Category: PlayStation

It’s been nearly one month since the release of Monster Hunter Wilds on PlayStation 5! Thank you to all hunters around the world for your incredible support. Whether you’re a series veteran with many hunts under your belt, or started your hunting journey with Wilds, we hope you’ve been enjoying making your way through the game and putting in many hours of hunts in High Rank, long after the credits have rolled.

Today, we’re excited to share what’s next for Monster Hunter Wilds by taking the wraps off of the game’s first Free Title Update: 

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The graceful Leviathan Mizutsune makes its way to the Wilds

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Equal parts dazzling and dangerous, Mizutsune moves almost as if it’s dancing, and skillfully attacks foes with debilitating bubbles. Get your gear ready to take on this returning monster for the first time in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Mizutsune also comes with stylish new armor sets to forge for your hunter and Palico.

An eight-star Tempered Mizutsune will also appear.

To start the Mizutsune hunt, talk to Kanya in the Scarlet Forest Base Camp at Hunter Rank (HR)21 or above.

Arch-tempered Rey Dau appears in an Event Quest

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Currently, Tempered monsters present the highest threat in Monster Hunter Wilds. That all changes with Free Title Update 1, as an even more powerful Arch-tempered monster will arrive to test your skills. Take on Arch-tempered Rey Dau at HR 50 or above, when it arrives in an Event Quest on Tuesday, April 30.

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New Rey Dau γ (gamma) and Felyne Rey Dau γ (gamma) sets will be available to forge by hunting Arch-tempered Rey Dau.

Make sure to prepare your gear and polish up your skills until then, so you’re ready for this new challenge.

Take on Zoh Shia once more

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The fearsome Zoh Shia returns in High Rank with Free Title Update 1. Previously, hunters could only fight Zoh Shia one time during the story, but now the quest can be attempted repeatedly. After the update arrives on April 4, a new mission will appear for hunters that have reached HR 50 and above.

Complete it to take on the Zoh Shia quest by selecting in the Environment Overview. Zoh Shia can also seldomly appear and be made into a quest during the Wyvern’s Wakening in the Ruins of Wyveria. 

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And of course, materials from Zoh Shia can be used to forge brand-new High Rank hunter and Palico equipment.

Gather around in a new locale: The Grand Hub

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Welcome to the Grand Hub, a new social space for hunters to interact with one another, communicate, and participate in fun activities unique to this new locale. The Grand Hub has long served as a place of worship for the people of Suja. At night, you might catch the Diva occasionally singing in offering, so be sure to listen in.

Hunters, let’s go bowling. Roll barrel bombs into targets in the new Barrel Bowling mini-game, available at the Grand Hub. Earn a score based on your rolls and win useful items and pendants for your hunts. Play using Barrel Bowling Vouchers, which can be obtained in multiple ways, such as login bonuses.  

Felynes are ready to cook up some delicious meals for you in the Grand Hub. Also, you can hang out and communicate with other hunters around the table in the Grand Hub.

The Grand Hub is accessible at Hunter Rank 16 and above by talking to Tetsuzan in Suja, the Peaks of Accord.

Once unlocked, the Squad Information Counter will move from the Windward Plains Base Camp to the Grand Hub, allowing you to manage your squads from there.

Compete for the fastest completion times in the Arena

Arena Quests make a return in Monster Hunter Wilds. These are quests where up to two hunters aim to complete a quest as fast as possible using predetermined equipment. See how your hunt time stacks up against others around the world by checking the world rankings at the Expedition Record Board.

Challenge Quests and Free Challenge Quests

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Take on special limited-time Event Quests where you can earn pendants as rewards. All participants will receive pendants; however, you can earn special pendants based on your personal time and world ranking. Like Arena Quests, Challenge Quests require predetermined equipment and are limited to two hunters. Free Challenge Quests are new to Monster Hunter Wilds and have no restrictions on equipment and for up to four players. Both types of quests can be taken on alongside Support Hunters too.

Change Alma’s outfit

An option to change Alma’s outfit will be added to the camp’s Appearance Menu.

By completing certain side missions, you will also be able to change Alma’s glasses.

