The Drop: New PlayStation Games for 1/30/2018

Storied heroes and devious villians from across the Final Fantasy universe converge once more in a gorgeous, team-based brawler. Welcome to Dissidia Final Fantasy NT on PS4.

Following in the footsteps of the original PSP fighter-RPG hybrids, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT celebrates the iconic characters of the franchise with spectacular battles. Wield blades, magic, and the summons themselves as you work to build your characters bravery and trounce the enemy. Tailored to the PS4, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT takes the fighting spin-off to new heights.

For a full list of new games coming to PlayStation next week, read on. And enjoy the Drop!

New Releases: Week of January 30, 2018

Briks 2

PS4 — Digital

Briks 2 is a classic retro arcade game with all new animated characters, new animated backgrounds, exciting new boss monsters, power-ups, and custom music. Collect bonuses and power your way through more than 100 new levels.

Cold Iron

PS VR — Digital

There’s a new sheriff in town. Every enemy is unique, every duel is different, and every bullet counts. Cold Iron is a new genre for a new medium. Experience it exclusively in virtual reality.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT

PS4 — Digital, Retail

Choose from more than 20 legendary Final Fantasy characters and battle in a unique three-on-three arena. Call forth familiar summons like Ifrit, Shiva, and Odin to dominate the opposing side or to turn the tide of the battle in each match.

EA Sports UFC 3

PS4 — Digital, Retail (Out 2/2)

EA Sports UFC 3 revolutionizes authentic fighting movement with Real Player Motion Tech, a new animation technology that delivers the most responsive and authentic athletic motion in sports gaming.

Feral Fury

PS4 — Digital

Long after humankind perished in the flames of the oil wars, the great panda empire is expanding throughout the galaxy as the new dominant power. With the old world in ashes and an endless need for bamboo, entire planets are turned into plantations, and the flames of war are lit once again.

Frutakia 2

PS4 — Digital (Out 1/31)

Frutakia is back and better than ever! Match three or more cute animals and level up! Go ahead and move any row up or down. We dare you to discover its ultra-addictive gameplay.

Nightmares from the Deep 3: Davy Jones

PS4 — Digital (Out 2/2)

Play the final chapter of the fantastic pirate trilogy! Davy Jones and his undead crew appear once again to kidnap the museum custodian Sarah Black and force her daughter Cory to sign a dark pact. In order to save Cory, Sarah will travel through mysterious locations, solve plenty of puzzles, and learn the truth about the ghost of a beautiful young girl who roams Davy Jones’ island.

Out of Ammo

PS VR — Digital

Out of Ammo is an intense virtual reality strategy game for PS VR that puts you in the commander’s seat against wave after wave of soldiers.

The Pierhead Arcade

PS4 — Digital

Play classic coin-operated games. Compete on global leaderboards! Get digital toys at the gift shop using tickets you’ve won.

Railway Empire

PS4 — Digital, Retail

Exploit the economic opportunities of the United States in an extensive campaign, working your way step by step from coast to coast across this great continent.

Restless Spirit

PS4 — Digital (Out 2/1)

The spirit of a girl appears in front of a father whose daughter is lost. This man, filled with grief in his heart follows the guidance of the spirit, wandering ever deeper into the forest. Why has she shown herself? What is her purpose? The truth lies in the abyss of the forest.

Strikers Edge

PS4 — Digital

Strikers Edge is a medieval dodgeball with weapons, ancient warriors, and special powers. Challenge your opponents in online and local multiplayer, ascend to the top of the ladder and become the best striker!

Time Recoil

PS Vita — Digital

Time Recoil is a top-down shooter where you kill to slow time, experience amazing slow motion gunfights, and trigger spectacular special moves.

Wulverblade

PS4 — Digital

Help Britannia defeat the Romans in Wulverblade — a hardcore side-scrolling beat ’em up inspired by classics such as Golden Axe, Sengoku, and Knights of the Round!

• Migos – Culture II
• Siddhartha Khosla – Runaways (Original Score)
• Mike Posner – i was born in Detroit . . .

• Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween
• Roman J. Israel, Esq.
• Wonder

• May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers- January 29 at 8/7c (HBO)
• Big Papi Needs a Job- January 31 at 8/7c (Fusion)
• 30 for 30: The Two Bills- February 1 at 9/8c (ESPN)

The information above is subject to change without notice.

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Soulcalibur VI: New and Returning Fighters Detailed

The stage of history is set, does your soul still burn? Soulcalibur is back with its unique weapon-based combat as new and returning characters battle it out against gorgeous 16th century fantasy settings.

Today we are detailing the return of Kilik, Xianghua, and Nightmare, as well as a brand-new fighter, Grøh, entering the fray.

