Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
With the launch of Gran Turismo 7 just around the corner, we are excited to announce that we’ve partnered with Columbia Records to release a full album titled Find Your Line (Official Music from Gran Turismo 7).
Today, Bring Me The Horizon have released their rendition of “Moon Over The Castle.”, a classic music track originally composed by Masahiro Ando for the first Gran Turismo. The track is lifted from Find Your Line (Official Music from Gran Turismo 7) and will be integrated as one of the songs integrated into the newly added Music Replay feature* where the cameras are generated automatically to sync the beats of the music – allowing for a unique replay video that’s randomized to each song.
Here’s a first look at an unedited video of Music Replay with “Moon Over The Castle” by Bring Me The Horizon in Gran Turismo 7
The Find Your Line album includes a wide range of musical genres carefully selected by SIE and Polyphony Digital in finding the right globally renowned artists and songs to evoke thematic emotions while playing Gran Turismo 7.
The high-octane soundtrack features original music inspired by the highly-anticipated video game Gran Turismo 7. The star-studded lineup of artists includes Bring Me The Horizon, Major Lazer, Rosalía, Nothing but Thieves, The FaNaTix, Kim Dracula, London Grammar, Jawsh685, Lous and the Yakuza, and Disciples. See below for full tracklist:
The FaNaTix: “Vroom feat. Idris Elba, Davido, Koffee, Moelogo, Lil TJay”
Bring Me The Horizon: “Moon Over the Castle”
Major Lazer: “I Don’t Care feat. Lous and the Yakuza”
Nothing But Thieves: “Life’s Coming in Slow”
Kim Dracula: “Unstoppable”
Rosalía: “BIZCOCHITO”
Disciples: “Squad feat. GoldLink”
London Grammar: “Baby It’s You (George Fitzgerald Remix)”
Jawsh685: “Drift”
You can get the digital Find Your Line album by purchasing the Gran Turismo 7 – 25th Anniversary Edition or 25th Anniversary Digital Deluxe Edition. Pre-order either edition now. Gran Turismo 7 is available March 4, 2022.
*Internet connection required to access Music Replay features.
Today I am happy to announce Bungie will be joining the PlayStation family.
First off, I want to be very clear to the community that Bungie will remain an independent and multi-platform studio and publisher. As such, we believe it makes sense for it to sit alongside the PlayStation Studios organization, and we are incredibly excited about the opportunities for synergies and collaboration between these two world-class groups. I have spent a lot of time with Pete Parsons, Jason Jones, and the Bungie management team to develop the right relationships where they will be fully backed and supported by Sony Interactive Entertainment and enabled to do what they do best — build incredible worlds that captivate millions of people.
Bungie’s world-class expertise in multi-platform development and live game services will help us deliver on our vision of expanding PlayStation to hundreds of millions of gamers. Bungie is a great innovator and has developed incredible proprietary tools that will help PlayStation Studios achieve new heights under Hermen Hulst’s leadership.
Here are a few words from Hermen about this exciting acquisition and what it means for gamers.
“I am absolutely thrilled to announce a new member will be joining the PlayStation family!
I’ve been a fan of Bungie for many years. I have admired and enjoyed the games that they create – and have great respect for their skill in building worlds that gamers want to explore again and again.
Bungie makes games with outstanding technology that are enormously fun to play. They also have unmatched dedication to the communities that play their games, and everyone at PlayStation, and PlayStation Studios, will be excited about what we can share and learn from them.
I have spent a great deal of time with the senior team at Bungie and it is clear their experience and skills are highly complementary to our own.We will be ready to welcome and support Bungie as they continue to grow, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this incredible team.“
– Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios
Here are a few words from Pete Parsons, CEO of Bungie.
“We believe games have limitless potential, and that to do anything worthwhile in entertainment, we must bet big on our vision, on our studio, and on our incredible team of trusted creators who build unforgettable worlds that truly matter to people.
In Sony, we have found a partner who unconditionally supports us in all we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment, all while preserving the creative independence that beats in Bungie’s heart. Like us, Sony believes that game worlds are only the beginning of what our IPs can become. Together, we share a dream of creating and fostering iconic franchises that unite friends around the world, families across generations, and fans across multiple platforms and entertainment mediums.
Today, Bungie begins our journey to become a global multi-media entertainment company.
CREATIVE FREEDOM
“Since taking flight in 1991, Bungie has always charted the future with our own star map – a path that is driven by our people and for our community. We are continuing that journey with new worlds in development, and we can’t wait to share them with you.
With Sony, the potential for our universes is unlimited. Our future games will take bold steps into unexplored spaces for Bungie, continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, and will always be built on a foundation of creating meaningful, lifelong friendships and memories.
We remain in charge of our destiny. We will continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games. We will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community. Our games will continue to be where our community is, wherever they choose to play.
With Sony’s support, the most immediate change you will see is an acceleration in hiring talent across the entire studio to support our ambitious vision. If this speaks to you, and you want to help us put a dent in the universe, we are hiring across all disciplines for Destiny 2 and for all new worlds beyond.
THREE DECADES AND COUNTING
“What makes our worlds come to life is our community and our people in the studio. Our people are the soul of Bungie. Empowered by our people, we have pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible and transformed who we are as a company.
Over the past 30 years, the inviting worlds we’ve built have turned into thriving communities, and that community is the true magic. These communities have taken Bungie beyond games. They have forged life-long bonds, and humbled us with the real, meaningful good they drive within us and the world.
More than anything, Sony understands that our people and our community are both the priority, and the heart of our success, and are willing to stand alongside us as we continue to use our platform to drive action towards a more welcoming and equitable world. Our goal is to build a place where the world’s most creative and talented people can come and do their best work, no matter who they are, where they are from, or how they identify.
That’s the real dent in the universe we want to make — the one we want to last beyond us.
Be a part of this future with us. See you Starside.“
The first 2022 State of Play arrives later this week, and we’re all revved up for just over 30 minutes of new PS5 footage and gameplay details for Gran Turismo 7. Watch live February 2nd on Twitch or YouTube starting 2pm Pacific / 5pm Eastern / 11:00pm CET.
See you Wednesday!
Regarding Co-streaming and Video-On-Demand (VOD)
Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you’re planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music.
Es muss ja nicht immer Battle Royale sein: Splitgate ist ein klassischer Arena-Shooter, in dem zwei Teams auf verwinkelten Karten, teils mit mehreren Ebenen, gegeneinander in mehr als 20 Spielmodi, wie Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, Domination, 2v2 oder Gun Game, antreten. Um eure Gegner den Garaus zu machen, steht ein üppiges Arsenal an Automatikgewehren, Schrotflinten, Pistolen, Snipergewehren oder Railguns und Raketenwerfer zur Verfügung.
Rasante Mehrspieler-Gefechte mit innovativen Portal-Mechanik
Was Splitgate deutlich von anderen Genre-Vertretern unterscheidet, ist die innovative Portal-Mechanik. Per Knopfdruck feuert ihr Portale ab, durch die ihr unerkannt hinter einem Feind erscheint, blitzschnell die Flucht antretet oder große Strecken in Sekundenbruchteilen überwindet. Ihr könnt sogar ein Portal öffnen und durch das entstandene Dimensionstor auf Gegner ballern. Das sorgt für reichlich unangenehme Überraschungsmomente, allerdings euch für euch, denn natürlich kann auch das feindlichen Team Portal-Manöver ausführen und ihr fangt euch hinterrücks ein paar Kugeln ein, wenn ihr nicht gut aufpasst.
Möchtet ihr die Portal-Gefechte in Aktion sehen? Die Kollegen von Inside PlayStation erklären euch in ihrem Video zum Free to Play Hit des Jahres genau die Spielmechanik und geben euch gleich noch einige Profi-Tipps mit auf den Weg.
