Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Control, Wolfenstein II and more join PS Now in March

Hello, PlayStation Now fans! We’re excited to announce a new batch of PlayStation 4 games joining the PlayStation Now library in March. Starting 3rd March, PS Now subscribers can enjoy 11 new games, including Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Control, and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, which are available to stream and download. These games will join the PlayStation Now library of more than 700 PS4, PS3, and PS2 games in all.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Experience Lara croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya Apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be. 

• Available to download (PS4 system only) and stream through Monday, 31st August 

Control 

After a secretive agency in New York is invaded by an otherworldly threat, you become the new Director struggling to regain Control. From developer Remedy Entertainment, Control is a supernatural 3rd person action-adventure will challenge you to master the combination of supernatural abilities, modifiable loadouts and reactive environments while fighting through a deep and unpredictable world.  

• Available to download (PS4 system only) and stream through Monday, 31st August 

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus 

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus sends players to Nazi-controlled America on a mission to recruit the boldest resistance leaders left. Battle in iconic American locations, equip an arsenal of badass guns, and unleash new abilities to fight your way through legions of enemy soldiers, and spark the second American Revolution. 

• Available to download (PS4 system only) and stream

Here is a full list of games joining the PlayStation Now library in March:

• Control (available until Monday, 31st August)
• Dead or Alive 5 Last Round
• Nascar Heat 3
• Nights of Azure
• Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider (available until 7th September, 2020)
• Toukiden 2
• Toukiden Kiwami
• Warriors All-Stars
• Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Enjoying PUBG on PS Now? Well, good news: the genre-defining battle royale experience is getting an extended stay on PS Now, meaning users can continue to download and stream PUBG on PS Now. Haven’t played it yet? Find out more here. 

Don’t forget to check out January’s games including Horizon Zero Dawn and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which are available until 7th April, 2020.

If you haven’t tried PlayStation Now yet, now’s the perfect time to give it a spin with the seven-day free trial* for PS4 and PC. Download the more than 300 PS4 (and PS2) games in the service to play on your PS4 or PS4 Pro system, or stream any of the 700+ PS2, PS3, and PS4 games to your PS4 or PC. 

Stay tuned for more updates on PS Now. Happy gaming!

*Terms apply. New Subscribers only. Credit card or PayPal required. See here for details.

**Ongoing subscription with a £8.99 recurring fee charged every month until canceled.  Other terms apply. See here for details.

***Ongoing subscription with a £49.99 recurring fee charged every 12 months until canceled. Other terms apply. See here for details.

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Delve into the lore of upcoming sci-fi shooter Outriders

At this weekend’s PAX East panel, Lead Writer Joshua Rubin and Lead Narrative Designer Szymon Barchan spent some time talking about the work that has gone into creating the universe of Outriders, as well as discussing the space that Outriders intends to carve out for itself in the RPG shooter genre. If you missed the panel, you can watch a VOD of it here, but I also wanted to take the time here at PlayStation.Blog to expand upon some of thematic ideas behind Outriders, which releases winter 2020 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

If you’d like to find out a bit more about some of the thought processes in the early days of new-universe creation, have a look at the short video above, which also includes some previously unreleased concept art.

One question that we’ve seen be bounced around a lot is: How does the science fiction setting of Outriders differ from everything else that’s already out there? Simultaneously, I’ve also seen a handful of observers insist that we seem to be “doing sci-fi wrong”. Where are the beam weapons, lasers and shiny suits of armour!?

But that is exactly the heart of the Outriders universe. When People Can Fly first envisioned Outriders and started putting the first pieces of it all together, the idea was to do sci-fi a little differently to the current day trend. One of the game’s basic principles is to meld the science fiction frontier setting of an unexplored, alien planet, with the visceral grittiness of warfare. That being said, buckle up for a moment everyone, we’re about to get a little cerebral.

One of the fundamental aspects of science fiction is the exploration of ideas, particularly with a view towards potential consequences of innovations or changes in science and technology, but also society. These notions all lie at the core of the Outriders universe and narrative.

From day one the team had a strong focus on narrative and story and with Outriders we wanted to craft a science fiction universe which was far more than just window dressing. We want to build lore that has depth and creates discussion and conversation. You may already be familiar with the game’s tagline: “Leave Humanity Behind.”

The true meaning behind this phrase contains several different layers that you will encounter and have the chance to mull over in your travels across Enoch. There are other themes worth considering as well and keen observers may draw parallels with aspects of works such as Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.” Finally, there are some more overarching themes and metaphors in the Outriders universe that we, for the sake of spoiler avoidance, don’t want to delve into just yet.

