Howdy! This week we sat with Alvin Daniel, senior technical program manager for the Access controller to discuss how it all came together. Plus the team talks about the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 release, Sea of Stars, and more.
Stuff We Talked About
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – PS5
Mail Time – PS5, PS4
New PS5 Announce
PS Plus October Games Catalog – Gotham Knights, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE
Download the image
Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE
Download the image
Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and 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.]
Last week, we asked you to share thrilling moments from Assassin’s Creed Mirage using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
Diaphragamer shares Basim standing against the setting sun
Avadakedvr2 shares Basim making a Leap of Faith into hay below
ValkyrieQ8 shares Basim holding a gray and white cat whose fur makes the Assassins symbol
_HypeDX shares a detailed portrait of Basim’s eagle Endiku
RoWolfvisual shares three people traveling across the desert sands on camels
TakaSanGames shares a portrait of Basim peeking between fabric.
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: Assassin’s Creed Mirage – Basim
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on October 18, 2023
Next week, we’re staying in the world of Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Share detailed portraits of Basim using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
Who is Spider-Man without a devious rogue’s gallery of Super Villains to battle? Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is already bringing the heat with longtime fan favorites like Kraven and Venom. But they’re not the only familiar faces that protagonists Peter Parker and Miles Morales will encounter. Among the antagonists is a villain who has been an understated favorite of fans for decades: Lizard. And just like the other headliners in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, getting Lizard’s look and movements down right took a lot of effort.
“The first thing we always do when we look at a Marvel character is reference the comics,” says Jacinda Chew, senior art director at Insomniac Games. “And then from there, we collaborate with Marvel to put our own spin on it. It can come from the gameplay, or because of the narrative.”
In this case, players will notice that Lizard appears in two different forms. “There’s a more classic Lizard, which has the lab coat, the pants,” Chew continues. “He’s smaller and human-sized. He’s also able to communicate to Peter. But our version of Lizard–he’s leaner, meaner, bigger and greener, in all ways. He’s not wearing clothing, and he’s lost all humanity. So, we’re not able to communicate with him. That’s a really big difference.”
The graphical prowess of the PlayStation 5 console makes all of Spidey’s foes look more impressive–you’ve already seen the terrifying level of detail of Venom’s impossibly sharp fangs and slimy tongue. But what about Lizard’s reptilian skin?
“We looked at a lot of lizard skin for research,” replies Chew. “The thing about lizards in real life–their skin’s actually really dry. Most people who looked at our Lizard kept initially saying ‘he’s not slimy enough.’ But I think it’s a nod to what people expect a lizard to look like–he’s got that lizard skin, but it’s actually much shinier than what you’d see on a real lizard.
“We gave him spikes, too. For design references, I tried to look at real-life lizards that looked a bit more prehistoric, because some lizards can look kind of soft and cute. I was looking at spikier, more snake-like, more aggressive references. We also wanted eyes that look more like animal eyes. If you look at cats, their pupils grow at night. We made those kinds of eyes for him–when light hits his eyes, they look smaller, his eyes are actually reacting to light. We did a lot of research on how to make that happen in real time on the PS5.”
Another use of the PS5 console’s powerful hardware comes in simulating realistic muscle movement. “We are also doing muscle simulations–looking at real animal or real human actors and seeing how those muscles deform and running simulations. I think it’s incredible that we’re able to do this at this point in developing video games, but it’s also somewhat subtle, because you may not always notice that difference until we disable all the muscle simulations.”
Insomniac’s unique take on Lizard also features a very slick technique where he sheds his own skin–an impressive visual to behold. “Again, we also looked at what that looks like in real life. Our artists used a program to simulate how the skin might move fluttering in the wind.”
It’s one thing to make a great-looking character model, but it’s another thing to make it move in a way that conveys unrelenting primal ferocity. Chew elaborated on the ideas used during the crucial animation process. “Lizards actually move very low to the ground–it’s not very intimidating. In the comics, Lizard is more bipedal and upright, so more human. We had to thread that needle–he’s bipedal but still has to maintain some of that lizard look, so he’s got that curved back. The idea behind his movement is that he moves at a speed that feels fast but heavy. The animation team deserves a lot of credit for conveying that strength and power and speed.”
