Commander Fury

New this week to Days Gone is the latest “bike” challenge, Dead Don’t Ride. Take your seat behind the wheel of an electric golf cart to pick up and deliver passengers at locations around the Salome Hotsprings. There are 36 passengers waiting for rides if you manage to make on time deliveries. You’re working against the clock in Dead Don’t Ride, so in order to get the best passenger ratings and maximize your high score, here are some tips for excelling at the challenge sub-objectives: Close Call: Park Close to X Survivors. When stopping to pick up your next fare, stop as close as possible to the waiting survivor. Stopping close not only contributes toward this sub-objective, but it also gives bonus points toward the overall challenge. 5 Star Driver: Drop Off X Happy Survivors. Once you have a survivor on board, pay attention to their satisfaction meter. You’ll get score and time bonuses for Happy and Neutral drop-offs. You’ll still get some points from Unhappy passengers, but no time bonus. Wild Speed: Drop off X Hard Survivors. Delivery difficulty is indicated by the color of the pick-up ring; yellow for easy, orange for medium, and red for hard. Difficulty is determined by distance to the drop-off destination, and in some cases by jumps or difficult navigation. In addition to advancing this sub-objective, longer deliveries award more points toward the overall score. Since the golf cart has infinite boost, make heavy use of it on long straightaways to achieve this sub-objective. Street Sweeper: Run Over X Swarmers. Don’t worry about alarming your passengers—running over freaks won’t hurt your delivery rating. Each Swarmer killed will add two seconds to the challenge clock. Try and line up your Swarmer kills along your delivery routes because going out of your way for these kills will work against the clock. Additional advice for Dead Don’t Ride: Successfully completing all 36 deliveries will reward 2,000 points for each second left on the clock. So be mindful of finding ways to shave precious time from your run; find the best paths to take, discover the optimal order in which to pick up passengers, drift into stops so you’re facing the drop-off location, and use boost as much as possible (without crashing into obstacles, of course). This challenge awards the “Hit and Run” patch for Bronze or better rankings. This patch reduces the rate at which bikes (and golf carts) slow when impacting enemies. So earning this patch will allow you to keep extra time on the clock, which helps achieve even greater scores within the challenge. View the full article

Alright! I played Monster Hunter World: Iceborne! World was the first Monster Hunter game I fully fell down the rabbit hole with, so with Iceborne right around the corner I’m hungry for any opportunity to get an early look. Below are five of my favorite things (aside from the rad new monsters and gear, of course) that I noticed during my time with Iceborne. 1. The “Take All” button QOL, baby! No longer having to hold down X to take each end-of-hunt item individually may not be a back-of-box bullet point, but it’s a nice touch that proves the dev team is looking for ways to make things more pleasant overall. Another welcome QOL change: There’s now a confirmation dialogue when equipping an item loadout that asks whether you want to use that loadout’s customized radial menu as well. Saving and loading custom radial menus was a tough one for me to figure out initially, so I’m grateful for the added clarity here. Meet the Barioth: a real meanie of a new monster. This one doesn’t mess around. 2. The Clutch Claw Hoooooo boy, this is a big one. Iceborne introduces a new tool to Monster Hunter, and it adds a suite of new strategic options for Hunters on the move. To use the Clutch Claw, hold L2 to aim and press Circle to fire (even if your weapon is drawn!) and pull yourself onto specific parts of a monster. Then you’ve got options: When latched onto your target’s head, you can press Circle to make the monster rotate, changing the direction it’s facing. Press R2 to spend all of your remaining Slinger ammo to unleash the “Flinch Shot” (again, as long as you’re mounted on the beast’s head), which sends the monster careening forward. If the monster runs into a wall or off a cliff, it stuns your quarry and gives your squad a prime opportunity to dish out some huge damage. Press Triangle to execute a standard attack — this isn’t the same as what happens when you mount a beast; it’s more of a quick whack on the way back down to the ground. Depending on which weapon you’ve equipped, this will either soften up that part of the monster, increasing damage and making it less likely for your attacks to be deflected, or it will make the beast drop slinger ammo for you and your fellow hunters. There are also some interesting new things you can do without first grappling onto the monster, depending on the weapon you’re carrying. Pressing L2 after applying my hammer to a monster’s face, for example, allowed me to fire off a quick “Slinger Burst” for some extra damage. My time with Iceborne was not quite enough to fully wrap my head around the Clutch Claw and its myriad strategic advantages, but even the few I was able to master made things a lot more interesting. I’m looking forward to playing with this more. 3. Seliana, the new hub area, is more condensed than Astera Seliana is a smaller hub area than Astera, what with its multiple levels and chain elevators and hidden pathways. I haven’t dug into every nook and cranny of the new hub, but your starting location, the hunt board, the Canteen, and the Workshop are all in mercifully close proximity to one another — so it’ll be that much faster to get into your next hunt. Fun fact: the Grammeowster Chef — Seliana’s leader of all things culinary — is the former mentor of Astera’s Meowscular Chef! 4. The “Wide Range” perk works with Hot Drinks Supporting your teammates by speccing into the “Wide Range” perk has always been handy in MHW, but I’m comfy saying it’s less “handy” and more “important” now. Master Rank hunts are no joke, and various ice-related status ailments constantly threaten to end your quest prematurely. Hot Drinks keep you toasty in the expansion’s new icy climate, and chugging one while you have Wide Range gear or decorations equipped will warm up your buddies, too. Reminder: Plenty of other items work with Wide Range, too. Nulberries, for example, are handy for keeping your fellow hunters safe from the ever-present threat of Iceblight, an irritating ailment that hampers your stamina in a major way. 5. New hunts don’t always happen in Hoarfrost Reach While Iceborne’s story will take you to its huge new location early on, it doesn’t send you there for each and every hunt throughout the new campaign. You’ll head back to the base game’s locales from time to time to hunt powerful new subspecies of existing monsters (as well as returning series favorites and all-new beasties). I love the new map, but I’m glad we’ll have excuses to return to the world of… well, World. Three ferocious new subspecies you’ll encounter in Iceborne (top to bottom, left to right): Coral Pukei Pukei, Nightshade Paolumu, Viper Tobi-Kadachi Monster Hunter World: Iceborne launches September 6, but in the meantime you can hop into World during its currently ongoing festival, which sees the return of various limited-time event quests each week. Did you miss the Aloy armor and Watcher Palico set when they came around before? Now’s your chance to grab ’em. Got questions about Iceborne? I’ll be checking in on the comments throughout the day and will answer the ones I’m able to! View the full article

Hello, colonists! Brian Heins here, Senior Designer from Obsidian Entertainment, and I’m going to be your guide as we check out The Outer Worlds. In case you haven’t heard, The Outer Worlds is a first-person, single-player role-playing game in which you will decide how the story plays out. We will be looking at a bit of the game’s features as well as the town of Edgewater. Edgewater is a backwater settlement located in the region of Emerald Vale, owned and operated by Spacer’s Choice. The people of Edgewater are hardy, loyal company folk devoted to working in the town’s Saltuna Canning Facility until the day they die, at which point they’re buried in the local Spacer’s Choice Cemetery — provided they’ve paid their burial fees. The Spacer’s Choice family takes care of its own. Reed Tobson — Edgewater’s administrator — can help you find a power regulator to repair your ship. A staple in Obsidian games has always been a complex narrative with a variety of dialogue options, and The Outer Worlds is no different as you will have multiple options when approaching conversations. Your character’s abilities and companions also play a part in conversations. For example, you may have the option to lie to someone if you have enough charisma, or potentially your companion is a skilled engineer and can help dig you out of a technical discussion that is way over your head. Reed points you to a power regulator in the nearby botanical district. All you need to do is head down to the geothermal plant, cut off power to the botanical district, and take their power regulator for yourself. As often with the decisions you face in The Outer Worlds, this will not be an easy choice and you will see that the botanical district is home to a group of refugees led by Adelaide McDevitt. Adelaide McDevitt was once Edgewater’s finest flavor specialist. Remember that limited edition run of White Chocolate Saltuna? That was all Adelaide. Not a lot of people know what made Adelaide abandon her job and leave town. Today, Adelaide and a small band of loyal followers live together under the shade of a garden, surviving off the land and keeping to themselves. Adelaide holds a bitter grudge against Edgewater. She wants to hurt Edgewater by destroying their power supply, and she needs your help to do it. With this information and a weighty decision to contemplate, you will make your way to the next objective — the geothermal plant. If deciding the outcome of these settlements was not enough, the path to the geothermal plant is riddled with violent marauders and aggressive fauna. While it may be possible to avoid conflict using stealth, dialog, and other means, if you do end up fighting you will have a variety of options to ensure you remain above ground. Depending on your character, you may opt for getting close and personal with a melee weapon or simply value taking cover with a rifle in hand. Either way, you should take advantage of Tactical Time Dilation. Due to some minor brain damage from being suspended in hyperspace, your character perceives time differently. This allows you to slow down the perception of time which can drastically improve your effectiveness in combat. Depending on how you invest your skills, Tactical Time Dilation can be improved to provide unique combat possibilities like being able to cripple or blind enemies. It will also allow you to scan enemies and get detailed information about them. Your path will lead you to the geothermal plant, where you will have to navigate around or confront various patrolling security bots, and ultimately decide the fate of Edgewater and Adelaide’s deserters. There are many ways to resolve this quest, and the options and possibilities you discover along the way are very much at the core of The Outer Worlds. We look forward to seeing all the paths you take in your adventure when the game comes out on October 25. View the full article

