Category: PlayStation

Hunters, the time to start your expedition to the Forbidden Lands on PS5 is nearly here! To get ready for the hunt, we’ve got one more trailer to share, giving you a look at the game’s compelling narrative as well as revealing the new Monster Hunter Wilds rendition of “Proof of a Hero.”

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Monster Hunter Wilds aims to deliver a satisfying story campaign from start to finish that puts your hunter in the center of an ecological mystery, all set in the seemingly uncharted Forbidden Lands. As the lead hunter of the Expedition Team’s Avis Unit, you’ll unravel a mysterious quest full of danger, compelling characters, and a fully realized world brings you face to face with a long-forgotten threat. Your hunter, who’s fully voiced for the first time in the series, will perform heroic feats and hunt seemingly unstoppable monsters in the Guild’s quest to bring balance to an unstable ecosystem.

Whether you’re a newcomer looking for a new story adventure to experience or a Monster Hunter series veteran with many hunts under your belt, we hope you’ll enjoy the ride that Monster Hunter Wilds will take you on!

In case you missed it, have one more look at our launch trailer, which gives you a look at the exciting hunts on the horizon. It also shares a peek at the game’s first Free Title Update, which introduces the graceful leviathan Mizutsune to the Forbidden Lands.

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Each of the locales in Monster Hunter Wilds features a powerful apex predator that reigns at the top of the ecosystem. These four monsters, Rey Dau, Uth Duna, Nu Udra, and Jin Dahaad – all brand new to the series – are shaped by the harsh environments around them, and present unique challenges for hunters. 

The game’s flagship monster with chain-like appendages, Arkveld, plays a vital role in the game’s story. Although some of you have already hunted Arkveld in the second Open Beta Test, there’s still plenty more to discover and learn about the monster they call “The White Wraith.”

It wouldn’t be a Monster Hunter game without the return of some series favorites. Expect to take on monsters from the series history, all of which have new behavior and twists in the vast and unique world of Monster Hunter Wilds. If you’re a veteran, we hope these encounters find a way to keep you on your toes!

Experience the most refined action in the Monster Hunter series to date, with a new Focus Mode that adds further depth to each weapon and allows you to aim and reposition your attacks, letting you set up devastating Focus Strikes to destroy wounds on monsters. It’s all set in a truly seamless world across multiple locales that are bigger than any in series history, and where loading screens are kept to a minimum.

To traverse this world, hop on the back of your trusty Seikret mount. Its ability to quickly navigate perilous terrain, avoid monster attacks, and store helpful items and even a second weapon you can switch to, will all prove key to your hunts in the Forbidden Lands. 

And of course, there’s a compelling cast of characters to meet, from your handler, Alma, the smithy, Gemma, the mysterious young boy Nata, and more, we hope you look forward to meeting your fellow members the Forbidden Lands Expedition Team, all with their distinct personalities, backstories, and motivations for embarking on this quest. 

If you’ve played the recent Open Beta Test, thanks for joining the hunt! The team has been working hard on the final game to implement adjustments and improvements based on your feedback. The full version of Monster Hunter Wilds features adjustments to hitstop to make your attacks feel more impactful, significant changes to weapons – like bringing back the Insect Glaive’s Vaulting Dance – improvements to performance, and much more.

Speaking of performance, in the full game, Hunters on PS5 can choose from three graphical modes: Prioritize Resolution at 30 FPS, Balanced mode at 40 FPS – great for players with displays capable of outputting 120hz, and a Prioritize Framerate mode which delivers smooth gameplay at 60 FPS.

If you’re looking to get even more immersed into Monster Hunter Wilds, we’re happy to share that the game will be PS5 Pro enhanced, leveraging the system’s advanced Ray Tracing capabilities and PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) for improved visuals and performance. Prioritize Resolution and Balanced mode display visuals with raytracing at 30 FPS and 40 FPS respectively, while Prioritize Framerate delivers smooth gameplay at 60 FPS. All three modes benefit from PSSR with improved image quality, so choose the one that meets your preference!

