in dark matter research everywhere, Agents of Mayhem demonstrates the impressive nature of this technology, as it is used to power most of their high-tech weaponry, specifically their ability to teleport! Dark matter teleportation is the essential cornerstone for gameplay in Agents of Mayhem, because this is the technology that enables agent-swapping! Yes, that’s right, you take three agents into the field at any given time for any given mission, and you can instantaneously switch between them with a tap of the d-pad. Agent-swap allows you to create fun combinations of special and mayhem abilities, or simply to swap and let an agent heal up until then can get back in the fight! Fight a Pop Super Star Without giving away too many spoilers, there is a mission in the game where you have to hunt down and fight a pop idol. Obviously, because they’re evil. However, you have to do this on a stage surrounded by cheering fans… at their own concert… by hacking and turning off their autotune. Of course, this is just scratching the surface. There are tons more quirky and over the top, crazy things for you to check out in Agents of Mayhem when it comes out on PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro tomorrow — enjoy! View the full article

Hey, Dan here from No Goblin! We’ve spent the last few months making a neat add-on mode for 100ft Robot Golf that I think you’ll like. It’s called Kaiju Driving Range, and we’re giving it to all PlayStation 4 100ft Robot Golf owners next month for free! Here’s the deal: it’s a 1 vs 1 game mode where one player plays a robot golfer on your TV, and the other straps into a PS VR headset and becomes a sick-ass crab kaiju – complete with Move controller support for the kaiju’s pincer arms! The robot’s goal is to do killer golf shots. The kaiju’s goal is to be a huge jerk and stop killer golf shots from happening. We think it’s a pretty neat mode, and I especially love it because it takes advantage of one of the best unique features of PlayStation VR: the social screen! Being in VR and competing against another human player that’s in the same room as you is a super fun experience, especially when that VR person is a two hundred foot crab that can rip tall buildings out of the ground. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for supporting our dumb game endeavours. Kaiju Driving Range comes out September 12, and is a free exclusive add-on for all PlayStation 4 owners of 100ft Robot Golf. We hope you enjoy this neat bonus! <3, Dan and Panzer View the full article

A big hello from Wales! It’s Ben Tester here from Wales Interactive, the studio that brought you Late Shift, The Bunker and Soul Axiom. Today I’m here to announce the launch of our upcoming horror, Don’t Knock Twice on PS VR and PS4, with an inside scoop on the development of a horror game in VR. Don’t Knock Twice is a first-person horror 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. You won’t be waiting long for this one as it lands on PS VR September 5th with the option to play in non-VR also! Excited? Good. Nervous? You should be! With every copy of the game comes the option to play in both VR and non-VR, should anyone be too scared to play in virtual reality space. As developers, we have the power to draw the line on when and where to scare you, and there are many tricks up our sleeves to turn up the heat or tone down anything that gets a little… too terrifying. It all starts with an immersive and believable environment that has no limitations and no signs of repetitiveness. In Don’t Knock Twice, we created a grand manor house environment which was based off of the genuine location used in the recent Don’t Knock Twice horror film, starring Katee Sackhoff (of Battlestar Galactica). Our main goal was to focus on creating a realistic environment that doesn’t break you out of immersion and is optimised for a smooth experience with which also combats any motion-sickness. This, with high-quality 3D sounds, is enough to raises the hairs on the back of your neck, before we’ve even started on the real scary bits. During development, we had some great scare moments, some laughable ones and even some that have brought grown men to the ground. The not-so-scary ones, which of course didn’t make the cut, were usually down to the limitations of set pieces in VR. For example, it’s difficult to trigger an animation at a particular point when you have less control over the player position. Without giving anything away, we had one player teleport themselves too far into the environment, essentially spawning behind a particular spooky section and watched it all unfold from the complete wrong angle. However, VR does offer huge advantages for those scary moments. One in particular involved the use of head tracking which forced the player to put their head into a place they wished they didn’t look into, this created a “Here’s Johnny” moment which would have been impossible to create in a standard “flat” experience without forcing the players head. With all this said, Don’t Knock Twice does also support a non-VR mode and we’ve balanced the scares for both scenarios to create a VR horror that’s accessible and enjoyed by all. For those with a PS VR, we’ve implemented support for either a standard controller, single or dual PlayStation Move controllers, and you can even play seated, standing or room-scale. Don’t Knock Twice is a 2-3 hour game with adventure horror style gameplay driven by narrative clues, an intuitive control system featuring stretchy hands and a one-click 180° rotate button, hidden collectables and trophies, two ending scenarios and of course, a Platinum Trophy. The game will offer localisation across multiple languages including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified), Polish, Russian and Welsh. Don’t Knock Twice will launch on September 5th for $19.99 and so I hope you’re all prepared for what’s about to come! If you have any questions, or comments on horror in VR, drop them below. Thank you for reading! View the full article

