Category: PlayStation

A state-of-the-art airship hovers above a vast toxic dust cloud, shrouding an ecologically devastated Earth. That’s what most people notice when they see Forever Skies for the first time. And while this creates an interesting and unique premise to explore, it’s one that was inspired by rather somber real-world circumstances.

Read on to learn about the inspiration behind this first-person post-apocalyptic survival game, coming to PS5 this year.

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While our team is from around the world, a significant portion of us are based in Poland. For decades now, our country has been notorious for its poor air quality, particularly during the winter months. Iconic Polish cities such as Krakow or Wroclaw are frequently ranked alongside massive megacities like Beijing, Delhi, or Lahore. But these are massive metropolises with 10 or even 20+ million people living in them. Cracow or Wroclaw don’t even exceed 700,000 people and yet we regularly get public warning announcements to stay indoors because of the current air pollution levels.

Some studies even suggest that to breathe clean, unpolluted air, people would need to go 100 meters above the cities. And so the first spark of inspiration that kicked off our entire world design was found.

We envisioned a scenario where humanity confronts an irreversible ecological catastrophe of its own making by erecting towering highrises above the toxic dust clouds as a last-ditch effort to survive. But all this did was delay the inevitable societal collapse. Decades later, a select group of humans who fled into orbit dispatch a research team back to Earth to rediscover the world, marking the beginning of the story in Forever Skies.

At your side will be a high-tech airship that you can pilot, upgrade, and fully customize. In a world where the ground is no longer safe, this floating base will become your home, lifeline, and greatest tool for survival.

You will need to scavenge for supplies and resources, use science to research new tools and equipment, and eventually descend below the toxic dust to pursue your research mission. But nature has mutated and evolved immensely under these harsh conditions and is no longer hospitable to humans.

We do not overly push an ecological message in our game because the setting does it on its own. The consequences of humanity’s actions are shown to you and now you must survive in this environment. And that is something we always wanted to do. To not preach, but simply show and give people the space to think about this crucial topic.Forever Skies makes its console debut exclusively on PlayStation 5 in 2024 and will let you play in single-player or up to 4-player co-op. Thanks so much for reading.

Hello! Last year was a busy one for the small team at Hello Games, with lots of No Man’s Sky updates and the announce of Light No Fire.

We have big plans for 2024, and we’re starting the year off with a very different kind of update. We’re calling it Omega, and for the first time No Man’s Sky will be available to play for free!

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For the first time, we are inviting every PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation VR and VR2 owner into our universe to play the latest No Man’s Sky expedition, even if they don’t own the full game, no purchase necessary. There are no microtransactions, no free-to-play mechanics, just a huge universe to explore for free with your friends.

Expeditions in No Man’s Sky have become one of the most popular ways to play the game. They bring all players together to the same planet for an interstellar, shared experience. This weekend we are allowing everyone, whether you own the game or not, to join the Omega Expedition.

This represents a moment for new players to try No Man’s Sky, and existing players to welcome them into the community. 

The Omega update also brings a complete overhaul of expeditions, new on-planet missions, a new pirate dreadnought to own, and much more.

Until now expeditions have been their own game mode, but we wanted to fully integrate them into our main game. Now, our new expedition system allows travellers to join expeditions with bespoke provisions, bring along their favourite starships or custom multi-tools and return to their main save with loot and exciting rewards.

We have revisited the Atlas Path, allowing players to commune with the Atlas and honor it with a new Atlas staff, jetpack and helmet.

On planets we have introduced a huge array of procedurally generated quests. Talking to alien lifeforms results in quests specific to an alien lifeforms locale, climate and personality.

For the first time, take on the universe with a fleet of frigates led by a dreadnought capital ship. If players can defeat pirate freighters in combat, travellers can board the dreadnought to demand control.

At the core of this update is the Omega Expedition, which has been built from the ground up as a thorough introduction for new players, but with some of the best rewards in any expedition to date, including a gorgeous new starship to explore the universe with.

In the almost eight years since launch, through over 25 free updates, the No Man’s Sky universe has become at times overwhelming in breadth and depth. Through a series of quick missions and milestones, the Omega expeditions will guide you through the fundamentals of base-building, trading, space combat, lore and much, much more. Any progress you make will be retained in case you choose to purchase the game and continue your journey.

The Omega Expedition runs for 2 weeks from Thursday February 15 and is free to play for the first weekend until Monday February 19.

