14 discounted games that will get you ready for the big PlayStation exclusives of 2017 and beyond

While it feels like the last decade has gone past in the blink of an eye, it’s safe to say there have been a whole lot of classic PlayStation games and franchises born since PlayStation Store first launched.

If you’ve kept an eye on PlayStation Blog in recent times, you’ll know that for some of these iconic titles, series’ and characters, the adventure is far from over. So while you look forward to what’s coming up in 2017 and beyond, the PlayStation Store Only On PlayStation promotion is the perfect place to stoke the flames of excitement for what’s heading our way…

Can’t wait for Uncharted: The Lost Legacy? Try:

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

If you haven’t yet played the most recent outing for Naughty Dog’s acclaimed action adventure series, now is the time to right that wrong. One of the most visually stunning console games ever made – and with an epic storyline to accompany it – is going for a steal.

• Buy Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End from PlayStation Store now

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

If you missed out on Drake’s adventures on PS3, see where it all began with Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, meet Chloe for the first time in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and reveal the Atlantis of the Sands in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – all available to download, polished up and shining for PS4, and for a bargain price.

• Buy Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection from PlayStation Store now

Looking forward to God of War? Try:

God of War III Remastered

Ahead of his upcoming PS4 debut, remind yourself what a furious force of nature Kratos is capable of being when the red mist descends. God of War III sees him in incredibly destructive form, taking on the gods of Olympus including Zeus himself.

• Buy God of War III Remastered from PlayStation Store now

Excited for Detroit: Become Human? Try:

The Heavy Rain & Beyond: Two Souls Collection

Quantic Dream’s immersive brand of storytelling is an experience that has to be lived to be believed – and is unique to PlayStation. Its upcoming interactive android drama Detroit: Become Human is hotly anticipated for PS4, and in the meantime, two incredible tales are already available in Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. They’re bundled together in one collection, offering great value at their discounted price.

• Buy The Heavy Rain & Beyond: Two Souls Collection from PlayStation Store now

All revved up for Gran Turismo Sport? Try:

Gran Turismo 6

PS3 players can prepare themselves for GT Sport and get a fix of realistic racing simulation with the multi-million-selling Gran Turismo 6. There are over 1,200 cars available to drive, from everyday run-arounds to finely tuned supercars, as well as all the licenses and challenges that make Gran Turismo such an immersive test of driving skill.

• Buy Gran Turismo 6 from PlayStation Store now

Looking forward to Farpoint on PlayStation VR? Try:

Until Dawn: Rush of Blood

Get primed for the immersive PlayStation VR shooter with Supermassive Games’ white-knuckle ghost train shooter. Arm yourself to the teeth then blast your way through a horde of enemies and monsters coming at you from all angles.

• Buy Until Dawn: Rush of Blood from PlayStation Store now

DRIVECLUB VR

DRIVECLUB’s stylish take on the racing genre left challengers in the dust with its unique social club racing setup and huge array of tracks, cars and game modes. And the move into VR took that experience up a notch.

• Buy DRIVECLUB from PlayStation Store now

Dreaming of Dreams? Try:

LittleBigPlanet

Media Molecule is hard at work on its ambitious, super-creative title Dreams, exclusive to PS4. In the meantime, you can see where it all began with LittleBigPlanet 1, 2 and 3 – as well as LittleBigPlanet Karting – for PS3 and take Sackboy on a creative journey around the Imagisphere.

• Buy LittleBigPlanet 3 from PlayStation Store now

Tearaway

Hailed as one of the finest games on PS Vita, Tearaway is a steal at its current sale price. Not only is it a fun, compelling adventure but it also makes great use of the handheld device’s unique controls and camera, putting your face in the game and allowing you to reach into the world with virtual fingers and influence what’s going on around main character iota.

• Buy Tearaway from PlayStation Store now

Got your eye on Everybody’s Golf? Try:

Ummm… Everybody’s Golf

The name may not have evolved, but the forthcoming Everybody’s Golf on PS4 piles heaps of new features on top of the super-addictive, intensely playable golfing fun of previous titles. To get up to par, the PS3 and PS Vita versions of Everybody’s Golf are available as part of the sale – so you can get plenty of practice in before taking on your friends on PS4.

• Buy Everybody’s Golf from PlayStation Store now

Ready for Nex Machina? Try:

Alienation

Developer Housemarque has rapidly become the master of arcade-style action shooters, and its forthcoming game Nex Machina is another evolution of its signature style. To whet your appetite, PS4 exclusive Alienation brings frantic, explosive, alien-blasting adventure to the Only On PlayStation sale.

• Buy Alienation from PlayStation Store now

Resogun

If that’s not enough, its side-scrolling shoot-’em-up Resogun (recently updated for PS4 Pro) also features in the sale. This PS4 launch title fast became a high-octane icon of the new generation of gaming, so if you missed out back in 2013, we’ve got you covered for a fraction of the standard price.

• Buy Resogun from PlayStation Store now

Hyped for Knack 2? Try:

Knack

Another PS4 launch title, Knack is the little hero that made a big impact on gamers in a classic take on the platforming adventure genre. He’s heading back to PS4 in the upcoming sequel (complete with couch co-op) – but in the meantime, his original shape-shifting adventure is on sale.

