Commander Fury

Grinding Gear Games is proud to announce Path of Exile: Blight! Set to launch on September 9, Blight is the latest in Path of Exile‘s quarterly expansion updates. Each expansion introduces a new challenge league, powerful items, skill gems, a shake-up of Path of Exile’s playstyle meta and much, much more. In Path of Exile: Blight, dangerous fungal growths have begun appearing across the cursed continent of Wraeclast, threatening man and beast alike. With the help of the new NPC Sister Cassia, you are tasked with destroying these growths. Cassia has built a specialised pump for the job, but as her pump siphons the toxic fungal ichors, monsters of all shapes and sizes emerge to defend the Blight. These fiends are particularly hardy. Luckily, Cassia has designed a range of towers to help protect her pump, which you can deploy. Blight combines the fast, frantic action of Path of Exile’s combat with the strategic fun of tower defense games. To successfully defeat the Blight, you need to make decisions on the fly, stay aware of your surroundings, and plan for what may lay ahead. Successfully defending Cassia’s pump rewards you with valuable weapons and armour, and special oils which Cassia can use to anoint your rings and amulets with powerful enchantments. Alongside the tower defense gameplay of Blight comes a bumper-crop of new skills, items and balance changes. This update provides significant balance improvements to the Necromancer archetype, with new defensive options like the Meat Shield Skill Gem, Support Gems which augment the AI of your minions (making them more aggressive or defensive) updates to existing minion-themed items, and an overhaul of the Necromancer Ascendancy class. The Poison Assassin archetype is receiving similar attention, with five new Skill Gems that greatly broaden the gameplay options for players who like to inflict agonising poisons on their foes. The new Elusive mechanic, found on the Assassin Ascendancy class, adds more mobility for a class that likes to get in, get the job done, and get out. Likewise, the Mine Saboteur archetype will soon have access to a set of new Mine Skill and Support gems, with existing Mine gems undergoing significant rebalancing to make the Mine playstyle feel more tactical and tactile. The Saboteur Ascendancy, too, has seen improvements. For those of you who play Action RPGs for that sweet, sweet loot, we are, of course, adding potent new unique items, divination cards, and, with Cassia’s anointing, an avenue to augment items in powerful new ways (including the ability to add any Passive Skill Tree notable to your amulet!). One of the core design philosophies of Path of Exile is to allow players to play the way they want to play. To that end, we’re changing the way Master Missions are dealt out in Path of Exile’s endgame, the Atlas of Worlds. Where once you had to actively pursue a Master Mission, or permanently miss out, you’ll now be able to accumulate these Missions over time, being able to then play them at your own pace and on which ever endgame Map areas you’d like! As with every Path of Exile update, all of these additions, as well as everything in the core game, is 100% free to play. The Blight League will last for approximately three months, and features a fresh game economy. The start of a new League is the most exciting time to play Path of Exile, with thousands of players racing to be the first to discover everything the new league has to offer, so we hope you’ll join us when Blight launches on September 9! View the full article

I’m Hannah Nicklin, Writer and Narrative Designer at Die Gute Fabrik. Earlier this year we were delighted to announce Mutazione to you via our GDC Teaser Trailer. As we get closer to announcing our launch date, we wanted to give you an insight into one of the really special mechanics at the heart of Mutazione, as well as some exclusive new footage, right here: Magical Musical Gardens In the game you play as Kai as she travels to the strange and secretive community of Mutazione to visit her ailing Grandfather, Nonno. There’s lots you can do each day: run around the village, choose who you want to talk to, and explore your way through an in-game week of small-town drama and scenic hangout spots. But as you nurse your grandfather back to health, you begin to unravel long-kept secrets, and come to discover that Nonno has had plans to pass on his strange shamanistic practices to you… In Mutazione, you see, if you have the right training and aptitude, you can hear the plants grow. Nonno will teach you how to speed up plant growth, and guide you through the process of understanding how to compose gardens in a way which will enable them to flourish. Singing Seeds There are dozens of plants you can collect seeds from, both in the wild and from characters. And a plant encyclopedia where you can read more about their qualities. Every single plant in the game has its own ‘instrument’ – a specific set of sounds and melodies it plays when you plant it in a garden. As you compose a garden, you will also be able to customise your own generative ambient musical composition. The musical gardens were composed and designed by Alessandro Coronas, who was primarily inspired by nature. The team also drew influence from ambient music, especially Brian Eno’s classic album Music For Airports. We wanted to make a story-driven adventure game where players would also be able to express themselves creatively. The plants feature a mix of synthesized audio and recordings of real instruments (e.g. guitars, strings). Different plant families play in different harmonic keys, so you’ll experience a variety of moods, textures, and emotions, from melancholic orchestral instruments in a minor key, to tranquil acoustic guitars in a major key. You can engage with the gardens as much or as little as you like, sometimes you might like to move on with the story, but you can always return to and adjust them, and if you want some background music while you take a break from the story in the game, just sit in ‘listen’ mode, and enjoy your unique ambient composition. We can’t wait for you to play the game, and are looking forward to announcing our release date in the near future, when we will also introduce you to the ensemble cast of loveable mutants you’ll befriend as you play the game. Look out for news leading up to launch, and if you’re at PAX West, check us out as part of the Indie MEGABooth, or at the Indie Forest and The MIX Seattle events. View the full article

Hi PlayStation fans! I’m Elyse and I’m the Art Lead for ReadySet Heroes at Robot Entertainment. I’m happy to announce that ReadySet Heroes will launching October 1st on both the PlayStation 4 system and PC. You can pre-order the game now and score some fun content, which we’ll detail later in this post. I can’t wait for you all to play and I’m excited to share more about the world of ReadySet Heroes and the characters that inhabit it. We created a rich fantasy realm in which you will encounter harrowing enemies, and challenging puzzles all designed to test your skills to prove yourself as a true champion. Our Heroes Every game needs heroes, and we wanted to create a diverse lineup of charming characters for players to choose from. There are ten playable heroes*, each with a unique personality. Each have journeyed from their home to compete in the trials in hopes of becoming a champion. Players will start with 5 heroes to choose from. Players must complete certain challenges to unlock the remaining 5 heroes. I’d like to introduce you to a few of my personal favorites and talk about how we approached their designs. Tuck Tuck the badger is courageous, confident and adventurous, and was the first hero we created for the game. We explored many ideas of how to translate a badger’s characteristics into his design, which set the tone for the rest of the heroes. To achieve a more stylized aesthetic we choose to simplify the texture and pattern of his fur into similar shapes that would read well from the in game camera distance. Dixie Dixie the rabbit is brave, funny, and a bit of a tomboy. A rabbit felt like a perfect fit for her energetic personality, and her giant ears and wide feet add a fun element to her silhouette. Ollie Ollie the lizard is a novice warrior, often clumsy and always good humored. Concepting a lizard was a good opportunity to add a splash of bright color to the hero lineup. It was a lot of fun to come up with the patterning of his spots and stripes! Willow Willow the woodpecker is a sharp witted, serious competitor, with a mysterious nature. Adding a bird hero created an opportunity for the animators to have some fun in creating her animations. Check out how she glides into the scene and shows off that distinctly bird-like twitch in her movements. Under the Hood When deciding how to approach the character designs, animal heroes felt like a great fit for the world we wanted. It created an opportunity to explore which animals would make for great heroes, but also created some additional technical challenges for the team to consider. The biggest of these was how to achieve visual variation in size and proportion while working on a shared skeleton for the animations. We explored various styles for the characters as shown below to work out which look would work with shared sets of animations, while still allowing for some variation between animal types. On the design side, the heroes also have very limited differences to their starting stats like speed, and attack, so we wanted to be careful to not imply those differences were greater by changing the size and proportions of the animals too drastically. The Enemies What would a trial be without enemies, and ReadySet features a lot! During the dungeon crawl portion of the game, players journey through a variety of different worlds which each feature a unique set of adversaries. The artists and designers worked closely together to come up with enemies which are both visually amusing and challenging to encounter. When concepting these enemies our process was very organic to facilitate more creativity. The design team would meet with the concept artists to discuss their initial thoughts on what type of creatures fit well with each world. From there the artists came up with a number of sketches for enemies that could fit with the gameplay mechanics the designers had envisioned. Let’s take a look at a few of these enemies that you’ll encounter. The Woodland Sprout These little fellas may be small, but they’re just as spunky and determined. We tried out a number of various color schemes for them before landing on the pink and green combo marking them as denizens of the forest them reside in. You will rarely find one alone, and while they are not among the stronger foes their spear attacks can be a true challenge when they group up. The Skelly The Skelly is exactly who you don’t want to discover walking around a graveyard at night. They were one of the first enemies to be concepted and help to set the style of the rest of the enemies with the exaggerated proportions of their heads and bodies. These foes will wander until they spot you then unleash a slashing attack with their broadsword. The Lava Turtle Lava Turtles are not the swiftest of beasts but be careful to not get in their way or you will find yourself set ablaze. They can be found roaming the paths of the cave world and will attack if you get too close. Their hard shell means they are tougher to defeat than they would otherwise appear. The Slime Knight The Slime Knight is a great example of how we approached enemy design. The designers requested a larger character who was slow but extremely powerful. An armor suited enemy fitted well with the type of beast you’d find roaming the castle halls. To add an extra twist the concept artist came up with the idea of the purple slimes we had already created for the Castle to “possess” the armor, leading to the Slime Knight you see today. Do not make the mistake of underestimating them as one swing from their mace inflicts a large amount of damage. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed learning more about the characters of ReadySet Heroes, and will be thinking about which hero you want to main – I’m calling Ollie now! There are many more characters to discover including some epic bosses to battle, so be ready for more to come. Starting today, if you pre-order you can score a lot of exclusive goodies we created only for PlayStation players, including our digital soundtrack, and a special skin and crown that your champion can wear online and offline. You’ll notice the classic PlayStation symbols on the crown and the signature PlayStation blue outfit. On top of that, you will instantly get 10 PSN Avatars of our heroes and a theme to decorate your PlayStation 4 system. View the full article

