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NBA 2K25 hands-on report – Learn 2K teaches the fundamentals

NBA 2K25 launches September 4 and packs in enhancements and features aimed at both seasoned hoop gamers and rookies alike. To prepare for tip-off I got some hands-on time with the new Learn 2K mode, which is perfect for newcomers like myself. The beginner-friendly mode teaches mechanics like Rhythm Shooting and Signature Go-To Shots, and the practice boosted my confidence to hold my own on the court.

Master the fundamentals

As the NBA great Larry Bird once said, “First, master the fundamentals.” With the hands-on event being hosted at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame I decided to do as the greats do, kicking off the experience with a deep dive into basics in the new Learn 2K mode.

Though tutorial modes are present in some past NBA 2K games, Learn 2K is a comprehensive tutorial into nearly every facet of the game from shooting to off-the-ball movement and defense. This year’s tutorial mode breaks each category of gameplay down into three difficulty levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced, giving the player full control over how deep they want their arsenal of moves to be. While getting my practice reps in, I learned how precise directional analog stick movement must be to execute these effortless-looking moves on the court.

Back to the playground

In addition to the Freestyle, Scrimmage, and Practice Plays modes typically grouped into tutorials, NBA 2K25 adds a fresh way to test your fundamentals with the new Mini-Games mode. Practicing your skills competitively while under less pressure makes Mini-Games a novel addition.

The Shooting Frenzy mini-game gives you an open court to freely practice your jump shot to rack up points. The Knockout mini-game took me back to my playground hooping days, adding a bit more pressure to make three-pointers on the first try. Fail, and you’re “knocked out” by the player behind you if they make their shot first.

One of the most challenging but rewarding mini-games was Dribble Speedrun, where you play as De’Aaron Fox with the goal of sprinting while performing dribble moves on command. The mini-game’s difficulty made for a tense but amusing time, and finally nailing Fox’s tight handles on cue is truly satisfying.

Rhythm of the game

I finished the hands-on experience with QuickPlay. I set up a battle of the California coast with the Golden State Warriors vs. the LA Lakers. The opening animations and gameplay depict the player’s faces and movements faithfully, with Pro Play using real-life game footage to translate into the game. In-game, some of the new mechanics I learned made my game feel formidable.

The new Rhythm Shooting mechanic is stimulating. Hopping into an actual game made me realize the need to learn the rhythm of each player’s shot to be successful. Once getting used to the quick release of Steph Curry, the tempo-based mechanic became intuitive and made me comfortable firing off shots from any range.

Signature Go-To Shots are another new mechanic that gives beginners a fluid way to put dribbling combos and shots together. By holding the right analog stick up, each player performs their unique dribble move that transitions into a jump shot. As a 2K rookie this feature let me easily mix up my offensive tactics, making me harder to guard. Before long I was seamlessly blending up opponents to put points on the board.

NBA 2K25 goes deep for basketball strategists but gives entry points for newcomers to work on their game. After nearly six hours of playtime, the new Learn 2K mode and gameplay mechanics made greatness feel graspable. Mastering the fundamentals is key, and you’ll have your chance when NBA 2K25 launches September 4 on PS5 and PS4.

The evolution of Astro Bot’s adorable character design

From the moment he popped out of our transformed DualShock DualShock 4 wireless controllers in Playroom VR, it was clear that Astro Bot was going to charm hearts across the galaxy. Eight years later, this amazing character is truly ready to step into the spotlight via his titular PS5 adventure – Astro Bot. So we sat down with Team Asobi’s studio director Nicolas Doucet to get into the nuts and bolts of the origins and evolution of this iconic PlayStation mascot-in-the-making.

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The Playroom

Birthing baby robots

The very first conception of Astro Bot emerged from Team Asobi’s desire to experiment with the DualShock 4 controller connection with the PS4 camera, crafting a demo provisionally titled Little AR (Augmented Reality) Men. The main characters were initially tiny robots that you could interact with on your living room floor.

“That was really the starting point,” says Doucet. “At the time we didn’t have any art, so we made prototypes out of primitive shapes. The characters were just robots made up of cylinders with little eyes. Eventually we renamed them to AR Bots.

