Commander Fury

Warning: spoilers below! In a world where nothing is sacred and no one is safe, the outcome of The Great War for the Iron Throne is anyone’s guess. Game of Thrones Season 7 is poised to debut on July 16, and we wanted to arm PlayStation Vue members with a skimmable guide to the biggest developments last season so you’re ready for the big day. There’s Snow Place Like HomeSeason 6 begins with Jon Snow dead — killed by his brothers of the Night’s Watch. After many attempts, the Red Woman Melisandre resurrects John Snow; we also learn that Melisandre is much older than she appears. After executing his treacherous brothers, Snow leaves the Night’s Watch for good. Meanwhile, Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy escape Winterfell while the villainous Ramsay Bolton murders his father, stepmother, and new baby brother. These killings make Ramsay Warden of the North. Sansa reunites with Jon Snow, and they decide to take back Winterfell, sparking the Battle of the Bastards. Jon Snow and the scrappy Wildling army attack Ramsay Bolton’s larger force. Just when it seems that Jon Snow will fail, the knights of the Vale sweep in and crush Ramsay’s army. Afterwards, Jon Snow is named King of the North. It’s later revealed that he is the son of Lyanna Stark and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, which makes Snow cousin to Arya, Bran, and Sansa Stark — and the nephew of Daenerys. In other words: Jon Snow is a rightful heir to the Iron Throne. The Calm After the StormMeanwhile in the East, Daenerys is taken prisoner by the Khalasar and forced to join the downtrodden widows led by Dosh Khaleen. Jorah Mormont and Daario Naharis join forces with Daenerys and return to Meereen, but not before Daenerys sets fire to her captors and earns the following of the surviving Khalasar bloodriders. Ser Jorah reveals himself and regains Daenerys’ trust. She orders him to find a cure for his debilitating Greyscale disease. Elsewhere, Tyrion Lannister and Varys rule the city of Meereen in Daenerys’s absence. Upon her return, a fleet of slaver ships launch an attack on the city. At great risk, Tyrion releases Daenerys’ captive dragons to save Meereen. Theon and Yara Greyjoy show up in Meereen and offer Daenerys the Iron Fleet to sail across the Narrow Sea to Westeros and claim the Iron Throne. “I Choose Violenceâ€At King’s Landing, the tension between Jaime Lannister and the High Sparrow rises. With a little help from the Tyrell army, Jaime confronts the High Sparrow and attempts to free Queen Margaery Tyrell. He discovers that the High Sparrow is manipulating the child king Tommen — there will be no freeing the Queen. Elsewhere in King’s Landing, Cersei Lannister declines an invitation from the High Sparrow. This creates a confrontation, and Cersei’s silent hulking bodyguard, revealed to be an undead Ser Gregor “The Mountain†Clegane, beheads a Sparrow in the scuffle. Naive King Tommen punishes his mother by putting her up for trial in the Sept of Baelor alongside Ser Loras Tyrell, and denies her trial by combat. On the day of the trial, Cersei uses planted Wildfire charges to destroy the Sept, killing the High Sparrow, Ser Loras Tyrell, and Queen Margaery. King Tommen, Cersei’s son, jumps out of a window in grief after witnessing the death of his wife, Queen Margaery. By default, Cersei becomes the new Queen of the Seven Kingdoms — again. Let’s Not ForgetElsewhere in the world, other important characters are on their own journey that will surely lead back to Westeros. Bran Stark and the White Walkers Bran is still beyond the Wall and having visions. He discovers that the Children of the Forest created the undead White Walkers to protect themselves against the First Men, and his visions reveal Jon Snow’s true heritage. The White Walkers are marching south toward King’s Landing, setting the stage for a climactic final battle. Dragons Mystical creatures and Daenerys Targaryen’s loyal pets. Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion have an important role to play in the war for the Iron Throne. Will they even the odds against the White Walker horde? Samwell Tarly Samwell visits home and receives an unwelcome greeting from his surly father. With Gilly in tow, Sam steals his family’s ancestral sword, the Valyrian steel Heartsbane, and makes off for the Citadel to become a maester. Helpful hint: White Walkers are vulnerable to Valyrian steel. Arya Stark Arya regains her sight, but she intentionally fails another assassination. As punishment, the Faceless Men send the Waif acolyte to kill Arya. Arya defeats the Waif and leaves the House of Black and White for good, heading home. Petyr “Littlefinger’ Baelish Master manipulator and Lord Protector of the Vale, Petyr still commands a powerful army. His goal is to sit on the Iron Throne with Sansa as his queen. He questions Jon Snow’s right to be King of the North and puts doubts in Sansa’s head about Jon’s loyalty. The Walls Are Closing InThe playing field is set and the pieces are moving toward a final conclusion. Who will be the last pawn standing? Will it be fan-favorite Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons? Or the underdog Jon Snow, now revealed to be of royal lineage? Will it be the cunning Cersei Lannister, who always seems to be one step ahead? Or will a surprise contender like Lord Petyr “Littlefinger†Baelish swoop in to steal the prize? No matter the victor, you either win or you die. Season 7 of HBO’s Game of Thrones premieres July 16. Watch live on PlayStation Vue or catch up with every episode available now On Demand. Start your free trial today. View the full article

Trove’s Megalithic Update is adding more awesomeness to Trove than you can shake a stick at! Who even shakes sticks anymore? It’s 2017 and blocks are the future. Prepare yourself for a block-shaking adventure when Megalithic hits PS4 on June 27th! This massive patch is bringing the Dino Tamer class and Jurassic Jungle biome along with a batch of new dungeons, styles, and enemies rockin’ that prehistoric style. Get ready for a Dino Attack! This is a brand-new event with special daily rewards and nine new quests to take on these cold-blooded invaders for epic rewards! We’re not all about the throwback vibe – we’re also bringing you a megaton of new goodies that will change the way you play forever. 270 new collectables (including mounts, wings, costumes, weapon styles, recipes, and all new dragons) are coming to Trove for anyone who likes to customize their style. With the Megalithic Update we’re also bringing full French and German translations to Trove with more languages to come in the future. But wait, there’s more! You’ve asked for and now you shall receive – PlayStation 4 Trophies! 24 trophies, to be exact. Unlock trophies for finishing the tutorial, joining a club, reaching new levels of Mastery, and much more! If you’ve already met the requirements for a trophy it’ll unlock for you automatically on launch day. Minigames are a brand new way to earn rewards. Test your gliding skills in a ring filled race track or plan the best path in a coin collecting course. Plus, starting in July you’ll receive the blessing of a Celestial Paragon! Log in every day to work towards great prizes, including a brand new dragon egg: Aurym, Keeper of Histories, and much more! This is barely scratching the surface of what’s coming on the 27th. Come join us for the best block party anywhere! View the full article

Earlier this year, our team had the great pleasure and honor of touring the offices of Polyphony Digital as the developers continued their tireless work on Gran Turismo Sport. Guided by Studio Founder and Gran Turismo Creator Kazunori Yamauchi, we enjoyed a rare look inside their studio, sampling their passion, expertise, and commitment to the world’s premier racing series. See it all for yourself, from the well-earned wall of accolades to prototype furniture designed to house a steering wheel and pedals. Yamauchi shares his feelings leading into the finalization and launch of Gran Turismo Sport, and — much to our surprise — treated us to an impromptu piano performance that left the entire team speechless. We hope you enjoy this insight into the Polyphony Digital team, recorded on location in Tokyo, Japan and debuted live at E3 2017 last week. View the full article