Splitgate Beta Season 1
Das Team von 1047 Games, bei der zu Beginn gerade einmal zwei Personen für die Entwicklung zuständig waren, ist mittlerweile auf stattliche 50 Mitarbeiter und Mitarbeiterinnen angewachsen und arbeitet fleißig an neuen Karten, Charakteren, Spielmodi und Features. Die ersten Neuerungen könnt ihr ab dem 27. Januar bewundern, wenn die Beta Season 1 offiziell beginnt. Freuen könnt ihr euch zum Beispiel auf die völlig neu gestaltete Karte Foregone Destruction, die frische Map Hotel, Grafikupdates, kostenlose Waffenskins sowie einen neuen 100-Level-Battle-Pass.
Spielmodus Evolution
Der erste von zwei neuen Spielmodi bringt einen überraschenden Twist in die Matches. In Evolution treten zwei Teams über sechs Runden ohne Respawning gegeneinander an. Die Besonderheit: Das Verlierer-Team bekommt zu Beginn der folgenden Runde verbesserte Waffen und somit einen Vorteil. Das sorgt für neue taktische Möglichkeiten, in dem ihr vielleicht absichtlich eine oder zwei Runden abgebt, um ordentliche Waffen-Upgrades zu erhalten.
Spielmodus One Flag
In dieser Capture the Flag-Variante wechseln sich die Teams in der Offensive und Defensive nach jeder Runde ab und müssen die Flagge entweder verteidigen oder erobern.
Custom Map Creator
Mit der Beta Season 1 wird mit dem Custom Map Creator ein massives neues Feature eingeführt, bei dem ich euch alleine oder gemeinsam mit bis zu acht Spielern und Spielerinnen kreativ ausleben könnt. Erstellt eure eigene Map aus Blöcken, Rampen oder Portalwänden, platziert Waffen sowie Spawnplätze und testet eure Kreation gleich in einem Match auf ihre Tauglichkeit. Eigene Karten lassen sich abspeichern und auch von anderen Splitgate-Spielern und Spielerinnen genutzt werden.
Referral-Pass: Empfehlen lohnt sich
Neben dem Battle-Pass mit kostenlosen und kostenpflichtigen Items, gibt es noch eine weitere Möglichkeit an Gegenstände zu kommen. Werbt ihr neue Spieler für Splitgate und gibt dieser euren Referral-Code ein, winken exklusive Skins und 50 Splitcoins, mit denen ihr im Spiel einkaufen geht. Erreicht der Geworbene Level 10, bekommt ihr automatisch die Belohnung. Insgesamt lassen sich so zehn Belohnungen über den Referral-Pass kassieren. Begeistert ihr mehr Menschen für Splitgate, dann gibt es zwar keine Skins mehr, aber jedes Mal noch die 50 Splitcoins. So lässt sich der 900 Splitcoins teure Battle-Pass auch finanzieren.
Mehr Free to Play-Spiele für PS4 und PS5
Ihr möchtet gerne wissen, welche Games ihr noch kostenlos auf eurer PlayStation spielen könnt? Dann schaut euch unbedingt das unten verlinkte Video 8 Free to Play Games für PS5 + PS4 von Inside PlayStation an.
Holt euch Splitgate im PlayStation Store
Die Free to Play-Version und optional Starter Weapon- sowie Character-Packs, Splitcoins oder gleich die umfangreiche Gold Edition mit exklusiven Skins ladet ihr euch bequem aus dem PlayStation Store herunter.
The wait is finally over, and we welcome you all to join us on an action-filled adventure in the expansive and beautifully stylized fantasy open world of Zenith: The Last City, the first full-scale MMO for VR, launching on January 27 for PlayStation VR.
Combat – Designing a visceral combat system
All of the classes in Zenith can be played as the roles of DPS, tank, and support. However, we still wanted them to have unique play styles that leverage the extra physicality that VR affords. This was especially important since, unlike traditional MMOs, we also have more intelligent AI for players to contend with that can actively dodge or block attacks.
For our two launch classes, we chose Blade Master, a dual sword-wielding warrior designed for visceral close-quarters gameplay, and a mid-ranged magic-wielding Essence Mage that can cast spells and channel bolts of energy through their launchers.
Combat for Blade Master is primarily focused on physically swinging swords to attack with powerful strikes and performing combos of swings to trigger abilities. Getting into a rhythm, carefully timing attacks, parries, and dashing to dodge will be vital to mastering this class.
Essence Mage combat is range-focused, with players having a variety of spells at their disposal ranging from hand-thrown fireballs to AoE spells initiated through simple hand gestures. To complement casting, Essence Mages are also equipped with a pair of essence channeling projectile launchers and a teleport ability to help them maintain safe positioning.
Traversal – Movement reimagined
Zenith has always been intended to be an open-world that’s a step beyond anything currently available in VR, so one of our earliest goals was to create a custom suite of traversal mechanics to bring that lofty dream to life.
Players can climb almost any surface in Zenith, allowing levels of freedom not usually seen in classic MMOs. From climbing small trees to pick fruit to scaling a mountain just to take in the view it’s truly up to you, and to aid your safe descent; we’ve created an incredibly immersive gliding mechanic.
Simply take to the air by stretching out your arms and walking or jumping from an elevated position, and control your flight with a gentle tilt of your wrists.
Combined with our motion-based swimming, these mechanics helped us provide a deep layer of immersion freedom.
Crafting – Cooking delicious dishes in VR
As with our approach to combat and traversal, we wanted to provide a tactile VR-centric experience for our first life skill and we found cooking was the perfect fit, providing the fun mini-game-styled physical interactions we were looking for, and a new skill tree and recipes for players to unlock.
Each recipe requires its own set of cooking steps and physical prep, ranging from simmering ingredients to just the right temperature, chopping up veggies or flipping patties to keep them from burning, and while the cooking itself is fun, the dishes produced also provide a variety of benefits in the form of timed buffs like faster healing and increased stamina. So, keeping well fed when adventuring can be an essential element of success.
Content – Two designers, one massive world
Filling a game with content can be challenging at the best of times, but these challenges only increase with a small team and a game as expansive as an MMO like Zenith.
To ensure our tiny team of just two designers could implement the content needed for an engaging game world and ensure consistency throughout, we needed to work smart by leveraging a multilayered approach.
We started by defining the core content features that we wanted to include, such as mobs, quests, public events, and collectibles, and determined which features could also be used as repeatable content, then prioritized features based on how critical we considered them to be to the overall gameplay experience.
With these defined, we then implement features one by one across all of the zones, often starting at either end of the world and meeting in the middle to increase efficiency. By working in this way, we could quickly add broad passes of content, test each new feature as we layered them in, and ensured that we had a viable playable game throughout development.
Post-launch – Exciting plans for the future
It’s important to state that the launch of Zenith is just the beginning; we have lots of exciting new additions and updates planned that we’ll be rolling out over the coming weeks, months, and even years. We also pride ourselves on our community engagement and will be continuing to make quality-of-life improvements and refinements based on our players’ feedback.
This week the team shares some good couch co-op games for new gamers to dip their toes into, and share highlights from a team session playing Deep Rock Galactic.
Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
It is my great pleasure to start off 2022 with news on our next generation virtual reality system for the PS5 console, starting with the official name: PlayStation VR2, and our new VR controller, PlayStation VR2 Sense controller.
PlayStation VR2 takes VR gaming to a whole new level, enabling a greater sense of presence and allowing players to escape into game worlds like never before. With the headset on and controllers in hand, players will feel a heightened range of sensations unlike any other – thanks to the creativity of the game worlds being built by our world class developers, and the latest technology incorporated into the hardware.
Building upon our innovations from PS5, PlayStation VR2 adds a true next-gen experience with high-fidelity visuals, new sensory features, and enhanced tracking – along with a simplified single-cord setup.
Visual Fidelity: For a high-fidelity visual experience, PS VR2 offers 4K HDR, 110-degree field of view, and foveated rendering. With an OLED display, players can expect a display resolution of 2000×2040 per eye and smooth frame rates of 90/120Hz.
Headset-based Controller Tracking: With inside-out tracking, PS VR2 tracks you and your controller through integrated cameras embedded in the VR headset. Your movements and the direction you look at are reflected in-game without the need for an external camera.