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With 20 years of Monster Hunter behind us, we want to share our thanks to our partners at PlayStation, and you: the PlayStation community! With the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28, we mark the start of a new beginning. And launch doesn’t signal the end, as the hunt will continue to evolve with new free content on the way. 

We can’t wait to embark on this journey with you all. We hope you enjoy exploring everything the Forbidden Lands has to offer.

See you in the Wilds and happy hunting!

Online multiplayer in the full version requires a PlayStation Plus subscription. Broadband Internet access is required.

Hey everyone, this is Mike Tucker, design director and programmer at Bitmap Bureau. On behalf of our team, we’re thrilled to reveal Terminator 2D: No Fate, an officially licensed 2D action side-scroller is launching September 5 on PS5 and PS4!

Our team poured its passion into crafting adrenaline-fueled arcade gameplay and stunning pixel art—the very elements that make games special to us. As our first licensed game, we wanted to do justice to the Terminator 2 legacy.

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I feel Terminator 2D: No Fate is a love letter to ‘80s/‘90s arcade games, and my mission was to create the T2 side-scroller we should have had in our youth. Players control Sarah Connor, John Connor, and the T-800 in arcade-style missions that retell Terminator 2: Judgment Day while expanding its narrative.

Sarah Connor

Our team are massive fans of the film—especially Sarah Connor, one of the greatest action heroes of all time. We knew playing as her would be special, so we worked hard to make her playstyle feel authentic. Sarah is agile and reactive, mirroring her paranoia and intense training. She excels in melee combat, sliding into enemies for direct attacks, reflecting her fearlessness. We also gave her a laser sight, inspired by the iconic Miles Dyson scene. It locks the player in place but significantly boosts damage.

John Connor

One of the most exciting parts of development was designing the Future War missions, where players control an adult John Connor leading the Resistance. Since T2 only gives glimpses of John’s leadership, we had fun expanding his lore. His gameplay emphasizes strategic mid-to-long-range combat, using a plasma rifle, pipe bombs, and three ammo types. He’s less agile than Sarah but can execute a tactical roll to evade attacks.

T-800

Few characters in cinema match the sheer presence of the T-800. We made him move deliberately to emphasize his weight and power, most evident in his devastating shoulder barge. He compensates for slower speed with high durability, taking significant damage before going down. The T-800’s segments were a blast to create, especially recreating iconic moments like the Corral bar brawl and the motorcycle escape from the T-1000 in a 2D arcade style.

T-1000

Of course, the T-1000 is one of the most legendary villains of all time. Robert Patrick’s unforgettable performance—his slow, intimidating walk and relentless sprint—was crucial for us to capture. Bringing his liquid metal abilities to life in pixel art was a real challenge, but our animators nailed his menace. Players will feel it when they face him in-game.

Working on a title connected to such a revered film has been a huge honor. Terminator 2’s characters are among the most beloved in cinema, and we hope players enjoy playing them as much as we enjoyed bringing them to life.

Terminator 2D: No Fate launches on PS5 and PS4 September 5.

Welcome back to the Midnight Murder Club. Here at Velan Studios, we’ve been toiling away in the shadowy halls of Wormwood Manor, coming up with fresh, new ways for you to hunt your friends in the darkness. We’ve got a new game mode to announce and a new way to get your friends in on the fighting!

Midnight Murder Club is a first-person shooter/party game where you and five friends hunt each other in the pitch-black rooms of the mysterious Wormwood Manor.* Armed with only a revolver and a flashlight, search the shadows for every flicker of light and every bump in the night as you stalk your prey. The tension turns to hilarity as you discover just how tricky it is to navigate and shoot in complete darkness! You sprint toward your friends’ shouting voices echoing through the mansion, only to bump into someone else hiding in a dark corner! Shots ring out, luring the other hunters to your location. Every flash of light is the promise of a deadly firefight. 

New game mode: Wildcards

On top of the existing Free for All, Thief in the Night, Team Deathmatch, and Headhunters modes, we’re excited to introduce a new mode that lets you break the rules like never before! In the new Wildcards game mode, players play cards from their collection that change the rules for everyone in-game in wild new ways. From hijacking the toys that appear in vendors, to giving everyone super speed, to exploding into flames when you die—use these cards to show your wild side. Then, when the dust settles and the match is over you’ll be gifted new cards to add to your collection, giving you even more ways to change the game. In the new Wildcards game mode, it looks like chaos is in the cards!