• Buy Knack from PlayStation Store now

Looking forward to The Last of Us: Part II? Try:

The Last of Us Remastered

Naughty Dog’s announcement that Joel and Ellie are returning in The Last of Us: Part II blew the roof off PlayStation Experience 2016. If you’ve never experienced their original journey, you’re in for a treat. The Last of Us is a masterpiece of storytelling, action-packed gameplay and compelling characters that doesn’t come around often.

• Buy The Last Of Us Remastered from PlayStation Store now

Of course, there’s a huge list of other games in the Only On PlayStation promotion that you might want to check out – so head over to PlayStation Store now and see what else is on offer. And keep your eyes on PlayStation Blog for more news on those upcoming games that you can’t wait to play.

The post 14 discounted games that will get you ready for the big PlayStation exclusives of 2017 and beyond appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2nHy8DK
via

Read More

7 unseen concepts that shaped Tearaway, Media Molecule’s brilliant papercraft adventure

With PS4’s papercraft-inspired adventure Tearaway Unfolded available on PS Plus this month, we asked Media Molecule to talk us through some unseen concepts behind the game’s creation. Here, designer Rex Crowle pinpoints key design junctures in Tearway’s development, illustrated through exclusive images from the game’s early days.

1. A colourful dungeon crawler?

“This is a very early concept from Tearaway. The game went through many changes, and switched genres a few times while we worked out the best way to use the paper-world setting. At this stage it was more like a colourful dungeon-crawler.

“As we’d only just finished making LittleBigPlanet games, you can probably see a more LBP-style look here, with lots of colour and pop-culture items combined together.”

2. A collage look perhaps?

“Another very early concept from me. I feel I was starting to put LittleBigPlanet behind me more by this point. The colourful collage look has transformed into something more atmospheric, and closer to the more magical and mysterious world that we finally ended up with.

“At this stage it’s not really very papery, it’s more like someone has cut up sheets of painted paper and made this collage. I was actually quite inspired by the art of Eric Carle. You’ll probably know him as the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and many other children’s picture-books.”

3. What about pop-up books?

“In those early concepts you could quite easily miss that it’s supposed to be a game made out of paper, it just wasn’t bold enough. If we were going to make a game entirely out of paper, it needed to be instantly recognisable as a paper-world, with paper-characters, that look and sound papery, as that would inspire us to make uniquely papery-gameplay.

“So we met paper craft designers and learnt about how pop-up books are designed and made. This concept by Men Lu was from a period when we tore everything up, and established a much stronger style – using the bold colours of construction paper and removing all other texture. So that the world was much closer to how it might look if you tried to make it in real-life. A very different type of photo-realism for a game!

4. Meet Oola

“Any adventure needs an explorer willing to go on the journey. Originally our explorer was this little character called Oola, shown here in a concept by Men Lu. It’s a very sweet character, and I always loved the little bird-like feet that he had given to the design, especially as it ran around the world, possibly in search of some shoes.

“Unfortunately we found it hard to create the more expressive animations for the character, as a lot of their body was hidden away. So after a series of redesigns and brainstorms from the whole art-team, we created iota – the paper messenger, and then soon afterwards, atoi.”

5. How does weather work in a paper world?

 

“When you’re making a world from one single material, it creates all kinds of interesting questions that you have to try and answer. Does fire hurt you if it’s made out of paper? Does paper-rain make you wet? We had a lot of fun arguing about things like this.

“These concepts I put together for our genius engine-coder Mark, as we were figuring out how papery-weather would be represented in the world. I still really wish we’d been able to add those papery rays seen radiating out of the clouds, especially if you could have climbed up them!”

6. A comic book design bible

“When making a game full of ideas that everyone on the team are contributing to, it’s really important to make sure everyone is still making the same game together! The traditional way to do that is to have a design-doc, which collates everything together and contains every feature of the game in perfect detail. Obviously that makes it incredibly tedious and nobody reads it, which kind of makes it obsolete!

“That’s definitely what I learnt in the early days of making Tearaway, and I soon switched to making little comic-books (like this example page) or videos, to explain quickly the overall atmosphere of what we were trying to achieve, and then everyone on the team could work on their own elements to get us there.”

7. Getting the camera right

“Another page from one of my ‘design-doc’ comic-books. This is taken from a longer-section about using the camera in Tearaway to reward players for exploring and recording what they find.

“This feature was something that David ‘Dave Smith’ Smith really championed, and I loved how much it made you want to engage more with the world, as well as show other players what you’d found.

“This camera feature was added long before we added all the other ways of customising your character and the world around them, and became such an important feature for sharing their own personal journeys.”

The post 7 unseen concepts that shaped Tearaway, Media Molecule’s brilliant papercraft adventure appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2op0scC
via

Read More

Meet the death-dealing characters & ships of PS VR shooter StarBlood Arena

Hey all you Bombardiers and Bomberdettes! Quick! Name something that our BloodBux coins and StarBlood Arena have in common! Gold! That’s right folks – StarBlood Arena has gone GOLD!

