Classic horror fans have been anticipating the PS5 launch of Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game, with some lucky con-goers getting to experience it early. Throughout the journey, we’ve sprinted around rides at the Amusement Park, and quietly snuck through the makeout spot at Top Of the World. Today, we’re bringing PlayStation Blog a never-before-seen map: Downtown Crescent Cove.

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This map has a wide-spanning open-air plaza as well as tighter building interiors to promote varied gameplay. Explore manmade and organic spaces while you maneuver around deserted vehicles strewn throughout. Take advantage of the higher points so you may peer over and through the avenues and alleyways. As you’re making your way, you may discover the familiar Police Station or the Biker’s alley, giving you the movie experience and immersing you further into the Killer Klowns universe.

Terrorize the town as you chase and harvest humans under the glow of neon signs and streetlights.

Recruit Lackey Klowns to patrol the streets, detect humans, hook cotton candy cocoons, and keep your operation running at maximum efficiency.

Choose from an arsenal of weapons and abilities to track and cocoon humans– or just smear the pavement with them.

Take note of the exits around town, and foil any escape attempts– but watch out for those pesky humans as they may be wielding some tools and weapons of their own.

Light the town up as you fill the Lackey Generators, causing an electrifying spectacle, and ultimately: Klownpocalypse, the explosive end-of-match event that destroys all humans.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game launches on PS5 June 4. Pre-order the game to get one week of advanced access and rare cosmetics. Are you prepared for the invasion?

Fancy a cozy adventure in a stunning locale? Inspired by real-life experiences, Sushi Ben drops you into an idyllic seaside town rich with addictive mini-games and curious characters across an anime-inspired slice-of-life sim.

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I’m excited for the chance to give players insight into what to expect in Sushi Ben and announce that the game launches May 28 for PlayStation VR2. I’ll also include some additional insights on the creation of this game from Big Brane co-founder Kane Tyler, who first conceived the idea of Sushi Ben as part of his college thesis.

Mini slices of life

In Sushi Ben, players are tasked with saving a sushi bar from going out of business as a group of land developers try to buy up all the property in town. You will assist the townsfolk with various activities and tasks to cultivate business.

As one would expect, Sushi Ben has a wonderful fishing game at its core. As you develop relationships with the locals and complete quests, you’ll fish for the particular type each customer wants so that you can bring their business into the restaurant. That’s only the tip of the iceberg, though.

The townsfolk have unique motivations and desires and, thus, have a wide range of mini-games for players to engage with. There’s table tennis, stone carving, bug catching, dog walking, archery, and more. Each one takes advantage of the dynamic movements that make virtual reality gaming immersive and exciting, challenging players to get moving and use their hand-eye coordination in fun ways.

Storytelling in virtual reality

We at Big Brane hope players are captivated by how the story is told. The freedom of VR, where players have a perpetually unlocked ability to look anywhere at any time, creates some challenges when directing focus. To attract the player’s eye, you must make things stand out, and that’s where our dynamic manga panels come into play.

The thesis specifically focused on filmmaking techniques in virtual reality, wh

Many of you who have already played Rise of the Ronin may have noticed some elements of our previous works such as Ninja Gaiden and Nioh from Team Ninja. Today we’re excited to share some of the behind-the-scenes development stories for the first time. Plus we share details on an upcoming game update.

Ninja Gaiden connections

The Iga-Ninja Armor is one of Rise of the Ronin’s connections with Ninja Gaiden, an action game from Team Ninja.

From a very early development stage, we have discussed with PlayStation Studio’s XDEV team our desire to include costumes from the Ninja Gaiden series. When considering which costumes and weapons to implement, we’ve agreed on the costume of the main character, Ryu Hayabusa, as an iconic and recognizable costume for an in-game armor design.

Historically, ninjas are said to have existed during the Bakumatsu period (late 19^th century), which is the setting for Rise of the Ronin so there is a high degree of affinity with the worldview of these titles.

One of the combat styles, Hayabusa-ryu, was initially implemented at the same speed as in the original, but the attacks were so fast and extremely powerful that we struggled to adjust them to match the game speed of this new version for Rise of the Ronin. 

In addition to Hayabusa’s iconic moves, such as the Izuna Drop, we also incorporated as many of Ninja Gaiden’s techniques as possible, such as his Ultimate Technique. 