Overall, Chew, Marvel, and the team are happy at the fan reaction to Lizard and other Super Villains. “We have a lot of people here who know the comics really well, so we cater reveals and teasers for that rabid fan base. We know that people want to see Lizard in his lab coat, and then they want to see what happens and how he gets big. We have fun dropping breadcrumbs for the players.”
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 hits PlayStation 5 consoles on October 20.
The Access controller for PS5 will be released on December 6 and will enable gamers with disabilities to play more comfortably and for longer periods. The development of the highly customizable kit is a fascinating one, incorporating guidance and insight from experts across multiple disciplines. To coincide with today’s reveal of the controller’s accessible packaging and its design story, I sat down with Senior Technical Program Manager Alvin Daniel to talk the development process behind the Access controller for PS5.
Download the image
See below for excerpts from our conversation, edited for length and clarity.
PlayStation Blog: Walk us through your development approach. How did the Access controller come to be?
Alvin Daniel, senior technical program manager for the Access controller: We had a mission to create a controller that helps players with disabilities. And at first, when we started the project, it seemed so daunting. How does one go about creating an accessible controller, given the diversity and different conditions and disabilities that exist?
And so the team started out with a very classic approach, which is, you know, we will look at census data, we’ll look at medical data and try to understand like, what are the most prevalent conditions of disabilities that exist, and we’ll try to solve for those.
And so we went down that path. And it turns out, that’s not very effective, for two big reasons. The first is that no two people experience disability in exactly the same way. And this point was driven home, we had a very early test group, where we had two players come in, and both of them had cerebral palsy. And the first player… he was in a wheelchair, he didn’t have a whole lot of arm strength. But he had a lot of finger dexterity. And if you could give him an accommodation — a pillow or mount — so he didn’t have to hold the controller, he was actually really proficient. He had a lot of finger dexterity, and he could play just about as well as I could, basically.
And then the second individual, also [had] cerebral palsy, also [used] a wheelchair. In that individual’s case, their hands had frozen to a fixed position, so had rigid digits. And so it became obvious very quickly that the standard controller was a brick; they could not use it at all.
And so here was an example of two players with the same medical condition, but needing highly different accommodations. So the point being that there’s a spectrum of wide diversity of different ways people experience a given condition. That was point one.
Point two was that your disability could be dynamic, meaning that it could progress or regress over time. So necessarily, the control or the adaptation you need on day one, is not the adaptation you may need on day 100. So given those two things, how does one actually go about designing a controller that was both flexible enough and adapted to players’ needs?
And so with the help of experts in this area and the help of the disabled player community, we did a really deep dive to try to understand what it was we wanted to help solve. And this came down to a very interesting insight: instead of looking at conditions, or impediments, instead, look at the controller. Look at the standard controller as it exists today. And ask yourself the question, “What prevents someone from effectively interacting with a standard controller?”
And out of that, we focused in on three key challenges. And [these are] precisely what the Access controller is designed to solve.
The first is, you don’t have to hold the controller to use it. The second, we make it much easier to press buttons. And the buttons on the controller are not only larger — they’re all organized in a single plane, like a keyboard, making every single button visible and easy to press. And uniquely, the Access controller ships as a kit. So we have, in-box, a whole pile of different buttons and stick caps in different shapes and textures and sizes that you could [use to] physically customize and configure the controller for yourself.
And the third, we wanted to make it much easier for you to interact with thumbsticks. And so with two Access controllers, or with an Access controller and a DualSense controller with a feature we call ‘collaborative use’, you can now freely position the thumbsticks as far apart or as close together [as you want], or in different orientations or different levels, in order for you to be able to game comfortably and for longer.
PSB: That’s a good point, you can use more than one Access controller or pair an Access controller and a DualSense controller. So it’s all about giving people lots of options…?
That was a key theme across all these different areas. I just talked about providing flexible options, so it’s not a one-size-fits all solution. We give a lot of flexibility. So players can tailor and [create a] solution for what they need.
