Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 update adds New Game Plus and new suits on March 7

We cannot explain to you how grateful we have been for everyone who has picked up Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 over the holiday season. Everyone here at Insomniac Games is proud of the game, and we’re very excited to share details with you about the major title update that will hit your PS5 console on March 7

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 version 1.002 will bring New Game+ to the game. We know many of you have been eager to replay the game on a harder difficulty, with all your suits and abilities carrying over. Or perhaps you want to just replay a favorite mission or two – you can do that, too! And there’s more to unlock – with Ultimate Levels, Golden Gadget styles, and more!

Speaking of styles: we’ve added suit styles for several of Peter’s symbiote story suits in the game, allowing you to further customize your look if you play and unlock them via New Game+ Ultimate Levels. And yes, you’ll be able to set which color your symbiote abilities are as well. But we couldn’t just stop at new styles – we know how much you all love when we add suits with no additional cost to the game. You’re in luck – we’ve brought Marvel’s Hellfire Gala suits to the game for both Peter and Miles. Peter sports the design created by Russell Dauterman, and Miles gets his iconic look from Bernard Chang’s gorgeous Hellfire Gala variant cover for Miles Morales: Spider-Man #8.

And you’ll want to show those looks off as much as possible with our updates to Photo Mode – including action figure mode and stickers. You’ll also be able to change the time of day once you complete the story, allowing you to get all those cool Photo Mode shots with just the right lighting. Make sure you share them with us on social by using the #InsomGamesCommunity hashtag!

This update also contains some major updates for Accessibility. We’ve added Audio Descriptions** and Screen Reader** to the game. We know that these features were highly anticipated, and we’re thankful to the community for giving us a little extra time to ensure they were polished and ready to be released. We also have additional features like Cinematic Captions and High Contrast Outlines, among several new features added to this update.


Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 update adds New Game Plus and new suits on March 7

We’re also excited to announce two new suits for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 that Insomniac Games, Marvel Games, and Gameheads have partnered to create. Early access to the Fly N’ Fresh suits will be available for $4.99. Starting March 7,2024 and continuing through April 5, 2024, PlayStation will donate $4.99 (100% of the purchase price) of each Fly N’ Fresh Suit Pack in the United States to Gameheads, up to $1 million*. We appreciate your help in supporting Gameheads’ mission of empowering low-income youth and youth of color to thrive in the video games industry. Don’t worry, we don’t plan to start charging for suits in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2; the Fly N’ Fresh Suit Pack will be available for at no additional cost to all players at a later date.

Fly N’ Fresh Suit Pack includes;

  • Fly Suit for Peter
  • Fresh Suit for Miles
  • 10 photo mode stickers
  • 2 photo mode frames

Working with Gameheads as part of our efforts to increase representation in the videogame industry is an important cause to us. Insomniac Games President Ted Price shares more in this video:


Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 update adds New Game Plus and new suits on March 7

To talk more about our collaboration with Gameheads, I sat down with Malia Atta, Insomniac’s Manager of Culture and Belonging, Damon Packwood, Director of Gameheads, and Eric Monacelli, Senior Director, Product and Franchise Development at Marvel Games for more insight.

What is Gameheads?

Damon Packwood: “We develop diverse talent and bold new voices in gaming, train students for the tech ecosystem and prepare them for college, career and civic life. We serve low-income students, and underrepresented students (ages 15-25) in 15 different states with expansions to Honolulu and Atlanta.  

What is the origin of the Gameheads and Insomniac partnership?

Malia Atta: “Gameheads has been a partner of SIE for many years; however, the partnership with Insomniac Games began when we brought on three apprentices in our Core Technology, People Experience, and Design departments. Each apprentice made meaningful contributions to the game, and we saw an awesome opportunity to support and elevate the Gameheads Mission by asking their artists to design suits for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.”

That sounds really great – what’s the goal?

Malia Atta: “The partnership benefits both Insomniac and Gameheads by providing our teams with opportunity to mentor, coach, and develop emerging talent who then infuse fresh ideas and energy into our games and culture. This partnership also makes way for more people from different backgrounds to gain access to the industry.

From a bigger picture, Insomniac Games is focused on creating a supportive, vibrant, and diverse environment that reflects our players and communities. We are currently focused on uplifting and amplifying the voices of our devs and allowing them to bring their unique voices and gifts to how we make games.”