Rise of the Ronin marks the first appearance of Ninja Gaiden-related content on PS5, so re-creating these features in high-resolution 4K format was a challenge. The distinctive costumes of the Hayabusa-ryu ninja, such as the raptor-inspired headgear and sleeveless armor, were newly designed with the image of reconstructing them with weapons and materials from the end of the Edo period. We believe that this fits seamlessly into the worldview of this game and hope that our fans of the series will enjoy these references.

Nioh series connections

As it has been nearly two months since the release of Rise of the Ronin, let me give you a bit of a spoiler, that William, the main character of Nioh, appears as a hidden boss in this game. We decided to have him appear early in the planning stage, as we thought it would be a pleasant surprise for those who have played the Nioh series.

As the game is set in the late Edo period when Japanese and Western cultures started mixing, and many Westerners such as Commodore Matthew Perry appear, so I believe the appearance of William wearing armor was implemented in a way that didn’t feel out of place.

Until Then is a stunning narrative adventure set in a charming pixelated world inspired by the Philippines. Playing as protagonist Mark, you navigate day-to-day high school insecurities until he begins to realize something more mysterious is going on. Between juggling homework deadlines, navigating relationships, practicing piano, and investigating the strange occurrences happening in between, the developers also sprinkled endearing minigames throughout the story that create depth and delight out of what could have been just mundane moments. 

For example, a walk to the fishball stand to subdue hunger pangs turns into a fierce competition for who can fill up their fishball stick the fastest. Getting extra meta, play the video game within a video game with Cathy & Mark to find out who is the fastest racer. And, of course, what would a carnival outing with friends be without all the classic fair games like whack-a-mole? 

Beyond being just plain entertaining, Until Then’s minigames resonate in unique ways and those among the development team have their own opinions about which minigame stands out among the rest.

A minigame to create interactive worldbuilding

Mickole Klein Nulud, Game Director of Polychroma Games, has nostalgic ties to the ticket vending machine from chapter 1 of the game. “I’d always used them in my college days so it’s nostalgic,” said Nulud. “I replicated its user interface from the real world to the game in detail, which was a very fun process for me.”

Moments in the game like the ticket vending machine, were included to help break up the flow of the game’s dialogue-heavy nature and to create moments of interactive worldbuilding. “It sets up the tone of what kind of experience the player is going to get, where minigames can be as mundane as possible but true to life,” Nulud added.

A minigame to showcase character development

Senior Environment Artist Pia Demanawa’s favorite minigame, the haunted house in the perya, calls out to Filipino culture.‘Perya’ is a Tagalog word for ‘fair’, like a carnival. These week-long events take place throughout the year and are a unique part of Philippine celebrations. From game booths to rides to food stalls, a perya is a place of fun and entertainment for people of all ages.

Until Then brings this to life in chapter 10. Mark runs into one of the new students at the carnival and, after a bit of banter, bets that he can scare more people in the haunted house than she can. You then have two minutes to chase NPCs around the creepy maze, gaining points for each person successfully frightened.

“On its surface, [the haunted house] uses elements of Filipino mythology such as the Kiwig [a shapeshifter that preys on humans] and the Minokawa [a giant, dragon-like bird that can swallow the moon and sun],” Demanawa shared. “The designer for the art of the minigame itself, Vanessa Sumo, really encapsulated what a low-budget, Filipino-themed haunted house would look like from the inside with the stereotypical bahay kubo and the random chickens. The art director, Dominique Duran, additionally found inspiration for aesthetics from the 2012 RPGMaker horror game called Ib, and I thought that it was a wonderful homage to the cult-classic story game.”

Without spoiling too much, this competitive, haunted minigame c

Last week we asked you to take in the view from your favorite games, and share memorable landscapes and environments using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

MrioMoreno5 shares a sky gondola and bridge in The Artful Escape.

bardfinnie shares Ellie gazing out at a lush mountain and forest landscape in The Last of Us Part II Remastered.

photomodeoftsu shares the flooded pavilion of Eidos 7 in Stellar Blade.

call_me_xavii shares Aloy running across a vast desert in Horizon Forbidden West.

scottoka1 shares a blue oasis town in the middle of a desert in Final Fantasy XVI.

jdmsantos07 shares a massive ship lodged between rocks in a craggy cave of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.

