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Commander Fury

CCFURY
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Everything posted by Commander Fury

  1. Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here The gang is back this week with PS VR on the brain. We also chat with Siobhan Reddy from Media Molecule about the past, present, and future of Dreams. Listen in! Stuff We Talked About The amazing trailer for Huntdown Brett and Kristen’s new Editors’ Choice picks Journey Skater XL Moving Out How we got into the gaming industry The Cast Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE Kristen Zitant – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE 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
  2. Take a trip through the annals of gaming history with three retro-inspired highlights dropping on PS4 and PS VR next week. Huntdown is a neon-drenched action shooter set in a crime-ridden city that needs cleaning up, PS VR’s Pixel Ripped 1995 follows up the excellent Pixel Ripped 1989, bringing the original’s clever concept into the 16-bit era, and Ion Fury is an expertly-crafted love letter to the industry’s earliest first-person shooters. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop! Emma: Lost In MemoriesPS4, PS Vita — Digital (Out May 11) Emma: Lost in Memories is a 2D puzzle platformer game in which all the platforms and walls start disappearing progressively as you touch them. Think, strategize, run, jump and feel in a surreal and poetic world where everything fades away. Fault – Milestone OnePS4 — Digital (Out May 15) Fault is a series of Science Fantasy Cinematic Novels using a unique 3D Camera system for a visually immersive reading experience. Follow Selphine, the bubbly Princess and her sharp-witted Royal Guardian, Ritona, on their journey of a lifetime back to their homeland of Rughzenhaide. HuntdownPS4 — Digital In the mayhem-filled streets of the future where criminal gangs rule and cops fear to tread, only the bounty hunters can free the city from the corrupt fist of felony. Lay waste to the criminal underworld and make a killing in this hard boiled action comedy arcade shooter. Ion FuryPS4 — Digital (Out May 14) Ion Fury laughs at the idea of mandatory checkpoints and straight paths through shooting galleries. But, just because this is a true old-school first-person shooter doesn’t mean we’ve ignored all the good new stuff the last two decades have brought. 3DRealms, Voidpoint and 1C Entertainment have taken the best of both worlds and cooked it all into a bloody stew. Island SaverPS4 — Digital (Out May 13) A group of amazing islands need your help! Horrid plastic waste has washed up and you need to sort it out with your trusty Trash Blaster. But look out for the Litterbugs. They love mess and they’re out to muck things up. You need to wash away gloop, collect litter, earn coins and rescue the bankimals! Pixel Ripped 1995PS VR — Digital Pixel Ripped is back with a brand new nostalgia-fueled virtual reality game-within-a-game, this time in the year 1995! To restore balance to multiple dimensions, our videogame hero Dot recruits the help of the best gamer from 1995, an unassuming 9-year-old boy named David. Join this unlikely duo through challenging throwbacks to all your favorite classics from the late 16-bit and early 32-bit era of games inside a virtual reality world. Pong QuestPS4 — Digital (Out May 15) Pong Quest is a new take on the seminal arcade smash. Take control of a brave young paddle and traverse treacherous lands – each loosely based on various classic hits — in this uniquely Pong-themed dungeon-crawling RPG. Dress up your paddle and equip special balls with unique abilities to battle aggressive foes in Quest or online opponents. Potata: Fairy FlowerPS4 — Digital (Out May 13) This adventure platformer tells a story of a young witch exploring fairy forests to find herself and save her home. Join her quest now! Immerse yourself into a picture-perfect fantasy — solve numerous puzzles, fight enemies, reveal all the secrets… and don’t forget to save the world! Tacticool ChampsPS4 — Digital (Out May 15) Tacticool Champs combines the best features of shooter and arcade game, where up to four players fight with each other in a closed arena. Quick matches, a wide variety of weapons, and unlimited ways to eliminate the opponents are waiting for you! Thy SwordPS4, PS Vita — Digital (Cross-Buy) Thy Sword is a retro-inspired hack-and-slash roguelike with procedural generated levels. Pick from different hero types like the Barbarian and Valkyrie to break the tyranny of the Dark Overlord! Scoob! The Invisible Man The Rising of the Shield Hero (Uncut) Pardon our dust! In the coming months, you may notice the occasional discrepancy in The Drop as we’re updating the back-end systems we pull game info from to populate our list. We will, of course, strive to correct any mistakes as they arise. Thanks for your patience! View the full article
  3. Spring has sprung, so last week we asked you to stop and share the flowers from your favorite games using #PS4share and #PSBlog. Here are the blooming landscapes that caught our eye: Aloy poses for a portrait in the blooms in this Horizon Zero Dawn share by ccf_photomode. The moon shines down on these Bloodborne blooms, shared by JRPyznar. This pupper from Far Cry New Dawn enjoys the pink blooms shared by lunar9p. RetiredGamerz shares this verdant share from Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Cloud helps Aerith collect some flowers in this Final Fantasy VII Remake share by _rabbitplays. Sefwick shows off how nature mixes with modern architecture in Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. Search #PS4share and #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? Theme: Armor Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, May 13 Next week, it’s time to suit up. Whether it’s for protection or style, share magnificent armor sets from the game of your choice using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article
  4. Hey there! It’s Chris Groves here, the lead Social and Community Manager for Dirt 5, launching later this year. The entire team here at Codemasters is proud to have created a legacy of racing games that handle like a dream and recreate the thrill of motorsport. We don’t need to tell you that Dirt 5 is going to deliver big on exhilarating off-road racing gameplay, just like each game in the series has, all the way back to Colin McRae Rally in 1998. So, instead, let’s focus on something a little… different. Surrounding that core gameplay in Dirt 5 will be a culture, a style, an approach, that makes it bigger than the sum of its parts. From how it looks, to how it sounds, to what you can be a part of, Dirt 5 is a vibe that, just maybe, you’ve never seen before from the franchise. Let’s take you on a whistle-stop tour and reveal what you can expect when you roll into a bold new world of racing in Dirt 5. 1. The Vibe of Dirt 5 Regardless of the mode you’re playing in, the location you’re at, or the car you’re behind the wheel of, the Dirt 5 experience is held together by something bigger than all of that. Booting up Dirt 5 feels like you’re stepping into a brand new culture, surrounded by style and encouraging you to express yourself, whatever it is you’re doing. Dirt 5 is an off-road racing game at its core, so we’re still pretty big on the spirit of competition and that thirst for success. But here, winning is just the beginning. We want to see how you win; what you’re going to do on that road to success that leaves an unforgettable mark, and embraces the vibe of Dirt 5. That’s the kind of stuff that’ll get people to take notice. 2. Style It Out It’s all good and well telling you that we want to see your style, but what about the style of Dirt 5? Well, around every corner you’ll find features, both significant and subtle, that show this game as much about style as it is substance. Our official announcement trailer certainly sets the tone. The bold colour schemes, in-your-face graphics and rhythmic transitions? Yeah, prepare for plenty more of that. The song featured – ‘Time To Dance (Sebastian Remix)’ by The Shoes – kicks off a dynamic soundtrack that we can’t wait to share more about. Then there are the cars: GT heroes, rough-and-ready buggies, classic rally legends and so much more kicking off a stylish roster. Some are even dripped in incredible one-off liveries, designed by world-renowned digital artists who we brought into the fold. Even the locations revealed in the trailer (New York, China, Norway) are flexing with extreme weather, stunning vistas and dynamic time of day options. TL;DR – every aspect of Dirt 5 is crafted with style in mind. You get the picture. 3. The Dirt 5 Career – Own The Spotlight Clearly then, Dirt 5 is about being part of something big – and that theme rings no truer than in Career mode. It’s one thing to want to be at the centre of Dirt 5’s vibe of style and expression. It’s another to earn that place. Our Career mode drops you into a deep narrative-driven experience, with a star-studded voice cast led by the legendary Troy Baker and Nolan North, partnered by icons of the automotive and car culture world. In a journey filled with famous names, big personalities and major obstacles, the focus is on you to make sure nobody ever forgets your name, through fearless racing and extreme skill. Baker, North and others will set the scene for you to rise from obscurity to infamy, but not everyone you meet is willing to share the spotlight. The world of Dirt 5 is yours for the taking. All you have to do is prove you fit the bill. 4. Let’s Get Playful At the core of Dirt 5’s vibe is a desire to be expressive, creative and playful – online or offline, racing solo or with friends. Fill the couch and play offline modes in split screen for up to four players, creating epic action-packed events. Online, throw down against the globe in race events, as well as more innovative modes we’ll reveal more on very soon. Express your playfulness off the track, too, with a dedicated Photo Mode and a nuanced livery editor, to flex your creative flair. Share all those moments with your friends and the world, and prove you’re very much at home in Dirt 5’s playground of style. Oh, and stick around for more news on another way to get playful – something you’ve never seen before from Dirt. 5. Everything, Amplified Bold and brave, loud and lavish, get ready for an amplified world of off-road racing that you can’t help but want to be a part of. We’re big on giving you the ability to let loose and express your unique style, as loudly as you want, and we’ll be amplifying your achievements, your creations, your vibe, on all of Dirt 5’s community hangout spaces. From the roaring atmosphere and cultural style, to the license to drift and hoon around to your heart’s content, to the ability to conquer any terrain put in front of you, the vibe of Dirt 5 turns everything up to 11. So… are you ready to do the same? View the full article
