Team-based steampunk airship shooter Guns of Icarus Alliance comes to PS4 on 1st May, 2018

We’re thrilled to confirm that we are bringing the heart-pounding action of Guns of Icarus Alliance to PS4 on 1st May, 2018.

Guns of Icarus Alliance: PS4 Edition is the ultimate steampunk airship combat game, complete with an ongoing war between six elite factions vying for control of a world ravaged by machines. Up to 32 players can engage in epic PvP airship battles, with 4 players manning each ship, or team up with your faction to take on the AI in heart-pounding PVE skirmishes.

Take the roles of Pilots, Engineers, and Gunners and work with your crew towards victory. Repair your ship’s armour, gun down enemy balloons, and deftly weave in and out of combat to dominate the skies in a variety of game modes and maps. In this ever-changing universe, a team’s successes and failures constantly shape and reshape the world based on who dominates the battlefield. In the skies of Guns of Icarus, you and your crew triumph or perish, together.

Since day one, the heart and soul of Guns of Icarus has been the idea of teamwork. However, we didn’t want to simply create a game where individuals just happened to be placed on a team together, with everyone focusing on their individual kill/death ratios.

We sat down and really thought about what the concept of a “team” meant to us – and that ultimately boiled down to the understanding that each individual member should feel like a part of something that can only work if everyone contributes.

We didn’t want the opportunity for a single player to “carry” a match, but rather to encourage communication, strategising, and sharing a single communal goal that can only be achieved through cooperation and shared effort. The ship is the team’s collective life bar – when the ship goes down, the crew goes down with it.

Every member of the crew plays an integral role in not only maintaining the “life” of the ship, but also weakening the integrity of enemy ships as they work cooperatively towards a shared victory.

When we made the decision to release the game on PS4 as a console exclusive, it was a priority for us to find a way to ensure that the new release would not be a point of division, but rather a way for us to grow our community. PlayStation affords us the opportunity to seamlessly bring console and PC players into the same match, and it was the perfect fit.

However, just allowing PlayStation 4 players the chance to play in matches with players on other platforms wasn’t enough. We wanted to be sure that all players had the opportunity to experience the full teamwork experience – which is why we also prioritised cross-platform voice chat.

Releasing on PS4 has been a long-time dream, and this dream was made possible with the assistance of Unity and Photon. Since we are bringing the game over from PC, in many cases it has been like flipping a switch to bring aspects of the game to PS4.

We were lucky enough that we didn’t have to rebuild our UI from scratch, as the system was designed to be able to handle controller input. While we still created some custom pieces on top of this foundation, we did not end up in a position where we had to rebuild everything. Quite a bit of what we already had in place transitioned to PS4 seamlessly.

However, the development process was not without its hiccups. Working on PS4 presented very different problems than we were used to on PC, where we get to decide where to optimise, and set the hardware requirements to match.

On PS4 we have one set of hardware. In some respects, and that made things more challenging. Getting our CPU usage to a reasonable level took a lot of work, especially while maintaining identical gameplay for a cross platform title. On the other hand, that meant we always knew how far we could push the hardware, and we didn’t have to spend time worrying about players that might try and play on unique, old, or untested hardware.

Guns of Icarus Alliance is about communication and community. We wanted to push the boundaries of what this means now, and what it can mean moving forward. We’ve been working towards this moment for a long time, and we can’t wait to share the skies with all you amazing PS4 players.

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Construct a beat and unleash the music in Track Lab, coming soon to PlayStation VR

When we think of games and virtual reality we often think about having great adventures and experiencing fantastic new worlds. At Little Chicken Game Company we’ve always loved those adventures but we’ve also had a passion for experiences that empower players to go beyond play and allow them to start creating.

When players become creators amazing things happen. And to allow players to create music simply by playing has been a cherished dream of our studio for over 20 years.

Back in 1995 one of our founders, Senne de Jong came up with an idea on how people could create music by placing simple blocks of sound in a grid.

We’ve carried the prototype for this mechanic with us for all that time. However, we’ve always felt something was lacking that made it truly universal and special. Then along came PlayStation VR.

