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God of War: Ascension PS Plus beta takes a stab at January 8 launch
That PlayStation Plus-exclusive multiplayer beta for God of War: Ascension has been dated for January 8. Those who participated in the Rise of the Warrior social game and were on the winning Spartan team for the game's first team challenge can check out the beta starting today. Losers on the Trojan team can check out the beta starting on December 16.The multiplayer beta for God of War: Ascension is composed of two modes: team Favor of the Gods and free-for-all Favor of the Gods. These modes task teams and individuals with reaching a certain requisite number of points, "earning points via kills, bonus brutal kills, opening chests, capturing domination points, and, if you're skillful enough, performing executions using the Spear of Olympus," the PlayStation Blog reports. The map featured in the beta will be the Desert of Lost Souls, seen above.
God of War: Ascension, Power Stone, and paying allegiance to the gods
When asked about how he and the team at Sony Santa Monica are bringing multiplayer into the God of War series with God of War: Ascension, game director Todd Papy digs deep for inspiration. The single-player side of the game is obviously an influence, he says, as multiplayer side of the game attempts to enhance the always cinematic world of Kratos with a new character called the Avatar.But then things get a little nuts. "You can look at Allegiance levels," says Papy, referring to the mode's customization choices defined by the four gods Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, and Ares, "and you can look at Diablo and Call of Duty and other games that have skill trees that you basically level up."And then you can look at Power Stone," says Papy, "as far as that old school melee feel to it." Yes. That's the one. Playing God of War: Ascension's renamed "Favor of the Gods" mode, and running around with up to eight other players flipping switches, executing combos, and earning favor points does feel a whole lot like the Dreamcast classic. In a strange way, to be honest. But a good one nevertheless.%Gallery-172713%
PlayStation All-Stars adding Kat and Emmett Graves, plus Heavenly Sword/Wipeout level
SuperBot Entertainment showed off a new pair of fighters in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale at the Sony Santa Monica studio recently: Kat from Gravity Rush and Emmett Graves from Starhawk will be the first two DLC characters to join the fracas. The character pack containing both will be free for a limited time when it arrives sometime early next year.SuperBot's director Omar Kendall also premiered a brand new level for the game, combining the worlds of Heavenly Sword and Wipeout into a beautiful but precarious environment. The actual pricing (and release date) for the level hasn't yet been decided.While letting us play a little bit with each character, Kendall talked to us about the reaction to PlayStation All-Stars, why these two characters are the first to make the DLC cut, and what else SuperBot has planned.%Gallery-172572%
God of War: Ascension making-of video covers two years of development
This video from Sony Santa Monica details two years of development time for God of War: Ascension. The developer video shows the creation of a monstrous cyclops creature from its initial design phases. God of War: Ascension will launch on March 12, 2013 for PS3.
PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale review: Smashing
Nintendo's presence looms large in the fledgling category of game mascot fighters. For years, the company has had a monopoly on the concept with its Smash Bros. series, essentially making it a genre of one. Sony may be the only other publisher with a large enough bench to support such a concept, and as a result PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale has been subject to many comparisons with Nintendo's beloved franchise (not all of them favorable).All-Stars certainly wears its influences on its sleeve, but thanks to some clever ideas, it also earns its keep. This isn't just a carbon copy, but a well-designed game that could go toe-to-toe with Nintendo's fighters.%Gallery-171477%
PlayStation All-Stars final boss is mathematical
PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale is polished off and ready to ship, and Sony Santa Monica marks this glorious occasion with a video of the complete opening cinematic, which teases the game's final boss. Brace yourselves – it's Polygon Man.Polygon Man was Sony's mascot for the PlayStation in mid-90s North America, but was replaced before the actual console launch. With that in mind, he probably holds a fair bit of resentment for the PlayStation franchises popular enough to make it into Battle Royale.Check out the complete opening cinematic above, with Polygon Man looming over everything right at the end. Battle Royale launches on November 20.
PS All-Stars Battle Royale live-action TV ad, the European take
This European TV ad for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is an interesting take on the live-action vid rolled out by Sony last month. The guy supposed to be Drake looks like the one person who didn't dress up at a Halloween party.
The Unfinished Swan is totally done, here's a launch trailer to prove it
This launch trailer for The Unfinished Swan guides you through some of the intriguing scenery in the serene game. The Giant Sparrow-developed game is out now on PSN, and our review indicates that it's not one to be missed.
