Category: PlayStation

Hello to all Monster Jam fans out there! We know you’ve been waiting for a while, but the most action-packed motorsports event on four wheels will soon land on PlayStation in a whole new guise. I’m Federico Spada, Monster Jam Showdown Game Director, and I’m here to sweeten the wait by taking you through the discovery of career mode, our single-player campaign also known as the Showdown Tour. 

The Showdown Tour will be the pillar of your journey, with over 130 events combining speed and skills. From the outset, this variety has been an important element in terms of design. Developing a game with Monster Jam trucks is way different from working on any other racing title, as this is a one-of-a-kind discipline that expands the competition beyond pure racing. When we designed the Showdown Tour, our goal was to leverage this uniqueness to create the most tailored gaming experience and exalt the strengths of each player. To do that, we came up with a sandbox-like design where you will be free to enjoy the events you prefer without a given order.

You’ll compete in 8 different game modes and explore 3 original environments

To welcome different playstyles, we grouped the events into three categories: Stunt, Short, and Racing. Once a certain event has been played, you will unlock new events in the same category as the one just played. This way, you will constantly find new challenges akin to your preferences, but nonetheless, you’ll get plenty of variety as events from the same category will cover several game modes and take place in all three original environments we developed. 

Importantly, the locations of the Showdown Tour are wild and out of the ordinary, the perfect place to push your Monster Jam trucks to the limit and unleash their full power even beyond what you see in live events. Whether it’s a stadium, an open-air arena, or an actual circuit, the environment will put those mechanical beasts to the test, from the glaciers of Alaska to the scorching desert of Death Valley and the forests of Colorado. Following our free-progression approach, you’ll get to race these untamed landscapes from the very first minutes of play simply by navigating a map with all the events, which will gradually appear as you progress. For instance, after completing a Freestyle event in Colorado, you might find a new Freestyle contest in another region of the map as well as a different game mode, such as a Best Trick match. 

Showdown Events are epic boss battles that unlock new Monster Jam trucks and paint outs 

By earning victories in the same event category, you will collect medals which will grant you access to Showdown Events, which are special challenges that unlock higher-difficulty competitions within the same category. In Showdown Events, you will have to prove to be the worthy owner of some of the most iconic Monster Jam trucks by competing against their previous driver. If you succeed, you will become the official driver of that truck and it will be added to your collection. But beware – Showdown Events are not just simple 1v1 races; to win, you don’t just have to come first, but you also have to please the crowd by performing a spectacular run. That’s why you’ll see the layout of the circuits changing at every lap in these races and will find even more destructible objects or bigger ramps to boost your run.  

This design will leave you completely free to decide at any time whether to progress within the same category by playing the most difficult events or to test yourself in something different. In one case, you’ll maximize your skills in your favorite game modes and unlock the associated trucks. However, to fully complete your career and collect all 66 vehicles* and over 140 paint outs, you’ll have to master all categories. I’m sure both kids and adults will give their all to have each of the fan-favorite Monster Jam trucks in their private collections.  

You can think of the Showdown Tour as the elite Monster Jam competition. Only the best trucks can join this championship, which pushes both vehicles and drivers to the limit in a series of extreme and unconventional clashes that broaden the action of real-life Monster Jam events. By beating the best trucks on the planet, you will make your way to the victory of the Showdown Tour and eventually become the ultimate Champion of the toughest Monster Jam competition ever. 

If you do think you have what it takes, get ready to step on the gas and kick off your career as Monster Jam Showdown will release on PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 on August 29, 2024, with Early Access available from August 26, 2024.

*40 trucks will be included in the base game and 26 will be available through free or premium DLCs

There have been many firsts for Dead by Daylight’s Killer Design team in recent years. The introduction of a third-person camera for a smaller Killer. A Killer with AI-controlled guards. A Power that consists of multiple different spells. Finding new ways to inflict pain and suffering remains an exciting challenge, and the arrival of Castlevania’s Dracula introduces yet another innovation: shapeshifting.

The vile denizens of the woods serve The Dark Lord, and he can take their forms as he chooses. Players can cycle between his Vampire form, his Bat form, and his Wolf form, with each one excelling at a different role.

