Category: PlayStation

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Hey y’all! This week Remedy Entertainment Creative Director Sam Lake stops by to talk all things Alan Wake 2. Plus the team discusses their hands-on time with Alan Wake 2, as well as some indie horror games in preparation for spooky season.

Stuff We Talked About

• Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition – PS5, PC
• PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for October: The Callisto Protocol, Farming Simulator 22, Weird West
• Baldur’s Gate 3 – Larian’s Favorite Builds Blog
• Paper Beast Enhanced Edition – PS5, PS VR2
• Interview w/ Sam Lake (begins at 17:55)
• Alan Wake 2 hands-on talk
• Indie horror games

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The Cast

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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.]

October is here, and with it comes new PlayStation Stars campaigns. Get ready to uncover new challenges, earn some rewards, and refresh your digital collectible display case.

Let’s jump right into some of the offerings in October.

Genshin Impact 4.1 update

Starting October 1

Version 4.1 has arrived! Dive in and explore the update which features new characters, enemies, and events. To celebrate, we will release special campaigns throughout the month of October. Complete these campaigns to earn one of the collectibles shown below.

Alan Wake 2 | The darkness is coming

Available October 27

Get ready to confront your deepest fears head-on because the highly anticipated Alan Wake 2 is finally here! Play the game and earn an Angel Lamp digital collectible.

PS Plus Game Catalog: Must-play this Month

Available October 3 

There are hundreds of games in the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium/Deluxe members. The catalog is regularly refreshed, so we’re highlighting monthly gems to play. When you play any one game in this campaign, you’ll earn 50 points.

For this month, play any of the titles below, perfect for October.

• Friday the 13^th
• Inscryption
• Doom Eternal
• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
• The Evil Within
• Days Gone

Hard Game Club Campaign: Monster Hunter Rise

Available October 5

Hard Game Club tackles some of the most difficult games on PlayStation.

This month, your challenge is to conquer Monster Hunter Rise by earning the Tempestuous Triumph Scroll trophy. Achieve this feat, and the exclusive Hard Game Club Balloon digital collectible is yours.

PlayStation VR2 Showtime Campaign

Available October 12

If you have a PS VR2, this campaign is for you. Start the campaign in PS App, and then play any one of these PS VR2 titles to earn 50 points.

• Hellsweeper VR 
• Demeo
• Crossfire: Sierra Squad
• What the Bat?

Hard Game Club: Elden Ring

Available October 26

Elden Ring fans, here’s your second chance. Defeat Godrick the Grafted to earn the Shardbearer Godrick trophy and unlock the exclusive Elden Ring Hard Game Club digital collectible.

Stay tuned to PlayStation App for all the latest updates. Not a PlayStation Stars member yet? Learn more about PlayStation Stars and join here.

Jump into PS VR2 and smack some monsters around, then sit yourself down and play with a controller on your PS5 while you cool off. The Foglands will release with an FPS-mode on PS5 alongside PS VR2 at launch October 31. So no headset required! Either way you play, the fate of the Hold is in your hands.

Welcome to the Foglands

The Foglands is an upcoming anti-Western atmospheric roguelite that puts you in the boots of Jim, a brand new Runner. As a Runner, the people of the Hold rely on you to bring home scavenged goods and fend off the twisted creatures of the Fog. When a hulking behemoth from the depths threatens the survival of the Hold, it’s up to you to go out there and put a stop to it… and die trying.

Lucky for you, the mysterious figure known only as The Stranger is eager to lend a hand. His eldritch deck of cards can grant you supernatural abilities to boost your running prowess – for a price. He’s also got a few tricks up his sleeve, namely preventing Jim from yeeing his last haw. Explore, fight, loot, and die… and then do it all over again!

You’ll navigate an ever-shifting world of fog, exploring, fighting, and collecting along the way as you seek to defeat the giant, worm-like creature that threatens your Hold’s survival.

Explore

Many things get lost in the Fog – but the more you look, the more you find. While adventuring through the floors that change with every run, rooms that shift their contents with each visit, and the diverse biomes that would rather see you dead than alive, you’ll uncover the secrets the Fog clings to along the way. You won’t just find lost keys that belonged to Runners of old to unlock their secrets – you’ll even find some of those lost Runners themselves!

