Commander Fury

Hi, fellow PlayStation enthusiasts! It’s Jessica from DotEmu. I hope you’re ready to discover (or rediscover) Ys Origin on your PS4, because it launches in about two weeks! You’ll finally be able to experience this epic action-RPG ten years after its original release, with additional enhancements and brand-new features. The biggest changes we made were to optimize the visuals and effects, and also improve the UI and menus so that players can enjoy the full HD widescreen experience. Moreover, you’ll be able to enjoy online leaderboards, Trophies, and new languages for the first time ever. It was hard work, and we’re really excited for the release! In Ys Origin, you don’t play as Adol — instead, you can choose between different heros with their own attributes and stories. Today I’d like to share with you a new video introducing Yunica and Hugo, the two main characters. On one side we have Yunica, a mighty warrior who’s quite handy with an axe. She’s the perfect character for players who savor close combat and vicious fights! Opposite Yunica we have Hugo, a cunning sorcerer who uses powerful spells to defeat his enemies. If you prefer distant (and hopefully safer) attacks, Hugo is your man. Whichever character you choose, only with guile and talent will you free the Goddesses trapped in Devil’s Tower. At PlayStation Experience we announced a PS Vita release date, but we’re going to invest more time on this version to give you the most enjoyable experience. That’s why we’ve decided to change the release date of the PS Vita version to May 30. Get ready to grab your PS4 copy on February 21! And Vita players, thanks for your patience — the game is coming soon! We’re 100% focused on it. See you soon! View the full article

Do you remember these Wednesday afternoons spent at the arcade with your friends, using up your pocket money? We do, and we want to share that experience with you. Some of those games were about competing against your friends and rivals, others were about cooperating. At Climax Studios, we have a fond nostalgia for those games — especially the shoot ’em ups! So we asked ourselves “What would a modern shmup, focused on cooperation, competition, and modern game mechanics, feel like? How could we relive the feeling of fun we had playing with and against each other?†And that’s the challenge we took on with RiftStar Raiders: to deliver a unique and original experience by offering a perfect mix of modern multiplayer, skill-based combat, and retro shooter tropes — based on the instant fun of the Japanese arcade’s golden age. RiftStar Raiders is a top-down, fast paced shoot ’em up made by a team that loves the genre and wants to push it further. Unlike the majority of recent shooters, RiftStar Raiders gives players a more natural feeling, physics-based gameplay which takes practice and skill to master; your ship will react to the realistic forces applied to it, so maneuvering through an asteroid field or around a nebula takes real piloting skill. You and up to three friends take on the roles of rogue pilots who’ll accept any type of mission as long as there’s cash on the table — no questions asked! Together you’ll be swept up in an all-out interstellar war between four factions, across nine hand-crafted missions in order to become the best smugglers, pilots, and outlaws that the Far Reach has ever known. In RiftStar Raiders it’s all about the loot. There’s a lot of perks to loot and, when combined with their unique tech trees and upgrades, lets you craft and customize new weapons, shields and boost drives. This lets you create the ship systems that match your play style and role within your squad. Want to be the tank shielding your teammate? Or are you more the striker, hammering enemies? Maybe you want to be the healer or support class in order to help your team survive tough situations. There are tons of possibilities for you to discover and experiment with. That’s without even mentioning the cosmetic customizations you can apply on your Raider spacecraft: change hulls, skins, and banners to make it your own. Every single play session is rewarded with dropped loot and currency allowing you to constantly craft new systems, improve your play, or simply try new combinations. Be prepared to hear “Come on, let’s play one more†a lot. We believe that everything is better with some friends — first, to help you save the galaxy. Second, to steal each other’s loot (because it always tastes sweeter). This is why on RiftStar Raiders we’ve put the emphasis on the multiplayer experience. Even if you’re enjoying it on your own, we highly recommend you call in your friends and team up. Use big guns, quick wits, and your piloting skill to pull off heists and thrilling heroics! If you’re lucky, you might even save the galaxy along the way. So tell your friends, team up, and fight for victory. And loot. Mostly loot. View the full article

Welcome! It’s the first Top Downloads list of 2017, and we’re kicking this one off with a stunning upset: Studio Wildcard’s colossal compilation Ark: Survivor’s Pack charged to the top of the PS4 chart for January, surpassing even the universally acclaimed Resident Evil 7! Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’s first DLC pack, Sabotage, saw a predictably strong debut, and Job Simulator continues to lead the charge on PlayStation VR. Horizon Zero Dawn finally launches on the last day of this month — how far up February’s PS4 chart do you think it can make it in one day? PS4 Games 1 ARK: Survivor’s Pack 2 RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard 3 Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition 4 Battlefield 1 5 Grand Theft Auto V 6 Rocket League 7 Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition 8 The Order: 1886 9 Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition 10 PAYDAY 2: CRIMEWAVE EDITION 11 Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition 12 KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 FINAL CHAPTER PROLOGUE 13 Watch Dogs 2 14 Titanfall 2 15 Stardew Valley 16 Madden NFL 17 17 Overwatch: Origins Edition 18 MONOPOLY PLUS 19 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare 20 Knack PS3 Games 1 Devil May Cry HD Collection 2 Shadow of the Colossus 3 Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 4 Battlefield 4 5 Watch Dogs 6 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN 7 Minecraft: PlayStation 3 Edition 8 Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions 9 Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 10 Resident Evil Revelations 11 The Last Of Us 12 Grand Theft Auto V 13 Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix 14 Okami HD 15 Resident Evil 6 16 EA SPORTS FIFA 17 17 Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition 18 Tomb Raider 19 Enemy Front 20 Need for Speed Most Wanted PS4 Add-ons 1 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – DLC1 Sabotage 2 The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited – ESO Plus 3 FINAL FANTASY XV Season Pass 4 TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX SIEGE – Year 2 Pass 5 Black Ops III – The Giant Zombies Map 6 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – Season Pass 7 STAR WARS Battlefront Season Pass 8 Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Salvation 9 Rocket League – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Car Pack 10 Rocket League – Vulcan PlayStation VR Games 1 Job Simulator 2 Fruit Ninja VR 3 I Expect You To Die 4 KYGO ‘CARRY ME’ VR EXPERIENCE 5 Batman: Arkham VR 6 PlayStation VR Worlds 7 Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes 8 Until Dawn: Rush of Blood 9 Lethal VR 10 Here They Lie PS Vita Games 1 MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies 2 Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom 3 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN 4 Borderlands 2 5 Child of Light 6 Tetris Ultimate 7 Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition 8 Adventures of Mana 9 Jak and Daxter Collection 10 Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition PS Classics 1 Dark Cloud 2 2 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 3 Rogue Galaxy 4 Psychonauts 5 Star Wars Bounty Hunter 6 Bully 7 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy 8 The Warriors 9 Twisted Metal: Black 10 Castlevania: SotN View the full article

Hello, PlayStation Now fans. This month we’re adding 12 Koei Tecmo titles to our lineup of over 450 PS3 games available to stream on the service. Enjoy hack-and-slash action with new additions like Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires, Bladestorm: The Hundred Years War, Warriors: Legends of Troy, and Samurai Warriors 4, the in-depth J-RPG Ar Nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star, the fantasy action shooter Quantum Theory, and stylish non-stop ninja action in Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z and Ninja Gaiden 3. Don’t forget to check out some of Koei Tecmo’s other games already on the service, including Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1 and 2, Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce, and many more. PlayStation Now has something for everyone, with over 450 games in all. Over the past few months, we’ve added games like Red Dead Redemption, Dark Souls 2, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Tales of Zestiria, Catherine, and Silent Hill HD Collection, and every month we add more new favorites and hidden gems. Try these games and more with a seven-day free trial. Here are some of the most popular games on PlayStation Now during January: Red Dead Redemption Tekken Tag Tournament 2 The Last of Us Mortal Kombat WWE 2K15 Mafia II Injustice Gods Among Us NBA 2K14 Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Dark Souls II Wheel of Fortune Sonic Generations Batman: Arkham Origins BEYOND: Two Souls Saint’s Row IV Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Jeopardy Saint’s Row 2 Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Tomb Raider Catherine Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception God of War III Dead to Rights Retribution Ultra Street Fighter IV The Sly Collection God of War Ascension Greg Hastings Paintball 2 Farming Simulator 15 View the full article