As soon as the hardware became available a number of years ago, we started working on prototypes and versions of what later would become Track Lab.

Track Lab is a unique VR experience. It allows anyone to mount up and create original music. The player isn’t guided into replicating music, the goal is to create original beats and compositions and keep getting better through playing and having fun.

The first time you enter Track Lab you’ll realise this is unlike any musical instrument you have ever played, it doesn’t require notes or even a single bit of musical knowledge. Simply start picking up sounds as if they were building blocks and start building beats.

You pick up individual sounds and place them in the Track Lab grid where a light beam pulses along. Each time the beam hits a sound you get to hear it.

String along some blocks, and you’ve got the first outline of a beat. Then use what we call prisms to divert, split and reflect the light beam to create loops and ever more complex musical constructs. If this sounds a bit strange, you’re right. Track Lab is truly something unique and new.

That said we don’t drop players in without any guidance. We have two modes in Track Lab, creation mode where you’re free to go at it, and an evolver mode that lets you learn how to create awesome music patterns through puzzles and challenges. On top of that you can mix your creations and add live effects to create amazing performances.

We’ve intentionally tried to stay as far away as possible from normal musical instruments or the technology for creating electronic music.

We wanted to make sure players never felt like they couldn’t do something because they “don’t know anything about it”. Most people will look at DJ decks and mixers as an esoteric bit of technology that’s only for experts. In Track Lab everything is designed to be different and playful. If you “don’t know”, just bang it, hit it, pick it up, and figure out what it does. Most importantly, just listen!

We noticed that when players reached the point where they started dancing to their own beats, creating the music became easier! So we purposely crafted an experience that speaks to all the senses with visuals, interactions and music that stimulate you to create and move!

Many people imagine composers and musical creators as people who are geniuses who come up with music straight from their minds (there’s probably some of those as well). But in reality creating music, like any creative act, is a highly playful experience. It’s about trying things, listening, changing, failing and generally playing around. This is what we feel is truly unique about Track Lab: it’s about improvising and playing.

The most exciting thing for us as developers, is that we can’t even guess what’s possible with Track Lab. So we can’t wait to see what kind of intricate compositions people will create and share once Track Lab is available to all PS VR users.

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Your PlayStation Plus games for April are Mad Max and Trackmania Turbo

With spring finally ‘sprung’, 2018 is finally getting itself into gear. From here on in, we can look forward to longer days, warmer weather and of course, a whole slew of exclusive new blockbuster titles coming to PlayStation 4, including the likes of God of War and Detroit: Become Human.

To keep you busy in the meantime we have a fresh line-up of PlayStation Plus games for you to enjoy. You can download the following from 3rd April:

Mad Max

Honestly speaking, it’s amazing that George Miller’s influential Mad Max series didn’t find a footing in the gaming world sooner. Vast open wastelands, outlaw bandits, over-the-top action and petrol-guzzling battle cars… it’s a perfect fit.

Happily, in 2015, it actually happened and the results are… well, everything you’d expect. Gritty protagonist Max – the ‘Road Warrior’ – embarks upon a journey through a lawless post-apocalyptic world in search of supplies, solace and an even sweeter ride.

Build your own rugged, off-road dirt car and take it for a spin around the wastes of a scorched future Australia. Like any good apocalypse, there’s precious scrap and crafting materials lying everywhere, so knock over a few bandit strongholds, steal some supplies and power-up for the ever greater dangers lurking out there.

Trackmania Turbo

Staying squarely with the theme of over-the-top vehicular mayhem, second in our April line-up is mad-cap racer and all-round affront to Newtonian Laws, Trackmania Turbo.

A one-of-kind experience, Ubisoft’s outlandish arcade racer exists in a strange twilight zone between high-speed racing romp and rollercoaster simulator. In real terms, that means break-neck speeds, impossible loop-the-loops and the kind of ramp-to-ramp jumps that’d make Evel Knievel stand up and cheer.

