Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered launches tomorrow: Nixxes details the collaboration that upgraded Aloy’s first adventure

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered launches tomorrow: Nixxes details the collaboration that upgraded Aloy’s first adventure https://ift.tt/sG7xcjh

We’re excited to launch Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered on PS5 and PC* tomorrow. We can’t wait for you to discover the visual enhancements and new features that take full advantage of the PS5 and compatible PCs. We also look forward to seeing all of your Photo Mode creations, whether you are revisiting your favorite locations and characters, or discovering the world of Horizon for the first time.

A lot of love and effort went into the making of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. In a previous blog, developers talked extensively about various enhancements that Nixxes and Guerrilla collaborated on. Today I’d like to introduce you to Linda Burgers, Principal Producer at Nixxes, to share more about how this project came to be:

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“Before we began working on Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, we set out to assess what was possible. At the time, Horizon Forbidden West had been announced, but was still in development. Guerrilla gave us the privilege of getting an early look at the sequel. The stunning visuals and overall quality we saw in Horizon Forbidden West proved to be a huge opportunity for an enhanced version of Horizon Zero Dawn.

From terrain, foliage, density, the set dressing in settlements, clouds, lighting and facial animation, to the overall cinematic quality, we saw a huge delta when we made comparisons.

In addition, we went back to the original concept art of Horizon Zero Dawn, to get a sense of the original intent. Especially the density of foliage stood out. Based on what we saw in the concept art, Nixxes Art Director Oscar Stegehuis started making paint-overs of Horizon Zero Dawn screenshots, to outline and emphasize the opportunities and the vision that was forming for the remaster.

The shared vision of Nixxes and Guerrilla was not to just upgrade the existing world of Horizon Zero Dawn, but to overhaul the visuals to match those of Horizon Forbidden West, without losing the original intent and identity of the first game. To achieve this, we were in constant contact with the art direction, animation, and lighting teams at Guerrilla. Since the studios’ offices in Amsterdam and Utrecht are close to each other, we had people from Guerrilla visit on a regular basis to give direction in person and help solve complex problems with various aspects of the production.

With the incredible efforts, talent, and dedication of the teams at Nixxes and Guerrilla, and the additional support from our co-developers at Weaseltron and Stellar Entertainment, I believe we have succeeded in making this a reality.

The talented software developers from Weaseltron have been instrumental to the project’s infrastructure, technical art wizardry, rendering pipelines, remaster tools and the bulk of the work on the PC version of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered.

A group of skilled artists from Stellar Entertainment worked with us on remastering the ambience, lighting, clouds, and landscape assets. Their engineers also brought over many of the accessibility features from Horizon Forbidden West into the remaster.

I could not be more proud of the entire team! The talent and dedication that everyone put into this project made our shared vision a reality.“

– Linda Burgers, Principal Producer, Nixxes

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Launch details

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered launches on PlayStation 5 on October 31 at midnight local time. For release timing on PC, check out the PC Launch Map below.

Existing owners of Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition can upgrade to the digital version of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for $9.99. Check out the announcement PS Blog post for all the upgrade details.

New fans can purchase the game for $49.99 on PlayStation Store, Steam, or Epic Games Store. For PlayStation 5, a physical version is also available. 

* Account for PlayStation Network required on PC.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind remixes 90’s arcade games, out December 10

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind remixes 90’s arcade games, out December 10 https://ift.tt/cTI8mv3

“Let’s make a 90’s arcade game!” This sounded like a pretty good idea to us at Digital Eclipse back in 2022, when the first seeds of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind took root. 

Arcade gaming was firing on all cylinders when MMPR debuted in 1993. The 16-bit home era was well underway and the original PlayStation was still a year from its release in Japan, so coin-operated games still raked in tons of tokens. So if we wanted to give the Power Rangers the high-energy arcade game they always deserved but never got, let’s make the ultimate version of the game that never existed. 

The result is Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind, a love letter to the franchise which launches on December 10 on PS5 and PS4. We hinted that the game was more than merely a brawler when we announced the project this past summer, and with about 70% of the gameplay focused on beating up Rita Repulsa’s army of Putty Patrollers, anyone looking to clean house with melee attacks and combos should feel very comfortable. The remaining gameplay takes inspiration from Sega’s innovative super-scaler games, like Space Harrier and Out Run. Before polygons ruled the earth, these games simulated 3D movement with a series of fast-moving 2D sprites. These are designed to deliver fast, in-your-face scrolling action, and we thought they’d be a perfect way to let MMPR fans take down some of the Rangers’ most famous foes. 