Today, Team Ninja’s glorious action epic Nioh lands on PS4. Fans of Bloodborne and Ninja Gaiden should take note: this is a demanding, tense action-RPG that pits you against hordes of samurai, assassins, and demonic Yokai. In honor of the game’s launch today, the PlayStation team amassed some useful tips that should help you hit the ground running. Read on to learn more, and if you’ve picked up a copy of the game, offer your own tips in the comments below! Combat Tips Embrace death. You will die. It’s okay. It happens to everyone. If you find yourself hitting a wall, try exploring a different area. Eventually you should be able to level up, grow stronger, and push onward. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Engaging multiple enemies is possible, but risky. But if you find yourself dying in the same area to multiple opponents, try luring them apart one at a time with rocks or arrows. Stealth can pay off. You’ll encounter many enemies on patrol routes in Nioh. With caution and a little planning, you may be able to avoid unnecessary fighting. Master stance switching. All weapons have three stances: high, medium, and low. Certain stances can be more valuable at different points in battle. For example, try using a powerful high stance attack to land an opening blow, then switching to faster mid- or low-stance attacks to keep your enemy off-balance. Alter your fighting stance to suit the encounter. Wind-up times take longer and strike harder in a high stance. If you find yourself battling a quick enemy, a low or mid stance will make these encounters more favorable. Experiment with different weapons. Once you find a weapon you like, it’s logical to invest in it. But don’t neglect the vast arsenal at your disposal, especially in your quick-swap slot. Different weapons are better suited to different situations, depending on the enemy and environment. The katana is a good beginner’s choice. Team Ninja recommends starting with the katana, which offers a good balance between offense and defense. To unlock the katana’s true potential, practice smoothly changing stances while attacking. Don’t forget to lock on. In battle, it’s usually smart to lock onto your target using R3. This has the added benefit of revealing your enemy’s health and Ki gauge, useful information that can affect your strategy. Learn to evade. Tap the X button to evade enemy attacks. This is particularly important if you see a powerful wind-up attack coming; even if you block it, your Ki gauge will be devastated. Explore the Guardian Spirits. Guardian Spirits are familiars that can unlock new benefits or assist your battles in different ways. They also enable a Living Weapon, a powerful attack that you can enable by pressing Triangle and Circle when the meter in the upper-left hand corner flashes. Block attacks! Blocking can be vital to your survival — hold L1 to defend against incoming attacks. But be warned: you’ll regenerate Ki more slowly while defending, and each blocked attack will reduce your Ki. Be fluid with your movement. Dodging in aggressively and striking, then dodging away is an excellent technique. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t be afraid to take your time in larger encounters. Master the Ki Pulse. Ki is a resource that fuels your attacks, dodges, and evasive maneuvers, but it’s also the secret to the essential Ki Pulse technique, vital for fighting Yokai. There are two main cues to help you find your Ki Pulse timing: your Ki bar, and the blue orbs that surround William. Look for the depleted section of the Ki Bar to fill with blue, then tap R1 to trigger the Ki Pulse. Or, look for the blue Ki around you to reach its maximum point. Play around with your combos to find the timing that works best for you — you’ll thank us later. How to fight Yokai. Yokai, Nioh’s dangerous demonic foes, emit an aura called “Yokai Realm†that slows down your Ki regeneration and makes you more vulnerable to incoming attacks. Activate a Ki Pulse while inside the aura to purify yourself, then send your foe hurling back to the underworld. Grappling is good. When your enemy’s Ki is depleted, your targeting reticle will turn red. Press Triangle to initiate a powerful grapple that inflicts significant damage. In long-range combat, aim for the head. If you haven’t alerted a distant group of enemies, take your time and get that crucial opening headshot using your projectile weapon. If the blow knocks off the helmet of an enemy, try to re-acquire the shot and fire again for massive damage. Other Tips Secrets of the Spirit Stones. Spirit Stones do more than just provide you with more Amrita (aka currency). They also charge up your Guardian Spirit. Don’t go head to head against those bosses alone! Respect the environment. The world of Nioh is filled with death, but it is also filled with opportunity. Pay attention to the various opportunities that lie within the many paths before you. Some of them may aid your journey in ways which are not immediately revealed. Armored soldiers are dangerous but rewarding. First-time players would do well to avoid the deadly armored soldiers, most of which are stationed off the beaten path. Once you master Nioh’s play style, try taking them on for a chance to earn high-performance equipment and unlock shortcuts. Beware the Revenants. The spirits of those who fell before you can drop some excellent rewards: Ochoko cups for summoning in other players in online play, and in some cases high-level purple gear. But be cautious: these optional encounters tend to be extremely difficult. Pray for Elixirs. Elixirs replenish some of your health. If you’re headed for a boss fight and completely out, run back to the nearest shrine and you’ll automatically gain a free Elixir! However, you’ll also resurrect every defeated enemy. With a little luck, you’ll make it back to the boss in one piece… Spirit is an important stat, even for strength-based characters. Spirit affects your overall magic power, but it also affects your spirit bond with your Guardian as well as extends the power of your Living Weapon. The passive stat boosts that accompany a greater bond with your Guardian are extremely useful — take advantage of it! Help the Kodama to gain an edge. Kodama are small, cute NPCs. If you manage to guide them back to a nearby shrine, they’ll offer you a powerful blessing that will increase the drop rates of various items for a time. These blessings can be lifesavers during some missions, so use them situationally and often. It can pay to sacrifice a good weapon to the Soul Forge. Consuming a higher attack-value weapon in the Soul Forge to upgrade a lower strength weapon with great prefixes can be extremely helpful, especially when dealing with elemental enemies. Sometimes it pays to take a break. It happens to all of us: during a tough encounter, frustration takes hold and caution gives way to reckless tactics. Trying another area or simply taking a break can help you see the encounter from another perspective. View the full article

The fast-paced, highly stylized shooter Drawn to Death is coming to PS4 on April 4. Before we all dive headfirst into a high-school teenager’s sadistic imagination, I touched base with renowned designer David Jaffe himself to learn more about his latest project, and how much of his own experience was woven into all the chainsaws, ninja sharks, and gunslinging demons. Plus, our latest trailer for Drawn to Death explores the significant contribution players have had on the game’s design. How would you compare Drawn to Death to other character-based shooters? David Jaffe: There are lots of hero shooters popping up these days, but Drawn to Death is unique. Obviously it looks unique, but also — and more importantly — it feels unique. The “time to kill†is long in Drawn to Death. Like, reallylong. We do this because we want players to have more chances for chases across the maps — where tables get turned and map knowledge allows hunted players to become the hunters. Our game modes only support four players. Sometimes when people hear this they don’t like it. But for us, it’s a strength of the game. A high “time to kill†and too many players in a match ends up making a lot of shooters feel chaotic and random. We wanted Drawn to Death to play differently. We want it to be super fast (And it is!) but not so chaotic that you can’t track what you need to track. For us, it’s imperative that Drawn to Death players are able to focus on specific enemy behavior. One of my favorite things in Drawn to Death is when I start to learn how a specific player on the battlefield is playing and I adjust my playstyle to that person. This is very hard to do when you’ve got lots of players to worry about and you’re dying every 45 seconds. Drawn to Death is rooted in high school escapism and a sense of adolescent fantasy. How much of that comes from your own personal experience? How much is inspired by others? David Jaffe: I couldn’t draw when I was growing up (and I still can’t), but as a kid I was always sketching and doodling in my notebook during class. I’d draw superheroes, aliens, monsters, and pretty much anything geek centric — it got me though a lot of boring lectures and stirred my imagination! And I’m happy to say that we had a conference recently with my oldest kid’s science teacher and she was complaining that my kid is doodling away during class when she should be paying attention. Was I proud? You bet I was! Could you (Possibly!) pick a favorite character? What about his or her design are you most proud of? David Jaffe: I’d say it’s Ninjaw. And it’s because I love all of her unique mechanics. She’s got a grapple that lets her fly across the level, she’s got backflips that let her leap away from danger, and she can create protective shields in the air. I love mixing those together, making Ninjaw grapple into an enemy to damage them and then backflipping away from the enemy while putting an air shield up to protect myself. Ninjaw can also throw sharks at bad guys, she can anchor opponents in place, and she can even see the weaker enemies on her radar and target those who are close to death. But I love all the characters. They’re like our kids! I love playing with a weapon called The Shaxe, which is a cross between a shotgun and an axe. Every time you do a certain amount of damage with the weapon, a giant, rusty axe blade pops out of the gun’s barrel. But what do you do with the blades? Well, there’s a mini-game where you have to pull this starter cord — like on a lawn mower — at the exact right time to get the axe blades to start spinning. Once they’re spinning, you can fire the blades and do a ton of damage! Now a lot of people would say, “That’s too much work!†And for those players, they’d be right — which is why there are lots of fire-and-forget weapons in Drawn to Death. But one of the things I love most about our game is how there are lots of ways to play it, depending on your style. How were you informed by your previous games when directing Drawn to Death? David Jaffe: God of War taught me that play mechanics are why I love making and playing games. I understand and respect that not all players feel this way. But for me, the more I do this work and the more games I play, the more I realize I love and admire games for play mechanics. Drawn to Death is really a reaction to that. Yes, the game has story and characters, but Drawn to Death is so much more about play mechanics — more than any other game I’ve done. I think you see that trajectory away from storytelling and toward pure mechanics in the games I’ve gotten to work on since God of War. What’s the most important thing to you as a designer to encourage players to keep coming back? David Jaffe: Persistence is crucial. But at end of the day, it’s about giving players the feeling of fun so that they’ll want to return and have that feeling — dependably — again and again. That’s why I love mechanics-based games so much. When you do it right, you’re basically giving people the emotion of fun on a regular, dependable basis! How amazing is that?! How do we create that feeling of fun in Drawn to Death? We make sure the game gives players the sense that success or failure in a match was up to them and their choices. So if a player loses, they’re able to easily comprehend the moment to moment of the game well enough to have a good idea of what they must do to improve. And that way, when a player pulls off a win, they feel it’s because of their mastery of the game. Because it is! Drawn to Death launches April 4 on PS4 for $19.99. View the full article