Play at no additional cost with the Midnight Murder Club Guest Pass Edition

We know that playing with friends is the best way to play any game and with the Midnight Murder Club Guest Pass Edition, it’s easier than ever. Midnight Murder Club Guest Pass Edition allows your friends to join your game and play for no additional cost!

To put it simply: If one person buys the game, they can invite up to five Guest Pass Edition players to play together for no additional cost in public or private matches, in all current game modes, as much as you want.

We’re really excited about the Guest Pass Edition because Midnight Murder Club is a great party game to play with friends. Now players can simply invite their friends into the club and let the mayhem begin. 

Burning the midnight oil

To sum it up, we’re adding the new Wildcards game mode and introducing a new way to play with friends with the Guest Pass Edition. That’s a lot of new development work! Because of that, we’re going to need a little more time, so we’re pushing our Early Access launch date to March 13^th, 2025. The full version of the game will be available in Early Access for $19.99 (or equivalent in your region), and the Guest Pass Edition will be launching on the same day for no additional cost.

As a member of the Midnight Murder Club, your opinion on the direction the club should go matters! We’re determined to evolve this game with the community as we continue developing through Early Access. We want your opinions and ideas, which will help shape our roadmap (which we’ll be sharing before launch!).

With these major changes and much more to come, we can’t wait to dive back into the darkness and haunt the hallowed halls of the Wormwood Manor with you. Prepare yourselves for Midnight Murder Club coming to Early Access on PS5 and Steam on March 13.

See you in the shadows!

*Account for PlayStation Network and internet connection required. Paid for PlayStation Plus membership (sold separately) required on PS5. PlayStation Plus membership subject to recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/psplus-usageterms.

Gran Turismo players! Update 1.56* for Gran Turismo 7 is available as of today, Wednesday, February 26 at 10:00pm PT / February 27  at 6:00am GMT / 3:00pm JST.

*Internet connection and Gran Turismo 7 game required for update.

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3 new cars added this month

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BMW Z4 3.0i ‘03
(Can be purchased from Brand Central / Used Cars)

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An elegant convertible hides an inline-6 engine under its elongated bonnet.

At the 2002 Paris Motor Show, the Z4 debuted as a convertible sportscar, replacing the Z3. Initially the engine lineup included a 2.5 L and 3 L inline-6, a step up in class in comparison to the Z3 which started out with only a 4- cylinder engine. The styling strongly reflected the unique style of Chris Bangle, the chief designer of BMW. The flowing lines and the z-shaped press line in front of the doors are prominent features that identify the car. As the chassis and body were a new development from the platform level, optimum front/rear weight distribution was achieved, at 50.3 to 49.7 respectively. It is also amazing that in comparison to the Z3, twisting rigidity is three times as high, while the weight is 25 kg lighter. The basic format of the suspension – utilizing struts in the front and multi-links in the rear – is inherited from the 3 series at the time (E46), and it is said that this was because testing was already completed in this regard and it would facilitate smoother development of the model. No corners were cut in featuring the latest technologies from the company research labs, including BMW’s first electric power steering, DTC – a supplementary feature of the traction control – and DDC, which changes the steering feel and throttle relationship in sports mode and normal driving. The transmission was made available in MT, AT, and a semi-AT called the SMG. In the same manner as the Z3, it is manufactured at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, United States. The motorsport competition version of this model is active in several races such as the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

Mercedes-Benz Unimog Type 411 ’62
(Can be purchased from Legend Cars)

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The byword for multipurpose high mobility vehicles.