“We worked with artists to bring these characters to life, but we only had five months to implement the demo into The Playroom. So to make them sci-fi looking within such a short period of time, we gave them a Sony robotics style. But it was also important that they were endearing, so we gave them big cute eyes and made them waddle like toddlers, so they kinda became baby robots.”

The Playroom VR

From AR Bots to Astro Bot

As the AR Bots became customized as part of The Playroom’s evolution into The Playroom VR, Astro Bot himself emerged needing a more central character to control for a VR platformer prototype, which became the Robots Rescue mini-game.

“We internally called him Captain Astro,” explains Doucet. “We added a PlayStation blue livery and more parts to have him stand out from the environment, gave him the ability to hover and modified his hands to grab things.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

“He also had to feel tangible for VR. We looked at him as if he was a real-life robotics product – it’s a character you can take apart and understand how his joints come together.”

It wasn’t until 2018’s solo PS VR platformer, Astro Bot Rescue Mission, that Astro officially claimed his name – and with it came with the help of animation and art talent from other development teams, including Gravity Rush and The Last Guardian.

A cache of the minutiae

Making sure Astro was primed for his full solo escapade in Astro Bot Rescue Mission meant tweaking his design, both from a visual and gameplay perspective. Already gifted with classic platformer design considerations – a low center of gravity and a compact frame – Astro benefited from several little details, some made even more distinctive in Astro Bot:

Eyes
Astro’s blue LED eyes are key to his facial expressions, changing shape to convey a variety of emotions – but they’re also fundamental to the VIP Bots in the game. More on that point, later…

Jetpack
“In the original design whenever Astro hovered, two little wings came out of his back for him to glide,” says Doucet. “You don’t really notice them, but we wanted to create a rationale behind the function.”

Chrome dome
Astro Bot’s star shines in more ways than one, with the plate on his head subtly showing off the dazzling power afforded by PS5. From jungles to oceans, all the game’s environments are now fully reflected on the back of Astro’s silver head plating during his travels.

Robo voice
We might think Astro’s cute, high-pitched voice was a natural decision, but lots of thought went into what he can say, to the point that he’s secretly a bit of a polyglot. “Astro fundamentally does not talk but his sounds do mix English and Japanese, but also universal words and onomatopoeia, masked into robotic sounds,” says Doucet. “He’s being played by kids all over the world, so we also had to think about sonority, sounds and syllables that work for as many languages as possible.”

Expanding Astro’s world

It’s things like Astro’s reflective head plate that symbolizes his growth over the years, now unlocked for PS5. Being in 4K has meant more detail and higher fidelity across the board with a compatible 4K TV or display, making Astro and his companions pop, something that extends even to the game’s flora and fauna.

“There’s a lot of wildlife – about 70 new animals in this game,” says Doucet. “From frogs and small insects, to polar bears and elephants, and they all follow the design language of the bots with LED eyes. Even power-ups like Barkster the bulldog booster have the same traits. So the idea of blue LEDs for friends and red LEDs for enemies has become something of a trademark we’ve built on.”

‘Steeling’ some beloved PlayStation characters

And then there are the VIP and Cameo Bots – in-game versions of popular PlayStation-related characters – that had players buzzing with delight at their reveal. The franchise isn’t a stranger to cameos, but Astro Bot takes it even further, with a staggering amount of consideration given to integrating its robotic tributes to Kratos, Aloy, Nathan Drake, and many others.

“They had to be a cool sci-fi design but also have things like fabrics or furry boots, so we sometimes felt we might be going against the original intent of the character,” explains Doucet. “So we substituted more organic materials, like hair, with materials such as vinyl.

“But with all of these characters, the eyes are paramount. Sometimes LED eyes just didn’t work on certain characters because the original design relies so much on the pupils being a certain size or color for instance . So for more cartoony VIPs like Crash Bandicoot or from Ape Escape, the Bots are wearing a mask to help bridge that problem!”

Excited for Astro’s first PS5 adventure? You’ve not got long to wait – space, speeders, and surprises will be yours to enjoy as Astro Bot gears up for its September 6 launch.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater – hands-on report

When Konami announced Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on PlayStation 5, you could almost hear the iconic “!” alert ring across the gaming world’s collective ears. A remake of the stealth genre classic Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – originally on PlayStation 2 – coming our way? With a wealth of updates and enhancements? There’s no place for Snake to hide – the entire planet is watching…

I got to play a short demo of MGS Delta, as well as talk with the game’s producer, Noriaki Okamura, on how the game is shaping up to be much more than simply solid.