A lone swordsman from a distant shore. A terrifying demon threat. And the skill to walk the line between life and death. Prepare for the brutal challenge of Nioh, launching February 7 on PS4. Developed by the action aficionados at Team Ninja, Nioh channels the white-knuckle design philosophy of the Souls series and tasks players with vanquishing insurmountable odds. Guide the samurai William through feudal Japan and face the demonic presence seething across the countryside. Master three distinct combat stances, amass a powerful armory of blades, and wield crackling guardian magic to crush your foes. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation, read on. And enjoy the Drop! New Releases: Week of February 7, 2017 8Days PS4 — Digital The world has been dominated by dark forces since the beginning of human history. Known as the Masters of Mankind by those directly under their control, these forces will use any means necessary to protect their own interests including starting wars. In 8Days, the mercenary company G.O.D. (Gold, Oil, and Diamonds, Inc) and the 8DAYS Magazine are two modern instruments used to control the masses. You will have to face those conflicts and put them to an end… will you? How to Survive 2 PS4 — Digital (Out 2/6) The zombie infection has turned into a worldwide pandemic. You find yourself in Louisiana and your survival chance starts by building a safe camp and becoming a skilled survivalist. Find water, food, and shelter — and talk to the unconventional locals to make your way around. Kitty Powers Matchmaker PS4 — Digital Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker is a hilarious dating simulator with a difference. Manage your own matchmaking agency with the guidance of your fabulous boss, drag queen diva Kitty Powers! Match an endless parade of desperate clients with candidates from Kitty’s little black book and guide them through awkward conversations and dozens of perilous dating dilemmas. Are you ready to bring romance to the world? Or will you leave a sea of broken hearts in your wake? Nioh PS4 — Digital, Retail Ready your blade — grueling encounters await around every corner in this action RPG in a vast land ravaged by civil war. Embrace every defeat as a step along the path to victory. Only in death will you find the way of the samurai. The Onion Knights PS4 — Digital Experience exciting adventure with the Onion Knights! Five knights empowers themselves with magical onion juice. Defend the kingdom from an endless swarms of enemies. Defend the realm with your own strategy! Ping Pong VR PS VR — Digital Each environment is styled as a stadium with a fully animated audience, creating an immersive playing environment. VR Ping Pong features several addictive gameplay modes allowing players to experience the thrill of playing Table Tennis with PlayStation VR. Can you become the ultimate VR Ping Pong champion? So Many Me! PS4 — Digital (Out 2/6) So Many Me is a mind bending puzzle platformer with the added bonus of robust blobby cuteness. Discover new transformational abilities as you progress through each chapter. Earn your rewards when you solve puzzles. Dozens of adorable costumes, ancient artifacts, and bonus levels are waiting for you! Super Gunworld 2 PS4 — Digital Using the GunSeed mechanic, collect seeds to grow guns anywhere in the environment. Plant seeds to grow and harvest GunPlants for weapons, or GunTurrets to indirectly attack out of reach enemies. Explore GunWorld and battle monsters to find hidden secrets, gold, and earn valuable experience points. Uncanny Valley PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Cross Buy) Welcome to Uncanny Valley — an unsettling, story-driven survival horror where nothing is as it seems. Explore an isolated facility and solve its many mysteries, but be warned: the choices you make have meaningful consequences that will determine your fate. Play through multiple times to reveal all of Uncanny Valley’s darkest secrets. Big Sean – I Decided Lower Than Atlantis – Safe in Sound Sampha – Process Hacksaw Ridge Moonlight APB | Season 1 Puppy Bowl — February 5 at 3/2c (Animal Planet) Legion — February 8 at 10/9c (FX) Impractical Jokers — February 9 at 10/9c (truTV) The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

The past nine months have been crazy. I want to take a moment to thank all of the Enter the Gungeon fans for making it a success, and allowing us to continue making games as Dodge Roll. The response has been nothing short of overwhelming, and life changing, for the team. So thank you, sincerely. People following Gungeon will probably know that this update took considerably longer to finish than we intended, but at last it’s finally here. We really hope you enjoy it! I wanted to take a few minutes here and talk about what’s in the update, and why we chose to include what we did. For the Supply Drop Update, we had three major goals: Add in the content that we had originally wanted to include in the initial release of the game, but had to cut for time. This includes the Mine Flayer boss, and the past scenarios for the two secret characters. Add content and tweaks to address player feedback since the release of Gungeon in April. While we are always trying to do this with the smaller patches, having a larger update afforded us the chance to get new dialogue translated and make the additions better fit the style of Gungeon. This includes, among several other tweaks to balance, the KeyBullet Kin and the ability to “Save & Quit†at the end of each floor. Add new content that is interesting for long time players, and doubles down on what makes Gungeon most fun. This includes new rooms, new enemies, challenge mode, the new NPC’s Doug and Daisuke, new secrets, and of course, new items and guns. Mine Flayer We had always intended there to be a third boss on the third floor, to go along with the Treadnaught and the Cannonbalrog — the Mine Flayer was always one of our favorite ideas, so we are especially glad to include him in this update. The shorthand theme of Gungeon has always been “D&D + Guns†and we think the Mine Flayer is one of the best examples of that in the game. It also helps that the team adores illithids (nearly rivaling our love for Mimics). Past Scenarios In the initial release of the game, our two secret characters did not have “Past Killing†scenarios. Obviously they should have pasts to kill (Why else would they be in the Gungeon, right?) and now they finally do! I don’t want to spoil them here, but I will say fans who enjoy repelling evil should be pleased. Keybullet Kin Inspired by the crystal lizards from the Souls series, these cheeky enemies spawn randomly in combat rooms and are guaranteed to leave a key when they die. They will however immediately run to a corner and disappear if the player is not quick to kill them. We included these enemies, and other tweaks to key drop rates, in response to player feedback that the amount of keys felt a bit light. We think this is a fun, and very Gungeon, way to give the player an opportunity to occasionally earn some extra keys in their runs. Save and Quit This was probably our most requested feature since the launch of Gungeon. You can now save between floors and resume your run at a later time. Just speak with the red button located at all floor exits, tell him you’d like to save and hop into the cryochamber. We could have done this with a menu, but the Gungeon has two rules: everything must animate, and everything must have a face (except where those two rules don’t apply). Daisuke’s Challenge Mode Daisuke is a new NPC in Gungeon that brings something for players that are finding their runs a bit too easy. Gungeon is already a fairly difficult game, so increasing the difficulty didn’t feel very interesting; instead, we wanted something a bit different. Speaking to Daisuke before a run will allow you to activate “Challenge Mode†which grants each room a set of challenging modifiers when entered. A few examples of these modifiers are here: Adrenaline Rush: Each time the player dodge rolls, the game speeds up (ends on room clear). Unfriendly Fire: Any of the player’s bullets that hit walls ricochet and become dangerous to players. Blobulin Rancher: Missed bullets turn into Blobulins. Shockwave: Periodically, rings of bullets linked with electricity will appear in the center of the room and expand outwards. Touching the bullets or the electricity will damage the player. New Guns and Items We know that Gungeon players love getting crazy item combinations, and we’ve listened and tried to respond accordingly. After the release of Gungeon, the community asked for more passive items that adjusted the functionality of guns, and fewer “boilerplate guns.†So, for the Supply Drop Update we focused on just that: lots of new ammo types, and guns that are interesting or powerful (Or both!). You’ll have to play to find them all (or just read the wiki), but the new items can result in some crazy combos! You may also find a chivalrous new companion, in a very unlikely place. Doug’s Traveling Emporium Doug is another new NPC that you can rescue from the Gungeon; once unlocked he will appear intermittently in the Breach, unlocking many of the new items in this update. Doug also served an interesting design purpose, which was to trickle out the new items. When you empty Doug’s shop, leave for a little while — just keep doing runs until he returns. As with most things in Gungeon, skill is rewarded; he will return faster the farther you progress in the runs you attempt while he is gone. We really hope you enjoy the update, but Gungeon is not complete. We are planning a true expansion to be released late this year or early next, that will considerably expand the scale, and lore, of the Gungeon — and maybe let you get revenge on a certain rat. There will also be new Mimics. So stay tuned. Cheers! View the full article