The Unimog is a commercial truck produced and sold by Daimler Truck. With its ladder frame construction and robust all-wheel drive system, the Unimog became a popular choice across a wide range of fields such as agriculture, slow ploughing, cleaning, high altitude work, disaster response, logistics, railways, airports, mining, construction, and many others. Its long history and performance record cemented its reputation as the go-to multipurpose truck. The history of the Unimog began in 1945, when the former head of Daimler-Benz aircraft engine production, Albert Friedrich, began drawing up plans for a ‘universally applicable motorised machine for agriculture’. Even at this early stage, it was already being designed as a multi-purpose vehicle, able to change between a number of different tasks by simply changing the attachments. This rational and economical concept lead to over 70 years of support from users. Full-scale production started in 1948. It was originally built by machine tool manufacturer Boehringer, but all production moved over to Daimler-Benz in 1950 where it was modified for mass-production. In 1953, the new 401/402 series core models arrived. The 411 series was the next model after, released in 1956. It was a developmental upgrade featuring a more powerful engine and a reinforced chassis. The line-up featured three different wheelbases and several body types for a total of 12 different models which could be further modified to fit the purpose of use through utilizing various attachments.

Peugeot 205 GTI ‘88
(Can be purchased from Used Cars)

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A masterpiece hot hatch from France that became a rally legend.

In 1983, after being in production for over 15 years, the Peugeot 104 handed over the compact hatchback position in the line-up to the new 205 model. The body of the 205, with its transverse engine, was designed by Peugeot’s in-house design team and soon became a best seller thanks to its modern looks and comfortable interior. The story of the 205 doesn’t end there though. At the debut of the 205, Peugeot also announced the 205 Turbo 16 for competition in the World Rally Championship’s Group B category which was running at the time. Peugeot concluded that they also needed a sports-grade model to embody the prowess of the 205 Turbo 16. This led them to the creation of a hot hatch known as the 205 GTI. The greatest attraction of the 205 GTI is its high-powered engine. Though just 3.7 m long and weighing 900 kg, this compact car features a high-revving 1.6L SOHC engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. In 1986, the engine displacement was further increased from 1.6L to 1.9L to produce 128.2 BHP. It also features an excellent suspension setup with struts on the front wheels and trailing arms on the rear wheels. On winding roads, it displays a high level of performance that rivals even the ‘king’ of hot hatches, the Golf GTI.

Brand Central / Mazda

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A new base color has been added for the MAZDA 3 Gr.4, which is currently available for purchase from the Mazda showroom.

Café / Extra Menus

The following Menu has been added to the Extra Menus section:

• Extra Menu No. 44: Peugeot (Collector Level 36 and above)

World Circuits (Event)

The following new events have been added to World Circuits:

• Sunday Cup Classic: Red Bull Ring Short Track
• European Sunday Cup 400: Grand Valley – South Reverse
• European FR Challenge 550: Autodrome Lago Maggiore – East

Gran Turismo Sophy

The next-generation racing AI agent, Gran Turismo Sophy is now available on the following courses. Look for the GT Sophy icon in the Quick Race menu on each track to test your skills against Sophy.

Autodromo Nazionale Monza

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Sardegna – Road Track – B

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Scapes

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Panning has been added as a featured curation in Scapes.

Hey, everyone! At Annapurna Interactive, we’re fortunate to work with some of the world’s best development teams around the world, supporting them to help bring unique game experiences to PlayStation. Today, we premiere a new Annapurna Showcase, highlighting some of these teams, sharing exciting news and updates about previously announced games that are coming very soon.

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Sayonara Wild Hearts

The critically-acclaimed rhythm game Sayonara Wild Hearts is coming to PlayStation 5 today. Experience a brand-new PS5 exclusive Remix Arcade game mode chasing high scores in endlessly replayable levels set to a selection of songs from the game’s iconic soundtrack.

Sayonara Wild Hearts also features upgraded 4K visuals, runs at up to 120 FPS, and supports haptic feedback on PS5. Those who own the game on PlayStation 4 can upgrade their copy to the PlayStation 5 version for free as long as both platforms are linked to the same account.

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Lushfoil Photography Sim

Explore diverse landscapes, play with camera settings, and capture the perfect shot in Lushfoil Photography Sim.

Featuring breathtaking locations, from the picturesque Italian countryside to the saltwater beaches of West Australia, Lushfoil Photography Sim delivers the premier digital photography experience, ramping up your favorite in-game photo modes to 11.

