Aqua Blue PS Vita Coming to GameStop This November

PlayStation Vita is about to get a splash of color. Starting in November, the Aqua Blue PS Vita will be available in the U.S. exclusively at GameStop for $199.99 (MSRP).

Pre-orders for the Aqua Blue PS Vita are now live, so make sure to head over to GameStop.com or your local GameStop store to stake your claim. This is the first time that the slimmer, lighter PS Vita has been available in a color other than black in the U.S.

PS Vita is home to more than 1,000 games and sports the ability to stream most PlayStation 4 games from your PS4 via Remote Play. And with the recent launch of PlayStation Now on PS Vita and titles like Super Time Force Ultra, Super Meat Boy and Minecraft: Story Mode making their way to PS Vita, it’s the perfect time to pick up the system – and trust me, that Aqua Blue color looks even better in person.

Knowing the passionate PS Vita fan base as I do, the color won’t last long, so pre-order tomorrow and get ready to enjoy yet another reason that PlayStation is the best place to play!

Pre-order Now

from PlayStation.Blog http://ift.tt/1KopCjW
via IFTTT

PixelJunk Comes to PlayStation Now

If you know anything about Q-Games, you know that we made a name for ourselves during the PlayStation 3 era with our acclaimed PixelJunk series. Debuting way back in 2007, we were one of the first indies to cut our teeth on the newly released console. Our idea for the series was simple: rework old school gaming concepts in beautiful high-definition visuals, while keeping the easy to learn, difficult to master gameplay that made us fall in love with games in the first place.

From the outset of the PlayStation 4 launch, we’ve been bombarded with questions about the bringing some of our most beloved games over from PlayStation 3 to the new console. There have been calls, emails, tweets, Facebook posts, and yes, even the occasional person showing up to our offices to plead the case for the acclaimed series to enter the next generation of the console.

Well, I’m happy to announce that day has finally come!

Starting August 31st, you’ll be able to delve right back into the PixelJunk world when the games become available on PlayStation Now! We’re super excited to give old a new fans a chance to experience the now classic PS3 games on PlayStation 4.

Subscribers to PlayStation Now will get access to:

• PixelJunk Monsters
• PixelJunk Eden
• PixelJunk Shooter
• PixelJunk Shooter 2
• PixelJunk Sidescroller
• PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap

Including the recently released PixelJunk Nom Nom Galaxy and last year’s PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate, both available on PSN for individual purchase, PlayStation 4 is now the destination for PixelJunk games!

Some of you might be new to PixelJunk, so here’s a primer to get you started:

PixelJunk Monsters

Inspired by the popular and addictive tower defense genre, PixelJunk Monsters takes the simple real-time strategy concept of building, researching and base defending and presents it in a uniquely attractive style. In the game, Tikiman, a dancing defender-of-the-forest, strategically builds a variety of defense towers in a lush 2D environment with the goal of defending the pathway to your home base (and children!) from an onslaught of threatening monsters. With 20 different stages, dozens of different towers, a gaggle of interesting and infuriating monsters, and most importantly – couch co-op! – PixelJunk Monsters has earned a reputation as one of the most beloved tower defense games of all time.

PixelJunk Eden

PixelJunk Eden is probably the most abstract game of the PixelJunk series. Picture if you will, a psychedelic platformer where you guide a tiny, silk-spinning ‘grimp’ through the gardens of Eden on a mission to grow each by pollenating flowers and finding precious ‘Spectra’. You grip, jump and swing, destroying “Prowlers” and collecting their pollen which lets you grow more plants to take you further and deeper into the gardens. Lush visuals, slick controls and amazing music by fellow Kyoto native Baiyon make it an incredibly atmospheric and addictive experience. Plus, up to 3 player local co-op!