  5. Final Fantasy VII Remake topped the PS4 charts last month, and if you ask me, it earned it. Meanwhile, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare took the runner-up spot, followed by NBA 2K20 and GTA V. Beat Saber, Creed: Rise to Glory, and Job Simulator took the top spots for PS VR, and Call of Duty: Warzone was your top free-to-play game for April. Did you play FF7 Remake? Share your must-try Materia combinations in the comments. (Magnify+Barrier is a winner, in my experience.) PS4 Games 1 Final Fantasy VII Remake 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 NBA 2K20 4 Grand Theft Auto V 5 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered 6 Resident Evil 3 7 Minecraft 8 EA Sports FIFA 20 9 Monopoly Plus 10 Marvel’s Spider-Man 11 Madden NFL 20 12 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege 13 Uno 14 Predator: Hunting Grounds 15 MLB The Show 20 16 Red Dead Redemption 2 17 Need for Speed Heat 18 Rocket League 19 God of War 20 Kingdom Hearts III PS VR Games 1 Beat Saber 2 Creed Rise to Glory 3 Job Simulator 4 Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality 5 Arizona Sunshine 6 Superhot VR 7 Vacation Simulator 8 Drunkn Bar Fight 9 Astro Bot Rescue Mission 10 The Room VR: A Dark Matter Free-to-Play Games 1 Call of Duty: Warzone 2 Fortnite 3 Apex Legends 4 Destiny 2 5 Brawlhalla 6 Dauntless 7 3on3 FreeStyle 8 Warframe 9 Paladins 10 Warface DLC and Expansions 1 Fortnite – The Iris Pack 2 GTA Online: Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack 3 Fortnite – Bassassin Challenge Pack 4 Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps 5 Mortal Kombat 11 Kombat Pack 6 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Atlanta FaZe Pack 7 Need for Speed Heat – McLaren F1 Black Market Delivery 8 Call of Duty Black Ops III: Zombies Chronicles 9 Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Season Pass 10 Mortal Kombat 11 – Shao Kahn View the full article
  6. I can remember the exact moment Persona 5 hooked me back in 2017. Leaping over a shocked casino crowd and fighting off eclectically designed enemies, the devilishly styled Joker attempts a daring escape only to be captured by police forces. It’s a teaser, a taste of the flair for the battle to come, but even then I knew my heart was stolen. Sure enough, I banked well over 100 hours in Persona 5 getting to know Joker and his rabble of rebellious friends, hellbent on protecting the world from corrupt evil forces (i.e. adults, ugh!). With its heart-stealing narrative and unforgettable characters, it found a perfect balance of teenage Tokyo social sim mixed with otherworldly turn-based combat as you threw on the mask and entered the Metaverse. Sure, I diligently fought my way through elaborate and dangerous Palaces, stealing treasure and fusing powerful new Personas (magical sprites representing your true heart), but I was spending an equal amount of time agonizing over who to spend my days with after class, or working to make sure I maxed out my social skills. It made for a thrilling experience and as the in-game school year flew by, I found myself hopelessly endeared to the Phantom Thieves and their journey. Which is how they stole my heart all over again with Persona 5 Royal. From Joker’s electric intro to the new cinematic and showstopping ending, every moment spent in Royal is impactful. Small tweaks make the action within the Metaverse smoother, like the immediate ability to use Baton Pass, or how guns now reload after each encounter. Fellow Phantom Thieves can team up for Showtime attacks: powerful cinematic combos that I unleashed with glee during my playthrough. Palaces feature slightly new layouts to account for Joker’s new grappling hook ability and offer side quests to find hidden Will Seeds, providing much needed SP to elongate each trip into the Metaverse. Boss fights pack a new punch, with additional battle phases that strike deeper narrative chords. Even Mementos, a section of the game that previously felt like a grinding hub, has been improved with new objectives, and a delightful merchant Jose who can provide some incredibly useful items. Royal’s new improvements also reflect in the real world, where building relationships with fellow Phantom Thieves and other rebellious Tokyo citizens is equal parts addicting and rewarding. Royal expands these moments with newly voiced phone conversations, and the ability to buff characters through fun activities (darts, billiards, and jazz clubs, oh my!). Connecting with confidants helps improve Joker’s abilities in the Metaverse, but often I enjoyed just peeling back their layers and learning their story. From facing best friend Ryuji’s track team regrets to coaxing clinical shut-in Futaba out of her shell, these shared moments expand an already colorful world and make it feel alive, even with the quirkier companions. I was constantly thinking about how to best carve out time to nurture each of these bonds, and felt a significant change of pace thanks to Royal’s new tweaks. No longer will Morgana force you to go to bed at the end of each day; Joker can now take the time to tinker on new tools, play games, make coffee, and even read books at twice the speed. These small everyday moments helped me steal back treasured time, and improved my social skills in record speed. That especially came in handy when I turned to focus on Royal’s new confidants, aspiring elite gymnast Kasumi and charmingly awkward school counselor Dr. Maruki. In a game already bursting with personality, it’s a testament to Atlus’ narrative chops that I immediately endeared myself to both characters and their struggles. Royal also vastly expands the role of original character Akechi, allowing me to create social links with him outside of scripted plot sequences and ultimately fleshing out one of the game’s most compelling relationship arcs. These characters are woven seamlessly into Joker’s story, and maxing out their social links is necessary to unlock the new third semester end game content. It’s a sequence that you won’t want to miss, with a new boss and Palace that challenge the Phantom Thieves’ perception of reality and make for a nuanced, grounded, and more personal conversation about free will without sacrificing grandeur or style. Persona 5 Royal adds a heart-stealing expanded story, intriguing new characters, and an endless amount of style onto an already unforgettable JRPG experience. If you’re just joining the Phantom Thieves, or donning the mask for a second time around, one thing is clear: Persona 5 Royal rules. View the full article
  7. Kicking off today, PlayStation Store’s Hidden Gems Sale might just introduce you to your new favorite game – all for up to 75% off. The shining lineup includes the unsettling yet brilliant puzzle platformer Little Nightmares: Complete Edition, underwater survival adventure Subnautica and an action-heavy descent into the Japanese underworld with Yakuza 5 Remastered. Multiplayer fans are catered to as well with the likes of Payday 2: The Crimewave Collection. Check out the full roster of deals below, then head over to PlayStation Store before our Hidden Gems Sale ends, May 20 8 AM Pacific. PS4 Games $Price $Original 101 WAYS TO DIE $4.99 $9.99 7TH SECTOR COLLECTOR’S EDITION $17.49 $24.99 8-BIT ARMIES $5.99 $29.99 8-BIT HORDES $5.09 $29.99 8-BIT INVADERS! $3.59 $29.99 911 OPERATOR + SPECIAL RESOURCES $10.79 $17.99 A KNIGHT’S QUEST $12.49 $24.99 ABSOLVER $7.49 $29.99 ABZÛ $9.99 $19.99 ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN – DANGEROUS DRIVING CRASH MODE BUNDLE $18.99 $37.99 ADR1FT $4.99 $19.99 ADVENTURE TIME PIRATES OF THE ENCHIRIDION $7.99 $19.99 AEREA $0.59 $19.99 AGE OF WONDERS: PLANETFALL $24.99 $49.99 AGE OF WONDERS: PLANETFALL DELUXE EDITION $29.99 $59.99 AGE OF WONDERS: PLANETFALL PREMIUM EDITION $44.99 $89.99 ALCATRAZ $1.04 $2.99 AMERICAN FUGITIVE $7.99 $19.99 ARISE: A SIMPLE STORY $13.99 $19.99 ARIZONA SUNSHINE $11.99 $39.99 ARIZONA SUNSHINE – DEAD MAN DLC $1.24 $2.49 ARIZONA SUNSHINE – THE DAMNED DLC $2.49 $4.99 ARMIKROG $2.99 $9.99 ASSETTO CORSA $8.99 $29.99 ASSETTO CORSA SEASON PASS $5.99 $19.99 ASSETTO CORSA ULTIMATE EDITION $11.99 $39.99 AT SUNDOWN: SHOTS IN THE DARK $7.99 $19.99 BAD NORTH $8.99 $14.99 BANNER SAGA 1 $4.99 $24.99 BANNER SAGA 2 $4.99 $24.99 BANNER SAGA 3 $12.49 $24.99 BANNER SAGA TRILOGY $19.99 $49.99 BEDLAM: THE GAME BY CHRISTOPHER BROOKMYRE $4.99 $9.99 BEE SIMULATOR $23.99 $39.99 BEHOLDER 2 $8.99 $14.99 BEHOLDER CIVIC DUTY BUNDLE $11.99 $19.99 BEHOLDER COMPLETE EDITION $4.49 $14.99 BLACKSAD : UNDER THE SKIN $24.99 $49.99 BLACKWOOD CROSSING $7.99 $15.99 BLOOD BOWL 2 $4.99 $19.99 BLOOD BOWL 2: LEGENDARY EDITION $7.49 $29.99 BLOODROOTS $13.99 $19.99 BLOODSTAINED: RITUAL OF THE NIGHT $19.99 $39.99 BLOODY ZOMBIES $6.00 $14.99 BOMBER CREW $4.49 $14.99 BOMBER CREW DELUXE EDITION $7.49 $24.99 BOMBER CREW: AMERICAN EDITION $5.99 $19.99 BOUND BY FLAME $3.99 $19.99 BROFORCE $3.74 $14.99 BUCKET KNIGHT $3.24 $4.99 CANDLE: THE POWER OF THE FLAME $3.99 $19.99 CAR MECHANIC SIMULATOR $17.99 $29.99 CAR MECHANIC SIMULATOR – DLC MEGA PACK $23.09 $38.49 CARDPOCALYPSE $17.49 $24.99 CARDPOCALYPSE MEGA MUTANT EDITION $20.99 $29.99 CHILD OF LIGHT $4.49 $14.99 CHILDREN OF MORTA $14.73 $21.99 CITADEL: FORGED WITH FIRE $23.99 $39.99 CONTROL $29.99 $59.99 CROSSING SOULS $3.74 $14.99 DANDARA: TRIALS OF FEAR EDITION $5.99 $14.99 DANGER ZONE $4.49 $14.99 DANGER ZONE 2 $4.99 $19.99 DANGER ZONE BUNDLE – DANGER ZONE AND DANGER ZONE 2 $16.24 $32.49 DANGEROUS DRIVING $11.99 $29.99 DANGEROUS GOLF $5.99 $19.99 DARKWOOD $7.49 $14.99 DARKWOOD – SPECIAL EDITION $8.99 $17.99 DEAD CELLS: THE BAD SEED BUNDLE $21.59 $26.99 DEAR ESTHER: LANDMARK EDITION $3.49 $9.99 DEFUNCT $0.74 $14.99 DEGREES OF SEPARATION $3.99 $19.99 DESTINY 2: FORSAKEN* $14.99 $24.99 DESTINY 2: SHADOWKEEP* $20.99 $34.99 DESTINY 2: UPGRADE EDITION* $33.49 $49.99 DISNEY CLASSIC GAMES: ALADDIN AND THE LION KING $17.99 $29.99 DOCTOR WHO: THE EDGE OF TIME $14.99 $24.99 DOLLHOUSE $8.99 $29.99 DON’T STARVE MEGA PACK $10.79 $26.99 DON’T STARVE TOGETHER: CONSOLE EDITION $7.49 $14.99 DON’T STARVE: CONSOLE EDITION $3.74 $14.99 DON’T STARVE: CONSOLE EDITION + REIGN OF GIANTS EXPANSION $4.74 $18.99 DREAMWORKS DRAGONS DAWN OF NEW RIDERS $13.99 $39.99 DUCT TAPES ARE FOREVER $1.57 $4.49 ENTER THE GUNGEON $7.49 $14.99 ESCAPE TEAM $1.57 $4.49 ESPIRE 1: VR OPERATIVE $17.99 $29.99 EXTINCTION $7.49 $29.99 EXTINCTION: DELUXE EDITION $9.99 $39.99 FARMING SIMULATOR 17 $7.99 $19.99 FARMING SIMULATOR 17 – PLATINUM EDITION $10.19 $29.99 FARMING SIMULATOR 17 – PREMIUM EDITION $14.99 $49.99 FLASHBACK $7.49 $24.99 FOR THE KING $9.99 $24.99 FROSTPUNK: CONSOLE EDITION $20.09 $29.99 GET EVEN $7.49 $29.99 GHOSTBUSTERS: THE VIDEO GAME REMASTERED $11.99 $29.99 GONNER $2.99 $9.99 GRIS $8.49 $16.99 GROUNDHOG DAY: LIKE FATHER LIKE SON $9.74 $14.99 GUACAMELEE! 2 $4.99 $19.99 GUACAMELEE! 