Celebrated game director Hideo Kojima appeared at gamescom this week to wow fans with not just one, but three new clips for the highly anticipated game he is developing, Death Stranding. The videos offered spotlights on familiar characters and introduced new in-game footage, giving fans more insight into what to expect along Sam Bridges’ journey to reconnect a fractured society and save mankind. The first clip revealed the more playful side to Sam’s mission, and featured a cameo by The Games Awards creator, Geoff Keighley. Check it out below. Play Video Play Video The new footage is a brief introduction to traversal, delivery and character interactions as Sam scales a mountainside to deliver supplies to an isolated prepper. The second clip reintroduced fans to another character integral in Sam’s journey: Deadman, and provided more details about Sam’s mysterious B.B. unit. Play Video Play Video As a BRIDGES member, Deadman knows the ways of the living—and the dead. During the scene, he explains more about the background of B.B.s (Bridge Babies) and their role in Sam’s mission. The final clip released at gamescom focused on another BRIDGES member, Mama. Play Video Play Video Through their first face-to-face meetup, Sam learns of Mama’s tragic connection to BTs. You can pre-order the Death Stranding Special Edition ($69.99 USD MSRP) today. In addition, the Death Stranding Collector’s Edition ($199.99 USD MSRP) is available to pre-order again while supplies last. There are less than 3 months until the November 8th release of Death Stranding. Follow our official PlayStation channels so you don’t miss a thing about the upcoming game in the days leading up to launch. View the full article

I’m fresh from an enjoyable hands-on session with MediEvil, the 1998 PlayStation classic that’s been given a new lease on life with a full PS4 remake. The Gamescom demo had me battle my way through the remake’s opening levels, tackling the undead across cemeteries and exploring the Hilltop Mausoleum. My time resulted in a few surprising discoveries that will please newcomers and veteran adventurers. Here’s what you need to know about this new-look MediEvil. Left: Original game // Right: PS4 remaster What newcomers need to know 1. It’s got a hint of Dark Souls in its design One of the biggest surprises is how MediEvil feels like Dark Souls… despite it releasing over a decade before From Software’s challenging fantasy epic. Realization dawns once you’re past the tutorial-like crypt and its surrounding graveyard. For one, MediEvil’s levels are compact labyrinths packed with secrets and shortcuts.Secondly,the game is tough. This is no brainless hack and slash romp: single enemies can do considerable damage, while mobs can quickly send the unwary back to the grave. Comparisons continue the further you explore. You need to discover or unlock new weapons first to expand your arsenal. Some of these will degrade and break in time (such as shields and clubs) or be in limited supply (throwing daggers, crossbow arrows). Combine that with some seriously challenging level design, such as a taxing climb up to Hilltop Mausoleum dodging mammoth boulders (or blocking them with a shield) and elaborate, oversized boss fights and you can’t help but be reminded of Dark Souls. Though Dark Souls was never this irreverent. For From Software fans or even anyone curious about gaming’s often knotted genealogy, MediEvil presents a unique opportunity to experience an early, alternative take on a now-revered game design style. Left: Original game // Right: PS4 remaster 2. You play a resurrected legendary knight with a score to settle… The game’s backstory is the same in 2019 as it was in 1998. You play as the newly-resurrected Sir Dan Fortesque, formerly a noble knight who, after 100 years resting in his crypt, is little more than a skeleton in a suit of armour. But with a strong sword arm and a growing arsenal of weapons, he sets forth to battle evil and save his kingdom once more. Left: Original game // Right: PS4 remaster 3. …but you’re not the hero your legend makes you out to be History remembers Sir Dan Fortesque as the legendary knight who defeated the evil sorcerer Lord Zarok a hundred years ago. The reality is less impressive: Dan was arrow fodder, the first slain during a charge across the battlefield. As a result, Dan was never able to ascend to the Hall of Heroes (MediEvil’s version of Vahalla). His surprise resurrection is a chance to live up to his legend and secure a spot amongst Gallowmere’s greats. Left: Original game // Right: PS4 remaster What series veterans need to know 1. Much of the original game remains intact The rebuild leaves the undead heart of the 1998 original – with its melee-heavy combat, secret-packed levels and macabre humor – intact. Instead, the focus for Other Ocean, the studio charged with resurrecting the third person action adventure for modern day audiences, has been mostly cosmetic. This PS4 remake overhauls the horror-themed visual style but retains its Tim Burton-esque personality. It rightly refuses to tinker with the original level design, yet isn’t afraid to add the occasional, but welcome, flourish. The world map has a new look, for example, while the Hall of Heroes, a hub world in which Sir Dan is bequeathed weapon upgrades from Gallowmere’s other legendary warriors, has been furnished with additional lore. Left: Original game // Right: PS4 remaster 2. The voice work is a mix of returning heroes, classic takes and new voices It’s tough to chinwag when you’ve no jaw. But Jason Wilson (who also penned MediEvil’s story) admirably managed to capture the ragged rasps of a mouthless Sir Dan Forteseque, making it fun rather than horrible. So there is no-one better to capture Dan’s personality for this PS4 remake, with Wilson re-recording all his dialogue. Elsewhere, the game retains the original high-res audio of its supporting cast. For example, the numerous stone gargoyles creakingly intone advice to the curious just as they did back in 1998. But there are also fresh additions to the voice cast, such as the game’s new narrator, portrayed by voice actress Lani Minella. (Soul Calibur VI, God of War, XCOM 2) Left: Original game // Right: PS4 remaster 3. The original soundtrack has been lovingly re-recorded Rightly, the classic score hasn’t been tampered with. Instead, it’s been enriched. The PS4 remake replaces the orchestral synth sound of the original with the real thing, with the Danny Elfman-inspired score re-recorded by the Prague Symphony Orchestra. Overseeing its production? Composer duo Bob&Barn, who wrote and produced the original soundtrack. Regardless of whether you missed MediEvil when it first released on the original PlayStation, or you’ve fond memories of playing hero saving Gallowmere from the clutches of an evil sorcerer, there are plenty of reasons to pick up your controller and enjoy the upcoming PS4 remake of the returning action adventure this Halloween. Want more? Don’t miss this behind the scenes look at how the game was created! View the full article

