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On this week’s show, the gang talks early Game of the Year predictions, shares a few of their gaming highlights from 2022, and says goodbye to one of the Podcasts’s regular hosts. Spoiler: It’s me. So long, and thanks for playing!

Stuff We Talked About

• Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion
• Neon White
• God of War Ragnarök
• Destiny 2
• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Our predictions on Game of the Year

The Cast

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Los Angeles has fallen. The once glamorous hangout of the rich and the famous is now overrun with the undead, and the city is under strict military quarantine. Nothing gets in. Nothing gets out. 

You’re the new star in this treacherous tinsel town (which the locals have dubbed HELL-A), and everyone wants a piece of you — both alive and undead — so be prepared to fight an onslaught of zombified Los Angelinos as you attempt to get out of Dodge.

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Slay with total brutality

The good news? You’re a natural at this slaying gig. Get ready to decapitate, mutilate, eviscerate, and obliterate any zombie that dares get in your way. The combat system will have you chaining together attacks, blocks, dodges, and special abilities to suit your unique playstyle so that you can slay with maximum efficiency and in style.

You’ll also be utilising the environment to your advantage. Puncture a barrel full of caustic liquid and drop-kick a zombie into the spillage to watch the flesh melt and drop off their skeleton revealing their rotten innards. Nasty.

We sure didn’t skimp on the special effects budget: Dead Island 2’s unique gore tech, F.L.E.S.H (Fully Locational Evisceration System for Humanoids), makes the act of slaying a bloody beautiful affair. Whether it’s your first or 100^th time, you’ll be in awe of the level of disgusting detail on offer.

Should you ever need a break from sending the undead to their final resting place, there’s an entire city to explore with lots of sweet loot up for grabs, and if you look hard enough, you may just find some answers about the shady goings-on that have turned LA into a flesh feasting freak fest.

The prop department is packing heat

During these trying times, weapons are a slayer’s best friend. Whether you’re into slicing, dicing, battering, shattering, or even gouging your reanimated foes, you’ll be able to find the tool for the job somewhere in HELL-A. 

Swords, bear claws, sledgehammers, hunting knives, brass knuckles, and maces are just a fraction of the types of weaponry you’ll find littered throughout the city.

But if you don’t fancy getting brain and bone fragments on your outfit — or have had enough of stale zombie breath — you can pick those suckers off from afar with a whole arsenal of ranged weaponry: grab yourself a handgun, shotgun, ca

Last week, we asked you to travel to the far reaches of space to share celestial and exploratory shares using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: 

crisg_art shares Jacob peering out of his space suit in Callisto Protocol.

coalabr14 shares Cal approaching a ship on a red planet in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

DexM_ds shares a reaper ship approaching a damaged planet in Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

MostlyVp shares a ship that jets towards a blue planet, with lightstreams along the right side in No Man’s Sky.

justinphotomode shares Selene surrounded by blue glowing particles in Returnal.

Philt43_Yewone shares Ratchet staring out into a purple floating debris field with Clank on his back in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

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: God of War Ragnarök – Photo Mode
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on December 14, 2022

Next week, capture the beauty and danger of the Nine Realms using God of War Ragnarök’s newly released Photo Mode. Share Kratos and Atreus’ most epic moments using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is now available for pre-order! Jedi Cal Kestis returns in this third-person adventure from Respawn Entertainment, spanning both new and familiar locations across the galaxy. Follow Cal’s desperate fight to protect the galaxy from impending darkness as he is pushed to the edge physically and mentally by the Empire. Cal faces threats old and new with friends by his side as he takes a stand as one of the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy. How far will he go to protect who and what is most important to him?

Picking up five years after Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal is no longer a Padawan and continues to grow as a Jedi. But with the looming threat of the Empire at every turn, Cal is lucky to have his trusty droid BD-1 at his side along with a cast of fresh and familiar faces to aid him on his adventures. Whether it’s the new grappling hook or mounts that enable fresh ways to adventure and reach new heights, Cal is more equipped than ever to face what’s ahead of him.

Combat is getting refreshed too, with all-new advanced combat stances that allow players to forge their own fighting identity as Cal. From Dual Lightsabers for lightning-fast duels to the Crossguard stance that readies Cal for tough new enemies, there are even more ways for every player to define how they play.