2 COMPLETE $5.74 $22.99 GUACAMELEE! SUPER TURBO CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION $3.74 $14.99 GUN CLUB VR $12.49 $24.99 GUNS, GORE AND CANNOLI 2 $6.49 $12.99 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 MONSTERS OVERBOARD $6.99 $19.99 HOTLINE MIAMI $2.49 $9.99 HOTLINE MIAMI 2: WRONG NUMBER $3.74 $14.99 HUNTING SIMULATOR $9.99 $39.99 ICE AGE SCRAT’S NUTTY ADVENTURE! $26.79 $39.99 IMPACT WINTER $4.99 $19.99 INDIVISIBLE $23.99 $39.99 INSTANT INDIE COLLECTION: VOL. 1 $3.44 $22.99 INSTANT INDIE COLLECTION: VOL. 2 $3.74 $24.99 INSTANT INDIE COLLECTION: VOL. 3 $3.74 $24.99 INSTANT INDIE COLLECTION: VOL. 4 $4.49 $29.99 INSTANT INDIE COLLECTION: VOL. 5 $4.34 $28.99 IT’S QUIZ TIME $11.99 $19.99 JOURNEY TO THE SAVAGE PLANET $17.99 $29.99 JUMANJI: THE VIDEO GAME $26.79 $39.99 KINGDOM TWO CROWNS $14.99 $19.99 KINGDOM: NEW LANDS $3.74 $14.99 KNIGHTS AND BIKES $14.99 $19.99 LARA CROFT AND THE TEMPLE OF OSIRIS $3.99 $19.99 LARA CROFT AND THE TEMPLE OF OSIRIS SEASON PASS $1.49 $9.99 LARA CROFT GO $1.99 $9.99 LAST DAY OF JUNE $5.99 $19.99 LAYERS OF FEAR $5.99 $19.99 LAYERS OF FEAR + OBSERVER_ BUNDLE $11.99 $39.99 LAYERS OF FEAR: MASTERPIECE EDITION $8.04 $22.99 LET THEM COME $3.99 $7.99 LIFE IS STRANGE COMPLETE SEASON $3.99 $19.99 LIFE IS STRANGE: BEFORE THE STORM COMPLETE SEASON $3.39 $16.99 LIFE IS STRANGE: BEFORE THE STORM DELUXE EDITION $4.99 $24.99 LITTLE NIGHTMARES $4.99 $19.99 LITTLE NIGHTMARES COMPLETE EDITION $7.49 $29.99 LITTLE NIGHTMARES SECRETS OF THE MAW EXPANSION PASS $4.99 $9.99 LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS SPACETIME $5.99 $14.99 MAGICKA 2 $3.74 $14.99 MAGICKA 2: SPECIAL EDITION $4.99 $19.99 MANUAL SAMUEL $3.99 $9.99 MARK OF THE NINJA: REMASTERED $9.99 $19.99 MELBITS WORLD $8.99 $14.99 MINIT $4.99 $9.99 MONSTER BOY AND THE CURSED KINGDOM $17.99 $39.99 MORDHEIM: CITY OF THE DAMNED $8.99 $29.99 MORDHEIM: CITY OF THE DAMNED – COMPLETE EDITION $11.99 $39.99 MOSAIC $13.99 $19.99 MOSAIC 1% EDITION $17.49 $24.99 MOTHER RUSSIA BLEEDS $3.74 $14.99 MUTANT YEAR ZERO: ROAD TO EDEN $17.49 $34.99 MY TIME AT PORTIA – HOUSEWARMING GIFT SET $1.19 $2.99 NARCOS: RISE OF THE CARTELS $17.99 $29.99 NEVEROUT $2.39 $7.99 NIDHOGG $3.74 $14.99 NIDHOGG 2 $3.74 $14.99 NINJIN: CLASH OF CARROTS $2.49 $9.99 OBSERVATION $12.49 $24.99 OBSERVER $8.99 $29.99 OCTODAD: DADLIEST CATCH $3.74 $14.99 OUTCAST – SECOND CONTACT $5.99 $39.99 OUTWARD $17.99 $39.99 OVERCOOKED! + OVERCOOKED! 2 $17.49 $34.99 OVERCOOKED! 2 – CAMPFIRE COOK OFF $4.01 $5.99 OVERCOOKED! 2 – CARNIVAL OF CHAOS $4.01 $5.99 OVERCOOKED! 2 – NIGHT OF THE HANGRY HORDE $6.69 $9.99 OVERCOOKED! 2 – SEASON PASS $12.99 $19.99 OVERCOOKED! 2 – SURF ‘N’ TURF $4.01 $5.99 OVERCOOKED! 2 – TOO MANY COOKS PACK $2.00 $2.99 OVERPASS DELUXE EDITION $10.49 $69.99 OVERRIDE: MECH CITY BRAWL – SUPER CHARGED MEGA EDITION $9.99 $39.99 PATHOLOGIC 2 $24.49 $34.99 PAW PATROL IS ON A ROLL! $19.99 $39.99 PAYDAY 2: CRIMEWAVE EDITION $4.99 $19.99 PAYDAY 2: THE CRIMEWAVE COLLECTION $7.49 $29.99 PERFECT $5.00 $9.99 PILLARS OF ETERNITY II: DEADFIRE – ULTIMATE EDITION $38.99 $59.99 PORTAL KNIGHTS $7.99 $19.99 POWER RANGERS: BATTLE FOR THE GRID $9.99 $19.99 POWER RANGERS: BATTLE FOR THE GRID – COLLECTOR’S EDITION $19.99 $39.99 PRO FISHING SIMULATOR $19.99 $39.99 PUMPED BMX + $3.49 $9.99 RACE WITH RYAN $26.79 $39.99 RAD $9.99 $19.99 REAL FARM $0.79 $39.99 REGALIA: OF MEN AND MONARCHS – ROYAL EDITION $3.74 $24.99 REGALIA: OF MEN AND MONARCHS – ROYAL EDITION OST COMBO $4.27 $28.49 REUS $0.44 $14.99 RIFTSTAR RAIDERS $4.99 $19.99 RIOT – CIVIL UNREST $3.99 $19.99 RISK OF RAIN 2 $14.99 $29.99 ROAD REDEMPTION $9.99 $19.99 ROMAN RUMBLE IN LAS VEGUM – ASTERIX & OBELIX XXL 2 $24.99 $49.99 RONIN $1.99 $9.99 RUINER $4.99 $19.99 RUSH VR $11.24 $24.99 SEA OF SOLITUDE $9.99 $19.99 SEASONS AFTER FALL $2.49 $9.99 SERIAL CLEANER $5.24 $14.99 SHADOW WARRIOR $7.49 $29.99 SHADOW WARRIOR 2 $9.99 $39.99 SHINESS: THE LIGHTNING KINGDOM $2.49 $9.99 SHINY – A ROBOTIC ADVENTURE $0.29 $14.99 SHOOTY FRUITY $11.00 $19.99 SNIPER ELITE 3 $7.49 $29.99 SOLO: ISLANDS OF THE HEART $4.99 $19.99 SPACE HULK BUNDLE $14.99 $49.99 SPACE HULK: DEATHWING – ENHANCED EDITION $9.99 $39.99 SPACE HULK: TACTICS $7.49 $29.99 SPARKLITE $14.99 $24.99 SPIKE VOLLEYBALL $17.99 $39.99 SPIRIT OF THE NORTH $14.99 $24.99 STAR WARS JEDI KNIGHT II – JEDI OUTCAST $7.49 $9.99 STELLARIS: CONSOLE EDITION $15.99 $39.99 STELLARIS: CONSOLE EDITION – DELUXE EDITION $23.99 $59.99 STIKBOLD! 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  8. Many occupants of the Sargasso nebula routinely violate occupational health and safety guidelines, resulting in a high turnover of clients like yourself. However, by paying attention to the following you can extend your utility to CNT and help tick us many action items as possible. Know Your Tools Some inhabitants of the nebula have developed problematic behaviors — Zecs have been known to deploy invulnerable shields for example. Taking the right weapon can neutralize a lot of their advantages. Kittybots whizz around so fast that Zecs can’t turn their shields towards them before they self-destruct. The Hyper Rifter spits foes out with their backs to you, giving you invaluable time to pull off a cowardly sucker punch. We Value Every Client, However, We Value Some More Than Others Each client has their own unique blend of traits and some of these are better than others (or might just suit your play style better). Some of the best traits are those that let you see additional information on the map like the location of security elements. Some of the worst are those that handicap you, like the good old “Yahoo” who yells out whenever they find loot – alerting nearby enemies. If you find yourself with a client with unhelpful traits, try heading to a WCG ship and find a Gene Therapy terminal to reroll them. Or, in the worst case, stand in front of a Gunpoint and force BACS to replace you with an entirely new client… Don’t Get Greedy The discretion/valour debate has been resolved and discretion won. With the best plan in the world, sometimes things just go wrong. A pack of Juves discovers you as you’re trying to take out a Gunpoint. The mouse ball you’re after turns out to be on the other side of a crop of toxic mushrooms. Why not just give up and retreat to S.T.E.V. where you can jet off and look for an easier target? Stuff Your Face Binge eating cures a lot, specifically low health. If you’ve stocked up on cheese and onion sandwiches (try visiting a Lux Dining Room) you can always rest and relax on the S.T.E.V. to recover valuable health. Keep Drafts Down Smart clients know the value of a locked door. Rift spawning hostiles in that Hab module? Lock the door and bypass it. Screw stomping around in the Security station? Lock those doors and leave him alone. If you’re feeling vindictive, why not toss a Clusterflak in through the broken window to keep him entertained? Know Your Vessels Planning your visits in an orderly fashion can really make your day easier. We all know that Xonnox specialises in medical procedures and is the best place to go when your health is low but did you also know that CNT offices are a great place to find Staples to reload the Stapler? And that some late game Otori ships are the place to load up on the awesome Scrambler Eggs? You don’t even need to memorise this information – just be sure to examine the helpful preview panels while on board S.T.E.V. Don’t Murder Without a Reason Though it might be legal, there’s little reward for murdering citizens other than the satisfaction of seeing them explode in a cloud of cosmic goo. As ammunition is usually in short supply in the Nebula, you should try to avoid combat where possible. If you do have to fight, try to leverage your environment to minimise costs: lure enemies into radiation, eject them into space from a launch tube or turn them on each other with the Scrambler. Good Luck Out There! Remember client, BACS is counting on you to get the other clients back to the Som processing station so that they can serve their sentences. So get cracking when Void Bastards launches on PS4 tomorrow. View the full article
  9. The last few weeks have been eventful, and with our new release date confirmed and development of The Last of Us Part II complete, we’re now just over a month away from launch on June 19, 2020. It’s a surreal feeling, to say the least. This project represents not only years of hard work and passion from everyone here at Naughty Dog, but the continuation of a journey that began with Ellie, Joel, and each of you about seven years ago. There have been some twists and turns, but we’re so lucky to have had you with us every step of the way. Your enthusiasm and support means so much to everyone here at the studio. As we ramp up for this final stretch before The Last of Us Part II arrives in your hands, there’s still more we’re looking forward to sharing with you, beginning with the debut of our all-new story trailer that provides a brief look into the next chapter in Ellie and Joel’s story. The Last of Us Part II | Full Gallery The pace is only going to pick up from here, so keep an eye out for more exciting news as we count the weeks, days, and hours until The Last of Us Part II launches. Lastly, since many of you have asked, we’re happy to say pre-orders are back up, including digital versions of The Last of Us Part II on PlayStation Store and physical copies at participating retailers around the world. Physical copies will also be available to purchase at launch, but may vary by region and retailer. Check with your local stores to find out more. Until then, take care of yourselves! Neil View the full article
  10. Greetings, fellow fighters. Since the introduction of Story mode to Mortal Kombat, fans have made one thing clear – they’re always eager for more. They’re passionate about every character and want each to have their turn in the spotlight. That’s why we at NetherRealm are so excited about Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. It will fulfill one of our fans’ biggest requests – a continuation of the Mortal Kombat 11 story that features our great roster of characters. The new chapters in time-twisting narrative of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath allowed us to give Nightwolf, Fujin, and Sheeva their most sizable roles in any Mortal Kombat game to date. We get to learn more about what drives them, from Fujin’s devotion to Earthrealm’s mortals to Sheeva’s undying loyalty to her empress, Sindel. The story also allows us to see these incredible fighters in action. Our cinematics team has dreamed up a whole host of pulse-pounding action sequences which utilize each character’s signature abilities. As a studio, we’re also thrilled that the Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath expansion permitted fan-favorite Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa to make his triumphant return as Shang Tsung. He’s perfect as the devious sorcerer. His inclusion let us cross one huge item off of the studio’s collective bucket list. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath picks up right where Mortal Kombat 11 ends. Liu Kang has finished Kronika. He and Raiden are at the dawn of time, where they prepare to use Kronika’s Hourglass to restart history. But those preparations are halted when some unexpected guests arrive – Fujin, Nightwolf, and Shang Tsung. Shang Tsung explains that they were Kronika’s prisoners, released only upon her death, and they’ve come to stop Liu Kang from making a deadly mistake. During Liu Kang’s final battle with Kronika, he destroyed her Crown. If he tries to restart history without it, both the Hourglass and reality will be destroyed. All realms will be lost. Liu Kang’s only solution? To send Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, and Fujin back into the past to retrieve the Crown before Kronika can even possess it. It’s a plan that’s so crazy it just might work, if Liu Kang can keep Shang Tsung from double-crossing him… One other benefit of a new story? Our environment team got to build a bevy of new stages. They outdid themselves with fresh takes on the Klassic Dead Pool and Soul Chamber arenas, as well as a new stage that showcases the exterior of Kronika’s Keep. And then there’s our fourth new stage – the RetroKade. The Retrokade is a love letter to the fans who’ve been with us since the earliest days of Mortal Kombat. It gleefully mashes up old school game stages with our more modern presentation. It’s like someone opened up a portal to NostalgiaRealm! NetherRealm being NetherRealm, our trip to Mortal Kombat’s past doesn’t end there. Somehow, our artists also found time to revive Stage Fatalities. They’re not in every stage, so which arenas have Fatalities remains a secret, for now. We hope you have fun discovering them. Along with the addition of Stage Fatalities, our artists had another passion project they wanted to complete – the return of Friendships. They went all in to create some of the funniest, friendliest content ever seen in Mortal Kombat. I’ve seen them all, and every one of them has left me smiling! But of all of the great new content in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, I think what may be giving me the biggest smile is the addition of the iconic RoboCop to the game’s character roster. RoboCop has been a big influence on the creative endeavors of many here at NetherRealm. I don’t think any of us thought we would get a chance to expand his lore or work with the great Peter Weller to bring his RoboCop back to fans. Once we had that chance, we were determined to make the most of it. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath will be available digitally first on May 26. And if you preorder on PS4, you’ll get a free Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath dynamic theme featuring Raiden and Liu Kang that was actually custom made by the NetherRealm team and features music from the game. As a studio, we can’t wait for players to get their hands on this massive expansion, and we’re incredibly proud of the finished content. Hopefully, if we’ve done our job right, we’ll have left our fans still wanting more. View the full article
  11. Like a survivor clawing his way through a horde of walkers as the church bells ring, we at Skydance Interactive have fought through impossible odds to bring you The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners on PS VR. Players can download the game now! The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners features groundbreaking physics-based VR combat that’s been optimized for PS VR. Burying your shiv into the skull of an unsuspecting walker means you’ll have to use real force to yank it back out again. Each weapon has been finely tuned to feel uniquely weighty and deadly. This level of physical detail was crucial in order to ground you in our dire post-apocalyptic world of New Orleans. Things aren’t all doom and gloom in the Big Easy — a glimmer of hope in the form of a massive cache of supplies hidden in the city has the remaining residents itching to get a bite. The Reserve, as it’s known, has caused tensions to mount between New Orleans’ most powerful factions. Once the Reserve is finally unearthed, it could spell disaster for the people caught in the middle of this conflict. That’s exactly where you’ll find yourself when you put on the PS VR headset and begin your Crescent City sojourn. Playing as a drifter known as the Tourist, you will meet characters from all corners of NOLA. Many will ask for assistance, and some will greet you with hostility. How you choose to deal with them is all up to you. See, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners isn’t just about tense combat, physical presence, detailed environments, or a gripping story. More than anything, this game is about seeing what you’re really made of when you find yourself at the extremity of human experience. Thanks so much to everyone who has been eagerly awaiting this release. We’re so honored to finally share our sinking city with the PlayStation VR community! View the full article
  12. A trio of intense experiences await on PS Now this month. Razor-sharp reactions and teamwork are needed to win the day in Ubisoft’s tactical multiplayer title Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. In action horror The Evil Within 2, you’ll be plunged into a nightmarish town crawling with monstrosities. Meanwhile, thriller Get Even will challenge you to survive a mind-bending descent into corrupted memories. Let’s take a closer look. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Play Video It’s the perfect time to try out the deeply tactical, always tense multiplayer shooter that has become an esports phenomenon in the years since its 2015 debut. Strained matches are built around two competing teams of players using a variety of weapons, gadgets and sound strategies to triumph over the other. While you’ll need to adapt to its uncompromising gameplay, it only makes every well-earned victory all the sweeter. Please note: this is the base edition. Available to download (PS4 system only) and stream until Monday November 2, 2020 The Evil Within 2 Play Video Genre aficionados will have plenty to savour with this horror sequel as you enter the alternate reality town of Union in search of your long thought dead daughter. Sickeningly brilliant creature designs and jump scares await as you explore the town’s expansive areas filled with dangers and secrets. But armed as you are with an arsenal of monster-shredding weaponry, as well as having the option to keep things low-key with a more stealthy approach, you’re ready to take on every abomination that stands between you and your family reunion. Get Even Play Video Puzzler, shooter, psychological thriller. Developer The Farm 51’s mashup of genres makes for an intriguing first-person adventure. Finding yourself trapped inside an insane asylum with a virtual reality device surgically grafted to your head, you’re forced to track down and ‘enter’ memories to gradually unravel the mystery behind your incarceration. As gripping as any murder mystery and with events shaped by your decisions, Get Even is a must play for those who love stories with plenty of twists. New to PlayStation Now? If you haven’t tried PlayStation Now yet, now is the perfect time to try it out with the seven-day free trial* for PS4 and PC. Download the more than 300 PS4 (and PS2) games in the service to play on your PS4 or PS4 Pro system, or stream any of the 800+ PS2, PS3, and PS4 games to your PS4 or PC. Stay tuned for more updates on PS Now. Happy gaming! *Terms apply. New subscribers only. Credit card or PayPal required. See here for details. View the full article
  13. It took us a while, but we’re finally here. The Free Lives team, along with our friends at Devolver Digital and 24Bit Games, are excited to announce that Gorn is coming to PlayStation VR on May 19! For those who don’t know, Gorn is an over-the-top gladiator game with a unique, physics-driven combat engine. With Gorn, we wanted to make something that could only work in VR, and that took advantage of all its strengths. We wanted to embrace the chaos of a game where everything is simulated and reward the player for testing the limits of the system. Adding Weight to the World Because VR brings the game world so much closer to the player, we realized we couldn’t rely on pre-baked animations. Instead, we felt that interactions — especially impacts — should resolve in natural and expected ways. In order to get that right, Gorn simulates every object in the arena — even the enemies — at all times. For interactions to resolve naturally, we also needed to make sure that objects felt like they had weight. That’s no small feat in a VR game, where the player’s range of motion makes swinging and throwing things around all the more enjoyable. To create the sensation of weight, we added wobbliness to the weapons so that players can see the impact of gravity and various other forces on their shapes. Wobbly weapons have become a signature Gorn aesthetic, and we’re pretty happy about that. More Trick Shots, Please While making Gorn, we also wanted to lean into the fact that motion controls make it possible for players to move in whatever way they please. When you add fully simulated objects to an unprecedented range of motion, it means that players can set up the most incredible hit combos and trick shots. You can push the enemy shield out of the way to get a clear shot. You can catch his weapon mid-swing. You can pick up a defeated enemy to use as a shield against another’s arrows. You can pick up a severed arm to use as a weapon. If you’re fast enough, you can even catch an arrow mid-air and return to sender. We are still surprised by the creative combat styles that players come up with, and we love that about Gorn. It gives players the freedom to battle their enemies in weird and wonderful ways. And that’s the best way to play Gorn. As a gladiator, you’re not just there to survive. You’re there to entertain. Take advantage of what the arena offers, experiment, and have fun! If you don’t have the stomach for blood and gore, we’ve got you covered with Piñata Mode. Here, you are free to smack at paper mâché enemies until their heads explode with candy. We hope that you’ll enjoy Gorn — in all its glorious chaos — when it hits PlayStation VR on May 19! Special thanks to Devolver Digital and 24Bit Games for doing most of the legwork in getting the PlayStation VR version of the game out. Thank you also to everyone who has been messaging us with questions about the release date. We are confident that the game will have been worth the wait! Note: Please make sure that your play space is set up and cleared properly and heed the limits of your safe playing area. View the full article