Vampire form is Dracula’s base form, with the Flaming Pillar being his primary means of damaging Survivors. The attack can even traverse through obstacles, including Pallets and Windows. Wolf Form offers a third-person perspective and reduced mobility, but increases your efficacy at hunting and tracking. Bat Form is Dracula’s most stealthy form, with no Terror Radius and a snappy teleport ability.

Game Designer Jason Guzzo was tasked with bringing the legendary character into The Fog, and designing a Power that honored Dracula’s otherworldly abilities. The Castlevania team at Konami Japan were equally thrilled to see their iconic character come to life in-game, providing their knowledge and expertise at every step.

“Shapeshifting is a vital and unique part of the Dracula experience,” explains Guzzo. “It’s part of who he is, and it’s not necessarily something people focus on.”

Once the team decided on the Power’s direction, it was time to make it functional in-game. Of course, the unprecedented nature of Dracula’s abilities presented a few design challenges, particularly with the animal forms. Not to mention the fact that it would mark the first time this version of Dracula transformed into a wolf. Luckily, the Castlevania team was quick to give their seal of approval.

“There are limitations while designing animal characters,” explains Guzzo. “A bat can fly, but due to the balance of Dead by Daylight, it can’t fly over low obstacles. Unfortunately, that’s a concession we had to make. It takes some getting used to, but we must abide by our internal rules. Having a character that can fly over any obstacle would be entirely game-breaking.”

Building on the foundation laid by previous Chapters, which featured the arrival of a quadruped character (Alien) and a third-person Killer camera (Chucky), the design Team worked fleshing out each of Dracula’s three forms.

“Each form is basically a micro-killer, and we wanted players to use them however they liked, without needing to change if they don’t want to,” continues Guzzo. “On the Survivor side, we wanted facing Dracula to feel like a boss fight, where he can be anywhere at any moment with a tool to use against you.”

The Dark Lord’s forms

Dracula’s forms break down as follows: Vampire, Wolf, and Bat.  “Vampire is basically your core form,” explains Guzzo. “He moves at 4.6 meters per second, making him effective at loops and chases. He’s also got the Flame Pillar, which is one of my favorite Killer abilities to use in the game.”

“The Wolf Form moves a little slower, but you have enhanced senses and a pounce attack,” he continues. “When Survivors are sprinting, every so often they’ll drop a Scent Orb. Those Orbs give you information on the direction they’re going, and collecting them grants you a small speed boost. The idea is to simulate a hunt, where a wolf picks up a trail and quickens its pace.”

“We wanted the Bat to be the most effective traversal form, so it moves very fast – 6 meters a second, with extra stealth on top of that,” details Guzzo. “To compensate, the Bat can’t attack or see Survivors, Scratch Marks, and Pools of Blood. The main reason we did this was to balance the endgame, where Bat form was extremely potent at covering both Exit Gates.”

“Bat Form has another cool ability, which allows it to teleport a short distance, including through Vault points and Pallets,” explains Guzzo. “It also invites players to consider their choices. As a Survivor, downing a Pallet may come back and haunt you when Dracula gains a new teleport spot. Dracula players will have to grapple with the same decision, as losing a potential teleport option can hurt you in the long term.”

The end result is a dynamic Power that incentivizes exploration while providing an immersive experience befitting The Dark Lord. It’s also worth noting that the Castlevania icon was designed with new players and Dead by Daylight veterans in mind.

“When we’re working with a beloved licensed character like Castlevania’s Dracula, we want the skill floor to be relatively accessible,” reveals Guzzo. “That way, fans of the franchise can use the Chapter as an entry point to Dead by Daylight and have a fun experience off the bat. We do aim to keep the skill ceiling high, so players who connect with the character can build their skill and find exciting ways to develop it even further.”

Dead by Daylight: Castlevania launches August 27. The Chapter includes a new Killer, Dracula – The Dark Lord, and new Survivor Trevor Belmont.

Every year, the team here at THQ Nordic puts months into crafting a Digital Showcase we think you’ll love, filled with news on previously announced games and teases of what you can expect from our dev teams in the future.