Fight

With a healthy mix of barfight melee and shoot-em-up gunplay, The Foglands uses the best of the PS VR2 eye tracking and precision latency to deliver a mix of fist-fighting, gunslinging, and aim-assisted throwing. Intention targeting and eye tracking allows any grabbable item to become a weapon – after all, Runner training advises you think on your feet and not rely too much on shootin’ irons (you never know when a Scuttler will steal your trusty hand cannon). The more you develop your personal playstyle and land those sweet combos, the more the time-slow effect will assist you in fending off the denizens of the Foglands.

Collect

The Foglands might seem like a desolate hellscape of creaking metal and lurking predators, but there are riches for those who know where to look! Collect Scrap and Fog Oil to unlock gear upgrades, new items, and new areas. But take heed: death means items you’ve gathered are left behind, so make sure to use Loot Chutes to send your Scrap home to spend on the next run.

There’s more than material acquisitions to be found out there: while on a run you’ll collect Abilities from The Stranger’s Cards that make you ever-more-powerful. Play to your strengths by choosing from three distinct suits that enhance each playstyle: Fists (melee), Guns (uh, guns), and Keys (exploration). So get out there and start lootin’!

Pre-order now

Now that you know what it takes and what’s at stake to be a Runner, you can prepare for your first day by pre-ordering on Playstation Store today. See you out in the Foglands, partner!

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VR Day: All Announcements

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• Among Us VR is coming to PS VR2
• Become a galactic spy in Journey to Foundation, out October 26 on PS VR2
• Announcing Heroes of Forever, a multi-dimensional arcade cover-shooter for PS VR2
• Tin Hearts – in-depth look at the PS VR2 puzzler
• Tiger Blade pounces onto PS VR2 November 17
• The Foglands launches October 31 on PS VR2 and PS5

Hey, everyone! I’m Michele Zorrilla, the Advanced Senior UX Researcher at Insomniac Games. With the launch of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 just around the corner, our team at Insomniac is excited to share one of the ways we can all #BeGreaterTogether – through accessibility! So today, I’d like to highlight some of the notable accessibility features swinging into the game at launch on October 20, then I’ll pass it over to Sam Schaffel, Insomniac Games’s Accessibility Design Researcher, who will provide an update on more features arriving in a post-launch update.

Carrying forward our learnings from our recent games, we’re implementing useful accessibility features from both earlier titles in the Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise as well as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. As with any new title, we also had to figure out new features to support the expanded gameplay systems of our favorite web-slingers.

Challenge Level Modifiers and Gameplay Assists

High-action and exciting combat is a signature of our Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise, whether you’re going up against Kraven and his Hunters or pursuing the Lizard through Marvel’s New York. We included a variety of challenge levels in our earlier games in the franchise (Friendly, Amazing, etc.), and today, we are excited to introduce Challenge Level Modifiers, which let you customize three aspects of gameplay: Enemy Health, Enemy Damage, and Stealth Awareness. With these settings, you can mix and match for your preferences or needs.

We’re also bringing back some key gameplay features to help with combat and traversal, which aim to reduce button inputs or provide more time to react to many in-game scenarios.

Chase Assist is a feature we introduced in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered in response to players having difficulty completing the story in the original 2018 release. The feature will work similarly in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, reducing the target’s top speed, increasing time windows before escaping, automatically attaching when a target is in range, and readjusting the camera to the target when you press R3. We’re happy to report these features will return and work with both our swinging and all-new Web Wings traversal systems!

Quick Time Event (QTE) Autocomplete, changing Repeated Button Presses from Taps to Holds, and Web-Shooter Burst are all returning to reduce motor fatigue and keep you in the action.

Shortcuts and Game Speed

Speaking of keeping you in the action, we couldn’t have a new Insomniac game without including two things our team and the community love: Shortcuts and Game Speed!