New Sensory Features: PS VR2 Sense Technology combines eye tracking, headset feedback, 3D Audio, and the innovative PS VR2 Sense controller to create an incredibly deep feeling of immersion. Headset feedback is a new sensory feature that amplifies the sensations of in-game actions from the player. It’s created by a single built-in motor with vibrations that add an intelligent tactile element, bringing players closer to the gameplay experience. For example, gamers can feel a character’s elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward. Additionally, PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech makes sounds in the player’s surroundings come alive, adding to this new level of immersion.
Eye Tracking: With eye tracking, PS VR2 detects the motion of your eyes, so a simple look in a specific direction can create an additional input for the game character. This allows players to interact more intuitively in new and lifelike ways, allowing for a heightened emotional response and enhanced expression that provide a new level of realism in gaming.
All of these advancements in PlayStation VR2, combined with the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers from the PS VR2 Sense controllers, enable players to feel and interact with games in a much more visceral way. PS VR2 will also have a simple setup process — with a single cable connected directly to PS5, you can immediately jump into the VR experience.
Today we are also pleased to reveal that one of the biggest exclusive franchises on PlayStation will be coming to PS VR2 – Horizon Call of the Mountain from Guerrilla and Firesprite. This original game is being built specifically for PS VR2 and will open the doors for players to go deeper into the world of Horizon.
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s exciting updates. Just remember, this is only a taste of things to come, and I can’t wait to share more details with you about PS VR2. In the meantime, below is the list of official specifications.
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 trackingIR camera for eye tracking per eye
Feedback
Vibration on headset
Communication with PS5
USB Type-C®
Audio
Input: Built-in microphoneOutput: Stereo headphone jack
With only a few more weeks to go until Horizon Forbidden West (launching February 18, 2022), we’re thrilled to reveal that we’ll soon be journeying back out into the wilds in a brand-new adventure, with Horizon Call of the Mountain.
Created for PlayStation VR2, this unique experience has been designed to push hardware technology, innovation, and gameplay. The stunning visuals and brand-new PS VR2 Sense controllers give a new meaning to being fully immersed into the world of Horizon.
We don’t want to reveal too much just yet, but this story will be told through the eyes of an entirely new character. You will also meet Aloy, other familiar faces, and new characters along the way, and we’ll be introducing you to the protagonist of Horizon Call of the Mountain soon.
We’re looking forward to welcoming VR fans into our wonderful Horizon community, and giving you all an unforgettable experience. Horizon Call of the Mountain has been proudly developed with the team at Firesprite, and we’ll soon be revealing more about what you can expect from the game. Until then, check out the teaser trailer!
Happy anniversary to the original Final Fantasy! The very first game in the long-running (and in hindsight somewhat misnamed) series launched December 18, 1987. That very first adventure really shook up the industry – its innovative battle system, expansive world and incredible music continue to inspire developers today.
It was, quite literally, a game-changer.
Now, 34 years later, its spirit lives on in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin. This brutal new action-RPG by the combat maestros from Team Ninja at Koei Tecmo Games (Nioh, Ninja Gaiden) is directly linked to Final Fantasy, with a story, characters, locations and more that directly call back to that original game.
To show you what we mean, we asked key developers from Square Enix and Team Ninja to explain some of these connections, and the secrets behind them…
Garland
Well, the cat’s out of the bag by now – protagonist Jack is destined to become the sinister figure known as Garland.
In the original Final Fantasy, Garland was the main antagonist – a powerful dark knight who threatened to plunge the land of Cornelia into chaos. He’s a beloved (and iconic!) villain, but outside of some brief dialogue we’re never told all that much about him.
Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin will directly address that and reveal how this once brave hero was brought so low. But why focus on the villain?
Many villains appear in the early Final Fantasy titles, but their backstories weren’t depicted that often.
I believe a good antagonist should have a clear reason as to why they became a villain in the first place, so I felt digging deeper into that aspect of Garland would be interesting.
In Final Fantasy I, you see him from the start of the game as a knight who has embraced the darkness, but the story never elaborates on why he went down that path. We thought we could expand upon the lore of the original game through Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Originby portraying one possibility as to why Garland ended up as he does.
We see the story of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Originas an “alternate retelling” of Final Fantasy I. It’s probably easiest to think of it as taking place in a parallel universe that sits alongside that original game.
To be honest, focusing on a villain who’s iconic to not just one game, but the Final Fantasy series as a whole, means there’s a lot of added responsibility. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed with extraordinary staff like Tetsuya Nomura, scenario writer Kazushige Nojima, and Team Ninja on the development side, so I think this will be a game we can deliver with our heads held high.
Jin Fujiwara, Producer, Square Enix
Even though Team Ninjahad handled action gameplay for Garland before in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, this game felt different. We had a greater sense of responsibility because we were handling Garland as a protagonist, and also delving into his true nature in the story.
Fumihiko Yasuda, Producer, Team Ninja at Koei Tecmo Games
Since Jack’s path to becoming Garland serves as the foundation to the story, we decided to take his destructive impulse – which we don’t see in other Final Fantasy protagonists – as a core concept and translated it into various action elements.
The first that we laid out as a concept was “Soul Burst.” We originally considered a more gory presentation, but we ended up going with a crystallization visual, to combine that exhilarating presentation with Final Fantasy-esque beauty.
Additionally, Garland in the Dissidia series has an ability called “Soul of Chaos”, which makes him stronger as he keeps on fighting.
Nobumichi Kumabe, Director, Koei Tecmo Games
Crossing the Northern Bridge
Early in the original Final Fantasy, the Warriors of Light cross the northern bridge of Cornelia. It’s a cutscene that fans remember dearly – it marks the first steps towards adventure… and in many ways signals the beginning of the series as a whole.
Stranger of Paradise recreates this iconic opening – as Jack and his companions cross the bridge and their epic journey begins.
This scene is very important, as it signaled the start of the adventure in Final Fantasy I. We definitely wanted to incorporate it into Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin as well.
Hearing the Final Fantasy theme gets me excited and makes me feel like something great is about to begin – I felt exactly the same way when I heard the theme being played during the Olympics earlier this year! I wanted to instil that same feeling in those playing Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin as well.
Daisuke Inoue, Director, Square Enix
The original northern bridge scene left a lasting impression, so for this recreation, we synced closely with Square Enix on the creation process – from storyboards to sharing references from work-in-progress stages, as well as the lighting and final visuals.
The modelling of the northern bridge was quite the challenge since it was not fully depicted in the original. The overall scene composition for the final cut also took quite a bit of effort.
Since no one had created a model of the bridge before, the Square Enix team provided us with a rough idea of what the castle and Cornelia should look like in this title. We translated that into a model design sketch and then proceeded with the bridge design too.
In order to make the composition closer to the original 2D version, we actually positioned some models in a way that wouldn’t be realistic in 3D. However, given the camera would actually move in the final version, we did take a few creative liberties and moved things around so things wouldn’t seem off, even with those 3D movements.
I hope we’ve successfully made this seem like a modern-day version of Final Fantasy I!
Hiroya Usuda, Director, Koei Tecmo Games
The world of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is built as science-fiction. We worked under the premise that what’s happening may seem impossible at first glance, but under special circumstances it could happen, even in the real world.
The northern bridge and Cornelia Castle are very much the heart of the original, so we aimed to bring out an evolved and hybrid feel, combining their fantasy-like silhouettes with the addition of some modern details.
Nobuhiro Goto, Art Director, Square Enix
Pravoka and Pirates
After crossing the northern bridge, the Warriors of Light reach the town of Pravoka. In the original Final Fantasy, this town has a bit of a pirate problem – and these are more “crunch your bones and take your booty” pirates than your “yo-ho-ho” types. They’re led by Captain Bikke, and it’s up to the heroes to teach him the errors of his ways.
Left: Bikke as he appears in Final Fantasy I, and Right: as he appears in Strange of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin.
Both Pravoka and Bikke make a return in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, though you may see a few changes from the original…
The battle with Bikke and his gang of pirates, as it appears in Final Fantasy I.
Whenever I play Final Fantasy I, I can’t help but feel the urge to head to Pravoka as soon as I cross the northern bridge.
