The PS5 Digital Edition Bundle will be available at a suggested retail price (SRP) of SGD 759 / MYR 2,339 / IDR 9,079,000 and PS5 with Ultra HD Blue-ray™ disc drive will be available at SGD 889 / MYR 2,769 / IDR 10,579,000 / THB 20,790.
Download the image
Download the image
Each type of bundle includes a PlayStation®5 (PS5™) console (Digital version or disc drive version), a DualSense™ Wireless Controller, and PS5 software Final Fantasy XVI Voucher Card (Terms and Conditions Apply) and digital bonus items: “Braveheart” Weapon, Gil-boost Accessory “Cait Sith Charm”, Exp-boost Accessory “Scholar’s Spectacles” (Digital bonus items may be available for purchase at a later date.). The bundles will be available at PlayStation® Authorized Dealer, Sony Stores and authorized retailers on 22nd June 2022 onward.
*Please note that design and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Find out more about the game here and how FINAL FANTASY XVI harnesses PS5’s power and how it was optimized and developed for PS5 here.
PlayStation 5 consoles are now available at all authorized retailer stores, while the PlayStation®5 FINAL FANTASY XVI Bundles and FINAL FANTASY XVI game will be released on 22nd June 2023.
Last week, compelling puzzler Humanity was confirmed to launch day one into PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. It joins a wealth of fantastic indies released recently, all of which are available right now as part of the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games or Game Catalog. So today, with Enhance sharing a deep dive into the gameplay features of its Shiba-fronted puzzle adventure ahead of its May 16 launch, we reached out to the creators of Meet Your Maker, Tchia and Kena: Bridge of Spirits to share updates on their titles.
Humanity
Take control of a luminescent Shiba Inu (in case you don’t know—that’s a dog!) in this visually stunning and thought-provoking action-puzzle game from Enhance and tha ltd. You direct a massive, marching crowd of humans to the light, rebuilding humanity and unlocking new mechanics in the process. Command the people to turn, jump, climb, swim, shoot, follow and more to get them to the goal across 90 carefully crafted stages. Devious puzzles await you, mixing in more action-focused elements, platformer-like levels, and even epic boss battles. Should you lose a few humans along the way, fear not—death is not permanent in the world of Humanity. Any people that fall off a stage turn back into light and walk through the door again.
Today, we’re happy to reveal a deeper look at how that all comes together. Check out our all-new gameplay trailer:
Outside of Story Mode, you can browse an ever-growing library of stages created by other players. Play, rate, favorite, and discover new types of puzzles in this limitless cross-platform vault, with curated playlists updated regularly so there’s always something new to play. Or try your hand at bringing your ideas to life using our intuitive Stage Creator. From platforming challenges and straightforward puzzles to artful sculptures, it’s super easy to make a stage and share it with friends and the community.
As a VR-optional title, you can also get an up-close view of your human horde and explore the environments in ways not possible in flat 2D via PS VR2 (on PS5) or PS VR (on PS4).
Whether you want to experience the Story Mode or are ready to jump into and play or make community content, this game’s got something for everyone.
– Mark MacDonald, Executive Producer, Enhance
Humanity launches May 16, 2023 and is available on PlayStation Plus Game Catalog from Day 1.
Meet Your Maker
Meet Your Maker, is our new first-person building-and-raiding game that’s out now and is available as part of the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for April. Players step into a post-apocalyptic world where they’re tasked with both creating and infiltrating devious maze-like Outposts filled with traps and guards to protect and steal a vital resource.
Every level in the game is deviously designed by players, and whether you opt to focus on building or raiding Outposts, both roles are fun, accessible, and even offer a co-op option to team up with a friend. Here’s some gameplay tips to help you get started:
When Building:
Start with a 3-step approach: Build the basic structure, add traps and guards, then personalize with cosmetics. You don’t lose progress or resources by being raided, so share your Outpost, and return to improve on it at any time.
You can modify traps to trigger only after the Genmat has been stolen. Suprise Raiders by making it just as hard (or harder!) to get out as it was to get in.
Think like a Raider as you set traps. Ask what they might instinctively do when faced with a particular setup, and then use those reactions against them.
Try to overcome your own defenses through the “Test my Outpost” feature. It’s the best way to know what’s working and what’s not.
When Raiding:
The Grapple Hook is your new best friend. Master it. It gives you incredible mobility for both attacking and escaping.
Stock up on useful consumables like speed boosts, deployable shields, and more, before starting your raid. You never know when you’ll need them.
When a trap is tripped, you’ll get both a visual and audio cue before it deploys. Reacting quickly can save your life.
Drop a Phoenix Pod after you grab the Genmat for a one-time respawn from the same point. You never know what’s waiting for you on the way out.
– Justin Fragapane, Lead Content Strategist, Behaviour Interactive
Meet Your Maker is available now as part of the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for April.
