Welcome to Urgent Fury

ILL is a first-person action-horror game coming to PS5 that aims to deliver relentless terror, both when the player is in full control and during the game’s motion-captured cutscenes. I’m Max Verehin, Co-founder of Team Clout, and I’m honored to give the PlayStation community a behind-the-scenes look at the work that goes into creating the cutscenes that complement the game’s immersive, horrific gameplay. Play Video This challenging new phase of development has been intense and unpredictable, but not entirely a leap into the unknown. Our background is deeply embedded in the language of cinema, with team members bringing extensive industry experience from working on major horror projects like the Until Dawn film and It: Welcome to Derry television series. We’ve spent years learning how a monster should move, how shadows should fall, and how a creature needs to command a frame to evoke true fear. Join us to catch a glimpse into our wonderfully engaging and deeply collaborative process. The kind of horror we want to create At its core, ILL is grounded, emotionally honest horror. The story unfolds inside a massive research fort overrun by a mysterious force and the Aberrations it creates. The game leans into grotesque realism and intense binaural audio designed to keep players constantly on edge. But beyond the brutality, our focus is immersion. We want moments to feel frightening, but also human. Characters aren’t just obstacles, they are three-dimensional people with motivations and personal stories that deepen the experience. Similarly, the locations in ILL are spaces designed to feel real, like you’re actually navigating them in person. We’re creating an environment that makes the player’s imagination work against them. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Where gameplay changes everything Our cinematic experience influences how we approach tension, pacing, and character presence. But the interactivity of video games as a medium changes that process. On set, every filming decision came back to one question: how will this feel once the player is in control? Unlike traditional filmmaking, every scene in ILL connects directly to gameplay. The game stays in first-person, and most performance moments begin and end inside active play without cuts. We can’t rely on cinematic tricks—transitions have to return control naturally to the player, guiding what they do next and how the moment feels from their exact viewpoint. Some cinematic ideas didn’t survive that test. If a scene disrupted the gameplay flow, we reworked it. It wasn’t an easy process, but one that ultimately made the overall play experience stronger. Expect the unexpected Even though we’re making a game about monsters, the performances came from real people, and that changed our expectations fast. Dramatic scenes—those including expressions of fear like screaming, and crying—are physically and emotionally demanding. They drain real energy and real emotion. We quickly adjusted our schedule to match that reality, giving actors more creative breathing room to tackle the heaviest moments earlier in the day. Some sequences we thought would be simple turned into hours of work, requiring precise choreography and tight synchronization between performers. Capturing believable horror isn’t just about acting: it requires timing, movement, and constant iteration. Another surprise we encountered: not every scene can be played “into the void,” or without an audience. Sometimes actors need something tangible to react to. At different points, our own producer and supervisor stepped in as stand-ins for enemy creatures so our performers had a real presence in front of them. And despite the grim material, the set itself wasn’t always heavy. After long days, the exhausted cast would suddenly crack jokes or start singing—small human moments that made the contrast with the final in-game atmosphere even sharper. Creative collaboration Working closely with actors became one of the most rewarding parts of the process. Watching performers grow into roles, get more comfortable with their characters—from rehearsals to final takes—changed how we saw certain scenes. We came in with a clear script, but actors often suggested different deliveries or interpretations. Many came from dramatic or cinematic backgrounds, and their perspective helped shape the emotional tone. Instead of feeling rigid, filming became a genuinely collaborative space where ideas evolved in real time, with contributions from differing points of view. Acting in an almost empty space In addition to the challenge of not having real monsters to react to, one of the other hurdles for our performers was to imagine a fully realized environment while standing in a nearly empty space. On set, props are minimal—sometimes nothing more than a stick representing a creature—while actors have to visualize the entire world around them. To help, we used monitors showing a rough in-engine perspective from the protagonist’s POV, so performers could see their digital models moving in real time. It helped, but it also demanded focus: some actors instinctively glanced at the screens instead of staying fully in character. Directors and staging leads constantly guided performances by describing invisible walls, obstacles, and even threats. One of the game’s monster types, visible below, is just one of many that we need actors to clearly imagine in front of them. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image In the end, a lot of solutions were invented on the fly: where to stand, how far to turn, how to capture emotion without breaking the technical side of the process. It’s a constant balance between creative intent and practical limits—and that’s where the “magic” happens. ILL is in development for PlayStation 5, with release information to follow. View the full article

Last month was filled with surprises, delights, and fights! Some big new releases included God of War Sons of Sparta, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, Resident Evil Requiem, Nioh 3, and Reanimal. Which game was your favorite? How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. After the polls close we will tally your votes, and announce the winner on our social channels and PlayStation.Blog. What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? Note: re-released games don’t qualify, but remakes do. We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation Blog editorial team will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. View Poll View the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here Hey, everybody! Tim, Kristen, and I are back this week to talk about the horrors of Racoon City, Reanimal, and trying to conquer your backlog before a wave of new games comes for us all. Along with our various journeys through Greece in God of War Sons of Sparta. Stuff We Talked About Next week’s release highlights: Resident Evil Requiem (out now) | PS5 Scott Pilgrim EX | PS5, PS4 Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered | PS5, PS4 Rager | PS VR2 Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse | PS5 Planet of Lana II | PS5 Marathon | PS5 Death Stranding 2 PC specs reveal blog —See the power requirements to connect, widescreen support, and other features. Scott Pilgrim EX new character blog — Get acquainted with Goth Neil and Lady Envy, and check out the fun new stage, Casa Vania. God of War Sons of Sparta The Pit blog — Time to test your Spartan resolve in the roguelike challenge mode. See how to unlock this mode early and take it on solo or with local co-op. missions and objectives. Life is Strange: Reunion hands-on report — Chloe and Max are back for more time manipulation shenanigans. Check out new features, including the ability to play as both the protagonist and the interactive notebook. PlayStation Plus Monthly Games March PGA Tour 2K25 | PS5 Monster Hunter Rise | PS5, PS4 Slime Rancher 2 | PS5 The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road | PS5, PS4 The Cast View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Tim Turi – Content Communications Manager, SIE Thanks to 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.] View the full article