Case in point: Players can expect to travel through the canyons and rooftops of Angel Grove in the first segment of Rita’s Rewind, learning about the twisty time-travel plot and encountering enemies that simply shouldn’t appear this early in Rangers history. But after brawling and defeating Goldar, Rita Repulsa predictably throws her magic wand down from her lunar palace to give her champion a second chance – and turn him into a skyscraper-sized behemoth.

That’s where the super-scaler gameplay comes in. Each Ranger jumps into their appropriate Dinozord and charges into the Z-axis in hot pursuit, blasting all obstacles and enemies with powered-up weapons like missiles and dual lasers. This gameplay really draws on that Sega legacy, throwing back to games like Galaxy Force and After Burner – constant movement, waves of insistent enemies, and powerful attacks to take them out of your way. 

Once Goldar is caught, the gameplay shifts again, this time to a first-person fighting game, where the Power Rangers form the mighty Megazord to slug it out directly with the boss. It’s his face versus your fists, once again utilizing that 2.5D visual approach found in vintage arcade games. Each player gets a chance to wear the boss down, contributing whatever they can to the cause and ultimately defeating the bosses with the Power Rangers’ ultimate weapon: teamwork. 

Mixing all these different genres felt like the right thing to do to keep Rita’s Rewind perpetually fresh, but it was a heck of a lot of fun for us, too. We love brawlers, but they can get repetitive; we’re hoping that mixing in racing, blasting, and punching will make Rita’s Rewind a thrill for players who have always dreamed about what Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy, and Kimberly’s game would have been like had they walked into an arcade in the mid-1990s.

In fact, one of the concepts that drives a lot of what we do at Digital Eclipse is the desire to make games the way you remember them playing, even if your memories have made those experiences a little sweeter and cooler than they might have actually been back in the day. Our goal with Rita’s Rewind is to make a game that could have existed, and certainly should have existed, but probably wouldn’t have existed with all this variety in one place. Since we have the benefit of looking at arcade gaming in the rearview mirror for 30 years, we’ll take advantage of that to try to deliver something better than you would have remembered.  

Rita’s Rewind will debut on PS5 and PS4 on December 10, and you can pre-order it now. When that day comes, we hope you enjoy heading back to the 1990s with us, both in terms of Power Rangers history and arcade gameplay – even if it’s your first visit. 

[Redacted] launches October 31 – meet some of Black Iron Prison’s deadliest foes

[Redacted] launches October 31 – meet some of Black Iron Prison’s deadliest foes https://ift.tt/6PcHVRi

When reimagining Black Iron Prison for a fast-action roguelike dungeon crawler, one of the first things we did was really let our designers run wild with the creatures in the game. We wanted a mix of familiar creatures from TCP and new baddies for players to battle — but everything had to make sense in the crazy comic-inspired future-punk world of [Redacted], which launches on October 31 on PS5.

We’ve crammed [Redacted] with enemies, so I’m just gonna share some of the studio’s favorites.

First up are Danglers, these guys originated in The Callisto Protocol but we took [Redacted]’s big comic book paintbrush to them.  

Danglers usually spawn in packs and crawl toward you, exploding when they get close and dealing serious damage. They’re weak, so stronger weapons can one-shot these guys, and you can use the GRP or kick to knock them into other enemies. Sounds easy right? 

Well, In early rooms they’re easy to clear, but they will definitely sneak up on you when things get hectic. And they come in four different flavors. The basic Danglers do an area of effect damage, but the Lightning, Fire, and Cryo versions get a bit tricky – when they’re killed they explode and leave a large electrical, fire, or cryo hazard in their wake. Make sure you don’t box yourself in. 

Next there’s the Cybernetic Switcher. They’re completely new for [Redacted].  

We dreamed these guys up to force players to change their tactics on the fly. Cybernetic Switchers are fast melee enemies that attack in groups. The catch is that they can alternate blocking melee and ranged attacks – forcing you to change up your combat approach mid-fight. Or, you know, you can just kick them off a ledge, that works too. 