Whether you’ve been on the journey with us for a while, or you’re a lapsed player looking for a way back in, or a newcomer who’s always wanted to take a peek at what No Man’s Sky has to offer, everyone is welcome and there’s never been a better time to join in.

Our journey continues.

Get ready to experience another slice of history in the playable micro-documentary, Storylines: The Negro Leagues Season 2, narrated by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick. Season 2 continues our multiyear partnership with the NLBM and our shared mission to educate, enlighten, and inspire by celebrating the rich history of the Negro Leagues. We are so grateful and excited to introduce ten new Negro League legends to MLB The Show 24. Storylines combine immersive gameplay moments, historical footage, and more as we bring these incredible true stories to life.

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The Season 2 roster for MLB  The Show 24 at launch includes:

Josh Gibson – The Black Babe Ruth

Buck Leonard – Baseball’s Greatest Fastball Hitter

Hank Aaron – The Hammer

Toni Stone – The Trailblazer

We will reveal additional players included in Storylines: Negro Leagues Season 2 at a later date. The next set of three Negro Leagues players will arrive in a content drop in early April, and the last three players will arrive in an additional content drop at the end of May. These will all be available via a free download. An internet connection is required to download and play content at launch and obtain updates after launch. In addition, all the players from Season 1 of Storylines will be included in MLB The Show 24 at launch.

To learn more about Storylines: Negro Leagues Season 2 and additional details on the mode, be sure to tune into our upcoming Feature Premiere livestream on theshow.com on February 15, 2024 at 3 pm PST / 6 pm EST. If you can’t make it live, catch the recap video afterward to keep up with the latest info. See you then.

San Diego Studio x Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

In our continued partnership with The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MLB The Show will donate $1 for every Negro Leagues Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, and MVP edition sold in the US until 12/31/24 to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Donations will help the Museum continue its work, which is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America. Visit www.nlbm.com to learn more. This purchase is not tax deductible.

The Negro Leagues Edition (Retailers in the US and Canada)

To celebrate the Negro Leagues, don’t forget to pre-order the limited edition collector’s edition. The Negro Leagues Edition is $124.99 USD/$164.99 CAD and is available at retailers in the US and Canada. Stock is limited, so be sure to get yours while supplies last.

Pre-order now at https://theshow.com/purchase/. Early access begins March 15, 2024.

The Negro Leagues Edition includes:

●  Full Game (Digital, access to both PS4 and PS5*
●  Limited Edition Physical Steelbook (no disc included)
●  Limited Edition New Era MLB The Show 9FIFTY Hat
●  [4] Days Early Access – Begins March 15, 2024
●  Double Daily Login Rewards (For the life cycle of MLB The Show 24)
●  [1] Legend Diamond Choice Pack*
●  [1] Barrier Breakers Diamond Choice Pack*
●  [5] Gold Choice Packs*
●  [20] The Show Packs*
●  [1] Equipment Pack*
●  [1] Cover Athlete Bat Skin*
●  [20,000] Stubs  for MLB The Show 24*

Please note that The Negro Leagues Edition of MLB The Show 24 on PlayStation consoles includes a voucher code for the PS5 & PS4 versions of the game, the Digital Deluxe Edition content, as well as a physical Steelbook case and New Era hat.

*An internet connection is required to redeem the download code.

Indie games are known for their daring and often groundbreaking approaches to visuals and storytelling. Ultros is a new indie title coming to PS4 and PS5 on February 13. The game is a twisted, time-looping sci-fi adventure. It’s packed with high-stakes action, clever twists on classic game design ideas, intriguing, and often unsettling environmental storytelling, and crazy-colorful pop-psychedelic visuals that makes you wonder if the game came with its own built-in blacklight. 

This eye- and mind-dazzling adventure comes to PlayStation courtesy of Sweden-based developer Hadoque. It tells the story of a spacefarer trapped in a nightmare time-cycle within a bizarre, seemingly demonic black-hole acting as a womb for an unspeakable cosmic horror–the titular Ultros. 

In the words of game director Mårten Brüggeman, “It’s a psychedelic sci-fi platforming adventure, a combat- and gardening-driven experience. It also asks a lot of existential questions if you dive into it, as you explore the  sarcophagus spaceship and try to understand what it is a metaphor for and what is dwelling inside.” 

Fight or foster

Ultros is fundamentally a search-action game where you explore an ever-expanding map that opens up further and further as you acquire more abilities for navigation and combat. It’s a popular indie game genre, and Ultros expands on it with some unique gameplay twists centered around the ideas of karmic cycles: creation and destruction, nurture and killing. 