Eric Monacelli: “Our creative collaboration with Insomniac values fostering a world of belonging via our characters in our video games. The Gameheads initiative is a real-world manifestation of this. Marvel has always been about reflecting the world outside one’s world authentically, especially in ways that make creative endeavors and Marvel storytelling more accessible, diverse, and inclusive.”

What was the process like collaborating and iterating on the suit designs?

Damon Packwood:  “We had a great time working with (Insomniac artists) Bobby Hernandez, Johnson Truong and Davison Carvalho. We had six of our students creating iterations for the suit and stickers over the summer. The process was pretty professional. Our students went through 1-2 week sprints, showcased their artwork to the Insomniac team, got feedback and after a few weeks we settled on a concept. Once the concept was approved, each of the students picked a different aspect of the suit (shoes, texture, mask, web shooters) and we finalized the suit and the stickers in August.”  

Tell us more about the final Fly N’ Fresh designs:

Damon Packwood: “The inspiration for Miles Morales’ Fresh Suit design was a 90’s b-boy. Peter Parker’s Fly Suit design was inspired by 90s television’. Marisa Diaz, who designed the suits, was just having fun. We never expected Insomniac to like it but it was definitely fun to design. Our designers had fun being silly and the older folks, me and the Insomniac crew, had fun reminiscing on our 90’s fashion choices.” 

That’s all for now! Thanks to everyone for all of your support, and we can’t wait to see you swinging back through Marvel’s New York in your Hellfire Gala and Fly N’ Fresh suits while checking out New Game+!

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is available now, only on the PS5 console.

*PlayStation will donate $4.99 per pack sold in the United States from March 7, 2024  through April 5, 2024  to Gameheads up to $1 million via its fiscal sponsor, Community Initiatives. This purchase is not tax deductible. Community Initiatives is tax exempt. https://communityinitiatives.org/.   Gameheads is not tax exempt. https://gameheadsoakland.org/

**Only available in English, Spanish (LATAM), Spanish (Spain), Italian, German, French and Japanese

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection PS4 & PS5 features reveal

Aspyr is proud to announce, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the beloved Star Wars Battlefront series, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 will soon be able to play the classic Star Wars Battlefront games online and offline in a complete collection.

On March 14, PlayStation players can get back online and fight in iconic battles from across the Star Wars galaxy.


Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection PS4 & PS5 features reveal

Classic Games, Bonus Content, And much more

What’s included? Let’s take a look:

Star Wars Battlefront (Classic)

  • Includes Bonus Map: Jabba’s Palace

Star Wars Battlefront II

  • Includes Bonus Maps: Bespin: Cloud City, Rhen Var: Harbor, Rhen Var: Citadel, and Yavin 4: Arena 
  • Includes Bonus Heroes: Asajj Ventress & Kit Fisto

Bonus content!? That’s right. Classic bonus content has been restored, included, and is premiering for the first time on PlayStation.

We welcome Jedi General from the Clone Wars and member of the Jedi High Council, Kit Fisto as a playable hero. Kit’s special abilities are Saber Throw and Force Orb, making him a fierce contender in Hero Assault for hybrid ranged/melee players.

Villains fans, don’t feel left out. We’ve also brought the Linksaber wielding Sith assassin, Asajj Ventress. Asajj’s special abilities are Star Blades and Force push, making her a great choice for close-ranged encounters and quick escapes.

With all original maps and the new bonus maps, we are packed with fan-favorite planets from across the Star Wars universe.

Battlefront Classic: 17 total maps
Battlefront II: 22 ground maps, 6 space maps, and 9 more space maps exclusive to the single-player campaign and galactic conquest

(Up to) 64 Player Online Multiplayer is Back

We’re excited to announce that cross-gen multiplayer is supported, so whether you’re playing on PlayStation 4 or PlaySation 5, get ready to jump in.

Conquest: Capture control points and deplete the enemy resources

Capture the Flag (CTF): Play with 1 or 2 flags, on the ground or in space

Hunt: Clear the battlefield as soldiers or defend your planet as native species (yes, you can play as an Ewok)

Assault (Space): Pilot legendary starships: TIE fighters, X-wings, and more in space and air dogfights

Hero Assault: Originally only available on Tatooine, hero assault pits heroes against villains in an arena battle for the highest score. We’ve expanded Hero Assault to be playable on all ground maps, which means you can face off on the Death Star, Kamino, Naboo, and many more locations.

Looking for an Offline Solo Experience?

