Hi everyone. We’ve just released our second crossover update for Dead Cells, where we’ve collaborated with other indie games, introducing a skin, weapon & ‘lore room’ from Terraria, Risk of Rain, Hotline Miami, Shovel Knight, Katana Zero, and Slay the Spire.
Each weapon is taken from its game and translated into Dead Cells’ fast-paced action combat, which was trickier for some games than others! We’re still not sure how we managed to get a deckbuilder game into Dead Cells…
Even though it was tricky, we’d learned quite a lot from our first indie crossover update. Bringing a weapon from another game into Dead Cells and making it fit into the gamefeel, keeping it different from the other 150+ weapons & skills already in the game and respecting how the weapon is represented in its source material is, not surprisingly, very hard but also a fun challenge for our dev team.
However, the inspiration & ideas you get from being allowed to work with source material that you love and have played for hours really helped to make it easier. On top of this you’re often working with people that you know and have shared ideas and experience with before. This is how this update came about, because of the community in the indie development scene.
To expand on this, we need to go back to our first indie crossover update in November 2021 with Hollow Knight, Hyper Light Drifter, Guacamelee, Skul: The Hero Slayer, Blasphemous and Curse of the Dead Gods.
This idea started off as a “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” conversation in the break room. Straight after that, we realised that the indie scene is very open, friendly and supportive. Most people know each other to some degree, so why not just contact the other studios directly? Well, we did just that and had multiple enthusiastic responses in a couple of days, it was as simple as that!
After working back and forth with them on our ideas over several months, we ended up releasing the update not really knowing how people would receive it. It ended up being the update with the most visibility outside of DLCs since our launch, and we’ve released over 30 updates! Turns out indie gamers just love to see other indie games being supported…
Obviously, this is a really fun type of update to work on, as we get the opportunity to bring elements of our favourite games into Dead Cells in our own way. But the fact that the first update was so big in visibility really convinced us to do a second crossover update. We helped to boost knowledge of the games in the first update to our audience, and their audience became more aware of Dead Cells.
This is a big deal because, unless you’re really into indie games, not many gamers (especially console players) are familiar with more than a couple of indie titles, so banding together really helps to expose players to more indie games that they might like, hopefully growing the appreciation and playerbase for these types of games.
This is part of that supportive atmosphere in the indie scene that we mentioned earlier – there is very rarely any aggressive competition in the indie space, people here are always just happy for other studios to succeed, and actively want that success to happen.
To underline this point, the guys at Re-Logic who made Terraria, an indie game but still the 11th best-selling game of all time(according to Wikipedia at least), were stoked to be a part of this update and are going to bring Dead Cells content to Terraria in the near future. We’d be pretty shocked if other best-selling titles from bigger studios wanted to take the time to get involved in something like this, but collaborating and helping each other out just seems to come naturally in this space.
So, our point is, we love independent games and want more players to get exposed to the creativity and community they have to offer. We’re hoping that this update can achieve some measure of getting more players actively into the indie scene through games that they already love.
Rainbow Six Siege has joined the Ubisoft+ Classics catalog meaning it is now free-to-play for all PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members. A multiplayer shooter, where information and knowledge can be as important as aim and destruction, Rainbow Six Siege rewards smart strategy and planning. If you’ve yet to take part in the tense and tactical firefights of Rainbow Six Siege, now is the perfect time to jump in, and with 65 different Operators available, there have never been more ways to play.
While every Rainbow Six Siege Operator introduces a unique game-changing gadget into the fold, Year 7 kicked things into high gear with the launch of Season 1, Demon Veil, and specifically, the new defending Operator, Azami. Azami’s unique gadget, the Kiba Barrier, allows her to deploy a bulletproof barrier at range on a wide variety of surfaces. In Rainbow Six Siege, control over cover, barriers, sightlines, and movement spaces can be just as important as steady aim. Azami’s Kiba Barrier can shift the geometry of a map at a moment’s notice.
Introducing an Operator with so much potential for map manipulation was no easy feat, and took years of ideation, as Game Designer Dominic Clément explains, “The idea for an Operator who could patch holes had been around for a long time, but it wasn’t always possible due to technical restraints. Once it was, one of the first things we did was take Ela mines and kind of smoosh them to make big pancakes. We realized that it was doing a super-efficient job of patching holes, and meant you didn’t need to be close to a surface to create cover, and you could be reactive.”
Previously, if a Defender wanted to block an entryway or patch up a breach, they’d have to go through a long process of deploying cover that left them vulnerable and exposed; plus, certain breaches simply could not be blocked. Now Azami can put up barriers as fast as Attackers can knock them down. “We felt like it was filling a hole we had in the game,” says Clément. “We have a bunch of Operators that can completely obliterate the map, but we didn’t really have anyone who could reconstruct or patch the damage that had been done.”
Rainbow Six Siege launched in 2015, but the development team has been continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible under the hood. As Clément points out, they constantly update the game behind the scenes to support new elements, and a gadget as dynamic as the Kiba Barrier presented some extremely specific challenges. For example, when thrown, Kiba Barriers will expand parallel to the surface to which they are attached. In a game like Rainbow Six Siege, with many different surfaces and realistic maps, it would be very easy to slightly misplace a Kiba Barrier, causing it to expand in the wrong direction.
“Two programmers, Thomas Texier and Wilfried Pouchous, are the geniuses behind the code of the Operator,” says Clément. “We know how players like to stress-test our Operators, and if they can be broken, our players will figure out how.”
Texier and Pouchous may have helped make sure the barrier deployed as intended, but there was still the issue of players using them in ways developers never anticipated. Early in the development process, Azami’s Kiba Barriers introduced an unforeseen, potentially game-breaking issue, as testers discovered that they could use the bulletproof barriers as platforms to climb. “At first, we allowed Kiba Barriers to deploy both horizontally and vertically,” says Clément. “That meant if you were deploying close to a ledge it would expand above the ledge and you could stack them and create a new platform for yourself. We had players parkouring all around the map in our play sessions, and someone managed to make a stairway all the way to the edge of our sky box. We quickly realized that we couldn’t allow players to walk on them unsupported.”
The potential for players to be able to access nearly any area, especially areas that developers never intended for players to be, would break Siege’s unique brand of gameplay, in which information is paramount and understanding where your opponent is – and, more importantly, can be – can be the difference between a win and a loss. Thanks to the work of developers like Clément, Texier, and Pouchous, that’s not an issue Siege fans will ever have to worry about.
Azami may have been an Operator seven years in the making, but her introduction has only opened the doors for what’s possible in Rainbow Six Siege. “We have other ideas in mind that we want to put into the game,” says Clément, “that go above and beyond what players might expect.”
Rainbow Six Siege is in its seventh year of post-launch content with the recent release of Year 7 Season 3 Operation Brutal Swarm. The upcoming Season 4 will wrap up Year 7 for Rainbow Six Siege but stay on the lookout for more information at the Six Invitational in Montreal, Canada from February 7-19. Not only is the Invitational Siege’s biggest competitive event of the year, it also gives the development team a chance to share exciting news about what’s coming for the next year of Siege.
Rainbow Six Siege is available today for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members.
After four years in the making, we are finally celebrating the release of God of War Ragnarök!
With the success of God of War (2018) came tremendous pressure to give fans a sequel worthy of its predecessor. That meant new characters and enemies, new realms and creatures, and most excitingly for the PlayStation Studios Music team, an epic new score.
If you have found yourself humming the incredible God of War Ragnarök theme non-stop since the game released last week, then we’ve got a very special announcement for you!
Earlier this year, while production on God of War Ragnarök was in full swing, the PlayStation Studios Music team and game director Eric Williams put together an internal soundtrack listening party as a fun and unique way to share the game score with the Santa Monica Studio development team.
We selected some of our favorite tracks and brought together a few Music Production team members to give a behind-the-scenes look at how the music is recorded and transformed into interactive moments that become emotional memories for the players.
The Santa Monica Studio team went wild hearing Bear McCreary’s beautifully composed score for the first time. Just as the music elevates the gameplay, these iconic themes provided a boost of kinetic energy that helped carry the team the rest of the way through the production.
Based on the team’s enthusiastic reaction, we knew that we could not keep this experience within the confines of the studio walls.
This is something that we want to share with you – the fans!
God of War Ragnarök Soundtrack Listening Party Stream
We’ve teamed up with our soundtrack release partner, Sony Masterworks, and are thrilled to announce the God of War Ragnaröksoundtrack listening party!
You can join our 90-minute livestream on the PlayStation Twitch and YouTube channels on Thursday, November 17 at 4:00 PM PST / 12:00 AM GMT, with a pre-show beginning at 3:30 PM PST / 11:30 PM GMT.
Our show will have three amazing speakers, each with their own expertise and insight to offer into the tracks that we’ll play.
Bear McCreary, Composer
Bear McCreary is a prolific composer with notable credits spanning across movies, television, and video games. He first joined the Norse saga in God of War (2018) and makes an epic return to the series in God of War Ragnarök. A masterful storyteller with music, Bear has a keen ability to weave a rich authenticity into his interactive score that transports and immerses players into the Nine Realms. Each thoughtful note is constructed to make hearts pound with intensity and swell with emotion throughout the odyssey of God of War Ragnarök.
Eric Williams, Game Director
Eric Williams has been an integral part of Santa Monica Studio since 2005. His expertise and passion have made him a pillar of the God of War franchise since its inception. Eric has taken the helm in God of War Ragnarök, guiding the SMS team towards the final installment of the Norse saga. Eric collaborated closely with Bear and the team to ensure each musical moment within the game hits the right emotional chord with players.
Alex Moukala, Music Producer & Host
Alex Moukala is a music producer who is well-known for his enthusiastic involvement in the gaming community. As a content creator with a natural talent for engaging with his audience, Alex brings his perspective as a fan and a music professional to steer the conversation.
Together, all three of our guests will take us on a journey through the musical landscapes of the realms and examine how we use music to bring the story of God of War Ragnarök to life.
Make sure you join us on November 17, starting at 3:30 PM PT / 11:30 PM GMT! Our host will be taking questions from viewers throughout the show.
Get ready for a new era of competition with the arrival of Season 01 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, releasing November 16. Deploy to Al-Mazrah in the next iteration of the free-to-play Battle Royale, visit reimagined versions of the Shoot House and Shipment Multiplayer maps, team up for an additional Special Ops mission leading up to the first Raid episode, and much more.
Season 01 launches on PlayStation on November 16. Read on for all the highlights coming to both Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 — New Map and Innovations
The city of Al-Mazrah within the United Republic of Adal will be your first map for Warzone 2.0. You may have already explored some of its regions in Multiplayer maps like Al Bagra Fortress, Embassy, Zarqwa Hydroelectric, Taraq, Sariff Bay, and Sa’id.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 includes a wide variety of new features and mechanics, including the following highlights:
Loadouts Remain: Get your Custom Loadouts through Loadout Drops deployed later in the match or by clearing a Stronghold or Black Site. You can also use Cash at the in-match Buy Station to purchase only the Primary Weapon from created Loadouts.
Looting Mechanics: In the new DMZ mode, Operators will utilize a backpack system to further organize their items and equipment. Battle Royale will use a streamlined version of this new system.
Enter the New Gulag
The new Gulag is a 2v2 environment where randomly paired Duos must coordinate to take down the opposition. All players will receive a predefined Loadout with highly effective weaponry and gear placed toward the map’s center.
In the middle of the match, the Gulag Jailer will jump in to interfere. Defeating the Jailer returns all four Gulag prisoners back into the match. Will you work together or go for the elimination victory?
AI Combatants
In addition to the Gulag Jailer, there are two other places where players will run into AI combatants — Strongholds and Black Sites. Both are clearly labeled on the in-game Tac Map.
In Strongholds, fight off AI opponents while attempting to locate and disarm a bomb within the time limit. Black Sites offer an even greater danger but provide a permanent Weapon Blueprint reward and valuable in-match items for those who can successfully complete them. To access a Black Site, you’ll need the Black Site Key, given to the first squad to clear out an active Stronghold.
Further Innovations: Aquatic Combat, New Vehicles and Fuel System, and More
Circle Collapse: In Battle Royale modes, there can be up to three circles within the collapse, which will ultimately reconverge for the final showdown. Prepare to adjust your strategies accordingly, as this feature is randomized in each match.
Proximity Chat: Got something to say? Comms are now open, so any in-game chatter can be picked up by any other squad.
Interrogation: In squad-based modes, intel is everything. Reveal enemy locations by successfully shaking down player-controlled enemies while they are downed.
New Vehicles: Call in the aerial powerhouse known as the Heavy Chopper, which can hover in the air without a pilot, or use the all-electric supertruck GMC Hummer EV, a versatile means for the squad to quickly cover serious ground.
New Fuel System: No more unlimited fuel sources — all vehicles use fuel over time, and when it runs out, that vehicle is no longer usable. Vehicles can be refilled either with Gas Cans found around the map or at Gas Stations.
Gas Stations can also repair body damage and tires, thereby restoring vehicle health. However, Operators can also perform flat tire repairs anywhere in the world by interacting with individual tires.
Aquatic Combat: Whether by boat or breaststroke, Operators can navigate waterways, rivers, and the open sea as part of their overall victory strategy. Remember: only Sidearms, melee weapons, and Throwing Knives can be used while you’re submerged.
The Shops: A new version of the Buy Station contains a unique set of items for purchase in limited quantities, including Killstreaks, Armor Plates, and more. You can see these offerings and can buy back fallen squadmates within a new interface.
DMZ — A New Battle Royale Experience
In addition to traditional Warzone modes — Battle Royale Solos, Duos, Trios, and Quads — Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 will launch with a brand-new experience known as DMZ.
DMZ is an open-world, narrative-focused extraction mode where Operators have free rein to complete faction-based missions, take on additional side objectives, engage with enemy Operators or AI combatants, and search for valuable items, all while fighting to survive toward exfiltration.
Third-Person Playlists: Get a new perspective with third-person Playlists, set to be introduced into the Battle Royale weekly rotation later in Season 01. Modern Warfare II owners can get a taste of the third-person experience now through the game’s Multiplayer.