Kilik

After being abandoned as a child, Kilik was raised by the monks of the Ling-Sheng Su temple where he was raised to be a proficient fighter. While never knowing his true family, Kilik befriended another orphan named Xianglian and a bond formed between them stronger than even the closest of siblings. They grew into proficient warriors, and their efforts were rewarded with each of them being chosen to inherit one of the temple’s three sacred treasures. However, on the night before the official handover ceremony, fate began to stir…

Kilik is proficient in the fighting style of the rod. Among the many rod styles surviving in China today, the techniques of Ling-Sheng Su are said to be among the most refined and powerful. The rod is a large and difficult weapon to master, however, the freedom of movement, effectiveness at any range, and offensive and defensive capabilities make it an appealing choice over other long weapons such as the spear.

Xianghua

Xianghua’s mother was from the prestigious Chai family in Beijing, and taught Xianghua swordsmanship from a young age, treating her with a firm but loving hand. Xianghua sensed these moments held some deeper significance than her mother was letting on. Perhaps it had something to do with her father, a man she never knew and was told had passed away. Two years after her mother’s death, she decided to focus on the way of the sword. With every passing day, her passion burned stronger than before.

Xianghua learned how to wield a sword from her mother and from a young age was enraptured by the beauty of her mother practicing the sword. Xianghua’s personal style relies less on taking her opponent down with head-on attacks and more on feints and landing a decisive blow only after her opponent has left an opening for her to exploit.

Nightmare

Appearing from out of the shadows like the advent of nightfall, this barbaric knight in azure armor reaps the souls of the living as if they were mere stalks of corn. His name came to represent fear and desperation to all who heard it. Those who found out that the rumors were true, that he was no fairytale villain, would be struck down in a single blow before they could even open their mouths to scream.

Nightmare carries the demon sword Soul Edge, a blade that has been part of many battles and retains the memories of those who wielded it, and those who faced them. Such memories influence the fighting style of the blade’s current master, so even if its wielder lacks experience in combat, they can battle like a seasoned warrior. When facing Nightmare, one must never forget that he is able to at least partially unleash the power of the sword. If he does, be prepared for a blow designed to kill in one fell cut.

Grøh

The mysterious Aval Organization was a secret group with origins rooted in ancient times. They say the group came to be when a king used the spirit sword to defeat its cursed counterpart, and with his dying breath, entrusted them with both the blade and his unfinished mission. Each new generation has taken on the group’s mission to rid the world of “Outsider” — those connected with the cursed sword. One such member was Grøh, about whom little is known save for that he was a fearsome warrior. Though his fighting style is shrouded in mystery, he is believed to have wielded two swords. Some also say he kept a certain technique close to his chest…

Grøh utilizes the Aval Twinblade Swordsmanship that often employs multiple consecutive slashes. This has a major disadvantage in that a careless practitioner runs the risk of injuring themselves. As such, it takes a lot of practice to use this style effectively. Dual-swordsmanship also allows for the swords to be split in two and wielded separately. This tactic is one of the many ways a wielder can use to surprise their opponent, giving them the opportunity to string together a series of blows that lead to a final, deadly slash.

Let us know what you think about these new characters for Soulcalibur VI and who else you would like to see added to the game’s roster. We can’t wait to share more information for Soulcalibur VI before its release later this year!

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Shadow of the Colossus: Remaking a Masterpiece

When remastering an experience as legendary as Shadow of the Colossus, you have to make a decision. Do you keep everything as close to the original version of the game as possible, or smooth out some of the source material’s rough edges? During our recent trip to Bluepoint Games in Austin, TX, we asked where exactly the team drew that line:

“The changes that come across in the game are very thoughtful changes,” says Randall Lowe, producer on the new Shadow of the Colossus. “We worked hard to preserve the way the game felt, while making the control scheme more comparable to the Uncharteds and the Horizons of the world.

“There are things we decided we weren’t going to change,” Lowe continues. “For instance, Wander standing still to fire a bow. Everything about Shadow is very deliberate. The way Wander moves throughout the world is heavy. It’s not light and fast and arcadey. He carries the burden of his actions in how he moves.

“Making the game the way you remember it is the most important mission we have, regardless of everything else.”

Playing Shadow of the Colossus on PS4 Pro features two modes: Cinematic and Performance. Learn how they work here.

“We have a lot of passionate debates,” adds Peter Dalton, technical director on the new Shadow. “We ask ourselves: what does the user find endearing about this game, and are the changes that we’re making enhancing that feeling of nostalgia and love, or is it going against that sort of feel?”