  14. My first glimpse of Paper Beast came during last December’s jam-packed State of Play presentation. Nestled between the mind-bending puzzles of Superliminal and the Kingdom Hearts III expansion was a captivating trailer showcasing a first-person journey through dreamlike terrain. The video featured interesting topography and trippy visuals, but what did it all mean? What do you actually do? Despite not really “getting” what was going on, I was nonetheless captivated and made a mental note to play Paper Beast (whatever it was!) when it came to PS VR. Now that I’m on the other side of this unforgettable trek through digital space made real, I can’t recommend it enough. What begins as a curious jaunt through a virtual desert transforms into an eyebrow-raising adventure filled with origami creatures, surreal objects floating through the air, and hallucinatory events that defy description. Sure, I can describe a hovering piece of obsidian slicing a hole in the sky that causes alphabet letters to fall out while turtles spew mud from their bellies, but did that arrangement of words help at all? Thankfully, these bizarre moments exist to challenge your perceptions, not just confuse you for the sake of “whoa isn’t this WEIRD?” The concept is that information-based life has formed within a digital space, and you’re a visitor caught up in a turbulent period of creation. However, this virtual genesis needs a helping hand, and this is where actual gameplay takes shape. Using a DualShock 4 or dual-wielding PS Move Controllers, you manipulate these papercraft beings — as well as plants, fabrics, and other materials — to ensure life, uh, finds a way. Solving these environmental puzzles means pausing to soak up the scenery. What are the animals doing? Do they look stressed? Dehydrated? These moments are where Paper Beast really shines, as you’re forced to just stare and deliberately consider what is happening in the world. I frequently found myself gazing at the alien horizon and admiring not just the set piece in front of me, but how this whole data-driven ecosystem was put together. It’s easy to get lost in the world and simply… exist. I spent many moments watching paper predators stalk their prey and diamond-shaped bugs go about their business. It’s all thoughtfully, artfully structured and a treat to experience. Navigation follows a bit of the same dream logic that shapes the world itself. You don’t directly control your movement, but rather use a pointer to warp from spot to spot. Some may prefer more traditional 1-to-1 movement, but to me, this slightly detached experience helped cement the outsider-looking-in perspective. In dreams, it’s often hard to move precisely how and where you’d like… but then at the same time, you can magically “be” somewhere else without really processing the transition. So you’re both stuck and free at the same time, as you are in Paper Beast – dreamlike through and through. As you play, various creatures cross your path and seemingly try to help you. One ominous, crystalline being turns out to be a life saver, and another shaggy dog (made out of shredded documents?) tries its best to dig out helpful paths. By the time the final scene played out, new friends in tow, I felt a genuine swell of emotion. We did it! But uh, what was “it?” And where are we now while the credits roll? I have my theories, but that’s the beauty of the narrative here — there isn’t one concrete answer. The sense of alien wonder and ambiguous expression echo Another World / Out of this World, a notable adventure game from Paper Beast designer Eric Chahi. Both games have minimal to no HUD, dialog, or overt storytelling, and place the player in a strange realm. Finding your way through with so little to go on is exhilarating, and with PS VR that experience is all the more engrossing. Paper Beast is unlike anything I’ve played in years, and well worth a look if you’re eager for a strange and unique trip through a burgeoning digital world. View the full article
  15. Today, I’m excited to let you know that Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series is coming to PlayStation VR later this summer, and the series will be available as a complete series: all three episodes and Lightsaber Dojos will be available for purchase together, for the first time. Back in 2016, when ILMxLAB first started talking about creating a canonical VR series that focused on Darth Vader, our goal was to tell a new and unique story about one of the most infamous villains in the galaxy. We wanted to bring you into the world of Star Wars in a way that could only be done through immersive storytelling in VR. This would put YOU right in the middle of the action to connect with amazing characters as your actions move the story forward. Prior to Vader Immortal, I worked with the Lucasfilm Story Group to develop Star Wars stories for feature films. Now, the task was to bring the same techniques and care that we used in our movies to this new form of storytelling. Of course, quality is key for a brand like Star Wars. We pushed ourselves every day to combine high quality visuals, sound and compelling interactivity in a way not previously attempted or achieved in the VR space. To do this, we built a team of folks with varied storytelling backgrounds from film, games, and animation, brought on key collaborators like ClutchPlay, and leveraged Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4. This, along with the help of Writer and Executive Producer David S. Goyer, helped to find our path for the project. One of our first meetings began with a whiteboard. We listed out everything that we thought fans (and ourselves!) would most want to experience, if they were inside the Star Wars galaxy. Wielding a lightsaber was right there at the top of that list, but we knew that if we were going to do that, we had to do it right. We went through many different mechanics, both in-house and with our partners at Ninja Theory, before we got to the point where you really felt like you were parrying a blow, slicing through metal, or blocking blaster fire. We continually tested and tweaked the feedback until we got it right. There are so many parts that grab you in the experience, but my favorite is still early in the first episode. The moment when Darth Vader first approaches you is something that can’t really be explained (but I’ll try). It’s intense when his gaze follows you and he speaks directly to you. I’ve seen some people stand up taller and get in his face, and some shrink a bit or even step back, but his presence is intimidating, and unforgettable. Our hard work has been recognized, too, with Vader Immortal winning Best AV/VR Game at the 2020 GDC Awards, and the Producers Guild Innovation Award earlier this year. The team is hard at work getting the story up and running for PS VR, and we can’t wait for you all to experience it and meet Vader face to face. We’ll have more to share in the coming months. View the full article
  16. Hello survivors, PlayStation players, and PS Blog readers! My name is Dmitry Grigorenko. I’m the Lead Game Designer on World War Z at Saber Interactive. I hope you are all staying safe inside and playing games during these tumultuous times! We’re all working from home here at Saber and very excited about the World War Z Game of the Year Edition with Marseilles DLC coming out tomorrow, so I wanted to stop by and hype you up for the launch with some info about those Marseilles maps. Marseille is a unique setting and probably the most diverse location we have created so far. It’s located on the French Riviera and — despite a little zombie apocalypse — it’s a beautiful place. There are many areas of the city from which we drew inspiration and, even within individual levels, we’ve incorporated various distinct locations. For example, gameplay zones like dark catacombs and large open rural areas play completely differently from each other and from other settings in the Marseille episode. Each level has a different theme. For instance, one level is entirely dedicated to the defense of Fort Saint-Nicolas. In most of our levels, players are pushing forward through swarms, defeating or escaping each wave. However, in this level the players are pushed back to the inner walls of the fort by a zombie megaswarm — it’s all about holding your ground. We’ve always strived to design our levels so that they require a great amount of teamwork but could also be completed with random players. This time around we wanted to push the co-op element a little further. My favorite part of the new episode is when players must use a massive missile launcher to blow up the map, blocking the approach of a massive zombie swarm. The trick is that the launcher is difficult to aim: one player operates the controls while another assists with targeting, all while the other two players must continually reload the missiles and fend off the swarm. This sequence requires a great deal of cooperation between players — it’s super chaotic and a lot of fun. PS4 players can get access to the new content by purchasing the individual Marseille DLC, Season Pass, or the GOTY Edition that also includes all of the DLC. Also, if you are playing in a private lobby, only the host needs to have the Marseille DLC. That means that only one of your friends needs to have the Marseille DLC for you to play together tomorrow — have fun! View the full article
  17. PlayStation · Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 363: Streets Of Midgar Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here This week, voice actor Briana White joins us for a heart-to-heart about her experience bringing Aerith to life in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Plus, our first impressions of Streets of Rage 4, our favorite beat ’em ups, and a deep dive on the Doom franchise. Listen in! Stuff We Talked About Final Fantasy VII Remake interview with Briana White New release dates for The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima Streets of Rage 4 Our favorite classic beat ’em ups Doom SnowRunner The Cast Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE Tim Turi – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE 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
  18. John Wick Hex lands on PS4 May 5, blending action and strategy thanks to its time-based encounters. Get inside the mind of the unstoppable action hero, plan, and execute. Yeah — I’m thinking he’s back. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop! Emma: Lost In MemoriesPS4, PS Vita — Digital (Out May 8) Emma: Lost in Memories is a 2D puzzle platformer game in which all the platforms and walls start disappearing progressively as you touch them. Think, strategize, run, jump and feel in a surreal and poetic world where everything fades away. Fury UnleashedPS4 — Digital (Out May 8) Fury Unleashed is a combo-driven rougelite action platformer — each kill you make increases your combo. Hit certain thresholds and your damage resistance and healing powers will kick in! It’s a game you can even beat in one ultimate combo. Are you up to the task? Infinite – Beyond The MindPS4 — Digital (Out May 7) Do you stand a chance against the wicked Queen Evangelyn and her army? You’re the last hope to prevent her world domination! Infinite – Beyond The Mind is a slick 2D action-platformer where you take on evil Queen Evangelyn Bramann. Play as either Tanya or Olga, two girls who have the power to stop the growing army and take down the evil Queen. John Wick HexPS4 — Digital Become The Baba Yaga. John Wick Hex is a fast-paced, action-oriented strategy game that makes you think and strike like John Wick, the professional hitman of the critically acclaimed film franchise. Ping ReduxPS4 — Digital (Out May 6) Ping Redux has 100+ levels including 12 bosses that are inspired by classic games to help keep the gameplay varied. With bombs, lava, moving hazards, and other sorts of blocks to get in your way, do you think you can beat it? Reed 2PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Cross-Buy) Reed awakens… to the memories of the old supercomputer… Reed failed. The reboot failed and now the digital world is once again breaking down. Before the old supercomputer malfunctioned, it gave Reed backup files that must be delivered to the Developer. The virtual world is now doomed, can you get to the Developer? SupermashPS4 — Digital (Out May 8) SuperMash is a game that makes games! Mash together two game genres to get a completely unique new game each time, then challenge your friends to see how they do. Think the Mash you made is impossible? Share its MASH Code with a friend or streamer and see if they can beat it! Taimumari: Complete EditionPS4 — Digital (Out May 4) Taimumari: Complete Edition includes the full Taimumari game with all additions and Legend of Himari minigame! Take control of the Himari, the young female wizard travelling across various ages to settle the balance in time across the whole world! Task Force KampasPS4 — Digital Drawing inspiration from the golden age of Japanese shoot‘em ups, Task Force Kampas combines retro action with modern conventions, adding new mechanics and randomly generated stages with hand-crafted bosses. Ubermosh:OmegaPS4 — Digital Ubermosh:Omega, the final volume of the series, is the apex of the “90 seconds gun-fueled pit” concept. Players can choose a Saint, tune it to fit their gameplay style, and try to survive a gun-filled pit where you can cut bullets with swords, unleash havoc with psionic powers, and evade hells of projectiles. Void BastardsPS4 — Digital (Out May 7) Forget everything you know about first-person shooters: Void Bastards asks you to take charge, not just point your gun and fire. Your task is to lead the rag-tag Void Bastards out of the Sargasso Nebula. You make the decisions: where to go, what to do and who to fight. And then you must carry out that strategy in the face of strange and terrible enemies. Bloodshot Justice League Dark: Apokolips War John Wick Triple Feature Pardon our dust! In the coming months, you may notice the occasional discrepancy in The Drop as we’re updating the back-end systems we pull game info from to populate our list. We will, of course, strive to correct any mistakes as they arise. Thanks for your patience! View the full article