PlayStation Exclusive — Season 01 Combat Pack
Gear up with the exclusive Season 01 Combat Pack, free for PlayStation Plus members for use in Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Modern Warfare II. Included in this Combat Pack are the “Oni Tactical” Operator Skin for Oni, the “Oni Revenger” SMG and “Oni Oracle” Pistol Weapon Blueprints, plus the “Sony Oni” Calling Card, “Welcome Death” Sticker, “Fractal Demon” Emblem, and the “Demon Fang” Charm.
Relaunch — Call of Duty: Warzone Caldera
Shortly after Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 launches on November 16, the original Call of Duty: Warzone will relaunch as Call of Duty: Warzone Caldera. This is a separate experience and will retain all player progression, Battle Pass content, Store Bundles, and other in-game purchases.
Modern Warfare II Overview
Season 01 is bringing two reimagined Multiplayer maps, the competitive CDL Moshpit, and more co-op focused Special Ops content.
Shoot House (Launch): Situated in the jungle south of Las Almas, Shoot House’s new home was built for training cartel hired guns with the same level of intensity as Mexican Special Forces Operators.
Shipment (Mid-Season): Set on a cargo ship taking on water in a storm-ridden part of the Atlantic Ocean, a new Shipment is ready to bring back the chaos that only an ultra-compact map can provide.
Get Competitive with the CDL Moshpit: Prior to the official launch of Ranked Play in Modern Warfare II, the CDL Moshpit offers the perfect testing grounds to warm up your competitive skills. The Playlist will use the Call of Duty League’s standard rules, restrictions, and map rotation across the three official game modes: Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and Control.
Special Ops — New Mission at Launch, Raid Episode 1 Mid-Season
Special Ops is getting a new mission and the first episode of Raids during Season 01.
High Ground: Successfully find and destroy enemy communication servers to locate and extract three hard drives with vital enemy intel. One Operator will be tasked with piloting an Attack Chopper to clear out dangerous land mines, while the other works with AI allies as part of a Ground Assault Team to infiltrate the buildings that contain enemy equipment.
Raid Episode 1: Continuing the story of the Modern Warfare II Campaign, Raids will be the ultimate challenge for Trios with a mix of stealth, resource management, all-out action, and puzzle-solving objectives. Arriving later in the season.
Season 01 General Overview
New Battle Pass: Experience a brand-new Battle Pass system giving players more agency than ever before. Replacing the linear stream of tiers from previous titles will be a multi-Sector map. Unlock items across the map using earned Battle Pass Tier Tokens. Each map has at least 20 Sectors with five items each; tokens can be used to either unlock adjacent Sectors or earn more items within an unlocked Sector.
New Weapons
Season 01 brings the opportunity to earn four new weapons, which can then be used in Multiplayer, Special Ops, and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. Two of them are earned for free within the Battle Pass:
Victus XMR Sniper Rifle: A hard-hitting, bolt-action sniper rifle with .50 cal BMG ammunition. Its tungsten sabot-tipped bullets are fast and powerful but require precise shots over long distances.
BAS-P SMG: An aggressive fire rate and modular frame make the BAS-P perfect for the discerning Operator who wants to customize their weapon. Subsonic ammo hides kill skulls from the enemy team.
Two other weapons can be earned later in the Mid-Season either by purchasing a Store Bundle or by completing a weapon unlock challenge:
Chimera Assault Rifle: With an integrated suppressor and slow, high-energy .300 BLK rounds, the Chimera is adept at close-quarters combat. Subsonic Ammo hides skulls from the enemy team.
M13B Assault Rifle: The M13B features a short-stroke pistol system that allows for a high rate of fire and low recoil.
New Operators
Zeus (Launch): Born in the South Niger Delta, Zosar Kalu is the eldest of three children, helping to raise his younger siblings while his parents pursued political aspirations. Following his year of military service shadowing a Nigerian Army Special Forces Battalion, he enlisted and rose through the ranks.
After losing his family to local Al Qatala soldiers, Zeus established the “Thunder” Corps, a counterterrorism group dedicated to hunting AQ wherever they hide and bringing them to true justice. Unlock Zeus automatically with purchase of the Season 01 Battle Pass.
Klaus (Mid-Season): A member of Denmark’s Elite Special Forces, Klaus Fisker can almost be considered a living legend among Operators. His legend was made one night on the Urzikstan border, where he carried a wounded comrade 18 miles to the nearest base using the lessons taught by his father.
Gaz (Mid-Season): Price’s right-hand man, Gaz became legend in 2019 when his valiancy during an attack on Piccadilly Circus grabbed the attention of the formidable SAS Bravo Team captain. He ultimately joined Price’s elite unit, known as Task Force 141.
Obtain Klaus and Gaz in Bundles to be featured during the Mid-Season Update.
Squad Goals: Modern Warfare FC Kicks Off In-Season
During the Modern Warfare FC event, you can sign three of the world’s greatest athletes to your Operator roster by picking up special, limited-time Bundles: the fearless Neymar Jr., who will debut on November 21; Paul Pogba, set to debut on November 25; and Leo Messi, who will complete the Operator hat trick on November 29.
More details will be shared in-season.
Persistent Prestige: This year, leveling up past Rank 55 will allow you to earn a persistent Prestige Rank across all seasons, rather than having it reset at the end of each season. Beginning in Season 01, reaching Rank 56 will unlock Prestige 1. This will grant an Emblem, additional rewards like a Battle Pass Token, and a set of challenges — complete those challenges to unlock an exclusive Calling Card. Rank up to Prestige 5 for greater rewards.
C.O.D.E. Bowl, Call of Duty League Major to Kick Off Mid-Season
This year’s C.O.D.E. Bowl will be held during the first Call of Duty League Major, taking place right after the Season 01 mid-season update from December 15 to 18 in Raleigh, North Carolina. This event will also host the first Call of Duty Challengers Open.
During Season 01, we are celebrating an early return to the Call of Duty League with a special launch pack for the 2023 season. We are also releasing Team Packs for all 12 of the League’s teams.
Season 01 of Modern Warfare II Launches November 16
Purchase Modern Warfare II to get a premium Warzone 2.0 experience – access to 14 additional Operators to use across both games, as well as accelerated Weapon and Level Progression. As a Modern Warfare II owner, receive bonus XP at the end of each match when you play Warzone 2.0, ensuring that you level just as quickly in both titles.
Today we’re happy to reveal the November Game Catalog lineup for PlayStation Plus. These games will be available starting November 15. Let’s dive in.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition | PS4, PS5
Explore a vast open-world, form alliances and defeat a fierce enemy set to destroy the world. The Special Edition includes the critically acclaimed game and add-ons with all-new features like remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more.
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Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege | PS4, PS5
This high-precision, tactical shooter prioritises careful planning teamwork and finely tuned tactical play. Dive into explosive 5v5 gameplay, high stakes competition, and thrilling PVP team battles, selecting from multiple Operators and taking on a range of scenarios across multiple multiplayer maps.
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Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX | PS4
This remastered, four game collection is the perfect place to start your journey or to re-live all of your favourite moments from the third person adventure series.
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Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue | PS4
This collects three different experiences: the remastered Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD, HD movie Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover and Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage –, a playable episode that links into Kingdom Hearts III.
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Kingdom Hearts III | PS4
Dive into an action-packed adventure with the latest installment of Square Enix’s and Disney’s action role-playing series. Sora, Donald and Goofy unite with iconic Disney-Pixar characters old and new to overcome tremendous challenges and persevere against the darkness threatening their worlds.
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Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory | PS4
Experience the music of Kingdom Hearts like never before in this action rhythm game! Collecting over 20 characters and 140 tracks from across the Kingdom Hearts series, battle through stages in time to iconic music from the series. There’s also an online VS multiplayer mode if you want to take your rhythm skills online.
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Oddworld: Soulstorm – Enhanced Edition | PS4, PS5
Soulstorm combines intense action-adventure platformer gameplay with a twisted tale of a society on the brink of revolution, where your moment to moment in-game choices will impact its outcome. The Enhanced Edition includes new game mode “Toby’s Escape”.
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Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 | PS4
This online, open world, action-shooter RPG combines iconic environments and deep, authentic world-building. Set in a ravaged Washington D.C, players must attempt to liberate the city and work closely with civilians trapped inside to keep them safe from enemy factions who are fighting to seize control of resource and locations.
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Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint | PS4
Become an elite spec ops soldier known as a Ghost, tasked with a special mission to Auroa. A rogue spec ops team, led by your ex–brother-in-arms, have taken over and are hunting you down. Lead your team through the island landscape and save the civilians without being noticed. Play solo or play in co-op PvE with up to 3 friends.
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Chorus | PS4, PS5
In this evolution of the space-combat shooter, play as dual protagonists Nara and her sentient AI companion and starfighter, Forsaken. Attain powerful and distinct weapons and combat upgrades, master your ship’s unique drift mechanic and deadly abilities to overcome massive hordes of enemies and take down titanic battleships.
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What Remains of Edith Finch | PS4
As Edith, wander the colossal Finch house, searching for stories as she explores her family history and tries to figure out why she’s the last one in her family left alive. Each story you find lets you experience the life of a new family member on the day of their death, with stories ranging from the distant past to the present day.
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The Gardens Between | PS4, PS5
Lost in a mysterious realm where cause and effect are malleable, two friends find that time flows in all directions. Manipulate time to solve puzzles and reach the apex of each isle. Follow the duo as they unpack and explore their significant moments spent together, lighting up constellations and illuminating threads of a bittersweet narrative.
Also releasing on Game Catalog this month:
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers | PS4
Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain | PS4
Onee Chanbara Origin | PS4
PlayStation Plus Premium | Classics
As announced last week, more Ratchet & Clank games are coming to PlayStation Plus Premium on November 15! Those games are:
Ratchet & Clank | PS3
Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando | PS3
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal | PS3
Ratchet & Clank: Deadlocked | PS3
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction | PS3
God of War Ragnarök is almost here! Tomorrow on November 9, you will finally be able to step back into the Nine Realms with Kratos and Atreus as they prepare for the coming war.
To ensure you can hit the ground running, we’ve put together a list of our top ten tips to aid hero progression! God of War Ragnarök has a ton of new features and updates to many of the returning ones from God of War (2018), so make sure you check them out below!
All equipment is legendary
For God of War Ragnarök, we’ve ditched our old rarity system when it comes to equipment.
Previously, on God of War (2018), most Armors and Weapon Attachments could only be upgraded a few times, so would inevitably get left behind as you increased your Power Level.
In this title, any equipment that has a Power Level can be upgraded all the way to Level 9! This opens a world of possibilities and combinations, allowing a much higher variety of playstyles at every Power Level.
Transmog unlocks at equipment Level 9
Speaking of Power Level caps, there is a surprise waiting for people diligent enough to upgrade their equipment to Level 9!
The ability to “transmog” equipment was one of the most requested features and we’re happy to share that in God of War Ragnarök we’ll have it!
Once your equipment reaches Level 9, you’ll be able to apply any appearance currently in your inventory. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different pieces because you like the way something looks. Find the perk of your dreams and combine it with the look you want once you reach Level 9!
This feature applies to Kratos’ core Weapons and Armors.
Don’t be afraid to go off the path
The Player Investment Team at Santa Monica Studios is responsible for both Player Progression and Exploration content, so we made sure to put some of the best equipment in our optional areas to reward those of you who take some extra time to poke around!
Don’t be afraid to say “yes” when you hear the call to explore, or you feel like things are getting a little too difficult. Completing Favors and exploring the Nine Realms is a surefire way to stay ahead of the curve.
If you’re the type of player that wants to experience the main story before diving back into the side quests and exploration, don’t worry! Quests never expire and exploration content will always be there waiting for you.
Auto-Equip
If min/maxing stats isn’t really your game, we make things simple for you with Auto-Equip feature.
Simply press L3 from the Weapons or Armor tabs and then choose which stat you want to prioritize. Auto-Equip will automatically equip the highest Power Level items and favor the selected stats if you have multiple pieces at equal level.
Old resources will be on sale in the Shop
A note for all you hoarders out there – old crafting resources can eventually be purchased in the Shop.
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Most of your equipment will eventually start looking for an alternate resource to upgrade on your road to Level 9. Around the time you start finding those new resources, the old ones will appear in the SPECIAL ITEMS tab under RESOURCES in any shop.
No need to hoard that precious Forged Iron if your main Armor hits a soft cap. Use that as an opportunity to level up something else and try something new. You might just like it!
Pay special attention to the Skill Labors in your Skills Tree
Once you unlock a new Skill, be sure to use it!
If you look closely at the info tab, for many Skills you’ll see a counter that tracks your usage for that Skill.
Keep grinding to level it up to Gold Tier and you’ll unlock a Skill Mod Slot that allows you to apply some customization to your favorites. Add enough Skill Mod Tokens to truly become a force to be reckoned with!
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XP – it’s not just for Skills
For those who played God of War (2018), you might remember that you could spend XP to upgrade your various Runic Attacks.
That feature returns for God of War Ragnarok, but also expands to include Spartan Rage and Relics.
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Make sure to navigate to the WEAPONS tab and drill into individual Runic Attacks, Spartan Rage Modes, and Relics to upgrade your favorites. Each one has two additional levels to unlock!
Make sure to visit Niflheim
Hey, Odin’s Ravens are back!
In God of War Ragnarök we took major steps to ensure hunting down the All-Father’s spies is worth the effort, so be sure to visit the Raven Tree in Niflheim at your first opportunity.
You may see some of familiar feathers with the fifty-one ravens that attempted to elude Kratos in God of War (2018) on the branches to mark the location. Under the Raven Tree is where you can collect your rewards for finding the new ravens in God of War Ragnarök through a set of chests. At certain thresholds, a chest will unlock – make sure you check back in periodically to see what you’ve earned!
Who knows, maybe there’s even a little something that happens when you’ve found all forty-eight in God of War Ragnarök!
Also make sure you check out the Training Arena in the same location if you need to brush up on your combos!