A free outfit for Alma will be available, so give it a try.

Downloadable content

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An outfit for Alma’s outfit and classic Monster Hunter series gestures will be available as free downloadable content at PlayStation Store after the release of Free Title Update 1.

Cosmetic DLC Pack 1 will also be available for download when Free Title Update 1 releases. This paid DLC will be available for owners of the Cosmetic DLC Pass, which is included in the Premium Deluxe Edition or can be purchased separately.

Seasonal event Festival of Accord: Blossomdance

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April 23 – May 7, take part in the Festival of Accord: Blossomdance in the Grand Hub. During seasonal events, the decor and food in the Grand Hub will change, and you can obtain limited equipment, gestures, and pop-up camp decorations.

That wraps up the major content additions for this first Free Title Update. In addition to what we’ve shared above, the update will include some fixes and adjustments. We’re also planning to release another update in May featuring a collaboration with another Capcom game and other additional features.

Free Title Update 2 will arrive this summer, so stay tuned for more details to come. In the meantime, enjoy this small tease of what awaits you. Happy Hunting!

There’s more to being a Hobbit than fleeing for your life and trying to survive increasingly hostile environments. This is why Wētā Workshop invites you to a taste of adventure that’s a little more… wholesome. I had a cozy chat with Stephen Lambert, Tales of the Shire: A Lord of The Rings Game creative director, to dig a bit deeper into why this particular Hobbit hole will feel like a home away from home when it launches on PS5 on July 29.

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How would you describe the main pillars of gameplay in Tales of the Shire?

Stephen Lambert: So much of the game is about community. We’ve got four main areas that we focus on while living your idyllic life as a Hobbit: how you spend your time cooking, gardening, fishing, and doing peaceful activities.

The other aspect is exploring by water, so looking around the environment and discovering little secret moments and lovely little glades and areas to hang out within the world.

And then there are obviously the tales within the community. So getting to meet new people and help them along their journeys.

How important is relationship building in terms of progression?

It’s pretty important. Every thread of the story is going to help you not only expand what’s available to you as a player, but also broaden the depth of the characters and storylines. But you can explore the game at your own pace. So you can either dive deep into those stories or just live out your own little life along the side. It’s all about enhancing your feeling of peace and tranquillity.

Can you go into more detail about the game’s shared meals?

With meals being a central part of Hobbit life, it was really important to be central to our game. You’ve got to find a new recipe, grow ingredients or go to the market for them, or fish or forage for them. And then you’ve got to go through the process of cooking, and that’s not just a case of putting the ingredients together. It’s how much of something you add, how much you stir it, and how much seasoning you add that adds characteristics to the food.

You want to make sure your food is to your guests’ taste, because the closer you get to their peculiarities the more you’ll please them and build stronger relationships. And like in the real world, the act of actually having food together helps build community. So presenting the food and enjoying it with people is huge. One of our 3D artists who modeled a lot of the meals used to work as a chef so they’re all beautifully plated up.

Can you describe the decorating system and highlight what inspired the grid-less placement system?

The biggest thing about Hobbit holes is they’re not really square or rigid shapes. Everything’s kind of curved and a bit more organic, so the idea of having something that goes on a grid just didn’t fit. It just made sense to build something that allows for a huge amount of expression, to be able to tinker with things and put them in exactly how you want. You can put things on top of tables, and on top of or in bookshelves, and then move those things around together. It’s about freedom of expression, more than anything.

How have Tolkien’s works inspired some of the choices made in terms of gameplay?

We really wanted what we made to fit within Tolkien’s world, so we positioned it just after The Hobbit and before the events of The Lord of the Rings. Our artists spent a lot of time researching the families, events, and histories of what was written and weaving everything they could into that particular framework.

The other thing was creating sort of Hobbit-sized problems in a Hobbit-sized world. It’s fun trying to think of those small-town problems that cause conflict and drive their story forward.

What were the sort of challenges that you faced in creating a game in such a beloved IP?

It’s hugely intimidating, but it’s also quite exciting to take on a world like this. The beauty of the written word in books is where your imagination takes things. My imagination obviously took me in a different way with some things, and it’s lovely to be able to kind of explore different directions.

