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Hello Neighbor VR: Search and Rescue comes to PS VR2 on May 25

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Hello, neighbors! The town of Raven Brooks is calling again, and this time you’re going to get up close and personal with the town – virtually speaking.

Developed by VR veterans Steel Wool Games and launching on May 25 for PlayStation VR2, Hello Neighbor VR: Search And Rescue is a thrilling new adventure set in the twisted little world of the Hello Neighbor franchise. There’s all the puzzling, sneaking and mystery you’ve come to expect from snooping around the Peterson Estate (all while dodging the attention of your eccentric and unhinged neighbor), but this time, you’re going hands-on, using every trick in the PS VR2 book to intuitively navigate a reactive, physical world.

Everything in the world of Hello Neighbor VR reacts the way it should in the real world, so it’s time to get your grubby little fingers where they don’t belong and dig up some mysteries. Nervously nudge doors open, poke your head around corners (while listening carefully for unseen dangers) rummage through cupboards with haptic feedback relayed direct to your fingertips, and generally act like a sneaky little kid should. Or kids, as the case may be.

For the first time in the Hello Neighbor series, Search And Rescue puts you in the shoes of an entire crew of meddling youngsters. While this is a single-player game, you’ll be switching control between five kids; the self-titled Raven Brooks Rescue Squad. Each has their own unique puzzle-solving gadget, and all of them will be needed to unravel the maze of machines and traps you’ll find. Coordinate the movements of the entire team, using your walkie talkie to switch perspectives at any time. Put their heads together and rescue your missing friend from the mysterious mad gadgeteer (and part-time kidnapper) Mr. Peterson.

We’re excited to let you loose on the trap-laden, off-kilter Peterson Estate. Every little crack in the walls can give you a glimpse of coming danger, so keep those eyes peeled. While it’s always good to see trouble coming, sound is essential in any stealth game, and the PS VR2’s 3D audio capabilities are perfect for the job here. Press your ear up against doors for an early hint of danger, or tilt your head to figure out whether that creaking is coming from the attic or basement. Just tread gently and don’t let your Rescue Squad members get snatched up. Rescuing one kid is hard enough!

Of course, controlling an entire squad comes with its perks. Footsteps getting uncomfortably close for comfort for one character? Switch to another and make a noise. Ring the doorbell, turn on the TV or flush a toilet and then scurry off to a hiding spot. The neighbor is sure to come running, giving the rest of your team some breathing room. Play your cards right and you’ll drive your enemy to distraction – just don’t push your luck, or you could end up backed into a corner with nowhere to go. Rescuing your pal Nicky will be a tough job, but with a bit of thought and a local Raven Brooks can-do attitude, anything’s possible.

How Square Enix built Final Fantasy XVI’s fantastical, believable, lived-in world

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There’s one particular Final Fantasy XVI development story Naoki Yoshida admits he’s unlikely ever to forget. The producer describes a particular port city the studio conceptualized. Its key feature: a colossal stretch of huge wall that runs the length of the city, separating it from the surrounding ocean and which has successfully protected those behind it from invasion for over three centuries. It’s a visually impressive sight, one that fits perfectly with the larger fantasy world of Valisthea. There was, however, one issue.

“You look over these designs,” explains Yoshida-san, “And in the far corner of the town, on the sea side, there’s a natural cliff. And this cliff is maybe 15 meters high. And the leader of this city, the most important person, is housed right there beside it. What stopped pirates just coming up, destroying the house and taking over? It made no sense.” 

The result was a proverbial – and literal – return to the drawing board to correct the oversight.

It’s a recollection that articulates the careful work to make this fantastical world believable, lived in. And that story is but one of numerous examples of the complexities the producer, alongside Art Director Hiroshi Minagawa and Localization Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox have navigated as they built Valisthea and the player’s journey through it.

A youthful Clive Rosfield explores a castle’s inner courtyard, passing by training grounds and soldiers unpacking supply crates

A world’s design, of how Valisthea rests at a crossroads between multiple teams at the studio – environmental artists, level designers, combat teams and more – is the focus of an insightful conversation with the three midway through their two-day stopover in London. That stay is just one stage of a multi-country tour for the game they’re attached to, each stop giving attendees several hours with the near-final PS5 game.

It’s a robust hands-on. We first sample the game’s opening hours, a flashback to a key period in Clive Rosfield’s youth that sets up what’s to come. (It’s this section that players will experience in a public demo which drops ahead of the full game’s launch.) We then play through the two hours and change directly following that demo’s conclusion. Lastly, we’re left to roam for thirty minutes in one of the game’s open areas, a lush valley filled with optional beasts to defeat and side-quests to take up.

In that collective time we wander through castle grounds and hideouts, battle our way through more guided scenarios, partake in a spectacular, cinematic Eikon versus Eikon clash. As such, we get a better understanding of the game’s structure, the environment design. I have answered a question I never thought to ask: what is Final Fantasy’s version of gardening tools?

Boss battles, be they Eikon versus Eikon or Clive’s clashes with bigger threats, promise to be unique encounters. FFXVI has a speci

Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 458: Access Granted

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Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS, or download here


This week the team chats with Accessibility Consultant Paul Amadeus Lane about accessibility in gaming, before diving into the world of deck-building with some Inscryption talk.

Stuff We Talked About

  • Lord of the Rings: Gollum
  • PlayStation Showcase
  • Humanity Q&A
  • Project Leonardo is the Access controller
  • Interview with Paul Amadeus Lane (starts at 10:00)
  • Inscryption

The Cast

Share of the Week – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

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Last week, we asked you to use the Force and share epic moments from Star Wars Jedi: Survivor using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: 

dharlequin shares Cal Kestis wielding an orange lightsaber, cloaked in shadow

AreeLyBadPun shares Cal leaping towards a large creature, wielding a blue lightsaber

zaurielvp shares an agent of the Empire wielding a flamethrower, surrounded by flames

nahHermes shares Cal racing forward against a neon blue and pink backdrop

kingforever008 shares Cal gazing out from a cave at floating turrets

WriterlyRyan shares Cal and Merrin riding a spamel

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: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Cal Kestis

SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on May 24, 2023

Next week, we’re staying in a galaxy far, far away to focus on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s hero, Cal Kestis. Share portraits of Cal using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Arrows and soccer crossover in multiplayer sport title Nock, coming to PS VR2 on May 25

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Nock is a fast paced, physical game of bow and arrow soccer. We’ve taken the time to level up Nock specifically for the PS VR2. Here are some of the improvements we’ve made to the game.

Top notch visuals

Running at 90hz on the highest resolution with no foveation and no reprojection, Nock looks better than ever on PS VR2. Crisp clean geometry and vibrant colors that’ll make your eyes happy. It’s a pretty sweet sight.

Feel the action with PS VR2 headset haptics

Nock is a physical sport, and now you can feel every bump of the ball on your headset. In the high-speed game of Nock, if you take your eye off the ball, you could end up on the wrong side of a knockout.

Spectator camera

Using the power of the PS5, we are able to render a second camera. With a variety of different camera options, this is perfect for streaming or having friends and family watch your dominance on the pitch.


As a bonus to our PS VR2 players, we’re throwing in a season pass with every purchase. This pass is your ticket to unlocking over 30 skins, bows, and blocks as you progress in the game.

One last thing, Nock supports crossplay with all major VR platforms. So, no matter what your friends are gaming on, you can all get in on the action together.

This is just the start. We truly can’t wait to see you out there.

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