The cornerstone of a rich science-fiction world also lies within the effort dedicated to world building. Much of this was already done at the very outset of the Outriders project: People Can Fly wrote almost 200 years worth of “pre-universe lore,” from 2020 through to 2209 — it’s the History of the Future and is enshrined in our game’s design bible. Dozens of pages chart the political and economic landscapes that led to the demise of planet Earth, as well as the work done to save what was left of the human race.

All of these events occur before the actual game narrative of Outriders begins. As you progress through the game, you will uncover a treasure trove of lore that will reflect upon this history, all of which you can explore and read at your own pace should you be so inclined.

When humans first land on Enoch, the planet upon which the Outriders game takes place, they encounter a storm henceforth referred to as “the Anomaly.” This storm renders all the high tech equipment of the new arrivals useless, forcing them to fall back upon relying on the most basic of remaining technology and ballistic weaponry.

This same set-back also means that colonizing the planet as planned is no longer possible — all the equipment and resources needed for this are still stuck in orbit, waiting for an uplink signal that cannot be sent now that anything more advanced than a two-way radio has been fried. Here’s an excerpt from the Journal that explains the Anomaly a bit more:

Knowing this, and bearing the themes mentioned further above in mind, you may already be able to discern some of the narrative elements that Outriders may touch upon. In particular, how does a generation of humans who have experienced the pinnacle of human advancement on planet Earth fare when thrown into the savagery of a primitive new world? Stripped of everything that gave them an advantage in the old world, how far will they go to maintain, save or sacrifice their humanity? And how does an Outrider who awakens from cryo-sleep 30 years too late find their way in this changed society and deal with the children of Enoch, who have been born into a world of conflict and struggle, and raised on the propaganda of war and hate? What sacrifices will need to be made to give the human race a second chance on Enoch?

That’s the setup for the universe of Outriders and where our story really begins…

We’re looking forward to seeing you delve into the universe People Can Fly created and for you to experience the rich story that they’ve crafted when Outriders releases winter 2020 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. For more information about Outriders, be sure to follow the Outriders social channels!

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These are this week’s PlayStation Store releases

Amongst other things on PlayStation Store this week, you can take a meditative trip through the lens of PS VR, enjoy some meta-level commentary on the RPG genre, reunite with gaming icons or take a trip to the Big Apple.

Let’s take a look.

Separation | Out: Tuesday, 3rd March

Explore a captivating landscape free from time pressures or other people in a PS VR title described as an “ambient adventure’ by its solo developer Martin Wheeler. Gameplay is relaxed, with the primary focus being exploration of the artistic desolation around you.

CrossCode | Out: Friday, 6th March

A retro-style sci-fi action RPG heavy with genre meta-commentary. Log in to an MMO and start tackling dangerous foes, solving puzzles and engaging with other ‘players’ who are exploring this vast world. Come for the knowing wink at genre convention, stay for the fast-paced combat.

The Division 2 – Warlords of New York | Out: Tuesday, 3rd March

Division agents have spent the past year reclaiming Washington D.C from roving gangs and more sinister threats. But now a new mission will call them back to where Ubisoft’s MMO shooter began: the Big Apple. The Division 2 owners can get their ticket back to NYC with an expansion pass, while newcomers can pick up the Ultimate Edition that combines all the content released for the shooter sequel thus far.

• Pre-order The Division 2 – Warlords of New York on PlayStation Store now

Final Fantasy VII Remake demo | Out: Monday 2nd March

FFVII fans and the curious can get a taster for what awaits in Midgar right now, as Square Enix has stealth-dropped a demo for its upcoming JRPG. Reunite with Cloud and co. and enjoy the familiar sights as well as the big changes to the 1997 original. For first timers, this will offer a perfect tutorial into the mix of action and strategy that headlines the action of this new take on a PlayStation classic.

• Download the Final Fantasy VII Remake from PlayStation Store now

Out this week

• 
  FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE DEMO
  2nd March
• 
  ACA NEOGEO ART OF FIGHTING 3
  3rd March
• 
  Color Slayer
  3rd March

 

• 
  SEPARATION
  3rd March
• 
  Spellbreak – Champion Founder Pack
  3rd March
• 
  Spellbreak – Mystic Founder Pack
  3rd March

 

• 
  Spellbreak – Sorcerer Founder Pack
  3rd March
• 
  The Division 2 – Warlords of New York Ultimate Edition
  3rd March
• 
  The Division 2 Warlords of New York
  3rd March

 

 

• 
  Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions Deluxe edition
  4th March
• 
  Pathologic 2
  4th March
• 
  Syrup and The Ultimate Sweet
  4th March