Hello everyone, we know that there is a lot of hunger out there for news and updates on No Man’s Sky. We’re very excited to be able to share more information from behind the scenes. Our next chapter, No Man’s Sky: Beyond, is coming on August 14. That’s very soon! Beyond will contain three major updates rolled into one larger free release. These changes are a mix of features we’ve been dreaming of for a while, and a reaction to how we have seen folks playing since the release of NEXT. While in No Man’s Sky you have an infinite universe to explore, we know that the moments players talk about the most are coming across another traveller at random and adventuring together or landing on a new planet only to discover the remnants of another explorer’s habitat. Watching these moments has inspired us to create an expanded Online experience will bring a radical new social and multiplayer experience which empowers players everywhere in the universe to meet and play together. While this brings people together like never before, and has many recognizable online elements, we don’t consider No Man’s Sky to be an MMO. It won’t require a subscription, won’t contain microtransactions, and this update will be free for all existing players. Meanwhile, VR support will bring the entire game experience to life in virtual reality. Grab the joystick and thruster to fly your starship over an unexplored alien planet as you peer out of the cockpit at the view below. Reach into your backpack to grab your multitool, touch it to switch to terrain manipulation and carve out intricate shapes with unprecedented control. Play in multiplayer and casually wave to your non-VR friends or fist bump your PS VR peers. Anything possible in No Man’s Sky, NEXT or any other update will soon be ready and waiting as an immersive and enriched VR experience. Beyond will be our most ambitious chapter so far, and something we’ve been working ridiculously hard on. We’ll continue to support No Man’s Sky in this way for the foreseeable future. We look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks. There’s a bunch more to talk about and we can’t wait for you to join us on August 14. View the full article

Names are loaded with meaning, and Activision said a lot with “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.” The name invokes Infinity Ward’s sublime Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which ranks among the most influential FPSs of all time. Activision proved during a recent hands-on event that Modern Warfare has more in common with that seminal game than just a name. It aims to similarly move the genre forward with bone-crunching audio and visuals, while doubling down on the weapon and loadout customization that immortalized Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Activision kicked off the event stating their mission — a unified experience for all Modern Warfare players. Season Pass is gone, and instead players will receive a mix of post-launch maps and other content for free. Crossplay widens the base by allowing console players to match up with PC players (with options to customize whether or not you face off with mouse-and-keyboard players). The promise for a cohesive and intense Modern Warfare experience is enticing, but the proof is in Infinity Ward’s striking gameplay. Your Loadout Defines Your Playstyle Modern Warfare is a teeth-rattling return to the core gameplay that made COD4: MW legendary. The most impactful change is that now you can mold your weapon and overall loadout to your playstyle preference in their Gunsmith system. Operators are cosmetic options with eye-catching skins and colorful voiceover (become a doomsday prepper or scrappy resistance fighter), but you won’t be harnessing special abilities with cooldowns. Instead, you’ll burrow into gunsmithing options that let you modify your firearms to an outlandish degree. Want a shotgun with a sniper rifle scope or a laser-sighted LMG with a three-round burst? Go for it. Swapping between 30 to 60 muzzles, sights, lasers, Perks (quick reload for me!), and more per weapon is almost overwhelming at first, but the stats menu makes trade-offs crystal clear. Maybe that weighty fifth attachment isn’t worth the hit to your mobility, after all. Customization expands far beyond guns. Killstreaks return with a cathartic vengeance. Favorites like the UAV, Care Package, and tide-turning Juggernaut return. Rack up eight consecutive kills to unlock new tools like the Infantry Assault Vehicle – a light tank that can be piloted by one player while another unleashes the .50 cal on top. Potent field upgrades like stopping-power rounds and a recon drone to spot enemies are available after enough time elapses in a match. Player Perks also enable useful passive benefits like tracking the steps of a nearby enemy or retaining credit towards a Killstreak even after death. The breadth of options speak to Infinity Ward’s aim to cater to any Call of Duty playstyle, be it sniping, run ‘n’ gunning, team support, or even camping. A New Level of Warfare Infinity Ward’s obsession with impactful, authentic gameplay drops players onto the battlefield. The Call of Duty series is already known for its stellar production value, yet Modern Warfare improves upon FPS audio and animation in stunning new ways. The minimap is no longer present by default, tucked away to be earned through Killstreak rewards. Instead, a minimal compass at the top of the screen tips off enemy locations. My eyes remained transfixed on the unfolding action, no longer tempted to scan the minimap every other second. My ears also became more active to gather more info on enemy positions, and were treated by the new levels of gut-punching audio fidelity. Zeroing in on rifle blasts and crunching footsteps make locating enemies feel more earned and satisfying. Animation improvements also pull players in deeper. More believable recoil makes shotgun blasts feel forceful enough to bruise your shoulder. Dropped enemies toss their weapons aside as they fall, adding satisfying visual flair. Robust Multiplayer Mode Variety Activision gave us hands on with a handful of modes from Modern Warfare, ranging from time-tested Team Deathmatches to close-quarters brawls. The highlights: 2v2 Gunfight: One of Modern Warfare’s newest and most addictive modes is also the simplest concept revealed for Multiplayer so far. In Gunfight, teams of two face off in short, intense rounds with cycling weapon loadouts on condensed maps. Wasn’t expecting to battle with just a scoped .50 pistol and a flashbang? Surprise! The result is an exciting, unpredictable, and intimate competitive mode. 6v6 Cyber Attack: A round-based mode where each player has one spawn. Win by planting an EMP device near the enemy’s data center to win the match. The high-stakes objective and emphasis on teamwork makes each exhilarating round pass by lightning fast. 10v10 Headquarters: A king of the hill-style mode where opposing teams track down HQs that populate the map, holding them down to earn points for victory. The constant journey across the map provides an intoxicating mix of wide-open firefights and close-quarter HQ defense brawls. Respawns are disabled for the team defending captured HQs, which makes for intense action when combined with the freshly removed minimap. 20v20 Domination: The biggest match size for Modern Warfare revealed so far features 40 total players. The team confirmed that they are aiming to support over 100 players in this large-scale mode. We played on the sprawling Aniyah Palace – a ruined historical building surrounded by maze-like walls and wide-open spaces. Juggling five control points with teammates makes for a frantic scramble toward victory. Modern Warfare’s Tactical Sprint option – which grants an extra burst of speed while making you especially vulnerable – comes in handy here. Modern Warfare’s multiplayer showing demonstrates that Infinity Ward aims to elevate the series’ successful core formula to new heights. This offering alone is enough to justify counting the days until it launches on PS4 October 25, and we haven’t even played single-player or Spec Ops yet. Thankfully fans can get their hands dirty with weapon loadouts and dive into the Multiplayer Beta when it launches first on PS4 September 12. View the full article

It’s summer! Take a break from that bright, hot ball in the sky and treat yourself to some video games. You’re worth it. July saw a few fun surprises like Wargroove, Sea of Solitude, and Songbird Symphony, as well as bigger hits like Dragon Quest Builders 2, FFXIV Shadowbringers, and Wolfenstein: Youngblood. But, as always, only one can wear the coveted Players’ Choice crown. Take a moment to consider your options, choose your favorite new game, and click the appropriate button below to cast your vote. We’ll shut down the polls next Thursday, August 8, at 11:59pm, then reveal the winners a few days later. Go! 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 July 2019’s Best New Game? View the full article

Hello PlayStation fans! Whether you’re someone who likes watching professionals compete and has always thought about trying it yourself, or someone who already enjoys playing online, I’m excited to introduce to you PS4 Tournaments: Challenger Series. With this, PlayStation invites gamers of all skill levels to play and enjoy competitive gaming from the comfort of their own homes on their PS4 system. We’re kicking off on August 6 with the Mortal Kombat 11 PS4 Tournaments: Challenger Series, followed by FIFA 20, Battlefield V, Warface and other AAA titles coming later this year. No matter your skill level, you’ll be able to compete against both friends and others in the PlayStation community, with several opportunities to win and many prizes for those who are victorious.* SEASONS: PS4 Tournaments: Challenger Series is seasonal, giving you a chance to come back and compete in your favorite games repeatedly. In each season, progress through stages to test your skills with a level playing field, earning prizes for your efforts. See how far you can go – then come back for the next season and see what new prizes you can win! COMPETITION STAGES: Every tournament season has three stages of competition. Everyone will start in Stage 1, and for Mortal Kombat 11, you must win at least 3 out of 4 matches to advance to Stage 2. This allows more chances to advance than in a single elimination structure. In Stage 2, you will compete at a higher skill level and need to win to move on to Stage 3. In this final stage, you will join the best to contend for the championship title. PRIZES: Compete and win for escalating prizes. As you progress through the competition stages, the value of the prizes will increase. From unique game specific dynamic themes to in-game currency and cash prizes, there are plenty of reasons to compete throughout a season. Ready to Play? Visit Tournaments within the Events Tab on your PS4 console to find official PS4 Tournaments: Challenger Series. For more information about the Challenger Series, please visit playstation.com/tournaments. *Restrictions apply. Active PS Plus membership required for most tournaments. See each tournament’s official rules at https://esl.gg/MK11Series-Ruleset for more information. View the full article