We’re excited for PlayStation players to experience the delight of travel photography when the game launches April 15, 2025 on PlayStation 5.

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To a T

Led by esteemed Katamari Damancy creator Keita Takahashi, to a T is a charming, colorful adventure game about a teen navigating life in a small town with their cute dog companion.

Play as a teenager (Teen), with a unique posture just trying to live a normal life in a small coastal town. Explore the town along with the help of Teen’s loyal dog and loving mother. While going to school and contending with bullies, Teen discovers a new ability granted to them by their extraordinary posture, as they start to uncover more about their mysterious lineage.

PlayStation players can be charmed and delighted on May 28 when To a T launches on PlayStation 5. The latest trailer for the game features an original track, “The Giraffe Song,” performed by Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe, Adventure Time).

Wheel World

Wheel World is a single-player bicycle racing adventure where you’re tasked with preventing the world from collapsing.

You are Kat, a young cyclist with one mission: save Wheel World from total collapse. Explore a stunning world filled with impressive vistas, hidden secrets, and races that will test your skills. Customize your bike with an endless array of parts, from sleek speedsters to off-road beasts—there’s no limit to how you can ride.

Customize your ride, explore, and compete in this cycling journey  with original music from the electronic music label Italians Do It Better when it launches this summer on PlayStation 5.

That’s all for the Annapurna Interactive Showcase 2025. We hope you are just as excited about the upcoming releases as we are. We can’t wait to get these games in your hands but for now make sure to follow and wishlist the games on the PlayStation Store to be among the first to receive the latest updates. From all of us at Annapurna, as well as our developer partners – thank you so much for joining us.

Last week, we asked you to climb into Lara Croft’s shoes in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered and share epic moments using  #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

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call_me_xavii shares a close up shot of Lara with sunglasses on.

DopeAFD shares Lara standing in front of a tomb entrance flanked by statues

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Maurice_II shares Lara contemplating crossing lava.

call_me_xavii shares Lara crossing a rope highlighted by a helicopter spotlight

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Maurice_II shares Lara leaping towards an enemy with guns drawn

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: Pirates
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 26, 2025 

Next week, we’re hitting the high seas. Share swashbuckling moments with pirates from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

SEGA is gearing up for the February 21st release of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii on PlayStation^®4, PlayStation^®5!

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii places Goro Majima as the sole main character of the story set after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Set on the tropical waters and islands of Hawaii, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii offers an unpredictable assortment of high seas thrills. Sail aboard the Goromaru and enjoy hot-blooded battles, a treasure trove of minigames.

Meet a charismatic cast of new characters, brought to life by star-studded actors, including First Summer Uika, Kenji Matsuda, Munetaka Aoki, Ryuji Akiyama, Ayumi Tanida, and Shunsuke Daitoh!

Story

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After losing his memory, Goro Majima, a once-feared legend in the yakuza world, sets sail in search of treasure.

Half a year after teaming up with Kiryu for a massive battle in the Millenium Tower, Goro Majima washes up with the wreckage of a boat on the shore of a remote, sparsely populated island. With no memories—not even his own name—Majima joins forces with Noah, the young islander who saved his life, and embarks on a search for clues to his forgotten past. However, what waits for them is a powder-keg world where scoundrels vie for a legendary treasure.

Push Combat to the Extreme with Two Battle Style

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In addition to his signature Mad Dog style, which is all about speed, Majima can also use his Sea Dog style to wield a cutlass and other buccaneer gear.

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With his Mad Dog style, Majima blends together a combination of punches, kicks, and knife strokes to make quick work of his enemies.

Additionally, you can swap to Sea Dog style, a swashbuckling fighting style befitting a pirate at sea. With a pair of cutlasses and three sidearms at his disposal, Majima can easily make shark bait of his enemies.

Using the Madness Gauge, Majima can summon dark deities capable of turning the tides of battle. Conjuring them requires treasures known as Dark Instruments, which you’ll need to plunder from the ships of defeated rival pirate crews.