PSB: Your team worked closely with accessibility experts through the design process. What kinds of guidance and wisdom did they offer?
Yeah, so there are three key partners I want to call out. AbleGamers, they’re based here in the United States. Stack Up, they’re a disabled military veterans organization, and SpecialEffect, our friends over in the United Kingdom.
They all provide instrumental guidance in helping us focus the problem from trying to solve for specific conditions, to trying to solve for specific impediments that might prevent you from being able to effectively interact with the standard controller. That’s one key insight.
The other key insight they helped us with is that there’s this ecosystem of other devices and peripherals that necessarily may need to be a part of the overall solution. So I’m talking about things like mounts, wheelchair trays, third-party switches, and triggers, and analog joysticks that might already be part of the solution or even in the disabled player’s home that we want to be able to take advantage of, and to be able to integrate with a device.
So it was very important for us that we, with each Access controller, provide additional support should the player need it to be able to integrate it with third party switches, for example. So that opens up a whole ecosystem from day one, to be able to further customize the controller to allow you to play longer and more comfortably.
PSB: Tons of customizations with the Access controller. Before we go, this may be a naive question, but are there common configurations you’re seeing? Are there certain setups or ways of using the Access controller that have really caught on?
It’s a great question – the Access controller looks like no other controller you’ve ever seen. And so it may take you some time actually to become proficient with it. And the experts tell us this is normal, and it’s called the adaptation period. People get accustomed to a new layout effectively.
Now, are there particular styles, or genres, or setups? The wonderful thing we’ve discovered is that everyone within our testing group has been configuring it to make it their own. So it’s actually interesting to see that it’s not uncommon that players have very different setups, even if they have the same quote/unquote, same disability.
They’re making it their own, in essence, which is precisely what we want to encourage. And the team has been surprised, actually, when players would organically do things or set up things in ways that we hadn’t anticipated. It’s like, oh, wow, they want to do that with the controller! Like, we never thought of that. But it’s great that they are. It’s another use case that’s been uncovered.
The Access controller is a highly customizable PS5 controller kit designed to make gaming more accessible, and it launches December 6. Learn more here.
Action-packed thrills and spooky chills await this month’s selection of games joining the PlayStation Game Catalog. All titles playable from Tuesday, October 17. Let’s get into it.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog*
Download the image
Gotham Knights | PS5
It’s up to the Batman Family – Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin – to protect Gotham, bring hope to its citizens, discipline to its cops, and fear to its criminals. Gotham Knights is an open-world, action RPG set in a dynamic and interactive Gotham City. Patrol Gotham’s five distinct boroughs in solo or in co-op and drop in on criminal activity wherever you find it.
Download the image
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut | PS4, PS5
The definitive edition of the groundbreaking role-playing game. You’re a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city block to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders, or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.
Download the image
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes | PS4, PS5
The Dark Pictures Anthology is a series of standalone, cinematic branching horror games where the decisions you make in the game determine the story and the outcome you receive. In House of Ashes, a military unit, accompanied by a CIA field operative, is ordered to investigate a suspected underground chemical weapons facility. Horrific discoveries and impossible decisions face the Unit as they strive to navigate a subterranean labyrinth and escape the terrifying threat. Will they each prioritize their own survival, or put aside their fears and their personal rivalries to fight together as one?
Download the image
Alien: Isolation | PS4
Fifteen years after the events of Alien, Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda enters a desperate battle for survival, on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother’s disappearance. Navigate through an increasingly volatile world as you find yourself confronted on all sides by a panicked, desperate population and an unpredictable, ruthless Alien. Underpowered and under-prepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.
Download the image
Dead Island Definitive Edition | PS4
Caught in the midst of an epic zombie outbreak on the tropical island of Banoi, survival is your only priority. Smash heads, crack skulls, and slice ‘em up with visceral astounding melee combat and true story-based four-player co-op in a sprawling open world just waiting for exploration.