When it comes to the beginning of the story for Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, I consciously tried to follow the flow of the original game and decided to incorporate the key theme of pirates for this area. For example, when thinking about how the characters would move from Cornelia to the next major location, we decided we should use a pirate ship, just like the original.
We weren’t necessarily trying to faithfully recreate Final Fantasy I completely though. For example, in Final Fantasy I, the protagonists take on Bikke and his pirates in the city, but for some odd reason, it seems the pirates in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin have their hideout in a cave…
Daisuke Inoue, Director, Square Enix
The Royal Family
Captain Bikke’s not the only Final Fantasy I character to make an appearance in the new game. The King of Cornelia and Princess Sarah also return – much more detailed and fleshed-out than in the original.
Left: King of Cornelia, as he appears in Final Fantasy I, and Right: as he appears in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin
Left: Princess Sarah, as she appears in Final Fantasy I, and Right: as she appears in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin
That’s not all – there are also new members of the Royal Family for fans to meet, including Queen Jayne and Princess Mia.
Queen Jayne (left) and Princess Mia (right) as they appear in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin.
As you might expect, designing the Royal Family was difficult as we had to create 3D versions of these characters from scratch. After gathering what information we could, we’d inject our own Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin lore into it, but it was definitely a challenge to flesh out the overall concept.
As we were aiming for a mature Final Fantasy game, we didn’t feel we could go full-on fantasy. Furthermore, I personally wanted to ensure that I had a justification and explanation for every element of these characters. Even as an alternate retelling, we need the characters to be designed in such a way as nothing seems strange or unbelievable.
For example, Sarah is more like her mother, while Mia takes after her father in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin. In addition, we also faced a challenge in how much we could diminish the fantasy tones – as we envisioned this story taking place in the real world, in a future not so far from now, we tried to make the characters’ head-to-body ratio closer to modern humans, and also made other elements such as skin texture and wrinkles very detailed for a more realistic finish.
As well as photo-realistic details, we wanted to bring out the “super-technology” feel and dark gothic tones, so we took inspiration from such design styles as gothic Lolita and punk. Additionally, since white is the base color for Cornelia Castle, we told designer Roberto Ferrari that we wanted to incorporate it into the Royal Family’s costumes too.
Nobuhiro Goto, Art Director, Square Enix
Tiamat – The Fiend of Wind
The multi-headed Tiamat is one of the Four Fiends in the original Final Fantasy and acts as a terrifying foe for the Warriors of Light. The Fiend of Wind also appears in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin… and trust us when we say it’s even more imposing.
Left: Tiamat as he appears in Final Fantasy I, and Right: as he appears in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin.
The designs for the Four Fiends were particularly important for Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, so we asked Takayuki Takeya to handle their creation. He has a great reputation for his creature design, even by Tetsuya Nomura!
Of course, if we just translated the Four Fiends from the original game in a standard way, they’d lack something special. So, while we maintained certain important elements of Tiamat’s design (for example, the number of heads on Tiamat), we also incorporated our own ‘Final Fantasy Origin’ elements in the designs – for example, the beast-like fiends are in a somewhat humanoid form as well!
I can’t go into detail about the person trapped in Timat’s chest (spoilers!) but this depiction of the embedded body was the result of us considering how we could depict the effect most realistically. Mr Takeya also works as a sculptor, and his designs were very precise – they translated very well into CG graphics.
Nobuhiro Goto, Art Director, Square Enix
Since the nature of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origindiffers from the original Final Fantasy, the experience of facing off against Tiamat is different as well.
However, since Tiamat in the original game is known for its various elemental attacks, we’ve incorporated these as breath attacks. From that concept, we then constructed a battle in which players would aim to defeat Tiamat as they cut off its heads!
Nobumichi Kumabe, Director, Koei Tecmo Games
A Life-long Love Affair
As you can tell, the developers have an enormous amount of love for the original Final Fantasy, and that passion comes through in all the details of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin.
As we celebrate the 34th anniversary of the genre-defining Final Fantasy I (and series… coming up on 35 years – wow!), let’s share some final words from the developers:
The first game in the series that I played was Final Fantasy IV – I didn’t play Final Fantasy I when it first came out. I later played the PlayStation version of that game and I remember being moved, not only by the iconic main theme, but also the fact that the RPG elements Final Fantasy is known for were so firmly established in that game.
I ended up playing all the games in the series, and certain things happened because of that. With Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, I forgot to go to school, and with Final Fantasy XIV Online, I almost forgot to go to work!
On a more serious note, I think it’s quite astounding that Final Fantasy has remained a series which has never feared change over 35 years. I’m proud to have been able to work on Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin and show an alternate retelling of the original game.
Fumihiko Yasuda, Producer, Team Ninja
What does Final Fantasy I mean to me? It is both the Origin and the goal.
Final Fantasy is a series that has continued for 35 years after the release of the first game. I hope the same will happen with Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin as well – for it to become a title that’ll be talked about even for years to come, and even become the starting point for its own series to continue into the future.
Jin Fujiwara, Producer, Square Enix
Many thanks to all the developers who joined us to celebrate two very special games. Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin will release on March 18, 2022 and is available to pre-order now.
Anyone who pre-orders the Digital Standard or Digital Deluxe Editions of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Originvia the PlayStation Store will receive 72-hour early access to the full game, an original PS4™ theme, the Braveheart weapon and Lustrous Shield and, as an early-purchase bonus, the Rebellion weapon.
The team is back to round out the year with a lengthy Game of the Year discussion. Plus, we chat with Celia Schilling from Yacht Club Games about Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon.
Stuff We Talked About
New DualSense colors and PS5 console covers
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey/Valhalla
OlliOlli World
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon (interview begins at 10:16)
Our personal Game of the Year picks!
The Cast
Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
The end of the year is upon us once again! As we reflect on 2021 and look forward to 2022, the PlayStation.Blog team wants to thank you for your support all year.
As is tradition, we’ve rounded up season’s greetings cards from some of our talented friends and colleagues across the industry. So before you dive into your backlog, grab a mug of hot chocolate, and read on for some holiday cheer!
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Share of the Year SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on December 31, 2021
2021 is almost over, so let’s see your best shots! Share the gaming moment you are most proud of from this year using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured in the Share of the Year round up.
The global IT industry generates as much CO2 as the aviation industry. In Hello World issue 17, we learn about the hidden impact of our IT use and the changes we can make from Beverly Clarke, national community manager for Computing at School and author of Computer Science Teacher: Insight Into the Computing Classroom.
Beverly Clarke
Hello World issue 17
With the onset of the pandemic, the world seemed to shut down. Flights were grounded, fewer people were commuting, and companies and individuals increased their use of technology for work and communication. On the surface, this seemed like a positive time for the environment. However, I soon found myself wondering about the impact that this increased use of technology would have on our planet, in particular the increases in energy consumption and e-waste. This is a major social, moral, and ethical issue that is hiding in plain sight — green IT is big news.
This is a major social, moral, and ethical issue that is hiding in plain sight — green IT is big news.
Energy and data centres
Thinking that online is always better for the planet is not always as straightforward as it seems. If we choose to meet via conference call rather than travelling to a meeting, there are hidden environmental impacts to consider. If there are 50 people on a call from across the globe, all of the data generated is being routed around the world through data centres, and a lot of energy is being used. If all of those people are also using video, that is even more energy than audio only.
Data centres consume a lot of energy — and how is that energy generated?
Not only is the amount of energy being used a concern, but we must also ask ourselves how these data centres are being powered. Is the energy they are using coming from a renewable source? If not, we may be replacing one environmental problem with another.
What about other areas of our lives, such as taking photos or filming videos? These two activities have probably increased as we have been separated from family and friends. They use energy, especially when the image or video is then shared with others around the world and consequently routed through data centres. A large amount of energy is being used, and more is used the further the image travels.
Not only is the amount of energy being used a concern, but we must also ask ourselves how these data centres are being powered.
Similarly, consider social media and the number of posts individuals and companies make on a daily basis. All of these are travelling through data centres and using energy, yet for the most part this is not visible to the user.
