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Hey PlayStation Blog readers, ever hear the story of the FBI Space-Time Police Special Agent Romeo, who takes down space-time criminals in search of his lost girlfriend? No? Well, you’ll be able to find out when Romeo is a Dead Man launches on February 11! We’ve uploaded one final trailer for you all today featuring some brand new music that’ll be in the game. Seeing is believing as they say, so take a good hard look. Play Video As you can see we’re getting some pretty serious artists to contribute to the game’s soundtrack, further reinforcing Romeo is a Dead Man as a dead-serious action-adventure game. How serious exactly? Well, we asked Grasshopper Manufacture CEO, director, and scenario writer Goichi Suda (pictured left) and co-director and scenario writer Ren Yamazaki (pictured right) to find out. The character clicked as soon as they realized Romeo was also DeadMan Daisuke Koyama: Is the game based on Shakespeare’s play? What made Romeo’s story take the form it has now? Goichi Suda: It’s not entirely based on Shakespeare, no. The protagonist was always named Romeo, and if we were going to include a character named Juliet at all we figured it’d be something of a cameo at first. While writing the script, though, we noticed she became more of an important character as it went along. Romeo and his grandfather Ben are pretty clearly based on the old man/young man dynamics you see in Back to the Future or Rick and Morty, and we originally figured it would be about their journeys through space-time. But when we threw Juliet in there, it was like a missed connection or something slowly taking shape into a full-blown relationship. In other words, we never really thought too hard about making this into a “tragedy” like the original play. So Suda-san originally came up with the character of Romeo and wrote the basic scenario for the game, and then Yamazaki-san turned it into a full script, right? What kind of character is Romeo to you? Ren Yamazaki: Compared to previous protagonists Suda has written, I think he’s quite a serious and straightforward character with no hidden agenda. Suda: I wanted to write the story of a good-natured young man maturing over time. Travis, the protagonist of the last scenario I wrote—No More Heroes 3—had a wild and violent journey, so I wanted a protagonist who’d be the exact opposite of that. He ended up being a masked protagonist, too. Suda: I always wanted Romeo Stargazer to be a character that left a strong impression not just through his in-game skills and weapons, but as a character too. Our past titles feature all sorts of characters who are loved by gamers, so I really thought hard about how to make Romeo a character who’d be just as praised. When Romeo got the DeadMan moniker along the way, he really started to come to life in a way that made me confident in him. I thought to myself, like, “Romeo really is DeadMan!” and then it all kind of fell into place. That’s why we made it the title, too. The action itself is quite the strong-style hack-and-slash, isn’t it? Yamazaki: Yeah, I was firm about that. So many different aspects and systems of the game changed throughout development, but in my discussions with our main programmer, Hironaka, we made sure the battle system delivered a strong sense of action from the beginning to the end of development. How’s the combat balanced? Suda: In a full course dinner, the ingredients used are usually pretty standard no matter where you go, right? Looking at this game’s development as a full course meal, when it comes to graphics, sound design, and also the actual gameplay, we ended up using all sorts of ingredients that you normally wouldn’t find in a regular kitchen. But no matter what ingredients we were handed we used them to our fullest ability, which I think is our strongest point as a studio. We kept making adjustments right to the very end to create a perfect rhythm to our own course meal. Is there anything about the action you paid particular attention to? Suda: The big finisher—Bloody Summer—I paid a lot of attention to how exactly it felt, and to that end the general movement of swords were refined meticulously so that it would feel as authentic as possible. I’m pretty sure I also made a lot of adjustments to the actual moment of impact, but that was years ago development-wise now and I’ve totally forgotten what exactly I requested (laughs). Action games are the kind of thing that get better and better with each and every minor tweak. We also paid special attention to how many enemies appear and where in each level. Each time I played through the game to make adjustments, I imagined myself to be playing it for the first time and really considered the emotions that come with that. Even on a first playthrough, I really wanted it to feel as smooth as it is challenging, and I think we got a good balance there. The end result is obviously dependent on the players, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how it’s received by the public. Romeo