XL mode premiers on PlayStation 

Storm the sandy beaches of Kashyyyk, survive the dusty dunes of Geonosis, or relive the iconic Hoth battle, complete with AT-ATs, snipers, mounted guns, snowspeeders, and tow cables.

The return of Galactic Conquest

Craft your own Star Wars story in Galactic Conquest. Devise your strategy, recruit your troops, and execute your tactical vision for conquering the galaxy. Will Luke Skywalker kneel to the might of the Empire? Will Mace Windu defeat Lord Sidius? The galaxy’s fate is in your hands.

And the classic single-player campaigns

Relive iconic battles from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,  Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in Star Wars Battlefront I’s campaign mode, where you’ll be at the center of the galaxy-shaping events. 

PLUS

Join the elite 501st Legion of Stormtroopers and experience the rise of Darth Vader in Star Wars Battlefront II’s campaign mode. 

A few final details

Offline 2-Player splitscreen is included. Cozy up on the couch because 2-player splitscreen is included. And it feels like an offline blast from the past.

Trophies are included! A personal favorite is Execute Order 66: Defeat a Jedi hero by knocking them off the map in Battlefront II

Thank You for 20 Years! We hope you enjoy reliving iconic battles from across the Star Wars galaxy. We’ll see you online March 14.

​​

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot — First look at Goku’s Next Journey DLC gameplay

Gear up for your first look into the gameplay of the sixth DLC of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, officially named Goku’s Next Journey. The DLC retraces the steps of the last episode of Dragon Ball Z, which takes place ten years after the victory of the Saiyan warriors over Kid Buu at the hands of Goku and Vegeta. In this episode, the Martial Arts World Tournament is the main event, gathering all the earth’s warriors together.

While playing this DLC, you can encounter familiar characters who have aged and moved on in their lives, as well as Pan, Goku’s granddaughter. As usual with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot DLCs, you will experience first-hand the events and battles shown in the series, but also have access to original dialogues, storylines, and more.

Together with the main events of the DLC, you will have access to new sub-quests that will have new, unique rewards. Today, we will give you a sneak peek at one of these Side Quests: A Day in the Krillin household.

The quest revolves around recovering the lost necklace of 18, now Krillin’s wife, after their daughter Marron returns from a shopping spree. True to the tradition of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, this quest allows you to peek into the daily lives of the characters living in the Dragon Ball world.

As they search for the necklace, Goku and Krillin discover that it has simply fallen while 18 was returning to Krillin but has been found and taken by two suspicious men. Once confronted, they will use a capsule to summon a squad of Skull Robos, attacking Goku as Krillin chases after the men.

Once defeated, the quest will be complete, and the rewards will be given.

While you will not face any major super-villain or world-ending threat like Majin Buu, but who knows, maybe even harder challenges will await you after the World Tournament?

​​

The end of the quest and what makes it unique is that the epilogue allows you to see deeper into the characters’ feelings, which is a point of view that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot has at its heart. On this occasion, Android 18 describes her feelings for Krillin, and we can see how much she truly cares about him.

By recovering a necklace, you can discover the hidden feelings and relationships between the characters of the world of Dragon Ball that only a game like Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot can have the space to express fully.

Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 479: Abubakar Salim Talks Tales of Kenzera: Zau


Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here


Howdy! This week Abubakar Salim of Surgent Studios stops by to discuss the upcoming platformer Tales of Kenzera: Zau. Plus the team talks Helldivers 2 and Tekken 8.

Stuff We Talked About

  • Pacific Drive – PS5, PS4
  • Foamstars Foam Technology Deep-Dive Blog
  • Ultros Developer Interview Blog
  • MLB 24 Negro Leagues Season 2
  • PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for February – Need for Speed Unbound, The Outer Worlds, Tales of Arise, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and more
  • Pacific Drive Dev Interview Blog
  • Tales of Kenzera: ZAU Dev Profile Blog
  • Interview w/ Abubakar Salim (begins at 08:55)
  • Helldivers 2 – PS5
  • Tekken 8 – PS5

The Cast

Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE

Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE


Thanks to 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.]