As we journey towards early 2018, we want to bring you behind-the-curtain of God of War’s development with stories you may not hear anywhere else. This is a new beginning, and a deeply personal quest for the franchise and Santa Monica Studio. We’re very excited to bring you into the heart and soul of our process. Follow us @SonySantaMonica to always stay informed. A freezing blizzard roars while shadows of wolves can be seen in the distance. A seemingly mysterious mountain looms in the distance while a broken, gigantic statue sits in the middle of a quiet lake guarded by a large creature lingering beneath. These embers of our new Norse universe describe the rich, visual areas Kratos and Atreus will experience in God of War. How was the visual look and feel of our take on Norse mythology defined? It all centers around one defining piece of concept art from acclaimed artist, Jose Peña. The Visual FoundationJose worked as a concept artist here at our studio at the outset of the new vision for God of War. Excited and wide-eyed at the opportunity, he and our Creative Director, Cory Barlog, immediately connected on the new direction, but leaving quite a bit to Jose’s imagination initially.. Unbeknownst to Jose was the immense challenge that would be set before him: create an original defining piece of artwork to set the visual tone of the new direction for God of War. Cory remembered clearly how their first conversation went, “The inception of this very first concept art was from a one paragraph write-up and a phone call with Jose, talking about the mood and the tone. I think I threw a bunch of stuff at him with buzzwords like more grounded; the fact that his son is not a burden; the fact that Kratos and Atreus are together battling a very hostile world. And he was just smiling at the other end of the Skype call, and because of the new direction, we weren’t able to provide him with exact ideas.†The call ended, and Jose took a deep breath. He immediately started working and delivered several key concept art pieces to the team within the span of a few weeks. Jose made sure to center his first concept art piece on a familiar but older Kratos and his son, Atreus. Little did Jose know this concept art piece would be one of the most valuable and foundational pieces for the new visual direction of God of War. Cory remembered how amazed he was when he saw the art piece for the first time. He remarked, “The way Jose was able to capture exactly what we were looking for was astounding. He has a grounding in historical illustrations and a desire to dig deep and understand the most about each individual piece. There was so much humanity on top of the mythology and to capture it the first time out was ridiculous.†There was a consensus amongst our small team at the time, Jose had struck gold. Cory said, “This artwork truly became the beacon and lit the path for us. Everything we did – we referred back to this piece.†Principal Character Artist, Rafael Grassetti was also there the day Jose’s artwork was shared amongst our studio – he was stunned. “This art piece was definitely what everyone had in mind,†Raf commented. “It was a big inspiration for everyone who joined the project and saw this. Jose was the first one to get what we were doing and what we were making. Even on the final color correction, we kept coming back to what Jose was doing here and integrating every single part of this to try and get it closer to what he did.†Decoding the Artistic DetailsTake a second look at Jose’s concept art: what stands out most to you? There are so many layers of intrigue and detail all over the piece to decode. For our team, one central theme immediate to us was defining the relationship between Kratos and his son. Raf explained his perspective on the importance of seeing these two characters framed in Jose’s art, “The first time you see Kratos and Atreus’ relationship, you get it. This artwork sells the connection. You see many other elements, but it’s not the main focus. This is more of a piece between the father and the son.†“This artwork truly became the beacon and lit the path for us. Everything we did – we referred back to this piece.†Cory, nodding his head in agreement, pointed to the significance in the characters’ positioning and stances. “You look at this piece, and you see the idea of Kratos protecting the kid,†he said. “Kratos puts himself in between harm and the son as he wants to take the brunt of the first blows. Atreus needs his father, but he also looks capable. You show the son connecting and holding onto Kratos’ arm, but you also see the kid with his knife out. It’s the idea of this parental yet distant relationship.†The change in landscape and adversaries also presented unique challenges Kratos and Atreus would have to face. Raf noted this particular theme as, “a fight against Kratos’ enemies and adventures.†He commented, “In the artwork, you see the challenges ahead and the goal up top. Everything you do to have to protect the son is an integral part of this adventure. Jose played with the focus of the image to have us, the viewer, understand everything going on yet still have lingering questions about the world.†Cory looked intently at the falling snow, feeling enraptured by the visual cues that alluded to a different yet somewhat familiar journey. He commented, “The idea of this unforgiving world and the visual tone with the snow, it just makes you feel cold. And there is this adversity between you and your destination at all times. Yet there is this building of unknown origin guiding you to the top of the mountain. That is the promise of adventure in every God of War game, and it still rings true here, even in this different setting.†“In the artwork, you see the challenges ahead and the goal up top – everything you do to have to protect the son is an integral part of this adventure.†Tying all of these elements together was the distinctive visual style that made for a fantastical yet grounded filter. Even though this new land may be full of strange, incredible creatures, Jose made the world feel tangible. Cory again reflected on his adoration for the style and its implementation in Jose’s concept art. He stated, “This visual style borrowed from that pre-digital era where everything was optical, like all of those awesome fantasy 80’s movies. They all had this sort of classic, storybook vibe without the super crazy over-saturated colors. There is an element of this storybook fantasy quality in the concept art that you don’t often see in video game visuals.†From Past to PresentAs Cory now looks at Jose’s artwork months and months later, he reflected on the original inspirational art piece of God of War 1 (pictured below). Here, a very early version of Kratos looks out into the desert landscape. Cory contemplated the differences yet also surprising similarities between the two games. He said, “Looking back on God of War 1’s original concept art piece and our current God of War concept art piece, there are these fantastic creative similarities that I think our studio inadvertently shot for but at two different angles.†Cory pointed to the first God of War concept art piece and commented, “Initially, our team wanted this very real and mature take on Greek mythology. But even in that original image, you can see a fantastic destination; a chasm seemingly uncrossable that is preventing you from getting there; and the hostile, iridescent environment against you. And then this warrior looking off into the distance.†At the same time, Cory noted the key differences between the two art pieces: a maturation of not only the series but Kratos himself. Cory said, “Although the hero’s journey is present in both of the images, I do think there is a sense of growth when you put those images side by side. You see Kratos starting in his youth in the God of War 1 art piece, and in this current concept art, he is now moving towards his middle-aged self – the idea of Kratos taking on this responsibility of parenthood in a different way. He was perhaps too young and impulsive in his early years, which made him make bad decisions, so you see this change and transition in Jose’s art.†The Journey From Art to GameA fascinating aspect about game development is the evolution from concept art to gameplay… For instance, Kratos and Atreus’ clothing have been reworked multiple times before final. Raf commented, “The costuming was awesome to see in Jose’s concept art and that they lived in this universe, but when you put that in the actual game, it’s actually hard to see because of the high-paced combat in the game. We wanted to make sure we stay inspired from the piece in terms of the clothing. It was one of the biggest initial challenges we had after seeing the piece and translating the artwork to gameplay.†Cory pointed out another challenge – Atreus’ hair. In Jose’s art piece, Atreus’ hair is grey, which constantly fluctuated throughout the production. Cory joked about some of the different iterations they played around with since then, “At one point, we went from the grey hair to an interesting render of Atreus having no hair at all. And I was like, ‘Oh, I kind of like that. Very interesting.’ But I think people thought Atreus suddenly looked like Mini-Kratos and was too ridiculous.†These drastic changes to Atreus’ hair, however, were quickly finalized by Jose with the ‘haircut’ into what we see today. Other aspects of the artwork evolved from the original piece, such as Atreus’ arm tattoos. Although he did not have his bow and arrows just yet, the first signs of his tattoos were shown here, and as Cory described it, “actually allows the kid to have steady aim with his future bow.†Also, Kratos’ base axe model was born from Jose’s concept art. Cory remarked, “Our approach to keep things simple at first allowed us to really hone in on what feels really cool. With the axe, for instance, we started with the straight handle before later adding a curve onto it.†“Kratos is now moving towards his middle-aged self: the idea of taking on this responsibility of parenthood in a different way.†The enemies that made it into the final game were heavily inspired by Jose’s concept art as well. Raf created the Draugrs specifically for the first E3 2016 trailer and remembered how much the original artwork helped with those designs. He reminisced, “We did a lot of work on those guys, and when we finished, we went back to this particular piece and thought, how do we make it look more like this? How do we capture of what’s happening here?†A Journey Like No OtherFor Cory, Jose’s concept art reinforced a consistent theme: always strive to make quality work with some of the best creatives in the industry – a thread that has run through all of the God of War games. “If you look back towards the inception of Santa Monica Studio,†Cory said, “we have always been fortunate to have the right people at the right time, like the concept artists that have come through the studio. Each of them have made an impact on this franchise. Their styles were perfectly meshed with where we needed to be and where we needed to go at that time. We’ve had that kind of evolution throughout simply because people were constantly able to look at things a little differently.†Cory added his sentiments about the entire studio and the leaders he has been fortunate enough to work with. He commented, “All of these guys have had such a tremendous amount of impact on the lens that we see his world through. You really can’t make anything today of this scale without having visionaries like that. So for me, the best part of this whole project is that we’ve been lucky and fortunate enough to find the right people – to find the ‘needle in the haystack’ so to speak.†View the full article