Mark Skelton, art director on Shadow of the Colossus, looks to a different kind of fan for validation.

Taking a measured approach to a remaster — or in the case of Shadow of the Colossus, a full-on rebuild — is a good strategy, agrees studio president Marco Thrush: “We listen to the fans. What issues did people originally have with the game? What are the biggest complaints? What are the biggest bugs that slipped through in the original release? What are the things we can fix?”

He goes on to offer an example of technical improvements having unintended consequences: “Originally, as a side effect of the framerate increase on the PS3 version of Shadow, a mistake was exposed where the third Colossi became more difficult. So, now we’ve had the chance to fix those kinds of things that slipped through initially. It gave us a second chance.”

The game’s iconic visuals have also received a monstrous overhaul. Take the fur — something you’ll be staring at quite a bit as you struggle to scale each of the game’s massive creatures.

“Obviously, the whole crux of being on a Colossus is being able to grip that fur and move through it, so a lot of time and effort was spent getting that perfect,” explains Mark Skelton, the game’s art director. “We spent a lot of time on the fur tech, trying to make the fur lay and clump just right, getting the shading right and making sure it moves right when you’re climbing through it.”

Fun fact: this fur is not actually an “art asset” by traditional means — it’s dynamically generated on the fly by the game’s engine, making it feel that much more organic as Wander clings to it for dear life.

Shadow of the Colossus on PS4 features a full suite of Photo Mode controls, allowing for the creation of some impressively dramatic scenes. Learn more about it in our SotC Photo Mode reveal story.

Speaking broadly, Bluepoint’s goal with any project is not just to recreate a game as faithfully as possible at higher resolutions. Thrush explains: “To me, it’s about preserving the memory of how a game was originally meant to be played. There’s the saying about rose-tinted glasses: you perceive it like it was better than it actually was, right?

“With Shadow of the Colossus we’re working on a remake — it’s not really a remaster. One, because we already did the remaster. And, two, it’s getting to the point where, like, going from PS2 to PS4, there are certain expectations. Just re-releasing it the same way we had on PS3 just wouldn’t have done the title justice. It deserves more. We’re lucky that Sony agreed with our stance on that.”

Bluepoint’s ground-up rebuild of Shadow of the Colossus is right around the corner, launching February 6 on PS4. Now, be on thy way.

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Call of Duty: WWII – The Resistance: New Multiplayer Maps Detailed

On January 30, players can experience The Resistance, Call of Duty: WWII’s premiere DLC Pack, first on the PlayStation 4. This pack includes three new maps, a new War Mode experience, and a new chapter for Call of Duty: WWII’s Nazi Zombies, The Darkest Shore.

We’re all very excited for The Resistance to come out, especially as we recently kicked off The Resistance community event. One of the things we are particularly excited about in this DLC Pack is the new War Mode mission: Operation Intercept. And we have an exclusive top-down view of the Operation Intercept map that we’d like to share with you here at PlayStation.Blog.

Operation Intercept takes place outside of St. Lo, France, and leads us on an urban rescue mission to save Resistance fighters being transported by train. The first objective on the Allied side is to make it to the two cells where your Axis foes are keeping the fighters prisoner.

Once rescued, you’ll be tasked with the destruction of key communications equipment before continuing your mission. If you’re able to destroy every last piece of the gear, then you’ll continue on and escort a tank in order to try and stop an Axis train loaded with munitions.

On the flipside, the Axis forces need to try and keep the Allies from rescuing the Resistance fighters, protect their comms gear, and keep the tank from reaching the trainyard.

The real hotbed of this map comes in trying to protect the communications gear. There are both upper and lower radio rooms, and Axis soldiers can repair damaged radios, which make this objective very challenging.

With both outside and inside areas to skirmish in, multiple lanes, the ability to repair radios and close doors on train boxcars to stop the Allied forces, Operation Intercept provides a ton of new challenges for Call of Duty: WWII.

In addition to Operation Intercept, let’s take a look at the three new Multiplayer maps in The Resistance:

Anthropoid – Based in Prague, Czechoslovakia, this map is inspired by Operation Anthropoid – the famous assassination attempt on a high-ranking German officer during World War II. This map features a center lane divided by a river, with long-flanking paths that can be used by snipers for ranged attacks.

Occupation – In this remake of a classic Call of Duty map, players battle through the streets and shops of German-occupied Paris during WWII. Long side streets encourage mid-range combat, with nearby homes and storefronts lending defensive positions for ambush and recovery.

Valkyrie – Located in the Masurian Woods, East Prussia, this map was inspired by The Wolf’s Lair – Hitler’s Eastern-front headquarters during Operation Barbarossa – the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. This is a medium-sized map with gameplay focused around a dangerous center lane covered by multiple overwatch positions and mounted machine guns.