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It’s time to reveal the top downloads for PS5, PS4, PSVR, and F2P in November. God of War Ragnarök earned the top spot for PS5 across US and Europe, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II claiming a similar win in the PS4 charts, while Warzone 2.0 grabbed top honors in the F2P charts.  

Check out the full chart listings below! 

PS5 Games

PS4 Games

PS VR Games

We’re excited to reveal Final Fantasy XVI will release on June 22, 2023, with pre-orders for the digital Standard and Deluxe editions go live today at PlayStation Store!

Final Fantasy XVI is an epic dark fantasy world that takes place in the realm of Valisthea—a land blessed in the light of the Mothercrystals, and where peace falters as the spread of the Blight threatens to destroy their dominions. The fate of the land is decided by the Eikons, mighty summoned beasts, and their Dominants, men and women who have been blessed with the ability to call upon and wield them. 

This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the Dominant of the Phoenix, Eikon of Fire. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.

Jump into action-packed battles with impressive Eikonic powers

As the first full-fledged Action RPG in the Final Fantasy series, designed for the PS5, Final Fantasy XVI features unique battle systems where you can fight, not only utilizing Eikonic powers woven into your swordplay, but also controlling Eikons yourself! Switch between Clive’s Eikon skills one after another in speedy real-time action battles and participate in dynamic battles taking on the role of an Eikon as they clash against each other. You’ll spot some of the new systems we’re introducing in the game in the trailer above. You can learn more about them below and discover how they’ll help you fight fire with fire (among other elements)!

Titanic clashes

When rival Dominants come head to head, epic battles between their Eikons ensue!

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Wild Hearts is a unique twist on the hunting genre where technology gives you a fighting chance against massive beasts infused with the destructive power of nature. These beasts are called Kemono, and have fused with natural elements over time, modifying their environment to accommodate their needs, much to the despair of the people of Azuma. What caused them to turn their might and desperation on this once peaceful land isn’t known, but they must be stopped and only a hunter of great skill and cunning will stand a chance. You are that hunter.

When fighting these giant beasts you won’t be limited to wits and weapons – you also possess the power of Karakuri, ancient technology you must master and wield to turn the tide of battle with these foes. Use the Karakuri to discover weak spots or gain a new attack angle. Some will help you set up defenses against the Kemono’s worst attacks, giving you the opportunity to take them down.

It’s important to know that each Kemono has both strengths and weaknesses that wise hunters will take note of well before the hunt begins. In this article, we will be discussing one of the most powerful and beautiful enemies you will face in Wild Hearts. One with radiant plumage, a deafening roar, and an unquenchable anger that rages with the heat of a furnace.

The Bird of Auspice is said to have lived for many centuries now…

The majestic Amaterasu has captured the imagination of the people of Azuma for centuries. This winged beast with its fiery plumage is both captivating and terrifying. It draws its power from the life energy around it in combination with its apparently boundless fury. Once sufficiently angered and powered up all hunters should take cover or risk being within range of its explosive attack. Carefully observe the color of this great beast’s plumage if you wish to avoid such an attack. The redder it appears, the closer you are to its most dangerous aspect.

When facing an Amaterasu, you will need to beware of more than just its sharp beak and talons, even its feathers can end your hunt prematurely. Your attacks must focus on bringing it down to the earth by striking its wings or using a harpoon to pin it precisely where you want it. Search for this challenging prey in the direction of the setting sun amongst the grassy plains and desolate, ruined temples of the west. It is most striking at dusk when the autumn leaves and pampas grass swirl around its desolate temples.

Once the hunt is finished the Kemono will also provide you with the materials you need to craft items such as stronger armor. The more you hunt, the more materials you will gather, and the bigger the prey you can face next.

You can choose to hunt alone and savor all the spoils by yourself, or in a pack (with up to two other players) enabling you to expand your battle plans and special missions.

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Prepare to endure and survive, PC players. We’re so excited to reveal The Last of Us Part I will be released on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store March 3, 2023. 