The right team for the job

It’s no small feat to remake a revered classic like MGS3. Which is exactly why Komani and Virtuos Studios’ combined development team has a mixture of talent new and familiar to the original, combining fresh eyes and safe hands.

“We had to sift out some old dev documents, but thanks to the expertise of some of the veterans who worked on Snake Eater we didn’t have to spend too much time figuring out preparation,” says Okamura. “We’re also aware that there’s an entire generation who have never played a single Metal Gear Solid game before.”

Revamped controls with traditional options

Keeping with the vital but tricky philosophy of ensuring Delta appeals to all, a strong focus has been on the controls. Traditionalists to MGS3 will feel right at home, but there’s also an option that will feel natural to modern audiences. So if you prefer to play with a third-person camera on the right stick while being able to move and fire simultaneously via an over the shoulder viewpoint, you’ve got it.

“Initially our goal was to keep things as close to the original as possible,” explains Okamura. “But obviously over the course of 20 years, the way people play games has evolved and changed. So we looked at modern action games to ensure Delta was on par with some of those, so it doesn’t detract from the experience.”

This definitely had a desired effect on my playthrough of the demo, where the changes to Delta created a satisfying illusion of how I remembered MGS3 controlled even though it wasn’t. The transition felt natural, smooth and fun.

Accessibility considerations

The number of quality-of-life improvements also extend to a modernized menu design and a variety of accessibility options that will invaluably make the game better to play for a wider audience. This includes the ability to tweak how you ready and use your weapons/equipment, removing the need to hold down a button when grabbing enemies, and the chance to change visual elements such as color correction and the center dot display.

Utilizing Unreal Engine 5

Of course, the general presentation doesn’t fall short of upgrades, either. Unreal Engine 5 gives Delta an incredible visual punch. “We didn’t want new players coming to the game feeling that it’s old or retro,” says Okamura.

It’s an impressive feat. All the directorial flourishes remain, whether it’s taking in the deep detail and staggering background distance of the Tselinoyarsk jungle, or using the camera during a real time cutscene to zoom close enough to see the pores on Snake’s skin.

Visually blending the old with the new

Just like any Snake mission, however, such improvements don’t come easy. “Initially we thought we could just change the basic outside skeleton of the models,” laughs Okamura. “But once we saw them move around in the game with the old character movements, we noticed they didn’t quite blend that well anymore. So we had to tweak them – it was important to keep the player in the experience but also as close to the original way the characters moved and breathed, and still make it seamless.”

Showing off the battle damage system

Creating new looks that also feel familiar isn’t just around cosmetics, either. Konami has already highlighted that any wounds Snake picks up over his missions will be visible throughout the game, which led me to seeing how bloody Snake could get after being discovered by some guards. The answer? Well, let’s just say Snake was practically crimson by the time I was finished.

While cagey about how much this extends to the gameplay, Okamura confirmed that this will noticeably affect Snake, accentuating the original’s battle damage system. Want to keep Snake sharp? Better treat his breaks and fractures…

Playing in the Camo Index dirt

And then there’s the ever-intricate Camouflage Index System. Different uniforms, face paints and disguises help improve Snake’s chances of remaining unseen during his mission, but this is given a new dimension with the improved visuals. Roll around in dirt and mud and Snake will get convincingly covered in it, increasing his camouflage.

To test its enhanced faithfulness to the original MGS3, I dunked Snake into the Dremuchij Swampland mud, fully enveloping him (admittedly, this was after accidentally drowning him in an earlier attempt). His entire face and body became dripping wet brown, his hair sludgy and slicked… and his Camo Index maxed out, rendering him practically invisible to nearby crocodiles.

Fighting expectations old and new

If there was one final thing that was just as clear as some of Metal Gear Solid Delta’s improvements, it’s how seriously Okamura and the team take the task of reviving Snake Eater. “There’s only pressure all the time, every day,” he says.

“We have a lot of veteran staff at hand but they’re also aging out as well, so it might be the last chance for some of the critical members to work on these titles while they’re still at the company. But it’s our duty to make sure these games are still playable – not only to current players but future generations as well.”