Our Shortcuts will allow players to assign a variety of options to the Left or Right D-pad buttons. If you’re having difficulty pressing multiple buttons at once, want a quick way to toggle your High Contrast gameplay options on or off, or even want to open Photo Mode with the press of a single button, you can assign these to left or right directional-buttons for quick use during gameplay.

Introduced in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and now featured in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, players can assign Game Speeds of 70%, 50%, and 30% of the real-time rate to Shortcut buttons. These allow you to slow down the action, giving you more time to react to multiple gameplay scenarios:

• Want more time to react as surrounding Hunter fists fly at your face? Activate Game Speed!
• Are you battling against the Lizard and need more time between button presses? Game Speed can help!
• Waiting for that picture-perfect moment to capture Spider-Man doing an acrobatic swing? You guessed it… Game Speed’s got your back!

Audio Frequency Controls

Additional options in our heroes’ gallery of accessibility features at launch are our Audio Frequency Controls. These will allow players to disable uncomfortable sounds with our High Frequency Cutoff (like high-pitched ringing), Low Frequency Cutoff (like the bass of an explosion), or a custom setting with the Notch Frequency Filter so they can better enjoy Pete’s classic quips as he thwips back a detonating grenade.

These are just a few of the features the team is passionate and excited about for the launch of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. To see the full list of the accessibility features that will be included at launch, we welcome you to visit Insomniac’s Knowledge Base: insom.games/MSM2-Accessibility

Now I’m turning this over to Sam Schaffel to share some of the awesome accessibility features coming post launch!

Post Launch Accessibility

Thanks Michele! So, there are quite a bit of accessibility features at launch in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 that the team has put together, but we are also working to bring new features after the game launches on October 20. Some of the highlights include:

Audio Descriptions that provide visual context and add a narration-style voice-over to cinematics and even QTEs. We feel this feature will be exciting to players who use Audio Descriptions when experiencing movies or television, and we encourage people who have never experienced it before to try it out and see if it’s a feature that works for them! It’s often been compared to a high-quality audiobook. We are working with our amazing partners at Descriptive Video Works  (who have worked on various audio descriptions for television and movies for over 20 years, as well as games like The Last of Us Part 1) to bring this experience to all players in English, French, German, Italian, Castilian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, and Japanese.

Screen Reader will read out several things to aid players in navigating onscreen items such as tutorials, in-game menus such as the Settings menu, but also our Touch Pad menus like the map, Abilities, Gadgets, Collectibles, Suits, Moves List, and more. We will also have access to on-demand HUD (heads up display) reading via our Screen Reader Status Shortcut. Players can also customize Screen Reader Readouts by specifying how often text repeats on idle via Repeat Delay customization and Scaling.

Captions will be available for cinematics and at key audio moments in gameplay. We have captions for offscreen and environmental sound effects, music, and more. The captions are also highly customizable, including size, color, background opacity, and background color separately from subtitles.

These features and other surprises will be coming via an update in December 2023 at no additional cost to you! 

Access Controller for PS5 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

I’ve had the privilege of consulting on the upcoming Access controller for PlayStation 5 console, which by itself or together with the DualSense controller enables gamers with disabilities to really customize the way they play, offering a variety of options and use cases. I’d like to share my personal configuration and explain how these controllers can be paired together in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2!  You can also learn more about the controller and check out my chat with Access controller product lead, Alvin Daniel, and accessibility expert Paul Lane, from earlier this year in the video below.

Paired with both controllers, I use my right hand on the DualSense controller and left hand on the Access controller to access several buttons and the move stick. One of my favorite features is setting up two commands on a single button. I also love having a control profile tied to four Abilities (mixing new and classic like the Chain Lightning, Venom Dash, Venom Smash, and Galvanize), Gadgets (including the Web Grabber), and L3 + R3 to activate Mega Venom Blast, which I map to the big center button. It just feels awesome to execute such a big attack to that input! Thanks to the custom profiles system, I can have a unique control profile for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 that’s dedicated to those simultaneous press buttons, while allowing me to map other features like Game Speed to the Shortcuts on the DualSense controller’s left and right directional buttons. 