Stars take the spotlight in Madden 20. The new “Superstar X-Factor” ability has the potential to turn the tide of a game, arming players with powerful new abilities that will spice up each game on your way to the championship. Kickoff is on August 2. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop! Bear With Me: The Lost Robots PS4 — Digital (Out 7/31) The noir episodic point-and-click adventure series Bear With Me is back! Introducing Bear With Me: The Lost Robots — an all new prequel chapter featuring Amber’s brother Flint and the callous detective Ted E. Bear. The Blackout Club PS4 — Digital The Blackout Club is a first-person co-op horror game centered around a group of teenage friends investigating a monstrous secret beneath the skin of their small town. Every night, everyone in town gets out of bed and sleepwalks. In the morning, they wake up with no recollection of what happened or where they were… The Church in the Darkness PS4 — Digital (Out 8/2) The year is 1977. Your nephew has joined a religious cult and moved with them to the South American jungle to found Freedom Town. It’s up to you to sneak into the commune, find out what’s really going on, and decide if you need to get your nephew out. Is this a socialist utopia or an oppressive prison? Forager PS4 — Digital Forager is a 2D open world game inspired by your favorite exploration, farming and crafting games. Start small and improve your base, skills, equipment, network of friends (and enemies!) and build your future as you see fit! Labyrinth Life PS4 — Digital (Out 8/1) Roguelike x Relaxation! Take it easy in the latest addition to the series, Omega Labyrinth! Venture through a dungeon with different rooms and items every time you challenge it. Raise flowers, rebuild the academy, and more! Enjoy a laid-back life! Madden NFL 20 PS4 — Digital (Out 8/2) Be the face of an NFL franchise where the decisions you make matter in your journey to become an NFL Superstar. Create your own College Quarterback to play through the College Football National Championship playoffs and the NFL Combine for your shot at the NFL Draft. New Star Manager PS4 — Digital This is soccer management like you’ve never experienced it – Be more than just a player, be the head, the heart, and backbone of New Star FC. Be the Manager. Take control of a beleaguered soccer club which needs your management skills and instincts to unlock the team’s potential and make it to the top of the game. Solo: Islands of the Heart PS4 — Digital Love is a universal feeling, but each of us experiences it in a different way. Solo — Islands of the Heart explores the theme of love in an introspective way, allowing players to identify and reflect on their own experiences. Super Wiloo Demake PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Cross-Buy) Wiloo and Agatha need to rescue their dog from the clutches of Dr. ETvaldo! Roll, fly, jump, and shoot your way across a variety of different platforming levels using unique power ups to reach the end of the level. Can you defeat all five bosses and rescue your buddy? The Tower of Beatrice PS4, Vita — Digital (Out 7/31) The life of a thief isn’t easy: always hiding in shadows, clients cheat, traps bite… Working on a contract for a mysterious client, you’ll need to infiltrate the tower of the powerful sorcerer Beatrice, steal her Book of Recipes, and get out alive. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood OST Alice Cooper Classic Rock Retrogamer Takeover Of Monsters And Men – Fever Dream Avengers: Endgame A Score to Settle Domino Premieres Sunday, 7/28 at 8/7c on Discovery PlayStation Vue has your favorite sports, news and must-watch shows. The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

Every second on the field counts, which is why we’re giving EA Access* subscribers an early look at Madden NFL 20. You can now download the EA Access app from PlayStation Store. Then you can jump into the Play First Trial. Draft the league’s top athletes, hone your skills, and redefine what it means to be an NFL champion. Discover all-new aspects of the game: shape the journey of an NFL superstar in College Football Playoff. Team up with friends for Ultimate Challenges or shatter rivalries by recruiting Superstar X-Factor players. All these modes and more are yours to play when you check out the Play First Trial for Madden NFL 20, available now. Enjoy up to 10 hours of gameplay. If you love it, use your subscriber discount to save 10% on the full game. Bonus perk: all your game progress carries over! The Play First Trial is just the beginning. Sign up for EA Access and get all the benefits of being a subscriber: Try new EA titles days before launch. Access exclusive Play First Trials — like Madden NFL 20 and Anthem — for up to 10 hours of gameplay. If you decide to buy the full game, your saved progress carries over. Save 10% on all EA digital purchases. That includes DLCs, add-ons and, yes, even full games. But what if you’ve already pre-ordered Madden NFL 20 and other EA titles releasing this year, you say? Don’t worry, if you pre-ordered before July 24 and subscribe to EA Access by August 15, you’ll be credited 10% back for each pre-ordered title so you don’t miss out on the discount. Problem solved! Play as much as you want. Head to The Vault to discover a growing collection of games, yours to play whenever you want. So head to PlayStation Store to download the EA Access app, explore 30+ titles — including Play First Trials for Anthem and Madden NFL 20 — and get your gaming on. * Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See ea.com/ea-access/terms and ea.com/ea-access for details. View the full article

A couple weeks back, we sent you swinging back into Marvel’s Spider-Man to celebrate Peter’s latest suits: the Upgraded and Stealth suits. While you swung from skyscrapers and fought off iconic villains, you shared your greatest moments using #PS4share and #PSBlog. Here are this week’s friendly neighborhood highlights: @DarkLink1987 shared Spidey chasing helicopter in the new Upgraded Suit. @JRPyznar whipped out some moves wearing the Stealth Suit. @KBStation gives a detailed look at the Stealth Suit. Peter keeps his balance in this shot shared by @PeteyReilly. Marvel’s New York has never looked more beautiful than in this shot shared by @Seba_gatica21. @warrior_musa sends a spirally web in this detailed share. Search #PS4Share and #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in next week’s Share of the Week? Theme: Swimming Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, July 31 Next week, shake off that summer heat and take a relaxing dip into the digital waters. Share your favorite swimming shots from the game of your choice using #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Hello, PlayStation Now fans! August is here, summer is almost over, and we’ve got a lineup of big heavy hitters joining the PlayStation Now library starting on August 6, now clocking in at more than 800 games in all! Enjoy the award-winning open-world RPG shooter Fallout 4, the brutal remake of the classic first-person shooter Doom, intense fighting in Tekken 7, the alternate history shooter Wolfenstein: The New Order, and many more! Download any of these and the more than 300 PS4 (and PS2) games in the service and play on your PS4 or PS4 Pro, and stream any of the 800+ PS2, PS3, and PS4 games to your PS4 or PC. Play Video Play Video Experience Fallout 4, winner of more than 50 Game of the Year awards. As the sole survivor of Vault 111, explore a massive open world destroyed by nuclear war as you work to rebuild the Wasteland. With a deep RPG system and shooter mechanics, customize your character and weapons, gather followers and companions, build and customize a new home and a settlement, discover crazy enemies and monsters, and more in one of the biggest and best games of all time. Rediscover the classic FPS Doom, a brutally fun and challenging modern-day shooter experience. With relentless demons, impossibly destructive guns, and fast, fluid movement, Doom offers intense first-person combat in the single-player campaign mode, as well as numerous multiplayer modes. If you’d rather take on a ruthless regime than demons, check out Wolfenstein: The New Order. With elite combat tactics and an arsenal of advanced weaponry, take on massive mechs, super soldiers, and an army of seemingly unstoppable might. Only you can free the planet form this nightmare of unimaginable tyranny. Put up your fists and get ready for the ultimate battle in Tekken 7, the latest installment of the iconic fighting game franchise. Select from your old Tekken favorite characters and a host of new and guest appearance characters, and master new fighting system mechanics like Rage Art and Power Crush. Other new games this month include the adrenaline-fueled MotoGP 17 (PS4), the high-flying Monster Energy Supercross (PS4), the dark and epic fantasy adventure Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 (PS3), and more. Here is the full list of the ten new games joining PS Now on August 6 to download to PS4 or stream to PS4 and PC (PS3 games not available to download): Castlevania Lords of Shadow (PS3) Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 (PS3) Castlevania Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate (PS3) Doom (PS4) Fallout 4 (PS4) Monster Energy Supercross (PS4) MotoGP 17 (PS4) Tekken 7 (PS4) The Raven: Remastered (PS4) Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4) Here are the most played PS Now games during the month of July: NBA 2K18 Rocket League WWE 2K18 Batman Arkham Knight Mortal Kombat X Mafia III NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor Borderlands: The Handsome Collection LEGO CITY: Undercover Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain For Honor If you haven’t tried PlayStation Now yet, now’s the perfect time to give it a spin with the seven-day free trial for PS4 and PC. (Terms apply. New Subscribers only. Credit card required. See here for details.) Stay tuned for more updates on PS Now. Happy gaming! View the full article

Another week has passed, so it’s time for the next Days Gone gameplay challenge, Keep Them Safer. Your goal: Clear the 300 Horde as fast as possible. Of course, no challenge is ever that simple — if you want to unlock all the rewards and reign atop the global leaderboards you’ll have to do well at the following sub-objectives: Bolted: Get X Kills with Crossbow. You start this challenge with 15 bolts, but you can search the environment for Cedar Sapling to craft additional bolts. The crossbow is an extremely effective weapon, but its slow firing rate/reload times mean you’ll always need extra space between you and the oncoming horde. Untouchable: Get X Kills without Taking Damage. This will force players to create a larger cushion between them and the horde, so don’t stand your ground and press your luck. Since the horde spreads out, you need to pay attention to your flanks—as soon as you see the mini-map’s center circle turn red, you should start moving. And definitely always make sure there’s extra room before throwing Molotov Cocktails. In Scope: Get X Headshots. Combat Focus is available in this challenge, so use it to secure gold in this sub-objective. Make sure you capitalize on the five Focus Cocktails available as part of your starting load out. You’ll also rack up a good deal of headshots whenever you have the high ground and can fire down into the rushing horde from a steep angle, or when you can corral the horde into narrow chokepoints. Needless Risk: Get X Kills without Dodge Rolling. This sub-objective forces players to break their reliance on the Dodge Roll, which is a critical tactic for escaping danger in the world of Days Gone. This should leave you additional stamina that helps create distance, which should help you make simultaneous progress in the Untouchable sub-objective. It is possible to achieve gold rank for all sub-objectives in a single run — if you’re really good. Since each sub-objective has multiple reward tiers that are increasingly difficult to achieve, incorporate some of the following rings to improve your score: Bullets: Rolling will reload your equipped weapon with a portion of its ammo. A great perk when you just don’t have time to reload, but using this means you’re giving up on achieving Needless Risk. Ram: Vaulting regenerates a portion of your stamina. Lionheart: Kills while a Focus Cocktail is active restores Focus. 1%er: Headshots decrease reticle size and increase accuracy when stationary. Combine this with Lionheart to really extend your Combat Focus windows to get as many headshots as possible. Earning a ranked score in this challenge awards the Endure patch which reduces stamina cost. Not only will this help you in the main game, but this perk is beneficial for the current challenge, as well as previous releases like Surrounded, and Ambush Camp Rush. And finally, the Condemned patch from Ambush Camp Rush improves gun penetration, so we suggest earning that drive up your top score for Keep Them Safer. View the full article