Since Paragon’s Early Access, it’s been our goal to be transparent and communicate openly. We got that right some of the time, and other times, didn’t do enough. For 2017, we’re doubling down. We’ll be providing regular updates on what’s to come for Paragon, both in the short term and beyond. That means that you’ll hear about plans that may change, or features and ideas that don’t always ship, but we think that’s better than keeping you in the dark. We hope you agree! First, A Quick Recap of 2016We launched a MOBA (Okay, that was hard). We got a ton of feedback from players, made some mistakes, but — most importantly — we learned a lot. We’re excited about the growth of the game and progress we’ve made so far. Some info: Paragon is growing! There are now 5.7 million registered players. Released 25 Heroes in 2016. Shipped 132 updates since March. Introduced a bunch of features, including draft mode, improved matchmaking, and card crafting. Shipped Monolith. New map, new balance, and a new version of Paragon. There were 830,000 active players in January, up from 650,000 in November before the release of Monolith. There are also 44% more players playing each week — meaning more players are playing more often. Since Monolith, matches that end in a surrender are down by 17% and we’re working to reduce that further. Progress! Heroes Every Three Weeks In 2016, we shipped a hero every three weeks, except when we launched Monolith and over the holidays (the team needed a break to spend time with friends and families). In 2017, we’ll again ship a new hero every three weeks. Except maybe over the holidays or when we’re shipping something really big that requires the focus of the whole team. So mostly every three weeks! On a side note, we realize that we’ve released a string of melee heroes in a row. This was unintended and a result of some very long hero development pipelines. Sorry. Starting with our next ranged hero in April, you’ll see more balance in rotating the types of roles that are released. All New Card System and New Game ModesThe existing card system has a lot of flaws and doesn’t deliver on the promise, so we are redesigning it right now. We haven’t locked down the details yet, but we are rethinking the entire thing. The goal is to make cards more valuable and impactful to gameplay and increase clarity and ease of use. There is a ton of demand for new and different game modes. We hear you, and know that launching them will help to grow the game. We have two in experimentation and development that are a lot of fun and bring a new dimension to Paragon. The first mode is PvP, and will offer a shorter, faster version of Paragon that can be played in 20 minutes or less. It’s radically different than the current PvP mode. The second will be a PvE co-op mode. With both of these, we’ll be starting small and change them throughout the year. Again, they’re experimental, so expect anything and everything to change and evolve as we get feedback and learn. Timing TBD, and details to come. One other complication that we’re thinking through — we need to figure out when and how to launch them so we improve, rather than degrade, the quality of matchmaking. It’s a hard problem that we haven’t yet solved. More New Things on the WayIn the next few weeks and months, we’re also lining up these features for release: Matchmaking system V2. All new from the ground up. Lots of balance changes. We know many things need to be improved and we listen intently. Expect continuous improvement and a handful of mistakes along the way. Banners: add your signature to every kill with this new system (screenshots and videos coming soon). It’s experimental but we think it’ll be cool. New Skins and Skin Variations: We’re giving you even more skins and a new system that will allow players to unlock more variations for almost every skin. “Hero Mastery†improvements. More content, more progression, and more rewards for getting Heroes to max level. Loot Crates: More loot (with more variety) will be rolling into crates over the next few months. Expect to find some rare banners and skin variations coming soon in crates. Hero Reworks: Revisiting old Heroes with new kits and balance. What About Competitive Play?We firmly believe that you can’t rush competitive play. Games that push ranking, events, and tournaments before the game is actually competitive are missing the point and going through the motions. Our guiding principle has been to work with you to figure out when Paragon will be ready, and we’re getting there. Step one is to begin learning how to do it right. In the first half of 2017, we’re planning to roll out competitive play in stages so we get it into your hands and improve as we go. After that, we’ll deliver a full Ranked Mode that’s balanced for hardcore competitive gameplay. As for events and competitions, we’ll be starting with laddered competitive events that transition into Paragon Invitationals. We’re also working on prized events that will provide real money rewards for players across many different regions and skill levels. Yes, the investment is real. We want everyone to be able to compete, not just the Pros. Expect more details on this over the next few months. Growing the CommunityRight now, we’re spending very little on marketing, letting Paragon grow mostly by word of mouth. Once the game is more complete, sometime later this year, we plan to get the word out to more players and help the community grow. Our goal is to make it much, much bigger over time. Until then… …we know that Paragon only exists because of you, and we can’t thank you enough. We are grateful to all of the people who came in during early access, who took a chance and bought founder’s packs, and who support the game by playing and giving us feedback. You rock. Our commitment to you is real, and we’re just getting started. View the full article

Hi PlayStation gamers, it’s Mauro Fanelli from indie studio MixedBag here, and I’m super proud to finally announce (Drum roll…) the release date for our one-of-a-kind metroidvania, Forma.8! Forma.8 is a project we’re really attached to. It’s the first game we started working on when MixedBag was only a two-person team, and it was our dream project from the get go: a huge 2D action adventure full of clever gameplay ideas and presented in a striking, visual style. Needless to say, development took more time than we anticipated. We announced the game in 2013, aiming to launch in 2014. It’s now 2017. Go figure. We had ups and downs. We worked on and launched other games in the meantime. The team grew in size as the project scope increased. We added a lot of stuff. We scrapped a lot of stuff, always aiming to deliver “the best game possible.†We poured our hearts and souls into Forma.8, and we are so happy to announce that our dream game will finally be available on PlayStation Store on February 23 for both PS4 and PS Vita. Fully supporting cross buy, of course. As the small exploration probe forma.8, you’re stranded alone on the surface of an alien planet. Separated from your companions by accident, you have a life or death mission to accomplish: find and recover a lost, powerful energy source before it’s too late. And not everything is what it seems… Forma.8 offers all the gameplay hooks of the classic metroidvania formula: a huge world to explore, a unique control system, power ups to collect for unlocking new zones, enemies to fight, puzzles to solve, a cryptic story, and huge bosses. All presented with unique visuals — using a combination of lovely hand drawn vector graphics and 3D characters to bring the world of Forma.8 to life with a targeted silky smooth 60 frames per second. Last but not least, we’re partnering again with the awesome folks at Limited Run Games to bring you a super limited physical edition of Forma.8 on both PS4 and PS Vita! The physical version will be available in very limited quantities at a later date and will be sold exclusively through their website. A warm thank you from the MixedBag team for the continued support. See you February 23 on PlayStation Store. I’ll be hanging around in the comment section below, ready to answer your questions. View the full article

Since its initial creative pitch in 2010 until weeks before its launch, Horizon Zero Dawn has inspired awe in those that see it. We’ve spent more than a decade building the Killzone franchise, and now Horizon Zero Dawn marks an entirely new journey for us. In our multi-part Horizon Zero Dawn behind-the-scenes profile, key members of our team touched on the challenges they overcame in creating their first action RPG. The first video speaks to how Guerrilla switched gears from creating first-person shooters to an action RPG. The second talks about shaping the studio to create an experience that heavily relies on narrative. The third and final video will look at Aloy, the game’s star, and speak to how quickly she has enthralled gamers across the world. From Corridors to Mountains Guerrilla Games co-founder and Managing Director Hermen Hulst has called Horizon Zero Dawn “the single most ambitious project that Guerrilla Games has ever taken on.†He is, of course, speaking in part to the challenge of transitioning an accomplished studio from one genre to another — one with new elements that the designers had less familiarity with. “Horizon Zero Dawn is the first time we are creating quests, so we had to invest a lot in terms of technology and the open-world engine, but also in assembling the team,†Hulst said. “Hiring a writing team, a quest design team… it’s been a huge undertaking for the studio.†Growing Guerrilla Knowing that storytelling would play a central role in Horizon Zero Dawn’s creation, the team at Guerrilla brought in writing talent and formed a new group within the studio. Their sole focus: to flesh out a rich narrative and extensive history for the world of Horizon. Executive Producer Angie Smets noted that the studio “brought in a lot of quest designers, a lot of talent that worked on open-world games before. And of course, our Narrative Director John Gonzalez.†“The main pillars of Horizon’s world were already there,†Gonzalez said. “We had the lush, verdant nature. We had these mechanical beasts that are like robotic dinosaurs, and also human beings who are living in a more primitive or tribal state. At that point, how exactly those elements had come to exist in this world together hadn’t really been worked out.†Creating A PlayStation Icon Ever since that first internal pitch in 2010, the star of Horizon Zero Dawn was Aloy. We never questioned this, but designing her still proved a long and difficult process. Her character went through many iterations before the team settled on the figure you see in-game. There was so much about Aloy that the team felt vitally important they get right. How she sees the world, how she interacts with other characters, and her deep relationship with Rost and how he helps her contend with being a tribal outcast. Watch our behind the scenes video above, and get ready: Horizon Zero Dawn launches February 28 on PS4. View the full article

