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PS Plus Europe in May: Stick it to the Man, Puppeteer, Muramasa Rebirth
Stick it to the Man is the next PlayStation 4 offering for Plus subscribers in Europe, starting next week on April 30. The eccentric 2D adventure is due in North America on May 6, which perhaps suggests a later start for May's stateside batch of Plus, or possibly a different PS4 game. We will have to wait and see. Returning to Europe, there are four other games entering the PS Plus service at the end of April, including two on PS3 and two on Vita. The first of the console offerings is performer plaformer Puppeteer, while the second is first-person robber Payday 2. The latter is a neat addition for subscribers who downloaded the first Payday last summer. The Vita newbies are two very different games hailing from Japan, namely hand-painted 2D adventure Muramasa Rebirth and cutesy sports sim Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational. That's Everybody's Golf if you're European, but Loads of Fun no matter where you're from. As ever, five games in means five games out: Make sure you grab Mercenary Kings, Pro Evo 2014, BioShock Infinite, Hotline Miami and MotoGP13 before Plus drops them on April 30. [Image: Ripstone]
PSN Tuesday: Octodad, Cel Damage HD, Walking Dead
Happy PSN Tuesday! This week on PS4 we get Octodad: Dadliest Catch ($15), Putty Squad ($25) and Cel Damage HD ($10). Even though Octodad is a new indie game on a Sony console, it's not free for Plus members – and the developers at Young Horses put a lot of thought into that development. Cel Damage HD is also available on PS3 and Vita, while Putty Squad is also on Vita. The PS3 lineup includes Defense Technica and SoulCalibur Lost Swords (that one's free). On Vita, there's The Walking Dead Season 2: Episode 1, Demon Gaze and Starlight Inception. PS Plus members this week get PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate HD free on Vita. Whee! [Image: Young Horses]
PlayStation 99-cent sale discounts Tokyo Jungle, Super Stardust, more
The PlayStation Network Store is hosting a flash sale for dozens of games this weekend, each discounted to 99 cents. The sale spans PS3, Vita and PSP games as well as both PS2 and PSOne Classics, such as the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon series. The sale features standout gems like PopCap's Plants vs Zombies, Jonathan Blow's Braid, Sony's own Tokyo Jungle and Housemarque's Super Stardust HD. It also includes full seasons of episode Telltale-developed games Back to the Future and Jurassic Park as well as the adventure studio's five-game Tales of Monkey Island bundle. The full list of games included in this weekend's sale can be found after the break. [Image: Sony Online Entertainment]
PSN Store Update: Final Fantasy 14, Trials Fusion, FIFA World Cup
It's football, fantasy, and FMX in this week's line-up of PlayStation Store additions for North America, starting with the full launch of Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn. PS4 players can hook up with the subscription MMO for $40, or $60 if they fancy some in-game items from the Collector's Edition. You can also transfer a PS3 copy across to PS4 - Amazon has the PS3 version going for $25. Next it's FMX: RedLynx's next attempt to break your controllers is Trials Fusion, and it's the first in the series to arrive on PlayStation. The PS4 game - also available on Xbox One, 360, and PC - adds freestyle tricks to the trademark mix of motocross and puzzle-platforming. The regular game is $20 but if you're wheelie keen for the upcoming DLC, a Deluxe Edition is $40 and comes with the season pass. Speaking of puzzles, the PS4 also gets a few brainteasers this week. Pure Chess and Backgammon Blitz are $8 each - you can get a game-pack stuffed Deluxe Edition of Pure Chess for $15 - and finally, That Trivia Game will set you back That Ten Dollars. Onto to PS3, and football - the rounder, kickier kind. The catchily titled 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is only on PS3 and Xbox 360, and you can score it as a $60 download on the former. Meanwhile, Beyond: Two Souls has been out for a while, but it's also now on PSN as a $60 download. Don't forget, this week's PS Plus freebie is the new Castle of Illusion, and that comes bundled with the Genesis original as a nostalgic bonus. Finally, the Vita has plenty of new releases including Conception 2 ($40, also out on 3DS) and Cross-Buy portable versions of Dead Nation ($8) and Ethan: Meteor Hunter ($10). For the full list of new releases, sales, and Plus discounts, head over to the PlayStation Blog. [Image: Ubisoft]
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn PS4 launch trailer is simply the bestiary