Now that the madness is underway, here’s what you’re gonna see starting day one!

Every single one of the death-dealing ships is fitted with their own personal arsenal of self-recharging smack-down:

• Two gun systems with crazy alternate firing modes! Pro tip: Manage your ammo by switching between these systems and never be caught with an empty clip.
• A unique heavy weapon that hits your enemies like a sledgehammer filled with dynamite. It charges up as you both take and deal any damage, so the more you dish out, the more your enemies eat it!
• Protective shields, of course, for getting’ into the fray. Hey, it ain’t called StarDodging Arena…
• Big ‘ol rocket engines that tear through the maps. And if that ain’t fast enough, you also have an afterburner to boost your butt outta tight situations.
• Your missile systems make things go bye-bye by turning them into flaming wreckage. You can get your missiles to home-in on your target by just staring them down for a second or two. Not every pilot has lock-on missiles, but they have other tricks up their sleeves (and in the chamber)
• And just when you think your ship can’t hold any more, you also have high-explosive Proximity Mines to drop the bomb on your foes. You’re welcome.

Did I mention that you can mod the heck outta these babies? But ya gotta earn them mods, slick!

Now, we blew through a lot of tasty goodness there, but let’s look at some sweet strategy for some of our crafty contenders!

The lovely Elsa in her ship Mandible! She’s a soldier through-and-through. All balance, no weakness.

• Elsa’s primary is nice and fast but keep an eye on the heat build-up as you fire. When you’re ready to finish off your prey, switch to her alternate gun – the Thermic Lance and obliterate ’em with the excess heat you’ve built up, concentrated into a white-hot beam.
• Equip Stasis Mines or use the Slow Fields in the match to your advantage. Your Heavy Hyper Cannon does intense damage over time if you can keep your enemy in its lingering blast radius.
• Don’t be stingy with your missiles! As soon as you get a lock-on, abuse that naughty missile trigger! And then, slam that Binary Launcher mod to let you spam even MORE missiles faster!
• Creep into a tight spot with some nasties and let the sheer area-blasting coverage of the Hyper Cannon clean it out.

How about Blade and his ship Raptor? He’s the fastest Assassin around!

• Using his ship-slashing Wing Blades, this killer’s ship shoots forward faster than a missile. This attack comes in handy to speed out of danger and missile lock-ons.
• The Assassin’s primary is weaker at a distance, but up close, quite nasty. He’s all about getting up-close and personal.
• Blade is fast on the trigger, and his ship has a special advantage that allows him to switch weapons in half the time of others.
• Your Swarm Missiles are powerful as well… a swarm of missiles! If you’re skilled enough, landing all of these will almost completely wipe out your opponent.
• The Assassin’s Heavy Weapon is aptly named “the Black Death”. It’s a damage-over-time cloud that infects other ships on touch – and is communicable for its duration! Time to spread some love!
• Combo the Wing Blades with Black Death for some hit-and-run insta-kill magic!

Oh snap, son! It’s Dregg and his ship Deadeye. Few can escape the targeting sights built into his cyber-eyes! He’s one bad-ass Sniper!

• Your primary gun is perfect for long-range pick-off kills and enraging your enemies with vulture-like kill-steals!
• Lure your opponents into tight corners, spin around and launch that Singularity Missile – a large, lethal slow moving bubble of doom.
• Dregg’s heavy weapon is the dreaded “Ghost Gun”. It shoots across maps. It shoots through walls. It kills fools dead. Combine this action with Doppler 9000 or Tracker mods to see through walls and double up that effectiveness!
• Dregg’s ship is mine heavy! Spread them around and lay some traps while you move to a distance and pick ’em off.
• Don’t forget that the Singularity Missile blocks shots as it tumbles forward. If you see an opportune moment, shoot it with your guns to make it detonate, causing a massive blast.

You want more? Well, StarBlood will be open for business on April 12th, so start practicing your smack talking!

And we’re just getting warmed up! Stay tuned to PlayStation Blog for more sneaky tips and upcoming announcements for Starblood Arena!

Love and Rockets!

The post Meet the death-dealing characters & ships of PS VR shooter StarBlood Arena appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2nH7mvh
via

Read More

PlayStation Store has big savings on Destiny this weekend

Become legend and prepare for Destiny 2 with big PlayStation Store savings on Destiny for PS4 this weekend. We have discounts available until Monday 3rd April 2017 on Destiny – The Collection, Destiny: The Taken King and Destiny: Rise of Iron, so head to PlayStation Store today and become legend!

• Destiny: The Collection
• Destiny: The Taken King
• Destiny: Rise of Iron

Deal of the week (until 5th April 2017)

Just a reminder of this week’s PlayStation Store Deal of the Week: it’s the ever brutal Mortal Kombat. We have both Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat XL* available on offer on PS4**. PlayStation Store has all your local pricing, so save, download and play today!

*Please note: Mortal Kombat XL not available in Germany.
**DOTW in Saudi Arabia is LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Deluxe Edition

The post PlayStation Store has big savings on Destiny this weekend appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2oFXBvg
via

Read More

Destiny 2 is coming to PS4 on 8th September, watch the reveal trailer

Hey, PlayStation Nation.DeeJ from Bungie here with some exciting news: Destiny 2 has been officially revealed!

