Category: PlayStation

Since the end of The Callisto Protocol’s main game, things have gone from bad to worse inside the penitentiary. The virus that’s been wreaking havoc inside is threatening to escape the prison and it’s up to you to retrieve Mahler’s data and transmit it off-world. It’s not going to be a walk in the park. You’re going to have to fight tooth and nail to make your way through monster-infested corridors, where new abominations await. 

When it comes to battling Biophage, players need reliable tools to survive. The Stun Baton is a great blunt instrument, but new threats call for new gear. According to Lead Systems Designer, Paul Guirao, the team behind The Callisto Protocol listened to fan feedback and decided to add a new melee weapon to the game. “We wanted to give players something more powerful than the Stun Baton,” Guirao explained.  

The result is the all-new Kinetic Hammer. With its design and shape, you can feel the power and weight behind every swing. It has light and heavy melee attacks that hit harder than the Stun Baton, but that’s not all – Guirao explains, “Holding down the heavy melee button produces an even more powerful attack. But mastery of the heavy charged mechanic can be tricky… you become the ultimate badass once you’ve mastered it. It’s one of our favorite weapons because it obliterates everything it touches.” As a bonus, a successfully executed charge attack also creates a powerful area-of-effect.  

However, the thrill of wielding the Kinetic Hammer is only fully realized when pitted against worthy adversaries. Final Transmission introduces a new enemy type and boss for players to square off with. 

With twistedly agile corruptors and brutally powerful two-headed brutes lurking around every corner, not to mention the hard-to-kill Security Units, Black Iron Prison was always a treacherous place. But now a new enemy is stalking its halls: the Biophage Robot, or the Biobot as the developers affectionately call it. This terrifying foe is a combination of Biophage and UJC Security Units, and a deadly reminder that Black Iron is still as dangerous as ever. 

“In the main game, the security robots are only seen a couple of times,” Guirao tells me, “With the final chapter, we really dug into the idea of what happens when the Biophage starts taking over machinery.”

Visualizing the Biobot as a grotesque and intimidating bio-mechanical enemy was an iterative process, “We worked closely with the Concept Art team to create a look that fits in TCP’s universe. It took several iterations to establish the look. We went in both extremes, too robotic and then too organic,” Guirao explains. The more robotic iterations felt too much like the existing Security Units and lacked the gruesomeness the team was looking for. On the other hand, the more organic versions appeared too fragile and didn’t do enough to differentiate the powerful new enemies from their Biophage brethren. Eventually the team “found that sweet spot.” 

Affectionate nicknames aside, the Biobot is not an enemy to be taken lightly. According to one of the Senior Systems Designers, “Security Unit Robots were big, daunting enemies that couldn’t really be beaten up and would only go down from precision headshots.”

Guirao adds, “we’re not a tactical cover-based game, so making the Biobots a melee unit made more sense for us. We have an in-your-face style of combat and did not want to deviate from that.” 

Guirao and the team at Striking Distance watched hundreds of hours of streamers playing The Callisto Protocol, “there was a lot of feedback on how all our NPCs felt the same and it was something that we needed to address.” To survive, players need to employ new tactics to take down Biobots, however, once players get the new melee weapon, they’ll have the chance to exact satisfying and well-deserved revenge on the bio-mechanical enemies and “finally get their chance to smash them apart.” 

The Biobot isn’t the only new enemy you’ll encounter in your return to Black Iron. Without giving too much away, the final boss in Final Transmission is truly something special. “Our goal was to showcase the Kinetic Hammer’s power and make players strategize on the best ways to beat the boss; deciding when to use melee or ranged attacks and utilizing the arena to their advantage,” Senior Systems Designer Quinlan Richards reveals, “we’ve given the boss similar mechanics as Jacob, switching seamlessly between hard-hitting melee and aggressive ranged attacks. And to keep things interesting, we’ve given the final boss an ability that goes beyond anything Jacob can do.” 

We can’t wait for you to return to Black Iron Prison to face the new horrors lurking its halls. PS4 and PS5 players get exclusive 48-hour early access to The Callisto Protocol: Final Transmission starting on June 26 at 9:00pm PST.  