Tchia
All the team at Awaceb is incredibly proud to have created a game that is not only fun and immersive in its own right, but also a heartfelt love letter to our homeland. So many people have now discovered New Caledonia through the eyes of Tchia, and we still get a lot of messages from players who appreciate the beauty of the archipelago, the richness of its cultures, and are now interested in knowing more (and sometimes even consider a trip there!). Being able to move people from a tangible, human standpoint is our greatest pride as video game makers.
– Phil Crifo, Tchia Game Director & co-founder of Awaceb
Tchia is available now on the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits marks our gaming debut! At Ember Lab, we’ve always had a passion for great storytelling, and in September, 2021 our small animation studio officially turned to game development with the release of Kena. Since then, we’ve been honored to receive both fan support and critical acclaim. Our story-driven action-adventure blends a narrative focus with exploration, puzzle-solving, and fast-paced combat. Both press and public alike have described Kena’s adventure as “magical,” “compelling,” and “breathtaking.”
Taking inspiration from nostalgic games and films, Kena blends Eastern and Western themes as players untangle the past of a forgotten village. Kena, a young Spirit Guide, searches for the mysterious Sacred Mountain Shrine. As the titular Spirit Guide, players help spirits trapped by their personal tragedies with the help of cute (yet powerful) spirit companions, the Rot.
Following its release, our game won “Best Indie Game” at the 2021 Game Awards. Praised for its Animation, Art Direction, Music, and more, Kena went on to receive awards and nominations at the Game Developers Choice Awards, DICE, BAFTA, Taipei Game Show, Annie Awards, Webby Awards, and SXSW.
We released the free “Anniversary Update” a year after launch as a thank you for the incredible support. The update allowed us to include many features we couldn’t fit into the initial release including New Game+, Spirit Guide Trials, cosmetics, and more. You can read all about the Anniversary Update in our PlayStation Blogs: Details Revealed and Crafting New Outfits.
Since launch, PlayStation players have found over 40 million Rot and over 8 million unique hats! (out of 100 possible Rot in the game). We’re so excited for new players to join in! With Kena: Bridge of Spirits, we aimed to strike a balance between inviting, impactful, and a lot of fun. We hope you enjoy our debut game.
– Thomas Varga, Game Writer, Ember Lab
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is available now on the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog
Game library varies over time and tier. PlayStation Plus is subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms
The May Savings promotion comes to PlayStation Store on April 26, bringing with it a vast selection of titles discounted for a limited time*.
That includes the likes of WWE 2K23 Standard Cross-Gen Edition (25% off), EA Sports Madden NFL 23 for PS5 (70% off) and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla PS4 & PS5. (75% off).
That includes the likes of WWE 2K23 Standard Cross-Gen Edition (25% off), NFS 2022 – Deluxe Edition (50% off) and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla PS4 & PS5. (75% off).
You can get a preview of a selection of games that will feature in the promotion below. When the promotion goes live, head to PlayStation Store to see the full list and find out your regional discount.
What started out as DLC for My Time at Portia, has become a much larger project now known as My Time at Sandrock. Coming this summer to PlayStation on PS4 and PS5, players will be exploring the town of Sandrock, a city-state located in the Eufaula Desert within the Alliance of Free Cities. Returning players will be satisfied with a fresh but familiar experience, while newcomers will be able to comfortably fall in love with the gameplay and people of Sandrock!
Once players design their character, they will arrive at Sandrock as a recruited builder. Upon arrival, they will find what was once a well populated metropolis is now a dilapidated town where water and wood are scarce resources. The player’s job will now be to collaborate with the townspeople to revitalize the town of Sandrock. Take in the views of the mesas, deep canyons, vast deserts, and breathtaking ruins along the journey!
Farming is just one of the many activities in Sandrock
In order to progress through My Time at Sandrock, players must complete story missions. Story missions require the player character to build or rebuild something that has gone wrong in the town. Some examples are gathering materials to rebuild the water tower or fixing up the stage found outside the Blue Moon Saloon after a sandstorm passes through. Once a story mission is completed, players will find themselves with a few in-game days of free time. During this period, players can complete commissions to earn money, focus on building relationships with people in the town, or just exploring the world!
With the help of your workshop, saving Sandrock will be no trouble at all
The central focus of Sandrock will be found in the workshop, which serves as the player’s primary base of operations. Here, players bring materials and relics from all over the map to assist with accomplishing commissions from local townspeople and government. As players progress and complete commissions, they can upgrade machines in their workshop, customize the space with furniture, and even draw their own designs for decor. These things will help attract more industry to the town and in turn, contribute to the player’s workshop moving toward becoming the #1 workshop in the region!
The player battles a Geegler President and Geegler Manager
The battle system in My Time at Sandrock is fresh and feels much better this time around. Players will encounter several enemy types from monsters, robots, bandits, and more! Enemies behave intelligently with coordinated attacks, so players must anticipate their movements to successfully counterattack. Watch out for larger enemies, as they can send players flying through the air with one strong hit! Plan attacks with melee weapons or choose a ranged approach.