Download the image
Outlast 2 | PS4
Two investigative journalists risk it all to uncover stories no one else will dare touch. Their latest lead follows a trail of clues that begin with the seemingly impossible murder of a pregnant woman known only as Jane Doe. The investigation leads miles into the Arizona desert, to a darkness and corruption so deep that no one could yet shed light upon it. Stay sharp to survive in an intense first-person horror experience.
Download the image
Elite Dangerous | PS4
Elite Dangerous is a massively multiplayer space epic, bringing gaming’s original open-world adventure to PS4 with a connected galaxy, evolving narrative and the entirety of the Milky Way re-created at its full galactic proportions. Starting with only a small starship and a few credits, players do whatever it takes to earn the skill, knowledge, wealth, and power to survive in a futuristic cutthroat galaxy and to stand among the ranks of the iconic Elite.
Download the image
FAR: Changing Tides | PS4, PS5
An atmospheric vehicle adventure that follows the emotional journey of a boy and his ship as he embarks on a voyage to find a new home. Sail stormy waters, dive unknown depths, and explore forgotten ruins in a beautifully realized, flooded world. Experience the thrill of captaining a distinctive seafaring vessel. Together you’ll brave high seas, navigate intense storms, and plumb the perils of a briny deep.
Download the image
Gungrave G.O.R.E.
Become the gun-wielding badass anti-hero of your dreams as you mow down tons of enemies in a gory ballet of bullets and experience a story of vengeance, love and loyalty, all in a beautiful third-person action shooter, combining the best that Eastern and Western game design have to offer.
Download the image
Eldest Souls | PS4, PS5
In a final act of vengeance, the Old Gods have unleashed a great Desolation upon the world. Mankind is fading, with but a glimmer of hope remaining. Fast-paced and challenging Soulslike combat awaits, where every moment counts. Yet fortune favors the bold, and defeating the Old Gods may grant the player powers beyond mortal comprehension. Each Old God presents a new and unique challenge for the player to overcome, with fitting rewards for those who triumph.
Download the image
Röki | PS4, PS5
Rediscover magic and chart your adventure through this forgotten northern world of mystery and monsters. Find your courage, discover hidden paths, solve ancient puzzles, and travel deeper through the icy land to learn the truth. We join Tove on a fantastical journey to save her family. A journey that takes her deep into a hidden and long-forgotten world of lost folklore filled with strange locations and even stranger creatures. Explore the ancient wilderness, solve its mysteries, save your family in this modern adventure game for all.
*All PlayStation 5 game versions are download only.
PlayStation Premium | Classics
Tekken 6 | PS4, PS5
Face off against tough opponents in large, interactive stages. Customize your favorite character, equipping items with direct impacts on gameplay. Practice and patience make perfect as you hone your combos and seek to win the tournament.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny | PS4, PS5
Wield massive blades, execute high-flying maneuvers, and apply pressure to destroy rivals or knock them out of the ring. Dive into modes include the story-driven Gauntlet, challenging Trials, Training, and more.
Ape Escape Academy | PS4, PS5
Never has monkeying around in class been so rewarding. Complete a variety of fun, colorful minigames like dancing, fighting, building bonfires, and more. Strive to be the best and make it to senior year in Ape Escape Academy.
IQ Final | PS4, PS5
This sequel to I.Q.: Intelligent Qube on the original PlayStation includes brain-busting modes like 100 Attack, I.Q. Final, Survival, and Create. Navigate each stage carefully to avoid being crushed by the rotating blocks.
The MLB Postseason is underway, and MLB The Show 23 is bringing you special content to play as the heroes of the Fall Classic. Also, at the end of October, sink your fangs into spooktacular Halloween-themed content.
Postseason Series Programs
Beginning on Friday, October 13, play Wild Card Moments in the first Postseason Program. Relive and potentially rewrite some of the biggest plays from the Postseason. Look for these scheduled Programs to arrive with MVPs and Flashbacks of each 2023 MLB Postseason round and get ready for the start of Season 5.
