Category: PlayStation

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!

MLB The Show 23 introduced a new game experience celebrating the rich history of the Negro Leagues called Storylines. We couldn’t be happier with the overwhelmingly positive response to this new game experience passion project for the development team. Storylines wouldn’t have been remotely possible without the amazing partnership with the Nego Leagues Baseball Museum and its President, Bob Kendrick.  

A few short weeks ago, plans to build a brand-new museum were announced. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America.  

In partnership with Major League Baseball, The Players Association, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.  

From today through June 30, only on US digital platform stores where MLB The Show is sold, you can purchase the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Charity Pack ($4.99 USD). PlayStation and San Diego Studio will donate 100% of the proceeds* from this pack after store platform fee deductions are applied to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.  

Your purchase of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Pack grants you: 6,500 Stubs, eight Sanford Greene Storylines NLB bat skins, and one banner for use in MLB The Show 23. Once acquired, items can be redeemed upon booting the game. Information on items redeemed should be listed in your profile mail inbox. These items are not eligible to be sold on the marketplace.

This is in addition to the dollar donation PlayStation and San Diego Studio will make to the museum for every MLB The Show 23 Captain and Digital Deluxe Edition sold in the United States until December 31, 2023. These donations will help support the museum’s recently announced fundraising campaign to build the new 30,000-square-foot Negro Leagues Baseball Museum campus adjacent to the Buck O’Neil Education Center. Which is housed in the former Kansas City Paseo YMCA, the historic building where Andrew “Rube” Foster established the Negro Leagues in 1920.     

We couldn’t be more excited to continue our groundbreaking partnership with the museum and its goals to educate, enlighten, and inspire. By celebrating the rich history of the Negro Leagues, thank you!    

*PlayStation will donate 100% of the proceeds to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum after store platform fee deductions are applied. A minimum of $3.49 USD per pack sold will be donated. This purchase is not tax deductible. 

That’s not all… 

June Forecast Video

Swing into summer with the new June Live Content video.

Mini Seasons: All Gold Everything Challenge*

Are you looking for a new challenge but might need more time for an entire season in MLB The Show 23? Then Mini Seasons are just the thing for you. Build a squad of all gold or common players, then complete 28 regular season 3-Inning games and win the Mini Seasons Championship to earn Captain Series Kevin Gausman and Captain Series Paul Goldschmidt in the Mini Seasons: All Gold Everything Challenge.

Ranked 3 Program*

Bring your best Diamond Dynasty squad to compete in the Ranked 3 Program available today. Play Solo 1v1 or Co-Op with friends, in 2v2 or 3v3 action, and get your Ratings up to earn progress in the Ranked 3 Program. By doing so, you’ll get your mitts on several packs, including the World Series Choice Pack featuring Kaiju Series Carlos Correa and Incognito Series Andre Dawson.

Father’s Day Program*

Celebrate Father’s Day with MLB The Show 23 in the Father’s Day Program, found in Other Programs. Take on brand-new Moments, Missions, a Conquest Map, and the Have a Catch Event to earn progress to unlock famous father-son duos in the game. Add these to your roster as well as XP, Stubs, and Packs along the way. The Father’s Day Program begins Thursday, June 15th, at approximately 12 pm PDT.

Future Stars Other Program*

In addition, there’s more content coming in June. The Future Stars Series shines a spotlight on up-and-coming players from around the League. Starting June 23rd around 12 pm PDT, take on the Future Stars Program, available in Diamond Dynasty Other Programs, in MLB The Show 23. 

Complete Moments and Missions focused on Future Stars Series players, face off against the Showdown Final Boss and conquer the Future Stars Conquest Map to unlock new Diamonds for your squad.

*Internet connection required to receive updates and rewards. An internet connection and PlayStation Plus membership are required for online multiplayer. PlayStation Plus is a paid-for ongoing subscription and a recurring fee will be charged automatically at the frequency chosen by the consumer at purchase until canceled. Age restrictions apply. Full PS Plus terms: play.st/PSPlusTerms.

Rogue Legacy 2 is landing on both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on June 20. What’s more, it will be launching straight into the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, so Extra and Premium members can download it straightaway and jump in! We’re going all-out by releasing RL2 with full cross-buy support for the PS4 to PS5. The game also includes the latest free content updates, the Fabled Heroes and the Swan Song, which are packed with additional challenges and exciting new game modes.

The original Rogue Legacy was released nearly a decade ago, and it’s incredible to think back on how it helped popularize roguelites on PlayStation. The community’s support for our little indie dream was nothing short of impossible. We were expecting a few hundred thousand players at best, but somehow ended up with more that 3.5 million across all PlayStation platforms. To say we were overwhelmed is an understatement.