Developing a new numbered Final Fantasy game is a balancing act. Players have expectations of what they’ll encounter but still crave elements that change up and build upon established series traditions. But even those have to start somewhere: many elements commonly associated with Final Fantasy as a whole–Chocobos, Moogles, summons, and beloved job classes and abilities–were, at one point, completely alien to the series. Finding a delicate balance between tradition and innovation is always challenging, especially so with Final Fantasy XVI, the first numbered game in the long-running series to fully eschew menu-driven battles in favor of real-time combat. 

From Active Time Battle to fighting in real-time

Elements of action gameplay have evolved in Final Fantasy over time, beginning with the implementation of the “Active Time Battle” system in Final Fantasy IV. This upped the pressure on players by forcing them to respond quickly and consider the order in which enemies and allies would be able to act. Waffling on crucial decisions could prove costly, as foes would continue their onslaught no matter how long it took you to input your commands. (If you want to check out the genesis of Active Time Battle, you can play the Final Fantasy IV-VI Pixel Remasters now available on PlayStation.)

Final Fantasy IV (left) and Final Fantasy XII (right) 

Active Time Battle would serve as the mechanical basis for most numbered Final Fantasy games going forward, with the positioning-driven open-field combat of Final Fantasy XII and the dynamic, on-the-fly role-swapping battles of the Final Fantasy XIII saga building on many of the concepts ATB solidified. Final Fantasy XV moved many of the typical menu commands to face buttons, shifting combat in a decidedly action-focused direction. 

Final Fantasy XV (left) and Final Fantasy VII Remake (right) 

Even with this gradual evolution, many modern Final Fantasy games, notably the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, still use some hybrid of menu- and action-driven gameplay. FFXVI going full-on action-RPG surprised many hardcore fans, who wondered how this may impact the “essence” of Final Fantasy. To talk about developing FFXVI to evolve the franchise while satisfying existing fans, we sat down with producer Naoki Yoshida and director Hiroshi Takai to dive deeper into their process. 

Action and drama make for great stories

Yoshida’s love for Final Fantasy blossomed from the very beginning of the series. “Final Fantasy I was an important gaming experience for me,” he says. “I bought it on launch day, and I remember how confused I was when I booted it up and there was no title screen. Then you leave town and cross the bridge, and up comes the Final Fantasy logo! I was blown away that a video game could feel so cinematic, and that’s what I wanted to recapture with this new game—the feeling that you’re playing the leading role in an epic movie.” 

“So yes, I grew up on turn-based RPGs, and they still have a special place in my heart,” he remarks. 

“We decided to go with real-time combat in FFXVI for two main reasons. The first is simply that most of the members of our development team are gamers, and recently, most of us have been into action games. The controller-gripping combat in those games really makes you want to pour hours into them. The other reason is that, in today’s market, going with an action combat system that anyone can get to grips with quickly and easily was our best way of appealing to the largest audience.

“By interweaving the real-time action with a fantastical story, we believed that we could create a game that was still Final Fantasy at heart. And, of course, when we say we want to appeal to the largest audience possible, that includes stalwart fans of turn-based games and those who aren’t the greatest at action games, too. We’ve put systems in place so that anyone of any skill level can enjoy the game just as much as a seasoned action gamer—maybe even more.”

Soul of Final Fantasy

Yoshida, a veteran producer who helmed the universally praised reboot of Final Fantasy XIV, also recognizes the expectations that come with the Final Fantasy name. “Making things different for the sake of it is the easy option,” he says. “For me, the key elements to an FF game are the cinematic presentation, the gripping story, and the battle system that underpins it all–not to mention the cutting-edge graphics and evocative soundscape. The combination of all those things, plus the fact that the world, story, and characters change with each installment, makes it feel like a series that is always breaking new boundaries. As Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of the series, once said, ‘Final Fantasy is what the director at the time thinks is best.’” 

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“FFXVI is no exception–the whole team worked together to make the very best game we could. The challenge we set ourselves was to change things up while keeping the game recognizably Final Fantasy. For instance, the classic high fantasy setting was inspired by the time-honored FFI. When you play through FFXVI, there are lots of little touches and nods to that game.” 

Director Hiroshi Takai chimes in with his perspective. “One of the stand-out things about the franchise is that every one of the games in the mainline series brings with it a whole new world, story, and gameplay experience. It’s the shared elements that tie them together–the summons, the spells, the Chocobos and the Moogles–as well as the things that always change between entries, like the battle system–that make Final Fantasy games unique. Maybe the reason the players have stuck with the series so long is because we’ve always stayed true to the vision Yoshida mentioned–striving to make the very best game they can at that particular moment.”