Variety defines what we do, and that has never been truer than in our 2024 broadcast – including a gorgeous hand-drawn adventure, a fender-bending destruction racer sequel, the much-demanded return of a legendary action-adventure series, and a whole lot more.

The Eternal Life of Goldman

We opened this year’s stream with the debut of an all-new 2D adventure platformer from Weappy Studio, developers behind This Is the Police. 

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As Goldman, with your trusty cane in hand, navigate a mysterious archipelago brought to life with painstakingly handcrafted 2D animation, each frame bursting with the passion that the team have injected into the game they have always wanted to make.

A sense of wonder and freedom to experiment are at the core of Weappy’s design philosophy, with a focus on rewarding players for their inquisitiveness about the world and platforming sections that are challenging but fair. The Eternal Life of Goldman begs you to discover the archipelago’s further reaches, each new ability and artifact you find adding new dimensions to your gameplay.

We can’t wait to tell you more later this year – for now, make sure to follow and wishlist the game at PlayStation Store to be among the first to receive updates.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed

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The time has almost come to pick up your brush and decide the fate of Wasteland! When Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed releases on September 24, the power to shape the world with paint and thinner will be in your hands.

Take control of Mickey Mouse in 3D platforming action, exploring a land peppered with beloved characters to meet and secrets to discover, including classic side-scrolling levels inspired by Mickey Mouse’s history.

Rebuilt from the ground up by the team at Purple Lamp, and for the first time on PS5 and PS4, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a must-play for Disney fans of all ages, whether this is their first venture into Wasteland or a journey down memory lane.

Wreckfest 2

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Create the car of your tire-screeching dreams, show it off online, and smash it to pieces in the ultimate range of wrecktastic events. Whether it’s giving it your all to be first past the finish line, hurtling through obstacle courses, or crushing your rivals in a destruction derby free-for-all, Wreckfest 2 is about letting loose in the ultimate playground of vehicular carnage.

PS5 hardware has given the team at Bugbear Entertainment the freedom to model higher crash fidelity than ever, with each chassis-crinkling impact realized in real time. 

At the end of each event, your beaten-up vehicle will tell its own unique story – of traded paint, twisted steel, and grudge matches settled on the track.

Titan Quest II

Last year, we announced Titan Quest II with a trailer that set the stage for the battle against rogue goddess Nemesis and her hordes. Millions of views and thousands of comments later, we’re ready to show you more of the rich, verdant world that the team at Grimlore Games have been hard at work bringing to life. 

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In our debut gameplay trailer, you can get your first glimpse of the adventures that await you in the sun-drenched landscapes of Ancient Greece, and the godly powers you’ll claim as you take your place amongst the greatest legendary heroes. The team are hand-crafting an experience that encourages you to rise to the challenge, with epic battles against beasts of myth rewarding players with unique loot that changes the way you play.

This is your tale to tell, with deep customization options – from your hero’s appearance, to their combination of a vast range of modifiable skills and equipment loadouts. Whether you choose to embark on this odyssey alone or with friends, Titan Quest II will lead you on an unforgettable journey across a land unlike any other in the ARPG genre.

Gothic 1 Remake

Since we announced development of Gothic 1 Remake in 2020, the outpouring of support from Gothic fans around the globe, as well as the RPG community at large, has been immense. Every positive comment, each cry of “For Gomez!”, has bolstered the team at Alkimia Interactive as they work to deliver a game that is both a faithful love letter to the Gothic fandom and a welcoming experience full of wonder and fresh discoveries for newcomers.

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In today’s trailer, we delved into how Alkimia are crafting a world that is an organism unto itself, with a thriving ecosystem and powerful factions competing for dominance – a world that seems to exist beyond the player, but is ripe to be shaped by your decisions.

Visuals and gameplay have also been completely rebuilt to meet modern standards, with more rewarding progression, more impactful combat, and diverse NPC routines and interactions.

Whether you join the ore-rich Old Camp in league with the King, the New Camp who plan to destroy the magical barrier surrounding the Valley of Mines, or the Brotherhood of the Sleeper who put their faith in a mysterious new deity – the dark world of Gothic 1 Remake will soon be yours to explore.

Way of the Hunter: Lintukoto Reserve

For the second year in a row, we’ve released a DLC for Way of the Hunter on the same day as our Digital Showcase. 