The Amulet of Yggdrasil: Enchantments and Attunement Bonuses
You will no longer slot Enchantments into individual pieces of Equipment. Instead, you must find the Amulet of Yggdrasil to slot Enchantments in God of War Ragnarök.
To increase the number of slots available, you will have to locate the Jewels of Yggdrasil. A few you’ll get by playing the main story, but the rest you’ll find by exploring different areas of the realms.
Many Enchantments have an innate realm attunement. You’ll know which ones these are as they have the realm they are attuned to in their name, for example the enchantment Midgard’s Endurance has a realm attunement to, you guessed it, Midgard. If you slot three or more from the same Realm Set, you will unlock Perks that power up with your stats.
All Realm Enchantments provide stat boosts – even if you don’t equip a complete set.
Realm Enchantments are not necessarily found in the realm in which they are attuned, so be sure to keep an eye out!
Armor Set Bonuses
Most Wrist and Waist Armor pieces have Perks that increase in power if you equip both pieces from a matching set. Equip both the Wrist and Waist from a single set for a more powerful perk or opt to mix and match pieces from different sets for more variety.
The choice is yours!
That’s it for our top tips from the God of War Ragnarök development team – you are now ready to jump right at launch time tomorrow!
We have truly felt all the excitement and support you’ve shown for this game throughout our entire pre-launch. From everyone at Santa Monica Studio, thank you to all the God of War fans across the world!
In celebration of the release of God of War Ragnarök Santa Monica Studio donates $100,000 to Black Girls Code
Today, Santa Monica Studio is happy to announce a donation of $100,000 to Black Girls Code. We’re excited to support Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Social Justice Fund portfolio as we continue our collective effort to drive change – locally, nationally, and globally.
Black Girls Code builds pathways for young Women of Color to embrace the current tech marketplace as builders and creators by introducing them to skills in computer programming and technology. The organization is devoted to showing the world that Black girls can code and do so much more. Black Girls Code is committed to creating stronger economies and more equitable societies—ultimately realizing the true potential of democracy through diversity and inclusion.
Black Girls Code is one of the many nonprofit organizations SIE supports whose efforts are focused on strengthening educational and career opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities. This is just another step as we’ll continue our efforts to make Sony Interactive Entertainment and the video game industry more diverse, inclusive, and accessible.
My name is Blair Lachlan Scott, Writer & Producer at Coin Crew Games. I’m stoked to tell you about how our design approach evolved to bring you an exciting new experience in our first DLC: Escape Academy: Escape from Anti-Escape Island!
Evolving our design
After completing the base game, we looked inward at our processes to set some goals on how we wanted to evolve as a studio for our first DLC. It needed to be bigger, better, and unexpected. After some teamwide introspection, we defined three core principles in an attempt to outdo our last offering.
Avoiding repetition
The last thing we wanted after players experienced twelve school-themed levels was to have the DLC feel just like a rehashed Escape Academy. We wanted to see how far we could push our universe by taking players away from campus and still keeping the world tied to our academic backdrop. Threading the needle between these two goals, we landed on a single theme: summer vacation.
Taking the Escapists on vacation unlocked a completely new batch of environments and opened the door to dramatic new room premises. Having our players land themselves on ‘Anti-Escape Island’ also introduced a juicy dichotomy between ‘tropical island locale’ and ‘mysterious scientific facility.’ Combining these elements both in the art design and the level concepts bred some of our most exciting, and wacky, rooms to date.
Deepening the narrative
In Escape Academy, we were very cautious of having the narrative get in the way of the puzzles. We designed the story in such a way that it was able to be engaged with at various levels of depth, without missing any context for in-level elements. What we found upon release was that players craved a narrative that was more enmeshed with the gameplay and puzzles.
This response led us to building the DLC around a contained, linear story-arc where the level premises and the story were more integrally linked. While our rooms will always be playable start-to-finish without narrative context to keep the game approachable, our hope is that marrying the level design and narrative more tightly will result in more palpable stakes and deeper investment in our story, characters, and world.
Cranking up the difficulty
Prior to Escape Academy, directors Wyatt Bushnell and Mike Salyh designed real-world escape rooms and arcade cabinets. There, a critical piece of the development process was rigorous playtesting, something we carried over to the development of Escape Academy. This process was invaluable in streamlining gameplay minutiae and refining the user experience, but it did leave one critical element exposed. As people progressed through the entirety of the game, they got really good at it. This resulted in some players being able to tackle the higher difficulty levels without feeling the ramp-up we were anticipating and left them desiring a more challenging experience.
There are lots of levers to pull when tweaking the difficulty in a puzzle game. We needed to be tactical about which ones we pulled to maintain a satisfying experience for our players.
Complexity: How many steps does it take to complete the puzzle itself? There’s a fine line between gratifying complexity and having a puzzle or puzzle sequence lose its thread.
Quantity: Another ‘easy’ lever to pull in theory, but it requires finesse. Our designers are very intentional with how puzzles are sequenced and take people through the environment. Injecting too many puzzles into a level can be disruptive.
Obtuseness: How difficult is it to figure out what you’re supposed to do with a given puzzle? This is the trickiest to nail down as it involves grappling with the immense difference in thought processes throughout the player base. For some people, a certain puzzle clicks instantly while for others, it may be the hardest of the game.
So… Which lever did we decide to pull?
All of them!
Escape From Anti-Escape Island’s levels are filled to the brim with complex puzzles and intricate room flows that are a natural step forward in the evolution of our game design. Consistent playtesting was instrumental in balancing the DLC. Our hope is that it results in a challenging, satisfying, and surprising experience for players.
More to come
And once again, we at Coin Crew Games find ourselves trying to define ways to push things further as we set our sights on our next major update. We can’t wait for you to play Escape From Anti-Escape Island, and we’re all looking forward to keeping you on your toes with all-new puzzles.
Escape Academy: Escape from Anti-Escape Island is available on PS4 & PS5 on November 10, 2022.
PlayStation Stars is our loyalty program and it’s free to join through the PlayStation App. Members have a variety of perks including access to fun Campaigns, which are updated and added to frequently. PlayStation Plus members also get points on purchases from PlayStation Store.
Completing Campaigns can unlock Digital Collectibles or PlayStation Stars points. Points can be redeemed for limited-edition Digital Collectibles, PlayStation Network wallet funds or select games from PlayStation Store.
Most Digital Collectibles are designed to celebrate great moments in PlayStation and Sony history — some will be widely recognizable, while others will be a bit more subtle.
Let’s check out some of the Campaigns and Digital Collectibles that will be coming this month for PlayStation Stars members:
Highlights: New Campaigns & Digital Collectibles coming this month
God of War Ragnarök Campaign & Digital Collectible
For PlayStation Stars members who pre-ordered God of War: Ragnarök in any software edition through PS Store or direct.playstation.com.
We want to say thank you for pre-ordering from PlayStation and making the God of War Ragnarök launch epic.
This Digital Collectible will be available to those who qualify. Check into PS Stars to collect this reward.
Available Nov 9
Happy 20th Anniversary to our beloved Ratchet & Clank Campaign & Digital Collectible For all PlayStation Stars members
Join us in celebrating 20 years of Ratchet & Clank. A collectible of the universe’s most debonair spy (with significant semiconductor content) is available to collect for those joining us in playing any game on PS4 or PS5 to celebrate the franchise’s anniversary.
PlayStation and You: PS3 For PlayStation Stars members who owned PS3 in Clear Black or Ceramic White
This is a campaign for those who owned the PS3 Clear Black or Ceramic White – you were with us then and we celebrate you now. Play any game on PS4 or PS5 to receive your Digital Collectible. Doesn’t have to be vintage!
Additional Campaigns live now
November Check-In Campaign & Digital Collectible For all PlayStation Stars members
Simply check in and play your favorite game on PS4 or PS5 this month to receive the Tyrannosaurus Rex Digital Collectible for November. He’ll be waiting to take up pride of place in your digital display case.
PlayStation and You: PlayStation Eye Campaign & Digital Collectible For PlayStation Stars members who owned PlayStation Eye
PlayStation Eye owners – we see you and salute you! Playing any game on the PS4 or PS5 will bag you this Digital Collectible of the PlayStation Eye – perfect in digital miniature.
Fight of the Month Club Campaign & Digital Collectible For all PlayStation Stars members
The first rule of picking your fight is to win. This one is for the multiplayer fighting title fans. Just play one of the titles included in this month’s tournament to claim your reward. Titles included in this month’s tournament are: Guilty Gear Strive, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Street Fighter V, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Mortal Kombat 11 and Tekken 7. The reward for November is the Incorruptible Determination Digital Collectible.
You’ll be able to showcase these collectibles for other players to view – or you can also keep that private if you prefer. There is a selection of different display cases to choose from. Check out the PlayStation Stars section in PlayStation App for mobile devices to learn more.
As always, these won’t be the only collectibles offered this month – there are more surprises in store. Check in regularly on PlayStation App to discover what’s new! You can find all the information on PlayStation Stars here.
Not signed up yet? Click here to join for free on PlayStation App.
Experience Need for Speed Unbound at 60fps and 4k resolution on PS5, feel every bump in the road through haptic feedback, and immerse yourself in the world of Lakeshore, a street racers’ playground!
Recently we debuted the reveal trailer for our latest Need for Speed. Unbound is an all-new street racing thrillride in development by Criterion Software and is due out next month. As teased in the video above, your goal is to reach The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street racing challenge by taking on weekly qualifiers (and outsmarting the cops!). Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to build out a garage filled with custom rides.
Today, we’re going to dig into how PlayStation 5’s features will immerse you even further. Let’s dive in.
Race against time, outsmart the cops, and take on weekly qualifiers to reach The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street racing challenge when Need for Speed Unbound releases on December 2, 2022.
Pack your garage with precision-tuned, custom rides and light up the streets with your style, exclusive fits, and a vibrant global soundtrack that bumps in every corner of the world. Check out how PS5 features take street racing to a whole new level in Need for Speed Unbound.
60fps and 4k Resolution
The most realistic looking cars in Need for Speed history are paired with a vibrant graffiti-inspired art style to deliver high-energy visual and sound effects as you’re tearing through the streets of Lakeshore. Enjoy every detail thanks to the power of the PS5 unlocking 4k resolution, a 60fps framerate and 60Hz simulation rate that brings more responsive visuals and handling in the moments you need it most.
A richer world and more detailed car models
What’s the use in having a fresh new custom if no one’s around to see it? Lakeshore’s a popping city, and the PS5’s CPU allows for a higher density of traffic and pedestrians to deliver a more living world. When you’re testing out the latest upgrades on your ride, Lakeshore’s streets will be booming with other city dwellers taking care of business. That means plenty of cars to weave in and out of or scrape alongside… depending on your skill behind the wheel.
Richer car simulation also allows for a more in-depth handling model, creating an intuitive driving experience. Anyone can get in the seat but mastering the roads and earning a spot in The Grand is a completely different challenge that requires skill, bravery, and a trunk load of flair.
Haptic feedback
Feel the tyres on the road as the DualSense controller fires direct feedback to your fingertips. Don’t be afraid to get dirty too. Take your shiny custom off-road, collide with the competition, or spin out in spectacular fashion and feel every moment. Do what it takes to get ahead.
Richer audio
An immersive audio experience enables a deeper connection to NFS Unbound’s world and the cars living in it. Whether you’re rocking a Crown Vic or a souped up Hellcat, hear the roar of the engine bounce back off the walls of the city’s tallest buildings whilst the A$AP Rocky and AWGE-led soundtrack bumps in the background.
Discover Need for Speed Unbound Palace Edition
Street style is everything in Lakeshore. Pre-order* Need for Speed Unbound Palace Edition and get ahead of the crowd with three days early access plus exclusive Palace branded content including:
Ratchet & Clank turns 20 today! Did someone tamper with The Great Clock? It’s almost hard to believe, but it’s true! Insomniac Games launched the original game in 2002, sparking two decades of grand adventures through space, time, and dimensions. Since its humble beginnings on the PlayStation 2 console, the franchise introduced us to a variety of beloved characters, a host of iconic weapons and gadgets, multitudes of eccentric alien worlds, and much more.
So, beginning today, we’re kicking off our Ratchet & Clank celebrations – #Ratchet20 if you will, by dropping a few surprises and briefly looking back at the franchise.
Let’s get straight to the good stuff: we’re thrilled to announce Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will receive a 20th Anniversary Armor Pack TODAY in honor of #Ratchet20, which will be available via a game update at no extra cost. * The pack includes five armors inspired by games throughout the franchise’s history – and we have an awesome selection:
Commando Armor inspired by Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
Holoflux Armor inspired by Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Quest Armor inspired by Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty
Marauder Armor inspired by Ratchet: Deadlocked
Clank rmor to celebrate the greatest of pals
That’s not all. We are also excited to announce more of the Ratchet & Clank franchise coming to PlayStation Plus Premium on November 15.** This includes:
Currently on PlayStation Plus Premium:
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (PS3)
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3)
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PS3)
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault (PS3)
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus (PS3)
Coming to PlayStation Plus Premium on November 15:
Ratchet & Clank (PS3)
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS3)
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS3)
Ratchet & Clank: Deadlocked (PS3)
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
Now that we’ve gotten the new stuff out of the way, let’s revisit aspects of the franchise that made it an iconic PlayStation staple for the last 20 years. We’ve also invited Insomniacs to share some of their memories!
Hey there, Fuzzball….
After three mystical dragon-filled adventures, it was time to venture deep into the cosmos and explore a brand-new galaxy of opportunities. The premise was simple: a fuzzy-eared alien and a tiny robot trek from planet to planet, collecting weapons and gadgets, and save worlds in the process. Cue Ratchet and Clank. One, a Lombax with a penchant for mechanics and a desire to explore beyond his desert planet Veldin. And another, a robot, an intelligent and logical being with an earnest heart and a desire to do good. These titular underdogs would establish a footprint beyond their planets and into our hearts.
“When we were in early production on the original Ratchet & Clank in 2001, we were trying to find the right tone for the story. Brian Hastings had come up with the core concept for the game and we had moved quickly into prototyping. The tricky part was finding the right comedic flavor for our scenes.