The Dasher, as the name suggests, dashes. It’s one of our fastest enemies, dashing from point to point while unleashing melee attacks. There’s also a variant that foregoes melee attacks and leaves grenades in its wake. Their speed makes it hard to pin down and defeat them, so keep moving to avoid their attacks and bully them into submission when there’s an opening. You can also use the GRP to stagger them and get in close to finish them off quickly. 

The next three enemies we haven’t even shown before and are located in the final levels of the game, so you know they’re gonna be challenging. And they all work in concert to make those last rooms a hell of a battle – but we’ll give you some tips to get you ready. 

The Crazed Prisoners inhabiting the prison are physically weak opponents – but they aren’t necessarily there to hurt you directly as they actively create distance from you. They spread chaos by lobbing gravity grenades into the thick of battle that suck you toward the epicenter which allows other enemies to focus their attacks on a single point. That single point is you.  

Dash to break free of the effect or face defeat. I recommend you take these enemies out quickly, but watch your back because the next two enemies we’re looking at are likely there too. 

The Robot Shaman isn’t actually magic but it can feel that way sometimes because it buffs surrounding enemies by granting them shields that you have to get through before damaging them.  

But the Robot Shaman isn’t without damage-dealing powers. It deploys a large electric dome that deals damage if you’re caught inside. You’ll need to quickly balance handling the newly shielded enemies, staying within striking distance to damage the shaman but not so close you’ll be caught in its electric dome. 

And finally, one of the other big bads from The Callisto Protocol, the Two-Head. They’re slow but big and deadly. We tweaked these heavily throughout the game’s development. 

The Two-Head evolved from a melee-focused character to a deadly ranged enemy that creates a large area of effect damage with additional damage over time. Oh, and it disorients you for a few seconds. Dodge their ground-pound attacks and get behind them to deal heavier backstab damage to take them down quickly.  

I wish I could tell you about all the enemies because we’re just scratching the surface, but there are too many to go over here. The great thing is, if you pre-order for PS5, you can discover and experience them for yourself right this second. Otherwise, [Redacted] launches on October 31 on PS5.  

Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 498: Voice of the Veilguard

Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 498: Voice of the Veilguard https://ift.tt/2miXKSp

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here

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Hey folks! This week the team got to sit down with Bioware Game Director Corinne Busche and Creative Director John Epler to talk Dragon Age: The Veilguard. We also discuss the newly released Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero and Fear the Spotlight.

Stuff We Talked About

• Next week’s release highlights:
  • Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered | PS5
  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard | PS5
  • Life is Strange: Double Exposure | PS5
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 pre-launch overview
• Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered first look at bosses and new map details
• Monster Hunter Wilds Open Beta Test launches on PS5 next week
• 10 great horror games available with PlayStation Plus
• Interview with Corinne Busche and John Epler (begins at 12:59)
• Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
• Fear the Spotlight
• Silent Hill 2
• Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

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The Cast

Kristen Zitani –  Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE

Brett Elston – Content Communications Manager, SIE

O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, SIE

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Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Share of the Week: Costumes

Share of the Week: Costumes https://ift.tt/75DIpCN

Last week, we asked you to share gaming characters you’d like to dress up as for Halloween using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

ForgottenJasmin shares a katana-riddled samurai with a basket for a helmet from Ghost of Tsushima: Legends.

sorathluna shares a red-headed witch wearing an owl mask from Hogwarts Legacy.

AkiraAoyama_VP shares the quirky janitor Ahti from Control.

BitarHector shares Aloy striking a pose in one of the Oseram blue and red beaded armors from Horizon Forbidden West.

juniaxe shares Claire Redfield in her classic red leather jacket in Resident Evil 2.

Kirill_Skulkin shares a hulking blue Space Marine armor set from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Ghosts and Ghouls
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on October 30, 2024 

Next week, we’re ready to get haunted. Share ghastly ghosts and (non-gory) ghouls from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Phasmophobia’s PS VR2 features detailed

Phasmophobia’s PS VR2 features detailed  https://ift.tt/9vzeUNf

Gather your friends, grab your EMF Reader and prepare for spine-chilling ghost hunts because Phasmophobia is finally coming to PS5 and PS VR2 on October 29, 2024. Just in time for Halloween! Whether you’re an experienced ghost hunter or a new recruit eager to join the supernatural fray, we can’t wait to welcome everyone on PS5 and PS VR2, especially the latter. If you’re up to the task, ghost hunter, you’ll find a genuinely haunting and immersive experience waiting for you in virtual reality. Here’s a look at some of the standout features you can expect when you put on your PS VR2 headset. 