“I’ve also played every installment in the franchise and have been involved in the making of a fair few of them,” Takai continues. “So naturally, I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from past games, even on a subconscious level. For example, I loved the customizable ability system from FFV–that idea formed the basis of the new battle system in FFXVI.”

Perhaps the most recognizably Final Fantasy element in FFXVI are the Eikons–summoned monsters known by many different terms like “Eidolons,” “Espers,” “Guardian Forces,” and more throughout the series. Takai explained their place in FFXVI. 

“The classic Summons take a leading role in both the story and the battle system,” he says. “Even though we’re switching over to an action battle system with this game, it’s all centered around the Summons, which gives it that all-important Final Fantasy flavor.”

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A worthy successor

Even with all of their passion and effort put into the game, the team acknowledges that some players might not see Final Fantasy the same way they do. “Every FF fan around the world has a different idea of what makes for the perfect FF game,” notes Yoshida. “And as a fan myself, I’m sure my own idea differs from everyone else’s. So while we always knew that it would be impossible to satisfy the expectations of the whole fanbase, Takai, [Kazutoyo] Maehiro, and the whole of the development team took the approach to make the game we wanted to make while at the same time keeping an objective eye on the fans’ expectations. I think it’s important to always try to remain objective about your own work, even if it’s only for your own peace of mind.”

Takai is optimistic that fans will find a lot to enjoy about FFXVI upon its release date. “I hope that Clive’s story, and the hopes and dreams of all the people of Valisthea whose path he crosses, will stay with players. The decisions that Clive and his friends make are seen and judged differently by the different people of the realm, and I think there’s a real parallel with the world today, where everyone has a different viewpoint. FFXVI is a game that tackles the issues that it deals with head-on in both the story and the presentation, and I hope that, when people look back on it and its place in the series, it will be remembered for exactly that.”

Final Fantasy XVI will launch exclusively for PS5 on June 22. Be sure to download the demo ahead of time and transfer your progress to the full game.

The Wumpa Fruit is calling, and it’s nearly time to open the gates. Experience a whole new way to Crash with the upcoming launch of Crash Team Rumble, arriving today, June 20 for PlayStation 4 and 5.

Developed by Toys for Bob, this all-new strategic multiplayer experience brings 4v4 platforming action to the Crash universe, featuring eight crazy characters and nine wild arenas at launch. Your team’s goal? Collect and bank the most Wumpa Fruit. Though strategically deep, it’s easy to pick up and play, making Crash Team Rumble a great title for Crash veterans and new players alike.

Scorers, Blockers, and Boosters

In their pursuit for fruit, each character will use their own unique abilities in addition to fulfilling one of three important roles as a Scorer, Blocker, or Booster. Scorers excel at moving around the map to collect and bank Wumpa, Blockers fight to prevent enemy players from depositing Wumpa at their bank, and Boosters collect Relics to activate map-specific, tide-turning Relic Stations and capture Gem Pads, which provide temporary multipliers to their team’s Wumpa deposits.

With eight characters available at launch plus more coming in post-launch content, there are plenty of ways to approach each match. For now, let’s focus on three of our characters: Catbat, N. Brio, and N. Tropy.

Catbat

A speedy Scorer with unmatched aerial mobility, Catbat is an all-new playable character in the Crash universe, equipped with a long-ranged dive attack and the ability to jump five times higher than other characters, making it easy to access hard-to-reach areas on the map.

Catbat also supports teammates with their healing ability to keep them going during the toughest combat encounters while easily engaging and disengaging opponents through use of their aerial maneuvers — they can even stall in the air to wait out the most dangerous situations below.

N. Brio

A high-risk, high-reward powerhouse, N. Brio is a Blocker who controls the battlefield with summoned monsters. By throwing flasks on the ground, he can summon up to two slime monsters that attack enemy opponents. The monsters also make for great jumping pads, allowing N. Brio to bounce off them for a major height boost.

By drinking his potion, he can transform himself into a huge monster, smashing anything in his path for a short time. Timing is critical, however: N. Brio is vulnerable to enemy attacks during the transformation process. 

N. Tropy

The self-proclaimed master of time, N. Tropy is a ranged Blocker who sweeps the battlefield with large, slow-moving projectiles that can knock the enemy away. Using her long attack range, she chases down and pesters the enemy team from a safe distance.