This is madness: GameStop God of War: Ascension pre-order perk is '300' DLC
Gamestop's God of War: Ascension pre-order bonus is an exclusive multiplayer costume taken from Zack Snyder's 2007 movie 300, because nothing says "brand-new video game based on Greek pseudo-mythology" like a random costume from a five-year-old movie based on Greek pseudo-history.Specifically, the costume replicates King Leonidas' red cape, helmet and "armor," which we assume is what they're calling his tiny little baby man-shorts. The costume also includes a spear that provides new moves and abilities, as well as a double-sided God of War: Ascension poster. It does not, however, include a pit for disposing of foreign dignitaries or a bottle of chest grease.
God of War: Ascension beta seeks vengeance this winter; new social game offers early access
Sony has finally revealed that this winter will be when PlayStation Plus users will be able to get their hands on the God of War: Ascension beta. Plus subscribers will be able to sample the multiplayer side of God of War: Ascension gratis, but frugal fans still have an option: early access through a new social game called Rise of the Warrior.Rise of the Warrior is not available at the moment, but playing the social game between its launch and March 2013 offers rewards of in-game unlocks, exclusive items, early beta access and 30-day subscriptions to PlayStation Plus. And, hey, if there's one thing an angry man on a path of vengeance can't deny, it's the smile-inducing power of free stuff.
The Unfinished Swan review: Palette cleanser
Video games are good at a lot of things. Typically, they appeal to our baser instincts – usually the desire for power, in whatever form that may take, be it blasting aliens, slaying dragons or scoring touchdowns. What they do particularly well that isn't explored often enough, is rekindle our childhood capacity for amazement.I think this is something that most invested players realize, whether they've ever articulated it or not. More than books or movies, games engage us, and the good ones pull us in. They can remind us what it was like to lift a rock in a garden, discovering the creatures that live underneath, or how it felt to dribble paint on a sheet of paper, fold it in half and reveal a butterfly.The Unfinished Swan is the story of a child, Monroe. Its ability to plant players firmly in his shoes, to help us see the world as he does, is what makes it special.%Gallery-168082%
Rumor: Gravity Rush's Kat in PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale
There isn't a lot to go on with this latest PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale character rumor, but if we've learned anything from the last few, it's that we should probably pay attention to leaks and speculation.The above picture (full-sized and uncropped here) appears to show the PlayStation All-Stars character bio of Kat of Gravity Rush fame. The style is consistent with the official site's existing bios, but we were unable to locate Kat's bio ourselves through clever URL manipulations or otherwise. For now, we're keeping this in the "maybe" pile, but we'll also keep our ear to the ground and will update with any new information that surfaces.
God of War: Ascension Euro dates announced, along with Special / Collector's Editions
God of War: Ascension will be available on March 13, 14 or 15, depending on whether you plan on buying it in greater Europe, Australia/New Zealand, or the UK/Ireland, respectively. Meanwhile, North American folk can still expect to rain bloody death down upon their enemies on March 12.Non-North American revenge aficionados looking for something a little more substantial than just the game itself will have both Special and Collector's editions to choose from, which each contain varying levels of goodies, both in-game and out. The Collector's Edition is identical to the North American version and includes a steelbook case, eight-inch Kratos figure, digital copy of the soundtrack, a PS3 theme and avatars, a double multiplayer XP boost and a voucher for all future DLC.Special Edition, on the other hand, includes everything listed above except for the statuette and the DLC pass. No pricing information or pictures of the packs have been released as of yet, thought details are expected in the "near future," according to the European PlayStation Blog.
Take a look at the Journey: Collector's Edition mini-games
Journey: Collector's Edition is out today. The collection bundles together thatgamecompany's Flow, Flower and, of course, Journey into a single package – but that's not all. It also includes three never-before-seen mini-games from internal "24hr Game Jams." We put together a short video showcasing all three of these new games: Gravediggers, Duke War and Nostril Shot.If that isn't enough to entice you, know that there are cat ninjas at one point.
God of War: Ascension multiplayer beta coming to PS Plus members
PlayStation Plus subscribers will get first crack at a God of War: Ascension beta "soon," game director Todd Papy has revealed on the PlayStation Blog. Don't have a PS Plus subscription? Papy says "there may [be] a few other secret inroads" to access the beta.When you boot up multiplayer for the first time, you'll have to pledge allegiance to one of four gods: Hades, Ares, Poseidon or Zeus. Once you've got an affiliation, you can dive into the four-vs-four combat and earn XP, which is used to progress and fine-tune your character in pursuit of becoming your favored god's best pet."Each of our unique multiplayer maps and gameplay modes will have a variety of objectives and interactive multi-leveled environments," Papy says. "We'll be sharing more details as we get closer to our March 12, 2013 release."