Rampage through the streets of Paris from the comfort of your PlayStation VR headset as you take on Nazis in Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot. This marks the series’ first foray into virtual reality, and it’s borne from a collaboration between MachineGames and Arkane Lyon, who partnered to ensure the experience is smooth, immersive, and most importantly, distinctly Wolfenstein. Both Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot and Wolfenstein: Youngblood launch on PlayStation 4 on July 26. Cyberpilot is a VR-exclusive title. Why make a Wolfenstein VR title, and why make it a standalone story? Dinga Bakaba, Game Director at Arkane Lyon: When we started to talk to Jerk [Jerk Gustafsson, Executive Producer at MachineGames] about a Wolfenstein VR title, we were thrilled as we have several big enthusiasts in the studio. We quickly concluded that it should be a companion game and not just a VR mode for Youngblood, as trying to emulate the gameplay of the main Wolfenstein games wouldn’t be fitting for this format. It’s the inherent feeling that it was basically a different game that gave the project legs, and made us start adding new, unique concepts and story elements. Were there any specific challenges in making something new and different, but still distinctly Wolfenstein? Dinga: Again, the specificities of VR were huge in a lot of our discussions. We were certain we wanted to play with rail-free, first-person shooting with direct control over your movement, but we also considered the fact that some of the most comfortable VR experiences are seated. That made us come up with the idea of the robots: you sit as the Cyberpilot in your retro-futurist “hacking post” and take control of remote war machines to roast, electrocute, gib and sometimes simply just shoot Nazis in a “VR in VR” kind of way. It’s a type of madness that we feel is distinctly part of the Wolfenstein brand. Alexander Leboucher, Game Designer at Arkane Lyon: We tried to match the intensity of the flagship Wolfenstein combat while adapting the speed of mobility due to the specificities of VR. It was a daunting challenge since free movement often induces motion sickness. The good news is that, after countless hours of tweaking and experimenting, we managed to deliver a smooth free-roaming experience! Having access to MachineGames’s code base of gameplay systems and resources helped tremendously in providing that seamless Wolfenstein experience. What do you think defines the Wolfenstein DNA and how have you translated that into VR? Dinga: I grew up with Wolfenstein, I played Wolfenstein 3D as a kid (not recommended for kids, but you know, it happened) and it is one of the most influential games in my life. And through its various iterations over the years, the common strain of DNA is the cathartic killing of a lot of Nazi scum with heavy weapons in first-person. That is what Cyberpilot is all about. I mean, it doesn’t get much heavier than a Zitadelle! But one remarkable element that Wolfenstein: The New Order brought to the series is the strong story, tone and characters, and it was important to not only be aesthetically connected to the newest chapter in the series (Youngblood), but also have a narrative component that gives context and weight to the simple joy of obliterating Nazis. And in this case, with the VR format, we chose to approach it without cutscenes by putting you at the center of the events. Beyond sharing a launch day, is there a connection between Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot and Wolfenstein: Youngblood? Dinga: Yes indeed. Cyberpilot actually takes place not long before the events of Youngblood. It doesn’t focus on the Blazkowicz family, but some characters do cross over between both games. Sophie Mallinson, Narrative Designer at Arkane Lyon: And for fans of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, there will be a familiar voice in your ear helping you throughout your journey in Cyberpilot. In Cyberpilot you play a hacker (aptly referred to solely as “Cyberpilot”), but what does that actually mean? How does it translate to gameplay? Yoann Guilloud (AKA YoYo), Producer at Arkane Lyon: The Cyberpilot is remotely operating the robots from an advanced technical chair hidden in one of the Resistance’s secret bases of operations in Paris. While in the chair, you’ll interact with the world by controlling mechanical arms or other devices around the chair (yes, you can play Cyberpilot in VR entirely from the comfort of your chair). You’ll receive your objectives through speakers in this chair and there will be a monitor on your left to give you some complementary information. Sophie: While the focus in Cyberpilot is (obviously) on completely obliterating Nazis, we wanted to add a little variety to the series’ gameplay and complement that with an interesting storyline. In the hub you’ll be able to have some more peaceful moments between missions, fixing and hacking into various machines. Alex: In each mission, you’ll be able to rampage through Nazi-infested Paris in one of three hackable Nazi machines — an imposing, fire-spewing Panzerhund; a stealthy Drone; or a towering Zitadelle. Every mission requires a specific robot, and each level you play will be designed with that robot’s abilities in mind to maximize immersion. A tool for every job. In addition to your own piloting skills, you’ll be relying on your robot’s weapons, a repair system when you find yourself taking damage, and a special move unique to each robot that is enabled when you smash a panic button accessible in the cockpit. When you find yourself in trouble, hit that button like it’s your alarm clock in the morning, and bask in the soon-to-be-dead Nazis’ embarrassment. How has the partnership between MachineGames and Arkane Lyon worked for this project? Jerk Gustafsson, Executive Producer at MachineGames: One of the great benefits of being part of the ZeniMax family is the relationship you develop over time between your sister-studio teams around the world. Arkane Studios Lyon and MachineGames have the additional benefit of operating within the same time zone, and as two European studios we also share many cultural similarities. After the release of Dishonored: Death of the Outsider and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, we were given this opportunity to collaborate — a truly great opportunity that would allow us not only to draw learnings from each other, but also to broaden our respective expertise with gaming experiences outside of our comfort zones. Cooperative gameplay with Youngblood and virtual reality with Cyberpilot, for example. While the latter has been primarily developed at Arkane Lyon, both of our teams have been well-integrated in the combined efforts of developing both of these games. This means all aspects of game development from start to finish — from production and design, to content and code. And as the collaboration on these two Wolfenstein titles is now coming to an end, we will always be there to support each other, regardless of what project each studio will be working on in the future. View the full article

The latest DLC update for Blood & Truth is available starting tomorrow, adding new challenges and leaderboards! Time to fire up your PS VR, and take your action hero skills to another level. Here are five reasons to jump straight back into the action! 1) New Game + We have added the New Game + feature to allow you to play the entire story of Blood and Truth again, but this time with all your unlocked Weapons, Mods and Skins available! Not only does this mean you can hunt for those last elusive collectables and marksmen targets you need to unlock even more guns, but you can also take the mini-gun into the towerblock, or your pink camo assault rifle into the casino! Poor Keach won’t know what’s hit him. 2) Online leaderboards The Missions and Challenges in Blood & Truth all come with a score, which is based on how many enemies you hit, your accuracy and the time you complete the level in. We have now added online leaderboards, so you can compare your best score on any mission or challenge to players from all over the world. We’ve also included separate scoreboards for your PlayStation Network friends, which allow you to filter the results by ‘all time’ or scores from just this week. 3) Challenges It seems you all enjoyed our first set of challenges, so we have included a few more in this DLC for you to test your skills in! Challenge #6 Gun: Pump action shotgun Location: Hanger Underground Storage Focus of challenge: Perfecting your pumping action Pro Tip for a high score: Don’t forget the transitional Targets Challenge #7 Guns: Dual SMGs Location: Desert mission Focus of challenge: Fast paced targets and automatic gun fire Pro Tip for a high score: Use both SMG’s or you will miss Targets (tap into your inner Gun-Fu master!) Challenge #8 Guns: Dual sawn-off shotguns Location: Work site Focus of challenge: Fire Discipline Pro Tip for a high score: Make every shot count Challenge #9 Gun: 9mm pistol Location: Underground Lair (HQ Underground) Focus of challenge: Speed and accuracy Pro Tip for a high score: Watch out for the civilians! Challenge #10 Guns: Assault rifle Location: Penthouse Lobby Focus of challenge: Mixing up target distances Pro Tip for a high score: Keep your eyes and your ears open, targets come from everywhere 4) Collectibles Don’t forget to unlock those trophies! We’ve hidden a bunch of collectibles around the world of Blood & Truth, including a bunch that reference our previous work on PlayStation VR Worlds. How many of the below have you found? Mickey’s Blowtorch Dangerball Frank’s Cigar Luge Scavenger’s Odyssey Serena (Diamond) Ocean Descent You’re also rewarded for hunting down all the toys, so make sure you’ve found: Compass Diamond Knife Gnome. (pro tip: there are actually two Garden Gnomes in the game. One is in the art gallery, and the other is in the safe house. This is the one you need. Don’t forget to pull the level on the slot machine twice… ) Whistle Fireworks! Teddy bear Paper Aeroplane Green Army Toy Toy Car (Pro tip: Remember to check all the vases inside the kitchen…) 5) Alternative routes through missions Our missions have alternative routes, which you can take with each path offering more enemies (which mean higher points for the leader boards), access to different guns with advanced mods, grenades or exploding targets. For example, in the tower block level you can get your hands on a powerful semi-automatic rifle by using the ladder to get to higher ground. For the fans that are all about accuracy, heads up — there is a laser-sighted revolver if you stick to the left in the underground section of the hanger. In the HQ mission, you can also switch off the lights in the underground tunnels and shoot from the shadows without being seen. Sneaky! We have more free DLC lined up for Blood & Truth in the coming months, including additional challenges! Check back for more news soon. View the full article

Heads up — this post features a really cool scene from the new raid just added to Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers. If you’re planning to play it but haven’t yet, go do that before reading any further! For weeks, the FFXIV community has been scratching its collective head about the premise of the game’s newest 8-player raid, titled simply “Eden.” Of course, there’s a summon Guardian Force players can use in Final Fantasy 8 with the same name, but is that what the team is referencing here? If so, how the heck will that work? Last week, the new raid finally dropped and players got to see firsthand what exactly is going on here. And yep — they went for it. I won’t detail the story developments that put you up against the most ridiculous, overpowered Guardian Force from FF8, but it’s a thing that happens and it’s glorious. The moment you drop into the first fight of the new raid, a newly orchestrated arrangement of Final Fantasy VIII’s excellent boss theme kicks in and you find yourself face-to-face with an entity called “Eden Prime.” It’s an engaging fight with plenty of fun mechanics and attacks for players to work around, but the coup de grace kicks in about halfway through the encounter: A nearly shot-for-shot recreation, in FFXIV’s engine, of the “Eternal Breath” attack from Final Fantasy VIII. Behold: In case it wasn’t obvious — Left: Final Fantasy VIII // Right: Final Fantasy XIV I won’t talk about where the raid goes after you finish this particular fight — but it’s good. If you went ahead and spoiled yourself on this despite my warning at the top of the post, just know that this is but one of many ridiculous things that happen over the course of Shadowbringers — and Final Fantasy XIV as a whole, which happens to have a free trial you can sign up for right now. Anybody else playing through the new Shadowbringers content right now? What do you think? Let’s chat in the comments! (But let’s stay away from talking endgame spoilers.) View the full article