Share of the Week: Romantic

Last week, we asked you share romantic moments from a game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

bluegreenherb shares Tifa and Aerith each holding one of Cloud’s arms in Final Fantasy VII Remake

Amianan_NiRaGuB shares Astarion lovingly gazing up at the player character who romanced him in Baldur’s Gate 3

DEX_exiled shares Zo and Varl from Horizon Forbidden West sharing a sweet kiss

​​

JarrinWasHere shares Garrus pulling Shepard into a dramatic dip in Mass Effect Legendary Edition

K_Alien121 shares Dion and Terence holding each other close in Final Fantasy XVI

Lny_Trpr_EE7 shares Catwoman and Batman sharing a moment in Batman Arkham Knight

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:  Best Friends
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 21, 2024

Next week, we’re shining a light on gaming besties. Share a pair of gaming best friends or close companions from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Dev interview: How Pacific Drive tunes up the survival genre with a station wagon

We’ve all wondered why no one gets in a car and drives away from the terror in scary movies and games. Pacific Drive by Ironwood Studios lets us live out that scenario. This upcoming first-person survival adventure drives a customizable station wagon into the genre.

Ahead of the February 22 launch date, we spoke with the game’s director, Alexander Dracott, about the inspiration behind this genre-twisting game and its development journey.

PlayStation Blog: What was the inspiration behind Pacific Drive?

Alexander Dracott: The initial idea goes back to some of my hobbies and growing up driving station wagons to go camping and out into the woods of the Pacific Northwest. The seed came from the things I saw driving alone in the woods, fog, and rain, seeing things like mining towns that haven’t seen the light of day. The game started as simple test car in the woods, and as we started inserting more mechanics, we decided you should be able to turn the car off and on. It should have gas like you should have to refuel your car. It became apparent that there’s this overlap between the maintenance of a car you would expect and the item juggling you want from a survival game. What we ended up doing is taking the pressure that is always on the player in a lot of survival games and pushed it onto the car, and it clicked. You’re forming this relationship with this car that becomes your protector.

Where did the idea of the Olympic Exclusion Zone come from, and how does it contribute to the game’s mechanics?

I’ve always been a big fan of zoned stories and players being isolated, but in a space filled with interesting mechanics. For example, a lot of the enemy anomalies aren’t zombies that you just shoot. They’re more interesting and unique, and discovering what they are is part of the experience. The idea behind the Exclusion Zone, something that the government has walled off, instantly clicked because it gave us the freedom to both tell an interesting story and build this world while also filling it with things like those anomalies that people are going to have to learn and discover through the game’s mechanics.

Why did the team decide on this smaller-scale gameplay loop versus a free-roam open-world title?

Initially, we were considering something that was a little bit more like a traditional survival game on a relatively large map. Our maps are big because you have a car and go quick. We found that while all of our survival mechanics were working, we wanted those rest stops. We wanted those breaks like looting and fixing up your car. With that came the birth of the garage as a permanent place that you could go to and fix up your car, take the time, and engage with the different systems that are in the game. That cemented into this idea of, “Okay, I’ve got my garage, but now I can go out and take these trips to other parts of the game world.”

Was it difficult to build so many mechanics around a car?

Pacific Drive is a big game full of systems that interact with each other, so there’s a general complexity behind it that’s always going to be hard to manage. On one hand, you want to be figuring things out, but on the other, these systems all need to be built up on their own. You don’t get a good picture until many are present and exchanging with themselves individually. And with car physics, unlike a lot of other car games where a lot of the focus on those titles is, “let’s take one engine that we’re building our game in and have 300 cars that feel distinct and unique.” For us, it’s the opposite. We’re going to have one car, but that car has to be able to get customized in different ways as players express themselves. How does the car still feel like the car between two players that have built it out completely differently? We build dedicated tools around that and figure out the right way to do it.

Are there any additions that didn’t quite make it into the final version of Pacific Drive you wish could make it in?

It’s a bit of a cop-out answer, but the answer is always just “more.” Whatever number of items that we were going to have, we pulled it back to a more reasonable number. That’s the case across our game, which is still absolutely packed with different items. Because there are tools you can use, resources you can grab, things you can interact with throughout the world, special things to bring back to your garage, and tons of car parts because so much of the car is customizable. We were always planning more of those, but we ended up pulling back to a reasonable number.

What’s your favorite feature in Pacific Drive?

As the guy helping to form the original idea, I’m biased by the atmosphere. The moments where the gameplay complements the atmosphere are absolutely incredible—those moments where this world absorbs me due to weather, visuals, and general vibe. What we were aiming for is a very unique field for the zone and its isolated beauty. You’re alone out there, but you still have those elements of gameplay that are present. You might see a dreary building in the fog and think, “Yeah, it’s a cool piece of set dressing, but maybe there’s stuff over there. See if there’s anything I can grab for my car.” Those moments stand out strongly for me.