Although the demo finished all too quickly at the fabled Boss bridge scene, it was enough to ensure to me that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is going to do justice to its original and the lofty expectations placed on it. You’ll be able to experience it for yourself on PS5, with a release date to be revealed later this year.

Concord launches on PS5 & PC today – 5v5 action, Training Mode, Time Trials, and more awaits

Hey everyone! We’re excited to share with you all that Concord* is live and available now worldwide on PS5 and PC. So, grab your crew and queue up to take down your rivals, earn cosmetics, and explore the Concord Galaxy. To celebrate this moment, we’re thrilled to debut our brand-new launch gameplay trailer.

Your adventure begins

Launch is just the first step, and now that Concord is live, your adventure is just beginning! During our first week and every week after, we’ll be premiering our weekly cinematic vignettes in-game. These brief cinematics expand upon the characters and the universe of Concord. We can’t wait for you to learn more about the Crew of the North Star, their journey, and of course their tidy ship in the coming weeks.

Concord launches on PS5 & PC today – 5v5 action, Training Mode, Time Trials, and more awaits

As you start your adventure in Concord, you’ll be able to begin expanding your character roster with the first unlockable Variant for Teo—a former elite soldier turned Freegunner on the Northstar crew. Like all Variants in Concord, this unlockable Variant of Teo will grant you a new cosmetic Outfit for Teo and a unique Combat Trait that modifies his skills and abilities—in this case, giving you extra grenades to deploy in combat. You can use them to clear out areas on the map for your team, or to just make fights a little chaotic. You can expect us to introduce a new Variant every week for you to earn and add to your collection.

Evolving the experience

Continuing to grow and evolve Concord with our community as we release regular and Seasonal content updates is such an important part of this journey. We poured through all your comments after our beta last month, including your questions about solo modes, leaver penalties, join-in-progress, and more—and we’re excited to share that many of your frequently requested features are available for launch.

With the release of the game today, you’ll be able to learn about some of our Freegunners and game mechanics in-game with a solo Training Mode, as well as special Time Trials. We also heard your suggestions during the beta about having a way to test out Freegunners, their weapons, and their abilities before heading into a match, so based on your feedback, we’re launching with a brand-new Practice Range feature based on your feedback. The team has also made several changes to make Crew Bonuses more apparent during character selection and in Crew Builder based on your feedback.

The lore of the broader Concord Galaxy, the Freegunners, and what awaits you in the Wilds will also expand with the debut of the Galactic Guide—an interactive map that will unlock new lore entries as you play and progress in the game. We can’t wait for you to learn more about the universe, worlds, and characters of Concord.

Ensuring teams are complete is crucial in a multiplayer experience. Following the beta, we’re thrilled to say that backfilling, join-in-progress, and leaver penalties are live in Concord with this week’s launch and will help incentivize players to start—and stay in—complete teams. This is just the start of our updates and refinement of the social experience, and we can’t wait to share more with you in the coming weeks and months.

Thank you

Before we head out into the Concord Galaxy with you, we wanted to thank all of you who have been part of the journey to this point, from Concord’s announcement and the jiggle burger teaser to beta and now launch. From the beginning, our dream was to get this game in all your hands and provide you and your friends with the same fun memories we’ve gotten from multiplayer games for years, so we can’t wait to see your clips, streams, and laughs today and beyond.

This is just the beginning, and our team can’t wait to deliver you more updates and content in future seasons. Thank you again from everyone at Firewalk!

To stay up to date with all things Concord, follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok. If you’re looking for a crew to squad up with, be sure to also join the community in the Official Concord Discord.

*Account for PlayStation Network and internet connection required. Paid for PlayStation Plus membership (sold separately) required on PS5.

Share of the Week: Teachers

Last week, we asked you to showcase the best teachers in the gaming world using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

horace0816 shares a stoic profile of Sadanobu Ishikawa

BitarHector shares a touching moment with Joel and Ellie

Lny_Trpr_EE7 shares a wizard passing down knowledge

Amianan_NiRaGuB shares Sokrates being a philosopher

wmcapture shares Jackie Welles deep in thought

juniaxe shares Marvin Branagh helping Leon

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: Squads
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on August 28, 2024

Next week, showcase how teamwork makes the dream work by showing off your squad. Highlight your favorite crew for Share of the Week using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Monster Hunter Wilds: hands-on report

I recently had the opportunity to play Monster Hunter Wilds, the next installment in the hunting action series Monster Hunter, and take on a single-player quest to hunt the fanged beast Doshaguma.