We’ve begun a conversation about our next adventure together. There is so much more to say before the time comes to reunite the Guardians to reclaim their city from the most dreaded threat it has ever faced. Fortunately, we have until September 8 to dive into the details.

This is a new beginning for every player. We know you have questions about the worlds you’ll explore, the enemies you’ll fight, the powers you’ll master, and (as Cayde promised) the loot you’ll earn. We’ll also show off the exclusive content you’ve come to expect on PlayStation. All will be answered in the weeks and months to come. It should be a hell of a ride.

 

Up next, we’ll take a look at the gameplay. Of course you want to see gameplay! Your first chance to see Destiny 2 in action will happen on 18th May. We hope to have you all in the audience for that livestream.

This summer will be your chance to get your hands on a controller. You’ll be invited to help us prepare for launch by joining our open Beta. Players who pre-order Destiny 2 will be the first to jump into action, but we’ll be calling on all Guardians to give their feedback.

There will be so many other stops to make along the way. The journey that leads to Destiny 2 will circle the globe and span the solar system. We’ve only fired the first shot.

The post Destiny 2 is coming to PS4 on 8th September, watch the reveal trailer appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2olQFUx
via

Read More

Wipeout Omega Collection gets 7th June release date, first details on the soundtrack

What kind of Pilot are you? Feisar? Auricom? Mirage? Pirahana? Well, soon you can join your favourite team and climb aboard your ship and put your AG Racing skills to their absolute limits.

Yes, WipEout is back and coming to PlayStation 4 on 7th June with WipEout Omega Collection, featuring all the tracks & ships from WipEout HD, Fury and 2048 together for the first time.

WipEout Omega Collection looks utterly stunning, totally with remastered tracks and ships at 1080P on PS4 and dynamic 4K on PS4Pro all at 60FPS.

In addition to remastering all of the sound effects so WipEout sounds better than ever before, we’ve also added 28 licensed music tracks from famous musical artists. Pilot your favourite ships to killer tunes from Swedish House Mafia, Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy.

Each game has its own career mode, plus there’s a racebox mode which lets you tweak and customise your own races.

And if you are new to WipeOut, where have you been? Come and join the Anti Gravity league in the original and best AG racing series.

Play with your friends, either with split screen local multiplayer, or race online* for up to eight Anti Gravity Racing league pilots. Race in tournaments, single races, time trial or in the famous zone mode.

You’ll be able to line up on the starting grid from 7th June, but starting today you can pre-order WipEout Omega Collection from PlayStation Store and you will receive an exclusive dynamic theme.

*Active PlayStation Plus membership required to access.

The post Wipeout Omega Collection gets 7th June release date, first details on the soundtrack appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2nzoP7t
via

Read More

Roguelike strategy RPG Plague Road announced for PS4, PS Vita

Hey guys, it’s been awhile since I’ve written a post for Playstation Blog. But today I have exciting news – we are getting ready to submit our new game into QA this month.

Set around a city consumed from within by disease, Plague Road tells a story of a lone doctor who having once abandoned their home, now returns in search of survivors. Over the course of the game, players will learn how the city fell victim to the growing sickness within its walls, why the Plague Doctor left, and what brought them back – in a tale of regret and redemption.

Plague Road was a game that Conrad Zimmerman and I came up with one evening at his place. I have a certain obsession with plague doctors and am really good at making turn-based strategy games, and Conrad loves roguelikes. So we combined those two game genres to make something new.

My issue with roguelikes and why I can’t get into them is because I don’t like losing all my progress and starting from zero each time. So in Plague Road you will have a farm where you will be able to unlock new buildings (by finding NPCs in the world and doing quests for them), upgrade and see the progress you’ve made. So even if you mess up while venturing out into the world, you will always be improving your farm.

When you find survivors in this world, you can choose to bring them with you to help reach the city or you can retire them into buildings, which will unlock new skills. On the topic of skills, you can see in our new trailer that some of those will be quite powerful, but will require a lot of stamina – so you must be wise about when you use them. Also each survivor you collect will be unique in terms of their stats and initial skills. You’ll constantly be exploring to find the best survivors for your party.

Don’t be reckless when you bring survivors out on the road – if they die it’s permanent. But don’t fear, you can always find new ones. The only character who you will not lose due to death is the Plague Doctor.

Plague Road will be available for cross buy on PS4 and PS Vita, with support for PS4 Pro and PS TV. The game will also have a limited physical edition published by Limited Run Games. We don’t have the exact release date yet, but it will be soon!

The post Roguelike strategy RPG Plague Road announced for PS4, PS Vita appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2mSTKhN
via

Read More

Watch the first exclusive live performance of No Man’s Sky’s soundtrack

For their first video game soundtrack project, noisy instrumental band 65daysofstatic certainly picked a blinder. Exploring the uncharted universe of No Man’s Sky needed a suitably sci-fi audio accompaniment and 65daysofstatic rose to the challenge of creating a soundtrack that included procedural elements to match the many and varied choices the player would make in the game.