Songbringer is the sword-swinging, weapon-throwing, orb-blinking brain child of one-man development studio Wizard Fu. We’re tickled pink (and purple) to announce that the pixel art sci-fi action RPG, is coming to PlayStation 4 on September 5th 2017. Songbringer is a handcrafted sci fi love letter to old school action RPGs, focusing on exploration, combat, dungeons, secrets, and badass boss fights. And hallucinogenic cacti. And boomerang hats. And robot sidekicks. Did we mention the boomerang hat? We’re pretty excited about the boomerang hat. Roq is an intergalactic surveyor on the spacecutter Songbringer, a ship exploring the galaxy and visiting uninhabited planets. During what he thought was a routine mission, he wakes up on a mysterious planet without his shirt, beside his helpful robot companion Jib (who can be controlled locally by a 2nd player) and the smouldering remains of his hover bike. Something’s going on but he’s not quite sure what, so he does what any sane person would do in that situation: finds a strange sword and unwittingly awakens an ancient army of evil beings. The planetary layout of Ekzerra is created from a 6-letter world seed when you begin a new game. This generates the layout of the the overworld map as well as determining the dungeon setup. Give this world seed to a friend so you can share the same secrets, or challenge each other to compete the world as quickly and thoroughly as possible, qualifying for the international leaderboards. Songbringer has a host of awesome features including (but not limited to): Real-time combat with 7 kinds of weapons including the nanosword, boomerang-like tophat, bombs, blink orb, a ghost sword projectile, lighter and kilobombs Hundreds of unique items and powerups Item crafting, for example: ghost sword + lightning cube = lightning sword Hidden items, secret entrances, secret pathways, bomb-able walls Online leaderboards for the top players based on completion time, percentage of map uncovered and percentage of items found Roguelike-inspired Permadeath Mode So grab your top hat, brush off your nanosword and get ready for September 5th. View the full article

By many measures, Star Wars Battlefront II is shaping up to be the most ambitious game in EA’s history. It’s a colossal, global development effort that spans multiple game modes, genres, and all three film eras. And it’s being managed by three prestigious studios: Criterion Games, DICE, and the newly-formed Motive Studios. I recently had an opportunity to catch up with representatives of all three studios: DICE Producer Craig McLeod, Criterion Executive Producer Matt Webster, and Motive Creative Director Mark Thompson. It’s a juicy conversation — more than 20 minutes of detailed discussion revolving around the game’s conception and how the studio is addressing fan feedback. A few details that stuck with me: Battlefront II was strongly influenced by player feedback from the original game. ”After a few months of play, [players] lacked long-term goals,” DICE’s Craig McLeod told me. “These are the things we are looking to nail in Battlefront II.” Prime examples of that increased depth and breadth include the addition of all three film eras, space combat in addition to ground combat, a detailed character progression system, and ongoing free updates to the multiplayer experience. Setting the new single-player campaign from the Empire’s perspective was partly borne out of gameplay necessity. “[Battlefront] is about being a soldier on the front lines in the Star Wars universe,” EA Motive’s Mark Thompson mentioned. “It’s about being an ace pilot in a starfighter in the skies. And it’s also about being a hero. We merged those three fantasies… and that’s why we landed on Imperial special forces.” The ambition extends to the game’s post-release DLC support. “We decided to embark down a model of seasons, themed around content drops,” McLeod explained. “We’ll look to keep the community together, that’s really important to us.” Shortly after launch, a Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi-themed content drop will hit, bringing a new planet, and new characters (Finn and Captain Phasma) will enter the fray. Give it a watch and let us know what you think. Enjoy your weekend! View the full article

The veteran developers at Housemarque are no strangers to arcade action. Following in the footsteps of Super Stardust HD, Dead Nation, Resogun, and Nex Machina, Matterfall takes the stage as the next explosive twin-stick shooter to arrive on PlayStation. Fusing classic 2D platforming with dizzying bullet hell mechanics, Matterfall will push players to the limit. Avoid a sea of lethal Red Matter while harnessing Blue Matter to turn the environment into an ally. Experiment with a variety of weapons and abilities to best master the moment-to-moment action, and hunt for the top of the leaderboards. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop. New Releases: Week of August 15, 2017 3D MiniGolf PS4 — Digital Master an entertaining match on more than 54 challenging holes, 18 of which faithfully modelled after official courses in the real world. Agents of Mayhem PS4 — Digital, Retail Agents of Mayhem is the latest open-world, third-person action game from the creators of the Saints Row franchise! Run a no-holds barred operation against a shadowy super-villain organization known only as LEGION and their mysterious leader, the Morningstar. Cities: Skylines – PlayStation 4 Edition PS4 — Digital Cities: Skylines puts you in charge of a growing city — design, build, and manage the city of your dreams, from public services to civic policies, and challenge yourself to grow from a simple town to a bustling metropolitan hub. Dark Mystery PS4 — Digital Dark Mystery is a fun, challenging puzzle platformer with 35 exciting levels. Find true love in the adventure of Dark Mystery! Defenders of Ekron PS4 — Digital Defenders of Ekron mixes the classic action of a shmup and the exploration of an adventure game, including dungeons and a sci-fi experience. Eliosi’s Hunt PS4 — Digital Inspired by classic actions games like Metal Slug and Crash Bandicoot, Eliosi’s Hunt delivers smooth gameplay, beautifully crafted graphics, and cutting-edge technology. The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II PS4 — Digital In the second part of the unfolding Van Helsing saga that could also be enjoyed independently, you can explore new corners of this unique world and experience the mix of old-school gothic and mad science, with more action, powerful foes, and plenty of stunning places to visit. Matterfall PS4 — Digital Blast through explosive waves of contemporary arcade action in this rapid-fire twin stick shooter. As a hero-for-hire, survive high-intensity side-scrolling war zones in vertical cities overrun by mysterious “smart matter.” Nidhogg 2 PS4 — Digital The wurm has returned and it must feed! Shed your garments and paint the walls with the flesh of your enemies, for only one can be worthy of sacrifice. Night Trap – 25th Anniversary Edition PS4 — Digital Night Trap tells the story of five teenage girls spending the weekend at the Martin home. As a member of the Special Control Attack Team, your job is to monitor the home and protect the girls using an intricate system of cameras and traps as it is being invaded by vampires. Observer PS4 — Digital What would you do if your fears were hacked? The year is 2084. You are Daniel Lazarski, an elite neural detective known as an Observer, whose purpose is to hack and invade suspects’ minds. Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul PS VR — Digital Engineered from conception for VR, The Lost Soul immerses you in a terrifying realistic environment with haunting atmosphere, and the need to survive. With very limited guidance, your free-movement enables you to discover the secrets that lie in this house of horror. The Pillars of the Earth PS4 — Digital Based on Ken Follett’s world-bestseller, The Pillars of the Earth retells the story of the village of Kingsbridge in a whole new way. Play as Jack, Aliena, and Philip and change the events of the book through exploration, decision-making and dialogues. Sonic Mania PS4 — Digital Experience the ultimate celebration of past and future in Sonic Mania, an all-new 2D Sonic adventure running at a crisp 60 frames per second with stunning HD retro-style graphics. Sudden Strike 4 PS4 — Digital, Retail Sudden Strike is back! The beloved RTS series returns, this time with bigger battlefields, more units, better graphics, new scenarios, and legendary commanders. Tokyo 42 PS4 — Digital Tokyo 42 is a hyper-stylish isometric open-world shooter. Framed for a murder you didn’t commit, you’ll delve into a world of assassins, deadly corporate intrigue, and… tactical cats. Undertale PS4, PS Vita — Digital The PC classic Undertale comes to PS4! Explore a rich RPG world full of strange and delightful characters where violence isn’t the only answer. Dance with a slime, pet a dog, whisper your favorite secret to a knight… or ignore all of that and rain destruction upon your foes. The choices are yours — but are you determined enough to prevail? Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma PS4 — Digital, Retail (8/18) Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma features diabolic new puzzles and fully animated story sections that push the boundaries of interactive storytelling! Newcomers and familiar faces round out a robust cast of characters while English and Japanese voice over options flesh out the narrative. Avicii – Avicii 01 Oneohtrix Point Never – Good Time Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Hinder – The Reign DCU: Batman and Harley Quinn Baywatch Extended + Theatrical The Lion King (Remastered) The Chris Gethard Show- August 17 at 11/10c (truTV) Episodes- August 20 at 10/9c (Showtime) The Last Ship- August 20 at 9/8c (TNT) The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