“It’s a game about choices,” explains Brüggeman, “where you can choose to play in a destructive or constructive way, and  the choices you make change your interpretation of your in-game actions.”

The environment oozes with otherworldly threats, requiring skillful combat to neutralize the assorted hostile lifeforms. Variety is a big emphasis here. Ultros encourages you to use a diverse arsenal of moves in fun and creative ways to dispatch foes: dodge-and-strike attacks, jumping strikes, and even launching foes into the air to turn them into a living projectile weapon. 

“We want to combat to feel intimate and visceral to emphasize destruction, ruining the balance of disruption and construction within the current cycle. We focused on movements, forcing you to be near them to fight them are integral to what we wanted to do, the intensity and intimacy of one-on-one combat.”

As your foes fall before you, they drop all manner of edible offal–which varies in quality depending on how skillful your killing blow was. Eating these remains isn’t just a health restore: it provides you with valuable nutrients, which allow you to access skill tree upgrades at save pods, which enhance your movement, fighting, and navigational abilities. 

But if eating mystery meat makes you feel a bit queasy, there’s another way to obtain sustenance: raising the seeds you find scattered around in gardens, then partaking of that plant’s fruit. Aiding you in your horticultural pursuits is your Extractor, a special device that gains numerous abilities throughout the game. 

The plants that grow over time will leave behind assorted benefits, like creating platforms to alternate routes and making planning and tending to your gardens an essential part of gameplay. Brüggeman elaborates: “The seeds all have different abilities and rules of how they grow. Part of beginning your garden is getting to know how these different plants work and how they affect each other and the world around them.”

Brüggeman continues. “With these in-game resources, you can eat everything you find, and it builds up your nutrition, like an experience point system. But it’s also the economy of how the game ecosystem works. When you take something from a plant, you’re sort of stealing from it. But you can give back by planting seeds. When you kill creatures like a typical game hero, you steal both their life and from the ecosystem. We wanted to give a choice in our game not to be that kind of hero.”

Oh, yes, there’s one more critical element to gardens: they stick around even when a time loop wipes everything and sends you back to square one.

Let’s do the time warp again

Yes, Ultros is a game built around a time loop, and there’s only so much you can do before you’re forced to begin anew. You may have been fortunate to keep a few skills from the previous loop. But more importantly, you’ve got the knowledge you gained from your last attempt. And hey, those plants you took care of? You might be surprised to see what’s become of them.

“One of the core concepts we’ve built the game around is the philosophy of a karmic cycle: What you do in one life makes up what your next life will become. In this game, we have a time loop mechanic that is the rebirth of our character and world. So, one of the major choices you can make in the game is whether or not you nurture the world you’re in. If you build it up, the garden becomes a part of the world you’re inhabiting, and tending to these plants is the way you can make the game world evolve.”

The presence of player choice among these time cycles hints at multiple conclusions to Ultros’s story. When I asked Brüggeman about it, he said, “There are multiple endings, I can say that much. The time loop is more story-driven than mechanics-driven, so you can explore a ‘what if I do this instead’ scenario, also tying into the philosophy of a karmic cycle. We want players to re-experience events and scenarios but get to see them from different perspectives. You’re given the chance to make the choice again, but from another perspective.”

A whirling universe of color

The game’s trademark art style comes from art designer El Huervo, who is well-known for his work on the classic indie series Hotline Miami. The visuals are packed with contrasts, both in color and in theming: in one area, you’ll be surrounded by an environment teeming with goopy, pulsating viscera-like growths, yet only a ways away, you’ll discover a place that looks not unlike an elegant European cathedral. 

“I would describe Ultros’s art style as a Renaissance painting meets comics meets Jackson Pollock,” says Brüggeman. “El Huervo’s style has developed over the years. He’s very inspired by French artist Moebius, but also German zoology scholar and artist Ernst Haeckel.”

The visuals also play a big part in the story and atmosphere. “As you explore during the game, you learn what the sarcophagus was used for and what happened to it. You’ll try to understand who its original inhabitants were and how that relates to the dark being held in there.” 

Suppose you’re ready for a visually stunning adventure with intense combat, loads of exploration, environmental world-building, and a time loop that challenges how you approach action-adventure games. In that case, you’ll want to venture into the Sarcophagus. Ultros makes its debut on February 13.