E-waste
E-waste is another green IT issue, and one that will only get worse as we rely on electronic devices more. As well as the potential eyesore of mountains of e-waste, there is also the impact upon the planet of mining the precious metals used in these electronics, such as gold, copper, aluminium, and steel.
The processes used to mine these metals lead to pollution, and we should also consider that some of the precious metals used in our devices could run out, as there is not an endless supply in the Earth’s surface.
It is also problematic that a lot of e-waste is sent to developing countries with limited recycling plants […].
It is also problematic that a lot of e-waste is sent to developing countries with limited recycling plants, and so much of the e-waste ends up in landfill. This can lead to toxic substances being leaked into the Earth’s surface.
First steps towards action
With my reflective hat on, I started to think about discussions we as teachers could have with pupils around this topic, and came up with the following:
Help learners to talk about the cloud and where it is located. We can remind them that the cloud is a physical entity. Show them images of data centres to help make this real, and allow them to appreciate where the data we generate every day goes.
Ask learners how many photos and videos they have on their devices, and where they think those items are stored. This can be extended to a year group or whole-school exercise so they can really appreciate the sheer amount of data being used and sent across the cloud, and how data centres fit with that energy consumption. I did this activity and found that I had 7163 photos and 304 videos on my phone — that’s using a lot of energy!
Helping young people gain an understanding of the impact of our use of electronic devices is an important action you can take.
Ask learners to research any local data centres and find out how many data centres there are in the world. You could then develop this into a discussion, including language related to data centres such as sensors, storage devices, cabling, and infrastructure. This helps learners to connect the theory to real-world examples.
Ask learners to reflect upon how many devices they use that are connected to the Internet of Things.
Consider for ourselves and ask parents, family, and friends how our online usage has changed since before the pandemic.
Consider what happens to electronic devices when they are thrown away and become e-waste. Where does it all go? What is the effect of e-waste on communities and countries?
Tips for greener IT
UK-based educators can watch a recent episode of TV programme Dispatchesthat investigates the carbon footprint of the IT industry. You can add the following tips from the programme to your discussions:
Turn off electronic devices when not in use
Use audio only when on online calls
Dispose of your old devices responsibly
Look at company websites and see what their commitment is to green IT, and consider whether we should support companies whose commitment to the planet is poor
Use WiFi instead of 3G/4G/5G, as it uses less energy
These lists are not exhaustive, but provide a good starting point for discussions with learners. We should all play our small part in ensuring that we #RestoreOurEarth — this year’s Earth Day theme — and having an awareness and understanding of the impact of our use of electronic devices is part of the way forward.
Some resources on green IT — do you have others?
What about you? In the comments below, share your thoughts, tips, and resources on green IT and how we can bring awareness of it to our learners and young people at home.
At the intersection of embedded electronics and art lies a balance in which works of creativity can be brought to life through the use of motors, lighting, and much more. This concept is especially apparent in Lincoln Stein’s animated diorama, which utilizes a combination of microcontrollers, LEDs, and a DC motor to create a scene of a boat bobbing across rough waves in the ocean. Stein was inspired to build this project from a sudden email sent by his dad that reminisced about a “magic painting” that used to light up and move once every hour, so the pair set about replicating it.
After receiving a wooden boat cutout from his father, Stein connected one end of the ship to a DC motor that causes a cyclical bobbing motion. Next, the attached real-time clock module lets the Arduino Nano know when to wake up and begin playing out the scene given by an array of events. These events could include a flash from the LED strip to simulate lightning or to start playing a sound file off an SD card.
Hey folks! Nick Guérin, creative director of Spiritfarer here. It’s a bittersweet time for the team today as we’re launching the final content update for Spiritfarer, the cozy management game about dying. In today’s Jackie and Daria Update, you’ll help our heroine Stella soothe a troubled mind and bring a dilapidated hospital back to its former glory. It’s a lovely curtain call for the game as well as a great show of gratitude to the fans who’ve supported us since the day we announced the project – we hope you love it!
Yes, it’s the end of a long journey for Team Spiritfarer. Today, since we’re closing the book on the game for the foreseeable future, we’re adding the “Farewell Edition” subtitle to Spiritfarer. It’s a victory lap of sorts for a game near and dear to us, one that we never dreamed would be embraced by one-million players and counting. I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a little more about how we got here.
As we shipped Spiritfarer, our cozy management game about dying, during a global pandemic in August 2020, we felt a whirlwind of doubts and joy, a maelstrom of anxiousness and relief.
Early reviews were good – dare I say great! But especially surprising were the emails, letters, and direct messages bearing heartfelt, kind words. Words of gratitude. Gratitude for how Spiritfarer had made them feel, think, or behave. For the role it had played in soothing the grief wrought by the pandemic. And even for how it had rekindled their passion for their jobs as healthcare professionals or their duties as caregivers. All this was absolutely heart-melting.
Clearly, fans had truly connected with the game. And although the team was quite pleased with the version of Spiritfarer at launch, we knew there was more we still needed to do. Beyond that, as we delved into everything we had accumulated to craft the original game, it became clear that the team still had a lot of stories to tell in this world.
First and foremost, we wanted to make sure we were telling Stella’s story properly. We didn’t want to leave players puzzled as to what exactly happened in the story – so with our first content update, we added Lily, Stella’s sister, to help flesh out the story elegantly and close that main narrative loop.
Next, we turned to the characters we already knew intimately, that we’d created early on but were unable to bring into the original game – still patiently waiting for their time in the spotlight, to have their stories written and told. Hence were born Beverly, the diminutive-yet-adorable owl spirit from our summer update.
Now, what can you expect in today’s update? Stella sets sail for Overbrook Island, where problems abound at the dilapidated local hospital. Stella will first befriend the hyena spirit Jackie, a well-meaning but dispirited lug who is overwhelmed by everything that must be done to keep the facility running. Stella will lend a helping hand by providing new resources for the hospital, as well as by understanding the workings of the mysterious Charon Vending Machine.
Stella also meets and befriends Daria, a bat spirit and particularly troubled patient of the facility. As the story unfolds and Daria starts playing a major role in Overbrook, she’ll spur Stella into completing an all-new rhythmic platforming challenge, in a kaleidoscopic level seemingly conjured straight from Daria’s agitated mind.
In the end, players will be pleased to discover that the Jackie & Daria Update plays into the evergreen Spiritfarer themes of caretaking and saying goodbye. The new friends introduced here will pass on too, once Stella has done her faring duty. But it was especially important to the art team that the protagonist’s world-affecting kindness be communicated visually in this final update. On Overbrook, Stella’s passage literally brings color and life back to the island and its buildings, as is evident in the before-and-after concepts shown here.
I’m extremely proud of what the team has accomplished in crafting the suite of updates, culminating in today’s launch. I don’t have the words to express how grateful I am to the team, the public, and everyone involved in making Spiritfarer what it is today.
But it is time now to bid farewell to this world, to let it rest and remember it as the bittersweet beacon of love we had hoped it would be, and how much more it became.
A year after it first launched, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has delivered on its promise of providing a grand Viking experience. Eivor’s journey saw the warrior unite the feuding kingdoms of England, foil an insidious druidic plot in the emerald isle of Ireland, and dethrone an emperor after a quick trip to France. Between the base experience and expansions, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has grown with new modes, challenges, and authentic festivals that brought some merry entertainment to Eivor’s settlement.
Year Two: Gods & Crossovers
Ubisoft’s only getting started, though, as Year Two of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla kicks off with an ambitious crossover event with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey this month, as fan-favorite character Kassandra journeys to England and crosses paths with Eivor. Then in March, fans can prepare for an epic clash of the gods in Dawn of Ragnarok, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s next major expansion. Dawn of Ragnarok leans heavily into the Asgard fantasy that played a vital part in Valhalla’s first year, aiming to provide over 35 hours of new content across a collection of Norse realms that are roughly one-third the size of England.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was more than just a historical dive into the age of Vikings when it launched last year, as Ubisoft’s game opened up the realm of Asgard to players and saw Eivor remember their past life as Odin, king of the gods and protector of the realms. Eivor will once again slip into a deep slumber that allows them to relive their previous life as Odin, who faces a new threat to Asgard from the combined forces of the Jotunheim frost giants and the demonic forces of Muspelheim led by the Allfather’s greatest nemesis, Surtr.