Hey Everyone! I’m excited to talk about a new editorial program we’re running at PlayStation Store, which you may have already seen if you’ve visited the store recently. Discover The Creators is a new program where we’re asking our favorite game creators and personalities to curate a list of their favorite PS4 games. On most of these lists, we’ve placed a title that each personality is known for in order to help anchor anyone who may not be familiar with their work. For our inaugural entry, we caught up with Guerrilla Games’ Hermen Hulst to tell us how he picked each of the games that landed on both his all-time favorite PS4 games list. Also, because Guerilla Games is among the best in the business when it comes to designing captivating games that push the boundaries of PlayStation’s graphical capabilities, we asked Hermen to make a bonus list of titles that feature the platform’s most beautiful graphics and immersive worlds. You’ll find that at the bottom of this post. Discover The Creators is available for US and Canadian shoppers to browse for now, but we’re looking to expand regional availability in the future as well as introduce other curational initiatives to help you discover games from PS Store’s robust catalog. Hit the comments to let us know which creators you’d like to see lists from in the future, and keep an eye on PlayStation Store in the coming weeks for more collections — as well as PlayStation.Blog for their accompanying game-by-game commentary. “Below is a small selection of PlayStation 4 games that have a special place in my heart – either for their unique game worlds, audiovisual excellence, intense action gameplay, or clever scares.†— Hermen Hulst, Guerrilla Games Hermen’s All Time Favorite PS4 Titles Uncharted 4: A Thief’s EndA high water mark for the action adventure genre, A Thief’s End combines excellent pacing with stunning scenery and a fresh, compelling story. The Last GuardianFew games manage to provoke an emotional response from me the way Ueda-san’s do. The Last Guardian is a work of art that will stay with me for a long, long time. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainHideo Kojima’s parting shot for the franchise is the best stealth-action game I’ve ever played, bar none. A celebration of everything that makes Metal Gear great. InsideDark and unsettling yet extremely well-crafted, Inside is a puzzle platformer that has managed to keep me awake at night – even after I finished the game. Until DawnA pitch-perfect take on the teen slasher genre, Until Dawn’s many twists and scares kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Street Fighter VBy no means do I consider myself a Street Fighter wiz, but the fact that my Juri beat Hideo Kojima’s Chun-Li means this game will forever be on my list of PS4 favorites. PS4 Games with Beautiful Worlds“PlayStation 4 has no shortage of titles featuring beautifully realized game worlds, but these had me so engaged I almost couldn’t bear to leave after I’d completed the story.†Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainHideo Kojima departs from the Metal Gear franchise on a high note, delivering what I feel is the best installment in the series – and the best stealth action game, period. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s EndNaughty Dog managed to exceed my already high expectations with A Thief’s End, which set a new benchmark for graphical excellence on the PlayStation 4 platform. The Witcher 3: Wild HuntThe Witcher series has a deserved reputation for superb storytelling and well-rounded characters, and Wild Hunt is no exception. Even its side quests are highly captivating. The Last GuardianFumito Ueda’s unparalleled craftsmanship and eye for detail have brought about a unique gaming experience that manages to feel restrained and grandiose at once. Final Fantasy XVFinal Fantasy XV offers a road trip through a majestic open world, and like any good road trip it made me care deeply for my travel companions. A beautiful, heartfelt journey. Fallout 4Fallout 4 delivers a deeply engrossing (and often darkly humorous) vision of a post-apocalyptic future, one that has kept me entertained for weeks on end. BloodborneThis may sound strange, but in many ways the canals and alleyways of Yharnam reminded me of Amsterdam – a much more grim version of Amsterdam, obviously, but no less rewarding to explore. Head over to PlayStation Store now to browse Hermen’s full list, as well as picks curated by Shuhei Yoshida, Yoshinori Ono, the team at Supergiant Games, and more. Discover the Creators at PlayStation StoreHermen Hulst // Co-founder & Managing Director of Guerrilla Games Shuhei Yoshida // President, PlayStation Worldwide Studios Siobhan Reddy // Co-founder & Studio Director of Media Molecule Sid Shuman // PlayStation Social Media Director Supergiant Games // Creators of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre Tom Happ // Sole Developer of Axiom Verge Teddy Lee // Designer of Rogue Legacy Drinkbox Studios // Makers of Severed and Guacamelee! kokoromi collective // Creators of SuperHyperCube CAPY // Developers of Super Time Force Ultra & collaborators on #Sworcery Double Eleven // Makers of Goat Simulator and Prison Architect on console Mark Essen // Creative Director of Nidhogg Playdead Developer Team // Creators of Limbo and Inside Koshi Nakanishi // Director of Resident Evil 7 biohazard Yoshinori Ono // Executive Producer of the Street Fighter series Psyonix // Creators of Rocket League Business Division 2 // Makers of Final Fantasy XV View the full article

We’re back! Following an incredible E3 in downtown Los Angeles, the team returns to share their favorite sights, sounds, and experiences from the show. Detroit: Become Human, God of War, Fortnite, and more have kept our heads buzzing over the weekend with huge potential. Join us! Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here Stuff We Talked About E3 2017 Detroit: Become Human God of War Fortnite Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood So much more! Recent Episodes E3 Update: The Platinum Promise Episode 251: The Revenge of E3 Episode 250: Eye of the Storm The Cast Sid Shuman – Director of Social Media, SIEA Ryan Clements – Sr. Social Media Specialist, SIEA Zac Minor – Sr. Social Media Manager, SIEA Send us questions and tips! blogcast@sony.com Leave us a voicemail! (650) 288-6706 Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] View the full article

There’s a routine that Irish comedian and Go 8 Bit presenter Dara O’Briain performed a few years ago that’s always stuck with me. It touches on the idea that the average person’s worldview becomes rapidly simplistic the further afield any country in question is from them; a rich culture of peoples and lands boiled down to two or three basic concepts. As technology progresses and access to the globe and its multi-region, multi-cultural histories are a mere touch screen away, it’s a routine the grain of truth in which gets more shameful as the years past. We should know – I should know – more about our neighbours. And I’m not talking about the ones you can wave at from your backyard. So, you say Egypt, and I think two things: deserts and pyramids. Admittedly a pair of defining features to the region, but not the sum total of its parts. Hence I stopped longer than should have been necessary outside Ubisoft’s E3 booth, drinking in the beautiful banner for Assassin’s Creed Origins that hung overhead. It showcases new lead Bayek astride a camel to one side. But both are but a minor detail as the eyes soak in not only the lush valleys, rivers and towns, but also the diversity of colour that dominate the landscape shot. The time-travelling series has always used its setting primarily to have an eye-catching locale for its adventurous romps of silent takedowns and multi-century warring of opposing factions. But that fiction has always been built on the foundations, and fought over the rooftops of, real-world history. Or at least a close approximation of it. However small, there has been an educational element to these time hops – Jerusalem, Italy, Paris, London – with the studio(s) behind them rendering the time and place with as much authenticity as possible. “You don’t have to pay attention to your level of hydration,†states Guesdon. “You don’t need to drink; but you will experience a bit of hallucination, because of the heat. And so we have what we call this desert overheat system that will make things appear, so it’s always interesting to go there.†“When we started to dig into it, to learn about it, to study, reading up and meeting Egyptologists, we realised quite soon it’s way more than deserts and pyramids,†acknowledges creative director Jean Guesdon when I catch up with him in the booth proper. Though out of sight, we’re standing only a few feet away from that banner. “Still today in the 21st century, this is a place in time, in the world, that triggers a lot of fantasies. It’s a lost world, a forgotten world.†The research that followed is possibly the most intensive any team tied to the Assassin’s Creed franchise has had to do, as, Guesdon freely admits, “very few things remain today†of what was there at the time that Origins is set. “The beauty of that is it allowed our artists to recreate it,†he continues. “It’s more a recreation… we have no maps, no plans, as to how it was. We have a good idea. And so really we’ve put our efforts into recreating mostly the atmosphere… you have the Mediterranean sea, you have the Nile river, you have mountains, deserts… the beauty of this world is that it’s already rich with almost 3000 years of history.†Guesdon and his team at Ubisoft Montreal – and aided by Ubisoft Singapore – have crammed in all that history into a gigantic map. They started with the bigger picture, then worked downwards, “from global to detail†as the director puts it. The studio first dropped in simple grey boxes, travelling between them at the speed of a horse to fine tune the volume of content and make sure its deployment of population centres stayed consistent with the real world location. The map was then divided up between teams. Each used concept art as reference to define its region’s mood, lighting, materials, vegetation, fauna. To echo Guesdon, to “recreate the atmosphere†rather than duplicate what was there. “Where do you find the verticality?†asks Guesdon rhetorically. “In Egypt, what we did was that all rock formations, for example, are climbable now. So it’s not only limited to cities, or locations. We have big cities, villages, camps and now all these mountains & rocks that you can climb.†In previous Assassin’s Creed titles, it wouldn’t be unfair to say most players look for the nearest high point of the map and make a beeline for it. In Origins however, vertical isn’t as prominent, or as important, as the horizontal. You take a quick sip of the landscape. Then, thirsty for more, you trek into the great unknown. Not surprisingly, given the team behind it is also responsible for Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, journeying to the distant horizon is a richer and more intriguing experience than gaining an overview from on-high like an eagle. View the full article