When working in tandem with a powerful melee Blocker like Dingodile, N. Tropy really comes into her own, providing valuable ranged damage while her teammate takes on the brunt of the attack.

Post-launch expands the roster and more

Expect the roster of characters to expand with additional post-launch content, including two more characters arriving later in Season 1. Other post-launch content includes new arenas, modes, powers, time-limited events, customization options, and more.

Standard vs. Deluxe Editions

Purchase Crash Team Rumble for $29.99 SRP for the Standard Edition and $39.99 SRP for the Deluxe Edition. The Standard Edition includes the full game plus additional post-launch seasonal content and limited-time modes, as well as the Season 1 Premium Battle Pass*.

The Deluxe Edition includes everything in the Standard Edition plus 25 Battle Pass Tiers instantly unlocked during Season 1, the Season 2 Premium Battle Pass**, and the digital “Proto Pack,” which features extra customization options for each hero and villain at launch and more.

* Premium Battle Pass will be accessible in Crash Team Rumble once the Season 1 Battle Pass, or equivalent system, is made available in-game. Limited time only. Season 1 Premium Battle Pass (or equivalent version) must be redeemed by September 12, 2023.

**Premium Battle Pass and Tier Skips will be accessible in Crash Team Rumble once the Season 1 Battle Pass, or equivalent system, is made available in-game. Limited time only. Season 1 Premium Battle Pass (or equivalent version) and Tier Skips must be redeemed by September 12, 2023. Season 2 Premium Battle Pass (or equivalent version) must be redeemed by December 4, 2023.

Hello readers! We’re very proud to launch Harmony: The Fall of Reverie on PlayStation 5 on June 22^nd. It’s a narrative adventure with two vibrant worlds, a cast of loveable characters, and a compelling story we hope all kinds of players will enjoy.  

One of the main features of our game is the Augural, and that’s what we’d like to talk about in this blog. The Augural is the game board and visual representation of our main character, Polly’s, gift of clairvoyance. It is the place in which you will foresee and make all your choices in Harmony: The Fall of Reverie.  

We wanted to the Augural to be a peaceful and beautiful place where you can prepare your next move without any stress. That’s why the Augural is set against a placid lake reflecting a starlit sky, and this starlight conveys the idea of an astronomical map where fates can be deciphered. 

When we first set out to build the Augural, the intention was to offer significant choices that were well-informed, so you need never be surprised or caught off guard by the decisions you make. From there, it evolved naturally into a way to expose the ‘core’ of the story and show how events are connected to one another. We wanted to do something new in the Choices Matter sub-genre.  

We experimented with graphs and trees during conceptualization. One of our main references was Augury, the Ancient Greek art of divination, which they performed because they believed that the gods were willing to communicate with mortals. This was a good way for us to make the link between Polly’s clairvoyance and this method of representing it.  

But it came with its challenges – we wanted you to feel the gift of clairvoyance and still be surprised by how the story unfolds. The biggest issue however was readability; the Augural went through quite a few iterations!  

Some versions that we experimented with but ultimately didn’t make it into the game are more complex trees that would spread in several directions, cards that would reveal themselves on the board as the story progressed, and at one point there was even a building you could rotate in 3D! In the end, we made the system more user-friendly with lots of testing, removing any unnecessary visual elements, simplifying the background, improving readability at any level of zoom, and spent a lot of time tweaking the navigation. 

As the Augural is a very visual way of playing, we had to create a system in which you can see even the seemingly trivial decisions eventually build up to greater outcomes down the line. This is so you can visualize how you’re going to play to reach the outcomes you seek. During the game you’ll also make decisions which have an immediate impact on the story and unlock branches while closing access to others.  

When it comes to the bigger decisions, you’ll use Crystals. This resource, which is your connection between the two worlds, is another unique aspect of the game which you will see and manage in the Augural. As the story progresses, you’ll gather Crystals from the Aspirations – ancient godlike beings living in Reverie – that you’ve helped or been helped by during your journey. Which Crystals you use and from whom will feed that Aspirations’ influence on the real world until one of them ends up standing above the others as the heart of humanity… perhaps. 

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is a game that relies on story and gameplay responding fluidly to one another – the complexity of the story mustn’t be an obstacle to comprehension. We think we’ve managed to pull it off, but we’d love for you to play and let us know what you think!  Harmony: The Fall of Reverie releases on 22^nd June on PlayStation 5.