We’re incredibly proud to continue our accessibility efforts at Insomniac Games and finding ways for more people to experience the games we make. As we push towards launch on October 20, 2023, and beyond, we’d love to hear your thoughts about the game when you experience it yourself. As always, our community team is listening to your feedback across our official social media accounts (@insomniacgames). For more information, please stay tuned to our social channels!

Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition is coming to PlayStation 5 console on October 6!

Following the events of Horizon Zero Dawn, machine hunter Aloy races to save the planet’s crumbling biosphere before vicious storms and a mysterious, unstoppable blight ravage the remnants of humanity.  Her mission and the sinister secrets it uncovers will pit Aloy against ever-deadlier foes, taking her to the dangerous frontier of the Forbidden West and the treacherous Burning Shores beyond.

In this complete collection with Horizon Forbidden West and Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores DLC, take on more awe-inspiring machines, meet new tribes, and travel to the treacherous archipelago of Los Angeles!

Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition will be available for SGD 79.90 / MYR 249 / IDR 879,000 / THB 1,990 / PHP 2,990 / VND 1,499,000 and includes:

• Horizon Forbidden West for PS5
• Burning Shores DLC for PS5
• Digital soundtrack
• Digital art book
• Horizon Zero Dawn Vol. 1: The Sunhawk digital comic book*
• In-game items:
• Extras in Photo Mode (special pose and face paint)
• In-game items unlocked via story progression:
• Carja Behemoth Elite outfit ·Carja Behemoth Short Bow
• Nora Thunder Elite outfit
• Nora Thunder Sling
• Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike piece
• Resources pack

*Available in English, German, Brazilian Portuguese and Japanese.

PC gamers: you won’t have to wait long. In partnership with Nixxes Software, Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition is coming to Steam and Epic Games in early 2024. You can wishlist this now:

• Wishlist now on Steam
• Wishlist now on Epic Games Store

Follow us on social media (Twitter and Instagram) to stay tuned in the coming months, where we’ll share more information on PC features, support, and details on specs.

There’s something very wrong in the town of Bright Falls. But there’s something quite right with the PS5 game Alan Wake 2, a sequel that infuses the original game’s rich psychological thrills with exciting new settings and gameplay that will appeal to survival-horror fans. 

Remedy’s original 2010 game was part run-and-gun action game, part horror thriller, part metafictional commentary on authorship. Remedy games had always experimented with juggling multiple media formats, but with Alan Wake, the studio found an approach that kept players guessing and created a cult phenomenon. 

Alan Wake’s blending of traditional story techniques like voice-over narration with quirky full-motion video sequences starring professional actors ultimately paved the way for classics like Control. And with Alan Wake 2, Remedy takes this formula to its logical conclusion: a showdown between the forces of reality and fiction. 

Let’s dive into new gameplay details from sections featuring both playable protagonists – conveniently split up by each protagonist’s journey, from Alan Wake’s fight through a surreal New York to detective Saga Anderson’s trek through Bright Falls and the Pacific Northwest.

Surviving the horror.  For all its horror trappings, the original Alan Wake had a brisk, energetic pace that felt more at home in an action-adventure game. With Alan Wake 2, Remedy is taking a page from survival-horror games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Movement speed is slower and more methodical, while the claustrophobic camera is positioned tight over your shoulder to heighten tension. Your otherworldly foes hit hard with melee and ranged attacks, but you can tap the L1 button to dodge and help escape damage. Ammo and health are scarce, so you’ll need to fight carefully in order to preserve resources. The high-stakes combat is a welcome, fitting shift to match the game’s moody and ominous atmosphere.

Let there be light. Whether you play as Saga or Alan, your primary foes are The Taken. Returning from the original game, these shadowy humanoid entities make for intimidating enemies, keen to quickly dart in and land a surprise attack. Though initially invulnerable to weapons, The Taken are vulnerable to bursts of intense light. As both Saga and Alan, you can hold R1 to burn away an enemy’s protective shielding with the flashlight. Once it’s removed, you can use pistols, shotguns, and crossbows to banish these specters for good. Watch out, though: flashlight batteries are a scarce commodity, though flares and flashbang bombs are also available.