The City of Lights isn’t going to save itself from the Nazis plaguing its streets. It’s up to Jess and Soph Blazkowicz, the twin daughters of infamous BJ Blazkowicz, to rid an alternate reality version of 1980s Paris of Nazis and track down their missing father in Wolfenstein: Youngblood, the latest chapter in the series. Take on the Wolfenstein universe like never before — with a co-op partner! Are you ready to take back Paris from the military scourge? We’ve got some tips and tricks to get you started: Communication is key! Use the in-game voice chat in co-op to coordinate with your teammate. Use your playstyle to back up your sister. While you can play the game with both Terror Twins going in guns blazing or taking out soldiers stealthily, sometimes it’s better to cover each other with a mix of weapons, abilities and tactics. Focus fire on tough enemies like Panzerhunds, Ubersoldats, and Zitadelles. You’ll take them down much quicker when you work as a team. You are your sister’s keeper. If your teammate gets taken down in combat, hurry over and revive them to get them back in the fight! If you don’t revive them, you’ll lose a shared life. Try to save your Pep Signals for when you’re in a pinch. Pep Signals have a cooldown between uses, and you’ll want to save that extra health, armor, or damage for when you really need it. Make sure you’re coordinating Pep Signals with your teammate, so you can benefit from both boosts. Don’t neglect your upgrades. While you gain permanent bonuses automatically by leveling up, you’ll also earn Ability Points that you can use to boost your combat effectiveness. Make sure you spend them. Speaking of spending, search every nook and cranny in Paris for Silver Coins. This precious currency can be used to purchase upgrade parts for your weapons. Try purchasing at least three upgrades from parts manufacturers Nadel, Tempo or Stier for a single weapon to unlock its Brand Bonus. Discovering a keypad code on a note or floppy disk will automatically show the password once you interact with the keypad, so you don’t need to memorize them. Talk to French Resistance members and visit Abby often in the Catacombs to receive new missions and challenges that can award you with experience points and Silver Coins. If you’re also playing Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot on PlayStation VR, be sure to keep an eye out for story connections between the two games. Wolfenstein: Youngblood launches on PlayStation 4 July 26. Preload now to start shooting, hacking, and slashing your way through ruthless enemies as soon as it’s available. View the full article

I’m David Sirlin, head of Sirlin Games, and I’m super excited that Fantasy Strike is launching tomorrow after over four long years of development. As I discussed in a previous blog post, the overall point of Fantasy Strike is to be a deep competitive fighting game designed for experts and tournament play… that also just happens to be great for people who have never even played a fighting game before. But today I want to tell you about a substantial single player mode called Boss Rush. Boss Rush Boss Rush is where we can stop worrying about making things competitively fair and just let you do ridiculous things that are fun. You fight a series of eight (CPU-controlled) boss characters, and they get increasingly difficult. Part of that is their AI becomes smarter, but they also get crazy powerups like bombs dropping from the sky, dragons flying by, rivers with dangerous fish washing across the screen, and so on. In order to deal with all that, you get powerups too. Before each fight, you pick one of three powerups. And before half the fights you get to pick a second, really powerful gold powerup from a random set of three. All of these are cumulative over the course of your run. So you’re building a “deck” of powerups and you get to think about synergies and combos amongst them. The mode is like a rogue-like in that you keep your deck until you lose. If you lose, we throw your deck away and you have to start over with a new run. Can you make it through all eight bosses? Playing as every character? In testing this mode, we found that it was more fun when your super moves still mattered against later bosses even though they have a lot of hit points. Some powerups give you bonus damage to supers, but in order to keep super moves more relevant for everyone as you gain various other wild powerups, you always get +1 damage on supers starting at the fourth boss. And then +2 damage on super for the next boss, and +3 for the next, etc. This stacks with any powerups that might also increase the damage of your super moves. Some super moves don’t deal damage in Fantasy Strike, such as Geiger’s Time Stop or Midori’s Dragon Form transformation. For these, we added new properties to these supers that just happen in Boss Rush. Midori’s Dragon transform roar now sends out a damaging shockwave in addition to him taking on the new form. And Geiger throws out a series of Time Spiral projectiles in addition to the usual powers of Time Stop whenever he has bonus super damage. Other Single Player Content While Boss Rush is our biggest and most elaborate single player mode, we also have an arcade mode with beautiful illustrated and voiced intros and endings. We have four survival modes featuring some terrifying Shadow Bosses and Metal Bosses, and we’re especially happy that survival has instant loading between fights. There’s a Daily Challenge mode too, which lets you see how many opponents you can beat in rapid succession and shows you how you did compared to everyone else who tried it that day. (You can only play it once per day!) And there’s even a Single Match mode that lets you just play a quick game of any character vs any CPU opponent, with selectable difficulty. While there’s a bunch of single player content there, we hope you’ll try the online modes too! View the full article

Today’s new Horizon Chase Turbo update is all about enjoying a vacation full of thrill and speed. We’re really excited to show you the update’s brand new car: a convertible called Breeze, which just might seem familiar to old-school arcade veterans. This roadster comes in six different flavors. Take a look: Horizon Chase Turbo aims to capture the heart and thrill of 80s and 90s classic arcade racers in a modern, upgraded chassis. Summer Vibes adds a balmy new set of content to the game, including 12 remixed races based in the main campaign, one new car with five unlockable skins, and a leaderboard for each race. Thanks for reading. We hope the Horizon Chasers out there love the fresh new Summer Vibes DLC — we can’t wait to see your name on the leaderboards. Leave your questions in the comments below and we’ll do our best to answer them. Have a nice Coast to Coast trip! View the full article

At XR Games our mission statement is “XR for everyone.” The reason for this is simple. Extended Reality technology will eventually lead to virtual interfaces that are basically identical to those we use in real life. Take Job Simulator, a game about picking stuff up. Can you pick stuff up? If so, you can play the game. Cats don’t get it, because cats can’t pick stuff up. People can, and do. We’re some way from a technology that can perfectly simulate real world interactions, but plenty of games and apps prove that what is currently available in VR is enough to promote simple, fun, transparent interface experiences. There’s no reason to procrastinate: we want to make cool games for everyone and we want to make them now. Hence The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure. It’s a game for everyone, designed to introduce players to VR. More specifically, it’s designed to help existing VR players to evangelize their technology to the people around them. Every person I know who prioritizes games in their entertainment diet also keeps a permanent eye out for games to play with the people they care about. So here you go, PSVR owners — we made you a VR game to play with your family and friends. And it’s launching August 6. Everyone Can Play The history of video games can be seen as a history of the accessibility of technology. For a lot of people in the 70s, the first computer they would’ve encountered would have been an arcade game. Nolan Bushnell’s conceptual shift from Computer Space to Pong reduced a page of instructions to “avoid missing ball for high score.” When the Space Invaders arrived, their inexorable descent was a metaphor for the encroaching information age, and we ate it up like a hungry Pac-Man. Home computers were suddenly cheap enough to be bought by parents to help educate their children. And it worked! By introducing kids to a multiplicity of technology interfaces via the medium of games, a generation learned about computers while thinking they were slacking off. Stealth education! Donkey Kong 101! Good times. That was in the ‘80s; generations have since grown up able to operate computers by keyboard, mouse and touchpad. Move controllers have been swung in millions of homes. A mobile revolution has placed touchscreens in the hands of babies. Everyone is playing because everyone can play. We know people want to play, and we know they will enjoy playing. But what do we need to offer to start them playing? People Want To Play Together The first, best reason is always social. If humans play, they want to play together. Additionally, if people are being introduced to new games, it’s good to be in the same place as the person helping teach them. On top of that, there are concerns with kids playing games in VR, so it would help if there is a non-VR component as well. Sony’s social screen technology, which allows one player to play in the headset and everyone else to play on TV, empowers local multiplay. That’s a good start. Next we need to look for content that different people can enjoy with each other. In the same way that we look for movies and TV shows to watch together — not the ones we would necessarily choose to watch by ourselves, but which overlap our shared tastes – we need games that have something for everyone. Enter the Angry Birds, who for ten years have been an entry point to mobile games of many different styles, and are also major movie stars. Just like everyone gets picking stuff up, everyone gets the Angry Birds. Captain and Crew! The local nature of the play leads naturally to asymmetric gameplay. Two interfaces, a first person view in VR and a top down view on TV. Two ways to play, two roles. This is the starting point. So what’s the story? What are the player roles? The VR player is the captain of the submarine from The Angry Birds Movie 2. The TV players are the crew of that submarine, doing repairs, crafting torpedoes and storing treasure. The VR player is in charge of the TV players, and is able to help them out with gameplay and learning. The captain monitors event and grabs as much treasure as possible from the ocean, which the crew then store in the sub. In our user tests, some captain players directed their crew closely, others ran a looser ship. Some flung their crew around without even asking. The captain has a lot of tools to help the crew enjoy their game. Plus, any crew player that wants to graduate to captaining the sub can do so. The crew game is easy to learn and easy to play, but it’s short on information — the TV players don’t see everything. The captain sees the ocean filled with fish, coral, undersea treasure, and the ancient ruins of Piggy civilization, all in VR. They can also see their crew, scampering around the sub, and interact with them. It’s cool to be the captain. Talk to Each Other! The captain has a gameplay tool called the Magnashot, which is a classic Angry Birds slingshot with a magnet in it. It can suck stuff up and throw it back out — including the crew players. This gives the captain a lot of power. But there are things that only the crew can do, such as load machines and move explosive crates (which do not mix well with the Magnashot). This division of labor promotes communication. The team needs to plan together, ask for things, shout warnings, apologize… there’s a lot going on. The most obvious example is classic Angry Birds TNT, which in this game counts down then explodes. It must be disposed of immediately. The captain can’t move TNT, so a crew member must throw it in the furnace. But only the captain can activate the furnace, so the crew need to shout at the captain. “TNT! TNT! Furnace, furnace, furnace!” These are the most common words used during playtesting. Also: “Never mind, you tried your best…” Stand Together or Fall Apart And what happens when things go wrong? For friends playing together, when things go wrong they laugh. This is a slapstick game in which fumbles multiply, small setbacks snowball, and bad things could happen to anyone. This open, low-stress / high-comedy framework is one way for people of different abilities to play together in comfort. Everyone can contribute, and anyone can make a mistake, with consequences just as entertaining as a win, if not more so. (In the game, consequences tend to revolve around misplaced explosives. Or players falling in the furnace while trying to dispose of those explosives. Or the sub being hit by a giant tentacle while the captain is distracted helping players out of the furnace. But hold it together, team! Remember — when you’re in a submarine, leaks are motivational!) Ultimately, we wanted to make a game about friends and family succeeding together, to make a social VR experience that’s completely positive. The captain and crew roles complement each other, which creates a unique experience — but also gives the captain lots of tools to help new crew learn the game. It’s a really great feeling when your crew syncs up instead of sinking down… especially when you’re Under Pressure! View the full article