PixelJunk Shooter

In PixelJunk Shooter, you pilot a subterranean exploration vehicle to explore the interior of diverse cave-like complexes. You must affect the surrounding and dynamic terrain to progress. The goal is to safely navigate through each vivid stage and rescue survivors scattered about the cavernous environment. Each stage is in-effect a flow simulation whereby you attempt to control various types of liquid (water, magma, etc) and solid matter (rock, earth) either by destroying it, manipulating it or moving it. These dynamic fluid effects are at the heart of the game’s visuals. Plop down on the couch with a co-pilot for even more fun!

PixelJunk Shooter 2

Expanding on its innovations of its predecessor PixelJunk Shooter, PixelJunk Shooter 2 is a complex and dynamic fluid simulation system, which fills the game world with flowing liquids and hazardous gases, and provides the game its distinctive style. Blast holes in walls or use your ship itself to drill past scorching hot magma. The fluids react in real-time to the player’s actions and to other liquids, creating unique and exciting situations with every play. The goal of the game is to keep cool (your ship is susceptible to overheating) whilst finding and rescuing the many helpless, stranded survivors. You’ll need to master the deformable terrain, the flowing liquids and the fierce life forms as you proceed deeper into ever more challenging environments. And even more local co-op! Notice a theme here?

PixelJunk Sidescroller

The final chapter of the Shooter trilogy! Sidescroller finds our Shooter pilot protagonist killing time on his orher way back home by pumping space quarters into a retro side-scrolling shooter. Reinventing the genre from the ground up while maintaining that nostalgic feeling, PixelJunk SideScroller is a bit of side story fun. Dodge flurries of alien bullets and strategically upgrade your weapons as you battle your way through sweeping stages full of hazardous fluid and endless shooting mayhem. Friends need not wait put their quarter in the queue to play next, because Sidescroller is also sporting local co-op.

PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap

PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap is an addictive slot car racing game that features single player and multiplayer fun. Intuitive controls, 32 different race modes, and online rankings will provide countless hours of racing mayhem. Racers is the granddaddy of the PixelJunk series and also with local co-op king! Up to 7 players can hit the track, making it a great party game.

PlayStation Now includes 140+ games, from blockbuster hits to indie gems—like the PixelJunk series—and everything in-between. We hope you’ll give the service a try for yourself. Click here to start your 7-Day FREE Trial.

from PlayStation.Blog http://ift.tt/1hPw7A1
via IFTTT

Disney Infinity 3.0 Out Now on PS4, PS3

Hey everyone! Johnny V, VP of Production on Disney Infinity here with exciting news…

The wait for Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition is finally over!

The Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack is now available on PS4 and PS3!

Our Starter Pack includes the Disney Infinity 3.0 software and base, the Star Wars Twilight of the Republic Play Set piece, Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker character figures, and a web code card that unlocks content for PC and mobile devices — all of this for just $64.99.That’s just five dollars more than a standard video game, plus you get cool toys that come with it!

And to top it off, available exclusively for PS4 and PS3 is the Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition: Star Wars Saga Starter Pack ($114.99). This includes both the Star Wars Twilight of the Republic Play Set with Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker character figures and the Star Wars Rise Against the Empire Play Set with Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia character figures one month before they are available on any other platform. This exclusive bundle also comes with Boba Fett figure who won’t be available as a standalone figure until after the holidays! Fans who purchase the bundle will also be the only ones with the Star Wars Rise Against the Empire Play Set until late September when it becomes widely available at retail.

If you are an existing fan of Disney Infinity, you are probably wondering if you have to buy a new Starter Pack and need another base. The answer is “no” guys — you can use your existing PS3/PS4 base and digitally purchase Disney Infinity 3.0’s Toy Box mode to get started for an introductory price of just $19.99 from PlayStation Store, then purchase other figures and Play Sets a-la-carte at retail.

Don’t forget that all of the Star Wars figures are playable in all of the Star Wars Play Sets and in the updated and improved Toy Box mode. Since we’ve brought together all the major brands from across The Walt Disney Company, players can now mix and match some of their favorite characters and play with them together.