Last week, we asked to share well-framed moments from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: parmindernangla shares Atsu framed by the sun in Ghost of Yōtei ​​ artenpixels_ shares Ratchet framed by rock formations in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart jobolts_ shares Arthur framed by some tree branches in Red Dead Redemption 2 call_me_xavii shares Aloy sitting in a frame-shaped hole overlooking water in Horizon Forbidden West. EduardoPrx shares Eve framed by a halo of lights and containers in Stellar Blade. x01.vp shares Rèmi standing in front of a circular light in Hell Us Is Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? THEME: Heroic SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 4, 2026 Next week, we need a hero. Share a heroic character using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Hello, fellow Wanderers. We’re proud to share new details about the very first major expansion to our wuxia epic, Where Winds Meet. It’s called Hexi — and it’s vast in scale and ambition! So large, in fact, that it will be released in three distinct chapters that will be dropped from March to May 2026. It will feature three major maps with nearly 20 sub-regions – covering areas of endless deserts, ice fields, snow-capped mountains and vast swathes of grasslands. You’ll find it populated by eleven unique bosses, dozens of side quests and so much more. We’ve tried to push boundaries, letting players inhabit characters from history and witness the era from the perspective of ordinary people caught up in the tides of history. This is what makes Hexi’s main story unique, existing outside of the game’s main timeline, and adopting a more cinematic approach to storytelling and gameplay. There will also be a significant shift in the narrative, as we travel through time and space as if in a dream to a different era of Chinese history – the Tang Dynasty – one of the most prosperous eras of ancient China. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, however, the Hexi region loses all contact with the capital, Chang’an, and the Hexi people long for their spiritual homeland and this prompts your dream pilgrimage. The first chapter of the Hexi expansion is called the Jade Gate Pass and launches on March 5 (Pacific Time). Set in a vast desert landscape, it represents the beginning of the biggest expansion since our game launched, offering up brand-new narratives, new bosses, fresh gameplay features and martial art styles. To help you to survive and advance in the challenging desert environment, you can obtain two brand new wuxia skills in the Jade Gate Pass area. Sand Race literally allows you to surf on the sand to speed your progress, while Cosmic Reversal will empower you to reverse time itself and rebuild desert ruins. This skill will be particularly helpful for overcoming obstacles, uncovering secrets and solving puzzles. Whitecrown City lies between Jade Gate Pass and Liangzhou. Once the crossroads of travel from East to West and a vital part of the ancient frontier defence, now a time-eroded, abandoned shadow of its former glory. Entering this city will rekindle ancient legends – Guo Xin – the last Grand Protector of Anxi – and the campaign boss. Standing as guardian of this lonely outpost, Guo Xin watches over the frontier in solitude. On this desolate ground, you will witness the reveal of secrets hidden deep beneath the annals of history. Furthermore, another formidable boss in Jade Gate Pass is the Wandering Ark, whose legend is deeply embedded in the Hexi lore and is waiting to be discovered in the desert wilderness. This boss does not stay in a fixed location – it’s a colossal vessel moving freely across the desert sea. Encountering this vessel, players need to be precise and strategic in discerning where to attack this opponent, while defending against ruthless ranged and close quarter attacks. Fortunately, to help with these daunting challenges, you’ll be provided with two new martial arts: Spring Dreamscape is an umbrella-style martial art focused on agility, enabling fluid endless combos and giving you the upper hand in tight spaces or group skirmishes. Fleeting Clouds is a new Rope Dart martial art style that centres on large sweeping Area of Effects (AOE) attacks making it ideal both for crowd control and for one on one duels where you hunt down enemies for persistent relentless damage. We’re also going to introduce a brand-new weapon in April: The Heng Blade is a core weapon with its own dedicated martial art system. Heng Blade combat puts the emphasis on precision, structure and decisive timing. The key lies in blending measured defence with clean, powerful strikes. Strong in mid to close-range, Heng Blade rewards spacing, discipline and making the most of brief openings and opportunities. Passing through the Jade Gate Pass, your next journey will head to Hexi Chapter 2: Liangzhou, where you’ll encounter the first snow-capped mountain map haunted by the lingering echoes questioning why a stranger in a foreign land is answering the call to return to their spiritual home. Ultimately, the final chapter of Hexi will be set in the scroll of the Painting Realm – the vast grassland of Qinchuan, and this is where the true treasure of this adventure will be found. But, hey – let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The road ahead is very long. It’s time, instead, to look forward to the Jade Gate Pass. Prepare yourself, wanderers, to enter Hexi, a world independent of the main timeline, where everyone is waiting to meet you in your dreams. View the full article