Saturday, May 1, 2021

PlayStation.Blog

PlayStation.Blog


Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 396: Where To Begin

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 10:25 AM PDT


Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here


The gang’s all here with early thoughts on Returnal and Resident Evil Village. Plus, we play an inaugural game of Box Art Trivia.

Stuff We Talked About

  • Resident Evil Village
  • Returnal
  • Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition
  • Disco Elysium
  • Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

The Cast

Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE

Tim Turi –  Manager, Content Communications, SIE

Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE

Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, 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.]

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Apex Legends Legacy update: A look at 3v3 Arena mode, the highflying Valkyrie, and more

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 10:15 AM PDT

Respawn Entertainment has much in store for fans with the Apex Legends Legacy update, coming to the free-to-play battle royale on May 4. We've got the lowdown on a new round-based 3v3 mode called Arena, a jetpack-equipped Legend named Valkyrie, the Bocek Compound Bow, as well as an update to the Olympus map. 

Apex Legends Legacy update: A look at 3v3 Arena mode, the highflying Valkyrie, and more

A close look at the Legacy update: Trails of Heroes

The new Arena Mode

In this new 3v3 mode, players compete against each other on a close-quarters map.

How it works

Each round is decided by eliminating the enemy team (of course), with the final victory decided by winning at least three rounds and gaining a margin of victory of at least two rounds. Sudden death decides the final winner on the 9th round when both teams are deadlocked at four wins each. That means that each game has a minimum of three rounds and a maximum of nine.

Buying Phase

Each round begins with a buying phase, which lets players arm themselves with weapons, consumables such as healing items, projectiles, and even abilities — just make sure you have the materials to pay for it. Get ready for a big departure from dropping into the map and collecting gear as you go.

Weapons start out in their basic form with no add-ons, and by purchasing additional upgrades, you can go up from level 1 to level 3 and add a scope of your choice. However, weapons cannot be carried over to the next round, and must be repurchased with each buying phase.

You'll only be allowed to use Tactical Abilities and Ultimate Abilities in each round. Tactical Abilities start with a limited number of rounds, but you can stock up on more charges during the buying phase. Unspent abilities carry over to the next round.

Materials required for purchase are provided as round bonuses, and can also be earned by extracting them from devices or by killing enemies. The round bonus also increases as the fight progresses, giving you more options for more powerful weapons, upgrades, and ability charges.

The choices you make in the buying phase play a huge role in overall strategy. In the first round, you only have enough materials to buy your best weapon type and one recovery (you start equipped with armor and helmets). The more you earn in round bonuses, the more you can buy as the game progresses. You can upgrade your weapons, add attachments, recharge your abilities, and make more choices. In the final rounds of the game, both teams will be well-equipped for an epic, high-level battle.

Maps in Arena Mode

Arena maps are small, but like Battle Royale, the ring closes at regular intervals and constricts the battlefield. Supply boxes are scattered around the map containing recovery items and supplies. Combat takes place in a rotation of locales, including the new Party Crusher and Phase Runner maps developed specifically for this mode.

Party Crusher

Party Crusher is a versatile map designed for all types of battles, as you fight for a corner of the Mirage Voyage or Bonsai Plaza.

Phase Runner

The Phase Runner map will have the same portal features found in Olympus. Phase Runner focuses on medium to long range combat, where players can fight from either the construction site or the entrance/exit of the map.

In addition to the new maps, there will also be custom locations for existing battle royale maps, such as the Turret in Kings Canyon, the Thermal Power Plant in World's Edge, and the Garden in Olympus.

New Legend: Valkyrie

The latest legend, Valkyrie, is the daughter of Viper, the famed Titan pilot from Titanfall 2. Valkyrie’s jetpack, reconstructed from the wreckage of Viper’s Northstar Titan, gives her the ability to temporarily fly over the battlefield and rain down a barrage of missiles. When danger abounds, she can use her Ultimate Ability to quickly retreat into the sky, and if an ally on her team grabs her, she can carry them up into the air with her.

VTOL Jet

Activate the jetpack in mid-air and spend the energy gauge to fly. You won't be able to shoot while the jets are activated, but you can open fire while letting off the gas.

Missile Swarm

This ability fires multiple small rockets in a specified area, dealing damage and stunning enemies. Missile Swarm can also be activated while the VTOL jet is in flight. Bombarding an area deals less damage than you might expect. On the other hand, it does stun enemies hit by it for a short period of time, so it could be used to support your allies.

Skyward Dive

Two teammates can accompany Valkyrie on the Skyward Dive by approaching her while preparing to fire and performing an action. This maneuver also lets you quickly spot your enemies' positions. 

After ascending with the Skyward Dive Ultimate Ability, enemies caught in view during the skydive will automatically be marked and shared with your allies. Although you can’t see beyond shields, the ability to mark enemies as soon as you see them is powerful.

A Note from Respawn

Lead game designer Daniel Klein says Valkyrie’s ability to fly with a jetpack is both exciting and effective. But the big question is how to keep matches balanced. Respawn has accounted for that. First of all, you can’t fly forever; if you run out of energy, you will plummet. And the jetpack is so loud that it may expose Valkyrie to nearby enemies. Guns and grenades also aren't usable while Valkyrie is in jet flight. All these adjustments were made to keep the game fair. Respawn recommends flying somewhat erratically when playing Valkyrie, to make yourself a harder target mid flight. 