There are four distinct environments, over 200 tracks, 16-player multiplayer and even a ‘track builder’ mode where you can create your own improbable circuits. What’s more, Trackmania Turbo also boasts support for PS VR for those who want to get even closer to the action.

Anything else?

As usual, there’ll be two additional titles apiece for both PS3 and PS Vita. If we do the sums, the final line-up works out like this:

• Mad Max (PS4)
• Trackmania Turbo (PS4)
• In Space We Brawl (PS3)
• Toy Home (PS3)
• 99 VIDAS (PS Vita)
• Q*Bert Rebooted (PS3/PS4/PS Vita)

All these games will be available for PS Plus members to download from PlayStation Store on 3rd April. Between then and now, there are a still a few days left to pick up any titles you missed from last month’s line-up. A quick reminder:

• Bloodborne (PS4)
• Ratchet and Clank (PS4)
• Legend of Kay Anniversary (PS3)
• Mighty No. 9 (PS3 and PS4)
• Claire: Extended Cut (PS Vita and PS4)
• Bombing Busters (PS Vita and PS4)

And that’s it for April, have fun and we’ll be back with a fresh line-up next month!

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New free GT Sport update adds cars, events and a new VR Time Trial, out tomorrow

We’re very proud to reveal our March update for Gran Turismo Sport: Patch 1.15. We’ve been paying close attention to your feedback, and have added an unmissable collection of new cars, events and a brand new VR Time Trial mode we hope you’ll love. You’ll be able to download and play from 7am GMT / 8am CET tomorrow, Thursday 29th March.

As always, you can find the full patch notes right here; and be sure to stay tuned to PlayStation Blog for the first word on more upcoming GT content.

Patch 1.15 – features

New vehicles

Rolling into Brand Central this month are 13 stunning new vehicles, including some legendary GT favourites and Red Bull X-series cars. Take a look at the complete line-up:

• Honda Raybrig Concept-GT (GT500)
• Lexus Au Tom’s RC F (GT500)
• Nissan Motual Autech GT-R (GT500)
• Aston Martin DB11
• BMW M3 Sport Evolution
• Eckerts Rod & Custom Mach Forty
• Ford GT40 Mark I
• Gran Turismo Red Bull X2014 Standard
• Gran Turismo Red Bull X2014 Junior
• Lexus RC F GT3
• Mazda RX-7 GT-X (FC)
• Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (R33)
• Nissan GT-R Nismo

New track

Next, we’ve added the GT fan-favourite Tsukuba Circuit, featuring a unique combination of tight hairpins and wide, sweeping corners to really test drivers’ racing finesse.

VR time trials

One of our most often received requests to date has been the expansion of GT Sport’s thrilling VR mode. So, with the latest patch, PlayStation VR owners will have the chance to hit the track in a series of challenging time trials. Players will also now earn rewards in both Time Trial and VR Tour modes!

GT League events

Continuing to add to the GT League line-up, we’ve introduced three new events to test drivers of all skill levels, including:

• Nissan GT-R Cup – Beginner League
• Red bull X-Junior Series – Amateur League
• All Japan GT Car Championships – Professional League

Fanatec wheel support

For all the Fanatec wheel users out there, we are really pleased to announce that we are adding official support in the update and will continue to improve its functionality in future updates!

Finally, we’ve also added a stunning new Cherry Blossom theme to Scapes Mode to help you get into the spring spirit, and an all-new MINI Museum to explore the complete history of the British automotive giant.

Remember: you can find all the latest info on upcoming GT Sport content here on PlayStation Blog or on the official Gran Turismo website. Until next time, drivers, we’ll see you out on the track.

 

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Dragon Quest XI gets a PS4 release date

It’s a pleasure to meet everyone. I’m Hokuto Okamoto, the producer of Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. I’m very ecstatic about having been able to announce the release date for the latest installment in the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest XI, for everyone in the West.

Dragon Quest XI was developed so that it would become a culmination of sorts for the series up to now, a title that essentially represents “a new beginning” despite it being the latest game in the Dragon Quest XI series. The game itself has been received quite favorably by consumers since its release in Japan, and I believe the title has shaped up to become something “both nostalgic and new” for existing fans of the series, and something that ignites the desire to play the other titles in the series upon completing the game for those experiencing Dragon Quest for the first time.