I’m happy to say The Church in the Darkness is finally coming to PlayStation 4 on August 2! You may have seen us on PlayStation.Blog a while back, and ever since then we’ve been working hard to bring the game to life. Because this isn’t just a game about infiltrating a cult, this is a game designed to be replayed for both its procedurally generated gameplay but also for its shifting and changing narrative. Each time we want you to wonder: how dangerous is this cult and what am I going to do about it? The Church in the Darkness is set inside a religious cult in the 1970s, a time when people were looking to start new societies and sometimes those groups went horribly wrong. Our group is The Collective Justice Mission, who have moved down to South America to build a socialist utopia in the jungle. The twist is that we change the personalities of the cult leaders every time you play. You infiltrate the group looking for your nephew Alex, to see if he’s okay. The game has many elements which make the gameplay replayable — changing goals, shifting objective locations, and modified guard configurations, to name a few. But we also use procedural storytelling techniques to change the beliefs and motives of the cult leaders. As you absorb the world of Freedom Town by hearing the cult leaders over the PA system, reading letters and documents, and talking to the few friendly people in the cult, you have to decide just how dangerous this cult is. But no matter what version of the cult you face, you’ll have to watch out for their guards, because this group never tolerates trespassers in their town. In my research on real-world cult groups, what fascinated me the most was how these organizations can be very hard to understand from the outside. Indeed, for those in the group, it will often not seem like a cult at all. Even if a group has cult-like qualities, if the people in it are not hurting themselves or anyone else, it’s their right to live how they want. So as someone coming from the outside, how do you know? By making a replayable game with a shifting narrative, we get to explore this story from all sides. In our launch trailer above, you’ll get some hints of that — you may find messages written out in sticks on the ground that say one thing in one playthrough but something else in another. A twisted metal sculpture may have a strange worship session in it one time, or it may have a stoning in another. You may come to quick conclusions about which group is better, but the answers are often more complicated than that. The game is also about choices. What happens once you find your nephew Alex? Maybe he’s fine, maybe he wants to leave, or something in between. Maybe you can get a character to tell you where the leaders Isaac and Rebecca are, and you might decide to go confront them with what you’ve seen and learned. In addition to classic infiltration gameplay that allows you to play lethally, non-lethally, or anywhere in between, you also get to make those key narrative choices about what to do with Alex, Isaac, and Rebecca. All of the choices you make during the game feed into our system for determining how the story is going to turn out and lots of endings are possible. To help players explore the many possibilities, we’ve designed an “Endings” screen that lets you see what you have unlocked so far. We also want to keep you challenged as you play through the game multiple times. The game’s difficulty system offers substantially increased challenge with each level. When you re-play, you can bump it up a difficulty level to experience the game in an even more intense way, which can get you unique badges on the endings screen, letting you track your overall progress. And of course there are some high value trophies tied to finishing on advanced difficulties, not to mention all you’ll need to accomplish to get that precious Platinum Trophy. The Church in the Darkness has been a passion project of mine for a number of years. With what we’re doing with experimental narrative, I’m eager to see how players experience it, and a bit curious to see if you figure out how it works under the hood. In the jungle there are no easy answers, and I want to hear what your unique story means to you. View the full article

Hi there everyone! My name is Atsushi Hashimoto, and I have reprised my role as director for Oninaki following on from Tokyo RPG Factory’s previous two games, I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear. Joining me today is Takashi Tokita, who worked as creative producer for Oninaki, and we’d love to tell you about some of the things to look out for in the playable demo of Oninaki which is available to download today. Oninaki is set in a special and unique new world: a world where reincarnation is real and known by everyone. This makes for some pretty interesting changes to the narrative and gameplay that we hope players will appreciate when exploring this exciting new world. A brand-new demo is available to download for Oninaki now and we’d love to give you some tips and tricks to look out for when playing the game! The world of Oninaki Tokita: We decided to set Oninaki in a new world which shares a common thread with our previous titles in its unique take on life and death. This time it’s centered around the idea of the cycle of reincarnation. In many ways, it’s a totally different kind of world compared to what most players will expect from us, so we think that should be an exciting prospect for players who have seen our last titles too. I feel that we have created a completely new style of RPG here, using a quirky touch for the characters, backdrops that have a unique and living sense of motion, a highly resonant use of color, and various anime-style visual effects to make something entirely unique! Kagachi, the Watcher Hashimoto: Kagachi is a Watcher whose duty is to usher Lost Souls into the next world. In Oninaki, everyone who dies can be reincarnated and have a new life, so the attitudes in the world towards death and grief are very different to our own. In fact, people shouldn’t grieve for the dead in Oninaki, as that emotion can stop souls from being reincarnated. It’s Kagachi’s role in the story to guide these lost souls into the next life, and we think players will definitely find his story interesting. On top of this really different life and death cycle within the game, players will uncover a mystery surrounding a girl called Linne and The Night Devil — we think there’s a lot here to keep players interested! Daemons and how to use them Tokita: Each Daemon Kagachi possesses has unique abilities that make them fun to use in battle. Part of the fun of playing Oninaki is finding the right set of Daemons that match how you would like to play and upgrading and developing their skills to unlock their true potential! Aisha, for example, is the first Daemon players will be able to use in the game, and she has a sword weapon that can deal damage to enemies quickly at close range. Her first ability Gale Slash lets Kagachi leap forward and strike the enemy, and Aisha follows up with an additional attack — if used correctly it can do a lot of damage! Additionally, Aisha is able to quickly dodge out of the way of enemy attacks using the X button, which should help players get away from strong enemies. On the other hand, Zaav is the second Daemon players will meet and his abilities are radically different! I think JRPG players might see he plays similarly to the Dragoon job from classic Final Fantasy titles, as he attacks with a strong spear weapon that can reach enemies from far away. His Meteor ability is also great to use — Kagachi will leap into the air before crashing down on the enemy and dealing massive damage. Definitely keep Zaav close by when going up against strong enemies, as he can completely turn the tables. Battle Mode Hashimoto: After players have completed the substantial Story Mode in the demo, they can check out Battle Mode for even more fun. Battle Mode gives you four Daemons to use, who each have four different abilities to try out, which should give you the chance to enjoy some of the nuances of Oninaki’s combat. We hope players will be able to test out different abilities in this Battle Mode and get excited for using and developing these Daemons in the full game when it launches. Of course, there are plenty more Daemons in the final game to look forward to, so I hope every player will find one that matches their preferred style! Your save data can carry into the full game! Hashimoto: In the demo, you can play through the opening part of the story of Oninaki and then carry your progress across to the full version of the game when it releases on August 22. We hope players enjoy playing the demo and look forward to playing the full game soon. Oninaki can be pre-ordered digitally today from PlayStation Store, and everyone who pre-orders will get the Emrys spear weapon and an exclusive Oninaki dynamic Theme too! Thank you for reading, and we hope you enjoy playing the Oninaki demo today! View the full article