Here is the rundown of everything else that is dropping:

• Star Wars Twilight of the Republic Play Set ($34.99) for players who choose to digitally download the Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Software
• Star Wars Twilight of the Republic character figures Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi ($13.99 each)
• Star Wars Rebels character figures Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren and Zeb Orrelios ($13.99 each)
• Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out Play Set with Joy and Anger character figures included ($34.99)
• Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out character figures Sadness, Disgust and Fear ($13.99 each)
• Disney character figures Mickey, Minnie, Mulan, Olaf, Sam Flynn and Quorra from Tron: Legacy ($13.99 each)
• Star Wars Twilight of the Republic Power Disc Pack ($9.99)
• Tomorrowland Power Disc Pack ($9.99)

Thank you again to all of our loyal Disney Infinity fans and PlayStation gamers that took the time to read this! Shout out to our team at Avalanche Software in SLC and special thanks to Adam, Drake, Gio, Rosenberg, Shawn and the entire team at Sony! I can’t wait to see how much everyone enjoys the new game.

from PlayStation.Blog http://ift.tt/1Jsnbav
via IFTTT

Uncharted 4 Launches March 18th, 2016 on PS4

Mark your calendars, folks! We’re excited to announce that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will launch on March 18th, 2016.

As we all eagerly count down the days, we have news to share on all of our pre-order offerings, including two limited edition versions of the game: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Special Edition and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Libertalia Collector’s Edition. For our PlayStation Store customers, don’t worry, we’ve got something in store for you as well!

So, what comes in each package?

The Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Special Edition ($79.99 USD, $99.99 CAD) contains a premium, collectible treatment plus an inside look at Naughty Dog’s development process. It includes:

• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Blu-ray Disc
• Collectible Steelbook case designed by Alexander “That Kid Who Draws” Iaccarino
• 48-page hardcover art book by Dark Horse and Naughty Dog
• Naughty Dog & Pirate Sigil sticker sheet
• Naughty Dog Points: A pack of in-game currency to unlock various multiplayer content

If that’s not enough for you, the Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Libertalia Collector’s Edition ($119.99 USD) includes everything listed above, plus:

• A 12″ premium Nathan Drake statue by Gentle Giant
• Three multiplayer outfits: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Heist Drake, and Desert Drake outfits
• Two custom weapon skins: Golden Weapon Skin and Desert Weapon Skin
• Henry Avery Sigil ball cap
• Madagascar Sidekick outfits

For those of you who prefer to own your games digitally, you’ll also be able to download the Uncharted 4 Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99 USD, $99.99 CAD) from PlayStation Store. The Digital Deluxe version will be available for pre-order on the store later this week, but here’s a look at what’s included. We’ll let you know as soon as it’s available.

• A digital copy of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
• Uncharted 4 Triple Pack: Includes future access to the first-ever, single-player story add-on for the Uncharted series and two multiplayer packs that will unlock new, rare and legendary multiplayer items
• Instant unlock of two multiplayer customization items

The Triple Pack can also be purchased separately as an add-on. And if you already pre-ordered Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End through PlayStation Store, you can upgrade to the Digital Deluxe Edition for $20 more. And don’t forget — you can pre-order and pre-load from PlayStation Store and play the game the minute it’s released.

There’s also a Pre-Order Bonus Pack we’re adding to any pre-order of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (physical or digital). It includes the Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune outfit multiplayer customization, the Golden Weapon customization, and a pack of Naughty Dog Points.

Our awesome retail partners are also offering special goodies depending on which retailer you choose pre-order with.

• Pre-order at GameStop to receive the Multiplayer Booster Pack to instantly unlock a variety of one-time use multiplayer boosts, and The Phurba Dagger Taunt based on the iconic symbol from Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
• Pre-order at Amazon to receive the Snow Camo weapon customization and the Desert Drake outfit multiplayer customization.
• Pre-order via PlayStation Store to receive the Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Dynamic Theme and the Desert Weapon customization.