As someone who’s incapable of writing humor, I was waiting anxiously to see if Brian, John Lally and Oliver Wade who had been collaborating on the scripts could thread the needle and find something that was laugh-out-loud funny without being slapstick.
I remember a bunch of us crowded around an old CRT TV watching our first test cinematic. It was the ad for Al’s Roboshack where Captain Qwark (voiced by the great Jim Ward) states in his typically snarky tone “There’s nothing worse than staring down a Blargian Snagglebest…from the inside”. Even though I knew the script by heart, after watching the scene I laughed out loud. The lines, the delivery, the animation, the subtle social commentary – everything fit. To me, that ended up being the scene that set the comedic tone for the entire franchise.”“
– Ted Price, President of Insomniac Games
Naturally, over 16 games, we’ve crossed paths with an incredible roster of characters: the lovable and brawny Captain Qwark, the evil Dr. Nefarious, the philosophical Plumber, the courageous and tenacious Talwyn, and of course Rivet, a rebellious Lombax and our breakout star in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
Download the image
Weapons and Gadgets…
Beyond its characters, Ratchet & Clank is known for its wild arsenal of weapons. I mean, who could forget those live action commercials during the PS2 era? From Up Your Arsenal’s Shock Blaster to Tools of Destruction’s Groovitron, unleashing a full-frontal assault on your enemies is key to Ratchet & Clank’s gameplay experience. Let’s not forget the gadgets that also aid you in adventures: the Swingshot! The Helipack! Hooverboots! Hologuise! Hydrodisplacer! Magneboots!
20 years is a lot of time for designing weapons, upgrading them, and testing out new ones. Blasters, canons, melee weapons, deployables, blades, Morph-o-Rays, rocket launchers, wrenches, hammers,…. There’s a weapon for everyone and we’re always eager to see where our community’s favorites stack up! (ahem: comment below!)
“I remember the first time I did a hoverboard half-pipe jump on a spherical world and saw the tiny planet receding in the distance below me. That was midway through development of the first Ratchet game, and it was one of many moments that made me think “wow, we’ve got something really special here.” Funny thing is, as amazing as the spherical worlds were, we ended up deciding to save them for the sequel.
Two other favorite moments that did make the cut: sucking up a whole nest of sandsharks with the Suck Cannon and blasting them back out at each other, and the first reveal of Metropolis on Kerwan when you walk through the tunnel and see the sprawling city and rivers of air cars in front of you. But there are at least a hundred other unforgettable moments from the making of that first game I could pick. That first year was a magical period of time where every day somebody was adding something new and incredible into the mix.“
– Brian Hastings, Head of Creative Strategy at Insomniac Games
…Not fit for this world!
Iconic planets set the stage for grand adventures. From the sprawling skylines of Metropolis to the murky pirate coves of Hoolefar Island in Quest for Booty, each locale is littered with bolts to collect, gadgets to unlock, weapons to buy, and secrets that yearn to be discovered. Aesthetically, worlds range from the imposing Battleplexes of DreadZone, industrial sectors of Megacorp facilities in Going Commando, and lush tropical resorts on Pokitaru – ensuring every world is distinct and compelling as you move ahead in your galactic travels!
“I started at Insomniac when we were making ‘Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando’ for the PS2. We used to name all the assets by number, so there were no letters in any of the asset names. Artists would write long lists of numbers with a description of what the asset was for their own reference.
When you wanted to share an asset, you’d ask the artist for the number or use a copier machine to make a copy of their asset lists for your own use. Designers also made level maps in Illustrator that artists would print out on large rolls of paper to use as guides for building levels. Concept art was done on paper and handed to the artists. Needless to say, artists’ desks were covered with piles and piles of paper even though we were modeling in 3D.“
– Jacinda Chew, Sr. Art Director at Insomniac Games
In Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus, our team even explored spookier environments, from haunting orphanages to destroyed space stations, which gave the game an identity of its own. Visually, Nexus is a personal favorite of mine because of how much it leans into this aesthetic and tone!
“Seen any good holofilms?”
The PlayStation 2 unlocked new capabilities beyond the original PlayStation, among them the power to create fully fledged cutscenes that rivaled high budget films of the era. Our animation team upped the ante in later years, truly bridging game design and visual storytelling into one.
Animation is core to our storytelling and gameplay. The final moments of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time are a testament to our team’s work: a rollercoaster ride of animated storytelling, complete with emotional impact and wholesomeness that left a lot of us in tears!
Looking a little more recently, the 2016 reimagining of the first game provides us with a direct before-and-after between modern Ratchet & Clank and the original’s visuals. When it comes to animation, it’s a substantial leap and a showcase of our team’s years of experience bringing Ratchet & Clank to life.
““Call it the “screenshot heard around the world…”
It was December of 2014, just a few days before our annual winter office closure, when I got an email from one of our European producers at SIE. The subject read “Milestone update” and the body, a single question mark.
For what it’s worth, this is exactly the sort of thing you’d expect to hear from a producer just before a milestone. Especially one as important as the one we were working toward: our first playtest for Ratchet & Clank on PS4.
The build included the first few levels but more crucially, it included cuts from the Ratchet & Clank feature film blended with our new work-in-progress cinematics. For the first time, we’d find out if our approach to a reimagined R&C origin story would land with players.
As we were approaching milestone delivery, I had a million things going on and cheekily responded to the producer with a screenshot that someone of the team had recently circulated:“
Download the image
“Initially, he thought I’d sent him a shot from the feature film as a joke. Then he thought I’d sent him a shot from one of our pre-rendered cinematics. Eventually, though, he got it: it was an in-game frame captured on the PlayStation 4 console.
The producer was so amazed by what he saw that he forwarded the screenshot to folks within SIE Europe, who in turn forwarded it to others. Pretty soon, word spread that Ratchet & Clank (2016) wasn’t a remaster but instead, something completely new.
RCPS4 would go on to become our most successful title in years and reinvigorated the Ratchet & Clank franchise within the PlayStation community!“
– Shaun McCabe, Head of Technology at Insomniac Games
Fast forward to June 2021, our latest entry, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, set a new standard for the franchise: huge spectacles, heartfelt moments, and combat animations that bring you closer to the action and blends our craft with the power of the PlayStation 5 console. Here’s my shameless plug: you can read our blog deconstructing the impeccable animation of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart to learn more!
And that concludes our brief retrospective. We hope you’re as excited as we are about the 20th Anniversary Armor Pack coming to Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart today and returning to beloved classics on PlayStation Plus Premium. On behalf of Insomniac Games, thank you for joining Ratchet and Clank on their adventures for the last 20 years. As always, we would love to hear about your favorite Ratchet & Clank memories, so please tag us on social media (@insomniacgames) and use hashtag #Ratchet20 in celebration of the franchise’s 20th anniversary!
Play the latest title in the Ratchet & Clank franchise, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, available now on PS5… Now with a free 20th Anniversary Armor Pack ft. five new armors inspired by past games in the series!
*Game update v.1.004 requires internet connection. **Availability of games vary by country/region. PlayStation Plus recurs until cancelled. Age restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/PSPlusTerms.
Last week, Final Fantasy XVI Producer Naoki Yoshida and Director Hiroshi Takai debuted the game’s newly released trailer, entitled Ambition. In that PS Blog post, they touched briefly on the game’s lore as well as sharing more information about two newly revealed characters.
After that reveal, we had yet more questions. So today, they’re going to dig a little deeper into the world of Valisthea, the Dominants and Eikons. Joined by Creative Director Kazutoyo Maehiro and Localisation Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, this interview covers the creators approach to its story, worldbuilding, key players’ motivations, and more.
“The world of Final Fantasy XVI may not be particularly kind or gentle. Still, I think we’ve managed to portray how its people live without abandoning hope – how they struggle, how they stand firm, and how they keep on living.”
– Hiroshi Takai, Main Director
PlayStation Blog: What did you want to achieve in this story that hadn’t been done in a Final Fantasy before?
Hiroshi Takai, Main Director, Final Fantasy XVI: I would say that, in the beginning, the Final Fantasy series set out to create pure fantasy worlds and tell rich stories about the inhabitants of those worlds. The series has gradually built out from that starting point, sometimes trying out elements closer to sci-fi, and delving more deeply into the coming-of-age stories of its youthful characters. As we come to Final Fantasy XVI, just as our players seem to have grown up, the years have taken their toll on us developers, too. The world hasn’t always been kind, and we’ve learnt that you can’t expect everything to turn out well for you. And things don’t always turn out well in the world of Valisthea, either – in many different senses of the word. Its inhabitants all carry their own burdens. That was the kind of world we wanted to show. And so, the world of Final Fantasy XVI may not be particularly kind or gentle. Still, I think we’ve managed to portray how its people live without abandoning hope – how they struggle, how they stand firm, and how they keep on living. So I really want as many people as possible to experience the world of Valisthea. (And of course, it’s not all doom and gloom!)
Can you walk us through the earliest stages of concepting this world? Do you start with the iconic elements you want to include, such as Crystals and Summons, then explore unique takes on those with the Dominants, then that leads organically to warring nation states etc?
Kazutoyo Maehiro, Creative Director & Original Screenplay, Final Fantasy XVI: From the very start of the project, we had decided that Final Fantasy XVI would focus on the Eikons. Summons are an important element of the Final Fantasy series as a whole, so I thought that if we were going to show the Eikons, we should make sure they were properly woven into the story instead of merely being spells or skills.
That was what led me to start thinking about the question, “Say there was a world where Eikons actually existed – what kind of world would that be?” It would have to be a world where it would be natural to see a giant Summon with your own eyes, and it would have a corresponding history.
The next steps are mostly about how I personally approach the creation of a story. I started by creating the world map, and from there, I built up the environment of the world: establishing the flow of the winds and rivers, the ocean currents, and the placement of cities. With this as my base, I added in the iconic elements from the Final Fantasy series – including the crystals – and other elements unique to Final Fantasy XVI that arose from its overall structure, writing the history of the world as I went. Once all this is complete, we finally arrive at the starting line for the story. After that, I created a narrative that would always keep Clive (= the player’s avatar) at its nexus. I took care to ensure that he really feels like the protagonist, not just one character among multiple storylines.
“Yoshida-san’s core design concept for XVI has always been a “rollercoaster,” so a mixture of slow, building ascents, followed by thrilling freefalls is a good way to describe how we’ve tried to deliver the narrative.”
– Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, Localization Director
Are there any learnings from structuring and writing FFXIV’s Heavensward storyline and characters that you’ve brought to building out FFXVI’s?
Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, Localization Director, Final Fantasy XVI: Yes and no.
First and foremost, the FFXIV Warrior of Light being a silent protagonist greatly affected how scenes could be written. As a result, most XIV cutscenes involved OTHER people talking TO you, the burden to relay important information falling almost solely on NPCs. For XVI, having Clive be an active part of every conversation changes a lot about how we are able to relay info to the player. Cutscenes are definitely more dynamic in that sense. Also, the addition of high-quality facial capture to a lot of scenes allow us opportunities to relay emotion and meaning via expression rather than actual dialogue.
Differences in genre also affected our approach.
With an MMO such as XIV, it is all about creating a story that you can extend over the two+ years of an expansion cycle. With a standalone game, the resulting narrative needs to be a little more compact and streamlined. When that standalone game is heavily action focused (as opposed to a traditional slower-paced RPG), narrative tempo becomes doubly important. While political intrigue can be exciting, it tends to be complex, and require a lot of explanation which can slow things down. Leaning too much on intrigue and complexity sometimes causes you to lose sight of the bigger picture, and the game can suffer because of it. As we are creating something that is interactive, we wanted there to be a good balance. Yoshida-san’s core design concept for XVI has always been a “rollercoaster,” so a mixture of slow, building ascents, followed by thrilling freefalls is a good way to describe how we’ve tried to deliver the narrative.
That Dominants are viewed differently depending on their home nation – be they venerated or forced into being weapons of war – makes for rich storytelling potential. What informed your development and choice of how each nation viewed and used their Dominants?
Koji Fox: Making each nation’s attitude towards Dominants different gives us the opportunity to explore how certain things are perceived when viewed through different lenses—something especially relevant in an age where a tendency is to compartmentalize things as either black and white, right or wrong. Because ultimately the Dominants are living, breathing human beings, how they are employed by their respective nations becomes a fairly accurate reflection of how those nations treat their own populace. A nation that treats its Dominant like a pawn, most likely also sees its people as pawns, to be sacrificed in order to save the more important pieces. A nation that fears its Dominant is one that is likely to lash out against all magic users (Dominants and Bearers), whereas a nation that reveres its Dominant is more likely to view its people as equals.
“The way in which the Dominants act according to their human will even after manifesting the Eikons might be something that’s quite distinct about Final Fantasy XVI.”
– Hiroshi Takai, Main Director
Bahamut and Odin are two iconic figures in Final Fantasy mythology who have been interpreted in different ways in previous games. How is the team making FFXVI’s versions distinct from past titles?
Takai: This doesn’t just apply to Bahamut and Odin, but I would say one distinct aspect of Final Fantasy XVI when compared to past installments of the series is the way that humans (Dominants) manifest the Eikons into themselves. Dion, who is Bahamut, and Barnabas, who is Odin, each carry their own burdens in the story, and I think one of the fascinating things about Final Fantasy XVI is how the monstrous forms manifested by the Dominants come to somehow resemble the human characters when you look at them. For the actual appearance of the Eikons, instead of creating a completely new design, we’ve intentionally gone with forms that could be easily imagined from previous iterations. Thinking about it, the way in which the Dominants act according to their human will even after manifesting the Eikons might be something that’s quite distinct about Final Fantasy XVI.
The Eikons may be all-powerful, but their actions are at the behest of their Dominants, and by extension, the nations they fight for. All characters (not just Dominants) believe what they are doing is right. How do you approach fleshing out morally complex characters?