Last week, we asked to see the coolest characters from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s extremely cool highlights:

wingsforsmiles shares Johnny Silverhand sitting back with one leg up in Cyberpunk 2077

BitarHector shares Aloy smiling in the morning sunlight in Horizon Forbidden West

Taser9001 shares Tifa rushing forward with a sparking attack in Final Fantasy VII Remake

sorathluna shares Sam side-eyeing the camera wearing futuristic sunglasses in Death Stranding

juniaxe shares Ada taking deathly aim in the rain in Resident Evil 4

FrameCaptureVP shares Jin looking out from a broken kitsune mask in this black and white portrait from Ghost of Tsushima

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:  Romantic

SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 14, 2024

Next week, we’re feeling the love. Share romantic moments or characters from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Entering the ring on February 27 in Street Fighter 6 is the troubled protégé, the bad boy of boxing, the Young Commander, Ed. With psycho power imbued within, Ed beats down his enemies with a flurry of fists to prove that he’s the true high-def picture of strength.

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First appearing in Street Fighter V, Ed was initially to be used as an alternate body for M. Bison, but rejected the idea and managed to escape. Coming into his own confidence, he formed Neo Shadaloo with a group of other experiments, intending to help others like them. In present-day Street Fighter 6, he senses movement in the shadows from the remnants of Shadaloo. Ed soon discovers they have a twisted goal and need his unique abilities to achieve it.

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“Ed is a high-speed boxer. We designed his lower half so that you can clearly see his nimble footwork and added some volume to his upper body to make his punches look impactful,” according to Game Director Takayuki Nakayama. “ We also hope you take notice of the emblem on his chest and the design on his back. His attack animations have also changed significantly from Street Fighter V. To respect his background as a traditional boxer, all his attacks are now punches (except for his Level 2 Super Art). His kick buttons have been designated to various flicker attacks.”

Find the brazen boxer in World Tour on the subway fighting the Mad Gear Gang. Like all the Year 1 Characters, you can increase your bond with Ed and learn his psycho-powered moves (hot-headed attitude not included). Bring those moves into Avatar Battles in the Battle Hub to see what new combos you can create.

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We’ve seen comments asking how Ed will work with Modern Controls since his inputs were already simplified in Street Fighter V. We decided to keep his simplified inputs and incorporated them in his Modern Controls while creating expanded inputs for his Classic Controls. Ed now has quarter-circle and dragon-punch inputs for his special moves in Classic. What an edge lord, right?

Ed is still the psycho-powered boxer you know and love, imbuing his fists with chaotic force and master boxing techniques. Scouring the lands to help other ill-fated experiments has significantly upgraded Ed’s usage of psycho power. Psycho Blitz gives Ed another 1-2-3, but in a single special move, Ed unleashes a series of punches cloaked in Psycho Power.

The new and improved Psycho Flicker is vital in Ed’s ability to control space. Performed on its own, Ed releases a quick flicker jab from a distance in one of three directions to catch the opponent off-guard. If you hold this button down, Ed will use his Psycho Snatcher from Street Fighter V to pull in opponents with psycho-powered tendrils.

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Kill Rush is a new special move that resembles Psycho Swing and Smash from Street Fighter V. Ed either advances forward or performs a bob and weave backward. From the forward version, Ed can follow up with two moves. Kill Switch Break is a short, useful uppercut for closing distance. Kill Switch Chaser sees Ed unleash a powerful uppercut that sends the opponent spiraling in the air, making it easy to follow up with a combo.

Ed’s Level 1 Super Art, Psycho Storm, sees him striking opponents with high-speed flicker jabs. His Level 2 Super, Psycho Cannon, should look familiar to Street Fighter V fans. Previously, in his V-Trigger I, Ed generated a multi-hitting ball of psycho power that moved forward.

Finally, in Ed’s Level 3 Super Art, Psycho Chamber, he turns opponents into his own personal punching bag by tying their limbs and pummeling them in the name of Neo Shadaloo.

Coming with Ed is a new stage: Ruined Lab. Step into the aftermath of Shadaloo’s fall as their laboratory lies in shambles featuring now-defunct test subjects. Year 1 Ultimate Pass owners will automatically receive this stage on February 27.

Ed will be unlocked on February 27 for owners of the Year 1 Character Pass, Year 1 Ultimate Pass, Deluxe Edition, or Ultimate Edition. When he arrives, Ed’s Outfit 2, inspired by his Story Outfit from Street Fighter V, will also be available.