Ever since we announced Final Fantasy VIII Remastered at E3, fans have been wondering… when will it be out? The answer is… September 3, 2019. Yes, it’s that soon! We’re delighted to see this classic title come to life like never before with enhanced visuals and a bevy of improvements to make your journey even more pleasant. Be ready to jump in with Squall, Rinoa, and friends on day one. Pre-order Final Fantasy VIII Remastered on PlayStation 4 and get a Final Fantasy VIII Static Theme! What is Final Fantasy VIII Remastered? Final Fantasy VIII Remastered tells an epic and emotional story about war and love. The militarized nation of Galbadia has formed an alliance with the Sorceress Edea in a bid for world conquest. Amid the conflict, Squall Leonhart and a group of fellow students from Balamb Garden’s mercenary force, SeeD, head into the conflict. Together with his friends, Squall joins Rinoa Heartilly, a member of a resistance group, on an adventure that holds the fate of their world in its balance. Pre-order at PlayStation Store This Remastered edition of the game enhances the original adventure with some cool new features: Enhanced visuals: Several characters, enemies, GF, and objects have been refined to look better than ever before. Battle Assist: Activate this booster to max out HP and ATB bars – and trigger Limit Breaks at any time. You will lose all HP when you get hit by a critical attack that gives more damage than your HP, or by lethal damage. No encounters: Want to explore without fear of attack? Activate this option to turn off random encounters. Event battles must still be done in order to advance the story. 3x speed boost: Accelerates time by a factor of three – perfect if you want to speed through easy battles or get somewhere in a hurry. This feature will not apply to certain scenes including movies. For more information on Final Fantasy games, and the latest news on Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, stay tuned to PS Blog and Final Fantasy’s social media channels. View the full article

Are you ready to burn all limits? You’d better be because there’s no prize for second place in Need for Speed Heat – the upcoming title in the long-running racing series. From expressive customization to authentic urban car culture, this adrenaline-fueled game’s got it all. And you’ll be able to put the pedal down starting November 8, 2019. Or get early access on November 5 with EA Access. The Temperature’s Rising Welcome to Palm City, a street racer’s dream. This vibrant urban landscape is yours to explore and to dominate – if you’re up to the challenge. By day you can take part in the Speedhunters Showdown, totally legit and aboveboard racing events that draw in some of the world’s top drivers. If you’ve got the will and the skill you’ll earn plenty of Bank in high-stakes race, drift, and off-road events. Fill your garage with customizable dream cars and assemble your crew – ‘cause when night falls you’re going to need them. When the sun sets and the neon buzzes to life you can earn Rep in illicit street races, but you’d better watch your back. The thin blue line gets even thinner in the dark, and the cops you meet on the night shift are hunting you, your ride, and your freedom. Of course, with greater risks come greater rewards like unique high-end parts for your car. The tricky part will be outrunning a gauntlet of predatory cops to make it back to your garage with them. But What About the Cars? Need for Speed Heat lets you get behind the wheel of some of the world’s top-performing cars, and almost every one of them can be customized to match your personal style. You probably spotted the Polestar 1 in the trailer, but here and a few more of the newest rides you’ll be able to customize and tweak to your heart’s desire: Mitsubishi Evolution X Ferrari 488 Nissan 350Z Looking for something a little more classic? Don’t worry, this game’s got you covered with cars like the elegant 1989 Lamborghini Countach, and many, many more. We’re just scratching the surface of the gamut of incredible, high-performance street machines waiting for you in Need for Speed Heat. But even better? This game gives you more options for setting up your rides exactly the way you want them. From paint jobs to handling style, it’s all about you – your taste, your playstyle. The customizations don’t stop there; you can make your babies purr like kittens or roar like tigers with the right exhaust systems. And, for the first time ever in a Need for Speed game, you can swap engines to boost nearly every car in the game to the highest rating! Stay Tuned There’s way more to tell you about Need for Speed Heat in the coming weeks, including detailed info on the companion app, Need for Speed Heat Studio. The mobile app will let you customize your favorite rides for Need for Speed Heat before launch day. Then you’ll be able to apply your creations in-game to any unlocked base model and rip up the streets in style when the game launches in November. Look for more news, updates, and announcements coming your way during gamescom 2019. View the full article

No need to wait until Call of Duty: Modern Warfare launches this fall to try the intense new Gunfight Mode. PlayStation 4 users can deploy into a free Alpha for the 2v2 mode from August 23 to 25. Anyone with a PS4 and an internet connection can access the Alpha and play (no PS Plus membership required). The Alpha includes five close-quarters maps, including two never-before-played locales: Docks and Speedball. Prepare yourself with a Gunfight Mode overview and tips. We competed in several heated matches during a recent Modern Warfare hands-on event and walked away with helpful tactics. Gunfight Mode Overview Unlike Modern Warfare’s core Multiplayer experience – which is all about insanely deep weapon customization – Gunfight Mode is about adapting to unpredictable loadouts in intimate 2v2 maps. It’s a refreshing, intense contrast that enriches the overall package. The goal is simple: First team to win five rounds secures victory. The catch is each team begins a given round with a “random” weapon loadout. Infinity Ward has curated a wide range of loadouts, from pistol and rocket launcher combos to scoped shotguns. You never know what you’re going to get, so quick thinking and fast reflexes are rewarded. The opposing team starts with the same loadout, which makes predicting enemy strategies crucial. Experienced Call of Duty players will pick up the nuances of combat quickly. Even so, here are some tips to get you started: Study Your Loadout – Your primary weapon is obvious, but look deeper to your sidearm, grenade, and gear. Sometimes your pistol will offer better range that the shotgun you spawned with. Don’t mistake your smoke grenade for a flash bang in the heat of the moment. Mind the details! Listen Carefully – Modern Warfare’s multiplayer removes the mini–map by default. Keep your ears peeled for the crunch of enemy footsteps and other positional cues. Keep your head on a swivel. Headphones make a big difference, too. Pulling Overtime – An Overtime Flag appears if opposing players are still standing after 40 seconds. First team to secure the central flag wins the round. Be Unpredictable – Both teams start with sniper rifles and pistols? Take advantage of your enemies’ tunnel vision by storming the map, chucking a grenade, and brandishing that sidearm. Wildcard strategies make you harder to predict. Move Together – Generally goes without saying, but teams that move together live longer. This forces your enemies to think a second longer before engaging. Also, if you die via a surprise attack, your surviving ally has a chance to avenge your death and with the round. Embrace Discovery – Gunfight Mode is a brilliant way to get trigger time with a diverse set of weapons. Who knows – maybe the random loadouts will lead you to fall in love with a new approach to combat to take into Team Deathmatch and other Multiplayer modes. Play the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Gunfight mode Alpha on PS4 from August 23 to 25, exclusively on PS4. The full game arrives October 25. View the full article

Immerse yourself in a mysterious and gripping story on your PS4 with ERICA, an interactive thriller which is available right now at PlayStation Store after its stealth announcement and release today. This groundbreaking experience from Flavourworks marries high-fidelity film production values with engaging tactile gameplay and features a haunting score by acclaimed composer Austin Wintory (Journey). Here’s what you need to know. You’re in the middle of a life-long murder mystery In the pioneering live-action cinematic experience, your decisions will shape the fate of Erica, a young woman who’s thrust into the middle of a murder mystery that’s somehow connected to her family’s history and the traumatic events that impacted her childhood. As she meets a growing cast of old family friends and new acquaintances, you must separate fact from fiction, truth from lie to decide what is the real story that ties past and present together. You decide how the story unfolds Use your DualShock 4 controller’s touchpad or the touchscreen of your mobile device* to dramatically shape your relationships in ERICA’s multi-branching narrative. Dialogue choices will unfold seamlessly on screen as part of the ongoing conversation. Be warned though: you have limited time to decide how to respond. ESRB: Mature iOS app download You decide how you interact with the world You can physically interact with your surroundings, and with a great degree of finesse. Carefully place a record player’s needle onto a vinyl, rapidly wipe the condensation off a mirror. Slowly peek through doors to spy on people unseen.. ESRB: Mature Erica | PlayStation Store Your story, your fate ERICA will play out as a live-action experience shaped by your actions. Any one choice can lead to a different perspective on the events surrounding Erica’s current dilemma and you can find yourself in wholly unique situations. As such, there are many ways this story can end. How it does is up to you. ESRB: Mature Experience Erica’s journey and decide her fate right now. The game is available at PlayStation Store for $9.99. *ERICA app and iOS 9.0 and Android 4.4 and above required. Most iOS and Android mobile devices that run the firmware versions referenced are compatible. Some apps may interfere with ERICA app. Some devices are incompatible with ERICA app. View the full article