Two to tango. FBI agent Saga Anderson’s adventure takes place in the twisted town of Bright Fall and Pacific Northwest, where a local cult is up to no good. Meanwhile, horror writer Alan Wake is stranded in The Dark Place, a Limbo-like realm that feeds off his dreams and nightmares to keep him trapped in a ghostly New York City. Both characters have the same basic abilities and combat skills, though each brings their own unique approach to progressing the narrative. Saga’s FBI profiling skills can analyze evidence and open up new leads and locations to advance the story. Alan Wake’s writing skills can manipulate the reality of The Dark Place, reshaping the environment and leading him closer to escape.

After the introductory sequences, you’ll be able to swap between playing as Alan and Saga at will. Both characters’ fates seem to be tied together — let’s take a closer look at what’s in store for each.

Saga Anderson gameplay 

FBI agent Saga Anderson comes to Bright Falls as part of her investigation into ritualistic murders. This gloomy Pacific Northwestern town was the real star of the original Alan Wake, and as Saga you’ll dig into its grimiest crevices in Alan Wake 2: creepy forest trails, trailer parks, cult hideouts, and a dilapidated local amusement park, and that’s just for starters.

Inner light. Holding the touchpad on the DualSense controller instantly teleports you to Saga’s “Mind Place,” a mental sanctuary that holds the key to unraveling obstacles and leads in her murder investigation. This space is represented as a cluttered detective’s room, complete with case files, records, a TV, map, and other resources that provide you with a way to unravel clues and advance the story… and, equally importantly, to dispense more information on Bright Fall’s strange residents and dark history. And if you’ve got the resources, you’ll also be able to upgrade your weapons in the Mind Place.

Survival staples. Carrying on the survival-horror vibe, you’ll encounter brightly lit safe rooms scattered throughout the game. Coffee thermoses serve as save points, while shoeboxes in these rooms act as a box to store spare items to save limited inventory space (which can be expanded by discovering upgrades). 

‘Round the Pacific Northwest. Saga’s journey will introduce her to a large cast of residents, many of whom wouldn’t seem out of place in a David Lynch movie. But the town’s eccentricities run much deeper. There are loads of extended narrative bits for players to dig into, from local drama around an impending mayoral race to the hilarious video advertisements of local amusement park Coffee World. These juicy bits of lore are classic Remedy, and will deepen your appreciation of this quirky, creepy place.

Puzzling places. Bright Falls is festooned with puzzles. Some are integral to the main path, like deciphering symbols in the environment to unlock a door. Other puzzles are standalone rewards, like padlocked chests with notes that cryptically point to environmental clues. One puzzle that stands out involves unlocking a chest with a powerful crossbow, where the solution involves investigating an archery range riddled with bolts. These fun, bite-sized puzzles pack helpful rewards and a refreshing break from the tension.

Alan Wake gameplay 

Horror writer Alan Wake is trapped in a nebulous place between worlds, and his only hope for escape lies in unraveling the mysteries of his own mind. 

In a mirror, darkly. Compared to Saga’s Pacific Northwest journey, The Dark Place is an illogical and dreamlike place where reality is suspect and danger is everywhere. Depicted as a warped version of New York City, The Dark Place follows its own set of rules. Alan Wake’s only advantage is his unique connection to this realm, which allows him to reshape his circumstances using his storytelling skills. His foes? Unearthly apparitions and a relentlessly pursuing Dark Presence.

White space. Where Saga’s “Mind Place” is a cluttered detective’s room, Alan retreats to an internal Writer’s Room for inspiration. When your progress is blocked by occasional narrative dead ends, you can use the Plot Board here to piece together an alternate plot that helps you escape. As Alan Wake collects ideas and invents a new fictional solution for his predicament, these new story elements will literally reshape the environment around you and open up ways to progress. It’s a clever and satisfying mechanic that strongly differentiates Alan’s segments from Saga’s.