With the Ed update, we will also add some quality-of-life features. The game’s PC version will now have the ability to switch button displays to PlayStation buttons.

An Extra Lighting feature will be added to Photo mode, making capturing dark places easier and illuminating characters for better shots.

Celebrate Ed’s incoming entrance with the Ed Arrives! Fighting Pass. Active right now until he releases on February 27. Until then, prepare to make way for the leader of Neo Shadaloo.

Coming to PlayStation 5 on March 22, Rise of the Ronin is a combat-focused, open-world action RPG from Team Ninja, the developer of Nioh and Ninja Gaiden. The game will immerse you in a story set in the final days of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan, known as Bakumatsu, where you can experience different play styles and battle in simple yet profound combat as a Ronin, using an array of weapons and equipment – melee weapons as well as ranged weapons like firearms and thrown weapons.

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The resurrection of three major cities of the Edo Era in Team Ninja’s open-world

The story takes place in Bakumatsu, Japan, a period of great change triggered by the arrival of the Black Ships. In this era of mayhem, the story first unfolds in Yokohama, then in Edo (today’s Tokyo), and finally in Kyoto. These three major cities are each built as an open world where the non-homogeneous mixture of newly introduced Western culture and traditional Japanese beauty is dramatically depicted in detailed quality with new-generation graphics technology.

Yokohama

The first major city the anti-Shogunate protagonist visits is Yokohama. In the Kannai area of Yokohama, where the East meets the West, you’ll explore Yokohama’s landmarks, such as the U.S. Consulate, Chinatown, the Yokohama State Guest House, the lighthouse, and even brothels. As you travel the outskirts of Yokohama, you’ll find yourself in a series of inn-towns along the Tokaido Road, the most important route of the era in Japan, linking Kyoto, the imperial capital, with Edo, the seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Kannai – Yamashita

An area overlooking the ocean in southeast Kannai, while Yamate designates the bluff and upper town, Yamashita designates the lower town. In accordance with provisions set out in the US-Japan trade treaty, it is the site of the Foreign Settlement, where soldiers from various nations are stationed. Yamashita Park, one of the popular tourist spots today, was built with reclaimed rubble from the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and formally opened in 1930.

Photo of Yamashita today: Yamashita Park, now a tourist attraction, was created by reclaiming rubble from the Great Kanto Earthquake and opened in 1930.(*)

Kannai – Motomachi

An area in southeast Kannai that saw a significant population boom after the port of Yokohama opened to foreign trade. Visitors to the area’s Chinatown would find various trinkets for sale and unique architecture characteristic of Chinese culture, such as the grand Kanteibyo Temple, a colorful temple dedicated to the ancient Chinese hero, Guan Yu. The current Kanteibyo Temple is the fourth rebuild of the temple, after being devastated and destroyed several times by unforeseen events, like the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and World War II, and remains to serve as the heart of Yokohama Chinatown.

Photo of Motomachi today: The Guan Ti Mausoleum, the symbol of Chinatown, was lost several times due to the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II, and its modern form is the fourth generation.(*)

Edo

Edo is a megacity that serves as the base of the Edo Shogunate. The Kojimachi district is where the samurai residence surrounds and protects Edo Castle. You can also roam around the townsmen district of Asakusa to find Sensoji Temple and Azuma Bridge; the Nihonbashi district to check out its famous Nihonbashi Bridge and rows of merchant houses, and other cultural districts—like the Senzoku district—to feel the bustling energy of the Yoshihara brothels.

Asakusa

The heart of the city’s unique shitamachi culture, home to landmarks such as Azuma Bridge and Sensoji Temple, has often been the subject of celebrated woodblock paintings. The area’s bustling energy remains unchanged today, making it one of Japan’s most popular tourist attractions.

Photo of Asakusa today: Asakusa remains as bustling as ever and has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Japan.(*)

Nihonbashi

The bridge to which it owes its name was built in 1603, marking the starting point of five major roads. For this reason, it drew large crowds, contributing greatly to the popular culture of Edo. It has been the subject of countless artworks, perhaps most notably The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido, a series of woodblock prints created by Utagawa Hiroshige. The bridge, Nihonbashi, can be found today, still serving as the starting point of Japan’s road network.