Our CEO Charles Brungardt was just on stage with Geoff Keighley with our first gameplay trailer. In case you missed it, I’m here to give you a recap of what we are showing off at gamescom and a little look at the process of making this game. Predator: Hunting Grounds is an asymmetrical online multiplayer shooter*. We found this was the best way to deliver on our main vision for the project: to recreate the raw dread of being hunted by something faster and more powerful than you, and the thrill of being the one doing the hunting. That’s right: Predator: Hunting Grounds will be 1v4, and yes, you’ll be able to play as the Predator! Everyone else in the match will be part of an elite 4-person Fire Team, the best and baddest soldiers to face such a threat. This is the first gameplay we are showing from the game, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. We’re early in development—this was all captured from a pre-alpha build, but it still gives you an idea of our vision for this project. You get to see how we want our missions to start, where the Fire Team is being brought in on the helicopter to the jungle. Did anyone recognize the song? That is a nod to ‘87 for sure! Anyway, you drop down into the map and the Fire Team heads out to accomplish the mission goals they’ve been given, taking out AI and so on. We want playing as the Fire Team to feel like it’s almost its own game: there are AI combatants to face, objects to collect or destroy, and most importantly, getting the heck out of there when the job is done. It’s that duality that makes things particularly interesting when the game takes a turn and the Predator enters into play. You never know what will happen… Will the Predator hunt down the Fire Team and take his trophies, or will the Fire Team accomplish their mission and hunt down the Predator? It keeps the gameplay intense and fast paced, something we tried to convey in the trailer. ESRB: Rating Pending The jungle scene in the demo is lush and full of danger. With the amount of foliage to blend in with, threats can come from anywhere. In particular, unlike many games, you HAVE to remember to look up. The jungle is a playground for the Predator, with all the tree trunks to climb and branches to leap across. We really wanted to capture that element of surprise and anticipation of what is behind that bush, or tree, or stone as you approach it. The Fire Team should feel like badasses against the human enemies yet feel afraid of the true danger in the map: the Predator. We used Predator ‘87 for a majority of our inspiration for the game. Which we hope the gamers can see from the jungle environment, but also in the lengths we went to behind the scenes. We researched the original weapons and actually recorded them being fired in heavily wooded areas to make sure the sound and reverberation of bounding around trees and leaves was as accurate as possible in-game. We of course take ‘87 and evolve with current day weapons and technology; we want the Fire Team to be able to be at the top of their game against the universe’s deadliest hunter. In addition, we actually tracked down the synthesizers used in the original score. These are just a few examples of the level of detail the team is aiming for as we create Predator: Hunting Grounds. It’s been a childhood dream to work on a Predator game. The little kid in me that would play Predator in the woods with friends is beyond stoked! When we looked at this IP, it was really important to us that we stayed true to the canon already created in the Predator universe, but to also move it forward. It has been really great having everyone at Fox on hand to answer questions and riff and run things by. Especially since we have been given the unique opportunity that everything we make in this game becomes a part of the official Predator lore. We have taken our inspiration from the 87 Predator over the other films because we believe it’s the true crown jewel of the IP. We hope that fans of the films will see this game as a bit of a love letter to the film. That being said our game takes place a few decades in the future, so we needed to incorporate all the films into the story. Gamers will see this in little reveals. For example, we have tied Stargazer from the most recent film, then added some interesting backstory between the two factions. We cannot wait for the community to get into the game and see how we have brought it all together! Predators hunt in hot locations full of strife and combat. They also use paths that are less accessible: trees, rooflines and other tall positions to gain the upper hand. So our maps are designed to have two mapping paths within them. The ground that the humans (Fire Team and enemies) operate on and the “Predkour” map that the Predator primarily uses. The Predator can of course use both paths of travel, but with the Predkour it’s just so much more fun to be running through the trees stalking your prey. The Predator can quickly run and jump from tree to tree or jump down to and up from the ground while moving around the map. The Predator is a monster that should come out of nowhere always keeping the Fire Team on their toes. It gives the game that tension / horror the Predator IP is known for. We created a system for the Predator that we call “Predkour” in the studios; think parkour meets Predator. The Predator has the ability to attack from above as well as on the ground, just like in the films. This meant we needed to create a system for the Predator to climb into the trees and move limb from limb, or structure. The Predkour system has really been the most challenging element to the game. We wanted the Predator’s movement from tree-to-tree to feel effortless and make you feel inhuman with your ability to bound around the map. This also lends to why the Predator is in third person, versus the Fire Team’s first person. The third person view for Predator really allows the player to see not only the Predator, but also the paths available for the Predator to take; as well as hunt at the same time. The Predator being the namesake of the game should feel powerful and inhuman yet balanced against the Fire Team. The Fire Team is in first person, we feel the camera changes give the game the feel of two games. It’s been harder to make, but the experience is well worth the effort. First person gives the player better frontal awareness, but because of the tunnel vision of an FPS it can also be more terrifying when you know a Predator is hunting you. ESRB: Rating Pending As the Fire Team being hunted, they won’t be powerless by any means. The Predator is powerful, but not invincible. “It bleeds so you can kill it.” It’s all about combat awareness; the Predator is not fully invisible and you can see it as it moves around the world, even when cloaked it’ll give away its location from its own clicks and movement in the trees and the ground. When the original idea (before even talking to our partners) came up, we wanted to make a game that could stand alone if you have a bad/no show enemy. We love co-op shooters, so the idea of making a fun team-based shooter that has a player-controlled enemy that eventually shows up to the party really got us excited. When presenting to our partners they all understood what we wanted to do and quickly got on board. This kind of game style hasn’t been done to death, but adding enemy AI changes the whole game type to be even more interesting and fresh each time. We think we’ve pulled off mission structure and pacing that, even if you took the Predator out of it, would be a fun and exciting co-op MP shooter to play with your friends. ESRB: Rating Pending The Predator is known for a ton of different weapons but the most well-known weaponry the Predator uses is its wrist blades and plasma caster. These make the Predator extremely dangerous. These are the weapons we see in the demo. The combination of the two makes the Predator an extremely formidable foe. Balance in Hunting Grounds is key and is ever-changing. A good Fire Team that stays together and communicates, tags, and tracks their enemies can be more effective than a team that runs around without any teamwork. A Predator that stalks their prey and waits for the opportunity to attack can be more dangerous against a single combatant, rather than jumping in the middle of a Fire Team to try to take them all on at once. It’s a true game of cat and mouse and sometimes the cat might become the mouse. As we continue development we cannot wait to show everyone more of the game and are extremely proud of what we have been creating. As we get closer to launch and show more we believe fans of the Predator films and gamers alike will be as excited as we are. *Internet connection and PlayStation®Plus membership (sold separately) required for online multiplayer. View the full article