Pirate Battles

The game takes place on and around the islands of Hawaii, where different motives collide. As you sail across the Pacific, foster bonds with your maties and battle against the scoundrels that roam the high seas!

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Captain the Goromaru as you explore the vast ocean! During your voyages, you’ll discover lighthouses, treasure islands, and various other locations. However, don’t forget to ready your cannons, as you may have to go to pirate battle with the dangerous marauders that lurk in wait!

Maneuver around enemy bombardments and send volleys of cannonballs into their ship’s hull! Once it has taken enough damage, board their ship with your crew and brawl it out to secure victory!

To really kick ass in pirate battles, you’ll need to modify your ship, strategically deploy your forces, and power up your crew! Meet over 100 recruitable seafarers and modify your ship with options that range from different designs and decorations to armor and stronger cannons!

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Minigames

You can also have fun with Karaoke, Dragon Kart, Outfits, and many other activities!

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Product Information:

Hello everyone, I’m Yonghe Wang – Creative Director at Pollard Studios and today I am very excited to announce on behalf of my team and our publisher Wired Productions that Karma: The Dark World will be launching on PlayStation 5 on March 27. The game will also support PS5 Pro enhancements.

To celebrate, we thought we would share a breakdown of how the team is making the most of the PS5 Pro features to enhance the games visuals and performance – and to share the second in a trilogy of trailers – showcasing some of the surreal environments and characters in the game hinting at their relationship to you – the player. Please Enjoy!

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What Is Karma: The Dark World?

Karma: The Dark World is a first-person cinematic psychological thriller which takes place in a cassette future alternate timeline set after World War II. In our game, a company known as Leviathan obtained unfathomable technology that allowed them to wrestle Eastern Germany under their control, installing a regime that oppresses the citizens and places productivity and obedience as gospel.

They achieve this through a variety of means, from mass surveillance and mind-altering substances, to their secret organization of Nightcrawlers, special ROAM Agents who have the authority to investigate crime scenes and arrest citizens for interrogation and for Mind Dives – a special technology that allows them to dive into the memories of their subjects, and inhabit their memories, living and interacting with the events in their memories as they seek out the truth – dealing with the horrors of peoples pasts and twisted interpretations of emotions, guilt, and trauma from their harshest experiences.

You play Daniel McGovern, a ROAM agent tasked with investigating a theft at one of the Leviathan scientific institutes, and a job that leads to much greater investigation into love, humanity, empathy, and the complexities of morality.

Creating the Dark World

I believe creation is a profound dialogue with the human soul, transcending books or films to encompass real-life experiences and emotions. We focus on integrating philosophical reflection into game design, as reflected in the title of this work. The relationship between cause and effect is interlinked, with each moment, character connection, event, and more spirally constructing the entire world.

Through Karma, we aim to break the boundaries of traditional storytelling, crafting an experience that entertains while provoking thought. It is not just a virtual journey but a mirror to reality, urging players to seek their own answers within the game.

Our team employ stark contrasts in lighting and bold color palettes, aiming to immerse players in an experience that merges realism with surrealism—inspired by the vibes of games from Remedy (Alan Wake, Control) and the abstract nature of visual storytelling found within the works of the late, great David Lynch (Twin Peaks, Fire Walk With Me, Eraserhead) whose artistry profoundly influenced our game development, inspiring us to pay tribute to and learn from his works. At the core of our creation is a pursuit of a unique experiential quality—something hauntingly beautiful that lingers even after closing one’s eyes, and an effort to blur the boundaries between reality and illusion.

Within the game, we pay homage to Mr. David Lynch, and we hope players will cherish this journey.

The power of PS5 Pro

During development we had the opportunity to start utilizing the PS5 Pro kit, and further enhance the visuals and performance of the world that we have created. We’d like to take a moment to share with you the features that PS5 Pro players can look forward to – as well as some exclusive environmental footage captured directly from a PlayStation 5 Pro.