Seamless, load-free traversal

Handler Alma gives players a quest to hunt down Doshaguma in the Windward Plains. Players can now take two weapons into a quest, so I selected a Switch Axe and a Light Bowgun, securing a versatile tactic of both close and long-range combat.

Once prepared, I embarked on a journey to the Windward Plains on my very own ridable Seikret. Expecting a familiar loading screen, I was instead greeted by a seamless transition into the field. That’s right, base camp is now seamlessly integrated into the game’s vast world.

Riding the nimble, invaluable Seikret

The Seikret boasts an autopilot option, which gave me a hands-free ride to the location Alma marked on my map. The beast of burden’s ability to traverse rough terrain reminded me of the Jagras and Kestodon companions from Monster Hunter World.

Even in autopilot mode, players retain control over the Seikret with the left analog stick, allowing them to deviate from the path if they spot something that piques their interest. Once done exploring, the Seikret will resume its automated journey to the Doshaguma’s locale. I was pleasantly surprised that I could still collect items and wield weapons while riding my mount..

Large Dung Pods repel packs of monsters

Upon arriving at the destination, I was met by a pack of Doshaguma, the largest of these being the quest target. After I landed a hit on the boss, the rest of the pack instantly stampeded me. Dealing with multiple monsters and the boss simultaneously added to the challenge of this hunt.

To break up the pack, the newly introduced Large Dung Pods are deemed highly effective. Firing the stinky pod at the pack causes a noxious explosion that breaks the group up. After a quick chuckle at the humorous sight of the repulsed monsters, it was time to give chase.. With a whistle I called my feathered mount – who remains nearby during my clash – back to my side. Back in the saddle, I resumed my hunt.

SOS flare summons NPC support hunters

While on my hunt for Doshaguma with Palico, an SOS Flare tutorial popped up on the screen. Existing Monster Hunter players know an SOS Flare allows players to recruit other players during quests for multiplayer play. However, in Wilds, you can enjoy the same feature and also summon NPC hunters. I’m sure Wild players will find this unique feature—allowing them to enjoy a four-player multiplayer challenge, even when playing solo—quite refreshing.

New Wound System and Focus Mode elevate the hunt

When attacking the Doshaguma with the Slash Axe, I noticed glowing red spots began to form at the impact points and quickly learned that targeting these weakpoints dealt significantly more damage. Holding the L2 trigger to activate the Focus Mode effectively maximizes the damage. In Focus Mode, a targeting reticle on the screen and a red highlight on the monster’s wounds make it easier to aim, and players can also wield a special Focus Strike for extensive damage.

Switching between weapons made easy

I didn’t forget to test my other weapon, the Light Bowgun. In Wilds, weapons can be switched even while riding the Seikret. As mentioned, the Seikret can be summoned with a whistle amid combat, and players can switch weapons with the right directional-button while riding on its back. In addition to these remarkable features, players can now use healing items or a whetstone while riding this reliable companion.

The L2 trigger, which previously activated the Aiming Mode for ranged weapons like the Light Bowgun in Monster Hunter World, now also functions as the new Focus Mode in the upcoming title. Players familiar with the Light Bowgun will likely adapt to this new Focus Mode rather quickly. When aiming a monster’s wound, landing a significant hit triggers a notification for wound destruction, creating an exemplary chance for additional attacks on the incapacitated monster.

Dramatic hunting in sandstorms

As I pursued my Doshaguma target, the weather took an unexpected turn, plunging me into a sandstorm. While it’s unclear if the hunting progress had anything to do with this change, the darkening skies and rumbling thunder heightened the thrill of the hunt’s impending climax.Lightning striking the ground nearby also caught me completely off guard. I assume that the ability to adapt to weather changes is a key factor in successful hunts.

Although my time hunting down and ultimately defeating the Doshaguma was short, I was able to experience pleasant and seamless traversal, break up packs, play with support hunters, test out the new Wound System and Focus Mode, switch weapons, and witness drastic weather changes during the playtime. I’m excited to see what other Monster Hunter Wilds information Capcom is planning to share ahead of its 2025 release.