Foveated Rendering: Frights with performance in mind 

One of the key advantages of Phasmophobia on PS VR2 is the inclusion of foveated rendering. This innovative technology allows the game to deliver a higher, more stable framerate, ensuring that the intense moments of supernatural suspense stay smooth and immersive. How does it work? The PS VR2’s eye-tracking system detects exactly where you’re looking and focuses its processing power on rendering that area in full resolution. Everything in your direct line of sight is sharp and clear. This strategic allocation of resources leads to a significant boost in performance, meaning you can enjoy fluid, responsive gameplay even during the tensest ghost encounters.

Crystal clear visuals at native PS VR2 resolution 

In addition to the performance boost from foveated rendering, Phasmophobia on PS VR2 benefits from the headset’s native resolution of 2000 x 2040 pixels per eye. That’s a lot of pixels packed into your ghost-hunting goggles! The game also runs at a 60Hz refresh rate with 120Hz reprojection, ensuring smooth visuals as you explore every eerie hallway, attic, and basement in search of evidence. Whether you’re identifying ghosts from EMF spikes, deciphering spirit box responses, or watching for ghostly apparitions, the added sharpness and clarity help bring each investigation to life in terrifying detail. 

A tool belt designed for ghost hunting 

One of the features exclusive to the PS VR2 version on the console version of Phasmophobia is the tool belt, which is designed to make ghost hunting more intuitive and streamlined in VR. Managing equipment is crucial to success, and with the tool belt, you’ll have access to up to three pieces of gear at a time. Need to swap out your EMF reader for a camera while holding on to a crucifix for protection? No problem. With the tool belt, swapping gear is as simple as reaching down, grabbing what you need, and staying focused on the paranormal activity around you.

Cross-play with PS5 Players 

Ghost hunting is always better with friends, and Phasmophobia on PS VR2 makes sure you won’t be ghostbusting alone. PS VR2 players can team up with those on PS5 or PS5 Pro, creating a seamless cross-play experience for console gamers. Whether you’re diving into the investigation in VR or playing on a flat screen, you’ll be able to coordinate with your team, track evidence, and outwit dangerous ghosts together. The ability to play with friends across different PlayStation systems ensures that no one has to miss out on terrifying ghost hunts. 

Coming October 29, 2024 

Mark your calendars, because Phasmophobia is bringing its blend of cooperative ghost hunting and hair-raising horror to PS5 and PS VR2 on October 29, 2024. Gather your friends, prepare your equipment, and get ready for the fright of your life! Add Phasmophobia to your wishlist today. 

10 great horror games available with PlayStation Plus

10 great horror games available with PlayStation Plus https://ift.tt/GuXVhwN

‘Tis the season for demons – Halloween is the only time of the year where we can indulge the ghastly glee of throwing on a ghoulish costume and frightening the daylights out of each other without calling the authorities.

Of course, sometimes you just want to experience the fun that comes with a great scare entirely within your own safe, four walls. Which is the perfect time to let your PlayStation transport you to a variety of otherworldly settings that will leave you clammy, spooked and smiling.

There are plenty of bloodcurdlingly brilliant horror games across PS4 and PS5 that will do the trick or treat, but here’s a selection of our favorites which are currently available on PlayStation Plus that will deliver a wonderfully wild Halloween experience straight into your home…. no cursed video tape required.

Dead Space | Electronic Arts

• PS5
• Essential, Extra, and Premium (available until Nov 4)

Sci-fi survival horror was given a new lease of blood-flecked life when EA’s instant classic originally space walked onto PS3 way back in 2008. Since then it’s had several spin-offs and sequels, but the 2023 remake on PS5 reconfirmed how atmospheric, tense and well-crafted Dead Space has always been. Staying alive against the terrifying Necromorphs of the dread ship Ishimura is an unforgettable experience, but remember: not all headshots will earn the expected results. You have been warned.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! | Serenity Forge

• PS5, PS4
• Essential, Extra, and Premium (available until Nov 4)

With its breezy anime style and colorful high school setting, you’d be forgiven for thinking this visual novel is innocent and even a little saccharine. But if Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! had a voice, it would be sinisterly laughing at such an understandable yet utterly misguided assumption. Beneath the cheery surface is an inventive, dark, fourth wall breaking psychological horror that spins its story in directions I promise you’ll never see coming. Seriously – this is not for the faint of heart.