  19. Last week, we asked you to take a gander at games glowing with the color green. From verdant landscapes to ghastly gas, you shared your greenest moments using #PS4share and #PSBlog. Here are this week’s green highlights: Aaronymuss shares this glowing green beauty from Trials of Mana. Cal strikes with his green lightsaber in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in this share by assassindmf. Jay_Kyuubi shared this moody green share from Nier Automata. A flash of green cuts through the sky in this Call of Duty Modern Warfare share by Michael_Jambor. Sefwick shares an overgrown landscape from Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection. Lara Croft swims through murky green waters in this Shadow of the Tomb Raider share by VirtualHeda. Search #PS4share and #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? Theme: In Bloom Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, May 6 Next week we’re stopping to smell the flowers. Share beautiful blooms from the game of your choice using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured View the full article
  20. Hello! Huntdown, our retro action comedy co-op arcade shooter, is launching on PS4 on May 12, and ahead of release we wanted to give you an overview of the game, as well as how and why 80s action movies influenced the Huntdown universe. In Huntdown you take up arms as three bounty hunters — alone or in two player co-op — cleansing the criminal gangs controlling the dystopian city. Visually, our platformer is drawn by hand, pixel by pixel, like a vintage 16-bit game but with modern, intuitive gameplay. The concept and world we’ve built in Huntdown is heavily inspired by the timeless action movies and sci-fi pictures that we were raised on, and we hope we’ve done them justice. The City Huntdown plays out across 20 levels, taking our bounty hunters through a load of graffiti strewn, dystopian cityscapes. The biggest influence on our gritty concrete jungle was Blade Runner’s masterful neo noir future Los Angeles. We’ve tried to build a city where replicants would feel right at home. The city features environmental features to build the atmosphere such as steam grates, bleak urban skylines and flaming vintage sports cars. We were inspired by the darkness of movies like Escape From New York, Death Race 2000 (the original) and Total Recall (original.) We also studied design from the era and tried to replicate it in the game, from art deco interiors through to black marble pillars, we wanted to create a world that’s bleak, but stylish. Bounty Hunters Our 16-bit bounty hunters are modelled on classic 80s action movie heroes. From their snappy one liners to billowing leather trench coats, these guys were built around our childhood icons. Mow Man is a modified recon droid who was stolen and empowered with banned software, creating the ultimate killing machine, an unashamed love letter to Robocop and Terminator. Anna Conda is an ex-commando and firearms expert and a bit of a loose-cannon, trained to assassinate without question or mercy, created with cocky rebel marine Vasquez from Aliens in mind. John Sawyer is an ex special forces cop who left the law behind, he’s lost so many limbs in combat he’s practically half robot. The jaded, tough as nails ex cop is a beloved 80s trope of ours, a mish mash of action movie anti-heroes such as Snake Plissken and Stallone as Cobra, John Sawyer has a literal steel jaw, representing the silly over-the-top budget movie era. Gangs The gangs in Huntdown were first and foremost a twisted mashup of The Warriors (technically a 70s movie but who’s counting) and our nihilistic imaginations. Each gang in Huntdown has their own unique characteristics and confronting them means different strategic gameplay. The Hoodlum Dolls are feral punks winning the gang war with the toothless authorities, who wouldn’t look out of place in Class of 1999. The Misconducts are organised hockey hooligans focused on robbery and extortion, with bosses inspired by Mad Max’s Immortan Joe ‘The Unholy Goalie’ and Sub-Zero in The Running Man (Nadja Drago). The Heatseekers are a murderous rockabilly motorcycle club who fashion themselves on the Centurians of ancient Rome, and the NO.1 Suspects are martial arts experts controlling organised crime from casinos and nightclubs, inspired by the triads in films like Big Trouble in Little China and The Last Dragon. In creating Huntdown we’ve tried to harness the best of these legendary movies to create something Stallone and Schwarzenneger would be proud of. We can’t wait to share Huntdown with you all, and to finally launch our tribute to old school, over the top action. View the full article
  21. Welcome back! April 2020 saw the return of familiar franchises like Final Fantasy VII Remake, Resident Evil 3, Trials of Mana… hell, even Streets of Rage snuck in at the very end of the month with its first new game in over 25 years! But don’t let the big names steal all the attention — smaller experiences like Biped, Moving Out, Below, and Telling Lies are worth your time, too. We’ll keep the polls open until Sunday, May 10 at 11:59pm Pacific this time, so get those votes in before then. Let us know who you voted for in the comments! How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year. What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Shadow of the Colossus and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted. Players’ Choice: What Was the Best New Game of April 2020? View the full article
  22. Ask me about any of my favorite games and I’ll usually have a single, extremely vivid memory to share. Examples: Crossing the finish line a scant second before the No.13 ‘Devil’ car in Ridge Racer (my PSone controller slick with sweat from multiple failed attempts). Stumbling upon the Inverted Castle for the first time in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (eliciting a huge grin as I realized the true scope of the game). Being beheaded in my first encounter with a Hunter in the original Resident Evil (giving me a franchise-long fear of those cold-blooded killers). But Journey? I get not a snapshot, but a montage. A deluge of moments (appropriately enough) from across the entirety of the game. All of which, even nearly a decade on, reignite my imagination as they flash before my mind’s eye. Drinking in that endless desert at the game’s opening, swearing I could almost feel the sun’s heat. Surfing down the side of a mountain, sand turned rose gold by the sunset, my pulse quickening as I descended from red skylines into the cool darkness of a shadow-trapped valley floor. Involuntary goosebumps as I once again see my traveller’s scarf encased in ice, every forward movement a fight against an endless snowstorm. And soon after, a deafening silence as the wind drops and soundtrack fades, pierced only by the now-magnified sound of a few last, faltering steps through deep snow before collapse. And finally, the lightness of heart that comes with that climatic flight. In a former life, Journey was one of a handful of titles I awarded a perfect review score to. It’s the only game that I started and couldn’t put down until the credits rolled. Yes, the game’s brevity helped. But truthfully? It was more how utterly captivating the whole experience was beginning to end. And now, thanks to the Play At Home initiative, I’m happy everyone will have the perfect excuse to revisit those sand-touched shores as much as I do. I must confess Journey has become to me what The Secret of Monkey Island is to my wife: a yearly tradition to savor, to reappreciate. Fresh aesthetics and challenges being introduced with the discovery of each new area. That sweeping soundtrack. Playfully sliding down sand dunes. Stitching together the history of a lost civilization by puzzling over wall carvings. Hiding from monsters whose blinding, searchlight-like gazes would turn red on spotting you. Meeting another traveller on the road towards the mountain. The studio’s pared back approach to co-op may have seemed the antithesis of an era of ever-increasing customization for online play. There are no private lobbies. No option for matchmaking. At any point during play, another player could appear nearby, your separate game instances pulled together into one. Voice chat is restricted to a single ‘call’ activated by a button press and performed by your on-screen character. That call is sounded in an alien language, visualized by a single symbol which floats briefly in the air. You weren’t even given a name; those were reserved for the game’s credits. Yet that sparseness fitted Journey perfectly. Every player could choose to ignore the other. There was plenty of opportunity to walk away and resume a solo trek. I’d be lying to say in all the times I met another wanderer, no one ever did. But many stayed by my side, or me theirs. And I don’t think it was to utilize the single gameplay benefit of travelling together, wherein contact would recharge each other’s scarf, the accessory that when glowing allowed you to jump and float. Well, not totally. I’d like to believe it was for companionship. That belief is born from another memory. It was the first time I’d tag-teamed that last fateful stretch to the mountain’s top with a fellow traveller. We repeatedly called out to each other, voices getting weaker with every passing moment. The garbled noises meant nothing. Yet they spoke volumes. I’d like to think my companion, whoever they were, was doing the same as I: spurring the other person on. We weren’t covering each other’s six, weren’t trading items or battling bad guys together. We were just finding solace in each other’s company. Yet to this day it’s one of the most cooperative experiences I’ve ever had. What a game. What a journey. Want to know more? Sure you do. Raid the PS Blog archives to read more about the game. Listen to Austin Wintory’s incredible soundtrack on Spotify. And of course, go play the game for yourself. Now, does anyone want to meditate with me this weekend so I can grab that Trophy? View the full article