Content Schedule*
October 13: Wild Card Program
October 20: Division Series Program
October 27: Championship Series Program
November 3: Season 5 featuring the Finest series in Team Affinity, Collections and XP reward path
November 10: World Series Program
*Dates are subject to change
Supercharged Postseason Performances
Be sure to keep an eye out for players getting Supercharged based on stellar Postseason performances. Live Series players will be boosted to 99 OVR for a limited time, and these Supercharged players can take your Diamond Dynasty squad to the top.**
Mini Seasons Challenge: 2023 Postseason
Build a Diamond Dynasty squad of players from teams in the 2023 Postseason as you try to win the championship in a 28-game regular season by playing 3-inning games against the Global Baseball League’s best.***
For every five wins, earn a Mini Seasons 2023 Postseason Voucher Pack containing one voucher that can be applied towards progress in any Postseason series programs. Complete Stat Missions to earn even more rewards, including XP, Stubs, and Packs. Make the playoffs and claim the Championship to earn the 2023 Postseason Championship Bundle containing even more vouchers along with the 2021 Postseason Series AJ Pollock (99 OVR). Take your shot at the Mini Seasons Challenge: 2023 Postseason starting on October 13.
Trick or Treat Programs
Frightfully fun content is headed your way with two new Halloween-themed Programs: The Trick and The Treat Programs. These feature scary good rewards, including Halloween-themed equipment items, icons, profile banners, and player rewards. Mark your calendars for October 27, and prepare for a ghastly good time with the Trick or Treat Programs.
Moonshot: Monster Smash Event
Get ready to do more than just howl at the moon in the Moonshot: Monster Smash Event. Starting October 27, bring your best supernatural sluggers and swing for the fences to add even more bone-chilling batsmen to your lineup.
Earn Home Run Derby Series Trey Mancini (98 OVR) at five wins, Home Run Derby Series David Wright (99 OVR) at 20 wins, and for going 12 wins in one entry (12-1 or 12-0) before double elimination to get your claws on Home Run Derby Series Andre Dawson (99 OVR).
**Internet connection required for updates and rewards. ***Online multiplayer requires a PlayStation Plus subscription. PS Plus is subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Full terms: play.st/psplus-usageterms.
As the holiday season approaches, we are excited to share that we have a new PS5 model launching. To address the evolving needs of players, our engineering and design teams collaborated on a new form factor that provides greater choice and flexibility. The same technology features that make PS5 the best to play are packed into a smaller form factor, along with an attachable Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive and a 1TB SSD for more internal storage.
The new PS5 has been reduced in volume by more than 30%, and weight by 18% and 24% compared to the previous models. There are four separate cover panels, with the top portion in a glossy look, while the bottom remains in matte. If you purchase the PS5 Digital Edition, you can add the Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive for PS5 later, as it will also be sold separately for 79.99 USD | 119.99 EURO | 99.99 GBP | 11,980 JPY.
The new PS5 model will be available starting this November in the U.S. at select local retailers and direct.playstation.com where available. It will continue to roll out globally in the following months. Once inventory of the current PS5 model has sold out, the new PS5 will become the only model available.
The recommended retail prices for the new PS5 model are as follows beginning with the rollout in November at participating retailers.
U.S.
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 499.99 USD
PS5 Digital Edition – 449.99 USD
Europe
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 549.99 EUR
PS5 Digital Edition – 449.99 EUR
U.K.
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 479.99 GBP
PS5 Digital Edition – 389.99 GBP
Japan
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 66,980 JPY (includes tax)
PS5 Digital Edition – 59,980 JPY (includes tax)
A horizontal stand will be included with the new PS5 model. Also a new Vertical Stand compatible with all PS5 models will be sold separately at 29.99 USD | 29.99 EURO | 24.99 GBP | 3,980 JPY.
A variety of PS5 Console Cover colors for the new model will be available starting in early 2024, including an all-matte Black colorway and the Deep Earth Collection colors in Volcanic Red, Cobalt Blue, and Sterling Silver. Prices for the PS5 Console Covers will start at 54.99 USD | 54.99 EURO | 44.99 GBP | 7,480 JPY. Additional colors will be released in the future.