Phew! We know that’s a lot to review, but I’m glad we can finally spill the beans on Naughty Dog’s biggest game yet. Who’s excited for March 18th?

from PlayStation.Blog http://ift.tt/1Js208r
via IFTTT

Soul Axiom Coming to PS4

Hello again, PlayStation.Blog! Ben here from the indie studio Wales Interactive. Today I have the pleasure of announcing our upcoming PS4 game, the sci-fi adventure-puzzler Soul Axiom!

Before we delve into the digital afterlife, we’ve got a brand new story trailer to show you! On top of that, if you’re looking for more gameplay action from our early development stage then can watch that here

So, what’s it all about? Well, in first-person, you’ll explore the world of Elysia, a sprawling digital server where memories and dreams become reality. Anyone who fancies the idea of uploading their soul for digital immortality should look no further! Along your journey you’ll collect a range of unique hand powers and use these to manipulate or destroy parts of the environment, which will aid in solving cryptic logic puzzles to progress through the game.

To get a better understanding of what these powers are, I’ll introduce to your very first, known as the “Phase” power. With this ability you can essentially materialize and dematerialize objects or walls with the left and right hand respectively. Combining this with other abilities makes for some really… puzzling puzzles.

If you happen to recognize some of the features or visuals you see, chances are you’ve played or at least heard about the adventure horror game, Master Reboot on PS3? Well, Soul Axiom is indeed the spiritual successor, set in the same universe but not a direct sequel. This is a completely new game made from the ground up, built on better foundations and featuring new game mechanics, a whole new host of characters, 40 unique locations, and a compelling storyline with multiple endings.

When you start the game you are literally dropped into the action with no idea who or where you are. We give you little guidance, but the levels are intuitive and you have to find your own way through the puzzle solving in order to piece together the story as you go along. It’s very important for us to give the player respect to find their own way as there is more satisfaction when you feel that you have solved a puzzle or found out a key bit of information about the story. It’s then up to the player to go on a journey of discovery in order to find out who they are and why they are there. You can find out more about the game by visiting the website.

Soul Axiom’s PS4 release date is currently being decided, but as we’re nearing the end of development, expect to see another announcement soon with more details on that. The Wales Interactive team would love to hear your thoughts! If you have any questions then leave your comments below.

Diolch yn fawr iawn (Thank you very much) for joining me today!

from PlayStation.Blog http://ift.tt/1IyTZge
via IFTTT

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Launches on PS4 February 23rd, 2016

Hello, PlayStation nation! Today, we’re very excited to announce that Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will be launching on PS4 on February 23rd, 2016.

The team has been working hard on the game, and even if its release is still a few months away, having a set date where we know you’ll get a chance to experience the game first hand is a huge motivation for all of us.

In the spirit of player choice, which is at the heart of Deus Ex, we’ve put together a special program called “Augment your Pre-order”. It will let you choose the digital pre-order bonuses you want to get for your Day One edition of the game, selected from five different tiers which will unlock progressively. You can of course take part in this program by pre-ordering the game through PlayStation Store.

The available rewards within each tier include in-game items packs, digital books and music expanding on the world of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and an extra in-game mission. The very last tier is one of a kind, as its reward will be an early release of the game, four days prior to its scheduled launch! For more details on Augment your Pre-order, check out the official site.

If you want everything, we’ve also got your covered. The Collector’s Edition for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will include all the in-game content and rewards from Augment your Pre-order, as well as physical items, selected based on the thousands of votes you submitted to us during our community vote for this edition.

The aforementioned physical items include a 48-page artbook created in partnership with Titan Books, a 9″ Adam Jensen figurine, a limited edition steelbook and, of course, the Day One edition of the game — which will all come in an exclusive packaging.