We’ve got another scorcher on our hands! PlayStation Store’s Summer Sale kicks off tomorrow in the US, ushering in four sizzling weeks of savings on AAAs and more. Dive into deals on FIFA 19 Ultimate Edition, Grand Theft Auto V, and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 – all for up to 75% off. Scroll down for the full list of titles then head over PlayStation Store. But don’t wait too long – just like vacation, these deals will be gone before you know it. Summer Sale in the states ends August 20 at 8 AM PT. PS4 Games Title $PSPlus $Original A HAT IN TIME $14.99 $29.99 A WAY OUT $17.99 $29.99 ABSOLVER $11.99 $29.99 ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN $35.99 $59.99 ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN DELUXE EDITION $59.49 $84.99 AEREA $3.99 $19.99 AGATHA CHRISTIE – THE ABC MURDERS $5.99 $29.99 ANGRY BIRDS VR: ISLE OF PIGS $8.99 $14.99 APEX – FOUNDERS PACK BUNDLE $20.09 $29.99 ARK: SCORCHED EARTH $6.99 $19.99 ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED $17.49 $49.99 ARMELLO $7.99 $19.99 ARMELLO – DELUXE BUNDLE $17.99 $44.99 ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY $23.99 $59.99 ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY DELUXE EDITION $31.99 $79.99 ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY GOLD EDITION $39.99 $99.99 ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY SEASON PASS $23.99 $39.99 ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY ULTIMATE EDITION $47.99 $119.99 ATELIER ARLAND SERIES DELUXE PACK $67.49 $89.99 ATV DRIFT & TRICKS DEFINITIVE EDITION (VR) $4.99 $24.99 BATTLEFIELD 1 & TITANFALL 2 ULTIMATE BUNDLE $8.99 $59.99 BATTLEFIELD 1 PREMIUM PASS $11.99 $39.99 BATTLEFIELD 1 REVOLUTION $9.99 $39.99 BATTLEFIELD 4 $4.99 $19.99 BATTLEFIELD 4 PREMIUM $9.99 $39.99 BATTLEFIELD 4 PREMIUM EDITION $9.99 $39.99 BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE DELUXE EDITION $6.24 $24.99 BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE PREMIUM $9.99 $39.99 BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE STANDARD EDITION $4.99 $19.99 BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE ULTIMATE EDITION $9.99 $39.99 BATTLEFIELD V $23.99 $59.99 BATTLEFIELD WORLD WAR BUNDLE $39.99 $99.99 BEYOND: TWO SOULS $10.49 $29.99 BLAZBLUE: CENTRAL FICTION $23.99 $59.99 BLOOD & TRUTH $31.99 $39.99 BLOODBORNE $14.99 $19.99 BLOODBORNE COMPLETE EDITION BUNDLE $24.49 $34.99 BORDERLANDS 2 VR $24.99 $49.99 BORDERLANDS: GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION $17.99 $29.99 BORDERLANDS: THE HANDSOME COLLECTION $14.99 $59.99 BOUND $9.99 $19.99 BRIDGE CONSTRUCTOR PORTAL $7.49 $14.99 BURNOUT PARADISE REMASTERED $4.99 $19.99 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III – ZOMBIES CHRONICLES DELUXE $49.99 $99.99 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III – ZOMBIES CHRONICLES DELUXE $29.99 $59.99 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III – ZOMBIES CHRONICLES DELUXE $17.99 $29.99 CALL OF DUTY: WWII – DIGITAL DELUXE $54.99 $99.99 CALL OF DUTY: WWII – GOLD EDITION $29.99 $59.99 CAPCOM BEAT ‘EM UP BUNDLE $13.99 $19.99 CARNIVAL GAMES $15.99 $39.99 CARNIVAL GAMES VR $4.99 $19.99 CHIMPARTY $9.99 $19.99 CITIZENS OF SPACE $11.24 $14.99 CONAN EXILES $24.99 $49.99 CONAN EXILES – COMPLETE EDITION $52.49 $104.99 CONAN EXILES – DELUXE EDITION $37.49 $74.99 CONAN EXILES – YEAR 1 DLC BUNDLE $20.99 $29.99 CONAN EXILES – YEAR 2 SEASON PASS $20.99 $29.99 CREED: RISE TO GLORY (VR) $17.99 $29.99 DANGANRONPA 1/2 RELOAD $19.99 $39.99 DANGANRONPA ANOTHER EPISODE: ULTRA DESPAIR GIRLS $14.99 $29.99 DANGANRONPA V3: KILLING HARMONY $29.99 $59.99 DARK SOULS II: SCHOLAR OF THE FIRST SIN $9.99 $39.99 DARK SOULS III $14.99 $59.99 DARK SOULS III – DELUXE EDITION $21.24 $84.99 DARK SOULS III – SEASON PASS $12.49 $24.99 DARK SOULS REMASTERED $23.99 $39.99 DARKEST DUNGEON $9.99 $24.99 DARKEST DUNGEON: CRIMSON EDITION $11.99 $29.99 DARKSIDERS III $35.99 $59.99 DARKSIDERS III BLADES & WHIPS EDITION $59.99 $99.99 DARKSIDERS 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DRIVECLUB $5.61 $7.49 DRIVECLUB – BIKES STANDALONE $11.99 $19.99 DRIVECLUB VR $7.49 $14.99 DYING LIGHT: THE FOLLOWING – ENHANCED EDITION $14.99 $19.99 DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 EMPIRES $29.99 $49.99 DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 $41.99 $59.99 DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 DIGITAL DX EDITION $59.49 $84.99 DYNASTY WARRIORS 9: SEASON PASS $17.49 $24.99 DYNASTY WARRIORS 9: SEASON PASS 2 $35.99 $44.99 DYNASTY WARRIORS 9: SEASON PASS 3 $35.99 $44.99 EA SPORTS 19 BUNDLE $29.99 $99.99 EA SPORTS NHL 19 $9.59 $59.99 EA SPORTS UFC 3 DELUXE EDITION $17.99 $59.99 EA SPORTS UFC 3 STANDARD EDITION $11.99 $39.99 ENTER THE GUNGEON $7.49 $14.99 EVE: VALKYRIE (VR) $14.99 $29.99 FADE TO SILENCE $37.49 $49.99 FARMING SIMULATOR 19 $34.99 $49.99 FARMING SIMULATOR 19 – PREMIUM EDITION $60.29 $89.99 FARMING SIMULATOR 19 – SEASON PASS $34.99 $49.99 FARPOINT $9.99 $19.99 FE $4.99 $19.99 FIFA 19 $14.99 $59.99 FIFA 19 – NHL 19 BUNDLE $23.99 $79.99 FIFA 19 CHAMPIONS EDITION $19.99 $79.99 FIFA 19 ULTIMATE EDITION $24.99 $99.99 FIFA THE JOURNEY 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LABYRINTH $20.99 $29.99 LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM $9.99 $19.99 LEGO HARRY POTTER COLLECTION $9.99 $19.99 LEGO JURASSIC WORLD $9.99 $19.99 LEGO MARVEL AVENGERS $9.99 $19.99 LEGO MARVEL AVENGERS DELUXE EDITION $14.99 $29.99 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES $9.99 $19.99 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES 2 $9.99 $19.99 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES 2 DELUXE EDITION $17.49 $34.99 LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME $24.99 $49.99 LEGO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS $9.99 $19.99 LEGO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS DELUXE EDITION $14.99 $29.99 LEGO THE INCREDIBLES $29.99 $59.99 LIFE IS STRANGE 2 – EPISODE 1 $3.99 $7.99 LIFE IS STRANGE 2 COMPLETE SEASON $29.99 $39.99 LIFE IS STRANGE EPISODE 2 $0.99 $4.99 LIFE IS STRANGE EPISODE 3 $0.99 $4.99 LIFE IS STRANGE EPISODE 4 $0.99 $4.99 LIFE IS STRANGE EPISODE 5 $0.99 $4.99 LIFE IS STRANGE: BEFORE THE STORM COMPLETE SEASON $5.09 $16.99 LIFE IS STRANGE: BEFORE THE STORM DELUXE EDITION $7.49 $24.99 LITTLE DRAGONS CAFÉ $23.99 $59.99 LITTLEBIGPLANET 3 $14.99 $19.99 LORDS OF THE FALLEN 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MOONLIGHTER $9.99 $19.99 MORTAL KOMBAT 11 $44.99 $59.99 MORTAL KOMBAT 11 PREMIUM EDITION $84.99 $99.99 MOSS (VR) $20.99 $29.99 MOSS + SOUNDTRACK $24.49 $34.99 MOUNT & BLADE: WARBAND $4.99 $19.99 MUDRUNNER – AMERICAN WILDS EDITION $13.59 $39.99 NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM 2 $9.99 $19.99 NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM 3 FULL BURST $9.99 $19.99 NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM 4 $29.99 $59.99 NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM 4 – DELUXE EDITION $39.99 $79.99 NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM LEGACY $34.99 $69.99 NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM TRILOGY $19.99 $39.99 NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: UNS4 ROAD TO BORUTO $24.99 $49.99 NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER $14.99 $59.99 NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER DELUXE EDITION $22.49 $89.99 NARUTO: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM $9.99 $19.99 NBA 2K19 $25.79 $59.99 NBA 2K19 + NBA 2K PLAYGROUNDS 2 BUNDLE $34.39 $79.99 NBA 2K19 15000 VC PACK $3.99 $4.99 NBA 2K19 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION BUNDLE $42.99 $99.99 NBA 2K19 35000 VC 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$14.99 OVERRIDE: MECH CITY BRAWL – SUPER CHARGED MEGA EDITION $11.99 $39.99 PALADINS CHAMPIONS PACK $14.99 $29.99 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE LOST SOUL (VR) $14.99 $29.99 PEGGLE 2 $5.99 $11.99 PEGGLE 2 MAGICAL MASTERS EDITION $2.99 $14.99 PERSONA 5 $13.99 $19.99 PERSONA 5: ULTIMATE EDITION $50.99 $84.99 PINBALL FX3 – WILLIAMS PINBALL: VOLUME 3 $4.99 $9.99 PINBALL FX3 -WILLIAMS PINBALL: VOLUME 4 $5.99 $9.99 PLANTS VS. 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$3.99 $9.99 THE BIOWARE BUNDLE $17.99 $59.99 THE CALIGULA EFFECT: OVERDOSE $34.99 $49.99 THE DISNEY AFTERNOON COLLECTION $6.99 $19.99 THE EXORCIST: LEGION VR $3.49 $6.99 THE EXORCIST: LEGION VR – COMPLETE SERIES $14.99 $29.99 THE GOLF CLUB 2 $8.99 $29.99 THE GRAND TOUR GAME $11.24 $14.99 THE HUNTER CALL OF THE WILD $20.09 $29.99 THE INPATIENT $9.99 $19.99 THE JACKBOX PARTY PACK 5 $17.99 $29.99 THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIV SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION $23.99 $59.99 THE LAST GUARDIAN $11.99 $19.99 THE LAST OF US REMASTERED $14.99 $19.99 THE LIAR PRINCESS AND THE BLIND PRINCE $13.99 $19.99 THE LONG DARK $14.99 $29.99 THE PRINCESS GUIDE $23.99 $39.99 THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS $14.99 $59.99 THE SIMS 4 $13.99 $39.99 THE SIMS 4 BUNDLE – GET TO WORK, DINE OUT, COOL KITCHEN STUFF $24.99 $49.99 THE SIMS 4 BUNDLE CITY LIVING $24.99 $49.99 THE SIMS 4 CATS & DOGS $19.99 $39.99 THE SIMS 4 CITY LIVING $19.99 $39.99 THE SIMS 4 DELUXE PARTY EDITION $17.49 $49.99 THE SIMS 4 DINE OUT $9.99 $19.99 THE SIMS 4 GET TO WORK $19.99 $39.99 THE SIMS 4 PARENTHOOD $9.99 $19.99 THE SIMS 4 VAMPIRES $9.99 $19.99 THE TOM CLANCY’S FRANCHISE BUNDLE $39.99 $99.99 THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT $11.99 $39.99 THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT – BLOOD AND WINE $7.99 $19.99 THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT – COMPLETE EDITION $14.99 $49.99 THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT – EXPANSION PASS $9.99 $24.99 THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT – HEARTS OF STONE $3.99 $9.99 THRONEBREAKER: THE WITCHER TALES $14.99 $29.99 THUMPER (VR) $7.99 $19.99 TIME MACHINE VR $10.49 $29.99 TITANFALL 2: ULTIMATE EDITION 1 $7.49 $29.99 TOKYO XANADU EX+ $17.99 $59.99 TOM CLANCY’S GHOST RECON WILDLANDS SEASON PASS $15.99 $39.99 TOM CLANCY’S GHOST RECON WILDLANDS STANDARD EDITION $14.99 $49.99 TOM CLANCY’S GHOST RECON WILDLANDS ULTIMATE EDITION $35.99 $119.99 TOM CLANCY’S GHOST RECON WILDLANDS YEAR 2 GOLD EDITION $23.99 $79.99 TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX SIEGE DELUXE EDITION $11.99 $39.99 TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX SIEGE GOLD EDITION $34.99 $69.99 TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX SIEGE ULTIMATE EDITION $54.99 $109.99 TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION $9.99 $49.99 TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION 2 $38.99 $59.99 TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION 2 GOLD EDITION $59.99 $99.99 TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION 2 ULTIMATE EDITION $71.99 $119.99 TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION DOUBLE SHOT $49.99 $99.99 TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION GOLD EDITION $17.99 $89.99 TRAIN SIM WORLD $20.09 $29.99 TRAIN SIM WORLD DIGITAL DELUXE $25.19 $34.99 TRAIN SIM WORLD: BR CLASS 33 $14.39 $19.99 TRAIN SIM WORLD: DB BR 155 $15.79 $19.99 TRAIN SIM WORLD: RUHR-SIEG NORD $14.99 $29.99 TRAIN SIM WORLD: WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY $12.49 $24.99 TRIALS RISING $12.49 $24.99 TRIALS RISING GOLD EDITION $19.99 $39.99 TUMBLE VR $3.99 $9.99 UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END $14.99 $19.99 UNCHARTED THE NATHAN DRAKE COLLECTION $14.99 $19.99 UNCHARTED: THE LOST LEGACY $14.99 $19.99 UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH EXE:LATE[ST] $19.99 $49.99 UNRAVEL TWO $9.99 $19.99 UNRAVEL YARNY BUNDLE $11.99 $29.99 UNTIL DAWN $14.99 $19.99 UNTIL DAWN: RUSH OF BLOOD $7.49 $14.99 WATCH DOGS 2 $14.99 $59.99 WATCH DOGS 2 – DELUXE EDITION $17.49 $69.99 WATCH DOGS 2 – GOLD EDITION $24.99 $99.99 WATCH DOGS 2 – SEASON PASS $15.99 $39.99 WE HAPPY FEW $29.99 $59.99 WIZARD OF LEGEND $9.59 $15.99 WORLD WAR Z THE GAME $25.19 $39.99 WWE 2K19 $14.99 $59.99 WWE 2K19 DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION $22.49 $89.99 YS VIII – LACRIMOSA OF DANA – $29.99 $59.99 PS3 Games Title $PSPlus $Original BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE DELUXE EDITION $5.94 $34.99 BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE PREMIUM $9.99 $39.99 BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE STANDARD EDITION $4.99 $19.99 BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE ULTIMATE EDITION $9.99 $39.99 BEYOND: TWO SOULS $3.49 $9.99 BORDERLANDS $4.99 $9.99 BORDERLANDS: ULTIMATE EDITION $14.99 $29.99 DARK SOULS II: SCHOLAR OF THE FIRST SIN $7.49 $29.99 PERSONA 5 $13.99 $19.99 RATCHET & CLANK $8.99 $14.99 RESIDENT EVIL 4 $4.99 $19.99 SAINTS ROW IV $3.74 $14.99 SAINTS ROW IV NATIONAL TREASURE EDITION $4.99 $19.99 SAINTS ROW: THE THIRD $3.74 $14.99 SAINTS ROW: THE THIRD – THE FULL PACKAGE $3.74 $14.99 URBAN TRIAL FREESTYLE $3.49 $6.99 URBAN TRIAL FREESTYLE (PS3 + PS VITA BUNDLE) $5.49 $10.99 PS Vita Games Title $PSPlus $Original DARKEST DUNGEON: CRIMSON EDITION $11.99 $29.99 GOD EATER 2: RAGE BURST $9.99 $39.99 ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD – GOLD EDITION $16.12 $64.49 ONE PIECE: BURNING BLOOD $9.99 $39.99 SALT AND SANCTUARY $8.99 $17.99 SAO: HOLLOW REALIZATION DELUXE EDITION $16.24 $64.99 SPIRIT HUNTER: DEATH MARK $19.99 $39.99 SWORD ART ONLINE : LOST SONG $9.99 $39.99 SWORD ART ONLINE: HOLLOW REALIZATION $9.99 $39.99 URBAN TRIAL FREESTYLE $3.49 $6.99 Note: All pricing is for U.S. only and subject to change. 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Rocket League‘s 1980s-themed event, Radical Summer, is in full swing! With celebrations already having focused on ’80s blockbusters and culture, we’re ready to close out our big seasonal event with a righteous ode to Television from the decade. Leading that celebration is none other than K.I.T.T.: the high-speed, talking, futuristic car outfitted with high-tech gadgets and a personality of its own from the classic 1980s show, Knight Rider. The Knight Rider Car Pack, which is available NOW, includes the K.I.T.T. Battle-Car, K.I.T.T. Wheels, and the K.I.T.T. Gullwing steering wheel Topper. This shadowy flight may seem like an easy inclusion for an ’80s event, but K.I.T.T. was close to Rocket League’s assembly line all the way back during the game’s infancy. According to Jeremy Dunham, Vice President of Publishing at Psyonix, having K.I.T.T. speed around the pitch was always one of the team’s goals. An early look at the K.I.T.T. boost concept. “We were talking about bringing Knight Rider to Rocket League as early as our first few months of release,” said Jeremy. “We started talking to the Universal Games team about Back to the Future’s DeLorean Time Machine in the summer of 2015 to try to bring that vehicle to the game, and we sparked the conversation about K.I.T.T. at that same time. The only problem was that our resources back then were much smaller than they are now. Plus, our turnaround time on projects was very short, and we didn’t know (yet) how successful a licensed DLC pack would be. Once Rocket League became such a big hit, and the DeLorean Time Machine did so well, the list of famous cars that fans and partners wanted to see in the game really took off.” Today, there are more than a dozen licensed vehicles featured in Rocket League, but having them is not as easy as simply copying and pasting pre-made art that magically comes to life. Any new Battle-Car, even one that is inspired by a show or movie, has to be made from the ground up. There are a couple of key features that have to be considered: a Battle-Car’s rear rocket booster and team color. Making those considerations for a vehicle such as K.I.T.T. — which is traditionally all black and doesn’t have a rocket booster — is no easy task. A task that falls into the hands of Psyonix Art Director, Jason Rowells, and his team of artists. The original idea to represent team colors before using a subtle color strip along the bottom of the Battle-Car. “We came up with multiple concepts internally,” Jason recalls. “The challenge was including team colors, but we didn’t want those team colors ruining the feel and vibe of [K.I.T.T.], which is so recognizable. Keeping that classic feel was the top priority. What we came up with showed through as the final product: a subtle color strip on the bottom of the car to signify a player’s team—that was it. As for the boost, we came up with an alternating, horizontal boost that aligns with the famous flashing lights of the car’s front end.” Having a car that is as recognizable as K.I.T.T. is a major part of the appeal of Radical Summer. Featuring nearly a dozen IPs, the event is designed to be a celebration of all entertainment from the decade. Even though that entertainment may be before the time of some of Rocket League’s younger players, Jeremy says the art and style of the decade can still appeal to the younger crowd. “We know that our audience loves sports cars, and this is one of the most iconic sports cars from the last 40 years. What makes K.I.T.T. cool for Rocket League is that you don’t necessarily have to know it to enjoy it. You can just like how it looks and feels, and how it represents you in a way that you can get excited about. Those are the things we strive for in Rocket League — that right combination of car aesthetics and customization options that give players the feeling that you can be ‘you’ out there.” The Gullwing Topper is the first Topper that actually turns with the Battle-Car. Play Rocket League’s Radical Summer now until August 12, where you can jump into Online Matches to earn Cassettes, which can then be redeemed for ’80s-inspired items from the game’s Event Store. You can even play our new, limited-time Beach Ball mode! The Knight Rider Car Pack is available now for $1.99 (or regional equivalent). View the full article