The game’s scenario amounts to one of the most epic narratives in the series. Much time was spent localising the game in an effort to properly communicate and deliver the rich localities that amass “Erdrea”, the world of Dragon Quest XI. But, reflective of the time spent, it is truly shaping up to become a wonderful game. Of course, it does not end with localisation, some arrangements are being made throughout the game to ensure greater accessibility for Western players, including voice overs and adjustments to the UI design such as the menu.

For example, the Equipment screen in the Japanese version reflects the traditional text-only UI, familiar to Japanese fans, but the Western version adopts a UI that displays icons so that it is easier to visually grasp certain information such as the weapon type.

The scenario, characters, and overall universe were particularly praised in Japan, but I’m especially excited about hearing what kind of sentiment and impressions everyone overseas will have towards the game! Please look forward to Dragon Quest XI.

 Pre-orders start today!

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is coming to the West on 4th September, 2018. Pre-order now on PlayStation Store to receive the exclusive “The Legend Reborn” Theme (shown below), along with in-game DLC items when the game launches (Vest for Success, Seed of Skill x15, and Über Agate of Evolution x3).

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Save the planet from alien invasion in Animal Force, a new strategy game for PlayStation VR

My name is Yi Zhang, CEO of ISVR, and I am proud to present our latest PlayStation VR title to you.

In Animal Force, your mission is to save the Earth from an alien invasion using a menagerie of super powered animals. Each one has its own unique ability, and as the player, you must use these in tandem to defeat the dastardly extraterrestrials.

At its heart, Animal Force is a tower defence game, but as we hope you can see from our trailer, it is a tower defence game built to take full advantage of what a virtual arena has to offer. Unlike traditional 2D tower defence games, the battles in Animal Force take place in 3D arenas, so enemies move in 3D space and you can place your defenders anywhere in order to stop them.

What’s more, you aren’t relegated to being a glorified pointer in Animal Force, you are part of the action. At any time you can pick up your defenders and thrust and parry with the enemy to help defend the people of Earth.

Don’t be fooled by its happy-go-lucky appearance, Animal Force is a game of skill and strategy, and with 7 stages packed with new enemies, twists and boss fights, it has something for everyone from the greenest of the greenhorns to the most seasoned of gamers.

Besides the single player Campaign, Animal Force also features three local multiplayer modes for you to enjoy with friends and family. These modes support 1-3 additional players who can play against the PS VR player using the DS4 controller.

Animal Force is coming soon, exclusively to PS VR.

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Stylish PS4 stealth action game Aragami gets new Nightfall expansion soon

Hi there! David Leon here, studio director from the Lince Works team. We’ve got some great news that we’ve been really edging to tell you for quite some time now, so here goes.

Over the last few months we’ve been hard at work on a new expansion to Aragami. We’ve called it Aragami: Nightfall and it’ll be releasing very soon.

First off, all of us from the team want to send an immense thank you to all our fans who supported the original game. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to remain independent and develop our games in the way we want and we’d never have been able to even do something like Aragami: Nightfall if the game didn’t reach so many people.

So again, from the bottom of all our hearts, thanks for joining our stealth ninja family!

For those new to the game, let me catch you up quickly.

Aragami is a 3rd person action stealth game where you play as an undead assassin with the power to control the shadows. It’s built on our love of the true stealth classics – Tenchu, Metal Gear Solid, Mark of Ninja. They delivered a real sense of tension and strategy which we believe has been missing over the last few years.

To us, there is something special about being outmatched, outnumbered, and alone. Not having any ability to gun down waves of enemies in one swoop or relying on regenerating health.

Your main weapons are your cunning, your sword, and darkness. You can use your powers to play as a Ghost, remaining undetected and getting to your target without a whisper. Or you can play a total Demon, slaying everyone in your path and using your powers to wreak havoc on those who would stand against you.