We can’t wait for you to experience Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. In the meantime, keep an eye out for more information and reveals in the coming months!

from PlayStation.Blog http://ift.tt/1NS35f1
via IFTTT

The Drop: New PlayStation Games for 9/1/2015

Some weeks come around and there’s so much good gaming compressed into such a small space of time, panic attacks are induced. This is one such week. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Mad Max, Grow Home, Super Time Force Ultra, and much more all launch on PlayStation this week. Bid farewell to your free time.

The long awaited return of tactical espionage action sneaks onto PS4 this week. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain brings a tremendous open world to all the stealthy proceedings, with gameplay heavily rooted in the precedent set by Peace Walker. Control Big Boss like never before, build up and outfit Mother Base, and unravel the mysterious story woven across more than a decade of games.

If you’re not entirely the stealthy type, why not get a little grease on your fingers with Mad Max, coming to PS4. Developed by Avalanche Studios (Just Cause series), this brutal open-world action game gives players control of grizzled survivor Max and his beat-up-but-ever-reliable Magnum Opus.

That’s just the start, folks! For the full list of new games coming to PlayStation, read on. And enjoy the Drop!

New Releases: September 1st, 2015

Armello

PS4 — Digital

Armello is a grand, swashbuckling adventure that combines three styles of play: the deep tactics of card games with the rich strategy of tabletop board games, mixed with a character role-playing system.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

PS4 — Retail

Share in the epic journey of two brothers, as they set out to find a cure for their dying father. Travel across beautiful vistas, through dark and foreboding forests, down perilous rivers, up hazardous mountainsides, and experience the wonders of Nordic mythology along the way.

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

PS Vita — Digital, Retail

Beyond hope… lies absolute despair. Komaru Naegi and Toko Fukuawa make for unlikely heroes as they try escape Towa City, a town caught in a war between adults and children. Destroy the murderous Monokuma robots, outsmart the Monokuma Kids, and discover the secrets hidden in Towa City.

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance (Demo)

PS4 — Digital

Form an alliance and get revenge in the latest SRPG in the Disgaea franchise. Killia, a loner, is drawn into forming a rebel army with a group of Overlords to oppose Demon Emperor Void Dark, and prevent him from taking over all of the Netherworlds.

Disney Infinity 3.0

PS4, PS3 — Digital, Retail (Out Monday)

Play in the worlds of some of your favorite characters in Play Sets and create your own universe in the Toy Box! Jump into Play Sets where you can take on epic adventures inside the worlds of some of your favorite characters. You can also test the limits of your imagination in Toy Box 3.0.

Fat City

PS4 — Digital

Chris Knox is the leader of a crew of former special ops personnel and highly-skilled hustlers. Help Chris and his team plan and pull off audacious heists from high-value targets to fill the coffers of a surreptitious crime syndicate in exchange for the life of a loved one.

Grow Home

PS4 — Digital

In Grow Home you play as B.U.D. (Botanical Utility Droid), a robot on a mission to save his home planet by harvesting the seeds of a giant alien plant. On his quest BUD will discover a beautiful world of floating islands that are home to some rather strange plants and animals.

Mad Max

PS4 — Digital, Retail

Become Mad Max, the lone warrior in a savage post-apocalyptic world where cars are the key to survival. In this action-packed open world, you must fight to stay alive in The Wasteland, using brutal on-ground and vehicular weapons against vicious gangs of bandits.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

PS4, PS3 — Digital, Retail

Ushering in a new era for the franchise with cutting-edge technology powered by the Fox Engine, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will provide players a first-rate gaming experience as they are offered tactical freedom to carry out open-world missions.

The Muppets Movie Adventures

PS Vita — Digital

Join Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, The Great Gonzo, Animal, and more of the Muppets as the zany gang bring their unique blend of laughs, chaos and adventure to the Hollywood stage.

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence

PS4, PS3 — Digital, Retail

Become a Daimyo of the Warring States period of Japanese history in Nobunaga’s Ambition, a historical simulation game of conquest and domination. It is the 30th anniversary of this series and this current release, Sphere of Influence, is the crown of the series.