We are ten days away from the launch of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, with additional games including Alan Wake 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launching shortly after. With these fantastic games coming, in addition to recent releases such as EA Sports FC 24, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, and Baldur’s Gate 3, there’s plenty for gamers to play on PS5 this holiday season.
I want to thank all of you for your continued passion and support.
PlayStation 5 specifications
External dimensions(excluding projecting parts)
Approx. 358 × 96 × 216 mm(width × height × depth)
Mass
Approx. 3.2 kg
CPU
x86-64-AMD Ryzen™ “Zen 2”
8 Cores / 16 Threads
Variable frequency, up to 3.5 GHz
GPU
AMD Radeon™ RDNA 2-based graphics engine
Ray Tracing Acceleration
Variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS)
System Memory
GDDR6 16GB
448GB/s Bandwidth
SSD
1TB
5.5GB/s Read Bandwidth (Raw)
PS5 Game Disc
Ultra HD Blu-ray™, up to 100GB/disc
BD/DVD drive
Disc Drive portequipped with Disc Drive
Video Out
Support of 4K 120Hz TVs, 8K TVs, VRR (specified by HDMI ver.2.1)
Hi Trailblazers! We’re delighted to announce that our latest space-fantasy RPG, Honkai: Star Rail, will be available for free on PlayStation 5. Board the Astral Express to explore an exquisite and beautiful universe alongside a cast of distinctive characters on this epic interstellar adventure!
Begin your cosmic journey on PS5
We believe PS5 is an ideal platform for Honkai: Star Rail, as it offers players the chance to experience stunning native 4K resolution gameplay and immerse themselves in the intricate details of this interstellar journey. With the advanced technical capabilities of the PS5, such as impressive SSD performance, our team was able to fully optimize the gameplay and graphics to deliver an exceptional experience.
Where everything gets started — Herta Space Station
Your journey in Honkai: Star Rail begins at the Herta Space Station, a futuristic space station brimming with advanced technology. This place is owned by Madam Herta of the Genius Society and was established initially to collect unique items known as Curios. Over time, it evolved into a scientific research center managed by Herta’s followers. While here you encounter Kafka, an elegant Stellaron Hunter who will infuse a Stellaron into you, under the cover of chaos caused by the Antimatter Legion.
Lonely planet caged by the Eternal Freeze — Jarilo-VI
As you embark on the intergalactic journey, you and the crew will make your way to Jarilo-VI, a snow-covered planet with secrets and dangers lurking beneath its icy surface. The Eternal Freeze has sabotaged almost all life on this planet, but amidst this unforgiving environment, the last stronghold of humanity, the city of Belobog, stands firm against the icy grip. The city is split into two halves: the Overworld and the Underworld. The Overworld bustles with life and peace, with heaters on the streets to stave off the cold. On the other side, the Underworld is a desolate wasteland marked by scattered ruins. While traversing Jarilo-VI, you might meet folks with unique personalities who could become your companions. Meanwhile, please pay attention and try to solve the conflict between the Overworld and the Underworld, and drill down to the core issue of this post-apocalyptic world.
Thriving commercial center of a multiracial population — Xianzhou Luofu
Once you leave Belobog, you will come across the Luofu – one of the flagship vessels in the galactic fleet of the Xianzhou Alliance. This silkpunk vessel is home to three major long-lived species: Vidyadhara, Foxians, and Xianzhou natives. The collective wisdom and cooperation of the three species guarantee the Alliance’s security. However, the development and dispute of the Luofu, hidden under the flourishing business, are focusing on the topic of immortality, which leads to a vast Sterllaron crisis upon your arrival.
The new version arrives — Jolted Awake From a Winter Dream
The latest version of Honkai: Star Rail, titled Jolted Awake From a Winter Dream, will be available! This update introduces new locations, such as the Old Weapons Testing Ground and Pillars of Creation, as well as a thrilling video game called Aetherium Wars and the Planar Infinity event within the popular Simulated Universe.
Once you successfully resolve the Ambrosial Arbor crisis on the Xianzhou Luofu, you will meet Topaz back in Jarilo-VI. Topaz is a promising member of the Strategic Investment Department at Interastral Peace Corporation (IPC), traveling to Jarilo-VI to handle intergalactic business matters. Your Astral Express Crew will also be present, and together, you will help to deal with some critical issues between the frozen plant and IPC.