With the upcoming aunch of Rogue Legacy 2 we’re excited to see if history will repeat itself. And to celebrate, Cellar Door Games is taking a look at some of our favourite roguelikes/lites (that aren’t Rogue Legacy) on PlayStation, and I’m giving some personal insight on what made them so great.

Slay the Spire

What it is: A deckbuilding roguelike where you slowly build your own deck as you ascend a tower.

What We Liked: One of the first deckbuilding roguelikes that truly capitalized on the “one more run” addiction. You can tell that the developers had a deep understanding of deck-building mechanics because of how well the cards synergize with one another. The balance and tempo throughout every run is also impeccable, both on the micro (enemy encounter length) and macro scale (time it takes to curate your final deck).

Aside from being incredibly solid and consistently fun, the map progression system is one of those things that had a real impact on the roguelike genre as a whole. Since the release of Slay the Spire, the ‘tower path’ progress format has been copied endlessly, because it’s just ridiculously elegant and simple.

Crypt of the Necrodancer

What it is: A dungeon-crawling roguelite where you move to the beat.

What We Liked: This is just an all-around fantastic rhythm-based roguelite. It’s fun, it’s crazy unique, and it’s incredibly catchy. But one of the coolest things it does is completely invisible to the player. If you slowly drift off-beat, the game will subtly change the tempo of the music in order to get you back on track. That level of player consideration isn’t seen in enough games these days.

It’s really easy to tell a game what you want it to do. If I press jump, I expect my character to jump. But what is ‘correct’ might not always be ‘fun’, because in reality nobody can play a game perfectly. Sometimes you might press the jump button a frame too late, and to compensate you need an input grace period when falling off a ledge, ubiquitously known as coyote time. Making a game feel good requires recognizing and accommodating player intent. Crypt of the Necrodancer understood this and implemented very creative ways to make it as enjoyable as possible.

Gunfire Reborn

What it is: A one-to-two-player looter shooter roguelite.

What We Liked: I’m a sucker for mobility shooters, and Gunfire Reborn is absolutely fantastic in this regard. I tend to avoid random number generation (RNG) heavy roguelites/likes where luck can sometimes play a bigger role than skill, but the balance of both in this game is pure joy, and the co-op is hard to beat. I also loved their take on class diversity and character build design. They streamline each class into only three-to-four specific builds but are unapologetically blunt about it.

Hades

What it is: You know what it is.

What We Liked: There’s so much to love about this game that it’s hard to choose only a few things, but what really stuck out to me was the narrative design. One of the major drawbacks to the “play it over and over” game loop of roguelikes/lites is how the story gets told. Since progress in these games isn’t always guaranteed, neither is progress in the narrative, which oftentimes makes it feel disjointed and repetitive. Hades somehow took the seemingly monotonous nature of repeated playthroughs and used it to its advantage. I won’t spoil anything, but because of that, there’s no story told quite like Hades.

And so many more

There are so many great roguelikes/lites out there that I could go on forever. We like to think the original Rogue Legacy played a tiny role in paving this path, one that even its sequel is now traversing. If you cherish creativity, then there are few genres that offer more variety than this one, and we’re excited to see how Rogue Legacy 2 pushes the boundaries even further. 

We hope Rogue Legacy 2 ends up on some of your favourites lists as well when it launches on PlayStation June 20.

Creating a character from the ground up can be daunting, but developing a character’s growth through progressive storylines is a raging beast of a task in itself. Santa Monica Studio took on this challenge through its comprehensive development of the beloved Atreus, son of Kratos in God of War Ragnarök, where the main focus was to shape shift Atreus from “boy into a young man” with his own unique motivations.

A new God of War Ragnarök deep-dive featuring perspectives from developers at Santa Monica Studio details the journey of Atreus’ character development, specifically turning him into a playable character and narrative driving-force. One fascinating facet of Atreus covered is the story behind Atreus’ weapon choice in God of War Ragnarök.

Fans may be surprised to hear that while brainstorming ideas for Atreus’ weapons there were other options considered along with the bow, which ultimately became the focus.

“There was a lot of talk early on about whether we should give Atreus a sword or a knife, but we didn’t want to overload players and wanted to leave room for Atreus to grow” says Bruno Velasquez, animation director at Santa Monica Studio.

The decision to not overload players with weapon choices gave developers a chance to flesh out the bow and how it can be used in diverse ways, considering ranged and melee attacks, as well as simple tasks like prying open chests to gather items.

More than just how he uses it, honing in on the bow presented the opportunity to explore why Atreus uses the bow and his connection to it.  

Atreus’ mother Faye gave him the weapon and taught him how to use it, making it much more than a tool. The bow is a small piece of her that he carries with him, as well as an extension of himself, as we see in the multitude of ways he uses it to interact with the world. 