What unique PlayStation 5 features can players expect from Pacific Drive?

The big one is the DualSense controller, for sure. We had something special once we started tuning the haptics, especially for the [adaptive] triggers, and how they interacted with the suspension, and what the car is doing. We figured out a very clever way to translate the change of the change of the suspension differences that the car is handling as it drives along and map that out into our rumble. You might drive over a bump and feel like the controller reacts appropriately. If something pops the wheel off your car, it will drop, and you’ll feel it drop. We also added noise into the simulation to help make it feel correct when driving on off-road surfaces. We’re really pleased with how the game feels on this controller.

Pacific Drive takes everything about the survival genre and throws a car into the mix, with tons of relevant atmosphere, obstacles, and pleasantries. When the game launches on February 22, 2024, you can tune up your car and hit the lonely roads.

Beat the Beats VR lets you groove like a boxing champ on PS VR2 February 27

Hello! I’m Josef, one of the creators of Beat the Beats VR, coming out February 27 on PlayStation VR2. It is a rhythm VR game you play with your fists and all about learning actual boxing moves like jab, dodge, and uppercut.

In this article I would like to share with you how the natural feeling boxing moves in our game came to fruition.

At Parallel Circles, we’re huge rhythm game fans. And VR? We love it. It immerses you like nothing else. I’ve always been captivated by the agility, coordination, and precision of boxers. So, blending these passions felt like a no-brainer. Thus, Beat the Beats VR was born.

Boxing greenhorn to boxing champion

Pulling off energetic boxing moves in real life takes years of training. But in Beat the Beats VR, we wanted players to feel like pros from the get-go. Jabs, hooks, uppercuts — they should all flow naturally. 

After lots of experimentation, we realized the traditional rhythm game approach didn’t quite fit boxing’s fluidity. So we switched it up. Instead of the “notes” (we call them beats) coming straight at you, they come from different directions in arcs challenging you to move exactly in the same way you would in a boxing fight.

You can’t help but make perfect jabs for beats from the front, hooks from the side, and uppercuts for ones coming from above.

Punching through the whole game

As soon as we nailed the boxing punches we brought other aspects of the sport into the game. You can also evade (called a “roll”) and block beats.

You can also unlock new levels/albums by punching them.

Mix all of the boxing action with some exhilarating music and you have a rhythm game that’s the best of both worlds: a fun experience for casual players and a full-throttle workout for the ones that want to go the extra mile.

We hope you have as much fun with our game as we had creating it. Maybe you’ll sweat as much as we did, too. Beat the Beats comes to PS VR2 on February 27!

How a toxic world inspired Forever Skies, a first-person sci-fi survival game

A state-of-the-art airship hovers above a vast toxic dust cloud, shrouding an ecologically devastated Earth. That’s what most people notice when they see Forever Skies for the first time. And while this creates an interesting and unique premise to explore, it’s one that was inspired by rather somber real-world circumstances.

Read on to learn about the inspiration behind this first-person post-apocalyptic survival game, coming to PS5 this year.


How a toxic world inspired Forever Skies, a first-person sci-fi survival game

While our team is from around the world, a significant portion of us are based in Poland. For decades now, our country has been notorious for its poor air quality, particularly during the winter months. Iconic Polish cities such as Krakow or Wroclaw are frequently ranked alongside massive megacities like Beijing, Delhi, or Lahore. But these are massive metropolises with 10 or even 20+ million people living in them. Cracow or Wroclaw don’t even exceed 700,000 people and yet we regularly get public warning announcements to stay indoors because of the current air pollution levels.

Some studies even suggest that to breathe clean, unpolluted air, people would need to go 100 meters above the cities. And so the first spark of inspiration that kicked off our entire world design was found.

We envisioned a scenario where humanity confronts an irreversible ecological catastrophe of its own making by erecting towering highrises above the toxic dust clouds as a last-ditch effort to survive. But all this did was delay the inevitable societal collapse. Decades later, a select group of humans who fled into orbit dispatch a research team back to Earth to rediscover the world, marking the beginning of the story in Forever Skies.

At your side will be a high-tech airship that you can pilot, upgrade, and fully customize. In a world where the ground is no longer safe, this floating base will become your home, lifeline, and greatest tool for survival.