For the first time, Laced Records, 65daysofstatic and Hello Games are excited to unveil the first live video recording of three tracks from the No Man’s Sky soundtrack. The live video was recorded at 2fly Studios in the band’s native city, Sheffield in the UK, and includes live performances of Red Parallax, Monolith and Asimov.

Here’s 65daysofstatic’s Paul Wolinski providing a behind the scenes perspective on what went into the live performance session:

“This was one of the first attempts at rethinking how to approach performing music that was written to be non-linear and lend itself to generative, infinite soundscapes rather than fixed compositions.

“The first song is ‘live coded’ using open source software TidalCycles,” he explains. “Code is typed, executed and instantly transformed into musical patterns. These are fed out to modular synths and hacked electronic magnets. The magnets rest on guitar strings, making them resonate. Each subsequent song smashes more live instruments back into the mix.”

Wolinski saw the studio setting as a chance to create a unique performance – and a unique arrangement – that’d be different from the band’s other live shows.

“We ultimately took different versions of these songs on tour. In the context of a usual 65 show it made more sense than to lock them into more predictable arrangements. However, we are in a studio environment in this video. Everything wired up to play just these specific songs. This provided an opportunity to create a system where every performance of a track would be unique.

“This is something that takes a bit of getting used to: unique doesn’t necessarily mean good. There is a future we want to explore in writing songs as recipes rather than as pre-packaged TV dinners. With recipes, both the person who wrote it and the person following it play a part in the outcome. Applying this to music feels like a step toward wiping out the ‘composerarchy’. The listener is as vital as the musician in making music matter. Like musical socialism.

Wolinski pauses mid-flow. “It’s all just noise though, isn’t it? There’s nothing wrong with wanting your music ready-made, so perhaps the TV dinner is a bad analogy,” he continues after a beat. “Maybe broccoli is a better one. Human engineered. A technological product hewn from nature, its origins forgotten. Though raw broccoli is a niche meal.

“Ultimately, though, this video is more content for the churning internet. More digital froth. We tried to make it interesting. These songs will never be performed this way again.”

In conjunction with the video Laced Records are offering a 15% sale on the vinyl and CD versions of the soundtrack exclusively via their store:

US: http://ift.tt/1oGWF92
ROW: http://ift.tt/2oenVQO

The soundtrack is available on deluxe double CD, 10 track double vinyl and a deluxe vinyl collector’s edition featuring all 16 tracks spread across 4 LPs in a hard-case sleeve.

The post Watch the first exclusive live performance of No Man’s Sky’s soundtrack appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2nyS5eq
via

Read More

Drawn to Death and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime join PlayStation Plus in April

With only a few days left to cross off on March’s calendar, it’s time to pull back the curtain on what April has in store for PlayStation Plus.

Drawn to Death

Yes, earlier this month veteran game creator David Jaffe revealed the first of April’s PS Plus line-up when he confirmed the release date for his long-awaited arena shooter Drawn to Death.

A multiplayer-focused, online experience, Drawn to Death invites you to dive between the pages of a teenage tearaway’s high school text book and do bloody battle in a world constructed entirely of ballpoint doodles.

Brought to life with artistic panache and some truly bonkers character design, Drawn to Death is chaotic four-player fun with a huge emphasis on over-the-top weapons, dynamic environments and a fittingly adolescent attitude to violence – what better place to indulge your inner delinquent?

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Second in our line-up for April is the brilliantly quirky co-operative space-shooter-cum-interstellar-explorer Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime.

Beam up a friend and blast off into the far reaches of a procedurally-generated universe where no two galaxies are alike and where teamwork is the only thing keeping your neon tub afloat.

While success might not demand the levels of intimacy implied by the title, you’ll definitely benefit from having someone you can trust on hand. Failing that, you can always boot up a friendly AI companion instead – to forage for new ship upgrades and abilities, explore distant galaxies and fend off attacks from technicoloured alien monstrosities.

In addition, PS4 users will also bag themselves some extra loot via the trans-dimensional technological wonder that is Cross-Buy: this month’s two charming PS Vita titles 10 Second Ninja X and Curses n’ Chaos can both be downloaded and played on PS4!

All of which leaves April’s full line up looking like this:

• Drawn to Death (PS4)
• Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (PS4)
• 10 Second Ninja X (PS Vita, Cross Buy with PS4)
• Curses ‘n Chaos (PS Vita, Cross Buy with PS4)
• Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom (PS3)
• Alien Rage (PS3)

Final call for March

Next month’s titles will be available to download from 4th April which means you’ve still got a few days left to pick up any titles from March you might have missed. Grab ’em while you can!

• Tearaway Unfolded (PS4)
• Disc Jam (PS4)
• Lumo (PS Vita, Cross Buy with PS4)
• Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late (PS3)
• Earth Defense Force 2025 (PS3)
• Severed (PS Vita)

The post Drawn to Death and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime join PlayStation Plus in April appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2nvu0oH
via

Read More

Action RPG Akiba’s Beat out 19th May on PS4 and PS Vita

Okay, so Akiba’s Beat! This game has been the source of much confusion, and we’ve gotten many questions about it, so I’m here to set the record straight and give you all the information you’ve been seeking. H-Hopefully. (*anime-style hand-behind-head facial emote with blushed cheeks*)

First off, release date! We have one now. The game will be arriving on both PS4 and PS Vita, physically and digitally, in Europe on Friday 19th May.