Hello everyone! On today’s episode, our own Sid Shuman rants and raves about Superhot on PS4 — a puzzle game in the guise of a first-person shooter. Could this finally supplant his long-running obsession with Darkest Dungeon? Only time will tell. Enjoy the show! Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Stuff We Talked About Superhot Pyre Undertale Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds Agents of Mayhem Matterfall What Remains of Edith Finch Books! Recent Episodes 258: The One That Got Away 257: Hungry Like the Wolfenstein 256: Destiny’s Child The Cast Sid Shuman – Director of Social Media, SIEA Justin Massongill – Social Media Manager, SIEA Ryan Clements – Sr. Social Media Specialist, 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

Hello! It’s been a year since No Man’s Sky first released, and it’s been an exciting, intense and emotional time for us at Hello Games. We have been quiet, but we have been listening intently. We’ve spent that year working hard on free updates. Update 1.3, releasing today, is our biggest to date and will be available for free to all No Man’s Sky players. Read on to learn a bit more about what you can expect to discover in the latest update — a lot has changed in a year! No Man’s Sky | PlayStation.com Atlas Rises Featuring a new central storyline players can discover more about the universe and themselves, as well as a wide array of new and improved features. Whether you’re a veteran interloper or completely new to the No Man’s Sky universe, there has never been a better time to start your journey. Full patch notes are available here. Here’s a quick run down of the main features: 30 hours of branching story and deeper lore Procedurally generated guild missions Much deeper interstellar trading Star Systems have varying wealth, conflict and economies Overhauled Space combat controls, weapons and AI Portals stargates enable quick travel Terrain manipulation for more complex bases New farming and mining interactions bring increased depth Increased biome variety and Rare exotic biomes Analysis visor & discovery improvements Galaxy map and many other UI improvements New S Class ship designs Low altitude flight and the ability to crash your ship Crashed Freighters to salvage on planets Joint exploration Our story gives a new context, quest system and branching narrative to No Man’s Sky. In the Atlas Rises story, the fabric of existence is starting to falter. A mysterious new interdimensional race have appeared, and ancient portals have begun to open. Glitches in the simulation, visualised by strange floating orbs, allow players to see and communicate with up to 16 other travellers and explore the universe together. While interaction with others is currently very limited, this is an important first step into the world of synchronous co-op in No Man’s Sky. We hope you enjoy this and what follows – look forward to seeing you out there! This week marks the one year anniversary of No Man’s Sky and on behalf of myself, and the team at Hello Games I just want to say – Thank you for this year. Thank you for playing, providing feedback, discovering, sharing and so much more… Our journey continues. Sean View the full article