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Whereas last year we took the hunt to lush African grasslands, today’s release will let you explore a stunningly-realized Scandinavian landscape populated with lynx, arctic foxes, and a range of other unique wildlife, all with their own realistic behaviors.

Wander through vast magical forests that shimmer under gentle rain, sprawling meadows teeming with life, and snowy hilltops that inspired folklore of ages past. With each tranquil moment that passes in this fictionalized Scandinavian wilderness, so lovingly sculpted by the team at Nine Rocks Games, your harmony with your surroundings increases.

Way of the Hunter: Lintukoto Reserve is out now on PS5.

A new tale from Tarsier Studios

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From the creators of Little Nightmares I & II comes an entirely new vision, unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Find out more at Gamescom Opening Night Live, Tuesday August 20, 11am PT/8pm CEST.   

Of course, it wouldn’t be the THQ Nordic Digital Showcase without just one more thing to tantalize you as we close out the stream…

The future of Darksiders

The ominous rumble of a chamber impossibly old. Scorching ash suspended in the air, spewed forth by roiling lava. 

Three colossal stone heads, suddenly set ablaze with otherworldly flames. The Charred Council awake, and roar a single word in unison: Horseman.

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We’ll have more news to share on where the world of Darksiders is going soon, but for now, know this… the Four Horsemen will ride again.

That’s it for the THQ Nordic Digital Showcase 2024! From all of us at THQ Nordic, as well as our dev partners spread around the world – thank you so much for joining us. We can’t wait to share more with you on each of these titles in the near future and see you soon in our digital worlds.

Last week, we asked you to share moments when game characters find themselves playing a game using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

lovers_nero shares Leon racking up the points in the shooting gallery from Resident Evil 4 Remake.

MrioMoreno5 shares Joel watching as Ellie stops to admire an arcade deck in The Last of Us Part I.

vp_louie shares Tim Drake spending some time at an arcade game in Gotham Knights.

Lny_Trpr_EE7 shares a game of dominoes being played across Abigail in Red Dead Redemption 2.

WarDaddyPlatine shares May and Cody about to journey across a ball pit in It Takes Two.

secondcapture shares Gary riding a mechanical bull-type machine in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

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: Running
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on August 7, 2024

Next week, we’re stretching our legs and going for a run. Share moments where your favorite characters are running in the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

They say you can’t start a fire without a spark…

Well, Helldivers, we’re about to spark a galactic-scale inferno. Your new Premium Warbond is deploying to all active patriots on 8 August – codename Freedom’s Flame.*

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Incinerate everything standing in your path with new weaponry almost too hot to handle; survive the heat of battle with lifesaving armor; and burn brightly across the cosmos with fresh emotes, capes, and skins.

Right now, swarms of disgusting bugs and packs of mechanized monstrosities are invading innocent worlds.

Stop them… destroy them… cremate them.

Let’s cook, Helldivers. Light it up in the name of liberty!

Firepower

Primary:

SG-451 Cookout
Burn, baby, burn! A pump action shotgun that unleashes a burst of incendiary phosphorus pellets at your helpless enemies.

FLAM-66 Torcher
A lightweight flamethrower shooting pressurized fuel through a nozzle into a roaring, open flame. Sounds safe. It isn’t. Watch where you’re standing.

Secondary:

P-72 Crisper
A flamethrower that fits in your pocket for the Helldiver on the go! What will those guys think of next? This lovely compact handgun projects a jet of freedom flames over short distances.

Booster:

Fiery Drop – Firebomb Hellpods
Scorch the earth (and anything else) below as you touch down with attitude and ignite the dropsite.

Armor:

I-09 Heatseeker
Proudly display the burnished blood-red plates that were forged in righteous fire, like the heroes they were wrought to protect — a true vision of democracy.

I-102 Draconaught
Ah, there’s nothing quite like those satisfying screeches as the enemies of freedom burn. Enjoy it all in this 14-cm sheathed silica fiber foam armor with an exclusive tube-to-ear feature.

Armor Passive
Inflammable! Enjoy 75% damage resistance to fire as you run head-first into danger like the unstoppable legend your mum said you’d be.