  23. Starting today, a Dreams demo is available at PlayStation Store. The demo includes access to a rotating playlist of some of our favourite creations in Dreams including The Ornithologist’s Private Collection, Ruckus, Cubric, Player Piano Player, Art Therapy and Great Job Human! The demo also includes the first 20 minutes or so of the Media Molecule musical narrative adventure Art’s Dream; and all the information you need about create mode! If you’ve been browsing our Dreams companion site, https://indreams.me, you’ll also be able to add dreams you see to your Play Later queue and — should you buy the full game — they’ll be waiting for you in DreamSurfing, ready to play. If you choose to purchase the full version of the game, you’ll be able to pick up Art’s Dream where you left off. You’ll also get access to all the amazing things Dreams has to offer: creative tutorials and classes to teach you digital creation; community jams to get into the creative spirit; and thousands of games from community members across the world, with new ones every day! You can also check out our Twitch and YouTube channels to watch DreamShaping (create mode) in action and our favourite pieces of community content every week. If you like what you see, get involved! From streams to community collaborations, challenges and more, there’s never a dull moment in the Dreamiverse. Visit PlayStation Store to download the Dreams Demo or add the full version of Dreams to your basket. *Internet connection required to access demo and Dreamiverse contents View the full article
  24. Here is a sentence I did not think I’d be writing in 2020: there’s a new Streets of Rage game launching today. Why the surprise? It’s not only because it has been 26 years since the last one, but that the original side-scrolling beat ’em up trilogy was lightning in a bottle, rightly celebrated at the time, and has been venerated by genre aficionados ever since. How could any modern-day studio hope to resurrect the series? How could they recapture that magic? As it turns out, one couldn’t. But three might. Guard Crush Games (who created a love letter to the genre in the form of 2015’s Streets of Fury and handled programming duties on Streets of Rage 4), LizardCube (responsible for the gorgeous visual overhaul on 2017’s Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap remake and who looked after art direction) and Dotemu (retro-loving, Paris-based studio who took care of game design and general production) joined forces and embarked on a three year journey to reimagine Streets of Rage for a PS4 audience. To find out the story behind what may be this generation’s most surprising retro revival, I reached out to a number of people working on the title. Kindly setting aside time in the last few days before their game’s launch — and giving us a taste of the collaborative nature of the project — were Dotemu’s Executive Producer Cyrille Imbert and Lead Game Designer Jordi Asensio, Lizardcube’s Art Director Ben Fiquet and Guard Crush Games Technical Director Cyrille Lagarigue, as well as composer Olivier Deriviere. Maintaining an iconic legacy Adam Hunter, Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding as they appeared in the key art for 1991’s Mega Drive classic Bare Knuckle. The game would be rebranded Streets of Rage for its western release. This series is well-loved for so many reasons. Its gameplay, music, and design are all iconic. There must have been a lot of attention on every development decision made. Which aspect did you feel the most pressure to deliver on? Asensio: Every aspect, really. The original games are so well crafted that you cannot leave any aspect unpolished. For my part, I tried to give people instant fun while creating a deep system that will make people interested in mastering the game and coming back again and again. Lagarigue: The overall dynamic of the fights, so that they feel fluid and strategic but still snappy. Imbert: A bit of everything. But the game feel, the gathering of different aspects like the design, the animation, and the reactivity was definitely something we had to nail. The music was also something that absolutely needed to succeed. Obviously Streets of Rage has a very unique look and feel. How much did player — or even developer — feedback impact the final level and character designs? Asensio: As a matter of fact, we talked a lot with hardcore fans and they gave us tremendous feedback and ideas. Every event we could show a demo at (like PAX) was a gold mine. We changed, added, and balanced considerably thanks to this feedback. Smiles and praise were also key to keeping us focused on our work. Fiquet: Before starting production, I spent a lot of time researching game design documents, interviews with the developers, in-depth video analysis, fan-made games, even fan art. This helped me get a sense of the overall feelings surrounding the license. Reimagining Streets of Rage for 2020 The key art for Streets of Rage 4, featuring (clockwise from top left) Blaze Fielding, Axel Stone, Floyd Iraia, Adam Hunter, Cherry Hunter Has Streets of Rage 4 evolved much from its original concept, or did you have a pretty clear idea of what it would be from the start? Asensio: From the start we wanted it to be a pretty straightforward beat ’em up with no fancy modern trends. Just a good old-fashioned beat ’em up. Then as the game was coming together, we found room for improvement: adding more fun, along with modern solutions to old frustrations, without ever losing track of the game’s roots. Imbert: The idea was crystal clear for everyone: we just wanted to do a great beat ’em up game. Something pure, simple, and efficient. Something that would be in line with its predecessor, but modern in its approach. Can you touch on the modern-day additions you’ve brought to the classic SoR gameplay formula, and explain why you added them? Asensio: There are small things (but which make a big difference), like downsizing the depth of the player character’s hitbox when moving up or down, so you really dodge when you want to dodge. And bigger things – for example, in SoR2 when you were surrounded, doing a special move was smart, but it cost a small amount of health. So it was better than being hit, but it always felt a little off to lose health for a good decision. So in SoR3 they added a cool-down bar that allowed you to do your special move for free. We tried something different. In SoR4, you lose a small amount of health that you can regain by hitting enemies – but if you are hit in the meantime, this small amount of health is gone for good. This opens the door for some aggressive play styles, gambling a lot of life in order to do huge combos. Some players will prefer to use specials more wisely though… We also added powerful ‘Star’ moves, which replace the old ‘police call.’ Police call is a “clear screen” mechanic, and though it’s fun, we wanted to have something more befitting our gameplay loop. So now you have to think more to connect your Star move, as it hits only a certain portion of the screen, which is dependent on your character. It can save you from a lot of enemies (sort of like an emergency defense mechanism), but it can also extend the length of a combo. This helps you recover some invested health from special moves and focus your damage on a boss, for instance. Many levels have environmental dangers. You can use the wrecking ball in this rooftop fight to knock out enemies (and score a Trophy) Lagarigue: We wanted to give the players more freedom on how they can play. We changed the rules of the main game mode (Story mode) so that you restart at the beginning of each stage when you run out of lives. Also, if you are stuck you can choose to get gameplay assists (more lives, star moves…) in exchange for a reduced score. This way, everyone can finish the campaign, but you are still tempted to choose a higher difficulty level because you know that you will be able to get help if you are stuck. Then you can train and improve your score on each level or try the old-school-style Arcade mode. So the goal was really to keep the challenge while making the game more accessible. “You can unlock retro characters by scoring points, and you get bonus points when you play at higher difficulty levels or when you try different characters. So overall you are incentivized to get better and play in a variety of ways.” – Cyrille Lagarigue Creating new characters… How much iteration did Cherry Hunter and Floyd Iraia go through in terms of design and combat style before you agreed on their final versions? Asensio: Usually we do a kick-off meeting where we discuss each character’s overall style and gameplay. Then we go into details move-by-move to determine the function of the move and maybe find a pose that will fit. Then it’s up to Ben [Fiquet, Lizardcube’s Art Director] to work his magic. Sometimes moves change because Ben finds something cool visually that may (or may not) fit the gameplay, but in the end the animation influences gameplay as much as gameplay influences animation — so we always find common ground. For Cherry Hunter it took several iterations to balance her two sides: bare-hands moves and guitar moves. We pushed the sliders to the max so the bare-hands move feels really fast and swift, while the guitar moves feel really slow but powerful, with range and a big zone of impact. Fiquet: Graphically speaking, both characters were driven by their function – but I was adamant on Cherry’s guitar despite some push-back from the team. I wanted something that would be truly unique in the series and cool looking. Ultimately though, I wanted characters that would fit right in with the Streets of Rage universe. Asensio: Floyd was pretty straightforward, since he was the last character and we knew what we needed for the game to have a good, rounded character roster. The biggest challenge was to work around the unique concept of a “ranged grappler.” It took several iterations, even some last-minute ones, to balance him well, since his telescopic grapple can win against a lot of AI behaviour (yes, we ended up changing the AI a little bit for him). …and reimagining the classic brawlers In the same vein, were Blaze, Adam, and Axel easier to design because you could adapt the blueprint of their looks and combat styles from SoR 1-3? Asensio: From the start we decided that they should have their iconic moves, but I changed their properties. So for instance, Axel’s neutral jump kick now just does one hit, but it’s more powerful and it sets enemies bouncing off the wall. Fiquet: Axel wasn’t easy to design artistically. I knew giving him a beard and bulking him up would be quite a leap for many, but I felt the character needed to get rougher with time. You can read about Blaze and Adam’s redesign in our previous blog post. How did you decide on each character’s special moves? Again, was it a case of refining previous special moves or completely reimagining them? Asensio: The fun part about Axel and Blaze was that we could introduce some new twists to their existing moves. So we could think about them in terms of how well they would fit into our game system defensively, offensively, and combo-wise. Then, I tried some special air moves by reusing some animation frames from