How do you want players to feel when they’re playing the game themselves, whether they’re fans, or not as familiar with The Lord of the Rings?

I very much wanted the storyline to carry itself. We didn’t want you to have to be a Tolkien fan to enjoy it, even though there are lots of references. This game was very much born out of the COVID period, a world that was so full of stress and anxiety. We wanted our game to be that place of peace and relaxation. Hence, The Shire meets a cozy game. We felt a strong idea centered around cooking and community felt the best match for that theme.

 Is there anything in particular that you’d like players to pay attention to in the game?

[We spent] a lot of time putting in lots of little easter eggs, details, and researching the history of the world. So it’s very subtle, but one of the things we really focused on is worldbuilding. You might be given an asset to design or an artifact, and it’s not just about making it look interesting – it’s about who owned this? Where did it come from? How was it made? What was the world like when it was made? You start asking so many questions about what goes into making and creating a final object so that it feels grounded, and we wanted to apply that same methodology to what we did.

What was your favorite moment in developing the game itself?

The IP is such a huge part of my childhood because it inspired my love of goblins, dragons, and all those kinds of things. So that’s what’s brought me here. To get a chance to put my own spin on things and have a heavy influence on a new take on that world has been hugely satisfying.

It’s really important to us to make something that we felt Tolkien would be happy with. He’s been quoted as saying he wanted other hearts and minds to add to his world like a real mythology, and we wanted to be part of that.

Last week, we asked you to focus your lens on the various monsters of Monster Hunter Wilds using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

shimo_ps shares their hunter taking on an Arkveld in the desert

xenobitz shares a Lala Barina in the dark forest

SyrenSigh shares a slimy Nu Udra

Lny_Trpr_EE7 shares an angry long-horned Rey Dau

Photoingame shares a Guardian Rathalos

LeeeshP shares a Arkveld attacking in a cave

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: Assassin’s Creed Shadows
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 26, 2025 

Next week, leap into Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and share epic moments of Naoe and Yasuke exploring feudal Japan using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Hello, Rovers! I’m excited to share new information on upcoming Wuthering Waves content on behalf of the entire dev team. Cross-platform open-world ARPG Wuthering Waves has been live on PS5, with support for data-sharing across PS5, PC, and mobile devices, offering a seamless gaming experience on different platforms. With the new version 2.2 Tangled Truth in Inverted Tower set to launch on March 26, the game will introduce new characters, maps, gameplays, and more content—plus, players will receive a free 5-Star weapon as a reward for completing the Main Quest.

New main quest: Venture into Avinoleum to unveil the truth behind Cartethyia and Sentinel

In reflection on the story of version 2.0, the mysterious girl Cartethyia and the missing Imperator harbor deep secrets that remain to be uncovered. The upcoming version 2.2 will feature the new Main Quests: The Maiden, The Defier, and The Death Crier. This adventure kicks off at Beohr Waters, located behind Porto-Veno Castle, and leads Rover to an inverted region in mid-air known as Avinoleum—an exploration that uncovers the past. The history of Rinascita and the truth about Sentinel will gradually come to light within this inverted seminary. During the quest, rovers can obtain the 5-Star Sword Bloodpact’s Pledge for free.

New Resonator-Cantarella & Rover: Aero

The new 5-Star Resonator Cantarella, known as the 36th Lead of the Fisalia family, will debut in version 2.2. As a Havoc Resonator armed with a Rectifier, she embodies the deep-sea and poisonous themes that define her family. In combat, Cantarella wields her umbrella, launching attacks with the aid of highly toxic jellyfish. Her unique attack method allows her to gather a special energy Trance. Once she harnesses this energy, executing heavy attacks on the ground can trigger the Mirage state, creating a surreal effect reminiscent of an underwater realm. When Cantarella consumes her Forte Gauge for attacks against foes, she can heal all team members. When certain conditions are met, her Resonance Skill can hinder enemy movement. Upon activating Resonance Liberation, she can carry out coordinated attacks for an extended duration, while her Outro Skill amplifies damage for both Havoc and Resonance Skills for the incoming Resonators.

