(For SEA) God of War Laufey pre-orders available starting September 29, editions detailed

(For SEA) God of War Laufey pre-orders available starting September 29, editions detailed https://ift.tt/XEqBzf0

God of War Laufey is coming to PlayStation 5 consoles on February 16, 2027.

We’re excited to announce that pre-orders are now live on PlayStation Store and at all participating retailers. To get you ready, we’re breaking down what comes with the God of War Laufey pre-order bonus and Digital Deluxe Edition. After that, we’ve got some brand-new screenshots and footage of Faye’s combat to round us out!

God of War Laufey – Pre-order bonus** 

When you purchase your copy of God of War Laufey before launch you will receive:

• Last Wish Armor Set*
• Phranque Golden Leaves Appearance* (cosmetic) 
• In-game resource pack

God of War Laufey – Digital Deluxe Edition 

The God of War Laufey Digital Deluxe Edition contains: 

• Dark Alchemy Armor Set* 
• Dark Alchemy Blade* 
• Dark Alchemy Bow Scales*
• Dark Alchemy Catalyst*
• In-Game Resource Pack
• Digital Mini Artbook 
• Official God of War Laufey Digital Soundtrack

Introducing Faye’s Serpent Bow

An enchanted bow with the shifting form of a serpent, Faye’s new weapon in the Everywhen can go from dormant to notched at lightning speed, allowing her to weave deadly arrow strikes alongside her other attacks. Much like the deadly bite of its namesake, the Serpent Bow will tear through Faye’s enemies in both close-quarters and ranged combat. 

Precision mode: Full-aim 

By fully pressing down the aim trigger, Faye will have more precise aim and increased draw distance. By striking at certain points on an enemy’s body, Faye can impair their movement or ability to strike, giving her the perfect opening to follow-up with a melee hit. 

While in this aim mode, Faye can charge up the bow and stack up to five arrows for a powerful volley – perfect for taking advantage of Phranque’s ability to launch enemies up into the sky.

Hip-fire mode: Half-aim 

With a half press of the aim trigger, Faye will enter a more mobile hip-fire stance. In this aim mode, she can unleash a cluster of arrows for devastating damage to enemies at close range.

The Serpent Bow’s quick-fire style allows Faye to juggle airborne enemies and extend combos as she seamlessly swaps between weapons and abilities. 

Select your shots 

Alongside the two fire modes, Faye can utilize a variety of arrow types that deepen your preferred playstyle. Rapid fire, explosive detonations, multi-target – Faye’s bow is a versatile weapon that can create and capitalize on openings. 

Serpent Scales 

Shed one form and embrace another – the Serpent Bow can be equipped with different types of Scales that will change both the look of the weapon, as well as the type of playstyle it specializes in via a unique perk (such as the Dark Alchemy Bow Scales from the Digital Deluxe Edition). 

In addition to the equipped Scales, the Serpent Bow also has unlockable skills which allow Faye to expand its capabilities even further. 

Expressive power

Faye is an expert warrior with the ability to harness a range of skills to command the flow of the battle.

Her armor options will allow you to choose between a range of gameplay perks, stats, and unique looks. You can also customize her other gear to further enhance different playstyles:

• Blade: Customizable element of Faye’s sword  
• Scales: Customizable element of Faye’s Serpent Bow     
• Catalyst: Powerful artifacts capable of channeling the potent magic of the Everywhen, Faye will be able to choose from a variety of Catalysts with different effects 

A glimpse of the Everywhen

On behalf of everyone at Santa Monica Studio, thank you so much for all the interest and support shown for the game since our reveal in June. 

We’ll be back before you know it with more news for God of War Laufey, but to tide you over in the meantime we’ll leave you with a few more peeks at what the afterlife of the gods has in store for you at launch on February 16, 2027. 

*Unlock in-game items via story progression. 
**Available via download code for physical Standard Edition. Internet connection and account for PlayStation required.