There's no messing around with fancy CGI for FF14: A Realm Reborn's welcome on PS4; just some big ol' monsters - lots of them - and the game's flashy combat and sci-fi fantasy backdrops. Square Enix's MMO launches in full on PS4 today, and PS3 players can transfer across for free. [Image: Square Enix]
Outlast's Whistleblower DLC creeps into next month
The new Whistleblower DLC for Outlast slipped from April to May, but don't think you'll be safe for too long. The PC and PS4 asylum horror admits its first piece of additional content on May 6, although PS4 users in Europe get an extra day of sanctuary until May 7. The unfortunate soul you play in Whisteblower is Waylon Park, a software engineer who's contracted to work at the Mount Massive Asylum prior to the events of the game. After seeing what unscrupulous things the staff's getting up to, Park feels compelled to expose the establishment to the press. If you've played Outlast, you of course know that his plan went perfectly and everybody lived happily ever after. Especially this (probably NSFW) guy. [Image: Red Barrels]
Atlus elects to publish non-Kickstarted Citizens of Earth
Atlus announced plans to publish Citizens of Earth, a quirky RPG that follows the Vice President of the World on his quest to investigate the bizarre happenings in the town. Developed by Eden Industries, Citizens of Earth fell short of its $100,000 CAD ($91,600 USD) goal on Kickstarter in October 2013, raising just $36,875 CAD ($33,778 USD). The modern RPG takes after popular SNES classic Earthbound, with its humorous approach to world-saving adventures and includes recruiting mechanics in line with the Pokemon and Suikoden series. The Vice President brings "regular characters into the spotlight as heroes" for them to do his dirty work in battle, continuing their day jobs when not engaged in combat. The game includes 40 citizens, though ambitious fans are encouraged to enter a contest by Friday, April 18 on Atlus' site to create the 41st one for the game. Citizens of Earth is in development for PS4, Vita, 3DS, Wii U and PC and is expected to arrive on each platform's digital channels in North America and Europe in September 2014. [Image: Atlus]
Jazz-infused platformer Stick it to The Man is sticking it to the PS4
Papercraft platformer Stick it to The Man is also on its way to PS4, complete with 1080p visuals and other system-specific tune-ups. Penned by Adventure Time comic author Ryan North, Zoink's jazzy, jaundiced adventure hits European PS4s first on April 30, before journeying across to the US on May 6. The previously announced Wii U version is still stuck to a "late Spring" window, but publisher Ripstone says it'll announce a release date shortly. Stick it to The Man stars Ray, who isn't Sideshow Bob's long-lost cousin, in a supernatural adventure that centers around the hero's psychic abilities. Like most psychics, Ray gets his mind-reading powers from a great big pink spaghetti arm that sticks out of his head and yanks thoughts out of other people's brains. Ripstone says the game's PS4 version "has been enhanced to take advantage of next-gen features," and that includes the higher-def resolution and hearing the thoughts of the game characters through the DualShock 4 speakers. If you'd rather not wait for all that, you'll be pleased to know Stick it to The Man is already out on PS3, Vita, and Steam. [Image: Ripstone]
PlayStation Network hosts a store-wide Easter sale in Europe
Sony kicked off a PlayStation Network Easter sale in Europe today, dropping the prices of dozens of featured games -- including Retro City Rampage, Hotline Miami, and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate -- for a limited time. Starting today, PlayStation 3 owners in Europe can pick up digital versions of Battlefield 4 for €29.99, The Jak and Daxter Trilogy for €19.99, and the recently updated PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale for €9.99. PlayStation Vita fans can grab cheap copies of The Walking Dead, TxK, Terraria, Spelunky, Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition and many more sale-eligible games throughout the month. Sony's Europe-exclusive Easter Sale ends April 30. [Image: Sony]
PSA: Resistance PS3 trilogy going offline on April 8
Sony let us know last year that online play for the PS3's Resistance trilogy would end in early 2014, and a recent tweet from developer Insomniac Games has narrowed that ending date to April 8. Insomniac's post encourages fans to get online for the trilogy's final moments and "make some memories" with some of Insomniac's own employees. In response to an inquiry about continuing online support for the Vita's Resistance: Burning Skies, Insomniac tweeted they're "not sure" about that game's potential loss of online play. An optimist would take this as a significant withdrawal of the Chimera invasion, but with Sony's June 2012 statement that no Resistance games were in the works, it's a little sad to think we won't get another chance to fight back the invasive alien race. [Image: Insomniac Games]