As you’ve likely picked up on in the two trailers released to date, Santa Monica Studio has some big, bold ideas for Kratos’ impending PS4 adventure. Gone are the gods of Olympus. With his vengeance complete, Kratos now quietly resides in the realm of Norse gods and monsters. But he’s not alone. Central to the studio’s bold reimagining of its long running series is the introduction of Atreus, Kratos’ son. The youngster will be at your side throughout the game, as father and son embark on a deeply personal quest into the Norse wildlands. However, this is not your typical stroll in the woods. The pair’s quest represents both a physical journey from point A to B, but also an emotional one. Atreus is Kratos’ second shot at fatherhood, and to get where he needs to go in that regard, he’ll need to confront his rage and rediscover his humanity. Conversely, Atreus will need to come to terms with his own destiny and learn how to behave less like an emotionally vulnerable child and more like a god. Like I say – no teddy bear’s picnic. To find out more, we sat down with Game Director Cory Barlog at E3 last week, and he was happy to give us a step-by-step rundown of how the character has taken shape: Deciding on Atreus’ appearance wasn’t easy…Once Cory Barlog had settled on the game’s central conceit, the first challenge was deciding what Kratos’ offspring should actually look like. Given the protagonist’s enormous personality and iconic appearance, this was no small task… “At first I tried to describe to our artists what Atreus was about to go through, and what he had gone through,†recalls Barlog. “I gave them an idea of the world he was about to experience – a world that is not going to be friendly. But I don’t think that really helped the team figure it out.†Next, Barlog and his team collated reference images, but again, they continued to struggle to visualize Atreus. “At one point we actually sat down and said to ourselves, ‘What would Kratos actually look like aged 10? Let’s do a drawing of that and see if there’s something analogous we can work from’. But that didn’t work either – it was just really goofy and weird.†Atreus’ look is based on a real personThe team continued to run up against a brick wall, right up until the casting process began. But then serendipity struck… “We met Sunny Suljic and his audition knocked it so far out of the park, that I was like ‘Gosh, this kid is incredible.’ And here’s the crazy thing – he looked exactly like I imagined Atreus should look. “And it just went from there. The initial images after we scanned his face were just so striking, and that was even before we had hair on him. He has these big blue eyes and that look of innocence, but he also looks like he’s seen things. He was perfect.†Kratos and Atreus relationship was defined in a short storyJust as challenging as deciding on his appearance, was crafting Atreus’ personality and the dynamics of the father/son relationship. The bones of this were initially defined by a short story that Cory wrote at the very beginning of development to serve as a foundation stone for his writing team – Rich Cobert and Matt Sofos. It was straightforward – just a brief snapshot of Kratos and Atreus out on a hunting expedition in the woods – but it gave the team vital context to help them make Barlog’s vision a reality. “I created that story for the rest of the team,†recalls Barlog. “They could read it, they could visualise it, they could feel like they were there. They could go, ‘Ah, that is who Kratos is now, and that is his son.’ I think that short story really helped the team frame it.†Sure enough, that short story became the basis of the E3 2016 reveal trailer. Defining Kratos’ ‘parenting style’ took time…So, exactly what kind of dad is Kratos? After all, this is the guy who ripped Helios’ head off and used it as a lantern – he’s not exactly the touchy-feely nurturing type. “Figuring out how to nail that was hard,†agrees Barlog. “Kratos is not a guy who’s going to talk to you a lot. I think a lot of us have fathers who are from a generation that is not very loquacious. They were men of few words. It doesn’t mean you had a bad relationship, it just meant you weren’t very chatty a lot of the time.†It took time for the new, more mature Kratos’ to take shape, and the writing team’s first attempts didn’t always hit the mark. “Certain people on the team had a lot to say about our early drafts,†recalls Barlog. “I think one person said a very early version was actually depressing to play; that Kratos was just too hard on Atreus and we had gone too far. “But that feedback eventually led us to the magical moment in the original E3 reveal, where Kratos is starting to yell at Atreus and then catches his breath. He has to calm down, speak through gritted teeth and explain to Atreus what he did wrong. And that’s real; that’s a moment of truth. It didn’t come immediately; it came from that initial struggle with the rest of the team.†How do you teach a boy to become a god?As noted above, there are two ambitious narrative arcs in God of War on PS4. Firstly, how exactly do you chart the journey of a regular boy on his way to becoming a god? That’s a tough ask for any writing team. “Well, it’s not so much Kratos teaching Atreus how to be a god, but how not to make the same mistakes he did,†Barlog clarifies. “To Kratos, being a god is a disease. It’s a disease that he’s passed onto his kid, and he doesn’t want that. In our children, we often see our own mistakes – the worst parts of ourselves amplified. But Kratos hates everything about being a god. All he wants to do is make sure that the mistakes he’s made are not passed on and repeated. “But then, of course, he also needs to make sure his kid can take care of himself – it’s not a friendly world out there…†And how do you teach a god to be human?In turn, it’s up to Atreus – albeit perhaps subconsciously – to teach his father how to be human. So, of the two, who has the toughest job? “Atreus!†replies Barlog without drawing breath. “Kratos’ humanity is locked up in a vault deep inside him. The way to get to it is long and hard. But once Kratos gets there, relating to his son will be like riding a bike. It’s just been stamped down for so long.†View the full article

The story of Detroit: Become Human, Quantic Dream’s upcoming PS4 neo-noir thriller, centers around three androids, built with the sole purpose to serve out their programmed function in the titular city in the near-future of 2038. As with the studio’s previous works, Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, the game will alternate between the trio, with the player dictating their every move and choice in an ever-expanding, ever-branching narrative. In Los Angeles for E3 to reveal the third of that trio – potential revolutionary Markus, who’s reveal trailer and demo focus on him ‘awakening’ his brethren – director David Cage sits down with me to discuss the facts behind his studio’s fiction. I’m here to find out what informed Quantic Dream’s vision of the future android. In Detroit: Become Human, androids are as ubiquitous and interchangeable as the modern day smartphone. And like today’s essential gadget, androids are a mobile device built to simplify the everyday for its owner, and humanity as a whole. “Each time we could replace a human with a machine, we imagine mankind did it,†Cage says simply. “They do whatever you need them to do.†The creator is keen to emphasize how much of the creative thinking behind Detroit’s near-future is based out of what’s happening in modern laboratories and read in today’s research papers. Quantic Dream has just skipped forward a few chapters to answer not ‘if’, but ‘when’ theoretical speculation turns into concrete reality. “I was interested in giving them some kind of biological reality.†“I was interested in giving them some kind of biological reality,†elaborates Cage. “What made them possible was the combination of two new technologies. One is what we call bio-components, internal modules that work like organs. The other is the energy generated by those is transported across the body by blue blood.†In-fiction, manufacturing company CyberLife works hard to blend androids in with the population, assuring its customer base by making its products as human as possible. Hence the visual touch to make sure each android’s function is reflected in its design. Cage points to the ability to hire “an android grandmother to look after your kids. She was designed to look like a grandmother, look motherly and protective.†And even the likes of manual laborers’ strength is dialed back to more closely mimic the muscle capabilities of their human bosses. “Why give superpowers to a teacher or to a nurse? It doesn’t make any sense,†says the director. So don’t expect ‘Super Gran’ as part of the package. A smaller, but critical detail is in the eyes. The windows of the soul, as they say, in which we can read what’s going on behind them. But with today’s androids, that canvas is blank. 2038’s versions however… “It is micro-movements, because your real eyes are never still. They always move ever so slightly.†“We thought that Cyberlife would create androids with living eyes. It is micro-movements, because your real eyes are never still; they always move ever so slightly. It’s very discreet. You don’t really see it, but you feel it. And we thought [Detroit’s] androids would be that way.†They might be better at emulating life and offer more functionality than today’s models, but CyberLife’s creations are still considered little more than two-legged versions of the handheld device you may be reading this on right now. Cage outlines a two year process by 20 people, iterating on what the androids would wear. Customization that’d be an analogue for their smartphone status. “We really struggled to know what clothes they should wear and one of the parallels we make is with phones today. “We can buy different phones of different colors and different sizes, and at the same time we can customize them. So we just imagined you would buy a simple version at the store, but you could buy extra clothes to make them look the way you wanted them to look.†And akin to when you walk into any phone shop today, there are different models to suit different price ranges. But ultimately you’ll be enslaved to the perpetual consumerism cycle that funds a lot of today’s society: there’s always a newer, better version. “You can have an android be your assistant, you can have an android who will teach your kids, an android that can be a nurse,†outlines Cage. “It’s like your phone. You can’t really upgrade it. You have to buy a new one. There’s a business behind it.†View the full article