 

• 
  60 Seconds!
  6th March
• 
  Breeder Homegrown: Director’s Cut
  6th March
• 
  CrossCode
  6th March

 

• 
  WARRIORS OROCHI 4 Ultimate
  6th March
• 
  WARRIORS OROCHI 4 Ultimate Deluxe Edition
  6th March

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Meet the character classes of fantasy-themed battle royale Spellbreak

Hey all, my name is Seth Sivak and I’m the CEO of Proletariat, the company developing Spellbreak. In my previous post, I gave you an overview of what Spellbreak was and how we want to bring bombastic magic combat to the Playstation. Since we’re releasing the beta tomorrow on the Playstation 4, I wanted to give you a closer look at the six classes you’ll be able to play as in Spellbreak.

At the start of every match, you can choose your class. Each class in Spellbreak has a unique playstyle and set of skills that can be learned as you level in a given game. Every skill offers you a significant upgrade to the playstyle and serves to further differentiate the classes as the match progresses. While you’ll start each match as a powerful spellcaster, by the end you will be a destructive force.

The Pyromancer

The Pyromancer specializes in fire magic, allowing them to do large swaths of damage across the battlefield. They specialize in mid-range combat with their Fireball spell, which can leave burning puddles of fire on the ground, or they can use Flamewall to create a wall of fire to harm their opponents or defend themselves or an area. Above, you can see a Pyromancer using the Firefly skill to literally take flight by entering a Flamewall, allowing them to quickly cross gaps and distance or make a hasty retreat. Do a barrel roll!

Stoneshaper

A Stoneshaper is the defensive earth mage who can sunder the ground to brawl up close or lay siege to their far off quarry by throwing giant boulders over the horizon. Their primary spell is Shockwave which tears up the ground and sends it zooming towards their opponent and with each cast, they siphon a portion of the earth’s power to shield themselves. You can see them repeatedly casting Boulderfall in the gif to rain down destruction from afar.

Toxicologist

If you’d prefer a somewhat sneakier playstyle, focused around burst damage, perhaps the Toxicologist will quench your thirst. Using their vials of toxic goo, they can cast Toxic Spray to cover the field in sticky puddles. Get in close with someone for maximum damage. They can also summon large clouds of gas to cover the landscape which can be lit on fire or electrified, but more importantly, by entering one, they can use Vanishing Mists to launch themselves through it and become invisible. While invisible, their damage is greatly increased so your opponents will always be on their toes.

Conduit

How are your reflexes? A Conduit can cast Lightning Bolts, summon storms, and shock other players. When a player is shocked, they can’t attack back, so time your spells, disable them, and strike like lightning! On top of their elemental powers, Conduits also specialize in runic magic and control over mana, allowing them to make more frequent use of both compared to other classes.

Tempest

The high-flyer of Spellbreak, the Tempest takes to the skies on the wings of the winds to rain down destruction from above. Their Wind Shear lets them launch themselves off the ground and walls to maintain maximum advantage over their opponents or they can use their Tornadoes to fly even higher into the air or pull in their enemies (or both!). While skyborne, Tempests infuse their attacks with the power of the wind to deal even more damage than while they’re grounded.

Frostborn

Finally, the slickest of the classes: Frostborn. A fast-moving sniper who’s capable of creating paths of ice to quickly traverse the world along with their team. Their Ice Lance spell is tremendously damaging but requires great care in aiming. If they get themselves into a bind, they can use their Flash Freeze to ward off attackers and skate away.

On top of choosing a class, you can further customise your build with different spells, sorceries, runes, talents and more that will ensure each match has a different flavour where you can adapt to both your surroundings and opponents, but that’s a subject for another day!

The Spellbreak closed beta will be available on Playstation 4, starting tomorrow. Check out Spellbreak’s page for the latest news and updates. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you in-game!

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Discover the meditative world of Separation this week on PS VR

Hello. I’m a solo indie game developer about to release my first PlayStation game, Separation, an ambient adventure launching tomorrow on PS VR. I’d like to take this opportunity to reveal the inspiration behind the game, along with some of the challenges I faced developing it.

Firstly, you may be wondering exactly what I mean by ‘ambient adventure’. I’ve never felt comfortable with the term ‘walking simulator’ and reasoned that an equivalent to the musical genres of ‘ambient’ or ‘downtempo’ also existed in games. Separation’s gameplay is relaxed — exploration based with some puzzle elements, and no time pressure. Atmosphere and ambience are emphasised, details kept deliberately sparse.