Starting today, those of you selected for our beta program will get an early peek at some of the new features coming to PS4 with our next major system software update, version 4.50 (codenamed Sasuke). If you signed up for the beta and were chosen, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to download and get started. Even if you’re not participating in the beta, we still wanted to give you a quick glance of the key features that will be rolling out with this update. We’re refining the user interface of PS4 even further, and adding highly requested features like external HDD support and custom wallpapers. External HDD SupportIt’s easy to upgrade the HDD that came with your PS4, but if you’re still looking for more storage space on the console, we’ve got you covered. With this update, you have the option to store content to an external HDD. Just plug a USB 3.0 HDD into your PS4, and voilà , you now have more space on the console. This is compatible with HDDs up to 8TB in size. You can download and install applications directly to your extra storage, and the saved contents are easily manageable through the settings menu. Also, all the applications saved in the external HDD will appear in the Content Launcher of the Home Screen so it’s easy to keep track of what apps you launched recently. Custom WallpapersThis update adds the ability to set your favorite in-game screenshot as the background image for PS4’s home screen. Drop-shadows on text, and the option to dim the Function Area, will help keep the system icons and texts on the home screen clearly visible even if the background image you selected is super bright. You can also edit screenshots using Photo Mode in Sharefactory to make your one-and-only custom wallpaper. Quick Menu RefreshAs you may know, in the last system update we overhauled the PS4 Quick Menu feature (the menu that appears after a long press of the PS button on DualShock 4). This update brings additional improvements to make it even more accessible. Now the Quick Menu will cover even less of your gameplay screen, and you’ll be able to access handy Party features via Online Friends, like creating new parties, inviting friends, and joining parties, without transitioning to the separate Party app. The goal is to keep you in the game — and not stuck in menus. Simplified Notification ListBefore this update, the Notifications app had a variety of tabs on the left-hand side, like Game Alerts, Downloads, Uploads, and more. We’ve condensed all of the tabs to a single simplified list, making it easier to see all of your notifications all at-a-glance. You can also quickly access the Notification settings from the Options Menu to turn off or customize which pop-up notifications appear on your screen, so you’re only being notified about your top priorities. Post on PlayStation Network Activity FeedsWe’re adding the ability to post directly into the Activity Feed, which appears in a variety of places across the console, including What’s New. Under What’s New, you’ll see a new option to post things like text, screenshots, and gifs directly into your Activity Feed. You can also tag games or other users to make sure they don’t miss your post. It’s a great way to show off your greatest triumphs. Tying into this new feature, Live from PlayStation will show screenshots that users uploaded to PSN as a Public Activity, so you can show off your best gameplay moments not only to your friends, but to users around the globe. 3D Blu-rays on PlayStation VRIf you’re a fan of 3D movies, and you own PlayStation VR, we’ve got good news — this update adds the ability to view 3D movies in stereoscopic 3D directly on the PS VR headset. Grab some popcorn and enjoy! There are more features included in 4.50, so make sure to keep an eye out for additional info, including launch timing, in the weeks to come. View the full article

“The only honest art form is laughter, comedy… you can’t fake it.†-Lenny Bruce In 2015, my friend Julian and I set out to create “a party game for funny people and their unfunny friends.†He had developed plenty of games up to that point, whereas I had developed exactly none. Today, we’re preparing to finish Use Your Words on PS4. And we’ve learned more along the way than we ever imagined. I should explain how Use Your Words works: in short, the game sets up a joke and you produce a punchline. If another player chooses your answer as their favorite, you get points. Players typically gather around a TV and use their smartphones or tablets for input (rather than traditional controllers). Nowadays, playtesters usually start laughing early on and keep laughing throughout the game. But it took us a while to get there. Funny Like BatmanFor most people, “competitive comedy†is an intimidating prospect. We think of it this way: it would be easy for Batman to play one of the Arkham games. It’s his job. In the same way, it would be easy for a professional comedian to score points in Use Your Words. But the Arkham series made it fun and easy to do the hard work of being the Dark Knight; similarly, a comedy game “for unfunny people†must create a fun environment where it’s easy to crack off hysterical, gut-busting jokes. The Illusion of SafetyAnxiety has a way of locking up the “improvised comedy†part of the brain, so we paid attention to the places where players got anxious. They didn’t like to be rushed in writing their punchlines, so we fiddled with the timer. 60 seconds felt too rushed, but we didn’t want to slow the overall pacing too much, so we raised it to 90 seconds. Suddenly, with the perceived safety of extra time, most players finished their answers in under 60 seconds! We continued finessing the timer, but the big lesson was that additional writing time creates the illusion of safety, which allows a player’s sense of humor to come out. Another part of our safety net is what we call the “House Decoy.†In our original prototype, players who couldn’t think of an answer simply didn’t get to participate. This made some players feel left out or even stupid. So we created a system where a player can use one of our prewritten “house answers†as a decoy and receive half-points if other players vote for it. Many players never even use this feature, but again, the perception of a safety net gives many players the confidence to take a big leap and write their own original answers. Open Mic PlaytestingComedians sometimes test out new jokes at open mic nights. If a new joke kills, it stays; if it flops, it gets thrown out. At a certain point, we began treating prompts this way. Some of our prompts immediately “killed†and, for whatever reason, inspired funny answers. Other prompts left players stumped or led to bland answers. We made a rule that once a prompt flopped twice, it would be cut forever. Because of that rule, we’ve only kept a few hundred of the more than 1,000 prompts that we’ve produced. But every time we cut a lackluster prompt, the fun becomes that much more consistent. Opening Night ApproachesAs we put the finishing touches on Use Your Words, our little dev team comes closer and closer to the day when a total stranger will boot it up and experience a little show we created — a show which happens to put that very stranger in the starring role. And if all goes according to plan, they’ll step into the spotlight, grab the mic, and kill. View the full article

We here at Bandai Namco are obsessed with anime; it inspires us, fires up our imagination. Anime allows us to experience settings and events that we can only dream about in real life and it can transform actual historical events into moving works of art. That’s the true beauty of anime; it parallels so many aspects of our own lives. So what does anime mean to us? It’s our culture and lifeblood. We strive to immerse the player in a world that allows them to become a super-powered Saiyan from another planet or a young ninja with a dream of becoming the next Hokage. Being able to create and share these amazing experiences with people that love the medium as much as we do is what anime means to us! This is why we are honored to bring you our Play Anime digital sale; it’s a 2-week event, each week will offer deep discounts on different catalogs of our anime-based games and for the first time ever, Season Passes. This sale is for anime newcomers and old school seasoned vets alike. So head over to PlayStation Store, pick out a game from your favorite series and get ready to play your anime! Save up to 80 percent on Play Anime’s Week 1 lineup through February 6. And don’t forget to check back next Tuesday for Week 2 titles. Enjoy! Games PlatformTitleSale PriceOriginal Price PS4 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE $9.99 $39.99 PS4 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE + SEASON PASS BUNDLE $51.99 $64.99 PS4 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 $41.99 $59.99 PS4 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2: DELUXE EDITION $71.99 $89.99 PS4 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2: SEASON PASS $28.49 $29.99 PS4 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE: SEASON PASS $19.99 $24.99 PS4 J-STARS VICTORY VS $11.99 $59.99 PS4 ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD – GOLD EDITION $67.59 $84.49 PS4 ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 3 $14.99 $59.99 PS4 ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 3 SEASON PASS (CROSS-BUY) $9.59 $11.99 PS4 SWORD ART ONLINE RE: HOLLOW FRAGMENT $4.99 $19.99 PS4 SWORD ART ONLINE: HOLLOW REALIZATION $44.99 $59.99 PS4 SWORD ART ONLINE: HOLLOW REALIZATION DELUXE EDITION $67.99 $84.99 PS4 SWORD ART ONLINE: HOLLOW REALIZATION: SEASON PASS $19.99 $24.99 PS4 SWORD ART ONLINE: LOST SONG $11.99 $59.99 PS3 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE $7.49 $29.99 PS3 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE + SEASON PASS BUNDLE $43.99 $54.99 PS3 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE – SEASON PASS $19.99 $24.99 PS3 DRAGON BALL Z: BATTLE OF Z $7.49 $29.99 PS3 J-STARS VICTORY VS+ $7.99 $39.99 PS3 ONE PIECE UNLIMITED WORLD RED $4.99 $19.99 PS3 ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS $4.99 $19.99 PS3 ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 3 $12.49 $49.99 PS3 ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 3 SEASON PASS $9.59 $11.99 PS3 PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION DX $2.49 $9.99 PS3 PAC-MAN MUSEUM $4.99 $19.99 PS VITA DRAGON BALL Z: BATTLE OF Z $4.99 $19.99 PS VITA J-STARS VICTORY VS+ $7.99 $39.99 PS VITA ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD – GOLD EDITION $51.59 $64.49 PS VITA ONE PIECE UNLIMITED WORLD RED $4.99 $19.99 PS VITA ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 3 $9.99 $39.99 PS VITA ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 3 SEASON PASS $9.59 $11.99 PS VITA SAO: HOLLOW REALIZATION DELUXE EDITION $51.99 $64.99 PS VITA SWORD ART ONLINE -HOLLOW FRAGMENT- $4.99 $19.99 PS VITA SWORD ART ONLINE: LOST SONG $7.99 $39.99 PS VITA SWORD ART ONLINE: HOLLOW REALIZATION $31.99 $39.99 PS VITA SWORD ART ONLINE: HOLLOW REALIZATION SEASON PASS $19.99 $24.99 View the full article