Aragami: Nightfall is all of this with and more added in. So what’s new to our expansion pack?

What is Aragami: Nightfall?

Aragami: Nightfall is a story expansion to the original Aragami game. It is a whole new story and campaign that is taking place before the events of Aragami.

You will play as either Hyo or Shinobu, two deadly shadow assassins who are looking for a mysterious ‘Alchemist’. Their journey will take them through all new areas, new challenges, and new scenarios, answering a lot of questions and mysteries from Aragami along the way.

For Aragami: Nightfall, we gave Shinobu and Hyo all new moves and powers. If you played Aragami before, you will notice that both new protagonists have new weapons and finishing moves with which they dispose of their enemies in creative ways.

To go along with the new kills, we also introduced new Shadow Powers. One of the new additions are Shadow Grenades, which are perfect for blinding a group of enemies.

The Kunai is making a comeback – but with an explosive twist. And finally, Twin Shadow will allow you to call upon your teammate to assassinate a specific target you marked.

Best part is that you will be able to play everything in single player mode, or together with your friend in online co-op.

Once again, we want to thank all of our fans for allowing us – and encouraging – to create more content for Aragami. Aragami: Nightfall will be coming real soon, and we will show you more footage as we get closer to the date. We are always looking for comments, feedback, questions, and ideas, so don’t be shy and let us know what you think!

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Super-cute pixel-art action adventure Reverie hits PS Vita on 5th April

Our three-man Rainbite studio down in little ol’ New Zealand is ready to release Reverie! After just over a year of development, we finally have a release date of 5th April!

If you haven’t heard of Reverie or just want some more information, the trailer will show you some great new gameplay, but if you can’t watch for whatever reason, here is a brief synopsis:

Reverie is an action adventure game set on a fictional island in New Zealand, inspired by the legend of Maui and the Giant Fish, where the demigod himself hauled up the North Island with a powerful fishhook.

With restless spirits threatening the safety of Toromi Island’s inhabitants, our plucky main character, Tai, must venture through dangerous dungeons and across a variety of environments to put the spirits to rest. All in a summer holiday!

Also, here’s a handy list of features:

• Battle your way through six dungeons.
• Use unique weapons and items to solve puzzles and defeat menacing bosses.
• Explore varied environments and find the secrets of Toromi Island.
• Collect hidden feathers from New Zealand’s many beautiful native birds.
• Enjoy a story inspired by a Māori legend.

Because the three of us were born, grew up, and still live in New Zealand, we really wanted to showcase the uniqueness of the land as well as bring out the true Kiwi nature. We’ve also hidden many references throughout the game inspired by New Zealand pop culture, including movies and toys. We don’t want to spoil them but be sure to let us know if you find any.

Reverie also includes Māori language and symbolism throughout. Many places have Māori names which all have deeper meanings behind them that relate to the world. For an easy example of this, we have named the town Harikoa, which means happiness or joy. This town is supposed to be a calm and relaxing place where you, the player, can chill out without any worries.

Every region you visit in Reverie should feel like a different experience from the last. We have unique music and colour schemes for every region on Toromi Island. Trying to fit many different environments into such a small island was a challenge, but with some careful planning, and accidental holistic design, I think we’ve managed it!

Since the story for Reverie is linear, the dungeon progression is also linear. Each dungeon is completed in a certain order, getting harder as you progress. Most dungeons have an item or environmental hazard introduced in them, which also delivers new mechanics to toy with. These mechanics are then expanded upon and pushed to their limit by the end of the dungeon. Some of them spill over into other dungeons to keep ramping up the intensity, but there is a focus on individual mechanics for each dungeon.

To make each dungeon feel even more unique, each one features a one-off set piece. This, in combination with distinctive colour schemes, makes each dungeon memorable and interesting. Here is a sneak peek at one of them:

Because you managed to get all the way down here, have some screenshots, on us:

 

 

See you at Toromi Island on 5th April!

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Satirical physics-based PS VR puzzler Salary Man Escape arrives on 23rd May

Salary Man Escape is an edgy, satirical VR physics puzzle game where the player must use skill and tact to help a disgruntled Salaryman escape his life.