Enemies can be found in the hazardous ruins dungeon type, but there are two other dungeon types to experience as well. One is known as the Abandoned Ruins, which are dungeons without enemies and allows players to mine safely for minerals and relics. The third type is known as the Half-Explored Ruins, which consists of mining areas as well as enemies to fight. Dungeons will unlock as players complete story missions and can be used to gain massive amounts of character EXP and high value materials used for upgrading weapons and equipment.
Another standout feature of My Time at Sandrock is the ability for players to pursue romantic relationships with other characters in the game. Players can date, marry, have children, as well as go on a series of in-depth story missions for each character they wish to romance. Pursuing romantic relationships will open up more in-depth plot points, as well as character growth.
However, players must balance their building and restoration objectives with the constant threat of attacks from the nefarious Logan and his gang of bandits, which makes their task even more challenging. The game features a deep and compelling storyline with unexpected plot developments that’ll have players asking for one more day.
Message from the developer
“My Time at Sandrock builds upon the beloved gameplay mechanics of My Time at Portia while introducing new features and QOL elements that fans of the series will love,” said Aaron Deng from Pathea Games. “We’re excited for players to experience the unique storyline, characters, and mechanics of My Time at Sandrock, and we encourage everyone to dive in and start rebuilding the desert oasis.”
This week, Head of PlayStation Productions Asad Qizilbash stops by to discuss adapting video games into TV and film and what’s next from PlayStation Productions.
PLUS: Resident Evil 4 spoilercast and next week’s new releases (Star Wars Jedi Survivor!)
Stuff We Talked About
Interview with Asad Qizilbash (begins at 1:20)
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
VR Skater
God of War (2018)
Humanity
Street Fighter VI
Resident Evil 4 (spoilercast begins at 50:00)
The Cast
Download the image
Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE
Tim Turi – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE
Download the image
Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE
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 awesome moments involving sports using the #PSshare and #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
imroyank Kratos is ready to be quarterback of the year in Fortnite
GurararalaPlaying a weird game of soccer in Ghostwire: Tokyo
AjGamingPics1 A close up of a speeding car in Dirt 5
shimo_ps Bunny mask skier going down the slopes in Riders Republic
soratobichanA colorful close up of a soccer ball in FIFA 23
RhodWulfLeon The Rock laying the smackdown in WWE 2K23
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?
Download the image
THEME: Ghostwire: Tokyo Spider’s Thread SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on April 26, 2023
Next week we’re getting spooky with shots from the Ghostwire: Tokyo Spider’s Thread update. Share moments that capture the creepy spirit of Tokyo with #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
Prepare those spray cans because we’re painting the streets with a fresh coat of news straight from the Street Fighter 6 Showcase – hosted by Lil Wayne! Our finished piece contains hues of detailed information on World Tour, battles with your customized avatars in Battle Hub, jaw-dropping features to brighten up your Fighting Ground experience, unveiling of the Year 1 Fighters, and a demo you can play today.
A role-playing game around the world
World Tour is a single-player story mode where players can create their own custom avatar to experience an overarching mystery with support from the iconic Masters. The newest location in your travels is Nayshall, a developing nation tucked away in a remote corner of Asia.
Throughout your adventures, you’ll meet each legendary fighter from Street Fighter 6’s roster. Use Flight Tickets to travel around the world to find each of the 18 fighters – some are more hidden than others. Become their student by Enrolling in their style and learn their Special Moves. Increase your bond with each Master by giving them presents and completing Missions. Combine all this to unlock new cutscenes as you form personal connections with these legendary fighters. Put that in your diary!
We built World Tour to redefine the scope of what a traditional fighting game is, so we took extra care in hand-crafting a personal experience by incorporating in-depth RPG elements. You can consume items and food to recover Vitality, provide buffs, or inflict debuffs. As you level up your avatar, you’ll earn Skill Points to spend on a Skill Tree to further customize your original move set.
Watch out for hot-headed enemies who will chase you down on the streets to initiate combat! Unique to World Tour, unlock Drive Stall in the Skill Tree to slow down time to avoid enemies or gain the advantage with a Master Action. During a fight, when the enemy flashes, you can hit them to induce Pressure Time to inflict more damage. Perfect to take out those pesky refrigerators and drones!
Create Chaos with Avatar Battles and Order with Clubs
You know all those avatars you’re going to make, each with their own customized looks and fighting style? Take them into the Battle Hub and let them loose in custom avatar battles against other players online where the limit to your fights is your own imagination. Use your avatar with Dhalsim’s style, Zangief’s Screw Piledriver, and Ken’s Hadoken or any other wacky combination, which could lead to ridiculous set-ups. Be wary because your opponent might have come up with an even crazier palette of moves.
If order is more your thing, create a Club in the Battle Hub to find like-minded players. Customize your Club emblem and design a uniform that only your Club’s members can show off.