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:  Mythical
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on May 22, 2024

Next week, we’re turning the lens on legends and myths. Share mythical characters or creatures you’ve encountered the a game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Monstrous giants lurk in the unfathomable depths of the Blue Hole, their formidable presence striking terror into the hearts of any who dare to venture into their domain. They interfere with Dave’s tranquil fishing pursuits, yet unwittingly become prime ingredients for his sushi restaurant. Their colossal forms lend an unexpected and savory twist to the culinary creations.

Godzilla, the mighty monarch of monsters whose legendary reign celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, now emerges to make a historic appearance within the depths of the Blue Hole. Prepare to encounter the awe-inspiring Godzilla, arriving May 23.*

G-Force, the military organization from the Godzilla series

G-Force, an international joint military organization formed by the United Nations and the JSDF, is tasked with the paramount mission of safeguarding humanity and upholding global peace. They follow Godzilla’s trail, leading them to the elusive depths of the Blue Hole.

“Godzilla was wounded. We tracked down its brainwaves, and they led us here…”

Kaiju discovered in the abyss

While diving in the shadowy depths of the Blue Hole looking for fish, Dave is confronted with Godzilla, injured and recovering from his wounds. Wariness grips the mighty titan as he senses Dave’s approach, but it looks like he might just need some assistance from an unexpected ally.

Watch out for the relentless Kaiju in pursuit

Embark on an exhilarating adventure in the Godzilla DLC where you’ll engage in a heart-pounding pursuit with Ebirah, the iconic deep-sea Kaiju from the 1966 live-action movie [Ebirah, horror of the deep]. Plunge into the oceanic depths to evade Ebirah’s assaults as the creature relentlessly pursues the submarine carrying Dave and Miki. 

Epic battle with Ebirah

Harpoons prove ineffective against the Kaiju’s impenetrable shell. In a daring move, Dave abandons his usual gear for a more formidable approach. Boarding the G-Force submarine to confront Ebirah head-on. Despite his lack of experience in submarine piloting, Dave needs to stay focused to penetrate Ebirah’s shell.

On whose side does Godzilla stand…?

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With Nightdive Studios’ System Shock remake releasing May 21 on PS5 and PS4, it’s a perfect opportunity to look back and celebrate the original PC game that changed everything. 

The original System Shock was developed by Looking Glass Studios and released by Origin Systems on PC in 1994. It was a groundbreaking first-person adventure that has come to be considered one of the most influential games ever. Modern classics such as BioShock, Dishonored, Dead Space, the Deus Ex series, and many others drew inspiration from its pioneering gameplay.

All gameplay and screenshots featured in this article are from Nightdive’s System Shock remake.

System Shock’s distinctive features became the hallmarks of what many now consider to be a genre called “immersive sims”: games with large, nonlinear environments that afford players a wide degree of freedom in how they overcome challenges, whether by combat, stealth, or other means.

To mark the occasion of Nightdive’s System Shock remake heading to PS5 and PS4 next week, we reached out to some of the gaming industry’s most acclaimed developers to highlight the influence of 1994’s System Shock on the first-person shooter genre and trace its impact to the modern day.

“System Shock pioneered the genre that we now call ‘immersive sims’, which combines gameplay elements from multiple genres to immerse players in a simulated experience where their choices matter and they have the flexibility to interact with and unravel the game world.“

– Stephen Kick, CEO, Nightdive Studios

In addition to adding layers of complexity to gameplay systems, System Shock left a lasting impact on video game narrative and storytelling.

“The biggest influence of the original System Shock on BioShock (and of course the sequel we made, System Shock 2) was the sense of a world inhabited by normal people in abnormal situations. We also loved the broad range of tools the game gave the player and, of course, one of the best videogame inventions of all time: the audio log. I still remember the thrill of hearing actual human voices come out of my computer conveying their incredible circumstances in a way that felt so grounded and real. I’ve never made a first-person game without them and I’m not sure I ever will.“

–  Ken Levine, Creative Director, Ghost Story Games

Gamers take a lot of unique and interesting names at face value, but there’s always an insightful origin story to be told. We spoke with Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt about how the name of the studio and Helldivers franchise came to be. Read on to learn how a translated last name, WWII airplane, and tongue-in-cheek humor played into these titles.