You will need to scavenge for supplies and resources, use science to research new tools and equipment, and eventually descend below the toxic dust to pursue your research mission. But nature has mutated and evolved immensely under these harsh conditions and is no longer hospitable to humans.

We do not overly push an ecological message in our game because the setting does it on its own. The consequences of humanity’s actions are shown to you and now you must survive in this environment. And that is something we always wanted to do. To not preach, but simply show and give people the space to think about this crucial topic.Forever Skies makes its console debut exclusively on PlayStation 5 in 2024 and will let you play in single-player or up to 4-player co-op. Thanks so much for reading.

No Man’s Sky universe opens to newcomers for limited time with new Omega expedition, launching today

Hello! Last year was a busy one for the small team at Hello Games, with lots of No Man’s Sky updates and the announce of Light No Fire.

We have big plans for 2024, and we’re starting the year off with a very different kind of update. We’re calling it Omega, and for the first time No Man’s Sky will be available to play for free!


No Man’s Sky universe opens to newcomers for limited time with new Omega expedition, launching today

For the first time, we are inviting every PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation VR and VR2 owner into our universe to play the latest No Man’s Sky expedition, even if they don’t own the full game, no purchase necessary. There are no microtransactions, no free-to-play mechanics, just a huge universe to explore for free with your friends.

Expeditions in No Man’s Sky have become one of the most popular ways to play the game. They bring all players together to the same planet for an interstellar, shared experience. This weekend we are allowing everyone, whether you own the game or not, to join the Omega Expedition.

This represents a moment for new players to try No Man’s Sky, and existing players to welcome them into the community. 

The Omega update also brings a complete overhaul of expeditions, new on-planet missions, a new pirate dreadnought to own, and much more.

Until now expeditions have been their own game mode, but we wanted to fully integrate them into our main game. Now, our new expedition system allows travellers to join expeditions with bespoke provisions, bring along their favourite starships or custom multi-tools and return to their main save with loot and exciting rewards.

We have revisited the Atlas Path, allowing players to commune with the Atlas and honor it with a new Atlas staff, jetpack and helmet.

On planets we have introduced a huge array of procedurally generated quests. Talking to alien lifeforms results in quests specific to an alien lifeforms locale, climate and personality.

For the first time, take on the universe with a fleet of frigates led by a dreadnought capital ship. If players can defeat pirate freighters in combat, travellers can board the dreadnought to demand control.

At the core of this update is the Omega Expedition, which has been built from the ground up as a thorough introduction for new players, but with some of the best rewards in any expedition to date, including a gorgeous new starship to explore the universe with.

In the almost eight years since launch, through over 25 free updates, the No Man’s Sky universe has become at times overwhelming in breadth and depth. Through a series of quick missions and milestones, the Omega expeditions will guide you through the fundamentals of base-building, trading, space combat, lore and much, much more. Any progress you make will be retained in case you choose to purchase the game and continue your journey.

The Omega Expedition runs for 2 weeks from Thursday February 15 and is free to play for the first weekend until Monday February 19.

Whether you’ve been on the journey with us for a while, or you’re a lapsed player looking for a way back in, or a newcomer who’s always wanted to take a peek at what No Man’s Sky has to offer, everyone is welcome and there’s never been a better time to join in.

Our journey continues.

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for February: Need for Speed Unbound, The Outer Worlds, Tales of Arise, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and more 

February’s Game Catalog lineup for PlayStation Plus brings together racing thrills, sci-fi adventure and a selection of entries from a classic RPG series. Take to the streets in Need for Speed Unbound, blast off into space in The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition, then experience some acclaimed RPG fantasy action in the Tales of… series. These and many more titles are playable from February 20. Let’s take a closer look at each game in turn. 

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog

Need for Speed Unbound | PS5

With separate single and multiplayer campaigns, this latest edition in the Need for Speed franchise from Criterion Games delivers hours of electric, adrenaline-pumping racing action. Race against time, outsmart the cops, and take on weekly qualifiers to reach The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street racing challenge. Pack your garage with precision-tuned, custom rides and light up the streets with your style, exclusive fits, and a vibrant global soundtrack that bumps in every corner of the world.  

The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition | PS5

The Outer Worlds is a single-player, sci-fi RPG from the developer of Pillars of Eternity and Fallout: New Vegas. Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the furthest edges of the galaxy, you awake decades later to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the far-flung Halcyon colony. Explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter various factions, all vying for power, and decide what kind of character you will become as your choices determine how the story unfolds. 