Floatopia is coming to PS5 in 2025

Hello, PlayStation community! I’m Zane, the Lead Game Designer of Floatopia. Today, we’re thrilled to show you the World Premiere trailer for a new life simulation game where you travel in a superpowered world and meet new friends. We look forward to bringing Floatopia to the PlayStation community and joining you on your journey above the clouds.

Embark on a journey in the clouds

Our story is set in a fantastical world filled with superpowers that can be acquired through just a phone call. Unfortunately as the protagonist, you find that all the best superpowers in the world have already been taken, leaving you with – well, frankly, the much less impressive ones. This situation has led you into a dead end job, and you feel marginalized and underappreciated. But, by chance, you come across a floating island and there, you join others with similarly “useless” superpowers. Together, you embark on a healing journey, exploring the new chapters of your lives.

This world is made up of unique miniature toys with an art style that is bright, fresh, and full of fantasy. It feels as if you handcrafted it piece by piece. Here, you will see residents that look like figurines, houses made from milk cartons, and stations seemingly crafted from clouds. We have put a great deal of effort into the details of this magical world, utilizing high-quality rendering techniques, exquisite material details, and delicate lighting… These elements work together to showcase the game’s unique miniature world, creating a believable and immersive experience.

In Floatopia, you can travel with your own island to explore various fantastical realms. We integrate fantasy elements based on different regional cultures and natural landscapes, and plan to regularly update the game with new realms for a rich and novel experience.

Let’s build a beautiful life together

We hope that beyond traveling, you can truly “live” in Floatopia. Here, you can meet residents with unique superpowers and personalities, and share in the joy of becoming friends! The game also features whimsical fauna and flora, magical crops with superpowers, and much more. As long as you keep exploring, you’ll encounter countless wonders and adventures.

We want you to unleash your creativity. Our diverse themed decorations offer a high degree of freedom in gameplay, allowing you to build an island that’s uniquely yours.

We’ve designed numerous natural opportunities in Floatopia for you to connect with strangers and build friendships. Of course, you can also invite your friends to throw a party and fully enjoy your time together!

A delightful and healing journey

Our vision is to create a whimsical, heartwarming, and fantastical world through the continuous release of engaging, high-quality, and cross-platform content. We aim to provide you with a relaxing and joyful dream vacation in Floatopia. Let’s embark on this journey together!

Floatopia will be arriving on PS5 in 2025, and we can’t wait to share more exciting news with you! Thank you for your support. See you then.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero – creating the Majin Buu saga

Joining us today is the main producer of the highly anticipated game Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Jun Furutani. This game has generated a lot of buzz in the gaming community, and we are thrilled to talk with him about it.

In Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, the team has taken this legacy series to new heights. Today, we have the privilege of peeking into the creative process behind the game, exploring the inspirations and challenges the team faced during development, and getting an inside look at what makes this installment so unique.

To understand the challenges behind this project, we will be asking Jun Furutani some questions about characters from the iconic Majin Buu saga, which will be playable for the first time in Europe at Gamescom 2024, giving attendees a first-hand experience of these beloved transformations and abilities. With that in mind, let’s dive into the details and explore what makes these characters and their transformations so special!

What challenges did you face when animating Majin Buu’s unique abilities and transformations?

First, the characters that can transform are getting stronger in the game. That’s why we have made adjustments that allow you to experience them in terms of tactile comfort, such as their speed and number of attacks, as well as their status.

However, it has been difficult to adjust so as not to upset the overall balance of the game, partly because of the large number of characters. Majin Buu has many special moves, and compared to human characters, he has many unusual movements, such as extending his arms and making his body look like a ball, so it was a little challenging. Hope you will pay attention to those points as well.

How did you ensure that the game’s combat system reflects the intensity of the Majin Buu Arc battles?

What we value is the recreation of the actions depicted in the original work. Many techniques of the characters active in the Majin Buu arc are modeled after scenes from the story. For example, Ultimate Gohan’s normal attack movements are based on his fight with Super Buu, and he has a special throw that only activates when fighting Super Buu. We have paid attention to these details so that players can recreate the original scenes and experience the excitement firsthand.

Are there any unique interactions between Majin Buu Arc characters and other characters in the game?