In version 2.2, following Spectro and Havoc, Rover will unlock a new attribute: Aero. Rover: Aero can conjure a one-handed sword, swiftly maneuver through the air, and strike their foes. Upon meeting specific conditions, Rover’s aerial attacks can also heal the entire team. Aero Rover can unleash Resonance Skill while airborne, and transform all Negative Status effects on enemies into Aero Erosion Effect. Activating the Outro Skill further increases the maximum stacks of Aero Erosion Effect. When Rover builds up enough energy during battle, they can summon a massive sword to crash down from the sky onto their target. After releasing Resonance Liberation, Rover will inflict Aero Damage on enemies while simultaneously healing all teammates.

New Companion Story: Cantarella – A Fleeting Night’s Dream

Cantarella’s Companion Story, A Fleeting Night’s Dream, will also become available in version 2.2. In this tale, a mysterious letter from the Ghost Girl guides Rover to a celebration—Night of Remembrance, taking place in Egla Town. Here, a girl in a red hat will unveil the hidden past tucked away in Porto-Veno Castle. Join Cantarella as we journey to the Sea of Ghosts, lifting the veil on the untold story waiting to be discovered.

New map, new gameplay

As the story unfolds, Rover will journey to a new region—Avinoleum. Once celebrated as the most magnificent seminary in Ragunna, it now towers towards the heavens alongside Sentinel, nearly out of reach. This area still bears the scars of the past, with countless Tacet Discords lingering from the Dark Tide outbreak. To protect against these Tacet Discords and prevent the Dark Tide from descending from above, the gravity in this region has been entirely reversed, with the dome now facing down toward the ground.

Rover will face new gameplay challenges, including Gravity Adjustment, while delving deep into the Avinoleum. This area is home to numerous Gravity Calibrators, and as long as they are activated, players can alter the direction of gravity.

In the year 2024, Wuthering Waves reached the milestone of 30 million downloads worldwide in the first month of its official release, garnering numerous accolades, including PS Blog’s Players’ Choice. This is just the beginning.

Following the game’s launch on the PS5, we’re striving through unremitting efforts to bring thrilling content to players worldwide. Version 2.2 will live on March 26—Rovers, embark on the adventure into the inverted tower with Cartethyia and Cantarella to uncover the hidden truth and Rinascita’s untold past.

Slender: The Arrival VR by developer Blue Isle Studios is the unholy union of a horror phenomenon and an innovative gaming peripheral. Together, they deliver a holistic horror experience to players looking for a game that can shake them to their core. 

On May 13, Slender: The Arrival VR will utilize the platform-defining features and capabilities of PS VR2 to summon the horror icon in its most terrifying incarnation yet — and I’m excited to share what makes this upcoming release the best way to experience our title!

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Immersed in virtual terror

It’s been over a decade since the release of the original Slender: The Arrival, and the 10th Anniversary Update significantly enhanced the graphics and elevated the overall gameplay experience. Every shadow, every model, and every hair-raising encounter with the mysterious Slender Man was rendered in stunning detail using the latest Unreal Engine 5 technologies. Slender: The Arrival VR remains true to the original game while adapting elements to the full-scale immersion VR.

The PS VR2 is a groundbreaking peripheral, and it allowed us to enhance the strengths of Slender: The Arrival further. Atmospheric, gameplay, and audiovisual stimulation combine to transport the player to another dimension.

A key part of the Slender: The Arrival VR experience is the feedback received when The Slender Man is in your area. The detailed haptic feedback in the PSVR2 Sense controllers won’t be the only way you feel Slender Man’s presence, as the PS VR2 headset vibration feedback makes it seem like he dwells within the player’s own mind.

Oh, and the vibration function isn’t reserved for Slenderman. There are other enemies to fear in Slender: The Arrival VR.

With all these new additions and more, The Slender Man’s presence is more eerie and intimidating than ever before. Knowing that he is nearby is scary enough in flatscreen, but in VR, he can appear anywhere in your field of vision. Sound queues are also more realistic and immediate, adding to the immersion and tangible sense of gnawing dread.