We’ve been anticipating this launch for a while now, and we know many of you have as well. We’re thrilled to be bringing The Last of Us to PC for the first time. If you didn’t catch our reveal trailer at The Game Awards, be sure to watch it below.

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We were so honored by the reception of The Last of Us Part I when it debuted on the PS5 earlier this year, and we can’t wait to welcome new and returning players on Joel and Ellie’s unforgettable adventure, newly optimized and enhanced for PC. We’ll have more information about The Last of Us Part I’s PC specs and features closer to release, so please look forward to more ahead of the March launch.

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Voting for the PS Blog Game of the Year Awards 2022 is now open. These awards are driven entirely by players’ choice, so cast your vote to nominate your favorite PlayStation games of the past year. All 16 categories recognise the best of PlayStation through 2022, celebrating great games, captivating new characters, fantastic soundtracks, graphical showcases, and much more. 

As ever, there are a few rules for categories and their nominees: 

• Every category includes a write-in option in case there’s a title absent that you think should be considered. 

• Due to the polls closure date, some titles aren’t eligible for inclusion. 

• As with the majority of the other categories, Best Multiplayer Experience focuses on titles released in 2022 while Best Ongoing Game focuses on games that have seen significant new content or game-changing updates over this past year. 

• If a title won a Platinum in a category any previous year, it won’t be eligible for inclusion in the same category this year. As such Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – which won last year’s Most Anticipated Game – isn’t included in the running for that category this year. 

• Polls are live now and close on Wednesday December 14 at 23:59pm PT, so scroll below and get clicking. We’ll collect the results and announce the winners later this month. 

Good luck to all the nominees! 

2022 PlayStation Blog Best New Character

2022 PlayStation Blog Best Story

2022 PlayStation Blog PlayStation Best Graphical Showcase

2022 PlayStation Blog Best Art Direction

Diablo 3 followed in the footsteps of series entries before it, introducing a new generation of dungeon crawlers to the hellish world of Sanctuary back in 2012. Since then, thanks to a loyal player base, they’ve kept the hack-’n-slash RPG party going with countless updates. But now it’s time for the future, and Blizzard is molding Diablo 4 to deliver just that.

While the title looks to the past of both the real world and that of Sanctuary for inspiration, the upcoming sequel pushes the Diablo series in new ways. In an immense and gorgeous new landscape, you’ll encounter all-new elements to the Diablo formula that let you control the game’s direction even more while dealing with more darkness than ever. Ready your defenses. We’re returning to Sanctuary.

A return to darkness

Upon jumping into this newly realized Sanctuary during a hands-on session with an in-development PlayStation 5 version of the game, it’s clear that Diablo 4 harkens back to the grim tone of the first two Diablo games. The world is more mature and grounded than Diablo 3, adding to its renewed focus on horror and fear. Dead bodies paint the white snow during travels. You can hear howling cries of anger and distress when passing a populated town. A soft moonlight illuminates the hallowed grounds like a haunted spotlight. With a hefty thematic focus on hatred, how it consumes once hopeful hearts, and its corruption and consequences, it’s easy to quickly get immersed when all of these elements work in tandem. And naturally, it’s inevitable to feel the heroic urge to stop whatever caused all this pain in Sanctuary.

Evolution of classic Diablo

Diablo 4 is a culmination of what made past Diablo entries so iconic and memorable. The bleak tone of the original, the more open world of the second, and the combat of the third all come together here. There are more gameplay options than ever, and the bits of small details and extra care applied to every nook and cranny of its mechanics make it one of the best entry points to the series.

This is your adventure

Diablo 4 marks the first time in the series that you’re truly creating your own adventure. The open world of Sanctuary facilitates a personal journey filled with options. You can ignore the main story and lose yourself in exploring countless dungeons and strongholds, run into random local events, or help a needy lost spirit. Or, maybe you’re not in the mood for action and would rather bide your time and explore a peaceful wilderness to find resources to go home and craft with.

The gameplay variety extends to playthroughs that all present wildly different results. The story is also nonlinear, meaning you’ll face many circumstances that may lead you down various roads. Yes, you still have to tackle the core beats to reach the game’s conclusion, but how you get there is up to you.

A bold new world

What’s a big adventure without a grand open world? Sanctuary, otherwise known