uses both swords and guns. Was it hard to balance the action between the two? Yamazaki: When you think of it at a pure game design level, close combat weapons and ranged weapons are kind of polar opposites in terms of action. I paid a lot of attention to creating situations where both would be valid options to use. Of course, shooting an enemy from outside their own range of attack is still the strongest method of attack, technically. That’s specifically why we introduced the Bloody Summer system, the crazy finisher move that only charges when you attack enemies with close combat weapons. Sure, it’s riskier because there’s far more of a chance of taking damage as well, but that’s the gamble. It’s safer to hit enemies from afar with your guns, but the gauge doesn’t fill. Basically it’s a battle of merits and demerits that has to be figured out moment-to-moment to ensure your victory. There’s also the Bastard system where you summon support characters. Where did this idea come from? Yamazaki: We were already experimenting with gimmick skills outside of the main character’s regular move set in Travis Strikes Again and No More Heroes 3. Bastards are kind of a natural evolution of what we were doing there. Suda was pretty adamant about adding in a crafting system in the game, and when we were brainstorming on two separate skill and crafting systems, we realized it might be more interesting if they were connected to each other. There’s a ton of variations to make, so be sure to switch them out whenever you can. Suda: The Bastards really have a nice sense of presence in the game itself. They alter the way you approach battles, and you really have to think about how you raise them, not to mention what the ideal loadout is at any given time. If you raise them right, they end up being stronger than your regular weapons. Also, on PlayStation, when you harvest Bastards from the soil they react to the adaptive triggers. That’s one way of using them. Do you have any Bastards you’re particularly fond of? Suda: The one I used right to the end was called Mictlantecuhtli. Definitely my strongest. Also, FrostBolt, which freezes enemies. Yamazaki: It was SuicideAttack for me, which blows itself up. The more you raise it, the stronger it gets. I think it’ll be fun for everyone to come up with their own combinations. Make sure to give a try! And if you do, keep playing all the way to the end–the second half in particular’s got quite the surprises in store. On getting players into the action as fast as possible It seems in classic Grasshopper style, the story itself and its presentation is trying to confuse players. The opening sequence is pure chaos. Suda: The opening in particular is full speed ahead, yeah. I think it’s quite the good composition, if I do say so myself. If we’re gonna cause some ruckus right off the bat, we might as well equally get the player in the thick of the action as fast as possible so they don’t have to think too long about it. I’m just glad if they can enjoy the action right from the start. Yamazaki: I’ve been at the company for quite some time now, so I’m really used to Suda’s storytelling style. I guess from that perspective, it’s nothing too unusual for me. It’s, like, yeah, business as usual. Of course, I understand it’s probably confusing to first-time players, but that confusion itself is fun to see. I’m especially excited for how people will react to the story as a whole. Suda: There’s plenty of things that go unused over the course of game development. I really hate just leaving things on the cutting room floor, so I try to use as much of it as possible. The opening to the game used to be much longer, but due to a variety of factors it turned into what it is now. Of the things that seemed like they might go unused, we tried to put all of them in full right from the get-go, so the opening is basically the best possible outcome of it. We wanted players to feel this kind of rush going into it that leads them straight into the action. Right, a longer opening makes people impatient. Is that how you convinced the staff, too? Suda: Actually, about half the staff working on Romeo is a Dead Man were joining Grasshopper for the first time, and I probably think they felt a huge kind of anxiety about it throughout the entire production. How do you mean? Suda: I think for the most part everyone made it not really understanding what kind of game it would eventually turn into. I think only around debugging time did most people really start to see the whole shape of the game as it was. Why do you think that happens? Suda: Our development style is kind of ad-libbed, I’d say. Basically we bring a bunch of ideas to the meetings and develop them just through talk and pick apart what seems like something worth implementing, and for the most part we just pick the most interesting ideas and ad-lib ways to put them in. But as the number of staff involved with development increases, that becomes more and more difficult. At a sheer numbers level, it’s hard to communicate those ideas to