A Slender reimagining

Slender: The Arrival VR features all of the new additions included in the 10th Anniversary update, from the enhanced visuals to the brand-new storyline and characters.

The team has also implemented a range of VR accessibility options so that all players who want to step into the world of Slender: The Arrival VR can do so comfortably. There’s a bespoke interactive menu for VR and multiple comfort settings, including standing/seating modes, snap and continuous movement, and sensitivity sliders.

The Slender Man is a paranormal icon that has long terrified the curious-minded worldwide. It stands tall (really tall, actually) alongside long-established horror mainstays. Similarly, the original Slender: The Arrival remains the official, proven, and definitive adaptation of The Slender Man to the gaming world. 

By expanding and deepening its gameplay with the PS VR2 headset, we’ve provided players with a unique and engaging experience that creates a more intimate connection with the world they explore — something arguably most important… and frightening… in the survival-horror genre that they will get to experience on May 13.

We’re just a few weeks away from The Last of Us Part II Remastered arriving on PC on April 3, and we here at Naughty Dog wanted to make sure players were prepared for the journey ahead. Whether it’s your first time experiencing Ellie and Abby’s acclaimed stories, or you’ve previously played and are excited to jump in via a new format, we have plenty of quality-of-life features and even new content in store.

PC features detailed

The PC version of The Last of Us Part II Remastered brings with it all the improvements and new features added in the PlayStation 5 version released in 2024, such as the roguelike survival mode No Return, Guitar Free Play, and hours of developer commentary.

And in partnership with our friends at Nixxes Software and Iron Galaxy, Part II Remastered has been brought to PC with plenty of PC-centric quality-of-life features that further bring the snow-covered mountains of Jackson, Wyoming, and the rainswept streets of Seattle, Washington to beautiful life.

This version of The Last of Us Part II Remastered is optimized for PC with:

• Nvidia DLSS 3 Super Resolution support¹
• AMD FSR 3.1 and AMD FSR 4 support with upscaling and frame generation¹
• VSync and framerate cap options, including an uncapped framerate option²
• DirectStorage support, and more. 

It has been developed with features designed specifically for PC, including:

• Adjustable Texture Quality
• LOD Distance Range
• Volumetric Quality
• Shadow Quality
• Ambient Occlusion
• Reflections Quality
• and more

The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC will feature support for Ultrawide monitors³, so players will be able to take in the stunning vistas of Jackson and the harsh streets of Seattle with gameplay supported in 21:9 ultra-wide, 32:9 super ultra-wide and even 48:9 resolutions with compatibility for triple-monitor setups. 

And take in every chapter of Ellie and Abby’s journeys in stunning 4K resolution² while playing either via various supported controllers as well as keyboard and mouse controls. And immerse yourself in the story with 3D audio surrounding you in every tense moment of action and each quiet scene of exploration.⁴

Keyboard and mouse control support includes a host of new control customization options, like full control remapping, primary and secondary bindings for keyboard and mouse control, an adaptive mode that allows players to combine keyboard and controller inputs, and more. Part II Remastered on PC will feature full gamepad support, while DualSense controllers are supported and feature full haptic feedback⁵.

As our team and partners have been hard at work on this version, we’ll also be introducing a host of bug fixes and various improvements to offer as smooth a play experience as possible.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC offers a wide range of graphics settings and presets, to ensure the best possible experience on hardware ranging from high-end PCs to handheld gaming devices. Below you’ll find an overview of recommended specifications for a variety of graphics presets.

New No Return content

Additionally, coming at launch for The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC will be a host of new content for our fan-favorite No Return mode. Two new characters are being introduced for the mode – The Last of Us Part I’s Bill and Marlene. Like with each No Return combatant, these characters offer their own unique playstyles, and should offer both new and returning fans an exciting new opportunity to test their mettle. Bill is a “Smuggler” playstyle who can access a custom pump shotgun from dead drops, and receives double rewards from drops as well. He’s stronger against melee attacks but can’t dodge. Marlene, meanwhile, features a “Risk Taker” playstyle that includes a Custom Assault Rifle, “All or Nothing” gambits, can reroute her No Return path once per run, and more.