Maehiro: Not everyone treats the Dominants in the same way. Being humans, there are lots of differing thoughts and beliefs. In one country, Dominants may be treated with great respect, like stately guests of honour – while in another, they are treated as slaves. And while there are those who fight for justice, there are those who will only act for their own personal benefit, as well as those who are being coerced to serve against their will for some reason or other. You might think that the Dominants should be able to do whatever they want with the immense power of the Eikons, but using this power comes with the drawback of petrifying the Dominant’s body. This gives rise to turmoil faced by Dominants who cannot act as they wish, as well as shaping the relationships they have with their aligned countries and the people surrounding them. The character of each Dominant has been created by depicting the situation they find themselves in, their personal will and ideology, and the conflict that arises from these factors.
“When [FFXVI composer] Masayoshi Soken heard the sung lines, he and his team decided to handcraft a background lute part for each one…despite the extra work that meant for them because we had recorded the songs acapella and tempo and pitch were all over the place.”
– Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, Localization Director
Who has been your favorite FFXVI character to write and why?
Naoki Yoshida, Producer, Final Fantasy XVI: There are lots of characters in the game, and they all have their own life and destiny – so it’s very difficult to pick one… I imagine this will be the same answer as for Mr. Maehiro, who was in charge of the script, but I would have to say that Clive, the protagonist, is uniquely special. Being our protagonist, the whole development team is united behind pushing Clive forward with all our might. How are we going to shine the spotlight on him? How are we going to give his words weight? Together with Mr. Maehiro, I’ve checked every individual part and made repeated requests for things to be tweaked. As a result, I’m particularly attached to Clive.
Takai: He hasn’t been announced yet, but I like the character of Byron, who appears partway through the story. He’s a character with an extremely likable personality: very cheerful and magnanimous. So I expect a lot of players will end up liking him, just as I do! Unfortunately, I can’t go into too much detail, since it’ll enter spoiler territory, but the scene where he first appears makes me really emotional. When I was initially carrying out the cutscene checks, I found myself tearing up despite myself. I imagine he’ll be announced in future promotional material, so when you see him in the game, think back to this interview, haha.
Maehiro: My favorite character would have to be the main character, Clive. Of all the characters I’ve written thus far, he’s really the character I’ve poured the most feeling into – so much so, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to write a better character. There are actually lots of characters in the game that I really like but can’t talk about at this point. If I have another interview opportunity after the game has been released, I’ll mention them in my answers, haha.
Koji Fox: There are so many unique characters in XVI, it’s hard to choose (even more so when I can’t actually talk about most here because it would spoil the story). So coming in a, let’s say, close fourth after [redacted], [redacted], and [redacted] would have to be the bard who sings of Clive’s exploits. Originally this NPC was simply supposed to recite vague poems depending on where Clive happened to be in the main scenario, but we thought it would be fun to have him sing the lines in true spoony bard fashion, so we reached out to a talented voice actor who also happened to have professional training in the bardic arts (bardic arts?) and had him do two versions of each—a spoken one, and one expertly crooned in “ye olde” style—assuming that we’d probably just end up using the former. However, when Mr. Soken (Final Fantasy XVI’s composer) heard the sung lines, he and his team decided to handcraft a background lute part for each one…despite the extra work that meant for them because we had recorded the songs acapella and tempo and pitch were all over the place. The result, however, was so good that all the other voiced languages (Japanese included) decided to follow suit, recrafting their lyrics to fit the melodies and hiring talented singers to nail the parts. And all this for a random NPC that some players may never even speak with once in the game!
Hello everyone, my name is Ryota Nozoe, Lead Visual Effects Artist on Forspoken.
This expansive new action RPG puts you in control of Frey Holland, a young woman who is transported to the mysterious world of Athia! This land may be beautiful, but it’s dangerous too – a phenomenon called ‘the Break’ has corrupted the people and creatures… and turned them into hideous monsters.
Fortunately, Frey is able to call upon a wide range of magic spells to defend herself, from harnessing the elements to manipulating nature itself. You can get a close look at the exciting combat in our latest deep-dive video:
As you can see, magic is varied and visually spectacular! Read on, and I’ll tell you a little about how we achieved it:
Defining the ‘look’ of Forspoken’s magic
We put a great deal of time and thought into how we visualise the spells in Forspoken.
First and foremost, we wanted to stay away from having things like fire or rocks just suddenly appearing out of nowhere. While that certainly would have been fine, and wouldn’t have caused any issues, doing that felt too expected and boring – especially for a game so focused on magic.
We decided that every spell would share a common rule – it would start with magic energy, and transition into natural phenomena like the afore-mentioned fire and rocks. Then, when the spell is cast, it would revert back to magic energy before fading away.
We also wanted to stay away from using auras or summoning circles when Frey was using spells – this would lack originality. Early in development, we decided that magic energy in Forspoken would be represented by geometric patterns.
This informed the visual design of all of the game’s magic, and ensured we kept a consistent visual style throughout the game.
Each spell in the game was the result of a team of visual artists, game designers and programmers all working very closely together. To give you an example of this, here are three spells you can use in the game – and what went into bringing them to life!
Burst Shot
Burst shot fires explosive lumps of rock that deal area damage.
It’s an explosive earth-based spell that deals area damage, so we thought it would feel appropriate and magic-like to conjure a large rock that quickly protrudes in four directions.
This is the first spell that Frey gets – and the first one we worked on – so we made sure it was pretty straightforward!
Because Burst Shot was the first spell we took to completion, it became a guideline for all the magic in Forspoken. While we were making it, we used it to perfect the common rule of geometric patterns turning into rocks and turning back into geometric patterns before disappearing.
So, while it may not be the most visually impressive spell, it’s certainly special as it served as the departure point for all the others in the game!
Cataract
Cataract spins up a watery vortex that sucks in enemies, damaging them as it does so. If you hold the button, you can send out pillars of water out to attack enemies, and if you hold it even longer, you can send out more pillars of icy water to freeze foes solid!
During development, we came up with the idea of having streams of water converge and cause a big icy explosion. We challenged ourselves to visually express how water changes into ice – only if we could achieve that, would the spell be complete.
Of course, that was easier said than done! For example, this is a spell that has different levels – at level two it’s only an explosion of water, and at level three, the explosion of water turns to ice. Getting that explosion of water and freezing it was extremely difficult – we essentially had to develop it as two separate spells, which meant double the work!
It’s worth it though, because we were able to find a way to express that concept of water turning into ice. We were also very particular when it came to developing the shaders we used for these substances – I think Cataract is one of those spells that looks beautiful, even at a quick glance.
Genesis
Genesis summons barbed branches, which fire out in front of you and skewer foes over a wide area. If you hold the button, it hits harder and over an even area, and if you hold the buttons even longer, it also strikes and poisons your enemies!
The ‘genesis’ of this spell actually came from one that we were experimenting with during the early stages of development. Very early on, we decided that Frey would be able to manipulate nature, and I thought it would be fitting and visually impactful if she could conjure a large tree from the ground!
The original design saw the tree grow and attack enemies, but as we got further along in development, we reworked the design to better match the game’s systems.
We were testing this spell even while we were still in pre-production. It’s a pretty extravagant concept – a tree grows from the ground and flowers would bloom, then an even larger tree impales everything in sight!
It took an enormous amount of trial and error to show plants being created at such a scale. Showing trees growing from the ground was especially challenging. We tested a lot of different methods, and we had to start over many times.
Then, once we thought we had completed it, it became a spell with multiple levels, so then we had to figure out how to differentiate levels 1-3, which was quite trying!
I’m delighted with how it turned out though – I think we were able to achieve something wonderful!
As you can tell, we’ve worked incredibly hard to make the combat in Forspoken look good – and also feel good to play. We can’t wait for you to see all the amazing spells we’ve created – but you’ll have to wait until the game is out for that!
Forspoken releases January 24, 2023 for PlayStation 5, and is available to preorder now.
Mark your calendars! PlayStation Studios is set to host an all-day livestream event on Saturday, November 5th for Extra Life Game Day to raise money for a great cause! Join Bend Studio, Guerrilla, Insomniac Games, and San Diego Studio for a day full of fun, laughter, and some friendly competition to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
PlayStation Studios will play a variety of games during the livestream from new releases to PlayStation classics and will be asking you, our incredible fans, to help us meet our donation goal of $10,000. And guess what? To thank you for all your support, you will have the chance to receive some awesome PlayStation merchandise in a special giveaway during the livestream, including a DualSense™ Wireless Controller, PS5 HD Camera, and more!* (See official rules here)
Donate or find out more on the Tiltify Cause Page for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.** “Extra Life Game Day is a way for all of us to come together to spend a day playing the games we love and to raise money for a cause we believe in,” says Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios. All donations go to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to fund critical life-saving treatments and healthcare services, along with innovative research, vital pediatric medical equipment, and child life services across the U.S. and Canada.
Now, get ready for a full day of games, good vibes, and fun times!
Check out the livestream schedule below! You can tune into each studio’s Twitch channel or catch them throughout the day on the official PlayStation Twitch channel. The livestream event kicks off at 9AM PT!
PlayStation Studios Extra Life Game Day Schedule
Saturday, November 5 Schedule subject to change
STUDIO
TIME (PT)
Guerrilla
9:00AM – 1:00PM
San Diego Studio
10:00AM – 3:00PM
Insomniac Games
10:30AM – 7:00PM
Bend Studio
10:30AM – 9:00PM
PlayStation Studios
12:00PM – 1:00 PM
About CMN Hospitals
More than 10 million kids enter a children’s hospital across North America every year. To provide the best care for kids, children’s hospitals rely on donations and community support, as Medicaid and insurance programs do not fully cover the cost of care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has helped fill those funding gaps by raising more than $7 billion, most of it $1 at a time through Miracle Balloon icon campaigns. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit’s mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.
Learn more about Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and your local children’s hospital: cmnhospitals.org.
*No purchase necessary. Only open to US residents, 18+. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes end 11/05/22. See full rules: (See official rules here) **Any personal info you provide through Tiltify is subject to Tiltify’s privacy policy.
With just over a week away from the highly anticipated release of God of War Ragnarök, Kratos and Atreus continue their journey through the Norse realms, while building a stronger bond together as father and son. This inspiring journey made us wonder: can all parents relate to the relationship challenges facing Kratos and Atreus?
Luckily, we found a few parents who relate all too well with how tough parenting can be. Bonded by the reality that no parent gets it right all of the time, these three star-studded families show that we can all relate to the dynamic relationship between Kratos and Atreus – especially when you wear the costume.
Here’s how each father found paternal inspiration in God of War Ragnarök:
Ben Stiller: Putting on the Kratos beard and makeup felt very empowering. The war paint really is useful in terms of letting people know you mean business. I found the beard made me feel wiser…though [my son] Quin didn’t seem to feel that at all.
LeBron James: Something about having the Leviathan Axe in your hand transports you to a different world. We all play the games on the screen, but being able to bring those moments to life and connect in a different way is a pretty cool thing.
John Travolta: Similar to Kratos and Atreus, the balance of ‘holding on and letting go’ is a dynamic many parents can relate to. There’s no better feeling than seeing your child grow and mature into the best versions of themselves.
Experience Kratos’ parenting skills in action when God of War Ragnarök arrives on PS5 and PS4 November 9.
This was sometime late in 2015, but he’s still there today. 7 feet tall. A larger-than-life and surprisingly accurate recreation of the psycho from Until Dawn, complete with blue overalls and the ghastly mannequin mask we’d spent months concepting to get as scary as we possibly could. We’re all used to him now, but he still gets a reaction from new hires and visitors.
The psycho watched everything. A group of us were sitting in the plush chairs of the cinema in the Supermassive offices, while CEO Pete Samuels laid out his plans for a new concept: the Dark Pictures Anthology. A series of branching cinematic games that would explore different sub-genres of horror. The games would be 4-5 hours, short enough to play in one sitting. Each game would feature two multiplayer modes – an online connected mode where you could play the entire game with a friend, and a couch co-op where a group of friends could get together and play a horror movie.
It was a simple, compelling idea. But it was also extremely ambitious. To create a new franchise from scratch is no small thing, but the two-player co-op was also really daunting – no-one had done it before.
I remember very clearly thinking, ‘I must work on that.’
And I did get to work on that.
I was lucky enough to be the game director on spooky ghost-ship story Man of Medan. And now I’m lucky enough to be the game director on brutal serial-killer story The Devil In Me. And it’s been a fantastic ride.
Between those games we’ve had the psychological and historical horror of Little Hope, set in the eponymous New England town, and we’ve had the pumping action-horror of House of Ashes, fighting hordes of terrifying clicking vampire monsters buried deep beneath the desert.
There’s another psycho in The Devil in Me. It’s the story of a crew making a documentary about the American serial killer HH Holmes, who get trapped in a ‘murder hotel’ by a serial killer who is inspired by… HH Holmes.
Looking back on our first four games, there are many series highlights and it’s difficult to pick a favourite. Is it Conrad being chased through the rusting corridors of the WWII freighter by a living manifestation of his worst desires and fears? Or the stunning character design of the demons in Little Hope, each inspired by a vicious, long-forgotten killing? Or maybe it’s the touching, charged relationship between Jason and Salim, mortal enemies finding mutual respect and brotherhood in the blood-soaked monster-infested caves? Or is it one of the gruesome and over-the-top deaths in The Devil in Me?
For me, the most exciting thing is that we found an audience for these games, and they found us. Cinematic horror with an emphasis on relationships and storytelling is an acquired taste, but those who like it, love it.
And we loved watching our growing community obsess over fan art, tier lists, theoretical romantic character combinations (Jalim, Conbrad, Johngela!), the hints that we’ve sprinkled liberally through the games, the crazy fan theories (some of which are scarily accurate). It sometimes seems like the community know our characters and games better than we do. They love what we do, and we love them for it.
We’re always looking to improve the Dark Pictures formula. We’ve developed new ways of telling stories, overhauled how we capture performance, and improved our art pipeline so that textures and lighting are more grounded and realistic.
And with each game we’ve introduced gameplay improvements and tweaks: 3rd person cameras, difficulty levels, QTE warnings, accessibility options. Quality of life improvements that make it easier and more fun to enjoy the experiences we make.
For The Devil In Me, we’re introducing a number of significant gameplay enhancements.