Twisted Metal sold 'fine,' was 'not a dud,' says Jaffe
Last year's Twisted Metal reboot "sold fine," says creative director David Jaffe. "Not a dud, not a hit," he adds. "It was not a mega blockbuster or even a big hit (was it even a 'hit'?...not sure what is in between 'dud' and 'hit' but I think TM PS3 falls into that category)." He stops short of offering any specific sales numbers, but notes, "I hope Sony will be satisfied that it made a decent investment in the game and in us."It's unclear how large of a financial investment Sony made in the Twisted Metal reboot, but it apparently wasn't enough to keep Jaffe's Eat Sleep Play studio from facing cuts following the launch last year. Jaffe himself also left the company; he is now pursuing free-to-play games.Jaffe also outlines eerily specific plans for another Twisted Metal franchise entry, saying it'd be digital-only and aggressively truncated. "But again, this is just me pie in the sky thinking out loud," he notes. "None of this is planned." Mmmmhmmmm, Mr. Jaffe. We've heard that song before.
God of War: Ascension dev 'pulls back' from in-game violence against women
In an interview with IGN, Sony Santa Monica's David Hewitt admitted the team's scaled back on the violence towards women in God of War: Ascension. The team is of the mind that showing such a thing would make a statement and define the character in a way that doesn't befit Kratos. "There are some things we've pulled back from. I think where this has been an issue is with violence against women – the team's pulled back from some of that and assessed that a little more carefully," Hewitt admitted. "There are certain things that carry has a different kind of resonance that we don't want to get into. This isn't about statement-making in that regard. It's about fleshing out this character."The overall interview focuses not just on violence on women, but violence in general. As one of the most criticized games of E3 in this regard, Hewitt justifies God of War: Ascension's body count by saying Kratos doesn't languish in the slaughter, nor does he particularly enjoy it. Kratos is constantly pushing forward, moving toward his goal of revenge, so Hewitt doesn't feel the violence is particularly glorified.
Street Fighter's Seth Killian is now lead game designer at Sony Santa Monica
Seth Killian, former Capcom strategic marketing director of online and community, has taken the role at Sony Santa Monica as lead game designer, working on PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale and with other outside studios.Killian is best known for his work in the fighting game community – he co-founded the EVO championships and handled Capcom's fighting games during his six-year employment – and he says that experience will help him at Sony Santa Monica."Fighting games are very close to my heart, and as someone that's spent much of my life with traditional fighters, All-Stars has been a great opportunity to take a step back and rethink fighting fundamentals from the ground up," Killian writes on the PlayStation Blog. "All-Stars is also a total love-letter to Sony fans. From the characters, to their special moves, to the incredible level 3 supers, and the stages themselves, I'm not sure there's ever been such a giant dose of fan-service in Sony history."Did we mention Killian used to be in PR? He will be working with third-party studios such as Fun Bits Interactive, Queasy Games, thatgamecompany, Giant Sparrow, and of course All-Stars' SuperBot Entertainment. Killian will be bringing All-Stars to EVO this weekend, as part of PlayStation's first official presence at the tournament.
God of War: Ascension E3 demo pits Kratos against the animal collective
Well, okay, maybe not that Animal Collective, but this God of War: Ascension walkthrough from Sony's E3 press conference does predominantly pit Kratos against a cadre of half-man, half-animal manimals. The demo also showcases Kratos' newly acquired reconstructive abilities, as well as the quick-time events we've all come to expect from the series.As far as creature design is concerned, we have to admit that we're pretty enthused by what we see here -- we're quite partial to the elephant man, ourselves. No, not that Elephant Man.
Smattering of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Vita domains registered by Sony
Hey, in case you didn't know, that Smash Bros.-esque PlayStation 3 game, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, is very likely also heading to PlayStation Vita. How likely? Pretty freakin' likely, especially considering the recently discovered group of domain registrations from Sony Computer Entertainment of America tied to URLs like "PlaystationAllStarsVita.com," "PS-AllStarsVita.com," and "PSAllStarsBattleRoyaleVita.com."As with so many of these discoveries, Superannuation spotted the URLs – URLs that pretty clearly identify a Vita-based version of the brawler. We'll be saying this a lot this week, so get used to it: we've reached out to Sony for more info, but only got "we don't comment on rumor or speculation" in return. We expect more info next week during E3.