Final Fantasy 14 - A Realm Reborn enters second PS4 beta today
The MMOs are coming. Just as The Elder Scrolls Online enters full launch, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn is prepping for PS4 with the second phase of its beta, and it's live right now. Just to remind you that it's completely open to all, and free to join and play all this weekend. Just head to the PlayStation Store, get downloading, and then get adventuring. Square Enix is calling it a beta, but it does connect to the servers PS3 and PC players are using, so PS4 heroes-to-be can hook up with everyone else already in Eorzea. Existing characters are eligible for the phase, and progress is transferred to the game proper when it launches fully on April 14. It's probably best to think of it as Super Early Access weekend that's free to all, and get in while you can because it ends on April 7 at 1AM PT/4AM ET/9AM UK time. For the record, the official Early Access is available to anyone who pre-orders the PS4 MMORPG, and that's scheduled to get going on April 11. [Image: Square Enix]
Divekick Addition Edition arrives today on PS3, Steam
PS3 and Steam owners of instakill fighter Divekick receive the free Addition Edition update today, while the Vita ETA is pinned for "shortly there after." The Addition Edition is coming to PS4 and Xbox One when the game debuts on those platforms, but dev Iron Galaxy didn't spill any further news on that. If you're not clued in on what's new in the Addition Edition, allow us to sum it up (guffaw chortle). In addition (guffaw) to a host of character adjustments that range from tweaks to complete revamps, the update introduces blind select for ranked matches, new tips and how-to-play screens, and d-pad input for menus rather than the madness of using the game's two button controls. [Image: Iron Galaxy Studios]
Persona 4 bearing down on PS3, out next week as PS2 Classic
Confirmed: The Year of Luigi is over, and The Year of Persona 4 starts next week. Alright, Atlus hasn't announced a year dedicated to its revered RPG, but let's face it, an April 8 PS2 Classic re-release on PS3 for North and South America, priced at $10, is the start of a pretty busy period for the Investigation Team. After all, it preludes the ever-nearing arrivals of P4: Dancing All Night, P4 Arena Ultimax, and Persona Q - which stars P4 characters. If you like Persona 4, then the next year or so should have plenty to keep you satiated ahead of the main course that is Persona 5. To celebrate the news, here's six minutes of the Persona 4 Anime's take on the King's Game scene, except in this version the protagonist, Yu, is even more of a player... [Image: Atlus]
Report: PlayStation 4 survey proposes player reputation system
A recently-issued user survey indicates that Sony may institute a player reputation system on the PlayStation 4 in a future update, IGN reports. The system would assign users reputation ratings based on feedback from fellow players. The survey also mentions an improved matchmaking system, which would likely take reputation into consideration when pairing players with teammates and opponents. Sony's proposed additions resemble Microsoft's recently announced plans to expand its own reputation system on the Xbox One. Microsoft plans to "introduce rewards for good behavior" while punishing problematic users by restricting Xbox Live functionality in a forthcoming system update. [Image: Sony / IGN]
Persona 4 rated for PlayStation 3 by ESRB
A content rating for an unannounced PlayStation 3 version of Atlus' PS2 JRPG Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 has appeared on the ESRB's website, hinting at a future re-release via the PlayStation Network. A PlayStation 2 Classics version of Persona 4 would complete the series on the PlayStation Network, joining downloadable PSOne versions of Persona and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, the PlayStation 2 game Persona 3 FES, and PSP remakes of Persona, Persona 2: Innocent Sin, and Persona 3. Persona 4 previously saw an expanded re-release on the PlayStation Vita in 2012. Atlus announced that a quartet of new series entries -- Persona 5, Persona 4: Dancing All Night, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth -- will hit consoles and portable platforms throughout 2014 and 2015. [Image: Atlus]
