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'World of Final Fantasy' coming to PS4 and Vita this October
World of Final Fantasy, the upcoming RPG from Square Enix, is coming to PlayStation 4 and Vita this October. The worldwide releases are almost simultaneous: October 25th in North America, October 27th in Japan and October 28th in Europe. If you're unaware of what World of Final Fantasy is, or why Cloud Strife looks so damn cute in the image above, it's essentially a chibi-fied take on the Final Fantasy games. It's being pitched at both long-term fans of the series and youngsters, blending kid-friendly visuals and storytelling with classic Final Fantasy combat.
PS Vita's 'Severed' goes wild on April 26th
What do one-armed warrior ladies do best? Use a living sword to cut off the limbs of the four-armed, three-faced, four-legged monsters around them. At least that's what the latest trailer for Severed from Guacamelee! developer DrinkBox Studios would lead you to believe. The game hits the ailing PlayStation Vita, exclusively, on April 26th for $15. Dig the music in the video embedded below? Then head over to Yamantaka // Sonic Titan's Bandcamp page to either stream or buy the soundtrack for yourself.
Sony's 'ForwardWorks' will try PlayStation gaming on mobile, again
Sony only just announced an overall restructuring of the PlayStation business under Sony Interactive Entertainment, and now it's launching a new business to focus on mobile gaming. There aren't a lot of specifics, but the new company is called ForwardWorks, and it's promising "full-fledged gaming titles" for things like phones, tablets and other connected devices. ForwardWorks will leverage the intellectual property of the numerous PlayStation® dedicated software titles and its gaming characters as well as the knowledge and know-how of gaming development expertise which was acquired over the years with PlayStation® business to provide gaming application optimized for smart devices including smartphones* to users in Japan and Asia.
Sony to shutter its native PSP store at the end of March
Sony announced on Monday that it will shutter the PSP's native store on March 31, 2016. Customers will still be able to purchase PSP content from the company's webstore, just not directly through their devices. That said, users will still be able to access their previous purchases from their on-device Download list and can still make in-game purchases directly. This move comes just days after Sony announced that it will no longer sell its PlayStation TV accessory in Japan.
Indie horror 'Neverending Nightmares' comes to PS4 and Vita
Neverending Nightmares will be tip-toeing its way onto PS4 and Vita before the second half of 2016, bringing its unusual brand of horror and psychological exploration in tow. The game was originally launched on PC, Mac, Linux and Ouya in 2014, following a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised just over $100,000 for developer Infinitap. Players take on the role of Thomas, a young man that wakes up from a horrific nightmare in his home. Or has he woken up? A cycle of dreams begin to form, unravelling dark emotions and memories that continue to haunt him.
'Axiom Verge' is absolutely, definitely still coming to Vita
The glorious Metroid-style nostalgia bomb that is Axiom Verge will hit the PlayStation Vita soon, developer Thomas Happ says in a blog post this week. In fact, a playable version is already up and running on Sony's handheld -- rather, it's running on Happ's handheld. The rest of us will have to wait a little (emphasis on little) while longer to play Axiom Verge on Vita. "Here's the good news: The game is ported," Happ says. "It runs and is playable! Anyone who has worked on a porting project can tell you that that represents the biggest hurdle.... So from here on out, our focus is on cleanup, polish and bug fixing."
Hardcore cult hit 'Risk of Rain' lands on PS4, Vita this year
Risk of Rain is a gloriously, ridiculously challenging action game that debuted on Steam in November 2013 -- and it's headed to PlayStation 4 and Vita in early 2016. This isn't your standard pixelated, sidescrolling independent platformer; Risk of Rain ramps up in complexity as you play, with difficulty levels ranging from "Very Easy" to "Impossible" to "HAHAHAHA." Players have just one life, meaning if (when) you die, you have to fight through hordes of enemies and collect your favorite weapons all over again. And again. And again. And probably again.
'Hitman Go' lands on PS4, Vita and PC next week
Hitman Go is an incredible mobile title that launched in 2014 and spawned a new line of subtle strategy games from developer Square Enix Montreal, including Lara Croft Go. Now, the Hitman Go: Definitive Edition is heading to PlayStation 4, Vita and PC via Steam on February 23rd in the US (February 24th in Europe). The Definitive Edition includes the full game and all of its add-on content, featuring updated visuals, for $8 (€8 / £6.50).
PS Vita hit with battery and PlayStation Store problems
Sony's PlayStation Vita is usually a quiet little beast, slowly accruing indie titles and the occasional "triple-A" exclusive. Today, however, the under-appreciated handheld has stumbled into the limelight because of some unfortunate technical hiccups. As countless commenters on Reddit, NeoGAF and Sony's PlayStation forums explain, the most recent Vita firmware update (3.57) has rendered the console almost useless for some players. Launching the PlayStation Store can trigger a never-ending "Please Wait" message, and sometimes the console struggles to fall into its sleep mode, draining the battery for many unsuspecting owners.
Bandai Namco sends its anime-inspired games west in 2016
Bandai Namco, the studio responsible for Dark Souls and Tekken, will expand some of its franchises in the western world with new installments in the Tales of, God Eater and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series. Tales of Berseria is a Japanese role-playing game starring a young woman named Velvet, whose left hand has special, demonic powers; it's confirmed for PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam across the Americas and Europe. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven is a PS4-exclusive, two-on-two brawler starring characters from that franchise's anime and manga storylines.