Your PlayStation Plus games for the month arrive on February 7! This month we have the incredibly creative LittleBigPlanet 3 and the fast-paced action game Not a Hero from Roll 7 (OlliOlli). LittleBigPlanet 3 is available for all PS Plus members this month. This is one of the most imaginative games on PlayStation, full of platforming adventure and excitement. After you’ve explored the Imagisphere, flex your creative muscle and bring your own imagination to life or play one of the millions of original creations from the LBP Community. We are also offering Not a Hero, because sometimes you just want to blast the criminal underworld to bits. Play as Steve, a professional assassin turned amateur campaign manager as he cleans for his boss, an anthropomorphic rabbit and mayoral candidate from the future named BunnyLord. Run, jump, shoot, and cut your way through this white-knuckle campaign. Full lineup: LittleBigPlanet 3 // PS4 Not a Hero // PS4 Starwhal // PS3, cross buy with PS4 Anna — Extended Edition // PS3 Ninja Senki DX // PS Vita, cross buy with PS4 TorqueL // PS Vita, cross buy with PS4 A ton of gaming fun for such a short month. Enjoy! View the full article

Konnichiwa. This is Nicolas Doucet from Japan Studio. How are you all doing? First things first: Japan Studio and Team ASOBI would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year; one of happiness, harmony, well-being, and a good dose of gaming. To get off to a great start in 2017, we have a little gift for you! We added a brand new game to The Playroom VR and it’s available to download today. Best of all, it’s 100% free for all PS VR owners, so do make sure you grab it and give it a try. The name is Toy Wars. It’s a four-player, cooperative, tower defense style game set in a base under the bedroom of our hero. You must shoot and smash waves of enemies coming at you without the VR player getting hit a single time. And as with other games in The Playroom VR, you can play Toy Wars alone in VR or with up to three extra friends helping you on the television. The player wearing the VR headset has different goals and objectives to those playing on the TV. In Toy Wars, the main VR character is a classic action hero mounted on a swivel chair. The DualShock 4 turns into a Gatling gun so you can shoot the soft plastic bullets like crazy. The TV heroes are big chunky mechs, piloted by our classic VR Bots. Using the DualShock 4 controller, you can punch enemies to prevent them from reaching the VR player. Each TV hero has a unique devastating charge attack so you can find a playstyle that suits you best. The game begins in the heroes’ underground base located under the bedroom. As the mission begins, all heroes ride a cool elevator to ascend to the surface. We took inspiration from classic Japanese anime for this. That’s all from me! I shall leave and let you discover yourself more about Toy Wars. All you need to do is go get it from PlayStation Store! We hope you enjoy this new addition to The Playroom VR, and I hope to read your comments in the forum below! Sayonara, friends! View the full article

If you haven’t picked up PlayStation VR yet, we’ve got some good news – the PS VR bundle is making a return. This was available for pre-order before launch, but it’s hitting store shelves next week for $499 USD / $699 CAD (MSRP). Check your local retailers for availability. The PlayStation VR Bundle represents a great value, as it includes all of the following items: PlayStation VR headset PlayStation Camera Two PlayStation Move motion controllers PlayStation VR demo disc PlayStation VR Worlds Interested in the frightening adrenaline ride of Until Dawn: Rush of Blood? Well, even more good news – an exclusive PlayStation VR Until Dawn: Rush of Blood Bundle will be available at GameStop and EB Games. This bundle will become available later this month for $499 USD / $699 CAD (MSRP), and includes the following: PlayStation VR headset PlayStation Camera Two PlayStation Move motion controllers PlayStation VR demo disc Until Dawn: Rush of Blood It’s only been three months since we launched PS VR and the game lineup looks to be incredibly strong in 2017. I’m super excited about a few PS VR games in the year ahead, with Farpoint, Golem, Gran Turismo Sport, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin and Star Trek: Bridge Crew in my sights. Hope you all get a chance to pick up a PS VR headset and enjoy these for yourself. We love the PlayStation Nation’s passion for this platform and I can’t wait for what’s coming in 2017! View the full article

From the towering spires of Daggerfall to the darkest corners of Black Marsh, many of you have spent countless hours journeying through Tamriel in The Elder Scrolls Online. Now, we’re excited to reveal the biggest addition to ESO since the game launched on PS4 in 2015. The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind is a bold new Chapter that opens up a fabled location, with new quests and much more, on June 6. Fifteen years after Bethesda Game Studios redefined open-world RPGs with their iconic release of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, we’re sending you back to the fan-favorite island of Vvardenfell for more adventures in ancient mushroom forests and dusky volcanic landscapes. The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind introduces a massive new zone, a formidable new class, a new small-scale but high-intensity PvP mode, a mysterious new Trial (12-player dungeon), and more than 30 hours of main story quests. And the best part? This new content isn’t just for the most devoted ESO veterans. It’s for new ESO players, too! Unlike traditional MMO expansions, Morrowind doesn’t require you to have a high level character to enjoy the new content and features — new players can roll a fresh character in Vvardenfell and jump right in from level 1. But don’t worry, ESO vets. Your high-level characters are welcome. Utilizing the power of last year’s One Tamriel update, players of all levels will find appropriately scaled challenges from the moment they step foot in the new zone. So you can drop what you’re doing, head to Seyda Neen in Vvardenfell, and start the new content. It’s truly a new Chapter for everyone. Once you arrive in Vvardenfell, you’ll find even more of the gripping lore and compelling storylines you’ve come to expect from Skyrim and other Elder Scrolls games. This sweeping adventure is set 700 years prior to the events of The Elder Scrolls III, with Vvardenfell facing imminent obliteration. In order to save the world, you’ll need to befriend a legendary Morag Tong assassin to help Vivec, the fabled warrior-poet and Guardian of Vvardenfell, regain his strength and protect Morrowind from ultimate destruction. Here’s what else you can look forward to in the latest Chapter of ESO… Head Back to Vvardenfell, Our Biggest New Zone Yet With the same geographic footprint as The Elder Scrolls III, the island of Vvardenfell includes all key points of interest from the classic game. Players will visit legendary locales throughout Vvardenfell, from the docks of Seyda Neen to the volcanic Ashlands, to dense forests of towering mushrooms, all the way through to the wizard enclave of Sadrith Mora. Our First New Class: The Warden The Warden lets you harness nature-based magic and introduces a devastating new combat ally — the War Bear. As always, you’ll have the freedom to select skills to develop the Warden to your liking, enabling a variety of play styles. Set out with your fur-ocious War Bear and conquer the toughest challenges! Battlegrounds: A New Fast-Paced 4v4v4 PvP Mode Our new Battlegrounds PvP mode will introduce fast-moving, three-team battles in smaller, arena-like environments. ESO’s existing open-world PvP battles in Cyrodiil will remain, but now you can head to the Ashlands to showcase your close-quarter combat skills and declare yourself the greatest fighter in all of Tamriel! The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind will launch on June 6, 2017. You can pre-order the full game or the Upgrade right now on PlayStation Store to receive a package of great digital goodies in the pre-order bonus Discovery Pack. The game is also available in Collector’s Edition and Digital Collector’s Edition with more amazing rewards. For all of the details on all of the versions, head to the official site. We’re excited to return to Vvardenfell with all of our PS4 veterans, and we can’t wait to welcome all of the new players looking to join us for the next great Elder Scrolls adventure! View the full article