Hello, everybody! My first commercial project, The Tenth Line, is coming to PlayStation 4 on June 27th. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to have a game of my own creation appear on a home console, and I’m thrilled that it’s finally happening! About the GameThe Tenth Line is a platformer/RPG that takes great inspiration from PlayStation RPGs of the late 90’s, when the genre really shined with memorable stories, grand soundtracks, and unique takes on RPG traditions. The Tenth Line promises all this and more, with an unforgettable cast of characters, original battle and progression mechanics, and a fantastical story about friendship, faith, and finding your place in the world. Story & SettingThe Tenth Line takes place in a colorful fantasy world populated by humans, beasts, and dragons, all struggling to coexist in the troubled times following the assassination of the king of Skyweather. You’ll control the princess of the tiny kingdom of Easania, far from home and on the run from a mysterious cult in hot pursuit. After escaping their clutches, she enlists the help of a pair of unusual but reliable beastmen, promising them wealth and glory beyond their wildest dreams should they escort her home safely. But, with the long-prophesied end of the world fast approaching, can she thwart the cult and make it home before the end of days? It may seem like a familiar tale, but beware, for nothing is as it seems… Battles that Reward Aggression & TimingBattles in The Tenth Line are turn-based, with an active timing element. You’ll choose skills for each character to perform, then carry them out with well-timed button presses: juggling foes between attacks for additional damage, or retreating early to conserve energy. Then, it’s the enemy’s turn to attack; skillful defending and dodging will make or break your party. Fighting hard and defending wisely grants Momentum to your party, which in turn generates more Skill Points on the next turn, allowing your party to use even stronger attacks. Strengthen Characters with the Power Flow SystemWinning battles and completing quests will grant your characters Power Levels, which can be spent to place items on the “Power Flow†board to boost stats and unlock new skills. Matching an item’s glyph color with the color of a square will grant a double stat bonus, so the allure of perfectly powering up your party members is great, indeed. An Experience Like No OtherThe Tenth Line is a challenging and refreshing take on RPGs, twisting genre conventions in numerous ways that are sure to appeal to the RPG fan who craves something new and different, including post-game content, a New Game Plus option, and optional superbosses, just like in the good old days. If you’d like to take things easy, though, go for it – The Tenth Line features a “light†difficulty mode that plays closer to a more traditional RPG, and is perfect for first-time players. Or, maybe RPGs aren’t your thing; that’s okay, too, thanks to the “story†difficulty mode that keeps the exploration, platforming, and story intact, while removing or greatly simplifying enemy encounters, allowing a casual player to experience the rich and colorful story at their own pace. It’s certainly a story worth seeing, too – each party member has a distinct, memorable personality, and has their own unique thoughts on every item, hazard, enemy, treasure chest, and character you come across. They also have distinct conversations with every inhabitant you meet, with charming, natural dialog that adds life to the cast and the world on a whole. Also, it has a collectible card game you can play against inhabitants of the world. Remember when RPGs had card games? They’re making a comeback. Coming SoonThanks for reading. All of this is the result of one passionate developer (with help from a few talented artists), and like I said, it’s been my dream to see a product of my own creation come to the proper living room console experience. Look for The Tenth Line at the US PlayStation Store on June 27th for $12.99, but PS+ members can get it for 20% off during the week of release. View the full article

Hello, Players and Mayors! The team here at Paradox Interactive is delighted to announce that your demands have now become official city policy: we’re bringing our award-winning city-builder to your favorite console in Cities: Skylines – PlayStation 4 Edition! At Paradox, strategy and creativity are the core of what we do, and judging from the amount of requests we’ve had to release Cities: Skylines on the PS4, they’re passions shared by this community as well. We’ve been hard at work making sure the roads are smooth and the turbines are tuned, so that everything is ready when you build your first city block — but rest assured, the game is looking and playing great on a controller. When you pull back and watch the sun rise over the bustling city you’ve built from the ground up, it’s going to look truly inspiring on the big screen. There’s more to Cities: Skylines, of course, than just zoning districts and placing your roads into a neat grid (or using them to spell out your name). Want to build the all-green-energy and self-sustaining town of the future? Have a diabolical plan to build a dam across the river and funnel wastewater into your tourism district? We’ve even seen an entire town of services and infrastructure built around just one house! Cities: Skylines is a game all about setting up plans and policies to create a metropolis that’s uniquely your own, and we can’t wait to see what PlayStation players are capable of. When the game arrives later this year, you’ll get not only a controller-friendly version of Cities: Skylines, but also the tourism and nightlife features from the After Dark expansion. Your thriving community will need some places to unwind once the sun goes down, after all. Please, though, make sure you put in enough taxis and trains to let them get home safely! We’ll have more info soon on the launch, and then you’ll be able to find the game in the store of your choice, or download it directly from the PlayStation Store. Until then, brush up on your civic engineering and prepare your campaign speeches — the mayor’s office awaits! View the full article

Five years ago, a group of hardcore role-playing game fans asked the world if they’d like to see a return to the classic style of RPG design — the sort of vivid, lush worlds and rich stories made great by games like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment. The answer, from over 75,000 backers on Kickstarter and beyond, was a resounding “yes,†bolstered by a record-setting crowdfunding campaign. The result was Pillars of Eternity, which pulled in dozens of awards and glowing reviews when it finally released. Our team at Paradox was incredibly proud to get to work with the master storytellers and designers at Obsidian Entertainment when we shared Pillars of Eternity with fans on PC. It was a passionate project for us — quite a few people within our company had been Kickstarter backers! When the game finally did release, and we began to hear back from players who had explored the world of Eora for themselves, we knew we had a truly unmissable experience on our hands. That’s why today, together with our friends at Obsidian, we are thrilled to announce that this once-in-a-lifetime RPG is ready for PlayStation fans everywhere, in Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition. And we do mean “complete†— not only will you get to experience the original Pillars of Eternity on PS4, but you’ll also visit the expanded world and new characters from The White March: Parts I & II, the two expansions that arrived alongside the core game. You’ll have the full experience in your hands on August 29th, 2017, available at PlayStation Store and in game stores everywhere! Every piece of the award-winning story, artwork, and writing is coming to PS4, ready to look its best on your TV — and play its best in an enhanced console interface, with controller-friendly menus, combat, and party management, all developed for console players from the ground up by our own Paradox Arctic studio. If you’ve had the chance to try Pillars of Eternity already, then the Complete Edition is a great chance to revisit the detailed landscapes of the Eastern Reach on a big screen, and try new character builds and new paths through the epic story. If this will be your first time experiencing Pillars… well, to say all of the things that await you would be venturing very close to spoiler territory. We’ll have more details as we get closer to launch on August 29. Keep an eye out! View the full article

Last week at E3, we were thrilled to share more of what we’ve been working on in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, including the debut of our new story trailer and a never-before-seen gameplay demo at the PlayStation booth. However, we wanted to make sure that everyone who couldn’t make it to the show had their chance to see it by posting it online. Check it out above. The demo picks up after Chloe and Nadine have recovered a critical clue to finding the golden Tusk of Ganesh—an invaluable ancient artifact–and must navigate through the overgrown ruins of the long, lost Hoysala Empire. However, their paths soon cross with Asav, our new antagonist revealed in the E3 story trailer. Asav is a ruthless warmonger that’s also out for the Tusk and will stop at nothing to ensure he gets to it first. This level is also a testament to the beauty of India’s Western Ghats and just a small taste of the environments you’ll be exploring on August 22. Alongside the new gameplay demo, today we also released our latest DLC update to Uncharted 4 Multiplayer and Survival, which will also be included with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy at launch. The update adds two new weapons, three new Survival boosters, over 60 new character skins and vanity items, 13 new taunts, and more. The update also makes Classic Mode a permanent gametype and a new mode for Ranked play: King of the Hill. Visit NaughtyDog.com for a detailed breakdown of everything included. We hope you enjoy our new update to Uncharted 4: Multiplayer and our first gameplay demo from Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. We’ve got more exciting plans for the road to the launch of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, so stay tuned to our official Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram channels. View the full article