Nova-111

PS3, PS Vita — Digital (Three Way Cross Buy with PS4)

Pilot your trusty vessel through mysterious and foreign planets in this original sci-fi adventure. Your mission: fix space-time and search out the scientists lost in the aftermath of the Universe’s greatest experiment.

Space Hulk

PS Vita — Digital

The legendary Space Hulk returns in this epic turn-based strategy game. Set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, an intriguing story of legendary battles and heroic actions unfolds. Play as a small squad of fearless Space Marine Terminators who attempt to reclaim their honor by mounting an assault on a derelict space hulk infested by hordes of vicious tyranid Genestealers.

Squares (Trial)

PS Vita — Digital

Squares is a puzzle reflex game. The objective is to turn all the blue squares gray, while dealing with different kinds of squares before the time’s up. The game features 91 levels as well as a level editor for creating your own challenges.

Super Time Force Ultra

PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Cross Buy)

Super Time Force Ultra is an insane action game filled with robots and dinosaurs and fun and time travel! Each member of the force has his or her own special ability that makes him or her useful in battle. Kookabunga, doods!

Xeodrifter (+ Demo)

PS4, PS Vita — Digital (Cross Buy)

Xeodrifter is the story of an interstellar drifter traveling the stars on a simple mission of exploration. Blast your way through alien landscapes, seek out valuable secrets, and defeat ancient guardians to unlock powers from a legendary supreme culture in this exciting journey of mystery and adventure.

Zombie Vikings

PS4 — Digital

Play as the most fearsome Vikings ever raised from Norse soil — Gunborg, Seagurd, Hedgy and Caw-kaa. Hack through the gingerbread swamps of Molgaga! Cruise through the intestines of the Midgaard Serpent! Fight giant poultry!

Coming to PS Music

• Five Finger Death Punch – Got Your Six
• Iron Maiden – The Book of Souls
• Travis Scott – Rodeo

Coming to PS Video

• Pitch Perfect 2
• Game of Thrones | Season 5
• Spy (Unrated) (9/4/15)
• Poltergeist (9/4/15)

The information above is subject to change without notice.

from PlayStation.Blog http://ift.tt/1Q1zFdC
via IFTTT

This Week in PlayStation

This Week’s Top 10 Posts

1. Xeodrifter Launches on PS4, PS Vita September 1st
2. Mega Man Legacy Collection Out Today on PS4
3. Street Fighter V: Rainbow Mika Enters the Ring!
4. Yakuza 5: Open World Action Across 5 Cities in Japan
5. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 Out Next Week on PS4, PS3, PS Vita
6. The Insane Combos of Transformers: Devastation on PS4, PS3
7. Q&A: Dishonored Definitive Edition Blinks to PS4 Today
8. Until Dawn Out Today: New Trailer, Custom Audio Mode
9. Canada: NHL 16 PlayStation 4 Bundle Available September 15th
10. This War of Mine: The Little Ones Coming to PS4 Next Year

August’s Free PS Plus Games

PS4	PS4	PS4, PS3, PS Vita
PS4, PS3, PS Vita	PS3	PS3, PS Vita

Download this month’s games | Join PlayStation Plus

This Week’s Top Movies

1. Mad Max: Fury Road
2. Hot Pursuit
3. Unfriended
4. Furious 7 (Extended Edition)
5. The Divergent Series: Insurgent (Plus Bonus Features)
6. True Story
7. Home
8. Ex Machina
9. Get Hard (Unrated)
10. Sinister

PS Blogcast Episode 177

This Week’s PS Store Update

Most-Watched Video of the Week

from PlayStation.Blog http://ift.tt/1Q0zMWT
via IFTTT

The Unusual Origin of Knock Knock on PS4

Hi! We’re called Ice-Pick Lodge, and we’re happy to announce that September 10th will mark the PS4 launch of Knock Knock — a creepy horror game with a rather unusual backstory.