Hey everyone, It has been quite a while since PUBG’s PlayStation launch back in December 2018, and while time has flown by, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes. Since launch, we have added a ton of exciting content to the game, including a new winter themed map, a new weapon progression system, and a new ledge grab mechanic, among other things. Today, we’re excited to tell you about our PUBG Season 4 update, coming to PlayStation 4 on August 27. Season 4 may be our biggest update yet, with the arrival of the highly anticipated Erangel Visual Update and Survivor Pass 4: Aftermath. This overhaul of our original map, Erangel, not only includes stunning visual enhancements, but also weapon and vehicle rebalancing across the board. Plus, we’ve added some hidden secrets that give hints into the history of Erangel, so be sure to explore your favorite hot drop locations to look for these clues. Most importantly, it’s still Erangel, and fans who have loved the map all this time should still feel right at home. Survivor Pass 4: Aftermath will allow players to unlock over 100 Erangel-themed rewards as you level up. We’ve also added cooperative missions, which allow the community to work together towards goals and milestones. As you achieve these milestones together, new rewards are unlocked. The Survivor Pass 4 : Aftermath is available for 1,000 G-coin through in-game stores. Or you can get the special bundle, PUBG – Aftermath pack ($14,99) from the PlayStation Store. Last but certainly not least — we are thrilled to reveal that cross-platform play is coming to PUBG on consoles! This has been, hands down, the most requested feature since we launched on consoles and we’re so happy to finally provide this for our console community. Our first goal with cross-platform play was for 100 players from both consoles to be able to play in the same match. Our second goal was to improve our matchmaking times, which we expect to be shorter for all of our console players due to the wider matchmaking pool. Shorter wait times and more enemies on the battlegrounds = more opportunities to earn those chicken dinners. WIN. Cross-platform play between PlayStation and Xbox gamers will be available for testing on the Public Test Server (PTS) starting late September and will hit live servers in early October. Be sure to look out for further details and patch notes on our official website and forums! All of these exciting announcements could not have been possible without you, our wonderful community. We hope you enjoy Season 4, which will have two months’ worth of PUBG updates along with it, so remember to check out the patch notes to see everything new. Thank you for your endless support, and we’ll see you on the battlegrounds! View the full article

In Rad, the forthcoming rogue-like from Double Fine Productions and Bandai Namco, you’ll assume the role of a teenager tasked with saving the future of humanity, and risking their life by seeking answers somewhere in the depths of a post-post-apocalyptic wasteland. Naturally it’s pretty dangerous out there, and the longer you stay the more you’ll be exposed to gnarly toxins which will wreak havoc on your fragile human form — twisting and mutating you into something far less than human, but far more powerful. These mutations form the basis of combat in Rad. Sure, you start off with a bat and basic hand to hand combat skills, but as your Rad meter fills up, your body will pulsate and transform, and you’ll gain all kinds of unusual abilities. Exo mutations are ones that physically transform your appearance. You can have three of these at any one time, each one happens to you at random, and each comes with an ability assigned to a button press. Over time these can also level up, further branching and evolving just as you do. Some of your new powers also have secret combination effects with other mutations, so it’s always worth playing around to see if any of your abilities can play off one another, allowing you to wreak even more havoc, and develop new tactics. We want players to discover these combinations themselves, but we’d like to share one example with you first! Toxic Dump If you develop this mutation, your legs will go all gooey and slimy, gross. On the flipside, you can now leave a toxic trail behind you that can damage most mutants, and you’ll be able to wade into pools of poisonous sludge without taking any damage yourself. Fire Arm Simply put, your arm will erupt into flames, giving you the ability to hurl balls of fire at your enemies, and granting you ranged combat. Tight! Your legs are melting and your arm is on fire, but you’re into these new powers, and It doesn’t end there. With a little bit of experimentation you’ll find some extra powers at your disposal. Fire Trail Those toxic trails you’re leaving behind you don’t hurt all enemies, like Slamphibians for example. Got some of those on your tail? No problem, simply hit both ability buttons at once, the trail becomes a wake of fire, and those Slamphibians are toast. Toxic Slam & Fire Slam Ground Pound is one of your basic moves, but it too can sometimes be combined. Pound alongside your Fire Arm and you’ll create a patch of fire to cause damage or char up some tasty mutie meat! Pounding with Toxic Dump creates a toxic puddle. It’s much faster to deploy than the trail itself, but it disappears after doing a single point of damage. It might be just enough to escape the clutches of some foul creature though! These are just a little taste of all the bizarre, twisted mutations that await you in Rad, along with the myriad of ways the powers can be combined or used in new and interesting ways. Pick the game up on August 20 and test them out for yourself! View the full article

Streets of Rage, also known as Bare Knuckle, is a trilogy of beat ’em up games developed and published by Sega in the 1990s. Famously known for its nonstop action and electronic dance-influenced music – scored by Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima – the series has gained “cult classic” status throughout the years and it is considered one of the greatest beat ’em up series of all time. Since last year, co-developer Dotemu (Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, Windjammers 1 and 2) with co-developers Lizardcube (Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap) and Guard Crush Games (Streets of Fury) are all working on a new opus! We’re all huge Sega fans and after Wonder Boy we wanted to bring another video game legend back to players. A few weeks ago, we revealed that Yūzō Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima will be joined by an all-star ensemble in contributing brand-new tracks for the Streets of Rage 4 soundtrack, which is a huge accomplishment for us. Regarding the game itself, its classic beat ’em up gameplay will remain the same but with new mechanics, a fresh story and beautiful hand-drawn stages to explore with a selection of well-known and beloved characters… and a few new faces to discover. Amongst them, the latest character to join Blaze Fielding and Axel Stone is a badass guitar-playing warrior named Cherry Hunter — the daughter of the one-and-only Adam Hunter. She’s a self-defense expert, trained by her father and Axel, and while she may not be the buffest character on the roster, she’s definitely one of the fastest. Cherry will be the perfect choice for players who love rock music, fast action, and neon colors. Watch the new trailer at the top of this post to see her in action. Cherry will be joined by other characters soon, so stay tuned for more news! View the full article

Your Journey to the Savage Planet is about to launch! So please take a moment in your hectic schedule, pick up a large, red marker, purchase a physical calendar for the first time since the 90s and then circle this date: January 28, 2020. It may sound futuristic, but it’s just around the corner, meaning that in a scant few months you will be fired spaceward with little more than a collection of loosely aligned hopes and dreams, to help Kindred Aerospace find a future home for humanity. If you survive. But I’m sure you’ll survive. If that sounds a little terrifying to an unseasoned explorer, then fear no more! We are pleased to announce that you can bring a friend along for the mission. That’s right, Journey to the Savage Planet supports 2-player co-op. The team here at Typhoon has a long commitment to co-op play, and we especially love the intimacy of you and your best friend murmuring earnestly to each other over a headset while exploring our weird and wonderful world. We’ve had our time building custom co-op challenges in the past, but with Savage Planet we just wanted to open the toybox and let you figure out how to tackle everything. So play the whole thing together, call in a friend for a particularly tricky bit, or just solo the whole game and experience it exactly the way you want without anyone else chattering inanely in your ear. It’s up to you. And while we’re talking about it, you early adopters who still cling to pre-orders in this increasingly digital age have a treat waiting for you! We’ve built a cool in-game bobble head of Kindred CEO, Martin Tweed that lives in your habitat and spouts nonsense whenever you hit it, plus a hideous tchotchke that can dangle from the grip of your pistol providing endless amusement and a slight bonus to your chances of bigger loot drops every time you senselessly murder one of your new planet’s inhabitants solely to further your own advancement. All you need to do is pre-order now! So do it. We need the money. And you really should do it, because the game is outrageously priced at $29.99 which is basically four lattes at your favorite hipster coffee outlet, which at the end of the week you will have just pissed away, whereas you could instead have a glorious, new piece of interactive entertainment and keep it forever. Seems like a no brainer to me. View the full article