My mood board was heavy on Fumito Ueda’s PS2 classic Ico and the 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, Caspar David Friedrich (whose works often evoke a sense of epic desolation). I wanted to bring that feeling to VR, so I could lose myself in it. I had personal reasons for doing so.

Since losing my father in 2010 I have struggled with episodes of depression. I wanted to create a space where I could explore the feelings of emptiness and loss, perhaps finding some meaning in reflection. Hopefully, other people will be able to relate to that too.
There is very little narrative – it’s a symbolic journey and you are free to make up your own conclusions about the experience. I feel VR is particularly suited to this end. The immersion reinforces the player’s experience of isolation, providing an experience of solitude that is increasingly rare in today’s hyper-connected world.

Of course, game development is seldom straightforward. I had never made a game in VR before and my limited resources meant I would spend long months struggling with technical issues beyond my expertise, trying to solve problems that normally require a team to effectively navigate. The journey took me well beyond my comfort zone, but I persevered, even as the game went twice, three times over its development schedule. I had a lot to learn and spent much of the time simply trying to achieve a stable framerate and shaders that rendered without issue in VR.

When funds ran out, I took on part time jobs to pay the rent. I composed and recorded the soundtrack at night, headphones on, sitting at the kitchen table after my family had gone to bed. “You will get there in the end,” gamedev friends told me at the local meetup in York, but it was hard not to feel that life was passing me by during the four long years of solo work on the game.

It’s hard to take a break or go through illness when there’s nobody else to carry things forward in your absence. Despite many setbacks, I did make progress and as the game neared completion and I wandered the desolate landscapes of my imagination, I began to feel a sense of peace and acceptance in the virtual world I had made solid.

So, where does this lead? I hope players will find something worth exploring, even if it’s just to watch the virtual sun setting behind those desolate rocks, the light fading on the water to an ambient soundtrack. I’ve learned much, and hopefully if the game is well received, I’ll get the chance to continue building upon it, perhaps with a small team. I hope at the end of it all, somebody will discover their own special place in Separation.

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Three Hours With Final Fantasy VII Remake

By now you’ve likely seen the news — you can finally play Final Fantasy VII Remake in your own home via the just-announced PS4 demo. If you’re at all curious about this beautifully reimagined adventure, download the demo and run through the memorable bombing run mission for yourself. It wowed PS1 players back in 1997, and I’m happy to say the 2020 interpretation is just as riveting.

If you missed the PS1 original or any of its subsequent re-releases, think of the bombing run as a cold open for the entire game. You’re thrust into a death-defying mission to take out a Mako reactor, a device the omnipresent Shinra Electric Power Company is using to fuel all sorts of modern marvels. The catch is this process may be siphoning energy right out of the planet itself, a fact Shinra chooses to ignore. Naturally, this doesn’t sit well with some folks, namely the initial heroes of Final Fantasy VII.

A new experience

The demo — and main game — begins with Barret, Cloud, and the Avalanche group rolling up to the facility, breaking inside, and planting a bomb on Mako Reactor 1. A tense boss battle unfolds, the reactor blows, and the demo concludes. It was effective 23 years ago, and it’s a wild ride today.

But where that demo ends, our hands-on experience begins. Immediately after the blast, Cloud and crew escape underground and then scatter into the streets. This sequence takes perhaps 10 minutes in the original game, with just a handful of scenes and camera perspectives to sell the action. In the remake, Cloud is hoofing it through alleys, up fire escapes, and across rooftops with Shinra soldiers at every turn. Civilians lie injured in the streets, chaos reigns in all directions, and you’re left to wonder, was the bombing worth all this?

And this sequence is what really made FFVII Remake click for me. I see how Square Enix plans to not just lengthen, but also enrich the original experience with moments and events that further sell the aftermath of such a momentous attack. While the original did an excellent job in 1997, 2020’s remake fully conveys the destruction with flames, injured NPCs, collapsing infrastructure, and an overall chaotic tone as you’re fired upon by Shinra goons. There are so many pivotal moments within the city of Midgar that could benefit from this treatment, so I can’t wait to see how they play out in the remake.

Chapter 2 also adds an encounter with Aerith and, believe it or not, a flashback / hallucinatory manifestation of Sephiroth. This entire segment is new, and does a great job cementing Sephiroth’s looming, villainous presence within the FFVIIR world. He towers over Cloud not just in physical stature, but also confidence; as capable as Cloud seems in these opening moments, he’s clearly outclassed by this specter from his past. I won’t get into the words exchanged or what exactly happens, but it’s interesting to see just how much FFVIIR is going to play with existing fans’ assumptions. The end result seems to be a game that’s welcoming to new players, but fresh even if you know the original front to back.