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind here at PlayStation Store — and we hope everyone enjoyed E3 and Days of Play as much as we did! So many of you took advantage of last week’s PlayStation Plus membership deal, today we’re saying thank you with double Plus discounts on more than 150 game and movies titles. Starting right now, pick up games like Outlast 2, Lego Worlds, and Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 Season Pass Edition, as well as films like xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Hacksaw Ridge — all for up to 40 percent off. PS Plus members save twice as much, with discounts up to 80 percent. Check out the full lineup below, then head over to PlayStation Store – our PS Plus Double Discounts Sale ends June 27 at 8 AM Pacific. Games PlatformTitleSale PricePS Plus PriceOriginal Price PS4 -KLAUS- $10.99 $1.99 $19.99 PS4 2064: READ ONLY MEMORIES $12.99 $5.99 $19.99 PS4 ADK TAMASHII $10.49 $5.99 $14.99 PS4 ADVENTURE TIME: FINN & JAKE INVESTIGATIONS $7.49 $4.99 $9.99 PS4 ADVENTURE TIME: FINN AND JAKE INVESTIGATIONS: ARTIFACT CHECKING $0.74 $0.49 $0.99 PS4 AMNESIA: COLLECTION $19.49 $8.99 $29.99 PS4 BAILA LATINO $20.99 $11.99 $29.99 PS4 BATTLE WORLDS: KRONOS $11.99 $3.99 $19.99 PS4 BATTLEFIELD 4 $13.99 $7.99 $19.99 PS4 BATTLEFIELD 4 PREMIUM EDITION $41.99 $23.99 $59.99 PS4 BATTLEFIELD BUNDLE $20.99 $11.99 $29.99 PS4 BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE $13.99 $7.99 $19.99 PS4 BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE DELUXE EDITION $17.49 $9.99 $24.99 PS4 BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE ULTIMATE EDITION $38.99 $17.99 $59.99 PS4 BIOSHOCK: THE COLLECTION $44.99 $29.99 $59.99 PS4 BIRTHDAYS THE BEGINNING $33.99 $27.99 $39.99 PS4 BULLY $11.99 $8.99 $14.99 PS4 CRYPT OF THE NECRODANCER $8.99 $2.99 $14.99 PS4 DANGANRONPA 1/2 RELOAD $33.99 $27.99 $39.99 PS4 DANGEROUS GOLF $16.99 $13.99 $19.99 PS4 DARKNET (VR) $12.74 $10.49 $14.99 PS4 DARKSIDERS II DEATHINITIVE EDITION $17.99 $5.99 $29.99 PS4 DARKSIDERS: WARMASTERED EDITION $13.99 $7.99 $19.99 PS4 DEADLIGHT: DIRECTOR’S CUT $9.74 $4.49 $14.99 PS4 DEATH SQUARED $13.99 $7.99 $19.99 PS4 DON BRADMAN CRICKET 17 $44.99 $29.99 $59.99 PS4 DRAWFUL 2 $6.49 $2.99 $9.99 PS4 DREAMFALL CHAPTERS $25.49 $20.99 $29.99 PS4 DUKE NUKEM 3D: 20TH ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR $13.39 $6.79 $19.99 PS4 DUNGEONS 2 $19.49 $8.99 $29.99 PS4 EXIST ARCHIVE: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SKY $38.99 $17.99 $59.99 PS4 FAIRY FENCER F: ADVENT DARK FORCE $29.99 $9.99 $49.99 PS4 FARMING SIMULATOR 15: COMPLETE EDITION $39.99 $29.99 $49.99 PS4 FATAL FURY: BATTLE ARCHIVES VOLUME 2 $10.49 $5.99 $14.99 PS4 FLYWRENCH $5.94 $4.89 $6.99 PS4 FOUR SIDED FANTASY $6.49 $2.99 $9.99 PS4 FUUUN SUPER COMBO $10.49 $5.99 $14.99 PS4 GHOSTBUSTERS IS HIRING: FIREHOUSE (VR) $5.59 $4.19 $6.99 PS4 GRAND KINGDOM $34.99 $19.99 $49.99 PS4 GRAND THEFT AUTO III $11.99 $8.99 $14.99 PS4 GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS $11.99 $8.99 $14.99 PS4 GRAND THEFT AUTO: THE TRILOGY $27.99 $20.99 $34.99 PS4 GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY $11.99 $8.99 $14.99 PS4 HEROES OF THE MONKEY TAVERN $8.49 $6.99 $9.99 PS4 HITMAN – THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON $41.99 $23.99 $59.99 PS4 HITMAN – EPISODE 2: SAPIENZA $6.99 $3.99 $9.99 PS4 HITMAN – EPISODE 3: MARRAKESH $6.99 $3.99 $9.99 PS4 HITMAN – EPISODE 4: BANGKOK $6.99 $3.99 $9.99 PS4 HITMAN – EPISODE 5: COLORADO $6.99 $3.99 $9.99 PS4 HITMAN – EPISODE 6: HOKKAIDO $6.99 $3.99 $9.99 PS4 HITMAN – SUMMER BONUS EPISODE $6.99 $3.99 $9.99 PS4 JUST SING $20.99 $11.99 $29.99 PS4 KUNG FU PANDA: SHOWDOWN OF LEGENDARY LEGENDS $7.49 $4.99 $9.99 PS4 KUNG FU PANDA: SHOWDOWN OF LEGENDARY LEGENDS: KFP SKIN: JOMBIE MONKEY $0.74 $0.49 $0.99 PS4 KUNG FU PANDA: SHOWDOWN OF LEGENDARY LEGENDS: KUNG FU PANDA CHARACTER: ARMORED MR. 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$12.99 $5.99 $19.99 PS4 MORTAL BLITZ (VR) $16.99 $13.99 $19.99 PS4 MOTO RACER 4 $25.99 $11.99 $39.99 PS4 MOTO RACER 4 – DELUXE EDITION $38.99 $17.99 $59.99 PS4 NEUROVOIDER $11.89 $9.79 $13.99 PS4 OUTLAST 2 $25.49 $20.99 $29.99 PS4 OVERCOOKED: GOURMET EDITION $14.99 $9.99 $19.99 PS4 PARAGON: PARAGON EPIC PACK $34.99 $19.99 $49.99 PS4 PASSENGERS: AWAKENING VRE $7.99 $5.99 $9.99 PS4 PSYCHO-PASS: MANDATORY HAPPINESS $34.99 $19.99 $49.99 PS4 RED DEAD REVOLVER $11.99 $8.99 $14.99 PS4 RIDE 2 $44.99 $29.99 $59.99 PS4 RIDE 2 SPECIAL EDITION $59.99 $39.99 $79.99 PS4 RIPTIDE GP: RENEGADE $6.99 $3.99 $9.99 PS4 RIVE $10.49 $5.99 $14.99 PS4 ROOT LETTER $38.99 $17.99 $29.99 PS4 DIGERATI INDIE DARLING BUNDLE $18.59 $7.19 $29.99 PS4 SAMURAI SHODOWN VI $10.49 $5.99 $14.99 PS4 SEASONS AFTER FALL $16.99 $13.99 $19.99 PS4 SHINESS: THE LIGHTNING KINGDOM $25.49 $20.99 $29.99 PS4 SLENDER: THE ARRIVAL $6.29 $2.59 $9.99 PS4 SNIPER GHOST WARRIOR 3 $50.99 $41.99 $59.99 PS4 SNOW MOTO RACING FREEDOM $22.49 $14.99 $29.99 PS4 SO MANY ME ! 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VINCENT $7.99 $5.99 $3.99 $9.99 $6.99 $4.99 STORKS $9.99 x x $12.99 $11.99 $9.99 SULLY $9.99 x x $12.99 $11.99 $9.99 TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY $7.99 $5.99 $4.99 $12.99 $9.99 $7.99 TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY $9.99 $6.99 $4.99 $12.99 $9.99 $7.99 TWILIGHT $7.99 $5.99 $3.99 $9.99 $6.99 $4.99 TYLER PERRY’S BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN $12.99 $9.99 $6.99 $14.99 $12.99 $7.99 WAR DOGS $9.99 x x $12.99 $11.99 $9.99 WARRIOR $9.99 $6.99 $4.99 $12.99 $8.99 $5.99 X-MEN: APOCALYPSE $14.99 $11.99 $7.99 $14.99 $11.99 $7.99 XXX: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE $14.99 $12.99 $9.99 $14.99 $12.99 $9.99 Note: All pricing is for U.S. only and subject to change. View the full article

Do you want a quirky love letter hug from graphic adventure games of the past? I know I do, and that’s why over at Panic Button, we partnered with BitMonster to bring their game, Lili: Child of Geos, to PlayStation 4 today! People who buy the game in the first two weeks will get a one-of-a-kind dynamic PS4 theme – for free! Then, on July 14, 2017, the fine folks at Limited Run Games will release a physical game and art book bundle exclusively for PS4. This exclusive will be limited to 5,000 copies, and only 2,000 Collector’s Editions will include a large outer box, and an original art book. Playing the titular Lili, explore lush environments on the mysterious island Geos, meet eclectic locals, solve puzzles, and maybe even fight a bit with some of the less-than-friendly folks. There is also an all-new, collector-journal-style user interface for PS4 we hope you enjoy (let us know; we thrive on positive reinforcement). The game is designed to be broadly accessible to multiple ages and levels of gamers, the writing from BitMonster is fun (with nods to past and current pop-culture tropes), and the visuals are pretty great. Whether you snag the digital or physical release, we really hope you enjoy Lili: Child of Geos. For Lili! View the full article