With the odds stacked against him and his son Baldr held captive by the Jotnar, Odin will have to travel to Svartleheim to enlist the aid of the Dwarves if he’s to save the nine realms from all-out destruction.
“We based our design of the dwarven realm on the Norse Sagas in order to create a documented mythological fantasy,” explains Ubisoft Sofia Producer Mariana Gosteva of the new locale. “The scale of Svartalfheim is indeed vast – we created a strong setting allowing us to expand the story of Odin in their quest to save their beloved son Baldr. But there is even more to that – one of our key objectives from the very beginning when designing the world was to offer to the players the opportunity to explore and investigate, to provide them with a playground where they can engage with a world very different from what they have enjoyed in the main game so far, and to experiment with all the fresh new ingredients we are adding to the gameplay.”
The greatest artisans in the land have been driven into exile by Surtr’s armies, so it’ll be up to you to find them. While Odin is no slouch when it comes to combat, the king of Asgard will need to unlock new godly powers in his war against Surtr, and thanks to the Hugr-Rip bracer that he acquires, he’ll be able to blend Assassin’s Creed’s trademark stealth and covert backstabbing techniques with the game’s more physical and brutal combat systems to tear through enemies.
“In the expansion, we introduce an entirely new gameplay system which will allow the players to harness the powers of their enemies,” Gosteva explains. “This new system promotes the fantasy that you play as the god Odin; it emulates the core pillars of the game and offers to the players multiple opportunities to experiment and strategize. This system is a fresh and unique addition to the combat system of Valhalla. It refreshes the whole fight experience and adds a brand-new layer of fun.”
One of the more fascinating powers that Odin wields is the ability to shapeshift into a raven and sneak up on enemies, catching them unaware when he transforms back into his godly form and delivers a killer blow. Expect to unlock new abilities and weapon classes that will transform Odin into a one-god-army who can demolish any obstacle in his way.
“We, on our end, are extremely excited to see how the players will discover and experiment with the Powers,” says Gosteva. They will have the chance to work on and adapt their strategy to upgrade and use the Powers in many unique and ingenious ways!”
“In Dawn of Ragnarök, we’re introducing a new weapon class with a specific combo system, and it is super exciting to play with it. It was one of our goals to give the players different opportunities to fight their enemies in a fresh new way from what they have experienced in Valhalla.”
Odin’s battle against rebellious realms is just the start of his journey, as he’ll be able to test his mettle in the Trials of the Valkyrie. This new arena will push your skill to the breaking point, but if you survive, you’ll be rewarded with some of the finest loot to outfit Eivor and Odin in. For veteran players who went to the effort to collect ancient relics such as Thor’s armor or the mighty Excalibur sword, details on how those ancient artifacts were forged will be revealed in the expansion.
“We have expanded on all the core pillars of Valhalla – from combat to stealth, and from puzzle to exploration,” says Gosteva. “We have made sure the expansion offers something fresh and new for players of all playstyles. The new gameplay system which allows Odin to acquire the powers of their enemies provides great opportunities to diversify and refresh the whole experience; the Powers open an entirely new way to play and enjoy the game.”
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok launches on PS4 and PS5 March 10, 2022.
Assassin’s Creed games have been massive dives into major moments of human civilization, with each title seldom crossing paths. Outside of Easter eggs and mentions of the heroes who helped shape history, the major protagonists of Assassin’s Creed have never shared the same spotlight, but Ubisoft is about to change all that with its very first Crossover Story.
Launching tomorrow, this free DLC will be available to download and play with one story in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and one in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Here’s everything you need to know and how Ubisoft designed it to bridge the gap between two of its most popular Assassin’s Creed games.
Every Assassin’s Creed game is headlined by distinctive characters, heroes who continue an age-old conflict with their own sense of style, personality, and a talent for acrobatic anarchy. While every fan has their favorite Assassin, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone more popular than Assassin Creed Odyssey’s Kassandra, a straight-talking and hard-hitting mercenary from ancient Greece.
Never afraid to get her hands dirty, Kassandra’s journey in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was the stuff of legend, cementing her position as one of the best protagonists in the entire series. That epic trek through the myths and legends of Greek culture raised the bar for the Assassin’s Creed franchise in 2018. But if you’re one of the many fans who’ve longed to see more of Kassandra, we have good news: She’s making a comeback.
“When we look at all the Assassin’s Creed content released, they are all connected by characters, lore, locations, and moments in history. Even after the games are released there are stories to tell, questions to be answered,” says Ubisoft Quebec Associate Creative Director Clémence Nogrix.
“When we looked at the most recently released games and their place in the overall world timeline, we saw an opportunity to bring back the spotlight on a very unique character in the brand, with Kassandra. With her immortality starting in 431 BCE, the notion of connection with other games started there, and we needed to kickstart her new journey, a unique odyssey in a way by asking ourselves ‘What did Kassandra do when she became immortal?’ So we started with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and seeing as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was the most recently released game, it was an opportunity to bridge both of them and answer the question ‘’What happens when two Assassin’s Creed protagonists meet?’’.
Tomorrow, players can experience this ambitious crossover event firsthand, one which bridges both the worlds of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Valhalla to tell a new story. Filling in one of the many gaps of Kassandra’s century-spanning life–play the Odyssey expansion to find out how she accomplished that feat — the Those Who Are Treasured DLC sees Kassandra on the hunt for an Isu artifact that has world-changing potential.
Taking place after the events of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Kassandra (or Alexios if you played the game as her brother) has decided to take a well-earned rest, spending their days drinking fine wine and their nights gazing at the stars. That break from exploring old tombs and battling ancient monsters comes to an end though when old friends come calling, and a new quest to recover a dangerous relic of the past sets the hero on a new quest that takes them all over the world.
That journey eventually brings Kassandra (you won’t see Alexios making this journey) to the Isle of Skye in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s crossover story, A Fateful Encounter, where she runs into Eivor. That first encounter will see the two warriors fight out their differences on the battlefield.
While Valhalla’s part in the Crossover Story keeps you firmly in the boots of Eivor, Kassandra’s influence plays a major part in the story. Having lived for centuries, Ubisoft wanted the fan-favorite character to show how much she had grown over the ages, without losing any of her charm along the way.
“We had to keep in mind that Kassandra is over 1,300 years older,” says Nogrix of Kassandra and Eivor’s first encounter in the crossover. She has traveled the world and seen the rise and fall of the roman empire. We wanted to make sure that players felt she had learned and seen a lot, but that she was able to stay the same at heart. It was challenging in a way that we were attentive to each hero’s personality, but we made sure they both showed what they were made of on the battlefield. The team did an amazing job with that encounter scene.”
Assassin’s Creed’s Crossover Stories launches on PS5 and PS4 on December 14.
Call of Duty is celebrating the holidays in a big way on PlayStation with the Festive Fervor event taking over Vanguard and Warzone Pacific starting December 17. Get in on the fun with new holiday-themed modes, Bundles, challenges, and more. Here’s what’s in store throughout the event:
Vanguard brings cheer to Multiplayer and Zombies
In honor of the holidays, Vanguard will roll out several limited-time Multiplayer features, all in the name of good cheer. Let’s kick things off with a closer look at some festive foes you’ll encounter in the field, and where the development team drew their inspirations.
Elf Team Six: Seek out and destroy the fabled Elf Team Six, hidden around Vanguard’s Multiplayer maps, to earn Killstreak progress and extra match score. Find them before they disappear…and stay on your guard when approaching.
Developer Insights:The new tradition of hiding an elf for people to find is something that the team at Raven wanted to poke fun at. The team feels some people who deal with that tradition would rather blow that annoying elf away! SO they decided to let you do that.
Elf and Seek development was fun to put together at the Studio. Having fun on the new map, finding little nooks to place the elves, making people explore and see that pesky elf is a fun experience, and to some, terrifying. I mean, they’re creepy! We are very excited to have some fun rewards tied to destroying the elves for players. We placed them all over the Caldera, and we hope you have some fun finding them and taking them out however you want to.