The Resistance is available to preorder now at PlayStation Store, and players can also take part in The Resistance community event right now until February 27 to earn free Supply Drops, new gear, experience new modes, and more! Vive la Résistance!

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Rogue-Lite Action Platformer Dead Cells Coming to PS4 This Year

Hello friends and foes,

I’m Seb, lead dev at Motion Twin, a french indie studio currently developing Dead Cells, which we are very proud to be bringing to PS4 players later this year!

At first glance, Dead Cells looks a lot like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night wrapped in a rogue-lite, stuffed in a souls-lite and cooked in sweet pixelart sauce with permadeath, randomness and challenging combat at the core of the experience. However, I feel like this mashup doesn’t entirely convey what we’re trying to achieve with Dead Cells. What we’re really trying to do is empower the player, right from the get go.

Dead Cells is designed to be a challenging experience. You won’t be breezing through the game on your first go, unless you’ve got some outrageous Jedi-like reflexes. But difficulty for difficulty’s sake makes no sense, so each challenge should feel tough but not insurmountable.

This has been a core design principle since the beginning, and we always make sure you have the tools you need to overcome the challenge. Right off the bat, you feel fast and fluid when you move. You’ve got access to all of your equipment slots, double jump, a blistering stomp attack and your dodge: a roll during which you’re invincible. The challenge is not in acquiring more abilities, but in mastering those you already have. We want you to feel rewarded by your own progress, the strength of your character being equal to the extent of your skills, not feel like your progression is being artificially restrained by the game.

This is why we’ve put so much time and energy into making sure the controls are responsive as hell. They should feel like something you’ve played before, like old friends. If you’re not a fan, we’ve also made everything customizable, so the controller should always feel like an extension of your arm rather than another painful obstacle.

Each mechanic of the game is designed to move in the same direction. Plenty of weapons and items allow you to try a variety of playstyles and find ones you enjoy and are efficient with. Alternate paths to the end often mean you can skip a level you’re not equipped for (damn RNG) or have some trouble passing, leaving it for later when you’re more at ease with the game. Eventually, you will feel like an unstoppable killing machine blasting your way through the levels, and it will be because you’ve improved, not because we will have made your character super overpowered. We think this is a far more fulfilling experience.

Reaching this level of proficiency, however, may take a bit of time. That’s why we’re also striving to offer a meaningful sensation of progression throughout the game, even when the run ends earlier than you would have liked. That’s the role of the metagame. While you’re busy sharpening your skills, you will also unlock new weapons, new levels and new perks which will give you new things to experience and new objectives for your next runs.

I really hope my not-so-brief introduction of Dead Cells sparked your curiosity about our project. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments.

Cheers!
Seb

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Gran Turismo Sport Patch 1.11 Goes Live Jan. 26, Featuring New Cars, Tracks, GT League Updates

Happy New Year, drivers! We’re thrilled to announce that 2018’s first major update for Gran Turismo Sport – Patch 1.11 will be live tomorrow, bringing with it 10 new cars, new tracks with eight different layouts and four exciting new GT League events.

You can read the full list of updates right here, and with plenty more free content still to come, be sure to stay tuned to PlayStation.Blog for the latest news straight from the track.

Patch 1.11 – Features

New Vehicles

Rolling into Brand Central this month are 10 unmissable new cars, including fan favorites like the Toyota Supra RZ and legendary Ferrari 330P4 and Jaguar XJ13. Plus, for the connoisseurs among you, we’ve also added the Toyota 2000GT. Check out the complete line-up:

• Dodge Viper GTS
• Ferrari 512 BB
• Ferrari 330 P4
• Ford GT
• Jaguar XJ13
• Lamborghini Diablo GT
• McLaren F1
• Toyota 2000GT
• Toyota FT-1
• Toyota Supra RZ

New Tracks

Next up, the famous classic high-speed track Autodromo Nazionale Monza finally makes its debut in GT Sport and we’ve added a total of eight challenging layouts to master, including three non-GP versions of the Autodrome Lago Maggiore – Centre, East and West.

GT League Events

Finally, following the launch of GT League with update 1.10, we know you’ve been itching for more category races in which to test your racing mettle. So this month, we’re providing just that with the addition of four exciting new events, including:

• F150 Raptor Survival
• J-Sport Meeting
• La Festa Cavallino
• Gr.3 Endurance Series

Remember: you can stay up-to-date with all the latest GT news here on PlayStationBlog, and over on the official Gran Turismo website.

From all of us here at PlayStation – enjoy the new update, and we’ll see you out on the track.

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