Secret Ponchos taking a siesta, won't arrive on PS4 in April
Secret Ponchos is staying holstered for now, after dev Switchblade Monkeys confirmed it isn't releasing its Wild West-themed combat game next month. The gunslinging online game was previously confirmed as a PS Plus freebie in April, but we now know Mercenary Kings is next month's PS4 offering on the service. Fans did the math and Switchblade Monkeys in turn confirmed the delay on Twitter, adding that Secret Ponchos is to go into beta testing to ensure it's "rock solid" ahead of release. We've reached out to Switchblade to find out the new ETA. Secret Ponchos wants PS4 players to get in tune with their inner John Wayne through its isometric Spaghetti Western gunplay, and the upcoming downloadable has a choice of one-vs-one standoffs, gang fights, and free-for-all shootouts. While gunslingers-to-be have to wait a bit longer for the game proper, Switchblade previously announced it's showcasing Secret Ponchos at next month's PAX East conference in Boston. [Image: Switchblade Monkeys]
Jet Car Stunts flipping onto PSN, XBLA, PC this summer
Driving through the streets of Jet Car Stunts must be pretty stressful - there are chasm-like gaps leading to the blue abyss below, and there aren't even guide rails lining the edges of its loops! Then there's the clean, simplistic geometry and levitating rings, which are kind of pretty until you've crashed into them a dozen times. PS4, PS3, Vita, Xbox 360 and Steam's PC users can witness Jet Car Stunts' hazards firsthand when it lands on the platforms in Q2 2014. The tricky racer will have 36 tracks across three different modes, including a Puzzle Mode. While the press release doesn't specify what the other two play styles will be, the mobile counterpart includes Performing, Time Trial and Tutorial modes, so Jet Car Stunts' port may pull from that pool. [Image: Grip Digital]
EA Flash Sale on the PlayStation Store: Battlefield 1943, Crysis 3
The PlayStation Store is flashing everyone this weekend. Wait, that didn't come out right. EA is flashing everyone this weekend on the PlayStation Store. That's better. The EA Flash Sale offers a lineup of games for up to 75 percent off, now through Monday, March 31 at noon PT. Games on sale include Alice: Madness Returns for $10, Battlefield 4 for $25, Battlefield 1943 for $5, Dead Space 3 Ultimate Edition for $31.50, Madden NFL 25 for $25 and Crysis 3 Ultimate Bundle for $22. Check out the full lineup here. [Image: Sony]
PS Plus in April: Mercenary Kings, Arkham City, Pixeljunk Monsters
PlayStation Plus subscribers get Mercenary Kings as a PS4 freebie when the Kickstarted run-and-gunner scrolls onto PSN next week. Developed by Wizorb and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World studio Tribute Games, Mercenary Kings makes its Metal Slug-style action interesting by chucking in a weapon crafting system based around hundreds of different parts. The rest of April's Plus line-up in North America features Batman: Arkham City, Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark, and the Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse remake on PS3. As for Vita, Velocity Ultra and Pixeljunk Monsters Ultimate HD are next month's dynamic duo. Except for Mercenary Kings, the roster of PS Plus games in Europe is totally different: On PS3 it's Pro Evo Soccer 2014 and on Vita it's MotoGP 13, while Hotline Miami and Sly Cooper Thieves in Time are unlockable on both platforms as Cross-Buy games. That means if you get the PS3 version of Sly on Plus, for example, you'll also get access to it on Vita. Devolver Digital recently revealed Hotline Miami is coming to the PS4 with Cross-Buy enabled, so if you're planning to get the top-down kill-fest on that platform, be sure to grab it as a Plus freebie this month. The quintet including Mercenary Kings join Europe's Plus collection on April 2. [Image: Tribute Games]
PSN Tuesday: Fez, Deception 4, The Witch and The Hundred Knight
This week's PSN update includes Fez for PS4, PS3 and Vita (Cross-Buy and Cross-Save style) for $13, Call of Duty: Ghosts Gold Edition for $60, and Fez on Vita. Did we mention Fez on Vita? Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition hits PS3, PS4 and Vita today for $60, and Deception 4 Blood Ties hits PS3 and Vita, $60 on PS3 and $40 on Vita. PS3 sees The Witch and the Hundred Knights for $50, and Vita gets Destiny of Spirits for free. Pre-orders for PS3 game BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma, $45, are live today as well. In the US, Vita now has the Hulu Plus and Redbox apps, while PS4s worldwide get MLB.TV Premium. In the Spring Fever sale, Plus members can snag Fez on any Sony platform for $9.75, plus some cheaper BioShock games and DLC.