Blur the line between life and death in Oninaki. Tokyo RPG Factory’s newest game casts you as a Watcher, tasked with helping usher the souls of the departed into their next life. The Square Enix-published JRPG launches Thursday on PS4. If you’re looking for something a bit stranger, Double Fine’s Rad lands on Tuesday. The new roguelike adventure encourages players to harness the mutagenic powers of the post-apocalypse post-apocalypse (not a typo) to brave the dangers of an unforgiving wasteland. Sounds rad. For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy The Drop! Afterlife PS VR — Digital (Out 8/21) Loss always leaves an invisible trace. After a tragic death, explore each family member’s grief through seamlessly interactive storylines in live-action VR. Using a cutting-edge VR filming technique, Afterlife takes you through a 360 VR branching narrative that reveals a story that shifts based on the characters and objects you interact with. Black Desert PS4 — Digital (Out 8/22) Black Desert is an expansive MMORPG sprawling across vast and various regions. Jump into fast-paced action combat, hunt monsters and huge bosses, fight with friends in seige warfare, or fish, trade and craft your way to riches. Dobutsu Shogi World (Let’s Catch the Lion!) PS4 — Digital (Out 8/22) Let’s play and learn Shogi on three levels! Cute animal pieces have marks to show the direction of movement. Have fun increasing your skills from Dobutsu Shogi, Goro-Goro Dobutsu Shogi, and Dobutsu Shogi in the Greenwood. Use all that you learned and start playing Shogi. Doughlings: Invasion PS4 — Digital (Out 8/22) Another tribute paid to yet another arcade classic from the Hero Concept team! Doughlings: Invasion promises a fun gaming experience to gamers of all ages. In Doughlings: Invasion, the second game of the series, the story continues right where it left off. This time our hero Morpheus arms himself to defend his people from alien invaders. Injection PS4 — Digital (Out 8/23) Classic survival horror oriented to solving puzzles, exploration and strategy. Travel to the depths of a lonely mind that has lost contact with society and torments his own condition as a human being. Can you descend into this spiral of paranoia and madness to rediscover your happiness? Mekabolt PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Cross-Buy) Players take the role of a theme park technician that needs to collect batteries to repair the haywire robots. With your handy Mekabolt, use the out of control robots to your advantage to overcome obstacles and obtain the batteries across 100 puzzle platforming challenges. Only you can save the day! Oninaki PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 8/22) The new action-RPG Oninaki tells the story of one Watcher on a journey to protect Life, after Death. Oninaki features exciting hack-and-slash style battles, with deep customization of your daemons and weapons. Experience unique action gameplay combined with a deep and satisfying story. Petoons Party PS4 — Digital (Out 8/19) Ready for a great adventure? The Petoons need your help to face the evil Kitra! Kitra wants to conquer the island of Kimera and steal the Petoons magic to control their world. Petoons Party is a party game full of fun mini-games to enjoy with family and friends. Join the Petoons and save their world of magical islands! Rad PS4 — Digital Rad is a 3D action rogue-like set in a post-post-apocalyptic world, where humanity has faced armageddon not once, but twice. Playing as a teenage protagonist, you must venture into the Fallow — an ever-changing, radioactive wasteland filled with unknown and unspeakable creatures. Remnant: From the Ashes PS4 — Digital Remnant: From the Ashes is a third-person survival action shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by monstrous creatures. As one of the last remnants of humanity, you’ll set out alone or alongside up to two other survivors to face down hordes of deadly enemies and epic bosses, and try to carve a foothold, rebuild, and then retake what was lost. Roarr! Jurassic Edition PS4 — Digital Roarr!’s fast and dynamic gameplay is a modern tribute to the good old brawler games. With a load of terrifying bosses, cool enemies and six completely different Isles to explore, Roarr! is a brawler heaven and a perfect party game for up to four players on the couch! Tokyo Chronos PS VR — Digital (Out 8/23) Tokyo Chronos is a VR mystery visual novel told in an immersive 360° world. Characters with personality come to life right before your eyes ─ their fate lies in your hands. An empty, deserted Shibuya where time has frozen over. A suspenseful mystery woven by eight childhood friends trapped inside. Lost memories. Where does the truth lie? PS4 EDM Martin Garrix Takeover A$AP Ferg – Floor Seats Killswitch Engage – Atonement Men in Black: International Ma Booksmart Series Premiere Sunday, 8/18 at 7PM ET/ 10PM PT on HBO PlayStation Vue has your favorite sports, news and must-watch shows. The information above is subject to change without notice. View the full article

Join us this week as we focus the stadium lights on “The Kid” during #GRIFFEYWEEK! We’ll be rolling out the 6th Inning Program which, including “Junior,” will be bringing three new Signature Series bosses and a host of new content to MLB The Show 19 (Internet connection required for update). 6th Inning Bosses Earn 300 Program Stars for a chance to pick one of the three bosses to add to your lineup. Who will you choose? Ken Griffey Jr. Jackie Robinson Mike Piazza Ken Griffey Jr. Ken Griffey Jr. is recognized as one of the most prolific players to ever grace the diamond. Winner of the 1997 AL MVP award and, arguably, the player with the “Sweetest Swing.” Choose “The Kid” if you’re looking to add some speed and style to your roster. Jackie Robinson Few, if any, players hold a more revered position in the game of baseball than Jackie Robinson. Earning the NL Rookie of the Year Award in first year in the MLB with 12 homers, a league-leading 29 steals, and a .297 average. Any team would be made more formidable by adding Jackie to the lineup. Mike Piazza Recipient of 10 Silver Slugger awards during his time in the league, there’s very little room to argue against Mike Piazza as the greatest offensive catcher of all time. If you’re looking to add some power to your team then Piazza might be your best bet. Moments The 6th Inning Program introduces some new Moments wherein you’ll have a chance to play as the Bosses during some of the most iconic instances of their illustrious careers and a few opportunities to match-up against them using your Diamond Dynasty team. Earn Program Stars by: Playing games in MLB The Show 19 Completing daily Missions Completing all goals in the new 6th Inning Conquest Map Completing 6th Inning Moments Conquest In addition to the new 6th Inning Moments, there’s also a new 6th Inning Conquest Map whose shape harkens back to the early days of the Seattle Mariners ball club. Earn 30 Stars, plus additional Stubs, XP, and Standard Packs for completing all of the objectives laid out in the new 6th Inning Conquest Map. Programs Note: Now that the 5th Inning Program has ended, the Program Stars you earn through general gameplay and completing daily Missions will go toward the 6th Inning Program. You can still complete the 1st through 5th Inning Programs by completing the Moments, Collections and Conquest maps listed within each Program. Twitch If you haven’t already be sure to head over to https://theshownation.com/twitch_drops and link your PSN and Twitch accounts to earn Drops simply for viewing SonySanDiegoStudio and our #SonyPartner affiliates MLB The Show 19 streams. Be on the lookout for special card packs and in-game content that can only be had via Twitch Drops! View the full article

Last week, we asked you to put your best fashionable foot forward and share outfits from your favorite games that stand out using #PS4share and #PSBlog. We’ve got the catwalk ready to show off this week’s highlights: @MisthosLiving wisely dons the Athena’s Blessing armor set in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Deacon rocks post-apocalyptic biker chic in this Days Gone share by @ahmedzafar99. Even though it’s summer, Aloy wears the Banuk Ice Hunter armor set from Horizon Zero Dawn, as shared by @DpDwarf. @kas_marius gave their outlaw a dapper look in Red Dead Redemption 2. Chloe wears her rebellious streak on her sleeve in Life Is Strange: Before The Storm, shared by @_priism. @Sefwick shows off the stylish hackers of DedSec in Watch Dogs 3. 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: No Man’s Sky Beyond Share by: 9am Pacific on Wednesday, August 21 Next week, we’re headed to the vast expanse of procedurally generated space in No Man’s Sky Beyond. Share moments that are out of this world with #PS4share and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Borderlands 3 launches on September 13 — yowza! That’s soon! The third mainline entry in the rootin’ tootin’ lootin’ shootin’ saga introduces a party of four new Vault Hunters, each with their own very particular set of skills. But you know who’s back in Borderlands 3? Bandits. Yep — a whole gaggle of wild, unpredictable maniacs who would love nothing more than to give you lots of violent hugs. To celebrate BL3’s impending release, our pals at 2K whipped up some fresh new Bandit-themed desktop and mobile wallpapers with which you can adorn your device of choice. You can also hop in and play Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition for free this weekend — click here to download it at PlayStation Store. Enjoy! Download Full Resolution at PlayStation.com View the full article