Title: Fire Safety Officer
You can now call yourself a Fire Safety Officer. Doesn’t come with a certificate.

Skin: Safety Orange
Repaint your Shuttle, Hellpod, and Exosuit in striking Safety Orange.

Capes & Cards

Purifying Eclipse
A heartfelt tribute to the Liberation of Choepessa IV in the First Galactic War, in which so much orbital ordnance was detonated that its sun was occluded by ash for an entire lunar cycle.

The Breach
The final mission of the 361^st Freedom’s Flame saw this storied unit deploy into the heart of a Supervolcano in a mission of heroic sacrifice. Triggering a huge eruption, this act of incredible bravery wiped out a massive Terminid swarm. As documented in the bestselling graphic novel ‘The Breach,’ it is available at all good book shops on Super Earth.

Emotes

Big Stretch, Deep Reflection, and Thoracic Collision Exultation Manoeuvre Co-emote. If you’re going to win. Win in style.

Freedom’s Flame is rolling out to your Destroyer’s Acquisitions panel on 8 August.

So ramp up the temperature to fry up some tasty justice, served with a side order of delicious grilled democracy.
Tonight, we dine – and dive – in hell.

See you planetside.

*Requires base game, paid purchase of Super Credits, and game progression to unlock. PSN account required.

Hi everyone! It’s a pleasure to be back here to make another Astro Bot-related reveal.

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If you have been following Astro news as of late, then you know Team Asobi have been hard at work on a brand-new game coming out on September 6. The game features over 50 planets, new powerups, lots of enemies, secrets and PlayStation-infused characters to collect. And it also features a DualSense wireless controller turned into a living character and helping Astro on his mission.

Today, it is an immense pleasure to announce that you will be able to charge into Astro’s new supersized adventure along with the cool new DualSense wireless controller – Astro Bot Limited Edition.

We know many of you were hoping for this after seeing the game trailer. So, we quickly asked our lovely bots to engineer this beauty and tada! No, no, I’m just kidding; it had been in the making for some time, carefully crafted by the amazing teams at SIE. And what splendid work they did.

The controller’s design features Astro’s signature blue accents on the handles and buttons, carved-in, sci-fi lines as well as the trademark playful pair of eyes on the touch pad.  It is a true work of art, and we could not be happier with the end-result at Team Asobi. 

With this dynamic addition to your set-up, a supersized space adventure awaits… 

The DualSense wireless controller – Astro Bot Limited Edition will be available in limited quantity in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam for SGD 114 / MYR 399 / IDR 1,449,000 / THB 2,690 / PHP 4,590 / VND 2,299,000 and will launch on September 6, day-in-date with the launch of Astro Bot

Pre-orders will be available through local retailers starting from Friday, August 9, 2024.

I will take this chance to summarize some of the cool things this new Astro Bot game does with the DualSense wireless controller

First, as many of you expect from an Astro game, you can feel the surfaces that Astro runs and slides on, from grass, sand, metal to more squishy textures or water. That was already the case with Astro’s Playroom, but we have increased the number of textures you can feel through the controller.

Next, we doubled down on the adaptive triggers combined with haptic feedback, by tying them tightly to Astro’s new powers. For example, when using Barkster, the bulldog Jetpack, you can feel the thruster ratting against your finger in synch with the animation, giving a very dynamic and immersive feeling. Every new power up has been given that same special treatment so you will be able to experience various expressions through your fingers.

Finally, given the number of enemies and boss battles we added to this new adventure, it was important to work on battle and impacts by combining all of the above. Whether it’s stretching, pounding or pummeling hard surfaces, there are many new types of impacts that can be experienced in Astro Bot. 

And of course, we could not finish this post without mentioning the Dual Speeder, one of Astro’s most recurrent gadgets, allowing him to fly into various planets. The Dual Speeder makes full use of motion control, adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. Here is a piece of very early concept art and how it looks in the final game.

That’s all from us! We’ll be back soon for more news around Astro Bot. Until then, please tell us in the comments what you think of this cool DualSense wireless controller – Astro Bot Limited Edition!

Astro Bot is out on PS5 on September 6, we are waiting for you all to join Astro for his first big new adventure.

Team Asobi out.