If you plan to get the game physically be sure you pre-order, because pre-order copies will be shipping with a pocket plushie of the game’s lovable (?) “ugly-cute” mascot, Pinkun (at participating retailers while supplies last).

Another big one: “How does this relate to Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed, XSEED‘s previous Akiba-related game release?” The answer is… it doesn’t!

…Well, not entirely, anyway. It is from the same developer, Acquire, and it does share the same setting, but everything else is completely new: the story, the characters, the gameplay style, and even the tone!

For those who don’t know (or can’t tell from the name), Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed was a bit of a risque brawler we published back in 2014, tasking players with stripping the clothes off of vampires so they melt in the sun.

It earned a well-deserved PEGI 16 rating in Europe, and was an awesome game with a great tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and a heaping helping of Japanese cultural satire. (And is available now on PS4, PS3, and PS Vita; buy today, don’t delay!)

Akiba’s Beat, on the other hand, is a (mostly) non-risque action RPG that tasks players with traversing surreal “Delusionscape” dungeons and fighting monsters in action-packed battle scenes.

It has a much longer and more complex narrative, a bigger cast of all-new characters, a more involved and nuanced battle system, a more narrowly focused satirical tone (still satirical, but less in-your-face about it), and – most notably – no stripping. None! This one was rated a PEGI 12 in Europe, and is decidedly tamer than its Akiba forebearer.

What you’re getting here is a story-focused mystery about disenfranchised millennials trying to understand the world we live in today, set in a faithful recreation of Tokyo’s Akihabara district – the so-called “Electric Town” most renowned these days for its bevy of game and anime shops, maid cafes, arcades, used goods retailers, and electronics specialty shops.

The cast of characters is, as you might imagine, an eclectic representation of the types of people you might find in such a place, including a jobless nerd with an aversion to responsibility, an aloof visitor from afar, a junior pop idol with a can-do attitude, an emo teenage fanfic-writer who’s too cool for school, a “Gothic Lolita” with a privileged upbringing, a world-weary ex-programmer filled with self-doubt, and the ever-present anime staple of the childhood friend with a conflicted heart.

Oh, and it’s fully voiced. As in, FULLY voiced. As in, there are nearly 22,000 lines of voice-acting on offer here, from over 180 different unique characters, presented in both English and Japanese.

And our English voice cast features the likes of Chris Patton, Erica Mendez, Tia Ballard, Robbie Daymond, Cherami Leigh, Ed Bosco, Ray Chase, Mick Wingert, Cristina Vee, Todd Haberkorn, and Brittney Karbowski appearing in her first ever video game role as the game’s mascot character, Pinkun – among many, many other talented people, of course!

So, yeah. This is a big game, and we’re doing everything we can to make sure you guys get your money’s worth out of it. So go preorder today! The streets of Akihabara are calling your name…

The post Action RPG Akiba’s Beat out 19th May on PS4 and PS Vita appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2nAjnCL
via

Read More

How you’ll harness the power of daydreams in What Remains Of Edith Finch, out soon on PS4

A few years ago, Giant Sparrow made a whimsical little game called The Unfinished Swan, which I (and many others) loved. A couple years later, they revealed their new project: a decidedly darker experience titled What Remains of Edith Finch.

We’re nearing Edith’s release on PS4 (25th April), so I jumped at the opportunity to play a short section of the game and talk to its creative director, Ian Dallas.

If you played The Unfinished Swan, you might be surprised when you start playing What Remains of Edith Finch. If Swan was a storybook, Finch is a dusty old diary, passed from generation to generation and filled with mad ramblings, inspiring insights, and everything in between. It’s a different experience than their debut, but it’s still very much a Giant Sparrow game.

“They’re both about the experience of the unknown and the sense of the sublime.”

“There are definitely some shared themes,” Dallas remarks. “Even though The Unfinished Swan and What Remains of Edith Finch look very different, they’re both games that are, at some level, about the experience of the unknown and the sense of the sublime.”

I played a short portion of the game that introduced Lewis Finch — Edith’s brother — who had all-too-recently departed this mortal plane. Lewis’ daily routine as a factory worker made for an equally routine gameplay segment, using my controller’s right analog stick to repeatedly move fish into place for a guillotine to lop off their heads before tossing them onto a nearby conveyor belt.

Right around the time I started to empathize with the monotony of Lewis’ professional life, his imagination began to take over.

What began as a simple line maze gradually gave way to a fully realized imaginary realm where Lewis set sail on the open sea and ventured to faraway lands.

Fish continued to pile up in one corner of the screen for processing, but as I became more invested in Lewis’ imaginary world the act of head-chopping took a mental back seat — my brain essentially shifted that process into autopilot until I forgot I was even doing it.

Dallas explains how Giant Sparrow built this bond of mundanity between Lewis and the player: “From the beginning, the goal was to make an experience that reminded people of monotonous jobs or experiences they’ve had in their life. But obviously in a game you can’t be too monotonous, so we tried to have a light touch where players would get accustomed to doing this action (chopping fish heads).