What do you, a small-to-mid-sized indie studio, do when an e-mail pops up full of mysterious scribbles, notes, and audio files — coupled with a vague description of a possible game? In all honesty, more often than not you probably try to conjure up a polite and friendly response; perhaps discuss the sender’s ideas with them. But that’s not what happened at Ice-Pick Lodge studios in November 2011.

Instead of doing the sensible thing, we set to create a horror game that would incorporate the disturbing nature and the subtly sinister undertones of the .zip archive we were sent while also avoiding the genre cliches like gore, asylums, or jump scares.

It feels nice to give yourselves quests. Many innovative and charming games begin with an idea longing to be implemented, with a desire to try out a new mechanic or, say, combine certain traditions.

Knock Knock is not so different in this regard — it’s just that our quest was to recreate a place, a feeling, and an idea first captured in a set of disjointed snippets, bits, and pieces that we extracted from the archive. There were audio files that ended up becoming “Lodger speak” — the incomprehensible speech of the game’s main character, the Lodger. There were images and text files that made us realize that the game is set in a cabin lost in the woods. Finally, the very fact of making a game based on an archive from an anonymous source provided Knock Knock with its central motif: the fear of the unknown.

We were — and still are — a bit afraid of what we’ve done, you see. Even those of us who were positive it was nothing more than a prank. Why does it matter, anyway? Whether the cabin was located in some real woods or in the mindscape of a very peculiar person, it’s still real in the world of ideas. And the world of ideas was real enough for us to find a note saying “You’ve forgotten someone” when we later went to a forest to fulfill some of the Kickstarter backer rewards (Knock Knock has indeed been successfully kickstarted, and one of the tiers promised that we would plant a tree for the backer).

The Lodger’s fears spawn from his own close-mindedness, taking the shape of so-called Guests that visit his cabin and engage in a game of creepy hide-and-seek (Hide-and-sick?) with him. The only thing the Lodger needs to do to win is to survive until dawn. Is it true? Or is he supposed to break the rules created with his own fearful mind? What if it’s all merely a nightmarish prank? Whatever the correct answer is, we did our best to deliver it subtly. The cabin itself is cozy, and the woods you set to explore from time to time are picturesque.

So what is wrong with this place?

Most human fears boil down to the fact that we reject the alien and the unknown. We fear the dark because something may be there; we indulge in various types of xenophobia because there are a lot of things in this world that simply do not make sense to us. A cleaver-wielding zombie may be frightening as hell, especially if you’re fragile and lack the means to defend yourself, but we honestly believe that an inexplicable creature set about its own business is even more so. It may not even necessarily present a threat, but by god how does its shape even hold together?! That is not how bodies work at all!

Coupled with the fact that there may or may not be some twisted game going on with the protagonist being the main player, it works to recreate the disconnected mood of the archive rather well. And it’s not us patting ourselves on the back; after the game was first released, the spooky sender has contacted us once again, claiming we’ve made several mistakes, but got the general gist just right. Knock Knock is a pocket of chaos that serves as a direct contradiction to the belief that the world can be made sense of at all; multiple in-game systems (some of them suggested by our dubious benefactor — seemingly for no reason at all) overlap, creating an ever-evolving situation that keeps the player on their toes.

But chaos is unavoidably broken into patterns. That’s just how human mind works — including the mind of our poor protagonist. Perhaps this is what it’s all about.

And, well, that’s better than nothing. When you stare into the darkness, anything is better than nothing — even a doppelganger of yours staring back at you blindly. (That is, of course, not a random metaphor, but something that can be encountered in Knock Knock.)

The horror genre is extremely robust these days — and whatever the origins of the e-mail were, we’re more than happy that someone or something has given us a nudge to add to it while scaring ourselves witless in the process. Now we hope that the black box that is Knock Knock will continue to serve its purpose.

Whatever it is.

from PlayStation.Blog http://ift.tt/1N00lgk
via IFTTT