Greetings, Wanderers! Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of boundless exploration and adrenaline-pumping battles. Tower of Fantasy, the immersive open-world RPG brought to you by Perfect World Games, is making its grand debut on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on August 8th (UTC+0), and pre-order is officially open today. Brace yourselves as you craft your very own one-of-a-kind character and embark on an unforgettable journey, either alone or alongside your friends. This world awaits your arrival.

Let’s dive into some of the amazing features that will make your journey truly extraordinary. 

Liu Huo, the fierce fighter with an artistic soul

After the release on PlayStation, all wanderers can take an adventure in the map called Domain 9, filled with eastern aesthetics. You’ll also encounter an intriguing character named Liu Huo—a spirited and formidable girl with an undeniable passion for martial arts. She loves to wear a vibrant red dress reflecting her prowess in combat and her role as the guardian of Farewellville. However, there’s more to Liu Huo than meets the eye. Beyond her rough exterior lies a burning passion for the arts, particularly painting, and calligraphy. Join Liu Huo as she strives to balance her pursuit of elegance with her spirited nature, and witness firsthand the extraordinary journey that awaits her.

To reflect Liu Huo’s personality, we put a lot of thought into designing her appearance, combat actions, and skill effects. There are many eastern elements can be found in Liu Huo’s appearance. Her outer garment is made of silk with embroidered golden patterns on the collar. Her weapon is a giant brush called Pine Comet, which suits her refined taste. Additionally, the character “霸”  is written on her legs, symbolizing her dominant personality. 

When designing her combat moves, we fused calligraphy and martial arts, capturing the essence of ink painting. We utilized vibrant blue and orange flames to intensify the visual impact, employing brushstrokes to convey varying levels of intensity. As Liu Huo unleashes her weapon “Pine Comet” in battle, it’s as if she wields a brush, evoking a formidable presence. However, keen-eyed observers familiar with Chinese characters might catch a stroke error. It appears that Liu Huo still has room to grow on her path to be a real artist.

Immersive PS5 features

The DualSense wireless controller allows us to provide an immersive experience through haptic feedback. During intense battles, when hitting enemies or facing moments of crisis with significant blood loss, the controller’s haptics help you accurately assess the current combat environment. Outside of combat, appropriate haptics during key story moments create a thrilling experience. When racing, the controller’s vibrations accompany intense collisions, making it feel like a steering wheel and immersing you in the excitement of high-speed racing.

Moreover, you can communicate with teammates through the controller’s built-in microphone, making the vast world less lonely.

At the same time, the stunning 4K graphics and visual effects of the PS5 provide players with a high-resolution gaming experience. Currently, Tower of Fantasy features diverse map styles, including the sci-fi wasteland style of Aesperia, the cyberpunk metropolis of Mirroria, the deep underwater world of Innars, and the upcoming magical eastern world of Domain 9. In the 4K mode on PlayStation, the neon lights of Mirroria become mesmerizing, the Grand Sea undergoes dynamic changes, and the clouds and red maple of Domain 9 exhibit a mysterious eastern charm, further enhancing the visual experience.

Pre-order now for exclusive PlayStation item

Tower of Fantasy is now available for pre-order at PS Store. Get all the details on what’s included in each version of the game, as well as the pre-order bonuses, below.

The standard edition of Tower of Fantasy contains the base game and comes with the following pre-order bonus contents:

The Tower of Fantasy Deluxe Edition contains the base game as well as:

The Tower of Fantasy Ultimate Edition contains the base game as well as:

During the development of the Tower of Fantasy PlayStation version, we have learned and accumulated valuable experience. Open-world games have infinite potential for exploration, and we will continue to bring more enriching and enjoyable content. We hope you enjoy it.

Ready to unleash your inner wanderer on PlayStation?

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS, or download here

This week the team talks Summer Game Fest 2023 and discusses their hands-on time with the upcoming Mortal Kombat 1. Plus the team gets into Diablo IV and the sinister legacy of the classic franchise.

Stuff We Talked About

• Final Fantasy XVI
• Crash Team Rumble (w/ Wumpa deep-dive)
• PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for June + PS5 Game Streaming news update for Premium members
• Summer Game Fest 2023
• Mortal Kombat 1 hands-on report (starts at 6:35)
• Diablo IV

The Cast

View and download image

Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE

View and download image

Tim Turi –  Manager, Content Communications, SIE

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.]