Also, you’re welcome to join the Aetherium Wars, a highly regarded video game. You’ll need to use Aether Spirits, digital replicas of creatures, to develop and train your own fighting companions in the game. To secure a spot in the Jarilo-VI Tournament of Aetherium Wars, you must collect and nurture Aether Spirits within Victory Zones in various areas. As you progress through the game, more powerful Overlord Aether Spirits will be obtained, which can be developed to enhance your team’s combat abilities. The deeper you delve into the competition, the fiercer the fights become!
More glamorous buddies available for your team
Your team will have access to three new playable characters in version 1.4: Jingliu, Guinaifen, and Topaz & Numby. Additionally, our old friend Seele will be recruitable again!
Jingliu is a legendary Xianzhou figure, once the strongest sword master on the Luofu as part of the High-Cloud Quintet. She was taken by the Ten-Lords before Mara struck and was subsequently imprisoned in The Shackling Prison. Later, her apprentice Jing Yuan confronted her, but what happened after that and why she returned to Luofu is still a mystery. In battle, Jingliu is an Ice-Type character who follows the Path of Destruction and can switch between two states. Whether in her everyday state as the ice beauty Jingliu or her red-eyed spectral transmigrator state, Jingliu is a formidable force to be reckoned with on the battlefield!
You will also meet Topaz, a shining star in the IPC, and her trusted sidekick, Numby, a Warp Trotter. Numby’s keen nose helps with security checks, debt settlements, and calculations to keep the IPC running smoothly. Together, they travel through the cosmos to resolve any debt disputes that could threaten the IPC’s operations. Topaz & Numby are Fire-Type characters following the Path of The Hunt, whose collective wisdom can now be utilized by the Astral Express for exploration. You can witness and benefit from Topaz & Numby’s unique effects and damages during their enjoyable interactions.
Another new character, Guinaifen–who also shines on the stage–is a skilled street performer with talents like livestreaming and Kuaiban. Despite not being a local, she has a deep appreciation for the rich and diverse culture of Xianzhou. Guinaifen belongs to the Fire-Type and follows the Path of Nihility. In battle, she relies on her expertise in using firecrackers, which have been used by locals for centuries to ward off frightening creatures, according to ancient Xianzhou folklore. It seems that her commitment to honoring local traditions has earned her community support.
May this journey lead us starward
Of course, the story of Honkai: Star Rail has just begun. New content will be provided through in-game updates with brand-new gameplay experiences. We warmly welcome gamers worldwide to join us in this captivating space-fantasy adventure on PS5, and be the protagonist of this stellar adventure with more on the way!
When Call of Duty: Modern Warfare comes up, many players’ minds immediately jump to 00’s memories of lobbying up with close friends. For Modern Warfare III, developers Sledgehammer, Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software come together to deliver an updated FPS experience with all the illustrious nostalgic magic we remember, but with enough innovative features to make it feel new.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III returns us to familiar maps and modes like Rust, Zombies, and Team Deathmatch. But this time the name of the game is player control and expression. After playing for hours on PS5 at the recent Call of Duty Next, I found a game that both took me to my classic COD comfort zone, but challenged me with tons of new features at the same time.
Larger maps, more control, and more decision-making make Modern Warfare III an entry in the series that everyone will remember as fondly as the past hits.
Read on for gameplay details, plus Multiplayer beta access details.
Nostalgia in more places than you’d think
Modern Warfare III took me back to 2009 with surprising throwbacks everywhere, you’d think I really took a time machine. Modern Warfare III even brings back the legacy option of map voting, which allows players to vote on the next map to battle in during matchmaking.
There’s a wealth of maps here, including all 16 launch maps from the original Modern Warfare II (2009). Each map is updated and optimized beautifully for PlayStation 5 and will have you running back to MW2 to check if it’s just as you remember it. Besides the impressive graphical overhaul, I’m glad these recreations miss no step in bringing back the exact vibes and possible strategies that they did back then.