Kyoto

For 1,000 years, Kyoto served as the political and cultural heart of Japan’s capital. The Gosho District is located in the north of Kyoto, where a rebellion against the Tokugawa shogunate called the Kinmon Incident erupted. To the west is the Horikawa district, where orderly structured streets stretch alongside Nijo Castle, and the Mibu district, where the Roshigumi’s headquarters, Mibudera Temple, is located. To the east is the Gion District, where teahouses and stores are housed, and the Higashiyama District, where Kiyomizu-dera Temple and other well-known sites take their presence. However, you’ll also notice that some areas of the imperial city have lost their former glory to the turmoil arising from the Bakumatsu and have become neglected and abandoned. 

Gosho

A tract of land comprising the emperor’s palace and the manors of the most esteemed aristocratic families. Aside from personal living and sleeping apartments, the emperor’s palace also contained lavish gardens and buildings dedicated to religious rites and learning. Occasionally ravaged by fires and subsequently rebuilt by the twilight years of the shogunate, it had been in continuous use for over five hundred years. Most of the structures that remain in present-day were rebuilt in 1855, preserving the original form of the Imperial Palace today.

Mibu

An area located south of Nijo Castle and northwest of Nishi Honganji Temple. In the center stands Mibu Temple, which belongs to Buddhists of the Risshu sect. The name Mibu dates back hundreds of years, to when it was spelled with different characters, meaning wetlands. Mibudera Temple was used as a training ground for the Shinsengumi members. Today, a bronze statue of Commander Kondo Isami and a tower enshrining some of his hair stand within the temple precincts and a grave site for the regimental soldiers.

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Photo of Mibu today: Mibu-dera was used as a training ground for the Shinsengumi troopers, and today there is a bust of Isami Kondo, the chief of the Shinsengumi, in addition to the graves of the troopers. (*)

Traverse as you please with a grappling rope, horse, or glider

Apart from running through cities and their surroundings and swimming through rivers and oceans, you can explore the vast open world of Bakumatsu Japan by utilizing grappling rope to move vertically or by horse and glider for a thrilling traversal.

Grappling rope

You can quickly ascend and traverse when you throw the grappling rope at a latching point. It allows you to move to higher ground and can also be used in combat to grab foes during battle scenes.  

Horses

You can call a horse when you blow into the Horse Calling Whistle. You’ll travel much faster and more efficiently to your faraway destination than running. As the game progresses, you’ll gain access to additional riding equipment and a more comprehensive range of higher-performance horses.

Gliders

After acquiring the glider, you can deploy it as you fall from a high point to glide through the air. You can fly a long distance by keeping it at a certain angle. The glider also comes in handy when infiltrating an enemy’s territory from a high altitude without getting noticed.

The glider’s design was based on Ikkansai Kunitomo’s blueprint of Abikiru. Kunitomo is an inventor and gunsmith of the late Edo period best known for having built Japan’s first reflecting telescope. His invention of Abikiru is also believed to be the oldest airplane blueprint in Japan.

Fast Travel between Hidden Sword Banners

Fast travel points, or Hidden Sword Banners, are scattered worldwide, allowing you to instantly travel from one Hidden Sword Banner to another unlocked banner. Not only will banners allow you to replenish consumable items by contact, but you can also update your party members and equipment during a mission. It also serves as a gateway for other players to jump in for online multiplayer.

Encounters and discoveries that await the Ronin on his journey

As you traverse the vast world, you will meet locals to take on different events and collect loot from challenging activities.

Somo Missions with locals

Somo describes those who are not samurai, including those who have abandoned their social status as samurai and become wealthy farmers, wealthy merchants, and local merchants. During Somo missions, you will be given special tasks by those locals if you have specific items in possession or foster a certain level of relationship with them.

Preordained Fate

During play, you’ll encounter random in-game events called Preordained Fate. Depending on where or when it occurs in the game, you may not experience the same event twice. 

Public safety

Defeating rogues improves the security of the bad areas. As you improve public safety, you will establish extended connections within the locale and its people.

Activities

As you go deeper into the story, you’ll unlock various activities in different locations and have a chance to collect rewards according to how well you perform in these activities. In training, you can visit dojos in various regions and battle with characters that you’ve encountered previously. Other activities include Yabusame (horseback archery), Artillery Training, and Cat Collecting, in which you will have to find cats hiding in unexpected places.

Obstacle courses

In each area, some places cannot be reached by the standard method of traverse. You’ll need to skillfully use your grappling rope or gliding device to reach the finish line, where you’ll find a special reward for the activity, like a treasure chest, a shrine, or a cat.

Rise of the Ronin will be available for PS5 on March 22. 

(*) Photos: Pixta