Master storyteller and game creator Hideo Kojima surprised attendees of his San Diego Comic-Con panel by revealing the final cover art for Death Stranding. The art features Sam Bridges, who must brave a world utterly transformed by the Death Stranding, and save mankind by reconnecting a fractured society. Check out the Death Stranding official cover art below: We also have our first look at the SteelBook: This collectible SteelBook is included in the Death Stranding Special Edition ($69.99 USD MSRP/ $89.99 CAD MSRP) and the Death Stranding Collector’s Edition ($199.99 USD MSRP / $249.99 CAD MSRP). Click here to pre-order either edition. Hideo Kojima was joined at the panel by renowned film director, Nicolas Winding Refn, who has a special guest appearance in Death Stranding as the character, Heartman. The two discussed their approach to narrative, their inspirations as creators and what excites them about the future of entertainment. Mr. Kojima also shared a short clip from the game featuring Heartman and shed some light on his role. There’s still a lot to learn about Heartman and what role he’ll play in Sam’s journey, but in signature Hideo Kojima style, you can bet an engaging story like no other awaits when game comes out on November 8th. Stay connected to our official channels for more details as Death Stranding’s November 8th launch date nears. Remember… tomorrow is in your hands. View the full article

Email us at blogcast@sony.com! Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Phew! We get to catch our breath a bit during this week’s episode, and discuss what we’ve been playing between megaton releases. Stay tuned for a nostalgic chat running down unforgettable games from past PlayStation consoles. Stuff We Talked About Chocobos in Final Fantasy XIV Satisfying game loops in Days Gone Sizzler Family Restaurants USA Console-defining PlayStation games The Cast Sid Shuman – Director of Social Media, SIEA Tim Turi – Senior Social Media Specialist, SIEA 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