other moves, allowing us to add some new moves. It was fun and useful, so Ben made legit animations for them and it became a thing: every new character has a special air move. For Adam, we thought of him as a completely new character. We had several discussions about what his playstyle should be. The idea of a small forward dash made sense, since like all of Hunter’s family members, Adam can move fast. For the other moves, we tried to find powerful ones to fit his SOR1 character stats (“power A”). Lagarigue: We really wanted to find a fighting style for Adam that played like a “regular” character, yet wasn’t too close to Axel or Blaze. There is a little detail I implemented that I like a lot: if you dash with Adam and you touch an enemy, you do a circling move and get to the other side. I got the idea while watching the fights between Jackie Chan and Brad Allen in the movie Gorgeous. I thought it would be fun to have a character that felt like a very agile boxer, and that is the gameplay behavior I came up with to try to replicate this feeling. Axel and Blaze are the only two characters to appear in all four games. Why did you choose to have Adam return over Skate, Max, or Zan? Asensio: Adam is too cool and was out for too long! Fiquet: Honestly, he was long overdue. As soon as we announced the game, you could hear the outcry of so many fans pining for his return. We knew we were gonna add him, and it was excruciating not to be able to show him sooner. Adam doesn’t fill a gameplay need like the fast Skate or the strong Max. He just needs to be here because he rocks. What was your process when deciding which enemies would return? Are there any you consciously excluded? If so, why? Asensio: Streets of Rage 2 is, I think, the best game of the series. I love its slow, strategic pace. I love how it was designed around three core enemies: Galsia, Signal, and Donovan. Galsia will come at you and keep you busy, Signal will attack when you face away from him, and Donovan will prevent you from jumping on him. So we built enemies and levels around this idea of synergy between baddies. Oh, and we decided not to bring Jet back, because he’s so annoying — flying all over the place and not vulnerable to combos… Streets of Rage 4’s music The soundtrack is a mix of in-house tracks and contributions from iconic industry names. How did you decide on the sequence that they would appear in the game? Was each contributor given a theme, or concept art of a level, to help shape their track, for example? Imbert: The idea was to have a main composer who would bring harmony and coherence throughout the game. Olivier Deriviere is not only a great composer and a fan of electronic music, but he also completely understands the relation between music and gameplay. This is vital for a Streets of Rage game. But we also wanted to have different Eastern and Western influences. Different touches of music, because this is something that existed in previous SoR titles. So we had the original composers, Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima, take care of strong tracks – certain boss fights, important themes, certain levels, etc. The idea was to have part of the soul from the original titles, but also the amazing music they both make nowadays. We also had lots of other talented artists who represent the best of classic and modern video game music, as well as contemporary musicians that never composed for a video game before. Each had a specific moment of the game to interpret with their own vision and transcribe into music. We sent each composer a scene from the game, with story elements and general indications about the atmosphere and characters. And then we just let them work their magic. Receiving their tracks one by one was like Christmas every time. Olivier, what was the most challenging track for you to create/lock down the final version of? Deriviere: The most challenging aspect was to follow what Koshiro-san & Kawashima-san did in the previous Streets of Rage. I didn’t want to mimic their style but rather their approach, which was taking club music from the 90’s and incorporating it to the game. However, in my case, I had to go through 25 years of club music and pick what would be right without betraying the spirit of the series. It was so much fun to revisit some of the East and West coast tunes. I also revisited dubstep, IDM like Aphex Twin, and so many more genres. But to make it all sound like a whole was definitely challenging! Which track from the guest musicians’ submitted surprised you the most? (This could be the full track or just a section of one which completely shattered your expectation) Deriviere: I think I wasn’t surprised by the Main Title theme from Koshiro-san, it is perfectly reminiscent of Streets of Rage and it sets the right tone and prepares the player for the upcoming fight. We start the game with his style, close to the original games. On the other hand, what Kawashima-san delivered is very special, very modern, and almost sounds like avant-garde electronic music sometimes. The two of them are incredibly unique and, to my big surprise, I understood much more on how they could have created such cult music in the past… (and the present too!) All the other guests did a fantastic job as well, adding their own personalities to each boss. The game also features the option to play classic tracks – how did you decide which would play where? Deriviere: It was a team effort. We took feedback from the most hard-core people and we spread the retro music from Streets of Rage and Streets of Rage 2 onto the levels and bosses. The game features two player online co-op and, for the first time in the series, four player local co-op The game’s extra modes How does the gameplay scale or change in four-player local co-op mode? Asensio: Balancing a 4-player co-op mode is almost impossible. So from the start we decided to not try it, but instead just crank up the fun factor by only making small changes that make the game more fun and easier to understand. For example, the more players you are, the less damage you do, so you must help each other and coordinate your actions to make cool co-op combos. Also, you do bonus damage if you activate friendly fire. There are more enemies during the boss fights, so you always have someone to fight. Plus, enemies are more aggressive, and players can’t be superimposed (they repel themselves like opposing magnets). Does the game feature any New Game+, leaderboards, etc. to draw players back in once they’ve finished the campaign? Asensio: There are leaderboards for every stage and character, so once you’re done obtaining the S rank (the highest rank) for all stages, you can go for some serious score attacks against the world’s best players. There is also the Mania difficulty mode, which is a New Game+ in its own right. Players should also try the battle mode, where each stage has a cool flavour that always provides interesting fights. Lagarigue: You can then try the game’s two ultimate challenges: Arcade mode, where you have to finish the whole campaign in one go with a limited number of lives; and Boss Rush, where you have to defeat all of the bosses without extra lives. Both are very fun, but intense! Development challenges and secrets Any fun development stories you want to share? Asensio: We discussed how we reintroduced the original sprite version of the characters into this game in our previous Blog post. But the truth is, I even put other sprites from other games into the engine… so at some point we even had Joe Musashi from Sega’s Shinobi as a playable character. Of course we removed him at the end since it was for engine testing purposes only, but it was pretty cool kicking bad guys with him. Fiquet: One of the bosses — Estel, a tough cop driven by duty — is based on a real cop I encountered in my building. She was so bad-ass I decided to put her in the game. Estel (left) is one of the new characters you’ll have to tackle over the course of the game Looking back over the development, what was the biggest challenge? Asensio: The biggest challenge was to understand the previous games and what made them so good. You have to leave your nostalgia goggles aside and ask yourself, ‘What’s the essence of these games? Are there any frustrations? Should we remove them, or maybe they are part of the experience?’ These sorts of things. Lagarigue: I think the biggest challenge was to nail down the game’s level design and rhythm. When you make a side-scrolling beat ’em up, it is hard to keep it interesting and varied while keeping the same fighting gameplay. I think we achieved it by iterating a lot on the level design, on how and when the enemies appear in the levels. And also by polishing the enemies’ AI, especially for the bosses. Imbert: There were so many challenges along the way. For example, it’s so difficult to find the right balance between legacy and innovation. Personally, one of my biggest challenges was the music. It was very difficult to gather so many great artists together and handle all the licensing elements and negotiations. But the result is amazing and it allowed me to work with and get to know insanely talented people like Olivier Deriviere and Yuzo Koshiro. Fiquet: Staying true to the original games while trying to create something new. You face not only yourself, but also the expectations of fans around the world. View the full article
  25. Two very different lifestyles will compete for your time thanks to next month’s PlayStation Plus lineup. Challenge yourself to design, then maintain, your ultimate metropolis in city-building strategy sim Cities: Skylines. Want a break from the city life? Take in the country air as you turn your hand to agriculture in Farming Simulator 19. Let’s take a closer look at both games. Cities: Skylines – PlayStation 4 Edition Do you have what it takes to develop a small, bustling community into a sprawling megacity? In Cities: Skylines, the acclaimed city builder sim by Paradox Interactive, you make the decisions that will see your city flourish or fail. You’ll need strategic smarts to keep your burgeoning ecosystem from collapse, ensuring your ever-growing populace stay happy and the industries that are the lifeblood of your expanding metropolis continue to thrive. Farming Simulator 19 Stressed by the bustling city life and eager to tackle a more sedate livelihood? Rural escapism awaits with Farming Simulator 19! Developer GIANTS Software has packed in a wealth of agricultural pastimes to lose yourself in as you set out to maintain a homestead. Harvest crops, raise livestock, tackle forest, ride your own horses…or just jump behind the wheel of your John Deere tractor or one of over 300 authentic farming vehicles and go for a drive. Both titles will be available to download from Tuesday, May 5, until Monday, June 1. Last Chance! Grab April’s PS Plus Games As a reminder, you’ve still got until Monday, May 4, to download this month’s PS Plus games. Quick wits, fast fists and inventive use of weaponry are essential to survive the danger-filled, globe-trotting journey of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, while nerves of steel and precision driving are essential to roar to championship glory in racing sim DIRT Rally 2.0. View the full article

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