 

“What we found is there’s something unique about the way people approach video games: it’s very goal-oriented. So when you give players the goal of processing the fish so they don’t pile up, you’re actually able to kind of divide the mind in half.

“One of your hands is busy doing this one action, and it’s just enough that it just kind of maxes out. We tried to put Lewis’ story — someone who’s at a boring job daydreaming so much that it overwhelms him — into something that felt like what the player was actually doing.”

“It’s about the feeling of being in a space and a universe that you don’t fully understand.”

A frequent question in discussions about What Remains is where it lands on the spectrum of horror. One could be forgiven for assuming Giant Sparrow has ventured into the realm of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, but that isn’t quite the case.

“Personally, I feel like a horror game is designed to scare you,” explains Dallas. “This game, ultimately, isn’t designed to scare you. It’s more about a sense of ominous things around you and the feeling of being in a space and a universe that you don’t fully understand. It’s a game that gives you a chance to see the world from a different perspective.”

A trailer for What Remains of Edith Finch, first shown at PlayStation Experience 2016

On the topic of sophomore efforts and the expectations that come with them, Dallas isn’t shy: “I think the biggest piece of learning is that we’re not very good at this. We think we know how to do it, and all we have to do is put it in front of players to know ‘oh man, we’re so wrong.’ I think not being as surprised about it this time helped a lot — having gone through The Unfinished Swan, each of the main areas of the game got redone from scratch at least three times.

“I think the house is the place where things changed the most,” Ian elaborates. “It took us a while to figure out what role it should play in the game. We always wanted it to be something that provided a backbone; the stories are all so crazy and different, and the house would be a way to bring those things together.

 

“For a long time we thought it should be like a puzzle game, where you’d be looking through these bedrooms and you’d have to like, ‘turn they key on this music box to solve the puzzle’.

“We ended up scaling a lot of that back because there was already so much going on in people’s heads when they were looking around these bedrooms that we didn’t need to add mechanical detail there. We’re always trying to strip it away to highlight the things that are really working well.”

“I hope players will have a renewed appreciation for how short and amazing our lives are.”

Finally, I asked Ian what he wants players to take away from What Remains of Edith Finch once they’ve experienced its story. I suppose, having just played a portion of it, I shouldn’t have been surprised by his slightly bittersweet response: “I hope players will have a renewed appreciation for how short and amazing our lives are,” he began.

“Along with that, just having a sense of the way that in any given family or relationship, death isn’t the end of everything. I mean, it’s the end for one person, but there are so many people who live on after that, and the way that changes everybody else around them… everything keeps going on without you.”

The post How you’ll harness the power of daydreams in What Remains Of Edith Finch, out soon on PS4 appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2ogHm8l
via

Read More

New Minecraft mini game & Power Rangers skins out today

Hullo there! I’m Marsh from Mojang – we make Minecraft along with our chums at 4J Studios! We’ve got a pretty swish update soaring onto PlayStation today, bringing with it a free, all new Mini Game. It’s called Glide and it’s designed to test your aeronautical skills to the very limit. Strap on a pair of elytra “wings” (technically elytra aren’t wings, but the parts of a beetle’s shell which enclose the wings – actual fact!) and hone your swooping skills on an exhilarating aerial track – the first in a series of free and paid tracks to be released.

Beat the clock in the Time Attack mode, using thermal drafts and speed boosters to your advantage, or go for points in Score Attack by hitting all the hoops. Careful study may reveal sneaky shortcuts to refine your runs, so keep your eyes peeled! You can choose to beat your personal best in solo play, compete with up to 15 players at once or take a swing at the all new PS4 leaderboards. This update boosts the number of possible Battle players to 16 on PS4 and introduces a more spacious lobby to accommodate them all.

 
Glide has pretty much taken over the Mojang office – if you’re anything like us, you’ll be quickly fixated on taking down your friends scores, eking out every precious second from the course. Look out for more maps in the near future – some free, some as part of a Season Pass. You can get a glimpse of these at the end of the trailer.

And that’s not all! As you strive to beat the clock or the competition, we want you to look like the champions you are – so we’re releasing the Mini Game Masters Skin Pack today as well, featuring sporting skins fitting for any would-be winner. Whether you’re a beast of Battle, a titan of Tumble or a god at Glide, we have the streamlined spandex for you. Prepare to out-style AND out-play your competitors! As always, a handful of these skins are free – so check them out and see if the knee-pads are a good fit.

 
More of a team player? Then perhaps the Power Rangers Skin Pack will interest you. Also popping up for purchase with this update, this skin pack lets you assemble Saban’s classic squad of heroic protectors, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and/or pose as their outlandish foes. Go Go!

What a lot of stuff! We hope you enjoy it all. Just don’t beat my score.