Through clever interaction and manipulation of blocks and platforms, players must reorganize an edifice of bricks in order to create a route for the Salaryman to reach the exit.

Salary Man Escape will be released for PlayStation VR on 23rd May, 2018, and will be available in the following 11 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Chinese (Simple & Traditional), Korean and Japanese.

Key features

Unique VR perspective

• With the freedom of movement offered by PS VR, players can enjoy a 360 degrees perspective on the puzzles

Physics-dependent puzzling

• Solving puzzles in Salary Man Escape is all about leveraging physics properties like weight, balance and force, making each play-through unique

Six chapters, 78 levels

• Over 8 hours of gameplay with 6 chapters and 78 levels
• Each chapter adds a new puzzle mechanic into the mix, making progression increasingly complex and challenging.

Unique art style and soundtrack

• The game features a minimalistic, monochromatic visual style, contrasted with a cheerful, classic Japanese 80’s inspired soundtrack.

Inspirations & beginnings

We started out with the idea of grabbing things in VR, with special attention paid towards the depth and volume of the 3D space. With this as a basis, our Lead Designer Michael Michael (aka MM) worked on a prototype puzzle game, which we were instantly attached to.

With the theme and graphics, we tried many different concepts that matched the gameplay. Some concepts were having a tiny robot escape a mechanical city, a little spider escaping a furious human, and 80’s electronics gadgets running away from being “retired”.

There was something to love from all these concepts, but ultimately none stood out enough. Then one day, the Lead Artist Yu Jian Wei casually compared the difficulty of the game to the daily grind of a Salary Man, and that image of a suffering worker just stuck with us. We created some early concepts, and the rest was history.

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WipEout Omega Collection’s free PS VR update is out today

AG Pilots, the time is upon you. It’s time for you to experience WipEout in a way you have never experienced it before. Suit up and put on your PSVR headsets, because this is a rollercoaster ride like no other!

With a free update, your copy of WipEout Omega Collection is now playable in VR. Simply update your game, switch on your headset and your main menu will transform into a 3D world with ships zooming right past you.

You can select any game mode, be it Racebox or Campaign, and play the full game in VR from start to finish.

We’ve added three new VR exclusive ships for those with headsets for HD, Fury and 2048 classes. Look in amazement as you are placed into a cockpit and can zip around your favourite tracks from a brand new perspective.

Not only that but you can also enjoy the games soundscape in full 3D audio making this the most immersive way to play WipEout. The update will also feature the new remix of Shake It by competition winner Vieille Griffe.

For those of you who haven’t yet picked up WipEout now is the perfect time, with a brand new demo version coming soon, so you can fly before you buy! We love to treat you guys.

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Starting tomorrow, the PlayStation VR Starter Pack is just €299.99 RRP

Thinking about picking up a PlayStation VR headset? Well, your moment has come. From tomorrow (or 2nd April in Australia and New Zealand), you can now purchase the PS VR Starter Pack for €299.99 RRP, reduced from €399.99 RRP*.

Here’s what you’ll get for your money:

• PlayStation VR headset
• PlayStation Camera
• PlayStation VR Worlds game (download code)

With well over 100 games and experiences already available on PlayStation Store it’s the perfect time to jump in and immerse yourself in the world of PS VR.

There’s something available for every gaming appetite, from the blockbuster action of Skyrim VR, GT Sport, Resident Evil 7 and Doom VFR, to critically-lauded platforming adventure Moss, phenomenal FPS Superhot, and terrifying Until Dawn prequel The Inpatient.

And there’s plenty of fun to be had without opening your wallet. Acclaimed mini-game compilation The Playroom VR and two demo packs are available to download from PlayStation Store at no additional cost – alongside a host of other free titles.

For more on the breadth of great games currently available, head over to our PlayStation VR hub and start exploring.

*Check with your preferred retailer for local pricing.