Top-Tier innovation in the Fighting Ground
As a celebration of the Street Fighter series, we’re introducing the Battle Damage Feature! During a fight, characters will get sweatier and develop cuts, bruises, and other telltale signs of a heated battle. This is only available in certain offline modes and can be turned off in Settings.
We’re committed to accessibility in Street Fighter 6 and have enhanced sound effects that will tell you how far away you are from your opponent, the height level of attacks, whether an attack is a cross-up, and to also indicate your remaining Drive Gauge.
We also have a multitude of introductory tools for all skill levels. Fleshed-out Tutorials and Character Guides provide a solid foundation for each character, especially for those with little experience in fighting games or anyone that wants to try out new characters. Our third Control Type, to go along with Classic and Modern, is Dynamic, where players can unleash flashy moves with a single press of a button – yes, button mashers are welcome! Once you feel comfortable, you can try tackling Combo Trials, which include combos of varying difficulty.
Arcade Mode is a single-player mode in Fighting Ground where you’ll face off against the CPU and learn more about each fighter’s stories. Complete Arcade Mode for each character to unlock illustrations that can be viewed later in the Gallery. Your scores can also be uploaded to online leaderboards, so get out there and challenge the world.
Besides the classic Versus Mode, Street Fighter 6 includes both Team Battle and Extreme Battle. In Team Battle, play with or against other players or the CPU by creating a team and selecting the appropriate parameters. Extreme Battle runs on a set of Rules along with fun Gimmicks like Running Bulls or our own special version of hot potato. Play in Extreme Battle to learn the basics of the game or to unleash pure havoc.
Play online against other players by creating a Custom Room, separate from the Battle Hub. The four virtual cabinets in the room can be set to One on One, Extreme Battle, and Training. Custom Rooms now include up to 16 players at a time!
Ranked Matches return where you can fight against other players worldwide and earn League Points to rank up. We’ve taken steps to reduce the fear of losing a match in certain Ranks. First, there’s a one-time Rank-down protection feature for those ranked in Diamond and below. To encourage online play, Rookies will no longer lose League Points upon defeat. Finally, Iron-Gold and Master-ranked players will not incur League demotions. Each character also has their own individual Rank, so trying a new character in a Ranked Match is easier than ever. We hope you take advantage of these features to improve your gameplay!
*Takes a second to breathe* If you’ve made it this far, you’ll see how much content is in Street Fighter 6. Our development team challenged themselves to create a title all players can enjoy.
Year 1 Characters bring their style
Four fighters join the Street Fighter 6 roster in our first year after launch! Rashid, who debuted in Street Fighter V, returns in Summer 2023. The enigmatic A.K.I. struts into the roster in Autumn 2023. Ed, also from Street Fighter V, strikes back in Winter 2024. Finally, the legend, the beast, the transcendent Akuma will rage into Street Fighter 6 in Spring 2024! All four of these characters are incorporated into World Tour where you can learn their Special Moves and increase your bond. They’re also included in the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions of Street Fighter 6, which you can pre-order now!
Your moment. Your demo.
Play the demo for Street Fighter 6 today on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4! Hop in for a tiny peek at what the full game offers. Learn basic battle mechanics from the Tutorial and practice Luke & Ryu’s fighting style in the Character Guide. Dip a toe into the first moments of World Tour and experiment with the deep avatar creation feature. Custom avatars can be transferred over to the full game on the same platform once it releases!
If you haven’t already, watch the Street Fighter 6 Showcase to take in the cityscape because it’s almost your time to hit the streets. Street Fighter 6 launches on June 2 for PS5 and PS4! Pre-order now for Outfit 1 Color 10 for Chun-Li, Jamie, Manon, Dee Jay, Juri, and Ken – PlayStation Store pre-order offers an extra bonus of 18 Special Titles and Stickers.
I’m excited to announce that we’ve expanded our relationship with Firewalk Studios and are thrilled to welcome them to PlayStation Studios. Firewalk is home to a remarkably talented team of creatives who have launched some of gaming’s most celebrated experiences, and they’re already hard at work on their first original AAA multiplayer game for PlayStation.
Since announcing our publishing partnership with ProbablyMonsters and Firewalk in 2021, we continue to be impressed by the team’s ambitions to build a modern multiplayer game that connects players in new and innovative ways. The studio shares our passion for creating inspiring worlds grounded in exceptional gameplay, and we want to continue to invest in their mission. We’re excited for Firewalk to bring their technical and creative expertise to PlayStation Studios to help grow our live service operations and deliver something truly special for gamers.
Please join me in welcoming Firewalk!
Every once in a while, you get to have an adventure.
Over five years ago, we jumped at the chance to set up a new studio and build a new IP from the ground up. Recalling our own favorite times with games, we founded Firewalk Studios around the idea of delivering memorable moments – those amazing, had-to-be-there times shared with other people. Our goal is to deliver those shared moments of joy to players around the world.