Four new maps have also been added to No Return. Overlook, which is set high above the city of Seattle and features plenty of verticality, is the memorable site of a Seraphites encounter in the campaign. School is, during the campaign, the abandoned elementary school in which Ellie and Dina face off against the W.L.F. Streets is set in the overgrown Seattle neighborhood of Hillcrest, while Nest will be familiar to players who have played as Abby through an Infected-infested building. We’ve been so overjoyed about the reaction to this mode since Part II Remastered debuted on PS5 last year, and we hope these new maps further offer more variability and thrills as players tackle new runs.

Speaking of PlayStation 5 players, fear not – this new No Return content, as well as accompanying new Trophies and additional bug fixes – will be available day-and-date with the PC launch via a free downloadable 2.0.0 patch.⁶

PlayStation Network log-in bonuses

Last but not least, Part II Remastered on PC will support PlayStation overlay and PSN Trophies with an optional account for PlayStation Network log-in. 

While not required, those on PC who do sign in with their account for PlayStation Network will also gain access to 50 in-game points to activate bonus features, as well as a new skin for Ellie featuring Jordan A. Mun’s jacket from our new game in development for PS5, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. 

Get a first look at the skin below:

PS5 players will also be able to unlock the Jordan’s jacket skin, as it will be included in the 2.0 patch and unlockable via in-game bonus points.

We can’t wait for PC players to experience this incredible journey, and for both PC and PS5 players to enjoy our new suite of content in just a few weeks. For now, you can pre-purchase The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store ahead of the April 3 release. 

¹Compatible PC and display device required.
²Compatible TV or display device required.
³Compatible PC and graphics card required.
⁴3D audio via built-in TV speakers or analogue/USB stereo headphones. Setup required.
⁵Wired connection required to experience the full range of in-game DualSense controller features.
⁶Internet connection required.

The Gran Turismo World Series 2025 is set to be a classic with a live events calendar that includes London, Berlin, Los Angeles, and culminates with World Finals in Fukuoka, Japan in December.

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Anyone with a copy of Gran Turismo 7, an internet connection, and a PlayStation Plus membership can compete to try and qualify for a place (subject to eligibility criteria) at the thrilling Gran Turismo World Series international events, where they will race in front of an in-person and global broadcast audience.

Players can sign up in Sport mode in Gran Turismo for the Nations Cup – racing to represent your home country or territory – and/or the Manufacturers Cup, racing for your favourite manufacturer.

The action gets underway with the Online Qualifiers, starting with:

• Manufacturers Cup – Wednesday, April 2 to Saturday, April 19
• Nations Cup – Wednesday, April 23 to Saturday, May 10 

The calendar for the Gran Turismo World Series 2025 live events is as follows:

Round 1 – London, UK | Saturday, 7 June
Round 2 – Berlin, Germany | Saturday, 20 September
Round 3 – Los Angeles, USA | Saturday, 8 November
World Finals – Fukuoka, Japan | Saturday, 20 and Sunday, 21 December 

All the live events will be open to the public and details of how to buy tickets will be posted on the Gran Turismo website and social channels. Full details of the Gran Turismo World Series 2025 and how to get involved can be found here. A more in-depth look at the rules and a link to the terms and conditions can be found here.

Fans unable to attend the live events won’t miss any of the action, with each round set to be broadcast live on https://www.gran-turismo.com/world/live/ and https://www.youtube.com/@GRANTURISMOTV .

A fantastic 2024 season saw Team Lexus, comprising Spain’s Coque López, Kanata Kawakami of Japan, and Chilean Harald Walsen (who stepped in to replace the absent Igor Fraga of Brazil), crowned Manufacturers Cup Champions at the World Finals in Amsterdam. Japanese driver Takuma Miyazono re-took the Nations Cup crown that he last won in 2020 with a masterful performance in front of a sell-out crowd.

The action in 2025 should be no less exciting and will be watched closely by Gran Turismo World Series partners Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), Mazda, Brembo, and Fanatec.