A big standout is the classic battleground where all beef was settled, Rust. This map returns in all its industrial glory. My eyes widened when I saw all the classic hiding spots present, players climbing the tower to get good sniper viewpoints, and everyone using their new movement options to traverse the map unlike ever before. I got the same feeling from maps like Skidrow and Favela: two lush urban jungles with tons of room to play around and experiment with.
Along with the maps, classic Call of Duty experience returns in the minimap, complete with red dots to signal where an enemy may be, and in the reintroduction of perks like Silent Movement. With all these updated classic features present I was able to jump right in and not miss a single beat, going right back to the strategies and decisions I made back in 2009.
Your choices drive the experience
Speaking of strategies and decisions, Modern Warfare III makes player choices more important than ever. I was surprised by the player expression that the development team allows here and shocked by the amount of options present.
Before you even get into the gameplay, you’ve got to suit up. To start there’s a new vest system for building loadouts, each holding a different combination of equipment. Whereas one may give you access to two tactical weapons such as Battle Rage, smoke grenades, and scatter mines, others may give youaccess to extra gear which allows you to handle more traversal situations.
Perks and weapon configurations are still an important part of gearing up. Select from a wide variety of perks old and new, each activating from the beginning of a match until the very end. I was more than excited to use the new Covert Sneakers perk, which silences your footsteps, opening up a new world of sneaking and undetected traversal. And I can’t go without mentioning Shrouded, a perk that drops a smoke grenade when you’re downed.
Accompanying perks is a vast weapon selection, including a great number of tools and customizable parts that change the way they’re used. Do you want a rifle that sacrifices accuracy for firerate? Go for it. Or maybe you’re willing to sacrifice damage for better recoil and sights. You can do that and a whole lot more. All of the gameplay depends on what you want to do and everything is crafted around this freedom of choice.
Movement is key
Modern Warfare III puts movement at the forefront by giving players more control over moving through the environment. One of the biggest changes lets players cancel out of slide animations and reload animations.
There were many occasions when I finished a gunfight and went to reload only to be ambushed immediately. Being empowered to cancel out of a reload animation and sprint to safety is a welcome, life-saving option. These movement changes may seem minor, but they make a huge difference during intense firefights.
Playing into this is the new Warzone map, Urzikstan, and the new Zombies map. Both showcase how much larger Call of Duty has gotten. Warzone takes players to a new stage with tons of poi, including a fully pilotable train that will make for interesting traversal and battle moments. On the other hand, there’s the new Zombies mode, which allows up to 24 players to take to an open-world fight against hordes using monkey bombs, rayguns, Perk-a-Colas, and whatever else they can get their hands on. Each map is an expansive setpiece-filled world that allows you to do whatever you need to do to take the dub. Thanks to Modern Warfare III integration, each features all the movement options you have access to in the main game.
And in many modes, there are multiple ways to win. In the new 3 vs 3 vs 3 mode, Cutthroat, players can fight to be the last team standing to reign supreme. Or you can be like me and hide near the flag, capture it when the match time runs out to win without using a single weapon. Again, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is about playing how you want in the thrilling sandbox presented.
Craft your playstyle in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III when it releases on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 November 10.
Can’t wait to dive into the multiplayer action? Here are the details from Activision on how you can jump in early:
Multiplayer Beta details
Weekend one of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III multiplayer beta is available exclusively on PS4 and PS5.
PlayStation Early Access: Players who pre-ordered the game on PlayStation can begin playing the Beta on Friday, October 6 at 10 AM PT.
PlayStation Open Beta: Starting on Sunday, October 8 at 10 AM PT, the rest of the PlayStation community can begin playing the Beta. The Weekend One Beta ends for everyone on Tuesday, October 10 at 10 AM PT.
PlayStation players can download the Beta from the PlayStation Store. Players who preorder digitally don’t need a Beta code to participate; they’re automatically registered to participate in the Early Access period. If you purchased Modern Warfare III through a participating retailer, you should have received a Beta code printed on the retail receipt or sent via email on an online receipt.