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How Far Cry 5’s ambitious post-launch DLC aims to turn the series on its head

For Far Cry 5, Ubisoft Montreal are beefing up their post-launch support to deliver a lasting experience that will take the Far Cry franchise to places it’s never been before.

Building on the philosophy that made Far Cry 3’s Blood Dragon expansion such a roaring success, the team are aiming to deliver not one, but three huge expansions, while offering players the chance to create their own varied experiences in the ever-evolving Far Cry Arcade.

We caught up with Associate Producer Phil Fournier to find out more.

1. Different but connected

The three main DLC expansions, which will take players to wild new locations, time periods and even into space, won’t be a direct continuation of events in Hope County, but they’ll still have their own place in the Far Cry universe.

“The essence of Far Cry, for us, has always been to put players in a context or situation they’re not really expecting and I think our three story expansions for Far Cry 5 are really a great statement to that effect,” explains Fournier.

 

“All of the three DLCs really have their own identity – Mars, the Vietnam War, a post-apocalyptic, zombie scenario – but, at the same time, we found ways to tie them into the main Far Cry 5 narrative. You might find, or hear about characters you met in the main game in these strange new places – even on Mars! I can’t elaborate too much on that, but let’s just say there’s a character in Far Cry 5 who believes we’re being ‘watched’ and, you know, maybe they’re right!”

2. More than just a ‘re-skin’

While some expansions are designed to simply elaborate on what already exists, Far Cry 5’s DLC expansions will each constitute a deliberate deviation from what can be found in the mainline story.

“Each expansion feels like something new: you’re going to be playing with different features and new toys in uniquely-realised open-world scenarios. We’ve really invested a lot of time and effort into that ensuring these were not simply ‘re-skins’, but that that each represents its own distinct experience,” elaborates Fournier.

“We had entirely different teams, like Ubisoft Shanghai, running the development from start to finish and they really did an awesome job of capturing the essence of Far Cry 5 in brand-new scenarios and environments that deliberately turn things on their head.”

3. Everything connects back to Far Cry Arcade

A major new feature for Far Cry 5 will be Far Cry Arcade, a bold evolution of the series’ popular Map Editor mode that encourages players to take familiar assets – not just from the main game, but from past titles and partner Ubisoft titles, like Assassin’s Creed Black Flag – and build new levels themselves.

Aside from their own narrative-driven adventures, the three expansions will have something of their own to add to Far Cry Arcade. Fournier didn’t want to give too much away, but he put it like this:

“We’ve got some surprises for people who are into Far Cry Arcade. There are going to be a lot of tie-ins between the DLC expansions and Far Cry Arcade: we can’t wait to give players the tools to dream-up crazy new scenarios. What’s more, if players want to create an environment that you can’t find in any of our main games or the the expansions, it’s really up to them: they can create something brand new.”

4. Far Cry Arcade will keep the game keep evolving

The diverse sandbox of possibilities offered by Far Cry Arcade mode is designed to bring the players themselves into the creative experience and expand the world in unexpected ways. The team at Ubisoft Montreal are planning to support this in the long term…

“With the addition of Far Cry Arcade you can expect a lot more content dropping more regularly, so players can really get creative and get to build their own maps and game modes. You’ll be creating your own rules in the Far Cry universe and there’s really no limit to your imagination. I mean, you can create a map full of… bears, if you want, and stick Cheeseburger in the middle that and see what he does – maybe he’ll make friends!

“If the mainline Far Cry 5 game is a cake – with all its layers – then Far Cry Arcade is our cookbook. We give you all of the tools and ingredients and then it’s up to you, the player, to make your own scenarios, anecdotes and moments that you can share with rest of the community.”

5. The experience is designed to be collaborative

One of the things the developer seems keen to achieve with Far Cry Arcade is to break down some of the walls between the professionals who build the games and the communities that interact with them.

The ambition is simple: let players be the builders for a change and let the developers do the playing. Fournier explains how this will work:

“Once the game releases there’s gonna be a lot of maps, scenarios and missions created by various Ubisoft teams – Montreal, Toronto and others – and we’re gonna plant the seed of what’s possible with Far Cry Arcade. Then we’re gonna step back and just let everybody else loose.”