The third battleground for the World Tour live event of the 2019 FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships is set to take place at the PlayStation Theater in New York City next weekend, August 24 and 25. The pressure of this year’s competition is starting to heat up as the New York event marks the halfway point leading to the World Finals. The best of the best Gran Turismo Sport drivers from around the globe will compete against each other in the heart of Times Square in front of a live audience over two intensive days for top spot within the Manufacturer Series and Nations Cup. I want to see the competition live. Where do I go? For all racing fans within the New York area, we are excited to invite you to witness the two-day competition live in person at the PlayStation Theater. This is your golden opportunity to be part of the exciting competition and also your chance to meet the best Gran Turismo Sport players from around the world together with members of Polyphony Digital Development Team. Admission to the event is free, and those attending the event in person will receive a limited production Gran Turismo License Plate Frame and Gran Turismo Sport In-Game Voucher giveaway (Limited supplies) at the end of each day. Seats and entry to the PlayStation Theater are limited to first come first serve basis so be sure to arrive early on Saturday, August 24, and Sunday, August 25. PlayStation Theater 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036 Directions: https://www.playstationtheater.com/venue-info/directions Doors Open at 1:00PM EDT Race Begins at 2:00PM EDT Attendees will also have a chance to enter a raffle for a chance to win some Gran Turismo shirts or hat from PlayStation Gear Store right before the start of the race each day. The Grand Prize for the raffle, to be awarded at the end of each day on or around 4:00 PM EDT, is the official competitive wheel for Gran Turismo Sport, the legendary Thrustmaster T-GT wheel and pedal set.* Click here for official rules. Lastly, for those who want to be part of the competitive experience, we’ll have the official Gran Turismo sleds with the Thrustmaster T-GT Wheel on demo, and PlayStation Gear Store will also be on-site with limited production Gran Turismo shirts and hats made specifically for the 2019 Gran Turismo World Tour New York. Where else can I see the action? You can catch the event live over the weekend at the following times: Press Conference / Pro-AM Race (Closed to the Public) Friday, August 23rd, 3:00PM to 4:00PM EDT Manufacturer Series: Saturday, August 24th, 2:00PM to 4:00PM EDT Nations Cup: Sunday, August 25th, 2:00PM to 4:00PM EDT Links to the streams with commentary for your respective language can all be found here. RSVP on Facebook Remember you can find all the latest Gran Turismo info here at PlayStation.Blog and on the Gran Turismo website. View the full article

I’m Artem Severin of Daily Magic Productions, and I’m here to announce that Daily Magic is bringing Witching Tower VR to PlayStation VR this fall. Of all of the titles we’ve developed, I’ve never been as excited for anything as I have for this. The Witching Tower is a VR action-adventure set in an original dark fantasy universe. You will take the role of Anna, a prisoner in the tower, as she discovers she has a talent for controlling the dead. Fight and puzzle your way through the foreboding fortress tower, unraveling each level’s mysteries. The Witching Tower VR is an unparalleled experience with breathtaking visuals and environments. Witching Tower VR Photo Gallery Witching Tower VR is not a short-term experience, but a full-featured game built for VR from the ground up. From the very beginning of development, our goal has been to give players reasons and rewards for exploring. Each level will present you with fresh challenges and unique story experiences. As Anna, you have a number of powers and tools at your disposal. You can fence with your enemies, snipe them with an enchanted bow, or unleash your magic. Study your enemies, block their strikes, and counterattack with a crushing blow or a headshot. You can also develop your magic powers: Necromancy: take control of undead warriors and pit them against your enemies, or use them as pawns to help you defeat the tower’s numerous traps and puzzles. Sight: your magic will show you a world others cannot see, and reveal invisible objects. Manipulation: summon a magical lasso that can grab and control objects from afar, collapse architecture, and crush your enemies. On one level, you will explore a dungeon that housed the tower’s other prisoners, long since tortured to death. They were once wizards, magicians, and enchanters hunted for the powers that you possess. Their sad ghosts linger, and will share their memories of the tower and its dark mistress. On another, you’ll crawl hand-over-hand across the tower’s exterior, dangling over a frozen mountain gorge. For players’ convenience and comfort, Witching Tower VR will have a choice of user-configurable movement options: teleportation and locomotion. The PS VR version of Witching Tower VR is in its final stages of development, and we are looking forward to showing it to the public! View the full article

Hello, I’m the developer of 39 Days to Mars, a two player cooperative puzzle-adventure game, and I’m very excited to announce that it will be coming to PlayStation 4! 39 Days to Mars is about cooperation, where you work with a friend to control two hapless British inventors on their quest to sail to Mars for a cup of afternoon tea. It’s inspired by my childhood reading and love of Heath Robinson and Jules Verne, and it’s a mix of whimsical story and absurd contraptions. One of the things I’m most excited about for the PS4 release seems inconsequential at first, but I really think it will make a big difference! In the single-player mode, you control both characters (Albert and the ship’s cat) at the same time. When playing on a computer, this was done using the mouse for one and the keyboard for the other, two very different input methods that made things feel lopsided. The DualShock 4 controller, on the other hand, is almost exactly symmetrical! The two joysticks and the trigger buttons are at the same level, and balanced on the controller. When trying to coordinate your left and right thumbs to pour the perfect cup of tea, I feel like having both sides equal is really going to help! Aside from coordinating your tea brewing, 39 Days to Mars tasks you with baking scones, fixing water leaks, pruning your garden, and fighting a giant space Kraken. The entire game is hand drawn, and one of my favourite scenes — both when I was drawing it, and when I play it — is when the ship runs out of space coal. Albert and Baxter have to jump on a repurposed penny farthing to try and collect enough space rocks to refuel their ship. The absurdity of the situation is enhanced by the fact that this is the first time you get to move outside of the ship. Lacking gravity in space, you suddenly find yourself without a reference for up and down. Navigating the wobbly penny farthing through space as the ship rotates around you is a surprising moment and gives a neat view of the HMS Fearful that you don’t get at any other point in the game. I hope this gives you a glimpse into 39 Days to Mars and what to expect on the PS4, and I hope that you enjoy playing it when it comes out this winter! View the full article

If you like competitive tower defense, going real fast and smashing things with rocks — or just hilarious cutscenes — then boy are you in for a treat! That’s exactly what you’ll get early next year when Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break arrives on PlayStation 4. Anyone who’s played any of ACE Team’s previous games will already know they’re in for a gut-busting treat next year. For the rest of you, we’re introducing the third game in this great series with a little trailer we like to call “The Rules of the Rock.” While these simple rules don’t cover all the game’s awesome features, they’ll get you started down that path and we’ll have more to share soon! Now, on to rule number one. Rule 1: Thou Shall Create In traditional Rock of Ages gameplay, creating simply meant the tower defense portion of the game. That is, you would place towers, cows, ballistae, exploding barrels, war elephants, and a whole host of other units along your opponent’s path in an effort to slow them down, knock them off course, or just straight up shatter their boulder. This time around, that’s all still part of the fun, but for the first time ever in a Rock of Ages game, you’ll get to create your own levels and share them online with friends and strangers alike. That means that creative player levels will serve as a nice complement to the game’s brand-new (and much larger) campaign. Of course, defenses and levels are kind of like rules though — they’re meant to be broken. So, on to rule two! Rule 2: Thou Shall Destroy You better get ready to rumble! In the most traditional ‘War’ mode of Rock of Ages 3 you’ll find yourself alternating between careening down a course with your boulder and defending your stronghold. To win, you’ll take your boulder on a mad dash to the end of the course where your opponent’s castle awaits. While your boulder is being prepared for another roll you’ll be doing your best to defend your own castle by placing and upgrading your defenses. The main goal is simple in both parts though — destroy your opponent! Other modes return and ask you to change up your destructive glee with altered objectives like Skee-Boulder, where you’ll test your ability to maneuver and destroy at high-speed. Race your opponents and break targets for points along the course — the first to the end of the course blasts off for a skeeball shot at a score multiplier. Rule 3: Thou Shall Protect the Crown While you’ll be protecting yourself and battering on opponents in the campaign mode, you’ll also want to protect your own crown (or noggin, as I like to say) in head-to-head split screen or up to four-player online matches. This of course is all made more exciting by the largest roster of new and returning boulders, units, upgrades and game modes ever seen in a Rock of Ages game. The story of Rock of Ages 3 will introduce you to all the game modes (including more I didn’t cover here!) and new boss battles that expand the gameplay even further! Everyone from Caesar and Moctezuma to Krampus and the Spaghetti Monster will make an appearance in an expansive campaign across history and beyond when Rock of Ages 3 releases early next year. Don’t forget to pre-order now and let us know what you’re excited for in the comments! View the full article