Krampus: Campers beware! The folk-horror figure Krampus will appear in designated Multiplayer matches to hunt down those who ignore the objective. No time on the Hardpoint? Haven’t taken a single Domination flag? Then you can bet he’s coming for you.
Developer Insights:Ever since the devs at Raven learned about the Krampus after getting caught eating chocolates, they’ve been fans of this mythical and downright terrifying Anti-Santa. When the opportunity came up to get Krampus in Warzone, they could NOT wait. Raven’s goal was to create gameplay that would show players what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a Bounty Contract carried out by a demon!
As the team developed Krampus, they dug deep into how it would stalk, attack, and choose its victims. They tested those decisions with playtests and got to see firsthand what was the most exhilarating for players. Raven created a robust NPC system for Krampus, and they hope you enjoy taking him down…or you know the latter. For those Krampus hunters out there, there is a hidden gift for you.
Armageddon: Stuff your stockings with Care Packages in this twist on Team Deathmatch. Appearing as Drop Zone in previous titles, this mode sees teams fighting for control of a designated area, where Care Packages will continuously drop for the taking. Open your Killstreaks and help spread the cheer.
The mischievous Elf Team Six and vengeful Krampus aren’t contained just within Multiplayer, either. Keep reading to learn about the roles these wintery warriors play in Warzone Pacific.
Plus, Shipment becomes Shipmas, a winter wonderland of chaos and cheer, and other seasonal visuals are coming to game modes like Domination and Hardpoint, and even to the wintery home base of Stalingrad in “Der Anfang” in Zombies.
Extra gifts for Vanguard owners
In the spirit of giving, all those who purchase or have already purchased Vanguard by December 31 will receive the following rewards: 10 Season One Battle Pass Tier Skips; a 10% boost to all earned Player, Weapon, and Battle Pass XP; a free Warzone Vehicle Skin; and all 24 Vanguard Tiers that were featured in the prelaunch Season Six Battle Pass.
Get your Festive bundles
Get into the Festive Fervor spirit with new holiday-themed Bundles for use in Vanguard and Warzone Pacific. From naughty to nice, we’ve got you covered with these four Bundles:
Santa’s Slay Bundle: Deck the halls with new Legendary Weapons featuring red-and-green Tracers and a Finishing Move that uses a helpful Elf companion. Plus, humiliate your foes as you win with Lucas in his ugly-sweater “Yarn Burner” Skin.
Krampus Unleashed: Drape Roland in Krampus’s unholy threads in this Bundle featuring the “Vinderblood” Operator Skin. You’ll also get the Legendary “Krampusnacht” Marksman Rifle Blueprint, as well as the “Reindog Rampage” Finishing Move to bring your enemies to a festive end.
Secret Santa: Surprise your opponents with this Bundle featuring two Legendary Weapon Blueprints: one for a pump-action Shotgun and another that turns a Marksman Rifle into a full-auto beast.
Broken Resolutions: This nine-item Bundle will soon have you forgetting any broken resolutions for the year. Get two Battle Pass Tier Skips on top of Legendary and Epic Operator, Armory, and Player Profile pieces. Of note is the “Pop Bottles” Finishing Move, the sleek “Midnighter” Operator Skin for Beatrice, and the “Cover Charge” Assault Rifle.
Complete Challenges, get rewards
Throughout the Festive Fervor event, all players will have the chance to complete Vanguard Multiplayer challenges in exchange for free rewards, including the Epic LMG Blueprint if you complete all six challenges in Vanguard Multiplayer or Warzone Pacific.
In Vanguard, the challenges include eliminating holiday nuisances across all Multiplayer modes, playing Shipmas, and opening Care Packages like presents under the tree. Rewards include a Battle Pass Tier Skip, a Double XP Token, and cosmetic rewards for your weapons and Player Profile.
Spreading cheer in Warzone Pacific, too
Outside of Vanguard, Caldera and Rebirth Island will host their own limited-time celebrations.
Festive Fir Trees: In Caldera, see the specially marked Festive Fir Trees spread throughout the island. Squads that remain within the Fir Tree’s proximity for the allotted time will be rewarded with several Supply Boxes, including Holiday Crates that may contain Legendary items, limited-time rewards, or even coal for Operators on the naughty list.
Developer Insights: Deck the Halls
Like many families during the holiday season, incredible battles happen under the tree. Raven just took it to the next level in Warzone. Players will battle for resources under the trees, and the devs want to reward that tenacity by leveling it up. Also, snowballs are in those chests, and who doesn’t love throwing snowballs?
Raven hopes that gathering under the tree to capture these points of interest will spark some fun player stories, similar to holding Domination points. Their advice is don’t be too greedy, though. If you get hit by coal in a crate because you’re naughty, you’re next for Krampus. The team wanted to have Krampus connected with this and make a player pause to think…”do I want to open that chest?”
Beware Krampus: Spending his holidays across Caldera and Rebirth Island, Krampus hunts Operators for sport in both maps. He especially prefers hunting those who receive coal from Holiday Crates. The creature will spend a limited time hunting each target before moving to the next, until he’s taken out, offering a special permanent match reward for the squad that eliminates him.
Elf and Seek: Krampus isn’t the only one at home on Caldera and Rebirth Island. Find and destroy these holiday gnomes to receive rewards like a Double XP Token or Calling Card.
Those seeking extra rewards can also complete six unique challenges in Warzone Pacific, each with a reward like a Battle Pass Tier Skip, Double XP Token, and more.
12 Days of Deals in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Over six seasons of content, Black Ops Cold War brought a variety of Bundles for players to use in Black Ops and Warzone. For those who missed out, now’s your chance to make amends with 12 Days of Deals. Starting on December 14, a selection of Bundles from Black Ops Cold War and Warzone are returning with holiday discounts.
Each day leading up to December 25, five Black Ops Cold War Bundles will become available in that game and in Warzone Pacific. Most are returning classics with special discounts, though expect one new Bundle: the “Battle Pass Vault Pack Greatest Hits,” a collection of late-Tier content from the first three Black Ops Cold War Battle Passes.
Support Veterans this Holiday season
The holidays are finally here, and the Call of Duty Endowment is honored to be one of the 14 beneficiaries of this year’s Jingle Jam. Back for its 10th Anniversary, Jingle Jam is one of the biggest charity events in the gaming industry, having raised over $20M since 2011. This is the third year that the Endowment will be featured. Tis the season of giving, and you can show your support for veterans by tuning-in and donating here.If you’re feeling in the holiday spirit, you can also support the Endowment by purchasing the Call of Duty Endowment Timeless Pack in #Warzone and #Vanguard with this pack featuring 9 new items, including 2 weapon blueprints.
Now get out there and enjoy the Festive Fervor, starting December 17 across Vanguard and Warzone Pacific.
Hey everyone! I’m Phil Crifo, game director on Tchia. We just released a really cool gameplay trailer during The Game Awards and we’re excited to dive deeper into our Soul Jumping mechanic.
Soul Jumping allows Tchia to take control of animals and objects around the world, opening fun and emergent exploration and combat gameplay opportunities. In this blog I’ll elaborate a bit on how this mechanic evolved over the course of development and how it works in the final game.
The Basics of Soul Jumping
Soul Jumping in Tchia is straightforward, you press a button and Tchia enters a sort of trance — in this mode, time is slowed down considerably, allowing you to aim precisely. Objects and animals you can Soul Jump to are highlighted in green. Aim, press the Soul Jump button, Tchia is warped to the target… You’re in!
Notice how Tchia’s tiaré flower transfers onto animals’ ears while you’re controlling them.
Tchia discovers her Soul Jumping abilities early on in the game, but that doesn’t mean she has full control over her powers from the start. At first, you’ll be able to take control of things for a short amount of time only, but as you progress through the game, you will discover special challenges that, once completed, will grant you an additional slot on your Soul Meter, allowing you to use your abilities more extensively and start experimenting with complex combos.