There is a suite of new exploration actions – climbing, jumping, vaulting, crouching, crawling, shimmying and balancing – which allow the player to be more active as they explore the terrifying environments we’ve created. Players will also be able to run, to explore at the own pace. And when danger is present, they can hide from it – if they can find somewhere safe.
We’re also introducing a simple inventory, with tools that the characters can use to help them survive the horrors of the murder hotel. Players will be able to use items that the film crew carry with them, but can also find other tools in the environment. And sometimes, those tools can be upgraded, broken, or lost.
And there will be puzzles to confound and confuse the player. Fuse boxes to be rewired, hidden codes to be found, objects to be moved around to create new paths through the world.
All of this will be packed into a new run time of over 7 hours. One of the things we’ve learned on this journey is that we sometimes benefit from a bit more time with our characters to tell the story we need to tell.
So, from The Devil In Me team, we hope you enjoy your stay at the murder hotel. We hear that some of the rooms are to die for. We’re proud of what we’ve made, and we can’t wait for you to play it.
But before I sign off, I’ll turn things over to other members of our team to talk about what’s come before, and what’s next.
“Season 1 of the Dark Pictures has been an absolute blast. We have the most fun as an audio team working out how we can make the soundscape for each game as wildly different and fresh compared to the others. We’ve had the opportunity to create completely different audio experiences for newcomers and horror fanatics alike, while of course delivering on the horror audio tenets, because the game designs, narratives and subgenres are so varied.
Musically, working closely with Jason Graves, we started off with Man of Medan and an entire score in ¾ to reflect the movement of the waves; through Little Hope researching the late 17th century instruments of New England, constructing an entire soundtrack around choral chants, broken pianos and detuned gurdys; into House of Ashes switching instrumentation from orchestra to synths as the narrative exposition leaps into act 3, timelessly connecting extremely different universes across the wider narrative arc with a single pitching motif like a consistently dreadful reminder of an imminent threat; and now The Devil In Me, a soundtrack inspired by Bernard Herrmann scores, mixed with classical and operatic pieces by Schubert, Pergolesi and Rossini juxtaposing tragic deaths, all wrapped in an aleatoric orchestral horror underscore.
Authenticity is vital and we ventured out to capture the key environments from an audio perspective for every title in the anthology. From steel hulled military ships, smaller vessels experiencing squalls in the open ocean, to deep forests and more recently a stately home, like characters in the game we capture all of their sounds, the doors, switches, footsteps, engines, hull slaps, water splashes and most importantly we impulse the spaces so that we can identically replicate the acoustic, materials and reflections unique to those spaces for all in game diegetic sound. It is a huge team effort between all of the audio subdisciplines and combining this work with a full spatial audio implementation, we’ve been able to bring an unparalleled hyperreal immersion to the cinematic experience.
Using the haptic feedback features on the PS5 controller to further immerse the player in the environments, the action and the scares is incredible in The Devil In Me. The improved subtlety allows us to bring the weather, wind and rain closer to the player experience through uniquely authored haptic assets, giving the feel of actually being there. We infiltrate the players personal space to enhance rising dread and scares, adding strength to these key areas of horror with carefully timed haptic feedback, playing with strength, timing and frequency adding another layer of immersive content to the experience, and the subtlety allow the player to differentiate between all of the unique haptic cues we are sending to them.”
– Barney Pratt – Audio Director
“As the first season of the Dark Pictures Anthology draws to a close, we feel an overwhelming sense of achievement as a studio. We started this series to tell stories – ghastly, monstrous stories that refused to be buried in our slush pile. Now that our first four games have crawled up into the land of the living, it’s amazing to look back and see how they developed from concept through to release. Our talented teams breathed life into our dormant ideas and unleashed them on the public. And the public asked for more! We started this journey with eight games in mind, but new stories are clambering up that pile faster than ever. As series creative director, I can’t wait for you to see where we’re headed in season 2, and beyond. We have such sights to show you. “
We’ve showcased just some of the games coming to PS VR2 next year, such as Horizon Call of the Mountain, Resident Evil Village and more. But there’s yet more titles to reveal. Today we’re happy for developers of 11 new PS VR2 titles to share the first information of the experiences that you’ll be able to enjoy after PS VR2 launches on February 22.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR | Developer: Supermassive Games
Don’t blink – Immerse yourself in this fast-paced roller coaster action-horror-shooter where every move you make, and everything you see, could mean the difference between life and death. Experience the thrill of the most nightmarish VR roller coaster action-shooter, enhanced by the innovative features of PlayStation VR2 and set inside the sinister world of The Dark Pictures Anthology.
Switchback VR will take players for a multi-sensory ride on where they’ll need to survive the terrifying Ghost Ship and its distorted apparitions, confront hideous demonic incarnations of persecuted ‘witches’ in 17th-century New England and then fight for your life against other-worldly vampires trapped beneath the desert. Finally, escape the horrifying World’s Fair Hotel with a sadistic serial killer out for blood and discover how your story connects these worlds on this sinister rollercoaster from hell.
Endure every bump, twist, turn and drop as your cart speeds along the tracks with haptic feedback bringing that roller-coaster feeling to life. Adaptive triggers make each weapon feel unique as you unload on terrifying enemies that emerge from the shadows. Avoid falling beams, overturned buses and hanging witches. Headset feedback ensures that you’ll feel it if you don’t! With the PS VR2 headset eye tracking, we made enemies that only move when you blink, and hear demons whisper in your ear with the PS5’s 3D Audio. It’s your own personal nightmare where each track has multiple terrifying paths. No two runs will be the same, but each will test your reactions in this terrifying VR horror experience.
– Alejandro Arque Gallardo, Game Director, Supermassive Games
Crossfire: Sierra Squad | Developer: Smilegate
Greetings, mercenaries! We at Smilegate are thrilled to announce that we are working on a brand-new VR game called Crossfire: Sierra Squad! The first-person shooter incorporates innovative features offered by PS VR2, and is planned to launch on PS VR2 in 2023.
Soon you’ll be able to drop into the world of Crossfire in full VR, taking the fight to dimensions yet unseen! A battle-focused shooter, Crossfire: Sierra Squad will have you fighting a seemingly endless enemy force with high AI intelligence. It’s a fast-paced, easy to learn FPS. We can’t wait to show you what we are working on.
Play as the leader of an elite fireteam in the middle of a war over a top-secret biochemical weapon that has recently been discovered. Who is responsible for this weapon and for what reason? Be prepared for fierce resistance from all sides as you battle a variety of crafty enemies and a relentless search for the truth.
When you drop into the action, you’ll experience all the high-quality characters, maps, and movement that Crossfire fans have become accustomed to, now in VR. Fierce paramilitary action between rival factions Black List and Global Risk in a variety of indoor and outdoor battle scenes with over 60 campaign missions will keep you riveted. Our goal is to make you truly feel the impact of this arcade shooter.
The weapons you’ll find and use in Crossfire: Sierra Squad are also as varied as you would expect. 39 types of weapons including pistols, rifles, throwable – and throw back-able – grenades and sniper rifles with revolutionary scope mechanics give you plenty of options to dispatch 17 types of enemies. You’ll also engage with heavy artillery like helicopters and LAVs in full 360° VR space, so make sure you keep your head on a swivel.
And the enemies you’ll face aren’t just unintelligent NPCs. They have acute AI so clearing them out won’t be easy. But if you need help, recruit a friend (or two, or three) and jump into large-scale co-op play! Coordinating attacks with teammates is really fun, especially when you learn how to communicate via real hand signals through finger touch detection in-game. And the boss fights get super intense.
We are working hard to create a game experience that will suit players new to VR as well as VR veterans by incorporating several modes, including arcade mode, realism mode and hardcore horde mode. And if you are the competitive type, you’ll probably find yourself fighting to be on the global leaderboard so the world can see your accomplishments. Our goal is to bring all fans of military FPS games together, regardless of experience level, into an exciting shared adventure – solo or co-op with up to 4 players on a team.
– Fred White, Smilegate West Director of Marketing
The Light Brigade | Developer: Funktronic Labs
From the minds at Funktronic Labs comes a new single player roguelike experience filled with immersive gunplay and moody mystery.
The world lies in ruins and with each passing day the light grows dimmer. Only you can offer the world a glimmer of hope.
As the last line of defense against the darkness, you will enlist in the ranks of the Light Brigade and journey into the Sunken World as many times as it takes. Pieced together from shattered memories, these procedurally-generated battlegrounds are filled with enemies lurking around every corner. You will be forced to strategically navigate through dense forests, frozen mountains, and forgotten graveyards with a steady rifle and light magic to keep the shadows at bay.
This atmospheric experience is further enhanced by realistic physics-based gunplay, creating tense, heart-pounding shoot-outs. Climb the ranks of the Light Brigade through hard-fought battles and unlock new firearms and unique spells. Save your brothers-in-arms from within the Sunken World to improve your temple headquarters and unlock new shops and classes. Uncover the mystery of the world’s downfall and prevent its destruction before it’s too late. The Light Brigade will be a cross-buy title for PlayStation VR2 and PlayStation VR.
– Eddie Lee, President, Funktronic Labs
The Light Brigade will be available for pre-order starting November 15.
Cities VR – Enhanced Edition | Developer: Fast Travel Games
Hello mayors, we are Henning Sundell and Leon Andersson, game designers at Fast Travel Games!
We’re excited to finally show you Cities: VR – Enhanced Edition for the Playstation VR2. Cities: VR is a VR adaptation of the leading city-builder, Cities: Skylines, where you get to build and manage the city of your dreams. From small hamlets to grand metropoles, design road networks, manage your city’s finances, and provide your citizens with the services they need as you buy land and expand your city. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to help you along the way.
With the power of the PS5 we’re able to bring you great detail, allowing you to watch your city come alive all the way from the bustling streets to a bird’s eye view in a smooth experience. With the help of the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller, the building of your city has never felt more responsive.
When you first start out you’ll be in a large empty area, so you’ll need to attract some citizens. Build some roads and connect them to the highway so they can get in and out. Provide them with basic necessities such as electricity and water. Make sure they have a place to work and spend their hard earned money. This is the humble beginnings of your city. In time it will grow and expand as more citizens will want to move in and have more needs for you to provide.
We can’t wait to see the kind of cities you’ll make as Cities: VR – Enhanced Edition launches alongside PS VR2 next year.
– Henning Sundell & Leon Andersson, game designers, Fast Travel Games
Cities VR – Enhanced Edition will be available for pre-order starting November 15.
Cosmonious High | Developer: Owlchemy Labs
From the creators of popular and award winning titles Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator, comes an original creation—the comically catastrophic Cosmonious High!
In this single player alien adventure players take on the role of a Prismi, a rare alien species that can adapt to any situation. Upon crash-landing into the school players find that it is alive with delightful characters, but plagued by mysterious malfunctions. Players will unlock powers to help restore Cosmonious High to its former glory.
Cosmonious High is bringing the best features of PlayStation VR2 to give you the most immersive experience yet!
● Players will be immersed in the highly vivid world of Cosmonious High with 4K rendering at 90fps.
● Scenes come alive with real-time shadows to ensure the most realistic setting.
● Players will experience VR like they never have before with the PS VR2 Sense controllers and headset feedback, allowing feedback to be felt from a player’s hands to their head — feel the wind, water, and even balls of paint as players interact with their surroundings.
● Utilizing 3D Audio, players will feel the vibrant sounds of Cosmonious High happening all around them.
● Explore the biggest space Owlchemy Labs has ever built with almost instantaneous loading — no more long loading screens!
● Utilizing the headsets eye tracking software, players’ eyes move and blink as they do in mirrors or when taking their photo — just make sure not to blink!
We look forward to seeing you at Cosmonious High!
– Devin Reimer, CEO (Chief Executive Owl), Owlchemy Labs
Cosmonious High will be available for pre-order starting November 15.
Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue| Developer: tinyBuild Games
Hey hey, Neighbors!
We’ve gotta hand it to ya, you’re pretty skilled when it comes to outsmarting the neighbor and escaping his clutches, we’ve got to hand it to ya. But, how good are you in a more… let’s say… realistic setting? Well, it’s time to find out!
Together with Steel Wool Studios, we’re bringing you the most immersive Hello Neighbor experience yet using virtual reality in the all-new Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue, coming to PlayStation VR2 & VR!
Mr. Peterson’s creepy house takes on a new level of immersion in VR, and there is nothing quite as scary as actually seeing that familiar shadow tower over you just before everything goes black. In Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue,
you’ll return to that house and take on the role of six little neighborhood heroes as they confront their fears to free their friend who is held captive in a bizarre basement prison.
You’ll need to learn and master each of their unique abilities to solve puzzles, uncover mysteries, and make it out of the neighbor’s house in one piece, all in the midst of trying not to get caught by the creepy neighbor himself. Just the thought of it sends our heartbeats racing!
Whatever you do, avoid the Neighbor at all costs. However, he may not be the only adversary you encounter as you attempt to liberate your friend and make your great escape.
We hope you’re as excited as we are to play Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue on PlayStation VR2 and PlayStation VR, which will be cross-buy on release! We’ll share lots of exciting news and details about the game down the road, so keep your eyes peeled.
We look forward to seeing you around the Neighborhood soon!
– Tori Gerbeshi, Community Manager – tinyBuild Games
Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue will be available for pre-order starting November 15.
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Jurassic World Aftermath Collection | Developer: Coatsink
Working with dinosaurs has been a dream come true for the team at Coatsink. Jurassic World Aftermath Collection is a passion project for many of us and we are so excited to be bringing it to PlayStation VR2 in 2023!
This reworked version of the popular survival adventure game combines both Part 1 and Part 2 into one complete collection. Set between Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, players crash land on the familiar Isla Nublar and find themselves trapped in an abandoned research facility.
Featuring a fully voice acted narrative led by Laura Bailey, with Jeff Goldblum reprising his role as Dr Ian Malcolm, the player’s mission is to recover valuable information and survive while evading a host of ferocious and familiar dinosaurs.
The game looks better than ever, targeting 4K at 90 FPS. In addition to taking advantage of PS VR2’s new capabilities like headset rumble and use of 3D audio, we’ve added volumetric lighting, enhanced post-processing effects and faster loading times, which really enhance the immersive nature of this experience.