Shine a light. In addition to a double-barreled shotgun and revolver, Alan Wake wields another powerful tool: the Angel Lamp. This mysterious artifact is essential to navigating the city, and lets you “carry” a light source from one place to another. Moving a light source generally opens up an unseen path, and some of the changes are dramatic and unsettling — imagine walking into a ground-floor entrance and emerging onto a rooftop high above the city. These Angel Light sequences add some puzzle variety and make Alan Wake’s journey feel distinct and unsettling.

All in all, our initial hands-on experience with Alan Wake 2 was quite encouraging, and seemed to show Remedy at the top of their game. Now that there’s a true “Remedyverse,” who knows how deep this rabbit hole will go? 

There’s only one way to find out. Dive into the mystery of Alan and Saga’s unraveling realities when Alan Wake 2 hits PS5 on October 27.

The original Dragon’s Dogma, released in 2012, gained popularity as a one-of-a-kind, open-world action RPG. It delivered a polished combat experience and the freedom to explore a truly immersive, classic fantasy world. Its Pawn system – support NPCs that’d join adventurers on their quests – meant you never ventured forth alone. Its RE Engine-powered PS5 sequel, due out next year, follows in those footsteps.

At last week’s Tokyo Game Show, I sat down with a playable demo. Here’s what I found out.

Pick your vocation and Pawn

In the demo, I was given a choice of three vocations: Fighter, Thief, or Archer. The Thief deals rapid consecutive attacks with daggers in both hands, while the Archer specializes in long-range combat using a bow and arrows. All three were excellent choices, but I decided to go with the Fighter, who was my go-to in the first Dragon’s Dogma. The Fighter wields a sword and shield, and excels in melee combat.

Once in the field, a pre-arranged party was already waiting for me. Dragon’s Dogma 2 sees the series’ Pawn system return, as players can create a party consisting of up to four members, which includes your main Pawn, as well as up to two additional Pawns from other players through the network.

Combat options

Diverse monsters inhabit this world and are all ready to attack the Arisen (me) and its party (Pawns). Smaller monsters are not a threat, but the larger ones can be challenging and intriguing. I encountered a one-eyed giant, the Cyclops, who wields a club and performs hip slams.

Since I chose Fighter as my vocation, my role is to engage first and lead the charge with melee. I used my shield to block incoming attacks while pressing the Square button for Light Attacks, and Triangle button for Heavy Attacks. The combination of the L1 button and attack buttons allow the player to use Custom Skills, including some familiar ones such as Empale and Compass Slash. These attacks feel great and deal a lot of damage.

Also, when fighting large monsters, you can hang onto the enemies and scale their massive bodies to hit their weak spots. For example, you can jump and leap onto the back of a Cyclops, and once you reach its head, you can deal direct hits to its singular eyeball.

The behaviors of the accompanying Pawns are controlled by AI, and they fight automatically based on their own judgment. Pawn Commands allow you to take control of the Pawns’ actions to a certain extent, such as having them move closer to you, spread out to fight, or prioritize recovery and support. However, letting Pawns make their own decisions – and seeing the resultant successes of doing so – gives Dragon’s Dogma the vibe of a multiplayer experience.

The enhanced AI of Dragon’s Dogma 2 makes the Pawns even more intelligent. The Pawns react more quickly to the actions of the Arisen, such as using enchantments to enhance the Arisen’s attacks, leveraging magic to attack flying enemies that Fighters cannot reach, and scaling the Cyclops together with the Arisen. Also, the game seems to have added elements that make players feel a deeper connection to their Pawns, like communicating and providing advice during combat and high-fiving the Arisen after a victory.

Explore, discover, fight

The RE Engine once again showcases its qualities in its rendering of a richly detailed open world, full of lush landscapes and epic mountains. Gazing into the distance teases potential paths and sights to explore. Similar to the first game, deep water is infested with Brine, emphasizing the need to keep to dry land.

As you explore, you will meet and talk with travelers and Pawns. If you speak to Pawns, you can invite them to join your party as ‘support Pawns’.. Pawns talk a lot during combat, but they also like to converse with you during your journey. In addition to commentary about the scenery and warning you about monsters, Pawns who possess a deep knowledge of the area may hint at the locations of treasure chests and help lead you to where they are. 