Suri: The Seventh Note launches Oct 30 on PS5

Suri: The Seventh Note launches Oct 30 on PS5 https://ift.tt/vBsb61C

After four years of development, we’re ecstatic to reveal that our debut game, Suri: The Seventh Note will finally be available from October 30, 2026 on PS5.

Every environment, character, and animation has been meticulously illustrated to create a distinctive visual identity. The island itself draws inspiration from the rich artistic and architectural traditions of India, blending influences from Rajput forts, Theyyam Culture, Himalayan monasteries, and diverse regional cultures into a vibrant fantasy world that feels both familiar and original.

Whether you’re chasing perfect runs, uncovering hidden paths, mastering every movement ability, or simply taking in the world around you, Suri brings together gameplay, music, and culture in a world built to be explored.

While this would be obvious to some from the onset, there’s just as much thought (if not more) that’s gone into Suri’s music.

Stay awhile and listen (to master)

Instrumental in our journey was to make music not just something you heard, but something you mastered. 

Eighty percent of the music you hear in the game has been recorded with original analogue instruments rather than something synthesised electronically. This is because we wanted to preserve the texture of the music. Through our trailers you’ll notice a layered medley of instruments in-line with what you’d expect from various regions of India.

Indian music inspirations

So when the player arrives in the southern part of the island of Suri, we’d use a veena instead of a sitar, for instance. And then when we go to the desert portions of the game, we look to Rajasthan and its musical traditions.

Along with an intense focus on audio variety came an interesting constraint to solve. How do we adapt musical variety to the speed at which human thumbs can move on a controller? 

This ended up being the craziest and most important concern that we had. And it was quite challenging too because we have to work around certain restrictions. For example, there needs to be a minimum time window for the player actions to happen.

480 milliseconds to slay the beat

After a lot of trial and error, we found the sweet spot: for us, it’s around 480 milliseconds, so we need to maintain a gap of 480 milliseconds between the main beats of the game.

When making a game like this, a major restriction is that we can’t follow any one pure genre in particular because it won’t always work with the gameplay. So we have to create a hybrid of genres and styles. 

Why the world of Suri revolves around 480 milliseconds

We chose 480 milliseconds between the main consecutive beats to create enough space for the player’s input response while still maintaining the game’s momentum. This timing allows us to accommodate the fail window around the player’s response without making the interaction feel slow or disconnected.

A longer window could disrupt the spacing, rhythm, and overall mood of the experience, making the game feel less responsive. On the other hand, a shorter window may make the fail state too subtle or quick for the player to consciously or subconsciously recognize that they have fallen off rhythm.

The 480 ms interval therefore provides a balance between responsiveness, rhythmic clarity, and gameplay momentum.

Inventing our own music genre

Take for example the Indian aesthetics; we can’t have very authentic Indian music in the game because of the sort of rhythms and timing required, but we can utilise it with the cutscenes and narration drawings.

The music is very bouncy and not aggressive in nature. And also, we’ve decluttered a lot of the sounds and brought the essential and functional beats up top. Essentially we’ve taken a hip-hop-like structure and laid Indian textures (Indian percussion instruments) over it. 

Pre-order now

Suri: The Seventh Note launches on October 30, 2026, and you can pre-order the game now on PlayStation 5. Whether you want to experience Ajira’s journey with the base game or go all-in with exclusive content and early access, there are two editions to choose from.

Standard Edition

The Standard Edition includes:

• Suri: The Seventh Note — Base Game
• 20% pre-order discount (with PlayStation Plus membership)

Digital Deluxe Edition

The Digital Deluxe Edition includes:

• Suri: The Seventh Note — Base Game
• Exclusive Chandini Skin
• DLC
• 20% pre-order discount (with PlayStation Plus membership)
• 3 day early access to the full game

Exclusive to the Digital Deluxe Edition

The Chandini Skin and DLC will not be available for separate purchase. They can only be obtained as part of the Digital Deluxe Edition. If you decide to purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition after launch, you’ll still receive both the Exclusive Chandini Skin and DLC.