Hey, Kid: 'Bastion' is out on Vita today
It's a good day to be a Vita owner. Bastion, the gorgeous 2011 isometric adventure from Supergiant Games, is out today on Sony's handheld console. The company announced Bastion's latest launch during its PlayStation Experience keynote this morning. This brings Bastion's platforms up to seven: PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox 360, iOS, Chrome, PlayStation 4 and, now, Vita. It's a Cross-Buy game on Sony's platforms, meaning if you own it on PS4, you automatically get it on Vita, and vice versa. Score!
Double Fine's next games include a 'Full Throttle' remaster
Double Fine isn't counting solely on a crowdfunded Psychonauts sequel to capture your imagination -- it just unveiled a ton of new projects at Sony's PlayStation Experience event. The highlight (at least for gamers of a certain age) is a remastered version of Full Throttle, Tim Schafer's action/adventure classic. It's not certain just when the motorcycle-heavy game will arrive, but it'll be available on both the PS4 and PlayStation Vita.
Radioactive shooter 'Nuclear Throne' hits PS4, Vita today
Vlambeer co-founder Rami Ismail dropped a huge surprise during the PlayStation Experience keynote in San Fransisco on Saturday: Nuclear Throne is available now on PlayStation 4 and Vita, while the Steam version officially hits version 1.0. Nuclear Throne is an addictive, pixelated action game that's amassed a cult following of more than 100,000 players since its launch on Steam Early Access in 2013 -- and this community is about to grow (or mutate).
'Severed' trailer shows that the PS Vita is full of life
If you need proof that the PlayStation Vita is a haven for creative games, Drinkbox Studios just delivered it in spades. The Guacamelee developer has posted a fresh gameplay trailer for Severed, its surreal dungeon crawler for Sony's handheld, and it's clear that this isn't your usual slash-em-up. The blend of a nightmarish art style with touchscreen swordplay looks exciting, and more than a little trippy -- think Mexican folk art with a horror vibe. There's still no firm release date for Severed, but the title is definitely shaping up nicely.
Cyberpunk noir game 'Read Only Memories' heads to PS4 and Vita
Read Only Memories, a pixelated adventure game set in the futuristic city of Neo-San Fransisco, will make its way to PlayStation 4 and Vita "soon," developer Midboss announced in a new trailer. Midboss is composed of the folks behind the annual GaymerX convention, and Read Only Memories is a narrative-driven, sci-fi romp set in 2064 that happens to include an array of inclusive character options, such as the ability to choose your preferred gender pronoun. However, these options are almost a side-note to the game's emphasis on story, retro 2D gameplay and robust character interactions.
Storytelling in video games doesn't have to be scary
Benjamin Rivers believes in the dramatic, emotional appeal of the video game industry. He's the man behind Home, a surprisingly complex, pixelated horror game that found great success once it debuted in 2012. It's praised for impressive narrative arcs that branch in twisted, unique ways depending on the decisions of each player, and this is precisely the type of story-centric design that delights Rivers. He sees video games' potential to convey convoluted human experiences through strong narrative design, and he's bringing these sensibilities to Alone with You, a science-fiction adventure due to hit PlayStation 4 and PS Vita in the spring. Alone with You stars a lonely survivor on a planet due for implosion in a few weeks; players have to escape with help from the colony's AI system, which eventually takes on the personalities of dead crew members. And, it's a romance. A futuristic, interstellar romance starring just one actual human -- because that's the kind of storyteller Rivers is.
Your PS Vita deserves to live again
There's no PS Vita 2 on the horizon. So now what? There are a whole bunch of reasons why the now three year-old handheld may not be the mega-hit that Sony hoped for. As Kotaku's elaborated on already, the company isn't completely blameless, but that isn't to say there aren't plenty of reasons to still pick up a Vita, play the crap out of it, recharge it and do it all again. Here's a handful of 'em to start you off. We also want to hear your own recommendations, which is what our new comment system was made for.
Shovel Knight is delayed by a fortnight
Shovel Knight was supposed to come out next week -- the operative phrase there being "supposed to". However SK's developer, Yacht Club Games, announced on Friday that the retail release for the game's 3DS, Wii U, PS4, and PC (Europe-only) versions will be delayed by two weeks until October 30th in Europe and November 4th in North America.
Sony doesn't see a market for a PlayStation Vita sequel
You may be jonesing for a follow-up to the PlayStation Vita, but Sony isn't so sure that it's a wise idea. The company's Shuhei Yoshida told those at a recent developer session that the "climate is not healthy" for a Vita sequel. Simply put, he believes that smartphones have dampened enthusiasm for gaming handhelds. Why get a dedicated device and buy games when you can play free games on the device you already have? He hopes that the culture of portable gaming will live on, but he doesn't currently see Sony fostering that culture with new hardware.
PlayStation Vita TV hack gives you a way to play more games
If you have a PlayStation TV collecting dust in a cabinet somewhere, this might make it useful again. A user called "mr.gas" from the Hackinformer forum has detailed how you can tweak the device to play games that it's currently not compatible with. The best thing about the procedure is it's actually doable, even if you're not that adept at hacking hardware. You only need to send PS TV a message from your email app with the writer.eml file attached (a download link can be found on the source's website) and renamed as #0 without an extension.