Building a new studio at scale has been an incredibly exhilarating and relentlessly daunting task. Fortunately, we’ve been supported by great partners throughout – ProbablyMonsters helped turbocharge us in setting up the studio, and Sony has been supporting our project and our creative vision from the beginning.
We’ve assembled some of the most inspired talent in the industry to deliver awe-inspiring new worlds and experiences filled with great core gameplay. The excitement of building something new for players has thoroughly energized the team and our partners, and we’ve been playtesting every day.
Today we’re taking the next natural step and joining PlayStation Studios. We’ve worked closely with Hermen and the very talented team at PlayStation for years, helping to make our new game even better. To join PlayStation Studios is to formally become part of a family that has produced many of the most storied games of our age, and we are honored.
We want to thank everyone who’s supported us along the way and those looking forward to our future. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and we can’t wait for the next chapter in this adventure.
– Tony Hsu and Ryan Ellis Studio Head and Game Director, Firewalk Studios
The key to victory in this 4v4 competitive platformer is strategy. There are strategic advantages throughout the game from gameplay, to hero roles, powers, and more.
To celebrate the start of Crash Team Rumble’s Closed Beta – here are some tips and tricks that can give you a leg up on the competition to lead your team victory:
Boosts are stackable depending on what map you’re on
Gem pads boost your score, but there is huge boost potential by capturing all of the gem pad clusters on one map.
Pro Tip: Be sure you and your team collects and banks as much Wumpa as possible while the boost is active, to fully benefit from the boost.
Fighting is only a means to an end: scoring is what counts
The name of the game is scoring – so defense is just as important as offense.
Victory is a much harder task without a blocker. The blocker’s main goal is to prevent the other team from scoring at their Wumpa bank. How can a team win if they can’t bank their Wumpa?!
Pro Tip: The Gasmoxian Guard is a blocker’s best friend. Blocker’s should have their Gasmoxian Guard set up camp at the other team’s Wumpa bank, making it extremely difficult for the other team to score.
Relic Stations can swing the match
If a game is close, the Relic Station can make all the difference – rolling over enemies, catapulting around a map, and more.
Pro Tip: Collect as many relics as possible early to use on epic stations for game changing results later in the match when it becomes more crucial.
Use the whole map
Don’t be afraid to explore and see what’s available in all of the corners of the map.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to explore the map vertically. Check out the views from a higher point, you never know, you may find a new way to help your team from a bird’s eye perspective.
Your hero’s powers matter
Specific powers can take roles to the next level, choose wisely. Some powers are meant to compliment a hero – ie. golden Wumpa for a scorer, Gasmoxian Guard for a blocker, etc.
Pro Tip: Placement of a power can make all the difference, be strategic.
It has been five incredible years since God of War (2018) came out and more since our team at Santa Monica Studio was deep in development on the game. Since then, we’ve released the game’s NG+ mode, next-gen updates, a PC port, and a sequel you might have heard of called God of War Ragnarök. None of this would have been possible without the enduring and enthusiastic support you’ve shown us over the years.
To mark the five-year anniversary of God of War (2018), our team wanted to celebrate the occasion with you by taking a deep dive behind the scenes into the creation of the climactic boss fight against Baldur.
Big-time spoilers for God of War (2018) ahead!
Strange(r) Beginnings
The Stranger, later revealed to be Baldur, is the first character you meet after being introduced to Kratos and Atreus. He comes calling with an agenda that immediately puts him at odds with Kratos, where his combat ability and persistence immediately mark him as the most dangerous threat dogging our heroes’ heels throughout their journey.
Baldur confronts Kratos at his home in Midgard.
While Kratos and Atreus don’t want to engage with him, Baldur forces them to fight for their lives on several occasions throughout the realms. He is the final boss of the main story, the culmination of the Aesir plot and last test the players must overcome before finally scattering Faye’s ashes from the highest peak in all the realms.
Concept art of Baldur – Artist: Jose Cabrera.
The conflict comes to a head when Baldur turns his rage towards his mother Freya, as well as Kratos and Atreus, forcing them into the fight of their lives against one of the All-Father’s strongest followers. Bruno Velazquez, Animation Director at Santa Monica Studio, emphasized the goal of the sequence:
“We knew that the players would expect a big epic finale, so our goal was always to try and push what we had done on the initial Baldur fight and up the stakes in every way.”
Start to finish, this sequence is one of the most ambitious in the game and combined the efforts of our entire team to pull it off. From extensive cinematics with dramatic confrontations between the characters to a massive boss fight that spanned multiple phases and locations – this climactic finish to the plot’s main conflict was one of the most important moments in the game we had to get right to make sure our players reached Jötunheim with a sense of well-earned satisfaction.
Putting pen to paper
The pressure to make this sequence feel epic and earned after teasing it from the start of the game was high. When it came to laying the groundwork, the first step was writing the story.
Matt Sophos, Narrative Director at Santa Monica Studio, spoke on what the team wanted to achieve:
“The narrative objective was twofold. First, we wanted to convey from both a story and gameplay perspective just how far Kratos and Atreus had come in their relationship. We wanted to show they were working together seamlessly, protecting each other, and fighting as a unit.