Greetings from Housemarque! It was ten years ago that a game called Super Stardust HD saw the light of day on PlayStation 3. As a Finnish developer with roots in arcade gaming, we at Housemarque got to create a game that combined lighting fast reflexes with a myriad of colorful explosions. SSHD combined a thematic setting similar to the classic Asteroids blended with the twin-stick control scheme of Robotron. Now, after a decade of learning more and more about how to perfect the formula, we are proud to finally release Nex Machina, the culmination of our search for pure arcade gameplay. A game where simplistic design (only two buttons and two sticks are ever needed) allows players to immerse themselves in such a way that we’re calling this feeling “The Zoneâ€. Getting into the zone allows for extremely complex movement patterns and tactics to arise and players who wish to compete on the worldwide leaderboards can create truly unique personal playstyles. With Super Stardust we wanted to keep the arcade torch shining bright and now we want to do that again. Our hope is to capture a bit of that spark that lived in arcades when videogames were held back by graphical and technological constraints. Being able to do that with Eugene Jarvis, who inspired us when we started gaming, is beyond wonderful. So take on the arcade challenge with Nex Machina. Compete against your friends and the rest of the world on the global leaderboards. Now available for $19.99 USD ($26.99 CAD) at PlayStation Store. All the best, Mikael from Housemarque View the full article

Hey campers! We’re a few weeks out from launch and our team wants to give an update to everyone about what we’re doing. The immediate news is that it’s time for some free content to all of you, our fans and supporters that have been with us through what was definitely not the smoothest of launches. We had a lot of good and we had some bad occur; but you guys have shown us some immense support and we’re thankful to all of you. That being said; we are happy to announce that we’ll be doing our first content update for our fans as thanks for their patience while we’ve been improving matchmaking and stamping out exploits. We were completely blown away by the people that have been playing. We believed around 35K concurrent players would happen at launch, however we more than doubled that number and it completely shut down our game on all platforms for some time with Quick Play. That being said, you guys have been a great community from Day One of our Kickstarter and through our launch. We’ve been listening to a lot of feedback and using your emails, comments and posts to fix exploits for this patch. The understanding for these issues has been immense and we thank you all! So, the big news: we’re happy to announce that every player is getting quite a few goodies as thanks for your support and patience. First off, everyone is getting an additional 13,000 Customization Points in their account to buy some perks and Jason kills due to the issues we’ve seen. On top of that, this weekend from June 23rd to June 25th will be a double XP weekend for all players! We’ve fixed exploit issues where users were getting into areas they shouldn’t be getting! We’ve got one other big announcement though. We’re happy to announce that everyone is getting a new Jason for free! Retro Jason is being added to the game for all users — a nod to one of the more unique versions of Jason seen in the franchise. We’ve even included all-new music for when he makes an appearance around Camp Crystal Lake, courtesy of Mitch Murder! This Jason is available for everyone, and comes with his own unique kill as well. Our team is working day-in and day-out to improve the experience and bring you more content, and we thank you all for your help and support as we continue to move forward with Friday the 13th: The Game! We hope this first update is enjoyable for everyone when it goes live tomorrow, June 20. -Ben View the full article

Announced during the PlayStation Media Showcase at E3 2017, Bethesda’s sprawling milestone RPG The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is coming to PlayStation VR. This isn’t an add-on experience or a demo intended to showcase the potential of the hardware — this is the full Skyrim experience in its entirety, including all of its well-received post-release content. I played Skyrim VR with a pair PS Move controllers, but Bethesda is building in DualShock 4 support as well. Each controller is mapped to one of your hands, and each hand can be equipped with a sword, shield or spell (or a bow and arrow, which occupies both hands). Attacks feel natural, with a sword swing dealing substantial damage to enemies within melee range. Stabbing motions yielded no results in my demo — Bethesda is sticking to slashing motions for hand-to-hand combat to keep things balanced. Ryan and I talk to Andrew Scharf from Bethesda about bringing the landmark RPG to virtual reality. Wielding a bow and arrow is especially fascinating. It’s a fairly one-to-one affair, requiring the player to maneuver the PS Move controllers into position to nock an arrow, hold the right trigger, pull the controller / arrow back, and release the trigger to send the projectile on its merry, violent way. I noticed no auto-aim assistance here, so it took me a few tries to actually peg an enemy soldier firing volleys back at me — all the more satisfying when I finally landed that precision shot and took him down. Finding the right balance between player immersion and comfort is important to the team bringing Skyrim to PS VR — good news, since this is the full, dozens (hundreds?) of hours’ worth of gameplay we lost ourselves to a few years ago. During my demo, movement was controlled by holding the PS Move button on the left controller to bring up a blue orb, which you could then move to any spot within a few-foot radius, then let go to teleport there. Pressing the two bottom face buttons on the right PS Move controller shift your field of vision a few degrees to the left or right. Once I became more comfortable with this setup, I was blinking around mountain paths and through trap-filled dungeon hallways with blinding speed — unexpectedly making me feel more nimble and mobile than with standard controls. That said, Bethesda is planning to include options for more traditional movement, which players will be able to adjust depending on their comfort level. Perhaps the most exciting moments I experienced during my short time with Skyrim VR were those when I was able to dual-wield a spell in each hand. Full, independent control of each hand meant that I could equip dual fire spells and rain superheated justice upon any foes unlucky enough to exist within my line of sight. “You learn a lot about a person when you watch them play this,†the Bethesda rep manning the demo remarked as he watched me mercilessly torch entire encampments. Perhaps a bit of self-reflection is in order. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim comes to PlayStation VR this November. View the full article

With so many game updates and announcements at E3, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. So we at PlayStation.Blog like to do our part to simplifying some of the best trailers and game videos to come out of the show. Marvel’s Spider-ManA mammoth eight-minute game demo shows off Spidey’s powerful abilities and a sprawling vision of Manhattan. 4K setting available on compatible devices God of War: Be a WarriorGet a closer look at combat and exploration in Santa Monica’s epic, coming in early 2018. Call of Duty: WWIISledgehammer gives us a first look at multiplayer — and a brutal look it is! 4K setting available on compatible devices Shadow of the ColossusA gorgeous-looking PS4 update for a modern classic. Can’t wait to learn more! 4K setting available on compatible devices Uncharted: The Lost Legacy story trailerAn unconventional duo meets a formidable new foe. 4K setting available on compatible devices Gran Turismo Sport: A Studio Driven to PerfectionA rare behind-the-scenes look at GT Sport developer Polyphony Digital. Far Cry 5 PS Underground demoWe take Ubisoft’s new open-world shooter for a spin. Monster Hunter WorldThe famed series returns to PlayStation in this eye-opening first look trailer. 4K setting available on compatible devices Horizon: The Frozen WildsThese frigid wastes hide a new secret — one that Aloy is determined to solve. 4K setting available on compatible devices Destiny 2We finally learn about what makes big bad Dominus Ghaul tick in this new trailer. Kingdom Hearts 3: Orchestra trailerOur most in-depth look yet at this eagerly awaited RPG. UndertaleThis gem was one of 2016’s highest-rated games, and its reveal trailer is a masterpiece of misdirection. Crash Bandicoot: N.Sane TrilogyVicarious Visions is pushing the boundaries of the term “remaster†with this one. Also: Coco! Detroit: Become HumanQuantic Dreams next game puts players at the center of an android revolution. Days Gone: PS4 Stage Demo In the struggle for survival, sometimes the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Matterfall: gameplay trailerIt’s Housemarque, so you know it’s good. See the first gameplay of this white-knucker side-scrolling shmup. View the full article

Alright everyone! We’ve been keeping this under wraps for quite a while now. I pretty much assumed Szymon (our community manhandler) will just up and burst with anticipation at some point. We have been looking at a literally constant stream of messages, tweets and emails from you guys. And they were all basically asking the same single question – PS4 WHEN? Well, I’m excited out of mind to finally be able to tell you. Superhot and Superhot VR are releasing for PlayStation globally in just a few short weeks! They’ll be available across all continents, fully adapted for the platform, meticulously tweaked for PlayStation controllers and fancifully bundled as one big package of Superhot goodness — or as separate digital downloads if you’d rather take this mind-bending and time-twisting experience one angry red crystal figure at a time. Oh, and if you’re not fully certain what in the world am I even talking about — Superhot is the FPS where time moves only when you do. We started building it over three years ago and with lots of outstanding support from Kickstarter and the gaming community, we rolled it out for PC last year to raving reviews and critical acclaim. It was immediately picked up and touted as the most disrupting thing in the genre, proving that there was still more to be discovered in the 25 year old art of FPS game design. Superhot proved that you can make players feel like the most badass of action heroes and cranked it all the way up to eleven. The game started winning awards and working its way into game-of-the-year lists all over the world while we doubled down, started to work on the PS4 version of Superhot and on some serious trailblazing with Superhot VR. What we found out at the very beginning of our VR works (way back in the wild west VR days of 2014/2015) was that just plopping a non-VR game into VR is the worst design compromise ever. The gameplay needs to be designed from scratch, the level architecture needs to be built specifically for VR… even the menus and basic interactions in the game are just stupidly clunky unless you figure them out with VR and VR alone in mind. So we scrapped pretty much the entirety of Superhot and started building Superhot VR from scratch. A year of intense, hard work later and the team was finally ready to release. And damn was the game good. The guys really outdid themselves. They pushed the envelope of the genre even further this time. Superhot VR immediately became one of the fastest-selling VR PC games ever and started hauling wheelbarrows of recognition and good will from industry gurus and our awesome community. And now, after a few more months of porting, optimizing for the platform and tweaking the game for some sweet sweet PSVR and PS Move controller action, we’re officially ready to release! We’re just putting a few final cherries on top of everything. This is really exciting. It’ll be amazing to release the games to you guys in just a few short weeks. I’m starting to hold my breath now. #spreadthesystem Thank you for being amazing, Tom SUPERHOT View the full article