Last week, we asked you to find shiny things in the game of your choice, sharing using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: 

ps5_raz shares a shiny golden helmet in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

secondcapture shares Rivet with a shiny glowing gadget in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

danliest shares Aloy swimming amongst shiny glowing bioluminescent plants in Horizon Forbidden West

TheFourthFocus shares the shiny fender of a silver car in GT7

Mur4dQ shares the shiny dog and weapons of the humans in Humanity

imroyank shares a shiny butterfly in Fortnite.

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: The Last of Us
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on June 21, 2023

Next week, we’re celebrating ten years of The Last of Us. Share your favorite moment from the series using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Arriving June 20 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom introduces a brand-new way to play with the introduction of the Arcanist class. Boasting three unique skill lines and an all-new combat mechanic called the Crux system, Arcanists wield the eldritch powers of Apocrypha to obliterate their foes and protect their allies.

Get the inside scoop on each of the Arcanist’s three new skill lines from Brian Wheeler, Lead Combat Designer for ZeniMax Online Studios, and discover the arcane powers you can wield when exploring the Telvanni Peninsula and worlds beyond.

Herald of the Tome

“The Herald of the Tome skill line is designed mostly around dealing damage to your enemies,” explains Wheeler. “There’s a wide variety of abilities here too, with some dishing out area-based effects while others focus on specific targets. There’s versatility in how you want to inflict pain on your enemies.”

When in design, the team knew the Arcanist had to stand out, so they focused on themes of cosmic horror and Hermaeus Mora’s Black Books, opening an eldritch portal to a wide selection of powers.

“Some abilities have a very crisp and precise look, while others are more chaotic and visceral,” says Wheeler. “In our testing, we saw players load up their entire action bar with Arcanist abilities, so we wanted to ensure that this skill line had a wide breadth of supporting visuals.”

If any one ability captures the feel of the Herald of the Tome skill line, it is Fatecarver, which makes powerful use of the class’s new combat mechanic.

“We wanted players to channel pure arcane energy into a beam they could aim anywhere without requiring a target while also interacting with our new Crux system,” explains Wheeler. 

“The more Crux you have, the harder the beam hits when you cast it.”

Curative Runeforms

“Curative Runeforms adds healing and support to the Arcanist suite of abilities,” says Wheeler. 

“Like the Herald of the Tome line, you can find some good synergies here blending single-target and area-based healing along with some new toys like Apocryphal Gate, granting mobility via a pair of portals.”

Being able to quickly identify what heals and what hurts is vitally important in the heat of battle, so the team made sure that despite having shared origins in Apocrypha, the damaging and healing skill lines appeared distinct.  

“This skill line has less ‘brutal chaotic’ looks to it, and we leaned into some of the watery or inky feel of Apocrypha,” says Wheeler. “For example, Arcanist Domain has a watery edge around its ability while also showing a cool animation as you fling out runes.” 

Soldier of Apocrypha

“The Soldier of Apocrypha skill line is focused mostly on taking damage and surviving,” explains Wheeler. “But there’s also some utility and support abilities to help control your foes. This includes several shield abilities that we refer to as ‘living buffs.’  These buffs aren’t just stat bonuses, as they also react to enemy actions by damaging them back or healing you!

Because of this focus, in addition to crown control, you can enjoy a lot of quick firing and self-focused abilities when welding the Soldier of Apocrypha skill line.

“A tank’s primary job is to protect their allies while absorbing any enemy damage onto themselves, so we gave the Arcanist a taunt. This is the first time a class in ESO has been given this functionality without relying on other skill lines.” The ability to taunt your foes is vitally important, but so is surviving the inevitable onslaught that comes as a result.

“Runespite Ward is one of the Arcanist’s standout abilities, as it provides great boosts to defense. One of the morphs for this ability, Impervious Runeward, provides even more armor during its first second, giving you the opportunity to time it to get maximum damage mitigation and retaliation!”

Unknowable powers await

This is, of course, just a brief introduction to some of the eldritch powers that are available to you with the all-new Arcanist class. In addition to the three unique skill lines above, the Crux system allows you to further empower your abilities and customize the way you play.

Want to learn more? You’ll need to uncover the class’s weird and wondrous new abilities for yourself when The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom arrives June 20 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5—good luck, and we’ll see you in Tamriel!