every member of every section of the company. Sounds very ad-libbed to me. Suda: But I think that feeling of a bunch of interesting ideas packed into one is what sets Grasshopper games apart. Especially when it comes to action games, they’re not really something where you decide on a super rigid spec sheet from the beginning and follow it all the way through—it changes throughout development. You basically have to keep polishing really small parts to make the overall product better. That kind of ad-libbing and improvisation is what connects the chaos of the game’s opening to the various forms of expression we see used in the rest of the game too, right? Yamazaki: Of course, Suda’s directing style and the new staff are one thing, but about half the staff is made up of long-time members who more or less understand the unique culture that makes the base of our development cycle. I’m not sure if that’s an advantage or a disadvantage, but that’s precisely where that bold flavor unique to our games comes through; I think that really works for the people who enjoy it, and is more of an acquired taste for a first-timer. It’s kind of like a ramen shop with a thick, strong broth. But you don’t plan on changing that, do you? Yamazaki: There are definitely times we consider making things a more general, salty flavor for the public at large; though, I’m not sure it works out that way even when we try (laughs). Usually I start out that way, but somewhere along the way I get bored with the blandness and end up putting a bunch of spice in without even realizing. Suda: There are already enough “orthodox” games out there to begin with, and I don’t think it’s our place to compete with them. The world is already overflowing with “perfect” games that look like something Dekisugi-kun (from Doraemon) would make. But if they were all Dekisugi-kun games, then there’d really be nothing interesting. We definitely need more Nobitas in the world, and I think our studio is one of them. Whether or not Doraemon is with us, who knows? (laughs) Embrace the chaos on February 11 How was the interview? Our quirky action game’s got a strong backbone to it. It definitely requires a bit of skill; each enemy’s got its own characteristics and combat changes with each weapon. Also, the stronger you make Romeo, his weapons, and support characters through mini-games, the battle encounters themselves evolve with it. This thing’s got some pretty satisfying punch to it, if I do say so myself. Do what you want, however you want it. If I was to measure what kind of excitement we want to deliver, imagine you order ramen and gyoza, and then you get what looks just like ramen. But then you finish the soup, and bam, at the bottom of the bowl: there was your gyoza the whole time! You’ll be like, “whoa, who knew video games could be this free?” Anyway, we hope you can feel the overflowing passion, joy, and pure human spirit that radiates from Romeo is a Dead Man. Give it a try! View the full article

Tune in live this Thursday for 60+ minutes of news, gameplay updates, and announcements from game studios across the globe. February’s State of Play will spotlight eye-catching third-party and indie games headed to PS5, along with the latest from teams at PlayStation Studios. State of Play broadcasts live February 12 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST | February 13 at 7am JST on YouTube and Twitch, and will be broadcast in English with Japanese subtitles also available. We’ll see you then! Regarding co-streaming and video-on-demand (VOD) Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you’re planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music. View the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here Hey, everybody! Sid, Tim, Brett, and I are back this week to talk about the newest game announced this week, Horizon Hunters Gathering, take a look at what’s new in MLB The Show 26, and go down the rabbit hole of games based on 80s action. Stuff We Talked About Next week’s release highlights: Crisol: Theater of Idols | PS5 Romeo is a Dead Man | PS5 BlazBlue Entropy Effect X | PS5 Ride 6 | PS5 Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties | PS5, PS4 High On Life 2 | PS5 Reanimal | PS5 MLB The Show 26 gameplay reveal — Check out updated gameplay along with new modes and features like 11 new colleges, bear down pitching, new Trade Hub, and more. John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando gameplay features — See how the game elevates the co-op zombie-shooting genre with vehicle combat and management, combined with run-and-gun tactics, all set against an 80s action-horror aesthetic. Horizon Hunters Gathering reveal — a new co-op action game from Guerrilla, where up to three players can team up to take down dangerous machines, both big and small, where tactics and teamwork will be essential. The Cast View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Tim Turi – Content Communications Manager, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, 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 you to slow things down and enjoy the rustic life using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here’s are this week’s highlights: jobolts_ shares Atsu playing her shamisen at a camp with the Ainu tribe in Ghost of Yōtei. WildmindVP shares Layla’s cabin in the present day of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. RhodWulfLeon shares a one-eyed owl in a tavern in Star Wars Outlaws. RazinZamee shares Ellie and baby JJ sitting on a tractor in The Last of Us Part II. call_me_xavii shares Aloy standing outside an encampment in Horizon Forbidden West. FlamingHobo666 shares a wizard picnicking near a pumpkin patch in Hogwarts Legacy. 