“We want players to understand that the bow is part of him – he’s always using it, he’s always thinking about it” says Grace Pan, animator at Santa Monica Studio.

Check out the full article for more on the journey of Atreus’ development in God of War Ragnarök.

For those just beginning their adventure, God of War Ragnarök is part of the Days of Play sale on PlayStation Store*. Learn more here.  

*The Days of Play sale is available on PlayStation Store until June 12, 2023 at 11:59pm local time.

Greetings, everyone! I’m Sky, Lead Designer at Hotta Studio of Perfect World Games and I’m absolutely thrilled to share some exciting news with you. Our highly anticipated open-world RPG, Tower of Fantasy, is making its way to PlayStation this summer, published independently by Perfect World Games. Pre-orders will start on June 20, I can’t wait to introduce you to this incredible world!

Open-world, immersive exploration in various styles

At Hotta Studio, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of open-world gaming, exploring different forms of ‘openness’ to create truly immersive experiences. From the desolate sci-fi wasteland of Astra to the vibrant cyberpunk desert metropolis of ‘Vera Sector’, Tower of Fantasy offers a diverse array of freely explorable worlds. Our commitment to innovation and unique styles challenges us to consistently deliver high-quality game content that captivates players. 

Domain 9, an exquisite Eastern magical world

Speaking of Domain 9, in Tower of Fantasy, we aim to create a unique Eastern aesthetic by seamlessly blending Eastern architectural elements with our sci-fi universe, resulting in a distinct art style. The new Domain 9 map features mountains, the Great Wall, citadels, and floating ships, intricately interconnected. You’ll encounter traditional Eastern cultural adornments like the eternal flame lamp and traditional ink-wash paintings, alongside futuristic elements like neon lights and floating structures.

To enhance the mystical ambiance of the Eastern world, we drew inspiration from ancient myths such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and designed over ten different creatures based on these mythical beasts. By infusing them with our game’s sci-fi universe, these creatures take on dual forms, capable of spewing molten fire and summoning mechanical weapons for combat.

 

Now, let’s dive deeper into the intriguing character of Liu Huo, our latest addition to the character roster from the world of Domain 9. Picture her in a stylish qipao dress and rocking twin buns, giving off that charming girl-next-door vibe. But don’t be fooled by appearances! When the heat is on, she’s ready to unleash her secret weapon: a massive mechanical ink brush that packs a punch. As she swings it around, fiery Chinese characters light up the battlefield, adding a touch of flair to her fierce fighting style. Get ready to witness the perfect blend of tradition and modernity with Liu Huo in Tower of Fantasy!

Freedom is at the heart of exploration in Tower of Fantasy

We’ve gone the extra mile to provide an incredibly fluid parkour experience, allowing you to traverse the map seamlessly. Each weapon, relic, and vehicle offer its own unique flight postures and effects. For example, Lan gracefully descends with an umbrella and petals, while Alice transforms into a dragonfly, effortlessly soaring over towering mountains. Rubilia, on the other hand, spreads her mechanical wings, propelling herself through the sky at breathtaking speeds. In the 3.0 version, we introduce the brand-new relic Speedwalkers, enabling you to freely walk and run on walls and mountains, breaking free from the limitations of stamina bars and ensuring a seamless exploration experience.

In addition to parkour, we’ve incorporated various fixed-point movement modes throughout the game. Each map features specific means of transportation, such as taxis and subways in the cyber city of Mirroria or the ornate Dragonfly Cruiser in the mystical Eastern realm of Domain 9. These movement modes not only allow you to cover long distances quickly, unlocking new areas and collecting resources, but they also offer a fresh perspective on the game world, ensuring that traversal never becomes monotonous or boring.

Pre-order items for PlayStation players 

As a celebration of Tower of Fantasy’s arrival on PlayStation, we have prepared exclusive bonus content for PlayStation players. Pre-order the game to receive the Move Planes outfit, the Icy Blue Blooming racecar, and White-Tailed Meteor jetpack skin.

In addition to allowing players to freely customize their characters on a high-definition screen, cutting-edge ray tracing technology is also used to experience the appeal of an open-world with higher quality graphics. The game also supports the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback. 

Unending creativity, endless possibilities

In Tower of Fantasy, our creative journey knows no bounds, offering endless possibilities for our players. We aspire to forge ahead into the future, constantly pushing the boundaries of imagination. There is a world of untapped potential waiting to be explored, and we’re committed to delivering unforgettable gaming experiences that captivate and inspire. Together, let’s embark on this remarkable journey into the unknown!

The Mortal Kombat series recently hit the big 3-0. And what a long, bloody trip it’s been: Eleven mainline games over six console generations and somewhere between 75 and 80+ characters, depending on how and where you want to count them.