Monsters do not just aimlessly roam around, but they will pounce at you from shrubs, or you may come across them attacking other travelers. Monsters have their own strategies and behavioral principles. In the vast world, I encountered surprises everywhere, and it truly felt like the people and monsters were alive in this world.

The main focus of this demo was to experience exploration and combat, so overall, everything felt familiar to me since I’ve played the first Dragon’s Dogma. At the same time, the beautiful open world and the Pawns’ more refined behavior prove that the game has evolved and been thoroughly polished. As a fan of the series who has been waiting for the sequel, I cannot wait to see how the new story surrounding the Dragon and the Arisen will unfold.

The Last of Us celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year, and to keep the festivities going throughout 2023, we’re delighted to reveal a host of new and restocked collectibles for fans of Naughty Dog’s hit franchise.

In honor of TLOU Day and the series’ milestone anniversary, we’re bringing fans new ways to show their love for The Last of Us, including a replica of Ellie’s backpack that will suit any needs, whether you’re traveling across the country on a perilous journey…or just heading out to work for the day. We’re also delighted to offer a poster of The Last of Us Part I’s beautiful key art, a meticulously crafted deluxe stationery box set inspired by The Last of Us Part II, and much more.

Before we dive in, a message from the Naughty Dog team:

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“We here at Naughty Dog are so honored to celebrate 10 years of The Last of Us Day with you, the fans! It’s been an incredible decade, and your support for our studio and work has meant so much to every one of us. To find out more about how we celebrated The Last of Us Day 2023, be sure to head over to the Naughty Dog blog for looks at new merch, ongoing activations, the results of our latest Photo Mode challenge, and more. Thank you for 10 amazing years, for sharing how much it’s meant to so many of you, and for showing your love and support for our games.“

– Naughty Dog team

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Now let’s take a look at all the items available now and for pre-order from the PlayStation Gear Store. 

The Last of Us Part II Ellie Collage T-Shirt

Embrace the complexity of Ellie’s character with this unique black t-shirt, featuring a collage of images that intricately come together to form her visage from The Last of Us Part II, a wearable tribute to her unforgettable journey.

The Last of Us Part II Floral Hoodie

Wrap yourself in nature’s embrace with this light gray hoodie, adorned with delicate fern leaves cascading along the sleeves and a floral rendition of The Last of Us Part II logo on the chest, seamlessly blending The Last of Us’ overgrown world with a touch of elegance.

Cook & Becker The Last of Us Part II Notebook Set

Immerse yourself in the world of The Last of Us Part II with this meticulously crafted deluxe stationery box set, developed in collaboration with Naughty Dog studio, renowned creators of the acclaimed video game series. Designed to capture the essence of the game’s universe, this limited-edition notebook set is a must-have for fans.

Expected to ship October 2023

Ellie’s Backpack Replica – Full Set Bundle

The perfect bundle for The Last of Us fans, collectors, and cosplayers alike! Embrace the spirit of survival with this meticulously crafted replica, an homage to Ellie’s iconic backpack from The Last of Us Part I, designed to evoke the gritty charm of a post-pandemic world while providing modern functionality for your everyday adventures. This bundle also includes the iconic Monster Plush Keychain and Pilot Wing Pin as seen on Ellie’s backpack throughout the game!

Bundle includes:

Ellie’s Backpack Replica
Monster Plush Keychain
Pilot Wing Pin
Items packaged separately

Expected to ship Fall 2023

Ellie’s Backpack Replica

Embrace the spirit of survival with this meticulously crafted replica, an homage to Ellie’s iconic backpack from The Last of Us Part I, designed to evoke the gritty charm of a post-pandemic world while providing modern functionality for your everyday adventures.

Monster Plush Keychain and Pilot Wing Pin not included (sold separately)

Expected to ship Fall 2023

Monster Plush Keychain

Carry a piece of gaming history wherever you go with this adorable plush keychain, faithfully recreating the purple monster plush from Ellie’s backpack in The Last of Us Part I, a must-have accessory for fans to showcase their love for the game.