Tales of Arise | PS4, PS5

From Bandai Namco comes a new entry in the long-running ‘Tales’ series, featuring a diverse cast of characters, an intuitive and rewarding combat system, and a captivating story. For 300 years, Rena has ruled over Dahna, pillaging the planet of its resources and stripping people of their dignity and freedom. The tale begins with two people born on different worlds, each looking to change their fate and create a new future. Set in a lush world worth fighting for, Tales of Arise delivers a first-class JRPG experience. 

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | PS4, PS5

Become a legendary Viking warrior raised on tales of battle and glory. Raid your enemies, grow your settlement, and build your political power in the quest to earn a place among the gods in Valhalla. Advanced RPG mechanics allow you to shape the growth of your character and influence the world around you. With every choice you make, from political alliances and combat strategy to dialogue and gear progression, you will carve your own path to glory. Construct and upgrade buildings that allow for deep customization, including a barracks, blacksmith, tattoo parlor and more. Recruit new members to your clan and personalize your Viking experience.

LEGO Worlds | PS4

LEGO Worlds is an open environment of procedurally-generated Worlds made entirely of LEGO bricks which you can freely manipulate and dynamically populate with LEGO models. Create anything you can imagine one brick at a time, or use large-scale landscaping tools to create vast mountain ranges and dot your world with tropical islands. Drop in prefabricated structures to build and customize any world to your liking. Explore using helicopters, dragons, motorbikes or even gorillas and unlock treasures that enhance your gameplay. Watch your creations come to life through characters and creatures that interact with you and each other in unexpected ways. In LEGO Worlds, anything is possible. 

LEGO Jurassic World | PS4

Experience four Jurassic films – Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, Jurassic World – in humorous LEGO form. This fun adventure recreates unforgettable scenes and action sequences from the films, allowing fans to play through key moments and giving them the opportunity to fully explore the expansive grounds of Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna. Collect LEGO amber and experiment with DNA to create completely original dinosaurs, and put your new creations into paddocks as you complete special Free Play missions.

Roguebook | PS4, PS5

Embrace the challenge of a roguelike deckbuilder with unique mechanics from the developers of Faeria and Richard Garfield, creator of Magic: The Gathering. Create a team of two heroes, each with their own cards and abilities. Combine their strengths to defeat over 40 bosses and enemies. Choose wisely from 200 cards, 80 relics and 30 gems that can be combined. You will never play with the same deck twice.

Rogue Lords | PS4

Play as the Devil in this dark fantasy roguelike. Defeated many moons ago, you are finally coming back with your most faithful disciples to take revenge on those miserable Demon Hunters. Play runs after runs and collect ancient artefacts to regain your power and take back your rightful place. Setup your team of famous evil geniuses like Dracula, the Headless Horseman or Bloody Mary. Build their set of skills and create synergies to face any mortal who dares to stand in your way.

Tales of Zestiria | PS4

In a medieval-style fantasy world torn by war and political skirmishes, accept the burden of the Shepherd and fight human darkness to protect your world from Malevolence and reunite humans and Seraphim in this action RPG. 

PlayStation Premium | Classics

Resistance: Retribution | PS4, PS5 

Experience Resistance: Retribution, originally released on the PSP and now enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters. Fueled by vengeance, former British Marine James Grayson intends to destroy the Chimeran conversion centers at any cost. Enlisted by the European resistance, The Maquis, he soon learns the Chimera have evolved a new method of converting humans. 

 

 

Tales of Symphonia | PS4, PS5

Explore a rich and lively world filled with unforgettable characters and experience an emotionally charged storyline in this enhanced version of the action RPG from the ‘Tales of’ series. Play with up to 3 friends in local co-op mode and combine hundreds of special attacks and magic spells as you fight powerful opponents in real-time battles. 

Tales of Vesperia | PS4, PS5

A power struggle begins in a civilization dependent on an ancient technology, the blastia, and the Empire that controls it. The fates of two friends traveling separate paths intertwine in an epic adventure that threatens the existence of all. This Definitive version was created to mark the 10th anniversary of the action RPG and includes updated full HD graphics, brand-new music tracks, exciting mini-games, bosses, and a collection of costume DLC!

*PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup may differ in certain regions. Please check the PlayStation Store on launch day for your region’s lineup.