Usages and Abilities
Once you’re controlling an animal or an object, you’ll notice Tchia’s Soul Meter slowly draining depending on what you do. This allows us to balance locomotion and abilities. For example, simply rolling around as a coconut will drain your meter very slowly, while covering long distances with a bird will be a bit more taxing.
Animals have very diverse abilities. Some are unique actions, for example dogs are able to dig up buried treasures and crabs can destroy locks and chains with their crazy pinchers. Other animals offer locomotion advantages such as flying or being able to swim super fast and deep, very useful for exploration.
Animals are fun to control, but objects can be very useful, too. When Soul Jumping to any object, you are able to control it and roll around using a fun physics-based movement system. From there, you can perform a Soul Throw; this technique allows Tchia to aim and shoot the object at a target while warping out of it at the same time. This is very powerful when used with explosive or flammable objects for example.
Behind the Scenes
Soul Jumping is a core mechanic of Tchia, and we’ve been refining it since the early concept days of the project, here is a glimpse at its evolution throughout development.
At first, Tchia had a simple telekinesis ability. It was fun to move objects around but wasn’t very dynamic and didn’t feel super fresh.
Later on, we refined the mechanic to actually give direct control to the player while Tchia was stuck in place in a trance state. This was instantly more fun, but we realized it didn’t allow for dynamic combos or locomotion perks, as you would always go back to Tchia’s initial location when unpossessing. It also left Tchia’s body vulnerable and that didn’t allow for on the fly, quick evasive uses of the ability.
From there, the natural next step was having Tchia warp into her target in a quick and snappy motion, and jump out of it in location when unpossessing. This allows for very cool and dynamic combos, incentivizes the use of the ability in evasive and offensive maneuvers, and is just overall super fun!
Soul Jump onto our Social Feeds
Please let us know what you think of our new gameplay trailer, and shoot us a message if you’re excited about the game (We need the encouragement as we reach the late stages of production). Stay tuned for more deep dives into our sandbox mechanics in the near future, and give us a follow on Twitter for regular updates.
I hope this overview of our Soul Jumping mechanic sparked some interest and made you wanna explore the world of Tchia as a crab, a bird, a shark or any of the 30+ playable animals and tons of objects present in the game. Tchia is coming Spring 2022 on Playstation 4 and Playstation 5. Cheers! 🦜🦀❤️
In Forspoken, Frey—a modern young woman from New York City—is magically transported to Athia, a once beautiful and peaceful land that has been beset by a corrupting force known as the Break. No one, aside from Frey, strangely enough, is safe from the corruption, which transforms whatever it touches into a twisted, and often bloodthirsty, facsimile of itself.
We’ve shown how the Break affects the animals and creatures of Athia in our previous trailers, and there’s no doubt that Frey has her work cut out for her when it comes to taking them on. Today, however, I wanted to dive deeper into the true big bads that stand in Frey’s way: the Tantas.
The Tantas are the former rulers of Athia. Each embodies a different virtue and possesses a unique strength. They were once beloved by the people of Athia, who enjoyed lives of plenty under their guidance. However, without warning, the former protectors mysteriously became oppressors, becoming aggressive and hateful. As the most powerful sorceresses in Athia, they pose a dangerous threat to Frey.
Being who she is, when Frey first arrives in Athia, she has very little interest in the Tantas. But after being accused of trespassing on her territory by Tanta Sila, Frey becomes an enemy in their eyes. Unfortunately for Frey, there’s no going back home to New York without defeating them first.
We’re excited to unveil the second and very wicked Tanta who stands in Frey’s way: Tanta Prav. Played by The Walking Dead’s Pollyanna McIntosh, you can see Tanta Prav in action in the latest trailer for Forspoken, which premiered at The Game Awards earlier tonight.
Nailing the design concept of the Tantas was key to establishing Forspoken’s entire look, feel, and tone. The art director on Forspoken, Yuuki Matsuzawa, played a critical role in conceiving the concept of the Tantas at the beginning of the project, which has remained consistent throughout development. The Tantas were a central theme of the game, so it’s not a stretch to say that all the art in Forspoken was designed around them—their virtues and their corruption, their beautiful, yet terrifying, appearances.
Concept art for Tanta Sila
Tanta Sila is the “Tanta of Strength” who once commanded Athian troops to protect the land from outside threats. She fought on the front line, displaying unparalleled prowess in battle, and was revered by the people for it. But, unfortunately, she has now become a cruel despot who trusts nothing but her own skill in battle, mercilessly eliminating any and all who offend her.
We have an amazing team of designers at Luminous Productions who worked on each of the Tantas. The color choice for each Tanta was important, too, as we wanted this to signify the corruption of the virtue that each Tanta represents. For example, for Tanta Sila, who represents the virtue of strength, Matsuzawa envisioned her dress flailing as she loses herself in battle, so we went with a flamenco dancer-esque dress and an aggressive red color thematically.
While Tanta Sila faces her enemies (Frey included) with brute force, our newly unveiled Tanta Prav takes a decidedly different approach. Being the “Tanta of Justice” who administered Athia’s judicial system before the Break, she judged right from wrong with her uncanny ability to perceive untruths and brought order and peace to Athian society. Now she is a callous executioner with a warped sense of justice, trusting only in her own judgment.
Matsuzawa also added, the team envisioned her as being unyielding in her own suppression, so she was given a restraint-like outfit that is a resolute blue. Despite Tanta Sila and Tanta Prav’s different looks, it was important to the art team that both Tantas sport dresses with unique lines and elegant decorations that are more modern than traditional medieval European attire, bringing in that mix of modern and fantasy elements that run throughout the entire game. Gold ornamentation is present in both Tantas’ costumes, which represents their magical properties. Because they’re two major boss characters, their very essences and virtues are also woven deep in their actions and the types of magic they use.
Early concept art for Tanta Prav
Bringing the Tantas to life, from concept art to full 3D models, was no small task, and the art team shepherded each design through three major evolutions. The first when the scan models for each character had been selected, as this informed what each Tanta would look like, and the team adjusted the designs to match the models accordingly. The following stage was the completion of the physical production of each Tanta’s outfit. This might seem a bit extreme, but Matsuzawa and the art team wanted the distinct construction of their dresses to feel as real as possible, so they made them in real life, and 3D scanned them.
The final evolution took place when the performance actors brought the characters to life—Janina Gavankar portraying Tanta Sila and Pollyanna McIntosh portraying Tanta Prav. Both actors articulately portrayed the Tantas’ virtues and corruption envisioned by the team, solidifying them not just as characters but as individuals.
Although both Tantas are powerful sorceresses with a certain amount of gravitas, our Cinematic Director, Toshiyuki Momose, was careful to present them as ordinary people with semi-ordinary concerns (such as Frey’s alleged trespassing) and not make them out to be godlike beings. On the animation side of things, Animator Kiyoka Hatakeyama kept in mind that as the battles in Forspoken are all about magic and don’t rely on weaponry whatsoever, it was important to keep the movements of the Tantas’ hands and arms graceful to clearly convey their strength, beauty, and corruption. For Tanta Prav, she found figure skating to be a huge source of inspiration for creating her animations.
Janina Gavankar in full mocap getup
The progression of Tanta Prav’s visual development, from early CG concept art to the final product
The Tantas were a true labor of love for us at Luminous Productions. Believe me when I say that the team here is just as excited to see them fully voiced and animated as we hope viewers at home are, who are seeing them for the first time. We’re all also incredibly excited that the time for folks around the world to face off against the Tantas themselves is quickly drawing near.
With only a few months to go until the launch, Forspoken will release on PlayStation 5 on May 24, 2022, and you can pre-order the Digital Standard Edition today. By pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe Edition, players can get several exciting bonuses, including the Rare Resource Kit, Mini Artbook, Mini Soundtrack, and Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust prequel DLC*. In addition, pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe Edition will allow players to receive unique gear and items to aid them in their journey through Athia including the No Limits Cloak, Symbol Combo Necklace, Trigger Happy Nails and Crafting Starter Kit.
* Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust DLC coming Winter 2022, following the game’s launch. Players who pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition will receive early access to this prequel story DLC when released.
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