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PSSR integration

Our game fully leverages PlayStation’s Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) technology, delivering:

• Superior image quality with advanced reconstruction techniques
• Enhanced edge definition and texture clarity
• Minimal performance overhead while maintaining visual fidelity
• Improved detail preservation in motion

Performance metrics

Through careful optimization, we’ve achieved:

• Native 4K resolution (3840×2160)
• Rock-solid 60 FPS performance
• Consistent frame pacing for smooth gameplay
• Enhanced texture streaming utilizing PS5 Pro’s increased memory bandwidth

Visual enhancements

The PS5 Pro version delivers:

• Higher quality texture filtering
• Enhanced volumetric effects
• Improved distance rendering
• Superior temporal stability

Technical Infrastructure

Our implementation takes full advantage of PS5 Pro’s hardware capabilities:

• Optimized memory utilization
• Enhanced shader processing
• Improved asset streaming
• Advanced post-processing effects

I hope you’ve enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look into how we crafted the visual design of Karma. Whether you are playing on PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro – we promise this is a story that will stay with you for a long time.

Karma: The Dark World launches on PlayStation 5 on March 27. And we are excited for you to step into the shoes of a ROAM agent – but remember… the mind is a dangerous place.

Hello! I’m Oli, the game director at Kaizen Game Works, the creators of Paradise Killer. I’m thrilled to announce that the playable demo for our new open world mascot management crime drama, Promise Mascot Agency, is out today on PS5!

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We’ve spent a long time working on this game, and the whole team is excited for PlayStation players to get their hands on it. Let me kick it to you straight; the PS5 rules. All of us at Kaizen primarily play on PlayStation, and we all grew up with the original PlayStation, PS2, PS3 and PS4. I collect PlayStation and PS2 games, and that era directly influenced the design of Promise Mascot Agency.

I love PS2 games where you Hangout And Do Stuff. Have you ever played Way of the Samurai, Raw Danger, Boku No Natsuyasumi and Steambot Chronicles? You should! You can really chill in those games, meet interesting characters, make important choices and explore at your leisure. That’s the kind of game we wanted to make; a fun world with mysteries, weirdos, secrets, good gameplay friction and immaculate vibes.

Take control of the exiled yakuza lieutenant Michi, and team up with the chaos goblin Pinky to save a bankrupt mascot agency and solve the underworld conspiracy that got Michi sent to a cursed town on the coast of Japan. In this game, mascots are living creatures and the town of Kaso-Machi is filled with misfits that can’t find work anywhere else. Michi is going to need to build a new family of mascots and help them achieve their dreams, so he can save the business and his yakuza family back home.

Kaso-Machi is a town living under a supernatural curse. The mountain in the centre of the island is a playground for spirits and gods. The town is steeped in superstition and occult stories. Michi is able to try to solve the mystery behind ghost sightings, escaped sin talismans and the mythical Tsuchinoko creature. However, his time in town might be limited; the curse that hangs over the town kills any yakuza that come to visit. Can Michi save the mascot agency and solve a conspiracy before the curse rots his body?

We started this project four years ago, collaborating with Ikumi Nakamura and Mai Mattori to design the characters and world. We have blended the Kaizen style with Nakamura-san’s style to create a bizarre, nostalgic, unique game. We’re a western company, so we have worked with Japanese artists, musicians and creatives to bring our world to life and fill it with authenticity. Often we provide very little creative direction, allowing our team members to craft something that is authentic and meaningful to them. This has filled the game with lots of different influences and lived experiences.

We recently unveiled some of our voice actors including the voice of Kiryu Kazuma, Takaya Kuroda as Michi. We never expected to be able to include voice acting, and we CERTAINLY didn’t expect Kuroda-san to just turn up to the audition like it wasn’t a big deal. He teams up with Ayano Shibuya as Pinky to create a buddy-cop dynamic between Michi and Pinky. The game features many great voice actors, along with the first voice acting roles for Shuhei Yoshida and SWERY.

We’re a small team and it has taken everything we have to make a big, silly, generous, bizarre 20 hour open world RPG. We’re so happy to share it with you all. We hope you enjoy the demo (and the DualSense controller haptics, adaptive triggers and speaker features) on PS5. We’ll have more to share about the full release date soon. Now, get out there, keep promises and achieve dreams!

Grab the demo on the PlayStation Store today!