Hey again, PlayStation fans! Now that Resident Evil 7 biohazard is out, I’m sure plenty of you have spent hours upon hours playing the game. We’ve got great news for those of you itching for even more RE7 — the first pack of DLC called Banned Footage Vol. 1 is available today on PS4, and Banned Footage Vol. 2 is just around the corner. While the events of Resident Evil 7 biohazard make up Ethan’s story, the tapes in the two Banned Footage volumes provide backstory into other characters in the game. See what went on with another poor victim that might look familiar to you, and find out how the Bakers became the twisted family you see in RE7. Those of you who have played the Beginning Hour demo and watched the VHS tapes in RE7 will be familiar with Clancy, the hapless cameraman who joined the “Sewer Gators,†Pete and Andre, on their doomed visit to the Baker’s plantation house. Nightmare, one of the tapes in Banned Footage Vol. 1, explores what happens to Clancy soon after he’s separated from his team. Captured by Jack Baker and tossed into the basement, Clancy’s night of terror has only just begun. Surrounded by Molded, he must survive until daylight against an endless horde of enemies. Craft weapons and ammunition, set traps, and see if you have what it takes to survive until the sun rises. You’ll have to plan carefully; picking up scrap in the environment will allow you to craft more supplies, but resources are limited! There’s more to Clancy’s story in the second tape from Banned Footage Vol. 1. Waking up in an unfamiliar bedroom, Clancy is soon greeted by Marguerite, serving up a special and particularly grotesque-looking meal. If you know what the Bakers eat, you know you don’t want to touch the food she puts in front of you. In the fittingly-named Bedroom tape, search the room for hints on how to escape, solve puzzles, and seek a way out, all while ensuring that Marguerite doesn’t notice that you’ve been out of bed. You’ll only have so much time before she returns, so make sure that everything is exactly where it’s supposed to be — including Clancy. You won’t like the consequences if Marguerite notices something is amiss. That’s not quite all for Clancy, though — in Banned Footage Vol. 2, we see what it’s like for him to play a deadly game of cards hosted by none other than the maniacal Lucas Baker. 21 is deceptively simple at first, starting out as a game of blackjack, but quickly introducing disturbing twists where life and limb are on the line. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and as the game goes on, new wrinkles are added in the form of trump cards that you can play to improve Clancy’s odds at the cost of his opponent — though you’ll have to be careful, as the opponent has their own set of trump cards, too. If Clancy is lucky, you can help him make it out of this mess — if he’ll make it out all in one piece, however, is a different matter. There’s one more tape included in Banned Footage Vol. 2 that looks at a separate set of events related to the Bakers. Daughters returns to the night when everything began, long before Ethan ever arrived at the mansion in Dulvey, Louisiana, and explores the backstory of Resident Evil 7 biohazard. Chronicling the events that lead to the Baker’s descent into madness, this tape is best played after you’ve completed the main game, as it helps provide additional context to who the Bakers are and how they ended up the way you see them in RE7. On top of all that, both Banned Footage Vol. 1 and Banned Footage Vol. 2 will each have an extra mode, unique from the main story and events of Resident Evil 7 biohazard. In Banned Footage Vol. 1, gain access to Ethan Must Die, an infinitely replayable mode that changes each time you play it thanks to randomized item drops. Designed with hardcore players in mind, dying means starting over from the beginning, but don’t lose hope just yet — randomized drops might give you the edge you need, and finding where you last died will grant you one of the items you lost. Learning where enemies spawn and where to go is key, so prepare for a tough but rewarding adventure through the Baker’s mansion! It’s Jack’s 55th Birthday! There’s nothing quite like a big birthday bash, and that’s exactly what you’ll get in this extra mode in Banned Footage Vol. 2. Old Jack isn’t much for presents, but he sure does love a good meal! Grab some weapons and skills, then scour various sections of the Baker mansion as you race against the clock to find food for Jack while simultaneously taking out enemies to temporarily stop the timer. You’ll need all the firepower you can get, but the more weapons and skills you carry, the less room you’ll have for food! Make sure you combine the food you pick up to make some powerful food combos to satisfy Jack’s hunger that much faster, too. Faster completion times earn higher grades and more rewards, and also grant you access to even more challenging maps in this highly replayable mode. (Note: Ethan Must Die and Jack’s 55 Birthday aren’t compatible with PS VR.) All in all, there’s plenty on the way with Banned Footage Vol. 1 (available today) and Banned Footage Vol. 2 (available February 14). Each pack includes two tapes and an extra mode, all included with the Deluxe Edition or Season Pass, or available for purchase separately at $9.99 for Vol. 1 and $14.99 for Vol 2. Plus, a third DLC pack is also included with the Deluxe Edition and Season Pass, which we’ll have details on at a later date. And don’t forget, Not A Hero, a free story DLC separate from the events of Resident Evil 7 biohazard, is coming this Spring! View the full article

Today the Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare universe becomes even vaster as Sabotage, our first downloadable content of the season, launches first on PS4. We’re thrilled with the variety and scope of what we’re offering in Sabotage. Our team worked extremely hard to create new multiplayer maps and a new chapter of the zombies co-op experience which is fresh and engaging, but, above all, something that’s enjoyable and exciting for everyone who plays. For the maps, we took one classic, beloved map, Afghan from Modern Warfare 2, reimagined it on Mars, packaged it up with three unique takes representing present, future, and virtual cities to create some of our most fun and community influenced maps ever. In addition to those maps, our four heroes from Zombies in Spaceland have been pulled into the next macabre nightmare from the mind of enigmatic director Willard Wyler. In case you missed it, here’s the launch trailer for the latest Wyler horror film: Raver zombies? Word. A wood chipper? You betcha. But, whoa, Kevin Smith? Yep, he’s in our DLC metaphorically bringing you lasagna at work. Major pop culture points to anyone who gets that reference without using a search engine. Kevin plays himself, with a few twists and turns, in our totally wicked new Zombies co-op DLC, Rave in the Redwoods. If you haven’t heard from The Scout yet about our four new DLC maps be sure to follow the Call of Duty Instagram channel for a little recon that was conducted for all four maps. You can find more intel by watching the trailer below — or you can simply get Sabotage now to perform your own recon. To see the DLC in action, be sure to tune in to our zombies launch livestream today, January 31 at 1pm PST featuring director Kevin Smith and our Associate Project Director on zombies, Lee Ross. Check it out here. And, we’ve asked our buddy Hike the Gamer to play the new multiplayer maps with NFL players Golden Tate and Joey Bosa, in Houston during the Super Bowl festivities, tomorrow, February 1 at 11am PST. They’ll be streaming live on YouTube. Want to save some cheddar on this glorious content? Purchase the Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Season Pass for immediate access to Sabotage, and all future DLC packs. If you’re still not in on all this awesome action our Digital Deluxe Edition is available and is packed with amazing content. Sabotage is available now, first on PlayStation. Go yoink it before anyone else. See you out there, soldiers! View the full article

Ever since Horizon’s debut at PlayStation’s E3 2015 Showcase, Guerrilla Games has been steadily working towards its vision of a sprawling open-world action RPG set in a futuristic Earth ruled by towering machines. Now that I’ve played the game, we’re seeing just how deep that RPG rabbit hole goes. And the answer is, pretty damned deep. In picking up the controller, I was pleased to find a well-rounded crafting and equipment modification system, something we’ve only glimpsed in earlier looks at the game. By harvesting technology from downed machines, and looting or purchasing rare upgrade parts, I was able to customize a stealthier, more powerful Aloy that specialized in hit-and-run attacks and fire arrows. A quick word about Horizon’s combat: it feels tight, responsive, and satisfying. Open-world games don’t always pack a visceral crunch, but I’m happy to report that Guerrilla has done their homework here. One-shotting a Watcher by drilling a well-paced arrow through its glass eye sent a shiver down my spine every single time. It’s a testament to Guerrilla’s long history in the FPS genre, and the tactile combat expands the game’s overall appeal immensely. I was also heartened by the game’s colorful arsenal, which stands out amidst the me-too assault rifles and shotguns of so many other action games. In addition to Aloy’s iconic bow and arrow, I laid electrified tripwires, fired ropes to immobilize targets, and wielded a slingshot that launched powerful firebombs. These weapons all felt fresh, fun, and strategic, setting the stage for interesting emergent combat encounters. I upgraded my weapons with mods that bestowed increased power, fire damage, and a stat called “Tear†that increases the odds Aloy’s attacks will knock valuable components from her mechanized enemies. And I harnessed specialized ammunition, from fire and shock arrows to ice bombs and more. Plenty to dig into there. The game’s open-world RPG bonafides were on full display, too — NPCs doled out missions, merchants bought and sold gear, side quests speckled the expansive world map. I was surprised to discover a robust skill tree setup, which allowed me to further customize Aloy across three main pillars focusing on stealth, combat, and survival abilities. Another surprise: early in the game, Aloy unearths a high-tech relic that can scan enemies, provide environmental information, and mark targets using a holographic-AR interface. The device, referred to as a “Focus,†can also download audio files from ancient high-tech ruins. These narrative bits provide players a bit of morbid context into humanity’s final days at the top of the food chain – I’m curious to see what we’ll find in the final game. One moment that stood out particularly: jumping on and scaling the majestic Tallneck, an experience that evoked PS2 classic Shadow of the Colossus. They’re not just there for the view, either; the numerous tallnecks around the game world are constantly roaming and collecting terrain data. When Aloy overrides a Tallneck, she reveals a large swathe of the in-game map and unlocks points of interest the player might have otherwise missed. It’s a fun and rewarding mechanic that folds neatly into the world lore. I’m interested to learn more about Cauldrons, high-level underground facilities that seem to serve as a breeding ground for the machines. Didn’t get much time to experience them, though they seem to be large. Given Guerrilla’s well-known technical chops, it’s no surprise that Horizon is a feast for the eyes, serving up some of the finest visuals seen yet on PS4. Meanwhile, the PS4 Pro dynamic 4K presentation looked stunning, and appeared to be even more refined than its previous appearance during PS4 Pro’s September announce. All in all, the game is looking promising, with a bit of something for everyone. Horizon is clearly Guerrilla’s most ambitious game – will it be its best as well? We’ll find out come February 28. View the full article