Greetings, PlayStation Nation! This is DeeJ, reporting from E3 where we just introduced you to the enemy you’ll face in Destiny 2. Meet Dominus Ghaul. This all-new adventure kicks off with a surprise attack on the City. You’re about to face the most dreaded foe we’ve ever sent against the Guardians. To mount a counter-attack and take back our home, you’ll need to venture back into the wild to master new forms of combat, collect some new loot, and reunite our forces. We know you’re up to the challenge. To help you prepare for the final battle against the Cabal Empire, we’ll have some PlayStation exclusives to augment your experience. On PlayStation 4, you’ll find an additional competitive multiplayer map, a three-player cooperative Strike, a blue and white colored ship, specialized gear sets, and an exclusive exotic weapon. Check ‘em out: Your chance to experience the action for yourself will be in the Destiny 2 Beta. You can be among the first to play on July 18 if you pre-order. We’re looking for every Guardian, new or returning, to join this adventure. If you’re a veteran of the Tower, or have studied our community from afar, this is a great time to join us as a protector of humanity. This new journey across the solar system and back begins on September 6. Be brave! View the full article

Subscribe via iTunes, Google or RSS, or download here E3 has officially descended upon us, and there is so much to discuss that we couldn’t wait for your regularly scheduled Blogcast. The gang convenes to break down all the news from the incredible PlayStation E3 2017 Media Showcase, including our favorite moments from the show, as well as all the big announcements from our friends at EA, Ubisoft, and Bethesda. Plus: will Justin commit to a gaming challenge? Stuff We Talked About Spider-Man Shadow of the Colossus God of War Detroit: Become Human Dishonored: Death of the Outsider Monster Hunter: World Star Wars: Battlefront II A Way Out Beyond Good and Evil II So, so much Recent Episodes 251: The Revenge of E3 250: Eye of the Storm Bonus Episode: It Takes 2 The Cast Sid Shuman – Director of Social Media, SIEA Justin Massongill – Social Media Manager, SIEA Ryan Clements – Sr. Social Media Specialist, SIEA Zac Minor – Sr. Social Media Manager, SIEA Send us questions and tips! blogcast@sony.com Leave us a voicemail! (650) 288-6706 Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] View the full article

Here’s a new one! We always love letting you all vote on every year’s best games around the end of the year, so we figured we’d extend the action to the new announcements from this year’s E3! Check the polls below to vote for this E3 2017’s best trailer, as well as your most-anticipated PS4 and PS VR titles. Remember — across the board, we’re only considering titles that were shown at E3, or had reveals, announcements, or trailers at the show. Polls close Tuesday, June 20 at 12:00pm Pacific, so you’ve got some time to think on it… but don’t forget! Now, on to the polls: Best TrailerE3 is arguably all about the grand reveals, mind-blowing trailers and gameplay demos. So we ask you: Which game soared above all others? Best E3 2017 TrailerMost Anticipated PS4 GameNow it’s time to pick the E3 game you are most excited to play. We know it’s impossible to pick just one. So we’ve allowed you to select two picks for this category (phew!). Don’t see your pick listed here? Write it in! Most Anticipated PS4 GameMost Anticipated PS VR GamePlayStation VR had a strong showing at E3 this year — which game caught your eye? Most Anticipated PS VR Game View the full article

Fortnite is coming to PlayStation on July 25. Build huge forts, craft exotic weapons, find loot, and level up your squad while leading the world’s remaining Heroes in the fight to save humanity and take back the world. You can watch our brand new gameplay trailer to get a feel for the game and even pre-order a Founder’s Pack. In addition to the Founder’s Pack, we’ll be offering PlayStation-exclusive hero cards only available to players on PlayStation 4. These special cards sport a unique color scheme designed to show off your Sony pride. The Soul of Fortnite Everybody loves building forts. Whether it was blankets and couch cushions, or building a fort in the woods by your house, you and your friends could spend Saturday afternoons hiding out, or repelling monstrous hordes of imaginary creatures. This idea is universal. It’s everywhere in stories and movies. It’s Harry Potter defending Hogwarts from Voldemort’s army, and Aragorn, standing against the orcs at Helm’s deep. This idea inspired the rich, colorful world of Fortnite, where you and your friends are Heroes, building forts and making a stand against hordes of monsters, and of course, blowing them up. The Game The world of Fortnite is expansive and uses a hybrid of procedural generation with sculpted “puzzle pieces†to create interesting play spaces to explore. Almost anything can be harvested for loot and materials, and used for for crafting. Build the equipment you need, when you need it. Knowing when to spend your hard-earned resources is part of the strategy of mastering the world of Fortnite. Let’s talk about the rewards you get in Fornite. (Everyone likes to get stuff right?) Fortnite takes a bunch of Epic’s gunplay know-how and smashes it together with a Diablo-style RPG system. We have a solid assortment of guns: sniper rifles, rocket launchers, lasers and shotguns galore all in your favorite rarity colored flavors. We also have a pile of close-combat weapons that range from claymores to katanas and my favorite: the rocket-powered sledgehammer. Along with weapons, players are also able to collect and recruit Defenders. These are specialist NPCs that help you hold the line against the Husk hordes. Building in Fortnite is designed to be usable before combat and in the heat of battle. Need to throw up a quick wall? It’s a tap and a trigger away. Want to build more impressive structures? The editing tool puts the power of building customization in your hands, choosing between fences, windows, stairs, ramps and doors in your fort. Fortnite buildings can also be built from three different materials with different properties: wood, stone, and metal. Building coupled with the ability to craft a whole host of deadly traps, can eliminate creatures before they can even get to your Fort’s walls! It’s up to you to decide which one to use in a pinch. Last, but certainly not least, is classes and combat. Players collect hero cards drawn from a pool of four core classes: Outlanders: Explorer class Soldiers: Ranged weapon masters Ninjas: Melee and mobility experts Constructors: Masters of buffing forts These classes gives players certain edges in the fight to retake the world from the monsters. A well-balanced team can nearly always save the day, but mix-and-match different specialties to find all new effective combinations. Combat is fast and chaotic in Fortnite, with a diverse groups of monsters, trying to overwhelm you with hordes of Husks, or even flinging themselves onto the roof of your fortress in an attempt to burrow from above. You’ll have to utilize all the tools in your toolbox to be successful at the top end of gameplay in Fortnite. That’s only the tip of the iceberg of all the things Fortnite has to offer, and as an online game we will be adding new content monthly, with events, new heroes, new creatures, traps, and weapons. Fortnite is designed to continue to be built with the community, and represents a multi-year commitment from Epic Games. If the players want more Fortnite, we will keep making the world bigger, with big new features and gameplay types. We are about to enter into a new phase of development, where PlayStation 4 players can be part of the paid Early Access. It is our intent that Fortnite will evolve into a free-to-play title during 2018. However, we wanted to give people the opportunity to gain Early Access to the game along with exclusive items and in-game events that come only with the Founder’s Early Access. So if you want to come hang out with some cool folks, get tons of cool loot, and help make Fortnite more awesome … jump on board and help us build the community. Still not sure? That’s cool too. You decide when you want to jump onto the train. We mean it. No BS. We will be here when you are ready to build killer forts with your friends! Questions/comments? Come hang out with the team. They’re awesome, and they love making games for you. I’m really proud of the all the people who have contributed to the world of Fortnite, (devs and the community) and I’m really looking forward to more people taking back the world and making it their own! -D View the full article

Today I’m thrilled to announce The Frozen Wilds, an expansion of Horizon Zero Dawn set in the icy territories of the north. To pique your curiosity, we’ve prepared a teaser trailer for you. Expanding the vibrant, post-apocalyptic world of Horizon Zero Dawn and continuing the journey of young machine hunter Aloy, The Frozen Wilds adds a brand new area with its own compelling storyline, adventures and side activities. Pre-order Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds from PlayStation Store and receive an exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn Avatar. We’ll reveal more about The Frozen Wilds in the coming months; in the meantime keep an eye on the PlayStation Blog and on Guerrilla’s Twitter and Facebook pages for the latest updates on Horizon Zero Dawn. View the full article