You may remember, as I do, that feeling of getting lost as a child. Never perturbed, I invented stories to go with my feelings of bewilderment. I was an explorer delving into the secrets of a strange forest, on the hunt for hidden treasures, urged forward by the unknown. My name is Stu Maxwell and I’m an FX artist with some experience working on big AAA games. I’m super stoked to let you know that I’ve partnered with Plug In Digital and Seaven Studio to bring my very first indie title, Shape of The World, a first-person explorer, to PlayStation 4 early 2018! For me, exploring new surroundings is the rush of a new adventure. That’s probably why I’ve always been attracted to the exploration mechanics of some games and, no doubt, why I’ve always wanted to make my own game with exploration at the heart of the experience. To quickly introduce my work, I would say that Shape of the World is about being on a visually and musically stunning journey as an outsider in a surreal world that reacts to your presence. You won’t only be lost because you’re not certain of your location… you will be lost because this world does not feel or behave as you expect it to. You won’t just be walking on this journey, you will drift, swim, and even fly with the whales if you’re lucky. Each step you take leaves a mark on the world you’re exploring. Your choices alter the world in vibrant and unanticipated ways, leaving you wondering what will happen with each path you take and every hollow you stumble upon. When I started work on this game, my professional and family life were becoming quite busy, so I wanted to make a place where anyone could have fun, relax and enjoy their time. For that reason, nothing is urging you forward in Shape of The World, no score is involved, no bloodthirsty beast is hunting you, no clock ticking to make you rush… The world is designed to let you experience it the way you want. Last but not least, Shape of the World features integrated audio that responds to the player’s travels. The ambient soundtrack of my good friend and experienced sound designer Brent Silk blends seamlessly with the burgeoning nature of the game, and I have no doubt that it will leave you feeling rejuvenated and ready for anything tomorrow might have in store for you. I really hope that you’ll be interested in playing my first little game! I’ll be answering any questions that you have about it here in the comments — I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you’ve seen so far. Take care and see you soon, Stu. View the full article

What if your favorite collectible card game was about more than just cards? What if dragging your creatures into play brought them to life in rich 3D? What if those creatures fought a tactical, turn-based strategy battle on a chess-like board? And what if those creatures weren’t creatures at all – they were the Gods of ancient mythology? We’re excited to announce Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics is that game… and it’s coming to PS4 very soon! You can sign up for the Closed Alpha test starting today, just by clicking here. We’ll start welcoming players into the Alpha in the next few weeks! Never heard of Hand of the Gods? It’s the perfect blend of turn-based strategy and collectible card game. We’ve been called “Hearthstone and Xcom combined” by PCGamesN, but the whole is so much more than the sum of its parts. In Hand of the Gods, it’s just not about what cards you play. It’s about where you play them, and how you can outmaneuver and outplay your opponents with tactical brilliance. You’ll build your army around one of six mythological pantheons, featuring the characters you know and love from the hit MOBA Smite. Lead your forces into battle as Zeus, the Greek God of the Sky, Ra, the Egyptian Sun God, Odin, the Norse Allfather, or other amazing deities of myth. Now, you’ll truly command the gods on the Battleground of the Gods. Hand of the Gods lets you get even more up-close and personal with the Gods of Smite, rendered for the first time in the rich detail made possible by Unreal Engine 4. Experience stunning effects, rich animations, and more of the Gods’ unique personalities. And we saved the best news for last: It’s 100% free to play Hand of the Gods! Even better, we’ll help you get started on building your army with 4 Core Card Packs, free when you finish the tutorial. So what are you waiting for? Sign up to join the Closed Alpha for free today, and become one of the first to play Hand of the Gods on PlayStation 4. View the full article

Hey everyone, this is Alfonso del Cerro, developer of Pentadimensional Games. I’m super excited to announce, with new trailer and all, that Megaton Rainfall will be released on September 26th! What? You don’t know what Megaton Rainfall is? Well: Megaton: Explosive force equal to 4184 petajoules. Rainfall: Precipitation in the form of raindrops. …oh, you just want to know what is the game about? Megaton Rainfall fills the market gap of “games that let you control an indestructible superbeing who can fly at supersonic speeds across the Earth facing a global alien invasion and preventing the destruction of one city after another.” Yes, at the beginning of the game you can only roam the Earth, from the bottom of the ocean to the stratosphere, looking for threats. Later, this freedom of movement will increase, letting you fly to the Moon or walk across the surface of the Sun — not quite a standard in the FPS genre. This sense of freedom has been one of our major goals during production, as well as the sense of scale of the landscapes, which really shine in VR mode. Yes, you can optionally play the full experience in PlayStation VR. With it, flying around an alien mothership several kilometers in size conveys a remarkable sense of scale and danger. These giant motherships, however, may not be as dangerous as the smaller enemy vessels. Imagine chasing a small, quick enemy ship between skyscrapers, painfully aware that every time you miss your target means a few more human casualties. In contrast to other games, bigger doesn’t mean more difficult. It can be even worse if you can’t see your enemy at all. Like when a group of coordinated morphers take the form of buildings, and suddenly you can’t distinguish them any more. Is your visual memory good? It can save lives! As you can see, in Megaton Rainfall the biggest menace for the humans is often yourself. Each new superpower you gain has a dark side you must avoid. Your basic shot destroys entire buildings every time you miss your target. Your telekinesis can prevent enemy grenades from damaging the humans, but it can also send vehicles careening down the street. The gigaton blast can destroy an enemy mothership… or the entire city. And you don’t want to do the aliens’ job. That’s why you have to use your abilities carefully! If you don’t, your position on the leaderboards (based on time and human casualties (less is better)) will suffer. Developing a game this complex has been the toughest task I have ever undertaken, and I’ve always wanted the finest quality possible. That’s why we have delayed the launch several times and the team (that was only me in my free time back in 2012) has grown quite a bit. Four artists created the enemy ships and city landmarks. Also, the music has been redone by the talented David Garcia (Rime, Hellblade) and it’s now embarrassingly better than before (if in doubt, just compare the new and old trailers). On top of that, PS4 Pro owners can look forward to enjoying the enormous landscapes in full 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160. And no matter the way you play (2D, VR, Pro, Pro+VR) the frame rate targets a silky smooth 60 FPS. I think those are enough announcements for now. Thanks for reading about our project — we are looking forward to all of you playing the game. See you around Earth… and beyond! View the full article