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: Romantic SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 11, 2026 Next week, show some love. Share romantic settings and characters from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Dear Trailblazers, the Honkai: Star Rail development team sends their long-awaited regards! We are thrilled to announce that a brand-new world known as Planarcadia will officially be unveiled in Version 4.0 No Aha at Full Moon. This prosperous world, renowned for its entertainment culture, is currently celebrating its unique Phantasmoon Games. This is not only Himeko’s homeland but also the starting point for the Astral Express to set sail once again. This story of The Elation will likewise span an entire year, and the stage will not be limited to Planarcadia—the IPC’s key stronghold, Astropolis, will also make its debut later. Let us witness the convergence of The Past and Future, and join new companions Yao Guang and Sparxie in the Euphoria party of The Elation. An arcadia where clout is king and people are amusing themselves to death Following the journey to Amphoreus, and at Himeko’s suggestion, the Express charted a course for Planarcadia, kingdom of the Elation, to resupply and explore. Planarcadia was once a 2D World in Canvas, but under the IPC’s management, it has been revived from the flatness of a painting to become a vital territory. It is now overseen by Pearl, one of the Ten Stonehearts of the Strategic Investment Department. Today, all manner of local entertainment products have sprung up like mushrooms, with their fame spreading across the entire cosmos. For the first stop on their journey, the Express Crew will arrive at Duomension City, situated in the heart of the arcadia. Unlike the solemn elegance of the Amphorean city-states, Duomension City is a vibrant metropolis defined by its sleek, modern aesthetic. By day, the streets are teeming with people, dazzling the eye with ubiquitous electronic screens and memetic projections. As nightfall descends, the waters of Dovebrook reflect the neon spectacle and bustling nightlife under the bright moonlight. Somewhere within the Dovebrook District lies the fabled World’s End, a tavern that serves as a vital social hub for the Masked Fools, though its exact location remains elusive. Furthermore, you will encounter all manner of bizarre creatures and objects active throughout the streets and alleys. Don’t be surprised, these are the local residents known as imagenae, beings born from painting and imagination. Whether it’s the towering, cool mechatron, the Meowton Station Master handling ground crew duties, or the thundercoil perched atop high towers amplifying the city’s network signals, they have long since integrated into the city’s daily life, becoming companions who live side-by-side with humanity. Speaking of Duomension City, one highlight you can’t miss is Interplanar Jump! There are mysterious entrances scattered all over the place—just dive in to reach the marvelous Duomension. Inside, the art style of people and imagenae changes, letting you pull off moves impossible in reality, like double-jumping or walking on water. Once you enter the Duomension, you’ll transform into different forms of Trailblazemon, free to explore all the unique and fun content hidden in every corner of the city. In Planarcadia, all conflicts and struggles are resolved through games, the most sensational of which is the Phantasmoon Games. Rumor has it that Aha personally established these games. The victor not only wins an audience with them, but also gains the authority of the Aeon of Elation for one minute. However, the games have no fixed rules—whoever catches Aha’s eye takes the lead. Thus, victory depends entirely on the participants’ capabilities and wit. A mask serves as the entry ticket for all participants, but only eight exist. The ferocity of the competition can be imagined. Not only are the locals of the arcadia, the Xianzhou Alliance, the Masked Fools, and the IPC getting involved, but even the Stellaron Hunters have arrived with their own agenda. Silver Wolf and Blade seem to have already made their move… Are they here for the Phantasmoon Games too? Who will obtain this incredibly precious invitation? Under the facade of Elation, is there some hidden conspiracy? It’s up to you to explore and find