Choose your edition, get ready to feel every beat, and be there when Ajira’s journey begins.

Built with the PlayStation India Hero Project

Suri: The Seventh Note is proud to be part of the PlayStation India Hero Project.

Growing up, PlayStation games inspired us to dream bigger as developers. To now bring our own game to the platform is something we’re incredibly proud of.

Working closely with the PlayStation team has helped us bring our vision to life, particularly while developing our Rhythm Haptics Engine and ensuring that Suri feels right at home on PS5.

Their support throughout development has been invaluable, and we’re incredibly excited to finally share what we’ve been building with players around the world.

The rhythm Is coming

For years, we’ve been building the island of Suri. We’ve created its world, its music, its movement, and its rhythm. We’ve watched Ajira’s journey take shape from an idea into a game we can finally share with you.

Now, we’re counting down to the moment you can experience it for yourself.

Suri: The Seventh Note launches on PlayStation 5 on October 30, 2026.

Choose your edition, get ready to feel every beat, and be there when Ajira’s journey begins. Pre-orders are live today.

God of War Laufey pre-orders available starting September 29, editions detailed

God of War Laufey pre-orders available starting September 29, editions detailed https://ift.tt/XEqBzf0

God of War Laufey is coming to PlayStation 5 consoles on February 16, 2027.

We’re excited to announce that tomorrow, September 29 at 10:00am local time pre-orders officially go live. To get you ready, we’re breaking down what comes with the God of War Laufey pre-order bonus and Digital Deluxe Edition. After that, we’ve got some brand-new screenshots and footage of Faye’s combat to round us out!

God of War Laufey – Pre-order bonus** 

When you purchase your copy of God of War Laufey before launch you will receive:

• Last Wish Armor Set*
• Phranque Golden Leaves Appearance* (cosmetic) 
• In-game resource pack

God of War Laufey – Digital Deluxe Edition 

The God of War Laufey Digital Deluxe Edition contains: 

• Dark Alchemy Armor Set* 
• Dark Alchemy Blade* 
• Dark Alchemy Bow Scales*
• Dark Alchemy Catalyst*
• In-Game Resource Pack
• Digital Mini Artbook 
• Official God of War Laufey Digital Soundtrack

Introducing Faye’s Serpent Bow

An enchanted bow with the shifting form of a serpent, Faye’s new weapon in the Everywhen can go from dormant to notched at lightning speed, allowing her to weave deadly arrow strikes alongside her other attacks. Much like the deadly bite of its namesake, the Serpent Bow will tear through Faye’s enemies in both close-quarters and ranged combat. 

Precision mode: Full-aim 

By fully pressing down the aim trigger, Faye will have more precise aim and increased draw distance. By striking at certain points on an enemy’s body, Faye can impair their movement or ability to strike, giving her the perfect opening to follow-up with a melee hit. 

While in this aim mode, Faye can charge up the bow and stack up to five arrows for a powerful volley – perfect for taking advantage of Phranque’s ability to launch enemies up into the sky.

Hip-fire mode: Half-aim 

With a half press of the aim trigger, Faye will enter a more mobile hip-fire stance. In this aim mode, she can unleash a cluster of arrows for devastating damage to enemies at close range.

The Serpent Bow’s quick-fire style allows Faye to juggle airborne enemies and extend combos as she seamlessly swaps between weapons and abilities. 

Select your shots 

Alongside the two fire modes, Faye can utilize a variety of arrow types that deepen your preferred playstyle. Rapid fire, explosive detonations, multi-target – Faye’s bow is a versatile weapon that can create and capitalize on openings. 

Serpent Scales 

Shed one form and embrace another – the Serpent Bow can be equipped with different types of Scales that will change both the look of the weapon, as well as the type of playstyle it specializes in via a unique perk (such as the Dark Alchemy Bow Scales from the Digital Deluxe Edition). 

In addition to the equipped Scales, the Serpent Bow also has unlockable skills which allow Faye to expand its capabilities even further. 