Resident Evil 2 (2019) | Capcom

• PS5, PS4
• Extra and Premium

Returning to the zombie-infested Raccoon City might have filled rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy and student Claire Redfield with fear, but the rest of us couldn’t wait for the stunning remake to hit PS4 and PS5. Capcom’s impressive dedication to updating the original’s visuals and gameplay while maintaining its jump scares and tension pays off, with Resident Evil 2 masterfully threading the eternally tricky, bloodstained needle of satisfying old and new survival horror fans alike.

Inscryption | Daniel Mullins Games

• PS5, PS4
• Extra and Premium

Roguelike deck-building games aren’t typically the first genres that spring to mind when it comes to horror, but Inscryption mixes things up with intense narrative interludes and a shadowy dealer inside a claustrophobic cabin, creating a supremely unsettling atmosphere. Inscryption uses a sense of mystery and minimalism to not only draw you in, but also to keep you on edge – because it’s never just about the blinking, fluttering, oddly alive cards you’re playing with… 

Dead by Daylight | Behaviour Entertainment

• PS5, PS4
• Extra and Premium

Cat and mouse games are always more engaging when they’re played with friends, so Dead by Daylight leans into that concept in a brutal 4vs1 multiplayer horror set-up. Four of you take the role of survivors trying to escape the lone killer player in procedurally generated environments. If you’ve ever wanted to be in a playable slasher flick, Dead by Daylight delivers an abundance of gory glee. 

Dredge | Team17

• PS5, PS4
• Extra and Premium

Even from its first few minutes of boat sailing gameplay, there’s something deeply unnerving about Dredge. After playing it for longer, you’ll soon realize what it is – pretty much everything. From its subtly eerie soundscape to the memorably odd characters you encounter, this off-kilter fishing adventure isn’t strictly a horror game but expertly plays with your imagination. A masterclass in building tension, Dredge dares you to explore its eldritch fever fringed world… and then entraps you with its compelling narrative. 

The Last of Us Part I | Sony Interactive Entertainment

• PS5
• Extra and Premium

Due to its world-beating TV adaptation, The Last of Us has become a multimedia phenomenon, but seeing where it all started it’s easy to see why its story has become such a powerful mainstay. Remaking the original and its expansion The Last of Us: Left Behind, this Naughty Dog action-adventure pulls no punches in a world ravaged by infected humans… and worse – uninfected, morally devastated people. A heartbreaking, genre-defining title. 

Siren | Sony Interactive Entertainment

• PS4
• Premium

Ghost stories are especially effective in video games, with Siren a testament to that – outmatching many big screen equivalents with its creeping tension and haunting horror. The stealth game’s secret weapon for scares is the ‘Sightjack’ ability, letting you see the world through the eyes of others, including the monstrous Shibito while you attempt to survive the cursed mountain village of Hanuda. It also means you can suffer a first-hand view of own gruesome demise if you’re not especially careful.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution | Skydance Interactive

• PS5, PS VR2
• Premium

There’s something terrifyingly intimate about horror games in virtual reality, so entering the already ruthless undead-laden world of The Walking Dead via PlayStation VR2 only ups the stakes. Naturally taking the form of a first-person shooter, this chapter opens up New Orleans for you to explore and survive in, whether it’s against the walkers, unhinged humans or the mythical serial slasher only known as the Axeman. 

Doom 3 | Activision

• PS4
• Premium

Acting as a more story-driven reboot of the original game, Doom 3 tosses you into a Hell-spawn ravaged Mars research facility, armed with a flashlight. Okay, and some instantly recognisable weapons, too. Switching the series to a slightly more measured, atmospheric tone compared to its more fast-paced roots, Doom 3 is the survival horror first-person shooter which helped inspire an entire genre, and still holds up many years after its initial release.