The second goal was to put Kratos and Atreus on a collision course with no cut-and-dried ‘good’ outcome. There was going to be a cost to this fight, and the one they chose was one that turned Freya from an ally to an enemy.”
Script page from cinematic leading into the final confrontation with Baldur.
Despite Kratos demonstrating his growth by trying to resolve the situation without fighting, Baldur is unrelenting in his pursuit of Freya’s life. This puts him and Kratos in direct conflict once again, sparking the final showdown between the two.
Giant sense of scale
The fight between Baldur, Kratos, and Atreus shows no signs of stopping despite Freya’s use of Vanir magic to separate them. She turns towards more drastic measures by possessing the corpse of Thamur, the Stone Mason.
Visual exploration of Thamur – Artists: Dela Longfish & Yefim Kligerman.
During certain parts of the game, this figure has been visible to the player in Midgard – extremely large and perhaps intimidating in his size, but ultimately harmless. The Stone Mason’s presence is meant to evoke a sense of wonder or curiosity in the player, and maybe even a ‘what if’ moment imagining the fight between Thamur and Thor as Mimir describes the very encounter that killed the Giant in one of his stories.
Concept art of Thamur scale reference – Artist: Jose Cabrera.
The integration of the colossal frozen body in the fight as both a mechanic and a platform across three phases was exactly the type of wild idea that made it worthy of being in the final fight of the story.
Concept art exploring the look of Freya’s magic possessing Thamur.
Sophos emphasized that when it comes to creating these huge set-piece gameplay moments, they aren’t typically scripted by the Narrative Team from the beginning. In this case, it was Design Team that came up with the idea of using the Stone Mason as part of the fight:
“Any time we approach boss fights from the narrative side, we’re reticent to write huge checks that other departments have to cash. Whenever you put something down on the page as a writer, you know lots of other team members will have to execute on it, so we try to keep the core narrative small and personal while letting Design tell us how big they want to go.
Freya puppeteering the corpse of Thamur didn’t come from us, but when Design said they wanted to do it and have the fight range all over the place (including on top of him), we giddily said, ‘Hell yeah… we’ll make that work.”
Script page from the cinematic where Thamur is possessed by Freya’s magic.
Larger-than-life boss fights are a hallmark of the God of War series, so the team was no stranger to going big and reaching for something they felt would blow players away. However, one new element introduced in God of War (2018) had a profound impact on how those moments were captured – the camera.
The closer placement to Kratos and no-cut technique used throughout the game were essential in achieving the feeling of undergoing an intimate journey with father and son. Whether in cutscenes or combat, you are always close to Kratos, seeing and experiencing what he does.
Erol Oksuz, Lead Camera Designer at Santa Monica Studio, discussed how this approach impacted the reveal of the Giant:
“The credit to selling the scale of Thamur goes to Cinematics, Animation, Art, and Lighting —truly a team effort. In the prior Greek-era games, scale was shown by flying the camera waaaaay out, dwarfing Kratos and the player against creatures and the environment.
However, God of War (2018)’s goal of putting the player and camera on the ground for Kratos and Atreus’ journey created many rules to provide the documentary-inspired experience. Along with ‘no cuts’ was ‘no flying cameras’ — this meant the camera could not simply fly away on its own for extreme long shots. Instead, what replaced it was beautifully crafted choreography that added scale to the experience — the work of those teams still ‘wow’ me.”
“For example, just after Baldur loses his invulnerability, Freya binds him with vines and whips him by the camera. That slight pan and tilt now sets the player up for a classic God of War moment with a small, silhouetted Freya in the mid-ground and massive Thamur rising in the background.
Freya and the Giant are only alone in-frame for a moment before Kratos and Atreus step back into the foreground to remind the player that they’re right in the middle of it too — no need to have cut or flown the camera to any other position.”
Velazquez added that the transition sequence where Thamur grabs Kratos and Atreus in his massive hand also required the team to take extra consideration with the camera:
“One of the hardest challenges was keeping the continuity of the no-cut camera during the part where the Giant grabs Kratos and Atreus and picks them up. We needed to make sure we sold the idea that the hand blotted out all the light and engulfed our heroes without harming them, carrying them across the arena and seamlessly dropped them off somewhere else. This was very challenging from a technical standpoint for sure.”
The inclusion of Thamur affected not only the cinematic moments, but also the camera in combat. The team needed to account for how to best telegraph the Giant’s attacks during these sections with the camera position. For example, during the fight, Thamur slams the ground causing a wave AoE to disperse from the impact while the player is engaged with Baldur. Given the close position the camera already has in combat and the hectic nature of the encounter, Oksuz elaborated on the necessity to adapt for the increased scale:
“The Greek-era games had a camera locked to a general direction, so when a boss would attack, it would pull back to perfectly frame the move as a ‘tell,’ giving the player some time to react. That style of ‘tell’ had to be adapted because players now had full camera control, so we tried to provide as much info the player as possible without affecting their control or focus.”