Hey Playstation Nation, This is Rand Miller, one of the original founders of Cyan and “Atrus” to those familiar with our legendary Myst series. It’s so exciting to be putting the final polish on Obduction for the PS4 and PS VR. We are working diligently to finalize our launch on August 29th and have put together a great PS4 Obduction theme exclusive for those of you who want to pre-order. Cyan has a rich history of building exploration games that reveal their story as part of the adventure in and around very diverse environments – and Obduction was created with that heritage in mind. We’ve always loved the idea of putting players into new places, new worlds, with no backstory or instructions. This isn’t role playing – you play yourself. The best instruction is to act like this is really happening – what would you do, where would you go? Spend some time in this new world, learn and understand more and more, and you’ll realize that you can play a large part in this story. Obduction is a gorgeous, mesmerizing, unique, and immersive experience in some very strange worlds. You don’t shoot things. Heck… you don’t die at all (well, maybe that’s not completely true). The game begins with you enjoying a nighttime stroll along a beautiful mountain lake, but very quickly a streak of light breaks the calm. A strange organic artifact falls from the sky, approaches and takes you away from Earth to a new world named Hunrath. Hunrath is a strange conglomeration of pieces of Earth from various time periods mixed in with alien technology. There’s even a message from someone at the beginning that seems to imply that this has happened to others, and they all live here happily – but something about the place doesn’t seem to jive with that. It’s too quiet, and empty, and… eerie. As you wander and explore you start to unravel the story – and find a way to “make it home.” Making Obduction was quite a challenge. It’s taken our extremely talented team several years to take the concept from a Kickstarter project to the critically acclaimed title it has become. Creating a game with both traditional and VR experience meant that we had to consider VR in our design work before there were any VR headsets available. But we were determined to build an amazing gaming experience that provided not just a satisfying experience for PS4 players, but something that felt like a full VR game instead of a small demo for PSVR players. The response to Obduction has been amazing with rave reviews, awards and accolades – including Wired, Polygon, Destructoid, Vice Motherboard, The Daily Dot, Attack of the Fan Boy, A.V. Club, PCGamer, PCWorld, Giant Bomb, TechRadar, Mashable, CGM, Brash Games, DarkStation, UploadVR, and others. Try Obduction for yourself. Obduction will be available on PS4 starting August 29th with a PS VR update coming soon. The PS4 purchase of Obduction includes the PS VR update. Preorders are available here. View the full article

During the creation of your game, it’s impossible not to be inspired by what has been already made. As both As both passionate players and creators, we wanted to do what we liked — even if this meant creating a Frankenstein’s monster, a hybrid between two styles. It is with this energy that we have created Pankapu, inspired by the games we grew up with. Pankapu is a colorful action platformer in which you can freely switch between three “Aegis” — Warrior, Archer and Mage — each providing the player with specific powers and abilities. At first glance, Pankapu’s switching system may seem similar to that of the game Trine, but ours is more inspired by the holy trinity of classes found in RPGs: Tank, DPS, and Support. With a press of a pad trigger, the player can switch instantly between Aegises, which has an immediate impact on gameplay. Bravery, the scarlet warrior, performs powerful melee attacks and blocks enemy hordes with his shield. Ardor is our archer, fast but fragile. Its movement skills allow you to always stay away from enemies. Our third Aegis, Faith, the mage, controls time and space. Its powers are used to stop time, immobilize enemies and teleport. One boss, “Tokatanka,” perfectly illustrates the importance of the switching system in Pankapu. We placed Tokatanka in an enclosed environment, surrounded by magnets. So, when the boss spits fire, the player must use Bravery, the only Aegis attracted to magnets. The visual of Tokatanka was based on the work of one of our Kickstarter backers. Following this attack, flames remain on the ground while the boss charges at Pankapu, which forces the player to switch to Ardor to double-jump over Tokatanka. As the flames stay on the ground, the player switches to Faith to hover to the non-inflamed area and thus to avoid damages. Another mechanic that we wanted to integrate during this fight is the reversal of gravity. Again, magnets placed on the ceiling allow Bravery to dodge enormous blazing projectiles. But Tokatanka isn’t dumb! He also spits projectiles in the air, forcing the player to change their Aegis to perform an aerial dance. We are convinced that this switching system gives depth and personality to Pankapu and we hope to share our universe with as many of you as possible. There are plenty of other uses of this switch system in Pankapu. You will be able to ride the wind, freeze lava, destroy walls… and many more specific actions against opponents with particular patterns. Mastery and dexterity will be the key. See you in the world of dreams on September 19th! View the full article