Expressive power

Faye is an expert warrior with the ability to harness a range of skills to command the flow of the battle.

Her armor options will allow you to choose between a range of gameplay perks, stats, and unique looks. You can also customize her other gear to further enhance different playstyles:

• Blade: Customizable element of Faye’s sword  
• Scales: Customizable element of Faye’s Serpent Bow     
• Catalyst: Powerful artifacts capable of channeling the potent magic of the Everywhen, Faye will be able to choose from a variety of Catalysts with different effects 

A glimpse of the Everywhen

On behalf of everyone at Santa Monica Studio, thank you so much for all the interest and support shown for the game since our reveal in June. 

We’ll be back before you know it with more news for God of War Laufey, but to tide you over in the meantime we’ll leave you with a few more peeks at what the afterlife of the gods has in store for you at launch on February 16, 2027. 

*Unlock in-game items via story progression. 
**Available via download code for physical Standard Edition. Internet connection and account for PlayStation required.

How Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve uses first-person to tell a more personal story

How Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve uses first-person to tell a more personal story https://ift.tt/TQrpWk4

The world of Strangereal, setting of the Ace Combat games, has developed a deep and storied history over the course of the series. But with Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, developer Project Aces has changed its approach to storytelling to create a more intimate and emotional tale than it has in the past. That approach brings you a lot closer to the desperate attempts of the Federation of Central Usea’s battered navy to fight off the invading Sotoans, and the many characters fighting that war.

The biggest change is that, in Ace Combat 8, you play a fighter pilot silent protagonist who is, nevertheless, a major character throughout the story. The game opens with a cutscene in which you’re found floating in a life raft after a battle by the Endurance, one of the FCU’s last remaining aircraft carriers. 

After you’re aboard, you’re sent up as navigator for fighter pilot Jan “Rex” Cope, whose job isn’t to engage in battles, but to serve as a propaganda tool. He’s known as the Wings of Theve, a legendary fight pilot ace named for the FCU’s capital, but you quickly find out that Cope isn’t the incredible ace he’s portrayed to be on social media. Instead, his instructions are to run from every fight, but when the two of you are shot down, Cope is killed in action. 

But the Wings of Theve is too important to the struggling FCU to go out that way, so you inherit Cope’s call sign and secretly replace him. As the new Wings of Theve, you have a central role in the war effort, and your skills help bolster the propaganda — for better or worse.

First-person cutscenes put you in the story

Previous Ace Combat games have told their stories through detailed cutscenes, but in Ace Combat 8, those cutscenes are mostly presented from a first-person perspective, putting you in a room or on the deck with other characters. The story unfolds as if you’re living it both in and out of the cockpit, rather than having it narrated to you, and haptic feedback in the DualSense controller helps make those moments feel realistic and intense, especially in the heat of battle.

While your character Rex, as in past games, is silent, you occasionally get the chance to answer yes-or-no questions by pressing left or right on the DualSense’s D-Pad, and to interact during cutscenes by looking around with the right analog stick or responding to prompts at key moments by hitting Triangle or Square.

Through those minor interactions, you can do a bit to shape Rex as a person, and the other members of Joker Flight, your squadron, will respond to how you choose to lead them with your decisions.

Becoming part of the squadron

Ace Combat 8 puts a big emphasis on all its characters, especially the members of Joker Flight. You spend almost the whole game with them, whether it’s hanging out during cutscenes between missions that expand on the plot, sitting through briefings where they’ll chime in with comments or information, or listening to them over the radio while you’re taking down enemy aircraft. 

That focus on characters makes the story of the FCU’s battle to repel Sotoa feel immediate, personal, and harrowing. You’re not just running a series of disjointed missions, you know the stories of the pilots who are being asked to risk their lives to complete them, and you know what’s at stake if you fail.