There are special interactions between certain characters before and after battles, and in this game, there are also characters who have interactions with characters from Dragon Ball Super. We hope you will enjoy these elements as you have in previous games.

How did you approach the storytelling for the Majin Buu Arc within the Episode Battle mode?

It’s not limited to the Majin Buu arc, but in order to deepen the experience of playing as a character, you can enjoy challenging battles against powerful enemies, and in some scenes, you can see a special ending depending on the outcome of the battle. I hope this feature will have everyone who plays wondering “What would have happened if I had done this in that battle?” and that leads them to try something new next time!

What are you most proud of in terms of the Majin Buu Arc content in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero?

This may overlap with the previous question, but I would like you to pay attention to the detailed reproducibility of the action. I would like everyone to experience the fun of fighting through a famous scene firsthand.

How did you handle the portrayal of Majin Buu’s absorption abilities in the game?

The performance is short, but like the original work, it is designed to highlight the absorbed character. Not only do Buu’s character and techniques change, but you can also enjoy reversals in a battle like those in the story, with status boosts and ki recovery.

What was the inspiration behind the visual effects for the Majin Buu Arc characters’ attacks?

We have heavily referenced the original anime, especially scenes with distinctive actions that differ from normal movements. For example, when Super Saiyan 3 Goku deflects Majin Buu’s Kamehameha using both hands, we incorporated it into the game. In the game, when deflecting a Kamehameha with Super Perception, Goku uses both hands, unlike other characters.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, the first entry in the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series in more than 15 years will be released October 11 on PlayStation 5, with early access opening on the October 8 when pre-ordering the Deluxe and Ultimate editions. The game is now available for both physical and digital pre-order.

Little Nightmares III: co-op gameplay detailed in new trailer

In Little Nightmares III, players follow the journey of Low & Alone, two best friends looking for a way out of the Nowhere.

Trapped within the Spiral, a cluster of distorted areas within the Nowhere, they will have to work together to survive in a dangerous world full of delusions and escape the grasp of an even greater threat lurking in the shadows.

Little Nightmares III returns to Gamescom with a brand-new trailer, highlighting the synergies between the two characters and teasing new environments to explore!

Little Nightmares III: co-op gameplay detailed in new trailer

Co-operative features and new puzzle-solving mechanics

Little Nightmares III is the first game in the franchise to feature 2 players online co-operation. The latest trailer shows some of the co-operative gameplay mechanics that will be useful when players play together in co-op, or solo with the other character controlled by AI.

Low and Alone, the two playable characters, are both best friends and very complementary. They each have an iconic item: the bow for Low and the wrench for Alone.

Working together will be key to progress in the game. For example, in the trailer we see that Low can bring down smaller enemies with his bow, while Alone has to finish them off on the ground with her wrench.

You can also see Low put his bow to good use at the end of the trailer, saving Alone from the petrifying glare of Monster Baby.

However, teamwork isn’t only about using items. It is also about clearing the way for your partner so they can help you move forward in turn. You’ll need to be proactive and take initiative for both of you to make it through.

“The relationship between the two characters is very strong, and we were keen to explore that bond in the game. It is even more relevant when we see them working together to escape the many threats that make up the Nowhere”, mentioned Wayne Garland, Little Nightmares III Game Director at Supermassive Games.

New settings, faithful to Little Nightmares’ atmosphere

Teamwork is at the heart of the trailer, but it’s not the only new thing players will experience as they play through the game’s compelling story. By including co-op, we wanted to offer something fresh for the players, unique to Little Nightmares III, while retaining the beautifully disturbing atmosphere of the series.

You’ll feel it in the new environments, which are full of mysteries and revelations. You’ll also find the same tension and suspense as these two charming new characters face even greater risks than before, searching for a glimmer of hope in a world filled with darkness.

Necropolis is a good example of a new type of location in the game. In spite of its abandoned state and warm desert colors, the city feels eerie and unsettling. Don’t be fooled by this windswept, brightly lit environment. Danger is everywhere, and Monster Baby is easily roused when new toys tumble into her crib…

In the trailer, you can also spot a variety of other regions of the Nowhere, each one more unsettling than the last. Some of them might be reminiscent of places you might have explored in previous Little Nightmares games, like dank and gloomy vents and the gears and pistons of pitiless machinery. Some are more unfamiliar, like a rickety Ferris wheel, a shadowy circus tent, or a massive, complex clockwork mechanism.