Expected to ship Fall 2023

Pilot Wing Pin

Capture the essence of Ellie’s daring spirit with this Pilot Wing Pin, carefully designed to replicate the iconic accessory seen on Ellie’s backpack in The Last of Us Part I, and add a touch of flair to any outfit.

Expected to ship Fall 2023

The Last of Us Part I Poster

Surround yourself with the emotional story of The Last of Us Part I with this captivating movie-style poster, beautifully showcasing the key art that captures the essence of Joel and Ellie’s unforgettable journey through a post-pandemic world.

Poster dimensions: 18 x 24 inches
Poster material: print 4/0 100# Gloss Text
Poster comes packed in rolled tube

Expected to ship October 2023

The Last of Us Part II Camp Hat

Elevate your outdoor style with this sleek black camper hat, accentuated by a distinguished leather patch on the front panel showcasing The Last of Us logo, allowing you to embody the game’s adventurous spirit wherever you roam.

Expected to ship October 2023

Resident Evil 4 VR Mode invites players to dive into the world of Resident Evil 4 and directly step into Leon’s shoes to take on grueling survival missions in the ultimate immersive experience. Offered as a free DLC for the PlayStation 5 version of the game and releasing this winter, this will allow you to experience Leon’s full story campaign in VR. At last week’s Tokyo Game Show, we slipped on a PS VR2 headset, donned our Sense controllers and plunged into the dark heart of survival horror.

The demo kicked off at the game’s beginning, where players first take control of Leon. Although we’ve played this section many times before in the regular non-VR mode, the first-person view adds to the intensity of those early minutes, evoking more dread as we look around our forest surroundings, the oppressive darkness so vivid on the PS VR2 headset’s 4K HDR display. We’re hesitant to take our first steps or investigate the cow carcasses on the road, so realistic do they look.

The PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller is a major highlight for VR Mode. The controllers allow the players to wield and control Leon’s iconic knife and various arsenals by actually swinging their hands around.

The thrill of parrying an enemy attack with the knife

You can equip the knife by placing either of your hands close to the left side of your chest and pressing the controller’s L1 or R1 button. Then you can deliver an attack by swinging the hand holding the knife. If you press the controller’s L2 or R2 button while holding it, you can switch to a reverse grip.

By timing your knife swing to certain enemy attacks, you can execute a parry.  Because the size of the enemies you face in VR are so realistic and overwhelming, parrying head-on with a knife feels like an impossible task at the beginning, but if you overcome your fear and take on the challenge, you’ll find the move to be surprisingly easy to pull off. Once an enemy becomes disoriented, you can follow up with a melee attack by pressing the X button. It’s fun how a predicament can be instantly turned to your advantage. If you pay attention to the enemies’ attacks and make sure to match your knife’s trajectory to that attack, it’s easier to execute a successful parry. Once you get the hang of it, the maneuver becomes quite addicting.

Reloading evolves into a truly immersive experience with VR

Handguns are equipped on the right side of the player’s waist and can be held by bringing either hand close to the waist and pressing the L1 or R1 button. You can fire the handgun by aiming with the controller and pressing the L2 or R2 button. To reload, you’ll first need to eject the magazine by pressing the Circle or Triangle button. Next, by using your hand that’s not holding the gun, you can pull out a spare magazine from your left hip and insert the magazine by moving it close to the handgun. Then, with the same hand, you grasp the slide on top of the handgun and cock it to complete the reload.

It’s a reloading method that’ll be familiar to players of Resident Evil Village’s VR Mode on PS5. What was once a cool preset animation on a flatscreen brings additional tension (and an extra dimension) to combat encounters. Learning to perfect your ammo grab and execute a reload flawlessly is a unique aspect to VR Mode that’s worth experiencing.

As the TGS demo previewed the game’s opening sections only, enemy attacks weren’t too daunting, but the fresh experience of tackling familiar haunts in a new way meant I’m already excited to see how later scenarios feel like and play. Resident Evil 4 VR Mode may be the perfect way to revisit the remade classic when it launches later this year.