Behind the name “Arrowhead Games”

PlayStation Blog: How did your team come up with the name for Arrowhead Game Studios?

Johan Pilestedt: When we tried to come up with a studio name, we had a long day of throwing ideas around, but ultimately, only Arrowhead stuck, and without much competition. 

The name “Arrowhead” mainly came out of two main ideas. One, my last name is Pilestedt, which can be directly translated to English as “arrow stead.” We also liked the idea that “Arrowhead” sounds like a serious company.  Tip of the arrow. Cutting edge. Then you see the logo [a person with an arrow comically piercing their head] and the meaning changes into something dumber. 

We did, somewhat cheekily, decide to call our studio “Arrowhead Game Studios” plural, just in case we would grow to encompass more than one studio someday. Now, the name stands as a reminder of our student beginnings, when we were five people in a small room on LTU campus. Even the logo hasn’t changed much since then. We’re still chasing the same dream: to change the games industry with the power of fantasy-first co-op games. 

How the “Helldivers” game title came

On the surface, “Helldivers” is a perfect title for a game about soldiers dropping into hostile planets brimming with enemies. What else is there to say about the title’s origins?

Pilestedt: “Helldivers” was a thought on the phrases “war is hell” and “diving into war.” So Helldivers it became. Also, we wanted a name that reflected the activity that you would do in the game. The “Helldivers” name had also lingered in the back of my name since I learned the name of the World War II era Curtiss SB2C “Helldiver” dive bomber. I’ve always wanted to do something with it. 

The Helldivers name fit so well that it actually stayed the same from the earliest pitches to the final product. On an emotional level, we wanted the name “Helldivers” to evoke the feeling of going up against insurmountable odds and that you’ll probably die.

For those prepared to dive into the insurmountable opposition of Helldivers 2, Arrowhead Game Studios’ sci-fi co-op shooter is available now on PS5 and PC. Learn more about the latest Polar Patriots Premium Warbond available in Helldivers 2.

Witness the end of the Wild West era, become the world’s greatest secret agent, take on the role of a rising underworld star, brave an alien world, and much more with May’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup! Red Dead Redemption 2, Deceive Inc., Crime Boss: Rockay City, Stranded: Alien Dawn, and many more titles are available from May 21. We’re also announcing new classic titles coming to PlayStation Plus Premium. 

Let’s take a closer look at each game. 

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog

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Red Dead Redemption 2* | PS4

From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a sprawling tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age. The end of the Wild West era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed.

After a robbery goes badly wrong in the Western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde Gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal, and fight their way across the rugged he

Get ready to set sail, me hearties! I’m Desmond, Designer and Artist at The Gentlebros and today we’re revealing some of the new crewmates and nefarious villains that await you in the newest entry into the Cat Quest series – Cat Quest III coming to PS5 and PS4 on August 8.

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In Cat Quest III, players will explore a treasure trove of picturesque islands and meet a bevy of meow-sterious characters as they set sail in pursuit of the legendary North Star. Some of these characters will assist your adventures and prove to be valuable crewmates for the journey ahead… while other devious Pi-rats and nefarious villains will try to ruin your day! Let’s meet some of the new characters you’ll meet on this seafaring adventure.

Your trusty spirit companion, Captain Cappey is with you every step of the way on your adventures. His main goal is to be the greatest pirate that ever lived, although he’s long past the ‘living’ stage. Whether sharing their wisdom or explaining the ins and outs of being a pirate, Captain Cappey is the purr-fect guide for you.

This furrmidable feline is Mama Milka, proud owner of The Milky Barrel tavern, serving cats across the land milk instead of rum. She’ll offer some guidance to kick off your adventure in search of the mythical North Star, giving the first clues to take on Captain Meowtallika. Additionally, turn in Mama Milka’s pirate (or pi-rat!) bounties to get stat-boosting jugs o’ milk – an essential beverage for any would-be privateers! These equippable trinkets boost a specific ability or stat, like the Pawer Milk which makes the player attack faster the more they attack! Players can equip as many of these trinkets as they want as long as they have spare customization slots in their gear.

Brother of series favourite Kit Cat, Kidd Cat is a mischievous kitten and the local blacksmith. Throughout your adventures you’ll find a boatload of gear to customize your feline friend, from hats and eye-patches to boots and swords! Upgrading your gear with coins found in the world around you makes you both stronger and