One of the team’s favorite moments was walking around the dinosaurs in the headset and getting a real sense of scale. This inspired us to build a brand-new feature for this release—The Dino Viewer —a walking, living museum where players can get up close and personal with their favorite dinosaurs. It’s the perfect way to say ‘hi’ to a T. rex without the fear of being eaten!
We’re so excited to bring Jurassic World Aftermath Collection to PlayStation VR2 and we cannot wait to show you much more as we get closer to launch in2023.
– Ray Willmott, Brand Strategy Manager, Thunderful
Pistol Whip VR
Pistol Whip is an award-winning physical action-rhythm game where thrilling gunplay and dynamic tracks collide, creating a dreamscape world for players to blast, duck, and dodge their way through to become the ultimate action hero.
An enhanced version of the game will introduce more depth and dimension to the blood-pumping action with headset feedback and haptic feedback, finger touch detection, and seriously boosted loading speed.
Every weapon has its own feedback for firing and reloading, plus adaptive triggers add a unique flavor by providing different levels of resistance when the clip is empty or full.
“The new haptics allow you to re-experience Pistol Whip like never before,” says Lucas Sitanski, Designer at Cloudhead Games. “Feel the rush of a bullet grazing your head, the clicks of reloading your gun, and more realistic vibrations when firing.”
Built-in 3D Audio pushes Pistol Whip’s iconic film-inspired Scenes closer to reality with dynamic positioning. This means the headset tracks where sound effects are, relative to the player, and adjusts the volume automatically.
Perhaps most exciting for seasoned gamers is the solid-state drive (SSD) optimization. The upgrade increases the operating speed and significantly reduces loading screens and scene transitions.
Thanks to the advanced headset and controller features, players will find an engrossing new VR experience inside Pistol Whip on PS VR2. The PlayStation VR2 version will be a free upgrade for owners of the original PS VR version.
– Alex Blahout, Digital & Social Marketing, Cloudhead Games.
Zenith: The Last City | Developer: Ramen VR
Hey there, it’s Kristani from Ramen VR. I’m excited to share Zenith: The Last City is coming to PlayStation VR2 as a first day launch title! The team is constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, so I promise you this is not the same Zenith since launch. We added hundreds of hours of new content, made massive graphics updates, and leveraged the PS VR2 features to bring you a truly next level experience of Zenith’s gorgeous open-world.
What’s new:
● New player experience overhaul – Epic new storyline packed with twists and turns, featuring a new cast of memorable characters. Perfect time to hop in if you’re new to Zenith.
● New systems and rich gameplay – Catch creatures and summon them as pets, raid a wicked new boss and more.
● Massive graphic updates – Crisper textures and higher-definition models, lifelike grass, realistic shadows and lighting, and more.
Next level immersion:
● Experience a whole new dimension of interaction with adaptive triggers. Feel the energy surge through your hands when powering up your swords, or the resistance of the triggers when firing your blasters.
● Feel the clash of an enemy blade, the swiftness of a dash, or the slow pulse of dangerously low health with headset feedback.
● Fast loading speeds up wait times by 2-5x on average compared to any other platform. Hop into Zenith quickly and move between teleportation points with ease.
I invite you to try it out yourself! The PlayStation VR2 version will be a free download to players who already own the game on the original PS VR version.
– Kristani Alcantara, Chief of Staff, Ramen VR
Zenith: The Last City will be available for pre-order starting November 15.
After The Fall | Developer: Vertigo Games
After the Fall, an intense co-op shooter set in a post-apocalyptic version of Los Angeles is coming in 2023 to PS VR2!
Team up with three others after setting out from a survivor camp that is shared with up to 32 players at a time. Or, if you prefer to head out into the city’s solo and take on the hordes of mutants or towering bosses by yourself, that’s an option too. We’re taking advantage of the new PS VR2 features, adding a new level of immersion to After the Fall’s signature gunplay through the PS VR2 Sense Controller.. Every slide you rack and magazine you release can now be felt throughout your entire hands through haptic feedback, while each gun now mimics its real-life counterpart in trigger pull weight using dynamic use of adaptive triggers.
The world of After the Fall also offers a deeper sense of presence than ever. Feel the vibrations in your environment as the Smasher storms towards you, and the hits of Snowbreed as they attack you, through headset feedback rumble. This is one of the best-looking VR worlds we’ve made, bolstered by the 4K HDR display. Scan your surroundings for threats through a whopping 110° field of view – be sure to not blink!
Meanwhile we continue to support full cross-platform multiplayer on PS VR2, allowing players on any platform to join in on the action. Updates to our matchmaking system make it easier than ever to connect with your friends.
And that’s not all that awaits you on PS VR2. Since the initial launch in December 2021 our team has continued to expand the world of After the Fall, which has more than doubled in content since then. You’ll be pleased to know that all of that gorey, co-op goodness will be included free of charge to anyone who buys the game on PS VR2.
– Pepijn van Duijn, Game Designer, Vertigo Games
Tentacular | Developer: Firepunchd Games UG
Hello PlayStation fans! I’m excited to reveal Tentacular, our charming VR game about a gigantic but good-hearted tentacled beast trying to figure out its place in the world, will wriggle its way into your heart for PS VR2!
For those of you who have yet to experience the watery world of Tentacular in VR, you’re in for a real treat for the senses! Tentacular plunges you into the ocean-dwelling hulk of a gigantic mild-mannered mollusc, raised among humans on the bustling and eccentric island of La Kalma.
It’s a physics-based adventure bursting with inventive, immersive VR gameplay, a heart-warming story and oodles of humour. Solve puzzles using playful tools to build strange contraptions and spectacular structures, or wreak havoc with your lumbering bulk!
But that’s not all! We’ve been hard at work implementing an ocean-sized amount of new features especially for PS VR2. So let’s have a look at what’s in store…
Firstly, Eye Tracking allows you to interact with the inhabitants of La Kalma by simply looking at them. Yes, your enormous, tentacled frame will finally catch people’s attention with nothing more than, well, a look! Choosing whether to accept a task from one of the town’s inhabitants is as simple as looking at the YES or NO option… but failing that, you can always just choose to smack everyone on the head with your giant tentacles!
PS VR2 also offered us the opportunity to add enhanced audio based haptics. This new feature adds an extra layer of fidelity and tactile feedback that further increases the feeling of really being out in the ocean breeze, letting your tentacles fly free. Additionally, adaptive triggers allow you to feel the weight of objects that you pick up, including every stretch and strain as you grasp everything from ships to shipping containers (or even UFOs).
As well as feeling the weight of the world around you, you’ll also feel its effects through headset vibration. Whether it’s waving your appendages in the air (like you just don’t care) to the thumping bass from a rooftop DJ, or the impact of an out-of-this-world power surge pulsating through your body, your senses will explode with excitement.
We can’t wait for you all to experience Tentacular for yourselves on PS VR2, we hope you enjoy our wholesome, surreal adventure about figuring out where you came from, and where you belong.
Tentacular will be available for pre-order starting November 15.
Over the past several months, we’ve introduced PlayStation VR2 and provided glimpses into the next generation of virtual reality gaming, which will allow you to escape into new worlds while feeling a groundbreaking sense of immersion. Today, I’m very pleased to announce that PlayStation VR2 is officially launching on February 22, 2023. PlayStation VR2 Sense controller charging station, designed specifically for the PS VR2 Sense controller, will also launch the same day.
Here is the PS VR2 lineup and recommended retail pricing for each product. Availability in each country is subject to local import regulations.
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PlayStation VR2
$549.99 / €599.99 / £529.99 / ¥74,980 recommended retail price (including tax for GBP, EUR, and JPY)
Includes PS VR2 headset, PS VR2 Sense controllers and stereo headphones
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PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle
$599.99 / €649.99 / £569.99 / ¥79,980 recommended retail price (including tax for GBP, EUR, and JPY)
Includes PlayStation Store voucher code for Horizon Call of the Mountain, PS VR2 headset, PS VR2 Sense controllers, and stereo headphones
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PlayStation VR2 Sense controller charging station
$49.99 / €49.99 / £39.99 / ¥5,480 recommended retail price (including tax for GBP, EUR, and JPY)
Players can charge the PS VR2 Sense controller through a simple click-in design, without having to connect to a PS5 console – freeing up the console’s USB ports.
Standalone software titles, including Horizon Call of the Mountain, will also be available for pre-orders starting this month. More details will be provided at a later date.
During this initial launch phase for our next-gen headset, players in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg will initially be able to pre-order PlayStation VR2 solely through PlayStation’s online store at direct.playstation.com. Pre-orders will begin on November 15, and players may begin to register for pre-orders starting today. Orders from direct.playstation.com for PlayStation VR2 headsets and bundles will ship throughout the week of launch.
In other markets, PlayStation VR2 will be sold at participating retailers, with pre-orders beginning on November 15. Information will be provided through participating local retailers in these regions.
PlayStation VR2 Sense Technology includes key features that enable unique gameplay experiences, such as headset feedback, eye tracking, 3D audio, and the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback from the PS VR2 Sense controllers. Together with compatible games they will captivate players’ senses and offer an incredibly deep feeling of immersion.
Additionally, with enhanced headset-based controller tracking and high fidelity visuals in 4000 x 2040 HDR video format (2000 x 2040 per eye), PS VR2 adds a true next-gen gaming experience for players to enjoy.
We’ve created the PS VR2 headset with comfort in mind, in a slightly slimmer and lighter design compared to our previous headset. We’ve also included an integrated vent for extra air flow, and a lens adjustment dial for a more customized feel. We hope players will enjoy this new design.
Today, we are also pleased to reveal additional titles coming to PlayStation VR2, with fresh new reveals on new titles that are currently in development for PlayStation VR2. Read our announcement here.
It’s exciting to see how game developers are taking advantage of the PS VR2’s headset features to design the next generation of VR games. We’re expecting more than 20 titles at launch, and we can’t wait for February when PS VR2 launches so players can give it a try. We’ll have more details on our launch game lineup in the future, so stay tuned.
PlayStation VR2 Specifications
Display method
OLED
Panel resolution
2000 x 2040 per eye
Panel refresh rate
90Hz, 120Hz
Lens separation
Adjustable
Field of View
Approx. 110 degrees
Sensors
・Motion Sensor: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer)・Attachment Sensor: IR Proximity sensor
Cameras
・4 cameras for headset and controller tracking・IR camera for eye tracking per eye
Feedback
Vibration on headset
Communication with PS5
USB Type-C®
Audio
・Input: Built-in microphone・Output: Stereo headphone jack
It’s that time again. The world is coming together to celebrate the biggest tournament in football and what better way to mark the occasion than to experience it for yourself. The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be playable in FIFA 23 at no additional cost, with all the drama, excitement and authenticity of the real thing, as well as a full Season of content coming to FIFA 23 Ultimate Team.
Get the ultimate connection to the tournament with authentic FIFA World Cup presentation, cinematics, and all 32 qualified nations in online, custom, and live tournament modes.
Presentation
FIFA 23 delivers an immersive FIFA World Cup experience with authentic stadium dressings, match ball, additional player head scans, the iconic trophy, and two stadiums including the stunning Lusail Iconic Stadium where the tournament’s champions will be crowned. Plus, enjoy dedicated FIFA World Cup commentary alongside visuals and cinematics that reflect the global atmosphere of The World’s Game, making those last-minute netbusters feel even more significant.
FIFA World Cup: Live
Starting November 21, follow along with the tournament as results, fixtures, statistics, and lineups are updated at the end of every real-life match day, with new games to play each day in Your FIFA World Cup, Featured Quickplay, and Online Quickplay.
Take control of your chosen nation’s FIFA World Cup fate when Your FIFA World Cup becomes available in FIFA 23 after the first fixture on Match Day 1. Choose a nation, select a live starting point from past or current match days, and play an authentic single player tournament inheriting all the real-world progress made to date. If your favourite nation takes an unfortunate early exit, go back and rewrite the outcome to decide for yourself who ultimately lifts the iconic trophy.
Spotted a tie destined to become a FIFA World Cup classic? Featured Quickplay lets you choose a past or current match day and play an authentic fixture with real-life lineups either in single player, or challenge friends both locally and online.
Tournament Mode
From the opening game to lifting the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy, single player Tournament Mode allows you to play as one of the 32 qualified nations in an authentic recreation of the full tournament. You can also create a Custom Tournament and edit your experience by changing groups and substituting in teams that didn’t make it to the original FIFA World Cup 2022 Finals.
Take Tournament Mode online and make your way through the Knockout Stages as any of the 32 qualified nations, aiming for FIFA World Cup glory against other players from around the world.
Kick off
Unite on the sofa and play a Kick Off match against friends locally, or against the CPU. Select a Group Stage match or turn up the heat with a Knockout Round, choose between qualified or available unqualified teams, and battle it out in a one-off local FIFA World Cup match.
FIFA Ultimate Team
Get the ultimate connection to the FIFA World Cup with a full Season of content, including special Player Items, Objectives, and more coming to FIFA 23 Ultimate Team.
We can’t wait for you to start your FIFA World Cup journey. Let us know in the comments which team you’re most looking forward to lifting the trophy with!
This is just the beginning of your FIFA World Cup experience in FIFA 23. We’ll have more exciting information to share on the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 in the build-up to the tournament.
Get ready to forge new frontiers and experience Sonic the Hedgehog like never before in Sonic Frontiers! Sonic’s upcoming open-zone, action-adventure platformer is set to launch November 8 and marks a massive leap forward into the future of 3D action Sonic games.
With the return of fan-favorite characters like Sonic, Tails, and Amy, as well as the introduction of the mysterious new character, Sage, one major question comes to mind: How does Sonic Team create new characters in the Sonic universe with plans to fit them into the future of the franchise?
Sonic Frontiers Producer Sachiko Kawamura and Art Director Yoshitaka Miura answered a few of our questions about the new characters and enemies we’ve seen from the highly anticipated title so far, shedding light on the design process that goes into introducing new friends and foes to Sonic’s universe.
How does Sonic Team approach creating brand-new characters that fit into the long-running series?