The post New Minecraft mini game & Power Rangers skins out today appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2ocMQkm
via

Read More

Final Fantasy XIV’s free trial loses its 14 day time restriction

Good news – the clock isn’t ticking anymore! The Final Fantasy XIV free trial has unequipped its 14-day time restriction. Free trial players are now able to access all content up to level 35 without any clock ticking the play time away! Adventurers can try out awesome jobs, test their skills on the first 10 levels of the Deep Dungeon and indulge in all the activities the Gold Saucer has to offer, such as Chocobo Racing!

The time restriction has been removed from all free trial accounts – even the expired accounts will be brought back to life, allowing players to continue their previous adventures. If you tried the free trial before but time flew by too fast, you can come back and pick up exactly where you left off with the same character!

Perhaps you played the free trial three years ago and didn’t have the time to try out everything you wanted, well now’s the time to return! Polish your skills in the Hall of the Novice and learn how all of the different roles work. Take your time, sit on the pier admiring the sunset at Costa del Sol whilst leveling up your fisher. Got an ache for new shiny weapons? Try out blacksmithing! If you want to truly test your skills, you could face the hardest battle on the free trial and overcome Titan, the Lord of Crags, himself!

Eorzea is your oyster! You can level up all classes to level 35 – you have all the time in the world. You can download the free trial client on PlayStation store here!

See you in Eorzea!

The post Final Fantasy XIV’s free trial loses its 14 day time restriction appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2otYjvi
via

Read More

New on PlayStation Store this week: MLB The Show 17, Dark Souls III DLC, Rain World

Brace yourselves – PlayStation Store’s in-tray is absolutely rammed this week. Perennial baseball favourite MLB The Show returns with its latest annual iteration; there are major DLC drops for the likes of Dark Souls III, Battlefield 1, Final Fantasy XV and Minecraft; much-hyped indie adventure Rain World finally debuts; Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix hits PS4; and there’s a new episode of The Walking Dead: A New Frontier to get stuck in to. And that’s just for starters – see below for the full list of new releases.

Out this week

• 
  MLB The Show 17
  28th March
• 
  MLB The Show 17 MVP Edition
  28th March
• 
  MLB The Show 17 Digital Deluxe Edition
  28th March

 

• 
  Anoxemia
  28th March
• 
  Baila Latino (Only in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, SA, Spain, UK)
  28th March
• 
  Fated: The Silent Oath (Not in Bahrain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Iceland, India, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malta, Oman, Qatar, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine)
  28th March

 

• 
  Heroes of the Monkey tavern (Not in Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE)
  28th March
• 
  Nightmares from the Deep 2: The Siren’s Call
  28th March
• 
  Old Time Hockey (Not in Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lux, Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE)
  28th March

 

• 
  R.B.I. Baseball 17 (Not in Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE)
  28th March
• 
  Rain World
  28th March
• 
  Skyforge: Early Adopter Pack
  28th March

 

• 
  Skyforge: Extended Early Adopter Pack – Rage of the Berserker
  28th March
• 
  Skyforge: Ultimate Early Adopter Pack – Wrath of the Gods
  28th March
• 
  Mafia III demo (Not in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi, UAE)
  28th March

 

• 
  Heroes of the Monkey tavern demo (Not in Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE)
  28th March
• 
  Korix
  28th March
• 
  Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol. 2
  28th March

 

• 
  Snake Pass
  29th March
• 
  The Inner World
  29th March
• 
  Digerati – Indie Darling Bundle
  29th March

 

• 
  We Are The Dwarves
  29th March
• 
  Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix
  31st March
• 
  APB Reloaded Starter Bundle (Only in Germany)
  31st March

 

• 
  APB Reloaded (Not in Aus, Bahrain, Germany, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, NZ, Oman, Qatar, Saudi, SA, UAE)
  31st March
• 
  The Pure Bundle
  31st March
• 
  Punch Club
  31st March

 

• 
  Fairune
  28th March

PS4 DLC

28th March

• Battlefield 1
   
• They Shall Not Pass

• Dark Souls III
   
• The Ringed City

• Mafia III
   
• Faster, Baby!

• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
   
• Method Man VO Pack
• UK Special Forces VO Pack

• Final Fantasy XV
   
• Episode Gladiolus

• The Walking Dead: A New Frontier
   
• Episode 3

• Ghost Recon Wildlands
   
• Peruvian Connection Pack

• MLB The Show 17
   
• Stubs (1,000)
• Stubs (5,000)
• Stubs (11,000)
• Stubs (24,000)
• Stubs (67,500)
• Stubs (150,000)

• Skyforge
   
• 2500 Argents
• 6000 Argents
• 11750 Argents
• 24000 Argents
• 50000 Argents
• 105000 Argents

• Minecraft
   
• Power Rangers Skin Pack
• Mini Game Masters Skin Pack

31st March

• APB Reloaded
   
• 400 G1C
• 816 G1C
• 1680 G1C
• 3052 G1C
• 4600 G1C
• 9600 G1C

Remember, if you’ve not got access to your PS4, PS3 or PS Vita then you can also buy through our online store on your mobile, tablet or computer.

Free for PlayStation Plus subscribers in March

• 
• 

• 
• 

• 
• 

The post New on PlayStation Store this week: MLB The Show 17, Dark Souls III DLC, Rain World appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

from PlayStation.Blog.Europe http://ift.tt/2obZ5hf
via

Read More