You’ll have to be patient before we can tell you more about these places and their inhabitants! More news about Little Nightmares III will be revealed in the near future, so stay together, little ones.

Little Nightmares III will be released in 2025 on PS5 and PS4.

Sonic x Shadow Generations interview: Shadow the Hedgehog’s new Doom Powers detailed

The launch of Sonic x Shadow Generations is coming fast this October, and everyone is curious to know more about Shadow the Hedgehog’s new Doom Powers!

The team just released a trailer all about the Doom Powers, highlighting each unique ability and how they provide new twists for Shadow’s platforming and combat. The trailer also showcased gameplay from new stages calling back to fan-favorites such as Chaos Island from Sonic Frontiers and Radical Highway from Sonic Adventure 2, as well as iconic boss challenges like Metal Overlord from Sonic Heroes. Eagle-eyed viewers might also catch a glimpse of the reimagined hub world, White Space, where players will get the opportunity to test out and master Shadow’s new moves while they explore, unlock stages, and uncover collectibles.

We got together with Sonic Team Creative Officer, Takashi Iizuka, to chat on why this game was the perfect opportunity to give Shadow new abilities, and how they offer new, action-packed ways of navigating different stages and boss battles.

Why are Shadow’s Doom Powers important to the story and gameplay?

Iizuka-san: In terms of gameplay, the team wanted to make Shadow Generations’ action more unique to differentiate it from what Sonic can do, so we added the Doom Powers. Shadow’s new powers are essential because they give him new ways to attack enemies and traverse the world, giving our team more to build upon in each stage’s level design. While we can’t share much about the story, the Doom Powers play an essential role in Shadow’s journey and development throughout his campaign, giving him more powers to save the world. Shadow receives these when he awakens to the power of darkness in the game, so players will see how closely they tie into the narrative when the game comes out later this year.

How did you choose the final selection of Doom Powers we see in the game? Why were these powers right for Shadow?

Iizuka-san: Shadow is a dark, anti-hero character, so the Doom Powers had to embody a sense of danger and mystery that can be seen in Shadow’s actions and movements. The level designers also incorporated many ways the Doom Powers can be used in this platform action game, so they are not just additional combat moves. Shadow can use Doom Powers to platform around the world.

How are these powers different from Shadow’s existing powers in previous games?

Iizuka-san: When designing the levels in Shadow Generations, we wanted to make the most of Shadow’s existing move, Chaos Control, which enables him to find new platforms to run through each stage and find new ways of attacking bosses. However, with only Chaos Control, the core of Shadow’s gameplay is very similar to what Sonic can do, so we introduced the Doom Powers to give the game more unique action. Not only does it increase the variety of things you can do in the platform action stages, but it also allows for great exploration and traversal abilities in the 3D White Space Hub World for Shadow.

What was the design process like when conceptualizing the idea and designing the look of each power?

Iizuka-san: The idea for the Doom Powers came up when we realized we needed to give Shadow new abilities and powers to create new gameplay formats. It was important to provide Shadow abilities that Sonic can’t do to make the action more enjoyable, while ensuring each power reflects his dark, anti-hero character. As the name suggests, the Doom Powers draw energy from Black Doom, so that was taken into consideration in the design of all the Doom Powers.

What Doom Powers are you most excited for fans to experience?

Iizuka-san: Doom Wing, the black wings that come out of Shadow in the Summer Game Fest trailer, was an impactful idea early in the design process, so we wanted to make it the coolest looking of all the Doom Powers. The wings that come out of Shadow make you think of a devil, which goes well with Shadow’s dark hero elements and allows us to present something cool and new, something we couldn’t do with Sonic.

Sonic fans – get ready to embrace Shadow’s dark side and use his new power to take on Black Doom and save the world! When the game launches this fall, be sure to try out all different kinds of paths and methods with each Doom Power to find new ways of completing each stage and battle.

Sonic x Shadow Generations is available for pre-order now starting at $49.99 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles. To learn more about various pre-order incentives, head to PlayStation Store or Sonic x Shadow Generations official website. Fans who buy the Digital Deluxe Edition can play the game three days early and receive additional content.