A new year is filled with new possibilities for games, and the indie scene is a great place for innovation to thrive. Today, we showcased five indie titles coming to PlayStation, revealing release dates, updates, and a surprise or two.

Forever Skies | Coming to PS5 April 14

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Far From Home showcased some new co-op gameplay for Forever Skies, along with the official release date. Survive the skies with your friends and brave new worlds filled with threats that desire to halt  your progress. Players who pre-order now will be gifted with the Supporter Pack DLC and 72-hour early access.

The studio digs further into the game’s co-op in a new PS Blog post.

The Knightling | Coming to PS5 August 28

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For those looking for a classic adventure of a hero’s journey, The Knightling is here to scratch that itch. We were introduced to the mysterious land of Cornered Bosk in the new trailer to celebrate its summer release date. A sprawling forest with a giant whirlpool in the middle that is swallowing everything. Can you become the knight you’re meant to be in this tale from Twirlbound? 

See the type of enemies you will encounter and the abilities of legendary shield Magnustego.

Possessor(s) | Coming to PS5 later this year 

Enter the dystopian ruins of Sanzu City in Possessor(s) as you fight to survive as a human who is possessed by a demon. The pair attempts to form a symbiotic relationship to survive this hellscape, finding themselves in battle with other demonic hybrids. This fast-paced action side-scroller from Heart Machine blends high stakes and art. 

Check out the studio’s deep dive into combat.

Ruffy and the Riverside | Coming to PS5 June 26

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Learn the origins of the magical Swap ability and see how swapping textures in Ruffy and the Riverside changes how you approach platforming and combat in this completely hand-drawn world. Zockrates Laboratories adventurous bear will hit the ground swapping this June. 

Learn how to use the Swap ability to fight enemies and explore the world.

Skate Story | Coming to PS5  

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This labor of love by sole developer Sam Eng, Skate Story is coming to PlayStation. To mark the announcement, they’ve shared a new gameplay trailer, which shows the demon made of glass you’ll play as shred through obstacles in the Underworld on their quest to consume the moon. Be prepared to meet a cast of zany characters and sell your soul for the best board. 

Get to know your board and how to combat bosses.

We hope you enjoyed this preview of upcoming indie titles coming to PlayStation and look forward to more updates, news, and surprises in the future.

When Lunar debuted in North America in 1993, it was a standout in the emerging Western market for Japanese RPGs. Lunar featured detailed, animated cinematic cutscenes, plenty of voice acting, high-quality music, and–most importantly–an endearing story packed with engaging and memorable characters. While it wasn’t the first CD-ROM-based JRPG to hit the market, it was one that left a powerful impact on everyone who played it.

A sequel, two PlayStation remakes, a PSP outing and more further broadened the audience for Lunar. More than 30 years after the series’ debut, Lunar and Lunar 2 are coming back to the realm of PlayStation with the Lunar Remastered Collection. To give some insight into what makes the Lunar games special–and to stir fond memories among longtime fans–we talked to Matthias Pergams, Producer over at GungHo Online Entertainment America.

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Silver Standard 

“LUNAR was one of the first JRPGs on the CD-ROM format, with animated cutscenes, in-game voice acting, and even an opening theme song,” Pergams explains. “The series gained a dedicated following both within and outside Japan, paving the way for the genre as a whole. It’s a work that has a unique historical significance.”

The original Lunar has been remade and re-released a few times for various platforms (along with Lunar 2, to a lesser degree), so we were curious as to why the PlayStation “Complete” versions of the two games were chosen as the base for the remasters. “Each version is different and possesses unique merits, so we actually struggled quite a bit with this question. Ultimately, the choice came down to which version we felt represented the series best. For us, it was the PlayStation version”. 

As this is a “Remaster” rather than a “Remake,” we were wondering if there were any major gameplay or story changes that players familiar with the original games would notice. “The overall story and gameplay will remain the same as the original release,” Pergams assured us. “We feel that the original still holds up today, and wanted to preserve the gameplay as it was envisioned by original developer GAME ARTS. We have added a variety of quality-of-life features to make gameplay smoother, such as an adjustable Battle Speed-Up option in both games, a toggleable option for a unified inventory system in Lunar 1 designed to simplify the item management process, and also the ability to customize the behavior of individual character AI during Lunar 1’s battles.”