the answers. Get a Charming Partner in the form of Aha Instants In Planarcadia, even combat falls under the gaze of The Laughter. When characters of The Elation Path join the team, or when fighting special enemies, you will accumulate Punchlines. As Punchlines stack up and Aha’s excitement peaks, they will personally take the stage, triggering an Aha Instant. During this phase, Aha will lead the team’s Elation characters to unleash Elation Skills one by one. The more Punchlines you have, the stronger the skill effects. After the Aha Instant concludes, all Elation Path characters will receive their unique Certified Banger buffs, adding layers of strategy to your combat. In the new version, Trailblazers will welcome two powerful new 5-star characters to their roster. First up is the Seer Strategist of the Xianzhou Alliance’s Yuque ship: General Yao Guang. Previously a voice without a face in the storyline, she is finally making her official debut. As the senior soror to the familiar Master Diviner Fu Xuan, Yao Guang serves as a vital strategic advisor to the Alliance during dire straits. To the people of the Xianzhou, she is affectionately known as Madam Yao, a goddess of fortune capable of averting crises and divining weal through her calculations. As a Physical character following the Path of Elation, Yao Guang specializes in manipulating the tide of battle with Weal and Woe Lots. Drawing a Weal Lot boosts the team’s Elation and grants Punchline stacks when she uses her Skill. Conversely, during an Aha Instant, she casts a Woe Lot, increasing the DMG taken by enemies while recovering Skill Points for the team. Yao Guang’s Certified Banger buff allows teammates to deal additional Elation DMG with their attacks—and if those attacks consume Skill Points, the DMG is further increased. Furthermore, her Ultimate not only provides Punchline stacks to the team but also immediately triggers an extra Aha Instant, boosting All-Type RES PEN for all allies. Another mysterious 5-star character following the Path of Elation is Sparxie. Bearing a striking resemblance to the Masked Fool players know as Sparkle, she’s the hottest streamer in Planarcadia. In the storyline, Sparxie and Sparkle will appear together to bring the Trailblazer a unique surprise. During combat, Sparxie taps into her streamer persona, opening a livestream room to engage in a PK upvote battle against enemies. Players can continuously consume Skill Points to send random Gifts to Sparxie, regenerating varying amounts of Skill Points or Punchlines for the team. The more Skill Points consumed, the more Punchlines the team gains, resulting in higher final DMG. During an Aha Instant, Sparxie initiates a chaotic lucky draw, dealing massive DMG to all enemies with multiple bounce attacks. Under the Certified Banger state, every time a Gift appears during the PK, Additional Elation DMG is dealt to a random single enemy target during settlement. Additionally, Sparxie’s Ultimate also deals extra Elation DMG. It’s worth mentioning that the limited 5-star characters Black Swan, Evernight, and Hysilens will be featured in the Warp events during the first half of Version 4.0, while Sparkle, Cerydra, and Rappa will appear in the second half. Furthermore, the old partners Black Swan and Sparkle will be receiving buffs. They’ll continue to be your reliable allies in the upcoming journey to Planarcadia. New events galore Alongside the massive Main Story update, Version 4.0’s new events are just as hyped. When taking a break from exploring the arcadia, Trailblazers can invite friends to join the lighthearted Cosmicon Collective battle formidable foes through card duels and strive for the pinnacle of cosmic combat power! Another unmissable event is the operation of Furbobo Weekly. In this event, you’ll experience the busy yet fun life of a magazine editor-in-chief and get a taste of a whole new walk of life. Furthermore, Currency Wars is expanding for the first time, adding new characters and mechanics. The Divergent Universe has also been updated — look forward to the extra fun they’ll bring. ​​ Gaming experience optimization Finally, this update will optimize daily system functions for all Trailblazers: Assignments will no longer be restricted by fixed times or characters, allowing Trailblazers to claim rewards and dispatch characters at any time. Additionally, the Relic and Team Lineup systems will also be optimized and upgraded to provide a more convenient gaming experience. After the version update, simply log in and check in to receive 20 Warps, plus claim a free new Outfit for Ruan Mei and a 5-star character of your choice! At the same time, Yao Guang’s Weal Sign event will bring everyone a bonus of 1600 Stellar Jades may the Blessings of Good Fortune be with every Trailblazer on their journey in the new version! In addition, new Trailblaze Attire including a new Outfit and headwear for the Trailblazer will also be unveiled, which is sure to make your journey even more spectacular. Stay tuned for more game details. View the full article