Next week, Undertale launches for PS4 and Vita. Next week! To say we’re excited would be the understatement of the year. It’s a special game – one that’s left quite an impression on many of those who’ve already played it on PC – and we can’t wait for PlayStation owners to be able to experience it for themselves on August 15. When Toby Fox, Undertale’s creator, first approached us about working on the game, it wasn’t to bring it to consoles – it was to localize it for Japan. (As some of you may know, 8-4 is primarily a localization company; we’ve been localizing games back and forth between Japan and the west since 2005.) So at first, our goal was (relatively) simple: give this game the best Japanese localization possible, and that’s it! Check it out: It’s Undertale…in Japanese! But along the way, we realized that just localizing it into Japanese wasn’t going to be enough. We put a ton of effort into the localization, so how could we make it so a wider audience could experience it? Especially in Japan, where the game hadn’t seen an official Japanese-language release yet. The answer? We would bring it to PS4 and Vita! Developing the PS4 and Vita versions was not without its challenges, but in the end, we managed to pull it off with minimal fatalities (we’ll miss you, test PS4). Not only is Undertale now fully localized into Japanese, but it’s releasing on PlayStation platforms in a few short days. (Fear not – it’s in English too, of course. In fact, all versions of the game will feature both English and Japanese language options in the Settings menu.) Personally, I hope you get to check it out on Vita – it looks great on the small screen, and being able to play Undertale on the go is a real treat. Fortunately, it’s Cross-Buy, so you only have to buy it once to get both PS4 and Vita versions. Finally, astute observers may be wondering what’s up with the artwork surrounding the game screens in all of these screenshots. Well, remember when we said there’d be no new content in the PS4/Vita versions? That’s…still mostly true. We wanted to maintain the same experience for all players old and new, so aside from now being playable in Japanese and having some simple trophies added, it’s the same game as before. BUT… since Undertale’s native resolution is displayed in a 4:3 format, we called on original Undertale artist Temmie Chang to create some optional borders that can be turned on to fill the space surrounding the screen. (Spoiler: they’re really pretty!) There’s two varieties – the pixel art “Sepia” border, which provides a nice floral design, and the hand-drawn “Dynamic” border, which actually changes in real-time depending on which area of the game you’re in. There’s also a “Simple” option if you just want to throw a literal border around the game screen. And again, these are entirely optional, so if you prefer to play in the original style with nothing surrounding the game screen, that’s totally OK too (in fact, that’s the default setting). Thanks for reading this far. Undertale is the type of game that’s best experienced fresh, so we didn’t want to drown you in story details or gameplay tips or whatever. We do hope you’ll play it and experience it for yourself when it launches next week, and we look forward to reading your thoughts and impressions once it’s finally out in the wild! There’s still some time left to pre-order, BTW – if you buy the game before August 15, you’ll get the dynamic “Ruins” theme as well for free! Anyway, that’s all for now. See you next Tuesday! View the full article

This month we have a new batch of PlayStation 4 games coming to the PlayStation Now library, and our summer price promotions are still available as well. 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 Join forces with the super heroes of the DC Comics universe in LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham and blast off to outer space to stop the evil Brainiac from destroying Earth. PS Now supports local co-op play for games in the service (as well as online multiplayer, no PlayStation Plus subscription required), so enjoy LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, and nine more fun-filled LEGO games in the service including LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Harry Potter. Help Atoi the Messenger in a daring quest in a beautiful, magical papery world in the critically acclaimed Tearaway: Unfolded. Dive into the nostalgic 2D retro world of Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus and solve puzzles, converse with locals, gain new skills, and battle your way through hordes of nefarious enemies and massive boss battles. Combat the Bleakness and restore color to the world in the platforming adventure Last Tinker: City of Color. This month’s titles also includes plenty of indie games, puzzlers, adventure games, and classic favorites, adding to the library of 500+ PS4 and PS3 games playable on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. Here is the list of the latest batch of PS4 games available on PlayStation Now this month. Back to Bed Blazerush The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus Goosebumps: The Game Farming Simulator 15 Fluster Cluck Ironcast Jumpjet Rex Last Tinker: City of Colors Legend of Kay LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Leo’s Fortune OlliOlli OlliOlli 2 Pure Chess Tearaway Unfolded Q*Bert Rebooted Velocibox Here are the most popular games on the service in July. Red Dead Redemption WWE 2K16 Mortal Kombat Mafia 2 Injustice: Gods Among Us Payday 2 Saint’s Row IV: Re-Elected God of War 3: Remastered Star Wars: The Force Unleashed NBA 2K14 If you haven’t given the service a try yet, now’s the perfect time to give it a spin with the seven-day free trial on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. 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. As was originally announced in February, support for PS Now will discontinue on August 15, 2017 for all secondary devices besides the PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. This includes PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation TV, all Sony Blu-ray players, and all Sony Bravia and Samsung TVs. All user save data is stored in the PS Now cloud, so you can continue your game progress on any PS4 and PC at any time with your PSN account and PS Now subscription. View the full article