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“In this Remaster Collection, we have prepared a Classic Mode for fans who prefer to play the game with the dots as they were back in the day – an environment where you can play the game with almost the same graphics as in the PlayStation 2 era. We have also prepared a CRT filter for this mode, which we hope fans will try and see.” – Matthias Pergams

Remastered Luster

So what is new and improved in this remaster? “The most visible changes are the graphical updates, which include remastered graphics, in-game effects, UI, animated cutscenes, bromides (in-game collectible card items), and more. Perhaps the biggest feature is the new aspect ratio, as we’ve expanded the size of the screen to accommodate that of modern TVs. All the above features are in the “Remastered Mode.” The other is “Classic Mode”, which allows users to play the games with the graphics of the original PlayStation version.

One major topic of discussion among longtime Lunar fans is the voice acting. When the announcement post went up here on the PlayStation Blog, it was revealed that there would be an all-new cast. How did the team select the new voices? “Our priority when recording was making sure that we preserved the identity of each character through their new voice actors. We considered how we wanted each character to sound. Once we locked that down, we started looking at voice actors who were close to that, and then selected them based on how well they captured what we were envisioning. The end product is something we’re proud of.” 

“We also had all the vocal songs in Lunar 1 and 2 sung by the voice actresses of Luna and Lucia respectively, which we modeled after the original Japanese version of the game,” Pergams noted.

“We asked Mr Iwadare to write a new song for this piece. The song is called ‘Looking up at TERRA’. It is used in the game selection screen, so I hope fans will listen to it.” – Matthias Pergams

The famous cutscenes are getting a touch-up, too. “One of the key features of Lunar is the animated cutscenes, so we took a great deal of care with them during the remastering process. The original scenes still hold up well today, so our main goal in remastering was to touch them up for modern audiences, rather than change the content itself. We think the results speak for themselves!”

All of these updates and changes were done with the blessing and supervision of the original staff. “Throughout development we frequently consulted GAME ARTS, the original development studio, and incorporated their feedback,” explains Pergams. “We also consulted other development staff, including the original composer, scenario writer, and character designer. Their input has been invaluable in maintaining the spirit of the original games during the remastering process.”

One such individual who revisited Lunar for this remaster is famed character designer Toshiyuki Kubooka. The team originally weren’t sure if he would be on board. “He’s extremely busy these days, so when we first reached out to him, we didn’t know if he’d accept our offer! But he was kind enough to draw not just one, but a total of three completely new art pieces for the game.”

View and download image

View and download image

View and download image

Pergams also passed along a message from Kubooka-sensei to fans. “At first, I was surprised because it’d been a while since I’d worked on anything for Lunar, but I was really happy to have the chance to draw the cast again. Drawing them felt like meeting up with old friends again, so I had fun doing it. The art took longer than I expected, which inconvenienced everyone at Gungho America, but they were very transparent and cooperative so I’m grateful to them as well.”

New frontiers

Lunar was well-loved in North America and Japan, but–aside from the aforementioned PSP release–Lunar’s presence in Europe was nonexistent. We asked Pergams about releasing Lunar 1 and 2 Complete in Europe for the first time, and if they have anything they would like to say to players thinking about trying these games for the first time. “First and foremost, thank you for considering the Lunar series! I think the core ethos of the series can be summed up in one word: ‘Adventure’. I believe the Lunar series captures the essence of the classic adventure, in which you set out into an unknown world, meet trustworthy friends, defeat evil, and find true love. All adventures are valid and worth having, but there’s something nostalgic and unforgettable about the one Lunar provides.”

To finish things off, we wanted to see if Pergams had any advice for new players. “Don’t be afraid to use items! In many games, it can feel like a mistake to spend hard-earned money on temporary items rather than on permanent upgrades like weapons. However, items—particularly recovery items—can make a world of difference in a tough boss fight. We also recommend trying out the games’ Auto Battle system, alongside the new Battle Speed-Up option, for smooth progression. However you decide to play, we hope you enjoy the Lunar games!”