You also get a lot of chances to make small decisions that give the sense that you’re influencing your squadron’s perception of you. In one early mission, you encounter an allied group of pilots who are also a famous rock band — and a member of your squadron, Coster, is a big fan. When he asks if he can briefly leave your formation to help them, the choice is up to you, but Coster appreciates it if you let him lend his guns and missiles to protect his heroes. Little moments like this help create a bond between you and the rest of Joker Flight.

Those extra character moments also get you invested in your squad’s well-being. You can issue orders to them with the D-Pad, sending them out to engage targets on their own, calling them back in formation to attack your target, or asking them to cover you. Since your squad feels like a group of able pilots who you know personally, it helps push you to put their skills to use and to rely on them during the story, as well as to help them out when they get into trouble in the skies.

A war effort full of individuals

The radio is a huge part of Ace Combat 8’s storytelling. Throughout missions, you’ll communicate with your commanders and your squadmates via radio as they give you key information and comment about what’s happening.

But the radio, and the sound design that accompanies it, also do a great job of selling what it feels like to take part in missions. When a mission to retake FCU territory turns into an ambush by Sotoan forces, you hear the struggle and fear of your ground forces as they all yell into their radios at once, reporting their situations or begging for help from the Wings of Theve.

The radio also gives you chances to do a little to shape your story. If troops on the ground call for your aid and you respond, they acknowledge it — and often, those same characters might show up on later missions. The legend of the Wings of Theve affects more than just the number of likes on social media, and while the story doesn’t change based on your decisions, those small character moments with the people who fight alongside you make it feel like your contributions to the war effort are important ones.

Through its approach to its Story Mode, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve pulls you into the struggle of the FCU in a way that’s deeply personal and often intense and emotional. You can fly the skies of Strangereal yourself when Ace Combat 8 takes off on October 2 on PlayStation 5.

Luma Island is coming to PS5

Luma Island is coming to PS5 https://ift.tt/3ahM64V

We’re Feel Free Games, the team behind Luma Island, and we’re very excited to share that Luma Island is coming to PlayStation 5!

Luma Island launched on PC in November 2024, and since then more than 800,000 players have joined us on the island. Now we’re getting ready to welcome PlayStation players too.

Luma Island is designed to bring different kinds of players together, whether you’re an experienced gamer or new to games. Different difficulty modes and plenty of ways to play mean everyone can explore the island at their own pace.

In Luma Island, players start out with an old caravan and a rundown farm. From there, what you do is really up to you. You can build and decorate your farm, grow crops, raise animals, choose from eight professions, meet townsfolk and hatch Lumas, magical companions that join you on your journey.

But there’s a lot more to discover away from the farm.

Explorable environments on Luma Island include forests, mountains and thick jungles, along with caves full of resources, ancient temples with puzzles and traps, hidden treasure and plenty of secrets waiting to be uncovered. You can also make your way to Pirate Cove, with its own areas to explore and pirate-themed minigames and challenges.

Gameplay variety is an important part of the Luma Island experience. You can spend an evening working on your farm or fishing, then head out the next day to explore the island or venture into its many mysterious temples. There’s always something else to discover, and exploring one part of the island can lead you towards your next adventure.

You can do all of this by yourself, or play together with up to 4 players online. Build together, share resources, explore the island, or head out looking for your next challenge.

Luma Island will also support cross-platform play across PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, so you can explore the island together, even when your friends are playing on another platform.

Players get to decide how relaxed or challenging they want their adventure to be. Luma Island has three difficulty modes: Cozy, Adventure and Hero. In Cozy Mode, there’s no combat unless you choose it, while Adventure and Hero add more challenge.

There are no stamina bars or inventory limits either, so you’re free to spend your time on whatever you feel like doing. If you want a relaxed evening tending your farm, decorating or fishing, you can do that. And when you’re ready for something more adventurous, you can grab your tools and see what else the island has waiting for you.

We’re really excited to finally bring Luma Island to PS5, and we hope PlayStation players will feel right at home on the island.

Luma Island is coming to PS5. You can wishlist it on PlayStation Store starting today.