“After a few iterations with Animation to get Thamur’s hand as low as possible, we also adjusted the camera to pull back further than usual and widened the lens to provide contrast with the normal, close-fight camera. This also opened screen real-estate to show off the ground below going into shadow while increasing the chance to see the Giant’s hand. With the final audio, a build-up of screen-shake, and controller rumble, there was enough there to communicate that something big was about to happen.”
The Stone Mason’s involvement in the scene ends when Atreus calls out to Jörmungandr to help them. The World Serpent obliges, resulting in a massive clash as he bites into the Giant and pushes it back, breaking Freya’s spell.
According to Velazquez, this was a late addition to the game as the team explored different ways to resolve Thamur’s presence. While Kratos and Atreus were motion-captured, the rest of the entire sequence was hand-animated by the talented Dennis Pena (Sr. Staff Animator), who had to balance keeping our heroes in the shot while capturing all the chaos and action around them.
Animation process on the sequence with Jörmungandr attacking Thamur.
Clash between Gods
The final encounter with Baldur features one of the most complex combat sequences in the game. With Kratos and Atreus’ full kits accessible, the team wanted players to feel powerful while making use of all the skills they learned throughout the story.
Denny Yeh, Lead Combat Designer, elaborated on the SMS Combat Team’s philosophy:
“We like to think of end-game fights as a final exam of sorts. Unlike challenge bosses like the Valkyries, which are designed to test pretty much everything, a story boss like Baldur needs to feel more like the greatest hits of mechanics throughout the game. Think of it like a celebration of what you’ve learned, rather than a strict test.”
Baldur is both the first and last encounter in the game, which posed a unique challenge in that this fight had to feel familiar and but also fresh. The Aesir god has an established, unique fighting style that is quite different from his brethren who all use weapons. Velazquez noted:
“Early on we decided for Baldur to not have a weapon due to the idea that someone that does not feel pain would be more reckless and daring when in combat. He would not need a shield to block or a sword to strike because he would rather use his own body as a weapon.”
This posed an interesting question for the team, who had to balance introducing new mechanics, while also maintaining consistency with the character that had been established through several fights already experienced by the player. The answer was partly with the integration of the Stone Mason and Freya as participants. These aren’t always just obstacles to be avoided, but also new tools the player can use to their advantage, Yeh explained:
“Freya herself wasn’t necessarily trying to kill you, more just stop the fight, so a lot of her intervention involved immobilizing you. It just so happens that being immobilized means Baldur can easily punch you in the face!
The cool thing about Freya’s vines is that they can affect both you and Baldur. So, if the player is paying attention, they can dodge it and lure Baldur into it, allowing them to turn the tables.”
On top of Freya’s magic and the screen-wide attacks from Thamur, the other significant element was, of course, Baldur himself:
“With end-game story bosses, we like to come up with mechanics to encourage usage of all your tools. From a combat perspective, this is where Baldur’s ability to absorb fire/ice came in. It allowed us to get the player to switch weapons and showcase a bigger variety of all the cool abilities they’ve unlocked up to that point.”
Animation process of Baldur’s Elemental Burst.
Baldur’s ability to imbue his body with fire and ice along with a new suite of moves were all key factors in keeping players on their toes. Taking point on the fight design was Sr. Staff Combat Designer Loren Bordas, who led the way building an encounter that gave players the opportunity to feel like the God of War while utilizing the full breadth of the tools and knowledge available to them.
“In addition to the overarching trait of absorbing elements, the element that he’s currently channeling changes the properties of all his attacks. This added a fun new twist to moves that the player had already seen before. He also had additional abilities such as throwing elemental projectiles. In the final phase of the fight, Loren and the team mixed and matched all of these attacks into combo sequences to really keep the pressure up.”
Baldur enters his fire phase during the fight.
While some bosses can have a more focused gameplay theme, such as the puzzle-solving element in the Hræzlyr fight that requires the player to utilize lightning sap, for an end-game boss like Baldur, Bordas and the team had to ensure the encounter didn’t make the player feel like their power progression was being invalidated by leaning on non-combat gameplay elements. This meant that the Baldur fight needed to have a good variety of phases and behaviors to make it feel like an epic finale. Yeh elaborated:
“He starts off element-less, allowing you to freestyle with whatever abilities you desire. Then he starts absorbing elements, encouraging you to show off your choice of runic attacks for each weapon.”
“In later phases, Loren and the team added additional enemies into the mix, allowing players who focus on crowd clearing abilities to shine. And then in the final phase, Baldur swapped between the two elements very frequently, adding the pressure of on-demand weapon switching.”