And now Mortal Kombat 1, which is looking to open the floodgates on that rich, gory history while serving as a chapter-one reset. It’s a reintroduction of the entire IP, with one big, big gameplay twist.

Kameos in the Spotlight

While the visuals look stupendous, and the core fighting feels as tight as ever, the Kameo fighters are easily the star of this show. Using a combination of directional inputs and the R1 button, you can command your Kameo partner to bash an airborne enemy, juggle them, zap them from afar, throw them, execute a combo breaker… even perform a fatality. 

• But you need to be strategic. Kameo fighters come with a cooldown, so you can’t spam your opponent with a barrage of incoming attacks. They work best as a combo extender or as a way to build momentum on your opponent — if you’ve played Tekken Tag Tournament, you’ll have a decent idea how Kameo fighters will fit into this mix. 
• Kameo fighters were a combination of two ideas. Early in MK1’s development, the design team proposed adding unique modifiers to each fighter, such as giving Sonya a drone that could augment her attacks. “But it was specific to each character. And I kind of pushed back,” Boon explained. “I think we should do something everybody can share.” Then there was the question of the 2v2 Tag mode, not seen since 2011’s Mortal Kombat. “We loved it, and a lot of people loved it,” Boon explained, “but it wasn’t a much-played feature.” Enter Kameo fighters, which seemed to solve two different needs. “This kind of simplified thing, [activated] with a button push… that to me felt like the sweet spot.” 
• More Kameos are coming, and every retro MK character is on the table for consideration. Boon expects that MK1 will include between 15 and 20 Kameo fighters on day one, but more will be on the way. “We have some ridiculous ones that are gonna be coming later,” Boon teased, “like, you know… how do they even remember that character?!” 

Ed Boon speaks

• The premise. So is MK1 a reboot, a remake? “I think it could be in the category of a reboot.” Boon explained that the team at NetherRealm wanted to include key existing characters but tell a brand-new story. And the canonical ending of 2019’s MK11 made for a perfect springboard, with series mainstay-turned-fire-god Liu Kang in control of the flow of time and effectively resetting the universe. “And then, obviously,” Boon said, “something goes wrong.” The results will be familiar characters who may be in very, very different circumstances. 
• Who’s the villain? While Boon confirmed that “a number of” classic Mortal Kombat villains would be returning in some way, he wouldn’t spell out who the big bad was. “Just like with the heroes, the villains will start completely different…they’ll go down different paths and have different relationships with each other.” If you’re well-versed in MK lore, expect to encounter some twists.
• New modes? Boon remained tight-lipped on online play details. But he did confirm that the team is working on a replacement for the Krypt mode seen in the past six MK games. “We have a whoooole new system,” Boon teased. “I can tell you it’s not the Krypt. But we’re gonna have a whole new system for unlocks.”
• New-gen benefits. Boon appreciates many things about the PS5 generation — “it’s obviously crazy powerful.” But his biggest appreciation? The superfast SSD. “We can load in these crazy detailed backgrounds that before would have taken so long to upload.”
• Some fatalities DO get rejected. Over the years, NetherRealm has established a sort of “fatality committee” that weighs in on pitches for the series’ iconic finishing moves. Ideas come in from around the company, but Boon has the final say. “Yeah, there’s a line, you know… there have been plenty that I’ve sent back and said, ‘no, that’s just crossing the line. We’re not doing stuff like that.’ And then they would get disappointed. But enough get through that they’re good.”
• Boon is a bit behind on his games. With MK1 only three months from launch, Boon’s eager to catch up on some recent hits. “I’m definitely going to get Street Fighter 6, I’ve always been a fan,” Boon said. “I haven’t even had a chance to play God of War Ragnarök. And I’ve never played Diablo, but I’m really curious about Diablo IV.”

So that’s it… for now, at least. Based on my 30-minute play session, MK1 is a major series shakeup in more ways than one. With just three months to go, expect a steady stream of announces and reveals leading up to its September 19 launch on PS5.

---

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

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

---

Hey y’all! This week the team chats with Thea Trinidad (aka WWE Superstar Zelina Vega) about her role as guest commentator in Street Fighter 6 and her connection to the classic franchise. Plus the team talks more Street Fighter 6 and gets into a spoiler-free discussion of Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse.

Stuff We Talked About

• Top Downloads for May
• Diablo IV Devs Favorite Builds Blog
• Synapse Preview Hands-on PS VR2
• AK-xolotl Gameplay & Abilities Deep Dive Blog
• Interview with Thea Trinidad (starts at 11:10)
• Street Fighter 6
• Humanity
• Spoiler-free Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse talk

---

The Cast

Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]