Get ready to dive headfirst into the mysterious and paranormal world of the Psychonauts for the first time in more than ten years, because Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is coming out on February 21, exclusively for PlayStation VR! This is not Psychonauts 2; it’s a standalone chapter of the Psychonauts saga — a mind-bending adventure puzzle game made from the ground up for VR that will chronicle the events between the first Psychonauts and its forthcoming sequel. You’ll assume the role of Raz, an intrepid young psychic and now fully fledged member of the Psychonauts — an elite group of international psychic secret agents! You’ll see through Raz’s eyes in first person, using his various psychic powers to affect the world, and solve puzzles: the power of Clairvoyance will allow you to see through the eyes of others and explore the environment, while other abilities such as Telekinesis and Pyrokinesis allow you to move things around with the power of your mind… or just set them on fire. The story picks up exactly where it left off at the end of Psychonauts, with Raz, Lili, Sasha, Milla, and Coach Oleander flying off to rescue Truman Zannotto, the Grand Head of the Psychonauts. Their mission takes them straight into the heart of the Rhombus of Ruin — a mysterious part of the ocean as deadly as two Bermuda Triangles back to back! When the rescue party itself is kidnapped and held prisoner in the Rhombus, Raz is immobilized and must use only his psychic powers to reunite his friends, reveal the identity of the mysterious kidnapper, and free Truman before the madness of the Rhombus consumes all their minds! Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin was designed to be as fun for long time fans as it is for people new to the franchise, so if you’ve never played Psychonauts before that won’t be a problem. You do have time to check it out before this installment arrives though, the original Psychonauts is available now for PS4 as a PS2 Classic! It’s hard to convey what a VR game will be like with just 2D screenshots, so we thought we’d try our hand at a fancy “3D screenshot.†These 3D video clips allow you to pan around 360 degrees and experience the world of Rhombus of Ruin first hand. Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is out on Feb 21! View the full article

Subscribe via iTunes, Google or RSS, or download here The gang’s all here! Well, two of them anyway. That’s right, this week’s show sees Ryan and Justin at the reins, which means there’s nobody to stop them from talking about Final Fantasy for an hour straight! Except they don’t do that, because that wouldn’t make for a great show. Come for an interview with Ubisoft about Ghost Recon Wildlands, stay for Justin recounting his recent adventures in Japan. Stuff We Talked About Ghost Recon Wildlands Yakuza 0 Resident Evil 7 in PS VR Final Fantasy XIV Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Catchiest gaming melodies Justin’s adventures in Japan Recent Episodes 234: Demolition Men 233: Seven Bridges Rohde 232: Adventures in VR The Cast Justin Massongill – Social Media Manager, SIEA Ryan Clements – Sr. Social Media Specialist, SIEA Send us questions and tips! blogcast@sony.com Leave us a voicemail! (650) 288-6706 Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] View the full article

An everyday life comes crashing to a halt when one man discovers an unimaginable secret. Sci-fi thriller Divide launches next week on PS4, and reality will never be the same. Inspired by isometric adventures of the past, Divide follows one man through the sprawling metallic labyrinths and hidden networks of the mighty Vestige Corporation. Sneak through undetected, or outsmart your enemies with careful hacks. But be warned: every encounter with the enemy forces could be your last, thanks to an unforgiving combat system. Will you find the truth? For a full list of new games launching next week, read on. And enjoy the Drop! New Releases: Week of January 31, 2017 Abzu PS4 — Retail Dive into a majestic underwater adventure! From the artistic mind behind Journey and Flower, Abzu is a beautiful underwater adventure that evokes the dream of diving. Immerse yourself in a vibrant ocean world full of mystery and bursting with color and life. Adventure Pop PS4 — Digital Embark on an epic adventure in this all-new, super-explosive bubble shooter! Ready your cannon, aim the bubbles, and fire away to burst through Adventure Pop! Dexed PS VR — Digital From Ninja Theory, creators of Heavenly Sword and DmC: Devil May Cry comes Dexed, an on-rails VR shooter where dexterity is a must. Target and shoot flurries of enemies with two blasters, one launching ice to destroy fire and the other shooting fire to destroy ice. Journey through beautifully realized worlds and hone your skills in Challenge Mode before taking on the endless battle of Arcade Mode. Digimon World: Next Order PS4 — Digital, Retail Welcome back to the Digital World! An all new adventure and story await! The Digital world is in despair. Machinedramons are running rampant and causing utter chaos… the Digital World needs your help! Recruit faithful Digimon companions and meet friends along the way to help you on this epic journey. Divide PS4 — Digital Divide is a science fiction dungeon crawl. Power up derelict complexes, unlock jammed doors, and delve into long abandoned computer networks as you dust off the secrets of the mighty Vestige Corporation. Players explore expansive isometric environments and stroll through deep matte paintings that bring Divide’s world to life. Double Dragon 4 PS4 — Digital (Out 1/30) The next entry in the side-scrolling action game series Double Dragon is finally here! The story picks up after the elimination of the Shadow Warriors in Double Dragon II. Experience all-new exhilarating action with the original old-school graphics! Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers PS4, PS Vita — Digital The Three Kingdoms story that was never told. A simulation RPG set in the world of the Dynasty Warriors series, starring the youthful Zhao Yun, famous for his loyalty to duty and his sincerity, and depicting alternate stories like that told in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Geki Yaba Runner PS Vita — Digital Transform your moustached hero into a raging force of destruction or a super speedy gnome to overcome Gekiyaba’s toughest obstacles to face the ultimate challenge. Can you overcome every hurdle to save the princess in peril? Hand of Fate Deluxe Edition PS4 — Digital Deckbuilding comes to life in Hand of Fate! An infinitely replayable series of quests — earn new cards, build your deck, then try to defeat it. Draw your cards, play your hand, and discover your fate. The Hand of Fate Deluxe Edition includes the original game plus the Wildcards DLC and the Murder at Sea update. Hitman: The Complete First Season PS4 — Digital, Retail Featuring all of the Season One locations and episodes from the Prologue, Paris, Sapienza, Marrakesh, Bangkok, Colorado, and Hokkaido. As Agent 47, you will perform contract hits on powerful, high-profile targets in an intense spy-thriller story across a world of assassination. Kill the Bad Guy PS4 — Digital As part of a secret and mysterious society whose members have sworn to rid the world of Bad Guys, it’s your responsibility to serve justice in the bloodiest possible way. Track the Bad Guys, be brutal and smart in your planning, and eliminate them one by one. Knee Deep PS4 — Digital When a washed-up actor hangs himself on location, a spotlight is cast on the backwater Florida town of Cypress Knee. Knee Deep is a crime thriller where choices matter as you investigate this mysterious suicide. Use your skills of observation, deduction, and cleverness to pull back the curtain and reveal the true story behind a swampland conspiracy. Linelight PS4 — Digital Linelight is an elegant, minimalist puzzle game where everything takes place on lines. Its zen-inducing music and visuals simulate the experience of getting an A+ on a super hard test while receiving a back massage. The controls are irreducibly simple: move. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 2/3) Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto concludes the Ultimate Ninja Storm series and collects all of the DLC content packs for Storm 4 and previously exclusive pre-order bonuses! Not only will players get the Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 game and content packs, they will also get an all-new adventure Road to Boruto, which contains many new hours of gameplay focusing on the son of Naruto. Big Sean – I Decided MUNA – About U Young Dolph – Gelato Arrival (2016) Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween Adventure Time Islands Part 1- January 30 at 7:30/6:30c (Cartoon Network) Hack My Life- January 31 at 10/9c (truTV) The Expanse- February 1 at 10/9c (Syfy) The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

Hello to all PlayStation gamers! This is Fran Mead from Ninja Theory to let you know that our VR shooter Dexed will be available soon for PlayStation VR! At its heart, Dexed is an on-rails VR shooter inspired by games like Panzer Dragoon where you wield dual blasters of fire and ice, taking down enemies whilst journeying through elegant and vibrant worlds. Ice enemies can only be damaged by fire, and vice versa, making this game a true test of your dexterity (see what we did there?). You can also tag multiple enemies to perform skilful combos, which will increase your score multiplier. If you feel you’re up to the challenge, there is the endless Arcade Mode, where you will be bombarded by enemies in an arena. Keep your shields up, protect your health bar and watch out for the dangerous detonating enemies. The truly dexterous will emerge champions of the global and friends leaderboard! You may also explore the lush and colourful environments of Dexed at your leisure in our Zen Mode. Sit back and relax whilst we take you on a tour of each of our Challenge Mode levels, free of enemies and distractions. Dexed encompasses what we love most in video games and what we strive to accomplish in our own games, namely a unique art vision combined with ninja-class gameplay. Dexed will be available for PlayStation VR on January 31 for $9.99 in the US. View the full article