While both Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross are undoubtedly firm Uncharted fan favorites, it’s fair to say that, until now, they have very much been ‘supporting players’ in Naughty Dog’s long-running saga. Of course, that changes with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, with the pair snatching the starring role away from Nathan Drake. It’s a big, ballsy move for a series with such an iconic hero attached, and adds a fascinating, unexpected new dimension to its impending return. So, ahead of the game’s August launch, I caught up with the game’s creative director, Shaun Escayg to talk a little more about the challenges the team faced in sidelining Drake, and learned a little about what we can expect from Chloe and Nadine. Nadine and Chloe are an uneasy alliance “There’s a lot of fandom around Chloe – people liked her – but we knew very little about her.” Shaun explains, discussing the team’s decision to make Chloe the game’s main playable character. “As you saw in Uncharted 2 and Uncharted 3, she was a sidekick character who always bailed out when things got too tough; always chose self-preservation over heroism and that’s really what led us to her as a character. Why does she always bail out? Why won’t she finish the job? Does she have what it takes? We wanted to answer those questions.” What defines the Uncharted series as much as the eye-popping set-pieces is the banter that plays out between its characters – duly, Drake has almost always had a tag-along for company. The Lost Legacy was keen to keep the tradition alive. “When we settled on Chloe we tried pairing her up with a whole line of different characters: Sullivan, Cutter… And then we thought, okay, who’d be the best and worst person to pair with Chloe Frazer? Nadine Ross was the obvious choice. “Nadine is pragmatic; a militant leader suffering the loss of her father’s business and desperate to regain control of that. Chloe is an enigmatic, double-dealing hustler – the complete opposite really – but they both share a common thread: self-preservation. Together they provided the perfect brew for storytelling – will these characters betray each other or will they stick it out?” And this idea of unpredictable heroes seems to be a key theme for the writers in The Lost Legacy. As Shaun explains, “Just the nature of Chloe herself is… shifty. She’s not a character who you would normally think of as a hero. And as for Nadine Ross – I mean, she was the villain in Uncharted 4! “This world of thieves is complex. Everyone has perks: they’re still human, they still have personal goals, they still have a back story you can relate to. Once you find out what makes them interesting – for us it was self-preservation versus self-sacrifice – you have to give them that goal, give them that reason to put everything at risk for the greater good.” The story opens up the Uncharted franchise in new ways What this ultimately means for gamers is that they have the chance to really get a feel for both Nadine and Chloe, outside of their familiar antagonist roles. “You will learn some stuff that you would have never known about Nadine – there’s a side of her you really wouldn’t expect,” says Shaun. “Chloe has a very interesting past – there’s a struggle there coming from some very deep-rooted pain. Seeing Chloe’s perspective of the world opens up the world itself – in my opinion it’s the best of Uncharted.” The team are clearly passionate about the story and the characters, and they don’t want it to feel like an accompanying act to the gameplay – they want it to be an integral part of the experience. So, as detailed in our recent hands-on report, a more open, less linear structure to how the game plays out has given Chloe and Nadine room to breathe. “There are some side quests where you can get treasures and emblems that give you a little more context of the region and the history of The Eleven Kings. It also gives you a little more time to spend with these characters and build that bond – or splinter it.” To leave discovery of so many details up to the curiosity of the player is a brave move for the Uncharted franchise, where story has always taken the role of a central thread that unfolds over the course of play. But it was a conscious decision. “In this open world space you have options. You can go straight across it, moving from point to point, or you can spend many hours in one spot and learn a lot more about the world, the characters and their relationships.” Your relationships affect how the action plays out While all this is definitely *ahem* uncharted territory for the series, Shaun and the team wanted to take things a step further and try something slightly more radical. “One area that we’re really proud of is the ‘spilling’ of narrative into gameplay,” Shaun explains. “If the characters are doing well – if they’re having a good time and bonding – then gameplay is at its most efficient: you’re fighting and Nadine is there kicking some ass. “If the characters are at odds, though, you may have more difficulty. Your partner may be upset with you, may leave you – abandon you – may go do her own thing and this is really, really exciting for us at Naughty Dog because we’re always trying to blur the line between cut-scene, in-game and gameplay.” Since the very first entry way back in 2007, one of the key philosophies behind the Uncharted series was ‘always on the stick’. Put simply, if a moment of action or drama could be controlled by the player rather than being a cut-scene that’s how the team would do it. So while The Lost Legacy is trying plenty of new things with its characters and gameplay dynamics, in this regard it’s as true to that founding philosophy as the series has ever been. With the game’s 23rd August release just a few weeks away, you’ve not long to wait until you get to experience this new take on Naughty Dog’s enduring series for yourselves. View the full article

Welcome back to the kingdom of Ding Dong Dell! You’ve been gone a long time and there is much to discuss! First off, there are many new faces to familiarize you with. Let’s make the proper introductions: Evan Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, to be precise. This young man is the ruler of Ding Dong Dell and he’s been thrust into the position of king after the passing of his father, who was very much loved by the people of this great kingdom. Many of the citizens believe Evan is unfit to rule due to his lack of confidence and experience. Only time will tell if Evan can rise to the occasion and become the ruler that Ding Dong Dell truly deserves. Will Evan lead his nation to peace and prosperity or crumble under the weight of the oncoming evil? Otto Mausinger A usurper to the throne, with his nefarious mind he sought to overthrow the previous king and seize the crown for himself. He now plans to overthrow Evan by staging a coup. Will his plan succeed or can Evan put a halt to this betrayal? Roland An outsider to the world of Ni no Kuni, Roland is traveling with Evan and is said to be a high-ranking official of some sort from another land, although no one in the kingdom of Ding Dong Dell has heard of him. Roland also seems to be advising Evan during their travels… how will his influence shape the young king? Tani Evan’s chance encounter with a group of sky pirates introduce him to Tani, the adopted daughter to Batu, king of the sky pirates. Many of Tani’s fellow pirates describe her as a free spirit with an iron will and determination to boot. Almost immediately her and Evan form a bond that seems to be unbreakable. What role will Tani and her band of sky pirates play in Evan’s kingdom? Secondly, we are proud to announce that the Digital Deluxe Edition of Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is now available to pre-order at PlayStation Store. Your pre-order includes a special sword set, avatars, and an exclusive Ni no Kuni II theme. Additionally, a Season Pass will also be available; it will include two large pieces of DLC, the contents of which are a closely guarded secret for now… There are many more realms to be explored and many more denizens to meet. Be ready to do both when Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom comes to PlayStation 4 on January 19th 2018. View the full article