Bocek Compound Bow

The new Bocek Bow is a powerful and deadly Marksman Weapon from medium range. It's capable of precision shooting and uses a new type of arrow ammunition. As with all bows, damage is increased by drawing back the arrow and timing the shot. Reloading isn't a worry with the bow, as you can keep firing until your arrow reserves run dry. Ejected arrows can also be retrieved.

The Bocek Bow has two hop-up slots that can be used in different ways. The Deadeye’s Tempo increases the speed of the bow if you time your shot perfectly. The Shutter Cap spreads the arrows like a shotgun.

Update on Olympus

Olympus, a map introduced in Season 7, gets an update with the Legacy update. The Icarus, a suspicious ship that entered the atmosphere of the planet Psamathe from outside the realm, has docked at Olympus along with an unidentified parasitic plant. The landscape, infested with giant roots at the point of descent, provides players with a new gameplay experience throughout the map. Massive vines wrap around entire buildings, creating new paths and vantage points.

Inside the ship, you will also find the bodies of the fallen scientists. Search them to find keycards, which will unlock top-grade loot hidden in the Icarus.

Get Ready for Legacy 

Valkyrie takes flight, along with Arena Mode, the Bocek Bow, and more when the Apex Legends Legacy update launches May 4. 

Share of the Week: Days Gone – Second Anniversary

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 09:00 AM PDT

Earlier this week, Days Gone turned two! To celebrate, we asked you to share your favorite moments riding alongside Deacon using #PSShare #PSBlog. From portraits of Freakers to Deacon's looking endlessly cool on his bike, here are this week's highlights: 

SindyJ_B shared Deacon riding off into a gorgeous mountainside view.

justinphotomode captured Deacon up close and personal.

Unhappyclappy1 shared Deacon riding through that Pacific Northwest weather.

makfi78 shares a detailed portrait of a snarling Freaker.

MostlyVp captured a Freaker bear sneaking up behind Deacon.

thiagofm33 could resist doing some donuts on Deacon's bike.

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: Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition

SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on May 5

Next week, Aloy takes the spotlight to celebrate Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition being available as part of the Play At Home program. Share your best moments fighting machines and exploring Aloy's world using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.


Want to share more of your epic photo mode moments? U.S. players can enter the Red Bull Capture Point competition* for the chance to win some thrilling prizes. See full details at redbull.com/capturepoint.

*Red Bull Capture Point Official Contest Rules:

THIS IS A SKILL CONTEST. MUST HAVE ACCESS TO PS4/5 CONSOLE, PLAYSTATION™NETWORK, TWITTER® ACCOUNT, AND THE PARTICIPATING GAME(S). Starts February 1, 2021, ends May 21, 2021. Open to legal US residents, 18+. To enter, capture in-game image and share on Twitter with #RedBullCapturePoint and #contest. All entries must be submitted by May 2, 2021. Limit: 18 entries per person. For prize categories, judging information, restrictions, and Official Rules: redbull.com/capturepoint. Sponsor: Red Bull North America, Inc., 1740 Stewart St., Santa Monica, CA 90404.

Test your skills and reflexes in the brand new Sackboy: A Big Adventure Knit-Speedrun Challenge

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 08:30 AM PDT

Salutations, fearless daredevils! Starting May 1, you're invited to compete in the new Sackboy: A Big Adventure PlayStation Tournaments series on PS5. The Sackboy Knit-Speedrun Challenge is part of a new PlayStation Tournaments series that is available through the PS5 Challenge activity cards in the title's Game Hub area.

Test your skills and reflexes in the brand new Sackboy: A Big Adventure Knit-Speedrun Challenge

A total of five never-before-seen monthly obstacle courses will be available every other month starting this May until January 2022, where you'll need to navigate through the obstacle courses as quickly as possible, setting the fastest times you can to climb the leaderboards. We'll track your progress in online leaderboards so you can also see how your friends are doing.

Additionally, if you reside in the following countries or territories, you'll have a chance to win exclusive in-game prizes throughout the whole challenge:

Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, the UK, Ukraine, United States of America, and Uruguay.

Prize Tiers are split into five categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond.

  • Bronze: collectibles for everyone who takes part.
  • Silver: a costume piece for the top 50% of entrants.
  • Gold: a costume piece for the top 30%.
  • Platinum: a costume piece for the top 15%.
  • Diamond: a costume piece for the elite 5%.

You'll earn prizes from your current tier, and from every tier below at the end of each of the five trials. See if you can collect all the different costume pieces from each trial and create all-new outfits for Sackboy!

See the Challenges activity cards in the PS5 Game Hub, or the Knitted Knight Trials in-game to take part. Good luck! Check out this Competition Center page for more details: http://playst.cc/sackboy-challenge

Need more competition? Check out our lineup of Open Series monthly tournaments on PS4 at the Competition Center – the home of all PlayStation competitive gaming content. The tournaments are open to all eligible participants in participating countries.

* PSN Account, internet, access to PS5 console and compatible copy of Sackboy: A Big Adventure required to play. Must be 18+ and resident of an eligible country to compete for prizes. Starts May 1, 2021 – Ends Jan 31, 2022. Void where prohibited.  See full rules: http://playst.cc/sackboy-rules

No comments:

Post a Comment

How Healthy Is This Weight Loss Health Food Writer? You Might Want To Listen To This Old Guy…

I recommend eating the way I do, but very few will do it. Too strict. Probably l...