Sonic Team: While Sonic has a very long history, there are differences in the themes and worlds for each title, as well as the image we have in mind for each character. From a variety of ideas, the team chooses the best character design after sketching the game’s world, making sure the new character fits with the setting and the cast we need in the game. We also want to make sure we are honoring the series’ history and core identity.
How much does Sega consider past character designs and types when creating new characters?
Sonic Team: The main rule for creating new characters is to ensure the character design does not feel out of place when it is in the same world as existing characters – even if the design style is different for each title. It’s also important to create a design that is both simple and impressive to our fans. We try to avoid combining past character aspects together to be on par with our simple and straightforward character designs.
How does the open-zone nature of the game impact character design?
Sonic Team: In past games, where Sonic races through a timed, linear stage from start to finish, players would often attack the enemies head-on, so we would prioritize how they look from the front. With the new enemies you see in Sonic Frontiers, we paid close attention to how each enemy, and their silhouettes, looked from various directions as the player can choose which direction they approach the enemy from and see them from any angle.
In addition, with the new combat system, there are now many enemies you can’t defeat with just one homing attack. Given that it takes more effort to fight foes, we had to revise the enemy designs many times to make each battle visually appealing but functional.
Can you dive deeper into new character design/mythology details on a single character?
Sonic Team: We can’t say much about the new character, Sage, as she is central to the mysterious story and setting. However, we did a lot of trial and error with the design of her as a young girl that was both mystical and mysterious, while adjusting her proportions to make sure she fit in to the world of Sonic. We paid attention to how she would be perceived from her design and in cutscenes, as she is on the opposing side, trying not to give her too much of a mythical or religious meaning.
Sonic Frontiers is available for pre-order now starting at $59.99 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles.
With hundreds of titles available to play on PlayStation Plus Premium, you may be stuck for choice. Enter Shuhei Yoshida. The head of PlayStation Indies is here to share his own personal picks from the collection, encompassing every era of PlayStation, from unique platformers to enthralling fantasy adventures, and shares his memories of those titles when they originally launched. But we’ll open the floor to Yoshida-san.
Shuhei Yoshida: “PlayStation has a long history, and there are many titles that are referred to as masterpieces. Today, I wanted to offer up my personal recommendations for games available on PlayStation Plus Premium. I’ve chosen titles that I’ve personal history with, but there are many other excellent games available as well.
We are happy that users who have joined the community from PS5 and PS4 can play the masterpieces from the past, and I think the creators are happy too. I think this is a great opportunity to introduce the history of PlayStation to a generation that was not yet born when the first PlayStation was released, so please enjoy the Classics Catalog.”
1.Jumping Flash!
Released in 1995 at the dawn of the PlayStation era, this unique 3D platformer was played from a first-person perspective as players controlled the rabbit-shaped machine Robbit. You must use its signature three-step jump to reclaim a world that was stolen by the evil scientist Baron Aloha. This early title showcased the potential of 3D.
“This was one of the first titles to be produced for the PlayStation. Even before the hardware was completed, young game directors like Kazunori Yamauchi-san and Tetsuji Yamamoto-san were assigned to the PlayStation project and started planning the software. It was during this time that Yamamoto-san brought a short movie to me. It was an experimental video called “Jumping” by Osamu Tezuka-san. Jumping up high, over trees, over buildings, and coming down with a whoosh. Inspired by this video where the viewpoint dynamically changes, Jumping Flash was born!
Jump up to a high place and jump down at once while looking down at the ground. The novel gameplay and unprecedented sense of pleasure it offered was one answer to the question at the time, “What can a 3D game do?” Moreover, it incorporates cute characters named MuuMuus to give it a pop finish. I was impressed by Yamamoto-san’s skills as a producer, and I think it is a game that represents the early days of the PlayStation, and is still a fun game to play today.”
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2. Tekken 2
Joint development of system boards helped bring popular arcade games to PlayStation. One notable entry was fighting game Tekken 2, which made the leap from arcade to PlayStation in 1996. Select from a 25 character-strong roster to battle through single player Arcade Mode, drop into Practice Mode to perfect your favorite fighter’s move set, take on endless enemies one after another in Survival Mode and challenge another player to Team Battle Mode.
“Before we launched the original PlayStation, we went around asking game developers to make games for us. However, back then it was considered that 3D graphics could not be used for anything other than shooting and racing games, and early negotiations did not go very well. But then Virtua Fighter appeared in arcades, and the tables were turned. We started getting a lot of calls saying, ‘We want to make 3D games too’.
We thought that the ability to play popular arcade games on the PlayStation would be a major selling point. At the time, Namco was making its own system boards for arcades, but they required advanced technology and were costly. Former Namco and Sony Computer Entertainment (current Bandai Namco Entertainment and Sony Interactive Entertainment) decided to jointly develop a low-cost system board that would have upward compatibility with the PlayStation. This made it possible to port games that had become popular in arcades to the console in a short period of time. The first such game was Tekken. The sequel, Tekken 2, was the showcase game using 3D graphics at the time. The storyline revolving around the Mishima Zaibatsu and the unique characters were fascinating and they still leave a strong impression on me today.”
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3. Ape Escape
The very first PlayStation controller didn’t have analog sticks or vibration feedback. That changed with the launch of the DualShock controller (named due to the two motors housed inside) in 1997 and the first PlayStation exclusive to use it launched in 1999. Ape Escape’s unique concept of using the left and right sticks to catch running monkeys became a hit, with the game’s Gotcha gadgets (called Gacha Mecha in Japan) and the simian-like escapees (called Piposaru in Japan) became very popular. 13 additional games in the series would release in the years after.
“This game was produced by SCE WWS Japan Studio with myself as the producer. At the time, 3D action games were just starting to be released, with games that let you run around freely in a 3D space, climb to high places, and get behind objects. We wanted to try our hands at a 3D action game, so we started planning Ape Escape.
During the development of the game the DualShock controller was conceived, so we decided to plunge into the direction of “making a game that cannot be played with conventional controllers.” However, since it was a new experiment, we could not tell if it would be fun or not until we made it! So we kept creating and discarding prototypes. I spent a long time working on it, so I was very happy when it appeared on the cover of a magazine.”
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4. Jak II: Renegade
This sequel to Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy launched in 2003. Unlike the light-hearted action adventure of the previous game, the open world Jak II takes a darker turn as our hero is captured and infused with Dark Eco by Baron Praxis, granting him the ability to turn into a stronger, more agile version of himself. Coupled with the new multipurpose firearm, the Morph Gun, he joins an underground resistance to fight back against Praxis. This shift to a more nature, character-focused game set the groundwork for developer Naughty Dog’s future titles.
“Naughty Dog, the creators of Crash Bandicoot on the original PlayStation, developed Jak and Daxter for PS2. Crash Bandicoot was a level-based platformer with a linear approach to its gameplay design, with loading screens between each level. However, Jak and Daxter was made so that all stages were seamlessly connected, and the next stage would load in the background while the players were playing. It was a very ambitious work and received high praise.
When Grand Theft Auto III was released in North America in 2001, it sent tremors through the video game industry. The game depicted an adult world where anything was possible, including criminal activity, in a realistically rendered city, and the tide of video games changed dramatically. In line with this, Jak and Daxter, which had been for everyone, underwent a major change of course. Naughty Dog changed the appearance of the characters, made it a darker story about revenge, and allowed the players to roam freely in a large city. Normally you don’t change the tone this much in a sequel, but Naughty Dog was amazing for doing so. This was a major departure, and it led to Uncharted for PS3. It’s an interesting title to learn more about Naughty Dog’s history.”
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5. Echochrome
This unique PSP puzzle game built by Japan Studio, originally launched in 2008, is based on the theme of optical illusions. Players can rotate the deceptive world to guide an ever-moving mannequin figure towards the safety of an end goal. Rotating the stage joins up previously unconnected paths, hides obstructive pitfalls, and makes walls that were seemingly impossible to climb over viable. The game was chosen as Japan Media Arts Festival Recommended Work in Entertainment Division at Japan Media Arts Festival.
“It’s a very impactful title, like art turned into a game. The vivid black and white visuals are very cool. The original idea came from a free software ‘OLE Coordinate System’ by Jun Fujiki, a researcher of art engineering. We created this puzzle game based on a video of a character walking all the way through a monochrome world that resembles Escher’s deceptive pictures. Echochrome II for PS3 which was released later, was a game exclusively for PlayStation Move in which the motion controller was used as a flashlight. This game was also highly artistic and won the Excellence Award in the Entertainment Division at Japan Media Arts Festival.”
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6. No Heroes Allowed!
Instead of portraying the dungeon-conquering hero, you play the God of Destruction, dungeon master intent on stopping – by any means necessary – any adventurer that strays into your kingdom. This fantasy-themed management sim released on PSP in 2010 and in addition to the “Main Dungeon”, the game also features “Everyday Dungeon” mode, where players clear the missions one after another within a time limit, and multiplayer mode, “Family Dungeon”.
“What makes the series interesting is that the player cannot defeat enemies through actions. The player, the God of Destruction, can only dig into the ground. This is how the game is played; building dungeons, creating various monsters, and intercepting the invading heroes. However, the monsters are AI-driven, so they do not grow as you would like. AI gave players the challenge that things don’t always go as planned and the unpredictability of things working out unexpectedly, which made it interesting and fun in its own way. The worldbuilding was also unique, going against the conventional RPG stereotype.
In addition to that, the series is popular for its fun jokes. It incorporates many stories and parodies that poke fun at famous RPGs, and you can’t help but laugh at them. The third title says “3D” (in Japanese version) but it doesn’t have 3D graphics (laughs). The title was given because “there are 3 Dungeons,” but such a joke of a title can be forgiven in this series, can’t it? As the series progresses, the weight of comedy has increased.”
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7. Siren Blood Curse
This reimagining of the original PS2 horror title Siren released on PS3 in 2008, and introduces mechanics developed for the second game in the series. Switching perspective to eight interconnected protagonists, which include an American TV crew, find themselves pulled into the heart of supernatural events in an isolated Japanese village.
“Siren became a hit when it was released in 2003, and we wanted the series to be enjoyed widely among the users globally, not just in Japan. This is when we released Siren: New Translation, which is a reimagining of Siren on PS3.
The original Siren launched in PS2, so the number of polygons that could be used was limited. However, Siren created human facial expressions as textures and pasted them onto the faces, so the changes in facial expressions were very natural. When you play some old games now, you often think, “Oh, ……?” But the quality of the facial expressions and CG in Siren was outstanding. That came to PS3, so the quality of the graphics has improved even further. The characters are also well-defined, and the game is still very popular today. Director Keiichiro Toyama later worked on the Gravity Rush series, and is currently developing a new game as the head of Bokeh Game Studio. We encourage you to play the Siren series, Toyama-san’s starting point.”
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8. ICO
This is the first game directed by Fumito Ueda, who went on to create Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian. It first launched in 2001 on PS2. The version available on PlayStation Plus is the PS3 re-release in 2011. Ico portrays a young boy and a girl trapped in an old castle. Unable to speak each other’s language, the boy must lead the girl by the hand as he solves puzzles as the two attempt to escape and protects the girl from shadowy figures intent on recapturing her.
“When I was a producer at Japan Studio, Fumito Ueda-san joined the company. He showed me a video he had been working on for several months. That became the prototype for Ico. The white, pale images of a boy running away from a castle with a girl by his hand convinced me that it would be a game with an interesting atmosphere, and I set up the production team.
Ueda-san polishes and polishes, and continues to create until he is satisfied. He takes on difficult challenges that push the limits of the hardware. I was happy when the game was successfully completed a while after. It was a wonderful game with a mysterious sadness. The PS3 version we are presenting here is the best version with high resolution and high frame rate. This is Ueda-san’s first directed work, so I hope people who know him from Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian will play it.”
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9. Tokyo Jungle
This survival action game sees more than 50 animal species including pomeranians, beagles, and deer, fight to survive in a deserted, futuristic Tokyo. Developed through the game creator discovery support program “PlayStation C.A.M.P!”, the game launched in Japan in 2012, but the outrageous concept drew interest from gamers worldwide, which lead to the title launching across multiple regions.
“It’s a game that I also love. At the time, SCE was running the “PlayStation C.A.M.P!” program to discover talented game creators. One of the applicants was Yohei Kataoka-san. He was still in his 20s at the time, and the team members were all young. The idea was outstanding, but because he was still young, the PlayStation C.A.M.P! members with game development experience supported him and helped him to complete the project.
I remember that when we exhibited the game at the Tokyo Game Show prior to its release, the Western media was extremely enthusiastic about it. That sounds about right, as a game about a dog surviving in a Tokyo where humans have disappeared while making more puppies is just too far-fetched of an idea. The sight of cute Pomeranians gobbling up other animals was also shocking and created a lot of buzz even before the game was released. The theme of “dog eat dog world” was also interesting and probably caught the interest of people in the West. This is another interesting PS3 game that symbolizes the PS3 era, so please play it.”
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10. Rain
SCE, PlayStation C.A.M.P! and Acquire co-developed this game for PS3, which launched in 2013. A boy chases after an invisible girl in the rain, and one day he too becomes invisible. He takes advantage of the fact that he can only be seen when he is drenched by the rain to escape from town while avoiding monsters that lurk in its streets.
“This is another very beautiful game born from PlayStation C.A.M.P!. To tell you the truth, when I first heard about the idea of “only being visible when it rains,” I thought it was interesting but wondered if it was enough to create a game. I was happy to see that the game turned out to be real fun to play. One of the most enjoyable aspects for me was to see the creators grow and improve the game to perfection.
The theme song, too, was wonderful. There once was a girl named Connie Talbot who participated in the British public audition program “Britain’s Got Talent” at the age of 6 and attracted a worldwide audience. We asked her to sing the theme song. We put a lot of effort into the sound, including her clear voice and the sound of rain echoing through the game, so we recommend playing the game with headphones on.”
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Time to pack in the pumpkins as October has come and gone, and with it some amazing games! Which new release will take the Players’ Choice crown? Vote in the poll below to help decide!
How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year.
What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Demon’s Souls and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will.
How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted.
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