Yes, it’s true. From August 10-13 you’ll be able to download and play For Honor for free on PS4. Free! This is the full game, mind you — the whole kit and caboodle. It’s all of the intense multiplayer action across five modes, as well as the entire campaign (playable solo or in online co-op) that immerses you in the age-old war among the Knights, the Vikings, and the Samurai. Every map and every hero will be available as you take up arms and test your skills in the innovative melee combat system. And you can get a head start by pre-loading the game beginning on August 7 at 9:00 PM Pacific. Whether you’re slicing enemies with a steel katana as the Samurai Orochi or wielding a shield and a vicious flail as the Knight Conqueror, each hero has a unique weapon and fighting style that makes them a force to be reckoned with. The basic tutorial will help you find your footing, and we’ve got a few more tips to help you hit the ground running. 1.) Meet Your Heroes Take a few minutes to watch the Basic Video under How to Fight in the hero menu for each hero you want to play. It’ll show you their playstyle and a few moves to try out. You don’t need to master the Berserker’s Bear Mauler combo right out of the gate, but knowing that they can’t hold their block stance like other heroes will help you stay alive longer. 2.) Spar Before Battle All the heroes, including the new Shinobi and Centurion, can be used in the practice mode available in the How to Fight menu. This is the perfect spot to get your bearings and try out a combo or two before heading out to the battlefield. 3.) Finish Strong If you finish off an enemy with a Heavy Attack (R2), you’ll get a chance to perform an execution. Not only do executions look friggin’ awesome, they also restore some of your health. Just be careful about executing an enemy if their friends are nearby, because they can (rudely) interrupt you. 4.) Don’t You Forget About Feats Each hero has an array of special attributes and abilities called feats that unlock as a 4v4 match progresses. Some give you passive benefits, but others need to be activated by using the D-pad. For example, using healing feats when your health gets low can keep you alive long enough to use a more aggressive feat: calling in a catapult strike to decimate your enemies! 5.) Ledges Are Your Friends, Ledges Are Your Enemies Forcing an enemy off a ledge will almost always kill them and probably make you cackle with glee. Getting knocked off a ledge will almost always kill you and probably make you wail in agony. Be very aware of ledges and other environmental hazards like spikes, large fires, and forge hammers. 6.) Sweet, Sweet Revenge If (or rather, when) you end up outnumbered in a fight, don’t give up! Blocking and taking damage fills your Revenge meter. Activating a full Revenge meter will automatically knock back any attacking enemy and boost your attack power and speed. Focus on killing one of your foes in this powered-up state, and you might just make it out of there alive. 7.) Fake ‘Em Out Catch your opponents off-guard by starting a Heavy Attack (R2), then canceling it (Circle) and immediately following up with another strike or a guardbreak. Cracking through a stalwart defense can take some creativity, and feints are a good way to bait your opponent into giving you an opening. If you get a taste for video game glory and want to continue to play after the free weekend ends, you can purchase the game for 50% off between August 10 and August 20. Any progress you make while playing for free will carry over when you buy the game, so you won’t have to leave any of your hard-earned loot behind. Hot on the heels of the free weekend, For Honor will be starting its third season — “Grudge and Glory” — on August 15. This event introduces new maps, adds ranked play, delivers a heaping helping of gameplay updates, and debuts two new heroes. The claymore-wielding Highlander will join the Vikings, and the Knights will welcome the Gladiator, who brandishes a long trident and small buckler. You can get a glimpse of the new heroes and maps in action during the For Honor Season 3 Live Event: Grudge & Glory Reveal livestream tournament that will air starting August 12 on Twitch. You’ll also be able to see some of the world’s best For Honor duelists in action, and maybe pick up a few tips. Pre-load on August 7. Fight for free from August 10-13. Smite your opponents with spear and sword and savor the sweetness of victory. For Honor awaits you, warriors. We’ll see you on the battlefield. View the full article

Hello PlayStation Fans, Dom here from Ninja Theory. Tomorrow is a very special day for us here at Ninja Theory: we’re releasing Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice on PlayStation 4, our first self-published and independently developed title. Hellblade will be available as a digital only title for $29.99. For those new to Hellblade, the game tells the story of broken warrior’s brutal journey into myth and madness. Set in the Viking age, Senua embarks on a haunting vision quest into Viking Hell to fight for the soul of her dead lover. Hellblade has been created in collaboration with neuroscientists and people who experience psychosis, to help bring Senua’s experiences of mental illness through in the game. When we first conceived Hellblade back in 2014 our aim was to create a game that could spearhead a resurgence in mid-sized games; the lost games of years gone by that were creatively rich, featured the highest AAA production values and were more focused in scope than many of the big hitting blockbusters of today. So Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a AAA quality game that is half the size of a regular AAA game, at about 8 hours in length, and sold at half the price – just $29.99. By keeping our team size small, at 20 devs, and our budget low we can deliver a unique experience that fulfils our creative ambitions, feels every bit AAA in quality and that can be offered at low price that is fair to you and us. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice has always been an experiment in trying to break the mold, trying to rediscover the lost space in between indie and AAA. For our part, we think we’ve made our best game yet. From tomorrow it is up to you, our fans and the PlayStation community, to carry Hellblade forward and help make this experiment a success. Creating video games is a privilege, but it isn’t always easy. Just as Senua goes on a journey, so too have the Hellblade development team. The support that we’ve had from the PlayStation fans from the very beginning has been nothing short of incredible. You have believed in us, helped spread the word and watched Hellblade evolve over the years. We’re so excited that tomorrow we’ll be able to share the final Hellblade experience with you all. View the full article