Those who fight

From this point we move to another save file further into the game. Melee expert Tifa joins Cloud and Barret, and we’re ready to take out another reactor.

As you can determine for yourself via the demo, the battle system has you attacking to build up ATB charges and then spend said charges on Abilities, Spells, or Items. Each character also brings something unique to the fight, such as Barret’s long-range bullets or Cloud’s powerful Punisher stance.

Some enemies are pushovers. Others require smart positioning, efficient use of ATB, and using all three characters to push enemies into a staggered state. Once staggered, you can really pour on the pain.

Players are also given the option to choose between this action-oriented approach (complete with evade rolls and controller shortcuts to Abilities and Spells), or a Classic Mode where characters attack automatically and you direct the usage of ATB.

The save we played had access to powerful Summon Materia as well. Materia grants characters spells and other abilities, while Summon Materia gives the equipped character access to that particular Summon – in this case, Final Fantasy mainstay Leviathan. Once summoned, the monster will fight alongside your party on its own, or you can spend ATB on powerful attacks (while still having access to your own ATB abilities). If the enemy you’re fighting is weak to the Summons’ powers, you can dish out a whole lotta damage in short order.

Case in point is a battle against Abzu, a boss we fought later in the demo session. In this instance I had Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith in my party, with the latter having access to Ifrit. He bursts onto the scene with fiery… flare… and really tears into this boss, giving me time to heal and build charges.

I didn’t sample Classic Mode, but can say the default approach really makes you consider each action. Mashing Attack is good and all, but bosses and enemies have all kinds of tricks that make you change tactics quickly.

More Midgar

By the time our session wrapped up, I was eager to find new Materia, experiment with battles, and further see just how much content Square Enix has added to the original experience. Almost any moment I could recall from the past — President Shinra’s encounter with the trio near one of the reactors, or a simple button-pressing minigame, for instance — has been totally reimagined and dramatized in a way that makes even familiar moments feel new again. Love what I’ve seen so far, and can’t wait to see the rest of what Midgar has to offer.

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Final Fantasy VII demo out now on PS4

The moment many of you have been waiting for is here: the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo is out now! Visit the demo page and download now!

While you’re waiting for it to download (or get home to play it), we can give you a little information about what to expect from this exciting glimpse into the game.

What’s included in the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo?

The new demo features a lengthy segment from the very beginning of the game: the iconic bombing mission against the Shinra Electric Power Company, and the subsequent escape.

You’ll control two of the game’s cast – spiky-haired ex-SOLDIER Cloud Strife, and the ballistically-limbed Barret Wallace – and enact a dangerous plan to infiltrate and destroy Mako Reactor 1.

It’s a very large complex, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore, find secrets, soak in the richly detailed environments and, of course, bash Shinra Security troopers with a giant sword.

When you reach your target, you’ll encounter the Scorpion Sentinel. It may be the first boss of the game, but don’t expect this mechanical monstrosity to give you an easy ride.

If you manage to beat it, don’t think you can relax – you still have to escape from the complex before it collapses around you.

But did you give yourself long enough to do so…?

What you need to know about combat in Final Fantasy VII Remake

When you play the demo, you’ll get to experience Final Fantasy VII Remake’s combat system first-hand.

It combines real time action and menu-based commands to create something that feels brand new, but still hearkens back to the original game. You’ll see what we mean when you play it.

Everything revolves around ATB. As you attack foes with the Square button, you’ll fill a gauge underneath your character’s health indicator. This is the ATB bar – and when a segment is full, you can spend it to perform an action.

For example, you can use an Ability – a special attack that deals damage or fills the enemy’s stagger gauge. Alternatively, you could heal with an item or cast a spell – magic can be devastatingly effective when used properly.

We think it’s a really exciting system, but if you prefer strategy to action, you can also try Classic Mode. In this mode, the characters will attack automatically, so you can focus on giving them commands – similar to command-based RPGs like the original Final Fantasy VII.

However you like to play, remember that spending ATB is the key to combat. Basic attacks don’t do much damage, and enemies can hit surprisingly hard, so make sure you experiment with all the tools at your disposal to find what works best.

To get you started, here’s a pro tip that fans of the original game might remember: Shinra machinery hate electricity, so bring the Thunder!

We hope you enjoy the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo.

When is Final Fantasy VII Remake out?

If you’re excited to play more, the good news is that you don’t have long to wait. Final Fantasy VII Remake releases 10th April, 2020 for PlayStation 4! You can pre-order now on PlayStation Store.

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