At the same time, the team are keen to avoid a free-for-all scenario where great maps and levels get buried, so you won’t just be creating, you get to champion the levels you love.

“As you finish every map there’s a rating system: if you liked it or maybe didn’t like it so much, you can let the community know. We want to promote the ideas that are the most interesting, or crazy or innovative. We want to engage the community through Far Cry Arcade and I think it’s a really great way to get a glimpse of what it takes to make a game – a complex game, like Far Cry.

“You can also expect our teams in Montreal and other offices to be running different live events to encourage the community to engage and create – in previous games we had things like Map Challenges, where we’d create a voting system to expose the work that players had done, allow people to vote for their favourites and then give out some swag.”

The system promises to create masses of community-curated gameplay scenarios that allows players to not only share their own ideas, but to promote other talented creators around them. After five years of hard work, seeing just what wild ideas will be thrown up by this is one of things Fournier is most looking forward to:

“I’m really interested to see what the community comes up with here, to see their creations being shared online and to sit down and play them myself – hopefully at home on my couch, when I finally have some time off after the game ships on 27th of March!”

Here’s hoping Phil gets a well-earned break once the game is finally out in the wild! You can get all of the forthcoming season pass content, along with Far Cry Arcade and the story-driven mainline campaign with the Far Cry 5 Gold Edition, available now on PlayStation Store.

The post How Far Cry 5’s ambitious post-launch DLC aims to turn the series on its head appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

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Next month’s PS4 action RPG The Swords of Ditto features a LocoRoco crossover quest

Greetings, fellow heroes of legend! The Swords of Ditto development team here at onebitbeyond are insanely excited to announce that our upcoming adventure RPG will be graced with a small, but very special, LocoRoco quest!

Our team couldn’t be more excited to share this with the PlayStation community and provide a special sneak peek at this collaboration. Many thanks to our friends at PlayStation and SIE Japan Studio for their love and support in putting this together!

We’ve always been fans of the LocoRoco series since it first launched in 2006 on PlayStation Portable (plus the recent remasters on PS4!). We spent countless hours toiling away to rescue those little yellow jelly LocoRocos.

While we were developing The Swords of Ditto, we wanted to really take advantage of our partnership with PlayStation, so we asked if there was an iconic series we could recreate on the Isle of Ditto. Our highest hope was to work with LocoRoco and, lo and behold, it turns out that SIE Japan Studio loved the idea and gave us the go ahead to bring their wonderful characters to life in our project.

The first step of this collaboration was to figure out a smart, seamless way to integrate LocoRoco into The Swords of Ditto while giving players something truly surprising and unique. It became clear that a secret dungeon themed as a small LocoRoco quest would be ideal and a nice juxtaposition to the usual dark and gloomy secret caves that populate each new world with every run.

Our team then combined the idea of collecting the LocoRocos while defending yourself from the mean ol’ Moja Troop to create a nifty quest that felt equally true to both LocoRoco and The Swords Ditto.

 

Next we worked closely with PlayStation and SIE Japan Studio to recreate the LocoRoco vibe inside The Swords of Ditto’s special quest, sharing designs and gameplay samples as we worked.

The SIE Japan Studio team was gracious enough to share the game assets with our group and worked with us to get the animation of the characters, their faces, and their reactions just right – even making sure we got the shape and snoring of Nyokki perfect. From the art and animation to the music and sound effects, we think that this quest will be a real treat for fans of the LocoRoco series.

The last challenge was the reward for completing the quest, again something that we wanted to fit both games and feel like something pretty special for players to obtain. While we don’t want to give all our secrets away, let’s just say both games have quite a bit of rolling around for their heroes…

It’s been a pleasure to work with PlayStation and SIE Japan Studio on this collaboration and we can’t wait for you all to find our little yellow friends on 24th April when The Swords of Ditto launches on PlayStation 4!

The post Next month’s PS4 action RPG The Swords of Ditto features a LocoRoco crossover quest appeared first on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

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