The DualShock 4 Wireless Controller family has grown so much since its launch almost six years ago, as we’ve introduced more than 25 colors, ranging from classic Jet Black and Wave Blue to the eclectic Sunset Orange and Red Crystal. Today, we’re excited to reveal four new stylish colors being added to our growing lineup to help you play in style starting this Fall, including: Electric Purple This vibrant new color features a two-tone purple design with white PlayStation shapes for added contrast. Red Camouflage Black, red and brown take on the iconic controller camouflage pattern paired with silver detailing for extra flare. Titanium Blue A metallic top cover with light blue detailing is complemented by a matte blue back with this new addition to our metallic line. Rose Gold A gold metallic finish and subtle rose hue offers a sleek and sophisticated metallic option. And if you like the look of the Rose Gold controller, then get ready, because we’re also revealing a Rose Gold Edition headset, coming later in November. This headset offers the same Gold Wireless Headset audio features players have come to love, but boasts a Rose Gold metallic finish on the headband, with embossed PS Shapes on the inside. Check out the Rose Gold collection below in our new video. All DualShock 4 wireless controllers will be available for purchase this September, at participating retailers across the US and Canada for $64.99 USD (MSRP) / $74.99 CAN (MSRP). Meanwhile, the headset will be available for $99.99 USD (MSRP) / $119.99 CAN (MSRP), a bit later this Fall, 2019. Learn more about the controllers here and headsets here. Otherwise, let us know what colors you’re planning on picking up in the comments below! View the full article

Nearly seven years have passed since the last mainline Borderlands game, and the world is ready for a return to Claptrap’s turf. If you played the previous entries, you know to expect gonzo co-op action with an emphasis on outlandish weaponry. While Borderlands 3 delivers the first-person, looter-shooter goodness you’d expect, it also comes with a host of enhancements to the formula. More cathartic weapons, diverse character classes, copious quality life changes, and more. These are the bad-ass details that impressed me from a recent hands-on session. Weapons feel incredible Borderlands is all about scoring progressively stronger weapons and laying waste to your enemies with them. These tools of destruction feel more satisfying and impactful than ever. In addition to damage numbers popping above enemies’ heads, weapons now have convincing impact and feedback. A doomed bandit may go flying across the map from a shotgun blast before clambering to his feet for more punishment. The clear, punctuating sound design of each concussive blast or rata-tat-tat drives the satisfying feeling home. A cornucopia of bonkers firearms Speaking of guns – they are bountiful and each one feels special. Wield a submachine gun that turns into a mini-turret when you reload. A weapon that needs to be doused with water when it overheats. Hold the trigger to charge up an elemental incendiary or corrosive blast. These wonderful toys have personality and variety in spades. The colorful Vault Hunter classes feel distinct I’ve never had so much trouble picking which character class to run with in a Borderlands game — they’re all enticing. Moze’s summoned mech, Iron Bear, grants her beefier armor, shields, and shoulder-mounted artillery that wrecks shop. FL4K can cloak himself and send his trusty Skagg or Rakk pets to harass goons for him. Amara — the Siren — summons spectral arms to trap and smash fools. Zane’s shady secret agent background lets him unleash drones and pop up distracting clones (which he can then teleport to). I can’t wait to see how these Vault Hunters complement one another in the long run. Secondary fire options increase gunplay options Many guns in Borderlands 3 feature an alternate fire (press the down directional button) that spices up combat. A scoped mini-gun clicks into a powerful sniper rifle. Swap between elemental attributes to freeze then flame the opposition. Unleash a barrage of explosive rockets with your pistol. Each time I snagged a weapon with alt-fire, I was thrilled because it’s essentially two guns in one. Item Scores make trading out loot a cleaner process Weapons, grenades, and shields come with a lot of stats, and comparing loot can be a process. Obsessive min-maxers can still lose themselves in the details, but everyone else can reference a handy Item Score. This go-to distilled number gives players a good idea of whether the new loot they scored is an upgrade. I love that this new quality-of-life feature because it lets me equip new gear quickly and get right back into the action. No time wasted with lackluster sidegrades! Movement feels fluid and natural Prepare for the best-playing Borderlands 3 game yet — and we’re talking more than just weapon handling. Mantling up ledges feels liberating, and Gearbox uses it to great effect with thoughtful environmental puzzles. Sliding also makes a dramatic series debut. At one point I sprinted towards an explosive barrel, slid across the ground, and melee’d it into an enemy — all in one smooth, satisfying sequence. The humor is ridiculously on brand Okay, so not gameplay per se, but Borderlands 3 is a riot. One unforgettable mission on the lush Eden-6 features Balex, a sentient AI voiced by the inimitable Ice-T. The foul-mouthed Balex loses access to his primary “body” in some mishap and is temporarily inhabiting a ratty, dilapidated teddy bear. His mission takes you deep into an overgrown facility infested with nasty creatures called Ratch. Turns out these slimy parasites are… communicable… and the AI operating the facility is a scorned lover of Balex’s dealing with the scourge. I won’t spoil the twists and turns, but this ludicrous mission goes places. More exotic locales Running and gunning through the blasted landscape of Pandora is still lovely, but new environments like Eden-6 really shake up the scenery. For example, Eden-6’s destinations range from deadly forest, to tree-top village, to derelict high-tech facility. Gearbox has also teased bustling futuristic cities, treacherous swamps, and more. The loot ‘n shoot insanity of Borderlands 3 is almost here. Start recruiting your co-op buddies now (four-player online, two-player splitscreen), because blasting the bandits and feral dinosaurs of the galaxy is always better with friends. Gearbox’s next adventure hits PS4 September 13. View the full article

Citizens of Gallowmere, can you sense it? The hint of a cool breeze, the leaves starting to shift colors, the faint smell of pumpkin spice… that’s right, we’re less than three months away from October 25 and the launch of MediEvil on PlayStation 4! The team at Other Ocean has worked extra hard to make sure your favorite haunted kingdom has just the perfect amount of spook and shine, so please take a look at this behind the scenes video to get a glimpse of how they’re bringing Sir Dan back to HD glory. One of the key aspects of remaking a 20-year old PlayStation classic such as MediEvil was getting into the heads of the original development team. “Our credo was: Do what they did, and don’t change anything unless you have a good reason to change it.” said Jeff Nachbauer, Executive Producer on the project. “Often times you’d go in the code, see a strange design decision and think ‘Why did they do that? It doesn’t make a lot of sense.’ And then you go on the journey of trying to solve challenges further in the game and ultimately release — ‘That’s exactly why they did it. I get it now.’ The team even went so far as to research the music the original developers were listening to in the days of the original PlayStation. According to Jeff, “There’s comments in the original source code of what music the developers were listening to at the time they were first making the game, which helped us understand what they were getting at when they first coded that area.” And if you’re interested in knowing more about the development of MediEvil, additional interviews, concept art and making-of content can be found in the Art of MediEvil digital art book, and the MediEvil Soundtrack app, available exclusively with the Digital Deluxe version of the game. MediEvil is out on October 25 for $29.99, so make sure to preorder at PlayStation Store, and we’ll be back with more news in the upcoming weeks! I’m also pleased to announce that Gamescom attendees will have an opportunity to go hands-on with MediEvil starting on August 20. Think you have what it takes to climb Cemetery Hill and shatter the Stained Glass Demon? Stop by and show us what you’ve got — there’s life in the old bones yet! View the full article