This time it’s personal
In many of the mid-fight sequences, the two gods clash with their fists, despite Kratos having weapons at his disposal. This was a deliberate choice the team made to emphasize the personal, desperate, and violent nature of the final confrontation between Kratos and Baldur. Velazquez offered additional insight:
“Since Baldur did not wield his own weapon, we decided that Kratos should also sheathe his to have more impact. This was in-line with the overall direction to make the combat a closer, more personal experience due to the camera, as well as the specific direction that these moments between Kratos and Baldur should feel like a brutal struggle. This is also why we chose to have Kratos use hands to end Baldur, it is a far more intimate and visceral moment than if he were using weapons.”
As the player, you are drawn close to the action by the camera while Kratos and Baldur trade blow after blow. There are plenty of moments during the fight that are there to make you feel triumphant as Kratos and Atreus work together against the man who came to their home and threatened them without provocation. However, there is also an equally intentional and unavoidable brutality to the encounter that the team included to convey the toll it takes on the characters and the eventual cost of their conflict.
Fighting as one
As Sophos explained, one of the teams’ key goals was to show how close Kratos and Atreus had come over the course of the game, as both a family and fighting unit. As much as the player is intended to feel accomplished and powerful as Kratos during this fight, it is also important for that feeling to extend to Atreus as he demonstrates how far he has come along the way by supporting the player in gameplay and combat moments.
This sequence was the chance to show just how much Atreus changed, from an unsure boy who couldn’t shoot a deer to a confident fighter Kratos could rely upon in battle. Velazquez described these moments:
“There are several sequences that sell the team up between Kratos and Atreus well, like Kratos tossing Atreus in the air to fire arrows, as well as when Kratos jumps off the Stone Mason holding Baldur, with Atreus leaping off after them. “
Animation process on chisel leap sequence.
“However, nothing compares to the moment in which the player must press well-timed prompts as Kratos and Atreus take turns pummeling Baldur. It was such a highlight for us to be able to include some of these moments that really make you feel like a cohesive fighting unit as both father and son.”
Animation process on Kratos and Atreus team-up sequence.
Atreus actively supports Kratos during the encounter by dealing out damage and stun to create opportunities to close in on Baldur, but it is during these cutscenes and QTEs where the team really wanted our boy to shine and give a moment for the player to cheer him on.
Performances to remember
As the climax of the game, this sequence had the monumental task of not only delivering a huge combat set piece, but also offering a conclusion to two of the most prominent storylines outside of Kratos and Atreus.
Though the scene begins with Kratos and Atreus unsure where Freya’s loyalties lie, as soon as they see Baldur’s hostility towards her, the pair immediately move to defend her as tensions rise. At this point in the game, Freya has saved Atreus’ life and been an integral part of our heroes’ journey.
Kratos steps forward to intervene between Baldur and Freya.
Despite knowing all the good she’s done for the pair, Kratos and Atreus’ journey to Helheim shed new light on Baldur’s suffering for the player. We’ve seen first-hand how psychologically scarred his inability to feel has left him. While not excusing his actions, knowing the toll Freya’s spell took on Baldur adds a sorrowful layer of nuance to the encounter that actor Jeremy Davies’ portrayal expertly conveys. Sophos added:
“He brought such pain to a character who, ironically, couldn’t feel it. His performance made it hard to hate Baldur since even the worst things he said had an undercurrent of tragedy to them.”
Another moment of Davies’ exceptional delivery from this scene takes place right after the Mistletoe Arrowhead releases the spell on Baldur, allowing him to feel for the first time in a century. Velazquez discussed the actor’s ability to capture all the emotions running through the character:
“Jeremey did such a fantastic job with Baldur overall but the moment that really stays with me is when the Mistletoe Arrow dispels the spell Freya put on him and he regains the ability to feel once again. He did such a great job of selling that moment and helped the audience have some sympathy for Baldur and his plight.”
Another of many standout performances from the closing cinematic of this sequence is Danielle Bisutti’s portrayal of Freya.
As the Narrative Team stated in their goals for the final encounter of the game, this was never going to be an ending where everyone walked away happy. It is in large-part due to Bisutti’s heart-wrenching performance as Freya that the repercussions of Kratos’ actions had meaningful weight. Curled over the lifeless body of the son she sacrificed everything to keep safe, Freya’s raging grief as she turned from ally to enemy was embodied perfectly through Bisutti’s portrayal. Sophos added this scene was one of the most impactful he witnessed on stage:
“When Danielle Bisutti (Freya) promises retribution for the killing of her son, and slowly builds in intensity until she’s just spitting bile, hate, and grief at Kratos… it’s one of the most powerful moments I’ve ever been a part of.”
“You could hear a pin drop on the performance capture stage. We were all just kind of stunned into silence. I knew based on how much of herself Danielle invests in her performance that she was going to go hard, but DAMN…”
And with that, we hope you’ve enjoyed this look back on the final boss fight in God of War (2018)!
On behalf of everyone who played a part in the creation of this game and all the team here at Santa Monica Studio, we cannot express our gratitude enough to our community for all the support given to us over the last five years. We wouldn’t be here without you!
